Stronger by Killing

In the Martial World of Pingyang, a sudden storm arose,

This wind seemed to blow the winter away before its time.

A new Thousand Households has arrived at Pingyang City’s Hundred Households Office,

This news, for Pingyang Prefecture, was originally a meaningless matter,

Because the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Pingyang Prefecture had long since lost their reputation; in all the counties, the Embroidered Uniform Guard were already abolished. Only one Hundred Households Office remained in Pingyang City, tasked with cleansing the major gangs.

Back then, people cursed the Embroidered Uniform Guard as the Court’s hounds behind their backs,

But these years, in Yunxi Land, the Embroidered Uniform Guard were barely worthy of being spat on to their faces,

And the so-called top seat Thousand Households was replaced frequently—even in just this year, two or three have been changed,

So, a new Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand Households was nothing to fuss over,

However,

This time, the Thousand Households was different,

Dozens of gangs in Pingyang City were purged in a single night—blood flooded the city. The leaders and high-level figures of those gangs were nearly slaughtered, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard publicly listed the unspeakable crimes of each.

Not only that,

This Thousand Households did not stop there—even the Pingyang City Prefecture Government was purged. In the following days, the Embroidered Uniform Guard seemed to revive their hound-like ferocity of decades past, seizing people throughout the city, even executing in the streets. The city was in turmoil; everyone was on edge. Gang members and noble families lived in terror.

Many Renowned and Righteous Sects in Pingyang Prefecture, upon hearing this, hurriedly sent disciples and members to the city to stop the chaos,

But they hadn’t even acted,

The second news broke:

Mo Beiyan, Sixth Young Master of Canglan City, by Dragon King’s command, joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard, intending to right the great virtues of the Martial World, purge its villains, reform its customs, and uphold the name of the Righteous Dao!

This news struck the noble families and sects of Pingyang Prefecture unprepared, leaving them defenseless,

Canglan City’s City Lord, Mo Jingzhou, titled Elder Canglan by the Court, was the nominal master of Canglan Dao, yet his other identity was as Gang Leader of Beidou Bang—the Nu River Dragon King, acknowledged Grandmaster of the Martial World, and the true master of Canglan Dao.

And Beidou Bang, in Canglan Dao, stands for righteousness,

Now that Sixth Young Master Mo Beiyan joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard—taking the heat for them—this was tantamount to framing those Pingyang City gangs as heretical and evil. For the Embroidered Uniform Guard to cleanse such evil and restore the Martial World’s virtue was Righteous conduct. Whoever opposed it, would be admitting themselves as allies of evil,

For a time, all the noble families and sects fell silent.

However, matters were not over,

As the Embroidered Uniform Guard recruited on a grand scale under the Sixth Young Master’s name, they also sent invitations, in the name of Mo Beiyan, to the noble houses and sects of Pingyang Prefecture, inviting their leaders to a Martial Arts Assembly, to discuss building a harmonious Martial World, preserving the righteous virtues,

The Martial World was thrown into a storm again.

...

Pingyang City, inside the Hundred Households Office,

Gu Zhan and the new Thousand Households, Mo Beiyan, were discussing some matters, when the sound of knocking came from outside. It was Zuo Yang, Holder of Hundred Households; he walked in, cupped his fist, and said, "Greetings, Lord Gu, Lord Mo."

Gu Zhan nodded his head and said, "Speak."

Zuo Yang cupped his fist and said, "My lord, the people you ordered us to catch have been seized, and already sent to the Prefecture Government."

Gu Zhan nodded his head and said, "Very good. Has recruitment gone smoothly lately?"

Zuo Yang replied, "With the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s cleansing of all the major gangs in Pingyang City this time, you, Lord Gu, have gained a sweeping reputation. Many wish to join us. Now that Lord Mo has also joined, many freelance experts have gathered, and we have even recruited several Innate Martial Artists."

"Good," Gu Zhan continued, "Go watch over the martial assembly. This time, it’s in the name of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—there must be no error at the Pingyang Martial Arts Convention."

"Yes."

Zuo Yang nodded, cupped his fist, and withdrew.

Mo Beiyan asked in doubt, "Brother Gu, this Zuo Yang is your top confidant in the Hundred Households Office. The ones you had him arrest are not ordinary, are they? Why send them to the Prefecture Government?"

Gu Zhan shook his head and said, "To the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they’re not critical. Brother Mo, have you heard about the new Prefect?"

Mo Beiyan nodded and said, "I’d heard before. In Pingyang Prefecture’s Martial World, things are always this way. That Prefect—I’ve heard his name, Ji Hanzheng, from Qingzhou, a well-known upright official. Seems he offended Prince Jing’an in Qingzhou, so he was demoted in name only and sent to Pingyang Prefecture to suffer."

Gu Zhan nodded and said, "The ones I had Zuo Yang arrest were those young masters who barged into the Prefect’s household and humiliated Ji Hanzheng’s wife and children. This must be dealt with. After all, Ji Hanzheng is the Prefect of Pingyang Prefecture. If this matter isn’t handled, Pingyang Government Office’s reputation will never recover, which would harm our Embroidered Uniform Guard in the future.

Besides, those young masters and their backing families all have trodden the path of death. In Pingyang City, such arrogant figures will not be tolerated!"

Mo Beiyan nodded and said, "Moreover, someone like Ji Hanzheng does not deserve such a fate. Enough, let’s not dwell on this—let’s discuss the Martial Arts Assembly!"

...

Prefecture Government, rear courtyard.

In a shabby little courtyard, a withered-looking middle-aged man sat dull-eyed under the eaves, his body covered in snowflakes, hair unkempt as if it had not been groomed for a long time, his clothes filthy, blankly staring at the dried jujube tree in the courtyard.

This was Ji Hanzheng, Prefect of Pingyang.

If any of his old acquaintances were here, they would be appalled. Once, Ji Hanzheng was so upright, unyielding; with clean sleeves, fearless before power, high-spirited—what a contrast now, even less than a beggar.

Messy footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by waves of wailing cries,

Ji Hanzheng’s face remained expressionless,

Soon, a group entered the courtyard,

A squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard dragged in several young masters, beating and kicking them, tossing them to the ground like dead dogs, all tied with thick ropes.

The previously vacant eyes of Ji Hanzheng turned suddenly bloodshot when he saw these men, his fists clenching tightly.

"Magistrate Ji, under orders from Gu Qianhu, I deliver these criminals to you. Pingyang City is under new rule—Luo Huaiyang and the corrupt officials are all taken down, and the city’s gangs have been cleansed by Gu Qianhu," said one Embroidered Uniform Guard, viciously kicking one of the young masters and adding, "The families behind these men have also been wiped out!"

Ji Hanzheng’s eyes were blood-red; he said nothing,

The Embroidered Uniform Guard placed a Brocade Spring Saber beside Ji Hanzheng, then quietly retreated to the side.

After a moment,

The courtyard erupted in shrill, tragic screams,

Ji Hanzheng, gripping the saber, laughed madly like a lunatic. Then, starting with their limbs, he cut into the young masters’ flesh, again and again,

Their hysterical howls were chilling to the bone.