Stronger by Killing

A high-ranking member of the Dong Family hurriedly asked, "Are the Three Sects and Four Families preparing to make a move against the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Patriarch Dong nodded and said, "It is inevitable. The Sixth Young Master and Gu Zhan are both too naïve. They think that by taking the moral high ground, they can truly restore the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If it were that easy, how could the Government Office in Yunxi have fallen to its current state?

During this time, the Three Sects and Four Families have been enduring, simply waiting for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to show a flaw. If it weren’t for the sudden action of the Mang Mountain Thieves, someone among the Three Sects and Four Families would have eventually been the first to make a move to restrict the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The signing of the joint declaration was merely to give an explanation to Canglan City. After all, it’s the Sixth Young Master—no one dares to directly target him. However, by demanding the signing of a joint declaration, he has renounced his lofty identity and sat at the same table as the Three Sects and Four Families. Now, it’s all about competing in strategy.

In this contest, the Sixth Young Master wants the Three Sects and Four Families to show a flaw first, while the Three Sects and Four Families are also waiting for the Sixth Young Master to slip up. It’s just a matter of who loses patience first. This time, the strike by the Mang Mountain Thieves has given the Lingxi Sword Sect an opportunity—Sixth Young Master is about to reveal a weakness."

A senior member of the Dong Family asked in confusion, "Why is that?"

Patriarch Dong replied, "How do you think the various noble families around Youyang have managed to cooperate with the Mang Mountain Thieves for so many years?"

"Could it be because of the Lingxi Sword Sect?" another Dong Family executive said.

Patriarch Dong nodded, "Exactly. Based on the strength of the local powers around Youyang, the Mang Mountain Thieves wouldn’t even look at us. The reason they’ve sourced their weapons and spirit medicine from Youyang all these years is because the Lingxi Sword Sect covers for us from above. Otherwise, how could it be so well hidden, undetected for so many years by sects on the Righteous Dao from Canglan Dao?

So, this time, when the Mang Mountain Thieves massacred the Embroidered Uniform Guard Hundred Households Office, on the surface, as you see, it appeared as though several noble families were sheltering the Mang Mountain Thieves. The Mang Mountain Thieves acted merely to rescue their own people, to avoid being tracked down.

In truth, it was the Lingxi Sword Sect that took the initiative, making the Sixth Young Master believe he could move further ahead, breaking the deadlock between the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Pingyang Prefecture’s Martial World. In fact, the Lingxi Sword Sect simply no longer wants to drag this out; they deliberately sold out the Sixth Young Master, lured him into a trap."

The Dong Family executives all realized the truth with a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

Patriarch Dong let out a light chuckle, "Gu Zhan, the so-called God of Slaughter, sounds terrifying, but in reality he is just a headstrong man who thinks too highly of himself. He imagines that by clinging to the Sixth Young Master, all will be well and he will rise swiftly through the ranks. In truth, he’s nothing more than a country bumpkin who’s never seen the world.

Within Canglan Dao, anyone with the slightest understanding knows the Sixth Young Master possesses only a title—what else does he have besides that? In the open and hidden struggles of Beidou Bang in Canglan City, he doesn’t even have the qualifications to participate. Gu Zhan thinks he’s found a powerful patron, but in reality, that ’patron’ is only a figurehead by name alone.

The Three Sects and Four Families all know this, so they’re merely trying to pull the Sixth Young Master down from his pedestal. As for Gu Zhan, he was always the chess piece they prepared to deal with the Sixth Young Master."

A Dong Family senior asked suspiciously, "So the extermination of the Hundred Households Office this time is actually a trap for Gu Zhan?"

"Exactly," Patriarch Dong said, "The Sixth Young Master has lain low in Pingyang Prefecture for so many years with no movement, and suddenly intervenes now, relying on this so-called God of Slaughter, Gu Zhan. But Gu Zhan, in the eyes of the Three Sects and Four Families, what is he? At most, just an Innate Martial Artist!

Gu Zhan has come to Youyang City this time seeking nothing but hardship. With his temperament, he’ll definitely make a huge scene in Youyang, but all traces related to the Mang Mountain Thieves have already been completely wiped clean by the Lingxi Sword Sect.

He has only two choices: one is to maintain his boorish style, stir up a commotion; but without a shred of evidence, if he causes trouble in Youyang, the Lingxi Sword Sect will have every right to suppress him, and could even openly kill him.

With Gu Zhan gone, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have no influence at all on Pingyang’s Martial World. The Sixth Young Master would have no reason to retaliate, either. After all, Gu Zhan was the unreasonable one first: first came the massacre at the Hundred Households Office, then the heavy injury or even death of a Thousand Households. The newly rebuilt Embroidered Uniform Guard would become a laughingstock, devoid of any threat.

The second choice is for Gu Zhan to be sensible, realizing he can’t find any evidence or clues, and simply gives up on investigating the extermination of the Hundred Households Office. If he does this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s internal morale will shatter. Who among the dozen or so Hundred Households Offices would still dare to exercise supervisory power and tighten their grip on the local Martial World as before?

Right after, other noble families and sects could repeat this method at their local Hundred Households Offices, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would immediately fracture and collapse. So-called supervisory and trade-route distribution rights would become mere empty words."

The upper echelons all had sudden realizations.

"So this scheme was in place ever since the joint declaration was signed?"

Patriarch Dong smiled, "The Three Sects and Four Families have been waiting for this day for a long time. The Sixth Young Master’s status is well known. His long stay in Pingyang Prefecture is fraught with risk—he might at any moment drag Pingyang’s Martial World into the succession struggle for City Lord of Canglan City. It’s a bottomless pit—who wouldn’t dread it?

But now, the Sixth Young Master has put himself in play. On the surface it seems the Three Sects and Four Families have been outmaneuvered by him, but in fact they’re delighted. By joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Sixth Young Master has actively abandoned his noble status, and from now on will be burdened with the identity of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Henceforth, when facing the Sixth Young Master, it’s no longer a confrontation with Canglan City, but with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How could the Three Sects and Four Families not be pleased? When the Sixth Young Master resided in Pingyang, he was an unpredictable threat hanging over their heads. Now, that threat has confined itself, and the Three Sects and Four Families have ample means to restrict him."

A Dong Family executive gave a quiet laugh, "That being the case, Gu Zhan is really a pitiful man, completely played in the palms of the Three Sects and Four Families without even knowing it, merely a pawn!"

"Yes, so very pitiable," said Patriarch Dong. "Ultimately, it’s a matter of his narrow vision and limited experience. His talent for cultivation is truly frightening—if he hadn’t foolishly clung to the Sixth Young Master, that bottomless pit, he’d surely have become a hero in his own right. But as things stand, what a pity!"

...

Lingyang County, Gu Manor.

Grand Elder Gu Shanyun, beaming with delight, brought a report to the Patriarch Gu’s courtyard.

At that moment, Patriarch Gu was discussing something with another Elder. Upon seeing Gu Shanyun, face full of excitement as he walked in, Patriarch Gu was a little puzzled.

As the leader of the second branch and Gu Family’s Grand Elder, Gu Shanyun, although his cultivation was not high, was known for his steady character; it was rare to see him like this. Patriarch Gu asked doubtfully, "Second Brother, what brings you such joy?"

Gu Shanyun grinned and handed Patriarch Gu a letter, saying, "Patriarch, do you remember what I told you before? That Gu Zhan, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Thousand Households of Pingyang Prefecture, might be a lost child of our Gu Family? I sent people to Yundong to investigate, and now we have the results: Gu Zhan truly is the child our Gu Family lost. Patriarch, this is great news! Gu Zhan is extraordinarily gifted; if he can return to the family, our Gu Family will produce a true genius! Patriarch, I..."

As he spoke,

Gu Shanyun suddenly sensed something was wrong, because both Patriarch Gu and the other Elder wore unusual expressions.

"Patriarch, did something happen?" Gu Shanyun asked.

Patriarch Gu’s expression grew grave as he brought out a report and handed it to Gu Shanyun, slowly saying, "Second Brother, take a look... I’m afraid Gu Zhan... will never have the chance to return and acknowledge his ancestors."