Chapter 112 - 111: The Death Spy Plan (Part 3)
Any noble family that can survive for a hundred, several hundred, or even a thousand years never relies on luck; they must possess a complete and rigorous system and always strive to make the most of every person’s talents.
The Wu Family, having become the foremost family in Linjiang County, is naturally no exception.
Take the current generation of the Wu Family, for instance,
At the very top stand just two figures: one is Wu Yang, the other is Second Master Wu.
Wu Yang became Patriarch, for his talent lies in leadership—he is the most outstanding among the entire clan, thus he is Patriarch.
Second Master Wu, on the other hand, is first in terms of cultivation talent, so the Wu Family put all their resources into developing his martial arts, making him one of the top three experts in all of Linjiang County.
His cultivation is now on par with Gu Zhan’s—both are at the Innate Fourth Layer. His swordsmanship dominates Linjiang County, peerless in its brilliance.
Before Gu Zhan ever made a name for himself,
Second Master Wu, with his extraordinary swordsmanship, could challenge the entire Martial World of Linjiang County. Within Linjiang’s Martial World, many speculated he was perhaps the number one.
Only, in those previous years in Linjiang’s Martial World,
There were still a few who could reach Second Master Wu’s level. No one dared to say for certain who was truly the first. Even those few contenders themselves could not be sure—none admitted to being number one, nor did any acknowledge another as first.
But later, with Wan Yan’s arrival,
The question of who was first in Linjiang County ceased to be disputed.
Experts from every clan sought opportunities, both openly and covertly, to spar with Wan Yan. Without exception, they all conceded they were no match for him.
Yet Wan Yan’s stay was short-lived,
He was met head-on by Gu Zhan and shot dead by arrow,
Afterwards, Gu Zhan’s killing spree left the Six Great Families no choice but to submit,
After that battle,
Gu Zhan became recognized, without dispute, as the number one expert of Linjiang County.
And today, in this slaughter scheme deliberately crafted for Gu Zhan, he once again broke through the situation with a level of strength beyond anyone’s expectations.
As for Gu Zhan’s strength, Second Master Wu sincerely admired it. He acknowledged the title "God of Slaughter" bestowed upon Gu Zhan, and had no doubts regarding Gu Zhan being named the foremost expert in Linjiang County.
Only, as the old saying goes: "There is no top scholar in literature, but there is always a number-one in martial arts."
As a martial arts expert too, a famed veteran with years of renown,
Second Master Wu, while he admired Gu Zhan’s power,
Could never quite rid his heart of the urge to compete,
Even if he knew he was no match for Gu Zhan,
He still wanted to know how wide the gap really was between himself and the top master,
This was the curiosity of a true martial artist, the dignity of an expert!
However, he was, after all, no lone wolf,
Behind him stood the entire Wu Family—he could not challenge Gu Zhan at will.
And so, the wish to face Gu Zhan head-on,
Came to fulfillment only at this very moment,
Yet in these present circumstances,
The price of this wish’s fulfillment was his life,
So, this sword strike came with resolve—a resolve to perish together, if need be.
But then,
In the very instant Gu Zhan unleashed his blade,
He suddenly started to laugh,
Laughing at his own overestimation,
The moment he saw that saber, he understood—delusions of mutual destruction, or a fair head-to-head, were fantasies,
The gap in their strength was simply not of the same level,
So this is the Celestial Inquiry Third Slash?
The Celestial Inquiry Three Slashes—
The final strike, said to rival a Profound Tier Upper Grade saber technique,
This strike questions intent, questions the heavens,
And questions life and death itself!
This blade was not flashy,
But utterly fearless,
For who dares to question the heavens need fear no one—let alone compare heights with the sky itself,
So under such saber intent,
Second Master Wu’s sword, though exquisite, was but air before it,
When the Horizontal Saber slit his throat,
Second Master Wu at last understood,
Why Gu Zhan said there would only be a chance for a single saber strike,
Indeed,
To glimpse the true gap between the two,
He had but this one strike of opportunity,
After this strike,
He would never have the chance again!
...
Today, the weather was fair and the sun shone bright,
Yet the main street of Linjiang City seemed rather desolate, a hint of disorder haunting its emptiness.
Altogether, it was different from the usual lively splendor,
Only the clamor remained,
The battle at the Prefecture Government, the sudden appearance of the Mystic Armor Guard, shattered the ranks of the Six Great Families—any force or dominance turned to illusion before the Heavy Armored Cavalry.
And the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s counterattack became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
The top experts of the Six Great Families were almost all slain by Gu Zhan; their elite troops and the government army were smashed and routed by the Mystic Armor Guard, so all they could do against the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s onslaught was flee in confusion.
All the noble families found themselves engulfed in chaos.
At this moment, on a long street leading to the city gates,
Wu Yang was riding that stallion whose tail had been sliced off, the pain driving it mad,
That horse unleashed the fastest sprint of its life, finishing its final act and collapsing to the ground headlong.
Wu Yang clawed his way up from the earth,
Turned around and slipped into an alley, intending to escape by its shadow,
Yet as he reached the alley’s entrance,
He stopped,
He saw a horse-drawn carriage slowly approaching,
The driver—he recognized,
It was Yuan Xing, former Prefect Yang Yuzhi’s steward, known in the Martial World as Ghost Hand.
And for someone like Yuan Xing to serve as a mere coachman,
It could only mean one person in Linjiang City, someone who should not have appeared at this very moment—Yang Yuzhi.
"At last, I understand how the Mystic Armor Guard came to appear in Linjiang City."
Wu Yang let out a weary sigh, gently brushed the dust from his robe, and with a sweep of his long coat, settled himself onto a stone by the wall.
The carriage rolled slowly closer,
The curtain lifted, and inside was none other than Yang Yuzhi.
"Lord Wu, it has been a long time."
Wu Yang sighed and said, "Indeed, it’s been a long time, but honestly, you’re the last person I wished to see. Seeing you means that I’ve lost, and lost badly, in this game."
Yang Yuzhi spoke softly, "Yet my victory is also a bitter one."
Wu Yang considered for a moment and asked, "Wan Yan—was he...the bait?"
Yang Yuzhi gave a small nod, "From the outset, my junior brother was prepared to use his own death to pull your noble families into this chess game."
"Was it worth it?" Wu Yang asked.
"Was it worth it?" Yang Yuzhi echoed the same question.
Wu Yang paused for a while, then said, "I don’t know."
Yang Yuzhi sighed and said, "Truth be told, I don’t know either. When my junior brother told me the plan, I was lost too. So I didn’t get involved at first—not until after his death did I take over the second half."
Wu Yang gave a faint smile and said, "At first I thought I’d won, because I believed neither you nor Wan Yan could have guessed what I was going to do."
"We’d already guessed," Yang Yuzhi said, "Last winter, a few Martial World people started causing disturbances in Linjiang City—quite a few Embroidered Uniform Guard perished in the chaos. At first, I didn’t pay much attention; strife in the Martial World is hardly rare. Then one man showed up and I was compelled to reopen the case. Only then did I discover a subtle thread that led me to suspect that the noble families of Linjiang County might be colluding with the White Lotus Sect."
Wu Yang raised his brow and said, "So who was it that convinced you, Lord Yang, to reopen such an insignificant case?"
Yang Yuzhi replied slowly, "Gu Zhan!"