Chapter 300 - 261: Attaining Grandmaster
As soon as Mo Jingzhou finished speaking,
the upper echelons of the Beidou Bang were stunned.
The renowned Grand Elder of the Ghost King Sect, Ghost Fang, had actually died!
Xiao Chen chuckled and said, "Luckily, Brother Gu arrived in time. If he hadn’t killed Ghost Fang and saved me, I might not have made it back!"
In an instant, silence fell,
everyone looked at Gu Zhan with astonishment.
Ghost Fang was dead, and they were already sufficiently shocked, but the fact that Ghost Fang died at the hands of Gu Zhan was truly earth-shattering.
Ghost Fang was a Grandmaster who had been famous for many years!
For a moment, many people looked at Gu Zhan with changed expressions.
Tonight, Gu Zhan’s slaying of Xiao Xiangzi, the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect, had already shocked many, making them mentally acknowledge Gu Zhan’s status as the potential successor to the Gang Leader. Unexpectedly, an even greater surprise was to come later.
Slaying Xiao Xiangzi and Ghost Fang, and saving Xiao Chen,
these achievements made no one dare to use seniority to suppress Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan also noticed everyone’s shock, waved his hand, and said, "Mainly it was Protector Xiao who faced Ghost Fang head-on, and I just launched a sneak attack from the side!"
"Killed means killed,"
Mo Jingzhou said in a deep voice, "No one cares about the method. Let’s not talk about sneak attacks—during the last battle between the righteous and the demonic sects, several Grandmasters teamed up with a Grand Elder to besiege Ghost Fang and couldn’t kill him. Your ability to kill him proves your capabilities—no need to be modest!"
Gu Zhan slightly raised an eyebrow,
understanding Mo Jingzhou’s implication instantly.
The Beidou Bang is not like those small sects that fear their talented disciples being prematurely snuffed out by enemies, thus deliberately hiding them.
The Beidou Bang doesn’t need such tactics; with the power of Beidou Bang, unless the five top forces totally fall out and fight to the death, it is unlikely for their young disciples to be killed off.
Of course, there is another main reason,
by being able to kill a Grandmaster, Gu Zhan has already risen in prominence. No one would dare consider him a mere youth anymore; he possesses enough strength to establish himself in the Martial World,
in such a context, gaining fame not only greatly helps Beidou Bang but also instills fear in others.
"Indeed," Xiao Chen said, "Brother Gu, I witnessed you kill Ghost Fang. Though I assisted, even if it were any other Grandmaster, let alone kill Ghost Fang, it would be difficult to say if they could even save me."
Gu Zhan smiled and said no more.
Mo Jingzhou extended a hand and channeled a stream of True Essence into Xiao Chen’s body, frowning slightly, "Second brother, go and heal yourself first, don’t worry about other matters for now. Trust Gu Zhan with your current tasks temporarily."
Regarding Mo Jingzhou’s arrangements, Xiao Chen never hesitated and nodded in agreement immediately before leaving with the gang members.
Mo Jingzhou glanced at the upper echelons of the Beidou Bang and said slowly, "All of you, come with me." Then he turned to Gu Zhan and said, "You too, I have something to say."
Gu Zhan nodded and followed Mo Jingzhou into the manor.
At this moment, the fire in the manor had already been extinguished.
The perimeter had been burned almost to ruins,
but the inner and back courtyards, where the Demon Dao had not yet infiltrated, remained largely unaffected.
Soon,
they arrived in a council hall.
Mo Jingzhou took the main seat, pointed to the prime position on the left, and said, "Gu Zhan, sit here!"
Instantly, the expressions of the upper echelons in the hall changed.
That position was always occupied by either Left Protector Xiao Chen or Right Protector Yun Wei. Even if a meeting was held in their absence, the place would be left vacant.
Despite Gu Zhan’s recently affirmed strength, he still lacked the seniority. Although no one dared to look down on Gu Zhan, internally, ranks were still observed based on seniority. Gu Zhan, being a Squad Leader of the Lower Three Sectors, typically avoided provoking gossip by sitting somewhere in the middle or slightly forward.
But now, by directly assigning Gu Zhan to the left prime seat, Mo Jingzhou was sending an intriguing signal.
After all, everyone present was more senior and experienced than Gu Zhan.
However, no one uttered a word,
for everyone, being no fool, knew Mo Jingzhou had reasons for assigning that seat to Gu Zhan, aiming to prevent any dispute.
Gu Zhan had his suspicions,
having achieved Grandmaster Cultivation—it may have gone unnoticed by others, but not Mo Jingzhou.
Once everyone had settled in,
Mo Jingzhou began to speak slowly, "Everyone, you are all aware of the current situation within Beidou Bang. To say we are beset by internal strife and external threats is no exaggeration. Internally, the first generation of our members is aging, and while the second generation is numerous, not a single one can hold the fort adequately, with only a few such as Tan Lang, Lu Cun, and Jiu Men capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities. As for the third generation, they are all still young, even those like Tian Yu who have begun to make a name for themselves—it’s a waiting game we do not have time to play.
Externally, the threat is evident. This righteous versus demonic war aims to address the potential division brought by the Cyan Gorge Covenant. However, if I gain autonomy, the Cyan Gorge Covenant will become nothing but waste paper, meaning Yunxi could return to the chaos of thirty years ago. After the first generation steps down, Beidou Bang will have no one to take the lead, surrounded by enemies—how will we respond?"
Silence pervaded the hall.
Mo Jingzhou’s words, though harsh, were true; especially the second generation members represented by Tan Lang felt aggrieved, yet found no way to refute them.
Originally, within Beidou Bang, they were not exceptional, but years of battles against significant factions helmed by the Danyang Sect and Lu Yuan Dao saw them having to step up when the Danyang Sect lethally targeted the leading figures among the second generation, leaving them with no choice but to stand forward. Yet, over thirty years have passed, and not one Grandmaster has emerged among the second generation.