Chapter 41: Removing the Firewood from under the Cauldron
Ma Lang asked in confusion, "Lord Gu, what is the purpose of this move?"
Gu Zhan replied in a low voice, "Do you really think Luo Bingsheng suddenly leaving the city is truly to capture some notorious bandit?"
Ma Lang exclaimed in surprise, "You mean there’s a trick to this?"
Gu Zhan snorted coldly, and said, "That Luo Bingsheng is already in his sixties or seventies, and he hasn’t acted personally in nearly a decade. Now, all of a sudden, he becomes so active—and it just so happens at this critical moment when our Hundred Households Office and the Thousand Households Office are at odds? I don’t buy such coincidence."
Ma Lang cried out, "Could it be... he intends to harm Hundred Households Gu?"
"Nothing is impossible—a cornered dog will leap over the wall," Gu Zhan said, "Now, the tension between Hundred Households Gu and him is already needle-to-needle. If Hundred Households Gu succeeds against the Celestial Water Gang, with such merit and his backing, it’s entirely possible for Luo Bingsheng to be forced into retirement.
But right now, Luo Bingsheng cannot retreat at any cost. He has always represented the interests of many Noble Families in Linjiang City, and Hundred Households Gu’s ongoing policy of using the Embroidered Uniform Guard to suppress the Martial World severely clashes with their interests. Until this problem is resolved, they will never allow Hundred Households Gu to rise to power.
But things are already at the tipping point. If Hundred Households Gu succeeds, their interests will certainly suffer. Therefore, they can’t let him win—yesterday’s events are proof enough.
They came at me openly, aiming to cleanse the South City Hundred Households Office and cut off Hundred Households Gu’s support, but I ruined their plan. They won’t give up so easily—there’s no turning back in this matter; thus, they will certainly have a next step prepared.
And at this moment, Luo Bingsheng suddenly leaves Li City. He must be targeting Hundred Households Gu. There are two possibilities: one, to stop him from returning to the city; two, to prevent him from successfully rounding up the leadership of the Celestial Water Gang. Yet both scenarios circle around one crucial factor: our South City Hundred Households Office.
As long as our South City Hundred Households Office stands, whatever incident arises with Lord Gu, we can rush to support him at a moment’s notice. Therefore, Luo Bingsheng will definitely find a way to deal with our office. In present-day Linjiang City, what methods does he have against us?"
Ma Lang thought for a while and said, "Official forces are out of the question. If he uses official power, there will be indelible evidence. So, he must resort to unofficial means."
"Exactly." Gu Zhan nodded. "Unofficial force means forces of the Martial World. However, the Martial World powers in West City, North City, and East City are all under the control of the Linjiang Prefecture Noble Families. Luo Bingsheng has no authority to command those families, and their interests do not clash with Hundred Households Gu, so they wouldn’t join hands with Luo Bingsheng.
In conclusion, the only power Luo Bingsheng can utilize is the South City Martial World gangs. After yesterday’s battle, those second- and third-rate gangs probably have few left who’d dare continue working with him. Only the Celestial Water Gang, that interest cartel of the major families, remains!"
Ma Lang frowned and said, "Yet the Celestial Water Gang is now a leaderless mob. The top brass have already fled—how can they possibly oppose our Hundred Households Office?"
Gu Zhan said in a deep voice, "The Celestial Water Gang is no mere small fry. Those lesser gangs are backed by insignificant families, but the Celestial Water Gang is a combination of major family influences from Linjiang Prefecture. They are bound to have a hidden hand."
At this point,
Gu Zhan’s tone grew a bit wistful—this era is truly rotten and deformed.
All resources have already been monopolized by the upper echelons.
Take Linjiang Prefecture as an example. Just a handful of Noble Families hold over seventy percent of the resources, and the remaining thirty percent isn’t even intended for the Lower-class Families or the poor—it goes to the families under the Noble Families.
The remaining thirty percent of resources are almost all concentrated in South City.
But a single Celestial Water Gang directly takes more than twenty percent, because behind that gang stand the major families, such as the Luo Family where Luo Bingsheng comes from.
The less than ten percent of resources left? Even then, they don’t fall into the hands of the poor or the Lower-class Families, but still end up controlled by obscure minor families—those second- and third-rate Martial World gangs in South City. Each of these gangs corresponds to some minor family behind the scenes.
So,
When you dig deep, you realize how much of this world is a false pretense,
The Martial World is never short of legends: one man and his sword creating a powerhouse, tales of friends banding together to carve out their own legacy—these are the stories everyone tells.
But what many don’t know is,
All they hear are the beautiful stories others allow them to hear. In truth, what lies behind these people’s success are ties out of reach for ordinary folks. The world doesn’t lack stories of starting from scratch—it lacks the reality of it!
Ordinary people can barely afford food,
How could they possibly afford martial training? What chance do they have to learn martial arts, let alone advanced techniques that are the foundations of every powerful group? On what grounds could a commoner even touch them?
The more Gu Zhan understood this era,
The more he counted himself lucky—lucky to have a Golden Finger. Otherwise, he’d have no standing to stir up the waters in this era.
He’s no engineering genius—can’t invent gunpowder, glass, or refined salt. He can hardly recite Tang or Song poetry by heart, just a few catchy pop songs maybe,
And even so,
Unless one crossed over with a top-tier background here, there’s nothing a commoner could ever hope to keep hold of in this world.
Such is the age,
And even in this age, to read books at all, you’d at least have to be from a Lower-class Family. How could the poor have the means?
The age—how pathetic,
Every age is pathetic!
After silently lamenting, Gu Zhan shook his head slightly, setting aside his worries, and said: "Chief Banner Ma, whatever Luo Bingsheng’s next move is, we must prepare—but I have always believed that the best defense is offense!
Now that we know Luo Bingsheng’s hidden move must be linked with the Celestial Water Gang, I will strike at the Celestial Water Gang myself. Luo Bingsheng wants to use Hundred Households Gu’s absence to deal with our office—then we will return the favor, using the opportunity while he and the gang’s leadership are away to pull the rug out from under them, eliminating all future worries!"
Ma Lang raised his brows and exclaimed, "So, Lord Gu... this banquet you’ve convened?"
Gu Zhan said coldly, "Those gangs caused me no end of trouble yesterday. Yet here I am, not holding grudges, but delivering them a grand fortune. With all the resources of the Celestial Water Gang at hand, isn’t that generous enough?"
Ma Lang frowned, "But the Celestial Water Gang’s prestige is so great—are there really many who’d dare pull the tiger’s whiskers?"
"They don’t dare go after Celestial Water Gang, but they’re bold enough to target me?"
Gu Zhan touched the hilt of his blade, voice cold, "So they take me for an easy mark?"