Chapter 75: Gu Zhan Wants You Dead by the Third Watch
The Vice Hundred Households’ face turned extremely grim, about to speak, but was stopped by the Hundred Households at his side.
This Hundred Households wore a genial expression, his face blooming with a warm smile, forming a stark contrast to the Vice’s deathly scowl; it was obvious at a glance that these two men couldn’t be more different in temperament.
The Hundred Households cupped his hands with a smile and said, "Lord Gu, you overstate it. We’re all colleagues within the Embroidered Uniform Guard and ought to look after each other. We’re just carrying out orders. I hope Lord Gu will be magnanimous and give us some leeway."
Gu Zhan took a sip of tea, speaking lazily, "Not convenient at all. That’s enough—you men from the Inspection Team should clear out for now. It’s not time for the cleanup yet, and I’m in the middle of apprehending criminals. If you linger, you’ll be obstructing official business!"
The Hundred Households forced a stiff smile, just about to reply, when the black-faced Vice Hundred Households beside him cut in coldly, "Right now it’s you who’s obstructing official business. Our Inspection Team answers directly to the Yunzhou Garrison; all Embroidered Uniform Guards must unconditionally cooperate. You—"
"Fuck your mother!"
Gu Zhan abruptly stood up, hurling his teacup straight at the Vice Hundred Households.
This Vice Hundred Households was an Innate Expert, his reflexes and crisis sense razor sharp. The instant Gu Zhan flung the cup, his blade was already halfway drawn—
Except, the moment the blade emerged half an inch from the scabbard,
the Hundred Households gripped it in a deathlock and forced it back in place.
With a bang,
the teacup smashed right into the Vice’s forehead, showering his head with tea and leaves, and splitting the skin open.
"Motherfucker, you think you can save face?" Gu Zhan strode right up to him, voice like ice: "So the Inspection Team throws their weight around elsewhere—I can’t be bothered. But you want to put on airs here in South City? Are you looking to die?"
A renowned Innate Martial Artist, a Vice Hundred Households of the Inspection Team with higher official rank, took Gu Zhan’s blow head-on, blood streaming down his forehead, his face livid with rage—yet still he was forcefully restrained by the Hundred Households beside him.
"Lord Gu, please calm your anger, please calm your anger!"
The Inspection Hundred Households quickly put on a smile and said, "My colleague just has a rotten temper and no sense for protocol. If he’s offended you, Lord Gu, please be forgiving—on his behalf, I apologize to you."
Gu Zhan gave a cold snort, sitting back down and stretching out his hand as if nothing had happened, his tone bland: "This officer hasn’t finished his tea."
"Yes, yes, yes, of course."
The Inspection Hundred Households glanced around hastily, and soon returned carrying a cup of tea fetched from a small shuttered tea house by the street. He presented it to Gu Zhan with both hands, respectful to the extreme, saying, "Lord Gu, please enjoy your tea."
Gu Zhan took the cup, gave it a blow, and lifted his eyes toward the Inspection Hundred Households, saying, "Lord Liu... as I said, I’m in the middle of an investigation. What is your Inspection Team still doing here?"
Hundred Households Liu looked at Rong Hao’s group—now surrounded, all gravely wounded and unable to resist—then said awkwardly, "Lord Gu, the case is nearly closed, and I, too, am only obeying orders. Why not make things easy and hand these people over to me..."
"Heh," Gu Zhan sneered, his voice slow and deliberate: "I’m not making things hard for you. If you want to talk, have Wan Yan come see me."
Hundred Households Liu looked troubled and said, "That... I’m afraid..."
Just then,
a commotion arose at the far end of the street,
and the Martial World toughs encircling the area all made way, opening a path.
Wan Yan approached with several others, his face adorned with his trademark smile; from a distance, his booming laughter rang out as he walked, saying, "Brother Gu, your elder brother heard you’d run into a major case here, so I immediately sent backup—how did things get misunderstood like this?"
Wan Yan’s smile appeared sincerely warm, and his words were exceedingly courteous; anyone unaware would have thought he and Gu Zhan were sworn brothers.
At Wan Yan’s arrival,
both the Inspection Team and South City Embroidered Uniform Guard personnel bowed in salute.
Only Gu Zhan sat unmoved on his chair, a teacup in one hand, lid in the other, gently swirling the tea—without so much as lifting his eyelids.
Wan Yan showed no trace of embarrassment, still beaming as he said, "Brother Gu, this case is no ordinary matter. A member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, abusing authority to shield smugglers of Five Stone Powder, resisting with force—even a Hundred Households involved; this is not trivial. By law, the case should be handed to the Hundred Households Office for interrogation, and forwarded to the Prefecture Government for sentencing."
Gu Zhan’s eyes flicked up, giving Wan Yan a chilly glance. He said indifferently, "When did I say I’d interrogate anyone? The South City Hundred Households Office doesn’t have authority to interrogate a Hundred Households, but apprehending murderers—surely that’s within our purview, Thousand Households Wan?"
Wan Yan replied with an easy smile, "Certainly, arresting criminals is naturally proper. However, the South City Hundred Households Office holds no right of conviction. Now that these suspects have stopped resisting, it falls to the Hundred Households Office to take over. Rest assured, Lord Gu—your meritorious service in apprehending the criminals will be duly reported to the Garrison Commandant’s Office, and I’ll personally request a commendation for you."
As Wan Yan finished,
Rong Hao and his men immediately dropped their blades to the ground.
Though Rong Hao knew full well that today’s calamity for the Rong Family was Wan Yan’s doing—that all this carnage was the result of Wan Yan’s scheming—even so, Gu Zhan’s bloodlust was simply too terrifying.
He understood perfectly: if the Hundred Households Office failed to take him away, Gu Zhan would show no mercy. This was his only chance at life now.
A man must survive if there is to be hope.
He firmly believed that with the power of the Rong Family, as long as he remained alive—even in prison, even condemned—there would be a chance to make a comeback.
Seeing Rong Hao so cooperative, Wan Yan smiled faintly and gestured with a beckoning hand.
Immediately, members of the Inspection Team moved forward.
Rong Hao and his group did not resist, submitting obediently to arrest.
Rong Hao’s face was dark as he was taken past Gu Zhan; his eyes burned with bitter hatred,
He knew that the man he ought to hate most was not Gu Zhan, but Wan Yan. Yet he dared not show the slightest hostility toward Wan Yan now, fearing that any flicker of displeasure would cost him his life. So, all his rancor had to be redirected at Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan sat, angled slightly to the side, and chuckled: "Rong Hao, do you remember what I told you?"
Rong Hao started, confused for a moment.
Gu Zhan’s voice dropped, almost gentle: "I told you: ’Safe travels.’ I always keep my word."
Rong Hao’s face paled with horror: "Gu Zhan, we’re of equal rank! With Lord Wan here as witness, do you still mean to bully your way through? You—"
"Puchi"—a soft sound split the air.
A gleam of blade, and Rong Hao’s head flew into the sky, blood fountaining forth in crimson torrents.
Gu Zhan caught the severed head with his long blade. Staring at Rong Hao’s eyes, still wide and unyielding in death, he murmured: "In South City, if I want you dead by the third watch... heh... what makes you think you’ll live?"
Still reciting softly, his wrist flicked—flinging the head up, he smacked it with a casual tap of his blade, sending it spinning straight into Wan Yan’s chest.
Blood sprayed in all directions, dousing Wan Yan’s face in red.
Gu Zhan said coldly, "Lord Wan, Rong Hao suddenly lashed out and injured people; I was compelled to put him down—any objections? Now, I suspect someone in your Inspection Team was colluding with Rong Hao, leaking your badge and official seal, forging false dossiers to frame officials in South City Embroidered Uniform Guard. How about I conduct the investigation for you?"
As soon as Gu Zhan finished speaking,
chaos erupted upon the long street once more—
A surge in the crowd’s roar, the clanging of weapons, the sound of crossbows being cocked in unison, and echoing footsteps reverberated throughout the alleys along the avenue.