Chapter 506: Officials and Bandits

Chapter 506: Officials and Bandits

"Guo Xin’s talent is as blunt as an ox, unable to climb this ladder to heaven or catch the updraft of a rising wind."

Guo Xin knelt on the ground, head bowed in desperate pleading: "I’ve come home to pay respects to the family, and I must tell you plainly—I cannot bear the responsibilities of magistrate of Chengdu County. Please find another among our kin to take my place."

"What?!" Guo Zhiwei halted mid-step, startled, turning back with an expression of utter disbelief as he stared at Guo Xin. "Say that again!"

Guo Xin bit his lip, said nothing, only pressing his forehead to the earth, his skull thudding against the ground with a hollow, echoing sound.

"If I’ve labored my entire life to secure this post for you, even sacrificing my own position to do so, and now you tell me—afraid of death, you’d abandon it?!"

Guo Zhiwei’s whiskers trembled, fury boiling over. He kicked Guo Xin’s shoulder, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Want to live? It’s simple—I can help you."

When the next young heir arrived to kneel in homage, Guo Zhiwei would appear through a projection, offering a satisfied smile and a look of relief.

Guo Zhiwei stared down at Guo Xin, sprawled and motionless on the ground. After a long moment, he turned away in anger.

Once, as a collateral branch, Guo Xin had dreamed of leaving this ostensibly grand yet suffocating three-story ancestral hall, to carve his own path and achieve greatness. When he returned home, he hoped Guo Bafang would open doors for him, allowing him to enter the ancestral hall.

Li Jun said coolly: "If you, unable to secure even a path with all three levels of family rank, can’t find a way..."

For all along, he’d been nothing more than a tool in the family’s hands.

Now the family demanded his life be offered to secure a chance to survive in Jinling City.

To speak well, to yield, to bend, to stand firm.

Guo Xin’s resolve hardened, his expression sincere: "At last, there’s an opening. Whatever you need me to do, arrange it."

Thus, upon receiving his appointment from the court, he’d once felt triumphant, believing all his sacrifices had been rewarded.

The past held wolves, the future tigers—both paths led to death. Yet Guo Xin had laid down his fears and masks, accepting his fate: "If you can secure my release from Chengdu County, I’ll handle this matter splendidly."

This was a hitman’s order!

Guo Xin, after all, was a model Confucian scholar.

As an old acquaintance who’d once worked in Chengdu County, Guo Xin had been keeping tabs on Li Jun’s movements.

The driver glanced back, and Guo Xin’s eyes met a face he knew intimately.

*Thud!*

Guo Xin slammed his fist against the back of the front seat, the confusion in his gaze replaced by a fierce, burning resentment.

"You still have to die there—in that office, on that post!"

"You know him."

To die within the county magistrate’s office, on that official’s desk.

"Brother Jun, it’s not an excuse—I just—"

Guo Xin couldn’t meet Li Jun’s eyes, his gaze fixed on his own knees, breathing heavily through his mouth and nose, sweat dripping from his nostrils.

"I can’t help with this matter, but I can help you control the Gu family."

Li Jun’s tone was casual: "The new Donglin faction, an upper-tier family, Jinling Liu family."

"Don’t fear. If I truly wanted to kill you, you’d have been reincarnated countless times by now."

Though he only had access to some low-level internal reports, he could piece together from scattered snippets that they were enemies from the start—tigers and sheep facing each other.

The word "young master" made Guo Xin’s whole body stiffen. He forced a tearful smile and said: "Brother Jun, you jest—I’ve always been blind to your greatness, daring to offend you. I’ve always wished to apologize for our past misunderstandings, but never had the chance."

Once his value was exhausted, his final fate would surely be to have his brain placed in an ancestral tablet, his name carved on a cold stone stele.

"My fate is unworthy of life," Guo Xin said, taking the thread of conversation, his expression resolute.

But when everything unfolded as he’d wished, Guo Xin looked back on his path and finally understood.

Li Jun sneered: "You think a bandit and an official swapping positions is something to overanalyze?"

"Of course I don’t want to."

"Go back to your Chengdu County right now."

"Even if Guo Zhiwei dies, as long as I remain in the Chengdu County magistrate’s seat, I’ll still face death."

He never imagined he’d meet his enemy in Jinling City.

"An official killing people, a bandit killing people—when a great bandit is recruited, he becomes an official; when a great official loses power, he becomes a bandit. There’s little difference between the two. If you wish, I believe you have a way."

Guo Xin trembled, tentatively asking: "I don’t know, Brother Jun—do you want me to find out about this old friend of yours? Who is he?"

"Even harder to find than your situation in Chengdu County."

"Among them, some marry commoners to breed better bloodlines. Others serve noble families to secure a position for their clan, becoming attendants, servants, drivers. Some sacrifice their lives in the ancestral hall to warn their kin, dying in the towering palace forbidden to commoners."

Li Jun chuckled: "So you’re willing to be sacrificed by your family, a stepping stone for them to gain benefits from the New Policies?"

The emotional whirlwind left him drained.

He blinked in shock, realizing his carriage had stopped by the roadside.

"I came to Jinling City to meet old friends, but their mansions are grand, their courtyards deep—perhaps they won’t welcome an uninvited guest."

Li Jun saw his state, awkwardly raised an eyebrow, suppressing the killing intent he’d let slip.

A sudden voice made Guo Xin’s hair stand on end.

Li Jun said bluntly: "Find out about the Liu family’s situation. I can help you eliminate the current head of the Gu family."

Li Jun smiled: "So I want you to investigate this old friend of mine, to see which way his door faces, how many people live in his house, who his loved ones are, who his cherished friends and brothers."

Guo Zhiwei kicked the ground, shouting in fury: "It’s because of these ancestors who sacrificed honor and reputation, who went before and behind, that this mansion was built, that the Gu family rose to prominence! Now you dare shrink from a man’s life and death, how can you uphold the Gu name?!"

Guo Xin leaned his head against the car window, staring blankly at the wide avenue stretching into the earth below, where people flowed in and out like ants entering and leaving their nests.

In that moment, only Li Jun’s final words echoed in his mind:

"I’d like to ask Young Master Guo to help me with a small favor."

Guo Xin’s eyes went wide with confusion. He murmured: "Titles, ranks, power—I don’t want any of them. I just want a path to live. Why can’t you give me that?"

"Then I’ll wait for your reply."

Guo Xin wanted to leave Chengdu County partly out of fear of Li Jun’s revenge.

"You—why come to me? What do you want?"

After a moment, Guo Xin found his voice, stammering out his words.

He was a pillar of strength among the common folk, yet in the face of the powerful, he knelt and bowed his head.

"Why can you live, and I must die? Why?!"

"Open your eyes, look around—see every plaque in this ancestral hall, every couplet, the tablets of your ancestors!"

These years, he’d labored in poverty, bled for the family’s gains. Beyond a little left to sustain the business, everything else went to the family.

Li Jun’s trembling fingers pointed toward the depths of the ancestral hall.

"I don’t like haggling, nor do I want to hear your complaints. Let’s get down to business."

So when the Gu family gained entry to Chengdu Prefecture, none of the eldest sons volunteered to go. Guo Xin stepped forward of his own accord, volunteering for the post.

Even more relentless thoughts tormented him, draining his strength.

Chapter 506: Officials and Bandits

"Guo Xin’s talent is as blunt as an ox, unable to climb this ladder to heaven or catch the updraft of a rising wind."

Guo Xin knelt on the ground, head bowed in desperate pleading: "I’ve come home to pay respects to the family, and I must tell you plainly—I cannot bear the responsibilities of magistrate of Chengdu County. Please find another among our kin to take my place."

"What?!" Guo Zhiwei halted mid-step, startled, turning back with an expression of utter disbelief as he stared at Guo Xin. "Say that again!"

Guo Xin bit his lip, said nothing, only pressing his forehead to the earth, his skull thudding against the ground with a hollow, echoing sound.

"If I’ve labored my entire life to secure this post for you, even sacrificing my own position to do so, and now you tell me—afraid of death, you’d abandon it?!"

Guo Zhiwei’s whiskers trembled, fury boiling over. He kicked Guo Xin’s shoulder, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Want to live? It’s simple—I can help you."

When the next young heir arrived to kneel in homage, Guo Zhiwei would appear through a projection, offering a satisfied smile and a look of relief.

Guo Zhiwei stared down at Guo Xin, sprawled and motionless on the ground. After a long moment, he turned away in anger.

Once, as a collateral branch, Guo Xin had dreamed of leaving this ostensibly grand yet suffocating three-story ancestral hall, to carve his own path and achieve greatness. When he returned home, he hoped Guo Bafang would open doors for him, allowing him to enter the ancestral hall.

Li Jun said coolly: "If you, unable to secure even a path with all three levels of family rank, can’t find a way..."

For all along, he’d been nothing more than a tool in the family’s hands.

Now the family demanded his life be offered to secure a chance to survive in Jinling City.

To speak well, to yield, to bend, to stand firm.

Guo Xin’s resolve hardened, his expression sincere: "At last, there’s an opening. Whatever you need me to do, arrange it."

Thus, upon receiving his appointment from the court, he’d once felt triumphant, believing all his sacrifices had been rewarded.

The past held wolves, the future tigers—both paths led to death. Yet Guo Xin had laid down his fears and masks, accepting his fate: "If you can secure my release from Chengdu County, I’ll handle this matter splendidly."

This was a hitman’s order!

Guo Xin, after all, was a model Confucian scholar.

As an old acquaintance who’d once worked in Chengdu County, Guo Xin had been keeping tabs on Li Jun’s movements.

The driver glanced back, and Guo Xin’s eyes met a face he knew intimately.

*Thud!*

Guo Xin slammed his fist against the back of the front seat, the confusion in his gaze replaced by a fierce, burning resentment.

"You still have to die there—in that office, on that post!"

"You know him."

To die within the county magistrate’s office, on that official’s desk.

"Brother Jun, it’s not an excuse—I just—"

Guo Xin couldn’t meet Li Jun’s eyes, his gaze fixed on his own knees, breathing heavily through his mouth and nose, sweat dripping from his nostrils.

"I can’t help with this matter, but I can help you control the Gu family."

Li Jun’s tone was casual: "The new Donglin faction, an upper-tier family, Jinling Liu family."

"Don’t fear. If I truly wanted to kill you, you’d have been reincarnated countless times by now."

Though he only had access to some low-level internal reports, he could piece together from scattered snippets that they were enemies from the start—tigers and sheep facing each other.

The word "young master" made Guo Xin’s whole body stiffen. He forced a tearful smile and said: "Brother Jun, you jest—I’ve always been blind to your greatness, daring to offend you. I’ve always wished to apologize for our past misunderstandings, but never had the chance."

Once his value was exhausted, his final fate would surely be to have his brain placed in an ancestral tablet, his name carved on a cold stone stele.

"My fate is unworthy of life," Guo Xin said, taking the thread of conversation, his expression resolute.

But when everything unfolded as he’d wished, Guo Xin looked back on his path and finally understood.

Li Jun sneered: "You think a bandit and an official swapping positions is something to overanalyze?"

"Of course I don’t want to."

"Go back to your Chengdu County right now."

"Even if Guo Zhiwei dies, as long as I remain in the Chengdu County magistrate’s seat, I’ll still face death."

He never imagined he’d meet his enemy in Jinling City.

"An official killing people, a bandit killing people—when a great bandit is recruited, he becomes an official; when a great official loses power, he becomes a bandit. There’s little difference between the two. If you wish, I believe you have a way."

Guo Xin trembled, tentatively asking: "I don’t know, Brother Jun—do you want me to find out about this old friend of yours? Who is he?"

"Even harder to find than your situation in Chengdu County."

"Among them, some marry commoners to breed better bloodlines. Others serve noble families to secure a position for their clan, becoming attendants, servants, drivers. Some sacrifice their lives in the ancestral hall to warn their kin, dying in the towering palace forbidden to commoners."

Li Jun chuckled: "So you’re willing to be sacrificed by your family, a stepping stone for them to gain benefits from the New Policies?"

The emotional whirlwind left him drained.

He blinked in shock, realizing his carriage had stopped by the roadside.

"I came to Jinling City to meet old friends, but their mansions are grand, their courtyards deep—perhaps they won’t welcome an uninvited guest."

Li Jun saw his state, awkwardly raised an eyebrow, suppressing the killing intent he’d let slip.

A sudden voice made Guo Xin’s hair stand on end.

Li Jun said bluntly: "Find out about the Liu family’s situation. I can help you eliminate the current head of the Gu family."

Li Jun smiled: "So I want you to investigate this old friend of mine, to see which way his door faces, how many people live in his house, who his loved ones are, who his cherished friends and brothers."

Guo Zhiwei kicked the ground, shouting in fury: "It’s because of these ancestors who sacrificed honor and reputation, who went before and behind, that this mansion was built, that the Gu family rose to prominence! Now you dare shrink from a man’s life and death, how can you uphold the Gu name?!"

Guo Xin leaned his head against the car window, staring blankly at the wide avenue stretching into the earth below, where people flowed in and out like ants entering and leaving their nests.

In that moment, only Li Jun’s final words echoed in his mind:

"I’d like to ask Young Master Guo to help me with a small favor."

Guo Xin’s eyes went wide with confusion. He murmured: "Titles, ranks, power—I don’t want any of them. I just want a path to live. Why can’t you give me that?"

"Then I’ll wait for your reply."

Guo Xin wanted to leave Chengdu County partly out of fear of Li Jun’s revenge.

"You—why come to me? What do you want?"

After a moment, Guo Xin found his voice, stammering out his words.

He was a pillar of strength among the common folk, yet in the face of the powerful, he knelt and bowed his head.

"Why can you live, and I must die? Why?!"

"Open your eyes, look around—see every plaque in this ancestral hall, every couplet, the tablets of your ancestors!"

These years, he’d labored in poverty, bled for the family’s gains. Beyond a little left to sustain the business, everything else went to the family.

Li Jun’s trembling fingers pointed toward the depths of the ancestral hall.

"I don’t like haggling, nor do I want to hear your complaints. Let’s get down to business."

So when the Gu family gained entry to Chengdu Prefecture, none of the eldest sons volunteered to go. Guo Xin stepped forward of his own accord, volunteering for the post.

Even more relentless thoughts tormented him, draining his strength.

"Long time no see, Young Master Gu."

Gu Xi spoke with utmost caution: "The Gu family is merely a third-rate clan at the very bottom of Jinling City; compared to the Liu family, there is a world of difference. I, moreover, was dispatched by the clan long ago, and have not the slightest connection to them. I fear this matter will be exceedingly difficult to accomplish."

These words were like a sharp knife, plunging straight into Gu Xi's heart.

"The east wind is cruel, human feelings are thin."

"Even a dried-up old relic like you clings so desperately to life—what right have you to demand I sacrifice everything for the clan?"

An indescribable terror surged from his very genes, clamping down on Gu Xi's heart until his whole body went numb, his parting lips unable to utter a single sound.

Only when the other's figure had completely vanished into the flowing crowds did Gu Xi finally exhale the stale breath he had been holding in his lungs, his entire person collapsing limply into the seat.

Li Jun smiled faintly, yet it sent cold sweat pouring down Gu Xi's spine, soaking his back in an instant.

Even after settling into his own carriage, Gu Xi still wore a look of utter soul-loss, completely unable to recall when he had climbed up from the ground, or how he had left the Gu family mansion.

"You claim you exhausted all your connections to help me become the Magistrate of Chengdu County, but you clearly sensed the danger yourself, so before the torrent even rose, you chose to resign and withdraw, wanting only to save your own life! Gu Zhiwei, my dear Uncle, did you really think I was a fool who knew nothing?"

Li Jun gazed deeply at the other, then opened the door and stepped out.

Above the passage stood a sign woven from red and yellow light tubes, bearing a few characters.

Jinling Earth Dragon — Datong Street Station.