Chapter 75: Verbal Sparring

Chapter75 Verbal Sparring

"I advise you to quit while you're ahead. Now that Old Dog Wu is dead, you've already offended the Wu Faction; do you still want to offend my Gu Faction?"

An arrogant voice drifted from a dark corner untouched by moonlight.

Gu Yong walked with light steps down a street littered with explosive debris, his pristine scholar's robe fluttering in the heat wave.

Compared to the bloodied and wounded crowd around him, his appearance was undeniably striking.

"This thing that bullies others on the strength of its master's power."

The four cursed in unison in their hearts.

They had all seen Gu Yong's cowardly performance just now; now that a powerhouse had arrived under his command, his courage swelled instantly, and he actually dared to come out and point fingers.

Someone couldn't help but sneer, "Worthy of a scion of the Great Clans; this ability to bend and stretch is truly admirable."

"Young Master Gu Yong has read the sages' books well indeed. 'A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.' You are but a scholar now, yet so skilled at avoiding danger and seeking fortune; once you become a gentleman, won't you be even more adept at turning misfortune into blessing?"

"The master relies on the slave to throw his weight around; I've truly had my eyes opened today."

Truly, a scholar is useless; even cursing someone is so damn pedantic and soft.

Li Jun beside him couldn't help but complain inwardly; at this level, in the chicken-and-goose district, any random old woman could easily take them apart.

Gu Yong wore a carefree smile from start to finish; to him, these words were no different from a gentle breeze brushing his face.

Over these years managing the Shu Road Logistics, though he had made no progress in Sequence, his scheming and thick skin had improved by leaps and bounds.

In the entire Chengdu Prefecture, perhaps only that vicious old dog Wu Jinfeng could make him lose his composure.

Now Wu Jinfeng is dead; what does Gu Yong have left to fear?

"Where is Yang Zhan's Luci Patch? Hand it over!"

Under Gu Yong's burning gaze, Li Jun handed over a palm-sized fragment of a painting scroll.

"Well done, Li Jun, you've rendered great merit this time!"

Gu Yong was overjoyed; though this fragment contained only a quarter of the Luci Patch.

But for him, who had been desperate not long ago, it was already a windfall from heaven.

"But why are there bite marks all around this patch? Did Old Dog Wu snatch it with his teeth?"

Gu Yong muttered in puzzlement, utterly failing to notice Li Jun's body suddenly tensing beside him.

"Damn it, how did I forget this part."

Li Jun's heart sank; blue veins slowly surfaced on his right hand gripping the knife hilt.

However, Gu Yong, immersed in joy, did not ponder these details; he merely swiped a hand over the fragment, tore a few feathers from the Luci pattern, then casually tossed the scroll fragment onto the ground.

Obviously, those few feathers were the true brain tissue slices.

Seeing this, Li Jun secretly let out a long breath of relief.

Gu Yong, having stashed the Luci feathers, seemed to suddenly recall something and asked in a low voice, "Where is Gu Jia?"

"The Department Head was killed by Shi Chengfeng; the body is in the main hall over there."

This blame was naturally pinned on Shi Chengfeng; the man was dead anyway, and Gu Yong had no way to verify it.

"Dead?"

Gu Yong's face darkened. "This useless trash, nearly ruined the grand plan; dead is dead then."

With a flick of his wide sleeve, he glanced sideways at the four in the distance, and a sudden, overwhelming arrogance emanated from him.

"Now the dust has settled; further words are useless. That you four can share that quarter of the Luci Patch is already the Gu Family's grace; don't be ungrateful."

At these words, rage surfaced simultaneously on the faces of the four.

This was what they had fought for with their lives; what did it have to do with your Gu Family?!

Gu Yong's sleeves rustled, as if brushing away the killing intent rushing at him, and he laughed lightly:

"If you feel unsatisfied and want to fight for more, then my Gu Family will accompany you to the end. But I'll still advise you: don't be so greedy as to swallow an elephant whole."

"If I were you, the most urgent priority right now would be figuring out how to face the Wu Family's wrath."

"That Young Master Wu Gong of the Wu Family is no good-tempered man. Now his most beloved dog has been killed; what do you think he will do to retaliate?"

Hearing the name Wu Gong, everyone's expressions instantly turned unnatural, the greed in their eyes fading considerably.

"Old Dog Wu was killed by you Gu Family; no matter how overbearing Wu Gong is, can he blame us?"

The speaker looked utterly ordinary, in wide sleeves and long robes, with no distinguishing features whatsoever.

"His dog is dead; anyone who smells the blood is guilty of a capital crime!"

Gu Yong sized him up with two glances, then spoke blandly, "You're the County Magistrate of Mengyang, aren't you? Then you indeed have little chance to know Young Master Wu's style; after all, your county is truly too remote."

Seeing Gu Yong accurately reveal his home county, the man's expression changed drastically, his eyes flickering with shock and doubt.

Gu Yong looked at the terrified eyes of the several Confucian Eighths before him, the smugness on his face deepening.

"Don't think changing your face can deceive the world; do I need to point out the identities of the rest of you one by one?"

"If not needed, then scram. Hurry back, pack your things, and run; you might still have a sliver of a chance."

Gu Yong's skill at manipulating hearts was indeed formidable; under his barrage of words, the four couldn't help but look at each other in dismay. Though none spoke, they all saw the retreat rising in each other's eyes.

Li Jun curled his lip at the sight, realizing a fight wasn't happening, and simply sheathed his blade.

Just then, a rush of urgent footsteps sounded.

A large group of fully armed Mianzhou Garrison soldiers closed in from both sides of the street; the leader was none other than the Mianzhou County Magistrate, Xu Yue.

"The fight just ended, and the bill collectors arrive. The table manners are truly ugly." Gu Yong sneered to himself.

Xu Yue, arriving right on cue, looked at the debris-strewn ground, the district nearly reduced to ruins, and his face instantly fell.

"Boss Gu, what is the meaning of this? Wasn't it agreed no heavy firepower would be used?"

Gu Yong lazily raised a hand, pointing at the other four. "They broke the rules; if County Magistrate Xu wants compensation, go find them."

Xu Yue looked at these uninvited guests who hadn't paid the entry fee, his face livid, and chopped his hand down. "Seize them!"

Click!

The sound of bolt actions had just rung out when four figures had already shot off in different directions, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.

This group of Mianzhou Garrison soldiers froze instantly, staring at Xu Yue in bewilderment.

"Enough, Lord Xu. These people won't give Mianzhou County face. Three million treasure notes; I'll send someone tomorrow. Enough for you to rebuild ten such streets."

Gu Yong's voice drifted out leisurely, but Xu Yue's face grew even uglier.

He gritted his teeth and said lowly, "Boss Gu, the price we agreed on in the county office was eight million; how did it become three million?!"

"Eight million was the price Old Dog Wu jacked up."

Gu Yong sneered, nudging the brocade-robed corpse on the ground with his toe. "If you think it's too little, go ask Tianfu Heavy Industry; I only have this much."

"Gu Yong!" Xu Yue flew into a rage out of humiliation.

"My Gu Family offering three million is already giving Mianzhou County enough face. If the County Lord has issues, he can come to the Gu Family to demand accountability; the Gu Family's main gates are wide open to welcome his lordship!"

Gu Yong spared a glance for the Mianzhou Assistant Magistrate, his face contorted into a grotesque mask, and let out a cold snort of pure disdain. "We're leaving!"