When Yang Yuzhi brought up his mentor as a guarantor, all the senior officers from the Hundred Households Office and the leaders of the various major gangs in Linjiang City let out a long sigh of relief, their tense hearts finally settling.
Under Gu Zhan’s arrangement, the people in Mist Rain Manor gradually dispersed.
Yang Yuzhi left together with Gu Zhan.
Inside the carriage, after a brief silence, Gu Zhan asked, "I wonder what path Magistrate Yang intends to point out for me?"
Yang Yuzhi smiled lightly and said, "Frankly, I’m quite curious. Lord Gu, you don’t seem particularly worried about vengeance from Chengyang Marquis’s Mansion or the Sword Spirit, Qi Baiyu?"
"What’s the use in worrying?" Gu Zhan replied calmly. "I’ve always believed: those who kill, are killed in turn. Since Ling Jing and Qi Qianyu want to deal with me, then they’d better be prepared to be dealt with by me.
As for what price must be paid to kill them, that’s not within my scope of concern. Living in this world, if one is always circumspect and calculating, how dull would that be? My way of conduct is always for the sake of doing things with decisiveness.
As for revenge, heh. If I dare to kill, then I’m prepared that one day someone might kill me. But, if that person fails, then only I’ll be the one doing the killing. For now, whenever I face enemies, I kill them—there’s no issue with that."
Yang Yuzhi smiled gently and said, "If you don’t die prematurely, Lord Gu, I believe you’ll surely become a towering figure famous in your region."
After speaking, Yang Yuzhi sighed and said, "Actually, according to my original plan, I intended to recommend you to the Astronomical Bureau after the battle at Jiming Posthouse concluded. With your talent, being stuck in the current Embroidered Uniform Guard is far beneath you!
But now, with all these complications, there’s no way to enter the Astronomical Bureau, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard won’t be able to protect you. Naturally, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Zhenfu Bureau in Yunzhou wouldn’t dare offend Marquis Chengyang either.
However, I can ask my mentor to step in, to bear the official pressure for you, so that Marquis Chengyang can’t mobilize official forces against you."
Gu Zhan asked, puzzled, "How so?"
Yang Yuzhi spoke slowly, "Actually, had you not killed Ling Jing, he wouldn’t have lasted long in Linjiang City. I suspect he colluded with the White Lotus Sect, and even Chengyang Marquis’s Mansion isn’t exactly clean. The Marquis’s identity is too entangled, and I’m not qualified to interfere, so I’ve only been investigating Ling Jing in secret.
There is already some evidence, but because of his status, I couldn’t directly convict him—even, with irrefutable proof, it’s impossible to make him admit guilt. As for the reason, Lord Gu, you understand. The current Court—sigh!"
Yang Yuzhi sighed and said, "But now, talking about any of this is meaningless. Originally, I planned to use that evidence, together with General Lifen, to drive Ling Jing out of Linjiang City. I couldn’t charge him, only expel him so the war at the front wasn’t affected.
Now that you’ve killed him, Lord Gu, you’ve indirectly accomplished an indelible service for the front lines. I’ll ask General Lifen to step in, and through my mentor, hand over the evidence to Chengyang Marquis’s Mansion, then give Ling Jing a reputation as having sacrificed himself for the nation."
Marquis Chengyang has many scruples; his status is sensitive, he commands hundreds of thousands of troops, and the Court is actually wary of him, so sometimes he can’t act as he pleases to avenge Ling Jing. At least, he can’t resort to official means; if he does, the evidence Ling Jing left behind of collusion with the enemy will bring him considerable trouble. One is a Crown Prince killed for collusion with the enemy, the other is a Crown Prince who died for the nation—a straightforward choice."
Gu Zhan cupped his hands. "Thank you, Magistrate Yang."
Although Yang Yuzhi spoke calmly, Gu Zhan knew well that making Marquis Chengyang swallow this humiliation wouldn’t be so simple. Yang Yuzhi’s mentor would practically be tearing his face off with the Marquis.
Yang Yuzhi smiled and said, "You needn’t overthink it. You’re not that important. In my mentor’s eyes, your current status isn’t enough for him to protect you, let alone offend Marquis Chengyang on your behalf.
The reason I’m confident is that my mentor and Marquis Liu have long suspected Marquis Chengyang due to Dragon Pass’s fall—their factions are already at daggers drawn. Yet, for now, they can’t do anything; it’s impossible to seize real evidence against Marquis Chengyang.
All they can do now is make Marquis Chengyang more cautious, less likely to interfere in current military affairs. The evidence I submit here of Ling Jing’s collusion is just another bargaining chip to suppress him, and protecting you is merely incidental. If not for that, I couldn’t guarantee my mentor would step in for you."
Gu Zhan came to a realization and said, "No matter what, thank you, Magistrate Yang, for your concern."
Yang Yuzhi sighed and said, "If you truly feel grateful, I hope that someday you’ll do something for this world where men are worth less than dogs. Regardless, I have high hopes for you. My whole life—I’ve served as an official in the Capital and in Yunzhou, seen all manner of people, all sorts—some similar, but only you, Lord Gu, I have met but once.
As for what’s so special about you, it isn’t your terrifying talent for cultivation. Although I was astounded that you advanced from Innate Realm cultivation to Earth Realm Martial Arts in such a short time, it’s not unprecedented. There are many geniuses; that doesn’t make you unique.
What truly makes you unique in my eyes is that you seem fundamentally out of place with this world. It feels as though you walk in the human realm, but do not belong to it. Specifically, you possess no reverence in your heart.
There are many in this world who lack reverence, but one such as you, who has absolutely none for anything—I’ve only seen you. After all, even the Holy Emperor harbors the reverence he ought to have. You really are very different!"
Gu Zhan listened with equal indifference: no expression, no reply.
This was the second person to evaluate him in this way.
The first was Gu Chuan.
This assessment is not mistaken.
After all, his soul didn’t belong to this world in the first place, and thanks to the system, he always possessed a strange confidence to stand against the whole of existence.
Yang Yuzhi looked at Gu Zhan, smiled again, and said, "As for your close associates at the Hundred Households Office, and the leaders of various gangs in the city, you needn’t worry. Even to mobilize official power against you, Marquis Chengyang would hesitate, not to mention these others; after all, they didn’t kill Ling Jing, and contributed to the defense of the city—he won’t risk public outrage to deal with them."
Of course, there’s another reason: since the murderer who killed Ling Jing hasn’t been dealt with, he won’t bother killing these people as a way to vent his anger and bring trouble upon himself. As for the Celestial Sword Alliance, rest assured—Qi Qianyu’s death was by your sole hand, and with Qi Baiyu’s character, he’ll only hunt you alone to the ends of the earth."
Gu Zhan squinted slightly and said, "So, Magistrate Yang, what path are you pointing out for me?"
"Go to Yunxi!" Yang Yuzhi said. "I will request a Grandmaster to protect you for a time—that’s all I can promise. Of course, I believe, Gu Zhan, you’re not someone who needs others’ protection for a lifetime!"

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