Wang Hu was no martial arts expert, not even possessing any cultivation. After Gu Zhan's kick, he spat blood on the spot. He wanted to speak, but couldn't utter a word, his mouth blocked by the blood.
At the same time,
"Shopkeeper!"
"Shopkeeper…"
"Brothers, grab your weapons!"
In White Rat Pavilion, a horde of martial world men were ready to move. In an instant, the atmosphere turned stifling. The Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately drew their blades from their sheaths.
"Stop, stop…"
Wang Hu spat out a mouthful of blood with effort and hurriedly shouted at the martial world men of White Rat Pavilion. At the same time, he staggered to his feet, wiped the blood off his mouth, managing to force a faint smile on his pale face as he looked at Gu Zhan and said, "If Lord Gu wishes to search, how would I dare to resist? My lord, please proceed…"
Gu Zhan swept his eyes over those furious White Rat Gang men, gave a cold snort, and beckoned, "Search for me!"
Just then,
A cold and clear voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Stop! Since when do the Embroidered Uniform Guard handle matters in such disorder?"
Gu Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly and turned around slowly, seeing Captain Gao Jun striding in with a squad, accompanied by a Hundred Households and two advisors from the Hundred Households Office—all high officials.
Gao Jun strode in aggressively, berating, "Who gave you permission to run amok like this? The Embroidered Uniform Guard handles cases based on evidence and procedure, you all…"
Yet Gu Zhan directly ignored Gao Jun, instead looking at the Embroidered Uniform Guards by his side. In a deep voice, he said, "What are you standing around for? Didn't you hear my orders? Search! Turn this place inside out!"
"Stop!"
Completely ignored by Gu Zhan, Gao Jun seethed with rage and shouted angrily, "Gu Zhan, what do you mean by this? Didn't you hear my order?"
Gu Zhan beckoned slightly, and Chen Fei beside him immediately caught on, bringing over a chair and setting it behind him for Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan sat down slowly, crossed his legs, picked up a cup of tea, took a leisurely sip, and chuckled, "So it's Lord Gao. I thought it was a stray dog barking in the street!"
"Brat!"
Gao Jun's face darkened, his voice angry: "You dare show contempt to your superior?"
"Enough. All this shouting—what is this supposed to be?" Gu Zhan stirred the tea leaves with his cup lid and said, "Lord Gao, if you came here to posture, you've come to the wrong place. This is South City. Is it your place as a West City Captain to point fingers here?"
Gao Jun yelled angrily, "Brat…"
"Brat your father?" Gu Zhan lifted his eyelids slightly and said, "Insulting a colleague—believe it or not, I'll report you for creating a public disturbance?"
Gao Jun fumed, "You…"
He hadn't finished when an advisor from the Hundred Households Office stopped him. That advisor looked at Gu Zhan and said, "Chief Banner Gu, I am Advisor Yang Wei of the Hundred Households Office, acting under order of Lord Luo, here to assist your office in handling the South City chaos!"
Gu Zhan glanced at Yang Wei with a sneer and said, "So it really is you people from the Hundred Households Office stirring up trouble. What, trying to cut off Captain Gu's path while he's away?"
"Chief Banner Gu," Yang Wei's face clouded, "You're an Embroidered Uniform Guard official. You're responsible for your words; don't say anything you like. The Hundred Households Office has authority over subordinate captains. Now the entire city…"
"Enough." Gu Zhan slowly sipped his tea and said, "Spare me these high-sounding words. Isn't the chaos in South City orchestrated behind the scenes by your Hundred Households Office? Let me make this clear today—
If you want to clean up the South City Hundred Households Office while Captain Gu is away, forget it. Either you kill me, or get as far away as possible!"
Yang Wei's face darkened further.
Gao Jun by the side bellowed, "Gu Zhan, stop making trouble here. The Hundred Households Office and Prefecture Government have already received multiple reports. Your South City Hundred Households Office has failed to act, so for now, my West City Hundred Households Office and the Hundred Households Office are deputized. With the whole city in chaos, what excuse do you have for sitting idle at your post?"
"Chaos?"
Gu Zhan looked at Gao Jun and sneered, "When did South City fall into chaos? I know nothing about it."
"Over a hundred cases occurred overnight. If that's not chaos, what is?" Gao Jun said gravely.
Gu Zhan scoffed, "Whether South City is chaotic or not—only I, Gu Zhan, have the final say!"
"You…"
"Shut up." Gu Zhan lifted his head abruptly and stared at Gao Jun, "I am handling a case right now. If you dare butt in again, you are obstructing official business."
"And what case are you handling?" Gao Jun snarled. "What right do you have to investigate here? Do you have a search warrant from the Prefecture Government, or any direct evidence? Keep this up and you're abusing your authority!"
"Evidence, eh?"
Gu Zhan flung his teacup at Gao Jun, and with a crash, shattered porcelain, tea leaves, and tea splashed all over Gao Jun.
Before Gao Jun could flare up,
Gu Zhan shot to his feet, pulled two oiled paper packages from his robe, and tossed them to the floor. Instantly, a pile of white powder spilled out.
Gu Zhan stared at Gao Jun and said coldly, "White Rat Pavilion is suspected of selling the banned drug Five Stone Powder. People and contraband caught together, evidence irrefutable. Is that enough?"
"Gu Zhan, you think we're blind?" Gao Jun yelled.
"Today I'll just assume you're all blind—so what?" Gu Zhan roared, abruptly drawing his blade and declaring in a deep voice, "South City Embroidered Uniform Guard, listen to my command: White Rat Pavilion is trafficking Five Stone Powder, arrest everyone here. Anyone who tries to interfere—execute them together!"
"Let me see who dares!"
Gao Jun shouted, drawing his sword as well, "Chief Banner Gu Zhan of the South City Hundred Households Office: abusing power, disobeying orders—arrest him for me!"
"I fucking dare any of you to try!"
Gu Zhan roared, brandishing his blade at Gao Jun and the others, shouting, "South City Embroidered Uniform Guard, where are you?"
"Here!" "Here!" "…"
In an instant, more than a hundred South City Embroidered Uniform Guards stepped forward as one, the synchronized tramp of their boots echoing from all sides, directly encircling Gao Jun and his followers.
In that moment, the atmosphere was iced to the core.
Not far from Gu Zhan, Chief Banner Ma Lang felt his mind go blank for a moment.
Suddenly, he felt as if he had returned to three years ago,
Back then, he had just been a Captain at the Hundred Households Office. That day, things were much like today: Captain Gu Chuan wasn't there.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard from the Hundred Households Office had come straight to South City to take over the South City Hundred Households Office. But that day was utterly different from today.
That day, there had been four Chief Banners present at South City Hundred Households Office, yet not a single one dared obstruct the men from the Hundred Households Office; not even one dared to so much as inquire, all of them hiding to the side.
That day, South City Hundred Households Office,
had 321 Embroidered Uniform Guards stationed,
but not one said a word!
And today,
At the South City Hundred Households Office, there were only two Chief Banners,
and 107 Embroidered Uniform Guards on duty,
and all 107 drew their blades!
In this moment,
Ma Lang finally understood why Gu Chuan had entrusted the Hundred Households Office to such a young man who had only risen for a bit over a month,
Because this young man—
He truly dared to draw his blade!