"Reporting to the Patriarch, all 136 forces in Baishidao have surrendered!"
Meng Peng stood in the grand hall of the Gu family, his voice deep and steady as he spoke. His eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at Gu Qingfeng.
Meng Peng had been with the Gu family since its humble beginnings, witnessing every step of its rise. He never would have imagined that Gu Qingfeng could grow the family into such a dominant force in just a few short years.
"Good," Gu Qingfeng replied calmly, "Have everyone keep an eye on the movements from Guangyang Prefecture and Taishan County. And make sure Danyang County is under close watch as well."
The world of martial arts could be as large as the world itself, or as small as a single gang or sect. While the Gu family had unified Baishidao, it was only one small part of the larger Guangyang Prefecture. Above Guangyang lay Taishan County, and beyond that, the vast Qingyun Province.
Gu Qingfeng was never one to become complacent. If the Tiegu Gang hadn't threatened the Gu family, he would have preferred to stay low-profile. But now, retreat was no longer an option.
Uniting Baishidao would inevitably attract attention from other powerful forces. The best Gu Qingfeng could do now was to prepare for any eventual threats.
Meng Peng nodded. "Should we send word to the court?" he asked.
"No need," Gu Qingfeng waved the suggestion away. "The Taixuan Dynasty has its own problems to deal with. When the Qin family and others held power, the court stayed away from the affairs of the martial arts world. Nothing has changed."
Baishidao was not like Lin County, where the underworld was weak and had to bow to the imperial court. Here, the underworld forces were strong, and the court typically avoided getting involved unless absolutely necessary—especially now, with rebellion stirring in various places. The dynasty had no interest in provoking anyone.
"Focus on gathering the herbs listed here," Gu Qingfeng continued, handing a list to Meng Peng. "They'll be of great use to me soon."
Meng Peng accepted the list, scanning its contents. Some of the herbs were unfamiliar, but he didn't question it. With the power of Baishidao at their disposal, locating these items would be no problem.
After Meng Peng left, Gu Qingfeng reflected on the bone-strengthening soup he was planning to make, a formula he'd seized from the Qin family after their downfall. The soup had a single purpose: to accelerate the breakthrough from the Blood Refining Realm to the Bone Refining Realm.
Gu Qingfeng was already half a step into Bone Refining, and his mastery of the Fiery Sun Divine Palm would eventually push him through. But that would take time, and time was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Though the difference between Half-Step Bone Refining and the full Bone Refining stage might seem small, the true gap in power was vast. Now that the Gu family had unified Baishidao, it was crucial to be prepared for any external threats. Strength alone could quell those troubles.
The herbs weren't just for him, either. Some were needed to help his subordinates in the Skin Refining Realm break into the Blood Refining Realm, and others to support those already in the Blood Refining stage in their cultivation. For the Gu family to truly grow, they needed more powerful warriors.
With their newfound resources, gathering these herbs had become much easier than before.
Time passed swiftly, and over a month had gone by since the Gu family had unified Baishidao.
On this particular day, the Gu family residence was under strict martial law. Gu Qingfeng paced anxiously in front of the bedchamber, his ears straining to catch the sounds coming from within. Despite having been a father once before, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Xu Yulan, his wife, was about to give birth.
Standing nearby, Gu Yang, Gu Qingfeng's eldest son, tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, Father. Mother is blessed by the heavens. She'll be fine."
Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly. "I hope so. Go and make sure no one disturbs Yulan during the delivery."
"I understand, Father," Gu Yang replied, quickly stepping out to lead the family guards in securing the area.
As Gu Yang prepared, one of the guards approached him hesitantly. "Young Master, are we really going through with this?" the guard, Liu Yuan, asked.
"What do you mean?" Gu Yang frowned, recognizing Liu Yuan as one of the long-serving family guards.
Liu Yuan's gaze flickered towards the inner courtyard. "Madam's child isn't your sibling by blood. Given the Patriarch's affection for her, her child could one day threaten your position as the heir."
His voice dropped to a whisper, eyes filled with malice. "Perhaps it would be wise to... take precautions."
Without hesitation, Gu Yang's expression darkened, and he swiftly struck, snapping Liu Yuan's neck before the man could react. Liu Yuan's eyes remained wide with shock as he crumpled to the ground.
Gu Yang glanced at the body coldly before calling for the guards. "Dispose of this traitor. Then investigate if anyone else is scheming against the Gu family."
The guards quickly dragged the body away, though they exchanged glances of surprise.
To Gu Yang, killing Liu Yuan meant little. Though young, he was already hardened by years of managing the Gu family's affairs and was no stranger to bloodshed.
Looking back towards the inner courtyard, Gu Yang remained calm. Liu Yuan's words hadn't shaken him in the slightest.
The position of the Gu family's heir was his, and he had no doubts about it. With his rapid progress in martial arts—having already perfected Skin Refining and poised to break into the Blood Refining stage—he had absolute confidence that no one could challenge his place.
Liu Yuan's words had been a feeble attempt to plant seeds of doubt, but now those seeds had died along with him.
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