Chapter 60: Chapter 60 The First Year of Guangxing The two men drank in silence. Henceforth, Canghe County would bear the surname Liu. With the emperor distant and the mountains high, Liu Yuanhu was like a local despot in Canghe County. But Gu Sheng was more concerned about what would become of Gu’s Manor next. It didn’t matter to him whether Canghe County was ruled by Cao Shiduan or Liu Yuanhu; what mattered was the Black Sand Gang. According to Gu Xiaojiang. The Black Sand Gang had taken this battle as an opportunity to eliminate dissenters, establish merit, and would likely grow even more arrogant in the future, making life at Gu’s Manor increasingly difficult. Gu Xiaojiang said bitterly: "That Black Sand Gang is so treacherous and unpredictable. I used to hope they’d exhaust one another, but who would have thought Zhao Honglie, that scoundrel, would directly side with County Magistrate Liu? This is just..." He gritted his teeth. Gu’s Manor held such a deep grudge against the Black Sand Gang precisely because the gang demanded an annual tribute—a protection fee! Two thousand taels a year, it was like bleeding Gu’s Manor dry. If Gu’s Manor could save those two thousand taels, it could train many more martial artists. But refusing to pay was not an option; otherwise, the Black Sand Gang wouldn’t reason with you—they’d rob paths, block trade, ambush and plunder, using any means necessary. The losses in those cases were far worse than two thousand taels. This was a bloody lesson learned by the nearby villages and castles. Meanwhile, the Black Sand Gang, which leeches off all the surrounding villages and castles, has only grown stronger, enough now to influence the county town’s power dynamics. Gu Sheng let out a soft sigh. If the surrounding villages and castles united, they wouldn’t be subjected to such ruthless exploitation so easily. Unfortunately, they were not aligned, leaving themselves at the mercy of their oppressors. "Nonetheless, with the Black Sand Gang’s duplicity this time, they’re bound to trigger suspicion from County Magistrate Liu. We’ll simply bide our time and wait for the opportunity. The day will come for the Black Sand Gang’s downfall." Gu Sheng consoled. From Gu Xiaojiang’s sparse remarks, it wasn’t difficult for him to infer: those who switch loyalties in the heat of battle inevitably invite suspicion by their new masters. Gu Xiaojiang nodded repeatedly, his eyes lighting up. "Luckily, Gu’s Manor didn’t pick a side. Otherwise, the fate of Li Family Castle would’ve been ours tomorrow!" His face turned somewhat pale, and Gu Sheng fell silent too—he had heard of this matter. A few days ago, a gang of horse bandits descended upon Li Family Castle, committing arson, murder, and plunder. They rampaged uncontrollably, killing everyone they encountered with ruthless savagery. After the horse bandits departed. Li Family Castle’s martial artists were nearly wiped out, with hundreds of common castle residents killed or injured, and their wealth was plundered. Although Li Family Castle only had one Blood Refining Realm martial artist left after joining the county’s uprising. What kind of horse bandits could be so ferocious to massacre Blood Refining Realm martial artists and so many fighters? The answer was self-evident. This was the consequence of choosing the wrong side. "Li Family Castle shouldn’t have been so vulnerable and weak. The remaining castle lord, Li Hong, is at Small Success in the Blood Refining Realm, not inferior to Uncle Changming in strength. With the castle defenders aiding him, they shouldn’t have been slaughtered like this—there’s something fishy about it." "The current overseer of Li Family Castle is now a martial artist named Du Jiangbo, and it’s highly likely that this matter is connected to him." "The clan elders suspect Du Jiangbo betrayed the castle to the Black Sand Gang, which led to Li Family Castle’s downfall." At this rate, Li Family Castle becoming Du Family Castle is only a matter of time. If Li Family Castle somehow manages to thrive under the Black Sand Gang’s oppressive rule, then it’s clear Du Jiangbo is the traitor who opened the gates to the enemy! Gu Sheng secretly grew vigilant in his heart. When he killed Li Yan earlier, he had known Du Jiangbo was Li Yan’s brother-in-law. Although Du Jiangbo seemed to have no intention of avenging Li Yan, now that Du Jiangbo had gained power, Gu Sheng needed to be even more cautious. "Now that this matter has come up, the clan elders are even..." Seeing Gu Xiaojiang hesitate, Gu Sheng understood what the elders of Gu’s Manor were thinking. Du Jiangbo’s usurpation of Li Family Castle would only make them more resolutely cling to their viewpoint—three years from now, Gu Sheng could forget about obtaining any resources from Gu’s Manor. Watching Gu Xiaojiang’s departing silhouette. Gu Sheng slowly shook his head. Three years’ matters can wait. Besides, he won’t need that long to break through as a martial artist; when the time comes, he’ll find other ways to earn money. Gu Sheng clenched his fist slightly. As power surged within him, faint bluish-brown stone-like patterns emerged along his arm. Since reaching Small Success in Iron Stone Fist, his progress in tempering his skin and membranes had doubled. Now, whenever his power stirred, visible manifestations appeared instantly—his advancement was rapid. Martial artists of similar talent typically needed at least a year to attain this. But not only that. His realm in Iron Stone Fist was steadily approaching Great Success, now at a proficiency of 40% Small Success. As for archery, his improvement was even more impressive—his proficiency had reached a remarkable 82%, and in just about a month he could achieve Perfect and beyond. This filled Gu Sheng with anticipation! The daily grind of diligent cultivation brought him visible progress, which captivated Gu Sheng. Gu Xiaojiang’s silhouette disappeared completely, and Gu Sheng collected his thoughts, resuming his fist training. No matter how turbulent the outside world became, he could only rely on one thing. Hard work! Only through great personal strength could he preserve himself in the chaos. Though the upheaval seemed distant now, it could descend unpredictably any day. He had to be prepared at all times—even survival required sufficient power. ... The turmoil in Canghe County gradually subsided as the snow kept falling, eventually sinking into silence. Many of the lower-class peasants were completely unaware of the events. They only thought about how to survive the bitter winter and toil for their daily bread. Fortunately. The biting cold in the air peaked and finally began to recede. When the first warm ray of spring sunlight spread across the land, the ice and snow began to thaw, and the common folk shed tears of relief as they gradually emerged from their homes and returned to their bustling activities. Winter had finally passed. Many people reflected bitterly, realizing they had survived another year. Seeing the renewed vitality of Gu’s Manor, Gu Sheng couldn’t help but smile. The sterility of winter’s lethal chill had indeed been stiflingly oppressive. "Asheng, good morning!" "Aunt Cai Gen, are you heading out to forage for wild vegetables?" "Yes, this winter has been unrelenting. If I don’t gather some wild greens, there’ll be no food left at home. If my boy could have even half your merit, Asheng, I could truly die in peace!" Standing in silence as Aunt Cai Gen’s figure receded, Gu Sheng pondered. Being able to venture out to forage was a fortunate plight—so many were buried in last year’s snows. "Phew!" "Thank goodness it’s over!" Gu Sheng let out a long breath and continued honing his archery, his proficiency inching closer to 100%. A few days passed. As the snow melted on the official road, a government officer from the county rode swiftly on horseback to relay a message to Gu’s Manor. In the eighth year of Jianping, a new emperor had ascended the throne, changing the era name to Guangxing! This marked the first year of Guangxing! "The first year of Guangxing?" Gu Sheng savored the era name in his mouth, his face slowly showing mockery. "This is a desperate struggle to extend the dynasty for another generation?" From what he had seen so far, Da Liang had rotted to the core. For the county’s prefect and magistrate to openly battle for power—things had gotten this bad—what difference could a new era name make? Unless the new emperor possessed the bold vision and extraordinary capability to utterly reform.