Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Arrogant and Domineering At Gu’s Manor, the village head and a group of tenant farmers were busily engaged in spring plowing and sowing. They had barely survived last winter, and everyone was eager to work hard this spring, hoping to save as much money and grain as possible. The dread of last winter still lingered in their hearts. Sweat dripped down, but no one paid any attention. Clip-clop! Clip-clop! From afar came the sound of hoofbeats pounding the ground. The farmers raised their heads, initially confused, but quickly transformed into expressions of terror. On horseback were over twenty figures dressed in black, each arrogant and domineering, their faces filled with cruel humor. "The Black Sand Gang!" The farmers panicked and scattered in all directions. The massive hooves trampled down the narrow road, making the farmers even more disheveled, stumbling and falling. Worse yet, one villager by the roadside failed to dodge in time and was whipped by a rider, leaving their skin flayed and flesh torn, rolling into the field with screams of agony. The rider mocked them while laughing. "Worthless scum! Disturbing my beloved horse—your ten miserable lives wouldn’t even compensate!" The group of riders burst into raucous laughter as they galloped toward the manor’s main house, leaving chaos in their wake. The farmers stared at the riders’ retreating backs, teeth clenched, consumed with suppressed rage but afraid to voice their anger. ... Gu’s Manor martial arts arena. By the time Gu Sheng and Gu Xiaojiang arrived, the two groups were already locked in a standoff. One side, of course, consisted of many martial artists from Gu’s Manor. The opposing group comprised only about twenty riders, but every one of them sat tall on horseback, looking down condescendingly at the Gu family’s people. With Gu Sheng’s keen eye, he could discern that all twenty riders were martial artists! "Such an imposing force!" "Especially the leader—his aura is fierce, carrying immense power—likely not weaker than Gu Jingang!" Gu Sheng scrutinized the burly man leading the Black Sand Gang. Behind him were two massive meteor hammers, each as large as a human head, heavy and covered with sharp spikes that glinted coldly, sending chills down one’s spine. "So, it’s Boss Han gracing us with your presence. It lights up our humble manor! Might I invite you all inside for a cup of tea?" Gu Changming cupped his hands and smiled. The burly man, Han Lu, sneered and dismounted. His foot lightly stomped on the ground, instantly causing cracks to appear in the green brick tiles, drawing sharp looks from the Gu family members. "Don’t bother playing games with me, Gu Changming. In our Black Sand Gang, we have only one boss, and that’s Boss Zhao. As for me, Han Lu—I’m but a mere pawn under Boss Zhao." "Skip the tea. I, Han, fear you’d poison it. Today, I’m here to collect the annual tribute." Behind Han Lu, the riders of the Black Sand Gang also dismounted, each exuding an overbearing arrogance as they stared down the Gu family’s martial artists. Beside Gu Sheng, Gu Xiaojiang’s eyes burned with fury, though he could only sneer coldly to himself. Gu Changming’s expression stiffened, his smile gradually fading. "Since Vice Boss Han doesn’t want tea, then let’s tally up this year’s annual tribute. As in previous years, it remains two thousand taels of silver." Upon hearing "two thousand taels of silver," The faces of the villagers from Gu’s Manor tightened, fists clenched. This was nothing short of bleeding Gu’s Manor dry! Two-tenths of their yearly income was taken just like that—who wouldn’t be angry? But there was no choice. Strength matters more than reason. They had tried resistance in the past, but the cost was too high. "Hold on!" Han Lu shouted abruptly, cutting off Gu Changming’s words. "Last year, some chaotic militias and roaming bandits gathered around here. We, the Black Sand Gang, cleared out these troublemakers, losing several brothers in the process. So this year—" "The price goes up!" His gaze drilled into Gu Changming as he scanned the surrounding crowd, his voice booming like a thunderclap. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖 "Three thousand taels! This year’s tribute is three thousand taels!" Boom— As Han Lu’s words settled, Gu’s Manor erupted into an uproar. From two thousand to three thousand, an increase of fifty percent—it was nearly three-tenths of their yearly income! Gu Jingang, who had remained silent all along, strode forward and roared furiously: "Han, don’t push us too far! Do you really think Gu’s Manor is so easily bullied?!" His entire body radiated a trembling red energy, the Qi Blood Power surrounding him faintly tinted crimson, while his fists turned a deep greenish-black, exuding a menacing strength. Behind him, the martial artists of Gu’s Manor followed suit, glaring defiantly at the members of the Black Sand Gang. Han Lu showed no fear. He smirked coldly. "Hah—so you’ve broken through to Blood Refining, Small Success. No wonder you’re so confident!" "As luck would have it, I, Han, am no weaker!" He hefted his meteor hammer and smashed it down forcefully. With a deafening crash, the hammer struck the green brick tiles, leaving a massive crater, with cracks spreading outward—a scene of chaos unfolded in the martial arts arena. His Qi Blood energy surged, his momentum clearly no less than Gu Jingang’s, perhaps even slightly stronger. Behind him, the members of the Black Sand Gang stepped forward in sync, each radiating hostility. These men lived by licking the blood off their blades, their killing intent far surpassing that of ordinary martial artists. The county castle’s power struggles had earned the Black Sand Gang considerable benefits. Han Lu’s realm had also advanced as a result. Gu Jingang’s expression shifted. Han Lu swept a demonstrative glance over the crowd, snorting coldly. "I’m a reasonable man. I’m not here to fight you today, but let me tell you this—Li’s Castle and Yanzi Castle have already obediently paid their three thousand taels of annual tribute. If Gu’s Manor refuses, then we’ll take our time settling this." "Don’t say I didn’t warn you—roaming bandits and vagrants abound in this area. Without the Black Sand Gang’s deterrence and cleanup, should Gu’s Manor encounter trouble, don’t blame us for failing in our duties." "Just the other day, our boss personally captured the horse thieves who raided Li’s Castle at night. That’s the benefit of paying up." Gu’s Manor’s people secretly cursed in their hearts. Even Gu Sheng felt speechless. This man was outright lying without shame. Gu Changming’s face turned ashen as he took a deep breath and said: "Three thousand taels is too much. If you insist on this, aren’t you afraid of the county magistrate reprimanding you?" Han Lu burst out laughing. "Still relying on the magistrate to back you up? Let me tell you—the magistrate despises fence-sitters and cowards like you the most. Tch..." This ambiguous click of the tongue sent chills down Gu Changming’s spine. In hindsight, not choosing a side in the past had truly backfired. He realized: Today, the three thousand taels would have to be handed over, like it or not. The county magistrate had turned a blind eye, emboldening the Black Sand Gang’s audacity. Paying an additional thousand was still better than blindly picking the wrong side like Li’s Castle had. "Bring another thousand taels." Gu Changming took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and instructed in a low, firm voice. "Changming!" Gu Jingang grew frantic, while Gu Dajiang also turned to look at Gu Changming. "Bring it!" The martial artists of Gu’s Manor exchanged glances, filled with frustration. Someone sighed heavily and turned to retrieve another chest of silver. Three chests, amounting to exactly three thousand taels. Han Lu reached out and picked up the silver with ease, as though fiddling with toys. He laughed boisterously. "Gu Changming, you really know how to behave. If you’d done this from the start, we wouldn’t have had to spoil everyone’s mood." "Rest assured—now that we’ve taken your money, we’ll put in the effort. We’ll ensure those bandits and mountain strongholds are so well-handled they won’t dare trouble you again. Of course, if any new trouble arises, that’s a different story—" Han Lu ignored the grim expressions of Gu’s Manor’s people as he led his gang laughing and swaggering off. Relying on the Black Sand Gang to clear out mountain bandits? The Black Sand Gang not robbing them themselves would be a miracle! Gu Sheng stared at Han Lu’s retreating figure, his eyes calm and inscrutable, his expression utterly emotionless. Gu Xiaojiang’s fists were already clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his skin, his face flushed scarlet. The others hung their heads in frustration—enduring the Black Sand Gang’s swagger while swallowing their anger. The feeling was oppressive enough to make them question the purpose of all their effort in practicing martial arts. Gu Changming took note of everyone’s expressions, his own gaze concealing a deeply suppressed fury. "Call the clan elders for a meeting." He turned to leave, his low voice echoing in the ears of the crowd.