Chapter 177: One person alone is not spring—when all things flourish, spring arrives!

Hai hour.

The bright moon hung high; the large red lanterns of Zui Xian Tower were hung aloft.

In the private room on the top floor.

Gao Zhen and Zhuang Renhe sat across from each other at the table.

"Brother Gao, I thought you'd choose Chunyan Tower or the Teaching Bureau."

Zhuang Renhe smiled faintly.

He might be the only person in Qinghe City who knew Gao Zhen's true identity—he was fully aware of Gao Zhen's recent outrageous behavior.

Gao Zhen abandoned his usual playboy demeanor, appearing like a frail scholar, and spoke solemnly:

"It's all just tasks assigned by the Ancestor."

"Tasks?"

Zhuang Renhe's interest stirred.

He had suspected from the start that Gao Zhen's arrival in Anning Guard couldn't be so simple.

Gao Zhen nodded: "Yes, my master ordered me to kill a few people. If County Magistrate Zhuang finds it convenient, I'd appreciate your help."

Saying this,

he dipped his finger in his wine and wrote names on the table.

"Green Robe, Peach Heart Tan Hu, Li Rui, Ning Zhongtian."

When Zhuang Renhe saw Ning Zhongtian, his brows knitted into a deep " Chuan."

"Ning Zhongtian?"

This list made no sense—first over a dozen prostitutes from Chunyan Tower, then officials and soldiers of Anning Guard.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Memories surfaced of the list of prostitutes his men had delivered him a few days ago.

Most of the names matched those Gao Zhen had written.

"Impressive composure!"

That list was of the women Gao Zhen had played with to death—clearly, Gao Zhen's apparent debauchery was all deliberate.

Using the guise of lust to fulfill the Ancestor's orders.

He'd nearly fooled Zhuang Renhe too.

"Ning Zhongtian is the Garrison Commander of Anning Guard. If we act forcefully, the fallout will be too great."

Zhuang Renhe fell silent in thought.

Gao Zhen chuckled: "Brother Zhuang, you're joking—I'm just a newcomer to Longmen. I couldn't possibly defeat Commander Ning."

"Then how do you plan to do it?"

He sensed Gao Zhen had another scheme.

Gao Zhen raised his cup, took a sip, and grinned: "I can't kill him—but someone else can."

"Oh?"

"Cao Wei is of the Xuan Faction. As far as I know, Jiang Lin has an excellent relationship with Wenxian Tower—their tower master is now the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau."

He didn't elaborate further.

Zhuang Renhe narrowed his eyes and uttered two words: "Factional strife?"

Gao Zhen nodded with a smile.

In officialdom, killing someone doesn't always require blades or spears.

You must learn to leverage power.

When two factions clash, isn't it normal for some Louyi to die?

Zhuang Renhe's eyes flickered with surprise—he thought he knew this Gao Zhen. Word was he'd only been taken as a disciple by Xueying the Ancestor a few years ago, and before that, he'd been a quiet, obedient member of the Gao clan, never stepping into the martial world or officialdom.

He'd assumed he was a naive fool.

Yet he turned out to be so calculating.

"This boy is a born rogue."

He evaluated inwardly, yet spoke aloud: "Brother Gao, your ingenuity impresses me—but I still don't understand: why these people?"

Gao Zhen smiled and said two words: "Immortal Lord."

"Immortal Lord?!"

Zhuang Renhe's pupils contracted sharply.

"The Immortal Lord said he dislikes the karmic ties of Qinghe."

"Iron Pillar, you've entered the ranks?!"

Li Rui stared in disbelief at Liu Tiezhu's earnest face.

How long had he been training?

Three months?

How had he entered the ranks already?

Liang He also widened his eyes, gazing at Liu Tiezhu as if he were a monster.

"You just waltzed into the ranks? What does that make me?!"

Liang He felt no envy—only admiration.

He'd spent years under Li Rui's guidance to enter the ranks; Liu Tiezhu, meanwhile, had stumbled into Ninth Rank without even trying.

Li Rui bent over, scrutinizing him for a long while, then straightened up.

"The natural Golden Fruit truly is extraordinary."

Ninth Rank's Skin of Stone merely strengthens the body—if one's physique is strong enough, one can enter the ranks without training.

He'd read in books that those with the Natural Golden Fruit advance rapidly through the first three ranks.

Tan Hu was a perfect example.

Ning Zhongtian was a genius, yet he was nearly thirty-five or thirty-six before he broke through to Willow Tendons using the resources of Annan Army.

But Tan Hu, in the northwestern frontier army, had reached Willow Tendons purely through relentless fighting, naturally and effortlessly.

Terrifying.

"Yet even Brother Tan took a full half-year."

Li Rui questioned Liu Tiezhu in detail about his recent training, then confirmed:

It was the Changchun Art and the Xuanqing Qi infused into Liu Tiezhu's body that caused this.

"Changchun, Changchun—one tree rises, all things flourish."

Li Rui murmured.

A sudden insight stirred within him.

One person alone is not spring—when all things flourish, spring arrives!

He hadn't expected his self-created Changchun Art to aid others' cultivation.

With Liu Tiezhu's breakthrough, the Xuanqing Qi nurtured within him now received blood and qi nourishment; as time passed, Li Rui himself would benefit.

Perhaps this was the true essence of Changchun.

"Marvelous, marvelous."

Li Rui nodded with a smile.

He seemed to see a new door opening before him.

When one attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

His Changchun Art aids others' cultivation—and in helping them, it nourishes himself in return. How wonderful!

"Tiezhu, keep going, train hard—you'll surely amount to something."

"Yes, Master."

Liu Tiezhu scratched his head.

He still hadn't left his room by noon.

Li Rui and Liang He noticed something was off and rushed into the room to ask.

Only then did Liu Tiezhu laugh and tell them he'd entered the ranks.

Liang He was genuinely delighted for Liu Tiezhu: "Younger brother, congratulations! When you rise in the world, don't forget your elder brother."

For some reason,

Liu Tiezhu's eyes instantly turned red. Liang He, as the eldest brother, was momentarily at a loss—he naturally felt responsible for his only younger brother.

"Younger brother, what's wrong?"

This big, burly man choked up, unable to speak.

Why?

Because he was moved.

No lie—the Yu Kingdom enforced a household registration system, not merely registering names, but rigidly categorizing people.

Low-status households remained low-status for generations; descendants of artisans were artisans; descendants of noble households were born into wealth.

His father was a blacksmith; so was he.

In the forge, any benefit gained brought no praise—only envy from the foreman. You'd feel joy for a moment, then be forced to give everything back, even endure beatings.

Where was there ever such warmth as this?

=9+ Shu _ Ba

My master and senior brother offered their sincere blessings.

Li Rui sighed lightly.

Liu Tiezhu was a craftsman household, and he was even worse off—a lowly household—so he understood the coldness and warmth of it all.

He patted Liu Tiezhu's broad shoulder: "Now that you've been removed from your household register, you must change your way of life and sever ties with the past."

"Yes, Master."

Liu Tiezhu's snot hung down, falling onto his shoe surface as he nodded.

"Enough now. A grown man shouldn't act like this anymore."

Li Rui chuckled.

Don't be fooled by Liu Tiezhu's innate diamond-like physique and blacksmith background—he's actually a sensitive, emotional man.

With his hands behind his back, he strolled out.

When disciples improve, the master can rest easier.

Whether his martial skill is good or not is secondary; if his character is sound, he won't go wrong.

In the military camp.

A circle of men gathered, chattering among themselves.

"What happened to this guy?"

"He broke military discipline and was caught red-handed by Senior Gao—he lost an arm."

"Senior Gao?"

"The new Garrison Commander, you idiot."

In the center.

A young man in armor lay in a pool of blood, his right arm severed; Gao Zhen stood behind him, hands clasped, smiling.

"Disregarding military discipline, stealing weapons—deserves execution!"

Gao Zhen's gaze instantly turned sharp, radiating righteousness and impartiality.

At that moment.

A massive man, shaped like a pagoda, burst through the crowd.

His eyes blazed like a tiger ready to devour: "Gao, what's your meaning?"

The injured man was a soldier of Benhu Cavalry.

Gao Zhen smiled faintly: "This man stole weapons—caught in the act with the stolen item. By military law, he deserves execution. This knife is the evidence."

Tan Hu stared, bloodshot, toward where Gao Zhen pointed.

A standard-issue longsword lay soaked in blood.

"One sword is enough to prove he stole weapons?"

Tan Hu knew the habits of every soldier under him—he was certain none of them would steal weapons.

Gao Zhen's face darkened: "I saw it with my own eyes. What of it?"

"Are you, Tan Company Commander, no longer trusting your superior?"

Clearly.

If this was an abuse of authority, Tan Hu was merely a Company Commander—half a rank lower—so he had no right to question Gao Zhen.

"You—"

Tan Hu erupted, veins bulging on his face.

He could accept his soldiers dying on the battlefield, but he would never allow them to be murdered without cause within the camp.

He turned to Tang Hai, whose face was pale.

Tang Hai shook his head frantically, trying to prove his innocence.

Tan Hu nodded at Tang Hai.

"I know."

Just as he was about to act—

Li Rui's voice came from behind: "This matter hasn't been investigated yet. Don't disrespect Senior Gao."

Tan Hu spun around.

There stood Li Rui, already behind him.

"Brother Li, this matter—"

Li Rui cut him off, turning to Gao Zhen: "Senior Gao, even if this man deserves death, he should be handed over to the Enforcement Hall."

Gao Zhen snorted.

"Oh?"

"The Enforcement Hall can execute him, but I as Garrison Commander cannot?"

Tan Hu's face grew colder.

Could he kill him?

Theoretically, no.

But everyone knew: theoretically no meant yes, depending on circumstances, it meant must.

A Garrison Commander killing a soldier was a case of execute first, report later—merely inviting criticism.

The army was not a civil office; evidence didn't matter.

It was common for several men to die during daily training. Even the Annan Army was mild—among frontier troops, an officer's word decided a soldier's life or death, with no consequences whatsoever.

Li Rui said nothing.

Instead, he stepped aside.

Ning Zhongtian appeared in the crowd; he looked from Tang Hai in the blood to Gao Zhen, then snorted:

"Senior Gao, if one of my men broke the rules, I'll handle it myself. No need for your concern."

"Take him away."

Tan Hu panicked, but Ning Zhongtian's gaze stopped him.

He had no choice but to forcibly drag Tang Hai away.

Gao Zhen, seeing Ning Zhongtian, chuckled: "So he's one of Senior Ning's men. In that case, I won't trouble myself further."

Saying this,

he turned and walked away from the crowd without hesitation.

He knew that with Ning Zhongtian present, killing Tang Hai today was impossible.

He thought to himself:

"Pity. I could've crossed another name off the list."

(End of Chapter)