Chapter 138

What did you say?!!

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Elder's face instantly flushed with anger.

He angrily leapt over the table, grabbed the Third Elder's collar, and lifted him up.

The Fifth Elder's eyes blazed, he fixed a furious stare on the Third Elder's indifferent face and roared,

If anything happens to Gu Han, I will never forgive you!

The Third Elder shook off the Fifth Elder's hand with a scoff,

I'll wait; I want to see whether you'll become my mortal enemy over a corpse.

The Fifth Elder ignored that lunatic.

Just looking at him once made the Fifth Elder feel sick!

The Fifth Elder bowed to the Family Head and said,

Family Head, the truth has come to light; I think we should give the Third Elder a fitting punishment.

This time, it is no longer a dispute between the Fifth and Third Elders.

Several other elders also stood up, condemning the Third Elder's actions.

Faced with this situation, the Third Elder felt bitter yet sneered repeatedly.

Given his status and strength, even if the Family Head wished to punish him, at most he could only be demoted.

Gu Xiao Dao did not decide immediately, but gave a slight smile to Steward He,

What follows is internal Gu Family business; thank you for your trouble, Steward He, and I will reward you handsomely later.

Steward He was no obtuse person; upon hearing Gu Xiao Dao's words, he immediately bowed and took his leave.

After Steward He departed, Gu Xiao Dao then spoke coldly,

The Third Elder abused his power for personal gain, using his position to threaten Gu Family juniors—strip him of his elder title!

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder's face changed drastically.

He is, after all, a Martial Sect cultivator and one of the Gu Family's top experts.

He could anticipate that Gu Xiao Dao would punish him severely, but he ought to retain his elder position no matter what!

Removing his elder post is not merely a drop in rank; even his monthly stipend becomes incomparable to before.

Family Head, no matter how you put it, I am your uncle; you cannot treat me like this!

The Fifth Elder is of the same generation as the current Family Head.

But the Third Elder is even older, belonging to the previous generation.

At this moment, the Third Elder tries to leverage his age to make Gu Xiao Dao withdraw his order!

Gu Xiao Dao merely gave a cold snort,

You are indeed my uncle, but the law cannot be sacrificed for sentiment!

Gu Cang Shan violated state policy, bribed the Chengzhu Fu officials, damaged the Gu Family's image—throw him into the Gu Family prison to reflect on his crimes!

Upon hearing this, Gu Cang Shan screamed,

No, Gu Xiao Dao, you cannot do this to me!

Gu Xiao Dao stared at him coldly,

Knowing the law and breaking it warrants an increased sentence: after imprisonment, fifty lashes!

No, I refuse; if your father were alive, he would never allow this!

Insolence toward superiors, disrespect for the deceased—one hundred lashes!

Gu Cang Shan still wanted to speak, but Gu Xiao Dao bellowed,

Where is the Law Enforcement Squad?

The Law Enforcement Squad waiting outside the hall quickly stepped forward in unison and seized Gu Cang Shan!

Gu Cang Shan tried to resist, but Gu Xiao Dao lightly tapped him, sealing his entire body's meridians.

Seeing this, the seated elders' eyes twitched slightly.

The gap between Martial Sect and Martial Venerable is enormous!

Throw Gu Cang Shan into the prison!

The Law Enforcement Squad is loyal only to the Family Head; no matter how Gu Cang Shan struggles, they show no hesitation!

No, Gu Xiao Dao, you cannot do this to me! I am your uncle—I will tell your aunt!

Gu Xiao Dao's expression remained unchanged, his gaze icy as he watched the Law Enforcement Squad take Gu Cang Shan away.

From today onward, the Gu Cang Shan branch is demoted to a side branch of the Gu Family!

These words were clearly meant for Gu Cang Shan, who was already being dragged out of the council hall.

Meanwhile, the elders inside the council hall were all greatly shocked by this turn of events.

Not only Gu Cang Shan, but they themselves never imagined he would end up with such a severe fate!

The First and Second Elders, however, saw the situation more clearly.

According to the Gu Family's old statutes, removing an elder's position is not that simple.

It requires a vote by the entire Elder Council, with more than two-thirds in favor, to dismiss an elder.

Although the Family Head's vote counts as three, he still lacks the direct authority to abolish an elder!

Gu Xiao Dao decided with a single word, clearly testing the waters to expand the Family Head's power!

But all this was destined from the moment Gu Xiao Dao broke through to Martial Venerable.

Even the First Elder is powerless to resist.

Or put another way, as long as the Family Head leads the Gu Family to prosperity rather than into ruin.

The First Elder will not only not resist, but will become a steadfast supporter of the Family Head!

Seeing that no one dared to speak up for the Third Elder and opposing his own decision, Gu Xiao Dao nodded with great satisfaction.

He smiled and looked toward the Fifth Elder,

"Fifth Elder, you convened the Elder Council; you surely aren't just trying to get the Third Elder the punishment he deserves, are you?"

The Fifth Elder immediately replied,

"At first, I didn't know about the Third Elder… no, it's everything Gu Cang Shan did; I only wanted to seek fair treatment for Gu Han."

"Through his own efforts, he helped Mu Shan Cheng repel the enemy army, achieving great merit, and was appointed Bijang of the Third Camp by General Guan Zhen."

"Such a person ought to be one of the main lines of our Gu Family; otherwise, wouldn't it show that our Gu Family lacks discernment?"

As the Fifth Elder's words fell, Gu Xiao Dao and the Great Elder were both taken aback.

Gu Xiao Dao had just left seclusion not long ago, and the Great Elder had just returned from outside to Wu Shan Cheng.

They had never heard before that a descendant of the Gu Family had become a Bijang!

After the Fifth Elder had clarified the whole situation, Gu Xiao Dao immediately snorted angrily.

"That damned Gu Cang Shan—his punishment seems too light; he actually dared to plot harm against our Gu Family's promising descendant!"

After cursing Gu Cang Shan, Gu Xiao Dao then lavished praise on the Fifth Elder,

"This time, thanks to the Fifth Elder's timely decision to summon me out of seclusion, otherwise I truly wouldn't know how much longer the Third Elder could run amok in the Gu Family!"

"In my opinion, let the Fifth Elder take the position of Third Elder of the Gu Family—what do you think?"

The rankings among the Elders are not merely differences in strength and status.

They also affect the monthly stipend the Elders receive!

The Third Elder's stipend must be at least ten percent higher than the Fifth Elder's!

This must be strictly followed according to the regulations.

Even Gu Ren, as the Elder in charge of family resources, would not dare to misuse the materials.

Several Elders exchanged glances, realizing that the Family Head favored Gu Ren and wanted to make him his direct descendant!

And the one with the most complicated expression was the Fourth Elder.

Logically, after the Third Elder was removed, the Fourth Elder should have been the one to fill the vacancy.

But the Family Head has just broken through to Martial Sovereign, at the peak of his power.

The Family Head clearly favored Gu Ren, so even as the Fourth Elder, he dared not say more.

The Fifth Elder repeatedly declined, but could not defy the Family Head's decision.

Gu Ren ultimately became the Third Elder of the Gu Family.

The other lower-ranking Elders also benefited, each moving up one position!

There was also a Steward who had already reached Martial Ancestor.

Under Gu Xiao Dao's appointment, he became the Tenth Elder!

"Xu Xin Zhu has raised her children well; effective immediately, she is promoted to the main line of the Gu Family."

After reseating the Elders, Gu Xiao Dao naturally did not forget Xu Xin Zhu's existence.

Although he has become a Martial Sovereign, in Wu Shan Cheng he is still considered a top-tier expert.

But the inheritance of the younger generation cannot be cut off.

A young Bijang certainly has limitless prospects!