The courtyard was deathly quiet, save for the rustling of pomegranate leaves in the breeze.
That, and the faint, foul stench of urine.
Frowning deeply, Huang Tian lifted his boot from Huang Jian's head. Feeling as though he had actually stepped into filth, his footwear soiled, he barked, "You there. Come drag this idiot back. Don't foul my quiet courtyard."
Hearing this, the servant breathed a massive sigh of relief. He scrambled forward, hoisted Huang Jian onto his back, and trotted briskly out of the courtyard while wrinkling his nose at the stench.
"Fourth Master, h-how did you become so formidable?" Heng'er asked, her mouth a small, open circle and her eyes wide with shock.
Aunt Qin, however, felt none of Heng'er's wonder or adoration. Her face twisted with distress as she paced about the courtyard, wringing her hands and sighing. "The Third Young Master has always been favored by the Master and the Mistress. Young Master, you beat him—you've truly brought disaster down upon us!"
"It was merely a light lesson. He should be grateful I didn't kill him."
Huang Tian had indeed considered killing Huang Jian on the spot and then slaughtering his way through the Huang Manor. While this mortal body could not withstand the violent spiritual qi of this realm, he could rapidly elevate his cultivation by casting forbidden arts if he were willing to discard the physical shell. He was confident that even Huang Xunjiu, the strongest martial artist in the Huang household, would not necessarily survive a desperate fight against him.
Yet matters had not reached such an extreme. They were nothing more than a foolish man, a jealous woman, and three brainless brats. They were hardly worth throwing his life away for—they were not even worthy.
"Mind your own duties with peace of mind. I know what I am doing."
Having said that, Huang Tian resumed tempering his body with the thunderous resonance. Muffled, deep rumbles rolled ceaselessly from within his frame.
Seeing that Huang Tian was entirely unruffled, the anxiety gnawing at Aunt Qin's heart eased considerably for reasons she could not explain. She led Heng'er off to the kitchen to busy themselves with brewing some meat broth for him.
***
While quiet gradually returned to the eastern courtyard, Huang Xunjiu was entertaining an honored guest in the manor's main hall: Xia Hong, a thousand-man commander of Kunyun Commandery's Martial Restraint Guard.
Xia Hong wore a robe embroidered with a qilin. He possessed a square-jawed face, and when silent, his jaw clamped so tight that he appeared cold and austere. His hands were extraordinarily thick and calloused, evidently honed through deep mastery of an unarmed martial discipline.
"I never imagined Brother Huang would be willing to send all four of his sons to our Martial Restraint Guard. It is truly unexpected and admirable," Xia Hong remarked slowly after taking a sip of tea.
Huang Xunjiu chuckled. "I have always been most loyal to the court. Now that the Six Doors, the Martial Restraint Guard, and the Black Armor Army are all actively recruiting, no matter how reluctant I may be to part with them, I am more than willing to send my humble sons to contribute their modest strength."
Though his words sounded grand and noble, in truth, he had sensed the shifting undercurrents within the commandery.
The local Six Doors, the Martial Restraint Guard, and the Black Armor Army were expanding their ranks, while the five major sects in the commandery were likewise recruiting aggressively. The two factions were clearly locked in open confrontation.
Moreover, rumors were spreading that the imperial court intended to confiscate all weapons under heaven and suppress every major sect. Naturally, the renowned sects would not sit idly by awaiting destruction; they repeatedly dispatched agents to assassinate or brazenly slaughter local imperial officials, throwing the twenty-three provinces of the realm into turmoil and panic.
In a situation so combustible, choosing a side had become unavoidable. In fact, the Feihong Sect—one of Kunyun Commandery's five major sects—had already sent emissaries to approach Huang Xunjiu, dropping not-so-subtle hints for him to defect to their side.
Huang Xunjiu had sternly refused on the spot. What a joke! His entire family estate and wealth lay within the commandery seat, where official authority reigned supreme. How could he possibly throw his lot in with the five sects?
Furthermore, the father of his wife, He Yunrou, was a county vice magistrate. The official imperial stamp upon his household could never be washed away; even if he turned to the sects, he would never be genuinely trusted.
Around the same time, commandery officials began approaching the city's prominent clans and wealthy merchants, demanding that they take a stand. After brief consideration, Huang Xunjiu resolved to throw his full weight behind the authorities.
Not only would he lean their way, but he would do so unequivocally! Aside from his eight-year-old youngest child, he would dispatch all four of his older sons to serve in the Martial Restraint Guard. In the entire commandery seat, who could claim greater loyalty than him?
As for why he sent them all to the Martial Restraint Guard rather than dividing them among various government offices, the first reason was that the Guard was one of the finest places in the commandery for martial arts cultivation, lacking neither cultivation methods, martial techniques, nor divine armaments.
The second reason was that the Huang family already possessed many in-laws and old acquaintances serving in the commandery yamen, the Black Armor Army, and the Six Doors, lacking only connections in the Martial Restraint Guard. Huang Xunjiu was simply using this opportunity to complete the missing piece of his influence.
As to whether placing all four sons in the Martial Restraint Guard would draw idle gossip, it was an entirely needless worry. Kunyun Commandery had a population of ten million, and the Martial Restraint Guard, charged with surveillance and suppression across the region, numbered several thousand strong. Standing alongside the Six Doors as one of the two great instruments of force, it was commonplace for not just four brothers, but entire extended families spanning three generations, to serve together.
Of course, sending his sons to the Martial Restraint Guard was a gesture of allegiance and a move to consolidate his power network, not an order for them to march to the front lines and throw their lives away. Inviting Xia Hong today was meant precisely to secure their arrangements.
With a faint twinge of heartache, Huang Xunjiu produced a slender jade box from his sleeve and presented it to Xia Hong. "I must trouble Brother Xia to look after my humble sons..."
Xia Hong's expression remained impassive as he accepted the jade box and slid it open. A refreshing, heart-soothing fragrance immediately drifted out. Looking closely, he saw a five-inch-long golden snow ginseng, its entire body crystalline and translucent. Its spiritual qi was rich and gentle, making it a rare treasure even to a Rank 5 martial artist like him.
A look of genuine emotion crossed Xia Hong's face as he swiftly slipped the golden snow ginseng into his sleeve. "Brother Huang's sincerity is profound, and your devotion to the realm can be witnessed by heaven and earth. Our Martial Restraint Guard certainly will not mistreat your sons..."
He pondered for a moment before speaking. "Among the young masters of your residence, Huang Qian is already a Rank 7 martial artist. There is no need for him to undergo testing; I can make the decision to place him in the Merit Recording Bureau as a Merit Assessor, a post equivalent in rank to a probationary centenary. Stationed safely in the rear, it carries significant influence as well.
"Huang Rui and Huang Jian both have some foundation. The former has entered Rank 9, while the latter has developed force. Later on, depending on circumstances, they can be assigned to the Divine Armory or the Archive Repository. As for Huang Tian, he has no martial foundation whatsoever. I fear that even after two months, he might not manage to manifest force..."
The Martial Restraint Guard recruited through two paths. The first was for martial artists of clean background who were at Rank 8 or above; they could be commissioned into service directly.
The second was for those of clean background below Rank 8—whether they were at Rank 9, had merely developed force, or were ordinary civilians without training. All of them had to undergo a period of rigorous tempering in the Guard Academy directly under the Guard's command.
If an ordinary civilian failed to develop force within two months, they were expelled immediately, disqualified from becoming even a laborer or a minor clerk.
Those who managed to develop force, but failed to reach Rank 9 within six months, were relegated to the lowest ranks of laborers or clerks.
Those who attained Rank 9, but could not break into Rank 8 within a year, were appointed minor banner officers.
Those who achieved Rank 8 were appointed full banner officers straight away, with no need to build up seniority.
It could truly be said that for geniuses gifted with superior talent and comprehension, entering the Guard Academy offered a genuine shortcut.
"He does not matter. If he cannot develop force within two months, feel free to cast him out. If he does, you may place him wherever you see fit, Brother Xia."
The moment his fourth son's name was mentioned, Huang Xunjiu's brows knitted involuntarily. A foul taste rose in his mouth, and he was disinclined to speak further on the boy.
Sensing Huang Xunjiu's distaste for Huang Tian, Xia Hong understood the situation and smiled. "Then there is no problem at all."
With that weight lifted from his mind, Huang Xunjiu beamed broadly. "Brother Xia, please, have some tea."
"After you."
Both men had secured what they wanted and were leisurely sipping their tea when a sudden clamor broke out beyond the doors. Huang Xunjiu's face instantly darkened. He turned to the servant waiting at his side and snapped, "Go see who is making such a racket!"
The servant hurried off to obey. Before long, he rushed back on hurried feet and leaned in to whisper into Huang Xunjiu's ear: "The Fourth Young Master gave the Third Young Master a savage beating! The Third Young Master was covered in blood and only woke up after being unconscious for a quarter of an hour. The Second Young Master couldn't bear to see it and wants to vent his anger on the Third Young Master's behalf. He is gathering men right now to storm the eastern wing and pay him back..."
Hearing this, Huang Xunjiu was consumed by furious rage.
*What an insolent brute! How dare he commit such violence!*
Chapter 48