Chapter 479
Chapter 479
Shen Lang asked Gou Duhuan.
“I heard from Scholar Zhang Yuyin that you were a terrible student?”
Gou Duhuan sighed and answered.
“I had never learned the classics or arithmetic in my life until I entered the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion at nineteen. The moment I arrived, they told me to study alongside eighteen and nineteen-year-old students, so...”
So that was the situation. How miserable. It was like someone who never attended elementary school being thrown straight into a university to take first-year classes. No wonder Gou Duhuan was berated and beaten daily at the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, questioning his very existence. But to have still managed to keep up and learn under those circumstances meant he was exceptionally talented.
Gou Duhuan then asked a question.
“Your Highness, are we only permitted to form one chiliarchy?”
Shen Lang answered.
“For now, we will only form one chiliarchy.”
“Then where are the ten centurions who will serve under me?”
“Well, they are right over there.”
Shen Lang jutted out his chin, pointing to the ten beggars lying scattered about the room, boasting loudly. Instantly, Gou Duhuan's scalp tightened, and a cold sweat broke out on his back. Though it was a warm late autumn day, the air suddenly felt frigid for no reason.
‘Those ten beggars? Young Master Shen, do geniuses like you not care for details? Or do you have some peculiar taste? Perhaps you enjoy succeeding by raising the difficulty to an infernal level? If there are no challenges, do you create them on purpose? Those ten beggars are completely hopeless. If you closed your eyes and picked people off the street, they would be far stronger than these ten. Isn't this a recruitment method completely detached from reality?’
‘Even if we overlook the fact that half of them are crippled, haven't they become utterly useless, their spirits lazy from wandering for so long? Just a moment ago, during archery practice, not a single one could draw a small bow of less than thirty catties. And after practicing for a mere quarter of an hour, they clamored for a four-hour break. Fine, let them rest, but couldn't they stand or sit? Why are they all lying on the floor? And in the presence of Shen Lang and Ning Zheng, they show no fear, pretending not to see them while continuing their endless boasting?’
And what were they doing amidst all this? One was picking his toes, sniffing them, and lamenting that his recent, diligent bathing had washed away the long-accumulated stench. Another held in a fart to the absolute limit before letting it rip, only to express regret.
“Failed again. The diarrhea didn't come with it. I must have been eating too cleanly lately.”
They were beyond useless; they were the dregs of society, worse than trash.
Gou Duhuan asked.
“Young Master Shen, is there a goal you wish to achieve with these ten men?”
“There is. In thirty-eight days, the military examination will be held. I want all of them to pass.”
Gou Duhuan was instantly dumbfounded. His scalp went numb, and it felt as if the top of his skull was about to blow off. After a long moment, he spoke in a trembling voice.
“Young Master Shen? Why don't you just give me poison instead? How about I return my life to you?”
‘I must repay the debt of you saving my life, but this is a task I couldn't accomplish even if you killed me a hundred times. You ask me to lead men into battle, and if you can't give me swords, shouldn't you at least give me wooden sticks? What am I supposed to do with ten lumps of dung!’
Then, Shen Lang said meaningfully.
“Brother Zhuo, go and observe them closely. You might discover something.”
Gou Duhuan went forward and observed the beggars closely. The ten men felt the hair on their bodies stand on end under his gaze and momentarily stopped their boasting.
‘What are you looking at? Even in my most destitute days, I never sold my ass. Now that I'm a centurion, I certainly can't sell it.’
Gou Duhuan didn't just look; he grabbed them with his hands and even sniffed them. At that moment, the beggars tensed up.
‘What is he trying to do?’
One of the beggars struggled desperately, trying to stop Gou Duhuan from touching him.
“Don't touch me like that. What are you planning to do in broad daylight? You should at least wait until it's dark...”
*Smack!*
Gou Duhuan slapped him across the face. The beggar immediately collapsed to the ground, twitching uncontrollably like a frog, unable to move. After a full quarter of an hour of examination, Gou Duhuan returned to Shen Lang's side.
“Did you figure it out?”
Gou Duhuan nodded.
“I did. I smelled a familiar aura from their bodies.”
The aura emanating from such a bloodline power was incredibly subtle; perhaps only those of the same kind, who possessed a similar aura, could sense it.
Shen Lang said to him.
“Then you must also understand why they look the way they do. Their bodies are all twisted and deformed.”
“The power of their bloodline is extremely strong, causing them to naturally absorb the primal energy of heaven and earth every day. But since they can't activate or release it, the power surges and recedes within their bodies as if in retaliation, twisting their entire beings. I experienced the same phenomenon before.”
“If I succeed in activating the bloodline within them, and even elevate it a level higher than before, what do you think will happen?”
“They are all around thirty years old, and their bloodlines have been absorbing the primal energy for over twenty years, so a great deal of power must have accumulated. If you can activate it smoothly, they will instantly gain immense strength and vigor.”
This situation was similar to Big Dummy's. He had never properly learned martial arts, only practicing how to block swords every day. But look how formidable he became. On the battlefield, Big Dummy's power could surpass that of the Sword King, Li Qianqiu. In a one-on-one duel, he could block the swords of ninety-nine out of a hundred masters. Why? Because Grandmaster Zhong Chuke had activated the golden bloodline power within Big Dummy. That power had been inside him for over a decade but had never been properly drawn out. When it was suddenly activated, he became incredibly strong in an instant. These beggars have had energy accumulating in their bloodlines for twenty to thirty years. If it's activated, even if they don't become as formidable as Big Dummy, the results will be astonishing.
“There are too many watchful eyes around the capital. Tomorrow, I will take them outside the city to a secluded place with no one around, activate their bloodlines, and then begin secret training.”
Gou Duhuan suddenly asked Shen Lang.
“Young Master Shen, I agree with going to a secluded place outside the city, but could you postpone activating their bloodlines for two days?”
Shen Lang was surprised by his words.
‘Why?’
Before Shen Lang could ask, Gou Duhuan quickly answered.
“Once their bloodlines are activated, they will become normal people. Moreover, once they become normal people with great power, their mindset will completely change. The time a person spends in hardship is precious. Right now, they are disabled. They may act cheerful every day, but deep down, their hearts have long been steeped in cold despair. I want to borrow these two days of their utter despair to train them in discipline, so it will be etched into their very bones.”
Shen Lang looked at Gou Duhuan and asked curiously.
“How will you train them?”
“By beating them. Beating them to within an inch of their lives!”
Soon after, Gou Duhuan turned, went into the room, found a whip, and hid it in his sleeve. He stepped outside and clasped his hands in a salute to the ten beggars.
“Brothers, my name is Gou Yichen. From now on, I will be your chiliarch. We will all be eating from the same pot, so I hope you brothers will look after me.”
The ten beggars, still lying on the floor, lazily returned the salute with an air of annoyance.
“Don't mention it. We'll be sure to look after you. Even though you're the chiliarch, you won't last long without the help of us brothers. So it's best if you behave yourself from now on.”
“That's right. First come, first served. You may be the chiliarch, but you came later, so you have less seniority than us, don't you?”
“Little Gou, do you know the most important thing about being a leader? First, you have to be a decent human being!”
Gou Duhuan smiled and replied.
“Of course. I've remembered all the teachings from you brothers.”
After he finished speaking, his expression turned cold. He pulled the whip from his sleeve and immediately rushed at the beggars, lashing them fiercely.
*Crack, crack, crack, crack.*
“Get up! All of you, get up!”
He struck every single one of them without exception. The pain was so intense it could make a man wet himself. The beggars were beaten senseless in an instant. They all shrieked like wailing ghosts, creating a commotion. But Gou Duhuan's strategy was to whip anyone who cried out louder even more, lashing them until they rolled on the ground and eventually pissed themselves from the beating. The beggars first wailed, then started cursing, and then tattling.
“Young Master Shen, save us! Your Highness, the Fifth Prince, save us! We're all going to die!”
“We quit! We're disbanding right now!”
Gou Duhuan stared intently at the man who mentioned disbanding. His eyes looked as if they could devour him.
“Did you just say disband?”
The beggar shivered, his voice trembling as he spoke.
“We came here to become officials, not to be punished. Even His Highness the Fifth Prince and Young Master Shen haven't interfered with us. What's so great about a mere chiliarch?”
Gou Duhuan asked coldly.
“Did you say you're disbanding?”
He continued to tremble but didn't stop talking.
“What kind of official authority are you trying to flaunt? Do you think we don't know you're just trying to throw your weight around as the new guy? We've seen plenty of tricks like yours among us beggars. Do you think that scares us?”
Gou Duhuan asked again, still cold.
“Did you say you're disbanding?”
Gou Duhuan's voice grew colder, and the killing intent in his eyes deepened. The beggars were startled and began to tremble, but they remained defiant. They were men with nothing to lose and couldn't afford to lose this initial power struggle. As soon as he heard Gou Duhuan's pressing question, he answered coldly.
“So what if I did? We'll just disband!”
Gou Duhuan said coldly.
“Saying you'll disband means you're a deserter who has abandoned the barracks. According to military law, deserters are to be hanged!”
Without another word, he found a rope, threw it over a tree branch, and tied a noose. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed the beggar by the neck and forced his head into the loop.
“A deserter is no longer a brother. Don't blame me, even in hell.”
Gou Duhuan kicked the wooden stool the beggar was standing on, and the man's body instantly dropped, hanging from the tree. From start to finish, Gou Duhuan showed no hesitation. He had said he would hang the beggar, and he did it immediately. The man struggled desperately, his face turning beet red, his eyes bulging as if they would pop out, and his tongue lolling out. The other nine beggars were completely stunned, scared out of their wits.
‘This... this is the King of Hell. He says he'll kill, and he kills. He says he'll hang someone, and he hangs them without a second thought.’
“How dare you kill someone? Brothers, let's fight him!”