Let Them See What a True Hound of the Imperial Court Is

The Tang Family was considered one of the great clans in the city. Its patriarch, Tang Wenshang, served as the county magistrate's assistant in Jiulin County, a Subordinate Seventh Rank civil official.

The Tang Family also had two caravans, quite a few shops within the clan, and vast tracts of land outside the city.

Zhang Yuan knew of the Tang Family because he had dealt with their caravans before.

When he had assumed the identity of Crimson Fox and led the Crimson Fox Caravan in border trade, one Tang Family caravan had tried to rob them outright and swallow the Crimson Fox Caravan whole.

That time, Zhang Yuan killed more than twenty members of the Tang Family. Tang Wenwu, the Tang Family's second master and strongest expert, a Late Houtian Realm martial artist, had died beneath Zhang Yuan's blade.

Having lost their strongest member and suffered losses to their caravan, the Tang Family had not recovered for two years.

Zhang Yuan had later had the Black Ice Platform investigate the Tang Family. Their caravans were highly suspected of colluding with Northern Yan.

But with their experts depleted, the Tang Family had tucked in their heads and kept quiet, relinquishing all border trade. The Black Ice Platform had paid them no further attention.

He had not expected Chen Wu to clash with a Tang Family Disciple this time.

"They sent people over first thing this morning. Just now, Lord Judicial Assistant summoned me and told me to have Chen Wu go to their door and apologize. Otherwise, Chen Wu will stay in prison forever."

"Chen Wu hasn't said a word in jail." The military clerk shook his head, looking troubled. "You know the Tang Family. They have money and connections. Why pick a fight with them?"

"Even I have to be polite when I see Tang Wenshang."

"If this drags on, they can strip Chen Wu of that uniform and leave him without a penny."

With a low sigh, the military clerk looked towards Zhang Yuan. "If I were still in Luyang Prefecture, I could keep an eye on things. But once I leave, who knows what petty tricks they might pull..."

Zhang Yuan nodded and said, "I'll take him to the Tang Family to apologize."

Delight appeared on the military clerk's face, but then Zhang Yuan spoke again. "Chen Wu isn't suited to be a Black Robe Guard. It would be just as well to strip him of this Black Dog Hide. Sir, write him a Dismissal Letter."

The smile on the military clerk's face stiffened.

"Y-you kid, what do you mean?"

"You're deliberately helping him throw in the towel?"

Zhang Yuan shook his head, his expression solemn. "Sir, I intend to have Chen Wu leave the Martial Guard Bureau and train in the border army."

The border army?

Military clerk Qian Mu knew of Zhang Yuan's other identity and knew he had connections in the border army.

Hearing Zhang Yuan say that he wanted Chen Wu to join the border army, he hurriedly said, "The border army is dangerous. How can it compare to the stability of the Martial Guard Bureau—"

Before he could finish, Zhang Yuan said, "If Chen Wu remains in the Martial Guard Bureau, he will likely have no hope of Xiantian. If he trains in the border army for a few years, he may have a chance to step into Xiantian."

Xiantian.

Qian Mu opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

He himself was only at the Late Houtian Realm, and even then, it was a Late Houtian Realm with no path left for advancement.

The Xiantian Realm was something beyond reach, something he ordinarily would not even dare to think about.

Only someone like Chen Wu, a twenty-year-old at the Houtian Mid-stage, had a chance to make a bid for it.

If Chen Wu truly stepped into Xiantian, he would become one of the foremost experts in all of Luyang Prefecture.

If Zhang Yuan had given any other reason, Qian Mu could still have argued.

But this concerned Chen Wu's path of cultivation, his route to Xiantian. It was a matter that concerned his future.

Only Zhang Yuan, who had supported and trained Chen Wu every step of the way, could make such a decision.

"Then I'll write the document." A look of disappointment Revealed a hint of on Qian Mu's face. Smacking his lips, he said, "How did this turn out like this? It feels as if my Martial Guard Bureau is the one getting the worst end of it..."

Looking up at Zhang Yuan, a glint appeared in Qian Mu's eyes.

"Writing him a Dismissal Letter isn't impossible, but this time, kid, don't run away."

"Come. Follow me to see Lord Judge."

Luyang Prefecture was a border prefectural city. Its Subordinate Fifth Rank prefectural judge, who oversaw military affairs and also served as Recording Secretary and Military Counselor, held no less power than the Principal Fifth Rank civil prefect.

Qian Mu and Zhang Yuan arrived at the main hall of the yamen and had the soldiers stationed at the entrance report their arrival. Before long, a soldier led them in to meet He Jin, the prefectural judge of Luyang Prefecture.

"Greetings, Lord Judge."

Both Qian Mu and Zhang Yuan clasped their fists and bowed.

He Jin looked to be a little over fifty, but he had in fact already passed sixty.

Dressed in a green military official's robe embroidered with round floral patterns, the white-haired and white-bearded He Jin was one of the three great experts of Luyang Prefecture. He had entered the Xiantian Realm twenty years ago.

Without Xiantian Realm cultivation, he could not have sat in the position of chief military official of an entire city.

"Zhang Yuan, Zhang Erhe." Seeing Zhang Yuan, He Jin Revealed a hint of a smile. "What is it? Did military clerk Qian catch you by the tail?"

He Jin had met Zhang Yuan before. Five years ago, when Zhang Yuan returned from Fengtian County City, He Jin had summoned him.

As the chief military official of Luyang Prefecture, He Jin naturally had to see the Martial Guard who had returned from the bloody battle at Fengtian County.

Later, He Jin had even guided Zhang Yuan's Martial Way Cultivation several times.

Over the past two years, Zhang Yuan had often been away, while trade in Luyang Prefecture had grown increasingly busy. He Jin had been swamped with official affairs, and so had not seen Zhang Yuan.

"That's right, sir. This time, I really did catch this kid by the tail." Qian Mu grinned, stepped forward, and whispered a few words to He Jin.

He Jin first frowned, then his expression shifted as he looked towards Zhang Yuan.

"Letting a twenty-year-old Houtian Mid-stage martial artist go is rather a pity..."

After pondering for a moment, He Jin said, "Someone, bring the Martial Guard Bureau military merit register from the prefectural office."

The soldier at the entrance answered. Before long, a clerk entered with a ledger held in both hands and bowed to He Jin.

"See how much military merit Zhang Yuan has accumulated over these years," He Jin said with a wave of his hand.

"Reporting to my lord, since Zhang Yuan entered the Martial Guard Bureau, he has accumulated a total of one hundred and twelve ranks of military merit, large and small. This was only registered yesterday; this subordinate remembers it clearly."

The clerk Looked up at Zhang Yuan, admiration Revealed a hint of on his face. "Since the Luyang Prefecture Martial Guard Yamen was established several centuries ago, only five people have ever accumulated more than one hundred ranks of military merit. Zhang Yuan ranks third."

The highest position in the Martial Guard Bureau was only that of a Seventh Rank Martial Guard leader. The supervising military clerk above them was already an official of the prefectural yamen.

Any expert truly capable of personally beheading thirty or fifty enemies would usually be transferred directly. They could not remain in the Martial Guard Bureau for long.

The Martial Guard Bureau was not highly regarded precisely because it had no true experts within it.

"He has already reached over a hundred ranks so quickly..." A trace of surprise appeared on He Jin's face as he looked towards Zhang Yuan.

Ever since this fellow returned from the three-month bloody battle at Fengtian, his killing intent had been truly heavy. It was merely hidden beneath his reputation for being Righteous and Loyal, so outsiders did not know.

When He Jin had guided Zhang Yuan's cultivation back then, he had seen that Zhang Yuan's saber techniques carried an extremely heavy baleful aura, only cleverly concealed.

Waving the clerk away, He Jin looked at Zhang Yuan with a solemn expression.

"Zhang Yuan, the Luyang Prefecture Martial Guard Yamen will soon expand its ranks. At that time, it will be directly under my command, and a military officer at the rank of commandant will be appointed, with five captains reorganized beneath him."

"You do not hold official rank, so you cannot be directly promoted to commandant. But the prefectural office can appoint you as a Seventh Rank Black Robe Guard to serve as acting commandant."

"Once you pass the military official assessment at the commandery office, the position will be formally conferred upon you."

This was the condition for allowing Chen Wu to go to the border army. Chen Wu could leave, but Zhang Yuan had to remain and serve as the commanding commandant of the Martial Guard Bureau.

In truth, if Zhang Yuan had sought promotion and rank, he had plenty of opportunities.

The Crimson Scale Army had invited him more than once. Bai Shaoting had even stated plainly that if Zhang Yuan joined them, he could become his deputy directly.

All these years, Zhang Yuan had focused only on his own cultivation and had not set his mind on court positions.

But after discovering that the Heavenly Dao Opportunity for entering the Grandmaster Realm was actually a treasure on the level of a relic, his thinking had changed.

If he remained an ordinary Black Robe Guard in Luyang Prefecture, he would never encounter information about treasures of that level in his entire life.

Moreover, the merit owed on that roll of hemp cloth was nearly repaid. It was time for him to consider the future.

"Zhang Yuan can serve as acting commandant, but I have one condition."

Zhang Yuan clasped his fists, looked at He Jin, and spoke loudly.

"Tell me." He Jin chuckled.

So long as Zhang Yuan agreed to become acting commandant, a minor condition or two was not impossible to grant.

"How much does my lord know about the Tang Family?"

Zhang Yuan's voice Sounded.

He Jin and military clerk Qian Mu, standing at the side, were both taken aback.

What did that mean?

"I have met Tang Wenshang, the Tang Family patriarch, several times. He serves as county magistrate's assistant in Jiulin County. Jiulin has been somewhat unsettled recently, and the prefectural office intends to remove the Jiulin County magistrate and have Tang Wenshang take his place."

"There should already be rumors of this, shouldn't there?"

Qian Mu had just told him that Zhang Yuan had agreed to take Chen Wu to the Tang Family to apologize.

He Jin frowned as he looked at Zhang Yuan. "The matter between Chen Wu and the Tang Family Disciple is merely a quarrel born of youthful high spirits. It is nothing much. If you had not insisted on having him leave—"

"My lord, disrespecting the Martial Guard Bureau and treating us Black Robe Guards as hounds and lackeys is no quarrel born of youthful high spirits." Zhang Yuan's voice cut off He Jin's words.

"If this matter is not handled properly, the Martial Guard Bureau's reputation will be utterly ruined. Even if its ranks are expanded, it will be unable to cow the various factions and will merely waste money and provisions."

He Jin was about to speak again when Zhang Yuan Looked up, his expression solemn. "My lord, do not forget that Chen Wu is a twenty-year-old Houtian Late-stage martial artist. If such an elite of the Martial Guard Bureau is forced out of the Martial Guard Bureau by the Tang Family, what prestige will the Martial Guard Bureau still hold in the eyes of Luyang Prefecture's people?"

At the side, Qian Mu opened his mouth but said nothing.

Wasn't it you who wanted Chen Wu to leave the Martial Guard Bureau?

He Jin's brows furrowed slightly, and his aura condensed.

Zhang Yuan's reasoning was somewhat strained.

He had forcibly turned his own arrangement for Chen Wu to join the border army into something the Tang Family had forced upon him.

But this was Zhang Yuan's condition for accepting the position of acting commandant.

And just as Zhang Yuan had said, if word of this matter spread, the Martial Guard Bureau's prestige would indeed suffer greatly.

"What do you want to do?" He Jin looked at Zhang Yuan and asked in a deep voice.

"Since the Tang Family Disciple called us Black Robe Guards hounds of the imperial court, then let them see what true hounds of the imperial court are." Zhang Yuan's expression was calm, but killing intent flashed through his eyes.

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