The Groom

Although they were half-hearted when they swore brotherhood, the ten youths had indeed grown much closer after that night, as if they had found a sense of belonging.

Gu Shenwei also felt that the idea of swearing brotherhood was good. He had no backing and no secret martial arts manuals now. Revenge through legitimate means was impossible, so he could only resort to insidious tactics. Having a group of brothers was ultimately not a bad thing.

Of course, he would not reveal his secrets, just like everyone else. In this small group, filled with hidden defenses and ulterior motives, one could never tell the truth.

The following days were a honeymoon period for the ten sworn brothers. They helped each other, learned each other's languages, and occasionally played small jokes. None of them had foreseen what life would be like after entering Golden Peng Fortress.

On the morning of the young lady's wedding, the entire camp was decorated anew. From the Great Head God down to the lowest grunt, everyone was unusually well-dressed, suppressing their rough bandit nature by three parts.

Nearly a thousand gang members, regardless of rank or status, crowded the roadsides, all eager to see what the groom welcoming the bride looked like. He was the son of the Unrivaled King, always aloof and high above. Even the foremost bandit gang in the Western Regions rarely got to see him.

Gu Shenwei was particularly eager to catch a glimpse.

The news of Golden Peng Fortress's massacre of the Central Plains Gu Family had already spread. The Shangguan Family had not deliberately concealed it, and as details emerged, the entire affair began to unfold clearly before the youths' eyes.

This "business"—as the Iron Mountain Gang called killing—was personally handled by Shangguan Nu, the eighth son of the Unrivaled King. The forces at his disposal were twenty assassins and seventy swordsmen, and reportedly, one "Green Face" assassin.

Swordsmen, assassins, and "Green Faces" were different tiers of members within Golden Peng Fortress. Swordsmen were the lowest rank, usually hired from various places in the Western Regions. Assassins were forces cultivated by Golden Peng Fortress itself, possessing significantly superior martial arts and forming the core of the organization. "Green Faces" were the most mysterious group, with their very existence sometimes debated. Legend had it that they possessed the highest martial arts skills, operated in secrecy, and often wore black masks, hence the name "Green Face."

Twenty assassins and seventy swordsmen constituted a force not to be underestimated. Some even considered it overkill, like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.

According to Golden Peng Fortress's customs, swordsmen were responsible for reconnaissance, lookout, and guarding duties, only engaging in killing when necessary. The most crucial assassination missions were carried out by assassins.

It was these swordsmen who spied on the manor from the back mountain, infiltrated it at night to gather information, and pursued the five people who had accidentally left the manor, only to be dismounted by the old servant Yang Zheng.

The twenty assassins, possibly joined by the Young Master Shangguan Nu and the mysterious "Green Face," entered the Gu Family manor under the cover of darkness after all preparations were complete. They first silently eliminated the night watchmen before targeting the manor's masters, followed by the sleeping servants.

The entire operation was thoroughly prepared, thus its execution was extremely smooth, encountering no resistance. By Golden Peng Fortress's standards, direct combat was a last resort; encountering no resistance was the ideal outcome.

The gold and silver treasures in the manor were plundered, and then everything was set ablaze. This was standard procedure for Golden Peng Fortress. Movable items were left behind, to be scavenged by those with keen senses for loot.

If everything had gone smoothly, this operation would have paved a brilliant future for the Eighth Young Master Shangguan Nu.

This was his first independent mission. Upon its success, he would have been qualified to establish his own faction and cultivate his own forces. He would also marry the daughter of the foremost bandit gang leader in the Western Regions, adding a rare guarantee to consolidate his family's power and his own position.

All of this was reduced to naught because of one fourteen-year-old boy who escaped.

How that boy named Gu Shenwei managed to escape was a matter of much speculation. It seemed that the manor's master, the cunning Gu Lun, had dispatched several groups of people during the night, diverting the attention of the outer swordsmen. Only then did he allow one daughter and the youngest son to flee.

Shangguan Nu made a misjudgment at this point, sending only swordsmen to pursue them. As a result, three swordsmen went and never returned. After the massacre of the Gu Family manor, upon discovering that two young masters were missing, Shangguan Nu promptly dispatched assassins to bring back the heads he desired.

However, the heads they brought back were the wrong ones.

The head believed to be that of the young master of the Gu Family actually belonged to an unknown individual.

For this unforgivable mistake, the Unrivaled King severed one of his eighth son's hands, and Shangguan Nu, in turn, cut off the hands of several swordsmen and assassins.

Shangguan Nu's promising future, which had just begun, was over. Although the Unrivaled King had not officially announced it, nor would he ever, everyone was certain that Shangguan Nu would be unqualified to establish his own faction for a long time. While the marriage to the Great Head God's daughter was not canceled, it was no longer his personal union but a purely familial one, solely because the Unrivaled King and the Great Head God needed an alliance, and neither had suitable children of marriageable age at the moment.

To Gu Shenwei's disappointment, the fate of the Gu Family's young lady, Cuilan, was rarely mentioned in the rumors. People either assumed she was dead or simply didn't bring her up.

As for the reasons behind Golden Peng Fortress's massacre of the Gu Family, there were many conflicting accounts, making it difficult to discern the truth: for wealth, for treasure, for fame, for grudges, for acting on behalf of others, and so on. In any case, this was not the first time Golden Peng Fortress had wiped out a family. It was merely a routine operation for them. Had it not been for the connection to the gang leader's daughter, the Iron Mountain Gang wouldn't have even bothered to show interest.

The most unbelievable aspect of the entire incident was the final outcome. It was said that the Unrivaled King issued a harsh decree, demanding that Shangguan Nu bring back the correct head within seven days.

Shangguan Nu succeeded. All those who mentioned this point spoke of it with understatement. How far could a fourteen-year-old boy run in the deserts of the Western Regions? Being captured under Golden Peng Fortress's pursuit was beyond doubt.

Only Gu Shenwei knew for certain that he was not dead.

As for how he had miraculously survived until now, he had a rough guess: First, it was Yang Zheng's scheme. He had the Little Book Boy Mingxiang impersonate the young master and found another child to pose as the book boy. That alone was not enough. Then came a series of coincidences: Gu Shenwei took a wrong turn, was captured by unknown bandits upon returning to the manor, the bandits then died at the hands of the Snow Mountain Swordsman, and by sheer chance, the Great Head God bought him among many slaves.

These coincidences prevented Shangguan Nu from tracking the escaped fish, forcing him to use other people's heads as substitutes.

The head Shangguan Nu brought back to Golden Peng Fortress must have been another wrong one, but why was it not exposed this time?

This was something Gu Shenwei racked his brains over but couldn't comprehend.

The Golden Peng Fortress's wedding procession had arrived.

Dozens of brightly dressed knights rode in two columns at the front. Though few in number, they were all imposing figures. Their horses were all crimson red, well-trained, and moved in perfect unison. Their presence alone overshadowed the scattered crowd of bandits.

Following them was an eight-person sedan chair, with the groom, Shangguan Nu, riding a horse beside it.

Shangguan Nu was indeed dressed as a standard groom, but his face lacked the joyous smile of a newlywed. It remained as cold and ruthless as usual, ignoring the pointing and admiration of thousands.

He looked like a newly appointed general inspecting his inept army.

He still wore a sword at his waist, its jet-black scabbard jarringly out of place with the rest of the wedding procession, drawing the eye.

"Men of the Shangguan Family never part with their swords until death," the crowd murmured, understanding and forgiving the groom's impolite demeanor.

What everyone was more curious about was the groom's right hand, the one severed by the Unrivaled King.

Without the hand that wielded a sword, even a man of the Shangguan Family was merely a tiger with its claws removed.

Shangguan Nu's right arm was completely hidden within his long sleeve. The reins were also tucked inside the sleeve, held by something unseen, making him appear no different from a normal person.

Those with a modicum of politeness would not stare pointedly at someone's defect. Unfortunately, in the Iron Mountain Gang's camp, politeness was rarer than mercy. After scrutinizing the wedding procession and the groom from head to toe, thousands of eyes fixed on the hidden, useless hand.

Shangguan Nu's expression grew even colder, as if he were a part of the "Iron Mountain" itself.

The Great Head God, seeing Shangguan Nu from afar, his smile widened. The dark clouds in his heart completely dissipated. The man arriving was a genuine son of the Unrivaled King, and in this state, who could tell he had any flaws? This young man was perfectly suited for his daughter. He opened his arms wide, ready to welcome his son-in-law.

Gu Shenwei also saw his enemy. Ten pairs of young boys and girls, along with a group of chieftains, stood behind the Great Head God. He could clearly see the groom dismount to pay his respects to his father-in-law. He even saw a section of an iron hook emerge from the sleeve as the Great Head God helped his son-in-law up and gave him a warm embrace.

The iron hook flashed and disappeared.

Gu Shenwei found himself surprisingly calm, without the expected nervousness or anxiety.

This was the Gu Family's enemy, and perhaps this young man was the one who personally killed Gu Lun and his wife, and severed their heads.

Gu Shenwei held the red gift box, only a few steps away from Shangguan Nu. A sudden impulse surged within him to leap forward, his body involuntarily leaning.

A stern gaze shot over.

Xue Niang was watching him, warning him with her eyes not to embarrass himself in front of the groom.

Gu Shenwei jolted awake, immediately resuming his stance. His life had been painstakingly preserved by his father, and it was exchanged for the voluntary sacrifice of his master, Yang Zheng, and his sister. He couldn't waste it so easily.

He wanted revenge, but his target was no longer just Shangguan Nu. The hatred for the annihilation of his family could only be repaid with the annihilation of the enemy's family.

He had the divine will within him; he was bound to succeed.

The groom, Shangguan Nu, stood up and casually swept his gaze over the people behind his father-in-law. The Great Head God's massive body blocked many, but he still saw a group of grinning bandits, their faces crude, their brand-new clothes unable to hide their inherent dirtiness.

Shangguan Nu was somewhat disappointed. Was this the faction he was supposed to win over? How could his father have set his sights on such a rabble?

Gu Shenwei bravely met the sweeping gaze, but he didn't receive even a shred of attention.

From the moment he decided to infiltrate Golden Peng Fortress, he had resolved to take a huge risk: someone in Golden Peng Fortress was bound to recognize him, and Shangguan Nu might have already learned his appearance.

Now, Shangguan Nu hadn't recognized him. The first hurdle was passed, but once inside the fortress, how long could he remain hidden?

Gu Shenwei knew that the divine will had not granted him much time for revenge; he had to act quickly.