CG Chapter 196: Rise High, Little Bird
The heroes from the County of Shili and the surrounding area gathered respectfully around the young man. These otherwise unfettered martial artists showed great restraint, listening to him without uttering a single word.
This was no coincidence. On the surface, one might believe it was merely due to him holding the imperial decree, and although that might have held a degree of truth, it was far from the complete picture. The mountains were high, and the emperor was far away. To the people of the borders, the local officials were a higher heaven than even the emperor.
If one looked closely, this young man was only a few days over twenty. For such a youngster to have the authority to gather all of these experienced martial artists, anyone could tell that he had to hold at least the level of a county magistrate, which was a seventh-ranked upper official.
To hold such a post at such a young age, it was clear the young man had a high mountain behind him. Not to mention his specific posting. Some might assume that staying in the capital and being so close to imperial power would provide the highest level of comfort and the easiest path to power. Yet, for aspiring constables and young officials, being in the capital could be a death sentence figuratively, and, if they are unlucky, literally. How could the high court officials allow others to gather merit right under their eyes? After all, these young officials were vying for their positions. These young officials would usually seek to be placed in challenging locations, amassing both merit and the goodwill of the common people.
The young man stared down, remaining silent for a moment before shouting as he held the decree.
"By the Heavens' Mandate, we, the Emperor of Wu, decree that all loyal subjects receive our command.
Our Imperial Court has shown great benevolence and mercy upon the common people. Holding the agreed-upon divine law of old, no empire shall interfere in the Jianghu, and no martial artist in the imperial court. The law remains unchanged by the eras or the passing of the ages, and so it shall remain.
As for the rebellious traitors led by the Azure Cloud Sect, Giant Sun Fist Gang, and Snow Mystic Gate, renegades who mistakenly believed our mercy was a show of weakness, their end is here by our command. Beasts of burden who have no place in heaven or earth. We decree the extermination of the fiendish beasts and the destruction of their bodies, scattering their souls, as they are undeserving to reincarnate."
As the young magistrate handed the decree to the official next to him, he smiled toward the crowd, stating:
"I believe I have spoken for long enough. Putting formalities aside, I truly thank everyone here. If I can promise you one thing, it is that the imperial court never mistreats those who have made contributions. Once this is all over and the rebels have been quashed, I wish to invite all of you to my private residence as a sign of thanks."
Looking at the charming demeanor and the confidence of the young magistrate, Aretius sensed that although the young man might have used his backing to reach his place, he still had the demeanor of a great official.
The eyes of the martial artists shone with a bizarre light once he had finished. A mixture of excitement and something else.
Seeing this, Aretius gleaned it in an instant. That was the spirit of the Jianghu. Some might wonder what this so-called spirit entailed.
He muttered, 'To fall once and rise twice, to chase the great dao not out of greed or for false power, but rather for a pure desire to seek a higher peak and a taller mountain. Fly and rise high, little bird.'
A strange sense of melancholy washed over Aretius in the moment. A slight smile was hidden behind the mask before quickly disappearing as if it had never been there, as he followed the martial artists who left the encampment toward the mountain where the forces of the sects gathered.
Aretius's placement amongst the marching martial artists was not at the front with the vanguard, nor at the back with the weaklings. Instead, he was right in the center.
Compared to the others, he appeared utterly ordinary. This might seem strange, knowing his goal, but as his eyes saw the talents he had previously marked, they walked beside him in the middle.
The path of a great star does not always gleam as bright as some might believe. Sometimes the most gorgeous of stars know to conceal their light until the right moment. In a single moment, they would reverse their order and take a single step toward the heavens.
Aretius, too, was akin to these stars. He was aware that his prowess had transformed since he had left the Li Clan. Still, he did not allow that to cloud his mind. He knew that even a giant would be gnawed clean in front of countless ants, not to mention that he, at this moment, was no giant and the enemy was no ants.
Moreover, although he came to acquire the territory of the sects, that was not the only thing he desired. The martial artists that had been marked by him were not rivals to him but rather targets to lay his demonic seed.
To be able to lay this seed, he needed to gain the trust of these people and leave a mark that they would remember, so that they would willingly fall into his trap. That way, they would be the ones seeking the corrupted fruit rather than the other way around.
As Aretius examined his surroundings, his eyes suddenly stopped on a familiar person.
He thought, 'It seems that the Li Clan has a more comprehensive information network than I had expected. To be able to reach the place before me, he must have left right after the gathering.'
In front of him was none other than the Smiling Death of the Li Clan, Li Wuyou.