NOVPUB"Commander Zuo!"
Gu Qingfeng looked at the invitation in his hand, his eyebrows slightly raised.
The Commander of the Black Xuan Guard!
Naturally, Gu Qingfeng was not unfamiliar with the existence of the Black Xuan Guard.
After all,
he had once captured a member of the Black Xuan Guard, and from him, he had obtained the Hundred Refinement Golden Body and the Seven Killings Blade Skills.
What had taken Gu Qingfeng somewhat by surprise was that he had, in a manner of speaking, torn his face with the Divine Martial King, and now here he was with the Commander of the Black Xuan Guard at his door.
In this,
there was probably another meaning.
"Whether the visitor harbors ill will, let’s meet and then see!"
Gu Qingfeng suddenly smiled, realizing he was perhaps overthinking it.
With his current strength, indeed there was no need for him to ponder too much. This place was Guangyang Prefecture, not Dan Yang County; even if Pei Jing had ulterior motives, it was not necessarily true that he could threaten him.
Thus,
Gu Qingfeng had his men bring in Commander Zuo.
In a short while,
a middle-aged man walked in from outside and courteously cupped his fists towards Gu Qingfeng.
"Commander Zuo pays his respects to Manor Master Gu!"
"Please, have a seat."
Gu Qingfeng said indifferently, and the latter did as told and sat down. Only then did he slowly begin to speak.
"I believe I have little to do with the Divine Martial King, what guidance does Commander Zuo bring by gracing me with his presence today?"
"It’s not guidance that I dare to offer, but I am here on the king’s orders to specially invite Manor Master Gu to join our Divine Martial Army!" Commander Zuo did not beat around the bush; he stated his purpose directly.
Upon hearing this,
Gu Qingfeng’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Previously, there was another member of the Black Xuan Guard who came to compel Manor Master Gu to serve under the Divine Martial King, with the implication that if I did not comply, the Gu Family would be exterminated!"
"Now that Commander Zuo visits in person, if I refuse, surely the fate that awaits Gu Family Manor won’t be complete annihilation, will it?"
As soon as he said this,
the expression on Commander Zuo’s face changed slightly.
He could clearly feel an extremely terrifying murderous intent filling the great hall, and he believed that if he said even a single word displeasing to the other party, he would likely not be able to leave the Gu Family Manor alive.
However,
as someone at the helm of the Black Xuan Guard, his expression showed only a slight change before swiftly returning to normal, and soon after, he even showed a smile.
"Manor Master Gu jokes. Our Divine Martial Army values the heroes of the world and would never do something that goes against the morals of the Martial World."
"The last member of the Black Xuan Guard acted presumptuously and offended Manor Master Gu. Today, Commander Zuo is here to apologize on his behalf!"
Having finished speaking,
Commander Zuo was about to rise to apologize.
Gu Qingfeng raised his hand to stop him, "There’s no need for apologies, the grass on that man’s grave must be quite tall by now. Manor Master Gu has killed your Black Xuan Guard’s man; does Commander Zuo not mind that?"
"That man did not understand the rules and offended Manor Master Gu, so he deserved his death. Even if Manor Master Gu had not taken personal action, Commander Zuo would not have spared him once he learned of it.
Now that Manor Master Gu was willing to take action himself and root out the cancer from my Black Xuan Guard, Commander Zuo is naturally immensely grateful!"
Commander Zuo kept his posture very low, and his face was full of smiles, showing not the slightest hint of discomfort or annoyance.
At this moment,
the smile on Gu Qingfeng’s face vanished as he scrutinized Commander Zuo deeply.
"Commander Zuo can indeed bend and stretch as needed, but it’s a pity that I have no interest in joining the chaos of this troubled world. Establishing Gu Family Manor was merely in the hope of having a place to settle down."
"The kindness of the Divine Martial King, I fear, will end in disappointment!" Gu Qingfeng declared.
"Manor Master Gu hasn’t even heard the terms of the Divine Martial Army, so why the haste in declining?" Zuo Li seemed to have anticipated Gu Qingfeng’s refusal, and took up the conversation immediately after the latter had finished speaking.
"His Majesty has decreed, as long as Manor Master Gu is willing to join the Divine Martial Army, access to all Martial Arts Secret Manuals will be granted, including those of master-level Martial Arts," Zuo Li continued.
"It is well known that high-level Martial Arts are controlled by noble families and sects; for other cultivators to learn such advanced Martial Arts is exceedingly difficult!"
"As for master-level Martial Arts, there’s no need to elaborate; such arts are scarce across the entire world."
"But His Majesty holds Manor Master Gu in high regard; just a nod from Manor Master Gu, and master-level ultimate techniques will be offered with both hands."
"Should Manor Master Gu reach the limits of his Martial Arts path in the future, His Majesty will still offer the top-tier Refining Evil into Body Secret Technique, allowing Manor Master Gu the chance to glimpse the secrets of eternal life—"
Having said this,
Zuo Li quietly waited for Gu Qingfeng’s response.
He believed
that such terms were irresistible to anyone.
Master-level Martial Arts!
The ultimate Refining Evil into Body Secret Technique!
Any one of these offerings was an opportunity that denizens of the Martial World would dream of but seldom encounter.
Even Gu Qingfeng, upon hearing such terms, was momentarily startled at Pei Jing’s generosity.
However,
after pondering for some time, he still resolutely shook his head.
"I’ve said it before; I have no interest in getting involved in the conflicts of the world, much to the Divine Martial King’s disappointment!"
This statement
caused the smile on Zuo Li’s face to fade a bit.
"Why refuse, Manor Master Gu? The world has seen cycles of three thousand years, the previous dynasty controlled the world for three thousand six hundred years, until its Qi Fortune was exhausted. Heroes from all corners rose, resulting in the Taixuan Grand Ancestor fighting his way out of chaos, ascending to the throne to establish the Taixuan Dynasty."
"Since the Taixuan Dynasty was established, it has also been three thousand years."
"Now as the Qi Fortune of the Taixuan Dynasty nears its end, heroes across the world rise once again, heralding a tide of chaos that is sure to engulf all."
"And in such a situation, where can true peace be found?"
"My lord is the Heavenly Destiny Man, who has conquered the territory of three counties in mere decades—a strength unparalleled among the heroes and lords.
Most importantly, my lord is backed by the Tianyang Sword Sect, a truly ancient sect that has endured for eternity.
If Manor Master Gu serves my lord, once he secures his rule over all, he will certainly not forget Manor Master Gu’s contributions. With such advantages, rising to become a millennium-old noble family or sect would be a breeze.
Further still, the possibility to become an eternal sect or family is within reach!"
Zuo Li persuasively and earnestly detailed the rewards and consequences, all to sway Gu Qingfeng to join the Divine Martial Army.
After all, Gu Qingfeng’s abilities warranted such devoted efforts.
Alas,
Gu Qingfeng, firm in his resolve, still adamantly refused.
Upon this,
Zuo Li inwardly sighed with a wry smile, "Well then, if Manor Master Gu can’t decide now, I also won’t press any further.
When the tranquility of Taishan County is disrupted, when the thirty-six counties of the Nine States are fully engulfed in war, Manor Master Gu will surely understand how difficult it is to remain uninvolved in such chaotic times.
This is the token of the Divine Martial Army. Should Manor Master Gu change his mind, he may send someone to the Divine Martial Army with this token, and we will surely not disappoint."
"That’s all I have to say!"
"I shall take my leave now."
Zuo Li rose to his feet, leaving behind a token of the Divine Martial Army. He turned and left without any hesitation.
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PS: Something came up suddenly, so I’m posting one chapter now; I’ll post another one later tonight!
