I Have Medicine

Chapter 542 - (Taking Control) An Old Friend Reappears.

Seeing that everyone was only sizing him up without speaking, Gongyi Tianheng, who was seated high above, picked up a wine cup and raised it towards the people in the room, saying loudly, “Please, everyone.”

In an instant, his aura was overwhelming.

At this moment, many of the martial artists from Eight Desolations City couldn’t help but think to themselves: ‘Take the lead as the host!’

However, they had been intimidated earlier, reacting a bit slowly. Now that the other side had extended an invitation, they couldn’t really show any displeasure.

Thus, Wu Zhenhuang was the first to raise his cup and, after drinking, said, “Young master, please.”

The rest of the group followed suit.

Gu Zuo couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

Trying to compare with his big brother in terms of style and dignity? It’s not something just anyone could do. This time, his big brother indeed quickly established his presence with overwhelming force, leaving the people of Eight Desolations City slightly stunned. Even if they come to their senses now, they won’t be able to suppress his big brother anymore.

And indeed, this was the case. The martial artists of Eight Desolations City, seeing that they couldn’t overpower Gongyi Tianheng, and not being able to discern the depth of the newly appointed city guardian’s strength, could only hold themselves back and speak politely. But at the same time, each of them had made up their minds: After this welcoming banquet, they would immediately go investigate and find out just who this “Gongyi Tianheng,” the city guardian, really was.

They believed that someone with such a presence could not possibly be a nameless person.

It was also because they lived in the frontier, constantly dealing with invasions from foreign tribes and wars, living rough lives. Since Gongyi Tianheng’s major achievements had only happened in the past two years, it was understandable that they hadn’t heard of him before.

However, a few days later, they would all know.

There was no real interest in toasts or exchanging pleasantries. After a round of meals and drinks in this somewhat strained atmosphere, the banquet ended, and the deputy commanders excused themselves and left.

The advisors were staying at the City Lord’s mansion with Wu Zhenhuang, accompanying him as he escorted Gongyi Tianheng and his group to the inner residence where they would be settled.

This inner residence was actually a garden, lush with greenery and spacious, a stark contrast to the more rugged environment in other areas of the City Lord’s mansion, lending it a serene quality.

However, as they all entered, they saw two thousand armored warriors and their war beasts standing on the lawn in strict formation like an army. Upon seeing Gongyi Tianheng approach, they knelt on one knee, calling out in unison, “Greetings, Young Master!”

Led by the Tianlong Guards, the battle slaves aligned with them, and other subordinates aligned with the battle slaves, creating a scene of intense reverence and nearly fervent devotion.

The atmosphere naturally grew heated, charged with vigor and loyalty.

Gongyi Tianheng smiled and said, “Rise, no need for formalities.”

The two thousand armored warriors stood up in unison and again called out, “Thank you, Young Master!”

Witnessing this scene, Wu Zhenhuang and the other Eight Desolations City martial artists felt even more wary.

However, they were quick thinkers. Wu Zhenhuang, with a smile, first turned to Gongyi Tianheng and said, “It’s getting late today. Please rest early, Young Master. After you’ve settled in, I’ll come and pay my respects.”

Gongyi Tianheng responded readily, “Thank you for your consideration, City Lord. After getting things in order today, I’ll come visit tomorrow. I hope the City Lord won’t mind.”

Wu Zhenhuang paused slightly, then replied, “Of course not, you’re welcome anytime.”

Hearing this, a few of the advisors subtly furrowed their brows.

It was clear that the City Lord had intended to politely defer, yet the other party had immediately specified “tomorrow”… such a quick response.

It seemed this man was indeed more difficult to handle than any of the previous ones.

They could only hope that, though he appeared clever, he wouldn’t turn out to be overly cunning.

Regardless of their private thoughts, none of this showed on their faces.

Though Wu Zhenhuang and his advisors were initially shocked by the sight of the two thousand armored warriors, they quickly composed themselves and proceeded to introduce the various areas within the inner residence — the garrison mansion — to Gongyi Tianheng.

As this was Tianheng’s first time here, he listened carefully. Once he had understood the layout, he didn’t keep them any longer and watched as the Eight Desolations City martial artists took their leave.

Once they were all gone, a battle slave stepped forward to close the residence’s gates.

Gu Zuo approached and asked, “Big brother, what do you think of the people here?”

Gongyi Tianheng smiled, saying, “It seems the actions of the previous guardians have left City Lord Wu and his men wary of me.”

The two of them had, of course, gathered some information before arriving, so they were aware that several previous guardians had stirred up trouble here, creating problems and failing to survive their terms.

With such a string of examples, it was understandable that Eight Desolations City would have some doubts about him as the newly appointed guardian.

Gu Zuo frowned and said, “Actually, I have some doubts. Were the previous troublemakers killed by the warriors here?”

But Gongyi Tianheng shook his head. “They may not have gone all out to save them, but deliberate sabotage is unlikely.”

Gu Zuo thought it over and agreed.

After all, many of Eight Desolations City’s resources depended on the support of the Ten Ultimates Sect, and it was certain that the sect had people within the city. If they were to deliberately harm a sect-appointed guardian, they’d only be inviting trouble. Moreover, if they had truly been capable of it, they probably wouldn’t have been so worried about the presence of the guardians. After all, it was their territory, and they were very familiar with it. Finding a way to eliminate those troublesome individuals would have been easy.

Understanding this, Gu Zuo began to feel a bit of sympathy for the Eight Desolations City martial artists.

In this place, survival undoubtedly required support from the Ten Ultimates Sect. Having accepted such backing, Eight Desolations City had no choice but to accept the people sent by the sect—even if those individuals weren’t reliable, they had to be treated with respect. From the information he had previously gathered, Gu Zuo understood that Eight Desolations City had lost some people over the years due to unreliable guardians. Though most of them died defending the city or fighting foreign races, it was still rather disheartening that the root cause was the incompetence of those commanders.

Gu Zuo said, “Luckily, big brother is reliable, so Eight Desolations City shouldn’t have much to complain about this time.”

The two of them had planned to make a grand entrance to ensure they weren’t suppressed and to secure a certain level of control.

Yet, Gongyi Tianheng shook his head again. “I’m afraid there will still be complaints.”

It was clear that Eight Desolations City’s dislike for guardians wasn’t only due to previous incompetent ones; there was also a sense of territoriality at play.

The bonds between the warriors of Eight Desolations City had been forged in bloodshed. Having an outsider suddenly arrive to oversee them was hardly welcome. Even if a guardian was capable, there was no guarantee they’d work in harmony with the city’s fighters. What if they interfered and disrupted established plans? That’s why, no matter who came to take charge, unless they could quickly adapt and prove themselves, Eight Desolations City’s warriors wouldn’t have the patience to wait for them to grow into the role. Instead, they’d likely let the guardian remain in a ceremonial role, doing the bare minimum, and simply wait out the three years for them to leave.

Gu Zuo understood. “Then we can’t afford any mistakes.”

Exactly. No one wants their territory meddled with by an outsider…

But regardless of what the Eight Desolations City warriors thought, Gongyi Tianheng had accepted the Blood Transformation Palace Master’s mission with full commitment. He had no intention of taking things lightly or wasting his time here. As a top-tier prodigy in the Ten Ultimates Sect, his position drew a lot of attention, and any major missteps would not only lose him the loyalty of his subordinates but also harm his efforts to build his influence.

In this world, to truly succeed, he needed to be strong, stronger, and stronger still.

Otherwise, talent and current status would be nothing but empty titles.

Furthermore, any man, even one who is incompetent, wouldn’t want to make a mess and let others look down on him. Much less Gongyi Tianheng, who was already capable from the start.

However, Gongyi Tianheng knew that these things couldn’t be achieved through words alone—he had to show it through actions.

So, after speaking a few words with Gu Zuo, he arranged for the two thousand people he had brought to settle in. And, in preparation for the upcoming battles, daily drills were absolutely necessary.

Next, Gongyi Tianheng summoned a few people.

Gu Zuo followed him into a large hall and sat by Gongyi Tianheng’s side, looking down at the individuals gathered below.

Among them, many were familiar faces.

What caught Gu Zuo’s attention the most was a young man who wasn’t particularly tall, but had a somewhat handsome appearance. He was no longer the slightly plump figure he once was; his expression was now much more resolute. This was none other than Hu Chang’an, the head of the Hu family, who had achieved a small success in the Immortal Realm in complete silence. He had once saved Gu Zuo!

Hu Chang’an had originally been a body with the “Myraid Leaking” condition, but with Gu Zuo’s help, he awakened and later joined Gongyi Tianheng’s service… Gu Zuo had heard that Hu Chang’an had been carefully trained. Looking at him now, the results were evident. The training had clearly paid off. The man, who used to appear a bit soft-hearted and kind, now carried an air of cold, decisive killing intent. It was clear that he had taken many lives by now, and he likely wouldn’t show mercy easily anymore.

Gu Zuo hadn’t known that Hu Chang’an’s previous softness was due to his slow cultivation progress and feeling helpless. After the incident with the Hu family, Hu Chang’an had, for the sake of his younger siblings, worked hard to improve, seizing every opportunity. Fortunately, even though his ‘Myriad Leaking’ constitution wasn’t the most exceptional among special physiques, its attack power was exceptionally strong. After focusing on improving that aspect, he finally made significant progress. At this time, he joined a battle team with young elites drawn from various forces, becoming a member.

Of course, Hu Chang’an wasn’t without ambition. He had decided to give his all during this mission to perform well and earn the favor of his lord.

No matter what, Gu Zuo was glad to see his old friend again and nodded at him.

A flash of warmth passed through Hu Chang’an’s eyes, though he didn’t show it too obviously.

Although Gu Zuo was much higher in status than him, Hu Chang’an didn’t feel inferior. He still considered Gu Zuo a good friend, not someone to be calculated against for their friendship.

This was what true friendship forged through hardship meant.

Gu Zuo’s gaze then shifted to the others.

There were two battle slaves, Ao Min and Ao Ying, both familiar to them—seeing them here wasn’t surprising.

As for the others…