Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 133: Chapter 129: You really have a thick skin to be able to say something like that.

Inside City Gate Castle, Xu Wanfu sat in his study, sipping tea, feeling quite pleased because he had already thought of a way to lure Yang Zhenshan out of the city.

Actually, luring Yang Zhenshan out of the city wasn’t a difficult task. After all, the garrison office was also in charge of the garrison outside the city, so if anything happened to those garrisons, Yang Zhenshan, as the garrison officer, would naturally want to inspect them in person.

And Xu Wanfu felt that as long as Yang Zhenshan dared to leave the city, he would find a way to kill him.

Just as Xu Wanfu was pondering when would be the right time to lure Yang Zhenshan out of the city, a soldier dressed in battle armor ran in.

”Sir, bad news, the garrison officer is coming!”

”What!”

Xu Wanfu shot up from his seat, somewhat doubting his own ears.

”The garrison officer is coming, and he’s almost at the door!” the soldier said again.

Xu Wanfu’s expression turned gloomy in an instant.

How dare he come here?

In his heart, Yang Zhenshan would absolutely not come to this place.

Because this was his territory.

He believed that as long as Yang Zhenshan had a bit of sense, he wouldn’t come here looking for trouble.

But Yang Zhenshan had come!

Xu Wanfu’s expression was dark and uncertain, ”What’s he here for?”

”I don’t know!” The soldier had no idea why Yang Zhenshan had come; he had only received the message.

A cold light flashed in Xu Wanfu’s eyes, and intense murderous intent surged in his heart.

Why had Yang Zhenshan come?

He didn’t like Yang Zhenshan, but he didn’t truly underestimate him either.

Because he knew that Yang Zhenshan had been on the battlefield, and not only had he been on the battlefield, but he had also made distinguished military achievements.

How could he take such a person who dared to risk his life on the battlefield lightly?

But not underestimating him did not mean he feared him.

So what if he dared to fight and kill?

In An Yuan State City, there was no shortage of people who did not fear death.

”Let’s go!”

He had made up his mind; regardless of why Yang Zhenshan had come, today he would make Yang Zhenshan lose face completely.

He could not physically confront Yang Zhenshan here, but he could make Yang Zhenshan roll back home in total disgrace.

Xu Wanfu strode out of the room and arrived in front of the main gate of City Gate Castle.

Just then, Yang Zhenshan came riding down the street with his men.

Seeing the armor on Yang Zhenshan and the soldiers behind him, Xu Wanfu’s eyes flashed with an even more intense murderous intent.

At this moment, he felt that Yang Zhenshan was here with ill intentions.

”Go, gather the soldiers to welcome the garrison officer!”

Xu Wanfu instructed the people around him.

What did it matter if he brought soldiers with him? This was his domain. Although most of the soldiers had already gone out to patrol, there were still more than three hundred soldiers in the fortress.

He didn’t believe that, in front of these three hundred or more soldiers, Yang Zhenshan would dare do anything to him.

”My respects to you, Sir!”

As Yang Zhenshan approached, Xu Wanfu bowed with clenched fists.

No matter what he thought inside, he still had to show respectful courtesy to Yang Zhenshan on the surface.

Yang Zhenshan halted Red Cloud, looking down at Xu Wanfu from a higher position.

Hot breath spewed from Red Cloud’s nostrils and almost sprayed onto Xu Wanfu’s face.

Xu Wanfu kept his head down and glanced at Red Cloud.

This beast just can’t stay a bit further from me!

Red Cloud stared at him with large, charismatic eyes, baring its teeth in a grimace as if to say, little guy, what’s bothering you!

At this moment, Red Cloud was robust, its coat smooth and shiny, and its chestnut-red mane glimmered like burning clouds, so radiant that anyone would think it was a Thousand-mile Horse just by appearance.

But the benefits of Spiritual Spring Water for Red Cloud were not only physical; it greatly enhanced Red Cloud’s intelligence as well.

The current Red Cloud was very smart, at least Yang Zhenshan felt it was cleverer than his eldest grandson.

As Red Cloud became smarter, its temper grew as well.

The old Red Cloud was a real blockhead, indifferent to whoever fed it or what it was fed; it accepted everything without fuss.

But now, this creature had learned to be picky, refusing to eat without Spiritual Spring Water, not eating unless the beans were of top quality, and not eating from anyone outside the Yang family.

Moreover, if a stranger dared to approach, it wouldn’t hesitate to kick them with its hoof.

Seeing Red Cloud acting this way, Xu Wanfu couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

Damn it, is this beast mocking me?

Damn, you dead beast, just wait, one day I’ll stew you!

”You may dispense with the formalities!”

At this point, Yang Zhenshan spoke up.

”Thank you, Mr. Xie!” Xu Wanfu straightened up, quickly concealing his resentful expression.

Rustle rustle rustle~~

Inside the fortress, troops of soldiers poured out from the rooms, gathering in the drill ground inside the gate.

Yang Zhenshan watched these soldiers, his eyes calm and unfathomable.

The soldiers here were not bad, much more elite compared to many garrison soldiers, well-formed and in proper formation.

However, they were far from being as good as the soldiers he had trained.

Looking at the twenty soldiers behind him, seated firmly on horseback with upright spines, as steady as rocks, without the horses making a sound.

”Sir, hearing of your arrival, I thought perhaps you would like to inspect the soldiers, so I issued orders in advance for the soldiers to assemble!”

”Sir, please conduct the inspection!”

Xu Wanfu did not wait for Yang Zhenshan to speak and invited him to inspect the troops.

Hmph, if I don’t show you some color, you really think I would fear you?

Inspecting troops is a good thing for a Military Officer, but to inspect a group of soldiers who are not under one’s own command, that’s a humiliation.

Yang Zhenshan could see through Xu Wanfu’s intentions, but he didn’t care about these things.

”Very well, then I shall conduct the inspection!”

He patted Red Cloud with his legs, and Red Cloud immediately stepped forward.

At the same time, the soldiers following him also entered the City Gate Castle.

Over twenty riders, except for Zhou Renwei with an anxious expression, everyone else was following Yang Zhenshan in a neatly arranged formation.

The clatter of hooves rang out as Red Cloud moved across the drill ground with an unhurried grace.

”Show your respects to the garrison officer now!”

Xu Wanfu shouted loudly.

”Show your respects to the garrison officer!”

Following his reminder, the Bazong then led the soldiers to clasp their fists in salute.

Bazong!

Yang Zhenshan stopped in front of that Bazong.

The garrison had two Bazongs, Xu Lu and Han Cheng—this one must be Xu Lu.

”Are you Bazong Xu?” Yang Zhenshan inquired.

”Your subordinate Xu Lu pays his respects to the garrison officer!” Xu Lu lowered his head and said with a cool voice.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, then lifted his gaze towards the soldiers.

”Not too bad!”

”Though lacking some murderous spirit!”

Murderous spirit!

A chill ran through Xu Lu’s heart.

What does this mean?

Why mention murderous spirit?

Xu Wanfu narrowed his eyes at the side.

Murderous spirit!

Where does murderous spirit come from if not from killing?

Yang Zhenshan spoke again: ”Thousand Commander Xu!”

”Sir!” Xu Wanfu hurriedly stepped forward in response.

”Do you know your crime?” Yang Zhenshan looked down at him with an indifferent face.

Xu Wanfu was taken aback as he looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and doubt.

His confusion wasn’t about his own guilt, but about what Yang Zhenshan intended to do.

As for the misdeeds he had done, how could he not be aware of them?

But what did that have to do with Yang Zhenshan?

”Sir, what do you mean by this?”

After his initial shock, Xu Wanfu asked with a cold voice.

Looking down at him, Yang Zhenshan said slowly and deliberately, ”What other meaning could there be? I am here to prosecute you for your crimes.”

”What!” Xu Wanfu’s face turned red with anger.

Xu Lu looked at Yang Zhenshan with equal disbelief.

All the surrounding soldiers were watching Yang Zhenshan intently.

Those gazes on Yang Zhenshan would make an ordinary person uncomfortable, but Yang Zhenshan was completely unaffected.

”Do you intend to slander your subordinate, Sir? Or do you wish to persecute the loyal and good?”

Although enraged, Xu Wanfu hadn’t lost his reason and still knew to justify himself.

Plead guilty?

He naturally wouldn’t do that.

Even though this was his territory, he couldn’t brazenly admit to any wrongdoing.

”Loyal and good? Ha!”

Yang Zhenshan let out a light chuckle, ”Your skin is really thick, to be able to utter such words.”

Xu Wanfu’s expression turned ominously dark, ”No need for jest, Sir. It’s cold today, I think it’s best for you to return to the government office!”

He no longer wished to speak with Yang Zhenshan, as it was pointless.

Now he just wanted to drive Yang Zhenshan away.

”Your subordinate bids you farewell, Sir!”

He called out loudly with clasped fists.

”Your subordinate bids you farewell, Sir!” Xu Lu followed his shout.

”Farewell, Sir!” Echoes of the same sentiment came from the surrounding soldiers.

They were trying to forcibly drive Yang Zhenshan away.

Yang Zhenshan glanced at those soldiers who followed in the shouting.

In reality, ordinary soldiers didn’t join in the shouting; this wasn’t a prearranged event, so naturally, they wouldn’t follow suit.

Those who joined Xu Wanfu and Xu Lu in shouting were probably just a few officers.

Seeing Yang Zhenshan unmoved, in Xu Wanfu’s eyes the fierceness grew more intense.

If today’s issue couldn’t be resolved amicably, he would have to take a dangerous gamble.

However, unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to directly confront Yang Zhenshan.

After all, Yang Zhenshan was his superior officer, the garrison of An Yuan State City.

If Yang Zhenshan were to be killed in broad daylight by him, he wouldn’t enjoy the consequences either.

”Please return, Sir! Don’t make it difficult for your subordinate!” Xu Wanfu said through gritted teeth.

The underlying message was clear: if you don’t leave now, don’t blame me for being rude.

Would Yang Zhenshan be afraid of him being rude?

If he was, he wouldn’t have come today.

With Xu Wanfu’s words barely finished, a woosh of a slicing sound rang beside his ear; before he could react, he saw a flash of snowy white chill upon his shoulder.

”Thousand Commander Xu, do you think I would be afraid of you?” Yang Zhenshan held the reins in one hand and a spear in the other, saying coldly.

Xu Wanfu raised his head, looking back at Yang Zhenshan with equally cold eyes.

”Why would Sir be afraid of your subordinate?”

”Indeed, why would I fear you?”

Yang Zhenshan declared, ”Do you think they are your soldiers? No, they are the soldiers of the court; they eat the court’s provisions, and I am the garrison officer of An Yuan State City appointed by the court!”

”Perhaps you dare to fight me to the death, but do they dare?”

”Do you dare ask them if they do?”

His words were spoken with measured calm, echoing throughout the drill ground.

Although these words seemed directed at Xu Wanfu, in truth, they were a message to the soldiers: you are supported by the provisions of the court, and I am an official appointed by the court—do you dare raise a hand against me?