Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 190: Chapter 186: The Killing Intent at the Bottom of the Heart

Yang Zhenshan couldn’t feel more elated in his heart.

After suppressing his frustrations for so many days, they were finally vented. His mood was as jubilant as enjoying an ice pop on a hot June day, utterly refreshing.

At this moment, Yang Zhenshan was, to some extent, taking advantage of his position to bully others.

But then again, didn’t Mr. Wang rely on the power of Duke Shou’s Mansion before?

Now, Yang Zhenshan was leveraging Zhou Lan’s influence to return all the grievances he had suffered before.

Mr. Wang’s face, dark as the deep water, stared at Yang Zhenshan, his eyes filled with intense ferocity and murderous intent, as if they were laced with poison.

Yang Zhenshan felt his gaze but remained indifferent, casually lifting his cup of tea for another delicate sip.

”Mr. Wang, you should know who I am, right?”

”More than twenty years ago, I crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood at Black Cloud Mountain. For the past twenty years, I have lived in the countryside, enduring the torment that injuries bring each day.”

”Fortunately, I am quite lucky. My old wounds healed, so I returned to Chongshan Town!”

”On the battlefield, it is either you die or I die. I have killed no fewer than five hundred enemies, if not a thousand, on the battlefield.”

”In my eyes, that brilliant red is the most dazzling, the most eye-catching. Every time I see that resplendent red, I can’t help but feel excited and thrilled!”

”Especially when my spear pierces through an enemy’s chest, and I watch the blood blossom under the tip of my spear, it feels as if I’m witnessing a moment of splendid brilliance. Nothing in this world can compare to that kind of beauty.”

Yang Zhenshan spoke slowly, his tone very gentle, as if he was speaking of a very common thing.

But the content of his words made Mr. Wang feel a chill run down his spine.

Murder!

That was nothing unusual. As Martial Artists, who hasn’t seen blood?

But Yang Zhenshan described killing as an exquisitely splendid act, something not just anyone could stomach.

”Mr. Wang, would you like to experience this wonderful feeling?”

Yang Zhenshan raised his head, his ruddy cheeks adorned with an exceedingly gentle smile, his clear eyes brimming with a faint hint of amusement.

It was as if an elder was looking at you with expectant eyes, conveying their tender love and benevolence.

But to Mr. Wang, it felt as if Yang Zhenshan’s eyes were fixed on his chest, his gaze sharp as a spear tip, ready to pierce through his heart at any moment.

And the two attendants who had been standing behind him suddenly grew pale, their brows beading with cold sweat as they stared unblinkingly at Yang Zhenshan.

They couldn’t help but step in front of Mr. Wang.

Horror!

An overwhelming terror full of killing intent.

Such piercing murderous will caused their entire beings to shudder.

Yang Zhenshan was in a tranquil state of mind, calmer than ever before, almost disturbingly so.

Bloodthirst?

Not really.

He wasn’t a person who reveled in killing, but he did enjoy battle.

The joy of charging, the howl of the wind, the gleaming spear tip, and the unreserved combat—those feelings of running wild on the battlefield were what he liked.

Of course, once on the battlefield, one must kill, and there will be bloody fights.

It had been a long time since he last took to the field, since his spear last tasted blood, and it seemed as if his killing intent had dissipated.

But it hadn’t.

The urge to kill doesn’t fade away; it’s merely concealed deep within the heart.

And at that moment, he brought forth that killing intent once again.

The intense killing intent was no longer as vivid or exposed as before, nor as unshielded.

His killing intent had become softer, but within that softness lingered an even more terrifying killer instinct.

Like an invisible rain of arrows hidden within a gentle spring drizzle.

Mr. Wang was frightened. While he was devious and malicious, he was, after all, an entitled nobleman.

Let alone stepping onto a battlefield, he had never personally taken a life.

Facing a battle-hardened killer like Yang Zhenshan, he had no capacity to resist.

And neither did his two attendants.

Yang Zhenshan sat there quietly, while his attendants stood tense as if facing a formidable enemy.

”No need, I’m of humble strength and dare not to compare with Master Yang!” Mr. Wang swallowed hard, his voice shaking slightly.

A wonderful feeling?

If being pierced through the chest was considered wonderful, then what in this world could possibly be terrifying?

Yang Zhenshan watched him, his gaze unwavering, and after a long time, he finally looked away.

Duke Shou’s Mansion, huh?

Such an entity, Yang Zhenshan did not wish to provoke.

But when trouble came knocking on his door, there was nothing he could do about it.

He disrupted their schemes and incurred their enmity.

This grudge, Yang Zhenshan could not resolve, nor did he wish to.

So, he chose to intimidate.

The barefoot has no fear of the shod.

Compared to Duke Shou’s Mansion, the Yang family was nearly as barefoot as one could be.

A common man’s rage spills blood for three feet.

Yang Zhenshan wanted Mr. Wang to feel fearful, to tread carefully, to curb his unbridled misconduct.

”Since you are not willing, then let it be!”

”Han Fei, see the guest off!”

Yang Zhenshan said calmly.

Mr. Wang left, departing An Yuan City the day after his encounter with Yang Zhenshan.

To this, Yang Zhenshan could only scoff disdainfully.

A mere child who knows nothing about cruelty.

Bringing the ways of the Capital City to Chongshan Town is simply asking for trouble.

What is most abundant in Chongshan Town?

It’s the soldiers who have crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Jianghu Martial Artists are said to be impulsive and eager to act for justice, but the border town soldiers are much more formidable than Jianghu Martial Artists.

At most, a Jianghu Martial Artist might kill a corrupt official, but what about the border town soldiers?

As long as someone dares to lead, they dare to overturn Chongshan Pass.

This is no joke.

There have been numerous incidents where disturbances caused by border town soldiers have left countless officials dead.

Not to mention the past in Chongshan Town, where military calamities were worse than bandit troubles.

Wang Zheng, if you want to wield power and oppress others in Chongshan Town, you must be prepared to be splattered with blood within three steps.

Yang Zhenshan dares to do so; other military households dare to do even more.

Take Wu Family Castle, for example. If Wu Chongzhe is pushed to the edge, see if he doesn’t dare to ambush you outside the city.

There’s a need for tact in everything; a combination of intimidation and temptation is the right way. Reliance on coercion alone may drive even a rabbit to bite.

Therefore, in dealing with the Wu family, dealing with Han Cheng, dealing with Xie Yuan, Yang Zhenshan has used a combination of intimidation and enticement, reciprocated with sincerity.

Coerce with power, lure with profit, and treat with genuine intentions.

As long as you are willing to serve me, I will trust and employ you without doubt.

Now, Xie Yuan, Han Cheng, and Wu Chongzhe are all performing well and are utterly convinced by Yang Zhenshan.

This is Yang Zhenshan’s approach.

After Wang Zheng left An Yuan City, Yang Zhenshan also put the matter out of his mind.

That same old saying applies: no matter how fearsome Duke Shou’s Mansion may be, it can’t stir up any waves in Chongshan Town.

Because above Chongshan Town, there are two towering mountains. One is the Left Governor of the Central Army Commander’s Mansion, Duke Ning, the other is Marquis Changping, Liang Chu.

Duke Shou wishing to meddle in Chongshan Town can’t bypass these two formidable obstacles, otherwise Wang Zheng wouldn’t have asked the junior master of Duke Chang’s Mansion to write a letter to Liang Chu.

...

Today, when Yang Zhenshan returned from the Front Office to the inner courtyard, he stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped into the main hall, staring in astonishment at the several figures standing in the room.

”Master is back from the office!”

Yu Qingyi, upon seeing Yang Zhenshan, immediately stood up to greet him.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, looking at Yu Qingyi with a puzzled look, ”What’s going on?”

”Greetings to Master!”

Yu Lu, followed by four maids and older female servants, bowed in a respectful salutation.

Previously, Yang Zhenshan had entrusted Yu Lu’s matter to Yu Qingyi, and he thought that Yu Qingyi had already sent these people away. Unexpectedly, they were still at the Yang family’s residence.

Yu Qingyi took Yang Zhenshan by the hand and sat him down in the seat of honor, speaking softly, ”They had nowhere to go, so I thought about keeping them!”

”Are you sure?” Yang Zhenshan looked at Yu Qingyi with a strange expression.

Keeping a beautiful woman like Yu Lu in the house, dear wife, can you really sleep at night?

Even if you can sleep, I, as your husband, certainly lack such confidence.

What if she climbs into my bed, what then?

Wife, you should be more vigilant!

”Alas, she is a pitiable person,” Yu Qingyi glanced at Yu Lu, who was bowing her head modestly.

Today Yu Lu had not applied any makeup, appearing less alluring, yet more like the pure jade of the girl next door.

With her head bowed demurely, she stood obediently as if she were a little girl who had made a mistake, evoking sympathy.

But Yang Zhenshan had not an ounce of pity in his heart, because he knew that Miss Yu Lu was not a simple and ignorant girl.

From the time she arrived at the Yang family until now, she’s been acutely aware of her own situation and understood what she should do.

This was also the reason why Yang Zhenshan had tolerated her presence up to this point.

Had she not been so sensible, Yang Zhenshan would have sent her away long ago.

Yu Qingyi continued, ”She has trained in Martial Arts, and moreover, she is a Postnatal Martial Artist!”

Yang Zhenshan looked at Yu Lu in shock.

He truly did not know this.

He had always thought Yu Lu was just a frail woman, never expecting her to be a Postnatal Martial Artist.

If he remembered correctly, this Miss Yu Lu was not even twenty years old.

A Postnatal Martial Artist under twenty.

Indeed, she was a talent.

Yang Zhenshan looked towards Yu Qingyi, ”So you have taken an interest in her talents!”

If it were just an ordinary woman, Yu Qingyi most likely would not have kept her.

Yu Qingyi is kind, but not so kind as to be ignorant of worldly sufferings.

Do not forget, she was once the Sect Leader of the Sky Blue Sword Sect, long accustomed to the strife and conflict of the Jianghu.

”It’s not entirely that, I think Yu Lu is a truly good person,” Yu Qingyi said.

Her decision to take in Yu Lu was firstly because of Yu Lu’s exceptional Martial Arts talent, and secondly because, despite Yu Lu’s lowly birth, she had a clear and perceptive mind.

If it weren’t for this latter reason, regardless of how talented she was, Yu Qingyi wouldn’t have kept her.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, ”Since you want to keep her, then let’s keep her.”

”There’s another matter I need Master’s help with!”

”What is it?”

”Their deeds of sale!” said Yu Qingyi.

Yang Zhenshan came to a realization.

Indeed, Yu Lu and the others were originally servants of Sha Pingchuan, their deeds of sale always in the hands of Sha Pingchuan.

Now that Sha Pingchuan has been taken down and the Sha family is about to be seized, should they leave the Yang family, they might face being sold off once again.

No wonder Yu Lu wished to stay with the Yang family.