Pingyang Prefecture, within the Kaiyang Sub-Branch of the Beidou Bang.

The dock was bustling as usual, and inside a tall building at the center of the dock, in the room of the Squad Leader, Liu Ziyuan, a subordinate pushed the door open, handed over a letter, and said respectfully, "Squad Leader, a letter has arrived from Canglan City."

Liu Ziyuan opened the letter and read it. After a while, he took out a flint and steel and burned the letter, then asked, "Have the Five Great Sects shown any movement?"

The subordinate responded with respect, "Since you gave your promise two days ago to mediate, the top echelons of the Five Great Sects have all hidden in Yujiang County, frightened out of their wits by Gu Zhan. They’ve all agreed that as long as you’re willing to mediate, they’ll follow our Sub-Branch’s lead from now on!"

Liu Ziyuan chuckled lightly and said, "Gu Zhan has really delivered us a generous gift. I thought controlling the Pingyang Martial World would be somewhat troublesome, but didn’t expect it to be this simple."

The subordinate hesitated a bit and said, "Squad Leader... Gu Zhan is not a person easily dealt with, if we step in to mediate, we might offend him."

Liu Ziyuan replied slowly, "That’s no problem, we’re not looking to be his enemy, there’s no conflict. On the contrary, we might even recruit him under the Eldest Young Master’s banner. Gu Zhan is not what he used to be, looking long-term, his value is likely greater than the Five Great Sects combined."

The subordinate asked puzzled, "How can we recruit him? Isn’t Gu Zhan someone of the Sixth Young Master?"

Liu Ziyuan scoffed and said, "I used to think Gu Zhan belonged to the Sixth Young Master, but now, after that battle at Lingxi Mountain, do you still think Gu Zhan belongs to the Sixth Young Master?

Is someone like Gu Zhan someone the Sixth Young Master can subdue? Based on what? His good looks? Gu Zhan isn’t interested in that. I can assert that between the Sixth Young Master and Gu Zhan, it’s just a cooperative relationship, or perhaps Gu Zhan’s personality is so overbearing, the Sixth Young Master has to accommodate him.

Gu Zhan’s character is very similar to his nemesis Qi Baiyu; both have that domineering personality that doesn’t tolerate dissent. Since arriving at Pingyang Prefecture, he hasn’t permitted any other voices in the realm. Hence, his aim has been to suppress the Pingyang Martial World, but he requires a sense of righteousness; otherwise, directly suppressing might get him labeled as Demon Dao.

The presence of the Sixth Young Master has great significance for him; it allows him to act boldly, and having the Sixth Young Master as a guarantor is like having the Beidou Bang as a guarantor. In Canglan Dao, he holds the righteousness."

The subordinate realized suddenly, "So, Gu Zhan is only carrying the Sixth Young Master alongside him because he needs him, but not necessarily because he’s pledging loyalty to him?"

Liu Ziyuan nodded and said, "The Sixth Young Master doesn’t have the qualification to subdue someone like Gu Zhan, and now I can offer him a better option, providing him with more resources and a broader world, why should he continue to carry the Sixth Young Master? Even if he’s loyal and carries the Sixth Young Master along, it doesn’t matter, as the Sixth Young Master isn’t qualified to compete for succession; it doesn’t impact the Eldest Young Master."

The subordinate nodded and asked, "So, what should we do now?"

Liu Ziyuan said, "The Five Great Sects hiding in Yujiang County can’t escape Gu Zhan’s surveillance. Given Gu Zhan’s personality, he will definitely pursue them there. We just need to go there and wait for him."

The subordinate asked again, "But, Squad Leader, what if Gu Zhan refuses to mediate or pledge loyalty to the Eldest Young Master?"

Liu Ziyuan shook his head and said, "That likelihood is small. He’s already a person on the Celestial Pride List, backed by the Gu Family’s support; he should understand the benefits of pledging loyalty to the Eldest Young Master. A prideful person can’t afford to waste time. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Besides, he still has a nemesis outside. If he doesn’t pledge loyalty to the Eldest Young Master, he will inevitably lose the Beidou Bang’s protection. When Qi Baiyu comes for him, what will he use to shield himself?"

The subordinate added, "But if he doesn’t agree, he’ll undoubtedly turn against the Five Great Sects, and I’m concerned it might affect the Eldest Young Master’s plans!"

"If he’s truly so unaware, then we don’t have to wait for Qi Baiyu to kill him. In this world, there’s never been a shortage of celestial prides," Liu Ziyuan said coldly, "Canglan City is now at a critical moment, the Eldest Young Master cannot afford any slip-ups."

The subordinate asked, "Is it really urgent?"

Liu Ziyuan nodded slightly and said, "Pingyang Prefecture is a crucial element in dealing with the Fourth Young Master; no problems can arise. Otherwise, if it gets delayed for too long, the Dragon King... who knows how much time we have left."

The subordinate sighed and said, "The Fourth Young Master is truly unwise, the Dragon King has entrusted the Kaiyang Sub-Branch to the Eldest Young Master, clearly wanting to determine him as the heir, yet he insists on competing!"

"Heh," Liu Ziyuan said in a deep voice, "Who can refuse the position of heir, and besides, things have already reached this point. Unless he’s willing to hide away as the Sixth Young Master does, living as an ordinary wealthy man in a corner; otherwise, even if there’s only a shred of hope left, he must compete!"

After speaking, Liu Ziyuan pondered for a moment and said, "However, all this is unrelated to us. The unrest at Canglan City is beyond my reach for now, and I lack the energy to manage it; currently, the most important thing is to secure Pingyang Prefecture and cut off the Fourth Young Master’s retreat."

The subordinate bowed and said, "I understand."

Liu Ziyuan nodded, looked at the booklet on the desk, which was the Celestial Pride List, turned the last few pages, and said, "This Gu Zhan is truly remarkable. Coming from a small place, he has achieved such heights. If he’s willing to pledge loyalty to the Eldest Young Master, he will surely become one of the Eldest Young Master’s reliable generals in the future. He better not be ignorant of the good fortune; otherwise, he’ll be like a shooting star, flashing briefly and then disappearing!"