Chapter 145: To Act with Yang, To Nurture Virtue
“Who do you think you are?!” someone shouted angrily. “You’re the one looking for death!” another yelled.
Shi Hao, his expression filled with disdain, sneered, “You? All of you?”
Several young men, enraged by his blatant provocation, charged towards him, their staffs raised.
A flash of sword light, a blur of motion, and the attackers froze.
They saw sparks of silver light before their eyes, aimed at their eyes, their foreheads, their throats.
They instinctively raised their staffs to block, but with a series of clangs and crashes, their weapons were knocked from their hands, flying through the air and clattering to the ground.
Silence descended upon the courtyard.
It was Du Yuejiao, her movements swift and unpredictable, enhanced by the Illusory Moon Demonic Flame Technique and the Illusory Moon Movement Technique.
During her attack, they had only seen a blur of motion, her figure practically invisible.
Now, she stood there, sword in hand, her face cold and beautiful, her presence captivating.
Du Yuejiao had always been aloof and distant towards outsiders.
Only in front of Shi Hao, constantly teased and “bullied” by him, did she show a softer, more vulnerable side, like a wronged wife.
Now, however, with the added mystique of the Illusory Moon Demonic Flame Technique, her coldness became even more alluring.
The young men, defeated so easily by a single girl, were ashamed.
If their opponent had been a man, even in defeat, they would have shouted and cursed, maintaining their bravado.
But against a beautiful young woman, even raising their voices seemed disrespectful.
And although the Gong family lacked mid-rank experts, thanks to their martial arts tradition, almost all their young men were ranked. These attackers, although not particularly skilled, were still ninth-rank, yet they had been effortlessly defeated by a single sword strike.
This silenced the entire courtyard.
Shi Hao, however, didn’t give them a chance to recover. He continued his mocking laughter, “With your meager skills, you want to avenge your brothers? I said you won’t live long, and you still don’t believe me? Do you really think you can succeed? Are you going there for revenge, or to die?”
“We would rather die than be humiliated!” someone shouted, “Even if we can’t avenge them, we won’t be afraid!”
Others echoed his sentiment.
Shi Hao’s expression turned serious, “Well said! We cannot be afraid, even if we can’t avenge them. In fact, we must avenge them. If we don’t, even in death, we’ll have no face to meet our fallen brothers.”
He had initially provoked them with his insults, drawing their attention and their anger. Now, after Yuejiao’s display of skill, he expressed his agreement with their desire for revenge, calming their hostility.
In this short time, he had transformed himself from an unknown outsider into the leader, the one in control. This was the “flying pincers” tactic from Guiguzi’s teachings.
He had subtly established dominance, manipulating the situation to his advantage.
Shi Hao, his voice now strong and resolute, said, “But if we want revenge, we cannot simply throw our lives away. We’re all heroes here. Death is not what we fear. What we fear is dying in vain, unable to avenge our brothers.
“Do you think your Clan Leader doesn’t want revenge? Those who died were his family, his clan. He shares your pain. This revenge must be taken, but the Gong family alone is no match for the Hanyang Gang. We can’t succeed alone.”
“We’ve come from Wudang Monastery. Your Clan Leader, knowing this revenge must be taken, is already seeking allies. While you were arguing here, he sent messengers to the other villages.
“We arrived first because we’re closer. Others are on their way. We came here, at your Clan Leader’s request, to join forces with the Gong family and avenge your brothers. But what did we find? A bunch of hotheads, clamoring for a suicidal attack, walking right into a trap.”
“You… you have disappointed us.”
He shook his head and sighed dramatically.
The young men exchanged glances, their faces filled with shame.
So, while they were arguing, their Clan Leader had already been working to unite the Nine Villages against the Hanyang Gang?
This was Shi Hao’s cleverness. They were outsiders. If the Gong family knew they had come here on their own initiative, proposing an alliance, they would be suspicious.
But now, knowing their Clan Leader had initiated this alliance, and the others were here to help, how could they refuse? Their pride wouldn’t allow it.
—”To act with yang is to nurture virtue.”
For those who were passionate and impulsive, one should guide them with reason and morality, channeling their energy, not suppressing it.
These young men, hot-blooded and eager for revenge, if left unchecked, would likely cause more harm than good.
But if their enthusiasm was suppressed, they would become a disorganized rabble, their potential wasted.
Shi Hao, his voice ringing through the courtyard, said, “That banquet tonight in Changyan City is a trap. The Hanyang Three Fiends killed your brothers to provoke you, hoping you’ll attack them on their own territory, outnumbered and outmatched. If you go, you’re playing right into their hands.”
“What we need to do now, as your Clan Leader has already decided, is to consolidate our defenses, gather our allies, and prepare for a proper counterattack. As you said, this revenge must be taken. If we don’t, the Nine Villages of Ba Shan will become a laughingstock.
“But understand your Clan Leader’s intentions. He shares your pain, but he doesn’t want you to die needlessly. We want justice, not suicide. United, we will prevail! Don’t you agree?”
The crowd roared their approval, their spirits lifted—