The Grand Plaza of Bojiang City was spacious enough to hold tens of thousands of people.
Across the entire Jianghan Territory, there were ten major tribes, and beneath each major tribe were countless smaller ones.
Each of these tribes—large or small—was controlled by a single family.
The Zijing Tribe, for example, was under the command of the Jing family.
The Yinglan Tribe was controlled by the Lan clan, the maternal family of
Of course, apart from the core family of each tribe, there were inevitably numerous subordinate families, all contributing to the ruling power.
As a result, on this day, at least several hundred families had gathered in Bojiang City's Grand Plaza. Each family had sent at least twenty or thirty representatives—a truly imposing assembly.
"Everyone, I have called you here under the Feudal Lord's Order because there is a matter of tremendous importance to announce to all the tribes!"
A smile hung at the corner of
"Haha, Third Master has not hesitated to invoke the Feudal Lord's Order to summon us all here—this must be something truly significant!"
"Indeed, Third Master, enough with the suspense! Out with it, and we can all share in the good news!"
The young Marquis was recruiting personal guards?
It sounded like a fine proposition, but among the tribal families present, few were truly interested. One by one, they kept their gazes lowered, avoiding any eye contact with
If it were any other young Marquis recruiting guards for his retinue, there would be no shortage of eager volunteers. But this particular young Marquis had long been known as an idling wastrel. Who knew what miserable fate awaited anyone who followed him?
In the Jianghan Territory, anxiety ran rampant. Eight or nine out of ten believed that
So why would they be delighted at the prospect of the young Marquis recruiting guards? They could barely avoid him fast enough!
The crowd's reaction seemed to be exactly what
"The requirements for these personal guards are quite demanding. Not just anyone can apply. First, one must have reached the Sixth-Meridian True Qi stage. Additionally, one must be no older than twenty, and it would be best to possess keen intelligence…"
Unsurprisingly, no one responded. The silence in the plaza was so complete you could hear a pin drop.
"Those are the requirements. Will anyone volunteer?"
After this question, everywhere
For a moment, the atmosphere in the plaza grew deeply awkward.
The Jiang family members, meanwhile, wore solemn expressions, fighting back laughter. They knew
And then another voice: "I'll sign up too!"
Two brawny youths strode forward—one carrying a broad-headed axe on his back, the other a tempered bronze staff—and marched up to
"Young Marquis Jiang! I'm Qiao Shan, and this is my brother Qiao Chuan. Third Hall Master of the Apothecary Hall is our uncle. He's the one who sent us here."
Qiao Shan and Qiao Chuan—the twin brothers—had arrived!
The son of the Third Hall Master of the Apothecary Hall. The direct grandson of Grand Tutor
These identities, when they reached the ears of the tribal chiefs, immediately registered as sensitive information.
"Hm? Something's off here. The Apothecary Hall carries tremendous prestige—their Hall Master is an imposing figure. Why would he send his nephew to serve under a feudal lord's son? And the direct grandson of a Grand Tutor from the royal court? That's someone with connections reaching even the royal family. Why would he align himself with
Some of the more perceptive tribal chiefs sensed something was afoot.
Guo Jin, growing somewhat irritated, exchanged greetings with Qiao Shan and Qiao Chuan before stepping forward, his cold gaze sweeping across the crowd.
"I, Guo Jin, was born and raised in the Royal Capital. I've seen more than my share of princes and nobles. But ever since I arrived here in the Jianghan Territory, I've found things rather puzzling. Elsewhere, retainers of noble houses grovel and fawn before their masters, showing the utmost respect. Yet here, all of you act as though being seen too close to your lord is some kind of disgrace?"
Guo Jin let out a cold laugh. "But as far as I know, in our Eastern Kingdom, there are hardly a handful of young talents who can compare to our young Marquis. Back in the Royal Capital, even the heir of Marquis Longteng treats our young Marquis with considerable wariness. So I'm genuinely curious—in your esteemed eyes, just how powerful a figure must one be to earn your reverence and devotion?"
Guo Jin hailed from the Royal Capital, and his words carried a natural weight of authority.
"My grandfather is Grand Tutor of the royal court. The current King, the Princess—both received martial instruction from my grandfather. And these four brothers of the Victory Battalion are elites of the Tiandu Army, handpicked by Her Royal Highness the Princess to serve as the young Marquis's personal guards. I'm quite curious: if even the strong warriors of the Tiandu Army are willing to pledge themselves to the young Marquis, does he perhaps still not merit your respect?"
Guo Jin's voice rang out across the entire plaza like a great bell, its force rolling through the tribal families and setting every heart pounding.
In a gathering like this, no one dared question whether Guo Jin was telling the truth.