Chapter 60 Leaving Clan II

“Stop there. Please cooperate with our inspection.”

The guard, who had appeared half-asleep only moments earlier, suddenly became alert and picked out a Gu Master from among those leaving the stronghold.

The Gu Master froze in confusion. He looked down at his clothes, then at the guards before him. His bewildered expression seemed to ask, We’re all members of the Jia Clan, so why are you stopping me?

The guards completely ignored his bewilderment. With a cold snort, two burly guards immediately stepped forward and dragged him out of the line.

“What happened to him?” a Gu Master from another mountain stronghold asked curiously.

The guard’s cold expression immediately vanished. He waved his hand and smiled warmly.

“Nothing, nothing. Just a routine inspection. Did you enjoy your stay in Jia Family Village? Be sure to visit us again!”

The Gu Masters from the other mountain strongholds shook their heads in confusion, unable to understand what was happening. Those who knew the reason, however, could not help laughing before quickly leaving with their companions.

“Hey, what exactly are you doing? Why are you stopping me instead of checking those outsiders? We’re all from the Jia Clan. How could I possibly have any ill intentions toward my own clan?” The Gu Master who had been dragged out was naturally dissatisfied. He was already in a hurry to leave, yet these guards had suddenly stopped him for no apparent reason.

One of the guards walked over, his fleshy face trembling with every step. A heavy, greasy odor clung to his body, making the Gu Master dizzy and nauseous as he approached.

“Don’t spout nonsense and cause trouble in the stronghold. This is only a routine inspection. Who said we can’t inspect our own clansmen?”

The guard leaned closer and continued, “If we only stopped outsiders, wouldn’t everyone think the Jia Clan was deliberately targeting them? Jia Family Village is a major commercial stronghold. We can’t let others think we’re so narrow-minded.”

Another tall, thin guard stepped forward. “Brother, we aren’t deliberately targeting you. This is official business. There are outsiders everywhere in the stronghold right now. What if a Gu Master with ‘malicious intentions’ steals important information and slips away? Wouldn’t that be disastrous?”

The detained Gu Master was still a member of the Jia Clan. Once the guards brought up the safety of the clan, it became difficult for him to argue. In the end, he could only suppress his irritation and cooperate with their inspection.

“It’s so hot. I’m getting thirsty!”

“Brother, why complain about a little thirst? Everything we do is for the prosperity of the stronghold and the Jia Clan. Besides, everyone can see how much we’ve sacrificed.”

The detained Gu Master yawned and looked up at the sun, which was partly hidden behind white clouds. He could not understand what the guards were talking about.

Hot? Wasn’t the weather rather cool today?

The inspection dragged on for half an hour. By then, most of the other Gu Masters waiting at the gate had already left.

“Hey, are you finished yet? Why is a simple inspection taking so long? Are you intentionally making things difficult for me?”

“Nonsense! Everything we’re doing is for the Jia Clan!”

Seeing that the Gu Master was about to argue with the burly guard again, the tall, thin guard hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.

“Brother, we’re not making things difficult for you. Look how hard we’ve been working for the sake of the stronghold. You should at least show us a little appreciation. Surely you wouldn’t begrudge us that much, right?”

The Gu Master finally understood what they wanted, and his face flushed with anger.

“So this so-called inspection is just an excuse to extort primeval stones? I’m a member of the Jia Clan! Now I have to pay primeval stones just to leave my own home? Yet you happily let Gu Masters from other clans pass without troubling them. This is outrageous!”

Such things were hardly rare. Some people, once given even the smallest amount of authority, enjoyed using it to make life difficult for others and profit from their position.

Watching from a distance, Jia Jinsheng sighed inwardly. The Jia Clan was already troubled by internal disputes and outside pressure. At a time like this, it was inevitable that a few parasites would exploit the chaos to fill their own pockets.

The guards did not dare extort Gu Masters from other mountain strongholds. Outsiders were unlikely to tolerate such treatment, and offending them would damage the Jia Clan’s reputation as a major commercial clan.

Therefore, they only targeted their own clansmen, especially those who had not pledged allegiance to any of the young masters competing for the position of clan leader.

Jia Jinsheng watched for a while but had no intention of interfering. It had nothing to do with him, so he ignored the unfortunate Gu Master and walked toward the gate.

“Stop. According to the rules, you must undergo a routine inspection before leaving,” another guard on duty said.

Jia Jinsheng was stunned for a moment before immediately cursing, “Are you blind? I’m Jia Jinsheng, one of the young masters of the Jia Clan! Can’t you recognize me?”

The guard gave him a cold smile. “These are the clan leader’s orders. For the safety of the stronghold, everyone must be treated equally.”

“Go to hell! The clan leader is my father! Have you lost your mind?”

Jia Jinsheng flew into a rage. He had just stood by and watched another clansman suffer the same treatment, never expecting that he would be their next target.