Chapter 61 Jinsheng In Trouble

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.

However, it was obvious that this had been planned in advance. Several guards immediately emerged from nearby and surrounded Jia Jinsheng, their expressions cold and unfriendly.

The guard from before sneered. “Rules are rules. For the safety of the stronghold, even a young master of the Jia Clan is no exception.” He waved his hand and shouted, “He refuses to cooperate with the inspection and even threatens the guards. Seize him!”

_____

At the Jia Clan leader’s residence, a Gu Master hurried into the hall, dropped to one knee, and reported breathlessly, “Clan leader, something terrible has happened! Young Master Jinsheng… something has happened to Young Master Jinsheng!”

Since ancient times, beauties have lamented the passing of their youth, while heroes dreaded the day their hair turned white. A hero in his twilight years was like a towering ancient tree slowly withering away, or a candle flickering weakly in the wind.

The old Jia Clan leader lay on his bed. He was already over seventy years old and seriously ill, his body thin and frail. The vigor and imposing presence of his younger years had long since faded. Only from his weathered features could one still vaguely glimpse the heroic figure he had once been.

Upon hearing the report, the old Jia Clan leader slowly sat up. His deeply wrinkled face remained expressionless, revealing none of his thoughts.

“What could possibly happen to him inside our own stronghold? Tell me exactly what happened to Jinsheng.”

The reporting Gu Master lowered his head, not daring to study the old man’s expression for too long.

As expected of the clan leader. He doesn’t reveal the slightest emotion. It’s impossible to tell what he’s thinking.

Then another thought quietly surfaced in his mind.

Or perhaps Young Master Jinsheng is simply too disappointing for the clan leader to care.

Jia Jinsheng’s low cultivation was no secret. Everyone in the stronghold knew that he was already over twenty yet remained at Rank One, making him a disgrace among the younger generation of Jia Family Village.

However, the old Jia Clan leader had always protected him. Because of this, few people dared to mock Jia Jinsheng openly. Despite his low cultivation, he still held some authority as one of the clan leader’s sons.

The reporting Gu Master also looked down on Jia Jinsheng, but he would never dare reveal such contempt before the old clan leader. The frail old man before him was still a mighty Rank Five Gu Master.

“Young Master Jinsheng wanted to leave the stronghold, but he refused to cooperate with the guards’ inspection. The guards insisted they were only enforcing the rules, but Young Master Jinsheng shouted that his father was the clan leader and refused to cooperate. More and more people gathered around to watch, and the situation was about to get out of hand. Fortunately, Young Master Jia Gui arrived in time, settled the matter, and dismissed those guards who didn’t know their place. But…”

“But what? Speak!”

The old Jia Clan leader suddenly barked. Although he had been bedridden for a long time, his imposing presence had not weakened. The aura of a Rank Five Gu Master pressed down upon the hall, causing the reporting Gu Master to tremble as cold sweat covered his body.

“Even after Young Master Jia Gui intervened, the guard leader refused to back down. He insisted that Young Master Jinsheng had violated the clan rules, openly defied your orders, and might even be hiding some ulterior motive. For the peace and stability of the stronghold, he demanded that Young Master Jinsheng accept punishment. He even challenged him to a gambling duel!”

“If the guard leader loses, he will compensate Young Master Jinsheng with one thousand primeval stones and a Rank Two Gu. However, because Young Master Jinsheng is your son, the conditions on his side are much lighter.”

“If Young Master Jinsheng loses, he only needs to admit that the guard leader was right, apologize publicly, and promise never to violate the clan rules again. The guard leader will then overlook his previous behavior.”

The Southern Border did not worship strength as fiercely as Northern Plains, but the strong still commanded respect while the weak were looked down upon. A gambling duel was one of the simplest ways for a Gu Master to prove his ability.

The most common form involved both sides using their Gu to attack each other in turn. Neither side could dodge and had to rely entirely on defensive Gu to withstand the attacks. Whoever surrendered first lost the duel.

Other gambling duels tested reconnaissance, healing, and similar abilities, but direct combat remained the most popular. Most challengers already held some hostility toward each other and naturally wanted to make their opponent pay a painful price.

The old Jia Clan leader immediately understood what was happening. Either Jia Fu or Jia Gui stood behind this matter. They wanted to force Jia Jinsheng into a gambling duel and expose his weakness before the entire clan.

Once Jia Jinsheng lost, what little prestige he possessed would disappear, further reducing his chances of taking part in the struggle for succession. Although his cultivation remained at Rank One, his ambition was obvious to everyone in the Jia Clan.

This move was indeed vicious. If Jia Jinsheng refused the challenge before everyone, he would be branded a coward. Yet accepting was even more dangerous. Once his weakness was publicly exposed, others might begin challenging him as well.

Even the clan leader could not simply forbid such challenges. Gambling duels had long been part of Southern Border’s customs and were frequently used to settle disputes or compete over resources.

The stakes often included primeval stones, Gu, and other possessions. The winner took a portion of the loser’s wealth, while the loser could only accept the consequences of his defeat.

The clans deliberately allowed such competition among their members. Strong Gu Masters gained more resources, while those unable to protect what they possessed would eventually lose some of it to others.

This pressure prevented clan descendants from becoming complacent simply because of their status. Every Gu Master had to keep improving or risk having his resources taken by stronger clansmen.

In the end, everything was done for the continued prosperity and strength of the clan.