Chapter 104: The Ultimate Despair

"City Guard on duty, everyone move aside!"

The long street was in chaos. Even though the street was wide, the sheer number of onlookers created a massive bottleneck. The mounted soldiers arriving on the scene shouted, shoving the obstructing commoners to the side.

At this sight, Gao Yang’s eyes lit up; he recognized exactly who had arrived. His temper, which had been suppressed under force, flared up once more, and the look he cast at Wei Wuji was no longer one of terror. He no longer wanted to wait until nightfall; he decided that in a moment, he would personally have the head of this man before him severed—along with those of his subordinates.

A sigh rippled through the crowd. Punishing the wicked and promoting the good was all well and good, but this young man was surely about to lose his life.

"It’s the City Guard again. This lad is done for," someone remarked.

"What a pity! The upright are often the first to break. A shame for such a righteous youth," another lamented, their face etched with regret. A chorus of agreement followed, all pitying the fate that awaited Wei Wuji.

"My Lady, that young hero is in danger. What should we do?" Inside a carriage that no one noticed, a voice filled with worry for Wei Wuji spoke up. Regardless of the circumstances, Wei Wuji had come to their aid and was their benefactor. Seeing him now on the brink of disaster, they couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Not necessarily..." the beautiful young woman sitting in the place of honor within the carriage said calmly. That earlier address of "Young Master" had reached her ears clearly. "The one who should be worried, I fear, is Young Master Gao," she added quietly.

"Ah?" The maid beside her looked on in disbelief. Even if the youth and his men could fight, how could they possibly contend with the soldiers of the City Guard?

"My Lady, what shall we do? We must find a way to help!" the maid urged anxiously.

The young woman addressed as "My Lady" couldn't help but smile at this, her exquisite features radiant enough to eclipse the flowers. "I told you there was no need to worry. Why are you so anxious? Has your heart been stirred by some spring-time fancy?" she teased.

"My Lady..." the maid murmured shyly, a rosy flush creeping across her face.

"Very well, if you do not believe me, just watch," the young woman said softly before lifting the curtain of the carriage to peer outside.

By now, Gao Yang had struggled to his feet through the pain. "Kid, if you run now, you might still make it," Gao Yang hissed with hatred. Although he was no longer afraid of Wei Wuji, he felt it was best to keep his distance from such a person.

"Run? Why would I run?" Wei Wuji looked genuinely puzzled.

Gao Yang laughed in angry disbelief, gritting his teeth. "If you don't run, you won't be able to later. I’m going to break your bones one by one, and then I will..."

Before he could finish, Wei Wuji slapped him across the face again.

In a state of utter shock and disbelief, Gao Yang was knocked back to the ground.

"So noisy. I hate that more than anything," Wei Wuji said, rubbing his hands with an expression of disdain.

The onlookers were now completely numb. They felt just as Gao Yang did—utterly bewildered. How? How could Wei Wuji be this arrogant? If he had hit the man and fled, it would have made sense, but the soldiers were already here, yet he continued to strike people with such impunity. What was the meaning of this?

Amidst the shoving, the City Guard soldiers finally arrived in force. This group of infantry was clearly far more elite than the previous detachment.

"The Captain of the Western City Guard is here. All irrelevant persons, move aside!" a soldier shouted to the crowd.

Seeing that the City Guard had taken full control of the situation, Gao Yang finally felt at ease. He crawled up with great effort and staggered toward the mounted officer—the Captain of the Western City Guard.

The mounted officer, his face filled with a murderous aura, leaped from his horse and walked toward the struggling Gao Yang.

"Brother Zixiong, you must seek justice for me!" Gao Yang wailed, his face streaming with tears, looking utterly wretched. For Gao Yang, this was the darkest day of his life; he had never suffered such humiliation. "Brother Zixiong, I want him to wish he were dead. Take him to my house immediately, I want to..."

Before Gao Yang could finish his sentence, his face was struck by a heavy blow. The one who had struck him was none other than the mounted officer he had affectionately called "Brother Zixiong."

The blow was powerful, and caught off guard, Gao Yang was sent sprawling to the ground once more. Gao Yang felt as though he might explode. He did not understand—he truly could not understand—why the brother who usually treated him with such care and whom he regarded as his savior would lay a hand on him. He was stunned, wondering if he had gone mad or if the entire world had lost its mind.

The onlookers nearby were equally shocked. They could never have imagined things would turn out this way. From the moment Wei Wuji entered the scene, their predictions had been overturned one after another. Wei Wuji was like a bottomless pit, impossible for them to fathom. What was his background? This was the question on everyone’s mind.

"I, Wu Zixiong, Captain of the Western City Guard, pay my respects to the Young Master." The officer unhooked his armor and knelt down.

"Young Master!"

This form of address from Wu Zixiong hit Gao Yang like a thunderbolt, causing his heart to quake.

*So he is a Young Master. No wonder.* Gao Yang lay on the ground, his heart filled with bitter regret. Now, everything made sense.

*So he is a Young Master...* This was the internal monologue of the crowd as well. Their confusion now had an answer.

"Rise, rise. You have worked hard, Captain Wu." Wei Wuji stepped forward and helped Wu Zixiong to his feet.

"I dare not, sir," Wu Zixiong replied before standing.

Glancing sideways at Gao Yang, Captain Wu barked, "Why are you still lying on the ground? Hurry up and apologize to the Young Master!"

At this roar, Gao Yang scrambled up and slowly walked toward Wei Wuji.

"I pay my respects to the Young Master." No matter how unwilling he was, Gao Yang had no choice but to kneel down obediently. He even had to force a smile onto his face, lest he be accused of disrespecting the royal family, which would bring true disaster.

Wei Wuji did not tell him to rise; he simply stood there and stared at him. Gao Yang could endure it at first, but after a moment under Wei Wuji’s gaze, beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. *What more does this Young Master want? Is he still going to hit me?* Gao Yang thought, trembling, bracing himself for a sudden kick.

"Does it hurt?"

Huh? Gao Yang lifted his head, looking at Wei Wuji in bewilderment, not understanding his intent.

"Following my own temper..." At this point, Wei Wuji drew his sword from its scabbard.

"Ah..." Gao Yang retreated two steps in terror. What was he doing?

Watching the frightened Gao Yang, Wei Wuji chuckled. "Following my temper, I would really like to cut your head off."

"Spare my life, Young Master!" Gao Yang was truly terrified now. Wei Wuji’s cold, lifeless gaze chilled him to the bone, as if the man were looking at a corpse.

"I beg for mercy, Young Master. Gao Yang acted without thinking; he did not intend to offend you," Wu Zixiong knelt to intercede. Wu Zixiong knew quite a bit about this Fifth Young Master from his own grandfather. The ruthless acts this man had committed were not those of a mere sixteen or seventeen-year-old. For instance, he had fought face-to-face with the Qin soldiers, slaughtered entire families, and even dared to kill a supply officer in the main camp—a feat that even the "Living Yama," General Hu, could not stop. To be honest, Wu Zixiong dared not guarantee that Wei Wuji wouldn't run Gao Yang through with his sword.

"Actually, I really don't like beating people. Wouldn't it be much easier to just kill them with one stroke? It saves so much trouble," Wei Wuji said with a look of sincerity. "And as a prince of the Great Wei, killing you is no different from killing a chicken," he added, his voice turning cold.

Watching Wei Wuji’s playful expression, Gao Yang could not smile at all; he wanted to weep. There were only a few princes of Wei, and he had never heard of this one.

"Young Master..." Wu Zixiong tried to plead again, but was stopped by a look from Wei Wuji.

"Sigh! Who asked you to be the grandson of the Pillar of State, Gao? The old General is still fighting hard on the front lines, and I cannot allow his line to be cut off just yet," Wei Wuji said with a look of feigned regret.

Hearing this, Gao Yang let out a long sigh of relief. As long as he could keep his life, that was all that mattered!