Chapter 111: The Shadow Guard
Chapter 111: The Shadow Guard
After Ethan Wu and the others left, Ethan Wong cautiously asked, "When did Father start training the Shadow Guard, and why did I not hear a single thing about it?"
"The matter of the Shadow Guard will be revealed to you when the time is right."
Ethan Fairfax casually brushed off the question.
Seeing this, Ethan Wong, despite his myriad of doubts, had no choice but to suppress them.
Leaving the Grinding Hall, Ethan Wong swept away his earlier gloom, feeling a surge of confidence.
A hundred Shadow Guards.
Though the number seemed small, each one of them was a powerhouse capable of founding their own sect.
With such a force at his disposal, he had a lot of room to maneuver.
---
In the Inner Hall, Ethan Wong summoned all the Shadow Guards.
A hundred black-clad figures stood there, their faces expressionless, making the vast Inner Hall eerily silent.
Seeing this, Ethan Wong’s perception of the Shadow Guard was refreshed once again.
Not to mention anything else, the discipline alone was evident.
"Could Father have had the ambition to conquer the world all along?"
Ethan Wong mused.
Otherwise, how could he explain the existence of the Shadow Guard?
At first, Ethan Wong had thought the Shadow Guard was a group of secret talents cultivated by Ethan Fairfax.
But now, it was clear that the Shadow Guard could not be described as mere talented martial artists.
Despite being only a hundred in number, they gave Ethan Wong a chilling and ominous feeling, as if he were facing an elite military unit.
Clearly, the Shadow Guard was not simple.
"What martial arts do the Shadow Guard practice?"
Ethan Wong turned to Commander Ryder (formerly Gu Yi) and asked.
Commander Ryder bowed and replied, "All the Shadow Guard practice the martial arts passed down by the Honored One, the Inferno Blaze Technique and the Seven Fatal Strikes!"
"So Father holds you in high regard indeed!"
Ethan Wong nodded.
He was well aware of the Seven Fatal Strikes and had heard of the Inferno Blaze Technique, which had the potential to reach the level of a Transcendent Grandmaster.
As the head of the Wong Estate, Ethan Wong himself had the right to practice the Inferno Blaze Technique.
However, he was still in the Blood Refinement stage, so he had no intention of practicing the Inferno Blaze Technique yet.
After all, at the Blood Refinement stage, the Fiery Sun Palm was superior, as reaching the ninth level of perfection would allow one to naturally break through to the Bone Refinement stage.
This was something the Inferno Blaze Technique could not match.
Of course, the two had different upper limits.
The Fiery Sun Palm’s upper limit was at the initial stage of Bone Refinement, while the Inferno Blaze Technique’s upper limit was at the Transcendent Grandmaster stage.
In terms of importance, the former was nothing compared to the latter.
But for Ethan Wong at the moment, the most important thing was to break through to the Bone Refinement stage first.
The late stage of Blood Refinement might seem strong, but it was only within the confines of White Stone Path. In other places, it would not be enough.
The battle with the rebels had made Ethan Wong realize his strength’s shortcomings.
If not for Ethan Fairfax’s timely arrival, he would have died at the hands of the rebels.
After a moment’s contemplation of the Shadow Guard, Ethan Wong temporarily assigned them to the Inner Hall and then dismissed everyone, leaving only Commander Ryder behind.
"Commander Ryder, there’s something I’d like to ask."
"Please, Lord Estate!"
Commander Ryder’s expression remained calm.
Ethan Wong looked at him and said solemnly, "When did Father start establishing the Shadow Guard?"
"This is something you need to ask the Honored One directly, my lord. I dare not speak out of turn!"
Commander Ryder shook his head, refusing to answer Ethan Wong’s question.
Seeing this, Gu Yang furrowed his brow. "Father has ordered you to obey me. Are you refusing to answer my questions?"
"This matter was already commanded by the revered one. It's not that I am unwilling to answer. If the Lord of the Manor truly wishes to hold me accountable, I am willing to accept the punishment!"
With that, Gu Yi knelt on one knee and lowered his head.
Gu Yang sighed and shook his head. "Fine, if you don't want to answer, I won't force you. Get up and speak!"
"Yes, Lord!"
Gu Yi stood up as ordered.
Gu Yang continued, "I have a task for you and your team of Shadow Guards."
"Please instruct, Lord!"
Gu Yang explained, "I need you to thoroughly investigate the strength of the imperial forces in Guangyang Prefecture. Additionally, secretly gather any capable individuals and wait for the right moment!"
"Understood, Lord!"
"Go—"
Gu Yang waved his hand and added, "The security of Gu Family Manor will also be temporarily under your responsibility."
"Yes, Lord!"
Gu Yi accepted the order and left.
The spacious inner hall was now empty, with only Gu Yang remaining.
"The number of capable hands is still too few!"
After a long moment, Gu Yang sighed in frustration. The Shadow Guards were powerful and loyal, but a mere hundred of them were far too few to be effective when spread thin.
However, there was no other way. Gu Family Manor had only been established a few short years ago, and it would take time to cultivate new generations of strong warriors. No major power could achieve significant depth without decades or even centuries of accumulation.
Despite this, Gu Yang was still puzzled by how Gu Qingfeng had managed to secretly cultivate the Shadow Guards. Their strength was formidable, with the weakest being at the peak of the Bone Tempering stage and the strongest at the peak of the Organ Forging stage. Such a force was not something that could be built in just a few years.
Back in Lin County, Gu Qingfeng had only been a suspected Blood Tempering warrior. Gu Yang had witnessed his battle against the Evil Suppression Bureau's sorcerer, and it was clear that Gu Qingfeng had his own secrets.
Otherwise, how could he have such unfathomable strength and the ability to cultivate a force like the Shadow Guards?
However, even though Gu Yang knew that Gu Qingfeng had secrets, he wouldn't pry. In his view, if the time was right, Gu Qingfeng would reveal his secrets. Otherwise, no amount of questioning would elicit a response.
Instead of dwelling on it, he decided to focus on utilizing the power of the Shadow Guards to strengthen his own forces. When the world eventually collapses into chaos, Gu Family Manor must be ready to carve out its own territory.
"The Great Mystic Emperor is gravely ill and won't last many more years. Once he passes, the fragile stability of the Great Mystic Dynasty will crumble. The world will be even more chaotic then."
"With our current strength, Gu Family Manor still has a long way to go before we can dominate in this chaos. We must at least have the capability to deal with the Ninefold Path's Evil Buddha. That threat is like a sword hanging over our heads, ready to strike at any moment!"
Gu Yang's eyes were deep and thoughtful. The more daunting the challenges facing Gu Family Manor, the more calm and resolute he became. He knew that by following a systematic approach, anything was possible.
(End of Chapter)
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