Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Shrewd and Calculating Chief Guo

According to Xu Wenshan, Luhe Gully is ruled by clan politics. Whoever has the largest family holds the power, whoever commands the discourse becomes the beneficiary of order. By the well, the prominent families draw water first; during the flood season, they irrigate their fields first; the upper reaches of the stream always belong to them; during rituals, they receive the best cuts of meat first; when good land appears, they claim it first.

The Guo family is one of the prominent clans, but for years it has been overshadowed by the Xu family. The Guo family has long been dissatisfied with Xu’s dominance; sooner or later, they would challenge them for the right to be the leading clan of Luhe Gully.

No one expected the confrontation to come so quickly.

The Guo family led their kin and surrounded Xu’s shooting range by the stream, refusing entry to anyone. Anyone who tried to leave was caught and beaten.

To provoke a war between Xu and Guo at this time was highly unwise.

But Xu Wenshan did it deliberately.

In a few years, when the Guo children have grown, it would be much harder to make a move. The standoff between the two families had lasted an hour, and the sun was at its zenith—time for meals. Inside the shooting range, the hunters’ stomachs rumbled with hunger, hoping the Guo family would go home to eat and lift the blockade.

But at noon, the Guo women arrived, baskets hanging from their arms. When the cloth covering the baskets was lifted, steaming food appeared. Guo Xin, shrewd and calculating, had arranged everything ahead of time.

This only made those inside the shooting range hungrier.

Xu Wenshan had intentionally stirred conflict, but Guo Xin was no rash man.

He had planned his response in advance.

Xu Wenshan’s authority on the stream’s land was built on shaky ground—outsiders.

The servants were outsiders, the laborers were outsiders, and the hunters were outsiders.

How could outsiders be loyal to you?

Surround their land, and the outsiders will become chaotic themselves, begging you to smash their own shops.

This was Guo Xin’s strategy.

Xu Wenshan glanced at the sun and thought it was about time.

He smiled slightly and called out to Guo Xin across the fence, “Guo, are you familiar with the laws of Chen State?”

Guo Xin sneered, “Every nation has its laws, every village its rules. Don’t try to pressure me with your statutes!”

“You don’t understand? Then let me explain.” Xu Wenshan pulled out a book, flipped through a few pages, and said, “Ten years ago, in the Waterstone Village of Chen State, a beggar rested outside the wall of a wealthy house. When the family let their dog out, it killed the beggar. The magistrate ruled: Outside the wall was the family’s land; the beggar entered without permission, breaking the law. The family letting the dog out was proper; the dog killing the beggar was not intentional. The beggar erred first, the family was blameless, so they were not prosecuted.”

Guo Xin retorted, “Child, what are you really trying to say?”

Xu Wenshan replied, “You stand on my land without invitation, violating the law. I establish a shooting range here, practicing archery, as is my right. I advise you to leave quickly; arrows have no eyes. If you are accidentally harmed, you may regret it for life.”

With these words, Xu Wenshan turned and walked away. Guo Xin stood still, pondering Xu’s words but unable to grasp their meaning.

Looking around, he saw that apart from his own people, all other idlers had vanished.

“Could it be… How dare he!” Guo Xin was suddenly alarmed.

Not far away, Xu Wenshan gathered the archers in the shooting range into a line and shouted, “Today, we practice volley shooting!”

“Volley shooting sends arrows into the air, the farthest way to shoot, but arrows have no eyes and can easily hurt someone!”

The archers, hungry and angry at the Guo family, quickly understood Xu’s intent. Their glances at the Guo clan grew hostile.

It was no joke—the hunters were the most reckless group in Luhe Gully. With no wives, no land, nothing to tie them down, their livelihood depended solely on their bows. If their living was taken, the consequences would be dire.

“String your bows! Raise them! Adjust your angle!”

At Xu Wenshan’s command, the archers drew their bows, aiming forty-five degrees skyward.

Guo Xin understood and shouted, “Stop!”

“Loose!”

The arrows flew from the bows, whistling with lethal intent!

More than twenty archers shot in unison, the feathered arrows swarming like locusts toward the Guo clan!

Thud, thud, thud—the arrows buried their heads in the earth. The Guo family, terrified, collapsed to the ground; some lost control, and their women and children clung to each other, weeping and unable to stand.

Yet not a single arrow struck a Guo clansman; all landed ten or twenty paces ahead of their group.

“Not bad,” Xu Wenshan said. “Forward ten steps, march together!”

The archers stepped forward in unison. Coordinated marching and shooting—these were techniques Xu had taught them long ago. Lei Tiger and Wu Yi exchanged glances; who would have thought today’s training would serve them now?

Wu Yi suddenly realized, “Could it be the young master of Xu planned all this from the start?”

His gaze at Xu Wenshan now held caution and deep respect.

The more he learned about this landlord’s son, the more he admired—and the less he understood.

He admired Xu’s shrewdness, almost ghostly, always calculating from the very beginning. For example, the club and the grain store he established had become daily hangouts for hunters like Wu Yi. Once, they believed land was everything, but now, money seemed more valuable. Their lives, in fact, were more carefree than those of the farmers.

What baffled him was Xu’s peculiar devotion to contracts. Many times, breaking a contract could yield greater profit, but he stubbornly upheld every agreement. The hunters all held contracts with the Xu family, and everyone knew the young master was inflexible about them.

“String!”

Snap! The bows were drawn again.

“Stop! Stop! I said stop!” Guo Xin cried out, but Xu Wenshan was unmoved.

“Raise bows!”

With a thud, Guo Xin knelt.

“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot, I was wrong, we’ll leave immediately! Just spare us, please don’t release the arrows!”

The hunters stared in disbelief.

Was this the head of the Guo family, kneeling before them?

Was this still the once invincible Guo clan?

Lei Tiger recalled a new term Xu Wenshan had used when teaching them volley fire: unity.

None in Luhe Gully had heard this word before; Xu had even sung a song, something like “Unity Is Strength.”

Guo Xin was the clan leader, and it was under him that the Guo family had prospered. Their prosperity was due to their numbers.

For this reason, he could not accept casualties.

Everyone present was his kin—sons and daughters-in-law. Even the loss of one would be an immeasurable blow.

And so, he knelt naturally before Xu Wenshan and the hunters.

…

Xu Wenshan stared coldly at Guo Xin, silent for ten seconds.

No one spoke during those ten seconds.

“Unstring,” Xu ordered.

The archers relaxed their bows, and Guo Xin breathed a sigh of relief.

He remained on his knees, knocking his head to the ground. “I was wrong, I was wrong, please spare my family, spare us…”

He repeated his plea, his forehead thumping on the earth, soon covered in dust, his dignity as clan leader gone, resembling a beggar.

Xu Wenshan said, “If you want meat, you can buy it from the grain store. Why resort to blades and guns?”

Guo Xin, dirty and miserable, thought, “Isn’t it you who resorts to violence?”

Xu Wenshan continued, “I can forgive you today…”

He had not finished when, suddenly, a squad burst in, wielding clubs and pitchforks—it was the Xu family’s retainers.

Guo Xin looked at Xu Wenshan. “What does this mean?”

Xu Wenshan spread his hands; these men were not his people.

“Beat them,” said the leader.

The retainers surged forward.