After Gu Yi and the others withdrew, Gu Yang cautiously asked,
"Father, when did you begin cultivating the Hidden Guard? Why had I not heard a whisper of it before?"
"The matter of the Hidden Guard will be told to you when the time is right."
Gu Qingfeng brushed off the question with a nonchalant response.
Gu Yang, despite his myriad of questions, had no choice but to suppress them.
Leaving the Grinding Blade Hall,
Gu Yang shook off his earlier dejection, feeling a surge of boldness within.
A hundred Hidden Guards.
Though the number didn't seem large, each one possessed enough strength to establish a sect.
Having such a force at his disposal gave him a vast scope for maneuvering.
Gu Yang summoned all the Hidden Guards.
He saw over a hundred black-clad figures standing there, each with an indifferent expression that rendered the vast Inner Hall silent and serene.
Seeing this, Gu Yang once again updated his understanding of the Hidden Guard.
Not to mention anything else,
just the discipline alone was telling.
"Perhaps Father has long harbored thoughts of contending for supremacy in the world?"
Gu Yang pondered privately.
Otherwise, how could the existence of the Hidden Guards be explained?
Initially, Gu Yang thought the Hidden Guards were talents secretly cultivated by Gu Qingfeng.
the Hidden Guards could no longer be described as mere talented martial artists.
Despite being only a hundred strong, they gave Gu Yang a chilling and solemn feeling, as though he was facing elite military troops.
The Hidden Guard was not so simple.
"What martial arts do the Hidden Guard practice?"
Gu Yang turned to Gu Yi beside him and asked.
Upon hearing the question, the latter bowed and said, "All the Hidden Guards practice the martial arts passed down by the manor master, which are the Red Flame Divine Skill and the Seven Killings Blade Skills!"
"In that case, Father must hold you all in high regard!"
He was, of course, familiar with the Seven Killings Blade Skills, and he had also heard of the Red Flame Divine Skill, the latter being a supreme skill that had hopes of reaching the Innate Grandmaster level.
As the manor master of Gu Family Manor, Gu Yang himself was also qualified to cultivate the Red Flame Divine Skill.
However, he was still in the Blood Refining Realm, so he had no intention of cultivating the Red Flame Divine Skill at the moment.
the Fiery Sun Divine Palm, at the level of Blood Refining, was superior in its own right, capable of inducing a breakthrough to the Bone Refining Realm upon reaching Ninth Layer Perfection.
the Red Flame Divine Skill could not compare.
the ceilings of both were different.
The Fiery Sun Divine Palm topped at the Initial Stage of Bone Refining, while the ceiling for the Red Flame Divine Skill was the Innate Grandmaster.
In terms of importance, the former was insignificant compared to the latter.
But for now, the most crucial thing for Gu Yang was to achieve a breakthrough in the Bone Refining Realm.
The Late Stage of Blood Refining might seem strong, but that was only within the confines of White Stone Dao; in other places, it would not be considered much.
His battle against the rebel army made it clear to Gu Yang the shortcomings of his own strength.
Had Gu Qingfeng not arrived in time, he would have already perished at the hands of the rebels.
After observing the Hidden Guards for a moment, Gu Yang decided to temporarily include them in the Inner Hall. He then waved his hand, dismissing everyone but leaving Gu Yi behind.
"Commander Gu, there is something I would like to ask."
"Please speak, manor master!"
Gu Yi's expression remained calm.
Gu Yang looked at him and said in a deep voice, "When did Father start establishing the Hidden Guard?"
"The manor master needs to ask the venerable one himself; I dare not speak rashly!"
Gu Yi shook his head, not answering Gu Yang's question.
Gu Yang frowned slightly, "Father has ordered you to follow my command; do you refuse to answer even a simple question?"
"The venerable one has given orders on this matter previously. It's not that I am unwilling to answer. Should the manor master seek to assign blame, I am willing to accept the punishment!"
Gu Yi said this and then knelt on one knee, bowing his head as he spoke.
After looking at him for a while, Gu Yang shook his head helplessly, "Enough, if you're not willing to speak, I won't force you. Stand up and speak!"
Gu Yi stood up as told.
"I have a matter that requires the services of your Hidden Guard."
"Please instruct, manor master!"
Gu Yi repeated his earlier words.
Gu Yang said, "I need the Hidden Guard to thoroughly investigate the court's strength in Guangyang Prefecture and secretly gather reliable people, waiting for the opportune moment!"
Gu Yang waved his hand, then added another sentence.
"The security of the Gu Family Manor will also temporarily be the responsibility of the Hidden Guard."
Gu Yi took his orders and withdrew.
Then the spacious Inner Hall was left with only Gu Yang.
"We are indeed short of capable hands!"
After a long while, Gu Yang sighed helplessly.
The Hidden Guard were strong and could be of significant help, but a hundred men ultimately were too few.
Indeed, if they were to be spread out, a hundred men would certainly not be enough.
But this was unavoidable.
The Gu Family Manor had only been established for a few years, and raising a new generation of strong candidates would take time to accumulate.
Without several decades or even a century of development, no power could expect to have a considerable foundation.
However, this was also why.
Gu Yang was still full of doubt about how Gu Qingfeng could secretly train the Hidden Guard.
The strength of the Hidden Guard was not simple.
The weakest among them had achieved Bone Refining Perfection, and the strongest had achieved Refining Organ Perfection. Such a force couldn't be cultivated in just a few years.
Back in Lin County, Gu Qingfeng was just a martial artist suspected to be at the Blood Refining Realm.
Gu Yang had seen the battle with the Evil Suppression Bureau's magician with his own eyes.
That Gu Qingfeng also had his secrets.
How could he possess such unfathomable strength now, and how could he have raised such a force as the Hidden Guard?
Even though Gu Yang was aware of the secrets Gu Qingfeng may be hiding, he wouldn't actually go digging around for them.
If the time were right, Gu Qingfeng would undoubtedly tell him on his own; otherwise, even if Gu Yang were to inquire further, the other man wouldn't divulge anything.
Instead of worrying so much, it was better to make good use of the Hidden Guard's strength and to enhance his own power.
When the day comes that the world completely falls into chaos, the Gu Family Manor should also be able to carve out its own place in this tumultuous era.
"With the Taixuan Emperor in declining health, I fear he won't last much longer. Once he passes away, the fragile balance that the Taixuan Dynasty has been able to maintain will utterly dissipate.
At that time, the world would inevitably be more chaotic!"
"With the current strength of the Gu Family Manor, to seek dominance in this disordered world is still a long and arduous path!"
"Not to mention competing for the realm, but at the very least, we must possess the strength to deal with the Nine Curves Evil Buddha, for as long as that issue remains unsolved, it's like a blade hanging over our heads, constantly threatening our lives!"
Gu Yang's gaze was profound. The more severe the problems faced by the Gu Family Manor, the more tranquil his heart became.
All he needed to do was proceed step by step.
And everything was possible.