6. The Fierce Bandit Gu Dao

After moving into the new courtyard, Gu Dao wandered around the yard.

Having transmigrated into the body of this unfortunate soul, a life of luxury was out of the question. If he didn’t want to live under others’ control and dependency, he had only one choice: to break away from the Gu family and build his own career with great vigor.

To start his own enterprise, he lacked the most crucial element—startup capital.

Asking the Gu family for money was futile; they would never give him a cent. He could kill a few servants, but there was no way he would hold a knife to the old lady’s throat to force her to hand over cash.

“This is absolutely ridiculous. The Gu family is dripping with wealth, yet as the legitimate eldest son, I have nothing to my name. They want me to start from scratch, huh?”

The quickest way to make money was, of course, written in the criminal code.

What’s more, the best part was that he now held a death exemption card—guaranteed protection for a certain period.

Gu Dao paused to think, running through a mental map of the old Gu family mansion.

Then he settled on a perfect place to start his venture.

That was the Gu family’s private academy.

All of Gu family’s children of appropriate age studied there. The older ones prepared for imperial examinations, while the younger ones received their enlightenment education there.

He had never liked coming here before and rarely did so.

Because regardless of age or rank, they were all united in ostracizing him.

Amid the clear sound of reading, Gu Dao walked into the school with his hands behind his back.

“You good-for-nothing, how dare you come here? Get out, your very breath disrupts my studies,” a student of about fourteen or fifteen threw down his book and pointed at Gu Dao.

The master looked up with displeasure.

“Interrupting class like this, showing no manners, don’t disturb others’ studies. Get out,” the master said coldly, a face full of disdain.

They had long become henchmen of Mei Sheng.

Seeing the master’s attitude, the other students began to shout as well.

“Get out, you useless trash...”

“Get out, you’re disturbing our studies...”

Some even threw books at Gu Dao.

Gu Dao easily dodged and approached the master.

“Master, teaching should guide people toward kindness. They speak ill of me, and you won’t step in?” Gu Dao asked.

“Hmph, why don’t they speak ill of others? You should look to yourself for the reason,” the master glared and said casually. “The illustrious Gu family, a thousand-year-old lineage, how could it produce a waste like you? You’d better die early.”

“Useless trash, die early...”

“Good-for-nothing, a waste of food alive...”

Gu Dao smiled and suddenly raised his fist, striking the master squarely in the eye.

“Ah, Gu Dao, you unfilial brat! How dare you hit the master...”

The master never expected Gu Dao to lay a hand on him. Covering his eye, he roared angrily.

Gu Dao grabbed the ruler and began to beat the old master relentlessly.

The master, clutching his head, fled like a scared rabbit.

Gu Dao dragged him back and kicked him into a corner, delivering a series of harsh kicks.

“You shameless dog without teacher’s morals, you’ve oppressed me for over ten years and led your students to insult me...”

The entire class was stunned.

How could anyone dare to hit the teacher? Was the good-for-nothing mad?

“Gu Dao, you reckless fool! How dare you assault the master? Are you insane?” the master, face bruised and swollen, shouted angrily.

Gu Dao raised the ruler and slapped it across his face.

“Why shouldn’t I hit others? I ask you, why shouldn’t I? Think about it yourself,” Gu Dao sneered, returning the master’s earlier words.

Then he turned his gaze to all the children, grinning fiercely, causing some timid ones to nearly burst into tears.

“Dare to insult me? Line up one by one and hand over your pocket money.”

Gu Dao’s first venture: beating students for cash.

The students trembled and hurriedly took out their pocket money, placing it on the desk.

Each of them had more money than Gu Dao.

At least a dozen copper coins, some over twenty.

Before this, Gu Dao had nothing to his name.

“Anyone who dares insult me again will suffer the same fate as this old dog, got it?” Gu Dao raised the ruler and asked.

“We got it...” they replied.

“Say it louder, I can’t hear you,” Gu Dao banged on the desk angrily.

“We got it!” the students shouted.

“All right, class dismissed early today. Tomorrow, each of you bring twenty copper coins, or else...” Gu Dao waved his hand, and the students dispersed in a flurry.

Gu Dao looked back at the master.

“Have you understood why I didn’t hit others but chose to hit you?” Gu Dao asked coldly.

“I... I shouldn’t have... deliberately humiliated and oppressed you... I had no choice...” the master said evasively.

“Enough nonsense. Hand over your money,” Gu Dao tapped the ruler.

The master tremblingly handed over his money pouch, containing just five taels of silver and some loose copper coins.

Gu Dao finished collecting from one courtyard and, holding the pouch and ruler, moved on to another courtyard.

Here, the students were older, nearly twenty, mostly preparing for the next year’s spring imperial exam.

Gu Dao was a special forces veteran, highly skilled in close combat, so even though these men were adults, he easily subdued them.

Facing a dozen fierce thugs barehanded, he could easily kill them; these dozen weaklings were no challenge.

His second venture was quite fruitful.

He gained a hundred taels of silver and a pile of clothes.

No kidding, university students’ pocket money was far more than that of middle schoolers.

With the money in hand, Gu Dao left satisfied, planning to return tomorrow.