Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 199 Dongyang Escort Agency (Seeking monthly votes)

The镖师 (bodyguard/escort) threw the silver ingot directly at Old Sun, giving the order without any intention of discussion.

Old Sun accepted the silver, not daring to refuse, and bowed and scraped, saying, "I...I'll go get it right away, please wait a moment, esteemed guests!"

After saying that, Old Sun looked at Gu Mo and the others and said in a low voice, "Gentlemen, this group of people doesn't seem easy to deal with. We can't afford to offend them. You should go inside and rest and have some tea. I'll help them tidy up the rooms first. Fortunately, they only need two rooms, so there are some available. You can rest assured."

Gu Mo and his companions were unwilling to cause trouble. Although the three of them each had their own backing and were not afraid of trouble, they could simply leave, leaving Old Sun and his granddaughter Sun Xiaohong behind to have a difficult time.

In addition, although that group of people seemed to act in a domineering manner, they were still quite considerate. They knew to pay money, and neither drove Gu Mo and his group away nor made any excessive demands.

Immediately,

Gu Mo and his two companions then entered the main room in the middle, while Old Sun took his granddaughter to tidy up the room. As for the group of bodyguards, they didn't move at all, remaining guard by the carriage.

After entering the main room,
Chen Xiuyuan found a pot of tea in the kitchen, washed three slightly dirty cups, and slowly walked out, pouring tea as he said in a low voice, "These people are not bodyguards from the Dongyang Escort Agency."

Gu Chudong asked in confusion, "Are you very familiar with the Dongyang Escort Agency?"

Chen Xiuyuan nodded slightly and said, "It's a well-known escort agency in Qingzhou, but I've never dealt with it before and I'm not familiar with it."

"Then how do you know these people aren't bodyguards from the Dongyang Escort Agency?" Gu Chudong asked.

Chen Xiuyuan said, "These people, apart from that woman, the other eight are all from military backgrounds. They have a very obvious military temperament, and they are definitely not from ordinary armies. Only battle-hardened soldiers can cultivate that kind of fierce aura."

Gu Chudong asked in surprise, "You can even tell that?"

“It’s obvious that people from military backgrounds always retain some of the habits of the ranks.” Chen Xiuyuan took a sip of tea and said with a smile, “I’m afraid the person in that carriage is not a simple person. Ordinary people wouldn’t be qualified to have eight battle-hardened soldiers as their personal guards.”

Gu Mo asked, "Didn't the Six Doors receive any related information?"

Chen Xiuyuan said helplessly, "Master Gu, our Six Doors are not all-pervasive. Moreover, the Six Doors haven't even suppressed the martial arts world of the Northern Desert yet, so how could we have the strength to establish a large intelligence network?"

Gu Mo smiled slightly and said, "The northern desert has a special geographical location. Even if the martial arts world in the northern desert has finished taking over, it will probably not be easy to improve it as much as it has in the central region."

"It's practically impossible..."

As the group chatted idly,

Old Sun and Sun Xiaohong tidied up the room, and Old Sun bowed and scraped as he went out to negotiate.

A short while later, a young bodyguard and the only female bodyguard walked to the carriage and whispered to each other for a while. Then the young bodyguard opened an oil-paper umbrella, the copper rings on the carriage door clicked softly, and the blue silk curtain was lifted by withered fingers, revealing half of a pale, paper-white face.

He was a handsome young man with a touch of nobility.

The veins on his hand gripping the carriage door bulged, and the jade pendant at his waist swayed slightly with his panting. Even getting off the carriage seemed extremely difficult for him.

Old Sun and Sun Xiaohong huddled in a corner, their cloudy pupils reflecting the young man's elegant sky-blue robe.

This remote post station in the desert should not have such a luxurious carriage, much less carry a sickly person who could be swept away by the sandstorm at any moment.

The female bodyguard held an umbrella, while the young bodyguard helped the young master down from the carriage and slowly walked towards the room. As for the other seven bodyguards, two were checking the room and indicating that there was nothing wrong with it, while the other five stood seemingly casually in one place, but in fact they formed a pincer movement, which could both protect the young master in the middle and guard against any enemies that might appear from any direction.

Soon, the young master entered the room.
One of the two bodyguards responsible for checking the rooms went in, another guarded the door, and yet another guarded the courtyard gate. The other four bodyguards went to rest in the next room.

The female bodyguard who was holding the umbrella and helping him, along with the young bodyguard, quickly came out of the room. The young bodyguard was carrying an oil paper bag and a ceramic jar. He said to Old Sun, "Old man, may I borrow your kitchen? I need to go and brew some medicine for my young master."

This young bodyguard was completely different from the previous one; he was very polite in his speech and had a very gentle attitude.

Sun Xiaohong hid behind her grandfather, curiously observing the young and female bodyguards.

The young bodyguard had dark, rough skin, but if you looked closely, you would notice that he had very handsome, well-defined features. The female bodyguard beside him was no more than twenty years old, with delicate, fair skin, not like someone who had been traveling the world for a long time. The blush on her face seemed to be from her first time in the northern desert, exposed to the wind and sand.

The female bodyguard's expression was clearly arrogant. When she looked at Old Sun and his granddaughter Sun Xiaohong, her eyes clearly showed a sense of disdain, and she even stood far away from them.

As an ordinary citizen, Old Sun was naturally afraid of these martial arts figures. Even though the young bodyguard was very polite, he was still trembling with fear and said, "Great hero... the kitchen is over there, I'll take you there right away!"

"Thank you, sir."

Immediately, Old Sun led the young bodyguard and the female bodyguard into the main room.

Old Sun pointed to the door behind the main house and said, "The kitchen is in there, hero. Do you need me to start a fire?"

"Do you have any firewood?" the young bodyguard asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, there are plenty inside," Old Sun replied.

The young bodyguard said, "Then we can go ourselves..."

"I go."

Before the young bodyguard could finish speaking, the female bodyguard interrupted him curtly, taking the oil paper bag and casserole from his hands without any politeness. Then, she coldly ordered, "You stand guard outside and don't let anyone in. Do you understand?"

The female bodyguard spoke in a very harsh tone; it wasn't just impolite, it was downright bossy.

But the young bodyguard was used to it and said with a smile, "Alright, Miss, you go ahead. I'll keep watch outside. Don't worry, I guarantee I won't let a single fly in."

"If anyone dares to disturb us, I will hold you accountable!"

After saying that, the female bodyguard went straight inside. Just as she reached the door, she suddenly stopped, turned around and glanced at Old Sun and Sun Xiaohong, startling the grandfather and granddaughter so much that they froze. Then, the female bodyguard's gaze lingered on Gu Mo and the others for a moment before she went into the kitchen and began to cook.

In the main room,
Gu Mo and his two companions sat drinking tea when Old Sun and his grandson came over to greet them before going out to prepare the west wing for their lodgings. The young bodyguard was left standing awkwardly at the kitchen doorway.

After a while,

The young bodyguard was clearly parched. Somewhat embarrassed, he approached Gu Mo and the others' table, and with a smile, asked, "Gentlemen, could I have a cup of tea? I left my water pouch outside. My young lady has a bad temper; if she finds out I left here for water, it'll be troublesome later."

Gu Mo nodded slightly, signaling Gu Chudong to pour a cup of tea for the young bodyguard.

The young bodyguard quickly thanked him, picked up the tea and drank it all in one gulp, but he was clearly not satisfied and was too embarrassed to ask for more directly, so he cupped his hands and said, "I am Xiao Ziyan from the Dongyang Escort Agency. May I ask your honorable names, my friends?"

"My surname is Chen," Chen Xiuyuan introduced. "These two are brother and sister, both surnamed Gu. We are all wandering martial artists. Brother Xiao, are you here to deliver someone?"

Xiao Ziyan nodded and said, "I'm escorting a young master. Are the three of you heading to Juyan County?" Then...

Xiao Ziyan then started chatting with Chen Xiuyuan.

However, after chatting for a short while, Gu Mo and Chen Xiuyuan realized the man's purpose. Asking for a few drinks was secondary; his main goal was to extract information from them, as he was worried that Gu Mo and his companions had ulterior motives.

Chen Xiuyuan, a seasoned veteran, managed to glean some information from Xiao Ziyan through his attempts to elicit answers. For instance, the female bodyguard was Huang Ying, the daughter of the head bodyguard and owner of the Dongyang Escort Agency. Also, this group's destination was Yunzhou.

Xiao Ziyan was very tight-lipped, and only managed to glean these two pieces of information.

After a while,

It was completely dark by then. Old Sun's family couldn't afford oil lamps, and they didn't have the habit of eating late-night snacks. However, Old Sun did come to inquire about it.

Both Gu Mo's group and the Dongyang Escort Agency group said they had brought their own rations and didn't need Old Sun to cook for them.

So, as soon as it got dark, Gu Mo and the others went to rest. Xiao Ziyan, however, remained in the main room, waiting for the young lady to brew her medicine.

There are two rooms in the west wing. Chen Xiuyuan and Gu Mo share one room, while Gu Chudong has a separate room.

Upon entering the room, Chen Xiuyuan said, "It's confirmed now; Xiao Ziyan and his group are definitely not from the Dongyang Escort Agency."

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "How can you be so sure?"

Chen Xiuyuan said, "Dongyang Escort Agency has a considerable reputation in Qingzhou. It belongs to the largest group of escort agencies. And escort agencies can lag behind in everything, but they cannot lag behind in information. So, is there any escort agency in Qingzhou that doesn't know about Gu Mo, the great hero of Yunzhou?"

"Master Gu, you are very recognizable. Even blindfolded, you act like a normal person, always accompanied by a pretty young girl carrying a book box. Honestly, while I wouldn't dare say the average martial artist, the people from the escort agency are extremely well-informed. Seeing you siblings should have immediately made a connection, but today this group showed no reaction whatsoever. Even Xiao Ziyan heard me introduce you as Gu, yet he still didn't react. This isn't the level of awareness one would expect from someone from an escort agency!"

Gu Mo smiled and said, "There are so many people in the martial arts world, and many with names and surnames. Every day there are all sorts of legendary figures. It's normal that they don't recognize me. Forget about it. Let's leave first thing tomorrow morning. What they do and where they go is none of our business."

……

The moonlight shimmered, and the stars twinkled.

Huang Ying carried the medicine pot out of the kitchen, and Xiao Ziyan, who was guarding outside the door, hurriedly followed. The two went to the room in the east wing where the young master was resting.

At this moment, the young master was sitting cross-legged on the bed, practicing his internal energy. His face was still pale, and his breathing was very weak. Two bodyguards stood guard at the door and in a corner, respectively.

"Second brother."

Huang Ying poured the medicine into a bowl, waited until it cooled down, and then placed it in front of the young master, saying in a very gentle tone, "Drink the medicine first."

The young master opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He took the medicine bowl and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Fifth Sister."

Huang Ying said with great self-blame, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been delayed along the way and hadn't arrived on time to meet you, you wouldn't have been so badly injured."

The young master drank the medicine in one gulp.

Huang Ying quickly took out a few rock candies from her bosom.

The young master, with rock candy in his mouth, slowly said, "Fifth Sister, don't blame yourself. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to return to the capital alive. Neither the Third, Fourth, nor Seventh Brother wanted me to go back alive. As for Father Emperor..."

Huang Ying quickly said, "Second brother, Father must miss you very much!"

The young master chuckled and said, "I hope so!" Then, he looked at Xiao Ziyan beside him and asked, "Ziyan, who are those people?"

Xiao Ziyan shook his head and said, "Those people were all very tight-lipped, and we couldn't get any useful information out of them. However, they shouldn't be assassins. Only the middle-aged man surnamed Chen seemed to have decent martial arts skills, with calluses on his hands, clearly someone who uses a knife for a long time. As for the two young men surnamed Gu, one was blind and the other was a young girl. They were both fair-skinned and didn't seem like they had been traveling the martial arts world for a long time. They looked more like rich young masters and ladies who were out for a stroll."

The young master nodded and said, "Even so, we must not let our guard down."

Xiao Ziyan nodded and said, "I understand."

The young master then looked at Huang Ying and asked, "Fifth Sister, is Du Sha almost here?"

Huang Ying said, "According to the information we received before, Chief Constable Du should be able to reunite with us in the next day or two. In addition, I have also invited the Medicine Saint Qi Miaoxuan to come and treat your injuries, Second Brother."

The young master frowned and asked, "Qi Miaoxuan, a江湖人 (jianghu person), is he reliable?"

Huang Ying said, "Qi Miaoxuan was vouched for by Physician Miao of the Imperial Hospital."

The young master nodded slightly.

……

At the same time, in an inconspicuous little house in Shenjingtun.

Several martial arts practitioners were gathered together, and the atmosphere was very oppressive. Each of them was a well-known evil master in the martial arts world.

At the head of the table sat a withered old woman, cross-legged in a bronze wheelchair, her hands wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, seven child skulls hanging from her waist. This was Blood Hand Granny, a notorious and wicked master of the martial arts world in Qingzhou. She was infamous for having given birth to five children in her youth, all of whom died young. Afterward, she began stealing other people's children, toying with them, and killing them when she was tired of them, committing countless evil deeds for decades. However, due to her superior martial arts skills and the backing of the Moon Worship Cult, she remained at large.

She said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, tell me, are we still going to take action tonight?"

Sitting opposite the old woman was a young man dressed in plain white mourning clothes, holding a soul-summoning banner. His face was covered with thick powder, but it couldn't hide the lividity around his eyes. This man was Wu Chang, the top assassin of Hongzhou. He chuckled and said, "Grandma, do you dare to make a move? Gu Mo, the great hero of Yunzhou, is currently living under the same roof as the Second Prince!"

“Indeed,” a scholar in a blue robe holding a folding fan chimed in, “That Master Gu is known for his chivalry and meddlesome nature. Alas, our luck is not so good; how could we have run into that plague god?”

This person is the scholar Fugu, ranked sixth on the black list of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Wu Chang snorted and pointed to an old man with red hair drinking in the corner, saying, "Isn't it this old monster? Why did he have to go and kill someone? If he hadn't gone to kill someone, how would he have attracted Gu Mo? Everyone in the martial arts world says that Gu Mo is righteous and hates evil, but in reality, Gu Mo is just fulfilling his role as a ghostwriter. Whenever a wanted criminal appears, he goes there to find him."

For a moment, all three of them looked toward the red-haired old man in the corner. This man was none other than Xiao Pojun, who was known in the martial arts world as the Crimson Flame Old Monster.

Xiao Pojun retorted indignantly, "Is it my fault? It wasn't my intention to kill people; it was those people who came to kill me that made me fight back."

Blood Hand Granny sneered, "I just can't help it. Which of us is less famous than you? None of us have been recognized, but you're the only one with a big reputation? Who doesn't know that you, Crimson Flame Old Monster, kill for pleasure? If you didn't actively go out to kill, who could find you? I've been here for half a year without being noticed. How long have you been here? Hmph, you're the one who caused this trouble. You tell me what to do about it?"

"Hmph, it's just Gu Mo, is it really that big of a deal?" Old Monster Chi Yan put the wine pot on the table and said coldly, "Gu Mo is a human, and so am I. He has high martial arts skills, and so do I. He wants to kill me, and I want to kill him too. I'll go... lure him away!"

(End of this chapter)