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

Chapter 203 Ruins of Xunxu and Angelica (Seeking monthly votes)
Gu Mo didn't understand the game of power, nor had he ever been in contact with anyone from the royal family. However, he could roughly understand the saying, "The imperial family has no relatives." Whether in his past or present life, history clearly records the cruelty of countless struggles for the throne.

Therefore, Gu Mo naturally understood.

How troublesome is it to be a prince with the qualifications to be the crown prince!
"This is so troublesome, Senior Qi, you dare to get involved?" Gu Mo asked in surprise.

Qi Miaoxuan waved her hand and said, "It's just returning a favor. I have no intention of serving this Second Prince. I'm saying all this to remind you. With your martial arts skills, the Second Prince will definitely try every means to recruit you. He'll promise you high-ranking positions, wealth, and even a high-ranking position."

But I strongly advise you not to be tempted by those things. Gu Mo, you were born for the martial world; the imperial court is not for you. In the martial world, you might become the greatest martial artist, but in the imperial court, where killing is ruthless, you'd be reduced to ashes. Those who thrive in the court and officialdom are ruthless to the core. You, Gu Mo, are too aloof and lack reverence for power; you can't become that kind of person.”

Gu Mo smiled and said, "Senior Qi, don't worry. I'm not interested in the court and officialdom. I just want to be a ghostwriter and wander around the world. If I get tired, I can take a break whenever I want. I have no interest in the intricacies of officialdom."

"That's good if you think so."

Qi Miaoxuan untied the wine gourd at his waist, took a swig, and said, "I'm really afraid that you might have a moment of weakness and enter officialdom. At that time, your heart for martial arts will no longer be pure, and your path of martial arts will come to an end."

"I was even thinking of getting you to beat that bastard Su Qianqiu to a pulp someday! Damn it, I've disliked him for ages! Being number one in the world is fine, but he has to pretend, calling himself number two. Screw him! Gu Mo, you go beat him up, beat him to death!"

The name Su Qianqiu, the second-best in the world, might be unknown to ordinary people, but those in the martial arts world would certainly know it. This is because he claims to be the second-best in the world, but in reality, he is the best, single-handedly protecting his country. His country, Southern Jin, is a small nation that has survived the current chaos and confrontation among various countries, all thanks to the sword god Su Qianqiu.

Su Qianqiu is known as the Sword God. The reason he calls himself the second best in the world is because he fought against Jiang Ruoxu, the number one sword saint of the previous generation, and suffered a crushing defeat.

Later, Jiang Ruoxu became possessed by the sword and was besieged and disappeared by the martial arts world. He was nowhere to be found for thirty years, and everyone in the martial arts world believed that Jiang Ruoxu was dead. However, Su Qianqiu did not care because he always said that even if it was Jiang Ruoxu thirty years ago, he still could not beat him. Therefore, he only deserved to be called the second best in the world.

As the youngest Grandmaster in the world, and also a Grandmaster of internal martial arts, many in the martial arts world believe that Gu Mo may surpass Su Qianqiu or wait until Su Qianqiu grows old.

However, Gu Mo never took such comments to heart. After all, he had no grudge against Su Qianqiu, and he himself had no obsession with becoming the number one in the world.

However, upon suddenly hearing Qi Miaoxuan's resentful words, he was momentarily taken aback and asked in confusion, "Senior Qi, do you have a grudge against Su Qianqiu?"

"No," Qi Miaoxuan said, "we've only met once."

"Then why did you want me to beat him up?" Gu Mo asked.

“I just can’t stand it,” Qi Miaoxuan said. “Originally, Su Qianqiu’s claim of being the second best in the world made me think he was just putting on an act, but I didn’t think much of it. However, ten years ago, I met him by chance, and honestly, I’ve never seen such a pretentious person in my life. He kept saying things like ‘masters are lonely like falling snow,’ and ‘the number one martial artist is very lonely.’ I just couldn’t beat him, otherwise I would have slapped him a few times!”

Gu Mo: “…”

If Qi Miaoxuan didn't embellish the story, then Su Qianqiu was indeed quite pretentious.

While the group was chatting,
A series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

The Second Prince, Princess Chengyang, Du Sha, and a group of experts from the Six Doors arrived.

The second prince was quite polite, standing outside the door and bowing, saying, "Old Master Qi, Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, I apologize for disturbing you. Are you all available now?"

"Alright," Qi Miaoxuan waved his hand and said, "Come in. Since you've come on your own, it saves me the trouble of looking for you again."

Immediately, the Second Prince, Princess Chengyang, and Du Sha entered the room, making the already small room feel somewhat crowded.

The Second Prince bowed to Qi Miaoxuan and said, "I'm so grateful to Elder Qi for making this trip all this way for me." Then, the Second Prince bowed to Gu Mo and Gu Chudong and said, "I am very grateful to Hero Gu and Heroine Gu for saving my life last night. I should have come to thank you in person last night, but I thought it was late and I was afraid of disturbing your rest. Thank you both for saving my life. I will never forget your kindness."

Gu Mo waved his hand and said, "Your Highness is too kind. It was just a small favor that happened to be there. You don't need to take it to heart."

The second prince added, "I will never forget your life-saving grace..."

"Let's talk about polite things later," Qi Miaoxuan interrupted the Second Prince, saying, "Come here first so I can see how badly your poison has progressed. Oh, by the way, let me make this clear beforehand. You know the prerequisites for me to treat your illness and poison, right?"

Princess Chengyang said, "A rare and precious treasure and ten thousand taels of silver are ready."

As she spoke, Princess Chengyang placed the sandalwood box she had been carrying on the table, slowly opened it, and inside was a fist-sized blood-red pearl. She then placed a stack of silver notes on the table.

Qi Miaoxuan accepted the items without any politeness and said, "Also, in front of me, there are only doctors and patients. I don't care about princes or princesses. If you feel that my treatment process is offensive, just keep it to yourself. If you are really dissatisfied, then I will not treat you. However, the consultation fee will not be refunded."

The second prince quickly said, "Please treat me, sir. Just treat me like an ordinary patient."

Du Sha and Princess Chengyang remained silent. Du Sha stepped aside to observe, and Princess Chengyang also moved aside, but she moved to Gu Chudong's side and stared intently at Gu Chudong.

Gu Chudong had a bad impression of Princess Chengyang because when they first met yesterday, she felt that the princess was very arrogant and always looked down on people.

Seeing Princess Chengyang approach, Gu Chudong immediately stepped aside to create some distance, but unexpectedly, Princess Chengyang also took a step forward.

The room was only so big, and Gu Chudong had nowhere to retreat. Moreover, if she retreated any further, it would seem a bit contrived. So, Gu Chudong pretended not to know and watched intently as Qi Miaoxuan took the Second Prince's pulse.

“My name is Li Li, the Li as in carp. You can also call me Chengyang.” Princess Chengyang tilted her head to look at Gu Chudong, her face full of smiles.

Gu Chudong was a polite person. Although she thought Princess Chengyang was very arrogant, they hadn't had any conflict before, and since the princess had taken the initiative to speak to her, she couldn't very well ignore her. At the same time, she was also puzzled as to why this arrogant princess would take the initiative to talk to her, so she replied, "My name is Gu Chudong."

“I know your name is Gu Chudong,” Princess Chengyang said. “Your brother’s name is Gu Mo. He is a great hero of Yunzhou, one of the ten grandmasters of Qian Kingdom, and the number one swordsman in the world. You and he grew up together, relying on each other for survival.”

When Gu Chudong heard Princess Chengyang recount Gu Mo's list of titles with such familiarity, she immediately guessed that the reason Princess Chengyang had taken the initiative to talk to her was probably because of her brother, and it seemed that she greatly admired him.

Suddenly, she found Princess Chengyang much more pleasing to the eye and she was no longer so cold.

Princess Chengyang then asked, "How old are you this year?" She added immediately afterward, "How old is your brother? I heard he is the youngest internal energy master in the world."

Gu Chudong immediately said proudly, "Of course, my brother is only twenty-one years old..."

Princess Chengyang and Gu Chudong started chatting in a corner.

Meanwhile, Qi Miaoxuan had finished examining the Second Prince Li Zhongqing and said, "The main poison is indeed Biling Saliva, but there are more than one type of auxiliary poison, a total of thirteen. The methods are all different. It seems that many people want you dead. However, you are lucky. Those who poisoned you did not discuss it and each did their own thing. There are a total of fourteen poisons, which are intertwined and mutually reinforcing. If there were one less or one more, it would have broken the balance and you would have died. I really don't know whether to say that you are lucky or unlucky."

The Second Prince, Li Zhongqing, smiled helplessly and asked, "Can it be cured?"

"Remove the word 'ma'," Qi Miaoxuan said. "I, Qi Miaoxuan, have never failed a consultation once I've accepted the fee. However, your case is a bit troublesome and cannot be cleared in a short time. Be prepared, you'll have to stay here for at least seven days."

Li Zhongqing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Please, sir, save me!"

Qi Miaoxuan nodded, looked at Gu Mo, and said, "Hero Gu, you have to help me. Well, I'll clear out the thirteen auxiliary poisons in the first three days and use silver needles to restrain the Azure Spirit Saliva Poison. However, you need to use your Extreme Cold True Qi to completely seal the Azure Spirit Saliva Poison through my silver needles. Three days, is that alright?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Please give your instructions, senior."

Qi Miaoxuan smiled slightly.

Immediately, he opened the medicine box, took out a large number of bottles and jars, prepared a large amount of pills for the Second Prince to take, and then began to administer acupuncture. With each needle, Gu Mo used Mingyu True Qi mixed with Hanbing True Qi to infuse the silver needle.

Du Sha then quickly relayed the order.
In an instant, the hundreds of constables from the Six Gates in the entire village were placed under martial law.

……

In the evening, the sun sets.

In a closed room, the Second Prince Li Zhongqing was soaking naked in a large wooden tub, which was steaming hot and filled with bubbling medicinal herbs.

Qi Miaoxuan was pounding medicine on the side, while Gu Mo kept checking the icy true energy on the silver needles.

suddenly,

A loud bang came from afar, just like the roar of an ancient ferocious beast breaking free from its seal, making people's eardrums hurt and their souls tremble.

The deafening roar still echoed through the heavens and earth, followed by wave after wave of thunderous booms. Each boom was like the collapse of the sky and the splitting of the earth, like thousands of thunderbolts exploding simultaneously, or like a thousand armies galloping past, carrying a destructive force. The earth trembled violently under the roar, as if it were about to sink.

"what happened?"

Qi Miaoxuan was shocked. Her body swayed, and all the dregs in the medicine pot in her hand spilled out. The second prince in the wooden tub also suddenly opened his eyes.

Gu Mo immediately pushed open the door and went out.

At this moment, the deafening roar continued, and the earth continued to shake and vibrate, stirring up clouds of dust.

As soon as he stepped outside, Du Sha rushed in, exclaiming, "The Ruins of Xunxu... the Ruins of Xunxu have appeared!"

……

The whole village was alarmed, and all the Six Doors constables were on high alert.

Gu Mo, Gu Chudong, Qi Miaoxuan, Du Sha, and several others who were not bound by the orders of the Six Doors quickly ran out, each using their own lightness skills to fly to the ravine above the village.

At that moment, apart from Gu Mo,

Everyone witnessed a shocking scene, staring intently at the distant desert that resembled an apocalyptic landscape.

The gale was like a pack of wild beasts breaking free of their cages, rampaging and roaring across the desert. The sand and dust, carried by the gale, surged and rolled like a raging black tide, as if trying to bury the entire world into endless chaos.

Tornadoes rose from the ground like giant black hands reaching out from the abyss of hell, baring their fangs and claws, carrying a world-destroying aura, attempting to suck the entire desert into that endless dark vortex.

The world was shrouded in darkness, the sunlight completely blocked out, leaving only a thick, inky gloom. The earth beneath our feet could not bear the weight, trembling and shaking violently, each tremor feeling as if it were shaking the soul out of the body.

Amidst this chilling expanse of yellow sand, the outline of an ancient city looms faintly. The mottled marks on the city walls appear even more eerie and unpredictable under the ravages of this terrifying sandstorm.

in fact,

Shenjingtun is quite far from that sandstorm, at least twenty miles away. However, the scene there is so vast that even from such a distance, it is still visible and one can still feel the immense power of the sandstorm.

"Someone has gone past."

Princess Li Li of Chengyang suddenly pointed to a mountain peak in the distance and said, "Are those people crazy?"

Looking over, everyone indeed saw a group of people riding horses rapidly heading towards the sandstorm.

"People die for wealth, birds die for food!" Qi Miaoxuan patted the sand off his face and said slowly, "The Ruins of the Ruins are said to contain a treasure that is richer than a country. No, it was originally the national treasury of a country. It also contains countless divine weapons and martial arts manuals. Let alone sandstorms, people would even venture into dragon's dens and tiger's lair."

Li Li exclaimed in surprise, "That's a sandstorm! If you get caught in it, how can you possibly survive?"

Qi Miaoxuan untied the wine gourd from his waist and said with a chuckle, "You young folks haven't heard of the Ruins of Kuoxu, and even if you know a little, it's just the name. I, old Qi, don't have any great abilities, but I've lived a long time. Forty years ago, I saw the Ruins of Kuoxu once. Just wait and see, the sandstorm will disappear in no time, and the legendary ancient city of Kuoxu will fully appear. Those of you rushing there now probably all know the rules for the appearance of the Ruins of Kuoxu and are all thinking of being the first to arrive!"

Gu Chudong quickly asked, "Senior Qi, but we've heard that the Ruins of Qi are very dangerous, and almost no one has ever come out alive?"

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled and said, "You'd have to be capable of getting in first." As she spoke, Qi Miaoxuan looked at Du Sha and said, "Chief Constable Du, Yunzhou is right next to this desert. Surely your Yunzhou Six Doors doesn't have any documents about this?"

Du Sha nodded slightly and said, "The Ruins of the Ruins have appeared for the ninth time now, and the Six Doors naturally have records of it. However, the records are few, only saying that the ancient city in the present world is actually a mirage. Therefore, many people go there each time, but very few can actually find the entrance and enter."

Furthermore, the ruins appear to be a large array, with its entrance constantly opening and closing in different locations each time. No one has yet identified what kind of array it is. Moreover, the mirage of the ancient city frequently changes location, making it difficult to pinpoint its location.

Qi Miaoxuan nodded and said, "That's what I understand too. The mirages appear at different times and in different locations, but the entrance is always at the mirage. That's why people rush there as soon as they see the ancient city appear, regardless of the dust, because if they're not careful, they'll miss it and won't know where the ancient city will appear next."

Gu Chudong asked, "Isn't this ancient city only supposed to appear for one day?"

Qi Miaoxuan shook his head and said, "Of course not. It starts every forty years on the sixteenth day of the eleventh month. After that, it will appear and disappear in the desert. I haven't heard of anyone finding a pattern yet. Sometimes it can last for a long time, like a day or half a day, and sometimes it can last for an hour or half an hour. It will last for about half a month."

"Then why doesn't this matter seem to attract much attention in Mobei?" Gu Chudong wondered.

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled and said, "Girl, this doesn't appear once every four months, nor once every four years, but once every forty years. How many people would believe something that looks like a mirage, a legend that has been circulating for forty years? Besides, mirages often appear in the desert."

Let alone forty years, even if it only appears once every ten years, not many people would believe it. Moreover, and most importantly, it has only existed as a legend; no one has ever actually gone in and come out, nor has anyone been heard of bringing back treasures or secret martial arts manuals, making it even less believable.

Gu Chudong asked in confusion, "If it's so unbelievable, why do people still go every time it's opened, even after hundreds of years?"

Qi Miaoxuan smiled and said, "People die for money, birds die for food. There will never be a shortage of desperate people in the martial arts world. Those people will not let go of any opportunity. Besides... hehe, it is hard to say that someone is manipulating this matter behind the scenes, allowing the rumors of the Ruins of the Ruins to continue to be preserved."

"What's the purpose?"

"How would I know?" Qi Miaoxuan said helplessly, "I was just guessing!"

After saying that, Qi Miaoxuan moved closer to Gu Mo and said with a smile, "Hey, Gu Mo, hero Gu, why don't you give it a try? With your martial arts skills, you're pretty much guaranteed to succeed. Who knows, there might really be a treasure trove that's worth more than a country and an invincible martial arts manual inside!"

"Why don't you go?"

"My martial arts skills are low," Qi Miaoxuan said with a smile. "How about this, you go and I'll go too? You protect me, and I'll heal your injuries. As long as you don't die immediately, I'm sure I can save your life. Let's team up!"

Gu Mo waved his hand and said, "Forget it. As for martial arts, I have enough to practice with my own. As for money and treasure, I have no great ambitions. I just like to spend the bounty I earn as a swordsman."

Actually, the authenticity of the ruins is quite high. Whether it contains a treasure trove of immense wealth is unclear, but there's a high probability it contains a powerful martial arts manual. This is because, when they killed Bai Qiliao, they learned that He Changqing likely brought out the initial version of the Zombie Kung Fu from the ruins.

Although the Zombie Kung Fu wasn't as powerful as imagined, its method of cultivation, which abandoned the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, was indeed unique and remarkable. Moreover, the fact that He Changqing only brought out one copy of the Zombie Kung Fu manual doesn't mean that it contained only one technique.

but,

It held no appeal for Gu Mo.

He possesses so many martial arts skills, all thanks to his own hard work. If you were to give him several divine martial arts manuals to practice, he wouldn't be very interested. Moreover, he has the system, the greatest treasure trove of martial arts knowledge. Compared to that, the Ruins of the Ruined Kingdom are merely a small box, holding no allure for him.

As for money, he always believed that enough is enough.

Immediately,

Gu Mo then turned and left.

Seeing Gu Mo turn and leave, Qi Miaoxuan hurriedly followed and said, "Hey, Gu Mo, are you really not interested?"

"I'm in my seventies or eighties, why are you still so curious?"

"Number one in the world, richer than a country!"

"..."

Subsequently,

Du Sha, Li Li, and their group also began to return.

Li Li followed beside Gu Chudong and asked, "Chudong, what do you think of that Ruins of Chudong?"

"Me?" Gu Chudong shook her head and said, "I don't have any opinion. If my brother wants to go, then I'll go. If my brother doesn't go, then I won't go. What about you?"

Li Li thought for a moment and said, "I am a princess and I am not short of money. There are also many divine martial arts manuals in the royal armory. If I want to learn, I can learn anytime. I definitely have no interest in that ruins. Moreover, according to legend, the ruins are the capital of a small country. They are definitely not comparable to our Great Qian. I am not even interested in the martial arts of our Great Qian imperial city."

Gu Chudong nodded and said, "It seems to be true. You have better things than what's in the Ruins of ...

"I can give it to you if you like," Li Li said.

"What?" Gu Chudong asked.

"Martial arts manuals, gold and silver jewelry, huh?" Li Li, with his hands behind his back, jumped in front of Gu Chudong, looked up at her, and said, "Chudong, come with me to the capital. Whatever martial arts you want to learn, I'll get it for you from the royal armory. Oh, and I'll let you in on a secret: I have a little treasure trove with tons of money in it. I can take you around the capital; you can buy whatever you want!"

"Later!"

Gu Chudong said, "I'm going home with my brother for the Chinese New Year in a few days. If I have the chance to go to Beijing in the future, I'll come to find you, and you can take me around then."

"Okay, it's a deal then!"

Li Li said very seriously, "After I return this time, I will inform the gatekeepers and guards of my residence. When you go to the capital, go directly to the Princess's residence to find me. I no longer live in the palace. I have been living in my own residence for several years now, so you can stay at my house."

Gu Chudong nodded and said, "Okay."

……

Just as Qi Miaoxuan said.

Not long after the ruins appeared, the sandstorm disappeared, leaving only an ancient city in the desert. However, the ancient city's appearance did not last long, and it disappeared early the next morning.

As for where it will appear next, that remains to be seen.

Gu Mo didn't pay much attention to it, but stayed in the village to help the Second Prince Li Zhongqing overcome the poison, while also asking Qi Miaoxuan some questions about medicine.

Although he had mastered the medical and poison classics and was considered a medical expert in the martial arts world, the gap between him and Qi Miaoxuan in medical skills was equivalent to the gap between Zhuo Qingfeng and Qi Tianshu in martial arts.

After the third day,
The thirteen auxiliary poisons in Li Zhongqing's body were cleared. Qi Miaoxuan then focused on the single poison, Bi Ling Saliva, and no longer needed Gu Mo's Extreme Cold True Qi.

The next morning, Gu Mo and Gu Chudong left with Chen Xiuyuan. To be precise, Chen Xiuyuan led them to Yunzhou.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong did not plan to return to Changling County. Instead, they set off from Shenjingtun and took a different route back to Yunzhou, with Chen Xiuyuan pointing out a relatively shorter route.

As for the wanted criminals they killed, they naturally didn't need to worry; the Six Doors would certainly not shortchange them on their bounty.

At dawn, the rising sun painted the sand dunes red. The sound of horses' hooves echoed from the village, startling a few sand sparrows that flew over the ruins, their wings tearing through the silken fabric of the morning light.

Du Sha, Qi Miaoxuan, and Li Zhongqing saw Gu Mo and his group off as they left the village. Before parting, Li Zhongqing pulled Gu Mo aside and said a lot of things, but they were all words of gratitude, not the kind of recruiting words Gu Mo had imagined.

On the other side, Li Li held Gu Chudong's hand and chatted with her for a long time before finally letting go of her hand.

Gu Chudong mounted the camel, waved to Li Li, and quickly spurred his horse to catch up with Gu Mo.

"What did Li Li say to you all this time?" Gu Mo asked.

Gu Chudong said, "She told me to remember to write to her and send it to the capital. She said she would write to me when she returned to the capital."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "Does this mean she wants to become your buddy?"

Gu Chudong sighed and said, "Making friends and having buddies is great, but I'm afraid she has ulterior motives and is deliberately getting close to me to recruit you for the Second Prince Li Zhongqing."

"So, do you feel the same way?" Gu Mo asked.

"Who knows?" Gu Chudong said. "I feel like she's not that cunning, but after all, she personally led people all the way from the capital to the border to welcome Li Zhongqing, so she should be quite cunning too. Sigh, never mind, I can't figure it out, I don't want to think about it anymore, I'd better hurry home for the New Year!"

Gu Mo smiled and said, "We have plenty of time to go back this time, so we can do some serious shopping for the New Year."

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Uncle Qu, Aunt Qu, and Xiaoxiao. Oh, and Tang Buyi too,” Gu Chudong said. “Before we came out, the Tang family arranged for Tang Buyi to go on a blind date. I wonder how it went?”

"Is that so?" Gu Mo chuckled. "But it's normal. Tang Buyi is not young anymore. The Tang family, a large and prestigious family, is most wary of passing on its legacy. If he keeps delaying getting married, his father will beat him."

Gu Chudong smiled and said, "He's been beaten by his father a lot, so he shouldn't be afraid of him."

Gu Mo added, "By the way, Shen Bai is probably getting married soon. I should go and have a drink at his wedding."

Gu Chudong said, "Brother Shen and his junior sister are childhood sweethearts, they should have gotten married long ago."

"..."

They chatted idly as they walked.

Gu Chudong suddenly said, "I wonder if Sister Yan has written to me?"

"Of course there is. I suppose Miss Yan should be visiting Tianzhu Mountain by now?"

"..."

The sound of horses' hooves faded, the sand dunes surged, and only the lone smoke of the desert remained, drifting leisurely.

As the morning sun rose over the desert, a few people rode their horses further and further away, kicking up clouds of dust, until the red glow of the rising sun faded away.

The shadow is long, and the road we came from is getting shorter and shorter.

(End of this chapter)