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

Chapter 212 Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole (9.6k words)
The clothing exhibition continues at Caiyun Villa.

Yunxiu swallowed the pills and received healing from Gu Chudong's Mingyu True Qi, which allowed her to persevere and finish the clothing exhibition.

She was extremely grateful that she had invited Gu Mo and his sister; otherwise, she would be in grave danger today, and her fashion show, which she had been planning for years, would have been ruined.

Today's fashion show was a close call, but thankfully Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were there. Apart from Yun Xiu, no one was injured, and none of the guests were harmed; only a few were frightened.

Moreover, because Gu Mo and Gu Chudong acted quickly and accurately, the clothing exhibition hall was not damaged much.

Furthermore, thanks to the sense of security provided by the Grandmaster, not many guests left. Most stayed to wait for the clothing exhibition to end and sign contracts.

Overall, the clothing exhibition was a close call but ultimately a great success.

Night falls in a large hall.

After signing the last contract, Yunxiu immediately instructed her servants to escort the guest to rest. She saw him off at the door with a smile on her face, watched him leave, and then spat out a mouthful of blood. Her body went limp and she collapsed onto Gu Mo and Gu Chudong, who were standing nearby.

Gu Mo took a half step back.

Yunxiu: "??"

She almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Gu Chudong stepped forward and supported Yunxiu, shook his head slightly, and quickly helped Yunxiu to sit down on a chair. Then he gently patted Yunxiu's back to transfer his true energy to suppress her internal injuries.

After a while, Yunxiu finally came to her senses. She turned her head to look at Gu Chudong behind her, and thinking about how Gu Chudong had helped her several times today, she said somewhat embarrassedly, "Miss Gu, thank you for troubling me again!"

Gu Chudong waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. If you really insist on thanking me, then give me a little more reward. One or two taels is fine, thirty or fifty taels is fine too!"

Yunxiu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Does Miss Gu really like money?"

"Who doesn't like money?" Gu Chudong said. "You work so hard, isn't it all for money in the end?"

Yunxiu chuckled lightly, shook her head slightly, and said, "It's not for money, it's to prove myself."

“I don’t understand,” Gu Chudong said. “Your family looks down on you because you are a girl, yet you work so hard, and all the money you earn is your own.”

Yunxiu chuckled and said, "It is precisely because the family looks down on me as a woman that I am even more resentful. That's why I want to compete for the position of family head. That's why I want to prove myself to everyone. I want them to know that they are wrong. I am not doing this to make money for them, but for the sake of my own thoughts and personal pursuits and persistence."

"Never mind, never mind, I don't understand anyway," Gu Chudong waved his hand and said, "I just wanted to remind you that health is the greatest asset. If your health collapses, you have nothing left."

Yunxiu smiled faintly, stared at Gu Chudong and nodded, "Yes, I'll listen to you."

"Uh, I just wanted to give you some advice. I don't really know how to put it, but I just think you should take good care of yourself."

"Yes, I will definitely take good care of myself." Yunxiu nodded earnestly in agreement.

“Alright,” Gu Chudong said, “My true energy is not very compatible with the Flying Cloud Force of your Yun family. If you want your injuries to be completely stabilized, you still need to rest and take medicine. Well, we’re leaving now, we won’t bother you anymore.”

After saying that, Gu Chudong stood up.

Gu Mo also got up, cupped his hands in greeting to Yun Xiu, and left.

Yunxiu sat in the chair, watching Gu Chudong skip away arm in arm with Gu Mo. As she watched their figures gradually disappear, her eyes shone, and she smiled and murmured, "How can there be such a free girl? You must always be this free!"

……

Late at night, in Tang'an County, at the Lin family's residence.

Lin Xiangxi entered the study of the new patriarch, Lin Gu, and whispered, "Father, the Qingye Hall's operation in Tongtai City has failed."

Lin Gu nodded and said, "As expected. In front of so many people, with Grandmaster Gu Mo there, it would be strange if Qingye Hall could kidnap Yunxiu. I don't know what's wrong with Qingye Hall, that they had to provoke Gu Mo."

Lin Xiangxi said, "Afu just came to me and told me that Qingye Hall's goal is to control Gu Mo and use him for their own purposes. Therefore, they deliberately arranged a net to ambush Gu Mo. The purpose of inviting Shangguan Shang is to use Shangguan Shang's lightness skill and Gu Mo's persistence in catching wanted criminals to lure Gu Mo into the ambush."

Lin Gu frowned and said, "Has Qingye Hall gone mad?"

"It's said that Qingye Hall obtained a legendary puppet pill that can control people," Lin Xiangxi said. "The legendary puppet pill, when used with a secret technique, can control anyone, no matter how strong they are, turning them into a puppet. This thing has always existed only in rumors. If Qingye Hall really obtained one, they will definitely try to maximize their profits. Controlling a powerhouse like Gu Mo is the most worthwhile thing to do."

"You believe it?" Lin Gu asked.

Lin Xiangxi shook his head and said, "I don't believe it. However, that's not important. What's important is that not only did their operation fail, but Shangguan Shang was also captured alive by Gu Mo. And Shangguan Shang seems to know the secret of Qingye Hall. Therefore, Qingye Hall is planning to rescue Shangguan Shang or silence him."

Lin Gu's expression changed, and he said, "Does Qingye Hall want our help?"

Lin Xiangxi nodded and said, "Yes."

Lin Gu said coldly, "Is Qingye Hall trying to kill me? Shangguan Shangdu has already been arrested. How can I help him? Am I supposed to go with them to break him out of prison? You should refuse them and not help!"

Lin Xiangxi remained silent.

Lin Gu took a deep breath and sat down in the chair with a slump. He knew that not helping was impossible. From the moment he chose to cooperate with Qingye Hall to plot for the position of family head, he had already boarded Qingye Hall's pirate ship. Qingye Hall had a series of dirt on him, which could ruin his reputation and make him even more miserable than Lin Xiangdong.

Lin Xiangxi said, "Father, there is no need to regret or feel remorse. When we chose to cooperate with Qingye Hall, we already knew that we would be manipulated by them. We gained benefits, so we naturally have to bear the corresponding costs. The position of family head and disgrace are the same gains with the same risks."

Lin Gu nodded and asked, "What do you suggest we do?"

Lin Xiangxi chuckled and said, "Father, actually, the current situation of Qingye Hall just matches what you said before. The smarter a person is, the more likely they are to be self-righteous, and the more capable a person is, the more likely they are to make mistakes due to arrogance."

The Qingye Hall is now starting to make mistakes due to arrogance. Regardless of their motives for provoking Gu Mo, they overestimated their own strength and started making mistakes. And the more mistakes they make, the more they err. Now, we can let their mistakes continue to escalate.

Didn't they want our help? We'll just follow their orders. Qingye Hall's idea is to go with the flow. Our Lin family is currently holding a weapons tournament in Liucheng, and Qingye Hall wants us to intensify our efforts—the more lively and the more people, the better. It's safe to assume they're planning to hijack the prison cart in Liucheng, hoping to take advantage of the chaos to kidnap or kill Shangguan Shang.

As the saying goes, the more you do, the more mistakes you make. If the Six Doors had known in advance that the Green Leaf Hall would attempt to intercept the prisoner's carriage in Liucheng, and had made preparations accordingly, well... if the Six Doors had pretended that the Green Leaf Hall's operation had succeeded and secretly tracked them, the Green Leaf Hall would have left traces.

To put it bluntly, the strength of Qingye Hall lies in the fact that they are like a group of ground rats, always hiding in the shadows and impossible to find. No one can predict when they will suddenly appear, catching everyone off guard. In addition, Qingye Hall's bone-shrinking and disguise techniques are indeed very ingenious, which is why they can always escape and appear very powerful.

But in reality, they're just a bunch of groundhogs. Once exposed, they're doomed. As long as the Green Leaf Gang is destroyed, Father, you'll rightfully become the head of the family. As for the Green Leaf Gang, we've always followed their orders, so they'll never expose us. Even if a few members escape, they won't know we were behind it all. In fact, if the opportunity arises, we can even recruit the remnants of the Green Leaf Gang to work for us!"

Lin Gu's eyes lit up, and he said, "Xiangxi, I'm leaving this matter to you. But, as I told you before, you must be careful in everything you do. Neither the Six Doors nor the Qingye Hall can let them know that we leaked the information. You should know how to let the Six Doors know that the Qingye Hall will be rescuing prisoners in Liucheng, but without letting the Six Doors know that we leaked the information."

“I understand, Father.”

……

At dawn, the sky began to lighten.

In the ancestral home of the Lin family in Linjia Village, the over-eighty-year-old Madam Lin, as always, gets up early to chant scriptures in the Buddhist hall. This is Madam Lin's habit. Since stepping down as head of the family a few years ago and handing over all authority to Lin Chuan, she has returned to Linjia Village to eat vegetarian food and chant scriptures every day.

A figure quietly appeared outside the door. It was an old man with a hunched back. If any member of the Lin family saw him, they would surely recognize him. This man was an old servant of the Lin family for decades. He was deaf and mute and had no name. The people in the mansion called him Old Mute.

Old Madam Lin turned around and looked at it, then asked, "How's the investigation going?"

The old mute man limped over to Old Madam Lin's side and spoke, saying, "Old Madam, Shadow and the others have found out that Young Master Xiangxi had contact with the Scholar Ye Xiao even before Young Master Xiangdong."

Old Madam Lin remained expressionless and said calmly, "In other words, the ones who truly cooperated with Qingye Hall were Lin Gu and his son Lin Xiangxi, while Lin Xiangdong was used to deal with Lin Chuan, so that Lin Gu could rise to power."

The old mute man said, "Furthermore, I've noticed something's off with Afu, the servant beside Young Master Xiangxi. I've seen him twice already; his demeanor has changed. I suspect someone from the Qingye Hall is impersonating Afu to contact Young Master Xiangxi and the family head."

Old Madam Lin said calmly, "This is insane! They're dragging the whole family down with them! Investigate again!"

"Yes."

……

Tongtai City, Caiyun Villa.

Caiyun Manor was still bustling today. Although the clothing fair had ended yesterday, the manor remained lively because many of the guests from yesterday were still visiting. They gradually left around noon, and the manor gradually quieted down.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong remained there because they were waiting for the Six Doors to send a reward for Shangguan Shang. Shangguan Shang was not an ordinary wanted criminal, and the county government and the Six Doors alone were not qualified to verify his identity.

Until the afternoon,
A group of people from the Six Doors arrived at Caiyun Manor.

Yunxiu hurriedly sent someone to inform Gu Mo that he was Zhao Congyue, one of the two chief constables of the Six Doors in Cangzhou, known in the martial arts world as the Soul Chaser, and one of the ten grandmasters of Cangzhou, ranking fifth.

Speaking of which, the Cangzhou Heavenly Ranking is the most interesting of the eight heavenly rankings.

Cangzhou boasts three of the three major sects, four factions, and seven schools of martial arts, along with the Six Doors, making it five super martial arts forces. The Cangzhou Heavenly Ranking is arranged with considerable social graces. The number of the top ten grandmasters is very evenly distributed, with two from each of the five major forces.

It feels a bit far-fetched. After all, in a region like Cangzhou where martial arts are extremely strong, there are definitely more than ten masters who can be considered martial arts grandmasters. The reason there are only ten grandmasters is because there are only ten spots on the Heavenly Ranking, not because there are only ten grandmasters. It is even less likely that the ten strongest people would be distributed so evenly and coincidentally, with two from each family.

However, while the Heavenly Ranking shouldn't be taken entirely at face value, those who make it are certainly no ordinary individuals. After all, Cangzhou is a large state teeming with martial arts masters. The grandmasters on the list might have slightly lower prestige, but they absolutely cannot be without merit; otherwise, it would be a huge joke.

However, the rankings of other sects' Grandmasters may be inflated, but those of the Six Doors are definitely not. After all, the Grandmasters of the Six Doors first prove themselves within the Six Doors, demonstrating their ability to suppress the martial arts world before being appointed as Chief Constables.

As soon as Gu Mo and Zhao Congyue met, Gu Mo felt that the other party had a very strong aura. The killing intent was even stronger than that of Du Sha, the chief constable of Yunzhou.

"Hero Gu, I've long admired you!"

Zhao Congyue, his hair half-white and tied on top of his head, sported a long beard and wore a black, close-fitting outfit. He walked with a powerful stride, exuding an imposing aura. Entering Gu Mo's courtyard, he cupped his hands and said, "I am Zhao Congyue, the Chief Constable of the Six Doors of Cangzhou. Speaking of which, I have some connection with you, Master Gu. I have been friends with your Chief Constable Du Sha of Yunzhou for many years. Some time ago, when I was reporting to the capital, I heard Du Sha speak highly of you, Master Gu. He described you as unparalleled in the world. I was somewhat skeptical at first, but seeing your charisma today, I can see that Du Sha was not exaggerating at all!"

Gu Mo chuckled.
He used to think that people with notoriously fiery tempers were straightforward and didn't know how to flatter. But after meeting more and more people, such as Du Sha, the chief constable of Yunzhou, Xie Mingzhong, the chief constable of Qingzhou, and Zhao Congyue, the chief constable of Cangzhou in front of him, they were all known in the martial arts world for their uprightness, integrity, and fiery tempers. Subconsciously, people felt that these people were not easy to get along with.

However, after interacting with these people, Gu Mo discovered that they all spoke very eloquently, and compliments came out of their mouths effortlessly. This proved that there are no people in this world who are incapable of saying nice things, only those who are unwilling or unable to do so.

As the saying goes, "one man for another," Gu Mo also cupped his hands and said, "I have long heard of Chief Constable Zhao's reputation. His iron legs traverse the martial world, and his power over eight prefectures and seventy-three counties is immense. Just now, when Chief Constable Zhao was still outside, I felt a powerful aura, like a towering mountain..."

Gu Mo also showered her with compliments without restraint.

Zhao Congyue found this very pleasing.

In fact, neither Gu Mo nor Zhao Congyue lacked people to flatter and praise them. They were tired of hearing those flattering words, but the same flattering words felt different when they came from different people.

If an ordinary person were to flatter them, neither Gu Mo nor Zhao Congyue would take it seriously. However, when the two of them flatter each other, they feel that it is a sign of recognition and respect from the other.

Suddenly, the atmosphere felt familiar.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Congyue took out a stack of silver notes and said, "Hero Gu, this is the reward money from our yamen. I came here today specifically to deliver it to you, and on behalf of the Six Doors of Cangzhou, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to you for capturing Shangguan Shang and eliminating a scourge for the people, which also allows the many souls of those who were persecuted by Shangguan Shang to rest in peace!"

Gu Mo took the silver note and handed it to Gu Chudong, saying politely, "Punishing evil and eliminating wickedness is the duty of us martial artists."

The two started chatting again, and before long, just like normal martial arts masters, they naturally began exchanging martial arts insights.

Both were martial arts masters, yet they had never discussed martial arts together. Naturally, when they did discuss martial arts, they each gained something, and each had areas where the other was not good at.

Gu Mo's internal energy cultivation methods could inspire Zhao Congyue, while Zhao Congyue's most proficient leg skills were something Gu Mo didn't know.

The two talked for a long time, and Zhao Congyue even stayed at Caiyun Villa for a meal.

After dinner, as it was getting late, Zhao Congyue said to Gu Mo, "Master Gu, I've heard you're very interested in capturing the leader of the Green Leaf Hall." Gu Mo asked, "Chief Constable Zhao, do you have any leads on the Green Leaf Hall?"

Zhao Congyue nodded and said, "We have to thank you, Master Gu, for capturing Shangguan Shang. He has important clues that can be used as a breakthrough to find Qingye Hall."

Honestly, the prison break three years ago made our Six Doors a laughingstock. For the past three years, I've been investigating clues about the Green Leaf Hall. But the Green Leaf Hall is well-hidden, mainly because of its special nature. Unlike ordinary organizations, the Green Leaf Hall only has an organizational structure but no physical location. Unless we catch the mastermind, killing more members of the Green Leaf Hall won't make a difference.

The Green Leaf Hall is very strange. Other evil organizations always have ulterior motives, whether it's seeking wealth or power, but the Green Leaf Hall seems to simply wreak havoc on the martial arts world. They all have single-line connections, like a loose, informal organization made up of a group of independent individuals. It is precisely these unique characteristics of the Green Leaf Hall that have kept the Six Doors helpless against them.

However, Shangguan Shang, whom you captured this time, made a condition when he saw me this morning. He said he has crucial clues about the Qingye Hall and can help us track down the real Qingye Hall.”

Gu Mo laughed and said, "He must have some conditions? He wants to live?"

“I don’t know, he didn’t say,” Zhao Congyue said. “He asked to see the commander of our Cangzhou Six Doors before he would reveal his conditions.”

“I think he’s trying to stall for time,” Gu Mo said. “Shangguan Shang couldn’t possibly not know that, given the crimes he’s committed, no matter what secrets he has, he can’t save his life. I think he’s trying to buy time for Qingye Hall to rescue him.”

Zhao Congyue nodded and said, "That's what I think too. But because of that, we can deduce that he might actually have some important information about Qingye Hall, which is why he's confident that Qingye Hall will save him."

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "Is Qingye Hall planning to repeat the prison break incident from three years ago?"

“It’s not that bad,” Zhao Congyue said. “Actually, what happened three years ago was all hearsay, exaggerated to the extreme. Qingye Hall isn’t that powerful enough to snatch people from our Six Doors dungeon. Back then, Xing Taichong was arrested because we in Cangzhou couldn’t handle some of his cases, so we had to hand them over to the Dali Temple in the capital.”

The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review who came to retrieve the prisoner was a civil official who looked down on us military men, leading to a conflict. In a fit of anger, we in the Six Doors handed the prisoner over to him and then left it at that. That Vice Minister, arrogant and overconfident, took the prisoner and left, only to be abducted before even leaving the city. So, rumors spread throughout the martial arts world that our Six Doors had been rescued from the dungeon, and that our shame lay in failing to locate the prisoner right under our noses!

Gu Chudong, standing to the side, said in surprise, "So that's how it is. The rumors in the martial arts world are so incredible. I really thought that Qingye Hall was strong enough to enter the Six Doors dungeon and rescue people."

Zhao Congyue chuckled and said, "Miss Gu may not have visited the dungeon, but anyone who has been to the dungeon would not believe such rumors. The dungeon is called the dungeon because the prison is built underground. The entrance is so narrow that only one person can walk through it, and those who are taller have to bend over. The prisoners are locked in the underground caves."

With that kind of structure, once someone enters the dungeon, only a few people are needed to guard the outer entrance. No matter how many people go in, it's useless; one man can hold off ten thousand. Simply flooding in with poison gas is as easy as beating a dog. How could anyone possibly break someone out of the dungeon? The truly spacious and free cells are in detention centers, where unconvicted suspects and petty thieves are held.

Gu Chudong asked in surprise, "But how come so many people in the martial arts world believe it?"

“Because eight or nine out of ten people who have been to the dungeon are dead,” Zhao Congyue chuckled. “Who among the people who are out and about would go to the dungeon for no reason? So, not many people know the true situation of the dungeon.”

Gu Chudong nodded and said, "I see."

Zhao Congyue nodded and said to Gu Mo, "Therefore, Qingye Hall cannot repeat what happened three years ago. According to my speculation, they will definitely abduct people on the way. Based on our route back to Cangyuan City, there are three places most suitable for Qingye Hall to abduct people, and Liucheng is the most likely one."

Gu Mo asked, "A tip?"

Zhao Congyue shook his head and said, "No, it's just that I happened to hear that the Lin family is holding a weapons tournament in Liucheng these days. There are a lot of people from the martial arts world there, and the city is relatively chaotic, making it the easiest place to make a move and the easiest place to escape."

"So, you're planning to turn the tables on me?" Gu Mo asked.

Zhao Congyue nodded and said, "If we succeed in turning the tables on Shangguan Shang, that will be a major breakthrough. Even if the operation fails, it doesn't matter. If we cut off Shangguan Shang's hopes, he will honestly confess his clues, which will also be a major breakthrough."

Therefore, I would like to invite you, Master Gu, to stay in Cangzhou for a while longer. Once there is any progress, I will immediately inform you. You are interested in the Qingye Hall, and our Six Doors also greatly desire the assistance of a master like you!

"We're heading back to Cangyuan City anyway, Chief Constable Zhao, could you give me a ride along the way?"

"That would be exactly what I wanted."

……

Early the next morning, Gu Mo and Gu Chudong left Tongtai City and headed towards Cangyuan City.

However, instead of joining the Six Doors team, they were led by a disguised Six Doors constable under Zhao Congyue's arrangement, who took them along back paths and always arrived at the places Zhao Congyue designated as potential prisoner rescue locations before the Six Doors team.

Shangguan Shang, the lecherous devil, was very famous in the Qian Kingdom, even more so than most grandmasters. He was the number one lecherous thief in the Qian Kingdom, notorious and his reputation was not limited to one place. He had committed crimes in so many places that he had a history of committing crimes in almost all eight states of the Qian Kingdom.

Therefore, the news of the lecherous demon's capture spread quickly, rapidly reaching all parts of Cangzhou on the same day, and causing a great uproar in just two or three days.

Many people, upon learning that Shangguan Shangzao had been escorted to Cangyuan City, made a special trip to the official road to watch.

After three days of travel, the journey was smooth and uneventful. On the fourth day, we arrived in Liucheng!

……

In Liucheng, at an inn, several weary travelers from the martial arts world were having a meal. They were all dressed simply and had an unremarkable demeanor. However, if anyone recognized the person sitting at the very back, they would probably be very shocked, because the middle-aged man who was slowly eating noodles was none other than Song Danyang, the abbot of Chunyang Temple and the second-ranked expert on the Cangzhou Heavenly Ranking.

At this moment, Song Danyang was enjoying her vegetarian noodles when a young man walked in, sat down next to her, and whispered, "Master, we have a lead on Uncle Xuancheng."

Song Danyang quickly put down her bowl, suppressing her excitement, and asked, "Where is it?"

The disciple said, "It was the Sanqing Gang, a gang in Nancheng, that found out. According to the leader of the Sanqing Gang, Master Xuancheng has been staying at the First-Class Inn in Nancheng recently. He has been sneaking around with some black market people during the day. He must be planning to sell something. We can go to the First-Class Inn and wait for him to come to us."

"Alright." Song Danyang nodded and said in a low voice, "Seven years have passed. I've finally found him. This time, I'm going to kill him!"

The Master Xuancheng mentioned by the Chunyang disciple was a legendary figure in the Cangzhou martial arts world. Known as Daoist Xuancheng, he was the eldest disciple of Lingxu Zhenren, the former abbot of Chunyang Temple. Seven years ago, he defected from Chunyang Temple, causing quite a stir in the Cangzhou martial arts world.

The reason for his defection was that Master Lingxu passed the position of abbot to Song Danyang, which made Daoist Xuancheng resentful. He believed that Song Danyang was behind it all and harbored a grudge, so he secretly plotted to kill Song Danyang.

However, on the eve of the operation, he was discovered by his junior brother, and in a fit of rage, Xuancheng Daoist killed his junior brother and fled, then went far away into the martial world.

This matter had always been a thorn in Song Danyang's side. For many years, Song Danyang had been searching for Xuancheng Daoist to avenge his junior brother. Until recently, when Song Danyang went down the mountain because of the murder of the Qian family patriarch, Chunyang Temple finally discovered Xuancheng Daoist's whereabouts.

After Gu Mo killed Ye Xiao, and the Qian and Lin families' affairs were settled, Song Danyang hurriedly began to investigate Xuan Cheng Dao Ren, and had been tracing him all the way to Liucheng for several days.

These past few days, Song Danyang has been waiting very anxiously.
Today we finally have some concrete clues.

Immediately, Song Danyang led his disciples to the First-Class Inn to make strategic arrangements and wait for Xuancheng Daoist to return.

……

The city of Liucheng was bustling with activity. Shops lined both sides of the street, and crowds thronged the streets. In particular, the Lin family was holding a weapons convention in Liucheng, which was essentially a promotional event. This attracted many martial arts figures, making Liucheng lively and bustling.

On the street, a series of neat and powerful footsteps sounded. A team of dozens of constables from the Six Doors, dressed in black robes with sharp blades at their waists and cold expressions, escorted a prison cart slowly into Liucheng.

Inside the prison cart, Shangguan Shang, known as the "Number One Lecher of Qian Kingdom," lay disheveled and in a sorry state, yet he still occasionally glanced up, his eyes revealing resentment and bewilderment. The people on the street gathered around, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong mingled in the crowd. Both of them wore bamboo hats and moved with the flow of people. Their attire was not conspicuous in Liucheng, which was full of martial arts practitioners. There were many people dressed the same way.

A short while later, the Six Doors procession reached a three-way intersection, precisely where the crowd was at its most dense. Suddenly, someone on the street threw out a dense barrage of smoke grenades. With several muffled bangs, thick smoke instantly billowed out, engulfing the entire long street. The already crowded street instantly descended into chaos, with people panicking and fleeing in all directions, their cries and curses mingling together.

A group of masked men emerged from the smoke like ghosts, brandishing knives and swords, and charged straight at the prison cart. The constables from the Six Doors immediately drew their swords, and for a moment, the sounds of clashing weapons filled the air.

Amidst the smoke, the members of the Six Doors were hesitant to act, their actions constrained by the surrounding civilians. The masked men, however, were ruthless and unrestrained, their moves vicious; when outmatched, they would slip into the crowd to escape.

Gu Mo remained calm amidst the chaotic crowd. He didn't make a move, as he had other tasks to complete that day. He subtly raised his hand, his fingers flicking rapidly and almost imperceptibly, sending out wisps of colorless and odorless powder that instantly adhered to the masked men.

This powder is a special tracking agent made by the Six Doors, taught to me by Zhao Congyue. It is difficult for ordinary people to detect, is colorless and odorless, and resembles ordinary dust. However, once it gets on the skin, it will not dissipate for ten days to half a month. When combined with the Six Doors' special medicine, it can exert a miraculous tracking effect.

At this moment, several masked experts in the thick fog had already entangled Grandmaster Zhao Congyue. These experts were all very strong, especially since they could appear and disappear with the help of the smoke, and their cooperation was excellent. They actually managed to hold Zhao Congyue back for a short period of time.

The others charged forward with all their might, and were about to reach the prison cart.

Suddenly, a rapid and chaotic sound of horses' hooves rang out on the long street.

It turned out to be the county magistrate of Liucheng County, who had hurriedly arrived with a group of soldiers. The magistrate, mounted on a tall horse, looked imposing and roared, "Surround them! I want to see where these traitors run to today; they're utterly audacious!"

At the county magistrate's command, the soldiers sprang into action. The spearmen in the front row raised their spears diagonally, the tips gleaming coldly, forming a dense forest of spears as they advanced step by step into the smoke.

At this moment, the masked men all secretly cursed their bad luck. Before they acted, they learned that there had been a gang fight in the city the night before, and the county magistrate was leading several hundred county soldiers to quell it. They knew that they didn't have much time to act today, and once they made their move, the county magistrate would soon arrive with his troops.

But to their surprise, the other party arrived so quickly.

Immediately, the masked leader realized that things were hopeless. If they continued to entangle themselves, once the smoke cleared and the people had all evacuated, they would lose their cover. Hundreds of county soldiers were watching them intently from outside. Not only would they be unable to rescue Shangguan Shang, but they would also all perish here, without a chance to run into the crowd.

At that moment, the masked leader shouted in a low voice, "Retreat!"

Upon hearing this, the masked men scattered and fled, throwing smoke bombs as they ran. A new cloud of smoke rose, and they twisted and turned strangely, using the Qingye Hall's unique bone-shrinking disguise technique to instantly blend into the chaotic crowd, leaving no trace.

Three or four masked men trapped by the Six Doors team and Zhao Congyue, seeing no way to escape, immediately committed suicide by cutting their own throats, their blood splattering as they died swiftly and decisively.

……

Chaos reigned on the long street.

Zhao Congyue led his troops quickly out of the smoke, whereupon the Liucheng County Lieutenant and a large number of fully armed soldiers surrounded them. Zhao Congyue immediately checked Shangguan Shang in the prison cart, and after confirming that he was alright, ordered, "Take him to the county office first!"

The county magistrate immediately ordered the troops to withdraw, while leaving a group of men behind to handle the aftermath.

The county soldiers and the Six Doors troops quickly departed, and the crowds on the long street dispersed to both sides. No one would know that within the crowd, several disguised experts from the Six Doors were quietly slipping away.

In today's prison break incident, the tasks were clearly defined. Gu Mo secretly attached Six Doors' tracking powder to the masked men who were attempting to break into the prison. Many people could have done this, but Zhao Congyue specifically asked Gu Mo to do it because Gu Mo's actions were the safest and least likely to be detected.

The facts have also proven that

The masked men were indeed unaware, and four of them escaped.

While Zhao Congyue openly attracted attention, he secretly arranged for experts from the Six Doors to wait. These experts immediately divided up their tasks in twos and threes and chased after the special powder.

However, to their surprise,
They were originally tracking in four different directions, but as they continued, they found that their paths were converging, and eventually they all locked onto an inconspicuous little inn.

Immediately,

The famous constables all had their own guesses.

Over the past few years, the Six Doors have gained a certain understanding of the internal structure of the Qingye Hall through their investigation. The Qingye Hall is divided into two types of people: one is the absolute assassins, whose identities and origins are shrouded in mystery. These assassins are all disguised and impersonate others, living as if they were someone else, and their true identities have always been unknown.

Another type is like Ye Xiao and Tong Fei, who have clear identities in the martial arts world but secretly join the Qingye Hall for various reasons and work for it. These Qingye Hall members with identities always act alone, and none of them know each other, including their superiors. They live their lives under their own identities, only being called upon by the Qingye Hall to carry out missions when needed.

Generally speaking, only the assassins are considered official members of the Green Leaf Hall, while Ye Xiao and Tong Fei are considered unofficial members.

And at this moment,
Upon seeing that the four masked men had entered the same inn—an inn called "First-Class Inn"—and considering the seamless teamwork they displayed during the previous prisoner hijacking, the pursuing constables immediately realized that this group were Qingye Hall assassins, official members, and the most likely to have contact with the higher-ups of Qingye Hall. They had truly hooked a big fish this time.

The group didn't want to alert the four people. They pretended to be ordinary passersby, split up, and planned to stay at nearby inns or go shopping under various pretexts, waiting quietly for the four to appear so they could secretly memorize their appearances.

Although these assassins have no real identities, they all live as ordinary people in disguise. Once the identities they are impersonating are discovered, they can be monitored in real time, and the people they come into contact with can be secretly investigated. This will naturally give us the opportunity to trace their superiors and follow the clues step by step.

however,
Just as the group of famous constables were preparing to go into hiding, a fierce fight suddenly broke out in the small inn. At the same time, several martial arts masters appeared outside the inn and quickly surrounded it.

The faces of the several famous constables immediately changed drastically.

(End of this chapter)