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

Chapter 225 The Seven Absolutes Tower is mobilized (9k long chapter)

The following day, early morning, Yanluo County.

Just as dawn broke, Duan Fei hurriedly arrived at the courtyard where Gu Mo and Gu Chudong lived.

Gu Mo was reclining on a deck chair, instructing Gu Chudong on swordsmanship. The courtyard gate was not closed. Duan Fei walked in directly, his expression grave, and said, "Hero Gu, something has happened in Linhai City!"

Gu Mo asked, "What happened? Has Mr. Dongjing been kidnapped?"

Duan Fei asked in surprise, "You know?"

Gu Mo was slightly taken aback and said, "I was just saying it casually, it can't be that serious, can it? Prefect Pei told me before that four Grandmasters from the Night Division came to protect Mr. Dongjing. How could Mr. Dongjing still be kidnapped? Four Grandmasters? It can't be that serious, can it?"

Duan Fei said in a deep voice, "All four Grandmasters have been killed."

Gu Mo: "??"

He knew about the Night Division, and he also knew that the twelve commanders of the Night Division were all martial arts masters. Moreover, any one of them was an outstanding master, far surpassing ordinary martial arts masters.

The reason why the masters of the Night Division are stronger than other masters of the same level is mainly due to three reasons.

First, there's the foundation. No sect's foundation can compare to that of the imperial court. Those who can rise to the level of Night Division Commander in the imperial court naturally enjoy abundant resources. Whether it's the experience of sparring with masters, martial arts manuals, weapons, and so on, they will be far superior to ordinary martial artists.

Secondly, there's stability. People in a stable organization work together year-round, and their teamwork is far superior to that of ordinary people in the underworld. While collaboration among ordinary people in the underworld is simply one plus one, the results of collaboration within a stable organization far exceed the sum of its parts.

Third, there is a fundamental difference. The imperial court's experts have a much lower need for fame in the martial arts world, so their achievements are less likely to be exaggerated, and there's certainly less exaggeration compared to other martial arts figures of the same level. Furthermore, the Heavenly Ranking system only includes Grandmasters; aside from the Six Doors, other imperial experts and those from unorthodox sects are not included on the list. Therefore, the title of Grandmaster carries significantly more weight and prestige.

Therefore,
Now, upon hearing Duan Fei say that all four Grandmasters of the Night Division had been killed, he could hardly hide his shock.

Duan Fei continued, "The most outrageous thing is that all four Night Division Grandmasters were killed in their own areas of expertise. There have always been rumors in the martial arts world that the head manager is proficient in all kinds of martial arts, and now it seems that the rumors are true. He's simply a monster!"

For a time,

Gu Mo suddenly remembered the most troublesome enemy he had ever encountered since his debut—Lu Canyang.

so similar.

Back then, Lu Canyang was also all-around capable, skilled in fists, palms, swords, kicks... and even medicine and weapon crafting.

This head manager seems to be the same kind of person again.

"So now... what's the situation in Linhai City?" Gu Mo asked.

Duan Fei said, "After Mr. Dongjing was captured, he happened to run into Wang Mingxiu and the head manager having a fight. Wang Mingxiu was killed, and Mr. Dongjing survived by chance. Overall, it was a close call. As for why they had a fight, it involves secrets and the letter did not say."

However, even bigger trouble was yet to come. The head steward already knew that Prefect Pei had noticed something was wrong with Wang Mingxiu, so he turned the tables on Prefect Pei, causing the coastal defense battalion to suffer unprecedented heavy losses in the Tiansha Islands…

Then, Duan Fei recounted what had happened in Linhai City and how Pei Yuanzhen was leading his troops there.

After listening, Gu Chudong took the letter from Duan Fei and said while browsing it, "In other words, Prefect Pei was framed and the coastal defense battalion suffered heavy losses. However, Prefect Pei suspects that the coastal defense battalion and the Seven Absolutes Tower staged this play to cover up the embezzlement of salaries and the sale of weapons. He became the victim in this play and took the blame."

Duan Fei nodded.

Gu Chudong continued, "Therefore, the key to Prefect Pei's breakthrough now lies in the batch of weapons and military pay that the six bandits of Huaihai seized back then."

"good."

Duan Fei said, "Prefect Pei was worried that the other party might resort to desperate measures, so he specifically wrote to instruct me to guard the goods carefully. The specific details are in the letter, so you two can learn about them slowly. I'm going to find the magistrate and the county constable of Yanluo County now to mobilize the garrison troops of Yanluo County."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

After speaking for a while, Duan Fei bowed and left.

Gu Chudong was quickly browsing the letter when she said, "Brother, this letter says that Wang Mingxiu had a falling out with the head manager because he knew the truth, but it doesn't say what the truth is."

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "They must have known that the Mu family were descendants of the Yin-Yang Division of the Seven Dark Guards. As a commander of the Six Doors, Wang Mingxiu should still have a very upright mindset, so he might find it a little hard to accept the truth for a while. However, it's a bit strange that the head manager actually killed Wang Mingxiu."

Gu Chudong asked, "What's strange about it?"

Gu Mo said, "According to what Prefect Pei said before, the Seven Killings Ode of Heavenly Abyss Returns to Silence is a very special and extraordinary skill. It comes from Penglai Island and is related to the bloodline of the Seven Dark Guards. Each lineage can only cultivate one Ode. Only when the seven killings are combined can the Seven Killings Ode unleash its greatest power."

The Mu clan was wiped out back then, and now only Wang Mingxiu remains in the Yin-Yang Department. Instead of trying to win him over, he has treated Wang Mingxiu as a pawn from the very beginning. Did he really not consider the Seven Kills Merging into One?

Gu Chudong chuckled and said, "Brother, are you trying to do the splits? Do you think it's possible that the Mu family was wiped out, but before the Mu family, the Yin-Yang Department had other descendants and branches, so they don't need Wang Mingxiu?"
Or, to put it more directly, the other lineages lack successors and the necessary talent; they simply cannot gather enough individuals from all seven lineages to master the Seven Killings Technique, thus failing to achieve the Seven Killings Unity. Therefore, having one more Wang Mingxiu makes little difference, and losing one makes no difference either. After all, from the perspective of the head manager, Wang Mingxiu lacks any sense of loyalty to the descendants of Crown Prince Kangde, making him a highly unstable factor. Abandoning him is not a pity, but recruiting him carries a greater risk.

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "Both of the points you mentioned are possible. Oh, by the way, after I killed Old Madam Lin in the battle at Chunyang Temple, did you put away Old Madam Lin's Star Pattern Shadow Chasing Simplified Manual?"

Gu Chudong chuckled and said, "Brother, it's in my box. That thing is a good one, much better than the tracking powder you made. I was thinking of keeping it so that if I ever encounter a wanted criminal that I need to track, as long as I have the Tracking Scroll, he won't be able to escape, no matter where he goes."

Gu Mo grinned and said, "Be prepared at any time. We might need it this time. If Pei Yuan's speculation is true, and the Coastal Defense Battalion is indeed colluding with the Seven Absolutes Tower to embezzle funds and resell weapons, then we will very likely have to ask the Seven Absolutes Tower for help again this time."

The Seven Absolutes Pavilion is definitely not sending ordinary people this time; they'll likely deploy the legendary three Jade Token assassins, or even the head manager himself. If they secretly use the Shadow Tracking Scroll, they might be able to trace the Seven Absolutes Pavilion's hideout. Then, when the government intervenes, gathering enough experts to besiege the head manager will be a sure thing!

If it were a member of the Seven Absolutes Pavilion's top ranks, Gu Mo would definitely let some go and then secretly track them down. If it were the head manager himself, Gu Mo would still use the Shadow Chasing Scroll, because given the head manager's current strength, if he was determined to leave, Gu Mo wasn't confident he could stop him.

The head manager is no ordinary person; he is one of the three top evil masters in the Qian Kingdom.

The three most famous heretical masters in the Qian Kingdom are Ye Nantian, the leader of the Moon Worship Cult; Gongsun Jue, the Ghost Messenger; and the head manager of the Seven Absolutes Pavilion.

Ye Nantian is the leader of the Moon Worship Cult, the number one demonic force in the Qian Kingdom and one of the ancestral homes of demonic forces in the world. He has countless demonic sons and grandsons under his command, making him the undisputed number one evil master.

The second ghost messenger, Gongsun Jue, is an oddball who went mad from practicing martial arts. He was originally the top constable of the Six Doors headquarters in the capital. During a mission, he accidentally obtained a demonic art and couldn't resist the temptation to practice it. He secretly sacrificed countless people to cultivate the demonic art. Eventually, he was discovered and defected. Over the years, he has continued to commit crimes from time to time. His martial arts skills are unfathomable.

The third is the manager of the Seven Absolutes Pavilion, who has only become active in the last ten years. He is known as the master of all martial arts and is the number one assassin in the Qian Kingdom. The Seven Absolutes Pavilion he founded is also the number one assassin organization in the Qian Kingdom, and its strength is unfathomable.

Although the system rating shows the head manager as only six stars, while the top two are seven stars, it doesn't mean the head manager is weaker than the other two. This is because the system rating is based on the crimes committed by the wanted criminals, not on their physical strength.

Just like the six bandits from Huaihai who were killed a few days ago, their combat strength was not high, but the system rating was as high as five stars.

Therefore,
Gu Mo takes the head manager very seriously. He asked Gu Chudong to prepare the Shadow Chaser to be on the safe side. Being able to be ranked alongside Ye Nantian and Gongsun Jue means that he is definitely one of the top experts in the entire Qian Kingdom. Apart from Zhang Daoyi, who is the top expert who has a gap in the number of experts, the three head managers are definitely top-tier experts.

……

For three days in a row, Yanluo County remained calm and peaceful.

Until noon on the fourth day,
Gu Mo suddenly heard an emergency assembly whistle sounding in the Hundred Household Office, which instantly became noisy.

Gu Chudong, who was practicing her swordplay, immediately put it away, quickly ran into the house, carried her large bookcase on her back, and became alert.

Just then, Duan Fei ran in from outside. He was wearing a suit of armor and carrying a large sword. He said, "Hero Gu, the Seven Absolutes Tower has landed. I estimate there are more than four thousand of them. They are fully armed and heading towards Yanluo County. They are also equipped with a lot of simple siege weapons and are going to attack Yanluo County."

Gu Mo asked in surprise, "Are you not going to act anymore? You've just gone ashore like this?"

Duan Fei said, "It's a drill. Right now, the coastal defense battalion is engaged in combat. This batch of Seven Absolutes Tower soldiers was beyond the coastal defense battalion's ability to stop. This is perfectly reasonable, because the coastal defense battalion suffered heavy losses just a few days ago, and their morale is low, and they are lacking in military equipment, so they cannot intercept them all."

Furthermore, this provides a more plausible explanation for why the Seven Absolutes Tower would take such a long detour to lure the coastal defense battalion to the Tiansha Islands to ambush them: their aim was to seize military equipment and then attack Yanluo County.

Gu Mo thought about it and found that Duan Fei's words made a lot of sense. According to this logic, it could indeed cover up the fact that the coastal defense battalion was embezzling salaries and reselling military equipment. This matter further corroborated Pei Yuanzhen's speculation.

"Can they hold them off?" Gu Chudong asked. "The Seven Absolutes Tower has several thousand men, while the garrison in Yanluo County only has a few hundred!"

Duan Fei said, "I don't know. We don't know the fighting strength of the Seven Absolutes Tower army for the time being. The garrison of Yanluo County isn't exactly an elite force; they can only rely on the advantage of the city walls. However, fortunately, we started preparing a couple of days ago. Also, the Seven Absolutes Tower army doesn't have any large siege weapons. The coastal defense battalion should keep a low profile and not go too far. If they hand over all the large weapons to the Seven Absolutes Tower, they won't be able to explain it when they're investigated later. Hmm, also, we just need to hold out until dark. Prefect Pei's army from the prefecture is almost here."

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy to get there!" Gu Mo shook his head and said.

Duan Fei asked doubtfully, "Prefect Pei brought three thousand prefectural garrison troops, whose elite status is far superior to that of county soldiers. Even if the Seven Absolutes Tower notices, they have no chance of stopping them!"

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "Then, what if the coastal defense battalion goes to intercept them?"

"Really?" Duan Fei asked in surprise, "Lin Jing shouldn't dare to bring the coastal defense forces ashore so openly, right?"

"What's the difference?"

Gu Mo said, "Prefect Pei suspected that Lin Jing was colluding with the Seven Absolutes Pavilion, so he boldly mobilized troops. Then, Lin Jing could also have received news that Prefect Pei was colluding with the Seven Absolutes Pavilion to jointly attack Yanluo County, so he sent troops to intercept him. In fact, Lin Jing is more reasonable."

Both are acting in the same way, arbitrarily deploying troops. Ultimately, it comes down to who wins, and who has the stronger backing; that person is the traitor!

Duan Fei's face turned pale.

……

At this moment, just as Gu Mo had predicted.

When Pei Yuanzhen's garrison arrived at Tongxia Post Station in Yanluo County, they were intercepted. The county soldiers at Tongxia Post Station closed the gates immediately, and before Pei Yuanzhen could send anyone to relay the order, they discovered that the coastal defense troops had appeared at the pass.

Lin Jing appeared.

Pei Yuanzhen and Lin Jing argued for a long time.

Pei Yuanzhen accused Lin Jing of conspiring with the Seven Absolutes Tower to rebel, while Lin Jing retorted that Pei Yuanzhen was crying wolf.

After exchanging insults for a while
Pei Yuan returned to the army in a rage, found Commandant Chen You, and asked, "Commander Chen, if we attack the fortress now, how long will it take you to break through Tongxia Post Station?"

Commandant Chen You, with a grave expression, said, “Prefect Pei, the problem isn’t how long it will take me to breach Tongxia Post Station. The coastal defense battalion’s fighting strength can’t be fully utilized on land, and Lin Jing only brought a little over a thousand men. I can attack whenever I want.”

But the problem now is that once the order to attack the fortress is given, both sides will suffer countless casualties. I can't bear that responsibility, and neither can you. Those coastal defense soldiers don't know the truth; in their hearts, we are the rebels!

Pei Yuanzhen said in a deep voice, "But the problem right now is that if we don't attack the stronghold, Yanluo County will be in danger. If the Seven Absolutes Tower fails to break through the city, that's fine, but if the Seven Absolutes Tower does manage to break through Yanluo County, then Yanluo County will surely suffer devastation."

Furthermore, if Lin Jing makes another deal with the higher-ups of the Seven Absolutes Tower, using those Seven Absolutes Tower soldiers as pawns, both of us will be doomed. Lin Jing could send the coastal defense battalion to wipe out the Seven Absolutes Tower thieves, successfully destroying the evidence, and then turn around and frame us for colluding with the Seven Absolutes Tower. Then we would truly be unable to defend ourselves!

Chen You's expression was solemn, and he was having an internal struggle.

At this moment,
Master Zhu rode over quickly on horseback and said, "Master, Commandant Chen, Mr. Dongjing said he has a way to break into this Tongxia Post Station without bloodshed!"

Chen You and Pei Yuanzhen were overjoyed and quickly followed Master Zhu to the middle of the army, arriving at the carriage where Mr. Dongjing was riding.

A few days ago, Pei Yuanzhen found Mr. Dongjing and told him about his speculation that the coastal defense camp had colluded with the Seven Absolutes Tower. Mr. Dongjing immediately agreed to testify for him and even personally accompanied Pei Yuanzhen to discuss the matter with Chen You. They then traveled together, which was the direct reason why Chen You dared to follow Pei Yuanzhen and lead troops to Yanluo County.

"Mr. Dongjing, do you have any way to break through this bronze box?" Pei Yuanzhen asked hurriedly.

Mr. Dongjing lifted the carriage curtain and said, "Just now, when you were arguing with Lin Jing, I saw two adjutants beside Lin Jing from afar. They were my disciples when I was in the capital. I know their character very well. They have no intention of rebelling. They must have been deceived by Lin Jing."

"Now you only need to choose two masters of light-footed skill to lead me along the mountain path around to the back of Tongxia Post Station. Once I see my two disciples, I will tell them the truth, and they will surely stop in time. Then, with our combined efforts from inside and outside, we will be able to easily open Tongxia Post Station."

"no!"

Pei Yuanzhen refused without hesitation, saying, "It's too dangerous to do that."

Mr. Dongjing said, "Then go ahead and launch a full-scale attack. I wonder how many people will die? These soldiers are all loyal to their king and love their country, yet they are forced to fight each other. How innocent are they?"

Master Zhu said, "Sir, could we use your token or something similar?"

“It’s no use,” Mr. Dongjing said. “This matter is too big. If we’re not careful, it could be considered treason. Who would trust me with just a token? Only I can go there in person. Well, Prefect Pei, don’t worry. If I’m really arrested, as long as Lin Jing isn’t insane, he won’t dare to kill me.”

I'm actually not in any danger. If I'm discovered, the worst that can happen is that Lin Jing will imprison me. But if I succeed, I'll avoid a bloody battle. What's wrong with that?

"This……"

Pei Yuanzhen was very worried.

Chen You said from the side, "Alright, Prefect Pei, this is the best solution right now. As Mr. Dongjing said, since Lin Jing is trying to hide the evidence, it means he doesn't really intend to rebel. In that case, he wouldn't dare to actually kill Mr. Dongjing."

Pei Yuanzhen gritted his teeth, cupped his hands towards Mr. Dongjing, and said, "Then... I'll leave it to you!"

……

A somber atmosphere hung over Yanluo County. Thousands of soldiers from the Seven Absolutes Tower began their assault on the city with overwhelming force.

Fortunately, Yanluo County was well-prepared, with various military supplies already laid out on the city walls to prepare for an attack. Moreover, the soldiers of Qijue Tower were clearly untrained, their attack was chaotic and disorganized, greatly reducing the pressure on Yanluo County.

However, the Seven Absolutes Tower also had their advantages. Each of them was fearless and willing to sacrifice lives. Moreover, many of them were martial arts masters. Although their teamwork was poor, they still managed to successfully scale the city walls despite the inferior siege equipment.

For a time, the siege became a stalemate, tying down all of Yanluo County's military forces, and even drawing away many of the constables from the prefectural government.

At this time,
An eerie silence hung over the Six Doors Hundred Household Office in Yanluo County, as countless people frantically fled back to their homes, creating utter chaos.

At one point, in the chaotic crowd, an old man carrying a vegetable basket was pushed to the ground. He stumbled and bumped into the tightly closed six doors, managing to break them open. There he saw a large group of constables standing guard. He cried out tremblingly, "Sir, save me!"

Before the words were finished, the vegetable basket suddenly exploded, and a cold light flashed, revealing twelve bone-piercing nails hidden inside!
In an instant, dozens of figures surged out from the chaos of the streets and alleys. The old man selling sugar paintings threw off his wooden tray, revealing a soft sword at his waist; the village woman carrying a bamboo basket unfolded her cloth, which turned into a three-foot-long red ribbon; even the old beggar leaning on his cane broke his bamboo staff in two, revealing a poisoned judge's pen. These people were usually common street vendors and laborers, but now they all had fierce eyes and moved as elusive as ghosts, rushing straight towards the Hundred Household Office.

However, the constables of the Six Doors in the Hundred Households Office were already on guard.

Several whistling arrows pierced the air, and a dense swarm of constables appeared, their coordinated movements and flashing blades forming a wall, firmly blocking the enemy at the door. The sounds of clashing weapons, shouts, and screams mingled together, and a great battle was about to erupt.

At the same time,
In a three-story building in the Baihu garrison, there is a basement room on the ground floor where the weapons and military supplies found from the six bandits of Huaihai are kept.

At this moment, Gu Mo was sitting by the window on the third floor drinking tea, while Gu Chudong was standing by the window, ready to fight. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a figure appearing on a rooftop diagonally opposite. It was a woman, about thirty years old, with a face like a peach blossom, silver bells on her wrists, lotus flowers embroidered on the hem of her skirt, lips as red as congealed blood, and a slender waist. She was a very beautiful woman!
However, she was also a terrifying assassin, one of the three Jade Token Assassins of the Seven Absolutes Tower—Su Meiniang.

A person whose body is said to be so flexible that he is immune to swords and spears.

Immediately afterwards, with a loud "bang," the courtyard wall was smashed open, and a burly man as big as an iron tower entered. Three scars ran down his left cheek from his brow bone to his jaw. He was wearing a blood-stained gray cloth shirt, and his knuckles were as rough as old tree roots. He was holding two iron hammers, but they were not as exaggerated as those in operas, which weigh hundreds of pounds. They were just two iron hammers about the size of a bowl, weighing about forty or fifty pounds in total.

Information about this person flashed through Gu Chudong's mind in an instant; he was also one of the three Jade Token Assassins of the Seven Absolutes Tower—the Brute.

No one knows this person's name or past. All that is known is that he is incredibly strong, possesses extremely powerful martial arts skills, is impervious to swords and spears, and is fearless of water and fire. He once withstood the attacks of several famous swords with his bare body.

This person is extremely ruthless. Although he is an assassin, he is extremely violent every time he strikes, always tearing his target into pieces, leaving only the head intact to complete his task.

"Su Meiniang, you brute, why are there only two of you? Where is the Night Wanderer?"

Gu Chudong gripped the Gouchen Demon Blade tightly.

Gu Mo, meanwhile, searched his mind for information about the three Jade Token Assassins.

[Wanted Target - Su Meiniang]

[Mission Level—Three Stars]

[Quest Reward - Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand]

……

[Wanted Target - Reckless Man]

[Mission Level—Three Stars]

[Quest Reward - Tianshan Six Yang Palm]

……

[Wanted Target - Night Wanderer]

[Mission Level—Four Stars]

[Task Reward - Spiritual Finger]

……

On the rooftop, Su Meiniang leaned against the green tiles, a corner of her moon-white gauze dress lifted by the wind, revealing a bodice embroidered with datura flowers. Her fingertips traced the glazed tile surface, her voice trailing off like honey-soaked silk threads, slowly opening, her voice seemingly hooked, drilling straight into one's heart: "Great Hero Gu, could you do me a favor?"

The call was extremely low, the last syllable trembling on the tip of the tongue, mingling with the dampness of the night dew, making it even more sticky than the plum rains of Jiangnan.

"Vixen!" Gu Chudong cursed under his breath.

As if hearing Gu Chudong's words, Su Meiniang looked up. The rouge at the corners of her eyes shimmered with gold in the sunlight, and the dimples at the corners of her lips seemed to hold a jar of ten-year-old Shaoxing wine. When she smiled, even her voice swayed: "Miss Gu, you are indeed as beautiful as the rumors say. You are naturally beautiful and charming without heavy makeup. I am so jealous!"

Su Meiniang's voice swept across Gu Chudong's heart like a stringed instrument. Suddenly, she didn't find Su Meiniang annoying anymore and said to Gu Mo, "Brother, I feel like she's actually a pretty person. She's so beautiful, and she even praised me for being beautiful!"

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "Her head is worth 1,600 taels of silver."

Gu Chudong said seriously, "She's even more beautiful now!"

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, his fingers loosened, and the bamboo chopsticks slipped out of his fingers like a white snake spitting its tongue. Before reaching the windowsill, they strangely curved, swirling half a silver arc along the eaves of the carved wooden window, shooting towards Su Meiniang like a white rainbow piercing the sun.

Leaning against the green tiles, Su Meiniang's eyes trembled slightly with gold powder at the corners, and a smile lingered in her dimples. Her whole body transformed into a piece of plain white silk in front of the chopsticks and her body. Her embroidered shoes lightly touched the green tiles, as if carried by the night wind to the eaves. The scarlet silk sash around her waist moved without wind, causing the bamboo chopsticks that brushed past her to tilt by half an inch.

The bamboo chopstick grazed her serpentine waist, and Su Meiniang's fair wrists twirled like delicate hands playing the zither. Her two jade fingers gently twirled the end of the chopstick, and the sound of it cutting through the air suddenly turned into a sharp whistle, piercing back towards Gu Mo's face at the window.

"Use softness to overcome hardness, and borrow strength to strike back!"

Gu Mo was somewhat surprised to sense Su Meiniang's move, because this method was exactly the same as his Tai Chi. He just didn't know who would win in a contest.

At this moment, Gu Chudong was already waiting at his side, holding the Gouchen Demon Blade. The back of the blade struck the center of the chopsticks, and with a crisp "clang," the window paper rustled. The chopsticks, broken in two, still had momentum as they were driven into the corridor pillar, their ends still humming and vibrating.

Gu Chudong leaped into the air with her toes touching the ground. The Gouchen Demon Blade, radiating a blood-red hue, began to boil. Seven cross-shaped blade energies burst forth with the momentum of the blade, like seven horse-slaying swords falling simultaneously. Amidst the sound of shattering tiles, the wooden beams at the eaves were even cracked by the blade energy, leaving a gap in half.

At this moment, Su Meiniang displayed her unpredictable movements. Her white embroidered shoes danced in the gaps between the sword energies, and her waist twisted in arcs that were difficult for ordinary people to achieve. Sometimes she slid three feet across the tiled roof like a weeping willow branch, and sometimes she swooped down diagonally like a night owl flapping its wings. Where the dozen or so sword energies struck, they only cut off a few strands of her hair dyed with gold powder at her temples, which drifted and fell on the blue bricks like falling petals.

"Roar, one for each of us!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from downstairs. A burly man with a full beard stomped his foot, causing the blue bricks to crack. The wind pressure generated by his double hammers even made the lanterns in the courtyard tilt, and a large pit about a foot deep was stomped into the ground. He shot up into the sky like a cannonball and rushed towards the third floor.

At the same time, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, and several dark figures flashed into the courtyard like ghosts. These people were also assassins from the Seven Absolutes Tower. They had a clear division of labor: Su Meiniang and the brute were responsible for delaying Gu Mo and Gu Chudong, while the others rushed into the building to destroy the evidence.

The instant the brute flew up, Gu Mo had already stepped through the air from the window, his hands behind his back not even raised, and he lightly touched the ground with his toes to meet the falling hammers.

In a flash, the brute felt a blur before his eyes, and the hammer blow missed its mark. A tremendous force, like Mount Tai pressing down on his head, came from above—Gu Mo's toe was right on top of his head. The seemingly casual step made the brute feel as if he had been struck by lightning, and he fell headfirst to the ground.

With a muffled "boom," the blue brick ground was smashed into a crater more than ten feet deep. The two assassins below, who didn't have time to scream, were crushed into two pools of minced meat by the mountain-like body, blood splattering everywhere.

In that instant, the brute suddenly sprang to his feet, his bulging muscles twitching like living things beneath the tattered cloth, his blood-stained double hammers leaving afterimages, shaking the rubble within a ten-foot radius into the air.

The brute was surrounded by dark yellow air currents, like a tornado carrying yellow sand. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be countless tiny grains of sand floating and swirling, enveloping him into a moving mountain. Even the moonlight refracted a distorted halo on this eerie air curtain.

"Die, you son of a bitch!"

The brute's roar shook the tiles, causing them to fall in a flurry. He charged forward with overwhelming force, and the air seemed to groan under the weight of his hammers.

Gu Mo lightly touched the ground with his toes and retreated to the roof ridge. He secretly channeled his inner strength into his sleeves and struck out with both palms. In an instant, six golden dragon-shaped energies burst out of the ground and roared as they rushed straight towards the brute's face.

The moment the dragon energy collided with the dust curtain, sand and stones flew everywhere. The six dragon-shaped energies were crushed the instant they touched the dust curtain, turning into specks of golden light and dissipating.

The brute was forced back three steps, the blue bricks beneath his feet turning to dust, yet he let out a wild, beast-like laugh. The aura around him grew increasingly turbulent, and the sand floating above his head condensed into a blurry phantom of a beast's head. With each step he took, he left a footprint that was half a foot deep in the ground.

at this time,

On a rooftop in the Hundred Households compound, two people were watching from afar. They were Night Wanderer, one of the three Jade Token Assassins of the Seven Absolutes Tower, and the head manager wearing a bronze mask.

"Teacher, this Gu Mo doesn't seem that great. He's not as amazing as the rumors say. The Mountain Killing Technique of the brute is only at the minor level, and Gu Mo can't even break it. How can he be praised by the martial arts world as the fifth on the Heavenly Ranking? Is that all he's capable of?" Night Wanderer's words were tinged with disdain.

The head manager said, "You're overthinking it. I've met Gu Mo before. If he really wanted to break through the brute's defenses, he could do it in one move. He probably just saw that the brute was using the Mountain Killing Technique and wanted to see it for himself. Once he loses interest, he'll break through it instantly!"

Night Wanderer frowned and said, "I don't believe it..."

Just then, he suddenly heard a dragon's roar.

The void rippled as if struck by a heavy hammer. When the Night Wanderer looked up, he saw Gu Mo's robe sleeves billowing like a wild horse shaking its mane. The crimson flames that exploded in his palm condensed into a five-clawed golden dragon. When the dragon raised its head, its whiskers swept away the starlight, turning half of the building into a gilded furnace.

The brute's earthen-yellow aura, originally a massive cloud of dust like a mountain, was now like a sandcastle caught in a tide under the dragon-shaped aura. Thousands of grains of sand turned into gold dust in the firelight, crumbling away to reveal his gnarled neck—his Adam's apple had only rolled halfway when the fire dragon smashed the two hammers in front of his chest. The flames engulfed the gleam of the hammers, shining even brighter than the terror in his eyes.

The dragon's shadow pierced through his chest, sending the brute flying backward. The sound of his ribs breaking mingled with the explosion of flames. His left arm, along with half a piece of armor, flew off, the blood at the broken end steaming into red mist due to the high temperature. His right leg slammed into a pillar... and his entire body was torn to pieces.

He liked to tear his victims to pieces when he killed them, and in the end, he himself ended up to be torn to pieces as well.

At that very moment, Su Meiniang was fighting Gu Chudong on the other side. Although she was being suppressed, they were evenly matched.

Suddenly glancing to the side, she saw the brute had ended up in such a state, and was immediately shocked. Before she could react, Gu Mo lightly tapped her.

Just as Gu Mo pointed his finger, the void seemed to be cleaved by an ice blade, and an invisible sword aura shot out.

Su Meiniang's body was as soft as paper, but as soon as her waist twisted into a half-circle, the sword energy pierced through her chest.

Looking down, he saw a gaping hole in his chest, and his pale white clothes were gradually being stained red by the gushing blood.

Su Meiniang staggered backward and fell to the ground with a thud.

At that moment,

Two system notifications sounded in Gu Mo's mind:
Killing a three-star wanted criminal

[Achieve a 3-star reward - Max level Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand]

[Whether to receive it]

……

Killing a three-star wanted criminal

[Received a three-star reward - Max level Tianshan Six Yang Palm]

[Whether to receive it]

……

Gu Mo accepted the rewards directly, but he didn't pay much attention to them. Instead, he slowly pointed east and said, "Manager, we're already here. What's the point of sending two of our men to their deaths?"

On the roof over there,

The Night Wanderer was pale-faced.

The head manager gently patted Night Wanderer on the shoulder and said, "Now you know why Gu Mo is fifth on the Qian Kingdom's Heavenly Ranking, right?"

The Night Wanderer swallowed hard.

The head steward continued, "Why did I send that brute and Su Meiniang to their deaths?"

"Find Gu Mo's weakness," Night Wanderer said.

"Did you figure it out?" the head manager asked.

“I see,” Night Wanderer said. “Gu Mo’s offensive awareness is very strong, which means that his defense should be his weakness.”

The head manager nodded and said, "Madam Liu and Ruan Hongqiao were too weak before, not serious enough for Gu Mo. I couldn't see their true strength. Although the brute and Su Meiniang didn't force Gu Mo to use his full strength, Gu Mo's martial will emerged. It was an indomitable will. Cultivating this kind of will can't result in strong defense, as it clashes with an indomitable will!"

The Night Wanderer nodded.

"No wonder he can get close to the Canglan Sword Sect. It turns out he has the same personality as Qi Tianshu, a reckless fellow!"

After saying that, the head manager reached out and grabbed, and a wisp of wind appeared in the air. In an instant, he turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared. The next moment, he appeared in front of Gu Mo, strode towards Gu Mo, and as he walked, he opened his palm and a burst of flames surged out.

(End of this chapter)