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

Chapter 231 Obtaining the Lesser Formless Skill (9k-word long chapter, please vote!)
A short while later, Ye Jinglan led Gu Mo and Gu Chudong out of the Wan Hua Lou. A trusted confidant had already gone to find the spies deployed in the surrounding area to gather details, and quickly returned, bowing and saying, "My lord, a total of seventy-three people came out of the Wan Hua Lou today, forty-five of whom were dressed as women."

According to Su Qingyu's description, a woman dressed as a brothel did indeed emerge from the Wan Hua Lou (Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel) about an incense stick's time ago. Fortunately, the brothers who were secretly monitoring the area were not careless and had placed tracking powder on the woman.

Ye Jinglan asked in a deep voice, "How long will it take to pinpoint the location?"

The confidant said, "You should head west. In no more than half an incense stick's time, the brothers will be able to track down that person."

"it is good."

Ye Jinglan looked at Gu Mo and said, "Brother Gu, we'll have to wait a little while. Why don't you take a stroll around the capital? This must be your first time in the capital, brother and sister!"

“Yes,” Gu Chudong nodded, “I feel that the capital is so big and prosperous. I’ve been to Cangyuan City before, and I thought that Cangyuan City was the most lively and prosperous. But the capital is even more lively than Cangyuan City!”

Ye Jinglan said, "There are many famous scenic spots in the capital, such as Zhuangyuan Tower, Wenfeng Pagoda, and Banyue Lake. If you are interested, you can visit them when you arrive. Hmm, Princess Chengyang would love to play with you."

Gu Chudong nodded and said, "We'll see when the time comes!"

The three walked for a while, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
A constable from the Ministry of Justice stepped out from the crowd and said, "Sir, it's confirmed. Wu Qiu is currently in Liyuan Lane. His goal is probably to hide in the opera troupe and sneak out of the city."

A cold glint flashed in Ye Jinglan's eyes as he said, "Give the order to guard all the tunnels and canals near Liyuan Lane that lead into the Ghost City."

"Understood." The constable bowed and withdrew.

Ye Jinglan immediately led Gu Mo and Gu Chudong quickly towards a small alley.

"Brother Ye, your Ministry of Justice's intelligence capabilities are truly impressive," Gu Mo exclaimed.

Ye Jinglan shook his head and said, "The Ministry of Justice is nothing special. The strongest intelligence agencies in the capital are the Imperial City Guard and the Night Guard. It's just a pity that both of these departments are directly responsible to His Majesty. The Imperial City Guard is responsible for supervising officials, and the Night Guard is responsible for supervising Jianghu forces. We can't use them in the Ministry of Justice. Otherwise, it would be many times easier to investigate cases."

"What about the Six Doors?" Gu Mo asked.

Ye Jinglan chuckled and said, "The Six Doors in the capital are just for show. Their main function is to oversee the Six Doors in various places. After all, the Six Doors' duty is to suppress the martial arts world. In the capital, under the emperor's nose, which martial arts force would dare to act recklessly? Why would we need the Six Doors?"

Gu Mo thought about it and realized that Ye Jinglan was right; the capital city really didn't need the Six Doors.

The group chatted as they made their way toward Liyuan Lane.

……

Liyuan Lane is a well-known residential area in Beijing. It is famous because it is home to half of the opera troupes in Beijing, and almost all the famous opera troupes are located here, hence the name Liyuan Lane (meaning "Pear Garden Lane").

At this moment, in a small house in Liyuan Lane, there was a theatrical troupe called Yutang Ban. The troupe leader was instructing his servants to pack up their costumes, because their troupe had received a big job today and was going to perform for a wealthy man in the suburbs.

In the corner sat a man with a face covered in burn scars, carrying a seven-stringed zither on his back.

The man was eating a sesame seed cake with his head down when he suddenly looked up as if he had thought of something. He walked up to the troupe leader and said, "Trailer Zhang, never mind, my wound has reopened. I won't be leaving the city today!"

Master Zhang quickly asked, "Wu Qiu, are you injured?"

The scarred man named Wu Qiu said, "Yeah, I got bitten by a dog. Recently, a dog has been targeting me and keeps chasing me. I got bitten today."

Master Zhang said, "But didn't you go out of town on business?"

“It’s a small matter, I can do it later. I’m going to apply some medicine first,” Wu Qiu said.

“That’s fine. Our troupe is going out of town tomorrow, so you can come back then,” said Master Zhang.

"Thanks."

Wu Qiu cupped his hands in greeting, then slowly turned and left.

As Wu Qiu walked to the door, Master Zhang suddenly called out, "Wu Qiu."

Wu Qiu turned around, puzzled, and asked, "Master Zhang, what's wrong?"

Zhang Banzhang opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Wu Qiu, listen to my advice and give up that unrealistic idea. That Su Dajia is like a fairy. Even if she leaves Wan Hua Lou in the future, she will go to be a concubine in the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles. We ordinary people should not fantasize about it."

"You play the zither very well. I can say you can't find many players in the entire Pear Garden Alley who can play as well as you. Why don't you settle down and find a place in an opera troupe as a zither player, earn some money, and who knows, you might even have a chance to marry a beautiful wife? Wouldn't that be great? We ordinary folks shouldn't have such unrealistic dreams!"

Wu Qiu stared intently at Master Zhang for a long while before slowly saying, "Alright, Master Zhang, if... there's still a chance, I'll join your troupe!"

“Of course there is a chance,” said Zhang, the troupe leader. “With your musical skills, any opera troupe would be eager to have you. I’m just afraid you’ll look down on my little troupe.”

Wu Qiu smiled slightly, then laughed so hard he pulled at the burn scars on his face, making him look somewhat terrifying.

Immediately afterwards, Wu Qiu left with his zither on his back.

Master Zhang watched Wu Qiu's retreating figure, sighed, and said, "What a pity about Wu Qiu. If he had lived a serious life earlier, he would probably have become a famous master musician by now!"

A servant laughed and said, "Master, what's there to regret? Although Wu Qiu has accomplished nothing, he gets to be by Su Qingyu's side every day. That's an opportunity that many people would kill for. If it were me, I would be willing too!"

Master Zhang waved his hand and said, "It's different. Wu Qiu's qin skills are different from those of you who are learning the art. His qin is alive. If he hadn't wasted his time, he could definitely have become a master of the qin. Alas, what a pity. Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman!"

"What kind of hero? He's just a toad trying to eat swan meat!"

"Hahaha……"

A burst of laughter erupted from the opera troupe.

At this time,
Wu Qiu, who had already left the opera troupe, was carrying a zither as he walked through the alleys. His steps became faster and faster, and he soon passed through more than a dozen alleys.

As he walked into a deep alley once again, he saw a young man and a young woman. Both were dressed in black, were quite young, had similar facial features, fair and delicate skin, and excellent temperament. They looked like a pampered young master and lady from a wealthy family.

but,

Wu Qiu tensed up at that moment.

Because the young man was blind, with a black cloth covering his eyes, and the woman was petite but carried an oversized book box on her back. This outfit was now famous throughout the martial arts world.

“Gu Mo, the great hero of Yunzhou!” Wu Qiu’s pupils contracted slightly. He said, “I’ve thought about it carefully and for a long time, but I still can’t figure it out. I’ve only been to Yunzhou once in my life, but that was eight years ago. I only killed one person there. It shouldn’t be such a coincidence that I offended the future great hero of Yunzhou, right?”

"No," Gu Mo said.

Wu Qiu said in a deep voice, "Then why bother to spread the word throughout the entire martial arts world? And why go to such lengths to hunt me down from afar?"

Gu Mo said, "I'm the one who put the knife in my mouth, and you're a wanted criminal. I shouldn't need a reason to kill you, right?"

Wu Qiu said, "There are countless wanted criminals in the world. What qualifications do I, Shang, have to be valued so highly by you, Master Gu?"

"He deserves to die!"

Gu Mo had killed many wanted criminals, but there were very few villains like Shang Wujiu who killed people arbitrarily without any reason.

Generally, murderers consider cause and effect when they kill, but Shang Wujiu is different. He has no cause and effect; he simply enjoys randomly finding passersby to perform for money. If a passerby refuses, he will be killed. If they choose to pay, they have a chance to live, but it's only a chance. After playing the zither, he asks the listener to evaluate his skills. If the evaluation is satisfactory, he can live and receive ten times the money. If the evaluation is unsatisfactory, he will be killed.

Whether one is satisfied or not is entirely up to them, and the right to interpret it rests with Shang Wujiu.

No fewer than a hundred innocent people were killed by Shang Wujiu.

“But I’ve retired from the criminal life for many years,” Shang Wujiu said.

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "You killed someone, you are a wanted criminal with a heavy sin, and I am the one who killed you. What does this have to do with you retiring from crime?"

"It seems... there's no connection."

"I heard you like to play the piano for people, why don't you play a piece for me?" Gu Mo said.

“Alright.” Shang Wujiu nodded and said, “Master Gu, now that you have caught me, I know I am doomed. But before I die, I would like to ask you for a favor.” As he spoke, Shang Wujiu took out a letter from his pocket and placed it on the ground beside him, saying, “Could you please deliver this letter to Su Qingyu of Wanhualou?”

Gu Chudong asked in surprise, "You really went to the brothel for love?"

Shang Wujiu nodded and said, "Six years ago, I fell in love with Su Qingyu the first time I met her. In that instant, I regretted it. I really regretted it. I hated myself for being a wanted criminal. I hated myself for killing so many people. I loved her, but I couldn't and couldn't be with her forever."

So, I disfigured myself and entered the brothel as a musician. I knew I was unworthy of her; all I wanted was to stay by her side. Over the years, I had so many things I wanted to say to her, but I didn't dare.

Until two days ago, I realized that someone seemed to be watching me, and I knew that my identity might have been exposed. Today, I'm certain I'm being watched. I know that if I don't tell her now, I'll never have a chance to express my feelings. But when I stood in front of her today, I still didn't dare to speak. So, I wrote everything I wanted to say in a letter.

Gu Mo was greatly shocked and puzzled, saying, "You, a ruthless killer, have taken a liking to a woman, and you say you don't dare to express your feelings? You're an idiot..."

"elder brother!"

Gu Chudong interrupted Gu Mo and said, "Anyone will feel inferior in front of the person they love, so being devoted should not be ridiculed!"

Gu Mo said speechlessly, "Being devoted is indeed not something to be ridiculed, but foolish behavior should be ridiculed!"

Shang Wujiu sighed softly, "Master Gu, perhaps one day when you meet the one you love, you won't think my actions were foolish."

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, "In this world, only deep affection cannot be ridiculed by others, but there is a second part to that statement: In this world, only deep affection is the most foolish thing!"

The deep alley is like a knife, cutting through the twilight.

The last withered leaf swirled along the bluestone slab, and Shang Wujiu's zither strings were taut as a bowstring. His action of removing the zither was like tearing off a seal; seven icy silkworm threads danced with cold light in his palm, and as his fingertips glided over the bridge, a series of clear and melodious tremolos were produced, as if a lone crane had soared across the sky.

As the music began, the wind at the alley entrance suddenly froze.

The dampness seeping from the cracks in the bluestone slabs was shaken into a fine mist, which wove into a water curtain as he flickered his fingertips. Each wave of sound crashed into it and bloomed into lotus-like patterns, transforming into a shimmering sword of energy that shot towards Gu Mo and his sister like a meteor streaking through the sky with a sharp momentum.

Wherever the sword of energy passed, ripples spread through the air. Withered leaves were drawn by an invisible force, swirling and dancing around the sword of energy, drawing brilliant trajectories in the dim alley. Rather than a sword of energy, it was more like fireflies tamed by the sound of a zither. Hundreds of points of cold light gathered into a cluster of swords, illuminating even the yellowish veins of the withered leaves as they passed by.

Gu Mo held a willow-leaf shaped throwing knife in his hand.

The attack was instantaneous, and no one could see how it was made. The blade reflected the sound waves emitted by Shang Wujiu, making it seem like a ripple of light emerging from the zither's glow.

The moment the first sonic wave struck the back of the blade, sparks flew and scorched the blue bricks. The second sonic wave was shredded into silver threads by the blade, tracing a crescent-shaped arc of light along its arc. By the time the third sonic wave arrived, the blade was already imbued with the clear, crisp sound of the zither.

The flying knife pierced through layers of sound waves with unstoppable force, shattering the zither music and sword energy, which then dissipated into streaks of light in the air.

Immediately afterwards, the flying knife pierced Shang Wujiu's chest.

As the knife plunged into his chest, Shang Wujiu's fingertips were still resting on the bridge of the zither.

The blood droplets trickled down the strings, falling even faster than the notes on the instrument.

He suddenly laughed, his fingertips brushing across the strings. What should have been a fierce killing move turned into the final notes of "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," the broken sounds mixed with blood splattering on the tuning pegs, like someone crushing sunlight and scattering it in an alley.

He shuddered violently, his clothes instantly stained crimson with blood, like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet he still forced himself to stand, his slender fingers gently resting on the strings, plucking them slowly. But the previous sharpness was gone, and there was no longer any offensive power; it had become pure playing.

The melodious and gentle sound of the zither, carrying a touch of melancholy and longing, echoed in the quiet alley, telling endless stories.

It didn't last long. Shang Wujiu suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the strings of the zither in front of him. The seven-stringed zither in his arms fell to the ground with a "thud," and he collapsed helplessly like a butterfly with broken wings.

"You idiot..."

Blood bubbles burst softly between his lips and teeth, and the last withered leaf finally landed on Shang Wujiu's wide-open eyelashes. The twilight at the end of the deep alley spread out, the sound faint and desolate.

At that moment, a system prompt sounded in Gu Mo's mind:

Killing a three-star wanted criminal

[Received a three-star reward - Max level Lesser Formless Skill]

[Whether to receive it]

……

In that instant,

Gu Mo then obtained the max level of the Lesser Formless Skill.

This skill transcends form and leaves no trace. It is a Taoist practice that emphasizes tranquility and non-action, allowing the spirit to roam freely in the void. With "formlessness" as its core principle, it is practiced without attachment to form, thus enabling the transformation of all phenomena. Its power is immense, capable of imitating others' unique skills and even surpassing the original.

Of course, for Gu Mo,
The most important thing is not that it can be used to fight enemies, but that his Wuji Guiyuan Qi has been perfected.

The Limitless Returning to Origin Qi is composed of six unique attributes and seven divine skills with unlimited potential. The Lesser Formless Skill is the last martial art that is missing.

The first harmonizer is the Tai Chi Divine Skill; the second converter is the Lesser Formless Skill; the third stabilizer is the Four Illuminations Divine Skill; the fourth protector is the Heavenly Silkworm Divine Skill; the fifth power source is the Nine Yang Divine Skill and the Bright Jade Skill; and the sixth dimension-ascending device is the Tai Xuan Scripture.

Now all seven martial arts techniques have been restored to their original positions.

For a moment, Gu Mo felt a surge of emotion.

Just recently, I used the Limitless Returning to Origin Qi to fight the head manager. At that time, because I lacked the Lesser Formless Skill as a converter, various internal energies clashed, greatly reducing its power and even causing me serious injury. ...

While Gu Mo was distracted, Gu Chudong had already run to Shang Wujiu's body. She put on silver gloves and quickly took out a money bag from Shang Wujiu's body. Inside were only a few loose silver coins and some copper coins, but Gu Chudong was so happy that she grinned from ear to ear.

Then she pulled a book out of Shang Wujiu's body, with the words "The Tribulation of the Heartstrings of Wuwang" on the cover.

This was Shang Wujiu's signature skill.

Immediately,

Gu Chudong swiftly placed the secret manual into the book box, and then also put Shang Wujiu's seven-stringed zither inside.

At this moment,
Ye Jinglan led a group of constables from the Ministry of Justice out of the alley. In fact, they had been there for a long time. However, the constables were all very good at handling things. They knew that Shang Wujiu was just a gift from Ye Jinglan to Gu Mo. So, coincidentally, they arrived just after Gu Mo killed Shang Wujiu.

"Congratulations, Brother Gu, you have once again personally killed a major wanted criminal. I will personally supervise the Kyoto Prefecture government, and the reward money will be delivered in five days at most."

Ye Jinglan walked over, waved, and signaled his constables to take the body away. He glanced at Gu Chudong's large book box, but because the seven-stringed zither was too long, the lid of the book box could not be closed.

Gu Chudong was very possessive of her food, and immediately ran behind Gu Mo, her eyes full of vigilance.

Ye Jinglan chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Chu Dong, I won't steal your treasure. I just want to remind you that Shang Wujiu's seven-stringed zither, also known as the Ghost Cry Seven-Stringed Zither, is made of special materials. The body of the zither is very hard and difficult to damage with ordinary weapons. However, the most powerful part is the strings. They are thin and soft, yet very tough and sharp. Many martial arts masters have been killed by Shang Wujiu by having their throats slit with the strings when they fought him in close combat!"

Gu Chudong quickly replied, "I understand. If I ever encounter someone I can't beat in the future, I can take the strings off the instrument and use them as hidden weapons to launch a sneak attack!"

Ye Jinglan: "..."

"What I meant was, if you want to learn the zither... be careful, the Ghost Cry Seven-String Zither is very sharp, don't hurt yourself. Hmm... you... are very good at applying what you've learned, hahaha... you're really suited for traveling the world, hahaha!"

Gu Mo, who was standing to the side, chuckled and shook his head, changing the subject. Pointing to a letter on the ground, he asked, "Brother Ye, this letter..."

Ye Jinglan curled her lip and said, "Shang Wujiu is acting like he's sick. A ruthless killer who doesn't blink an eye, what's with this infatuation? It's weird just thinking about it. Let whoever wants to send this letter can send it. Damn it, she's just a courtesan, is it really necessary?"

After saying that, Ye Jinglan cupped his hands to Gu Mo and said, "By the way, Brother Gu, why don't you and Sister Chu Dong stay at my house? There's no one else in my house but me, so it's quite spacious. I'll show you around now, and if you don't like it, we can go find another place."

"Alright!" Gu Mo cupped his hands in greeting.

Immediately, the group left the alleyway, but before leaving, Gu Chudong hesitated for a moment and then picked up the letter.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

Gu Chudong caught up with Gu Mo with the envelope in her hand and said, "Brother, smell this letter, it smells so good!"

Gu Mo sniffed the air and said, "It smells like sandalwood. Hmm, I smelled this scent at the Wan Hua Lou before."

Ye Jinglan took the envelope, smelled it, and said, "This is the Yunlu sandalwood that Lin Jing kept asking for in prison when we were in Linhai City. This stuff is a specialty of Chang'an, and it's practically a monopoly on the high-end sandalwood market."

A top-tier brothel like Wanhualou frequented only the wealthy and powerful, so the sandalwood they used was naturally Yunlu sandalwood. It's quite normal that the Xuan paper Shang Wujiu used from Wanhualou would have the scent of Yunlu sandalwood.

Gu Chudong exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder it's so popular in Chang'an. This Yunlu sandalwood is really fragrant. But such a good thing is only found in Chang'an. We've never seen it anywhere else when we're traveling around the world."

“Yes, it definitely exists,” Ye Jinglan said. “I’ve seen it in Qingzhou, but it’s very rare. This is because Yunlu sandalwood is a specialty of Chang’an, with extremely low production. It’s in short supply even in Chang’an, and very little of it flows out to other places.”

"Oh, I see." Gu Chudong nodded.

Ye Jinglan said, "If Chu Dong wants it, I'll go ask around at those shops for you..."

"How much?" Gu Chudong asked.

Ye Jinglan said, "The market price is forty taels of silver per tael, but it's generally unavailable. If you really want to buy it, it would probably cost sixty taels..."

"Robbery!" Gu Chudong exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Does smelling this stuff make you ascend to heaven? It's six hundred taels of silver a pound! Even the most wanted criminals on Yunzhou's blacklist only get a few hundred taels of silver each!"

Ye Jinglan said, "Robbing money is nowhere as profitable as selling Yunlu sandalwood."

Gu Chudong: “…”

Ye Jinglan chuckled, opened the envelope, checked the contents, and then tossed it to Gu Chudong, saying, "If you're interested, you can give it to Su Qingyu when you have time."

"Hmm, we'll see!"

Gu Chudong did not give a definite answer, but told him to keep the letter safe.

"Hey, bro," Gu Chudong asked, "You know, when Shang Wujiu was dying, he said 'idiot,' who was he talking about?"

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Gu Chudong muttered, "It can't be that he's cursing himself, right? You called him stupid before, and then he suddenly realized it when he was dying, and he also felt that he had made a stupid mistake? It doesn't seem like it, he liked Su Qingyu so much..."

……

Although Ye Jinglan's salary was not much, he bought a large three-courtyard mansion in the prime location of Zhuque Street, where land was extremely valuable, and had more than a dozen servants.

However, upon closer inspection, there's nothing wrong with it.

Before becoming an official, Ye Jinglan was the leader of the Qingzhou Tiandao Sect, controlling nearly 30% of the martial arts world in Qingzhou. His sect's businesses spanned half of Qingzhou's various industries. Even though he has now stepped down, his businesses are still his businesses, so he is definitely not short of money.

If it weren't for his status—after all, he was only a fifth-rank official—Ye Jinglan could probably afford to buy an estate in the capital.

The group entered the courtyard.

Gu Mo then asked, "Brother Ye, my business is finished, now it's time to do yours. That human-faced monster has been wreaking havoc in the capital for over a decade, and the court has been helpless. The temptation of being promoted three ranks is something that the court officials couldn't possibly resist, yet they have been unable to solve the case for so long, which is enough to show how difficult this matter is."

Since Brother Ye has decided to crack the case of the Human-Faced Demon Beast, it's certainly not just out of enthusiasm; he must have some clues.

Ye Jinglan nodded slightly and said, "To be honest, Brother Gu, I do have some clues. Otherwise, how could I find this human-faced monster without any clues? Actually, the difficulty in the human-faced monster case is not how difficult it is to deal with, but that the appearance of this human-faced monster is unpredictable, so it is impossible to set up an ambush in advance."

Gu Mo asked in confusion, "You've found the pattern?"

Ye Jinglan shook his head and said, "How could we possibly find a pattern? If there were a pattern, the imperial court wouldn't have allowed that human-faced monster to run rampant for so many years. However, whether there is a pattern or not is not important. What is important is that we can find the human-faced monster's whereabouts."

I originally didn't intend to investigate the case of the human-faced monster, because it was impossible to find the human-faced monster. It appeared randomly on the surface, and the underground ghost city was too complicated to search for or pinpoint.

But some time ago, Mr. Qi Miaoxuan wrote to me introducing me to someone: Song Zichu, the county magistrate of Lantian County. This man is Mr. Qi's disciple and possesses the ability to remember everything he sees.

Gu Chudong exclaimed in surprise, "So amazing?"

Ye Jinglan sighed and said, "It's a pity that Song Zichu has been confined to his own little world for more than twenty years. Otherwise, with his photographic memory, he would definitely have a bright future. He wouldn't still be just a county magistrate in his thirties."

When he was a child, he witnessed his older sister and brother being kidnapped by human traffickers and taken to a ghost town. After that, his father went into the ghost town to search for his children and never came out again. His mother couldn't bear the shock and went insane.

The once happy family was torn apart in just a few months. At that time, Song Zichu was only a few years old and could not support himself at all, not to mention that he had a mother who had gone mad. Fortunately, he met Mr. Qi, who was visiting the capital.

Mr. Qi admired Song Zichu's perseverance and filial piety, so he treated his mother's mental illness. It was during this period that Song Zichu gradually demonstrated the ability to remember everything he saw. Mr. Qi took a liking to Song Zichu's talent and taught him some martial arts and medical skills, enabling him to become self-reliant.

Song Zichu hated human traffickers and vowed to eradicate their gangs. However, after he became an official, he realized that even the imperial court was powerless to deal with the ghost town's government. From then on, he lost interest in climbing the official ladder and decided to find another way.

He began frequently venturing into the ghost city, hoping to use his photographic memory to memorize all the intricate passages and canals beneath. This was an utterly absurd idea, and Song Zichu became a famous joke in the capital. Everyone laughed at his wild imagination, because the underground ghost city was simply too complex. Beneath it lay drainage channels that were hundreds or even thousands of years old, and there had even been ancient cities buried beneath it. It was impossible for one person to memorize all the passages.

However, there was only one person in the world who truly understood Song Zichu. After more than a decade of exploration, although he was still some distance from having memorized the entire ghost city, he had already grasped its general outline and possessed a preliminary map of the ghost city.

Gu Mo couldn't help but give a thumbs up and exclaimed, "This is truly a person with great perseverance and determination!"

“It is indeed admirable. His actions should be respected by all,” Ye Jinglan said. “Once the map of the ghost city is actually drawn, it means that the ghost city will no longer be so mysterious. The government can restrict and manage the ghost city to a large extent and reduce criminal activities by more than half. This is a great event that can benefit all people.”

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

He understood the significance of the ghost town map, which would eliminate a centuries-old problem.

Ye Jinglan continued, "However, we're still far from solving this problem right now, but it can help me find the human-faced monster. The human-faced monster is huge, over ten feet long and half a foot tall. It can't just hide anywhere, and it's incredibly ferocious. Combined with the Ministry of Justice's records of the human-faced monster's characteristics and its locations each time it appears, Song Zichu said he can help find places in Ghost City where the human-faced monster might be hiding."

Gu Chudong asked in confusion, "Then, Brother Ye, if that's the case, why don't you just ask the Ministry of Justice to mobilize a large force..."

At this point, Gu Chudong suddenly realized what she meant and said with a grin, "Never mind what I said."

Ye Jinglan and Gu Mo both smiled slightly, their understanding unspoken.

This is a meritorious achievement that could lead to a promotion of three ranks. If Ye Jinglan had secured it alone, he would have been promoted directly to the rank of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, a third-rank official. However, if he notified the Ministry of Justice, making it a collective action, although he would still be credited first, the credit would be shared, and he would at most be promoted from the fifth rank to the fourth rank. The fourth rank and the third rank may seem like only half a rank apart, but in reality, they are worlds apart.

"Brother Gu, Sister Chu Dong, Song Zichu's situation still needs some time, so you can stay at my house for now. Just let me know if you need anything."

……

After moving into Ye Jinglan's house,
Gu Mo began to study Shang Wujiu's Wuwang Xinxian Jie, which was a pretty good sonic attack technique. Although it was not as good as Tianlong Bayin, it was definitely a first-class martial art in the martial arts world, and it was also a rare sonic technique.

Sonic martial arts are generally very difficult to cultivate, but Gu Mo's current martial arts level is too high. Even without system rewards, he can understand the mysteries of this level of martial arts with just a little research. He can directly reach the mastery level without any deliberate cultivation.

In the past few days, Gu Chudong spent her time practicing martial arts and going out for sightseeing with Princess Chengyang. Gu Mo, of course, had no interest in shopping or sightseeing. He was trying to modify the Wuwang Xinxian Jie (无妄心弦劫) martial art because he discovered that this martial art had conditions for rapid mastery, but it was not perfect. With his current martial arts level, he could completely make up for the defects.

He devoted himself to this research so much that he forgot to eat and sleep, day and night.

Similarly, in Lantian County outside Kyoto Prefecture, there was another person who was studying day and night, none other than Song Zichu, the county magistrate of Lantian County.

As night deepened and the Song residence in Lantian County was shrouded in a deep, inky darkness.

Song Zichu crouched on the blue brick floor, his eyes bloodshot, his cheeks sunken as if carved by a knife, as if all his energy had been drained away, with only his eyes fixed on the map more than ten feet long in front of him.

He held a soybean oil lamp in his left hand, its dim yellow light swaying on the map, making the patterns on the map appear and disappear. This map was the map of the ghost town that he had memorized over the years.

Suddenly, a night breeze swept through the hall, and with a creak, the half-closed wooden door was pushed open.

A strong gust of wind, carrying the night dew, swept in, and the oil lamp went out with a "poof," plunging the room into complete darkness. Song Zichu shuddered, his right hand instinctively reaching for the soft sword at his waist, and he abruptly turned to look.

Silvery moonlight streamed through the courtyard, and a thin mist had somehow crept over the stone steps, billowing like a veil under the eaves. From within the mist came a faint, mournful sob, soft and plaintive, seemingly carrying a deep sorrow.

Song Zichu frowned and took out a tinderbox to relight the oil lamp, but in that instant, in a daze, he saw a figure in the thin mist approaching him.

"Who?"

Song Zichu shouted.

"Sanlang... Sanlang..."

The voice was faint and ethereal, as if it came from a great distance, yet also seemed to linger in one's ear, "It's me..."

Song Zichu's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his hand holding the tinderbox trembled slightly.

As the fog gradually thinned, the moonlight outlined a figure with a flowing skirt and cascading black hair. It was none other than her older sister, who was only sixteen years old when they parted in her memory!

Twenty years have passed without leaving a trace on her face, but her eyes and brows now hold an indescribable sorrow and grief.

"Sanlang..."

The older sister stretched out her fair hand, the silver bell on her wrist jingling softly with her movement. "I've missed you so much, Sanlang. Come quickly, come quickly, come with me, let's reunite as a family..."

The voice was so warm and affectionate that Song Zichu felt a sudden jolt in her head, her mind went blank and her eyes were unfocused. She walked out as if she had lost her soul, and involuntarily reached out to take her sister's hand, her feet moving forward involuntarily.

In a daze, Song Zichu walked out the door, his hand outstretched. Just as his fingertips were about to touch his sister's palm, a cold glint flashed in Song Zichu's eyes. A cold light shot out from his sleeve, and a soft sword, like a dragon emerging from the abyss, went straight for the figure's throat. He coldly shouted, "Demon, take this!"

The sword energy pierced the air, accompanied by a sharp whistle, and slashed straight down!

The older sister was instantly stabbed and turned into a wisp of smoke.

Before Song Zichu could react, her older sister appeared on the other side, calling out mournfully, "Sanlang... Sanlang... it's me, your eldest sister..."

"Monster, you're looking for death!"

Song Zichu immediately brandished his soft sword, preparing to attack his "sister," but at that very moment, he heard another voice: "Third brother, let's go!"

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was his second brother, who had disappeared at the same time as his eldest sister.

"San'er..."

Another familiar voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw his father, who had gone to the ghost town and never returned. Beside his father was another figure, his mother, who had passed away two years ago.

His mother was also calling out to him: "San'er, come quickly, our family is reunited..."

Song Zichu's eyes were icy cold as he brandished his soft sword and shouted, "You're all playing tricks! Die!"

(End of this chapter)