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

Chapter 242 Penglai Immortal Island (1 words)
When Gu Mo returned to Jiucheng Palace, it was still in chaos. However, under Emperor Qian's arrangement, many civil and military officials began to orderly stabilize the capital, while the women hid in the corners.

When Gu Mo appeared at the gate of the Nine-Tiered Palace

The hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone stared at Gu Mo, as if they were seeing a god.
At that moment, the arrogance that the court officials and royal nobles had shown towards martial arts practitioners vanished. To be precise, it was when Gu Mo single-handedly cut through an army of ten thousand that he shattered the prejudice and arrogance of the court officials as well.

Someone had told Gu Mo earlier that...

Although the royal family, nobles, and officials of the court are all intelligent people, they stand too high and too far away, and have been detached from the common people for too long. They enjoy power, and power brings arrogance and prejudice. They cannot believe that a commoner's anger can lead to bloodshed, and they can hardly imagine that they can turn their own people into enemies!
But today,
In front of all civil and military officials, and members of the imperial family and nobility,
Gu Mo showed them that when human power reaches a certain level, it can indeed supersede authority.

"elder brother!"

Gu Chudong slung her large book trunk over her shoulder again, carrying the Thousand-Mechanism Box, now just an empty shell, and walked up to Gu Mo, saying, "Brother, what a pity, I used up the last chance to use the Thousand-Mechanism Box, it's gone!"

Gu Mo smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. Your martial arts skills are already quite high. I'll find you another one later."

Gu Chudong nodded and said, "Then I'll take this box back to Yunzhou for Tie Tou. He mentioned before that he's quite interested in hidden weapons."

"Okay." Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Then, let's go now!"

Gu Chudong nodded.

"Master Gu, please wait!"

Just then, Emperor Qian hurriedly came over and said, "Master Gu, please wait. I am deeply grateful for your help this time. Please rest for a while and give me some time to properly thank you!"

Gu Mo waved his hand slightly and said, "I appreciate Your Majesty's kindness, but I am a person of the martial world, used to being free and unrestrained. I am not very comfortable staying in this palace, so I will not stay any longer!"

"What should we do..." Emperor Qian hurriedly said, "Such a great favor, how can I ever thank you?"

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "If Your Majesty is truly willing to thank me, then settle my bounty. I killed all the Ten Evils and the Human-Faced Beast in the Underground Ghost City. However, due to the special circumstances at the time, I didn't have time to cut off their heads, and some were beaten to the point of being completely destroyed, making it impossible to verify their identities."

Emperor Qianlong quickly replied, "I will definitely inform the Ministry of Justice afterward."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. Farewell!"

After saying that, Gu Mo turned and left.

Gu Chudong waved to Yunxiu and Li Li, saying, "Sister Yunxiu, Chengyang, I'm leaving!" She then waved to the other young ladies from prominent families she had met in the palace, adding, "I'll write to you!"

Subsequently,

The brother and sister then walked out of the main hall.

Gu Mo pulled Gu Chudong up with a light step, and in the blink of an eye, they flew over the palace wall and disappeared into the distance.

As Emperor Qian watched the Gu siblings disappear into the distance, he murmured, "Truly, they are immortals among mortals!"

Prime Minister Wang Weili stood aside and said, "It's a pity that such a person has no interest in the court and only wants to wander the world as a ghostwriter. If he could serve the country, his merits would be immeasurable!"

Emperor Qian chuckled and said, "Though he doesn't serve in the court, he is still a national hero. Minister Wang, issue an order to the Ministry of Works that a token commemorating a national hero must be forged today. Also, have the Ministry of Rites issue an order to local governments that if they encounter Hero Gu in the future, they must unconditionally cooperate with him in apprehending wanted criminals!"

……

After leaving the imperial city.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong then headed towards Ye Jinglan's house.

They wouldn't leave immediately today, so they naturally went to stay at Ye Jinglan's house.

“Brother, let me tell you, I met six girls in the palace today. They are all very beautiful, and each one is a well-educated, intelligent, and virtuous lady from a respectable family.” As she spoke, Gu Chudong took out a piece of paper from her bosom and said, “Hehe, I wrote down all their home addresses. I’ll write to them often to keep in touch.”

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "You're always traveling around and don't stay in the capital. Do you really need so many friends?"

Gu Chudong said, "I don't need that many friends, but I need a lot of sisters-in-law. Our Gu family needs to have many descendants. My dear brother, you have a great mission on your shoulders. Sigh, I'm really worried sick about you!"

Gu Mo: “…”

"I think it's because I haven't taught you enough martial arts that you're so free."

Gu Chudong muttered, "Didn't you already say that you would teach me a martial art called the Tai Xuan Scripture?"

Gu Mo said, "Thinking about it carefully, since you're so free, I should teach you more. Hmm, I'll teach you another technique, the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds!"

"What kind of martial art is Tianlong Bayin?" Gu Chudong asked in confusion.

Gu Mo said, "It's a sonic martial art, the one I used to fight the army in the capital just now!"

Gu Chudong's eyes lit up with joy, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Is that the one just now... a pull and a snap... then it exploded everywhere, making your blood boil?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

The threshold for Tianlong Bayin is very high, requiring profound internal strength and a strong mental will; otherwise, it is easy to encounter backlash when practicing it.

However, Gu Chudong met all the requirements. The perfected Mingyu Gong not only had an inexhaustible source of internal energy, but also a spiritual realm that transcended the "forgetting oneself and the external world" and reached the state of "carefree dream".

Once you've mastered the Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Dragon, you can use the Heavenly Demon Harp.

Although Gu Mo knew that Gu Chudong's use of the Heavenly Demon Harp would not be as powerful as his, he could definitely become one of the best among the grandmasters and would have no problem fighting against the top ten grandmasters on the Qian Kingdom's Heavenly Ranking.

"I want to learn! I want to learn!"

When Gu Chudong heard that Gu Mo was going to teach her the martial art that Gu Mo had used to wreak havoc in the imperial city, she was so happy she almost jumped for joy.

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "Take it one step at a time. You need to learn the Ambidextrous Technique first!"

With Gu Chudong now having mastered the Mingyu Gong, it's only a matter of time before the Extinction Cross Blade Technique also reaches its peak.

As for the three martial arts techniques—Ladder Cloud Leap, Finger Flicking Divine Skill, and Mysterious Void Knife Technique—Gu Chudong has mastered them to a high level after improving her Mingyu Skill.

Next,
Gu Mo's training plan for her was to cultivate the Tai Xuan Scripture as an internal energy technique. This was because the internal energy of the Tai Xuan Scripture was attribute-free Qi, possessing extremely strong compatibility and unlikely to clash with Mingyu's true Qi. Furthermore, the Tai Xuan Scripture was a divine skill that encompassed various martial arts categories, including swordsmanship, palm techniques, lightness skills, fist and foot techniques, and internal energy cultivation, almost covering all the essential skills in the martial arts world.

After mastering it, one can reach a state of complete freedom, greatly improving one's martial arts level. Learning other martial arts will then be a piece of cake, and it can assist in the rapid mastery of other martial arts, making it a veritable cheat code.

Besides the Tai Xuan Scripture, the first thing to learn is the Ambidextrous Fighting Technique. This is a direct and quick cheat-like martial art that is easy to learn. After learning it, you can attack from both sides, multitask, and use one hand to attack and the other to defend.

Simply put, it means you can use two martial arts without them interfering with each other, which is equivalent to one person becoming two people. In terms of pure moves, it can be called the strongest martial art that can be learned quickly. The day you learn it, your martial arts skills will immediately double.

As for the Eight Sounds of Heavenly Dragons

That is a super trump card.

The Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds, while not exceptionally profound and difficult to learn, are not particularly challenging for Gu Chudong at present. However, once mastered, one can wield the Heavenly Demon Harp. The Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds are not particularly powerful, but the Heavenly Demon Harp is immensely powerful.

Only the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds can activate the Heavenly Demon Harp. In a sense, the Heavenly Demon Harp is equivalent to an amplifier for the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds, which can amplify the not-so-powerful Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds many times over, making it incomparably powerful.

Of course, it can also be said that the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds are the key to unlocking the Heavenly Demon Harp.

However, whether it's an amplifier or a key, once Gu Chudong learns the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds, she can use the Heavenly Demon Harp, which can become a major trump card for her adventures in the martial arts world.

……

A major upheaval has occurred in the capital.

However, the common people did not seem to be greatly affected. They only knew that a great battle had taken place in the imperial city, that troops had entered the imperial city, and that the southern garrison troops had also entered the imperial city.

However, unlike ordinary people who only treated it as a topic of conversation over tea, for high-ranking officials, especially court ministers, it was a thrilling day and night.

It wasn't just the fear from the battle for the capital that was terrifying; the greater fear was the subsequent reckoning. The Prince Ji's residence was besieged, and everyone was imprisoned, including servants and servants. Afterward, no minister or noble from Prince Ji's faction escaped punishment. Overnight, the imperial prison was nearly overflowing, and it was foreseeable that a sea of ​​heads would follow.

So, on this night,
The capital city was divided into two extremes: the residential areas on the outskirts remained unchanged, but the inner city was thrown into turmoil overnight, with cries of agony filling the air.

but,

None of this concerned Gu Mo. He stayed at Ye Jinglan's house and slept soundly without being disturbed or having anyone come to the Ye family to investigate the case. After all, Ye Jinglan was one of the people in charge of this purge of Ji Wang's cronies.

This time, Prince Ji rebelled,
Needless to say, the credit definitely belongs to Gu Mo. However, Gu Mo is not a government official, so the credit is useless to him.

After that came the Imperial City Guard and the Palace Guard Battalion, who fought bravely and tenaciously to the very end, despite their dereliction of duty.

Then there was Su Ziyou, who originally had the opportunity to take the credit.

Unfortunately, Su Ziyou arrived a step too late. After learning that Empress Dowager Yan intended to launch a coup, he immediately went to seek help and found Prince Jin, Li Zhongqing.

The two devised a plan to mobilize the garrison troops in the south of the city to rescue the emperor.

As a result, Gu Mo single-handedly routed the rebels. However, his trip was not in vain, as he managed to block the fleeing Black Armor Army and prevent them from causing trouble in the capital.

But their efforts to save the emperor were in vain.

When Ye Jinglan arrived in a hurry, he broke through a palace gate by himself, helping the garrison to enter the imperial city smoothly and making a contribution. Afterwards, as soon as he arrived at Jiucheng Palace, he was arranged by the emperor to capture the rebels.

After a whole night of tossing and turning,
Ye Jinglan dragged his tired body back to the Ye family. Accompanying him were several palace eunuchs and a team of imperial guards. The group arrived at the courtyard where Gu Mo lived.

"Master Gu," the leading white-haired old eunuch said with a fawning smile, "I am here on His Majesty's orders to deliver the bounty for killing the wanted criminal. In addition, His Majesty has specially prepared a token for you!"

Gu Mo recognized the old eunuch; he had been guarding Emperor Qian's side at Jiucheng Palace yesterday and was a skilled fighter. He didn't know the exact level of the eunuch, though, because the old eunuch hadn't really made a move yesterday, only deflecting a few arrows.

"What kind of token is it?" Gu Chudong asked curiously. "Is it valuable?"

The old eunuch said with a smile, "It's made of pure gold."

Gu Chudong's eyes lit up.

The old eunuch took the tray covered with red cloth from the young eunuch beside him, respectfully presented it to Gu Mo, and slowly lifted it to reveal a palm-sized gold token inside.

Gu Chudong quickly picked it up and said, "Wow, it's really pure gold, and it's quite heavy!" As she spoke, she examined the token. One side was engraved with the character "Gu," and the other side was engraved with the four small characters "Great Hero of the Nation."

"What is this for?" Gu Chudong asked.

The old eunuch quickly explained, "Miss Gu, this is a golden token of national heroism, personally ordered by His Majesty for the Ministry of Works to be made overnight for you. From now on, when you travel the world with you, you can use this token to freely view case files of wanted criminals in various local governments, and you can also request the Six Doors to coordinate investigations!"

Gu Chudong exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, that's amazing!"

The old eunuch said, "His Majesty is very grateful to Master Gu for saving his life yesterday. In addition, with this token, Master Gu can freely enter and leave the imperial city and can directly meet the Emperor!"

Gu Chudong looked at Gu Mo, and seeing Gu Mo nod, she said, "Alright, we'll accept it then. Father-in-law, please thank His Majesty for us when you get back!"

"sure!"

The old eunuch brought over another tray with a smile and said, "This contains the bounty for the seven wanted criminals, including the human-faced monster, that Master Gu killed yesterday."

"Hehe, thank you, Father-in-law!"

Gu Chudong quickly took the stack of silver notes from the tray and ran to the side to count them, grinning foolishly as she did so.

The old eunuch then bid farewell to Gu Mo and left.

Ye Jinglan was quite adept at seeing the old eunuch off, then returned to Gu Mo's courtyard, sat down with an air of authority, poured himself a cup of tea, took a big gulp, and gave a thumbs up, saying, "Brother Gu, you're amazing, I'm truly impressed!"

I thought yesterday's battle in the ghost town was your limit, but I never imagined you had even more outrageous methods up your sleeve. Single-handedly repelling an army of ten thousand—it was like hearing a magic book from heaven. The last person rumored to be this powerful was Su Qianqiu. Tsk tsk tsk, Brother Gu, everyone in the martial world says it would take you ten years to even reach the level of Su Qianqiu. I thought that was a testament to your abilities, but it turns out I underestimated you!

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "It's just that we have the advantage of terrain. If it were on the battlefield, with the army fully deployed, the situation would be different."

Ye Jinglan said, "That's not important. You don't know, those civil officials used to call me a warrior or a barbarian all the time. Yesterday, they were all scared out of their wits. Several civil officials even came to ask me if all ten grandmasters of Qian Kingdom were that powerful. They said I was once on the Qian Kingdom's Heavenly Ranking and asked if I could also form an army by myself. Hahaha, seeing their faces, I laughed so hard!"

Gu Mo chuckled and waved his hand.

Ye Jinglan sighed again and said, "It's just a pity. If you were willing to enter the court as an official, with your tremendous merit in saving the emperor yesterday, it wouldn't be long before you could rise to the highest position. The emperor is currently very fond of you and keeps saying that you are a celestial being. Brother Gu, do you really have no interest in entering the court as an official?"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "Brother Ye, putting aside my personal dislike of the intrigue and backstabbing in officialdom, just considering my current situation, do you really think I'm suited to serve as an official in the court?"

"What do you mean?" Ye Jinglan asked, puzzled.

Gu Mo said, "Which emperor can tolerate having someone by his side who can threaten his life at any time? Believe it or not, once the emperor calms down, he will start to worry about this issue and will definitely try to create something that can restrain me... or rather, something that can restrain a martial arts master of my level."

No emperor could tolerate someone threatening his life at any moment. Let alone an emperor, even an ordinary person wouldn't like having a sword hanging over their head, right? Sigh, speaking of which, I've actually caused the Old Celestial Master some trouble. Previously, Emperor Qian didn't have much suspicion towards the Old Celestial Master, but now that he knows the true strength of top-tier masters, he'll definitely be more worried about him.”

Ye Jinglan nodded and said, "Yes, Brother Gu, you're right. A master who can threaten one's life and cannot be controlled is indeed hard for an emperor who holds supreme power to tolerate... Oh no!"

Ye Jinglan's expression suddenly changed drastically.

Gu Mo asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

“Prince Jin is in trouble,” Ye Jinglan said. “Yesterday, Brother Su Ziyou discovered the Empress Dowager’s conspiracy and tried to stop it, but it was too late. When he arrived, the capital city had already been sealed off. He couldn’t think of a solution, so he went to Prince Jin. When Prince Jin learned that a mutiny was about to occur in the capital city, he went to request troops.”

However, under normal circumstances, the garrison of the capital could not move without an imperial edict and military tally. But Wang Yuan, the garrison commander of the southern city, was a close friend of the Prince of Jin. Persuaded by the Prince of Jin, he risked his life to mobilize troops to rescue the emperor.

"I hadn't thought that much about it before, but now that you've said that, it's dawned on me. Although yesterday's mission was to rescue the Emperor, won't His Majesty think that once this matter is over, the Prince of Jin could mobilize the garrison without a military tally to rescue the Emperor, so wouldn't he also be able to mobilize troops without a military tally to rebel?"

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "That's true."

Ye Jinglan frowned and said, "What should we do?"

Gu Mo asked, "Did Wang Yuan go to rescue the emperor yesterday?"

Ye Jinglan thought for a moment and said, "It seems not." "It's definitely not." Gu Mo said, "Prince Jin and Su Ziyou are both smart people. They couldn't possibly not have thought of a question that would arouse His Majesty's suspicion. Therefore, I speculate that Prince Jin will apologize to the emperor, saying that he falsely conveyed the imperial edict in a moment of desperation, and then used a scheme to kidnap or control Wang Yuan, and then deceived everyone by mobilizing the garrison."

Afterwards, the emperor will certainly strengthen the management and centralized control of the garrison, but the Prince of Jin will basically be able to avoid this suspicion. He might even allow you to voluntarily resign from your position in the Imperial City Guard, ensuring you retain absolutely no military power.

Ye Jinglan suddenly realized, "This will dispel His Majesty's suspicions and make His Majesty think that he is very filial..."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Of course, our deduction is just a rough estimate. The actual operation will definitely be handled by people skilled in political maneuvering."

Ye Jinglan waved his hand and said, "I can't think that far ahead. I'll just follow His Highness Prince Jin's arrangements." After saying that, Ye Jinglan took a sip of tea and said, "I heard you're leaving?"

Gu Mo nodded and said, "I was going to leave earlier, but I stayed because of the murderous demon beast. I didn't expect it to cause such a big problem. Besides, there's going to be a lot of turmoil in the capital right now, so it's not suitable for me to stay here. Also, if I stay in the capital for too long, the emperor will start to panic!"

Ye Jinglan chuckled, "I never expected that inviting Brother Gu to the capital would cause such a huge mess. But I must say, Brother Gu, you really do have a bit of a mystical aura about you. None of the wanted criminals you've targeted have ever escaped! It's practically a curse on all wanted criminals in the world. I'm afraid that every time you appear in a place, the wanted criminals there will be terrified!"

Gu Mo: “…”

……

After leaving Ye Jinglan's house

Gu Mo then took Gu Chudong out of the city and headed straight for Wuwei Mountain.

"Brother, by the way, I haven't asked yet, what's the name of the sword you gave me last night?"

“The Abyss Rainbow Sword,” Gu Mo said.

Last night, after arriving at Ye Jinglan's house, Gu Mo retrieved the Yuanhong Sword from the system. It was indeed an excellent sword, far surpassing the two famous swords Gu Mo had previously acquired, only slightly inferior to the Gouchen Demon Blade. The sword contained some spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Although it could not match the demonic nature of the Gouchen Demon Blade, it was somewhere between a divine weapon and a famous artifact.

"So what's the name of your instrument?"

"The Heavenly Demon Harp. Once you've mastered the Heavenly Dragon Eight Sounds, you can use it," Gu Mo said.

"okay."

"Why don't you ask me where I got it from?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

Gu Chudong said, "Don't you often bring out some weird things? Brother, I have a small brain, I can't think of that many things, so I won't think about it anymore, but I'm sure you're my brother!"

Gu Mo was slightly taken aback.
He noticed that Gu Chudong had just said she was "certain".

In other words, were there any doubts?

Gu Mo chuckled lightly and didn't think much of it.

He is the awakened one, he has always been himself, he was him in his past life, and he is Gu Mo in this life as well.

……

When Gu Mo and Gu Chudong arrived at the Imperial Preceptor's residence, they were slightly surprised to learn that Zhang Daoyi was actually receiving guests.

This is extremely rare, because Gu Mo and Gu Chudong have been staying at the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion for so long, and they have only met Zhang Daoyi once, which was Ye Jinglan a few days ago.

The young Taoist priest Huaisu said, "The guest that Master is receiving is nothing special, but the person he represents is very extraordinary. Master cannot refuse to see him."

"Who is it?" Gu Chudong asked in confusion.

“Su Qianqiu,” said the young Taoist priest Huaisu, “The one who has come to visit is Sima Kong, the seventh prince of the Southern Jin Dynasty. However, the Southern Jin royal family selects one person from the Su family to be a prince in each generation and then bestows the title of king. The purpose is self-evident: to keep Su Qianqiu in check and establish a deep bond. This Sima Kong is the candidate for the title of king in the Su family this generation, and he is also Su Qianqiu’s great-grandson.”

Gu Chudong asked in surprise, "Then, doesn't the Su family have many kings?"

The young Daoist Huaisu said, "There aren't many, just two. One is Su Qianqiu's grandson, and the other is Sima Kong, the great-grandson who is about to be enfeoffed as a king! Sima Kong came to our Great Qian Dynasty this time for two reasons: first, to sign a trade agreement, and second, to deliver a message to my master on behalf of Su Qianqiu, probably to discuss the matter of the Penglai Dao Discussion."

"The Dao Discussion at Penglai?" Gu Mo asked in confusion, "What is the Dao Discussion at Penglai?"

The young Taoist priest Huaisu chuckled, "I almost forgot. Although you, Master Gu, are renowned throughout the land, you are still young and a rogue cultivator. You've never heard of the Daoist Debate at Penglai. However, Master Gu, you must have heard of Penglai Island, right?"

Gu Mo nodded and said, "Of course, in the martial arts world of Qian Kingdom, there are three sects, four schools, and seven great families. The top three sects are Penglai Island in the East Sea, Longhu Mountain in Luzhou, and Canglan Sword Sect in Yunzhou. I have naturally heard of the name Penglai Island."

The young Taoist priest Huaisu asked with a smile, "But, Master Gu, you may not know that among the three sects and four schools of our Qian Kingdom, there is Penglai Island. In the martial arts world of Chu Kingdom, there is also Penglai Island. In the martial arts world of Southern Jin, Yue Kingdom, and so on, there are seven or eight countries whose martial arts worlds have Penglai Island!"

Gu Mo asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

The young Taoist priest Huaisu said, "Actually, if you think about it carefully, you will notice a problem. Penglai Island has always been the top power in the martial arts world, but there is something very strange about it."

That's what the martial arts world has always said: Penglai Island is full of Qi cultivators, single-mindedly pursuing their destiny and indifferent to worldly affairs. Master Gu, in your travels, have you ever encountered any disciples of Penglai Island?

Gu Mo asked, "Does the head manager of the Seven Absolutes Pavilion count?"

“Definitely not,” said the young Taoist Huaisu. “The head manager of the Seven Absolutes Pavilion cultivates Qi cultivation techniques, and the Seven Killings Ode of Heavenly Abyss Returns to Silence does indeed come from Penglai Island. However, it was passed down from the seven secret guards under Prince Kangde more than a hundred years ago.”

These were martial arts manuals brought out from Penglai Island by the seven secret guards. However, those seven secret guards never considered themselves disciples of Penglai Island.

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

The young Daoist Huaisu continued, “Think about it again. The martial arts world is constantly in turmoil. Every force rises and falls, and there is a back and forth. Even our Longhu Mountain, which is now known as the ancestral home of Daoism, only slowly regained its glory after my master appeared. The Canglan Sword Sect was supported by its headmaster Qi Tianshu alone. It is impossible for them not to have conflicts and for their disciples to travel the martial arts world and show their fame.”

Yet, this Penglai Island, with not a single disciple ever seen roaming the martial world, and never having been involved in any martial arts events, has been recognized as the most powerful force in the martial world for hundreds of years. Don't you find that strange?

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "I never thought about these things before, and I didn't find anything strange about them. But now that you've said it, it does seem a bit odd."

The young Taoist Huaisu said, "That's because Penglai Island is too mysterious!"

"mystery?"

"Yes, mysterious."

The young Taoist Huaisu said, "People only know that Penglai Island is in the East China Sea, but no one has ever told them its exact location. Because no one knows the exact location, people only look for Penglai Island, but no one can find Penglai Island."

Every thirty years, a group of envoys from Penglai Island will land on the mainland, extending invitations to the most outstanding individuals in the world. These individuals might be masters of martial arts, medicine, or poetry.

"What are you going to do?" Gu Mo asked.

The young Daoist Huaisu said, "Go to the island to discuss the Dao. The island possesses the most advanced secret manuals in all walks of life. The island lord will provide them for free so that everyone can discuss and study them. The Seven Killings Ode of Heavenly Abyss Returns to Silence was brought out under such circumstances."

Gu Chudong asked in surprise, "Then, doesn't that mean that many martial arts in the world originated from Penglai Island?"

The young Daoist Huaisu shook his head slightly and said, "Not many. Since the emergence of Penglai Island, it has only appeared thirteen times. Although hundreds of people are invited each time, only twenty or thirty people are interested in martial arts. Some of them observe overlapping martial arts, and some participate in the discussion but value the discussion more and do not care about their martial arts. Therefore, the martial arts of Penglai Island that are passed down are actually not many."

Most importantly, those invited to Penglai Island are among the most outstanding in the world, each with their own path, and unlikely to deign to learn other people's martial arts. However, the martial arts and other extraordinary skills on Penglai Island are indeed extremely profound, and the island's inhabitants are all unfathomable and exceptionally skilled.

"My master went to Penglai Island last time it opened, along with Su Qianqiu, Jiang Ruoxu, and Qi Tianchu. My master said that his ability to become the third strongest in the world was mainly due to what he gained from that trip to Penglai Island, which enabled him to create the Great Formless Tribulation Technique. However, Su Qianqiu and Jiang Ruoxu gained even more, so one became the strongest in the world, and the other became the second strongest!"

Gu Chudong's eyes widened in shock. "The top three in the world are all from Penglai Island? Is Penglai Island really that powerful?"

Huaisu Daotong nodded and said, "I also find it hard to believe, but it is the truth. Now, there are still two years before Penglai Island opens. In terms of martial arts, the only ones from Qian Kingdom who will be invited are my master and Qi Tianshu, the sect leader. So, Su Qianqiu's letter is to confirm in advance whether or not to go."

“Wait, something’s not right,” Gu Chudong said in surprise, “Qi Tianchu, the sect leader, also went there? Why is there such a big difference between him and the old Celestial Master and Su Qianqiu?”

The young Daoist Huaisu chuckled, "That's just a misunderstanding by the world. Sect Leader Qi follows the purest path of martial will. His ordinary combat strength is indeed not outstanding, but according to my master, if he were to fight to the death, there are not many in the world who could defend against him. Compared to my master and Su Qianqiu, he is certainly a bit inferior, but the gap is not that big!"

Gu Chudong was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered that when he and his sister first met Qi Tianshu, they had successfully missed the moment when Qi Tianshu made his move. But what they knew was that Qi Tianshu had faced Qi head-on and broken two of the already opened Thousand Machine Boxes with a single sword strike. He had also managed to collapse half of Nanting Manor with just the aftershocks of his sword energy.

Looking back now, Qi Tianshu's credentials are actually quite valuable.

The young Taoist priest Huaisu chuckled and said, "Hero Gu and Heroine Gu, you two are too young. You haven't experienced the martial world when Master Qi was young. Master Qi was once the second on the Qian Kingdom's Heavenly Ranking, but as he grew older, he gradually stopped taking action and was demoted to the seventh in the Qian Kingdom. Otherwise, what do you think he was capable of making the Canglan Sword Sect one of the top three sects, above the four major sects and seven great families?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "However, although Penglai Island is very nice, given the current level of the Old Celestial Master and Su Qianqiu, is there still a need for them to go to Penglai Island?"

The young Taoist priest Huaisu shook his head and said, "I don't know about that. If you're curious, you can ask my master directly. He will definitely tell you, because given your performance in the capital this time, you will surely receive an invitation from Penglai Island."

Not long after,

Zhang Daoyi's voice came from the backyard: "Gu Mo, Chu Dong, come in!"

Immediately,

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong went into the backyard.

Then they saw Zhang Daoyi lying on the chair as always, with a young man in his twenties standing next to him.

Gu Chudong recognized this person; she had met him at the palace yesterday and even exchanged greetings. He was none other than Sima Kong, the seventh prince of Southern Jin. The reason for the greeting was that Sima Kong always shamelessly tried to chat with Princess Li Li of Chengyang, and because he talked so much, like dozens of ducks, Gu Chudong was extremely annoyed. She almost beat him up.

Upon seeing Gu Mo and Gu Chudong enter,

Sima Kong quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Master Gu and Lady Gu."

Gu Mo nodded slightly in response.

Gu Chudong asked with some surprise, "Hey, Sima Kong, I didn't see you being this polite yesterday?"

Sima Kong smiled slightly and said, "Yesterday I was blind to your true nature. If I had known that you, Miss Gu, were so skilled in martial arts, I would not have dared to act presumptuously in front of you even if you had ten times the courage!"

Gu Chudong pursed her lips and said, "You're afraid of my brother, aren't you!"

Sima Kong quickly replied, "Master Gu is a peerless martial artist, upright and righteous, chivalrous and courageous, handsome and dashing... naturally he wouldn't hit me!"

"Alright," Zhang Daoyi said, "Sima Kong, if you have something to say, just say it and get lost. Just looking at your face makes me want to hit you. You're so sleazy, just like your great-grandfather!"

Sima Kong chuckled awkwardly and cupped his hands towards Gu Mo, saying, "Great Hero Gu, I have heard that you are the number one swordsman in the world, hating evil as if it were your enemy, and you enjoy arresting wanted criminals. Therefore, I would like to ask you to help arrest a wanted criminal!"

Gu Chudong said arrogantly, "Sima Kong, do you know that my brother's fee is very expensive, at least this much!"

As she spoke, Gu Chudong held up two fingers.

Sima Kong gritted his teeth and said, "Two hundred thousand taels is a bit expensive, but as the number one swordsman in the world, Master Gu never misses a beat. This price is reasonable. As long as Master Gu is willing to make a move, I will offer you the full amount of two hundred thousand taels, without missing a single penny!"

Gu Chudong swallowed hard, silently putting her right hand, which was still holding up two fingers, behind her back. Her hand was trembling slightly as she said, "Seeing how straightforward you are, I won't raise the price. Tell me, which wanted criminal do you want to kill?"

Sima Kong said, "There is a great thief in our Jin Kingdom, known in the martial arts world as the Master Thief, named Wen Wangji. He claims to be the number one thief in the world. Of course, this reputation is not widely recognized, but he is indeed the number one thief in our Jin Kingdom."

This man was eccentric and stole everything, from small things like money from ordinary families to big things like stealing people's internal organs to win bets. Most heinous of all, three years ago, he stole disaster relief funds, causing many people to starve to death. Finally, in front of many people, he threw the money into the sea, all for a moment of whim!

At this moment, a system notification sounded in Gu Mo's mind:
[New wanted mission detected]

[Wanted Target – The Thief Zong Wenwangji]

[Mission Level—Five Stars]

[Task Reward - Max Level and Harmony with the World]

……

"Harmony with the world" comes from the TV series "Qin's Moon" and is the highest mental cultivation method of the Taoist Tianzong sect. It pursues two Taoist realms: "hiding in the dust" or "manifesting in the light," which means going with the flow of the world and not deliberately transcending it.

Its martial arts value is very high.

It can completely blend the user's form and aura into the environment, achieving invisibility and annihilation of presence. It also has the ability to break through the limitations of physical space, enabling short-distance teleportation.

This martial art also belongs to the methods of Qi cultivators, and it is a perfect match for the colorless heaven and earth.

……

Gu Mo asked, "What did he do that made you willing to go to such lengths to kill him?"

Sima Kong said, "To be honest, although I am the seventh prince of Jin, I am actually a member of the Su family."

Gu Mo nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

Sima Kong continued, "Our Su family possesses a supreme treasure, bestowed upon us by my great-grandfather, called the Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage. It is the most exquisite natural treasure in the world, capable of increasing cultivation speed tenfold within it. It is the treasure that guards our Su family's fate, and at the same time..."

Sima Kong sighed and said, "To be honest, my great-grandfather didn't have much affection for our Su family. This Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage is where the bond between the Su family and my great-grandfather is placed. If this thing is lost, it is very likely that the bond will be severed. So, Master Gu, do you understand why the Su family would go to any lengths to kill Wen Wangji and take back the Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage?"

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "I can take this commission, but I need to go back to Yunzhou. Can you wait?"

Sima Kong quickly replied, "I can wait, I can wait. Please go ahead and do what you need to do, Hero Gu. I will wait for you in Yunzhou."

Gu Mo nodded.

At this moment, Zhang Daoyi waved his hand, urging Sima Kong to leave.

Sima Kong quickly bowed to Zhang Daoyi, Gu Mo, and Gu Chudong, then left.

After Sima Kong left, Zhang Daoyi gestured for Gu Mo and Gu Chudong to sit down, and then slowly said, "It was I who instructed Huaisu to tell you about Penglai Island."

Gu Mo nodded slightly. He naturally knew that the young Daoist Huaisu must have been instructed by Zhang Daoyi to reveal the matter of Penglai Island. It was also because of his battle in the imperial city that Zhang Daoyi felt he was qualified to know. Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained silent for so long.

Zhang Daoyi smiled slightly and said, "I know you want to ask what is on Penglai Island that can still attract Su Qianqiu and me. Actually, Penglai Island... to be precise, should be called Penglai Immortal Island."

It is a wondrous place, one that cannot be found by deliberately seeking it. However, those destined to find it will not need to search; Penglai Island will come to them on its own. On the island lies a secret realm called Baiyujing, which holds the greatest opportunity in the world.

Unfortunately, it only opens once every thirty years, giving everyone a chance to visit Baiyujing. Last time, only Jiang Ruoxu successfully brought something out of Baiyujing, namely the Jingzhe Sword, the number one divine weapon in the world.

The rest of us didn't even see Bai Yujing. That's why Su Qianqiu refused to admit he was the best in the world—he didn't believe he could defeat Jiang Ruoxu, who came from Bai Yujing!

(End of this chapter)