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

Chapter 247 Slaughtering Through Qianqiu Town (A Long Chapter of 1 Words)
Gu Chudong also said, "Moreover, I feel that Master Liansheng doesn't seem to be a competitive person, so why would he suddenly want to challenge Su Qianqiu?"

Su Ziyou chuckled and said, "That's easy to explain."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Gu Mo asked.

Su Ziyou said, "Da Guangming Temple is the ancestral temple of Buddhism, and its status is similar to that of Longhu Mountain in our Qian Kingdom. However, there is a difference: the Confucianism in Chu Kingdom is also very powerful, especially after Xiao Zhaolin ascended the throne, he made great use of Confucianism."

Now, the Luoyang Academy, representing Confucianism, is showing signs of surpassing the Great Bright Temple. Last year, some scandals occurred within Buddhism, enraging Xiao Zhaolin, who nearly launched a campaign to persecute Buddhism. The matter was only resolved after Master Liansheng personally entered the palace to speak with Xiao Zhaolin.

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "In other words, Master Liansheng's challenge to Su Qianqiu this time was not Master Liansheng's own subjective will, but for the sake of Buddhism, or perhaps because he had previously agreed to Xiao Zhaolin's conditions."

Su Ziyou nodded and said, "It's probably true. Xiao Zhaolin has never hidden his ambition. He supports a pseudo-Jin state with the simple goal of seizing the opportunity to annex the Jin state. Su Qianqiu is the biggest obstacle to annexing the Jin state, and the easiest way is to find a master with similar strength to Su Qianqiu to defeat him."

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "Although I've never met Su Qianqiu, I've heard the Old Celestial Master talk about him many times before, so I know a little about him, though I don't know exactly how strong he is. But given Master Liansheng's current state, he probably has no chance of winning!"

Su Ziyou said, "If they were absolutely certain, they wouldn't have tried to weaken Su Qianqiu behind his back, and they wouldn't have gone so far as to steal the Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage. Moreover, they definitely have other backup plans."

Gu Mo nodded, not continuing the topic, but instead asked, "What did you find out?"

Su Ziyou said, "Wen Wangji is probably being orchestrated by the Thousand Autumns Sect. Following this lead, we might be able to uncover the identity of the Thousand Autumns Sect's leader..."

immediately,

Su Ziyou then told Gu Mo about his deduction of Manager Wen's identity.

After listening, Gu Mo asked, "Then, have you found out who's behind Manager Wen?"

At this moment, Gao Tie cupped his hands and said, "We've found out. There are quite a few brothers from the Dark Guard Camp hiding in Qianqiu Town. We've already found out the information. Manager Wen didn't redeem herself; it was a man named Hong Xu who redeemed her. However, Hong Xu didn't take her home; instead, he kept her as a mistress outside."

"What is this Hong Xu's identity?" Gu Mo asked.
“The abbot of Qianqiu Temple,” Gao Tie said, “his temple is considered a medium-sized temple in the entire Qianqiu Town. He has dozens of people under his command and is located not far from Cuihua Restaurant. It can easily protect a woman.”

Gu Mo said, "Actually, I've always been curious about how so many temples, and how many people live there, survive. Do they rely on incense money?"

Gao Tie said, "Qianqiu Town is beyond the reach of even the imperial court. It's a lawless area where a lot can be done. Every Qianqiu Temple has a shady business behind it, engaging in illegal activities. In addition, there are many believers, and the incense money is quite substantial. A large part of it is actually not profitable; in fact, they lose money because the people behind them didn't establish Qianqiu Temples to make money, but rather to allow shady money to circulate through Qianqiu Town."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and asked, "What are your plans now? To arrest them directly?"

Su Ziyou nodded and said, "I've asked Brother Gao to find some people to disguise themselves and then find an excuse to rush into Qianqiu Temple. Brother Gu, you're in charge of catching Hong Xu. Make sure he doesn't get away. The rest of us will take advantage of the chaos to search the temple for evidence and clues!"

Gu Mo nodded and said, "Okay!"

……

Before long, Gu Mo and his group arrived outside a Qianqiu Temple.

This Qianqiu Temple is not particularly outstanding; it is just an ordinary temple among the hundreds or thousands of temples in the entire Qianqiu Town. It has a large courtyard and four or five side rooms, all of which enshrine statues of the Celestial Venerable of the Supreme Ultimate of Heaven of the Central Plains of Heaven ...

Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Venerable, a dozen or so believers were praying devoutly, while several members of the Thousand Autumns Sect were chanting scriptures.

Outside the door, Gao Tie had already gathered a group of fourteen or fifteen people, all of whom were palace guards from the Palace Guard Division. However, they were all dressed in civilian clothes and disguised as ordinary people.

With a wave of Su Ziyou's hand.

Gao Tie took the lead, rushing in with a group of palace guards, shouting: "Hong Xu, Hong Xu, you bastard, get out here! If you don't come out, I'll smash this lousy temple to pieces!"

The group was aggressive, each carrying a wooden stick and began smashing things randomly, but none of them touched the statue.

The commotion inside the temple was startled. The believers quickly hid to the side, while the temple's own followers rushed out to stop them, and the two groups confronted each other.

It looked like they were about to fight as they pushed and shoved each other.

A middle-aged man wearing a blue robe walked out from behind the main hall. His attire was somewhat like that of a Taoist priest, but upon closer inspection, it was not; it was the unique clothing of the Qianqiu Sect disciples.

"Do not act rashly before the statue of the Celestial Venerable!"

The man in the green robe stepped forward and gave a soft reprimand. All the members of the Thousand Autumns Sect stopped, bowed, and addressed him as "Master".

This person was none other than Hong Xu.

Looking at the imposing high-speed train, Hong Xu asked, "What brings you here, sir? I am Hong Xu."

"Fine, fine," Gao Tie roared angrily, "You're Hong Xu! You're the bastard I've been looking for! Where did you hide my wife? Hand her over right now! Is she hiding her in this temple of yours?"

Hong Xu looked puzzled and said, "You've got the wrong person..."

"Go to hell, you're not handing over the person, are you...?"

The high-speed rail struck Hong Xu like a blow.

Hong Xu's pupils contracted slightly, and immediately a stream of true energy appeared in his palm as he slapped the high-speed rail.

But in the next instant,

He suddenly felt his whole body was restricted and he couldn't move. He watched helplessly as the high-speed train hit him on the forehead.

There was a "bang" sound,
The wooden stick struck and broke instantly, causing blood to gush from Hong Xu's forehead.

Gao Tie roared, "Looks like you bastard are still too scared to fight back. Brothers, search for me! Find that slut who's been seeing other men!"

With a command from the high-speed rail
The group of people around him immediately ran towards several side rooms in the temple.

Hong Xu covered his forehead, about to order his men to stop him, when he sensed that strange restrictive force once again. At that moment, the world before his eyes turned black and white.

Not only Hong Xu, but all his men were terrified at this moment, because they were all frozen in place and could only watch helplessly as the intruders searched everywhere. They couldn't even speak up, let alone stop them.

Hong Xu felt a surge of fear. He tried to circulate his internal energy but couldn't break free. He could only move his eyeballs, but he couldn't see anything.

After a while

He suddenly realized he could move again.

But before he could react, he heard the man who had hit him shout, "Take that bastard Hong Xu away! He must have hidden that bitch!"

Immediately,

Several burly men rushed over with their weapons. Hong Xu quickly intervened, only to discover that these men were not ordinary people. They were all very agile and tied him up before he even had a chance to resist.

"take away!"

The high-speed rail gave the order.

Several guards dragged Hong Xu out of the house.

Meanwhile, the followers in Qianqiu Temple could no longer allow Gao Tie and his men to capture Hong Xu, and they all immediately took out their weapons and chased after him.

But, just as they reached the door,
A powerful and terrifying surge of true energy swept over them like a tidal wave, instantly blasting the dozen or so followers to the ground. Some were knocked unconscious, while others coughed up blood and were too weak to get up again.

Seeing this, Hong Xu stopped struggling and cooperated by following along. When he saw Gao Tie carrying several booklets to Su Ziyou's side, a strange light flashed in his eyes. When he noticed Gu Mo and Gu Chudong beside Su Ziyou, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "I was wondering which deity I had encountered. It turns out that a chivalrous hero is right in front of me. It is truly an honor that such a small person as me could disturb you!"

Gao Tie glanced at Hong Xu and said to Su Ziyou, "Lord Su, all we found inside were a few ledgers recording daily procurement expenditures and this token."

As he spoke, Gao Tie pulled out a palm-sized, thin copper plaque from his pocket. One side was engraved with the character "Emperor," and the other side was engraved with a dragon pattern.

Su Ziyou asked, "You haven't seen this token before?"

Gao Tie shook his head and said, "It looks familiar. It should be a royal token. I'll go back to the Ministry of Rites to check it out. They should be able to find out who it belongs to. Whether it's the royal family or civil and military officials, if they need a specially made token, it must be approved and adjudicated by the Ministry of Rites before it can be used. Generally, tokens with the character 'royal' are used by members of the royal family."

Su Ziyou nodded and said, "These procurement ledgers should also be able to reveal some clues. I've given you the token and the person. Surely the Dark Guard Camp and the Palace Guard shouldn't be unable to get someone to talk, right?"

The high-speed rail chuckled and said, "Leave it to me."

As they spoke, the group quickly left.

However, after recognizing Gu Mo and the others, Hong Xu did not panic at all and cooperated very well, without making any small movements.

And not long after,
Gu Mo and his group understood why Hong Xu was not flustered at all; it was because he had something to rely on and was confident in.

Just as Gu Mo and his group passed through an alley and arrived at a narrow street, they found that there was no one on the street. All the restaurants and shops on both sides were closed, and it was very quiet. The sound of icicles melting and dripping water from the eaves became very clear.

Gao Tie's pupils contracted slightly, and he said, "Lord Su, Master Gu, it seems that it won't be so easy to take the person out."

Gu Mo did not speak.

Because even before he arrived here, he had already sensed people approaching from all directions, and that someone was clearing the area.

Gu Mo didn't say anything because it wasn't necessary; it was something that couldn't be avoided anyway.

At this moment, Hong Xu chuckled again and said, "No one has ever been able to take away the people of the Thousand Autumns Sect from Thousand Autumns Town. No one can do it, not even the emperor."

As he spoke, he glanced at the high-speed train and said, "Master Gu and his companions are not from our Jin Kingdom, so they don't know the significance of Qianqiu Town. But you, brother, should be a member of the imperial court, right? Don't you know what Qianqiu Town is all about? It's a place where civil officials dismount from their sedan chairs, military officials dismount from their horses, the imperial family personally attends to matters, the law doesn't apply, and the army can't enter!"

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "I've long heard that Qianqiu Town is the number one forbidden area in Jin Kingdom, but unfortunately, I've always enjoyed venturing into those forbidden areas. I can come and go freely in dragon's dens and tiger's lair. Can Qianqiu Town really keep me here?"

Hong Xu quickly waved his hand and said, "We would never dare to make such a boast as to keep Master Gu here! However, we can still prevent Master Gu from taking people and things away from here."

"Are you that confident?" Gu Mo asked.

Hong Xu nodded and said, "Qianqiu Town is very scattered, but there is a fixed pattern: we must unite against external forces and never allow others to break the rules. Once someone breaks the rules, even if they are hostile forces who have grudges and are fighting each other, they will stop fighting and make peace immediately."

The Kyoto government has learned this lesson, the imperial guards have learned this lesson, and the martial arts world of Southern Jin has learned this lesson; no one can break this rule.

Hong Xu twisted his neck and continued, "Qianqiu Town has 1,280 temples, among which the 36 Heavenly Guardians and 72 Earthly Fiends, guided by the Celestial Venerable Liji, lead 108 high-ranking temples to guard the eight directions and govern the entire Qianqiu Town."

In the parlance of the martial arts world, thirty-six Grandmasters and seventy-two top-tier masters lead tens of thousands of members of the Thousand Autumns Sect to guard Thousand Autumns Town. "Master Gu, I believe you can come and go as you please, but I don't believe you've broken the rules!"

When they heard about the thirty-six grandmasters and seventy-two top-tier experts, Su Ziyou and Gu Chudong's expressions changed slightly.

Su Ziyou asked the high-speed rail: "Are there really that many experts, or are they just bragging?"

The high-speed rail nodded slightly and said, "Yes, there is."

Su Ziyou and Gu Chudong's expressions changed drastically. Su Ziyou said helplessly, "Brother Gao, why didn't you say so before?"

The high-speed railman said helplessly, "I didn't intend to confront them head-on. I was thinking of pretending to be someone catching someone cheating and sneaking out, but who knew I couldn't hide it!"

Su Ziyou: "..."

Just then, a dense crowd of people appeared at the street corner, all dressed in the robes of the Thousand Autumns Sect. Their weapons, however, were a chaotic mix, including knives, spears, swords, halberds, and clubs, both uniform and disorderly.

Subsequently, dense crowds appeared at the end of the street, outside the alley, in the shops on both sides, and on the rooftops, completely surrounding Gu Mo and his group.

The crowd at the street corner parted to make way for a slightly overweight middle-aged man who walked out. He carried a large iron hammer, about the size of a bowl, and gently placed it on the ground, causing the bluestone slab to crack like a spider web.

"Master Gu!" The slightly overweight man bowed to Gu Mo and said, "I am Meng Chao of the Qianqiu Sect. I have a little influence in Qianqiu Town. Today, I am here on behalf of the town's 1,280 temples to discuss something with you!"

Following the principle of not hitting a smiling face, Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Go ahead and say it!"

Meng Chao cupped his hands and said, “Master Gu, you are the one who has captured the sword. If you want to arrest any wanted criminals, such as Wen Wangji whom you arrested in Qianqiu Town a few days ago, our Qianqiu Sect will not stop you. In addition, as long as you say the word, all the temples in Qianqiu Town can help you find the wanted criminals. Our Qianqiu Sect respects you very much, not only because you are the third best martial artist in the world, but also because of your hatred of evil, your chivalrous spirit, and your reputation as a hero. You are the only one in the world who can be called a hero! However, please give our Qianqiu Sect some face and abide by the rules of our Qianqiu Sect on our territory, is that alright?”

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "You really know how to talk, making me a little embarrassed to take action. Let me be frank, I am indeed here to arrest a wanted criminal, the number one wanted criminal in your Jin Kingdom, the leader of the Thousand Autumns Cult, you admit that, right?"

Meng Chao nodded and said, "This is a wanted criminal personally designated by the Celestial Venerable Liji. The imperial court has offered a reward of 30,000 taels of silver, which we naturally acknowledge. The various temples in Qianqiu Town have also raised 50,000 taels of silver to help apprehend this person. Our Qianqiu Sect also deeply hates this person because the Qianqiu heretical cult he founded has severely damaged the reputation of our Qianqiu Sect. Furthermore, he has been using our Qianqiu Sect's name to swindle and cheat. We only regret that we cannot find out who this person is!"

Su Ziyou immediately understood Gu Mo's meaning and picked up the conversation, saying, "Perfect timing, Abbot Meng. We're currently helping you find the leader of the Thousand Autumns Cult. I've found some relevant clues." As he spoke, Su Ziyou pointed to Hong Xu and said, "This person is connected to the Thousand Autumns Cult. Well, you don't need to thank us. We will help your Thousand Autumns Cult eliminate the leader. You just need to remember to send the 50,000 taels of reward money to Hero Gu."

Meng Chao chuckled awkwardly and said, "Lord Su is joking. Hong Xu is a legitimate member of the Qianqiu Cult. How could he possibly be related to the Qianqiu heretical cult?"

“You’re wrong about that,” Su Ziyou said. “As far as I know, although the Thousand Autumns Sect is called a sect, it doesn’t actually have a unified power structure. Each Thousand Autumns Temple is managed independently. Am I right? Or did your Thousand Autumns Sect hold a nationwide alliance and elect a leader? Did you already have a unified sect power?”

Meng Chao shook his head and said, "No."

“That settles it,” Su Ziyou said. “Since there’s no unified management, how can you be so sure that Hong Xu isn’t secretly colluding with the Qianqiu Cult?”

Meng Chao's face darkened, and he said, "Lord Su, are you sophistry?"

Su Ziyou chuckled and said, "Master Meng, how is it sophistry that I speak the truth? A few years ago, the Celestial Venerable Liji you worship personally went down the mountain and killed thousands of people. Before that, those people were legitimate disciples of the Thousand Autumns Sect, but what happened? Didn't they become members of the Thousand Autumns Cult? Don't you acknowledge what the Celestial Venerable Liji said?"

Meng Chao's face darkened, and he said, "What evidence do you have that Hong Xu is colluding with the Qianqiu Cult?"

Su Ziyou said, "You all step aside now. I will bring the evidence in a day. It's still confidential for now. If it gets out and reaches the ears of the Thousand Autumns Cult leader, all our efforts will be in vain. Abbot Meng, you don't want the Thousand Autumns Cult leader to escape, do you? You shouldn't be colluding with the Thousand Autumns Cult, right? Only those who are colluding with the Thousand Autumns Cult wouldn't want us to catch the Thousand Autumns Cult leader. You certainly want us to catch him, don't you?"

Meng Chao opened his mouth, unsure how to refute it. If he opened his mouth now, he would either admit that Su Ziyou and the others' actions had caused them to leave, or he would admit that he had colluded with the Qianqiu Cult.

Gu Chudong and Gu Mo, standing to the side, were secretly laughing. That Meng Dynasty江湖人 (jianghu person, a martial arts practitioner) trying to outwit a civil official like Su Ziyou was no match for him, even with a hundred years of training. At this moment, an old man with a bulbous nose stepped forward and said coldly, "Stop with the empty talk. We're not here to listen to your nonsense, you Qian Kingdom people. Qianqiu Town has its own rules. Here, we're in charge, and even the royal family has to abide by them. It's not your place, a few Qian Kingdom people, to interfere. I'll just say it straight: either you put your people and belongings down and get out of here obediently, or you stay here and never leave!"

As soon as the old man with the bulbous nose finished speaking, hundreds of people took a step forward in unison, causing the ground to tremble.

"Okay, finally someone who can't speak human language!"

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "To be honest, if all of you were as polite as Meng Chao, I really wouldn't be able to take action." He pointed at the old man with the bulbous nose and said, "I like your kind of unruly spirit. It's so satisfying to kill you!"

"Arrogant!" the old man with the bulbous nose said coldly. "Young man, I'm giving you face by calling you a hero. If I didn't, what would you be in Qianqiu Town? Even if you're a junior with high martial arts skills, so what? We have thirty-six martial arts grandmasters, seventy-two top experts, and tens of thousands of Qianqiu Sect disciples in Qianqiu Town. Who gave you the right to be so arrogant?"

"it is good!"

Gu Mo reached out slightly, and immediately, the Heavenly Demon Harp flew out of Gu Chudong's book box.

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "Everyone, come closer to me!"

As soon as the words fell, a cold light emanated from beneath his feet, and silvery-white energy solidified like a full moon, instantly enveloping an area of ​​several feet in radius. The flowing light resembled an inverted Milky Way, illuminating the night sky with a bright glow, and fine wisps of air rippled at the edges of the energy, emitting a faint hum.

"I'll see what you're made of! Kill him!"

The old man with the bulbous nose roared, shattering the falling leaves in mid-air, and brandished his long sword, giving an order.

As he slammed his sword hilt heavily on the ground, the deathly silent streets suddenly erupted into chaos. Figures surged out like ants from the mottled alleyways, their shouts of smashing doors and windows mingling with the cracking of wood and stone. Afterimages rose one after another from the eaves of shops, clothes fluttering as tiles fell, and dozens of figures leaped through the air on the flying eaves, the cold light of their weapons piercing the night.

The shouts of battle seemed almost tangible, shaking the walls until plaster crumbled and the entire street instantly transformed into a black vortex that devoured everything.

"Kill!" "Kill..."

Seeing the people surrounding them from all directions, Su Ziyou and the others broke out in a cold sweat, their breathing rapid and labored. Although they were all within Gu Mo's protective aura, they still involuntarily retreated.

At this moment, Gu Mo held the Heavenly Demon Harp firmly in his left hand, while his right fingertips lightly plucked the strings. True energy flowed between the patterns on the harp's body as he calmly said, "Early Winter, watch carefully and learn well!"

"Okay, brother!"

Gu Chudong gripped the Gouchen Demon Blade, but her attention was fixed intently on Gu Mo. Unlike the others, she had absolute confidence in Gu Mo and was not worried at all.

The moment the strings vibrated, spiderweb-like ripples appeared on the surface of the protective aura shield, and a chilling pressure spread out as if it were a tangible force.

Gu Mo's fingertips trembled like butterfly wings, and the Heavenly Demon Harp suddenly hummed, the sound waves bursting from the strings condensing into tangible silver light. As he slightly rotated his palm, seven sonic blades tore through the air, cracking the space inch by inch wherever they passed, as if cleaved open by an invisible giant axe.

The first three bodies to collide with the sonic blade didn't even have time to scream before they turned into a rain of blood, with bits of flesh and weapon fragments exploding in a crimson mist.

The sound waves spread in a fan shape, shattering the bones of the knife-wielders in the front row. Their internal organs gushed out of their mouths and noses, and their corpses flew backward like kites with broken strings, crashing heavily into the crowd behind them.

A melody from a zither shot towards the old man with the bulbous nose.

The old man with the bulbous nose suddenly narrowed his eyes and swung his knife to block, only to see the blade crumble inch by inch, and blood splatter from his tiger's mouth.

The sound wave struck his protective aura, creating ripples on its surface and instantly shattering it. The old man screamed and flew backward, blood flowing from his seven orifices, his internal organs turning into a pulp under the impact of the sound wave.

"go!"

Gu Mo continued to pluck the strings, spoke softly, and then stepped forward.

Su Ziyou, Gao Tie, and a group of imperial guards followed Gu Mo closely.

At this moment, on the street,
Screams rose and fell, and wherever the sonic blade passed, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and severed limbs and torsos fell like withered leaves. Blood flowed along the edge of the protective aura barrier, forming a winding river of blood on the ground.

Gu Mo's expression was cold and stern. As his fingers flew across the keyboard, the Heavenly Demon Harp once again emitted a sharp roar. The second wave of sonic blades, accompanied by a bloody storm, swept towards the fleeing crowd.

Seeing so many members of the Thousand Autumns Sect being routed by Gu Mo alone with just a zither, Meng Chao stared at the mess on the ground and roared with bloodshot eyes, "Poison!"

Before the words were even finished, the disciples of the Thousand Autumns Sect, who had been lurking in the shadows on the rooftops and in the attics on both sides of the street, burst out of the windows. Dozens of ceramic barrels drew parabolas in mid-air, and thick, dark green poison mixed with a pungent acid mist poured down.

Wherever the stench reached, the bluestone ground hissed and emitted plumes of white smoke.

Su Ziyou and the others were very alarmed.

But Gu Mo remained unfazed, standing with his zither on his back, his innate qi flowing rapidly.

The moment the venom hit the barrier, it was as if it were reversed by an invisible hand, rolling back with intense heat and deadly poison.

Screams immediately echoed through the streets and alleys. The cultists who came into contact with the poison instantly suffered festering flesh, and their bones made a teeth-grinding crunching sound as they corroded. Before they could even utter a cry of agony, they turned into a pool of foul-smelling blood.

"Fire attack!"

Meng Chao waved his sleeve frantically, and the window on the second floor of the shop suddenly burst open. Bundles of burlap soaked in tung oil wrapped around sulfur fireballs rushed in, and poisonous smoke began to spread.

"Humph!"

Gu Mo snorted coldly, his fingertips sweeping across the Heavenly Demon Harp like lightning. The moment the strings vibrated, the patterns on the harp burst forth with dazzling golden light, and the entire street suddenly twisted and deformed.

"Buzz——"

The sound of tearing silk rang out, and the sound waves transformed into black waves that swept across the land.

In an instant, the doors and windows of the shops along the street shattered as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, wooden beams and bricks flying out in the shockwave. The deafening roar of breaking beams and pillars, carrying a cloud of rubble, shot straight into the sky, while shattered bricks and charred wood traced grotesque parabolas in the air. Flames and poisonous mist collided violently, exploding into a bizarre, blood-red mushroom cloud in mid-air, the churning dark red mist dyeing the entire night sky a scarlet, hellish red.

The ground began to tremble violently. The cobblestone streets twisted and churned like boiling molten lava, cracks spreading like a spiderweb, emitting ear-piercing cracking sounds. The entire row of buildings shook violently under the impact of the sound waves, like porcelain bottles grasped by an invisible hand, instantly turning into a cloud of dust. Amidst the roar of collapsing bricks and stones, there were cries of agony. Limbs and broken walls flew in the dust, and the once bustling street was instantly reduced to ruins.

After a long time, the dust settled and the ashes dispersed, revealing a devastated battlefield.

Broken beams and pillars leaned against the scorched earth, and the copper bells of a half-broken signboard wailed in the wind. Scattered corpses piled up into small mountains, charred flesh clinging to broken weapons, flames greedily licking at the mangled limbs, and billowing acrid smoke mixed with burnt flesh and rust, making one's stomach churn.

Intermittent groans echoed from the depths of the ruins, like the howl of a lone wolf in the cold night. Someone was half-buried under the rubble, their charred fingers still futilely clawing at the air; behind the broken walls came the crackling of dislocated bones, and beneath blood-stained cloth, a twisted body convulsed in agony. The cries of the dying mingled with the crackling of flames, transforming this street into a living, blood-soaked hell.

"Plop" sound,
Meng Chao knelt on the ground, a red line appeared on his neck, then his neck tilted and he fell to the ground, leaving only a headless corpse spurting blood.

Surprisingly, not a single person was still standing at the scene.

this moment,
Su Ziyou and Gu Chudong, who had witnessed the same bloody scenes caused by Gu Mo, were relatively better off. Although they were still frightened, they remained calm.

However, Gao Tie and the other imperial guards had never seen such a scene before. Their bodies were going weak, and some even collapsed to the ground, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Gu Mo.

"Don't take it lightly!"

However, Gu Mo remained cautious, holding the zither in one hand and pulling the strings with the other, his senses fully activated, and said, "It's not over yet!"

Su Ziyou exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Gu, there's an ambush?"

Gu Mo said with a solemn expression, "I can't detect it, but there are definitely more. You forgot, Qianqiu Town has thirty-six Grandmasters and seventy-two top experts. Among the people I just killed, less than five were at the Grandmaster level, and they were only barely at that level. As for the top experts, there were more, but only about ten. There are still so many experts hiding and haven't shown themselves yet!"

Su Ziyou nodded slightly and said to the imperial guards who were paralyzed with fear, "Brothers, we can't delay, there are still experts lying in ambush!"

At this time,

Gao Tie hesitated before saying, "Master Gu... among the people you just killed... there were more than twenty grandmasters from Qianqiu Town and no less than fifty top-tier experts. These people are all on the list in the Dark Guard Camp. I have been undercover in Qianqiu Town for five or six years. I recognize all thirty-six grandmasters and seventy-two top-tier experts. I won't mistake them."

"More than 80% of the experts from Qianqiu Town have already arrived here. I'm afraid... perhaps... there aren't any other ambushes!"

Gu Mo was slightly taken aback and said, "No, you call those people Grandmasters? No, is that old guy who was shouting that he wanted to test my strength also a Grandmaster?"

Gao Tie nodded and said, "He is the eighth Grandmaster among the thirty-six Heavenly Gang Grandmasters of Qianqiu Town!"

Gu Mo: “…”

He knew he had been fooled again. He actually thought that the Southern Jin was full of grandmasters. After all, it was a country that could produce someone like Su Qianqiu, so the level of martial arts was probably very high, and it was normal to have more grandmasters.

As a result, that Grandmaster who ranked eighth in Qianqiu Town wouldn't even make the top ten among the top-tier masters in Yunzhou's martial arts world.

For a time,

Gu Mo suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, that Helian Tieyi I killed at the palace banquet last time, wouldn't he also be a Grandmaster in your Jin Kingdom?"

The high-speed train nodded.

"This level of martial arts is a bit..."

Gu Mo was speechless for a moment. It was Su Qianqiu who completely influenced his judgment of the martial arts level of Jin.

Now it seems,

Aside from Su Qianqiu, the martial arts level of the Southern Jin Dynasty was only at the level of the two regions with the worst martial arts level: Suzhou and Fengzhou in the Qian Kingdom.

Gao Tie sensed Gu Mo's sarcasm and said, "Master Gu, the martial arts level of our Jin Kingdom shouldn't be too bad, right? Your Qian Kingdom is a great power in this world, but your previous number one expert could only last twenty moves against our Liji Tianzun. Our Jin Kingdom's ten grandmasters could all last ten moves against Liji Tianzun, and the subsequent grandmasters are all measured against the ten grandmasters. Our Jin Kingdom has more grandmasters than your Qian Kingdom. Just now... it was only because you were too strong!"

Gu Mo understood.
The blame lies entirely with Su Qianqiu, who single-handedly made the martial arts world of Southern Jin incredibly confident!
Gu Mo had no interest in, nor could he explain to Gao Tie and the others that the concept of a Grandmaster as understood by them and the concept of a Grandmaster as understood by Qian Guo were completely different.

Immediately,

Gu Mo led everyone away, but he remained extremely vigilant along the way, because he was worried that it might be a misjudgment, and that there might really be a large number of grandmaster-level experts lying in ambush in Qianqiu Town, waiting for an opportunity.

However, it is obvious that
He was not mistaken, because they left Qianqiu Town without any hindrance.

……

Just as Gu Mo and his group left Qianqiu Town, countless eyes from various forces were watching them, including the true master of the world, the fifth in the world—Master Liansheng.

At this moment, Master Liansheng was standing in a tall building. His back was directly visible to the long street that Gu Mo had turned into ruins, while his front was watching Gu Mo and his group leave.

"Grandmaster!"

At this moment, a woman appeared behind Master Liansheng. It was Princess Xiao Ziyin of Chu. She walked to Master Liansheng's side and asked, "If you were to fight Gu Mo, who would win?"

Master Liansheng thought for a moment and said, "If we were inside the Great Bright Temple, I would be 50% confident of defeating Master Gu, but there is also a 50% chance that I would die at his hands. If we were outside the Great Bright Temple, I would be 50% confident of escaping from him, but there is also a 50% chance that he would kill me."

Xiao Ziyin said in a deep voice, "Is the difference really that big?"

“Only more,” Master Liansheng said. “My assessment just now was based on what I currently know about the methods that Master Gu has already used. If he has any more trump cards up his sleeve, then the gap between us will be even greater.”

Xiao Ziyin then asked, "So, between Su Qianqiu and Gu Mo, who is stronger?"

Master Liansheng glanced back at the long street that had been reduced to ruins and said, "This humble monk cannot comment. In terms of large-scale battles, Master Gu is definitely far superior to Su Qianqiu. However, it is hard to say in one-on-one combat. After all, the true meaning of Su Qianqiu's martial arts depends on the environment and his condition!"

“Assuming everyone is at their peak!” Xiao Ziyin said.

Master Liansheng thought for a moment and said, "Su Qianqiu's peak state must be due to the enhancement of battle qi and the presence of the Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage. Under these circumstances, Su Qianqiu has a greater chance of winning."

Xiao Ziyin asked, "Can you kill Gu Mo?"

Master Liansheng shook his head and said, "It's very difficult. Killing people like Gu Mo and Su Qianqiu is no less difficult than fighting a war that could destroy a country."

“This is troublesome,” Xiao Ziyin said. “His Majesty is determined to sweep across the world and unify the world. The Qian Kingdom is an insurmountable obstacle. If we want to destroy the Qian Kingdom, Gu Mo will definitely become a major problem.”

Xiao Ziyin looked at Master Liansheng and said, "Master, from your perspective of being at the pinnacle of martial arts, are you able to see Gu Mo's weaknesses?"

Master Liansheng shook his head and said, "I did not see Master Gu use his full strength. In the battle just now, he used no more than five-tenths of his strength. What I saw was that his defense and his attacks at both close and long range were flawless."

At this moment, a maid beside Xiao Ziyin curled her lip and said, "This Qianqiu Town is rumored to be incredibly powerful, claiming that it is not subject to imperial authority, the law, or the rule of law, and that it is an impregnable fortress with rules as strict as gods. Yet, even when they all rushed at it, they couldn't force Gu Mo to use his full strength. It's simply useless and doesn't live up to its reputation!"

Xiao Ziyin shook his head slightly and said, "What truly allows Qianqiu Town to resist imperial power and laws is not how powerful it is itself. Even if it is powerful, can it stop the iron cavalry? The real strength of Qianqiu Town lies in the fact that it is backed by almost half of the Southern Jin Dynasty, and its protective umbrella is strong."

Furthermore, Qianqiu Town's strength is not weak; it's just that this time they encountered Gu Mo, a single man capable of wiping out a 10,000-strong elite army with heavy cavalry. His true power will soon become apparent. Despite Gu Mo's ability to break through Qianqiu Town, they still couldn't find anything they wanted to investigate. The forces behind Qianqiu Town were so powerful that even the Emperor of Jin was helpless against them, let alone a few Qian Kingdom citizens.

After saying that, Xiao Ziyin suddenly thought of something, looked at Master Liansheng, and said, "Master, could Gu Chudong be considered Gu Mo's weakness?"

Master Liansheng turned his head to look at Xiao Ziyin, his expression somewhat solemn, and said, "Your Highness, Gu Mo exists in my Past and Future Heavenly Scripture. Although I cannot truly predict the future, I can see some destinies and try to calculate the results after others' destinies are changed."

Xiao Ziyin said in a deep voice: "So, Gu Mo and Gu Chudong?"

Master Liansheng said, "Sometimes what you see as a weakness may actually be the very thing that binds the demon god Tai Sui to humanity."

"This humble monk has discussed the Dao with Gu Mo for a long time today. This man lacks any sense of reverence; his divinity far surpasses his humanity. Gu Chudong is the main reason for his enduring humanity. If something were to happen to Gu Chudong, he would either become a god or a demon, becoming a second Jiang Ruoxu. But without the restraint of the Jingzhe Sword, Your Highness, you can imagine how terrifying a sane Jiang Ruoxu would be. After all, even a sane Jiang Ruoxu was considered the thirteenth taboo in the mortal realm. If Gu Mo completely abandons his humanity, he would surely be the fourteenth taboo!"

Xiao Ziyin nodded and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand now."

Xiao Ziyin pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Speaking of the thirteen taboos of the mortal world, as far as I know, the third taboo, the Jade Palace on Penglai Island, will open again in less than two years. Does Master have any plans to go? With your talent, if you were to see the Jade Palace, you would surely surpass Jiang Ruoxu of that time. I'm afraid that by then, you would be the fourteenth taboo!"

Master Liansheng said slowly, "Let's talk about it later. Baiyujing depends on fate; you can't force it!"

(End of this chapter)