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

Chapter 309 The Martial World Has Always Been This Way

quickly,

Du Sha then led Gu Mo and the others to Tie Tou's weapon-making workshop.

Now, Tie Tou's weapon-making workshop has been moved to a new location next to the headquarters of the Six Doors in Yunzhou. In addition to the guards specifically assigned to Tie Tou as Du Sha mentioned, it is also close to the headquarters. Theoretically speaking, it is indeed unlikely that he could be kidnapped without anyone noticing.

"There's a top-tier expert over there, and three first-rate experts over there..."

Du Sha introduced the guarding force of the weapon-forging workshop to Gu Mo and the others.

“It’s not unacceptable that someone could take Iron Head from here, but the fact that there’s not a trace left makes it impossible for us to investigate. We can’t figure out what kind of method could have been used to do this. Right now, we can only consider and investigate the possibility that all thirteen weapon-making masters have disappeared,” Du Sha said.

After scanning the weapon-forging hut with his mind, Gu Mo said, "It's indeed unlikely that we can take away Iron Head without anyone noticing and without leaving a trace using conventional methods. However, it's not without options, such as using a domain!"

Du Sha quickly said, "That's impossible. Although the domain is very mysterious, it can only suppress. It's impossible to take someone away without leaving a trace. Besides, Tie Tou is also a master. It's impossible for him not to put up any resistance."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "Then, what if we add the power of the primordial spirit?"

Du Sha asked in confusion, "What is the power of the primordial spirit?"

Gu Mo thought for a moment and explained, "It's the power of the Ascension Realm. The power of the primordial spirit is attached to the domain, which can be considered as forming a world of its own. Use some mental means to knock out Tie Tou, and then swagger away. Unless it's one of your two Grandmasters from the Six Doors who might be able to detect something unusual, no one else will feel anything at all!"

Du Sha's expression turned solemn as he said, "Hero Gu, how could such a method exist in this world? Isn't it like the magic of immortals and gods?"

"The Ascension Realm, isn't it the realm of attaining immortality in legends?" Gu Mo said.

Du Sha asked, "Then... are there many people with such methods?"

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "If there were many, the world would have been in chaos long ago. Let me put it this way, even Su Qianqiu couldn't do it."

As soon as this word comes out,
Du Sha and several other constables from the Six Doors looked at Gu Mo with a peculiar gaze. Du Sha hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then... Master Gu, aren't you talking about yourself?"

Gu Mo was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening.

In the current martial arts rankings, he is number one in the world, while Su Qianqiu is number two. Since Su Qianqiu cannot do it, it means that only he, the number one in the world, can do it. After all, very few people in this world know that the Thirteen Taboos are real and know that there is an old monster who has not yet emerged from the world.

“I’m not the only one in this world who can do this,” Gu Mo said. “I don’t know exactly who else can do it, but I’ve already met several people who can do it.”

If Tie Tou was truly abducted by such a person, you definitely wouldn't find any trace at the scene. However, I can't be certain whether Tie Tou was abducted by such a person; perhaps there were other sophisticated methods used.

Du Sha nodded and said, "Currently, the only direction for solving the case is the disappearance of all thirteen weapon forgers. The other party kidnapped the most famous weapon forgers in Yunzhou, which means that the other party must have wanted to forge weapons, and not ordinary weapons. We can investigate in this direction."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "When it comes to investigating cases, you guys at the Six Doors are the real experts. I won't do any more of this amateurish thing of giving advice to professionals. How about this, I'll stay in Yuncheng for now. If you need any help or find any clues, just let me know."

Du Sha cupped his hands and said, "With Master Gu here, our Six Doors will be much bolder!"

"Lord."

Just then, the woman in red suddenly spoke up: "Actually, I have another way to find it."

"Tell me about it." Gu Mo said.

Du Sha and the others also looked at the woman in red.

The woman in red slowly took out a few pieces of tortoise shell from her sleeve and said, "My lord, I am a Qi cultivator and know a little about divination. In fact, I can try to deduce it."

Gu Mo suddenly remembered that the red-clad woman beside him was a master of all methods. As the best human incarnation of the previous generation of Bai Yujing, the red-clad woman had mastered almost all cultivation methods in her hundreds of years of existence, and it could be said that she was proficient in everything.

Take this method of deduction, for example. Although the woman in red spoke modestly, according to Gu Mo's speculation, her deduction skills were at least among the top ten in the world.

Gu Mo immediately instructed, "Red Robe, you should give it a try."

"As long as no one is hiding the secrets of heaven, I should be able to deduce some of them."

As she spoke, the woman in red held the tortoise shell in both hands, slowly squatted down, and gently tossed the tortoise shell to the ground.

At that moment,

Gu Mo then saw wisps of regularly circulating Qi emanating from around the woman in red.

The woman in red stared intently at the tortoise shell. After a long while, she slowly raised her head and said, "My lord, I see four things in the divination: First, the person you are looking for is still alive. Second, he is not in any immediate danger. Third, if you go east at the second quarter of the Yin hour today, you will meet a swordsman in white who will invite you to his house. Just follow him. Fourth, I foresee a flood."

Gu Mo chuckled.
It's that mystical divination result again.

Last year, on my way to Penglai Island, I asked Ji Wusuan, the number one fortune teller in the world, to do a divination. He was quite mysterious, but in the end, everything Ji Wusuan said came true.

If he had refrained from fighting Bai Yujing at that time, he might have actually managed to ambush Jiang Ruoxu on Penglai Island.

immediately,

Gu Mo cupped his hands to Du Sha and said, "Chief Constable Du, let's leave it at that. You continue your investigation, and I'll go and try to see what the divination indicates. If you find any clues, please send someone to notify me immediately. I think it will be easy for you to find me in Yuncheng."

Du Sha quickly said, "I was just thinking of arranging accommodations for you, Master Gu..."

"Do not bother."

"Then please forgive me for not being able to entertain you properly."

……

quickly,

It was already past 3:40 AM.

Gu Mo led Gu Chudong and Hongyi eastward, and they didn't encounter a single person dressed in white until they left the city.

But it's not surprising.

In traditional martial arts novels, white-clad heroes are often depicted, but in reality, those who actually roam the martial arts world rarely wear white—regardless of gender. It's not that they can't afford white clothes, but rather that martial arts practitioners are constantly on the move, braving wind and rain; white clothes get dirty very easily, and who has the time to change and wash them every day?
Therefore, generally speaking, either there is a specific reason for wearing white, or it is simply to look cool.

After leaving the city,
The number of people dwindled, and they were mostly itinerant merchants. After about seventeen or eighteen miles from the city, they reached a fork in the road. There was no road leading due east; one road led southeast and the other northeast.

Just as Gu Mo was about to ask Hongyi which way to go, he suddenly heard a rapid sound of hooves approaching from behind. The horse galloped past Gu Mo and his companions, and on its back was a person dressed in white clothes carrying a sword.

But the person passed by before Gu Mo and the others could react.

Then, he suddenly pulled on the reins and stopped, turning around abruptly with a look of surprise and delight: "Brother Gu, Sister Chu Dong, what are you doing here?"

"Brother Shen, what a coincidence!"

Gu Chudong was somewhat surprised, because the swordsman in white was Shen Bai, a famous swordsman of the Canglan Sword Sect, a disciple of the grandmaster Ye Liuyun, and the son-in-law of the previous sect leader Qi Tianshu.

Previously, Shen Bai was a second-generation disciple of the Canglan Sword Sect. Now, after the older generation, including Qi Tianshu, stepped down, his status has been elevated, and he has taken over his master's position as the new Sword-Holding Elder.

Gu Mo wasn't surprised that Shen Bai would wear white.

Like most young people, Shen Bai initially wanted to make a name for himself and be more recognizable, so he deliberately wore white clothes when traveling the world. He endured the hardships along the way, carrying a large bundle with white clothes to change into every time he went out.

Whenever I attend a crowded event, I always find a place to take off and change clothes, acting like a thief, sneaking around as if I'm going to be seen and get humiliated on the spot.

later,

Dressed in white and carrying a pure white sword became the standard attire for the renowned swordsman Shen Bai. When he went out, he attracted a great deal of attention, representing the face of the Canglan Sword Sect. This later led to regret and remorse, but he was powerless to change it; he had no choice but to wear white.

at this time,

On the official road, Shen Bai turned his horse around and jumped down excitedly, saying, "Brother Gu, Sister Chu Dong, it's been a long time..." As he spoke, he glanced at the woman in red, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes, but he still politely didn't look at her for long and asked, "And who is this?"

“Friend, in red,” Gu Mo said.

Shen Bai quickly cupped his hands in greeting and addressed her as "the girl in red."

At Gu Chudong's introduction, the woman in red also greeted Shen Bai.

Then, Shen Bai asked, "Brother Gu, what are you doing here?"

Gu Mo said, "I just came back from Chang'an and am just wandering around."

Shen Bai quickly replied, "Then why not go to the Canglan Sword Sect? My father-in-law and master often talk about you. Sigh, Brother Gu, you're always running around, it's so hard to see you. The last time we met was when you escorted that girl named Xiaobai to Canglan Mountain. I came back late that time, and we didn't even have a chance to have a drink together. Now it's perfect, I just finished my business and have been back for a month or two. I have a jar of century-old wine at home, which I stole from my father-in-law. Hehe, Brother Gu, you'll be in for a treat if you go to my house now!"

"I cannot refuse your invitation to drink fine wine."

Gu Mo immediately mounted his horse.

Gu Mo naturally had no reason to hesitate. The divination in red had already come true, and the white-clad swordsman was undoubtedly Shen Bai. So all he had to do now was obediently follow Shen Bai and leave.

The Canglan Sword Sect is located on Canglan Mountain, which is not far from Yun City, only about 100 miles away.

Gu Mo and his group rested at an inn along the way for the night and arrived at Canglan Mountain at noon the next day.

Canglan Mountain has steep peaks that reach into the clouds and sheer cliffs that rise thousands of feet.

Looking from afar, as always, the mountaintop and the foot of the mountain seem to be in different seasons. Because it is so high, the mountaintop is covered in snow all year round, and the mountaintop is almost entirely composed of glaciers.

Gu Mo deliberately instructed Shen Bai not to announce his arrival at Canglan Mountain, so there was no scene of a huge crowd welcoming him as when he came to Canglan Sword Sect before.

The group arrived at the mountain in a rather uneventful manner and entered the mountain gate halfway up the mountain.

However, as soon as he entered the mountain gate, Shen Bai frowned, because he found that something was wrong inside the sect. There were many more people patrolling than he remembered, clearly indicating that something big was about to happen.

Immediately, Shen Bai stopped several passing disciples and asked, "Why are there suddenly so many more people from the Enforcement Hall?"

The Canglan Sword Sect disciple who was stopped quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to Elder Shen, it is because Wang Dongli, the leader of the Dongli Sect in Qingyang County, has issued a challenge to our old leader, agreeing to fight him at Canglan Mountain on the ninth day of this month. Our old leader has accepted the challenge."

News of this matter has already begun to spread, and people from various factions should be arriving to watch the battle over the next few days. Therefore, the Enforcement Hall needs to make preparations in advance and has recalled all its disciples who are away, to prevent any trouble caused by the mixing of different factions.

Shen Bai asked in confusion, "When was the challenge issued?"

“It’s been almost a month,” the disciple said.

"Okay, I understand, go ahead!"

Shen Bai dismissed the disciple and said to Gu Mo, "I didn't expect that such a big thing would happen when I went out. I was ordered to go to Fengzhou this time and I was always on the go. I didn't stay in one place for a long time, so I didn't receive any letters from the sect. On the way back, I was so eager to get home that I didn't hear a word of it."

Gu Mo asked, "Who is this Wang Dongli? How dare he challenge Elder Qi?"

Gu Mo had no recollection of the name Wang Dongli, so he was very puzzled by this matter. He was certain that this person was definitely not a very famous person in Qian Kingdom.

Gu Mo had some impression of the top ten on the Heavenly Ranking of Qian Kingdom and the top one or two on the Heavenly Ranking of each of the eight states. He recognized all ten on the Heavenly Ranking of Yun State, but not Wang Dongli.

However, since the other party dared to challenge Qi Tianshu and received a response from Qi Tianshu, he was clearly not someone who was just trying to attract attention.

It's important to understand that although few people in the world know that Qi Tianshu's methods of fighting to the death possess strength that places him among the top ten in the world, even if they don't know, Qi Tianshu's title as the sixth strongest expert in the Qian Kingdom is undeniable.

Shen Bai explained, "Brother Gu, you've rarely been to Yunzhou these past few years, so you don't know that this Wang Dongli is a master who has suddenly become active in recent years. In the past, he was also a well-known master in Yunzhou, considered to be in the first tier below the Grandmaster level. The Dongli Sect he founded was quite famous in Qingyang County."

A few years ago, the Four Directions Sword Sect in Qingyang County collapsed after the Cat Demon case was solved. The Dongli Sect suddenly changed its previous non-competitive attitude and began to seize territory everywhere, occupying almost 30% of the Four Directions Sword Sect's territory.

The Dongli Sect began to develop, but it was relatively peaceful until last year when Wang Dongli suddenly began to challenge various masters. In just a few months, he replaced Meng Qingkong, the tenth-ranked master on the Yunzhou Heavenly Ranking, and became the new master.

This year, Wang Dongli has been quite the figurehead in Yunzhou. I just didn't expect that he would dare challenge my father-in-law so soon after obtaining the title of Grandmaster. I wonder if he truly has the strength, or if he's been blinded by fame and fortune along the way. However, what truly puzzles me is that my father-in-law actually accepted the challenge?

"What's so strange about that?" Gu Chudong asked from the side.

Shen Bai chuckled and said, "Little sister Chu Dong, you don't know this, but since my father-in-law made his move in the great war between good and evil in Dongping County five years ago, he has not made a single public move in the past five years."

He always said that he was too old to fight anymore and wanted to find an opportunity to gradually fade out of the martial world and retire from the Heavenly Ranking. He said he wouldn't have taken action unless there were unavoidable reasons.

Gu Chudong said, "Could it be that he wants to take this opportunity to lose and then retire from the war?"

“Impossible,” Shen Bai said. “My father-in-law’s sword is very proud. He can be defeated and retire, or he can be forgotten and gradually fade into obscurity. But he would never feign defeat at the hands of others. He is a pure swordsman. He would never dishonor his sword and his true meaning!”

"Why don't you just ask?" Gu Mo said with a smile.

Immediately, the group headed towards the mountain peak.

The wind and snow howled, and the chill on the summit of Canglan Mountain seemed to freeze to the bone.

Shen Bai led Gu Mo, Gu Chudong, and Hongyi through the thick snow to the mountaintop, where they saw a simple thatched hut buried in the snow in the distance.

An old man was sitting on the veranda in front of the thatched hut, fishing with a slender fishing rod.

A small hole had been chiseled in the ice, and a fishing line dangled into the dark, icy water. Snowflakes fell silently onto his head, accumulating into a thin layer. This man was none other than Qi Tianshu, the former head of the Canglan Sword Sect, formerly the number one expert in Yunzhou, now the second in Yunzhou, and the sixth most skilled expert in the Qian Kingdom.

"Father-in-law!" Shen Bai stepped forward quickly, bowed, and said, "I'm back."

Qi Tianchu lifted his straw hat slightly, revealing his somewhat aged face. His gaze swept over Shen Bai, then landed on Gu Mo and the others behind him. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which quickly turned into a gentle smile: "Oh, Gu Mo, Chu Dong? You also received the news that I'm going to fight someone?"

Gu Mo sat down next to Qi Tianchu and said, "No, that's not true. It's not interesting for me to watch you fight. Why would I need to travel all this way to watch?"

Qi Tianchu curled his lip and said, "You're not giving me, an old man, any face at all."

Gu Mo smiled, picked up a fishing rod, and said, "Fishing in this place has a unique charm." He gently cast the line, which landed right in the small ice hole that Qi Tianshu had carved out. "However, the fish on the summit of Canglan Mountain are really hard to catch."

"Haha," Qi Tianchu laughed heartily, his voice sounding particularly clear and melodious in the wind and snow, "Whether you catch fish or not depends on fate. Sitting here, listening to the wind and watching the snow fall, my heart is at peace. I'm old, unlike you young people, I just want to enjoy my old age in peace and quiet."

Gu Mo pursed his lips and said, "If I hadn't seen from afar that your sword intent was almost uncontrollable, I would have actually believed what you said."

Qi Tianchu chuckled and said, "As expected, I couldn't hide it from your eyes. Since returning from Penglai Island, my swordsmanship has taken another half step forward. Some time ago, Master Liansheng wrote to me, teaching me the method to lift the restrictions on Baiyujing. After that, I took a complete step forward."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Master Liansheng is still very trustworthy."

Qi Tianchu nodded and said, "Bai Yujing placed restrictions on our primordial spirits. It would have been better if we hadn't known, but once we found out, we were almost driven to inner demons. Master Liansheng not only helped us remove the restrictions, but also freed us from our demonic obstacles!"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Tell me about Wang Dongli. Why did you accept the challenge?"

“Wang Dongli…” Qi Tianchu’s voice lowered, carrying a hint of distant reminiscence, “His reasons for challenging me were quite valid.”

He slowly raised his gaze, finally fixing it on the swirling snowflakes in the distance, and slowly said, "As you all know, I seized this Canglan Mountain from others sixty or seventy years ago. At that time, I was only in my twenties, young and impetuous, and I did things only with passion, so it was inevitable that I would make mistakes."

The thatched hut was completely silent, save for the crackling of the fire in the stove and the howling of the wind and snow outside the window.

"The one who once possessed this mountain was a senior known as 'Lord of the Clouds,' who was revered as the number one expert in Yunzhou before me. His name was Wang Yunshen," Qi Tianchu said slowly, each word like a pebble falling on ice. "At that time, I was young and ambitious, and my swordsmanship was just beginning. I was determined to challenge the strongest opponent and make a name for myself. I climbed to the top of this Canglan Mountain and challenged Senior Wang Yunshen."

"That battle..."

Qi Tianchu's eyes became somewhat complicated, with a sense of nostalgia for past glories and a hint of indescribable shame. "The battle was extremely fierce. Senior Wang's 'Cloud Sea Misty Sword' was divine and unparalleled in my life. We fought fiercely for three days and three nights, and in the end... I won by half a move."

"But at that time, I was young and impetuous, and I didn't understand the principle of leaving room for maneuver in doing things. I only felt that I had won, that I was the victor and he was the loser, so I made him hand over Canglan Mountain and also took away his title of the number one in Yunzhou, without giving him any face."

Unexpectedly, after that, he became completely despondent and eventually died in despair, filled with resentment.

Gu Mo frowned and said, "This is how it's always been in the martial world. You don't need to blame yourself, do you?"

Qi Tianchu waved his hand and said, "I don't feel guilty. I just think back on that incident and realize that I was too young and impetuous. At that time, I felt that sparing his life was already a great favor, and I didn't think about saving his face."

Looking back now, it's a real pity. If only we had exercised a little more restraint back then, perhaps such a promising martial arts master wouldn't have died so young.

Gu Mo didn't dwell on Qi Tianshu's theory, but returned to the main topic and asked, "So, Wang Dongli is a descendant of Wang Yunshen?"

Qi Tianchu nodded and said, "Wang Dongli is Wang Yunshen's grandson. He came here with a challenge, and his words were firm. He said that this mountain should be returned to its original owner and that he wanted to seek justice for his grandfather and restore the name of 'Yunhai Piaomiao'. Every word in the challenge was written with blood and tears, and every sentence was filled with injustice."

He glanced at Shen Bai, “He carries the legacy of his ancestors, and in the name of his bloodline, he challenges me squarely, seeking to reclaim Canglan Mountain. This cause and effect, this obsession… how can I avoid it? How can I refuse?” He looked at Gu Mo and chuckled, “As you say, the martial world has always been like this!”

Gu Mo smiled and asked, "You should be able to win, right?"

Qi Tianchu thought for a moment and said, "If it's a fight to the death, I'm sure I'll win, but in a friendly sparring match, it's not so certain."

Gu Mo was somewhat surprised and said, "Even without risking your life, you're still the sixth-ranked in the Qian Kingdom. It can't be that bad, can it?"

Qi Tianchu was silent for a while, then said, "I have checked his battle record. His sword is very strange. I don't know if it's strange or fast, because so far, no one has seen his sword, or rather, everyone who has seen his sword is dead."

But he wasn't strong before; he suddenly changed a year ago, like... he was possessed!

(End of this chapter)