In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 372 Tiannan Prefecture, Baisha Gang

With something on his mind, Gu Shaoan didn't waste too much time. After telling Abbess Miejue, Zhou Zhiruo, Yang Yan, and the others about the matter, he set off for Baoding Prefecture the next morning.

Although he already had a system backpack, Gu Shaoan was still outwardly carrying a burden.

However, unlike before when he would often cover his face with a straw hat when going out alone.

Given the current strength and status of the Emei Sect and Gu Shaoan, countless spies in the martial arts world are watching Gu Shaoan and the Emei Sect openly and secretly.

Unless he is disguised, Gu Shaoan's whereabouts when he is out cannot be hidden from many people.

Several days later, on the official road still a hundred miles from Tiannan Prefecture, Gu Shaoan moved like an autumn breeze. Each time his toes touched the ground lightly, his figure glided through the air like a wild goose spreading its wings, covering a distance of several dozen feet. When he landed, he was almost silent, with only the slight sound of his clothes stirring the wind.

As the refined power of heaven and earth was once again drawn into the three internal organs of essence, qi, and spirit by the yin and yang energies within Gu Shaoan's body, and sensing that only half of his vital energy remained in his body, Gu Shaoan had no choice but to temporarily stop his actions of refining the power of heaven and earth with the "Four Symbols of Heavenly Will" while traveling.

After all, being away from home is different from being inside the Emei Sect; it is not a wise move to exhaust one's vital energy.

After traveling for about several dozen miles, a somewhat simple post station appeared at the edge of the field of vision beside the official road.

A small courtyard is surrounded by houses made of earth and wood, and a faded wine flag hangs on a tall flagpole, swaying weakly in the autumn wind.

Looking at the post station in the distance, Gu Shaoan pondered for a moment and then adjusted his direction slightly, heading towards the post station.

When they were still a hundred feet away from the post station, Gu Shaoan focused his energy in his dantian and suddenly slowed down. His swift and lightning-like speed instantly subsided and turned into a calm and unhurried pace.

The seamless and natural transition from extreme motion to extreme stillness in that instant alone is enough to demonstrate Gu Shaoan's current level of lightness skill.

He walked calmly toward the post station, as if he were just an ordinary young man on his way. However, his outstanding appearance and demeanor, along with the extraordinary bearing that he exuded even when he tried to conceal it, made it impossible for people to truly regard him as an ordinary person.

Under the thatched shed outside the post station, groups of travelers were sitting or standing, mostly peddlers and wandering travelers, chatting quietly over coarse tea and dry rations.

Gu Shaoan's outstanding appearance and temperament, as well as his extraordinary demeanor that was barely concealed, attracted the attention of many people outside the post station as he approached.

Outside this post station, there were quite a few martial arts practitioners carrying weapons.

As Gu Shaoan approached, several people were initially drawn to his appearance. However, as their gazes shifted and they noticed the Yitian Sword in Gu Shaoan's hand, their eyes flashed, and they immediately trembled, averting their gazes and lowering their heads.

They had clearly recognized Gu Shaoan's identity.

Gu Shaoan seemed oblivious to the reactions of the others. He glanced briefly at the guests outside the inn before entering, finding an empty table by the window and placing his bundle containing only two sets of clothes on it.

Soon, a shop assistant with a sweat towel draped over his shoulder, a weathered face, and a shrewd look in his eyes trotted over and said with a smile, "Young hero, you must be tired from your journey. What would you like? Our shop has freshly boiled hot tea, as well as fresh pancakes and braised meat. We can also prepare a few side dishes in the kitchen."

Gu Shaoan said calmly, “A pot of tea, ten flatbreads, half a pound of braised beef, and eight flatbreads to wrap it up.”

"Alright! Please have a seat, young hero, I'll be right there!" the waiter replied briskly and turned to get ready.

A moment later, as the shopkeeper brought the food, Gu Shaoan first packed some of the flatbread into his bundle to keep as provisions for the journey. Then, he picked up the rough earthenware teacup, sniffed it lightly, and only after confirming it was safe did he blow away the floating leaves and take a sip of the slightly bitter coarse tea. The soft sounds of the surrounding customers naturally reached Gu Shaoan's ears, but he didn't find anything particularly unusual.

"I wonder how Uncle-Master Juejue and Jiangxue have been doing in Tiannan Prefecture all this time."

The reason Gu Shaoan passed through Tiannan Prefecture was because a month ago, Abbess Juejue brought Mei Jiangxue to Tiannan Prefecture to guard it, and also to let Mei Jiangxue gain experience.

In Gu Shaoan's system backpack, there were also pastries that Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan had prepared for Mei Jiangxue and Abbess Juezhu.

Just as Gu Shaoan finished eating the braised meat and flatbread, and asked the waiter to bring a pot of water to fill his water bottle, a slightly chaotic sound of horses' hooves and cart wheels came from outside the post station, growing louder as it approached, and finally stopping outside the post station.

Looking through the open door, one could see a small caravan.

Three mule carts piled high with goods were followed by seven or eight packhorses and a dozen or so men dressed in uniform and covered in dust. Among them were five men with slightly bulging temples, sharp eyes, and weapons at their waists or on their backs, who were clearly the accompanying bodyguards.

The caravan was led by a well-to-do middle-aged merchant who was directing his men to park the mule carts in the shade outside the courtyard and to water and feed the horses. He then strode into the post station with two trusted men and the bodyguards.

"Shopkeeper, bring us some good wine and food quickly, and feed our horses well too, hurry up."

The middle-aged businessman had a loud voice, revealing the fatigue and urgency of a long journey.

The innkeeper and his staff immediately got to work, leading the newly arrived guests to sit at two large tables.

The merchant sat at a table with his confidant, discussing accounts and goods in hushed tones.

The five bodyguards sat at another table, more relaxed as they unfastened their weapons and leaned them against the table legs. Three of them were in their early twenties, their faces still showing the vigorous spirit of newcomers, while the other two were a bit older.

One of the young bodyguards, with bright eyes and wearing a light blue short shirt, waited for the waiter to bring the tea, then picked up the teapot and poured water for his companions.

While waiting for the food, the young bodyguard in a blue short shirt lowered his voice and asked, "Third Uncle, this morning when we left Tiannan Prefecture, I overheard some soldiers guarding the city and people at the roadside tea stalls whispering that the Emei Sect seemed to be in trouble in Tiannan Prefecture. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan, who had just picked up his teacup, paused almost imperceptibly, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Gu Shaoan slowly put down the teacup, his fingertips gently stroking the rim of the rough pottery bowl.

His expression remained calm and composed, but a faint glint of cold light flashed in the depths of his deep eyes.

At the same time, as the bodyguard in the blue short shirt spoke, the other two young bodyguards next to him looked over curiously. Even the wandering martial artists at the nearby tables, who had been talking in hushed tones, subconsciously lowered their voices.

Those few wandering martial artists who seemed to recognize Gu Shaoan earlier couldn't help but secretly glance in the direction where Gu Shaoan was.

Wang Houde, known as "Third Uncle," was a镖头 (bodyguard/escort) in his forties with a calm face and thick calluses on the web of his left hand.

Faced with the young bodyguard's question, he pondered for a moment and then nodded, saying, "This matter has caused quite a stir right now; how could the entire Tiannan Prefecture not know about it?"

"I heard that many of the elders and disciples stationed at the Emei Sect's base in Tiannan Prefecture have been poisoned. The doctors in Tiannan Prefecture are all dejected. I heard that the poisoning was done by the Bai Shui Gang next door."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another young bodyguard at the same table, with narrow eyes and a somewhat delicate appearance, immediately spoke up: "Third Uncle, I remember the White Water Gang is based in Zhanjiang Prefecture, right? Zhanjiang Prefecture and Tiannan Prefecture are three prefectures apart. What does the Emei Sect's business have to do with the White Water Gang?"

Wang Houde smiled and said, "You kids are still young. This is only your second time out on a escort mission. What do you know? The Baishui Gang used to have a good reputation, but ever since the old leader of the Baishui Gang died more than ten years ago and Hao Wantong became the new leader, the Baishui Gang has changed its ways and started to try every means to make money."

The young bodyguard, dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt, asked in confusion, "But what does this have to do with the Emei Sect?"

Wang Houde shook his head and said, "Isn't it all because of money?"

Knowing that the others didn't understand, the bodyguard, who was called "Third Uncle," explained: "In the early years, there weren't any top-tier forces around Tiannan Prefecture, right? So many businesses in Tiannan Prefecture were already controlled by the White Water Gang. There were also some shady businesses, but on the surface, they were run by some small, unsavory forces."

"The largest canal transport business, as well as brothels and gambling dens in Tiannan Prefecture, are mostly in the hands of these small forces. If they didn't have powerful backers, do you think the Jinshan Sect, a second-rate force in Tiannan Prefecture, would let these lucrative businesses fall into the hands of those small forces?"

After a pause, Wang Houde continued, "The Emei Sect is a prestigious and upright sect with a very clean and honest reputation. I heard that in the past, when the Emei Sect was in charge of Jiading Prefecture, Yuzhou Prefecture, and Xuzhou Prefecture, all sorts of people from all walks of life would avoid them."

"Now that the Emei Sect has taken over Tiannan Prefecture, the first thing they did was to purge all the various factions and shady dealings within the prefecture. With these small factions being eliminated, the business that the Baishui Gang used to do has naturally been greatly affected."

The young bodyguard in the blue short shirt frowned: "But the Emei Sect is now a first-class power. Although the young sect leader Gu Shaoan is not old, he is already a first-class expert. It is said that even someone like the Demon Master Pang Ban is no match for him. Although the White Water Gang is also a first-class power, its leader Hao Wantong can't be stronger than the Demon Master Pang Ban, can he? Aren't you worried about angering the Emei Sect by doing this?"

Before Wang Houde could speak, another young bodyguard next to him shook his head and said, "To catch a thief red-handed, you must catch an adulterer in the act. The Emei Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect, and it needs to follow the rules. Even if the Baishui Gang secretly poisoned them, the Emei Sect would not dare to act without evidence. Perhaps the Baishui Gang is taking advantage of this to dare to act."

Upon hearing this, Wang Houde nodded and said, "That's right, it is indeed possible, however..."

However, before Wang Houde could finish speaking, another bodyguard, who looked to be in his early fifties with some gray hair but an exceptionally robust build and wielding a fine iron spear, suddenly strode over to the table where the group was sitting and hissed, "Have you said enough? Should I call everyone in this post station over so they can hear us more clearly?"

Upon hearing the angry voice, the three people sitting down, along with Wang Houde, immediately shrank back like quails.

Yang Changlin first glared at Wang Houde and the others who had fallen silent, then glanced around.

When her gaze moved to the window of the post station, it met Gu Shaoan's calm, still eyes.

Noticing Gu Shaoan's appearance and demeanor, Yang Changlin stiffened for a moment before quickly averting his gaze and glaring at the people at the table: "How can you take hearsay from the martial world seriously? And certainly not discuss it casually! What did the chief镖头 (chief镖头) tell you before you left? Observe more, listen more, and speak less. It's best to treat yourself as a mute."

Those who work as bodyguards must be extremely careful. Didn't the escort agency tell you before that trouble often comes from careless words?

"Look at you guys, you dare to say anything and talk about anything. If you dare to gossip like this again, I'll deal with you when we get back."

Upon hearing this, the bodyguards immediately shrank back, picked up their teacups, and drank their tea, remaining silent.

Inside the post station, Gu Shaoan did not immediately go outside to inquire about the specific matters.

The information that needed to be heard has already been said by those bodyguards outside.

If they were to inquire openly and frankly, it might actually cause trouble for these bodyguards afterwards.

The only question is whether what these people said is true.

Gu Shaoan wasn't so naive as to conclude that everything was the work of the Bai Shui Gang based on hearsay.

Now that the Emei Sect has returned to being a first-rate power, its sphere of influence has expanded to ten prefectures. It is inevitable that its disciples will encounter some bumps and frictions when they are outside. If he, as the "young sect leader," has to handle everything personally, it would make it seem like Emei has no one to rely on.

But this time things are different.

The poisoning has already involved Emei Sect disciples and elders, and there's also a top-tier force like the White Water Gang involved. It's no longer the time to train disciples.

After a few thoughts flashed through his mind, Gu Shaoan beckoned to the waiter to settle the bill, picked up his bundle, and got up to walk out of the post station.

His steps remained unhurried, but his direction was no longer the straight north-bound side road of the official road, but rather a slightly off-center road leading to Tiannan Prefecture.

With something on his mind, Gu Shaoan no longer had the idea of ​​hiding his lightness skill as he had before.

Almost the instant he stepped out of the post station, his internal energy began to circulate, and he moved like the wind, covering a distance of dozens of feet in just a few breaths.

Yang Changlin, who had noticed Gu Shaoan earlier, couldn't help but gasp as Gu Shaoan seemed to shrink rapidly in his sight until he disappeared, as if he had teleported away.

A sense of worry couldn't help but rise in my heart.

Then, looking at the four people beside him, including Wang Houde who had just been speaking recklessly, their faces were already frighteningly grim.

Seemingly sensing the terrifyingly low pressure emanating from Yang Changlin, Wang Houde and the others dared not utter a single word.

(End of this chapter)