In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 386 A good-for-nothing is someone who doesn't attract attention.

Gu Shaoan is not Li Xunhuan, and he wouldn't have the same feelings.

After writing a prescription using the pen, ink, and paper in the inn's room, Gu Shaoan unleashed a burst of energy from his fingertips and pushed the prescription in front of Li Xunhuan.

"I have already explained the problem to you, Master Li. Your illness is not a problem for me. However, if you want to treat it, in addition to some common medicines, the main medicines that I have circled above are more important and valuable."

"Once Master Li has collected all the medicines mentioned above, you can go to the Emei Sect and ask me to treat you. However, as payment for the treatment, if needed in the future, I would like Master Li to do something for me."

"If Master Li cannot find the medicine to treat me, then he will need to do three things for me."

"Of course, Gu asked Master Li to do something that would not violate the code of chivalry."

In matters of the heart, Li Xunhuan might seem incredibly foolish to Gu Shaoan, but his own abilities were also top-notch.

Moreover, in a few years, once Li Xunhuan achieves perfect harmony between man and sword, his strength will be elevated to another level.

Even Tu Baichuan, whom Gu Shaoan killed back then, wouldn't dare to underestimate the accuracy of Li Xunhuan's flying dagger.

If Gu Shaoan or the Emei Sect encounter trouble in the future, having Li Xunhuan as a helper would be a great asset.

As soon as he finished speaking, Cheng Shifei stared at Gu Shaoan in astonishment.

"You still want a consultation fee?"

Faced with Cheng's questioning, Gu Shaoan calmly replied, "It is only fair and proper for a doctor to treat patients and save lives. As things stand, the relationship between me and Master Li is not yet at the level of providing free treatment. It is a business transaction, and whether we do it or not is entirely voluntary for both parties."

Gu Shaoan doesn't run a charity, so it's impossible for him to take out his treasured medicines every time he meets someone.

If they do that, even mountains of gold and silver won't be enough to withstand Gu Shaoan's antics.

Hearing what Gu Shaoan said, Tie Chuanjia carefully put away the prescription and said to Gu Shaoan, "Thank you, Young Master Gu."

Gu Shaoan nodded slightly and stood up: "The two of you are still recovering from the battle. It would be best for you to rest and recuperate now. It is late at night, so I will not disturb you any longer."

Upon hearing this, Fan Sanshan also pulled Cheng Shifei to stand up.

Li Xunhuan got up and saw Gu Shaoan and the others to the door. After watching the three of them enter another room, he returned to his own room.

As the door closed, Li Xunhuan slowly walked to the bedside and looked in the direction of Xingyun Manor.

After a few breaths, Li Xunhuan spoke up: "Brother Tie, what do you think I should do?"

Faced with Li Xunhuan's question, Tie Chuanjia gritted his teeth and said, "Young Master gave Miss Biao to Long Xiaoyun, and on the day of the wedding, he even gave all of the Li family's property to Long Xiaoyun. But Long Xiaoyun actually conspired with the Five Poisons Sect to harm Young Master as soon as he returned to Baoding Prefecture. How can such a heartless bastard be kept alive?"

Li Xunhuan asked, "But my elder brother is already Shiyin's husband. If we kill him, what about Shiyin? What will happen to her?"

Tie Chuanjia replied, "If Long Xiaoyun wants to harm the young master, Miss Biao will definitely not let it go once she finds out. Why should the young master worry?"

"At worst, we can kill Long Xiaoyun, take over the family business, and then the young master can personally take care of Miss Biao."

Upon hearing this, Li Xunhuan seemed somewhat tempted.

But the next moment, Li Xunhuan sighed again.

“He is my sworn brother after all. If he can be unkind to me, I cannot be unjust to him.”

With that, Li Xunhuan shook his head and said to Tie Chuanjia, "Go and get me a few jugs of wine!"

"But young master, your illness..."

"Go!"

"I'll go right away."

After Tie Chuanjia left, Li Xunhuan looked up at the bright moon in the sky, a bitter expression on his handsome face.

"One wrong step leads to another, and now, is even my return this time a mistake?"

Meanwhile, in another room.

After accepting the tea from Cheng Shifei, Fan Sanshan looked at Gu Shaoan across from him, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Judging from Young Master Gu's attitude earlier, it seems that you have some issues with Brother Li?"

Gu Shaoan laughed and said, "Master Li is a senior in the martial arts world, and this is my first time meeting Master Li. How can we talk about opinions?"

Although Gu Shaoan felt disdain for Li Xunhuan's way of handling relationships, he considered it a matter for other people.

People are all different; some people rack their brains to take advantage of others, while others misjudge people and dig their own graves.

But these are all other people's business, what does it have to do with Gu Shaoan?
As long as it doesn't affect Gu Shaoan himself, the Emei Sect, or the people around him, Gu Shaoan doesn't have the extra energy to get involved in other people's troubles.

Finally, Gu Shaoan looked at Cheng Shifei and said, "Regarding the life-saving grace, I killed the Great Joyful Bodhisattva today, which can be considered as repaying it for you. In the future, unless necessary, you should have less contact with Hero Li!"

Cheng Shifei looked at Gu Shaoan in astonishment and said, "Didn't you say you had no problem with Brother Li?"

Gu Shaoan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then continued, "The trouble I'm referring to doesn't mean that Li Xunhuan himself is morally flawed, but rather that people like him are a 'hidden danger' in the martial arts world, especially for those close to him."

He looked at Cheng Shifei, who looked puzzled, and Fan Sanshan, who seemed to be deep in thought, and calmly analyzed, "The world is dangerous, and people's hearts are unpredictable. There are many petty people in the world who are not strong enough themselves, but have ulterior motives and covet what others have. These people may be no match for you in a direct confrontation, but they are best at hiding in the shadows, spying on the weaknesses of others, weaving a net, and using others to do their dirty work."

"Li Xunhuan possesses unparalleled martial arts skills; his throwing knives never miss, reaching a first-rate level. Given time, he will achieve perfect harmony between man and knife, making even greater achievements possible. In terms of martial prowess alone, there are few in the martial world who can reliably defeat him or dare to easily provoke him. Logically, such a figure should command respect and be avoided." "However, therein lies the problem."

Gu Shaoan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "He's not only a gentleman, but the kind who values ​​loyalty and gratitude above all else, with moral standards so high they're almost harsh. His deep affection, his indecisiveness, his attachment to and regret for the past, his unwavering principle of 'I'd rather the world betray me than I betray the world'—to those who know him, these are no longer secrets, but rather his Achilles' heel and Achilles' heel, clearly and openly exposed."

Gu Shaoan spoke gently: "A highly skilled 'saint' is far easier to scheme against than a highly skilled 'villain.' Because villains act without restraint, making them unpredictable and causing others to hesitate to act rashly."

"The weaknesses of a 'sage' are too obvious. His behavior patterns, and even how he will choose when faced with certain situations, can be almost predicted."

"For those with ulterior motives, someone like Li Xunhuan is simply a perfect 'tool' or 'pawn.' They don't need to have the strength to defeat him; they only need to find someone or something that can touch his heartstrings—such as someone he cares about, someone he owes a debt of 'loyalty,' or someone he can't let go of the shackles of 'morality'—to easily influence, drive, or even force him to make choices that go against his conscience or harm his own interests."

"The incident involving Long Xiaoyun happened to Li Xunhuan, not because Long Xiaoyun's martial arts skills or intelligence were particularly high."

"Looking at the entire martial arts world, Long Xiaoyun can only be considered a worthless nobody. But because he understood Li Xunhuan's emphasis on brotherhood and his guilt towards Lin Shiyin, he dared to set a trap to harm him."

Knowing that Cheng Shifei was unaware of the grudges between Li Xunhuan and Long Xiaoyun, Fan Sanshan timely recounted the events involving Long Xiaoyun, Li Xunhuan, and Lin Shiyin from over a decade ago.

Hearing this, he was dumbfounded.

"No way, you're just giving away your sweetheart and your fortune for free? Brother Li, are you that generous?"

Gu Shaoan sighed, but did not comment on Li Xunhuan's actions. Instead, he continued, "That's why if you get close to someone like Li Xunhuan, you yourself might become a bargaining chip or leverage that others use to blackmail or scheme against him."

"Because if something happens to you, given his personality, he's very likely to spare no effort to save you. This has nothing to do with right or wrong; it's just his principle of conduct. But in the treacherous world of martial arts, this principle is the source of disaster and trouble."

After listening, Fan Sanshan sighed and nodded slowly: "Young Master Gu's words are insightful and thought-provoking. The martial world is ultimately not a place where only loyalty and righteousness matter. Brother Li, he... sigh."

In the end, Fan Sanshan couldn't help but shake his head and didn't continue.

Cheng Shifei was somewhat stunned. He was still young and his mind was full of passionate fantasies about chivalry and quick revenge. Gu Shaoan's words were undoubtedly a bucket of cold water for him, but they also made him see a more complex and cruel side of the martial arts world.

He murmured, "So Brother Li's martial arts are so high, yet he's in more danger? Just because he's too good?"

"That's one way to understand it." Gu Shaoan nodded slightly.

"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for profit. The martial arts world is also a place of fame and fortune. If you don't attract envy, you're mediocre; conversely, if you don't attract attention, you're useless. A master like Li Xunhuan, who possesses superb skills and a great reputation but has obvious 'weaknesses,' will naturally become the target of many people who want to scheme against, exploit, or even eliminate him."

"The difference is that some people want to take advantage of his martial arts skills and reputation, some want to seize his flying knife skills or family property, and some simply want to take advantage of his interests because his existence is an obstacle to them. His personality greatly increases the likelihood of these schemes succeeding."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the silent night outside. His voice was calm yet carried an undeniable resolve: "Therefore, as we martial artists grow stronger and more renowned, we must learn to conceal our strength, establish our authority, and even demonstrate that we are not to be trifled with. Humility and gentleness are the attitudes we should show to our fellow practitioners and friends, but when faced with potential malice and scheming, we must demonstrate sufficient toughness and skill. We must let people know that scheming against you will come at a price they cannot afford, and that if they want to use you as a pawn, they must be prepared to be devoured, or even uprooted."

"This is not about becoming cold or belligerent, but a necessary means to survive in the world and protect oneself and those around you from unwarranted disasters."

Gu Shaoan turned around, the moonlight shining through the window lattice, outlining a cold silhouette on his straight back. "If you always show weakness, or like Li Xunhuan, completely expose your weaknesses and give others a handle to use against you, then sooner or later you will find that trouble will come knocking on your door, and you, and even the people you care about, may become pawns on someone else's chessboard, helpless and full of regret."

This is why, when Gu Shaoan was not strong enough in the past, he was able to be humble and kind when dealing with people or things outside of Emei.

However, as his internal energy cultivation reached the level of Condensing Yuan into Gang and he successfully entered the ranks of first-class masters, Gu Shaoan became increasingly domineering in his actions.

People who are good are bullied by others, and horses who are good are ridden by others.

If Gu Shaoan doesn't show his domineering and ruthless side, who knows when some scoundrels in the martial arts world will set their sights on Gu Shaoan and the Emei Sect.

Afterward, Gu Shaoan sat back down at the table, his tone returning to its usual calm: "So, I don't have a problem with Master Li, I'm just reminding you that the world is a long and winding road, and you must be careful in making friends. While it's admirable to associate with someone like Master Li, you also need to understand the potential risks and be prepared accordingly. That's how you take responsibility for yourself."

"Don't forget that you're no longer that carefree, penniless hoodlum in the capital. You now have family and elders. Even if you're not responsible for yourself, you need to consider them."

The room fell silent again. Fan Sanshan took a deep breath and looked at Gu Shaoan with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"The Emei Sect truly lives up to its reputation as a prestigious and righteous sect in the martial arts world. Their teaching of disciples is absolutely superb!"

Fan Sanshan never expected that Gu Shaoan, at such a young age, not only possessed extraordinary strength but also had such a profound understanding of human nature and the martial world.

What Gu Shaoan said is something that even many seasoned veterans in the martial arts world, let alone Cheng Shifei, might not be able to understand.

In comparison, Cheng Shifei, who was clearly a few years older than Gu Shaoan, seemed to have no age difference whatsoever.

As the son of Gu Santong and Su Xin, Cheng Shifei was naturally clever. Hearing Gu Shaoan's almost analytical explanation, he quickly understood the meaning.

For the first time, I realized that making friends in the martial arts world is not simply a matter of judging someone as good or bad.

Cheng Shifei scratched his head in frustration and said, "Isn't this martial arts world of yours far too dangerous?"

Gu Shaoan glanced at Cheng Shifei and said indifferently, "The danger is never in the martial world, but in people. You've been living in the capital since you were a child, how many dangerous things have you seen?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shifei thought for a moment, then pursed his lips and remained silent.

Having digested the matter to some extent, Gu Shaoan turned his gaze to Fan Sanshan.

"What did Uncle Fan want to say when we were outside earlier?"

Meeting Gu Shaoan's gaze, Fan Sanshan said in a deep voice, "Half a year ago, when we were still outside the Great Wall, I saw your sect's leader, Abbess Miejue, there."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan raised an eyebrow slightly.

(End of this chapter)