Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter Fourteen: Gu Guanqi Has a Weakness

Yan Wangchuan and Gu Guanqi soon arrived at the county government office.

The two yamen runners at the county government office recognized Gu Guanqi and quickly bowed. One of them hurried inside to report. Before long, Magistrate Wang personally came out to greet him, dressed neatly in his official robes, with a hint of doubt on his face.

"Master Gu!" Magistrate Wang greeted them with a cupped-hand salute, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men.

Gu Guanqi introduced Yan Wangchuan, saying, "Magistrate Wang, this is Yan Wangchuan, the Assistant Magistrate of the Six Doors!"

Magistrate Wang's eyes cleared instantly, and he quickly bowed, saying, "This humble official, Wang Kang, greets Assistant Magistrate Yan. I was unaware of Assistant Magistrate Yan's arrival and failed to greet you properly; please forgive me!"

"Magistrate Wang, you're too kind!"

Yan Wangchuan took out his waist token from his waist and handed it to Wang Kang for inspection. He got straight to the point and said, "Magistrate Wang, I would like to check the files of the iron mine in Dongyang Mountain back then, especially the information of the craftsmen who were responsible for designing the mine tunnels."

Wang Kang took the waist token, glanced at it, and immediately nodded, saying, "Prefect Yan, please come inside and wait a moment. I will send someone to fetch it right away."

After saying this, he turned and instructed a clerk beside him, who then hurriedly left.

Wang Kang then stepped aside and led the two towards the main hall, saying as they walked, "You two have come at the right time. The iron mine's files were just reorganized a few days ago, so they won't be difficult to find. Please come to the back hall for tea and wait a while."

"Thank you for your trouble, Magistrate Wang." Yan Wangchuan cupped his hands in greeting.

The three of them walked through the main hall and came to the back hall. Wang Kang invited the two to sit down, and then went out to bring in tea.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the clerk hurriedly entered carrying a stack of files. He had a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. He placed the files on the table, cupped his hands, and said, "Sir, the files for the Dongyang Mountain Iron Mine are all here, including the information on the craftsmen who designed the mine."

Yan Wangchuan put down his teacup, got up and walked to the table, opened the file and began to flip through it page by page, his eyes quickly scanning the pages.

Gu Guanqi also came over, his gaze falling on the files.

The dossier is quite detailed, listing the year the iron mine was opened, its scale, the number of workers employed, its output, and so on. It also includes the list of craftsmen who participated in the design that year.

quickly,

Yan Wangchuan then found the materials he needed.

The craftsmen who were responsible for designing the mine routes back then were all registered craftsmen with the government, making them practically officials. The person in charge was a man named Liu Fang, who is now over sixty years old and lives in Chang County.

Yan Wangchuan put down the file, cupped his hands in thanks to Wang Kang, and said, "Thank you, Magistrate Wang."

Wang Kang quickly replied, "Prefect Yan, you're too kind. This is what I should do."

Just as Yan Wangchuan was about to speak, the clerk waiting nearby suddenly asked, "Sir, are you looking for Liu Fang?"

Yan Wangchuan looked up at him and asked, "What, you know him?"

The clerk quickly bowed and said, "Your Excellency, Liu Fang did live in Yongning Lane in her early years, but she moved away two years ago and now lives in Pipa Lane in the suburbs. Because this pile of files is from more than ten years ago, the information recorded is inevitably somewhat inaccurate."

Yan Wangchuan nodded slightly and said, "Alright." Then, he said to Wang Kang, "Magistrate Wang, we'll have to trouble you to send someone to show us the way."

Wang Kang immediately summoned a young yamen runner, gave him a few instructions, and the runner accepted the order and stood aside to wait.

Then, the three of them left the back hall, crossed the front yard, and headed towards the entrance of the county government office.

Wang Kang escorted them to the door, cupping his hands in greeting and saying, "Lord Yan, Hero Gu, please take care."

Yan Wangchuan and Gu Guanqi returned the greeting with clasped hands, mounted their horses, and, led by the yamen runner, headed along the long street towards the outskirts of the city.

The sound of horses' hooves clattered on the bluestone road, gradually fading into the distance.

Wang Kang stood at the entrance of the county government office, watching the three figures disappear around the street corner, his smile slowly fading. He turned around and walked unhurriedly through the front yard to the back yard.

The backyard was very quiet, with the bare branches of several old locust trees stretching out in the twilight.

A thin layer of snow covered the ground, not yet completely melted, and made a slight "crunching" sound when stepped on.

In the corner of the courtyard, an old man was bent over, holding a bamboo broom, sweeping the fallen leaves and remnants of snow. He was dressed in a gray cloth robe, his hair was gray, and his back was slightly hunched.

Wang Kang walked up behind him, stopped, and said, "I told you before not to do anything stupid or cause trouble, but you didn't listen and insisted on killing Gu Guanqi. Now things are out in the open, and I can't hide it anymore. I don't know why Yan Wangchuan suddenly came to Chang County!"

The old man raised his head, his cloudy eyes instantly clearing, and said, "Magistrate Wang, we had no choice. Gu Guanqi is someone Wen Jiao wants to kill. If it weren't for the greater good, she would have come to kill him herself. We, her subordinates, can't disobey her will!"

Wang Kang said coldly, "Hmph, women are just not rational when they do things. Wen Qiuchi, the leader of a sect, is so irrational. After the Guanyin Sect takes over Qingzhou, we will find an opportunity to take revenge. There is no need to rush."

The old man laughed and said, "It's not necessarily going to be an opportunity. Magistrate Wang, you're a seasoned official, so you don't know how extraordinary Gu Guanqi's talent is. After the Guanyin Sect entered Qingzhou, it became a reputable and righteous sect, and Gu Guanqi is a righteous hero. We can't just attack him casually."

If this drags on for three to five years, given Gu Guanqi's talent, his cultivation level will likely have reached an unimaginable height. The reason Master Wen is so anxious is because she's unsure how to face Gu Guanqi three to five years from now.

Wang Kang said, "Does it have to be direct revenge? Can't we use some strategy? For example, isn't Wen Qiuchi very beautiful? What about using her beauty as a weapon?"

"Magistrate Wang, be careful with your words!" the old man said.

"Hmph." Wang Kang said, "I don't want to argue with you anymore. You two figure it out yourselves. I've lured Yan Wangchuan and Gu Guanqi to the outskirts of the city. This is your only chance. Once they get to the outskirts and can't find anyone, they'll realize what's going on."

The old man said, "We can kill Liu Fang first."

Wang Kang chuckled and said, "Whether Liu Fang is dead or alive is not important. Yan Wangchuan is suspicious now. What he needs is to verify whether the trap designed for Gu Guanqi in the mine was accidental or inevitable."

By killing Liu Fang, you're essentially telling him directly that his deduction was correct, and that the mine trap was deliberately designed to target Gu Guanqi. At that point, he can confirm that the Wenjian Sect was framed.

In this situation, all the clues pointing to the Wenjian Sect will be questionable. If he restarts the investigation, he can directly trace it back to me, starting with the first step: the report I submitted to the county government that deliberately concealed the fact that Gu Guanqi encountered a trap in the mine, and the material assistance provided by forces in Chang County that are openly affiliated with the Wenjian Sect.

The evidence from Chang County is questionable, which could overturn the evidence from the prefectural government. It's a whole chain of events; if one step goes wrong, the whole thing will fall apart. That's why I've consistently disagreed with taking action against Gu Guanqi. If Gu Guanqi had died in the mine, everything would have been fine, but he didn't.

The old man sighed and said, "We never imagined that Gu Guanqi would survive under those circumstances!"

Wang Kang waved his hand and said, "It's no use pursuing accountability now. The time for all the sects to besiege Wenjian Sect is almost here, only a few days left. As long as we can hold out until Wenjian Sect is destroyed, it will be useless no matter what evidence we find to prove Wenjian Sect's innocence. The government will not allow Wenjian Sect to be innocent, and neither will the various sects in the martial arts world."

The old man pondered for a moment and said, "Yan Wangchuan is easy to deal with. We can just kill him. Even if it causes chaos, it can buy us a few days' time. But the problem is that he's with Gu Guanqi."

"Kill Yan Wangchuan? Are you crazy? He's a fourth-rank official, and you want to kill him? Do you think you're some rootless bandit who can just kill him and run away? You're a member of the Guanyin Sect, aren't you? If you dare to kill Yan Wangchuan, heh heh..."

Wang Kang chuckled speechlessly, "Investigating a case requires evidence, but suppressing rebels only requires knowing their location, don't you understand? If Yan Wangchuan dies, the nature of the matter changes; it's no longer just a江湖 (jianghu, martial arts world) conflict, but a rebellion with the intention of turning the tables!"

After saying that, Wang Kang took a deep breath and said, "Think before you speak and act in the future. Don't try to apply your old methods from the northern frontier. Yan Wangchuan can only be missing, not dead, and he can't be missing for too long, understand?"

The old man nodded and said, "Keeping him locked up for a few days is not a problem. The main difficulty lies in how to deal with Gu Guanqi."

Wang Kang sighed and said, "To deal with Gu Guanqi, we don't necessarily have to confront him head-on; we have to find his weaknesses!"

The old man asked doubtfully, "Gu Guanqi's weakness? It seems to be his internal strength, but his swordsmanship is too high; it's difficult to have a chance to compete with him in internal energy!"

Wang Kang couldn't help but roll his eyes and said, "Does his weakness necessarily have to be his martial arts skills? Isn't Gu Guanqi's weakness quite obvious? He's a womanizing playboy; women are his weakness. He's very good at fighting, but can that woman named Jiang Baili beside him be as good? If we just capture that woman, wouldn't we be able to deal with Gu Guanqi?"

The old man suddenly realized, "Magistrate Wang, what a brilliant plan!"

Wang Kang added, "Furthermore, to prevent any accidents, don't underestimate Jiang Baili's martial arts skills. The fact that she was able to rescue Gu Guanqi from the mine is enough to show that Jiang Baili's martial arts are not simple. Jiang Baili can be Gu Guanqi's weakness, and Gu Guanqi is also Jiang Baili's weakness. She was willing to risk her life to save Gu Guanqi, so now you know how to capture her, right?"

The old man immediately nodded and said, "Understood, understood. Concern can cloud judgment. We'll set up an ambush, lure her into the trap, and then capture her in one fell swoop!"

Wang Kang nodded slightly and said, "I hope your so-called twelve constellations under Guanyin won't disappoint us again!"

……

In the inn's room, Jiang Baili was sitting cross-legged on the bed, practicing her internal energy and regulating her breathing.

The acupuncture treatment Gu Guanqi gave not long ago was the last one, because her internal energy problem had been completely resolved.

at this time,

Her internal energy circulated slowly, and the extreme yang energy in her dantian had merged with the extreme yin energy, restoring a normal yin-yang balance. Moreover, Jiang Baili could clearly feel that she had made some progress compared to when she was in the mountains.

Ironically, this misfortune turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it loosened her bottleneck.

At this moment, the cold air released by the extreme yin true qi in her dantian was almost gone. As she circulated her qi, the last wisp of cold air escaped from the pores of her body, condensed into tiny ice crystals in the air, and dissipated in an instant.

The snow outside the window had long since stopped, and dusk was seeping in through the windowpanes, spreading a hazy, golden hue across the blue brick floor.

suddenly--

"Knock knock knock".

There was a knock on the door.

Immediately afterward, the waiter's voice came from outside the door, tinged with urgency: "Miss Jiang, are you there? People from the yamen have arrived, saying it's urgent!"

Jiang Baili slowly opened her eyes, put away her cultivation technique, and got up from the bed. She walked to the door and opened it.

Standing next to the waiter was a middle-aged man dressed as a constable, wearing a dark blue official uniform with a wooden plaque hanging from his waist. Upon seeing Jiang Baili, he paused slightly, then quickly bowed and said, "Miss Jiang, something has happened to Master Gu!"

Jiang Baili looked at him, her gaze calm as still water, and asked, "What's wrong, brother?"

The constable quickened his pace: "Master Gu was attacked by villains outside the city and seriously injured. He has been taken to the county government for treatment, and Magistrate Wang has specially ordered me to invite Miss Jiang to come immediately!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, took a breath, and added, "Master Gu is seriously injured and keeps calling your name. Miss Jiang, please come with me quickly, don't delay!"

Jiang Baili nodded slightly, her tone calm: "Okay."

Upon hearing this, the constable quickly stepped aside and gestured for her to come in: "Miss Jiang, please follow me. The carriage is waiting at the inn entrance."

Jiang Baili stepped out of the room and followed the constable downstairs.

The two walked one after the other, with the waiter bringing up the rear. They crossed the corridor and went down the stairs. The inn's lobby was deserted, with only a dozing guest sitting in a corner. The waiter retreated behind the counter.

Dusk poured in through the doorway, bathing both the inside and outside of the threshold in a dim yellow hue.

The constable and Jiang Baili quickly walked out of the inn.

A horse-drawn carriage was parked outside the gate.

The constable walked to the carriage, reached out and lifted the curtain, and turned around to say, "Miss Jiang, please get in the carriage."

Jiang Baili nodded slightly and took a step forward to the carriage.

But in that instant, Jiang Baili's right hand suddenly shot out, striking the constable's back with a palm. This palm strike came without warning, the wind from it was fierce, yet there was no sound of it cutting through the air; it was silent and as fast as lightning.

Caught off guard, the constable's expression changed drastically. In a hurry, he quickly raised his right hand and struck out with a backhand palm, meeting Jiang Baili's palm force head-on.

"Bang!"

The two palms clashed, producing a muffled thud.

The constable, caught off guard and having barely mustered his inner energy, felt an overwhelming force surge from Jiang Baili's palm when they clashed. The force was so powerful that he could barely breathe. He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, tumbling twice in the air before crashing heavily against the wall.

"puff--"

A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth, splashing onto the still-snowy ground, its crimson color glaringly bright.

He struggled to get up, but could only prop himself up on one side before falling back down. He clutched his chest, looked up, and stared intently at Jiang Baili, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"How...how did you find out?"

Jiang Baili stood rooted to the spot, her plain white dress motionless in the twilight. She looked at the constable on the ground and said in her usual calm tone, "My brother summoned me; how could I not have you bring a token?"

Upon hearing this, the constable paused slightly, then said, "Aren't you afraid... you're in too much of a hurry and have forgotten?"

"Hmm," Jiang Baili responded, "So, I was just testing you. I could have stopped myself, but you didn't dare to gamble."

The constable's lips twitched. "Don't you love Gu Guanqi to the core? You heard he's seriously injured, and you still have the mind to think about these things? Shouldn't you be panicking?"

Jiang Baili asked, puzzled, "Why are you panicking? If my brother is only injured, he can be healed!"

"What if it can't be cured?"

"Then I'll avenge him!" Jiang Baili said.

"What if you can't get revenge?"

Jiang Baili said quite naturally, "Then let's die together!"

"Bureaucrat": "..."

He was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Since that's the case..."

He slowly stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, took a deep breath, quickly circulated his inner energy, and said in a deep voice, "Since you won't fall for my trick, then I'll have no choice but to arrest you directly!"

Before he finished speaking, he rushed towards Jiang Baili.

His movements were astonishingly fast. With a light step, he appeared in front of Jiang Baili, his right hand, with its five fingers like hooks, aimed straight for Jiang Baili's throat. This claw strike was both swift and ruthless, the wind from his fingers sharp and the sound of it tearing through the air piercing and ear-piercing.

At the same time, his left hand slid out a short knife from his sleeve. The blade was jet black and had no reflection. He slashed upwards, aiming for Jiang Baili's waist and ribs.

With a claw and a blade, they attacked from above and below, their movements perfectly coordinated.

Jiang Baili neither retreated nor avoided.

She raised her right hand and unleashed her palm technique. This technique was extremely ethereal, like exploring the moon in the clouds or viewing flowers through the mist. It looked like it was right in front of her, but the palm shadow had already reached the opponent's elbow.

The palm strike landed on the constable's right wrist, dissipating most of the force of his claw attack. At the same instant, her left hand shot out, her five fingers gently brushing against the back of the short knife, causing it to deflect.

The constable's expression changed slightly, but his attack did not stop. He swept his right leg across, kicking towards Jiang Baili's knee, while at the same time his right hand changed from a claw to a palm, striking Jiang Baili's face.

Jiang Baili spun around, her plain white dress drawing an arc in the twilight. She dodged the kick, and with a swift movement, her right hand struck out with a palm strike, the wind of her palm surging like a tide, arriving before she could strike.

"Bang!"

The palm struck the constable squarely in the chest.

The constable groaned and flew backward again, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. He struggled to get up, but could only prop himself up on one side before falling back down, gasping for breath and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He lay on the ground, his chest aching terribly, his limbs weak, and he could no longer get up.

Jiang Baili walked up to him and looked down at him.

The twilight shone from behind Jiang Baili, casting distinct light and shadow on her face. Her clear eyes remained calm as still water, revealing no emotion.

She raised her hand.

The constable's pupils constricted, and he cried out urgently, "You can't kill me! I can take you to rescue Gu Guanqi! He's trapped right now, you..."

Jiang Baili did not hesitate at all and struck down with his palm.

"Bang."

The constable's body stiffened abruptly, then he slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Blood slowly seeped from beneath him, pooling into a dark red puddle on the bluestone pavement, standing out starkly in the twilight.

Jiang Baili withdrew her hand, turned around, and said in a low voice, "If they need to capture me to deal with my brother, how can a so-called trap possibly be effective against him?"

Dusk fell, and the long street was deserted.

The pedestrians on the street had long since disappeared, and the entire street was deserted.