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

Chapter Sixteen: Wen Qiuchi

"Passion is not just for young people."

Wang Kang's smile remained unchanged as he looked at Yan Wangchuan with deep emotion.

Yan Wangchuan put away the account books, then took out a token and held it up to Wang Kang, saying very seriously: "I am Yan Wangchuan, the Deputy Commander of the Six Doors General Office in Qingzhou. According to the special regulations of the Six Doors, I have legally detained Wang Kang, the magistrate of Chang County. I am now formally informing you."

Wang Kang took a deep breath and said calmly, "I am very familiar with the laws and regulations of the Great Gan region. Prefect Yan, you don't need to say more. You can now officially take over the Chang County government."

"You're quite frank about it," Yan Wangchuan said.

Wang Kang chuckled and said, "I wouldn't say I'm entirely at ease, but I just don't believe you can win. The outcome of this matter is not something we can decide. You only have a slight chance of winning, but the odds are less than 10%."

Yan Wangchuan waved.

Immediately,

Two constables from the Six Doors then stepped forward with ropes, ready to take the person away.

Wang Kang waved his hand and slowly stood up, saying, "No need. I didn't intend to escape; otherwise, I wouldn't be waiting here. Besides, the Six Doors only have the right to detain me, not to judge me, much less to strip me of my official position. I am still the magistrate of Chang County, so I'll just stay in this room behind me!"

The two constables looked at Yan Wangchuan with some difficulty.

Yan Wangchuan thought for a moment and said, "You two stay here and watch over him. The rest of you come with me."

"Prefect Yan," Wang Kang suddenly called out again, "Just a reminder, Ma Wanli, the garrison commander of the Six Doors of Qingzhou, should have already arrived in Duanjiang County. You should consider it yourself!"

Yan Wangchuan's pupils contracted slightly. Without saying a word, he turned around and led his men out the door.

As he walked, he began to make arrangements, sending people to notify the county magistrate, the clerk, and others to come to the county office for a meeting.

Finally, they sent people to check and arrest people according to the booklet given by Wang Kang.

After the deployment is completed,

Yan Wangchuan then looked at Gu Guanqi and said, "You've heard what happened. I guessed that the Guanyin Sect had the support of the eunuch faction, but I didn't expect the eunuch faction to have infiltrated Qingzhou so deeply. Now, I don't know exactly who in the Qingzhou government is supporting the Guanyin Sect behind the scenes. I also don't know how many people in the martial arts world have already defected to the Guanyin Sect."

Gu Guanqi chuckled, "This isn't like you. Aren't you always the type to avoid trouble and seek good fortune?"

Yan Wangchuan shook his head and said, "I was trying to avoid trouble, but I've never neglected my duties. It was within my authority and responsibility, so I couldn't just sit idly by. As for the consequences... well, in life, you always have to do things without considering the consequences!"

Gu Guanqi gave a thumbs up and laughed, "Old man, young man!"

Yan Wangchuan smiled slightly and said, "Well, what...are you planning to do?"

Gu Guanqi sighed and said, "I hate trouble the most. If this matter had nothing to do with me, I would definitely stay far away. But unfortunately, I can't avoid this matter."

Wen Qiuchi has made it clear that she intends to kill me, and she's even willing to disrupt her entire plan to take control of Qingzhou just to do so. It's obvious she hates me to the core. If she succeeds in letting Guanyin teach me this time, I'm afraid I'll never have a peaceful life again.

Yan Wangchuan said, "Then you'd better think it over. Wen Qiuchi is no ordinary person, and the eunuch faction behind her wields immense power in the court. You need to understand that if you take action against Wen Qiuchi, it's equivalent to standing on the opposite side of the eunuch faction."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "It's not that I'm provoking Wen Qiuchi, but that Wen Qiuchi is trying to harm me. I just don't like trouble, not that I'm afraid of it. If Wen Qiuchi wants to kill me, then I'll kill Wen Qiuchi. If the eunuch faction wants to kill me later, then I'll kill all the eunuchs."

Yan Wangchuan raised an eyebrow and said, "You're really arrogant, kid! But you certainly have the right to be arrogant!"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "A swordsman acts only for pleasure!"

"good!"

Yan Wangchuan said, "I'll go check the accounts right now, and we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning!"

"no problem."

Immediately, Gu Guanqi and Jiang Baili left the county government office.

By this time, it was already getting dark, and the streets were deserted with no pedestrians in sight.

Gu Guanqi turned his head to look at Jiang Baili, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Little Fish, I..."

"elder brother!"

Jiang Baili interrupted Gu Guanqi before he could finish speaking, saying, "I am different from others; I have no concerns."

While speaking,

She slowly took Gu Guanqi's hand and said calmly, "Master is a hermit. Although he is over a hundred years old, he comes and goes without a trace. I don't need to worry about him at all. It's hard to say whether I can outlive him. As for Senior Sister, she is very good to me, but she has family, children and grandchildren. She doesn't need me to do anything for her."

She slightly raised her head, her eyes calm and serene, and quietly looked at Gu Guanqi, continuing, "My world is only this big, so I can ignore everything else and follow you wholeheartedly."

"Wherever you go, to the ends of the earth, I will accompany you; wherever you travel, I will be there. Your happiness is my happiness, your sorrow is my sorrow, and if you encounter danger, I will face it with you without hesitation."

Jiang Baili grasped Gu Guanqi's hands, gently cupped them, and softly called out, "Brother!"

Gu Guanqi looked down at Jiang Baili, and their eyes met.

Gu Guanqi didn't know why,

He actually felt a little guilty!

At that moment, snowflakes began to fall from the sky, and a flurry of snowflakes drifted down.

quickly,

Snowflakes fell on their heads.

……

Early the next morning,

Just as dawn was breaking, the sound of horses' hooves echoed through the streets.

Gu Guanqi and Jiang Baili walked out of the inn hand in hand.

Yan Wangchuan and a group of men were waiting at the door.

immediately,

Gu Guanqi and Jiang Baili then mounted their horses and set off together.

While they were rushing to Duanjiang County.

Several pigeons that started from Chang County have already flown to Duanjiang County in Duanjiang Prefecture.

It was noon.

In a manor.

Fire Phoenix was practicing her whip technique in the courtyard when she suddenly heard a "coo-coo" sound. She turned her head and saw a pigeon on a bare branch.

She quickly waved, and the pigeons flew over.

She took the letter tied to the pigeon's leg, opened it, and her expression changed slightly. Then, she leaped up, stepped onto the snow-covered rooftops, and quickly flew to a large courtyard. She cupped her hands towards the main hall gate and said, "Master, the Fire Phoenix requests an audience."

after awhile,

The doors to the lobby opened, and a woman appeared in the doorway.

She wore a plain white monk's robe, but had long, jet-black hair loosely tied with a plain jade hair ribbon, with a few strands of her hair falling gracefully over her shoulders and swaying gently in the wind.

This person's appearance was not stunning; in fact, his features were quite ordinary. However, his eyes were clear and distant, like a thousand mountains covered in snow at dusk, undisturbed. In particular, his temperament was otherworldly, cool yet not arrogant, with compassion hidden in his indifference and transcendence in his composure.

This person is none other than Wen Qiuchi, the leader of the Guanyin Sect, who is currently enjoying great fame in the martial arts world.

"Master!"

Fire Phoenix bowed, holding the letter, and said, "An urgent letter from Chang County! The matter has been exposed, and Gu Guanqi has killed nine of the Twelve Constellations. Gu Guanqi and Yan Wangchuan are currently on their way to Duanjiang County!"

Wen Qiuchi gently reached out and, from a distance of two zhang, effortlessly snatched the letter from Huo Fenghuang's hand. She unfolded it, her face expressionless, and asked, "You've had contact with Gu Guanqi. How much of his martial arts skill is true compared to the rumors?"

Fire Phoenix pondered for a moment and said, "Master, please forgive me. My strength is too weak to see through Gu Guanqi's abilities. But I saw him make two moves, and his swordsmanship was indeed profound. His hidden weapon skills were also very powerful, and his lightness skill was superb."

If we're really talking about weaknesses, it might be as the intelligence from the sect analyzed: his shortcomings lie in internal energy and close-quarters combat, relying too heavily on the sword. However, this intelligence might not be accurate, because looking at Gu Guanqi's battles since his debut, this person is too mysterious. It's impossible to determine exactly how many martial arts he possesses, as he frequently displays new techniques. But without a doubt, his greatest strength is his swordsmanship.

Wen Qiuchi didn't say anything more, and waved his hand slightly.

The fire phoenix immediately bowed and retreated.

Wen Qiuchi turned slightly and went into the house, her face expressionless, exuding an air of calm and indifference.

After entering the house, she waved her hand, and with a surge of true energy, the door closed instantly.

She slowly walked to the table, picked up a cup of tea, and took a sip. However, the next moment, the cup in her hand shattered into dust.

Wen Qiuchi's expression turned somewhat ferocious. He clenched his fists tightly, closed his eyes slightly, and then gritted his teeth and took a deep breath, but he still couldn't calm down his raging emotions.

at this time,

Suddenly, a handsome man who looked to be only about forty years old walked out from behind the screen in the room. His face was pale and delicate, and his eyebrows and eyes were extremely delicate and long. His eyes were slightly droopy, giving him a soft and feminine air. His eyes were light and warm, and he seemed to be smiling kindly.

The man sat down beside Wen Qiuchi, smiling gently as he spoke slowly, "Master Wen, why be so angry? Anger harms your health!"

The man's voice was somewhat high-pitched, his speech was neither fast nor slow, his tone was long and drawn out, and the end of his words had a slightly soft and drawn-out quality.

Wen Qiuchi glanced at the man, a hint of disdain and disgust flashing in his eyes, and said, "Eunuch Cao, that damned Gu Guanqi, he was allowed to survive in Chang County by sheer luck, and now he actually wants to come to Duanjiang County to oppose me."

After all,

Wen Qiuchi tossed the letter to Eunuch Cao.

Eunuch Cao smiled slightly, took the letter, glanced at it, and, still smiling, said with his fingers delicately poised, "I thought it was a big deal. It's just Gu Guanqi, why get so angry? Wasn't it expected that he would come here? When Leader Wen insisted on changing his plan to kill Gu Guanqi, shouldn't he have been prepared for failure?"

"Are you mocking me?" Wen Qiuchi said coldly.

"I wouldn't dare," Eunuch Cao chuckled. "I just hope that Master Wen can learn from this experience. You are now someone valued by the Ninth Prince, so you need to change your mindset and not always confine yourself to the martial world."

In this world, what grudge can't be let go of, what resentment can't be forgiven? Everything should be considered from the perspective of maximizing benefits. Take Gu Guanqi, for example. Although he killed your disciple and senior brother, what does that prove? It proves that his value far exceeds that of your two senior brothers and disciple.

"Hmph!" Wen Qiuchi said, "So what? He's not one of my men."

"Then find a way to turn him into one of our own," said Eunuch Cao. "For example, if you hadn't been so insistent on killing Gu Guanqi, or set a trap to kill him, but instead had that guy under your command who was impersonating Pang Renfeng let him escape."

The matter won't be exposed, and we've achieved our goal of framing the Sword Inquiry Sect. Plus, your Fire Phoenix has developed a bond with Gu Guanqi. If it were me, I'd devise a scheme to put Fire Phoenix in a life-or-death situation for Gu Guanqi.

Men are like that; a woman, especially a beautiful one, would risk her life for him. In that situation, even if they don't love her, they'll still fall in love. Right? You have plenty of those kinds of assassins under your command; killing a few of them would make this a piece of cake.

When that time comes, when you reappear, don't blame Gu Guanqi at all. Instead, act like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law. You might even apologize to him personally, saying that the previous incidents were not his wish, and now that we have this destiny, you should offer him a larger dowry.

A woman who would risk her life for him, coupled with a reasonable mother-in-law who greatly admires him and is willing to unconditionally support his career—even a rootless man like me would be moved, let alone a normal man. And the fact that he killed your disciple and senior brother would make him feel immense guilt, leading him to make amends doubly to Fire Phoenix.

At that point, will it still matter whether he's a member of your Guanyin sect or not? If your Guanyin sect encounters any trouble, wouldn't he do everything in his power to help? Sometimes, titles and ranks aren't that important.

Wen Qiuchi said coldly, "He killed my most beloved disciple and two of my senior brothers. You expect me to send money and disciples to curry favor with him? I can't do such a despicable thing!"

Eunuch Cao shook his head slightly and said, "Master Wen, the Ninth Prince has high hopes for you and even specially arranged for me to clean up the mess for you. However, things can happen once or twice, but not a third time."

"I've taken care of Gu Guanqi's matter for you this time, but you only have one more chance to act willfully after this. If you still can't change your ways, the Ninth Prince will have to be replaced. He can help you kill Chu Shukuang and support your rise to power, but he can also help others kill you. Do you understand?"

Wen Qiuchi's face darkened, and he remained silent.

Eunuch Cao smiled slightly and said, "I am sixty-three years old this year. I have been in the palace for fifty years and have seen countless heroes and great men. However, very few of them survive to the end. And those who do survive are only of two kinds: the clever ones and the obedient ones."

Wen Qiuchi took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Cao. However, what should we do now? Please advise us!"

Eunuch Cao smiled and said, "Actually, Master Wen's worry about Gu Guanqi is unnecessary. At most, he's just a martial artist. The one who will really affect the overall situation is Yan Wangchuan, an official."

If he were to intervene at the crucial moment of the siege of the Wenjian Sect, and then present evidence to support the sect, then we would be in a passive position. After all, in broad daylight, who would dare to attack a fourth-rank official? And Gu Guanqi, no matter how famous he is, is still just a江湖人 (jianghu person, a member of the martial arts world). Either you or I could kill him. Furthermore, your Guanyin Sect's left and right protectors could also stop him.”

Wen Qiuchi frowned and slowly said, "Then shall we intercept and kill Yan Wangchuan?"

Eunuch Cao sighed and said, "If you really do that, be prepared to flee for your life. Even the Ninth Prince can't protect you. A high-ranking official of the fourth rank being intercepted and killed will be a major event that shakes the court and the public. Even the Ninth Prince will be the first to support a thorough investigation and then kill you."

You didn't just kill Yan Wangchuan, you killed the dignity of the imperial court. If you dare kill a fourth-rank official today, will you dare storm the palace tomorrow? By then, there won't be any need for evidence to prove you killed him; just the suspicion will be enough to kill you. You have no chance of escaping back to the north.”

Wen Qiuchi remained silent.

Eunuch Cao chuckled and said, "You don't need to worry about this matter. The Ninth Prince arranged for me to come here to prevent any accidents. I have already notified Ma Wanli, the Commander of the Six Doors, to come to Duanjiang County. He is the head of the Six Doors in Qingzhou and can stop Yan Wangchuan."

Of course, he'll only help you stop Yan Wangchuan; he won't interfere with Gu Guanqi. Gu Guanqi currently has an excellent reputation and is a representative of the Qingzhou martial arts world. As long as Gu Guanqi remains a righteous hero, he wouldn't dare to harm him; he would only encourage the martial arts world to learn from Gu Guanqi's chivalrous spirit.

Wen Qiuchi said, "Then surely I can kill Gu Guanqi?"

"Of course you can," said Eunuch Cao. "What you are doing is a normal martial arts struggle."

After saying this, Eunuch Cao took a sip of tea and said, "As long as Yan Wangchuan is stopped by Ma Wanli, the Wenjian Sect will be a self-degrading evil sect, and will be jointly attacked by the Guanyin Sect, the righteous sect of the martial arts world, and all the martial arts sects of Qingzhou."

Gu Guanqi stood up for the Wenjian Sect, and was subsequently surrounded and killed by various martial arts factions. This is perfectly reasonable; it's just a very ordinary feud between martial arts heroes.

Wen Qiuchi nodded and said, "I understand."

Eunuch Cao added, "Don't worry, I'll cover for you. If you fail to kill Gu Guanqi, I'll help you in secret."

However, all of this is contingent on Gu Guanqi and his group arriving in time. If they haven't arrived yet and the Wenjian Sect has already been wiped out, then everything will be fine, and no evidence will be able to overturn the verdict. Neither the imperial court nor the martial arts world will allow the evidence to be revealed!

Wen Qiuchi thought for a moment and said, "However, the date for going up the mountain has already been set, and it's inappropriate to change it at the last minute. I have absolutely no reason to do so. Moreover, I am not yet a member of the Qingzhou martial arts world, much less the leader of the martial arts alliance, and I have no authority to call on all sects to charge with me!"

Looking at Wen Qiuchi, Eunuch Cao was speechless for a moment. After a long silence, he said, "Sect Leader Wen, now that all the sects are in Duanjiang County, do you think it's possible that if you arrange for some people to impersonate Wenjian Mountain people and indiscriminately burn, kill, and loot, it would immediately provoke the anger of the various sects. With a little guidance, it would be perfectly logical for them to go up the mountain ahead of schedule?"

Wen Qiuchi's eyes lit up.