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

Chapter Seventeen: All Parties Gather

In the martial arts world of Qingzhou, there are two major families and one sect, which are among the most prestigious martial arts forces. Among them, the Wenjian Sect is the most prestigious and is recognized as the number one force. Within this sect, there is a master, a leader, and a hero.

Shang Guzhou, the current leader of the Wenjian Sect, is Liuyun Venerable, one of the three Venerables of the Qingzhou martial arts world. The other two Venerables are both in the Six Doors. Wang Jingshan, the Crimson Flame Divine Sword, one of the four Grandmasters, is the Sword-Holding Elder of Wenjian Mountain. Chen You, one of the Eight Heroes, is Shang Guzhou's eldest disciple and serves as the Vice Leader of the Wenjian Sect.

Such a powerful Wenjian Sect was naturally incredibly glorious, and for many years it had been the leader of the martial arts world in Qingzhou. No one could have imagined that one day, such a powerful Wenjian Sect would fall into being hated by everyone and even face the crisis of annihilation.

The once bustling Wenjian Mountain has been lifeless lately, and it was even closed seven days ago.

This morning.

On the Sunrise Peak of Wenjian Mountain, an elderly man with a full head of white hair and dressed in blue stood on a huge rock at the summit, taking in the entire scenery of Wenjian Mountain.

This person was none other than Venerable Liuyun, Shang Guzhou, who was over seventy years old.

Behind Shang Guzhou stood a middle-aged man carrying a sword. He was thin, with a unkempt beard and messy hair, looking very slovenly and unkempt.

This person is none other than Wang Jingshan, the Crimson Flame Divine Sword, one of the grandmasters of Qingzhou.

"Junior brother," Shang Guzhou said, "have all those who were supposed to go down the mountain done so?"

Wang Jingshan said, "There are still 172 inner disciples on the mountain, plus the elders, stewards, and you and me, making a total of 33 people, for a total of 205 people."

Shang Guzhou sighed and said, "I never imagined I would ruin my reputation in my later years. I'm almost at the end of my life, and yet I've encountered such a thing. How tragic, lamentable, and hateful! In this situation, I really want to compose a poem..."

"No," Wang Jingshan quickly said, "Stop reciting your doggerel. I can't be bothered to listen. You'd be better off saving your energy to fight your last battle and show your best. Even if you die, at least you won't tarnish your lifelong reputation!"

Shang Guzhou held his head high, gazing at the swirling snow, his figure exuding an air of arrogance. He said, "Rest assured, I will surely kill that peerless beauty. However, after wandering the martial world of Qingzhou for decades, it's a bit hard to bring myself to confront them in this final, twilight year!"

Wang Jingshan chuckled and said, "Don't be so pretentious. The Guanyin Sect's leader, Wen Qiuchi, the left protector, Lei Ming, and the right protector, Xiang Zhan, are all renowned grandmasters, and they are grandmasters from places like the northern frontier. I won't go into how prestigious they are."

Besides, Guanyin teaches the Twelve Constellations, Sudhana, Sudhana the Dragon Girl, and the Four Heavenly Kings—aren't they all renowned masters?

Besides the Guanyin Sect, three of the eight heroes of Qingzhou have arrived, along with the rising star Lin Yourong, and dozens of renowned martial arts masters from various schools and sects. In total, there are over a thousand people. I see no chance of victory. Furthermore, it's rumored that Master Xuanbei of Qingtai Temple has also been spotted in Duanjiang County!

Shang Guzhou, still with his hands behind his back, said arrogantly, "Apart from Wen Qiuchi and Xuan Bei, everyone else is nothing but dirt chickens and dogs in my eyes, utterly vulnerable. And that old monk Xuan Bei would never lay a hand on me."

Although Qingtai Temple is one of the four great martial arts schools in Qingzhou, and Xuanbei is one of the seven grandmasters of Qingzhou, neither he nor Qingtai Temple has ever participated in martial arts conflicts. That old monk came here probably thinking of chanting sutras for me after I die!

Wang Jingshan couldn't help but roll his eyes and said, "Fine, even if we leave aside Master Xuanbei, there's still Wen Qiuchi!"

"Leave the most powerful one to me," Shang Guzhou said domineeringly.

Wang Jingshan was slightly taken aback and asked, "Then... what about Lei Ming and Xiang Zhan? And what about the Twelve Constellations of Guanyin Sect, the Four Heavenly Kings, Sudhana and Sudhana Dragon Girl, three of the Eight Heroes of Qingzhou, and Junior Master Lin Yourong?"

"I've entrusted the most powerful ones to you," Shang Guzhou said. "The rest, naturally, are yours!"

Wang Jingshan's lips twitched, and he said, "I think it's best to leave Wen Qiuchi to me!"

Shang Guzhou slowly turned around and said, "Junior brother, I'm serious. I want to destroy Wen Qiuchi. Since she's the one who wants to destroy my Wenjian Sect, then I'll make sure she dies!"

Wang Jingshan looked at Shang Guzhou and remained silent for a while before saying, "Senior brother, to be honest, while there may have been some exaggeration in Wen Qiuchi's killing of Chu Shukuang, her true strength is definitely not to be underestimated. After all, she is the daughter of the Blood Bone Elder and has received his true teachings."

You want to kill her? I think that's unrealistic. How about the two of us launch a surprise attack and take down as many other high-ranking members of the Guanyin Sect as possible? In particular, if we can kill Lei Ming and Xiang Zhan, we can cut off Wen Qiuchi's left and right arms and severely weaken the Guanyin Sect.

On the contrary, if we fight Wen Qiuchi to the death, we might both end up dying in battle, without even managing to leave the Guanyin Sect with any internal injuries. What do you think?

"this……"

Shang Guzhou hesitated.

Wang Jingshan added, "Furthermore, Senior Brother, don't be too optimistic. Although you are a veteran Grandmaster, the prestige of a Grandmaster from Qingzhou is much lower than that of a Grandmaster from a place like the Northern Frontier. So, let alone Wen Qiuchi, I'm not even very confident that I can defeat Lei Ming and Xiang Zhan!"

Shang Guzhou pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's go all out to defeat Lei Ming and Xiang Zhan. Hmm, the Sword Forest Formation on the back mountain has never been officially used since its construction, let's use it this time!"

Wang Jingshan chuckled and said, "If we don't use it now, we'll never have another chance."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Wang Jingshan tilted his head back and spoke again, "Senior brother, I don't really understand why you insisted on calling me to talk on this mountaintop in such cold weather."

"style!"

Shang Guzhou said, "If nothing unexpected happens, no matter the outcome, no matter how much our Wenjian Sect's reputation will plummet, this battle will be talked about by the martial arts world for many years to come."

So, the legend of the Grandmasters bidding farewell atop Rising Sun Peak before the great battle sounds incredibly classy. In the world of martial arts, I, Shang Guzhou, am sure to be a figure of great renown.

Wang Jingshan rolled his eyes and said, "So, that's why you insisted on changing your name from Shang Dashan to Shang Guzhou when you were young?"

"That's right," Shang Guzhou said, "You think I'm the only one who changed my name? Lu Hanchuan, the governor of the Six Doors, was originally named Lu Dacai. Chu Shukuang, the former leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, was originally named Chu Ergou... How can you survive in the martial arts world with these names?"

Wang Jingshan: "..."

At this moment,

Below the mountainside, a figure was rapidly approaching. It was Chen You, the vice-leader of the Wenjian Sect and one of the eight heroes of Qingzhou. He shouted, "Master, Uncle-Master, the Guanyin Sect and various sects of Qingzhou have set off ahead of schedule and have already departed from Duanjiang County!"

Shang Guzhou closed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "Open, Sword Forest Formation!"

……

Outside the county seat of Duanjiang County.

The vast army marched towards Wenjian Mountain, the thunderous sound of hooves like rolling thunder, and the banners of various sects fluttering in the wind.

At the very front was the Guanyin Sect, followed by various factions in Qingzhou. It looked quite chaotic, yet there was an underlying hierarchy.

After all, it was a grand martial arts event that the martial arts world of Qingzhou rarely saw in decades.

First of all, the most attention was focused on the four major forces in Qingzhou: the Wenjian Sect, the sect being attacked, and the Qingtai Temple, which had always refrained from participating in Jianghu disputes, and thus did not come.

There are only two major families.

Unfortunately, both families recently encountered major problems. Lin Huaiyuan, the patriarch of the Lin family, was seriously injured and retired, and Lin Changqing, one of the eight heroes, became a cripple. Now, they are only able to rely on Lin Yourong, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, to hold things together.

Fortunately, with Lin Huaiyuan's legacy, Lin Yourong is now a recognized prospective grandmaster in the martial arts world. She has made several moves in the past two months and has the title of junior grandmaster, which has barely maintained the prestige of the Lin family. She should have been at the front, but Lin Yourong directly declared that her Lin family would never walk with the Guanyin Sect and led the Lin family's team to the back.

The Zhou family, one of the two major families, lost two leaders. Their patriarch, Zhou Jinyuan, was killed by Gu Guanqi, and then their young patriarch, Zhou Zhiyao, was killed by Lin Yourong. The Zhou family lost these two leaders, and their reputation collapsed by half. Moreover, because of what Zhou Jinyuan did, the Zhou family became notorious and had no face to attend this martial arts conference today.

The Lin family changed course, while the Zhou family was absent.

The martial arts world of Qingzhou is mainly represented by three of the Eight Heroes: Qi Changkong, the leader of the Tingshan Sect; Xiao Cong, the leader of the Qingya Sect; and Lu Cheng, the leader of the Zhenyue Gang. After them are many other first-class sects such as the Five Tigers Sect, the Cangsong Sect, and the Guiyan Sect.

The combined forces of the various sects numbered 1,500 to 1,600, and their imposing presence was extraordinary.

now,

At the very back of the main force, Lin Yourong was leading the Lin family's troops forward. The Lin family's banners were unusually low-key, and if one did not look closely, one would not notice them and would only think that they were from an ordinary small sect.

In addition, there were fewer than twenty people from the Lin family, so they blended in perfectly among those small sects.

"Young Miss!" A middle-aged woman carrying a sword rode alongside Lin Yourong on horseback and said, "You should lead the Lin family in front. On an occasion like today, having the Lin family walk behind will easily damage their prestige!"

This woman, named Lin Yinping, was the most skilled in martial arts among the Lin family members besides Lin Yourong. She was Lin Yourong's aunt in terms of seniority.

Lin Yourong said, "Third Aunt, first of all, the Lin family will never associate with the Heavenly Demon Sect... well, you can call it the Guanyin Sect now. The Lin family will never go along with them. This is a principle. The Lin family's current situation is all thanks to them."

Secondly, while going to the front does gain prestige, it's not without its price. The Sword Inquiry Sect won't simply offer its neck for slaughter; a major battle is inevitable. Our Lin family only has a few members; we're not qualified to be at the forefront. We'd only become a laughingstock.

Lin Yinping nodded and said, "I understand."

As she spoke, Lin Yinping suddenly asked, "Miss, has Master Gu arrived?"

Lin Yourong said, "How would I know if he came or not?"

Lin Yinping asked doubtfully, "It was Master Gu who exposed the Sword Inquiry Sect's conspiracy. He was in Chang County before, didn't you write him a letter or anything?"

Lin Yourong pursed her lips and said, "What's there to write? She's with a stunningly beautiful woman who's supposedly as gorgeous as a fairy descended from heaven. She doesn't have time to read my letters!"

Lin Yinping sighed and said, "What a pity for such a wonderful marriage!" After a moment of contemplation, she added, "However, I've heard that a woman named Jiang Baili risked her life to save Master Gu. If you were to compete with her head-on, you would still lose!"

Lin Yourong rolled her eyes and said, "Third Aunt, stop trying to make conversation!"

Lin Yinping chuckled softly.

Lin Yourong pondered for a moment, then said softly, "I... am actually quite looking forward to meeting this Jiang Baili."

Lin Yinping teased, "What, want to go and touch it?"

Lin Yourong said speechlessly, "Third Aunt, I've noticed that the way you talk is really... Why would I even get involved with someone? Who knows, she might become the legal wife, what would my status be then?"

"What's your identity?" Lin Yinping asked.

Lin Yourong waved her hand without speaking, but silently wondered to herself, "I wonder if he's easy to talk to. If he seems nice, I might as well pay him some respects first!"

……

Duanjiang County, post station.

The weather was gloomy, and a cold wind howled, swirling fine snowflakes into the inn from the eaves.

The post station was small, the only official post station in Duanjiang County. It had blue bricks and gray tiles, and the bare branches of trees in the courtyard swayed in the wind. Although it was midday, the weather was as gloomy as dusk.

Several bonfires burned in the hall, casting the shadows of the crowd onto the walls in a dim light that flickered slightly with the flames.

Gu Guanqi and Jiang Baili were eating at a table near the back.

Yan Wangchuan's team of Six Doors constables were scattered throughout the main hall.

Jiang Baili sat next to Gu Guanqi, quietly eating the noodles in her bowl, her movements unhurried and unhurried.

The inn was very quiet; no one spoke.

Suddenly, a rapid, loud clatter of hooves came from outside the door.

The sound came incredibly fast, approaching from afar and arriving at the inn's gate in an instant. The thunderous sound of hooves shook the ground slightly, and even the teacups on the table swayed gently.

Immediately following was the sound of hurried footsteps, which quickly surrounded the post station.

Through the cracks in the door and the windows, one could see the gate of the post station being pushed open from the outside, and a large group of constables from the Six Doors filed in, each with a weapon at their waist, their steps neat and their movements swift.

There were a huge number of people, a dense, overwhelming crowd, at least a hundred.

They surrounded the post station, blocking off the front yard, back yard, rooftops, alleyways, and all major thoroughfares.

Immediately afterwards, a squad of constables walked in.

The leader was a middle-aged man, around fifty years old, tall and robust, with dark skin, slightly high cheekbones, and an imposing and stern air about him. He wore a dark blue official robe, with a gold ribbon tied around his waist and a pair of gold maces hanging at his side.

The pair of golden maces were about two feet long, entirely golden in color, with a four-sided shape and distinct edges. They gleamed with a heavy metallic luster under the torchlight and swayed gently with his steps.

This man was none other than Ma Wanli, the Commander of the Six Doors of Qingzhou, known in the martial arts world as "Golden Mace Venerable".

As soon as Ma Wanli entered, the constables under Yan Wangchuan's command stood up, clasped their hands in salute, and said in unison, "Greetings, Commander Ma!"

The voices were uneven, but all were respectful.

"I have been ordered by the Prefect to investigate the kidnapping case in the Chang County mine. Where is Yan Wangchuan, the Assistant Prefect of the Garrison?"

One of Yan Wangchuan's centurions quickly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Commander Ma, Lord Yan suddenly had a stomachache on his way here and said he needed to relieve himself. He asked us to go ahead, and he should arrive shortly. If you are looking for him, you can wait here; he should be here soon!"

Ma Wanli's pupils contracted slightly.

His gaze lingered on the centurion's face for a moment.

Then he glanced around at the constables under Yan Wangchuan's command. All the constables stood with their hands at their sides, not daring to breathe.

Ma Wanli turned to look at a trusted confidant beside him. The confidant understood, waved his hand, and led a dozen or so constables toward the backyard of the post station. The footsteps were hurried and chaotic, and the sounds of doors opening and closing could be heard from time to time.

Before long, those people returned one after another, shaking their heads.

The confidant walked to Ma Wanli's side and whispered, "Reporting back to the commander, the search has been completed, and we found no trace of Yan Tongzhi. The brothers outside have also reported back, and they found no evidence that Yan Tongzhi has left."

Ma Wan's expression darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice, "He really is a seasoned veteran!"

He understood that Yan Wangchuan must have guessed in advance that he would come to ambush him, so he deliberately hid.

He took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and his gaze fell on the constables under Yan Wangchuan's command in the hall. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:

"Since Magistrate Yan is not here, I will temporarily take charge of the case and work with you all. All personnel, assemble in the courtyard immediately."

The constables looked at each other, but dared not disobey. They straightened their weapons and filed out to assemble in the courtyard.

Soon, the lobby was empty.

Ma Wanli stood in the center of the hall, his gaze fixed on the two figures in the corner.

Gu Guanqi remained seated at the table, bowl in hand, eating his meal at a leisurely pace. Jiang Baili sat beside him, chopsticks in hand, her movements unhurried.

The two seemed completely unaware of what was happening around them.

Ma Wanli strode towards them.

His boots clattered on the blue brick floor. He walked to the table, stood still, and looked down at Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi picked up a piece of food, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and then looked up at Ma Wanli's serious and cold face.

Their eyes met.

Ma Wanli's eyes were sharp as knives, while Gu Guanqi's gaze was calm as water.

The campfire in the lobby flickered slightly in the wind, casting shifting light and shadows on the two people's faces.

Ma Wanli cupped his hands and slowly said, "Hero Gu."

Gu Guanqi put down his chopsticks, cupped his hands in return, and said, "Commander Ma, what can I do for you?"

Ma Wanli calmly said, "Qingzhou has never been a place where martial arts have flourished. In all these years, it is rare to have such a prodigy as you. I am very happy. What makes me even happier is that you also have a chivalrous heart, and all your actions have always been righteous."

"Is Governor Ma praising me?"

Gu Guanqi was somewhat puzzled, wondering what Ma Wanli was up to.

To be honest,

He didn't have a good impression of Ma Wanli. This man was very prestigious in the Jianghu of Qingzhou. He was one of the seven grandmasters, the Golden Mace Venerable. However, he had served as the pacification commissioner of the Six Doors for more than ten years without achieving much.

And this time,

It is even more obvious that the carriages and horses are colluding with the Guanyin sect.

These past few days since I left Chang County

Yan Wangchuan's biggest worry was Ma Wanli, because if Yan Wangchuan could arrive at Wenjian Mountain in time, he could clear Wenjian Mountain's name in the name of the Six Doors and expose the Guanyin Sect's self-inflicted injury scheme, which would basically help Wenjian Mountain eliminate the crisis.

but,

The most difficult part of going to Wenjian Mountain is getting past Ma Wanli. As Yan Wangchuan's direct superior, Ma Wanli has many reasons to restrict Yan Wangchuan from going to Wenjian Mountain.

In fact,

As Yan Wangchuan had expected, Ma Wanli indeed came to intercept them.

Fortunately, Yan Wangchuan had taken precautions in advance.

at this time,

Gu Guanqi and Ma Wanli met formally for the first time.

Gu Guanqi was very cold towards Ma Wanli.

However, whether he didn't notice the coldness or didn't care, Ma Wanli continued to cup his hands and said, "I'm here to advise you. Wenjian Mountain is in big trouble right now. I'll be frank with you. Your feud with the Guanyin Sect is hard to resolve. If you go to Wenjian Mountain, Wen Qiuchi will definitely take the opportunity to attack you."

I know you are highly skilled in martial arts, but I still want to remind you that your greatest advantage is your youth. Sometimes, temporarily giving way is not cowardice, but great wisdom.

Your future is immeasurable; you will undoubtedly become a towering figure in the martial arts world. You should live well, for the martial arts world will shine even brighter because of you. It would be such a pity if you were to perish at such a young age. I know of your grudge against the Guanyin Sect, but there's no need to act rashly. In five or ten years, you can easily suppress the mere Wenqiu Pond. There's no need to go to Wenjian Mountain today.

Gu Guanqi was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Ma Wanli would advise him not to meddle in other people's business from this perspective, and judging from his tone, he seemed quite sincere.

"Commander Ma, do you think Wen Qiuchi will give me five or ten years to develop?" Gu Guanqi said, "I'd rather fight her head-on than hide in a sorry state. I'm a tough guy."

Ma Wanli nodded slightly and said, "If you were a timid person, you wouldn't have achieved such success."

As he spoke,

He took out a token from his pocket and placed it in front of Gu Guanqi, saying, "If you're worried about Wen Qiuchi retaliating against you, you don't need to. I can arrange for you to be recruited into the Six Doors through a recruitment process. With my direct protection, Wen Qiuchi can't touch you!"

Gu Guanqi asked in surprise, "You're willing to offend Wen Qiuchi for me?"

Ma Wanli said, "You are a person of Qingzhou. As long as you do not fall into the demonic path and do not rebel, as the representative of the Qingzhou martial arts world and the number one young talent, the Qingzhou government will naturally protect you."

Gu Guanqi frowned slightly.

I suddenly realized that my thoughts and understanding were still too limited to the level of the martial arts world, while the operating logic of the government was very different from that of the martial arts world.

"Thank you," Gu Guanqi cupped his hands in thanks, "but I can only thank Commander Ma for his kindness. I'm definitely going to Sword Inquiry Mountain. If I survive this time, I will certainly visit Commander Ma often and listen to his teachings!"

Ma Wanli sighed and said, "As long as you haven't fallen into demonic ways, you have a choice. But, there's more to Wenjian Mountain than just the Guanyin Sect… I can't say more, so be careful. If you can't win, try to come find me alive. If you walk up to me alive, I guarantee no one can kill you!"

After all,

Ma Wanli turned around and left immediately.

Just after Ma Wanli and his men left, a figure emerged from behind the door of the main hall; it was Yan Wangchuan.

Gu Guanqi exclaimed, "Old Yan, your strategy of hiding in plain sight is brilliant! You managed to evade the search."

In fact, Yan Wangchuan did not try to escape along the way, because there was no way to escape. From the moment they entered Duanjiang County, they had been under surveillance. Yan Wangchuan had never found a chance to slip away unnoticed. He himself was a member of the Six Doors and knew best about the Six Doors' surveillance methods.

Therefore,

He just decided to take a gamble and used the most primitive method, hiding directly behind the door at the entrance.

To Gu Guanqi's surprise, this simplest and least technical method actually worked.

however,

Hearing Gu Guanqi's words, Yan Wangchuan shook his head slightly and said, "The brilliance of this method lies in my bet that he will pretend not to see me."

Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow and said, "You mean Ma Wanli knew you were behind the door?"

Yan Wangchuan said, "I only figured it out these past two days. Ma Wanli couldn't possibly be unaware of my style of doing things. If I knew the truth, I would never have gone along with him. So why did he promote me to the Six Doors headquarters six months in advance?"

What's even stranger is that, even though all the high-ranking officials in the government knew that the Heavenly Demon Sect was about to be transformed into the Guanyin Sect, he deliberately kept it from me. He even sent me to Tianping County to investigate the Heavenly Demon Sect, which resulted in a huge embarrassment. Then, during a meeting that day, I publicly berated him in front of all the high-ranking officials, and yet, he still assigned me to handle the Guanyin Sect matter.

Gu Guanqi suddenly realized, "So, he did it on purpose."

Yan Wangchuan nodded and said, "It was just a guess before, but his feigned blindness just now confirms it. He's in that position, and the eunuch faction is powerful now, so he has too many things he can't control. He can only try his best to leave a sliver of hope for the Wenjian Sect."

Gu Guanqi said, "What if you hadn't gone to Changxian to see me?"

Yan Wangchuan said, "There's only so much he can do. Promoting me to the Six Doors headquarters ahead of schedule is the only way he can give the Sword Inquiry Sect a chance to survive. If I didn't go to see you, then that's the fate of the Sword Inquiry Sect!"

Gu Guanqi shook his head and said, "You people in the government have too many hidden agendas!"

Yan Wangchuan said, "It's not just people in government who are like this; most people are not in control of their own destiny. Many people do things not because they want to, but because they have to."

"Wang Kang, the magistrate of Chang County, was he willing to help the Guanyin Sect? He wasn't, but he did it anyway, and after it was exposed, he tried to stop us. But then, ironically, he saved me time by reminding me that Ma Wanli had arrived in Duanjiang County! It's inexplicable, truly inexplicable!"

"Then let's not talk about it anymore. Let's go and hurry to Wenjian Mountain," Gu Guanqi said.

Yan Wangchuan said, "You need to be careful. Judging from what Ma Wanli just said, there should still be eunuch faction members hiding on Wenjian Mountain!"