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

Chapter Twenty-Four: Leaving the Mountain

Starting the day after returning to Forget-Worry Valley, Jiang Baili began cultivating day and night to break through his limits.

During the day, he secluded himself in the Forget-Worry Cave to cultivate his essence, energy, and spirit in order to break through the bottleneck. At night, he discussed the mysteries of cultivation with Gu Guanqi.

Time flies, and more than a month has passed.

Jiang Baili's mental cultivation became increasingly solid, bringing him closer to the realm of "Two Elements in Harmony." Once he reached that realm, the flow of Yin and Yang energies would be completely synchronized, his internal energy would circulate smoothly and without hindrance, his strength would be softened, his cold energy would be warmed, and his internal and external energy and the true meaning of martial arts would be fully harmonized.

Gu Guanqi and Jiang Baili were inseparable every day, so he could naturally perceive Jiang Baili's changes very clearly.

And during these days,

Gu Guanqi also read a lot of books from Jiang Baili's master, Master Tianji, and he was truly impressed. Master Tianji was indeed worthy of the name Tianji, a scholar of unparalleled learning, with an extremely broad range of knowledge.

Over the past month, Gu Guanqi has gained a glimpse into the mysteries of Qimen Dunjia.

There's something to learn.

Although he was isolated in the valley, he didn't feel bored. Time flew by, and the end of the year was over.

The weather is gradually getting warmer.

It was noon on this day.

Gu Guanqi was cooking in the kitchen when he suddenly noticed someone had come to the entrance of Forget-Worry Valley.

Gu Guanqi was startled.

There is a mysterious formation outside this Valley of Forgetfulness, which ordinary people cannot find their way in. Either they know the secrets, or there are experts in this field who are trying to break into the valley.

Immediately,

Gu Guanqi put down the spatula, walked out the door, and saw two figures in the distance. They were none other than You Jinxiang, Jiang Baili's senior sister.

"Senior You, what brings you here? Didn't you receive the letter from Xiaoyuer?" Gu Guanqi asked.

"I'll go..." You Jinxiang started to speak, then paused, saying, "Master Gu, you're calling me 'senior' now, I dare not accept that!"

"Senior Sister You," Gu Guanqi immediately changed her address.

You Jinxiang nodded slightly and said, "I'll take advantage of my seniority as your junior sister and call you junior brother!"

Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "That is the way it should be."

You Jinxiang said, "Junior Brother Gu, I rushed here today to tell you something. Yan Wangchuan is in trouble!"

Gu Guanqi's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "What happened?"

You Jinxiang said, "He was poisoned by the Seven-Part Soul-Destroying Palm, a top-tier poison in the world. There are very few antidotes to this poison. The closest antidote to Qingzhou is the Heavenly Physician's Divine Scripture of Medicine King Valley. However, Medicine King Valley is nearly three thousand miles away from Qingzhou City, and he simply doesn't have time to get there."

The Six Doors of Qingzhou have exhausted all means and summoned many renowned doctors, but all have been helpless. Yan Wangchuan knows you are in Wangchen Mountain, but no one else can find this place, so he sent me to ask you to save his life. He said that if you cannot save him, then it is his fate to die, and it would be good if he could see you one last time!

Gu Guanqi's heart sank.

He was very confident in his medical skills, but he also knew that his Medicine King Manual was not omnipotent, especially in this world where the martial arts level was very high. The upper limit of the arts of poison and medicine exceeded that of the Medicine King Manual, and there were definitely many poisons and techniques that he could not cure.

"I'll go tell Xiaoyuer right away!"

Immediately,

Gu Guanqi then rushed to the Forget-Worry Cave.

Jiang Baili was still cultivating when she heard Gu Guanqi's footsteps. She slowly opened her eyes and asked, "Brother, is it time for lunch?"

Gu Guanqi walked over and said, "Old Yan has had an accident, I have to get there as soon as possible."

immediately,

Gu Guanqi then recounted what You Jinxiang had said.

"Little Fish, this is a crucial moment for your breakthrough. We can't delay. Focus on breaking through your bottleneck. I'll come back as soon as I've finished dealing with Elder Yan's matter," Gu Guanqi said.

"it is good."

Jiang Baili nodded slightly and asked, "Brother, when are you leaving?"

"Now," Gu Guanqi said, "Old Yan's condition is not good, the sooner I get there the better."

"Um."

Jiang Baili readily agreed, "Then I'll take you."

Gu Guanqi nodded.

Immediately, the two went out hand in hand, and when they entered the courtyard, they saw You Jinxiang.

"Senior Sister," Jiang Baili called out.

"Junior Sister," You Jinxiang nodded, glanced at the two holding hands, then looked away and said, "Junior Brother Gu, shall we leave now?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Well, since Elder Yan's situation is urgent, I naturally cannot delay any longer."

"That's for the best. The longer it drags on, the more likely we are to miss the best time for treatment," You Jinxiang said. "Junior Brother Gu, please go ahead without worry. I'll stay in the valley to take care of Junior Sister."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Sister." Gu Guanqi cupped her hands in greeting.

You Jinxiang waved her hand and said, "I've been taking care of my junior sister all these years, there's no trouble at all."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly, then quickly turned around and went into the house to pack his things, before leading his horse away.

Jiang Baili saw Gu Guanqi off as he left the valley.

They walked a long way.

Jiang Baili stopped, slowly releasing Gu Guanqi's hand, and said, "Brother, I know it's only for a while before we part, but I'm still very reluctant. Will you miss me?"

"Yes." Gu Guanqi gently patted Jiang Baili's head and said, "Just focus on your cultivation. Once you break through your bottleneck, we can be together every day."

Jiang Baili nodded and said, "When the time comes, wherever my brother goes, I will go."

After saying that, Jiang Baili slowly raised her hand and took off the hairpin from her head. In an instant, her tied-up black hair fell down like clouds and waterfalls, covering her shoulders. Her eyebrows and eyes were clear and cold. Standing there quietly, even the wind and moon seemed gentle.

She handed the hairpin to Gu Guanqi and said, "Brother, this is something I keep close to me. It is made of black iron crystal. It is both a hairpin and a weapon. If you carry it with you, it will be as if I am by your side."

"it is good."

Gu Guanqi took the hairpin and put it away. He looked at Jiang Baili for a while and then said, "Then I'll be going."

Jiang Baili took a step forward, tiptoed, and gently touched Gu Guanqi's lips, saying, "Brother, I'll wait for you to come back!"

Gu Guanqi reached out and hugged Jiang Baili, then mounted his horse and headed down the mountain.

Jiang Baili stood there, watching Gu Guanqi leave until he could no longer see Gu Guanqi's figure before slowly turning around and returning to Forget-Worry Valley.

……

After descending from the Valley of Forgetfulness

Gu Guanqi drove at breakneck speed, almost without sleep or rest.

Fortunately, the Six Doors were well-prepared along the way, with top-quality horses at every post station. Gu Guanqi immediately changed horses upon arrival, and with teams of Six Doors constables clearing the way, the journey was smooth and unimpeded. Even at night, with a large group of people carrying torches, the speed did not decrease much.

As for Gu Guanqi himself, with his profound internal strength, he was hardly affected by not resting for three to five days.

After traveling day and night, they finally arrived in Qingzhou City at noon on the third day.

With a team of constables clearing the way, the crowds in the city had no effect on him, and he soon arrived at the headquarters of the Six Doors in Qingzhou.

Ma Wanli, the top commander of the Six Doors who had already received the news, was greeting people at the door. He was accompanied by several other people, men, women, and children, who did not look like members of the Six Doors.

"Master Gu, you must be tired from your journey!" Ma Wanli greeted him.

"Commander Ma!" Gu Guanqi bowed respectfully.

And at this moment,

The people standing next to Ma Wanli suddenly knelt down before Gu Guanqi.

The middle-aged man leading the group pleaded urgently, "Master Gu, please save my father! The entire Yan family will never forget your immense kindness!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Guanqi immediately realized that the middle-aged man was Yan Bu, the son of Yan Wangchuan, who worked in the Qingyang County Government's Transportation Office. Although his official position was not as high as Yan Wangchuan's, he was known for his integrity.

Gu Guanqi quickly helped Yan Bu up, and then, with a flick of his wrist, used his inner energy to lift the rest of the Yan family members. He said in a deep voice, "Old Master Yan and I are close friends despite our age difference. Now that he is in trouble, I must do my utmost and fulfill my duty without hesitation!"

After all,

Gu Guanqi withdrew his hand and said, "Stop wasting time with nonsense and lead the way!"

"This way, please."

Ma Wanli stepped aside to lead the way, and said in a low voice as they walked, "Master Gu, I don't know if Sister You told you, but Magistrate Yan was afflicted by the Seven Soul-Destroying Palm. This poison is extremely vicious. Not only is its true energy extremely difficult to deal with, but its poison power is also terrifying, penetrating to the bone and marrow."

In other words, Magistrate Yan possessed decades of internal energy protecting him; anyone with weaker skills would have been dead long ago. Has Master Gu ever encountered the Seven Forms of the Soul-Destroying Palm?

"No," Gu Guanqi said, "I haven't been in the martial world for very long, and my experience is very limited. Before this, I had never even heard of the Seven Soul-Destroying Palms."

Ma Wanli said, "These Seven Soul-Destroying Palms have a very impressive origin. They are the signature techniques of Zhuque, one of the four top assassins of the Four Extremes Hall, the number one assassin organization in the world. The poisoned person feels no pain, only some discomfort in the blood and qi throughout the body, and will not realize that they have been poisoned. Later, their mind begins to wander, and they only feel that they are too tired. In the end, the poison invades the heart meridian, the soul dissipates, and the physical body remains intact, but in reality, they have become a walking corpse."

Most people who are poisoned by this technique die without even realizing it. It's only because Yan Tongzhi had such extensive experience in the martial arts world that he immediately suspected poisoning when he felt unwell, and rushed to have a doctor from our Six Doors treated him.

At first, even the doctors didn't notice anything wrong, thinking that Yan Tongzhi was just overworked and paranoid. However, Yan Tongzhi firmly believed that he wasn't overworked; he felt it was an abnormal reaction. After his insistence, several doctors examined him and finally discovered some clues.

Upon hearing Ma Wanli's words, Gu Guanqi was deeply moved.

Yan Wangchuan is really steady!

quickly,

Gu Guanqi arrived at a small courtyard.

Upon entering the room, the furnishings were simple. Yan Wangchuan was sleeping on the bed. He seemed fine, except that he looked a little tired and his face was pale.

The biggest change was that his hair, which was originally just gray, was now almost completely white, scattered on the pillow, making Yan Wangchuan look much older.

The two hadn't seen each other for just over a month.

Yan Wangchuan, however, seemed to have aged ten years.

As Gu Guanqi and his group entered...

Yan Wangchuan heard the noise, his eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened them.

He had a good attitude. When he saw Gu Guanqi, he grinned and said, "Hey, you've arrived so quickly. Looks like you must have been traveling non-stop. Tsk tsk tsk, a dignified sword immortal, the number one expert in Qingzhou, to go to such lengths for me, you'll have plenty to brag about in the future!"

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "It's alright, I was worried we wouldn't make it in time."

Yan Wangchuan said, "I feel that if you had arrived two or three days later, you would have been rushing to offer incense to me!"

As he spoke, Yan Wangchuan beckoned to Yan Bu and said, "Help me up."

Yan Bu quickly stepped forward and helped Yan Wangchuan up.

Yan Wangchuan was very weak. He leaned against the headboard and stretched out his hand, saying, "Come on, let me take a look. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If it can be cured, then it can be cured; if not, then forget it. But, I'm going to take advantage of you again. You just happen to be here to see me off in my final moments, hahaha!"

Gu Guanqi pressed his fingers on Yan Wangchuan's pulse.

Gradually, Gu Guanqi's brows furrowed slightly.

After taking Yan Wangchuan's pulse for a while, he opened Yan Wangchuan's eyelids to look at him, took out a silver needle and pricked Yan Wangchuan's fingertip, then brought the oozing blood to his nose and smelled it.

Just as he expected, in this world where medicine is highly developed, it is generally acknowledged that there are only a few places where these seven Soul-Destroying Palm techniques can be countered. Therefore, the difficulty of these seven Soul-Destroying Palm techniques is indeed beyond his limits.

This is neither purely internal injury nor purely poison, but rather an invasion by poisonous true energy, which harms the mind and spirit, not the physical body.

at this time,

Everyone inside held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

The women from the Yan family were so nervous that their hands were trembling, and they stared at Gu Guanqi without blinking.

After a moment, Gu Guanqi loosened his fingers and put the silver needles away.

"How is it?" Yan Wangchuan asked hurriedly.

Gu Guanqi looked at Yan Wangchuan and said, "It seems I won't be able to see him off in his final days."

Yan Wangchuan paused for a moment, then chuckled, his voice weak but with a hint of spirit: "Judging from your tone... you can cure it?"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, then shook his head, and said, "It can be cured, but it can't be cured either."

Yan Wangchuan asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Gu Guanqi explained, "The Seven Soul-Destroying Palms do not injure the body but the mind, which has transcended the level of medicine. With my medical skills, I can only use internal energy as the main method and decoction as a supplement to suppress the true energy of the Seven Soul-Destroying Palms hidden in your body."

However, this poison is extremely difficult to deal with. Even if I wanted to neutralize it, it would take a very long time. Although I can neutralize that true energy, I cannot heal your already damaged mind. In your current state, you can only live for a maximum of three months.

This is the limit that Gu Guanqi can achieve.

Because the damage from these seven Soul-Destroying Palm techniques is no longer at the physical level, it cannot be resolved by medicine alone. His ability to suppress and neutralize that true energy, preventing it from further eroding his mind, is entirely due to his mastery of the Innate Skill and his state of oneness with nature.

At this time,

Ma Wanli quickly replied, "Two or three months is more than enough!"

He turned to Gu Guanqi, cupped his hands and said, "Hero Gu, Su Qingxing, the master of Medicine King Valley, is my friend of many years. If I step in, as long as Magistrate Yan can hold out until Medicine King Valley, Master Su will definitely come to his rescue."

The biggest problem has always been the lack of time. Even at top speed, it takes twenty days to travel from Qingzhou City to Medicine King Valley in Yunzhou.

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "In that case, I will suppress the poison first, and then arrange to send him to Medicine King Valley as soon as possible. I will accompany him all the way and continue to stabilize the poison for Elder Yan along the way to ensure his safe arrival at Medicine King Valley."

After saying that, he said to Yan Bu, "I'm going to write a prescription now, which is specifically for stimulating the mind. Go and get the medicine and start brewing it right away. I'll suppress the toxicity for Old Man Yan here. After it's finished, he should drink the medicine immediately. This way, we can ensure that his mind doesn't collapse."

"Yes, prepare plenty of medicinal herbs, at least enough for the journey to Medicine King Valley, three times a day."

Ma Wanli quickly fetched paper and pen.

Gu Guanqi quickly wrote out a prescription and handed it to Yan Bu.

Yan Bu didn't dare to delay and quickly ran out of the house.

immediately,

Gu Guanqi then began to use his internal energy to heal Yan Wangchuan's injuries.

Time passed little by little.

About half an hour later,

Gu Guanqi finished his work.

Yan Bu quickly brought the prepared medicine to the bedside.

At this time,

Ma Wanli then cupped his hands and said, "Master Gu, I have just had some food prepared. Please come in."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, Commander Ma."

He hadn't eaten lunch yet, and the exertion of his internal energy had been quite taxing, so he was indeed hungry.

Immediately,

Gu Guanqi then followed Ma Wanli out the door.

Soon, they arrived at a large hall.

As soon as the two sat down, servants began to serve the dishes. Gu Guanqi didn't stand on ceremony and picked up his chopsticks, saying, "Commander Ma, I am indeed hungry, so please don't be polite!"

Ma Wanli chuckled and said, "Please feel free to do as you please, Master Gu."

While eating,

The two then started chatting idly about this and that.

Just as the meal was about to be finished, Ma Wanli suddenly asked, "Master Gu, do you have any plans for the future?"

Gu Guanqi asked suspiciously, "Commander Ma wouldn't be thinking of recruiting me into the Six Doors, would he?"

Ma Wanli laughed and said, "If Hero Gu is willing, I would be more than happy to oblige. With your current reputation as the number one expert in Qingzhou, even if you have only just entered the Six Doors, the imperial court will at least arrange a sixth-rank official position or higher for you!"

Gu Guanqi had already heard about the title of the number one expert in Qingzhou on his way here. Although he had been living in seclusion on Wangchen Mountain for some time, the battle at Wenjian Mountain was still spreading throughout the martial arts world.

He is now widely recognized as the number one expert in the martial arts world of Qingzhou.

The impact of this incident was not limited to Qingzhou; it caused considerable turmoil throughout the thirteen states of the Gan Kingdom.

Because of the fact that the Heavenly Demon had changed his appearance and become the Guanyin Sect, the martial arts world all over the country was in an uproar and stirred up a lot of trouble. Blood Guanyin Wen Qiuchi is now in the eye of the storm.

Under these circumstances, his killing of Wen Qiuchi and the destruction of the Guanyin Sect naturally caused a great stir, and he gained considerable fame even outside of Qingzhou.

but,

Gu Guanqi had never even considered joining the Six Doors.

It's not that the job position is bad, but mainly that his personality can't stand being constrained, and he's not good at playing the game of the imperial court and government.

So, to Ma Wanli's words, he simply smiled and waved his hand, saying, "A leisurely personality like his might easily lead to trouble in officialdom; let's forget about it!"

Ma Wanli chuckled and said, "If you don't want to enter the officialdom, then stay in the martial world. But you're still so young. Even if you're in the martial world, you should at least make a name for yourself, like becoming the leader of the martial arts alliance, how about that?"