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

Chapter Twenty-Six: Unexpected Changes

That noon,

Gu Guanqi and his entourage were traveling along the official road.

Feeling depressed while sitting in the carriage, Gu Guanqi went to Yan Wangchuan's carriage to chat with Yan Wangchuan and Yan Bu.

The three sat together, chatting as they walked.

While passing an intersection, I saw a road sign that read "Jiuyuan County".

Yan Wangchuan then said, "Once we arrive in Jiuyuan County, it will be at most five days' journey to Medicine King Valley."

Gu Guanqi said, "Old Yan is quite familiar with Yunzhou, isn't he?"

Yan Wangchuan said, "I wouldn't say I'm very familiar with them, but I handled quite a few cases in Yunzhou in the past, and I've spent a total of about two years in Yunzhou. So I do know a bit about the local customs and traditions. For example, there's a very famous legend about Jiuyuan County."

Gu Guanqi asked curiously, "What legend?"

"The Blood Tear Pearl, a rare treasure of the martial arts world," Yan Wangchuan said.

"What is this?" Gu Guanqi asked in confusion.

Yan Wangchuan said, "That's a long story. The Chen family was originally just an ordinary little family in Yunzhou, but more than a hundred years ago, a genius emerged from that generation of the Chen family. He entered the Medicine King Valley and studied there for more than 20 years before leaving."

Everyone thought that the Chen family was about to produce a miracle doctor who would follow the path of medicine, but to everyone's surprise, the young man on whom the family had placed high hopes did not practice medicine after returning. Instead, he started raising livestock, and he didn't sell them. He just kept them as much as he could, raising chickens, ducks and geese one minute and fish, shrimp and crabs the next.

The Chen family became a laughingstock in the area; their once promising son had become an idiot. The Chen family was utterly disappointed, but no one expected that one day, the oyster they had cultivated in their youth would give birth to a blood-red pearl.

The pearl was not only unique in color but also possessed potent medicinal properties, effective for many injuries and ailments. He named it the Blood Tear Pearl and took it back to Medicine King Valley. Upon his return, the Chen family established a cooperative relationship with Medicine King Valley, a partnership that has lasted for over a hundred years. The Chen family has grown from an insignificant clan into the most powerful martial arts force in Jiuyuan County.

Gu Guanqi exclaimed, "It is indeed quite legendary. So, the Chen family is specifically responsible for raising clams for Medicine King Valley?"

Yan Wangchuan nodded and said, "That's right. The Chen family has grown to a large size and has a wide range of industries, but it has always followed the lead of Medicine King Valley. The ancestral land has always been raising oysters and regularly providing Blood Tear Pearls to Medicine King Valley."

Gu Guanqi said, "Medicine King Valley is not bad either. They haven't embezzled the Chen family's clam farming technology for over a hundred years."

Yan Wangchuan laughed and said, "Medicine King Valley wouldn't do such a thing. If a force wants to develop and last, it absolutely cannot lose the hearts of the people. If Medicine King Valley were to embezzle funds because of the Chen family's superior clam-raising techniques, and word got out, who would dare to cooperate with Medicine King Valley in the future? Losing the hearts of the people means it won't last long."

On the contrary, the Chen family's growth and expansion further demonstrate the immense value of the clam-raising technique. If Medicine King Valley can resist such enormous profits, what is there to worry about for others who want to join or cooperate with Medicine King Valley?

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense."

Yan Wangchuan said, "You might establish your own sect in the future. Even if you have no desire for fame or fortune, you will still get married and have children, and a family centered around you will inevitably be born. You must remember not to be blinded by immediate gains, to think carefully before acting, and to have a long-term vision!"

Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Yan."

Yan Wangchuan waved his hand and said, "Let me continue telling you about Yunzhou. Yunzhou is much larger than our Qingzhou, at least equivalent to three Qingzhou. Moreover, martial arts are flourishing there, and various forces are mixed together, with countless experts. Be careful..."

At this point, Yan Wangchuan paused for a moment and said, "However, with your martial arts skills, there's not much you need to be careful about. Just be careful not to offend the four major sects."

"Which ones?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Yan Wangchuan said, "First of all, there is Medicine King Valley, which is also the most famous. However, Medicine King Valley is famous for its medical skills and basically does not make enemies. After all, in the martial arts world, no one wants to offend a doctor unless necessary."

Another one is Bodhi Temple, a Buddhist institution. Although it is not as famous as Medicine King Valley, it is backed by the Great Bright Temple, one of the eight major sects, and Master Fayuan of Bodhi Temple is recognized as the number one expert in Yunzhou.

"Hey, speaking of which, that dense palm technique you used on Sword Inquiry Mountain had a strong Buddhist influence. If you have the chance, you could visit Master Fayuan and discuss it with him. Master Fayuan is very famous, but he has a gentle personality and is a truly enlightened monk!"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I'll definitely go if I have the chance."

Yan Wangchuan continued, "The other one is the Tingchao Sword Sect, which has three grandmasters. In particular, there is a lineage within the Tingchao Sword Sect called the Death Sword Peak. This lineage is full of sword fanatics who are always ready to fight to the death. Because of the existence of this lineage, no one in the martial arts world wants to offend the Tingchao Sword Sect, and they are always ready to fight to the death."

However, because of this, the Listening Tide Sword Sect is the poorest. Since others are hesitant to cooperate with them, their business doesn't grow large, and they have few disciples. In terms of sect size, they are not on the same level as the other three; many top-tier martial arts sects have more members than them.

Gu Guanqi said, "Everything has two sides. The style of the Tingchao Sword Sect has saved them a lot of trouble, but it has also limited them."

"Indeed, the style of the Death Sword Peak lineage of the Tingchao Sword Sect is too extreme," Yan Wangchuan commented, then added, "The last one is the Mechanism Sect. This sect is skilled in mechanical arts and esoteric arts. It is the most mysterious sect. Its most famous thing in the martial arts world is its hidden weapons. It mainly deals in weapons."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and asked, "I heard Commander Ma say that the imperial court plans to establish a martial arts alliance in the thirteen prefectures. Places with the eight major sects are a no-brainer, but Yunzhou is much more uncertain, with four top sects. Who do you think will become the leader of the martial arts alliance?"

Yan Wangchuan smiled and said, "It's really not certain that it will appear among the four major sects."

Gu Guanqi asked in confusion, "Then where is it?"

Yan Wangchuan said, "Yunzhou has thirteen grandmasters: three from Tingchao Sword Sect, one from Medicine King Valley, two from Bodhi Academy, one from Mechanical Gate, two from Six Doors, and four from other sects or families."

The leader of the martial arts alliance isn't chosen based on who has the most power, but rather on who can command respect. These thirteen grandmasters are all theoretically potential candidates, so it's difficult to say who will ultimately be elected leader at the Dragon Boat Festival martial arts tournament.

Gu Guanqi asked in surprise, "Yunzhou is so large, and its martial arts are so flourishing, how come there are only thirteen grandmasters?"

Yan Wangchuan smiled and said, "Thirteen is about right. The prestige of the Grandmasters in Yunzhou is far superior to that of our Qingzhou. Of the original seven Grandmasters of Qingzhou, only Shang Guzhou and Master Xuanbei would be considered Grandmasters in Yunzhou. The others are not worth mentioning."

It's the same everywhere. Whoever can fight is a grandmaster. There are only so many people who can fight, so the number of grandmasters won't be too many. It's impossible for a large area to produce thirty or fifty grandmasters. The more prosperous the martial arts are, the more powerful the grandmasters in that area will be!

"I see," Gu Guanqi said.

Yan Wangchuan chuckled and said, "However, don't worry, your strength is that of a grandmaster anywhere. After all, you killed Wen Qiuchi, who was a grandmaster in the Northern Frontier. The grandmasters in the Northern Frontier are highly regarded."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly.

Yan Wangchuan then said, "By the way, the Six Doors of Qingzhou actually hopes you will become the leader of the Qingzhou martial arts alliance. Did Commander Ma mention this to you when you arrived in Qingzhou City that day?"

"I did mention it," Gu Guanqi said.

"What are your thoughts?" Yan Wangchuan asked.

Gu Guanqi shook his head and said, "I'm not really interested right now."

Yan Wangchuan said, "You can think about it carefully. If you become the alliance leader, anyone who wants to touch you will have to consider the consequences. But if you are always alone, then you won't have any worries."

Gu Guanqi asked, "Are you referring to the eunuch faction?"

Yan Wangchuan was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know if the Seven Parts of the Soul-Destroying Palm technique I was hit by this time was orchestrated by the eunuch faction, but I just offended them and was assassinated right afterward, it's hard not to suspect them. So, you should also be careful, it's actually quite good to add some prestige to yourself."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "We'll talk about it later!"

……

Jiuyuan Prefecture, Baoshan County.

The ancestral home of the Chen family, the number one martial arts force in Jiuyuan County, is in Baoshan County. For more than a hundred years, the Chen family's business has been very extensive. However, they have always arranged for their direct descendants to raise oysters in Baoshan County and regularly send Blood Tear Pearls to Medicine King Valley.

The Chen family knew very well that their ability to become a first-rate force in Yunzhou, second only to the four major sects, was not due to their own strength, but rather because they were protected by the Medicine King Valley.

Today, the sun shines brightly.

An Yi, the senior disciple of Yaowang Valley, arrived in Baoshan County.

She led two junior sisters, and the three of them headed directly towards the Chen family's ancestral land.

Around noon,

The three of them found a clearing in a dense forest to rest.

However, An Yi's two junior sisters were very afraid of her and sat far away from her.

An Yi took out her water pouch and dry rations and started eating. Then, noticing that her two junior sisters didn't seem to have much dry rations, she said, "You..."

Upon hearing An Yi speak, the two female disciples stood up in unison, their backs ramrod straight, their hands hanging at their sides, their heads bowed, looking as if they were listening to instructions, their faces filled with tension and awe.

Seeing their tense expressions, An Yi slowly said, "Sit down. I just wanted to ask you if you have enough dry rations."

One of the older junior sisters quickly said, "That's enough, senior sister, we've brought enough."

"Okay, sure."

An Yi nodded slightly and then stopped talking, continuing to eat the dry food in her hand.

The two female disciples then carefully sat back down in their original positions, but still dared not get too close. They ate quietly, even making a lot of noise while chewing.

The forest fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Just then—

A series of hurried footsteps came from the depths of the dense forest, accompanied by the crisp sound of dry branches breaking underfoot and heavy breathing.

An Yi put down the dry food in her hand and placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

The two female disciples also became alert and stood up, standing beside An Yi.

The footsteps grew closer and more hurried.

Immediately afterwards, a figure stumbled out of the bushes.

He was a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a burly build. His gray robe was soaked in blood and torn in many places. He covered a deep, bone-revealing wound on his right arm with his left hand, while his right hand held a four- or five-year-old boy in his arms.

The middle-aged man rushed out of the bushes and immediately saw An Yi and the other two sitting in the open space.

Upon seeing An Yi, he was slightly taken aback, then exclaimed with great joy, "Young Master An? Young Master An! Help!"

An Yi frowned, her gaze falling on the middle-aged man's face. After examining him closely, she suddenly asked, "Zhou Mingyuan? What's wrong with you?"

An Yi recognized the middle-aged man as Zhou Mingyuan, a retainer of the Chen family. He was skilled in martial arts and quite famous in the Jiuyuan County area. She had met him several times before when she came to the Chen family to retrieve the Blood Tear Pearl.

Zhou Mingyuan rushed over and said urgently, "Young Master An, something has happened at the Chen family's ancestral land!"

An Yi stepped forward, took out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve, poured out two pills and handed them over, saying in a deep voice, "Stabilize your injuries first, then we can talk slowly."

Zhou Mingyuan took the pill, swallowed it in one gulp, and took a few breaths to recover before saying, "Around midnight last night, a group of masked men suddenly broke into the Chen family's ancestral land. The leader immediately demanded that the Chen family hand over the 'Bright Moon Pearl.' The Chen family patriarch said that the Chen family did not have such an item, and those men started killing people without saying a word."

An Yi frowned.

Zhou Mingyuan continued, "Those people are extremely skilled in martial arts and ruthless. The guards of the Chen family's ancestral land were no match for them. The old master asked us, the elders, to escort the young master out. Currently, I am the only one still alive, but with my current injuries, I can't go very far. I would like to ask Valley Master An to take the young master to Jiuyuan City and hand him over to the family head."

An Yi looked at the little boy, and she recognized him as Chen Yuan, the young master of the Chen family, who was very much loved by the old master of the Chen family and always kept by his side.

"Young Master An!"

Chen Yuan raised his head, looked at An Yi, and suddenly took out a jade pendant from his pocket, presenting it to her with both hands.

The jade pendant is pure white, about the size of a palm, and its unique patterns gleam warmly in the sunlight.

Chen Yuan's voice was childish yet clear, tinged with tears: "This is what my grandfather gave me last night. He told me that if I survive, I should give the jade pendant to the people of Medicine King Valley, and if I am captured, I should find a way to smash the jade pendant."

An Yi squatted down and reached out to take the jade pendant.

She picked up the jade pendant; it wasn't anything special, just like an ordinary jade pendant. She examined it several times, turning it over and over, but couldn't figure out what it was for. She asked, "Did your grandfather tell you what this jade pendant was for?"

Chen Yuan said, "It is a key, but Grandpa didn't say what kind of key it is."

"key?"

An Yi muttered something to herself and quickly put the jade pendant into her sleeve. Although she was puzzled, she knew that her current situation was not good.

Although the Chen family's ancestral home has a small population, it is a place specifically for cultivating Blood Tear Pearls, so its defenses have always been very tight. The guards are quite strong, yet they were powerless against that group of masked men, which shows that those men are not simple.

So, without further thought, she said directly, "Let's go now."

After all,

She then suggested that Chen Yuan ride the same horse as her, that her two junior sisters ride on one horse, and that Zhou Mingyuan ride a horse alone.

The group quickly rode away.

However, they hadn't run far when a masked man wearing a straw hat appeared on the road ahead.

The man was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit. He was thin and stood with his hands behind his back in the middle of the official road. His straw hat was pulled low, obscuring his face. He stood there all alone, yet he exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression.

An Yi pulled on the reins, quickly handed Chen Yuan to Zhou Mingyuan, and placed her right hand on the hilt of the sword.

An Yi's two junior sisters also became nervous and stood guard on either side of her.

The masked man slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of narrow eyes peeking out from the edge of his straw hat. His gaze lingered on An Yi's face for a moment, then swept over the people behind her, before finally settling back on An Yi.

"Young Master An," he said politely, "I have no intention of being enemies with Medicine King Valley. My trouble with the Chen family is only for personal revenge. As long as Miss An hands over the Chen family's child to me, the three of you may leave. I will not make things difficult for you."

An Yi remained expressionless and said, "Aren't you aware of the relationship between the Chen family and Medicine King Valley?"

The masked man said, "I am aware of the relationship between Medicine King Valley and the Chen family, but the Chen family has no connection with you, Young Master An. Why risk your life for a mere child of the Chen family?"

"Then I'd like to see if you're qualified to take my life!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already drawn her sword.

The sword flashed, tracing a cold arc in the afternoon sunlight. She moved with lightning speed, leaping from her horse and arriving in an instant, the tip of her sword aimed straight for the masked man's throat.

The masked man quickly dodged, then raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and slapped the sword.

Immediately, he struck out with his other hand, the wind from his palm whistling.

An Yi sheathed her sword and parried.

When he struck the sword with his palm, an extremely gentle yet domineering true energy suddenly erupted from his palm, surging out like a tidal wave.

"when--"

With a dull clang of metal clashing, An Yi felt a series of strange forces emanating from the sword, seven in total. These forces did not directly confront her, but instead flowed along the sword and her arm, directly into her mind.

In an instant, the world before her eyes suddenly distorted.

The world turned upside down, and the sun and moon lost their light.

A sudden, inexplicable sadness welled up in her heart.

Immediately, she sheathed her sword and flew backward, tumbling in the air before landing back on the ground and taking several steps back before finally regaining her balance.

Her chest heaved violently, cold sweat poured down her forehead, and her gaze fell on the masked man, her pupils filled with solemnity and horror.

"Seven Soul-Sealing Palm Techniques..."

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, each word distinct:

"You are Suzaku!"