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

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Four-Star Blind Date

The masked man neither admitted nor denied it; he simply stood in the middle of the official road, his gaze coldly fixed on An Yi from beneath his bamboo hat.

"Young Master An, I'll give you one last chance," he said calmly. "Hand that little fellow over to me, and you may leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint rustling of clothes came from the dense forest on both sides of the official road. Four black figures emerged from behind the trees and landed silently beside the masked man.

An Yi's gaze swept over the five people, and her heart sank slightly.

She lowered her voice and said to her two junior sisters beside her, "I'll hold them off for a bit, you two go first."

"Senior Sister!" The older junior sister's expression changed, and she said urgently, "How can we abandon you? I..."

"Your presence will only distract me," An Yi interrupted her, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Go."

An Yi's two junior sisters exchanged a glance and said nothing more. Zhou Mingyuan, carrying Chen Yuan, turned his horse around and left with the two Medicine King Valley disciples.

Several masked men shifted their feet slightly, attempting to stop them.

An Yi reached into her sleeve with her left hand, took out a translucent white jade pendant, and held it high.

"Is this what you want?"

The masked leader's gaze fell on the jade pendant, his eyes beneath his bamboo hat narrowing slightly. He raised his hand, stopping the others beside him, and after a moment of silence, slowly spoke: "Young Master An, give me the jade pendant, and you may leave."

An Yi put the jade pendant back into her sleeve without replying.

With a light step, she moved like an arrow released from a bow, her longsword unsheathed, its light flashing, aiming straight for the throat of the masked leader.

This sword strike was incredibly fast; the blade sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

The masked leader snorted coldly and struck out with his palm. The palm wind was soft and sinister, and seven strange true energies surged from his palm, like silk threads, and wrapped around An Yi.

But this time, An Yi was prepared.

Her body twisted abruptly in mid-air, like a swallow turning over, avoiding the direct impact of the palm strike. The sword's momentum didn't cease; the tip drew an arc in the air, aiming to stab at the masked man's shoulder from the side.

The masked leader's expression changed slightly. Unable to react in time, he could only dodge to the side. The sword grazed his shoulder, slicing off a piece of his clothing.

An Yi was surprised and blurted out, "You're not Suzaku!"

The masked leader said coldly, "If Lord Vermilion Bird were here, would you, An Yi, be qualified to draw your sword?"

An Yi said in a deep voice, "I don't know if I have the qualifications to make a move in front of Suzaku, but you are probably all doomed now."

Immediately, she drew her sword again, the sword strikes flowing continuously. Her swordsmanship was exquisite, the moves seamlessly connected, each strike faster and more ruthless than the last.

The masked leader was forced to retreat repeatedly, struggling to stay afloat and looking utterly pathetic.

"Attack together!" the masked leader shouted.

The other four masked men attacked simultaneously, their swords flashing, closing in on An Yi from all directions.

An Yi neither retreated nor dodged, her longsword in hand, its light as white as snow. Her movements were agile, and she charged left and right amidst the five attackers, holding her own in the slightest.

Swords flashed, and blood splattered.

A masked man was struck in the throat and collapsed to the ground. Another masked man was struck in the chest by a sword tip, groaned, and flew backward, crashing into a tree trunk by the roadside, spitting out blood.

An Yi's swordplay grew faster and faster, and the sword light became denser and denser.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, apart from the masked leader, the other four masked men were all killed and fell to the ground.

The masked leader was also stabbed, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound. His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with horror.

He immediately turned and fled, but An Yi's sword was faster than his.

A flash of light, and the tip of the sword was already pressed against his throat.

"You—" He only managed to utter this one word before the sword tip pierced his throat.

Blood splattered, and the masked leader's body stiffened abruptly before collapsing limply to the ground, lifeless.

An Yi sheathed her sword, walked to the corpse of the masked leader, glanced down at it, and said, "I really thought it was Suzaku. I was almost fooled by you."

She crouched down and reached out to lift the mask from the masked man's face.

At that very moment—

From within the dense forest, another figure burst forth with incredible speed. A sharp palm strike suddenly attacked An Yi from behind, without warning and as swift as lightning.

An Yi's expression changed drastically. Without thinking, she turned around abruptly and struck out with her palm.

Interlock your palms.

"boom--"

A deep, muffled thud resounded, true energy surged, and a powerful wind swept outwards.

An Yi felt an overwhelming force surging from the other party's palm. The force was subtle and unpredictable, exactly the same as the palm force of the masked leader just now, but several times more powerful.

Seven more Soul-Sealing Palms!

She felt a sudden dizziness, her blood surged, and a mouthful of blood welled up in her throat, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

At that very moment, a masked man behind her, who had clearly been killed, suddenly flipped over and stood up.

Three streaks of dark light shot out from her sleeves, as fast as meteors, heading straight for An Yi's back.

An Yi turned around to deal with it, but it was too late.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft—"

Three poisoned needles pierced her chest, and a numbing sensation instantly spread from the needle sites, rushing along her blood vessels straight to her heart.

An Yi let out a muffled groan, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

She gritted her teeth, flicked her left hand, and a pale blue powder spilled from her sleeve. The powder shimmered in the sunlight, turning into a thin mist that spread outwards.

The masked man in the shadows subtly changed his expression, withdrew his hand, and retreated to avoid the powder.

Taking advantage of the moment, An Yi leaped forward, her figure shooting like an arrow into the dense forest. Her lightness skill was superb; in just a few bounds, she had covered several meters and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

The masked man looked at the few red marks on his palm from the powder burns, and immediately gave chase.

……

An Yi ran desperately through the dense forest, the dead branches and leaves under her feet crackling under her feet. She was gambling that her opponent would be poisoned and fall down before her.

However, the pursuers behind her seemed to have fallen behind, but her consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred.

She didn't know if the group had any other companions, and she didn't dare to stop.

The power of the Seven Soul-Destroying Palms invaded her mind, constantly assaulting her consciousness. The world before her eyes was sometimes clear and sometimes distorted, as if she were looking through a layer of water ruffled by the wind.

The numbness from the needle in my chest had spread throughout my entire chest, making it difficult to breathe. Each inhalation felt like swallowing a piece of red-hot iron into my lungs.

She bit her tongue, using the excruciating pain to forcefully dispel the darkness before her eyes, but her legs grew heavier and heavier.

As the senior disciple of Medicine King Valley, her medical skills were naturally quite high. Under normal circumstances, she could easily cure that bit of poison.

But at this very moment, she was struck by two Seven-Step Soul-Destroying Palms. The strange true energy was coiling around her mind like seven venomous snakes, tightening little by little. She couldn't even stabilize her mind, let alone detoxify.

She could only run for her life.

But his steps grew heavier and heavier.

After running for an unknown amount of time, the trees ahead began to thin out, and a road could be vaguely seen in the distance.

However, she couldn't hold on any longer once she reached the main road; her body went limp and she collapsed to the ground.

The power of the Seven Soul-Sealing Palms erupted completely, and at that moment her mind seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, and the world before her eyes began to distort violently.

In a daze, she heard the sound of horses' hooves and wheels rolling over the mud in the distance, getting closer and closer.

Another voice, seemingly from afar yet also close to my ear, said: "There are people ahead!"

"It looks like a girl, and she's injured!"

"They're disciples of Medicine King Valley! I recognize this badge!"

An Yi tried to lift her head, but her neck felt as heavy as lead. She could only barely move her eyes, her vision blurred, and she could only see a few hazy figures walking towards her.

"I'll treat her injuries."

This was the last sound An Yi heard, and it was this sound that made her tense heart relax at this moment. Since the other party was going to treat her injuries, then the other party should not be an enemy.

this moment,

She couldn't hold on any longer.

As I closed my eyes, a blurry figure came into view. The figure was dressed in a moon-white robe, which seemed to be coated with a faint halo in the afternoon sunlight.

She couldn't see the other person's face clearly, but she vaguely sensed that it was a young man with a rather calm voice.

The man bent down slightly, seemingly checking her injuries. Sunlight shone from behind him, making him appear both ethereal and luminous.

Her eyelids drooped heavily, and the last thing she saw was that figure glowing with a warm halo in the sunlight.

……

This convoy was none other than Gu Guanqi and his group, who happened to be passing by.

And what An Yi saw at the last moment was Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi reached out and placed his hand on An Yi's wrist to take her pulse. Soon, he showed a look of surprise.

Yan Wangchuan, supported by Yan Bu, walked over and asked, "How are you?"

Gu Guanqi frowned and said, "He was poisoned and suffered internal injuries. Moreover, these internal injuries are the same as yours; he was also hit by the Seven Soul-Destroying Palms."

Yan Wangchuan was startled.

Gu Guanqi continued, "However, it's clearly not as badly injured as yours, and that wisp of true energy is far less deep than the one inside your body. Besides the Vermilion Bird, is there anyone else who knows the Seven Soul-Destroying Palms?"

Yan Wangchuan said, "They might be disciples or something!"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "This girl is a disciple of Medicine King Valley, we certainly can't just stand by and watch her die."

After saying that, he reached out and picked An Yi up, saying, "Let's find a place to stop nearby first. Her injuries and poisoning are a bit troublesome. I'll try to save her life first."

Yan Wangchuan immediately called everyone to rest temporarily in the nearby woods.

Gu Guanqi then carried An Yi into the carriage.

He first fed An Yi a pill to protect her heart meridian, and then began to circulate his innate true energy to help An Yi suppress the true energy of the Seven Soul-Sealing Palms.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn,

An Yi coughed up a mouthful of poisonous blood, her consciousness gradually returning. She opened her eyes, a surge of unknown panic rising in her heart, and then she heard a calm voice behind her: "Miss, don't move around too much, I'm using my internal energy to heal your injuries!"

"It's him!"

An Yi felt calmed down. She remembered the voice; it was the last voice she heard before she lost consciousness.

For a time,

The image of the figure she had seen just before losing consciousness, seemingly walking on light towards her, involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

However, the face was somewhat blurry, and only a rough outline could be seen.

now,

She suddenly wanted to turn around and look at that face, and a feeling of anticipation and trepidation welled up inside her.

She didn't know why she had such strange expectations of her savior.

at last,

After a while,

She felt the energy on her back disappear.

Then, that calm voice was heard: "Young lady, your injuries have been temporarily suppressed, but the poison is difficult to cure!"

An Yi quickly turned around.

In that instant, the two were face to face, very close together.

An Yi finally got a clear look at Gu Guanqi's face.

It was a young face, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a refined and handsome appearance, and a gentle and serene air about him. At this moment, the two were only inches apart, and she could even see the curve of his eyelashes.

Eyes facing each other.

An Yi's heart skipped a beat.

She quickly looked away, lowered her eyes, but her ears involuntarily flushed red.

"girl……"

Gu Guanqi was also slightly taken aback, and subconsciously leaned back to create some distance. His tone remained calm as usual, "I have temporarily suppressed the poison in your body, but it won't last long."

An Yi took a deep breath, steadied herself, and raised her head again, but dared not look directly at Gu Guanqi, saying, "I...I know!"

Gu Guanqi said, "You are a disciple of Medicine King Valley, so you should know more about this poison than I do. The wound is too close to your heart. I just fed you an antidote pill, but that's only a temporary measure. To completely cure the poison, we must first force the poisoned needle out and then clean the poisoned blood from the wound."

He paused, his gaze involuntarily drifting to An Yi's chest before quickly looking away, saying, "It's just that this location is rather... so I didn't detoxify you just now!"

An Yi looked down following his gaze, and her cheeks immediately flushed.

"I know, thank you, young master," An Yi said, her head bowed and her voice low. "I can do it myself. Please... please excuse me for a moment!"

"Um."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly. He knew that An Yi needed to remove her clothes in order to expel the poison needles and toxins, so as to accurately target them without harming her heart meridians, and also to prevent the toxins from remaining on her skin.

Immediately,

He then turned around to get off the carriage.

however,

Just as she turned to lift the carriage curtain, An Yi suddenly called out timidly, "Young Master... wait... wait a moment..."

Gu Guanqi turned around, puzzled, and asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"

An Yi took a deep breath, raised her head, and a hint of embarrassment and helplessness flashed in her eyes. "I just tried to circulate my internal energy, but my meridians are completely paralyzed and I can't circulate it anymore. Moreover, the more I circulate my internal energy, the faster the poison spreads. Just now, I almost had it directly rush into my heart meridian with just a slight circulation."

As she spoke, she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and a sweet, metallic taste rose in her throat.

"puff--"

A mouthful of black blood spurted from her mouth.

An Yi's face instantly turned ashen, her lips turned ashen, and she swayed precariously, stammering, "I...I'm sorry, I dirtied your carriage, I..."

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "That's not important. It's just that your poison... we don't have any women in our team..."

An Yi knew in her heart that even if there were women around, they might not be able to help her. Only those with superb medical skills and internal energy that could heal injuries could help her expel the toxins.

Right now, the only option is to ask the person in front of me for help.

At this thought, her cheeks flushed even more, and her voice was so low it was almost inaudible, "Please, young master... help me... my poison... is almost reaching my heart, I can't hold on much longer..."

As she spoke,

She glanced at Gu Guanqi again,

He couldn't help but feel a little fortunate, thinking to himself, "Luckily, he's a young and handsome gentleman."

Gu Guanqi looked at An Yi, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"it is good."

He took off the headband, wrapped it twice around his eyes, tied it tightly, and only after confirming that he could not see anything did he say, "It's okay."

"Young master... young master, please wait a moment."

An Yi didn't dare to look up at Gu Guanqi, even though she knew Gu Guanqi was blindfolded.

She lowered her head and slowly unbuttoned her clothes.

Her outer garment slipped down, revealing a light purple undergarment underneath. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and then untied the sash of her undergarment.

Her undergarment slipped off her shoulders, revealing a patch of fair skin.

Her hand stopped on the last floor.

It was a moon-white corset, tightly wrapping around her full breasts.

An Yi bit her lip, hooked her fingers around the edge of her bodice, and slowly untied it.

The moment the corset was loosened, her full breasts, freed from their restraints, trembled slightly.

Her cheeks were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and her whole body was trembling slightly.

"Young master... that's enough..." Her voice was barely audible.

Gu Guanqi raised his hand and then held it in mid-air.

"Young lady, I need to pinpoint the location of the poisoned needle." His voice was calm as he said, "You must guide my hand."

An Yi lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling violently.

She was silent for a moment, then slowly raised her hand and grasped Gu Guanqi's wrist.

Her fingertips trembled slightly.

She guided Gu Guanqi's hand and slowly moved it to her chest.

The moment Gu Guanqi's fingertips touched her skin, An Yi's body stiffened abruptly, as if a taut string had been plucked. She could feel the warmth of his hand, pressed lightly against her collarbone.

Is this the place?

Gu Guanqi's voice was very soft.

"A little...a little more to the left..."

An Yi's voice trembled as she guided Gu Guanqi's hand slowly to the area above her left breast.

There was a needle mark there, and the surrounding skin had turned black; the toxin was spreading outwards.

"This is it," she whispered.

"it is good."

Gu Guanqi nodded, pressed his fingers around the needle hole, and slowly channeled his innate true energy from his palm.

The true warmth is gentle and lingering, like the warm spring sun, seeping into her skin and converging along the meridians towards the needle prick.

An Yi felt a warm current flowing from the palm of that hand, and the numbness caused by the toxin gradually lessened as it passed over her.

True energy slowly condensed at the eye of the needle, forcing the fine, hair-like poison needle out little by little.

"laugh--"

With an extremely soft and subtle sound, the first poisoned needle flew out of the wound and embedded itself in the carriage wall, its tip trembling slightly.

Gu Guanqi moved his finger slightly and pressed it on the second needle prick.

An Yi bit her lip, remaining silent, only her eyelashes trembling incessantly.

The second poison needle was forced out.

The third one.

After all three poisoned needles were removed from his body, Gu Guanqi did not stop. His true energy continued to seep in, forcing out the remaining toxins from the wounds little by little.

Black, poisonous blood slowly seeped from the needle's eye, flowing down her chest and leaving several dark red marks on her fair skin.

An Yi lowered her head, looking at the hand pressed against her chest, at the hairband covering her eyes, and at Gu Guanqi's calm and focused profile.

Her heart was pounding so fast that she could hardly breathe.

From childhood to adulthood, apart from encountering enemies, she had never had close contact with other men. Yet now, she was in such physical intimacy with a complete stranger, which was simply too embarrassing to talk about.

"alright."

Gu Guanqi's voice interrupted her thoughts.

He slowly withdrew his hand, then turned his back to An Yi.

"Thank you, please wait a moment, young master!"

An Yi lowered her head and quickly wiped away the bloodstains on her body. The bloodstains contained toxins, and leaving them on the skin for a long time was very bad for her skin.

Then, she quickly re-fastened the corset and put her inner garment and outer robe back on one by one.

After getting dressed, she sat quietly for a while to calm herself down before slowly saying, "Young master, I'm ready."

Her voice regained its composure.

Gu Guanqi turned around and removed the hairband covering her eyes.

Eyes facing each other.

An Yi's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she quickly looked away, lowering her eyes. Her mind was in turmoil.

She never imagined that another man besides her future husband would touch such a private place on her.

But now, although the person in front of me is blindfolded,

But the physical intimacy is real.

But what could she say when they were saving her life? Besides, she was the one who had asked them for help.

She stole a glance at Gu Guanqi and thought to herself: Such a handsome young man who is skilled in medicine and martial arts must already be married, but... what if he is not married?

She lowered her head and asked, "May I ask, young master, are you... are you married?"

"Not yet... um?"

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback, unable to keep up with the girl's train of thought for a moment.

"My name is An Yi. May I ask your name, sir?"

this moment,

Gu Guanqi realized what was happening, because at that moment, that familiar electronic mechanical voice was ringing in his mind—

[Player has started the matchmaking event]

[Detected blind date candidate – An Yi]

Rating – Four Stars

[Blind Date Reward: Max Level "Fifteen Deadly Swords"]

The matchmaking event has begun. Players are encouraged to complete it. Rewards will be distributed after the event concludes.