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

Chapter 167 Heavenly Principle Sect's Qilin Tears

Mount Futu was brightly lit all night long.

All the leaders or high-ranking officials of the various factions in Hongzhou went up Mount Futu and then endured a night of torment.

Gu Guanqi personally set the general direction: from now on, the martial arts alliance of Qingyun and Erzhou will be stationed in Hongzhou, unconditionally ceding almost half of Hongzhou's territory to Qingyun and Erzhou to plant their flag.

As for the original martial arts forces in Hongzhou, the entire structure was completely disrupted and rebuilt.

These conditions are very harsh, which basically means that the martial arts world of Hongzhou will be completely suppressed by Qingyun and the other two prefectures in the future. However, the losers have no say, and no one dares to negotiate with Gu Guanqi.

Furthermore, the Hongzhou Martial Arts Alliance will be retained, with its headquarters located at Hanyue Mountain. Gu Guanqi will serve as the Alliance Leader, while Fang Cunxin, the former Young Master of the Heavenly God Sect, will serve as the Vice Alliance Leader. At the same time, the Heavenly God Sect will be officially recognized under the name of the Martial Arts Alliance, and all sects must cooperate.

All of the above are just the general directions set by Gu Guanqi.

The specific implementation and overall coordination were all entrusted to Fang Cunxin, An Yi, and Lin Yourong.

The next morning, Gu Guanqi and Zhao Tianfang led a thousand-strong army to Hongzhou City. Zhao Lengyuan stayed at Futu Mountain as the host and needed to stay to assist Fang Cunxin and others in controlling the martial arts world of Hongzhou.

The morning light shines down, and a cool breeze blows.

The army set off, marching in a grand procession along the official road.

Gu Guanqi and Zhao Tianfang rode side by side at the front.

Zhao Tianfang was radiant. Although he hadn't slept all night, he was still very excited. The Hanyue Sect, which had been suffocating him for years, had collapsed. Not only had the Rong Prince's Mansion escaped the calamity, but it had also boarded a big ship that was about to set sail. He couldn't help but be excited.

"Alliance Leader Gu," Zhao Tianfang said, "Yang Yuan, the governor of Hongzhou, has always been under the command of the Hanyue Sect, but he can't be considered a die-hard loyalist. So, if he is sensible and obedient, I think you can let him continue to serve as governor, which will save us a lot of trouble."

Gu Guanqi asked, "What is his specific relationship with the Hanyue Sect?"

Zhao Tianfang thought for a moment and said, "It's a marriage alliance. After he took office in Hongzhou, he took two concubines, both of whom were disciples of the Hanyue Sect."

This was his voluntary surrender; otherwise, even as a puppet governor, his life wouldn't be easy. But with these connections, although the Hanyue Sect wouldn't treat him as one of their own, and he would still be a puppet with little real power, he wouldn't be ostracized and bullied like the previous governor.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "So, in other words, the relationship with the Hanyue Sect is just so-so."

Zhao Tianfang nodded and said, "That's why I said if he knows what's good for him, we can let him continue to serve as governor. That would make things easier for us. Otherwise, if we change governors, we will definitely have to go to the capital."

Gu Guanqi asked, "Who was in charge of the prefectural government before?"

Zhao Tianfang said, "The main ones are Prefect Cao Yu, Commandant Gong Kun, and a few others including the Investigating Officer, the Registrar, and the Inspector. However, the main ones are Cao Yu and Gong Juan. Gong Juan goes without saying; she is deeply connected to the Hanyue Sect. Prefect Cao Yu is not as deeply connected, but he is also an outer disciple of the Hanyue Sect, and his family has many members who have married into the Hanyue Sect."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "So, our main purpose in going to Hongzhou City this time is to deal with Cao Yu."

Zhao Tianfang said in a deep voice, "This person is unlikely to relinquish power so easily. Moreover, he is obsessed with officialdom and is very adept at scheming. Taking away his official position would be more painful than killing him. However, he has a large network of connections in the Hongzhou government. If we cannot take him down, it will be extremely difficult for us to control the Hongzhou government."

Gu Guanqi said, "I understand. Cao Yu is the biggest obstacle right now."

Zhao Tianfang said, "This is only what's on the surface. In reality, Hongzhou is so big that various forces are deeply intertwined, and there are also many forces lying in wait in the shadows. However, the Hanyue Sect is powerful and has been suppressing them, so those forces dare not show their faces."

Now that the Hanyue Sect has fallen, it's a golden opportunity for them. Those dormant forces will inevitably seize this chance to expand.

Gu Guanqi chuckled lightly, "They're afraid of the Hanyue Sect, but not of me?"

Zhao Tianfang said, "It's different. The Hanyue Sect is deeply rooted and has a tight grip on its forces. Although Alliance Leader Gu has now conquered the Hanyue Sect, your forces have only just entered Hongzhou and your grassroots foundation is almost negligible. Naturally, they wouldn't dare to openly provoke you, but it would be difficult to guard against their covert development."

Gu Guanqi thought about it and realized that Zhao Tianfang's point was indeed true. For example, some local aristocratic families could take advantage of the current major reshuffle in the Hongzhou martial arts and government to send their people out and easily form a network of relationships.

However, this didn't matter to Gu Guanqi.

Just like Qingzhou and Yunzhou, his martial arts alliance was also formed by a combination of various forces.

He didn't mind his subordinates forming cliques; it was inevitable. Wherever there's a group, there are close and distant relationships, even in the imperial court. As long as those people acted within the rules he set, it was fine.

However, if anyone dares to challenge his bottom line and rules, they'll have to see if his sword is sharp enough!

Gu Guanqi said, "As the saying goes, when a whale falls, all things are born. Now that the Hanyue Sect has fallen, it is natural that many small forces will take advantage of the situation and rise up. This is normal. As long as they act within my rules, it doesn't matter."

For example, now that I'm in control of the government, my first rule is to enforce the law. If anyone still relies on their background to collude with bandits, like they did back in the days of the Han Yue Sect, then there's no room for leniency.

Gu Guanqi's biggest annoyance with Hongzhou was that the Hanyue Sect was far too arrogant. So arrogant that people with Hanyue Sect backgrounds dared to kill people in public, and the government blatantly distorted the truth.

Zhao Tianfang quickly said, "Alliance Leader Gu, rest assured. The reason why this situation has occurred in Hongzhou is mainly because the power of the Hanyue Sect is too great, and the upper echelons themselves are not clean. Now that you have arrived, the martial arts world and the government of Hongzhou will undergo a major purge. No force can cover up the truth all by itself. As long as we crack down for a period of time, this situation will soon be brought under control."

"We've already taken down the Hanyue Sect and the Commandant's Office, so there's no need to worry about other forces," Gu Guanqi said.

Zhao Tianfang said, "Besides the forces in the open, we need to be even more wary of the hidden demonic forces. I'm afraid these forces will take the opportunity to cause trouble and muddy the waters even more."

"For example, the Heavenly Principle Sect?" Gu Guanqi said.

"Yes," Zhao Tianfang said, "This is the most typical example. Wasn't Yang Shu, the former deputy leader of the Heavenly God Sect, colluding with the Heavenly Principle Sect? Not only the Heavenly Principle Sect, but the Six Paths Demonic Sect also has branches in almost every place, just with varying strengths."

"I wonder just how strong those demonic forces hidden within Hongzhou really are. But since they dared to collude with Yang Shu to attack the Hanyue Sect, their strength must be considerable."

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "Your Highness, I hope you will keep a close eye on this matter."

Gu Guanqi was aware of what Zhao Tianfang had said. Not only in Hongzhou, but also in Qingzhou and Yunzhou, the Six Paths Demonic Sect was frequently seen. However, those forces were very well hidden and almost never made a move. Therefore, the martial arts alliances of Qingzhou and Yunzhou were unable to find any useful clues, but it was certain that there were traces of the demonic path.

Zhao Tianfang said, "After this matter is over, I will definitely investigate the Heavenly Principle Sect thoroughly."

The battle at Mount Futu quickly spread throughout the martial arts world, causing a great sensation.

The mighty Hanyue Sect, one of the eight major sects, collapsed so abruptly.

Before this, no one dared to imagine that the final result would be that the Hanyue Sect would lose, and that Qi Tianyang, the undisputed number one expert in Hongzhou, and Gong Juan, the number two expert, would be killed by Gu Guanqi even when they joined forces.

Eight thousand elite soldiers and nearly ten thousand martial arts practitioners went to besiege them, but in the end they suffered a crushing defeat.

When this result was released, it left countless people speechless.

-

That's the mighty Hanyue Sect, one of the eight major sects!

The Hanyue Sect, which was equivalent to a regional lord, actually collapsed just like that!

The name of the Sword Immortal Gu Guanqi officially began to spread throughout the entire Jianghu of the Qian Kingdom.

Of course, the most sensational place was Hongzhou.

People elsewhere were merely shocked, but the various forces in Hongzhou were in a state of panic, especially those related to the region. They were all terrified, knowing that a new era was about to begin in Hongzhou, but no one could say for sure whether this new era would be good or bad, high or low.

Suddenly, undercurrents surged.

Hongzhou City, a courtyard house hidden at the end of an old alley.

The courtyard was small, with blue bricks and gray tiles. Several strings of dried herbs hung from the eaves, swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the room was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp burning on the table, its flame flickering in the breeze seeping through the window cracks.

Yang Shu sat cross-legged on the bed, his palms overlapping in front of his dantian, and was circulating his internal energy to regulate his breathing.

His face was still somewhat pale, because the injuries he sustained when he escaped from the Heavenly God Gate had not yet healed. Now, with each cycle of his internal energy, the old wound in his chest would ache faintly.

His brows were furrowed, and he seemed unsettled.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, followed by knocking on the door, and then a joyful voice cried out, "Master! Master! Good news! Fantastic good news!"

Yang Shu suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening.

He recognized the voice—it was his eldest disciple, Pan Hongshan.

When he defected from the Heavenly God Sect, it was Pan Hongshan who secretly helped him and made arrangements for his escape, which allowed him to get away smoothly. Afterwards, the two of them fled to Hongzhou City to hide.

"Come in," he said in a hoarse voice.

The door was pushed open, and Pan Hongshan stepped across the threshold with a beaming smile, saying, "Master! Great news! I just received news that Gu Guanqi won the battle at Futu Mountain! Qi Tianyang, Gong Kun, and Fan Tianyao have all been killed! The Hanyue Sect—has fallen!"

Yang Shu's eyes were filled with shock as he said, "How is this possible?"

Pan Hongshan continued, "Furthermore, Gu Guanqi, in the name of the Martial Alliance, vindicated our Heavenly God Sect, proclaiming to the martial arts world of Hongzhou that the dirty water that the Hanyue Sect had previously smeared us had been washed away, and our Heavenly God Sect has finally cleared its name."

Furthermore, Gu Guanqi appointed our young sect leader, Fang Cunxin, as the vice leader of the Hongzhou Martial Arts Alliance. He also found a new mountain gate for our Heavenly God Sect to rebuild the sect and officially establish it! Master! Our Heavenly God Sect can finally see the light of day again in all its glory!

After he finished speaking, he looked at Yang Shu with anticipation, waiting for his master to share in his joy.

But Yang Shu did not react.

He sat there, his expression frozen. The fatigue and dejection he had felt while practicing his internal energy gradually faded away, replaced by a complex expression. There was no joy in his expression, but rather a mixture of shock, disbelief, and a growing anger.

"How could this be? Why is this happening?" Yang Shu asked in a panic. "No, no, this shouldn't be happening! It's fake, it must be fake!"

Pan Hongshan was taken aback by Yang Shu's reaction and said, "Master, it's true—absolutely true! It's all over the martial arts world now, everyone's talking about it—"

"On what grounds?"

Yang Shu's voice suddenly rose, the three words seeming to be forced out from the depths of his throat, carrying a suppressed hysteria.

Pan Hongshan was startled and asked in confusion, "Master, isn't this a good thing? Isn't what we've been pursuing the restoration of the Heavenly God Sect? Now that the Heavenly God Sect has been restored, why aren't you happy?"

"I want to restore the Heavenly God Sect, but the Heavenly God Sect shouldn't be restored!"

Yang Shu abruptly stood up from the bed, his bare feet stepping onto the cold blue brick floor. His fists clenched, he said in a deep voice, "What makes them think they can restore the Heavenly God Sect? That coward Liu Changgeng, he's spent his whole life hiding in the village, he can't even shake off the name of the Heavenly Demon Sect! And that young girl Fang Cunxin, how long has she been in the Heavenly God Sect? What has she done?"

He spoke faster and faster, more and more agitated, veins bulging on his forehead, his entire face flushed red: "It is I who should restore the Heavenly God Sect! I have done so much, I have worked my whole life to restore the Heavenly God Sect, I have used any means necessary, why did I defect? ​​It was for the restoration of the Heavenly God Sect! It was me who did it! It was me! It is I who should restore the Heavenly God Sect!"

Pan Hongshan was so frightened by Yang Shu's appearance that he stumbled backward, his lower back hitting the edge of the table, causing the oil lamp on the table to flicker. He quickly steadied himself and stammered, "Master—Master, please don't get agitated. It's a good thing that things have succeeded. No matter who did it, the Heavenly God Sect has been restored, and your wish has been fulfilled—"

"My wish?" Yang Shu turned his head abruptly, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring intently at Pan Hongshan. "What do you know? Do you even understand my wish?"

His voice suddenly lowered, so low it sounded like it was being squeezed out between his teeth: "Do you know how much suffering I've endured all these years? How much humiliation I've swallowed? I carried the entire burden of the Heavenly God Sect on my shoulders, and what was the result? They restored the Heavenly God Sect, but I became the sinner!"

Pan Hongshan cautiously began, "Master—if things succeed, doesn't it all matter who did it? Sometimes hard work isn't enough; opportunity is everything."

Are you mocking me? Do you also think I'm a clown jumping around like this?

Yang Shu's voice suddenly turned cold, and the fierce look in his eyes made Pan Hongshan freeze. He quickly said:

'

No—no, Master, this disciple had absolutely no such intention—

Yang Shu screamed hysterically, "No, no! No one but me can restore the Heavenly God Sect! I won't allow it!" His eyes were bloodshot as he said viciously, "I'm going to find the Heavenly Principle Sect. I'll agree to their demands. I'm going to kill Gu Guanqi, kill Liu Changgeng! No one but me can restore the Heavenly God Sect! Only I can restore the Heavenly God Sect in this world!"

Pan Hongshan exclaimed in surprise, "Master, you can't do this! You're doing this—"

Before Pan Hongshan could finish speaking, Yang Shu suddenly made his move.

The withered hand shot out instantly, its five fingers gripping Pan Hongshan's neck like iron pincers. Pan Hongshan didn't even have time to utter a cry of alarm before the grip tightened abruptly.

"Click—"

'

A very faint, crisp sound of bone cracking rang out in the silent room.

Pan Hongshan's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes widened, his mouth slightly open, and the light in his eyes was fading at an extremely rapid pace.

Yang Shu released his grip.

Pan Hongshan's body slumped to the ground, lifeless.

"No one can stop me. I said, only I can restore the Heavenly God Sect! I will let everyone know that I am right, and those old fogies of the Heavenly God Sect, Liu Changgeng and the others are wrong!"

The room suddenly fell silent, with only the occasional crackling sound of the oil lamp flame.

Yang Shu looked down at the corpse on the ground, then turned and walked to the corner of the wall. He reached out and pried out a brick, revealing a hole in the wall. He then reached in and took out a palm-sized jade box.

"The softest dragon scale spider silk in the world, combined with the indestructible Qilin Tears of the Heavenly Principle Sect, Gu Guanqi, you're not dead yet!"

Yang Shu immediately went out.

Dusk crept in from the edge of the city wall, shrouding the entire city of Hongzhou in a dim, dark red hue.

Pedestrians gradually thinned out in the streets and alleys, and shops closed one after another. Only a few taverns still had dim lanterns lit up outside, swaying lazily in the evening breeze.

Yang Shu walked briskly along the long street for a while before turning into a narrow alley, and then, after many twists and turns, arrived at the outside of a manor with blue bricks and gray tiles.

The courtyard walls stood tall, and two lanterns at the entrance swayed slightly in the night breeze.

Yang Shu stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker twice.

The iron ring struck the wooden door with a dull thud.

A moment later, a rustling sound came from behind the door, and then a thin face peeked out from the crack in the door. The triangular eyes scanned Yang Shu twice before asking, "Who are you looking for?"

"Tell the Pig King that Yang Shu from the Heavenly God Sect has come to visit."

-

The man with the triangular eyes glanced at Yang Shu again, said nothing, closed the door, and walked into the courtyard.

Yang Shu stood outside the door waiting.

Not long after, a round, fat middle-aged man came out of the door.

The man was about fifty years old and extremely obese. His round belly stretched his brocade robe tightly, and he was slowly and deliberately turning a string of shiny walnuts in his hand.

His face was also round and chubby, with several layers of double chin. His eyes were squeezed into slits by the flesh on his face, but he had a smile on his lips, which made him look rather adorable.

This person is none other than Pig King, one of the four great Dharma Kings of the Heavenly Principle Sect, and also the leader of the Heavenly Principle Sect's hidden force in Hongzhou.

Upon seeing Yang Shu, the Pig King's squinty eyes brightened slightly, and he greeted him with a smile, bowing respectfully, "A rare guest indeed, Sect Leader Yang! What brings you here?"

He spoke politely, but his tone carried a hint of mockery as he continued, "The Heavenly Demon Sect has been making quite a splash lately, hasn't it? They've cleared their name and established themselves as a legitimate sect. Tsk tsk tsk, congratulations! The Heavenly Demon Sect has reformed!"

Yang Shu stood at the door, expressionless, his voice cold and hard: "Pig King, I don't believe you don't know that I defected from the Heavenly God Sect, so stop mocking me with these sarcastic remarks."

The Pig King smiled and didn't take Yang Shu's words to heart.

Yang Shu said angrily, "I came here today to give you what you asked for. If this is your attitude, then there's no point in us talking."

Pig King quickly said, "No, no, no, Sect Leader Yang, we're so familiar with each other, can't we even take a joke? Right? We're all on the same side!"

As he spoke, the Pig King grinned, a smile that wasn't mocking but rather somewhat憨厚 (honest and simple), and asked, "You brought the dragon scale spider silk?"

"That's right," Yang Shu said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be qualified to come and cooperate with you now."

The Pig King quickly replied, "Sect Leader Yang, please don't say that. Who are you? If you are willing to condescend to cooperate with us, you can come to me anytime. I would be more than happy to oblige!"

Yang Shu said, "Without the identity of the Heavenly God Sect and without Dragon Scale Spider Silk, I'm afraid I wouldn't even get to see you, Pig King, if I came to discuss cooperation."

The Pig King chuckled憨厚ly, his eyes narrowed to slits by his fat, and said repeatedly, "Sect Leader Yang, you jest. However, I have some doubts. Before, when I asked you to give me this to help me kill Qi Tianyang, you hesitated, saying the time wasn't right and you had to wait for the best opportunity. Now that Qi Tianyang has been killed by that Gu Guanqi, and your Heavenly God Sect has been restored, why are you willing to give it to me now?"

Yang Shu paused for a moment, the twilight falling on his face, clearly illuminating the gloom in his eyes, and said, "Given the current situation in Hongzhou, your Heavenly Principles Sect must want to take advantage of the situation. But doing so is like picking Gu Guanqi's peach, and you will inevitably clash with Gu Guanqi. Just in time, I want to kill Gu Guanqi."

Upon hearing this, the Pig King was slightly taken aback and said, "That's strange. Haven't you always wanted to restore the Heavenly God Gate?"

Now that Gu Guanqi has helped your Heavenly God Sect regain its reputation and re-establish itself as a sect, why do you want to kill him instead?

Yang Shu said in a deep voice, "I can restore the Heavenly God Sect myself, why do I need to rely on others?"

The Pig King burst out laughing.

The laughter was thick and short, as if he had choked on something. He shook his head as he laughed, his round belly jiggling with each laugh. He said, "Sect Leader Yang, you've really opened my eyes! But thinking about it, I can understand you. You've worked hard for half your life to restore the Heavenly God Sect, only to end up defecting and leaving."

I was originally hoping you would work hard to restore the Heavenly God Sect, then return and prove yourself to the world, showing everyone that you were right. But Liu Changgeng and the others did nothing; they just managed to get on Gu Guanqi's side at the last minute thanks to a female disciple, making you a complete laughingstock!

He took a half step forward, lowered his voice, and said with undisguised mockery, "He deserves to die. Gu Guanqi definitely deserves to die. He's indeed more hated by you than the Hanyue Sect!"

Yang Shu's expression remained unchanged as he coldly said, "Stop talking nonsense. I know myself well. Just tell me if you're willing to cooperate or not."

The Pig King's smile vanished, replaced by a grin. "Of course we'll cooperate. To be honest, you guessed right, we were planning to kill Gu Guanqi anyway. Now that you've brought the Dragon Scale Spider Silk, our chances of success are much higher."

Yang Shu said, "If your leader comes, I think we'll have a better chance of winning."

Upon hearing this, the Pig King waved his hand and said, "There's no need for him to take action personally."

Yang Shu asked, "Is it unnecessary, or are you unable to come?"

The Pig King chuckled, "It's not important. I'm enough here. I've already set up a killing formation for Gu Guanqi, and with my Qilin Tear, I'm 80% sure of killing him. Now that your Dragon Scale Spider Silk has arrived, I'm 100% sure."

Yang Shu raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is the Qilin Tear really that powerful? You should know that even Qi Tianyang and Gong Juan, working together, were killed by Gu Guanqi!"

The Pig King's lips curled slightly as he said, "The Qilin Tear is one of the five strongest hidden weapons in the world. It was forged three hundred years ago by the peerless master weapon refiner Gongshu Yu. It is only a few inches long, but it contains 1,008 Yama Needles, each of which has been specially tempered, making it indestructible and extremely poisonous. Once the mechanism is activated, it can travel a hundred feet in an instant, and no one can avoid it."

Moreover, its greatest strength lies not in this, but in the fact that hidden within the Qilin Tear is a drop of the legendary divine beast Qilin's essence blood, containing the most violent energy in the world. When activated by the Qilin's blood, the Yama Needle can easily pierce through even city walls.

While your Dragon Scale Spider Silk may not possess the profound mystery of the Qilin Tear, it is the silk spun by the highly venomous beast, the Dragon Scale Demon Spider. It is the softest material in the world, yet incredibly resilient, unbreakable even by divine weapons. It is the most suitable material in the world for making traps. Once entangled by the Dragon Scale Spider Silk, Gu Guanqi will have no chance of escape. At that moment, I will release the Qilin Tear, and even if he were a god, he would die there.

The original plan was to use it to kill Qi Tianyang, but I haven't found an opportunity. I need to set up a killing formation to be confident in dealing with him, but I can't predict where Qi Tianyang will stay, so I can't set up the killing formation.

Yang Shu then asked, "So you can predict Gu Guanqi's whereabouts now?"

"Of course," said the Pig King. "Right now, Gu Guanqi and Zhao Tianfang are on their way to Hongzhou City. I don't know where they will stay, but there is one place they will definitely go."

Yang Shu asked, "The prefectural government office?"

The Pig King nodded.

Yang Shu asked, "Is someone in the prefectural government cooperating with you?"

"Of course," said the Pig King, "otherwise, setting up a killing formation isn't that easy. It needs to be effective, yet it can't be exposed. Without help and cooperation, it's impossible to set it up. The killing formation I set up is specifically designed to work in conjunction with the Qilin Tear. Once Gu Guanqi enters the formation, he will undoubtedly die!"

Having said that, the Pig King looked at Yang Shu and said, "Sect Leader Yang, you can give me the item now. Also, just to be on the safe side, you'll have to stay here for the time being until we kill Gu Guanqi. You should understand, right?"

Yang Shu nodded and said, "I understand. After all, we are dealing with Gu Guanqi. If word gets out and he doesn't enter the killing formation, then there will be no chance to kill him. Don't worry, I will cooperate and will not leave without permission."

As he spoke, Yang Shu took out a jade box from his sleeve and handed it to the Pig King, saying, "This contains the Dragon Scale Spider Silk."

The Pig King quickly took the jade box, exclaiming with delight, "With this, my chances of killing Gu Guanqi are now absolutely certain!"