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

Chapter 171 Night Raid

Inside the inn, Ah Feng, Murong Qing, and the others were awakened by the sound of horses' hooves as the group entered the town.

At this moment, the doors were pushed open one after another, and ten hired experts, each holding their own weapons, rushed into the front hall. Then, Gu Guanqi also came out.

Ah Feng walked in front and pushed open the inn's door.

A cold wind carrying fine snowflakes rushed in, while the firelight from outside the courtyard rushed towards us.

On the cobblestone street outside the inn, a dark mass of riders stretched out, torches leaping among the gleaming blades, illuminating the entire street. There were at least seventy or eighty riders, each with weapons at their waist and fierce expressions.

The leader was a bald, burly man with a round head and a broad face full of menacing features. He rode a black horse, holding a large iron rod, and looked down at the entrance of the inn.

Ah Feng adjusted her cloak, a gentle smile on her face, and bowed slightly, asking, "May I ask which chieftain of Cangmang Mountain has invited you?"

"Oh, what a beauty!" The bald, burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and asked, "Beautiful lady, who are you?"

Ah Feng said, "My master is the head of the Hua family, and I am his steward."

"Tsk tsk tsk, the Hua family head is truly blessed," the bald, burly man remarked. "He has a steward to do the work, and when he's not busy, he can even have some beautiful women as his steward!"

"Hahaha!"

"What good fortune!"

""

The bandits behind him burst into laughter.

Ah Feng remained unfazed and said, "Are you here to joke?"

The bald, burly man waved his hand, and the bandits quieted down. Then, he said in a gruff voice, "Beautiful lady, go tell your master that our chief of Cangmang Mountain has invited him to be a guest!"

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Ah Feng shook her head slightly and cupped her hands, saying, "That's unfortunate. Our patriarch is tied up with important matters and really can't spare the time to visit. We can only decline the chief's kind offer."

As she spoke, she waved her hand, and then two sedan chair bearers carried a heavy box to the threshold.

The lid of the box was lifted, and the firelight reflected off the silver ingots and gold bars that filled the box, making them gleam with a white and golden light.

Ah Feng pointed to the box of gold and silver, her tone becoming increasingly respectful: "This is a small gift prepared by my master for the head of the household. It is of little importance. Please pass it on to him. My master will personally pay him a visit after he has finished his business."

The bald, burly man's gaze lingered for a moment on the chest full of gold and silver, then he sneered and said, "It seems the Hua family isn't planning on giving our chief chief any face?"

He twisted his neck and looked at Ah Feng, saying, "Beautiful lady, you should go and have a good talk with your master. You should know that in this vast mountain region, no one dares to disrespect our chief chief."

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Ah Feng's tone remained gentle as she said, "Sir, it's not that the Hua family is being disrespectful, it's just that the family head is too busy!"

'

The bald, burly man shook his head and said, "Looks like you're going to have to suffer the consequences. Beautiful lady, you'd better step aside a bit, or I'll be heartbroken if you get hurt in the fight!"

Ah Feng frowned slightly, stopped wasting words with the bald, burly man, and turned to Gu Guanqi, Murong Qing, and the others, cupping her hands in greeting, "Gentlemen, I beg you!"

Just then, the bald, burly man suddenly spoke up again: "I heard you invited some Three-State Alliance Leader, Gu Guanqi, this time. Get out here and let grandpa see what kind of crap he looks like—"

'

"Noisy."

Gu Guanqi hadn't expected that he would be involved, so he immediately snorted coldly, raised his right hand, and struck out with his palm.

The force of the palm strike shot through the air.

The bald, burly man had no idea what was happening; he only felt a tightness in his chest, as if he had been hit head-on by a mountain.

His chest cavity emitted a series of crisp cracking sounds, like dry firewood breaking, as his ribs, sternum, and other bones shattered instantly under that palm strike.

He was thrown off the saddle and flew backward, his body tumbling twice in mid-air before crashing onto the bluestone street more than ten steps away with a dull thud. He then lay on the ground like a lump of mud.

His limbs were curled up at an eerie angle, his neck was twisted, his face was blurred, and blood gushed from his mouth, nose, ear canals, and between the pieces of flesh, quickly spreading a dark red patch on the snow. He was already lifeless.

For a moment, everyone was shocked. Not only the bandits, but also Gu Guanqi's side were shocked because they had not seen how Gu Guanqi made his move.

"Fine, leave it all to me!"

Gu Guanqi said something, and while everyone was still in shock, he drew his sword.

Then he swung three swords in succession.

The first sword strike, its light rippling like water, swept across the ground. Wherever the sword energy passed, the snow on the ground was swept up, like a white carpet overturned by an invisible hand, carrying snow and mud as it surged towards the hundred or so fierce bandits.

The second sword followed immediately, its energy rising several feet high and sweeping across the air. Those bandits who hadn't yet been swallowed by the snow waves only saw a flash of cold light before their eyes, and their chests, waists, abdomens, shoulders, and necks were simultaneously covered in dense lines of blood. Their iron armor shattered like paper, and blood splattered like rain.

With his third strike, Gu Guanqi simply pressed the Autumn Water Sword down slightly.

Before the sword energy even left its blade, an invisible pressure had already descended. The horses at the very front simultaneously broke their forelegs, collapsing to their knees and throwing their riders off. The riders rolled several times on the snow, never to rise again.

After the three sword strikes, the streets were in complete disarray.

Fifty or sixty riders and horses lay scattered across the snow and mud, their blood staining the bluestone pavement a dark red, starkly contrasting against the snow.

Some of the horses were still alive, but they were startled and scattered in all directions, trampling over the broken limbs and blades.

The remaining thirty or so riders were lucky enough to escape being killed by the sword energy, but they were all more or less injured, their faces were pale, and their hands holding the reins were trembling. They were terrified.

No one dared to look back, no one dared to glance at them. They just squeezed their horses' bellies tightly and galloped wildly toward the edge of town. The sound of hooves was chaotic and rapid in the night, and soon disappeared into the darkness.

Gu Guanqi stood at the entrance of the inn and said calmly, "Go back and tell your chief that I, Gu Guanqi, will escort Patriarch Hua. If he dares to do anything like this again, he will be killed without mercy."

The night wind, carrying snowflakes, swept in from the end of the street, propelling his voice far. The distant sound of fleeing hooves seemed to quicken, before fading away completely.

The inn was deathly silent.

Everyone stared at Gu Guanqi in shock.

They all knew that Gu Guanqi's martial arts skills must be very high, but this understanding was vague and they didn't have a concrete concept of it.

Now, Gu Guanqi's seemingly casual sword strikes in front of them made them feel an unimaginable power.

At this moment, everyone in the inn was deeply shocked.

Ah Feng was the first to recover. She quickly straightened her slightly disheveled cloak, walked up to Gu Guanqi, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Alliance Leader Gu!"

Gu Guanqi sheathed his sword, waved his hand, and said, "No need to thank me. I was entrusted with this task, so I had to do my duty. Alright, everyone go and rest. We still have a long journey ahead tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned around, stepped over the threshold, and walked towards the backyard of the inn.

Everyone watched Gu Guanqi disappear behind the curtain before turning their attention away. No one said anything more, and they all returned to their rooms.

At that moment, the town suddenly became noisy.

The band of thieves who just entered the town alarmed many people, and many of them were secretly watching from a distance and are now discussing it.

Just across from the inn where Gu Guanqi and his group were staying, in a room on the second floor of a restaurant facing the street, two carved wooden windows were half-open, and an oil lamp was lit inside.

Two figures stood by the window, gazing at the still-lingering blood and devastation on the street.

Standing on the left was an extremely burly man, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with shoulders so wide they almost filled half the window frame. He wore a heavy black leather armor with black fur trim at the collar, and a pair of bronze hammers, each the size of a large bowl, hung at his waist.

This person is Tie Baitong, the chieftain of Tianlong Village in Cangmang Gansan Village.

Standing next to Tie Baitong was another middle-aged man, whose figure was completely different. He was as thin as a bamboo pole, wearing a short jacket, with a pair of judge's pens hanging from his waist, and his face was sallow.

This person is Zeng Yucai, the chieftain of Golden Monkey Village.

At this moment, both of them were deathly pale.

Tie Baitong leaned against the window, his burly body trembling slightly. He took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat that had appeared on his forehead, and his voice trembled with relief: "Brother Zeng, luckily you were careful and suggested that we check Gu Guanqi's strength from behind first. Otherwise, we would probably be dead by now!"

'

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance down at the blood-stained street below. The firelight reflected on the dark red area, making his eyelids twitch.

Zeng Yucai sat back down at the table, picked up his teacup, and took a large gulp to suppress the surging fear in his heart. He said, "No wonder the boss wanted us to find a way to test Gu Guanqi's strength first. This person's cultivation is truly terrifying! Shall we go back and tell the boss that we shouldn't do this deal?"

Tie Baitong turned around and said, "But that's Hua Zhongjun! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Hua family is incredibly wealthy, and Hua Zhongjun is seriously injured and at his weakest. If we can rob him, the money we can get will be enough for us to spend for several lifetimes!"

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Zeng Yucai shook his head and said, "But Gu Guanqi is too strong. Does he even look human? Just three sword strikes, and more than half of the hundred or so people are dead. You have to be alive before you can talk about money!"

Tie Baitong was silent for a moment, glanced downstairs at the corpses lying haphazardly on the street, starkly contrasting against the snow. He took a deep breath and said, "You're right, money is important, but you need to be alive to spend it. However, there's no point in us talking here. Let's go tell the Boss. If he insists on kidnapping Hua Zhongjun, we'll find a reason to back out!"

"Yes," Zeng Yucai stood up and said, "Let's go, let's leave here first and gather back the survivors, otherwise, if our men come running to us like idiots and expose us, it will be troublesome!"

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Tie Baitong nodded, opened the window, and jumped out, with Zeng Yucai following closely behind.

Both of them were skilled in light-footed techniques, landing silently.

Then, the two quickly ran out of town under the cover of night.

However, they did not notice that in the shadows on the side of the inn's roof, Gu Guanqi was standing on the snow-covered tiles.

A night breeze swept in from the town entrance, ruffling Gu Guanqi's robes and long hair. He murmured, "There really has been an unexpected gain!"

He had felt something was off when the bald, burly man deliberately called his name.

The man's tone didn't suggest he knew his reputation, yet he specifically challenged him, leading the man to suspect he might have been instructed by someone to test him.

If the guess is correct, then the other party should be in the town.

So he stood in the shadows of the inn, hoping to try his luck.

There was another person who shared the same idea as Gu Guanqi, and that was the swordsman Murong Qing.

At this moment, Murong Qing was also standing in the shadow of a rooftop, carefully scanning every part of the town.

"there."

Gu Guanqi gave a reminder, then leaped away with a light step, transforming into a gust of wind and snow.

"What amazing light-footed skill!"

Murong Qing sighed in admiration and quickly followed after them.

At this moment, in the small town.

The night was dark, but the town was covered in white snow, making the faint moonlight appear very bright.

Tie Baitong and Zeng Yucai quickly rushed out of the town.

Just as they reached the town entrance, the two suddenly heard a calm voice above them: "Where are you two going in such a hurry?"

"6

The two of them froze, then suddenly looked up.

Under the moonlight, on a rooftop with green tiles by the street, a figure in white stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering slightly in the night breeze.

He moved, his long sword still sheathed at his waist, his posture relaxed, like an immortal wandering in the night.

It was Gu Guanqi.

Tie Baitong felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

He had just witnessed the power of those three swords, and now that he was blocked by the main culprit, he had no will to resist. His usually fierce and domineering face was now as pale as paper, his lips trembling, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Zeng Yucai, being more quick-witted, swiftly suppressed the surging fear in his heart, feigning ignorance as he cupped his hands and said, "Who are you? Surely we don't need to explain to you where we are going?"

He feigned composure, his tone carrying the wariness and dissatisfaction typical of those in the martial arts world, as if they were truly just two ordinary passersby.

Gu Guanqi looked down at him, his tone still calm: "Then I don't need to explain if I want to kill the two of you now, right?"

'

Zeng Yucai's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly cupped his hands and said, "Great hero, we have no grudges against each other in the past or present, why do you want to kill us?"

'

"I'll give you a chance," Gu Guanqi said. "Tell me your identities honestly, and I'll consider whether or not to give you a chance to live."

Zeng Yucai was overjoyed, immediately realizing that Gu Guanqi didn't recognize them. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Great hero, my brother and I are government spies. Our specific mission involves classified information, so we cannot—"

"Dishonest."

"6

Gu Guanqi interrupted him, his tone still calm, "Then go die."

Before he finished speaking, he had already raised his right hand.

When that palm strike was delivered, before the wind from the palm had even left his hand, Zeng Yucai already felt an invisible pressure descend like a mountain, causing his back to bend and his breathing to stop.

He wanted to beg for mercy, but it was as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word. He wanted to back away, but his legs were frozen in place, as if nailed to the bluestone pavement.

Just when he thought he was doomed, he heard, "Alliance Leader Gu, show mercy!"

A voice came urgently from the other end of the long street.

Gu Guanqi's palm paused slightly, the force of his palm freezing in mid-air for a moment before silently retracting like a tide.

The oppressive feeling of death that had been hanging over Zeng Yucai suddenly dissipated. As if his spine had been removed, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

Tie Baitong was in slightly better condition. Gu Guanqi's palm strike hadn't hit him, but he was still so frightened that his knees buckled and he almost knelt down. He barely managed to steady himself by leaning against the wall.

At the end of the long street, a figure was rushing towards them—it was Murong Qing. He held a long sword and walked hurriedly, quickly arriving in front of them.

Gu Guanqi gracefully descended from the rooftop and said, "What advice does Hero Murong have for me?"

Murong Qing quickly cupped his hands and said, "I dare not accept such praise. Thank you for your mercy, Hero Gu. However, I am not here to save these two, but rather to try and get some information from them."

"Do you know them?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Murong Qing nodded and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, the fat one is Tie Baitong, the leader of Tianlong Village, and the thin one is Zeng Yucai, the leader of Jinhou Village."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "No wonder you dare not reveal your identities. It seems you also know that you are guilty of grave sins."

Zeng Yucai and Tie Baitong exchanged a glance, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in their eyes. They immediately gripped their weapons, ready to fight to the death.

However, at that moment, Gu Guanqi pointed out with two fingers from a distance, and two streams of extremely cold true energy instantly struck Zeng Yucai and Tie Baitong's dantian, freezing their dantian instantly.

The two had just prepared to move when they felt weak all over and collapsed.

Gu Guanqi calmly said, "Answer the questions honestly, otherwise, this extremely cold true energy will start from your dantian and gradually freeze your eight extraordinary meridians and then your internal organs. You will not die, but you will suffer unbearable pain and be unable to live or die."

Zeng Yucai's face turned ashen. He said, "If we answer honestly, will you spare our lives?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Cooperate well, and I will consider it accordingly."

Zeng Yucai opened his mouth, but didn't say anything more.

Then, Murong Qing asked, "Have either of you seen the leader's true face?"

Zeng Yucai shook his head and said, "In the entire Cangmang Thirteen Villages, perhaps only Zhu Yeqing, the chief of Changshe Village, has seen the true face of the chief, because the two of them have an affair, and Zhu Yeqing often stays overnight at the main village."

No one else had ever seen the leader's face; he had worn that lion-head mask ever since he arrived at Cangmang Mountain twelve years ago.

Gu Guanqi asked doubtfully, "Doesn't that mean whoever wears that lion head mask and appears at the main stronghold is the leader? Aren't you afraid someone will impersonate him?"

Zeng Yucai chuckled sheepishly and said, "We're bandits, after all. Might makes right. If an imposter can show up at the main stronghold wearing a mask, then it doesn't matter who he is!"

Gu Guanqi thought about it and realized that it made perfect sense.

To be able to appear in the main village wearing a lion head mask, one must either be genuine or even stronger than the real thing, which would make one even more genuine.

Murong Qing then asked, "Is there any clandestine exchange of benefits between your Cangmang Mountain and the Tianhu Hua family?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback, and Zeng Yucai and Tie Baitong were also quite surprised.

Zeng Yucai said, "If our Cangmang Mountain has any dealings with the Hua family, then why would we bother to kidnap Hua Zhongjun? Shouldn't we be escorting him back properly?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Murong Qing with some confusion.

Murong Qing remained expressionless and said, "I'm also very curious. Does your Cangmang Mountain really dare to abduct Hua Zhongjun? He is the head of the Hua family of Tianhu, a family whose wealth rivals that of a nation. He himself is a renowned Grandmaster in Tianzhou. Aren't you afraid of getting burned by abducting him?"

Zeng Yucai said, "This is an order from the chief. The chief only said that Hua Zhongjun has suffered a qi deviation during his cultivation and is now powerless to fight, so it will be easy to capture him. As for the Hua family's retaliation, he will handle it himself, so we don't need to worry about it."

Murong Qing's pupils contracted slightly, and she asked again, "Does your leader have a red flower-shaped birthmark on his right wrist?"

"No, I don't think so," Zeng Yucai thought for a moment and said, "When the boss appears, he's almost always wearing gloves. I don't remember it very well, but I think he doesn't have them—"

"Yes," Tie Baitong said at that moment. "Yes, I'm sure of it. In the middle of last year, I went to deliver the quarterly offerings and stayed at the main village to eat with the chief. At that time, an assassin disguised himself as a servant and tried to assassinate the chief."

The leader crushed the assassin's neck, and the assassin spat blood onto his gloves. The leader went outside to wash his hands, taking off his gloves as he went. I noticed a birthmark on his wrist, but it wasn't red; it was bluish-green, like a plum blossom!

Murong Qing's face turned ashen. "It really was him!" she exclaimed.

Tie Baitong asked, "Do you—do you have any other questions? Gu—Alliance Leader, can we live?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Murong Qing and asked, "Does Hero Murong have any further questions?"

Murong Qing shook her head and said, "That's all."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, then flicked his wrist, sending two streams of true energy flying out.

In an instant, both Zeng Yucai and Tie Baitong had bloody holes on their foreheads, and they lost their lives and collapsed to the ground.

"Master Murong, do you know something?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Murong Qing pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Hero Gu, I can now confirm that the mysterious leader of Cangmang Mountain should be Hua Manshan, the second master of the Hua family of Tianhu."

Gu Guanqi asked, "What is the relationship between Hua Manshan and Hua Zhongjun?"

"They are half-brothers," Murong Qing said. "However, Hua Zhongjun was born to the principal wife, while Hua Manshan was born to a courtesan. Their status in the Hua family has been worlds apart since childhood."

The Hua family in the past was not as large and powerful as it is now. It was just an insignificant family with limited resources. Moreover, Hua Zhongjun and Hua Manshan's father was only an ordinary middle-level member of the Hua family at that time, and they did not have enough money to support Hua Manshan.

However, Hua Manshan's talent was no less than Hua Zhongjun's, but because he did not receive proper training, he wasted his time and squandered his talent. Later, Hua Zhongjun became the restorer of the Hua family, transforming it from an insignificant family into the richest family in Tianzhou, with countless riches that rivaled those of a country. He himself was also a revered grandmaster in the martial arts world.

Hua Manshan, a man whose talent was no less than Hua Zhongjun's, ended up being neither good at literature nor martial arts. He held the title of Hua Zhongjun's younger brother, nominally the second master of the Hua family, but in reality, he had no power or influence within the family and was never invited to any important occasions.

Gu Guanqi asked疑惑地问道：“Then how did you determine that he was the leader?”

Murong Qing pondered for a while before saying, "Hero Gu, you should be able to tell from our time together these past two days that I deeply hate the bandits of Cangmang Mountain."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly.

Not only he could see this, but everyone could, because Murong Qing, who was usually quiet and reserved, would become very talkative when talking about Cangmang Mountain, and his words would reveal obvious hatred.

Murong Qing said, "I used to have a very happy family. I had a virtuous wife and two children. I ran a martial arts school. Although we weren't rich, we had enough to eat and wear, and our family was very happy."

Five years ago, I took my wife and children back to my hometown to pay respects to our ancestors. Unfortunately, we encountered the village chief leading a group of people to massacre the village. They did not allow me to explain myself and insisted that I was from that village. They said that the village did not pay tribute on time and should be massacred as an example to others.

Although I fought back with all my might, my martial arts skills were ultimately too weak. My wife and children all died tragically before my eyes. I was killed by the leader with a single palm strike. When he struck that palm, I saw a flower-shaped birthmark on his wrist. It was indeed blue, just as Tie Baitong had said. I said it was red to prevent them from lying, and it was indeed plum blossom-shaped.

I was destined to die, but luckily, a passing doctor pulled me back from the brink of death. However, my wife and children were not so fortunate.

After I survived, I was determined to take revenge, but I knew that with my talent and martial arts skills, even if I cultivated to the next life, I would never be a match for the leader, and I would never even see him.

So I started contacting people who had a deep grudge against Cangmang Mountain, and surprisingly, I managed to gather a group of people who had an irreconcilable feud with the thirteen strongholds of Cangmang Mountain. We all wanted revenge, so we got together to come up with a plan.

We tried to combine our individual martial arts skills into a powerful martial art, we tried to contact reputable sects, and we even tried to get the government to intervene. We tried any method that offered even a glimmer of hope.

Over the years, despite numerous setbacks, we've actually uncovered some secrets of the Cangmang Mountains. We frequently roam the Cangmang area, hunting down bandits coming down the mountain or those who are alone. We stumbled upon a case where someone on the Cangmang Mountains was laundering stolen valuables through the Hua family's channels. Therefore, we began investigating the Hua family.

Gu Guanqi asked, "Have you found any clues?"

Murong Qing shook her head slightly and said, "The Hua family's business is fine."

At this point, Murong Qing took a deep breath, her emotions becoming somewhat agitated, and said, "Although I didn't uncover anything about the Hua family, I've made an even greater discovery. I found that Hua Manshan, the second master of the Hua family, has a blue flower-shaped birthmark on his right wrist, exactly the same as the birthmark of the head of the family who killed my wife and children!"

Murong Qing gritted his teeth, his face contorted, and said, "I'm very excited and want to take revenge, but I'm also worried that it's just a coincidence, that I might have killed the wrong person, and that I'm no match for them and will be killed instead. If that happens, no one will avenge my wife and children."

Furthermore, we suspected that the Hua family might be protecting Cangmang Mountain behind the scenes, so we decided to investigate and find evidence. If it could be proven that the Hua family was indeed supporting Cangmang Mountain, then we could leverage their power.

"Given the Hua family's wealth, if they truly have ties to Cangmang Mountain, plenty of people would be willing to seize the opportunity to take over the Hua family's assets. Then, they could use that power to wipe out Cangmang Mountain and avenge their wrongdoing."

Gu Guanqi asked, "What if it wasn't the Hua family's doing, but rather Hua Manshan's personal action?"

"That's perfect," Murong Qing said. "Our people are currently tracing the trail through Hua Manshan. When the time comes, we'll release the evidence to the public. To protect their reputation, the Hua family will have to deal with Hua Manshan. As for what happens afterward, if the Hua family wants revenge, that doesn't matter. I'm willing to give up my life at any time as long as I can avenge my family."

"It must have been tough on you," Gu Guanqi remarked, then asked, "So, you took on the mission of escorting Hua Zhongjun this time to investigate and gather evidence?"

"Well," Murong Qing said, "Firstly, to see if we can find an opportunity to confirm whether Hua Manshan is the head of the family, and secondly, to get close to Hua Zhongjun in order to investigate whether the Hua family is colluding with Cangmang Mountain."

Gu Guanqi said, "Based on what Tie Baitong just said, we can basically confirm that the leader is Hua Manshan."

Murong Qing cupped his hands and said solemnly, "I must thank Alliance Leader Gu. If it weren't for your help today, I would have had a hard time dealing with Tie Baitong and Zeng Yucai working together on my own."

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "So what are you planning to do next?"

Murong Qing said, "Continue to follow Hua Zhongjun. Take advantage of this escort opportunity to see if we can join the Hua family as a retainer. Then we can slowly investigate whether it was Hua Manshan's personal behavior or whether the entire Hua family was involved with Cangmang Mountain."

However, it seems more likely that this was Hua Manshan's personal action. If the Hua family had ties with Cangmang Mountain, then Cangmang Mountain would have no reason to stop Hua Zhongjun from returning to the Hua family after he went into a qi deviation. On the contrary, they should have helped him.

Based on our investigation into the unfair treatment Hua Manshan and Hua Zhongjun received from the Hua family since childhood, it's reasonable for Hua Manshan to harbor resentment and want to harm Hua Zhongjun. Furthermore, the fact that Hua Zhongjun happened to suffer a qi deviation in Shangdang County and had to travel to Cangmang Mountain could very well be Hua Manshan's doing.

Gu Guanqi pondered for a moment and said, "However, it cannot be ruled out that Hua Zhongjun knew someone was investigating him and deliberately staged a self-inflicted injury to clear his name?"

"Just the people like us?" Murong Qing chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, I know my own limitations. The people like us are not qualified to have Hua Zhongjun put on a show for us. If the Hua family wants to deal with us, it will be as easy as crushing an ant."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "It's not an act for you, but for other people."

"Who?" Murong Qing asked.

"I don't know either," Gu Guanqi said. "But we'll find out who it is by asking around."

Murong Qing asked, puzzled, "Who are you asking?"

"The Four Heroes of Meishan!" Gu Guanqi said. "The Four Heroes of Meishan should be from the government, but we don't know which side they belong to."

"They have this identity?" Murong Qing asked in surprise, "Alliance Leader Gu, how did you know?"

Gu Guanqi said, "That Chu Yaoyin was too proactive towards me, so I suspected that she had ulterior motives towards me. Therefore, I have been paying special attention to them along the way."

Along the way, I discovered they had hidden two secret letters, one last night and one tonight. I secretly took them and read them. Last night's letter mainly reported to Hua Zhongjun, while tonight's letter mainly reported to me. The style of those secret letters was the most familiar style for people within the official system.

"I see," Murong Qing asked, "What's the difference between writing secret letters within the system and writing them as ordinary people?"

"Of course," Gu Guanqi said, "People within the system, well, no matter what, have to flatter the leader first, then talk about the matter. Even for trivial things, they have to express how hard they've worked, while also patching things up to prevent being unable to absolve themselves of responsibility if something goes wrong. That's called procedural correctness!"

"I see, I've learned something new," Murong Qing said. "No wonder I always felt awkward dealing with government officials. However, Alliance Leader Gu, I think it's unnecessary for you to suspect Chu Yaoyin."

Gu Guanqi asked in confusion, "Why?"

Murong Qing said, "Generally speaking, shouldn't women be quite proactive towards you?"

Gu Guanqi:

>