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

Chapter 174 Four Streets by the Roadside...

Hua Zhongjun clutched his chest and stumbled to Gu Guanqi's side. Just as he regained his footing, a figure flew over – it was the leader.

A dagger slid from his sleeve, its blade dark and unreflective in the firelight. It flew silently towards him, piercing through the air as if it had torn through space itself, carrying terrifying power as it aimed straight for Hua Zhongjun's chest.

At this moment, Gu Guanqi stood beside Hua Zhongjun, raised his hand slightly, and waved gently.

"Clang!"

The dagger paused abruptly in mid-air, then flew back, its speed so fast that it left a straight afterimage in the night, returning along the same path to shoot towards the leader.

The leader reached out with his five fingers and precisely grasped the hilt of the knife.

But the force attached to the dagger was like a torrent, and his body was instantly dragged backward several steps by that enormous force. The soles of his boots carved two deep grooves in the blue brick ground before he could barely steady himself.

He stopped, looked down at the still-vibrating dagger in his hand, then looked up again, the light shining through the surging flames and smoke onto Gu Guanqi.

"Alliance Leader Gu, why bother meddling in other people's business?"

66

The leader's voice came from under the lion head mask, hoarse and deep.

Gu Guanqi looked at him and said in a calm tone, "You are the leader of Cangmang Mountain? Hua Manshan?"

'

The leader was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

6

At this moment, Hua Zhongjun, clutching his chest, walked to Gu Guanqi's side, a trace of blood still clinging to the corner of his mouth. He looked at the leader and said in a deep voice, "Second brother, I already know your identity. How could we, brothers, have come to this point of fighting each other?"

The leader's pupils contracted slightly.

The night wind swept through the courtyard, ruffling his black outfit. The lion-head mask flickered in the torchlight. He said, "Enough with the nonsense. Today, it's either you die or I die. There is no third way."

66

Hua Zhongjun sighed softly, turned to look at Gu Guanqi, and whispered, "Alliance Leader Gu, when I fought him just now, I sensed something strange about his true energy. It was extremely peculiar and very difficult to deal with. You and I should join forces, with me assisting you from the side. Don't underestimate him."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly.

Immediately, Hua Zhongjun took a deep breath, placed his palms together in front of his dantian, and circulated his internal energy. A powerful aura rose from his body, condensing into a light blue halo around him.

The next moment, Hua Zhongjun moved.

However, instead of attacking the leader, he suddenly turned around and struck out with his right palm. The palm wind was fierce and went straight for Gu Guanqi's back.

This palm strike came without warning, as fast as lightning.

Gu Guanqi raised his hand and slapped it.

As their palms collided, a powerful suction force suddenly erupted from Hua Zhongjun's palm, instantly gripping Gu Guanqi's hand firmly.

At the same time, Hua Zhongjun pointed out with his left index finger, a solid silver-white light condensing at the fingertip, pointing straight at Gu Guanqi's forehead.

This finger strike, carrying a powerful mental attack, directly targets the sea of ​​consciousness, enough to cause any grandmaster-level expert to lose their composure in an instant.

Almost at the same instant that Hua Zhongjun made his move, the leader also made his move.

He pushed off with his feet, and his whole body shot out like a streak of light. Around him, the powerful true energy surged and rose like boiling water, quickly condensing and evolving in the night sky, and in an instant, it transformed into a huge phantom of a lion that was more than ten feet tall.

The lion was entirely crimson, its mane billowing and dancing like flames, and two dark golden flames burning in its eyes. It opened its massive jaws and let out an invisible roar, pouncing down on Gu Guanqi with overwhelming force.

One after the other, two deadly moves, perfectly coordinated.

However-

Just as Hua Zhongjun's fingertips, imbued with a lifetime of skill, were about to touch Gu Guanqi's forehead, his expression suddenly changed.

Because his internal energy suddenly reversed, an energy that did not belong to his true energy rushed through his meridians like an enraged venomous snake, directly attacking his dantian with overwhelming force.

"puff-

'

Hua Zhongjun spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

At the same time, Gu Guanqi, expressionless, suddenly struck out with his palm, unleashing the "Sudden Strike" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms.

He struck out with his palm without much preparation, but the moment the palm force left his hand, the air surged and a powerful energy burst forth like a dragon emerging from the sea, carrying an overwhelming force that collided head-on with the charging crimson lion.

"boom-!

'

A loud bang exploded in the courtyard.

The true energy surged and the air waves rolled. The huge lion phantom began to disintegrate the moment it touched the golden energy. It shattered from its mane, and the cracks quickly spread to its entire body. In the blink of an eye, it turned into countless crimson light spots and dissipated in the night wind.

The leader's figure appeared behind the shattered phantom of the lion.

He was struck head-on by that powerful force, his body feeling as if he had been hit by an invisible giant hammer. He was lifted off the ground and flew backward several feet before crashing heavily into the courtyard wall behind him.

"Boom—"

The brick wall cracked instantly, and spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions. He slid down the wall to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained the clothes beneath his mask. The mask on his face shattered, revealing a face that bore a striking resemblance to Hua Zhongjun.

At that moment, Hua Zhongjun, who had been sent flying, crashed to the ground. He quickly rolled over and got up, but as soon as he regained his footing, he spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Gu Guanqi in disbelief and said, "You—when did you use such tricks on me?!"

Gu Guanqi said, "Oh, when I was healing you that day, I also left a trace of true energy in your body."

Hua Zhongjun's pupils contracted, and he exclaimed in surprise, "You—you suspected me back then? How is that possible? Where did I give myself away?"

Gu Guanqi said calmly, "All temporary traps have one thing in common: coincidence. And I happen to be someone who doesn't really believe in coincidences."

I happened to run into you recruiting experts, and then, coincidentally, someone who knew the truth about the leader of Cangmang Mountain happened to slip in from there. And then, coincidentally, you and I are naturally in the same faction, with a common enemy, Zhang Jiexi.

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly and said, "Too many coincidences mean it's deliberate!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Meishan Four Heroes, who were defending in a pincer formation, were all dumbfounded. Chu Yaoyin shouted, "But, Alliance Leader Gu, I really am a spy from the Eastern Depot!"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "You are not important. Even without you, there would be fake Eastern Depot spies who would let me know that Hua Zhongjun and I are natural allies, and I can trust him."

"Oh, is that so?" Chu Yaoyin nodded.

Hua Zhongjun took a deep breath and said, "But aren't you afraid you're wrong? After all, you don't have any concrete evidence to confirm that I'm going to deal with you."

"It doesn't matter," Gu Guanqi said. "I can remove the true energy planted in your body at any time without any impact. My control over true energy is beyond your imagination."

Furthermore, if it weren't for my uncertainty, do you think you would have survived to this point? Would you have had the chance to attack me?

'

Hua Zhongjun chuckled and said, "As expected of someone capable of destroying the Hanyue Sect and becoming the leader of the Three States Alliance, you are indeed not easy to deal with. I have been very careful. To gain your trust, I even genuinely suffered a qi deviation. I didn't expect—fortunately, we were prepared. Although there was a slight mishap, it's nothing serious!"

Gu Guanqi's pupils contracted slightly, and his vigilance heightened.

The reason he talked so much nonsense with Hua Zhongjun was because he guessed that they must have a backup plan, so he used the conversation to release his mental perception to investigate.

However, the opponent's backup plan was very well hidden, and he has not noticed anything unusual so far.

Therefore, while sensing the surroundings, Gu Guanqi had already quietly activated the Heavenly Silkworm Demon Art, ready to activate the cocoon for defense at any time.

At this moment, Hua Manshan also stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Hua Zhongjun stared at Gu Guanqi, smiled slightly, then looked at Hua Manshan and said, "Second brother, stop hiding it."

'

Hua Manshan nodded slightly and shouted loudly, "Mr. Ji, it's time to start the battle! General Pan, stop pretending, it's time to wrap things up!"

Gu Guanqi tensed up and instantly became alert.

However, the air was deathly still, with only the cold wind blowing; nothing unusual happened, and no new people appeared.

Hua Zhongjun's pupils contracted slightly, and he whispered, "Second brother, what's going on?"

Hua Manshan's face was full of surprise as he looked at the small building to the east and shouted, "Mr. Ji, what are you doing?" Then, he looked at the large pit outside the courtyard and shouted, "General Pan—"

Gu Guanqi frowned, looking puzzled, and said, "Wait a minute, let me interrupt you. Your backup plan, you don't mean the guy upstairs who uses the formation and the guy wearing the iron suit just now, do you?"

Hua Manshan raised an eyebrow, surprised, and asked, "You knew there were people upstairs?"

"I know, I killed him long ago." Gu Guanqi pointed to the mud pit outside the courtyard and said, "And that iron lump, it's pretty tough, it took several of my blows!"

Hua Manshan's eyes were filled with terror, then he suddenly turned and ran, shouting, "Big brother, run!"

Gu Guanqi said coldly, "I thought you had some powerful backup plan, but it turns out to be just a few roadside bulldozers—"

At that moment, Hua Zhongjun and Hua Manshan suddenly sprang up, each flying off in a different direction.

One person darted toward the broken wall on the east side, while the other rushed toward the dense forest behind the courtyard.

Both were grandmaster-level experts. Even though they were seriously injured, their escape speed was still incredibly fast. Their afterimages flashed by in the firelight and they were about to disappear into the night.

Gu Guanqi stood still, his clothes fluttering in the night breeze.

He extended both palms, fingers slightly spread, palms facing outwards.

In an instant, countless fine black silk threads surged from his palm, like two black torrents bursting their banks, sweeping across the two directions in an overwhelming manner.

The silk threads unfurled in the night sky at a speed far exceeding the limits of the naked eye. With a flash of black light, the dense silk threads had already caught up with Hua Zhongjun and instantly wrapped around his ankles.

Hua Zhongjun's body suddenly froze, and he was forcibly pulled down from mid-air, crashing onto the muddy ground. He swung his palm back at the silkworm silk at his ankle, but only a streak of sparks flew as his palm struck, the silkworm silk remained completely still.

"laugh--"

The silkworm silk suddenly tightened, digging into the skin and flesh.

Hua Zhongjun let out a shrill scream, the sound sharp and piercing in the night wind. It stopped abruptly after only half a sound, as more silkworm threads wrapped around his arms, waist, and neck, tightening layer upon layer, turning his whole body into a black cocoon.

On the other side, Huamanshan wasn't much better off.

The dagger in his hand was like scrap metal before the silkworm threads. He swung the dagger down, but the silkworm threads only swayed slightly before wrapping around his wrists even faster. Then, more silkworm threads surged in at the same time, pinning his legs firmly to the snow. He tried to circulate his inner energy to break free, but he felt the silkworm threads frantically sucking away his inner energy, like countless tiny straws piercing his meridians.

"ah"

Hua Manshan's roar lasted less than two breaths before turning into a muffled groan and then disappearing completely. The silkworm threads had already covered his mouth and nose.

Two muffled thuds were heard almost simultaneously.

The two fell heavily onto the blue brick floor, making a dull thud.

As the dust settled, two unrecognizable corpses were revealed. Their skin was an eerie bluish-gray, their features were distorted, and their bodies were rotting and collapsing at a visible rate, emitting a nauseating stench.

Hua Zhongjun and Hua Manshan met their demise.

The remaining bandits of Cangmang Mountain witnessed this scene and were terrified.

Someone yelled "Run!" first.

'

The sound shattered the brief silence, like a fuse igniting the last remaining survival instinct in everyone's hearts.

In an instant, the bandits scrambled to escape in all directions outside the courtyard, like a swarm of disturbed ants, rushing out in all directions amidst the firelight and darkness.

Gu Guanqi remained calm as he extended both palms once more.

Countless black threads, like spider webs whipped up by a storm, spread outwards in all directions, covering the sky and the earth.

They slither along the ground and weave through the air, wrapping around the ankles and waists of those fleeing, dragging them back one by one as they run.

Screams echoed throughout the room.

Within a few breaths, all the bandits were dead.

Gu Guanqi withdrew his palm, and the silk threads receded like a tide.

Silence returned to the courtyard, broken only by the crackling of torches and the whistling of the wind through the corpses.

He tilted his head slightly, the sunlight falling on the pillars not far away.

Ah Feng knelt on the ground, her legs numb. Her face was deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down her forehead. Three or four fine black silk threads, as thin as cow hair, were pinned to each of her legs, penetrating deep into her flesh and pinning her firmly to the spot, unable to move.

Her purple fur cloak was stained with mud and blood, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were filled with panic.

Murong Qing fell a few steps away, his legs also pinned down by silkworm threads. He still held his sword in his hand, the tip of which was firmly fixed to the ground by the silkworm threads. He supported himself on the ground with his other hand, struggling to maintain a half-sitting posture.

His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with lingering shock as he looked at Gu Guanqi.

On the other side, the four heroes of Meishan breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.

Beside a ruined wall, a fleshy monk covered in wounds threw his staff on the ground, cursing, "Damn it, so it turns out I'm the only one who genuinely came here to earn the bounty!"

Hearing what the meat monk said, Gu Guanqi couldn't help but laugh. It's true, Hua Zhongjun recruited ten people. The Four Heroes of Meishan were secret agents of the Eastern Depot, Murong Qing and the other four were all acting. Only the meat monk was as innocent as a husky that had infiltrated a pack of wolves.

Gu Guanqi reached out and pulled the Autumn Water Sword and its scabbard stuck in the ground into his hand. He then sheathed the sword and walked towards Ah Feng, saying, "Miss Ah Feng, could you satisfy my curiosity? I want to know what you're planning to do?"

Ah Feng looked at Gu Guanqi, sighed softly, and said with a touch of coquettishness on her pale face, "If I tell the truth, could Alliance Leader Gu spare my life for the sake of a woman like me?"

"That won't do," Gu Guanqi said, "but I can give you a quick death."

Ah Feng said softly, "There's so much I can do. Does Alliance Leader Gu really have no compassion for women at all?"

Gu Guanqi said, "I have quite a lot of jade at home. Of course, if Miss Afeng is still unwilling to tell, then I can only let you experience the most painful thing in the world: being unable to live or die. I think that the great hero Murong over there will be willing to tell you then."

Ah Feng sighed and said, "Actually, the matter is very simple. Just as you said before, Alliance Leader Gu, dealing with you was a spur-of-the-moment plan."

Hua Manshan and Hua Zhongjun have always been the twin stars of the Hua family. Hua Manshan has never suffered any injustice; it was all a deliberate illusion created by the Hua family.

The brothers Hua Manshan and Hua Zhongjun, one openly and the other secretly, protected the Hua family. Later, Hua Zhongjun openly led the Hua family to join the Empress Dowager and serve her, but in reality, he was the Left Prime Minister's man. Meanwhile, Hua Manshan secretly disguised himself as the leader and worked for the Left Prime Minister in the Cangmang Mountains.

Now, the battle between the Left Chancellor and the Empress Dowager has reached its final stage, and the Left Chancellor has devised a scheme to create internal strife within the Hua family. He has Hua Zhongjun stage a self-inflicted injury, leaving her severely wounded and on the verge of death, so she can escape to the Empress Dowager and then conveniently infiltrate Wei Tanjin's inner circle to wait for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow to Wei Tanjin.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I see."

“Alas,” Ah Feng sighed and said, “It’s a pity that people are never satisfied. If I hadn’t made that last-minute decision, things would have gone smoothly and wouldn’t have ended up failing like this!”

Some time ago, while preparing to carry out the self-inflicted injury plan, we suddenly received news that a spy had discovered your whereabouts, Alliance Leader Gu, and speculated that you were going to the capital. The Hua brothers then came up with a plan and decided to add another assassination plot to the self-inflicted injury plan for you.

Thinking that Hua Zhongjun could gain your trust and then launch a sneak attack, with Ji Sanqian setting up a grand formation and four grandmasters as backup, they could kill you and gain immense merit. But in the end, they were overestimating themselves.

Gu Guanqi nodded, then pointed at Murong Qing and said, "So, he's fake too."

Ah Feng said, "There is such a person as Murong Qing. He has been secretly investigating the Hua family, but he was discovered by the Hua family last year and was secretly executed. This Murong Qing was sent by the Left Prime Minister to lure you into the trap using Murong Qing's identity."

"Making such a big fuss today, aren't you afraid of exposing Wei Tanjin's vigilance?" Gu Guanqi said.

Ah Feng said, "Why don't we just kill everyone who knows that Hua Manshan is the leader?"

"That's true," Gu Guanqi nodded, then asked, "Why didn't Zhang Jiexi come and kill me himself?"

Ah Feng shook her head slightly and said, "If the Left Prime Minister leaves the capital, the Eastern Depot will definitely know. Once the Eastern Depot notices the problem, it's impossible for them not to inform you. How can they then make any plans? They might end up being attacked by you and Wei Tanjin in the end."

Having said that, Ah Feng closed her eyes slightly and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, that's the gist of it. I have no reason to lie to you. Now that Hua Zhongjun Hua Manshan has been exposed, everything I've said will be clear to the Eastern Depot with a little investigation. Hmm—just give me a quick death!"

Gu Guanqi slightly raised his hand, and a silkworm thread pierced through Ah Feng's heart.

Ah Feng's body trembled, and then she collapsed to the ground.

Then, Gu Guanqi looked at "Murong Qing", flicked his finger, and a stream of true energy shot into his brow. Immediately, Murong Qing died and his life was extinguished.

At this moment, Chu Yaoyin had rested enough, so she got up and walked over, cupping her hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you very much, Alliance Leader Gu. If it weren't for you this time, their evil scheme would have succeeded, and the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "It was just a coincidence; they were the ones who insisted on plotting against me." After speaking, Gu Guanqi pondered for a moment and said, "Miss Chu, why don't you inform the Eastern Depot as soon as possible? Tell Eunuch Wei that I've given him a reason to confiscate and exterminate the Hua family, and I've also taken care of their strongest fighter. Besides, I'll help them to the end; I'll continue to Tianhu County. If the Hua family resists, I'll deal with them for them. As for the money they didn't confiscate, I'll just have to share half with them!"

Chu Yaoyin said, "Alliance Leader Gu, isn't it said in the martial arts world that you regard money as dirt?"

"Who said that?" Gu Guanqi curled his lip and said, "The Three States Martial Arts Alliance has tens of thousands of mouths to feed. I'm more short of money than anyone else!"

Previously, Gu Guanqi never felt short of money, but since taking control of the army in Hongzhou, he has felt that he is short of money. Supporting an army is completely different from supporting the martial arts alliance.

The martial arts alliance is more than capable of making a living from the commissions on trade routes and the regular tributes from various sects. However, the army is a different story. The army is purely a drain on resources, and the drain is enormous.

If the Hua family hadn't been located in Tianzhou, which was far from his territory, he would have even considered raiding their home, exterminating the entire clan, and pocketing all their money.

Hearing Gu Guanqi's words, Chu Yaoyin was filled with respect and said, "Alliance Leader Gu shoulders the responsibility of the martial arts world of three states. The burden on your shoulders is heavy. Alas, the world only sees Alliance Leader Gu's glory, but they cannot see the hardships you have endured!"

Gu Guanqi thought about it and felt that Chu Yaoyin made a lot of sense. Although the Three States Martial Arts Alliance was managed by An Yi and the others, and he was a hands-off manager, he still had to appease several of them, which was indeed a hard job.

"Heroine Chu understands me!" Gu Guanqi said.

Chu Yaoyin said, "I will report your proposal to the Eastern Depot truthfully."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "By the way, Miss Chu, regarding what you said a few days ago about introducing me to Miss Wen Shuyi, a female scholar at the Imperial Academy, once we arrive in the capital, I think we can put that on the agenda again!"

Chu Yaoyin covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Alright, when we get to the capital, I'll introduce you to someone."

"Thank you very much, Lady Chu!"

Gu Guanqi expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

He originally thought that with Hua Zhongjun's introduction, there would be no need for Chu Yaoyin, and he never expected things to turn out this way.

It's a pity, because Hua Zhongjun promised to introduce three women to him.

Gu Guanqi muttered "What a pity" to himself. Then, he walked to the mud pit outside the courtyard, lifted the armor out of the pit, opened the armor, took out the body, and carried the armor into the post station, placing it on the carriage.

This armor is extremely durable and is a rare treasure.

Although he doesn't need it, it can be sent back to Hongzhou and given to Fang Cunxin or experts from the Heavenly God Sect. It is very suitable for experts in external martial arts to use, greatly enhancing their combat power, especially in battlefield charges, where it can be called a killing weapon.

The next morning, Chu Yaoyin cooked a meal.

After everyone finished eating, Chu Yaoyin arranged for Jin Caicai and Li Zhengyang to escort the women who had been rescued from the underground palace the previous night.

They descended the mountain, while she, her senior brother Liu Yuanqin, and Gu Guanqi continued their journey to Tianhu County.

The meat monk also ate a meal with them, and then chose to accompany Jin Caicai and Li Zhengyang to escort the women down the mountain.

After that, the group went their separate ways.

The journey continued smoothly without any further obstacles.

Seven days passed in this way, and they finally left the Cangmang Mountain and entered the territory of Tianhu County.

It was evening that day.

The three of them arrived at a small county town. Seeing that it was getting late, they decided to find an inn to rest.

However, after searching three or four inns, they found that all of them were already fully booked.

At first, they didn't take it seriously, but as several inns became fully booked, the three of them realized something was wrong.

This is just an ordinary small county town, not a prosperous one, so this situation shouldn't have occurred.

So Chu Yaoyin found a small noodle shop to eat and rest temporarily, while Liu Yuanqin went out to gather information.

Liu Yuanqin was gone for quite a while. After Gu Guanqi and Chu Yaoyin finished their noodles, they waited for a long time before Liu Yuanqin returned.

"Alliance Leader Gu, Third Junior Sister!"

As soon as Liu Yuanqin entered, he sat down and said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to find an inn today; all the inns in the city are booked out."

Chu Yaoyin quickly asked, "What happened?"

"It's because of the Hua family," Liu Yuanqin said. "The news that the Hua family colluded with Cangmang Mountain and that Hua Manshan is the head of Cangmang Mountain has already spread. Jiang Liren, the leader of the Tianzhou martial arts alliance, has issued a martial arts investigation order. Now, all the martial arts sects in Tianzhou are rushing to Tinghua Manor to punish the Hua family."

Chu Yaoyin frowned and said, "How did the Martial Arts Alliance get involved in this? Didn't we notify the Eastern Depot immediately? Shouldn't the Eastern Depot have led the raid directly?"

Liu Yuanqin shook his head and said, "I don't know about that. This is all the information I've gathered so far. I haven't found any Eastern Depot agents in this small county town, so I can't find out any other inside information."

"This—" Chu Yaoyin frowned, looked at Gu Guanqi, and said, "Hero Gu, this is troublesome. The Hua family is a powerful force in the martial arts world. If the Martial Arts Alliance gets involved, won't it affect your share of the spoils?"

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly and said, "No, the Martial Alliance's call for all factions to attack the Hua family is only to resolve grudges in the martial world, which is perfectly reasonable. After all, it would be strange if the Martial Alliance didn't intervene in what the Hua family did."

However, the Martial Alliance is not qualified to divide up the Hua family's assets. Only the government has the authority to dispose of the Hua family's money, shops, and land deeds. The Martial Alliance can only handle issues related to trade routes and other martial arts territory. I am not from Tianzhou and will not come here to seize territory. Therefore, the Martial Alliance's intervention has no impact on me.

Chu Yaoyin said, "I'm afraid things aren't that simple. The Hua family is known for being richer than a country. Although that's an exaggeration, it's undeniable that their wealth will attract countless people. It's hard to say about others, but the Left Prime Minister can't just stand by and watch the Hua family's wealth slip away."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and asked, "When will the people from the Eastern Depot arrive?"

Chu Yaoyin shook her head and said, "We haven't encountered any Eastern Depot spies these past few days, so we don't know what the situation is like there now."

.

Liu Yuanqin said, "I'm afraid someone will beat us to it. It will take time for the Eastern Depot's team to get here from the capital."

Gu Guanqi said, "Let's not worry about that for now, let's get to Tianhu City as soon as possible."

Chu Yaoyin said, "Alright, let's find a place to rest for the night first, and then set off early tomorrow. If we hurry, we can reach Tianhu City in two or three days."

The three of them immediately left the noodle shop.

Finally, Gu Guanqi spent a large sum of money to stay overnight at the home of a wealthy family.

The next morning, as dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

After a quick breakfast, Gu Guanqi and his two companions rode out of the city and sped northwest along the official road.

Around noon, they spotted a small village in the distance and decided to go there to have a simple meal.

However, as soon as they arrived at the village entrance, Gu Guanqi suddenly pulled on the reins.

The black horse snorted, took two steps, and stopped. Chu Yaoyin and Liu Yuanqin reined in their horses almost simultaneously and turned to look at him.

"Alliance Leader Gu, what's wrong?" Chu Yaoyin asked.

Gu Guanqi frowned and said, "Something's not right. I smell blood."

Chu Yaoyin's expression changed slightly.

Liu Yuanqin said, "Something's not right. This village is too quiet." His gaze swept thoughtfully across the gray-black rooftops. "Even if it's cold and the villagers aren't going out, it shouldn't be this quiet. A village should at least have a few dogs and a few children!"

"You'll know once you go in and take a look."

Chu Yaoyin gently squeezed the horse's flanks and headed into the village, with Gu Guanqi and Liu Yuanqin following closely behind.

As they approached the village entrance, the stench of blood became clearer, strong and pungent, mingling with the dry, cold air.

As the three entered the village, the sight that greeted them made their faces turn grim.

Corpses lay scattered haphazardly in the village. There were elderly people, women, and children; some lay in front of their own homes, some in the middle of the road, and some leaning against walls, each in a different posture.

The blood spread across the dirt road in large patches of dark red, some of which had dried and congealed into dark brown scabs.

Chu Yaoyin rushed over to check, examining seven or eight corpses in succession, and said, "They were all killed with a single sword strike, without any signs of struggle. The person who struck them was a highly skilled swordsman."

Liu Yuanqin's face turned ashen, and he roared, "Who did this? How could they be so vicious? To lay such a hand on ordinary people!"

Gu Guanqi also squatted down and carefully examined several corpses. His expression grew increasingly grave, and he whispered, "I'm afraid we're in trouble!"

Chu Yaoyin quickly asked, "Alliance Leader Gu, what's wrong?"

Gu Guanqi frowned: "This sword wound looks very much like the one left by my Celestial Immortal."

Chu Yaoyin's pupils contracted slightly.

Gu Guanqi continued, "The Celestial Flying Immortal has a unique characteristic: its sword energy is light at the beginning and heavy at the end, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Therefore, the marks it leaves on the wounds are slightly different from ordinary sword wounds." Gu Guanqi pointed to the corpses, "I just examined several corpses, and without exception, the wounds all clearly bear the characteristics of the Celestial Flying Immortal."

Chu Yaoyin asked, "Could it be a fellow disciple? There's never been any word about your sect in the martial world—Alliance Leader Gu, do you have any fellow disciples?"

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly: "Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens" can be understood as a sword technique I created myself. I can say with certainty that I am the only one in the world who knows it.

"And this sword wound?"

"It's not a real celestial being descending from the heavens," Gu Guanqi said. "These sword wounds only resemble the form of my celestial being descending from the heavens, but they only capture the essence. Simply put, someone is deliberately imitating my celestial being descending from the heavens to kill people."

Chu Yaoyin's eyes widened suddenly, and she exclaimed in realization, "So, someone wants to frame you."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "The imitation is very accurate. Apart from me, no one else can tell the difference between these sword wounds and the sword wounds left by my Celestial Immortal."

Liu Yuanqin hurriedly said, "Alliance Leader Gu, let's leave quickly, otherwise, the other side will definitely come here to catch us in the act."

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly and said, "The point isn't whether I leave or not. Even if I hadn't come to this village today, this matter would still be pinned on me. There's no need to catch me in the act, and probably no one would dare to. They just need this village massacre incident to frame me!"

Chu Yaoyin asked, "So what do we do now? Should we go find the person who framed us?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Just do what you're supposed to do. There's no need to deliberately look for them. Those people will come out on their own."