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

Chapter 175 Unveiling the Truth

Immediately afterwards, Gu Guanqi and his two companions set off on their journey once again.

After traveling for about an hour, the outline of a small town finally appeared in the distance.

The town is small, stretching along both sides of the main road, with about a hundred households. The gray roofs look dull and gray in the winter afternoon light.

The town's main street is not long, with a few shops sparsely located on both sides, most of which are closed. There is only one small restaurant in the entire town that provides food and lodging.

The three of them then went into the restaurant and ordered food.

Just as we were eating, we suddenly heard a series of loud hoofbeats outside.

Then, groups of people poured into the town from the entrance, carrying various flags that fluttered in the afternoon sun. Some carried the banner of "Iron Sword Sect," while others bore the words "Flying Cloud Sect" or "Green Bamboo Gang."

A total of seven or eight sects, each leading twenty or thirty people, broke the afternoon silence of the small town with the neighing of horses, shouts of men, and the clanging of iron hooves.

In just a short while, two or three hundred people gathered outside the dilapidated little restaurant.

A dense crowd of people, their various weapons gleaming coldly in the sunlight, completely blocked the main entrance of the restaurant.

Chu Yaoyin's face darkened, and she lowered her voice, saying, "Alliance Leader Gu, it seems that someone really has framed you."

Gu Guanqi said, "It's alright, let's eat first."

At this point, people outside the restaurant had already started shouting.

A gruff voice boomed through the crowd, carrying with it a powerful, clear tone that echoed throughout the restaurant lobby: "Gu Guanqi! Get out here!"

Immediately afterward, a second voice followed: "You audacious madman! You, the leader of the martial arts alliance of the three states, have dared to commit atrocities in our Tianzhou! You are utterly devoid of conscience!"

"A dignified sword immortal, failing to abduct a woman, indiscriminately slaughters innocents! Come out and face your death!"

The curses rose and fell, each one louder than the last, like a pot of boiling water churning outside the restaurant.

Chu Yaoyin suddenly stood up, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, my senior brother and I will go out and explain. Our Meishan Four Heroes have a small reputation in the Yunzhou martial arts world; perhaps we can mediate!"

"It's useless." Gu Guanqi continued eating, his tone indifferent. "If explanations were useful, then it wouldn't be called framing someone."

Chu Yaoyin frowned and asked, "Then what should we do?"

"It's okay, I have my own way of handling it."

Gu Guanqi stood up, gripped the Autumn Water Sword in his hand, and walked towards the door.

On the street, the dense crowd fell silent for a moment when they saw Gu Guanqi's face, before erupting into an even louder uproar.

"He's out!"

"Surround him! Block the roads, don't let him escape!"

"Gu Guanqi! You must give me an explanation!"

The sounds of swords being drawn echoed one after another, their cold glints blending together in the sunlight, as a dense crowd filled the town's streets.

Gu Guanqi stood at the doorway, a gust of cold wind blowing his robes and long hair. He stood there quietly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said, "I know why you've come, and I don't want to waste my breath. I'll only explain once: I didn't massacre any civilians; that was a deliberate frame-up against me."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man in the crowd roared, "Don't try to deny it!"

Someone chimed in, "Yes, you think just because you're the leader of the martial arts world you can treat human lives like dirt?"

"Either you commit suicide to atone for your sins, or the martial arts world of Tianzhou will demand justice!"

"We have both witnesses and physical evidence!"

'

""

The crowd was instantly enraged.

Gu Guanqi didn't say anything more. Instead, he drew his sword and slashed at the side that was shouting the loudest.

In an instant, terrifying sword energy poured down like a river, instantly killing thirty or forty people. Their blood sprayed like rain, staining the bluestone slabs in front of the restaurant a glaring dark red.

For a moment, the streets were deathly silent.

The crowd that had been shouting and cursing just moments before seemed to have had an invisible hand choke them, and the noise instantly went out.

The next moment, many people scattered in panic, and the crowd was instantly ignited.

"Gu Guanqi, do you intend to make an enemy of the Tianzhou martial arts world?"

"Can you kill us all?"

'

""

Gu Guanqi sheathed his sword and stood at the door, dressed in white, his gaze calm. Then, with a gentle wave of his Autumn Water Sword, hundreds of people retreated in unison, all shutting their mouths and daring not to speak.

Gu Guanqi sneered and said loudly, "Didn't you say I was making excuses? What do I need to make excuses about?"

'

A moment of silence fell over the crowd.

After a while, a voice came from behind, trembling and bluffing: "Gu Guanqi! Can you kill all of our Tianzhou martial arts world?"

'

Gu Guanqi didn't even lift his eyelids before slashing down with his sword again.

This time, his sword strike was even faster, the sword light flashing and disappearing in an instant, so fast that most people didn't even see the sword shadow clearly. From the direction from which the sound came, more than a dozen people were immediately struck by the sword energy, falling to the ground before they could even scream. Their corpses were piled up haphazardly on the street, and blood meandered along the cracks in the stone slabs.

The horrified cries were quickly suppressed. The crowd, like rocks being pounded by waves, surged backward half a step, only to be blocked by the throng behind them, unable to move forward or backward, their faces ashen.

Gu Guanqi slammed the Autumn Water Sword onto the ground in front of him, the bottom of the scabbard striking the bluestone slab with a dull thud. He said calmly, "I may not be able to kill all the martial artists of Tianzhou, but I can kill all the people present here today. Anyone who disagrees, step forward and say something. What do I need to argue about?"

"6

The long street was deathly silent.

Those martial arts figures who had been so aggressive just moments before were now frozen in place, even their breathing becoming deliberately soft. No one dared to utter a sound, no one dared to move, and no one even dared to meet Gu Guanqi's gaze.

Gu Guanqi waited a moment, and seeing no one answer, his tone remained calm: "Since no one is going to answer my question, let's move on to the next one. Who led this slander against me today? Come out here!"

'

The crowd remained silent.

Gu Guanqi said coldly, "If no one else comes forward, then I will make my move. I also want to see how many of you here today can survive my sword."

These menacing words immediately sent chills down the spines of many.

In an instant, many people's eyes were drawn to one direction in the center of the crowd.

There stood an old monk, about sixty years old, wearing a gray robe, with a thin face, no beard, and carrying a heavy iron sword on his back.

He stood there, still carrying the composure befitting a monk, but now, with everyone's gaze focused on him, a fine layer of cold sweat had seeped from his wrinkled face.

At this moment, Chu Yaoyin leaned close to Gu Guanqi and whispered, "Alliance Leader Gu, that is a renowned martial arts master in Tianzhou, the Abbot of Shima Temple. He has high martial virtue and a great reputation in the Tianzhou martial arts world. Only someone of his renown could gather so many martial arts figures here in such a short time."

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Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, and the light fell on the old monk.

The abbot, feeling an invisible pressure like a mountain weighing on his shoulders, felt a sudden, overwhelming weight under Gu Guanqi's gaze. He swallowed hard, wiped the sweat from his brow, and quickly stepped forward, clasping his hands together and bowing, saying, "Amitabha! Alliance Leader Gu, please calm your anger! I... I had absolutely no intention of offending you today!"

Here's what happened. This morning, when I passed by Liujia Village, I happened to run into a few survivors who had escaped from the village. They cried and said that, "Leader Gu, you tried to abduct women in Liujia Village, but when you failed, you became enraged and started killing them. You claimed that this was your own publicly known identity."

I absolutely do not believe it. With Alliance Leader Gu's reputation and chivalrous name, how could he commit such a heinous act! I was thinking that if this matter was truly a misunderstanding, and if it wasn't clarified in time, it might bring even greater trouble to Alliance Leader Gu. Therefore, I gathered friends from several nearby sects, intending to have Alliance Leader Gu confront the survivors in person, so as to clear your name!

Immediately, Abbot Jieyan put his hands together and bowed slightly to Gu Guanqi: "Alliance Leader Gu, if you trust me, why don't you stay here with us for a few days? I will definitely clear your name. What do you say?"

'

Everyone looked at Gu Guanqi.

However, to everyone's surprise, Gu Guanqi waved his hand, sneered, and said, "Someone framed me, and you directly made things worse, so you and the person who framed me must be in cahoots."

Abbot Wuyan's heart tightened, and he hurriedly said, "Alliance Leader Gu, I just happened to be passing by and, seeing injustice, meddled in the matter. You can't slander me like this just because I acted chivalrously. You need to provide evidence for your words—"

"My words are the evidence!"

Before Gu Guanqi could finish speaking, his figure had already disappeared from the spot.

The next instant, he appeared before the abbot like a ghost, his right palm outstretched, his five fingers like hooks, aiming straight for the abbot's throat.

The abbot's pupils contracted sharply. He pushed off with his feet and retreated rapidly, crossing his arms in front of him to block the way.

"Alliance Leader Gu! You—"

The next instant, "Snap!"

'

The crisp sound of bones cracking was particularly clear on the quiet street.

The abbot of the martial law groaned, his arms bending at an odd angle as he staggered backward, his steps unsteady. Gu Guanqi gave him no chance to catch his breath, slapping him hard across the face with a backhand slap that sent him sprawling to the ground. His grey monk's robe billowed in the dust, rolling twice before finally coming to a stop.

He struggled to get up, but Gu Guanqi stepped on his back.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The street was initially deathly silent, then erupted in a deafening roar.

"Gu Guanqi! What are you doing!"

'

"How dare they lay a hand on the abbot of martial law!"

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"You are openly making an enemy of the martial arts world of Tianzhou!"

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Several figures rushed out simultaneously, their swords flashing like a forest in the afternoon sunlight.

Gu Guanqi didn't turn his head, and lightly tapped his left foot on the ground.

A burst of energy spread out from beneath his feet, like ripples spreading across the surface of water, sweeping out in all directions.

The men who rushed over felt an overwhelming force surge towards them, their steps faltered, and they were instantly sent flying backward as if they had crashed into an invisible wall, their fate unknown.

"roll!"

Gu Guanqi gave a low shout.

Immediately, he thrust out both palms, using the move "Riding the Six Dragons" to push forward.

Six golden energies roared out, accompanied by a deafening dragon's roar. Each one was over ten feet long and gleamed with dazzling golden light in the afternoon sun.

They surged forward like a tidal wave, lifting up the blue bricks on the ground and shattering them into countless fragments in mid-air.

Dozens of people were swept away like leaves in a gust of wind, crashing heavily into the crowd behind them. Many lay on the ground, their fate unknown.

Exclamations, screams, and the clanging of weapons hitting the ground mingled together. In the middle of the once crowded street, a clearing about ten feet wide was cleared, with broken bricks scattered all over the ground and dust lingering.

Those who had not yet been affected stopped in their tracks.

Gu Guanqi said coldly, "Now, anyone who dares to take a step forward or utter another word will be killed. I've already given the warning; believe it or not is up to you."

The crowd stood still, some gripping their knife hilts, others raising their swords, but no one took another step forward.

Gu Guanqi remained standing on the back of the abbot, looking down at him.

The abbot's usually kind and gentle face was now covered in dust, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Gu Guanqi said calmly, "Why are you framing me?"

"6

The abbot, prostrate on the ground, raised his head and said in a deep voice, "Alliance Leader Gu, I was merely seeking justice for those innocent people who died unjustly, and trying to prove your innocence. How could you be so indiscriminate and repay kindness with enmity?!"

6

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Guanqi took out several silver needles. The tips of the needles gleamed with a faint, cold light in the sunlight.

"The Six Doors has a set of interrogation techniques called 'Thousand Needles and Hundred Holes.' After I improved it, its power increased by more than a hundred times. There should be very few people in this world who can withstand it."

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He twirled the silver needle halfway between his fingers.

The abbot's gaze fell on the silver needles, a barely perceptible hint of panic flashing deep in his pupils.

At this moment, a fat man in the crowd shouted, "Gu Guanqi, are you trying to force a confession? You—"

'

Gu Guanqi struck out with his palm.

In an instant, a dragon's roar resounded, and a terrifying shockwave slammed directly into the fat man.

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, the fat man was sent flying backward, his chest caved in, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and a protruding palm print appeared on his back. He instantly lost his life.

In an instant, all the martial arts practitioners were shocked.

Gu Guanqi curled his lip and said, "I've already said, if anyone dares to move or utter another word, I'll kill them!"

From the crowd, a burly man roared, "Gu Guanqi, you're too arrogant! You—"

Gu Guanqi unleashed a sword strike.

In an instant, sword energy surged and roared, instantly tearing the burly man's body to pieces. Several people next to him were also killed by the sword energy, and a large number of them fell to the ground, their blood raining down.

Everyone was terrified, never expecting that Gu Guanqi would kill even those who hadn't spoken with a single sword strike.

Gu Guanqi said calmly, "I'll kill anyone who speaks. As for whether you'll be mistakenly killed, that depends on your own luck!"

The martial arts practitioners all turned pale. Not only did no one dare to speak, but they also kept their distance from the people around them, fearing that they might be accidentally killed.

At this moment, the long street became very quiet.

Gu Guanqi shot several silver needles into the acupoints of Abbot Jieyan.

Within two breaths, the abbot of martial law let out a hysterical roar: "I said—hurry—ah, I can't take it anymore—I said it—"

"Quickly take the needle—let me go—ah—"

Gu Guanqi gently waved his hand, sending a stream of true energy into Abbot Jieyan's meridians, temporarily stopping the silver needles.

The abbot, lying on the ground, gasped for breath as if he had just survived a calamity. His entire body was soaked in sweat. He said in a deep voice, "It was—Xuanwu of the Four Extremes Hall. He massacred Liu Family Village. He told me to cooperate with him. He would impersonate you and massacre the village, and then I would play a double role to make a big scene. Then I would step forward to vouch for you, drag you into investigating the truth, and clear your name, thus delaying your progress. As for why he wanted to delay you, I don't know. I was just following his orders!"

As soon as the abbot of martial law said this, a commotion broke out in the crowd.

A young monk shouted, "Abbot, you must have been forced into this by Gu Guanqi to fabricate this story, right? How could you possibly have dealings with the Four Extremes Palace?"

Gu Guanqi looked at the abbot in charge of martial law and said, "That's right, why did you obey Xuanwu's orders?"

The abbot of the martial law hall pondered for a moment, then pointed to the sword that had fallen to the ground and said, "There is a token inside the hilt of the sword. I—was originally a member of the Four Extremes Hall. I only founded Shima Temple a little over ten years ago. The reason I was able to develop Shima Temple to its current level in such a short time was because of the support from the Four Extremes Hall."

Gu Guanqi struck the longsword with his palm.

The sword hilt shattered, revealing a token inside.

Chu Yaoyin quickly picked it up and examined it, saying, "It really is the identity token of the Four Extremes Hall, and a top assassin of the Four Extremes Hall at that. No wonder the Four Extremes Hall is so skilled at assassination; they have a martial arts veteran like you as an inside man!"

In an instant, the crowd erupted in uproar, and many people couldn't help but curse loudly.

Gu Guanqi looked at the abbot in charge of martial law and asked, "Where is Xuanwu now?"

Abbot Jieyan shook his head and said, "I don't know, I really don't know. The Four Extremes Hall has a strict hierarchy, and it's impossible for lower-level officials to obtain any information from their superiors."

I don't know much. I was just following orders. It's normal for Xuanwu to come after you. You killed dozens of experts, including Qinglong and Zhuque, and the Four Extremes Palace was almost destroyed.

The Four Extremes Palace has been studying your martial arts for a long time. Moreover, Xuanwu is a martial arts genius who has mastered the strengths of many schools, so he is able to imitate your Celestial Flying Immortal.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly.

Abbot Wuyan hurriedly said, "I really don't know where Xuanwu is. Just give me a quick death and stop torturing me!"

""

Gu Guanqi slapped him backhand.

A palm print landed on the head of the abbot of martial law.

The abbot of the martial law unit trembled violently, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he fell silent.

Then, Gu Guanqi looked at the various martial arts sects and asked coldly, "Who else wants to speak up for the people?"

All factions fell silent.

Gu Guanqi snorted coldly and shouted, "Get lost!"

In an instant, the people from all factions felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly left, taking the corpses with them as well.

At this moment, Chu Yaoyin walked over and asked, "According to Abbot Jieyan, the Four Extremes Hall wants to delay you from going to Tinghua Manor."

Gu Guanqi said in a deep voice, "The Four Extremes Hall belongs to Zhang Jiexi, so his purpose is self-evident. I'm afraid it won't be so easy for me to take down the Hua family."

Chu Yaoyin said, "Zhang Jiexi cannot sit idly by and watch such a large fortune as the Hua family fall into the hands of others."

Liu Yuanqin picked up the thread and said, "Moreover, everyone in the court should already know that the Hua family is Zhang Jiexi's faction. If something happens to the Hua family, and Zhang Jiexi doesn't try to protect them and lets them perish, it will discourage others."

Chu Yaoyin looked at Gu Guanqi and asked, "Alliance Leader Gu, what should we do now?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Naturally, we will continue to Tinghua Manor."

Chu Yaoyin frowned and said, "Then, I'm afraid the journey won't be peaceful."

Night falls at Tinghua Villa.

The moonlight was like water, and the once grandly constructed and extravagantly luxurious Tinghua Manor now appeared lifeless under its glow. Not just tonight, but for the past few weeks, Tinghua Manor had been shrouded in desolation.

Because Tinghua Manor has been surrounded by government troops.

As soon as the imperial court received the news that the Hua family was colluding with Cangmang Mountain and that Hua Manshan, the second master of the Hua family, was the head of Cangmang Mountain, they immediately notified the Tianhu County government to surround Tinghua Manor.

Until the information is verified, no one is allowed to enter or leave Tinghua Villa.

Of course, those in the know understand that the so-called verification of information is actually a power struggle within the court, to see if the powerful figure behind the Hua family can protect them.

Outside Tinghua Manor, in addition to a large number of government troops, more and more martial arts practitioners have gathered, and various sects from Tianzhou are arriving one after another.

Jiang Liren, the leader of the Tianzhou Martial Arts Alliance, arrived four days ago.

The Hua family's affairs are not only a matter for the imperial court to handle; they are also a major event in the martial arts world. It's well known that Cangmang Mountain has plagued the Tianzhou martial arts world for years, accumulating countless enemies. The Hua family's ambiguous relationship with Cangmang Mountain naturally invites the martial arts world's condemnation.

At this moment, bonfires were burning everywhere in the temporary camp set up by the martial arts alliance team.

Inside a tent in the middle, a middle-aged man with a refined demeanor was warming himself by a fire. This man was none other than Jiang Liren, the leader of the Tianzhou Martial Arts Alliance.

"Alliance Leader Jiang."

A cold, clear voice suddenly rang out from inside the tent.

Jiang Liren, however, seemed completely unconcerned, as if she had expected it. Without even looking up, she said, "Sit down!"

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Jiang Liren then raised her head and chuckled, "Xuanwu, your concealment skills are getting better and better. If you were to assassinate me, you would have at least a 60% chance of killing me with one blow."

A man with a sinister aura emerged from the shadows. He looked to be around forty years old, dressed in black, and carrying a long sword on his back.

This person is Xuanwu, one of the four hall masters of the Four Extremes Hall. However, among the four hall masters, Zhuque and Qinglong were killed by Gu Guanqi, and Baihu defected. Xuanwu has become the only hall master of the Four Extremes Hall.

Xuanwu sat down opposite Jiang Liren and said, "I also think I have a 60% chance of killing you with one blow, but if it were Gu Guanqi, I wouldn't have even a 10% chance."

Jiang Liren said, "In your opinion, is there really such a big difference between our martial arts skills?"

Xuanwu shook his head and said, "It's not that your martial arts are very different, but that Gu Guanqi's bloodlust is too strong. The stronger a person's bloodlust, the more sensitive they are to the killing intent."

Therefore, without a special environment to conceal myself, if I were to assassinate Gu Guanqi, he would likely become alert the moment I harbored murderous intent towards him. Given his martial arts skills, he would be unable to kill me if he reacted even slightly.

Jiang Liren nodded slightly and said, "If he were so gullible, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today."

Xuanwu said, "I have secretly observed Gu Guanqi's moves several times. He is not only highly skilled, but also very unorthodox. He knows a great many martial arts. Even now, we are still not sure if he has revealed all the martial arts he knows."

Jiang Liren sighed and said, "The most sinister thing is his 'Amorous Path,' which is equivalent to a second Gentleman You. If the Left Prime Minister and the General don't take action personally, it will truly become a tiger that threatens us in the long run."

"It will be soon," Xuanwu said. "Once this matter is over, Gu Guanqi will enter the capital. Even if Gu Guanqi doesn't enter the capital, the Left Prime Minister and the General will soon deal with Wei Tanjin. At that time, the two of them will join forces to kill Gu Guanqi. With their strength, Gu Guanqi will have no chance of survival if they join forces."

Jiang Liren nodded slightly.

Xuanwu added, "However, we need to deal with the Hua family's matter first. We just received news that the plan to delay Gu Guanqi has failed. Gu Guanqi didn't fall for it at all and directly broke the deadlock with force. The old monk Jieyin couldn't withstand the severe torture and has already confessed."

Jiang Liren chuckled and said, "I told you before, your plan won't work. It might work against ordinary people, but looking at Gu Guanqi's actions since his debut, he doesn't care about his reputation. You can't use your reputation to blackmail him."

Xuanwu asked, "Then tell me, what should we do now? The Hua family is very important to the Left Prime Minister and the Grand General, and they absolutely cannot be allowed to fall. If Gu Guanqi arrives, it will be difficult for you to protect the Hua family, so we must not let Gu Guanqi arrive under any circumstances."

Jiang Liren asked, somewhat puzzled, "I don't quite understand. The Left Prime Minister and the Grand General are already planning to take action against Wei Tanjin. At that point, they'll be able to control the court, so what difference will it make if they lose the Hua family?"

Xuanwu waved his hand and said, "Alliance Leader Jiang, you understand the martial world, but not the imperial court. In your opinion, if the Left Prime Minister and the Grand General join forces, everything will be peaceful as long as Wei Tanjin is brought down?"

Power struggles are not like battles in the martial arts world; they are not just about winning or losing. They also involve stabilizing the court, assisting the emperor in governing the people, and preventing other treacherous officials from taking advantage of the situation. It's not that the court will be free of treacherous officials just because Wei Tanjin has fallen.

All of this required financial support, so the Hua family's wealth was always crucial.

"I see," Jiang Liren nodded and said, "Then let's proceed according to my plan."

Xuanwu quickly asked, "How do we do it?"

Jiang Liren looked at Xuanwu and said, "If I lure Gu Guanqi into your territory, not necessarily to kill him, but just to keep him occupied for five or six days, you'll be fine with that, right?"

Xuanwu said in a deep voice, "You mean in the water?"

Jiang Liren said, "Your water manipulation technique is incredibly profound in the water. It should be enough to keep Gu Guanqi occupied, right?"

Xuanwu nodded and said, "If you can lure Gu Guanqi into the water, I'm confident I can hold him off for five or six days, or even ten days or half a month. In fact, if Gu Guanqi doesn't have a good swimmer as a helper, I can even wear him down in the water. But the difficulty lies in how you lure him into the water."

Jiang Liren laughed and said, "Naturally, it's the right medicine for the illness—a honey trap!"

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