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

Chapter 176 Reunion with Shen Qingqiu, Killing Xuanwu

That evening, dusk had fallen.

Gu Guanqi and his two companions only found a dilapidated temple on a deserted mountain to stay in.

The temple was small, and most of the roof tiles were missing. The wind blew in through the holes, stirring up the withered grass and ashes on the ground.

Liu Yuanqin gathered some dry branches and pine cones from outside the temple, lit a bonfire in the open space inside the hall, stuck a few flatbreads on the branches, and slowly roasted them by the fire.

As the bread was baked over the fire, it gradually released a fragrant aroma that wafted through the cold wind.

Chu Yaoyin sat by the fire, warmed her hands over the flames, and looked at the heavy twilight outside the temple gate. She said, "If we hurry for another two days, we should be able to reach Tinghua Manor. I just don't know what the situation is like at the Eastern Depot now."

'

Liu Yuanqin took a flatbread from the fire, blew on it, carefully broke it in half, handed one half to Gu Guanqi, and the other half to Chu Yaoyin, saying, "We'll talk about the situation at the Eastern Depot later, but getting to Tinghua Manor won't be so easy. The day the monk Jieyan tried to frame us, he failed, and the Left Prime Minister won't let it go so easily."

Chu Yaoyin took the bread, took a bite, and nodded: "We do need to be careful, but I don't understand why the Left Prime Minister insists on stopping Alliance Leader Gu?"

'

Liu Yuanqin said, "I've figured it out these past few days."

Chu Yaoyin quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

Gu Guanqi also raised his head.

Liu Yuanqin said, "First of all, we must be clear about one point: the Hua family is very important to the Left Prime Minister, and he will definitely do everything he can to protect the Hua family. One reason is their wealth, and the other is that if he doesn't protect the Hua family, it will discourage other people who have come to him."

However, it is now a certainty that Hua Zhongjun has colluded with Cangmang Mountain and that Hua Manshan is the leader. Especially with the Eastern Depot pushing things along, the Left Prime Minister has no way to suppress the matter or distort the truth.

In this situation, if he wanted to protect the Hua family, there was only one way: at this punitive conference, the Tianzhou Martial Arts Alliance and the Tianhu County Government should cooperate to separate the Hua family head's lineage from the Hua family from both the government and the martial arts world.

In short, the idea is to make the main branch of the Hua family bear the consequences, sacrificing a small number of people to protect the majority of the Hua family, and at the same time, protecting the Hua family's assets. Because before the incident at Cangmang Mountain, the Hua family was already staging an internal strife, so it is reasonable to remove the main branch of the Hua family from the blame now.

In this way, the Hua family can settle down safely and continue to serve the Left Prime Minister. In fact, previously they could only serve him secretly, but now they can do so openly and legitimately.

Chu Yaoyin frowned and said, "It won't be that easy. The Eastern Depot and the Tianzhou martial arts world won't agree to let the Hua family get away with it so easily."

Liu Yuanqin said, "As for the imperial court, the Eastern Depot is now suppressed, so who else would dare to oppose the Left Chancellor and the Grand General? As for the martial arts world, if the martial arts alliance leader Jiang Liren personally protects the Hua family, and given that most of the major sects in Tianzhou are already affiliated with the Left Chancellor, it doesn't matter whether ordinary martial arts practitioners agree or not, and no one would dare to disagree."

Chu Yaoyin suddenly realized and said, "So, that's why we must stop Alliance Leader Gu. Alliance Leader Gu is different from ordinary martial artists. He is the leader of the martial arts alliance of three states. If he appears at the punitive expedition, even if the government presents evidence and puts all the blame on the main branch of the Hua family, if he says he has doubts and requests a reinvestigation, then the variables will be huge."

Liu Yuanqin nodded and said, "Or, if Alliance Leader Gu directly demands compensation, how exactly should the Hua family compensate? After all, the Hua family needs to compensate not only Alliance Leader Gu, but also all the various people or forces that have had grudges against Cangmang Mountain over the years. The Hua family simply cannot afford to compensate them."

If Alliance Leader Gu isn't there, and no one steps forward, the martial arts alliance can exert pressure, and the main branch can take responsibility, and the matter will simply be dropped. However, if Alliance Leader Gu steps forward, then those ordinary martial arts figures who originally had little say will immediately be in a different position, and the matter can escalate significantly.

Chu Yaoyin nodded and said, "If I were the Left Prime Minister, I would definitely find a way to stop Alliance Leader Gu." Then, Chu Yaoyin looked at Gu Guanqi and asked, "Alliance Leader Gu, what are your requirements when we arrive at Tinghua Manor?"

Gu Guanqi said, "I've already said it: it's a normal confiscation of property. I want half of the Hua family's wealth, and then—"

At this point, Gu Guanqi suddenly stopped, then looked up at the outside of the dilapidated temple and said, "Someone is coming."

Chu Yaoyin and Liu Yuanqin immediately placed their hands on their respective weapons.

Outside the temple gate, twilight still lingered, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional bird call from afar; the last rays of the setting sun were gradually fading.

After a while, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from outside the mountain path.

Immediately afterwards, a figure stumbled out of the night.

It was a woman, dressed in rags, her hair disheveled, her skirt covered in mud, and in several places torn by thorns, revealing her skin with scratches underneath.

She ran very fast, in a great panic.

When she saw the few people in the dilapidated temple, her eyes lit up. She practically scrambled to the temple entrance, tripped, and fell forward, crashing onto the threshold with a thud.

"Sir...sirs!" The woman's voice was trembling and choked with sobs. She lay prostrate on the ground, her whole body shaking. "Save me! My family and I were passing through this place when we were attacked by bandits. They killed my whole family and are trying to capture me...please, please save me—"

As she spoke, she supported herself with her hands on the ground, crawled two steps into the temple, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly in the direction of Gu Guanqi and the other two.

Her clothes were already tattered, and with her movements, the fabric on her shoulders and waist slipped down even further, revealing a section of pale and slender skin.

Her appearance was not outstanding, only pretty, but kneeling by the fire, the firelight reflected off her, outlining her tattered clothes and exposed skin with a unique charm.

"Please help me... I beg you..."

'

The woman knelt down and begged for help, but Gu Guanqi and the other two did not move and all looked into the woods.

Soon, seven or eight figures emerged from the dense forest.

Those people were all carrying swords and knives, and their clothes were messy; some wore long robes, while others were wrapped in tattered coats.

The woman panicked and quickly hid behind Gu Guanqi and the other two.

The seven or eight people in the woods spread out in a fan shape, subtly surrounding the dilapidated temple.

The leader was a woman, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, tall and slender, dressed in a dark red outfit, with two swords hanging at her waist, and her long hair tied up with a plain silver hairpin, looking very heroic.

She strode forward and announced loudly, "The Six Doors are apprehending thieves! All bystanders, step back!"

'

Before she could finish speaking, the woman in red's gaze fell on Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi was also looking at her at that moment.

Eyes facing each other.

The woman in red was overjoyed and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Gu Guanqi smiled gently and said softly, "Qingqiu, it's been a long time!"

Gu Guanqi was also overjoyed. He never expected to meet Shen Qingqiu here.

After Shen Qingqiu gave up his position as deputy commander of the Six Doors to go to the capital to participate in the Famous Detective Project, Gu Guanqi never saw Shen Qingqiu again, nor did he hear any news about him.

On his way to the capital, he thought about finding out about Shen Qingqiu and seeing if there would be a chance to meet him.

I never expected to meet you here before even reaching the capital.

At this moment, the ragged woman hiding behind Gu Guanqi suddenly said in a sinister tone, "You two know each other? That's great!"

As she spoke, she held a dagger to Gu Guanqi's neck and whispered, "This young man is so handsome, could he be Commander Shen's lover?"

The woman turned her head to look at Shen Qingqiu and said, "Commander Shen, you wouldn't want to see such a handsome young man die here, would you?"

Shen Qingqiu said calmly, "I don't want to."

The woman chuckled and said, "That's perfect. I don't want to treat such a handsome young man so roughly. So, Commander Shen, how about you do me a favor? I'll take him away, and you don't need to chase after me. Once I'm in a safe place, I'll release him."

Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but chuckle, looking at Gu Guanqi and saying, "I've certainly broadened my horizons today. Someone actually managed to hold Gu Guanqi, the leader of the martial arts alliance of three states and a peerless swordsman, hostage! Zhong Sihong, your Huaibei gang is truly formidable. Your achievement is worthy of being called the best in the world!"

Zhong Sihong's expression changed abruptly. She turned her head sharply to look at Gu Guanqi and exclaimed in surprise, "You—you—you are—"

Gu Guanqi casually raised his hand and held the dagger between two fingers.

His movements were slow and calm, but Zhong Sihong was horrified to find that she had no way to dodge. She could only watch helplessly as Gu Guanqi caught her dagger, and then, with a gentle pull, she let go.

Then, Gu Guanqi pointed gently at Zhong Sihong.

Zhong Sihong was instantly unable to move.

Shen Qingqiu immediately waved his hand and said, "Take him down!"

Immediately, two burly men behind Shen Qingqiu stepped forward with iron chains and tied Zhong Sihong up.

Shen Qingqiu then walked into the dilapidated temple, waved to his men, and said, "You guys go outside and wait for me."

The group immediately left as ordered.

At this moment, Chu Yaoyin suddenly said to Liu Yuanqin, "Senior Brother, there's no firewood here. Come with me to look for some!"

Liu Yuanqin understood immediately and followed Chu Yaoyin out the door.

Inside the dilapidated temple, Shen Qingqiu quietly observed Gu Guanqi for a long while. His gaze then fell upon the Autumn Water Sword hanging at Gu Guanqi's waist, and a sudden tightness gripped his heart. Pretending to be nonchalant, he said, "You're the dignified leader of the martial arts alliance of three states, and you don't even know to get a better sword? You're still using this broken one!"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "I would never want to give away something you gave me. In my heart, it is the most powerful weapon in the world."

Shen Qingqiu chuckled, "It's been so long since I've seen you; you've become so glib!"

Gu Guanqi said, "No, I've always been like this."

Shen Qingqiu said, "No, if you had acted like that back then, I would have—" He then waved his hand and said, "Never mind, let's not talk about that. What are you doing here?"

Gu Guanqi said, "It's a long story, but to put it simply, I went to the capital to handle some matters, but I encountered some trouble along the way—"

Afterwards, Gu Guanqi recounted the events at Cangmang Mountain and his upcoming trip to Tinghua Manor.

After listening, Shen Qingqiu nodded and said, "What a coincidence."

Gu Guanqi said, "What a coincidence! I was planning to see you after I arrived in the capital, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to. I didn't expect to run into you here. Qingqiu, how are you? Is the Detective Project going smoothly?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and said, "It went very smoothly. The Famous Detective Program ended in the middle of last year. I was successfully selected and received the Divine Pill from the Six Doors, which greatly increased my cultivation. Now, I am in charge of one of the twelve departments of the Six Doors and serve as the commander."

"Impressive!" Gu Guanqi gave a thumbs up and said, "Commander, you're a third-rank official now. You'll have to look after me from now on!"

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes and said, "You are the dignified leader of the martial arts alliance of three states. Even the governor of our Six Doors would show you deference." He then added with great emotion, "I knew you would become famous throughout the martial arts world, but I never imagined you would become known throughout the land so quickly, unparalleled in the world!"

"I didn't expect it to be so fast," Gu Guanqi said, then asked, "By the way, what happened to you today?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I arrived in Tianhu County about ten days ago. At that time, I received intelligence that the notorious bandit organization Huaibei Yikugui had appeared in Tianhu County."

Our Six Doors has been investigating this gang of ruthless bandits for a long time. The General Headquarters has ordered me to personally lead a team to apprehend this den of scoundrels in Huaibei.

After arriving in Tianhu County, I tracked them for a long time before finally pinpointing their location. Today, I devised a plan to capture them. The woman just now was named Zhong Sihong, the leader of the Huaibei Ghost Gang, nicknamed Meng Po. Don't let her fair and pretty appearance fool you; she's actually extremely vicious and a ruthless killer.

This woman is highly skilled in martial arts. We just fought our way down to her alone, and she actually fought her way out of the encirclement. However, it was time for her to be captured. Of all the bad luck, she ran into you and even took you hostage!

"It is fitting that we meet here today." Gu Guanqi smiled slightly.

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and said, "However, I have to leave now. I need to escort the Huaibei Ghosts to the capital. We're not going the same way."

"Then we'll meet in the capital," Gu Guanqi said.

Shen Qingqiu said, "When you arrive, go to the eighth house in the second row of Yangliu Lane in the East City. That's where I live."

"good!"

The two then sat and chatted for a while longer.

Seeing that it was getting dark, Shen Qingqiu decided not to delay any longer, got up, and took his leave.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the withered trees on both sides of the official road a dark red.

Shen Qingqiu led a group of people at a gallop along the official road, their horses' hooves kicking up fine dust on the dirt road.

In the center of the procession, Zhong Sihong's hands were bound by iron chains, with two black iron hooks locked to her collarbones. Each hook had a thin chain attached to its end, which was then fastened to the saddle. She sat upright on the horse's back, her face pale.

Shen Qingqiu rode at the front of the group, his twin swords hanging at his waist, his eyes scanning the dense forest on both sides like a hawk.

As it grew darker and darker, —

Shen Qingqiu instructed everyone to speed up and try to meet up with the others before dark.

In an instant, the team's speed increased significantly.

Dusk seeped through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

suddenly-

A beam of white light shot out from the forest.

It was a sword that came without warning, as fast as a silver-white lightning bolt that shot out of the void, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, aimed straight at Shen Qingqiu's chest.

Shen Qingqiu reacted extremely quickly, drawing his short sword from his waist with his right hand. The blade traced a cold arc in the twilight as it met the incoming sword light.

"when-

—"

A deafening clang of metal rang out, sparks flying everywhere.

Shen Qingqiu was sent flying backwards in an instant.

Shen Qingqiu did a somersault in the air, then landed gracefully and steadied himself.

The flying sword tumbled twice in the air before flying back into the forest, where it was caught steadily by a hand that reached out from the woods.

A middle-aged man dressed in black slowly emerged from the woods. He was slender with slightly high cheekbones, and his eyes gleamed with a cold light in the twilight.

He was dressed in a black outfit, holding a long sword, and surrounded by a faint, gloomy aura that made the surrounding air seem a bit colder.

This person is none other than Xuanwu, the last current master of the Four Extremes Palace.

As Xuanwu emerged from the forest, he stomped his foot sharply.

The powerful true energy surged outwards, and all the constables from the Six Doors retreated along with their horses, except for the horse in the middle carrying Zhong Sihong, which remained unaffected.

Xuanwu swiftly flew to Zhong Sihong's side, swung his longsword twice, and the iron chain snapped, falling to the ground with two crisp clangs. He then casually removed the iron hook from Zhong Sihong's collarbone.

Zhong Sihong slid off the horse and fell into Xuanwu's arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her cheek against his chest, and said in a soft voice, "Lord Xuanwu, if you hadn't come soon, I would have been heartbroken. It hurts so much!"

Xuanwu pushed Zhong Sihong away expressionlessly, his tone indifferent: "Don't be a nuisance."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Shen Qingqiu, his long sword pointing diagonally at the ground, gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the twilight.

"Commander Shen," Xuanwu said calmly, "I am Xuanwu of the Four Extremes Palace. I would like to trouble you to come with me."

Shen Qingqiu gripped the short knife in his right hand and said, "Let me think... are you going to take me to the Tianlan River?"

"Hmm?" Xuanwu was slightly taken aback and asked, "How did Commander Shen find out?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I understood when I saw that it was Xuanwu himself who arrived. You guys really planned this very carefully to keep Alliance Leader Gu occupied."

Judging by the timeline, the time I received orders to come to Tianhu County to investigate the "One Cave of Ghosts in Huaibei" should have been the same time the news from Cangmang Mountain reached the capital.

Then, I came to Tianhu County and investigated for several days without any breakthrough. But today I found out. And then, coincidentally, Zhong Sihong escaped to Alliance Leader Gu. It must have been a deliberate attempt to create an opportunity for me to meet Alliance Leader Gu!

Then, you kidnap me and have Alliance Leader Gu rescue me. According to our Six Doors intelligence, Xuanwu is most skilled in naval warfare, and coincidentally, there is a Tianlan River not far from here.

If we can lure Alliance Leader Gu to the water, then that's your territory. Am I right, Xuanwu?

Xuanwu nodded slightly and said, "Impressive. As expected of the only female commander of the Six Doors and Twelve Divisions, she was able to analyze so much so quickly."

"I suppose Commander Shen is a smart man and wouldn't make things difficult for me. So, are you going to come with me now, or suffer a bit before you come?"

Shen Qingqiu shook his head slightly.

Xuanwu said, "I thought Commander Shen was exceptionally intelligent for being able to analyze the cause and effect so quickly, but now it seems he's not smart enough. Why bother suffering like this?"

Shen Qingqiu smiled slightly and said, "What I mean by shaking my head is that the cause and effect are not something I can analyze at this moment. I can only analyze Tianlan River at this moment. As for the kidnapping, I guessed it when I met Alliance Leader Gu before."

Upon hearing Shen Qingqiu's words, Xuanwu's expression changed drastically, and without hesitation, he turned and ran.

But just then, a clear, cold voice suddenly came from above: "Xuanwu, why are you in such a hurry?"

"6

The voice was somewhat cold, gently piercing through the twilight.

Xuanwu suddenly looked up.

At the very top of an old pine tree in the forest, on a horizontal branch as thin as a little finger, stood a figure in white.

Dusk crept in from behind him, bathing his silhouette in a dark golden afterglow, making him appear like an immortal descending to earth.

It was Gu Guanqi.

Earlier in the dilapidated temple, Shen Qingqiu sensed something was amiss. She felt the coincidences were too much, and after analyzing the situation, she concluded that the other party had deliberately arranged for them to meet. Therefore, the best way to delay Gu Guanqi was to kidnap her and force Gu Guanqi to rescue her.

So the two of them decided to have Gu Guanqi sneak around in the dark.

If no one appears along the way, then wait until the Six Doors team reunites, then torture Zhong Sihong to force her to reveal her purpose.

Upon seeing Gu Guanqi appear, Xuanwu's pupils suddenly contracted.

His momentum, which had been sweeping backward, suddenly stopped. He twisted in mid-air, turned around, gripped the scabbard with his left hand, and pressed his right hand on the hilt, his gaze fixed on Gu Guanqi.

"It seems we have truly failed." Xuanwu looked at Gu Guanqi and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, everyone says your martial arts are unparalleled. Do you dare to fight me fair and square?"

Gu Guanqi asked, "What do you mean by 'fair and square'?"

Xuanwu said, "Of course, you must defeat me on the water. I am strongest in the water. If you can defeat me in the water, then I will accept my defeat wholeheartedly, and the world will accept it wholeheartedly!"

Gu Guanqi curled his lip and said, "Although I'm confident I could kill you in the water, why would I give up my advantage to fight you on your home turf? Whether you submit or not seems to be irrelevant!"

Xuanwu sighed and said, "Alright, let's fight here then." He slowly raised his sword and said, "I have imitated your Celestial Immortal, but I only captured the form, not the spirit."

It seems I've only been observing from the shadows all along, never experiencing it firsthand. Alliance Leader Gu, today, let me witness your celestial descent from beyond the heavens!

Xuanwu's figure blurred into a blurry afterimage in the twilight. His long sword rose from below, the sword light spreading out in all directions like mercury spilling onto the ground.

That sword strike was extremely fast.

It was so fast that one could barely see the sword blade; all that could be seen was an overwhelming, cold light, like a torrential downpour, surging upwards from the bottom.

As the sword energy surged, the air was torn apart with a sharp hiss. The withered leaves on the ground were swept into the sword light and instantly turned into dust, even the dust was pressed down a bit.

Thousands of sword energies poured out like a torrential rain, covering the sky and blotting out the sun.

Gu Guanqi stood on the tree, his long hair flying backward in the twilight. He looked at Xuanwu's sword with a calm expression.

Then, he drew his sword.

The moment the Autumn Water Sword was drawn, an extremely clear and melodious sword cry pierced the twilight, like the sigh of the last ray of the setting sun before it fell into the sky.

The sword light flashed, transforming into streaks of pure and otherworldly light.

It was a celestial being descending from the heavens.

At the same moment, Gu Guanqi struck out with his left hand, unleashing a terrifying palm strike. A deep and long dragon roar suddenly exploded in the twilight, carrying with it a powerful and overwhelming force.

The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, Flying Dragon in the Sky.

The dragon's roar shook the heavens, its power overwhelming mountains and seas.

The sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning across the sky, flowing smoothly downwards.

They faced the torrent of sword energy pouring down.

Two completely different styles of swordsmanship collided head-on at this moment.

In an instant, the dense downpour and the cold crescent moon collided violently in mid-air.

Ding ding ding ding——!

The dense clanging of metal was like hundreds of hailstones simultaneously striking a metal plate, creating a deafening explosion. Sparks flew everywhere, like fireworks exploding in the night sky, only to be swallowed by the twilight in an instant.

The torrential sword energy began to disintegrate the moment it touched the celestial being, shattering, disintegrating, and turning into nothingness layer by layer.

Xuanwu's pupils contracted sharply, but he still raised his sword to stab.

However, at that very moment, a terrifying palm strike came, "Boom—"

Xuanwu was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, crashing to the ground before bouncing back up and flying several meters away, finally slamming heavily to the ground once more. A shallow crater was created in the dirt road, raising clouds of dust.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, his robe tore open at the chest, revealing a sunken sternum with countless broken bones. He collapsed to the ground, his longsword flying out of his hand and embedded in the soil several feet away, its blade vibrating and humming.

His gaze wavered for a moment, then he forced it back on.

"you....

'

Xuanwu opened his mouth, blood continuously oozing from the corner of his lips, his voice hoarse, "Where did this palm come from? Where did it come from..."

'

As he spoke, Xuanwu's head tilted to one side, and dark red blood gushed from all seven orifices at the same time. He then fell completely silent.

Gu Guanqi landed gracefully and looked at Zhong Sihong beside her.

Zhong Sihong was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, her face ashen and her whole body trembling like a leaf.

She knew that Xuanwu was probably no match for Gu Guanqi if they weren't in the water, but she never imagined that Xuanwu would be killed in a single exchange.

At this moment, Shen Qingqiu had already sheathed her dagger. She waved her hand, beckoning the Six Doors constables behind her to come forward.

"Lock it up."

Two constables strode forward, their chains clanking as they re-locked Zhong Sihong's hands behind her back and then pierced her shoulder blades with the two iron hooks from her collarbone, their movements practiced and swift.

Zhong Sihong winced in pain, letting out a short, muffled groan.

Gu Guanqi walked over and asked, "So, is there anything else planned?"

Zhong Sihong quickly shook her head and said, "No—no more, just this one honey trap—it's only a day or two's journey from here to Tinghua Manor, and there's no time to make any other arrangements."

Gu Guanqi then asked, "What's the situation at Tinghua Manor now?"

Zhong Sihong said, "I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, but I do know that the people sent by the Eastern Depot were suppressed by the local government and the martial arts alliance in Tianhu County, and they didn't have much say."

Jiang Liren waited for the various factions to arrive before announcing the punishment of a group of Hua family members to quell the unrest. The government would then confiscate their property, but only Hua Zhongjun's lineage would be targeted. Moreover, even the main lineage had already transferred most of its wealth.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly.

What Zhong Sihong said was not much different from what Liu Yuanqin had analyzed earlier.

At this moment, Shen Qingqiu walked over and said, "Guanqi, now that Xuanwu's plan to delay you has failed, Jiang Liren will probably sacrifice a pawn to save the king."

Gu Guanqi asked, "How will the guarantee be handled?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "For the Left Prime Minister, the Hua family's wealth is primary, while the Hua family itself is secondary. Now that they can't stop you, they have no choice but to abandon the Hua family and directly declare that the Hua family is colluding with the bandits of Cangmang Mountain."

Then, under the guise of compensation, the Hua family's wealth was distributed to various sects. Undoubtedly, the sects that received the most compensation were those that had already pledged allegiance to the Left Prime Minister.

This approach won't protect the Hua family, but with the Left Prime Minister's power, he can rebuild the Hua family as long as he has the money. As for the loss of popular support, there's nothing that can be done; there's always a trade-off!

Gu Guanqi said, "No one can take what's mine away."

"Don't be impulsive," Shen Qingqiu said. "If Jiang Liren chooses to divide the Hua family's wealth equally, it means that all the major sects in Tianzhou will fully support him. If you act rashly, you will really make an enemy of the entire Tianzhou martial arts world."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry, I have my own plans." Then, Gu Guanqi looked at the sky and said, "It's getting dark soon, you should set off quickly; you still need to rejoin your main group!"

"Um.

Shen Qingqiu nodded, said nothing more, turned around, walked towards the group, and mounted his horse.

She reined in the rope, suddenly turned to look at Gu Guanqi, and asked, "Guanqi, if I were really kidnapped and taken to the river today, would you really come to save me?" After asking, Shen Qingqiu quickly added, "I'm just curious why they would use a honey trap on me. If you can't answer, then don't."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "Actually, they went to unnecessary lengths. They could have just sent someone to tell me that you were kidnapped, and I would have gone even without any token."

Shen Qingqiu smiled, the twilight falling on her face, her eyes shining brightly. She said, "Remember, the eighth house in the second row of Yangliu Lane in the East City. I'll be waiting for you in the capital!"

"See you in the capital," Gu Guanqi said.

The procession gradually disappeared into the twilight, the sound of horses' hooves fading into the evening breeze.

The official road returned to silence. As the last rays of the setting sun sank behind the mountains, night descended from all directions. Gu Guanqi slightly raised his head, looking towards Tianhu County City, and said coldly, "They actually dared to try and snatch something from me!"

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