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

Chapter 180 Wind God Leg and a Sword Across Worlds

Zhao Qingci noticed that Gu Guanqi seemed a little distracted, so she asked, "Alliance Leader Gu, what's wrong? Is something amiss?"

""

"No, no," Gu Guanqi regained his composure and said, "Please, Your Highness!"

Zhao Qingci smiled slightly and said, "I won't go into detail about my family situation. I'm two years older than Alliance Leader Gu."

Although my meeting with Alliance Leader Gu was mainly to assist him in his cultivation at my mother's request, I actually had the intention of a proper marriage. If we are truly destined to be together, I would be very willing to marry him.

From a personal perspective, Alliance Leader Gu possesses unparalleled martial arts skills, enjoys a renowned reputation, and is an exceptionally handsome man—his qualities are rare indeed. From the royal family's perspective, if I could marry Alliance Leader Gu, the royal family would gain a powerful ally.

Therefore, whether from a personal perspective or from the perspective of marriage alliance, Leader Gu is a match that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.

Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness flatters me. With Your Highness's talent, finding any kind of capable person would be a piece of cake."

Zhao Qingci chuckled lightly, "To be honest, after meeting Alliance Leader Gu, I feel that there is no man in this world who can surpass you. I wonder what Alliance Leader Gu's requirements are for his principal wife?"

"Well—it depends on fate!" Gu Guanqi said.

Zhao Qingci covered her mouth and chuckled, "It seems the martial arts world is right. Alliance Leader Gu is amorous, but he's sincere to everyone. Rumor has it that you conquered the martial arts world of three states and became the Alliance Leader of those three states to avoid the conflict over the position of your principal wife!"

Gu Guanqi: "————"

Zhao Qingci stared at Gu Guanqi, a half-smile on her face, and said, "Then, if I also form a bond with Alliance Leader Gu, is Alliance Leader Gu also planning to take over the Tianzhou Martial Arts Alliance and hand it over to me?"

Gu Guanqi hesitated, then said, "Your Highness, isn't it a bit premature for us to discuss this issue now?"

"It's just a blind date," Zhao Qingci said, "isn't that what we talk about? However, I am the eldest princess, and I have no interest in the Martial Arts Alliance, nor could I possibly take it over. If we were to become lovers, Alliance Leader Gu wouldn't need to worry about me fighting with your other women. I generally don't leave the capital, as long as Alliance Leader Gu promises to spend a certain amount of time with me each year!"

Gu Guanqi gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Your Highness, you are truly enlightened!"

Zhao Qingci waved her hand and said, "I grew up in the palace, so naturally I can accept men having multiple wives and concubines. When my mother gave birth to me, she was only a Zhaoyi!"

At this point, Zhao Qingci waved her hand and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about that anymore. It's indeed too early. Many flowers have bloomed in my back garden. Alliance Leader Gu, would you like to come with me to see how they are?"

Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "It's an honor!"

"please!"

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Qingci led Gu Guanqi to the back garden.

"I've heard that not only is Alliance Leader Gu's martial arts unparalleled, but his medical skills are also unmatched?"

"While not quite unparalleled, his medical skills are still quite good!"

'

""

As they walked, they started talking about other topics.

Afterwards, we went to the back garden to admire the flowers and played chess for half a day.

Finally, Gu Guanqi also had a meal with Zhao Qingci.

Zhao Qingci has a very generous personality in her speech and actions, so Gu Guanqi found it very natural to communicate with her. After spending half a day together, the two quickly became familiar with each other.

It was already evening when we finished the meal.

"Your Highness, it's getting late, so I'll take my leave!" Gu Guanqi stood up and cupped his hands in farewell.

Zhao Qingci naturally wouldn't try to keep a man she had just met, so she stood up and said, "I'll have someone see you off."

"No need," Gu Guanqi said. "This is my first time in the capital, and I haven't yet experienced the city's night view. I've heard that Tai'an City is a city that never sleeps, so I'd like to see it for myself."

Zhao Qingci said, "That's good too. The night view of the capital is indeed unique. It would be a real pity to come to the capital and not see the night view of Tai'an."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "Then I'll take my leave!"

"I send you."

As Zhao Qingci saw Gu Guanqi off, she said, "I am very satisfied with my first meeting with Alliance Leader Gu today. I am also quite fortunate to have met Alliance Leader Gu before I was married. No matter whether we can be together in the future, I will not regret not having met you."

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Gu Guanqi and asked, "I wonder what Alliance Leader Gu's first impression of me was?"

Just then, a system notification sounded in Gu Guanqi's mind:

[Blind date event concluded]

[Reward: Max level "Heavenly Demon Secret" skill, already issued]

Do you want to claim the reward?

Gu Guanqi did not claim it immediately, but quickly regained his composure and looked at Zhao Qingci, saying, "Your Highness is breathtakingly beautiful and possesses extraordinary nobility; you are a truly exceptional person, one of a kind in this world!"

Zhao Qingci smiled and said, "As long as Alliance Leader Gu doesn't get tired of it, that's fine."

The two then chatted as they walked out of the mansion.

Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, please wait!"

Zhao Qingci nodded slightly and said, "With Alliance Leader Gu's martial arts skills, I'm not worried about your safety." After a pause, she continued, "Alliance Leader Gu, since you have a good impression of me from our first meeting, let's spend more time together. I'll try my best to win your heart, okay?"

Just then, the system notification sounded in Gu Guanqi's mind once again:

[A blind date invitation has been detected; advanced blind date event can be started]

[Enable?]

Without hesitation, Gu Guanqi silently recited in his mind: "Activate."

The next moment, a new notification sound appeared in my mind: [Blind Date Partner - Zhao Qingci]

Rating - Five Stars

[Advanced Dating Reward: Max Level "Wind God Leg"]

The Advanced Dating Event has begun. Players are encouraged to complete it diligently. Rewards will be distributed after the event concludes.

Wind God Leg is a top-level external martial art that combines body techniques and leg skills. Its core principle is that the wind is formless, and the person moves with the wind. It is an extremely fast and fierce leg technique.

After achieving perfection, one can reach the state where the body is the wind and the wind is the body. There is no fixed trajectory for attack; advance, retreat, turn, and maneuver are all without warning, and one can move and leap at will, like a short-distance teleportation.

The surrounding air is drawn by its own Dao aura, forming a faint wind domain. Any opponent who enters this area will be affected by its movement techniques...

The speed of attacks is invisibly suppressed by the wind.

Gu Guanqi was very satisfied with the Wind God Kick he had just delivered.

Although this martial art has an obvious weakness—it's easily countered in close combat—Gu Guanqi has no shortage of close-combat skills, so he doesn't need to worry about this weakness. The Wind God Leg technique, however, can compensate for his two relatively weaker aspects: speed and wide-area damage.

Gu Guanqi immediately regained his composure, cupped his hands in thanks to Zhao Qingci, and said, "Very well, then thank you very much, Your Highness!"

Zhao Qingci smiled slightly and said, "I just returned to the capital last night and have been busy seeing you today. I haven't had a chance to go to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager yet, so I'll have to go to the palace tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, I'll send someone to pick you up, and I'll take you to see some of the sights in the capital. What do you think?"

1

Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Your Highness."

"You're welcome."

Afterwards, the two exchanged a few more words—

Gu Guanqi then left.

Zhao Qingci stood at the door, watching Gu Guanqi leave. Only after Gu Guanqi's figure disappeared did she turn around and walk back.

The maid who had been standing behind her asked in confusion, "Your Highness, didn't you say before that because Alliance Leader Gu was amorous and didn't want to share a husband with others, you were only helping Alliance Leader Gu cultivate? But why are you now talking about marriage with Alliance Leader Gu?"

Zhao Qingci chuckled lightly, "Your opinion changed after you met them!"

"But, Alliance Leader Gu has many women, what should we do?" the maid asked.

Zhao Qingci snorted coldly and said, "Let's see if he'll fall for me. If he does, then everything will be fine. If he doesn't, then I'll give up. We're starting from different points, and I'll have to fight against the odds. That's too tiring."

"If he's also attracted to me, then there's no problem. Starting on equal footing, I'll have a winning streak. Don't forget, my mother was the ultimate victor in the imperial harem. In the power struggles of the inner palace, do you think I'm afraid of a bunch of江湖人 (jianghu people, martial arts practitioners)? They wouldn't even be enough for me to handle with one hand!"

The maid frowned and said, "But didn't you say before that you are a royal princess and cannot share a husband with another woman?"

Zhao Qingci said, "Words are spoken by people. Alliance Leader Gu's future achievements will not be lower than Jun Ziyou's. Back then, my grandfather wanted the royal family to marry Jun Ziyou. Jun Ziyou jokingly said he wanted three princesses, and my grandfather agreed to all of them. In the end, he was rejected."

Some rules, some so-called reputation and face, are all false in the face of absolute power. What kind of person is Alliance Leader Gu? His future achievements will certainly not be less than Junziyou's. What use are my rules then?

The maid pouted and said, "But that's not what you said before!"

Zhao Qingci rolled her eyes and said, "Well, we didn't see anyone!"

Maid: "————"

After leaving the princess's residence, Gu Guanqi didn't rush back.

As he had said before, he had not yet had a chance to properly appreciate the night view of the capital since arriving in Beijing.

Under the cover of night, Tai'an City was brightly lit. The glass lanterns on both sides of the long street formed a warm yellow river of light, and pedestrians were laughing and talking. Wine flags were waving in the wind.

Gu Guanqi strolled leisurely along the main street of the East Market. The night breeze was cool, but it couldn't dispel the lively atmosphere of the city.

Just as they rounded a bend, a group of constables from the Six Doors came galloping towards them. The woman riding at the head of the group was agile, her twin swords swaying lightly with the rise and fall of the horse's back. This woman was Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu spurred her horse forward at full speed, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, her gaze fell upon Gu Guanqi, and her eyes lit up. She immediately reined in her horse, and before it had even come to a complete stop, she had already dismounted and rushed forward, saying, "Guanqi, you've come at the perfect time! Come with me!"

-

Gu Guanqi quickly asked, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Shen Qingqiu quickly said, "I just received a report that someone has died in Qingyu Lane. According to the complainant's description, the scene matches a series of cases, and the manner of death is equally bizarre. I suspect it was caused by poison or some kind of spiritual magic, but this is already the third case. We at the Six Doors couldn't find any clues in the first two cases."

I know you are a highly skilled doctor, and I've heard you're also proficient in spiritual martial arts, so I'd like to ask you to come and take a look.

"Okay," Gu Guanqi readily agreed.

Shen Qingqiu immediately waved, and a constable promptly gave up his horse.

Gu Guanqi mounted his horse and followed Shen Qingqiu away.

After passing through a bustling long street, the group turned into a deep alley and arrived at the gate of a large mansion.

The main gate of the mansion was open, and the plaque above the gate read "Chen Residence".

As soon as I crossed the threshold, I heard intermittent crying coming from the inner courtyard. Several servants and maids were gathered under the eaves, some covering their faces, some clutching handkerchiefs, all of them pale.

A ring of torches and oil lamps were lit in the open space in the center of the courtyard, illuminating that area brightly.

A corpse lies face up on the central floor tile, but its head and body are completely separated. The head is rolled about two feet to the right of the body's shoulder, and the neck is jagged, as if it has been repeatedly cut and sawed by a blade.

The corpse's right hand was still tightly gripping a bloodstained dagger. The blade was narrow and long, and the strips of cloth wrapped around the handle were soaked in blood and then dried, turning a dark brown.

The direction of the blade and the angle of the corpse's right arm both clearly point to the same direction of death.

The deceased must have been holding the knife in his right hand before cutting into his neck from the left side, slicing through his throat, tendons, and bones.

The skin and flesh were used to sever the head from the shoulder.

Two coroners from the Six Doors stepped forward to examine the body first. After a while, the slightly older of the two coroners came to Shen Qingqiu's side and whispered, "Commander Shen, like the victims in the previous two cases, it was a suicide. No signs of poisoning were found."

At this moment, another constable in charge of questioning came over and said, "Commander Shen, the situation at the scene has been clarified. Like the two previous victims, they were fine at first, but suddenly they seemed possessed, taking a knife and cutting off their heads in full view of everyone."

Shen Qingqiu looked at Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi understood immediately. He took a few steps closer and squatted down. He didn't rush to touch the corpse. Instead, he carefully examined the way the knife was held and the stiff posture of the deceased's wrist.

Judging from the posture, it does indeed look like a suicide.

But this is highly illogical.

There is only one possibility for a person to be able to cut off their own head in suicide: the deceased must have been extremely strong and could have severed their own head with a single blow.

Judging from the marks on the body at the scene, it was not a single cut, but rather the head was repeatedly severed.

Normally, if it were truly suicide, it would be impossible to do something like this.

However, after examining the area for a long time, Gu Guanqi found no signs of poisoning and did not detect any residual spiritual techniques.

Then, Gu Guanqi stood up and said, "We can rule out poison or Gu causing the deceased to commit suicide. As for whether someone used mental magic to control the deceased to commit suicide, I cannot rule it out, because although I did not detect any traces of mental magic here, it may have completely dissipated due to the passage of time."

Shen Qingqiu frowned and said, "Even you couldn't find any trace!" Then, she looked at a weeping middle-aged woman beside her and asked, "Did the deceased exhibit any strange behavior before death?"

The woman wiped away her tears and said, "No, we were eating, having a good meal, when he suddenly got up, went inside to get a knife, and started cutting his own neck. We were all terrified and didn't have time to stop him before he cut off his own head."

"And before that," Shen Qingqiu asked, "had he said anything strange? Or done anything unusual?"

The woman thought for a moment, shook her head, and then suddenly spoke up: "I—I know something, but I don't know if it's unusual. Just a few days ago, several marks suddenly appeared on his wrist, like cat scratches."

Shen Qingqiu immediately squatted down to check.

The woman quickly replied, "It's already gone. It only appeared for half a day. It just looked like a cat scratch, but it wasn't a real wound. It didn't hurt or itch, and it disappeared quickly, so we didn't pay any attention to it. After all, if it had appeared on my back, I probably wouldn't have noticed it."

Shen Qingqiu examined the deceased's two wrists but found nothing unusual.

Gu Guanqi also checked it out, but didn't notice anything strange.

Afterwards, Shen Qingqiu led a group of constables to investigate and question people at the scene for a long time before having the body taken back to the Six Doors.

Then, they withdrew and left.

Gu Guanqi also left.

As the two walked through the alley, Shen Qingqiu said, "I've only been back in the capital for ten days, and this is already the third case. They're all the same: inexplicable suicides, and they all cut off their own heads. It's very bizarre."

Gu Guanqi said, "I once received a notebook from an old senior in Yunzhou. It recorded many unorthodox techniques in the martial arts world. There are quite a few unorthodox techniques that can have this effect on ordinary people, such as Gu poison, mental magic, or puppetry."

If the other party handles it promptly, the traces can be erased. However, Gu magic and puppetry will leave subtle traces that cannot be completely removed in a short time. But if it's a mental or supernatural art, given enough time, not a trace will remain. Besides these, there are also some unorthodox methods we've never seen before.

Shen Qingqiu nodded and said, "We still need to consider this from the perspective of these people's social circles." As he spoke, Shen Qingqiu looked up and said, "I was originally planning to take you around the capital when you came here, but I didn't expect to run into this kind of thing as soon as we returned."

Gu Guanqi quickly replied, "It's alright. I came to the capital this time because I have some business to attend to. By the time I finish my business, your case will probably be solved too."

Shen Qingqiu asked, "I didn't ask you before, what brings you to Kyoto? Do you need my help?"

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly and said, "You can't help me with my affairs. There's a lot of official transfers in Hongzhou, but the Ministry of Personnel keeps delaying the appointment documents. I came here to deal with this matter. It's the Left Chancellor Zhang Jiexi who's making things difficult for me."

Shen Qingqiu looked at Gu Guanqi, speechless for a moment. After a long silence, he sighed and said, "You really make me feel a deep sense of frustration."

When we first met, you were just an ordinary doctor, but in just two years, you have become someone I can't even look up to.

"Here's something funny. When we parted ways in Zhenwu County, I was fantasizing that once I achieved fame and success, I would stand up for you if you were bullied in the martial arts world! Now it seems that opportunity is gone. You don't need my support, and no one can bully you."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "It's alright, I'll back you up. Just focus on doing what you want to do, whether it's the imperial court or the Tie family. If anyone bullies you, just tell me."

Shen Qingqiu smiled slightly and said, "Although my martial arts are not as strong as yours, I'm not weak either. I've taken the Six Doors' divine pills and received long-term guidance from grandmasters, so my cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds. If I were to return to Qingzhou now, I could at least be a grandmaster. Besides, I'm a third-rank official!"

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "Then from now on, Commander Shen will protect me!"

"That depends on your performance!"

After parting ways with Shen Qingqiu, Gu Guanqi didn't linger and returned directly to the manor where he was currently staying.

Night had fallen, and all was quiet in the manor.

The moonlight outside the window was mostly obscured by thin clouds, leaving only a few streaks of silvery light filtering through the carved window frame, spreading a hazy layer on the blue brick floor—

A hazy halo.

Gu Guanqi sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed.

He focused his mind on the system, summoned it, and silently said, "Claim."

In an instant, an unprecedented and profound martial arts insight surged up from the deepest part of his consciousness like a deep sea current.

The essence of the Heavenly Demon Secrets emerged in his mind, and then began to operate, evolve, and intertwine on its own, as if countless invisible threads were weaving a complex and intricate net in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The Heavenly Demon Arena, Heavenly Demon Sound, Heavenly Demon Body Technique, and Heavenly Demon Seduction Technique—each branch is a self-contained system, yet they are interconnected, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, ultimately converging into a unified and profound martial arts essence.

Most importantly, the eighteen layers of mental cultivation directly reached the state of perfection, and the martial arts realm also stepped into the realm of the formless and ever-changing Heavenly Demon.

A unique true energy, distinct from the Heavenly Demon Secret, condensed and took shape deep within his dantian.

Unlike the ethereal and pure aura of the Cihang Sword Manual, which is as clear and righteous as moonlight, the Heavenly Demon True Qi is equally extraordinary, yet it carries an indescribable eeriness. It clearly exists, yet its true trajectory is difficult to grasp.

Even more wondrous is the Heavenly Demon Arena.

In Gu Guanqi's perception, the space within a radius of several feet centered on him seemed to have become different from the outside world at this moment. It was not a change that could be seen with the naked eye, but a subtle, almost instinctive perception—the flow of air seemed to have become slower, the angle at which the moonlight leaked in through the window seemed to have shifted slightly, and even the trajectory of those tiny dust particles floating and sinking in the light no longer became random.

In this small space, he seemed to have become the center of some kind of "domain," able to precisely control every subtle movement within it. The dust, the sliver of moonlight, even the slightest tremor of the plum branches outside the window in the night breeze, all entered his control without missing a single detail.

This is the Heavenly Demon Arena, where power is at your command, and life and death are decided in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, another kind of true energy within him seemed to be disturbed as well.

Cihang True Qi.

That pure and ethereal sword energy, like moonlight pouring down, slowly circulated on the other side of his dantian. As if sensing the presence of the Heavenly Demon True Energy, it began to tremble slightly, like a zither string being brushed by the wind, emitting a barely audible hum.

Two streams of true energy, one righteous and one evil, one pure and one turbid, one holy and one demonic.

Two diametrically opposed forces began to intertwine, entwine, and permeate each other.

The sanctity of Cihang True Qi and the unpredictability of Tianmo True Qi are like light and shadow, day and night, sun and moon.

At this moment, Gu Guanqi stepped into a completely new realm of sainthood and demonhood.

At the same time, his temperament is also changing.

The transcendent and otherworldly aura originally brought by the Cihang Sword Manual still remained, and that holy and ethereal immortal charm had not dissipated. However, at this moment, it seemed to be gently covered by a thin veil. That veil was the change brought about by the Heavenly Demon True Qi, which made people feel that transcendence at the same time, but also gave rise to a kind of dazed feeling of "not being able to see clearly".

Like a solitary moon atop a mountain, serene and distant.

It is like a deep valley shrouded in mist, impossible to reach.

Early the next morning.

As soon as Gu Guanqi got up, he instructed the steward to find him a set of fishing gear, as he planned to go fishing all day.

Yesterday, he had already instructed the Eastern Depot to stop searching for girls to help him with his cultivation, unless they were women of the Grandmaster level. Today, Princess Zhao Qingci of Chengyang had to go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager, and Shen Qingqiu was busy investigating a case, so he had some free time and decided to go fishing.

Morning light filters through the old locust tree outside the courtyard wall, casting dappled gold-like spots of light on the bluestone slabs.

-

As Gu Guanqi reached the door, he heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar, then abruptly stopping at the alley entrance.

He looked up and saw a figure nimbly dismounting – it was Chu Yaoyin. Today she was dressed in a light blue close-fitting outfit, with a short sword hanging at her waist. Perhaps she had been traveling too fast, as her temples were slightly disheveled, and a few strands of hair on her forehead were gently blown by the morning breeze.

"Alliance Leader Gu!"

'

Chu Yaoyin strode forward, cupped her hands and called out, but her steps suddenly stopped the moment her gaze fell on Gu Guanqi's face.

She blinked, tilted her head, and looked Gu Guanqi up and down. Her eyebrows gradually rose, and her tone was filled with surprise and doubt: "Alliance Leader Gu, have you... broken through?"

'

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback and said, "Is it that obvious?"

'

"It's so obvious!" Chu Yaoyin couldn't help but take another half step closer, her gaze lingering on his brows and eyes for a moment, her tone filled with undisguised amazement, "You were already ethereal enough, but now you've become even more—I can't quite put my finger on it, you're just more otherworldly, like you're shrouded in mist. Even though you're standing right in front of me, I feel like you might dissipate at any moment. And—you're even more captivating, the kind of captivating that you can never get enough of looking at!"

"It's indeed a small breakthrough," Gu Guanqi replied, then asked, "What brings you here today?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yaoyin seemed to remember something important. She immediately composed herself and said, "Oh dear, didn't I promise you that I would introduce you to Wen Shuyi, the most talented woman in Tianzhou, to help you with your cultivation? I've been pestering her for the past two days, and she finally agreed to meet you."

Gu Guanqi's heart stirred slightly.

Wen Shuyi is a master with great influence, so her rating in the system should be five stars.

He was naturally very interested.

Immediately, Gu Guanqi threw down his fishing gear, went to the stable to fetch a horse, and left with Chu Yaoyin.

After walking for about half an hour, Chu Yaoyin led Gu Guanqi to the Imperial Academy.

The Imperial College is extremely spacious, with ancient trees towering on both sides of the bluestone path, their branches and leaves intertwining, filtering the sunlight into fine spots that fall on the road.

Students walked among the trees in twos and threes, some whispering amongst themselves, others leaning against the pillars and turning the pages. When they saw Gu Guanqi and Chu Yaoyin pass by, many of them glanced over with curiosity and scrutiny.

Several young female students even stopped in their tracks, their eyes following Gu Guanqi's retreating figure for quite a distance before they came to their senses, whispered a few words to each other, and then blushed and quickly walked away.

Finally, after passing a bamboo grove, a three-story brick library stands quietly in the courtyard.

The building has gray walls and black tiles, with copper bells hanging from the eaves that tinkle softly in the wind. A plaque above the door reads "Library".

Chu Yaoyin said, "When Wen Shuyi isn't lecturing, she usually reads here. She's beautiful, talented, and skilled in martial arts—she's perfect in every way—but her personality is just too bland and boring."

As she spoke, Chu Yaoyin led Gu Guanqi upstairs to the second floor.

As soon as Gu Guanqi reached the entrance of the building, he saw a woman sitting by the window.

She wore a plain white silk dress, her long black hair was loosely tied up with an ebony hairpin, and she held a book in her hands.

The first time Gu Guanqi saw this woman, he had only one feeling: tranquility.

It wasn't just ordinary stillness; the moment you saw her, you suddenly felt the whole world go silent.

The faint sounds of students chatting and laughing could be heard from the courtyard downstairs. They were not far away, but when they reached her, they became blurry and distant, as if they were coming from another world.

Just because she was sitting there, the entire library became so quiet that it seemed as if time had forgotten it.

Outside the building, there is wind, light, and the occasional bird's shadow; inside, there are books, people, and the sound of students turning pages.

But these sounds seemed to become a stroke in a painting.

"Wen Shuyi!"

Chu Yaoyin walked over and said, "I've brought the person!"

Wen Shuyi slowly put down the book in her hand and raised her head.

Gu Guanqi then noticed Wen Shuyi's appearance; she was very beautiful, comparable to Princess Zhao Qingci.

However, just as Chu Yaoyin had said before, Wen Shuyi had a very peculiar ability: people would subconsciously ignore her appearance when they were in front of her.

Gu Guanqi was like this; even though Wen Shuyi was very beautiful, he didn't pay attention to her appearance at first, but only noticed her quiet temperament.

"Miss Wen," Gu Guanqi said, bowing.

Wen Shuyi stood up, bowed, and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, Yaoyin came to see me a few days ago. The reason I haven't agreed to meet you is because I really don't know how to help you cultivate. I have learned a lot of knowledge, but I have never learned how to make someone fall in love with me."

Chu Yaoyin immediately asked, "Then why did you agree today? Have you learned it now?"

Wen Shuyi said, "No, it's because I'm leaving Kyoto tomorrow and won't be back for a while, so I thought I should at least see Alliance Leader Gu, no matter how helpful it is."

"Thank you, Miss Wen." Gu Guanqi bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Chu Yaoyin asked in confusion, "Why? Why are you suddenly leaving the capital?"

Wen Shuyi said calmly, "My master wrote to me yesterday, saying that a major change is about to happen in the capital, and that I should go to Qizhou to avoid it for a while."

Chu Yaoyin asked, puzzled, "You've never participated in factional struggles, and besides, your martial arts skills are so high, what danger could you possibly be in?"

Wen Shuyi said, "This time is different. My master said that this change in the capital is a change in the destiny of the times. No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, if one gets involved in the struggle for destiny, one will not be able to resist it."

Chu Yaoyin's pupils contracted, and she lowered her voice, saying, "The Mandate of Heaven that the Grand Preceptor spoke of, could it be referring to that person in the capital?"

Wen Shuyi shook her head slightly and said, "No, that is the Emperor Star, while what my master is talking about is the destiny of the era. Every era has a person destined for destiny. These people are favored by the heavens and have a destiny on their shoulders. Before their mission is completed, no one can stop them."

"What is all this?" Chu Yaoyin pouted and said, "The Imperial Preceptor is always so mysterious."

Wen Shuyi smiled slightly and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore." She looked at Gu Guanqi and said, "I heard that Alliance Leader Gu's cultivation of the Path of Romance all started with blind dates. So let's go on a blind date now!"

Just then, the system's electronic voice rang in Gu Guanqi's mind: [Player has started the matchmaking event.]

[Detected blind date candidate—Wen Shuyi]

Rating: Six stars

[Blind Date Reward: Max Level "A Sword Across Worlds"]

The matchmaking event has begun. Players are encouraged to complete it. Rewards will be distributed after the event concludes.

"A sword separates us from another world" comes from "The Magic Sword and the Chess Game".

Created by the thirteenth ancestor of the Murong family, this forbidden sword technique is one of the two great arts of the Demon Sword Clan and has been sealed away by the Murong family as a forbidden art.

-

It is the most powerful sword technique, focusing on extreme single-point burst damage. Its essence consists of only one core move, with the core concept of "one sword to sever life and death, separating yin and yang," hence the name "one sword to separate worlds."

With a single sword strike, life and death are severed, yin and yang are separated, the mortal world is cut off, and the next life is cut off.

When cultivation reaches perfection, one can attain the state of "all forces returning to one, and one breaking through all laws"!

All martial arts under heaven have a way to survive;

This single sword strike will cut off the path to survival, leaving no way to retreat.

With a sword in hand, all techniques can be broken;

Once the sword is drawn, the world is separated from humanity.

Upon seeing the system's notification, Gu Guanqi was intrigued. He hadn't expected the system to rate Wen Shuyi at six stars, which was once again beyond his expectations.

Yesterday, Zhao Qingci's five-star rating had already surprised him once, and today Wen Shuyi's rating was the same.

For a moment, he felt that the capital city, where the winds of change converged, was indeed a place where hidden talents and crouching tigers resided.

He became very interested in Wen Shuyi's talk of the destiny of the times.

The words of someone at this level should be very valuable for reference.