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

Chapter 189 Summoning the Gods Technique, Four Illuminations Divine Skill (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Then, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from the rain outside the inn, approaching the inn from all directions at the same time.

Tang Batian's expression tightened, and he immediately stood up, handing Xu Rongrong, whom he was carrying, to the female disciple of the Mechanical Gate. Then he reached into his waistband and drew a short knife.

The others at the mechanical gate also gripped their weapons.

The next moment, the two half-closed wooden doors of the inn were suddenly pushed open from the outside.

With a loud bang, the door slammed against the walls on both sides, causing the rainwater that had accumulated on the eaves to pour down in a torrent.

The night wind, carrying raindrops, rushed into the hall, causing the flames of several oil lamps to flicker violently, their light and shadow dancing on the walls.

A burly man strode across the threshold first, followed closely by a dense crowd of at least twenty people, each with a robust build, swords at their waists, rainwater streaming down their raincoats, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the blue brick ground.

The burly man was about forty years old, extremely tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He carried a large cleaver on his shoulder, the blade of which was more than three feet long, with a thick back and a wide blade. A few drops of rainwater were still clinging to the surface of the blade.

He strode in, his gaze sweeping across the hall like a hawk's. He first spotted Liu Qingning kneeling on the ground, then saw Bai Xu holding an oil-paper umbrella, and paused slightly in surprise.

"Elder Bai?" The burly man's rough voice carried a hint of surprise. "What are you doing here?"

'

Bai Xu glanced sideways, her gaze lingering on the burly man's face for a moment, her tone as calm as ever: "Master Chen, I've apprehended a notorious thief here." She paused for a moment and asked, "Why have you brought so many people here in the middle of the night, braving the rain? What brings you here?"

T

This burly man was Chen Guozhong, one of the four hall masters of the Tianhe Gang.

Upon hearing this, Chen Guozhong raised the large cleaver in his hand, pointing the tip directly at Tang Batian, and said in a deep voice, "This brat forcibly abducted a woman. I was ordered to chase after him and have followed him all the way here. I didn't expect to run into Elder Bai here."

66

Bai Xu tilted her head slightly, looked at Tang Batian, then at Chen Guozhong, and said, "I just heard you talking about the Dragon Mother outside. What did you mean?"

Chen Guozhong pointed at Xu Rongrong and said, "This girl is the Dragon Mother chosen by the Dragon King of Qinghe County. However, that boy took a fancy to her and kidnapped her halfway. I chased after him all the way here."

66

Tang Batian immediately became enraged.

"Go to hell!" Tang Batian slammed his fist on the table, pointed at Chen Guozhong, and shouted angrily, "You dogs treat human life like dirt! I saved someone and it's considered kidnapping a woman? Go to hell, kidnapping a woman!"

66

Chen Guozhong's face darkened, but he did not respond to Tang Batian's words. Instead, he turned to Bai Xu, cupped his hands slightly, and said, "Elder Bai, I will save people first. If I have offended you, I will apologize to you later."

Having said that, he suddenly waved his hand and shouted, "Go! Arrest that kid! Anyone who dares to stop us will be treated as an accomplice!"

'

This command was like lighting a fuse.

The twenty-odd members of the Tianhe Gang behind him drew their weapons in unison, the glint of their blades flashing and the light of the lamps creating a blinding gleam. They stepped forward in unison, causing the entire inn floor to tremble.

At the same time, Pan Lin and the others also drew their weapons and protected Xu Rongrong and the female disciple of the Mechanical Gate behind them.

The two sides were only a few feet apart, and the tips of their knives were almost touching. The air in the inn's lobby seemed to freeze, and the innkeeper and waiter had already fled into the kitchen in fear.

"Wait a minute."

Just as tensions were about to escalate and a conflict was about to erupt, Bai Xu spoke again.

Immediately, everyone's eyes fell on Bai Xu.

She remained standing in the same spot, the oil-paper umbrella held upright beside her, its tip gently touching the blue brick ground, her gaze calmly fixed on Chen Guozhong's face.

Chen Guozhong frowned and asked, "What advice does Elder Bai have for me?"

66

Bai Xu spoke calmly and slowly: "Master Chen, why don't you tell me, what is the Dragon Mother? And what's this about the grass controlling human life?"

Chen Guozhong's expression darkened slightly. He said, "Elder Bai, this has been a custom in Qinghe County for many years. The Dragon Mother goes down into the river to serve the Dragon King, and the Dragon King blesses Qinghe County with good weather and abundant harvests. This is a rule believed by all the people in the county, and even the Qinghe County government has stamped its seal to recognize this local custom." After speaking, Chen Guozhong cupped his hands and said, "Elder Bai, do you have any more doubts?"

'

Bai Xu looked at Chen Guozhong quietly, her gaze as clear and transparent as the frost of late autumn.

The candlelight in the inn flickered slightly in the night breeze, casting her long, steady shadow on the wall behind her. She spoke slowly, "The Martial Alliance received intelligence that the Tianhe Gang in Qinghe County is using the Dragon King Festival to amass wealth without any scruples, harming the people and wreaking havoc in the region. I was ordered to investigate, but upon arriving in Yiyang County, before even reaching the Martial Alliance's Qinghe branch, I was already targeted by thieves attempting to assassinate me. The Tianhe Gang's power in Qinghe County is truly formidable!"

Chen Guozhong frowned and said, "Elder Bai, I don't understand what you're saying. I respect you as an elder of the Martial Alliance, but the Martial Alliance has no right to interfere with the customs of our Qinghe County."

"So, Elder Bai, whether you were murdered or you're trying to catch the thief, do as you please, I won't interfere. But please don't interfere with what I'm doing."

"That won't do," Bai Xu shook her head slightly and said, "I've made myself very clear. I came to Qinghe County this time to investigate your Tianhe Gang's scheme to swindle money and kill people under the guise of the Dragon King's Sacrifice, and to oppress the people."

As she spoke, she pointed at Xu Rongrong and then at Tang Batian, saying, "So, I'm protecting these two. You can't touch them until the Martial Alliance has investigated the matter thoroughly."

Chen Guozhong snorted coldly, looked at Bai Xu, and said, "Elder Bai, don't make a big deal out of nothing. My Tianhe Gang is giving face to your master Chen Shanhe. He is the leader of the martial arts alliance. If we don't give him face, he's nothing but a fart."

"To comply with the imperial decree, we symbolically formed a martial arts alliance. Do you really think your martial arts alliance rules over the martial arts world of Qizhou? You lot don't have that kind of nerve. If anyone's going to interfere, it's the Temple. We, the Tianhe Gang, only listen to the Temple. Your martial arts alliance had better not meddle!"

Bai Xu remained calm and said, "I also want to see what kind of strength you have to look down on the Martial Alliance."

"Ungrateful!"

Chen Guozhong snorted coldly and immediately swung his machete.

In the inn's lobby, the oil lamp flame suddenly dipped low amidst the swirling wind of the blade, as Chen Guozhong's broadsword, carrying a fierce gust of wind, slashed down at Bai Xu.

The blade was thick and heavy, its edge gleaming with a cold, sharp light under the dim lamplight. Even before the blade arrived, the powerful, mountain-like intent of the blade had already caused Bai Xu's robes to flutter backward.

This slash was swift and ruthless, without any fancy moves.

But the white fluff neither retreated nor avoided it.

She suddenly spun the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, and the canopy abruptly opened in front of her.

The blade struck the umbrella heavily, producing a dull thud. Surprisingly, the umbrella remained completely still, instead deflecting the immense force to both sides.

Just then, the oil-paper umbrella in Bai Xu's hand swayed slightly, and the copper bells on the umbrella ribs rang sharply. The sound was crisp yet sharp, like a needle piercing the eardrum.

Chen Guozhong felt a wave of confusion wash over him.

At that very moment, Bai Xu flicked her wrist, closing the umbrella and pointing the tip out with a sharp gust of wind, aiming straight for Chen Guozhong's throat.

Chen Guozhong bit his tongue, regaining his senses. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He didn't have time to sheathe his knife, so he could only turn to the side and parry with the knife held horizontally in front of his chest.

The tip of the umbrella touched the blade, producing a crisp "ding" sound. A surge of powerful internal force rippled out from the tip of the umbrella, and Chen Guozhong felt a tightness in his chest. He was sent flying backward by the force.

Chen Guozhong flipped over in mid-air, staggered a couple of steps when he landed, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He roared hoarsely, "Attack together and kill this bastard!"

"6

The twenty-odd members of the Tianhe Gang behind him responded in unison, drawing their swords and knives, their cold light flashing, their footsteps echoing as they surged towards Bai Xu like a surging black tide.

"Let's do it!"

At this moment, Tang Batian shouted, flipped his short sword, and darted forward. Pan Lin and the other disciples of the Mechanical Gate beside him simultaneously sprang into action, drawing their swords and engaging the Tianhe Gang members in a fierce battle.

Bai Xu's oil-paper umbrella twirled left and right, sometimes opening and sometimes closing, the copper bells jingling incessantly, the sound waves emanating from them constantly eroding the minds of the attackers.

In an instant, the inn's lobby was filled with the clanging of metal against metal, the oil lamps were violently shaken by the wind from the blades, and a few flames flickered in the shockwave.

Chen Guozhong leaned against the wall, coughed twice while clutching his chest, and roared, "Everyone outside, come in and kill them!"

Immediately, the windows around the inn were smashed from the outside in at the same time, wood chips flew everywhere, rain poured in, and a dense crowd of figures filed in from outside the windows. There were at least thirty or forty people, each holding a weapon and exuding a murderous aura. They were the Tianhe Gang members who had surrounded the inn.

Tang Batian forced back a Tianhe Gang disciple with a single slash. Glancing at the ever-flowing crowd out of the corner of his eye, his expression changed slightly, and he blurted out, "Is it really necessary? Do you need so many people to arrest an unknown nobody like me?"

'

Bai Xu deflected the oncoming single blade with an umbrella, her tone remaining calm: "Sorry, capturing you was probably incidental; the main purpose was to deal with me, but we just happened to run into each other."

Before she finished speaking, she turned around, opened the umbrella, and amidst the sound of copper bells, several fine needles shot out from between the umbrella ribs, piercing the shoulders of two Tianhe Gang disciples who were about to pounce on her. The two men groaned, their legs went weak, and they fell to the ground.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

Just then, Liu Qingning, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised his head. His lips moved rapidly, uttering some indistinct syllables.

Gu Guanqi was sitting at the table, calmly watching the chaotic battle, when suddenly his brow twitched slightly and he let out a soft "Eh."

He sensed a very special power surging out from Liu Qingning's arms and seeping into Liu Qingning's body.

The next moment, Liu Qingning's eyes suddenly opened, and a strange blue light flashed deep in her pupils.

"Fairy, help me!"

'

He shouted and suddenly stood up. The obstructing force that had sealed his acupoints shattered like paper in his body, and his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic change in an instant.

The original gentle and refined aura was completely gone, replaced by a bewitching and seductive charm, with even the corners of her eyes and brows seemingly tinged with a thin blush.

"How annoying!"

Liu Qingning let out a sharp shout, a voice that no longer sounded like a man's, but rather carried a touch of feminine charm and sharpness.

With a swift movement, he shot out like a willow catkin blown by the wind, his right hand's five fingers curled into a claw, the nails gleaming with a faint blue luster under the lamplight, and he aimed straight for Bai Xu's back.

Bai Xu sensed a strong gust of wind coming from behind her, turned around abruptly, and held the umbrella horizontally in front of her to block it.

The claw-like wind struck the umbrella surface with a dull thud. Bai Xu felt an extremely strange force surging along the umbrella ribs. The force was yin and lingering, like a bone-deep infection, making her wrist numb. She involuntarily took several steps back, leaving two clear marks on the blue brick ground with the soles of her boots.

Almost at the same instant, Chen Guozhong also moved.

He sprang up from the wall, swinging the great cleaver in his hand with a do-or-die determination, and brought it down heavily on Bai Xu's head. This move was as powerful as splitting a mountain, the blade's momentum as heavy and fierce as a mountain.

Bai Xu's gaze sharpened, and she prepared to open the oil-paper umbrella in her hand.

However, at that moment, with a soft "whoosh," a grayish-white streak of light pierced precisely through Chen Guozhong's wrist—it was a chopstick.

Before Chen Guozhong could even let out a scream, the immense force attached to the chopstick dragged him to the side, his wrist pinned to the wall behind him by the chopstick. He hung from the wall, his machete crashing to the ground with a clang, blood streaming down the wall.

Almost at the same instant, the second chopstick flew out and shot straight at Liu Qingning.

Liu Qingning sensed the chopsticks hurtling through the air, abruptly pulled back her hand, curled her fingers into a claw, and slapped at the chopsticks. The claw strike was fierce, colliding head-on with the chopsticks, producing a crisp, bone-cracking sound.

The chopsticks pierced his palm, causing him to stumble backward several steps.

He covered his palm, looking down at the bloody hole that had pierced through it. When he looked up again, his gaze fell on Gu Guanqi, his pupils filled with shock and fear. He uttered a high-pitched, eerie female voice: "Who are you, sir?"

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The one who made the move was none other than Gu Guanqi.

He did not answer Liu Qingning's question.

Instead, he gently patted the chopstick holder in front of him.

There were still twenty or thirty bamboo chopsticks left in the tube. The moment his palm touched the ground, they all shot out. The chopsticks drew crisscrossing arcs in the air and struck the Tianhe Gang members.

"Ah!" "Who is it!" "What is it—"

In an instant, wails of agony filled the inn's lobby. The weapons in the hands of the dozens of Tianhe Gang members clattered to the ground, and within a few breaths, they all fell to the ground, some dead, some seriously wounded.

The lights flickered gently in the night breeze.

Chen Guozhong and Liu Qingning both turned pale.

"Who are you, sir?" Chen Guozhong, his wrist still pinned to the wall by chopsticks and cold sweat pouring down his forehead, said, "With your cultivation level, you are certainly no nobody. You might even be a friend of our gang leader!"

Bai Xu on the other side also looked at Gu Guanqi with great curiosity.

At this moment, Tang Batian arrogantly declared, "What is your gang leader? Listen up! Before you stands my boss, Gu Guanqi, the leader of the martial arts alliances of Qingzhou, Yunzhou, and Hongzhou, known throughout the martial world as the Sword Immortal!"

"What? Gu Guanqi!" Chen Guozhong exclaimed in surprise.

At this moment, Liu Qingning was so frightened that she turned around and prepared to jump out of the window to escape.

Gu Guanqi flicked his finger, and a burst of true energy shot out, instantly piercing Liu Qingning's thigh.

"what!"

Liu Qingning screamed, his legs went weak, and he leaned against the window. He quickly turned over, raised his pinky finger, and spoke in a charming female voice: "Alliance Leader Gu, you and my grand-disciple have no grudges or enemies. Even if we meet here today, he has not offended you. Could you give me some face and spare his life?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Liu Qingning with great interest and said, "You don't seem to be pretending to be a ghost. Are you really possessed?"

Liu Qingning smiled slightly, moved slowly, sat down on the stool next to her, and said with a charming smile, "I am a fox from the Three Immortals Mountain. By chance, I gained intelligence and cultivated for a thousand years before attaining enlightenment."

However, I get quite bored being alone on the mountain most of the time, so I took in a few disciples to keep me company. I also taught them some techniques, and to prevent them from being harmed, I've left them with trump cards so they can ask me to possess them in a desperate situation.

Gu Guanqi chuckled, "With a thousand years of cultivation, how come you can't even catch a chopstick?"

Liu Qingning chuckled and said, "These kids can only lend me a little bit of their magic power and divine sense. If I were here in my true form, Alliance Leader Gu wouldn't be able to stand here and talk to me right now."

"Alliance Leader Gu!"

Just then, Bai Xu walked over, cupped her hands and said, "Don't listen to his nonsense. This person is probably practicing the Three Immortals Mountain's Divine Invocation Technique, which is just a kind of unorthodox practice."

The practice of invoking deities emphasizes deceiving oneself before deceiving others. The first step is cultivating one's mind, which, in their words, requires piety. In reality, it is a kind of spiritual mysticism, involving constant self-suggestion to ultimately lead one to believe in the existence of a god.

Those with lower cultivation levels can use their specially crafted magical artifacts to draw upon the power of heaven and earth, gaining a temporary boost in strength. This is similar to ordinary martial artists using forbidden techniques. However, there's a difference: this kind of energy doesn't harm the body; at most, recovery takes ten days to half a month.

"Nonsense," Liu Qingning chuckled, pointing a delicate finger at Bai Xu, and said, "You little brat, don't you have any respect?"

Bai Xu said, "That's how people who practice the art of summoning gods are. When they cast the spell, their consciousness is replaced by a so-called god they've created in their subconscious. No matter what they're told, they won't believe it; they're deceiving themselves before they're deceiving others!"

"A second personality?"

Gu Guanqi slowly raised his hand and pointed out with one finger.

His Mingyu Gong, Fifteen Deadly Swords, Cihang Sword Manual, and Heavenly Demon Secret all involve cultivating spiritual power. In particular, the Heavenly Demon Sound and Heavenly Demon Charm Technique in the Heavenly Demon Secret demonstrate his profound achievements in the path of spiritual power.

"They really are two opposing forces, and neither has yet become subordinate to the other!"

This reminded Gu Guanqi of a martial art somewhat related to the Heavenly Demon Secret, called the "Dao Heart Demon Seed Great Art". This martial art, once cultivated to a certain level, can cultivate a demon seed, which is equivalent to separating a new spiritual origin from the spiritual world.

However, the Great Method of Planting Demons in the Dao Heart has subordinates; the demonic seed will not be superior to the Dao Heart.

The two spiritual wills within Liu Qingning's sea of ​​consciousness were not subordinate to each other; they were completely equal. Of course, this amount of spiritual power was insignificant in front of Gu Guanqi.

However, Gu Guanqi was quite curious about the divine summoning technique he had cultivated.

Immediately, he activated the Heavenly Demon Sound to control Liu Qingning's mental will and asked, "Do you have the cultivation manual on you?"

Liu Qingning's voice returned to normal: "In my arms."

Gu Guanqi reached out and took out a well-preserved book with three large characters on the cover: Flying Immortal Technique.

Besides the manual, there was also a blood-red jade pendant.

"What is this?" Gu Guanqi asked, holding the jade pendant.

Liu Qingning said, "It's a magic artifact. My cultivation level hasn't reached the point of summoning gods from the void, so I need to rely on a magic artifact to invite gods to possess me."

Gu Guanqi held the jade pendant and sensed it for a moment. He immediately understood that this so-called magical artifact contained a wisp of someone else's spiritual power.

Immediately, he had a certain guess about the summoning technique.

It should be a special kind of spiritual magic that uses mental power to draw upon the Qi between heaven and earth, thereby achieving a power boost, which is the effect of invoking gods.

Then, Gu Guanqi looked at Bai Xu and asked, "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Bai Xu quickly asked, "Are you the fox spirit?"

Liu Qingning nodded, then shook her head, and said, "I am a fox spirit, but I am not the only fox spirit. Those who cultivate the Flying Immortal Technique need to extract the heart blood of others to cultivate. The higher the martial arts level, the better the effect of the heart blood."

Bai Xu asked, "How many people are there?"

"I don't know," Liu Qingning said. "I've only met my master and my junior sister. Apart from them, I haven't met any other fellow disciples, and my master has never told me how many fellow disciples there are."

Bai Xu's gaze sharpened, and she asked, "Who is your master?"

"I don't know," Liu Qingning said. "When I met my master, he never showed me his true face. He only told me that he was a disciple of the Fox Fairy of the Three Immortals Mountain."

Bai Xu hurriedly asked, "Then how did you become your master's disciple?"

Liu Qingning said, "My master approached me on his own initiative. He said I was good-looking and very suitable for cultivating the Flying Immortal Technique. Because extracting heart's blood is only effective when the person being extracted is in a state of extreme pleasure and does not resist. So, he took the initiative to find me."

Upon hearing this, Gu Guanqi suddenly understood.

No wonder the legends about fox spirits, whether male or female, always involve them transforming into extremely beautiful people to seduce others.

Bai Xu couldn't help but glance at Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "I have no interest in practicing such evil arts. With my martial arts skills, practicing such arts would be putting the cart before the horse."

Bai Xu shook her head slightly and said, "I don't doubt that Alliance Leader Gu would cultivate such an evil technique. It just suddenly occurred to me that with Gu Guanqi's stunningly beautiful appearance, it's practically impossible for her to cultivate this Flying Immortal Technique. She doesn't need to use any underhanded methods like Liu Qingning did; ordinary women would already be captivated by her."

Gu Guanqi really didn't know how to answer Bai Xu's question, so he could only smile slightly.

But that smile made Bai Xu momentarily lose her composure. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly lowered her head to look at Liu Qingning, saying, "Who sent you to kill me?"

Liu Qingning replied, "The leader of the Tianhe Gang is Situ Jian. My junior sister Qi Qianqian and I both work under him. He covers for us, and we do some shady things for him."

Just then, Chen Guozhong roared, "Liu Qingning, don't talk nonsense and frame my Tianhe Gang!"

Bai Xu turned her head to look at Chen Guozhong.

At this moment, Tang Batian, who was standing to the side, said with a grin, "Leave it to me, I guarantee he won't be able to say a word!"

As he spoke, he took off the shoes of a Tianhe Gang member lying on the ground, and immediately, a sour and foul smell wafted from the foot binding cloth.

Tang Batian covered his nose, took off the foot bindings, and then walked towards Chen Guozhong.

Chen Guozhong's eyes widened, and he said urgently, "What are you going to do? Kid, I'll kill your whole family! You—a scholar can be killed but not humiliated! You—"

"Go to hell!"

Tang Batian cursed and stuffed the foot-binding cloth into Chen Guozhong's mouth.

White fluff:

Gu Guanqi:

'

'

Bai Xu turned around, looked at Liu Qingning, and said, "Several officials in the government office were killed by fox spirits some time ago. Was that your doing?"

"It was made by my junior sister, Qi Qianqian," Liu Qingning said.

Bai Xu pondered for a moment, then looked at Gu Guanqi, cupped her hands, and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, thank you. I have no further questions!"

"it is good."

Gu Guanqi immediately stopped.

Immediately, Liu Qingning felt a momentary daze, then regained consciousness, and immediately screamed in pain from the wound on her leg.

Bai Xu swung her umbrella and hit Liu Qingning on the neck, causing Liu Qingning to immediately lose consciousness.

Gu Guanqi pointed at Chen Guozhong and asked, "Elder Bai, would you like me to interrogate this person again?"

Bai Xu quickly replied, "Then thank you very much, Alliance Leader Gu!"

During her interrogation of Liu Qingning, she had already discerned that Gu Guanqi possessed a powerful mental technique capable of influencing the minds of others.

Gu Guanqi immediately walked towards Chen Guozhong.

With his mouth stuffed with a foot-binding cloth, Chen Guozhong's eyes widened as he saw Gu Guanqi approaching, and he made a "woo-woo" sound.

Gu Guanqi walked over and immediately pointed out with a finger, activating the Heavenly Demon Sound.

A moment later, Chen Guozhong's expression became dazed.

Gu Guanqi said, "Take off the foot bindings."

Tang Batian immediately took out the foot-binding cloth.

Bai Xu stepped forward and asked, "Chen Guozhong, who is in charge of the Dragon King Festival?"

Chen Guozhong said, "It's our gang leader and Prefect Yang Hui. Of the money we make through the Dragon King Festival, the prefectural government takes 30%, and our Tianhe Gang takes 70%."

Bai Xu then asked, "Did any branch of the Martial Arts Alliance collude with you?"

"No," Chen Guozhong said, "In front of our Tianhe Gang, even the Martial Alliance is nothing. What right does a mere branch have to share profits with us? There were no Martial Alliance branches before Qinghe County existed, and there can be none now!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Xu breathed a slight sigh of relief, then said, "Isn't your Tianhe Gang afraid of being held accountable by the Temple for such perverse actions? Aren't you afraid of an investigation by the imperial court?"

Chen Guozhong said, "This matter is being handled by the government and the imperial court is investigating. It has nothing to do with our Tianhe Gang. As for the temple, even if they investigate, it has nothing to do with us. The Dragon King really exists, and everything we've done is for the sake of Qinghe County. As for making money, it's not unreasonable for us to go to such lengths and collect some rewards!"

Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "You're saying the Dragon King is real?"

Chen Guozhong said, "It is indeed true. There is a dragon in the Daqing River. Many of us have seen it with our own eyes."

Bai Xu frowned and said, "You saw it with your own eyes too?"

"Yes," Chen Guozhong said, "It has horns on its head, a huge body, can swallow a cow whole, and can also transform into human form. Many of us have seen it. It was the Dragon King who manifested and conveyed the requirements of the festival, which is why we started to promote the Dragon King Festival as we know it today."

Bai Xu looked at Gu Guanqi with some suspicion.

Gu Guanqi said, "His mind is currently affected, and I can confirm that he is not lying."

"This—" Bai Xu frowned slightly and said, "I don't believe there really is a Dragon King. It must be that someone is using special means to do something like this in secret."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and asked, "So, Elder Bai, what are you planning to do?"

Bai Xu said, "I came to Qinghe County to investigate the Dragon King Sacrifice. The reason I came here is because our Qizhou Martial Arts Alliance branch is located in Yiyang County. I plan to go and have the branch take over these people and escort them to Qinghe City together."

My master is already leading the martial arts alliance's team to Qinghe City. The original plan was for them to investigate openly while I investigated covertly, but I was exposed long ago. Fortunately, I met Alliance Leader Gu, and the matter was clarified immediately.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I also need to go to Qinghe City, so we can go together."

Bai Xu exclaimed with delight, "What a coincidence!"

"Unfortunately," Gu Guanqi said, glancing at Tang Batian. "My friend offended the Tianhe Gang for saving someone and is currently being hunted down. However, I have other business to attend to at Qiongcang Academy and cannot escort them out of Qizhou."

Therefore, I can only solve the problem at its root by making a trip to the Tianhe Gang and settling things down.

Bai Xu nodded and said, "I've long heard of Alliance Leader Gu's chivalrous spirit, and it truly lives up to its reputation!"

"Just an empty reputation in the martial arts world!" Gu Guanqi waved his hand, then asked, "Elder Bai, is there anything else you want to ask?"

Bai Xu then looked at Chen Guozhong and said, "Tell me all the people from the Tianhe Gang and the government who participated in the Dragon King Ceremony."

Immediately, Bai Xu went to the counter to get paper and pen.

Chen Guozhong then began to announce the names and positions of everyone.

After finishing writing, Bai Xu folded the Xuan paper and put it away, then said to Gu Guanqi, "Alliance Leader Gu, it's done!"

Gu Guanqi immediately stopped.

Chen Guozhong was dazed for a moment, then came to his senses and shouted, "What did you do to me? You—"

"Shut up!" Tang Batian immediately stuffed the foot-binding cloth he had prepared into Chen Guozhong's mouth.

Chen Guozhong: "Waaaaahh ...

Bai Xu glanced at the yellowed foot bindings, her lips twitched violently, and a trace of sympathy for Chen Guozhong actually rose in her heart.

Immediately, she solemnly cupped her hands to Gu Guanqi and said, "Thank you for your righteous help, Alliance Leader Gu. I will remember it forever. From now on, I will do anything you need, even at the cost of my life!"

Tang Batian chuckled and said, "If you really want to thank Brother Gu, you don't need to wait until later. Just go on a blind date with him right now!"

"Huh?" Bai Xu was taken aback, her cheeks flushing slightly as she stammered, "This—this—"

Tang Batian continued, "You haven't heard of Brother Gu's self-created 'Path of Amorousness,' have you? This so-called blind date is just a formality to help him cultivate; it doesn't mean you have to offer yourself to him!"

Bai Xu was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I see!"

"I get the feeling you seem pretty disappointed," Tang Batian said.

"No, no, no—no," Bai Xu quickly said, "I mean—does this really work? I have indeed heard that Alliance Leader Gu cultivates the Path of Affection!"

"Whether it works or not depends on fate," Tang Batian said. "Anyway, it's all about trying. If Brother Gu is interested, it will naturally be helpful."

"To make Alliance Leader Gu fall for me?" Bai Xu said, "This—even I don't believe it myself. Well—Alliance Leader Gu, how about we go on a blind date now?"

Just then, that familiar electronic voice rang in Gu Guanqi's mind—

[Player has started the matchmaking event]

[Blind date potential partner detected - Bai Xu]

Rating – Four Stars

[Blind Date Reward: Max Level "Four Illuminations Divine Skill"]

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

The Four Illuminations Divine Skill is a top-tier internal skill on par with the Bright Jade Skill and the Wedding Dress Divine Skill. Once cultivated to the highest level, one can reach the realm of a martial saint without learning any martial arts techniques. One can reach the realm of a martial saint solely through internal skills.

Furthermore, one can reach the realm of "Lingbo Duxu" (a state of spiritual transcendence), where every movement is both devoid of specific techniques and yet possesses the most exquisite skill. The speed of one's internal energy circulation never diminishes with age; it can be as fast or slow as desired, without the drawback of "decline with age" common in martial arts.

The Four Illuminations Divine Skill is a very powerful martial art. Its martial arts realm and the ability to cross waves can greatly improve even Gu Guanqi's current level.

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