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

Chapter 207 The Name of the Sword Immortal

The rain grew heavier, with large raindrops pounding against the tent roof with a dense, rhythmic sound. The felt fabric around the tent fluttered wildly in the wind, and rainwater seeped in through the gaps, leaving thin, damp streaks on the ground.

Inside the tent, Shen Li held Shen Qingqiu's hand. The two sisters hadn't seen each other for many years and had so much to say to each other.

From their separation years ago to their experiences over the years, from Shen's mother's health to the current situation of the Shen family, they talked on and on, as if trying to make up for the lost time in one go.

Gu Guanqi and Qin Lang sat facing each other in silence, occasionally exchanging glances and then a smile.

After a long while, a series of rapid, mixed hoofbeats suddenly came from afar.

The group turned their heads to look, and saw a group of people riding towards them through the rain.

Those people, all wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats, rode horses at breakneck speed, like a giant wave crashing in.

At a glance, there were at least twenty or thirty riders, their imposing presence clearly indicating they were no ordinary group.

The guards in the Qin family's ranks became alert almost simultaneously. Several guards who had been taking shelter from the rain gripped their weapons, and some peeked out from their tents, the air suddenly becoming tense.

Shen Li tightened her grip on Shen Qingqiu's hand slightly, her gaze piercing through the rain as she looked at the approaching procession. With some worry, she said, "I hope they're just passing by—"

However, what you fear most is exactly what happens.

The group of people did not continue along the official road, but instead reined in their horses about ten feet away from the Qin family's group, their hooves kicking up water that splashed everywhere.

Rainwater streamed down the edges of the straw hats, forming fine curtains that obscured the faces of the people.

The man in the lead was burly, with two short sticks slung diagonally across his back, gleaming coldly in the rain.

He slightly raised his head, revealing a rugged face with thick eyebrows and a wide mouth. His gaze swept across the Qin family camp, then he spoke, his voice booming like a bell, breaking through the rain: "Old Madam Yu, please come out and meet me!"

The sound, imbued with inner strength, pierced through the pattering rain, seemingly startling the charcoal fire inside the tent, causing it to tremble slightly.

Inside the tent, Shen Li's expression changed slightly. He then released Shen Qingqiu's hand, stood up, and shielded Shen Qingqiu behind him, whispering, "Qingqiu, if a fight breaks out later, make sure you protect your brother-in-law and stay close to me. These people are up to no good!"

Looking at Shen Li's profile, Shen Qingqiu felt a pang of emotion and whispered, "Cousin, don't worry, I can protect myself!"

Gu Guanqi also said, "My martial arts skills are not bad either."

Shen Li glanced at Gu Guanqi, smiled slightly, and said, "Don't be reckless."

Qin Lang also stood up, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and looked solemn.

At this moment, Madam Yu had already come out of the tent.

An old woman followed beside her, holding an umbrella that was tilted slightly in her direction to keep out the rain.

Madam Yu, leaning on an ebony cane thicker than an ordinary walking stick, walked to the edge of the camp. Her face, under her umbrella, was calm as still water. She looked at the group of people and said loudly, "May I ask who these heroes are?"

Upon hearing this, the burly man grinned, cupped his hands, and said, "We are not heroes. We come from Lingnan. Our fellow martial artists have given us face and bestowed upon us the title 'Twenty-Eight Bandits.' I am Feilong."

Upon hearing this, many people in the Qin family's ranks changed their expressions drastically and gripped their weapons tightly.

Inside the tent, Shen Qingqiu leaned close to Gu Guanqi's ear and whispered, "The Twenty-Eight Bandits of Lingnan are the most formidable bandit gang in the Lingnan region in recent years. Their leader, Feilong, was originally a martial arts master from Yunzhou. Because of his numerous evil deeds, he was hunted down by the Bodhi Zen Temple and the Medicine King Valley, and fled to Lingnan, where he gathered a group of men and ran rampant throughout the area. You know Lingnan is a lawless zone!"

Gu Guanqi hadn't expected that this person was also related to Bodhi Zen Temple and Medicine King Valley. Now, Bodhi Zen Temple and Medicine King Valley could be considered his forces to some extent.

At this moment, through the rain, Old Madam Yu, with a solemn expression, asked, "May I ask what brings you gentlemen here?"

Flying Dragon, mounted on his horse, said heartily, "Madam, we have come here only to ask you for an item called Meteorite Iron Crystal."

Madam Yu's expression remained unchanged, her hand holding the scepter did not move, and she said in a calm tone, "Then you must have come to the wrong person."

"I don't have the meteorite iron crystal you mentioned here."

Upon hearing this, Feilong tilted his head slightly and said with a hint of amusement, "Madam, that's not very interesting. Since I've traveled all the way from Lingnan, I must have already confirmed the news."

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the Qin family camp, then he continued, "I don't want to say any more. Madam, you should just give me the meteorite iron crystal quickly and cleanly, to avoid damaging our relationship. What do you think?"

Madam Yu remained silent for a moment.

The sound of rain filled the brief silence between them. Then she spoke, "In any case, I've been wandering the martial world for decades. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to hand over my things after just a few words."

Upon hearing this, Feilong raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a hint of interest, "What did the old lady say?"

Madam Yu said in a deep voice, "I have to lend a hand and see if you have the ability to get things from me."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Feilong paused for a moment, then threw his head back and burst into laughter. The laughter carried far through the rain, making the raindrops seem to tremble.

"Since the old lady is so willing to impart her knowledge, then this junior will naturally accompany her to the end!"

The moment he finished speaking, he reached out and took off his straw hat. With a flick of his wrist, the hat, like a spinning wheel, shot towards Old Madam Yu, dripping with rainwater.

The edge of the straw hat sliced ​​through the rain, leaving a white trail of water, and the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp and piercing.

Madam Yu's expression remained unchanged, and she suddenly swung her scepter.

The cane struck the edge of the straw hat precisely, producing a dull thud. With a "bang," the hat was sent flying backward, tumbling several times in the air before landing in the muddy water, splashing up a spray of water.

However, in that instant, Feilong had already moved. He lightly tapped his feet on the stirrups, and his figure, like a swift skimming the water, soared into the air from the horse's back, appearing in front of the old lady in the blink of an eye.

He pulled out the two short sticks from behind his back, and with the sticks in his hand, he swung them down with a sharp gust of wind, one above the other, and brought them down on his head.

Madam Yu suddenly raised her scepter, holding it horizontally above her head, and faced the two sticks with the flat of the scepter.

"clang--"

A deafening clang of metal clashing exploded in the rain. Sparks flew, and the raindrops were instantly shattered into a fine white mist that dispersed in all directions.

Feilong didn't retract his twin staffs; his body twisted in mid-air, his left staff sweeping horizontally towards the old lady's ribs, while his right staff followed closely behind, slamming down from above. One horizontal, one vertical; one fast, one heavy.

Without retreating or dodging, Madam Yu flipped her wrist, and the head of the scepter snapped open with a "click," revealing two gleaming longswords inside. She held one sword in each hand, her left sword slashing diagonally to meet the sweeping wind of the staff; her right sword was raised, its tip precisely touching the downward-slamming staff.

"Ding-ding—"

Two metallic clangs rang out almost simultaneously.

Taking advantage of the moment when she lost her strength, Madam Yu turned around and unleashed both swords simultaneously, like two silver fish swimming in the rain, drawing two intersecting arcs as she aimed straight for Feilong's chest and abdomen.

This change of tactics was incredibly fast and extremely sharp.

A hint of surprise flashed in Feilong's eyes. Then, he brought his two sticks together, crossed them in front of him, and with a "clang," blocked both swords at the same time.

With a flick of his wrist, a surge of powerful internal energy rippled out from the staff, like an invisible wave, which knocked the old lady's twin swords away.

The two then engaged in combat.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged seven or eight blows.

Feilong seemed to be losing patience and slammed his stick down with all his might.

Madam Yu took a few steps back, creating some distance between the two.

Just then, Feilong gave a slight beckoning gesture, and the twenty or thirty riders behind him spurred their horses forward half a step. The horses' hooves pounded in the mud, making a dull thud, and the weapons under their raincoats gleamed coldly in the rain. A powerful sense of oppression swept over them.

Madam Yu's gaze darkened slightly, and she quickly said, "Your martial arts are superb, I admire you. The item is yours."

Feilong waved for his men to stop, then clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "The old lady is indeed wise and knows how to adapt to the times!"

'

Madam Yu's expression remained unchanged as she waved to someone behind her.

Immediately, two Qin family guards carried a heavy box forward.

Madam Yu said calmly, "The item is inside. You can check it yourself."

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Feilong didn't stand on ceremony. He strode forward, flipped his right hand, and twirled the short stick in his palm, precisely prying open the iron latch on the box lid with the tip of the stick.

With a "click," the lid popped open.

In the rain, a strange stone, roughly the size of a human head, lay quietly in the box. The stone was a deep blue-green, its surface covered with fine, silvery-white veins that shimmered with a faint glow in the dim light, as if a wisp of living water were slowly flowing within it. Raindrops pattered on the stone, splashing up tiny droplets, which were made even more crystalline by the shimmering silver light.

A glint flashed in Feilong's eyes. He reached into the box, and the moment his fingertips touched the stone, he sensed a special energy flowing within it. An undisguised joy appeared on his face. He straightened up and bowed to Old Madam Yu, saying, "Old Madam, you're so kind!"

After saying that, he waved.

The two bandits dismounted, quickly stepped forward, and carried the iron box towards the cavalry.

However, even after the box was taken away, Feilong remained standing still, and the bandits behind him did the same, showing no intention of leaving.

Madam Yu frowned almost imperceptibly and said in a deep voice, "What do you mean by this? The things have already been given to you."

"6

Feilong grinned, wiped the rain off his face, and said slowly, "The goods have been given, and this matter is considered closed. But Madam, there's a second business deal between us."

Old Madam Yu's face darkened completely, and she said coldly, "What do you mean?"

Feilong took a leisurely half-step, grinned, and said, "To be honest, Madam, I came here with two jobs. The first job requires meteorite iron crystals. As for the second job—"

66

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the Qin family members, and said, "Someone asked me to find an auspicious burial site for you, Madam. I think this place is quite good; surrounded by mountains and water, it's a place where the wind is sheltered and energy gathers, perfect for your eternal rest."

66

The rain was pouring down, and a cold wind was blowing in my face.

Old Madam Yu's face was icy as she said, "You people are truly devoid of morality!"

Upon hearing this, Feilong laughed loudly, his laughter carrying far through the rain, carrying a hint of mockery. He said, "Madam, you're being too naive to talk about morality with a thief!"

66

Madam Yu said coldly, "Indeed, how can you talk about morality with thieves? I didn't expect you to really talk about morality either."

Feilong's smile froze slightly, and he frowned, saying, "What do you mean by that?"

'

Madam Yu said calmly, "Look at your hands."

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Feilong instinctively lowered his head.

Rainwater washed over his palms, but between his fingers and in his palms, a very thin and faint black wisp was slowly spreading along the skin's texture, like ink dripping into clear water, spreading silently.

He clenched his fist and channeled his inner energy, but the black wisp in his palm showed no signs of fading. Instead, it seemed to be driven by his internal force, rapidly deepening and spreading.

Feilong's expression changed drastically. He looked up abruptly and exclaimed in shock, "You poisoned the Xuanjing?!"

66

Before he could finish speaking, a metallic taste suddenly welled up in his throat, and with a "pfft," a mouthful of black blood spurted from his mouth, landing in the muddy water at his feet, spreading into a thick, dark pool.

He swayed, then knelt on one knee, his right hand supporting his knee. Veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat mixed with rain dripped down his chin.

He gritted his teeth and tried to suppress the poison by channeling his inner energy, but the poison seemed to be alive, traveling along his meridians and causing a tingling and numb sensation wherever it went.

Just then, Madam Yu prepared to draw her sword.

But at that moment, a cold voice came from among the knights: "Old lady, you have some skill."

The sound, imbued with sonic power, surged forth.

"There are still experts!"

With a single slash of her sword, the rain scattered in all directions.

But the sonic attack caused her sword to distort slightly.

Immediately, she stopped attacking the flying dragon and looked over.

A figure rode forward on horseback.

The man was thin, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face. He dismounted, his boots making a soft sound as they sank into the mud.

Then, he slowly raised his hand and took off his straw hat, revealing a face that looked to be in his early fifties, with slightly high cheekbones, a thin face, and graying temples.

The middle-aged man cupped his hands in greeting to the old lady and said, "As expected of the old lady, you are a woman who has dominated the martial arts world for decades. I admire your shrewdness."

Madam Yu's pupils contracted slightly as her gaze fell on the unfamiliar face. She asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

'

The middle-aged man smiled slightly and said in a calm tone, "My name is Feilong."

Madam Yu's brows furrowed suddenly.

At this moment, the "flying dragon" on the ground struggled to stand up, his face ashen, and his tone filled with shame, saying, "Godfather, I'm sorry, it was my carelessness."

Feilong took out a pill from his pocket and tossed it over, saying, "Your skills are still too green for the old lady. However, losing to her isn't shameful."

66

The fake dragon caught the pill, stuffed it into his mouth, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and began to expel the poison by circulating his internal energy, without saying another word.

Madam Yu looked at Feilong and said, "To deal with an old woman like me, you are so cautious and even arranged a substitute."

""

Feilong chuckled, "We thieves, if we're not careful, we might not even survive." As he spoke, he pointed to the fake Feilong and said, "This is my adopted son. He's good-for-nothing, I'm sorry to have made the old lady laugh at him."

Madam Yu sighed and said, "It seems that things won't end well today."

Feilong smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, it's impossible—"

Just then, before he could finish speaking, his right hand suddenly shot out without warning. A streak of dark light shot out from his sleeve, piercing through the layers of rain, aiming straight for the old lady's throat.

The throwing knife was incredibly fast; its trajectory was almost invisible in the rain, leaving only a very thin, dark line that flashed by in the dim light before arriving in an instant.

At the same time, Madam Yu also struck out with her sword. Both of them had the same idea: to ambush each other.

Instantly, the flying knives and longswords clashed, and the powerful true energy caused the rain and mist to surge.

At that very moment, the fake Flying Dragon, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground channeling his internal energy to expel the poison, suddenly threw a flying knife at Old Madam Yu. The flying knife instantly pierced through the air and arrived.

Madam Yu was very experienced in combat. Faced with the sudden attack, she immediately reacted by pushing off with her feet and flying to the side to avoid the blow.

But the blade shot towards another Qin family guard, who had no time to block it.

At that very moment, "Bang!"

'

A bronze brazier shot out from behind the curtain of a tent on the side, striking the side of the throwing knife with precise accuracy, producing a clanging sound.

The throwing knife was deflected off course and flew backward, reflecting off the fake dragon.

The real flying dragon quickly drew his sword and struck the throwing knife. The throwing knife grazed the fake flying dragon's shoulder and stuck in the ground, its hilt still trembling slightly, rainwater dripping down the blade.

Feilong's expression suddenly hardened, and his gaze abruptly turned to the tent, his tone filled with surprise and doubt: "I wonder which expert is behind this?"

'

The tent flap was lifted, and two figures emerged, each holding an umbrella.

It was Gu Guanqi and Shen Qingqiu.

As Shen Qingqiu walked, his gaze fell on Feilong, and he said calmly, "The Twenty-Eight Bandits of Lingnan have come to the heart of my Great Qian Dynasty to kill and plunder. They really don't take my Six Doors seriously."

Xin Feilong's gaze swept over the two, his wariness growing stronger. He narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing Shen Qingqiu carefully, and said with a hint of probing, "I haven't heard of any young expert like you in the Six Doors of Yanzhou. May I ask your name?"

'

"I am not a member of the Six Doors of Yanzhou." Shen Qingqiu slightly raised his chin and slowly said, "I am the Governor of the Six Doors, Shen Qingqiu."

The moment those three words were uttered, the air in the rain seemed to freeze for a moment.

The Qin family members were also greatly shocked.

Madam Yu's eyes were filled with astonishment.

Inside the tent, Shen Li and Qin Lang exchanged a glance, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Feilong's expression visibly changed, and his gaze instantly shifted from Shen Qingqiu to Gu Guanqi. His pupils contracted sharply, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice carried an uncontrollable panic: "Then—you are—the Sword Immortal Gu Guanqi?"

6

Before he could finish speaking, and without waiting for Gu Guanqi's reply, he suddenly pushed off with his feet, and like a startled hawk, he sped towards the cavalry. His raincoat fluttered in the wind, and his figure left a blurry afterimage in the rain, moving at incredible speed.

In that instant, Gu Guanqi slightly raised his left hand and flicked his finger lightly.

The movement was extremely light, and in that instant, a raindrop that had slid off the eaves was swept away by the force of the energy and shot out, splitting in two mid-air.

Two water droplets, each wrapped in a wisp of lustrous true energy, pierced through layers of rain, like two invisible hidden weapons, striking first despite being the second.

"Pfft, pfft—"

Two muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously.

Two tiny bursts of blood erupted simultaneously from the back of Feilong's knees. He stiffened abruptly, his legs instantly losing strength, his knees buckling. The force of the raindrops caused his body to spin violently, and then he collapsed to his knees with a "plop," splashing up a cloud of mud and water.

He braced himself on the ground with both hands, suddenly looked up, and stared at the white-clad figure walking unhurriedly toward him. The last shred of hope in his heart shattered completely at that moment, and he couldn't help but tremble. Then, he suddenly lowered his head, his forehead hitting the muddy water heavily, filled with fear, and shouted: "Sword Immortal, spare me! Sword Immortal, spare me! I will immediately leave the Qian Kingdom! I swear, I swear to the heavens, I will never set foot in the Qian Kingdom again for all eternity!"

66

Mud splashed all over his face, but he didn't even dare to wipe it off. He just lay on the ground, trembling all over.

Just then, all the other bandits turned their horses around and fled in all directions. Not one of them thought of saving Feilong, including Feilong's adopted son, who was only concerned with escaping.

Hooves pounded the muddy water, splashing up large sprays of murky water. Raincoats fluttered in the wind, and straw hats were blown off, but the riders paid no heed, only urging their horses to gallop wildly.

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly. This was in line with the spirit of the martial arts world. Apart from the major sects that could cultivate disciples who were willing to die for their sect, most of the martial arts gangs were actually just a disorganized mess.

Gu Guanqi slightly raised his right hand, and in an instant, the rain seemed to freeze. The raindrops that were originally falling vertically were pulled by an invisible force and suspended in mid-air, like tiny glass beads, gleaming with a cold luster in the dim light.

Then, Gu Guanqi waved his hand gently.

The dense raindrops shot out in all directions like a barrage of arrows. Each raindrop was wrapped in a wisp of lustrous true energy, as fine as a hair, yet as sharp as a knife, tearing through layers of rain and leaving almost invisible white streaks in the air.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft"

A series of muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously, like rain pattering on banana leaves, but even more muffled and shorter.

Before the fleeing bandits could even utter a scream, their bodies stiffened instantly, and all twenty-odd bandits were killed, falling from their horses.

Several stray horses, startled, neighed and continued galloping forward, their hoofbeats fading into the rain and soon disappearing at the end of the road.

The area around the campsite returned to silence, with only the sound of rain pattering on the mud and tents.

Gu Guanqi withdrew his hand, his sleeve fluttering lightly in the rain. He turned his head to look at Shen Qingqiu and asked, "Is this a good solution?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and said, "They all deserve to die, they should be killed." As she spoke, the light fell on Feilong, who was still kneeling in the mud and trembling, "We need to find out who invited them."

Feilong was now kneeling on the ground, his face buried in the mud and water, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

Upon hearing Shen Qingqiu's words, he abruptly raised his head, mud and rainwater streaming down his face. His lips trembled several times before he stammered, "I—I don't know—I really don't know—"

In Lingnan, there's a place called the "Life and Death Tower," a place that specializes in accepting bounty missions. Anyone can post a mission there, and anyone can accept one—no questions asked about background or identity, as long as you can afford the money. I got my missions to steal the meteorite crystal and kill Old Madam Yu from there—I really don't know who my employer is!

He was panting heavily, then quickly added, "The Life and Death Pavilion never asks about the buyer's identity. They take the job, pay the fee, and reward the customer upon completion. They never even need to meet in person. I'm just someone who does things for money. I really don't know who wants to harm the old lady—"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqiu frowned slightly and said, "So you're useless then?"

Feilong's pupils constricted, his hands braced in the mud, as he incoherently cried out, "No—no! I'm useful! I can help you kill! I can do things you can't do, I—"

"That's not necessary."

Gu Guanqi waved his hand, looked at Madam Yu, and softened his tone: "Does Madam Yu have any questions?"

Madam Yu shook her head and said, "Since he received the mission from the Tower of Life and Death, then I have nothing to ask, nothing worth asking. The only ones who could take my life are those few people."

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Gu Guanqi nodded slightly.

Feilong's face was deathly pale, and his whole body trembled like a leaf.

At this moment, Gu Guanqi flicked his finger.

A raindrop slid off the edge of the umbrella, carrying a wisp of warm true energy, silently passing through the rain curtain and precisely disappearing into the dragon's brow.

Feilong's body stiffened abruptly, and the light in his pupils quickly faded. He remained kneeling for a moment, then fell forward like a piece of withered wood that had been cut down, plunging into the muddy water and splashing up a cloud of murky water.

Fresh blood slowly seeped from the tiny hole between his eyebrows, washed away by the rain, spreading a small patch of dark red in the muddy water.

The area around the campsite became completely quiet.

The rain continued to pour down, pattering on the tent roof, the muddy ground, and the lying corpses, making a dense, monotonous sound.

Shen Qingqiu cupped his hands to the old lady and said, "Old Madam, I'll trouble you to deal with these corpses."

"Of course," Madam Yu quickly replied.

Gu Guanqi and Shen Qingqiu then returned to the tent.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Old Madam Yu couldn't help but smile with delight. She murmured, "I always thought my foolish son had gotten a great deal marrying Shen Li, but now it seems Shen Li really did marry down!"

Inside the tent, Qin Lang and Shen Li watched Gu Guanqi and Shen Qingqiu walk in. Both of them became somewhat restrained, standing there feeling quite awkward.

-

"Cousin," Shen Qingqiu called out.

"I—I'm here!" Shen Li said nervously, "Cousin, you—you really are the new governor of the Six Doors, this—I feel like I'm dreaming."

Shen Qingqiu said, "It took me a long time to get used to it too."

Shen Li took a deep breath and slowly said, "I had heard before that the new governor of the Six Doors was named Shen Qingqiu, and that he was the confidante of the sword immortal Gu Guanqi. But at that time, I didn't dare to think of you. It's simply too unbelievable!"

Shen Qingqiu smiled slightly, turned his head to look at Gu Guanqi, and said, "I also benefited from his connections. If it weren't for that kind of relationship with him—I wouldn't have been able to become the Governor of the Six Doors!"

Shen Li glanced at Gu Guanqi, but didn't dare look at him for long. She immediately lowered her eyes and said, "I really can't believe it. The peerless sword immortal is actually my brother-in-law. If this were to get out, no one would believe it."

Shen Qingqiu smiled slightly and said, "Cousin, relax. Although he's quite famous, he's actually—sigh, never mind. After we parted ways, I was quite taken aback when I heard about his reputation again." Then, Shen Qingqiu added, "Alright, don't just stand there. Cousin, what do you want to ask? Let's talk about it slowly!"

The four of them then sat down, but Shen Li and Qin Lang were still quite reserved.

After a while, footsteps sounded outside. Old Madam Yu arrived. As soon as she entered, she bowed to Gu Guanqi and Shen Qingqiu and said, "Thank you, Alliance Leader Gu, and Governor Shen, for your help—"

Shen Qingqiu quickly helped the old lady up, saying, "Madam, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me Qingqiu. You're my cousin's mother-in-law, so naturally you're my elder too!"

"No, no, that's inappropriate," said Madam Yu with a smile. "That's far too presumptuous." With that, she slowly rose and said, "I was unaware of your identities beforehand and have been quite disrespectful. Please forgive me!"

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "The old lady treated us to delicious food and drinks; how could you say we were being neglected?"

Shen Qingqiu then said to the old lady, "Old Madam, please sit down and talk!"

Without standing on ceremony, Madam Yu sat down next to Shen Qingqiu and said, "Since I am fortunate enough to be related to Governor Shen and Alliance Leader Gu, I will not hold back and have some things to say!"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Please speak, Madam."

Madam Yu asked, "May I ask, Governor Shen, is your visit to Yanzhou intended to integrate the Six Doors of Yanzhou?"

Shen Qingqiu asked, "What advice does the old lady have?"

Madam Yu said, "In Yanzhou, there is the Heavenly Dao Sect, which stands above all others. Below them, there is the Tie family, which spans both Tianyan and Yanzhou. Then there are the four major families and the seven major gangs. The relationships are all very complicated."

If Governor Shen wants to integrate the Six Doors, it will be quite difficult. It would be best to have someone from within Yan Prefecture to assist you in breaking through this predicament.

""

Shen Qingqiu asked, "What does the old lady mean?"

Madam Yu quickly said, "I am willing to lead the second branch of the Qin family to fully assist Governor Shen. I will personally be the one to break this deadlock."

Shen Qingqiu said, "I would be more than happy to have the old lady's help."

Knowing that the second branch of the Qin family simply didn't hold enough sway with Shen Qingqiu, Madam Yu continued, "Not only can I bring the second branch of the Qin family to assist Governor Shen, but I can also help Governor Shen win over another powerful ally."

"Who?" Shen Qingqiu asked.

"The Hu family, one of the four great families," said Madam Yu. "To be honest, Governor Shen, the reason we are going on this trip is to the Hu family to celebrate the birthday of the patriarch of the Hu family."

However, the birthday celebration was only one aspect. The real purpose was to forge a cooperation with the Hu family. The second branch of the Qin family is currently in a difficult situation within the Qin family, so we want to cooperate with the Hu family to deal with the first branch together.

The meteorite iron crystal that the Twenty-Eight Bandits of Lingnan had just tried to seize was a condition the Hu family couldn't refuse. The Hu family's greatest asset was the divine weapon, the Heavenly Calamity Sword, which their patriarch had obtained by chance years ago. Now, the Heavenly Calamity Sword had malfunctioned and urgently needed the meteorite iron crystal to repair it.

Shen Qingqiu said, "So, what the old lady means is that you're changing the terms, using this meteorite iron crystal to exchange for the Hu family's help?"

Madam Yu nodded and said, "If Governor Shen doesn't mind and is willing to accept the second branch of the Qin family, then we naturally won't need to ask the Hu family for help anymore. All actions of the second branch of the Qin family will be based on assisting Governor Shen."

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, I came to Yanzhou to reunify the Six Doors. If I can get the old lady's help, I would be more than happy to do so. I will never forget this kindness."

As she spoke, Shen Qingqiu looked at Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "I came here specifically to keep you company. Do whatever you want, don't worry about me."

Immediately, Shen Qingqiu said to Old Madam Yu, "Then I will go with you to the Hu family!"