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

Gu Guanqi glanced around and immediately understood the situation.

Those two tables of traveling merchants were clearly there for the three Taoist priests. However, their plans seemed to have been disrupted by the sudden appearance of this group.

just,

Now that we've arrived and are already seated, suddenly turning around and leaving might actually cause unnecessary trouble.

He immediately moved closer to Xue Fuling and whispered, "Miss Xue, something seems amiss here."

Upon hearing this, Xue Fuling's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't look at them deliberately. She simply hummed in agreement and said in a low voice, "Let's have some tea and leave right away."

The Zhao brothers, Zhao Shan and Zhao Shi, were elites of the Six Doors. They could naturally see the problem that even Gu Guanqi could discover, and they became clearly vigilant. However, they did not want to get involved in Jianghu affairs, so they immediately pretended to be nonchalant and called the stall owner to bring the goods.

Soon, the old stall owner came over with a teapot, poured tea for the group, and served several plates of snacks and a plate of peanuts.

Everyone was thirsty, so they immediately started drinking tea.

Just then, the middle-aged Taoist priest at the middle table stood up and walked towards them with a smile.

"Gentlemen, I, Xuanchengzi, greet you." The middle-aged Taoist who called himself Xuanchengzi bowed and smiled, his gaze sweeping over Gu Guanqi and Xue Fuling.

Gu Guanqi returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Greetings, Daoist Master."

Xuan Chengzi scrutinized Gu Guanqi for a moment, then looked at Xue Fuling, stroked his beard, and said with a shake of his head, "The faces of these two benefactors are dark and ominous. I fear they will soon face a bloody disaster."

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Daoist Master, we don't believe in these things."

Xuan Chengzi looked serious and lowered his voice: "Don't disbelieve me, benefactor. I have practiced physiognomy since childhood and can accurately predict people's fortunes with almost perfect accuracy."

As he spoke, he took out a yellow talisman from his sleeve and handed it over: "I have a small Taoist temple outside the city, dedicated to helping people resolve their troubles. If you two benefactors do not mind, you may come with me to the temple for a while. I will perform a ritual for you two to resolve this calamity, free of charge."

Xue Fuling raised her head, glanced at the Taoist priest indifferently, and said in a gentle but distant voice, "Thank you for your kindness, Taoist priest, but we have important matters to attend to and cannot delay you. We appreciate your kindness."

Xuan Chengzi wasn't annoyed by her words. He chuckled, put the talisman back into his sleeve, and bowed again: "Since that's the case, I won't insist. Just please be careful on your journey, and if you encounter any trouble, you can come to me at any time. My Taoist temple is in the mountain valley ahead, about three miles from here."

After saying that, he turned around and went back to his seat, picked up his teacup and continued drinking tea, his expression unchanged.

Gu Guanqi glanced at the Taoist priest and then looked away, but then he saw Xue Fuling's hand on the table move slightly. She dipped her index finger in tea and quickly drew a few words on the table.

Gu Guanqi looked down.

The table was still damp with water, and four characters were clearly written on it—

He pretended to be unconscious because he was poisoned.

Xue Fuling was sitting at the table with her back to the Taoist priest.

At this moment, Zhao Shi, Zhao Shan, and Xiao Qi also saw it.

Gu Guanqi and the others exchanged glances, about to feign unconsciousness, when suddenly a young man from the nearby table of traveling merchants slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily:

"Don't drink it, the tea is poisoned!"

The shout was urgent and loud, and everyone in the tea stall was stunned.

Gu Guanqi's fingers hovered over the rim of the teacup. He exchanged a glance with Xue Fuling, then slowly set the teacup down. Zhao Shan and Zhao Shi also stopped what they were doing, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

The young man kicked aside his stool and stood up, casually drawing a long sword from his bundle. The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight. He pointed the sword at Xuan Chengzi at the middle table and roared:

"Xuan Chengzi, you dare to murder for money on my Golden Saber Sect's territory? You have some nerve! Do you think my Golden Saber Sect is made of clay? I, Lin Qi of the Golden Saber Sect, have come to deal with you today!"

Several other traveling merchants also drew their weapons, and the six of them subtly surrounded the table in the middle.

Lin Qi glanced quickly at Gu Guanqi and his group, then lowered his voice and said, "Gentlemen, hurry up. We are disciples of the Golden Saber Sect, ordered to catch thieves. Recently, merchants and travelers have been disappearing near Qiandeng County. We were ordered by our sect to investigate, and we found out that it was Xuan Chengzi who was responsible."

If a fight breaks out soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you. Leave quickly to avoid being implicated.

After saying this, Lin Qi rebuked Xuan Chengzi, "Xuan Chengzi, you, a dignified elder of Qingfeng Temple, have actually degenerated to such a degree, committing murder for money and raping other men's wives and daughters. You have utterly disgraced your ancestors of Qingfeng Temple!"

Xuan Chengzi, however, remained unperturbed. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly put it down. Only then did he look up at Lin Qi, a mocking smile on his lips, his tone full of sarcasm: "Your Golden Saber Sect sent a few greenhorns to their deaths? You really don't take this humble Taoist seriously at all."

Lin Qi snorted coldly: "A few of us are more than enough to deal with a lowlife like you."

"Is that so?" Xuan Chengzi chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Lin Qi and his group of six, then landing on Gu Guanqi and his companions. A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. "If your Golden Saber Sect Master, Wang Changfeng, were here, I would naturally flee at the mere sight of him. As for you... you're barely out of your teens, yet you dare to act as chivalrous heroes? You're just courting death!"

"Arrogant! You think you're worthy of my master's help?"

Lin Qi roared and took a step forward, ready to make a move.

But at that very moment, he felt a sweet, metallic taste rise to his throat, his legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to his knees. He grabbed the edge of the table and spat out a mouthful of poisonous blood.

"You..." Lin Qi looked up, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with horror. "When did you poison me? Impossible, we've been on guard the whole time, we haven't eaten anything!"

The other Golden Saber Sect disciples were also pale-faced. One was swaying precariously while holding onto the table, while two others had collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

Xuan Chengzi flicked his whisk, stood with his hands behind his back, and laughed even more smugly: "I saw through your pretense long ago. Did you really think the poison I used was the poison in the tea and snacks you saw?"

He sneered, shaking his head and saying, "That's just a smokescreen to mislead you. As for the real poison, ask the King of Hell!"

Lin Qi gritted his teeth, trying to lift his sword, but his arm felt as weak as if it were filled with lead, and the tip of the sword hung on the ground, impossible to lift.

Xuan Chengzi then turned to look at Gu Guanqi and the others, his gaze lingering on Xue Fuling's face as he scrutinized her from head to toe. His eyes gradually brightened: "These people are no ordinary individuals. How could such crude techniques possibly be effective?"

As he spoke, he took two steps forward, moving closer, and stared at Xue Fuling with unabashed arrogance, clicking his tongue in admiration: "What a beautiful young lady! I've been squatting in this desolate wilderness for half a month, and I've never seen such a beauty. Today, I'm truly blessed..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shan flew into a rage, drew his sword with a "whoosh," and shouted, "Insolence!"

Zhao Shan roared angrily, and his long sword slashed out.

This strike was powerful and heavy, carrying a sharp gust of wind, aimed directly at Xuan Chengzi's face.

Xuan Chengzi, however, paid no attention. He flicked his whisk and lightly approached.

The instant the whisk and the longsword clashed—

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, Xuan Chengzi's expression changed drastically.

He felt an overwhelming surge of internal force emanating from the blade, instantly shattering the whisk. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a pillar of the tea stall. The wooden pillar snapped with a thud, and half of the thatched roof collapsed with a crash.

Xuan Chengzi coughed up blood and fell to the ground. When he struggled to get up, his face was full of horror.

"You...how come you weren't poisoned?"

Xuan Chengzi stared intently at Zhao Shan, his voice trembling.

Zhao Shan snorted coldly and did not reply.

Zhao Shi, who was standing nearby, quickly got up, drew his sword, and blocked Xuan Chengzi's retreat.

"You...you weren't poisoned either?" Xuan Chengzi asked incredulously.

At this moment, Xue Fuling looked calmly at Xuan Chengzi, her voice neither hurried nor slow:

"The poison you used is 'Following the Wind Powder,' made with Gelsemium elegans as the main ingredient, Aconitum carmichaelii as the secondary ingredient, and Datura stramonium as the auxiliary ingredient. This poison dissolves upon contact with the wind, becoming invisible and colorless. When you came to talk to us earlier, you ostensibly poisoned our tea, but in reality, you came to stand in the wind and release 'Following the Wind Powder.'"

She paused, her tone remaining calm and even, as if discussing something utterly ordinary: "The method to neutralize this poison is quite simple. It only requires acupuncture at three points: Neiguan (PC6), Jianjing (GB21), and Tanzhong (CV17). Applying all three needles simultaneously will neutralize the poison. If acupuncture needles are unavailable, applying pressure to these three points can also quickly suppress the toxins."

Xuan Chengzi's smile froze completely.

He stared intently at Xue Fuling, a hint of fear and suspicion flashing in his eyes.

"It seems I've met a true expert today," Xuan Chengzi said in a deep voice. "May I ask who you are, sir?"

"Medicine King Valley, Xue Fuling."

Upon hearing these six words, Xuan Chengzi's pupils suddenly contracted.

"So it's Physician Xue from the Six Doors." Xuan Chengzi forced a smile, cupped his hands in greeting, and subtly retreated. "This humble Taoist was blind to your greatness and offended you. I hope Physician Xue will forgive me. In the future, if we meet again, I will certainly give you the utmost respect and dare not disturb you again. Farewell!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly raised his hand—

"Swish, swish, swish——"

A dense barrage of poisoned darts poured out like a torrential rain.

A flash of dark light and a sharp, piercing sound of wind breaking filled the air as countless poisoned darts indiscriminately covered the entire tea stall. Xuan Chengzi seized the opportunity to use his lightness skill to fly into the forest.

The disciples of the Golden Saber Sect, already poisoned, quickly moved a table in front of them to block the attack. The Zhao brothers, Zhao Shan and Zhao Shi, hurriedly swung their sabers to parry and protect Xiao Qi and Xue Fuling behind them. Xuan Chengzi's two disciples were hit by the poisoned darts before they could react and collapsed to the ground, trembling.

In that instant, Gu Guanqi moved.

The moment the Autumn Water Sword was drawn, a flash of cold light appeared.

The sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning, weaving an impenetrable curtain of light before him. The essence of the Arrow-Breaking Technique was brought to its fullest extent in his hands—the poisoned darts, though numerous and fast, appeared to him as if in slow motion, their trajectories clearly discernible.

With a series of crisp clanging sounds, dozens of poisoned darts were knocked down, falling to the ground at his feet; not a single one could get past his sword.

Gu Guanqi continued with his actions, throwing out the sword sheath as he went.

The sword sheath, imbued with powerful internal energy, drew a straight white line in the air, chasing after Xuan Chengzi, who had already leaped onto the treetop.

"Bang!"

The scabbard struck Xuan Chengzi squarely in the back of the heart. Xuan Chengzi screamed and fell from the tree, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Gu Guanqi stepped forward with his sword, the Autumn Water Sword drawing a cold arc in the air, aiming straight for Xuan Chengzi.

Xuan Chengzi sprang to his feet and angrily rebuked, "Does Your Excellency insist on being so aggressive, to the point of no return?"

While scolding him, he quickly pulled out a pair of judge's pens from his sleeve, crossed the two pens, and aimed them at Gu Guanqi's throat with the tips like the spitting tongue of a venomous snake.

Gu Guanqi stepped aside and thrust out the Autumn Water Sword diagonally.

This sword strike, seemingly casual, precisely struck the gap between the two intersecting pens. Before the sword tip even arrived, the sword energy was already there. Xuan Chengzi felt a numbness in his tiger's mouth, and his left hand almost dropped the judge's pen.

He was terrified, hastily retracting both pens and taking three steps back to create distance. But Gu Guanqi's sword followed like a shadow, and the second strike was already at his face.

This sword strike was faster and simpler, without any fancy variations; it was just a thrust.

But with this one thrust, Xuan Chengzi found himself with no way to avoid it. All his backup plans and all his variations seemed to have been seen through in front of this sword. No matter which way he dodged, the tip of the sword was always pointing at his retreat.

puff--

The tip of the sword pierced his right shoulder.

Xuan Chengzi grunted, his body flying backward from the force of the sword, crashing heavily to the ground. The judge's pen flew out of his hand and landed in the dust beside him.

Xuan Chengzi struggled to get up, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the sword in Gu Guanqi's hand, and he saw the two ancient characters on the sword: "Autumn Water".

His pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with horror: "Autumn Water Sword...you are...you are Doctor Gu Guanqi?"

Gu Guanqi did not answer, but chased after him with his sword.

Xuan Chengzi's face turned from white to green, then to ashen. He suddenly knelt down, his forehead slamming heavily against the ground, his voice filled with fear and pleading: "Great Hero Gu, spare my life! This humble Taoist... no, I didn't know it was Great Hero Gu and Physician Xue who had arrived. I offended you both, I deserve to die! I beg Great Hero Gu to spare my life..." His eyes darted around, "...for the sake of the fact that I haven't committed any grave crimes, spare my dog's life! I swear, from this day forward I will repent and never dare to do evil again..."

Xuan Chengzi kowtowed frantically, begging for mercy incessantly. But his right hand quietly slipped into his sleeve, his fingertips gripping a gleaming blue poison needle. The deadly poison on the needle's tip would kill instantly upon drawing blood; he was waiting for Gu Guanqi to relax his guard slightly before striking.

However, Gu Guanqi did not give him the chance.

The Autumn Water Sword fell.

A single sword strike to the throat.

Xuan Chengzi's body suddenly stiffened, his right hand slipped from his sleeve, and the poisoned needle rolled on the ground with a very soft, crisp sound.

His eyes were wide open, his mouth was agape, but no sound came out. Blood gushed from his neck, his body swayed, and then he fell straight forward, lifeless.

Gu Guanqi sheathed his sword and turned around.

Behind him, several disciples of the Golden Saber Sect were using acupressure to suppress the poison under Xue Fuling's guidance. Lin Qi pressed his Tanzhong acupoint on his chest, circulated his internal energy to force out several mouthfuls of black blood, and although his face was pale, he was much better than before. The group helped each other to their feet, walked to Gu Guanqi, and bowed in unison.

"Thank you so much, Master Gu, for saving my life!"

Lin Qi, the leader, spoke sincerely, his eyes filled with gratitude and admiration, "I never expected to meet Master Gu in person. It is truly an honor to meet Master Gu here!"

Gu Guanqi asked in confusion, "You know me?"

Lin Qi said, "In the martial world of Qingyang today, who doesn't know Doctor Gu Guanqi?"

Gu Guanqi was puzzled and confused.

Xue Fuling walked over and said, "I suppose the news has spread that you killed Qi Kun, Zhou Tong, and Xu Han to save Qingqiu that day!"

Lin Qi quickly said, "Just as Doctor Xue said, Qi Kun, Zhou Tong, and Xu Han were all notorious bandits. Countless masters have fallen at their hands. The righteous path of the martial arts world and the government have been searching for them for many years without success, but they were all killed by Master Gu with a single sword. There are also Yang Lin, the Mountain Wind, and Feng Yu, the Water Wind, who were also famous bandits. They also died at the hands of Master Gu."

The fame of Hero Gu is now widely known throughout the martial arts world of Qingyang County. Because Hero Gu is a physician, the name has stuck, and people have even come to call him that. Some now believe that the eleven-story building in Qingyang should be changed to a twelfth!

Gu Guanqi asked疑惑地问道, "What's the eleventh floor?"

Lin Qi and the others were also taken aback when they heard Gu Guanqi's words, seemingly shocked that Gu Guanqi didn't know about the eleventh floor of Qingyang.

At this moment, Xue Fuling explained to Lin Qi and the others, "Although Doctor Gu is highly skilled in martial arts, he has never been involved in the martial arts world and has always practiced medicine in the streets. If it weren't for these few unexpected events, I'm afraid no one would know that Doctor Gu is a hidden master. Therefore, Doctor Gu doesn't know much about the affairs of the martial arts world."

"I see!"

Lin Qi and the others suddenly realized.

Xue Fuling then explained to Gu Guanqi, "The Eleven Towers of Qingyang refers to the eleven people with the highest martial arts skills in Qingyang County. They are the commander, constable, and poison master of the Six Doors; the head镖师, beggar, gold-touching fox, and actor from the streets; and the Golden Knife, Iron Palm, Silver Spear, and Copper Fist from the Jianghu sects."

These eleven people are widely recognized as the strongest martial artists in Qingyang County, and are known as the Eleven Towers, meaning eleven towers of martial arts, inspiring awe in all. You recognize two of them: the constable is Qingqiu, and the Poison Immortal is the Venerable Poison Master.

"I see," Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, and asked, "Then, how was the order arranged?"

"There is no order," Xue Fuling said. "Anyone who dares to rank them is trying to stir up trouble, and their intentions are despicable. However, there is one who is generally recognized as the strongest, and that is our Six Doors Commander Yan Wangchuan. Well, there is also the weakest, and that is Senior Poison Master. Because Senior Poison Master's poison is very lethal, but experts at the level of the Eleventh Floor have ways to suppress poison. Senior Poison Master is easily restrained in front of them, but at the same time, he is the one that no one wants to provoke."