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

Chapter 210 Blind Date: Xu Zhiwei

Upon hearing Shen Qingqiu's words, the Tie family members fell silent.

As one of the five great families of the Great Qian Dynasty, the Tie family may not be as prestigious as the Eight Great Sects in the martial arts world, but their influence in officialdom far surpasses that of the Eight Great Sects. To some extent, they are more aware of Gu Guanqi's current influence than people in the martial arts world.

Especially in the battle at the capital, although Gu Guanqi only dealt with Zhang Jiexi and Yan Kunlun, he made the entire court understand a principle: in the face of absolute military force, political games are useless.

Gu Guanqi possesses the ability to overturn the table and break the rules at any time.

Putting aside everything else, the Tie family certainly has extensive connections in official circles. But if they truly stand against Gu Guanqi, they will only have one chance to kill Gu Guanqi head-on. Otherwise, Gu Guanqi will not engage in political maneuvering but will directly assassinate them. Not a single member of the Tie family's upper echelons will survive Gu Guanqi's hands.

Political maneuvering stems from both sides adhering to the rules within a framework.

If one party doesn't follow the rules, then power and tactics become useless.

Gu Guanqi's performance in the Imperial City battle has shown everyone that if he is willing to play within the rules, then everyone can have a chance; if he is not, then all the rules are a joke.

Now, with Gu Guanqi behind her, Shen Qingqiu is naturally invincible within the framework of the rules, making it very easy for her to build up a faction.

"Governor Shen." Tie Jingshan was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said, "Since you are unwilling to return to the Tie family, then let's drop this matter and we will not mention it again in the future."

However, now that you've come to Yanzhou to integrate the Six Doors, and our Tie family also wields considerable influence there, we can discuss cooperation purely from a business perspective. The Tie family is willing to help you integrate the Six Doors; we don't want to stand against you. Is that acceptable?

Shen Qingqiu said, "My purpose in coming to Yanzhou is to integrate the Six Doors. The Tie family is one of the largest forces in Yanzhou. It would be best if we could resolve the issue of order in Yanzhou peacefully. After all, I am not here to make enemies."

"Alright," Tie Jingshan said hastily, "After I return today, I will inform the Tie family that they will fully cooperate with you in integrating the Six Doors."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly.

Afterwards, Shen Qingqiu did not interact much with the Tie family members and then asked them to leave.

The Tie family members left with considerable disappointment.

We left the manor.

One of the elders of the Tie family, unable to contain his anger, cursed, "Those bastards from the Yongshan branch truly deserve to die!"

Tie Jingshan sighed and said, "Our main branch also has big problems. This incident reveals that there are serious deficiencies in the management of our main branch. Tie Jingxi made great contributions to the Tie family, but after his death, his wife and children were humiliated and eventually forced to flee to a distant place. And for so many years, the main branch has not known anything about it, which can only mean that the main branch has seriously neglected its duties."

An elder of the Tie family suddenly said, "I just remembered something. It seems we've only been considering the Yongshan branch, but we've neglected the main branch."

It should be noted that Shen Qingqiu has her maternal family, the Shen family, behind her. Although it is a small, insignificant family, it still has a certain influence, yet none of them dared to stand up for her and her mother.

What does this mean? It means that the main branch demonstrated something that made them realize the main branch wouldn't take that matter very seriously. Therefore, once the Yongshan branch exerted pressure, they had no choice but to give up.

Tie Jingshan's pupils shrank, and he said, "In other words, back then, someone from the main branch also cooperated with the Yongshan branch, leaving the Shen family with nowhere to turn for help."

The elders looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Investigate!" Tie Jingshan said with a gloomy face, "No matter what their identity is, send them to the Six Doors after you find them, and hand them over to Shen Qingqiu for disposal."

An elder hesitated before asking, "Patriarch, Shen Qingqiu is unwilling to return to the Tie family. Should we still fully support him as we previously agreed?"

Tie Jingshan said in a deep voice, "If Shen Qingqiu is willing to return to the Tie family, then we will make a huge profit, our ancestors' graves will be emitting auspicious smoke. If she is not willing to return, then the Tie family, as a prestigious family, will simply be making an investment."

Putting aside Shen Qingqiu's identity, think about it carefully. Given the current situation of our Tie family, joining forces with Shen Qingqiu is the best course of action. Betting on Zhang Jiexi early on was a mistake. Although the emperor is concerned about the stability of the court and has not yet launched a large-scale purge, our Tie family has already begun to lose power.

Now, with the Emperor and Gu Guanqi backing her, Shen Qingqiu has arrived in Yanzhou with immense power. If our Tie family doesn't resolutely take sides now, it's tantamount to standing against her and the Emperor, and we won't be able to escape the next reckoning.

After saying this, Tie Jingshan looked at the elders and said earnestly, "I know that the failure to bet on Zhang Jiexi has already frightened you all, and you are worried about making the same mistake again. You feel that with the Tie family's foundation, even if we are purged a second time, it is better than failing to choose sides again."

However, Shen Qingqiu is backed by Gu Guanqi, a man who doesn't play by the rules. The example of the Qizhou Temple next door serves as a stark warning. If Shen Qingqiu's affairs in Yanzhou don't go smoothly, he might just take up his sword and wipe out the entire region. What will happen to our Tie family then?

"If we don't stop him, he'll just be left to be slaughtered; but if we do stop him, we risk angering him and he'll go on a killing spree, which would be even more troublesome. So, in the current situation, it seems like we're choosing which side to take, but in reality, the real choice is in Shen Qingqiu's hands. Whoever she chooses to accept lives; whoever she doesn't want to accept dies!"

The elders all fell silent.

After a while, an elder said, "If that's the case, then if Gu Guanqi sets his sights on a territory, he can really act with impunity. Any force he sets his sights on will either have to hand it over voluntarily or face certain death?"

Tie Jingshan sighed and said, "Pretty much. Unless someone can kill him, I can't think of any way to restrain him because he's too young."

Indeed, everyone has a weakness, and Gu Guanqi's weakness is quite obvious: his female confidantes. The problem is, however, that his female confidantes now wield considerable power and are not easy to deal with.

There are also experts who have the power to ignore the influence of his confidantes, but none of them have any grudge against Gu Guanqi. Those who do have been killed by Gu Guanqi.

Zhang Jiexi, Yan Kunlun, Qi Tianyang, and Mo Xun—these men all possess the strength to form an army on their own. Once they went to Qingyun and Hongzhou to kill and vent their anger, no one could stop them. Therefore, once Gu Guanqi made his move, he gave them no chance to live.

"Our Tie family also has such a master, Seventh Uncle, but if Gu Guanqi were to attack the Tie family, his first target would be Seventh Uncle. I asked Seventh Uncle about his chances of winning against Gu Guanqi."

The clan elder quickly asked, "What are the chances of winning?"

"Let's split it 10/90," Tie Jingshan said.

The clan elder exclaimed in surprise, "Only a ten percent chance of winning?"

"No," Tie Jingshan said, "it's that Gu Guanqi can kill him at least nine times within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn!"

A group of clan elders:

Early the next morning.

Morning light streamed through the carved window frames, spreading a warm, dappled pattern across the blue brick floor.

Gu Guanqi and Shen Qingqiu sat facing each other, with several small dishes and two bowls of congee on the table. The steaming heat rose gently in the morning light, casting a soft and warm glow on their figures.

Shen Qingqiu picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it into Gu Guanqi's bowl, saying, "After we finish eating, I'm going to Yanzhou to inspect the Six Doors."

Gu Guanqi took a sip of porridge, looked up at Shen Qingqiu, and said, "Do you want me to go with you? To help you out."

Shen Qingqiu put down her bowl of porridge, looked at him with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling in the morning light: "Of course I want to. What will I do if a weak woman like me is bullied if my dear Alliance Leader Gu doesn't come with me?"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said slowly, "I was worried that you might be gossiped about for using my influence."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqiu paused with her chopsticks, then burst out laughing. She tapped the rim of Gu Guanqi's bowl with her chopsticks, her tone laced with self-righteous indignation: "I was just using your influence. Besides, my own man is powerful; if he has the ability, why wouldn't I lend it to him? Isn't that a problem?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Is that what you think? Then I'm relieved. I was worried that covering up your achievements would make you unhappy."

Shen Qingqiu tilted his head, a smile playing on his lips. "I haven't even considered those things. You're my man, my husband, and I'm happy that everything I have is connected to you. Besides, my greatest achievement comes from you. If I were to consider those trivial matters, what kind of governor would I be?"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly as he looked at Shen Qingqiu's composed demeanor.

Their eyes met.

As their eyes met, the morning light slanted in from the window, falling between them and turning the fine dust of light into a golden hue.

The morning light fell on Shen Qingqiu's eyelashes and reflected in Gu Guanqi's eyes.

In a daze, they seemed to see the scene when they first met at the Baihua Restaurant in Qingyang County.

The meal was finished quickly.

Shen Qingqiu stood up, straightened his robes, and fastened his twin swords to his waist. Gu Guanqi also stood up and hung his Autumn Water Sword at his side.

The two walked out of the room side by side.

In the courtyard, a squad of constables from the Six Doors were already lined up and waiting. The leader was Meng Shu, the advisor. When he saw the two of them come out, he hurriedly stepped forward, bowed and said, "Governor, the carriage is ready."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly, naturally took Gu Guanqi's hand, and then the two walked out of the courtyard and into the carriage.

The curtain fell, and the carriage slowly began to move.

The wheels rolled over the cobblestones, making a dull, rhythmic sound. Sunlight filtering through the curtains cast a thin, golden band of light inside the carriage, swaying slightly with the carriage's movements.

Shen Qingqiu tilted her head slightly and leaned on Gu Guanqi's shoulder.

The two talked in hushed tones the whole way, but they didn't discuss any business. Instead, they talked about private things that were only between the two of them.

The carriage traveled along the long street for a while, turned through several alleys, and passed through the rising sunlight before stopping in front of an imposing government office.

A pair of stone lions stand on either side of the main gate, and a large plaque with gold characters on a black background hangs above the lintel—"Six Doors".

At this moment, a large number of people were already standing at the entrance of the Six Doors, a dense crowd of them, all of them Six Doors officials or constables dressed in official robes, with two middle-aged men leading the way.

The man on the left is slightly plump with a round face, wearing a dark blue official robe and a long sword hanging at his waist; he is Liu Kuan, the Commander of the Six Doors of Yan Prefecture. The man on the right is thin with a stern face, also wearing an official robe and a sword at his waist; he is Yan Hui, the Chief Constable of the Six Doors of Yan Prefecture.

Behind the two men stood various department heads and commanders, lined up in two neat rows, hands at their sides.

The carriage slowly came to a stop.

Liu Kuan and Yan Hui exchanged a glance, then jogged forward simultaneously, saying in unison, "Welcome Governor Shen to guide the Six Doors of Yanzhou."

At this moment, Councilor Meng Shu dismounted, walked quickly to the carriage, and reached out to lift the curtain.

Shen Qingqiu stepped out of the carriage into the sunlight. After standing still, he glanced at Liu Kuan and Yan Hui, raised his hand slightly, and said, "No need for formalities."

Liu Kuan and Yan Hui then straightened up.

At this moment, Gu Guanqi also stepped out of the carriage.

He was dressed in white, his robes fluttering slightly in the morning breeze and bathed in sunlight, making him appear otherworldly. The carriages, constables, and banners behind him seemed to pale in comparison.

The Six Doors officials who had been holding their breath in front of the gate couldn't help but turn their attention to him.

Some people recognized him, their expressions changed slightly, and they subconsciously became a little nervous. Although many others had never seen Gu Guanqi before, seeing his white clothes and black sword, his handsome features, and the fact that he was riding in the same carriage as Shen Qingqiu, they all had their own guesses and unconsciously lowered their breathing.

Liu Kuan and Yan Hui exchanged a glance, both seeing the same fear mixed with a hint of excitement in each other's eyes.

Shen Qingqiu turned slightly to the side and introduced to the crowd: "This is Gu Guanqi, the leader of the martial arts alliance of Qingyun and Hongzhou. He has come with me to inspect the affairs of the Six Doors in Yanzhou on His Majesty's orders."

Immediately, Gu Guanqi took out a golden token from his pocket.

The token was about the size of a palm, golden in color, with four large characters engraved on the front: "As if the Emperor were personally present."

Sunlight shone on the token, its golden light shimmering and making the four characters stand out even more.

This token was given to Gu Guanqi by Emperor Zhao Mingce when he visited him in the capital some time ago.

Although it wasn't of much use to Gu Guanqi, he thought it might make things easier sometimes, so he accepted it.

Upon seeing the token, Liu Kuan and Yan Hui's expressions changed simultaneously. They immediately bowed deeply, their voices filled with trepidation: "This humble official greets Alliance Leader Gu!"

Given Gu Guanqi's status, no one would doubt the authenticity of the token.

The dozens of constables and advisors behind him also bowed in unison, their voices ringing out: "Greetings, Alliance Leader Gu!"

Gu Guanqi put the token back into his pocket, waved his hand, and said calmly, "I'm just here to take a look, I won't give any instructions. Everyone should do what they need to do, and don't worry about my relationship with Governor Shen."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces, his tone still calm as he said, "Although she is my fiancée, I will not interfere in the internal affairs of the Six Doors."

The Six Doors, which maintain order in the martial arts world, can also make it clear to the martial arts community of Yanzhou that although I deeply love Governor Shen, you don't need to pay attention to my existence.

Although I have His Majesty's special permission to act first and report later, I generally don't use it. Whether you have any issues or opinions, just do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said; let's handle official business strictly by the book.

The members of the Six Doors: "————"

Since you've said that, who dares to really handle things strictly according to the rules?

Shen Qingqiu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. She tilted her head slightly to look at Gu Guanqi, her eyes sparkling.

Shen Qingqiu's integration of the Six Doors went much more smoothly than Gu Guanqi and Shen Qingqiu had anticipated. They originally thought that the various forces in Yanzhou would cause problems, but in fact, the various forces were very pragmatic.

Gu Guanqi had originally thought that he might still have to stand up for Shen Qingqiu to some extent, but after accompanying Shen Qingqiu to the Six Doors headquarters on the first day, there was no need for him to show his face again.

That is, after the first day, the officials of Yanzhou Prefecture all went to visit Shen Qingqiu.

After that, whether Shen Qingqiu was making decisions or changing officials, he did not encounter any obstacles.

-

However, Shen Qingqiu also became busy.

They are busy from morning till night almost all the time.

Gu Guanqi, on the other hand, had nothing to do.

This continued for five or six days.

At noon that day, Gu Guanqi was drinking tea in the courtyard.

A constable walked in, cupped his hands, and said, "Alliance Leader Gu, a few people have arrived outside. They claim to be disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect and say they have come to visit you on the orders of the sect leader."

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback, a hint of doubt in his mind, and then said, "Please invite them in!"

A moment later, five disciples from the Heavenly Dao Sect entered. The one leading them was a middle-aged Taoist priest with a thin face, wearing a gray Taoist robe. He was one of the people who had accompanied Xu Zhiwei in Wu Family Town before, named Chen Feng.

Chen Feng led the four people behind him to stand in the courtyard, bowed to Gu Guanqi in unison, and said, "Greetings, Alliance Leader Gu."

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and asked in a gentle tone, "What brings you here?"

Chen Feng took out an invitation from his pocket, presented it with both hands, and respectfully handed it to Gu Guanqi, saying: "It concerns that evil cultivator Feng Xiwan, whom we encountered in Wujia Town."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Is it that person who calls himself the Crimson Heaven Demon King?"

"Yes," Chen Feng continued, "After Uncle Xu returned to the Heavenly Dao Sect, he told the sect leader about what happened in Wu Family Town. After that, the sect leader revealed a secret from many years ago."

Forty years ago, a demonic cultivator emerged in the martial world. He used demonic seeds to influence the minds of others, helping them cultivate their Dao hearts. When the time was right, he would use the demonic seeds to devour their Dao hearts. This person called himself the Crimson Heaven Demon King.

After achieving great success in his cultivation, this person conceived an extremely insane idea. He believed that the reason the world was so filthy and corrupt was because people indulged in physical pleasure and could not escape the control of their desires.

Therefore, once the physical body is relinquished, the soul can be purified, making everyone pure and flawless. So, he began forcing others to practice spiritual magic, and then killing them.

He believed that by cultivating spiritual mysticism, one could allow spiritual power to permeate the human world, and at a certain time, pure and flawless spiritual beings could be born. Therefore, he called himself the Crimson Heaven Demon King, intending to create a demon realm, to wipe out all living beings in the human world, and to establish a world containing only pure spiritual beings.

Gu Guanqi was speechless.

That's how cultivation works; only those with unwavering will have a greater chance of success. But often, those with unwavering will are strong-willed and prone to getting stuck on trivialities. The higher their cultivation level, the more easily they fall into demonic possession, eventually coming up with strange ideas and doing crazy things.

"And then what happened?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Chen Feng continued, "Later, that Crimson Heaven Demon King killed many people. Many righteous sects of the martial arts world went to besiege him but failed, suffering heavy casualties. Finally, the previous leader of our Heavenly Dao Sect learned of what had happened and went down the mountain to find that Crimson Heaven Demon King."

No one knows exactly what happened. All that is known is that the old sect leader went down the mountain and never returned, and the Crimson Demon King never appeared again. Everyone believes that the old sect leader and the Crimson Demon King perished together.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, signaling Chen Feng to continue.

Chen Feng continued, "However, six months after the old sect leader disappeared, someone sent a box to the Heavenly Dao Sect, containing a piece of clothing and a letter."

The letter was written by the old sect leader. In it, he stated that the Crimson Demon King had undergone a complete transformation, abandoning his physical body and becoming a demon seed, meaning that only his spiritual will remained.

The old sect leader fought with all his might to perish together with the Crimson Heaven Demon King. However, the Crimson Heaven Demon King was almost immortal. At the last moment, he attached his spiritual power to his belongings, namely a Dao sword, a robe, and a jade hairpin.

The sect leader had no spare power at that time, and could only forcibly suppress the robe that contained most of the power of the Crimson Heaven Demon King, and could only watch helplessly as the jade hairpin and the Dao sword escaped.

Finally, the old sect leader used a secret technique to seal the robe, entrusted someone to send it back to the Heavenly Dao Sect, and ordered it to be suppressed in the forbidden area. The old sect leader himself, with his last breath, went to search for the jade hairpin and the Dao sword, and was never seen again.

Gu Guanqi raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, that Feng Xiwan from last time is related to this Crimson Heaven Demon King?"

"Yes," Chen Feng said, "At first, when Feng Xiwan broke into the forbidden area, the sect leader didn't think much of it. After all, many people have broken into the forbidden area to steal rare treasures over the years. However, in Wu Family Town, the demonic seed in Feng Xiwan's sea of ​​consciousness appeared, and he called himself the Crimson Heaven Demon King. The sect leader then realized that the demon from forty years ago had reappeared."

When the sect leader went to investigate the forbidden area, he discovered that decades of suppression had failed to erode the Crimson Heaven Demon King's spirit and will, and he was now showing signs of resurgence. However, over the years, he had still not found a way to completely eliminate the Crimson Heaven Demon King.

Seeing that something big might be about to happen, he invited the leaders of the eight major sects—no, now the six major sects—to come and discuss the matter. Those who have already replied and will be coming include the Holy Monk Lianchi of the Great Bright Temple, Li Wentian, the leader of the Divine Mechanism Sect, and Leng Lingxi, the leader of the Tianshan Sect.

"Upon hearing that you have also arrived in Yanzhou, the sect leader immediately dispatched us to invite you to the Heavenly Dao Sect to discuss our plan to eliminate the demons."

Gu Guanqi asked, "Of the six major sects, what about the other two? Qiushan Sword Arena and Lingyun Palace, aren't they coming?"

Chen Feng shook his head and said, "Qiu Shan Sword Arena has a long-standing feud with our Tianyi Sect. Although the sect leader sent people to invite them, they couldn't even get in. As for Lingyun Palace, they did respond, but unfortunately, Palace Master Long Jiuxiao is in seclusion and can't come out now."

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."

Chen Feng added, "Also, when I was going down the mountain, Uncle Xu asked me to tell you something."

Gu Guanqi asked in confusion, "What is it?"

Chen Feng said, "She said that if you are willing to help the Heavenly Dao Sect, she can reciprocate by helping you with your cultivation."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly. He would definitely go to the invitation from the Heavenly Dao Sect this time, since he had already offended the Crimson Heaven Demon King. He was the kind of person who didn't like to leave any hidden dangers.

In addition, now that four of the six major sects of the Qian Kingdom have gathered together, he is naturally very interested in meeting these masters.

Now another chip has been added.

Xu Zhiwei's cultivation level is also at the Dao Realm, and given her influence, she should be a six-star level blind date.

Immediately, Gu Guanqi said, "It is our duty to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path. How about this, you all go back first, and I will go to the Heavenly Dao Sect on my own. I am fast on my feet and should arrive before you."

Chen Feng quickly replied, "Alright, then we'll send word back to welcome Alliance Leader Gu!"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand slightly, lay down on the recliner, and closed his eyes slightly.

Chen Feng wisely led his men away.

Gu Guanqi lay on the recliner with his eyes slightly closed. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard, falling on his clothes and breaking into tiny specks of light.

I had just closed my eyes when I heard footsteps again at the courtyard gate.

Gu Guanqi squinted slightly and saw Shen Qingqiu striding in, the two swords at his waist swaying gently with his steps.

"Why are you back so early today?" Gu Guanqi straightened up, somewhat surprised.

Shen Qingqiu walked to the stone table, picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, tilted his head back and gulped down more than half of it, and said, "I made a last-minute decision to go out for a while, so I came back early to pack."

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon the gold-embossed invitation on the stone table. She paused slightly, picked it up, unfolded it, and examined it, raising an eyebrow slightly: "An invitation from the Heavenly Dao Sect? I just ran into a few disciples in Daoist robes outside; were they looking for you?"

Gu Guanqi nodded and replied, "A great demon that the Heavenly Dao Sect has been suppressing is about to reappear and is summoning experts from all walks of life to discuss countermeasures. Hearing that I was in Yanzhou, they sent someone to invite me."

Shen Qingqiu opened the invitation and exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually Zhang Tianshi's own handwriting?"

Gu Guanqi asked疑惑地问道, "Is there anything strange about it?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Master Zhang is the top calligraphy master in our Great Qian Dynasty. His calligraphy is so valuable that many high-ranking officials and nobles would pay a fortune for it."

Upon hearing this, Gu Guanqi couldn't help but chuckle: "Then you can keep it. When you get back to the capital, find a sucker to sell it to for a profit, and it'll help supplement your household income."

Shen Qingqiu's lips curled slightly as he folded the invitation and tucked it into his sleeve, asking, "So, are you planning to go?"

"I have to go," Gu Guanqi said. "That demon is the evil cultivator I mentioned to you before, the one I encountered in Wu Family Town who cultivates the demonic seed. I've already incurred his wrath, so naturally I have to eliminate him completely."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and said, "That's perfect. We've decided to set off for the Yanzhou Martial Alliance tomorrow. After all, you're the leader of the martial arts alliance in Qingyun and Hongzhou. It's not appropriate for you to go. I was worried you'd be bored here alone."

Gu Guanqi said, "Alright then, let's set off tomorrow."

"Um."

Shen Qingqiu responded, then added, "Oh, by the way, I have something to give you."

As she spoke, she took out a small wooden box from her bosom, opened it, and inside lay a snow-white jade hairpin. The hairpin was lustrous and translucent, polished to an extremely smooth finish, and gleamed with a warm luster.

Gu Guanqi looked at the jade hairpin and asked, "Isn't this the jade hairpin that the Tie family found for you a few days ago, the one that belonged to your mother?"

"Yes, that's right. Over the years, the marks on the hairpin became quite heavy, so I had someone polish it, and it was just finished today."

As she spoke, Shen Qingqiu walked up to Gu Guanqi, bent down slightly, and gently removed the old hairpin from Gu Guanqi's head. Then she put the snow-white jade hairpin on Gu Guanqi's head.

Then, she withdrew her hand, carefully examined Gu Guanqi's hair with her own eyes, and said with a slight smile, "This jade hairpin was bought by my mother for my father back then. But my father was afraid it would be damaged while traveling, so he kept it at home."

Now that it has come to me, it should be given to you. This is precisely why this jade hairpin holds special significance for my mother. She once said she hoped to give this hairpin to me, so that when I found my Mr. Right, I could use it to express my feelings!

"very nice."

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly, then reached out and gently put his arm around Shen Qingqiu's waist, pulling her closer to him.

Shen Qingqiu leaned slightly forward and nestled into Gu Guanqi's arms, her cheek resting against his shoulder.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches of the old locust tree, falling on the two of them and casting a warm, golden halo over their embracing silhouettes.

The courtyard was quiet, with only the soft murmur of the passing breeze.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

After having breakfast with Shen Qingqiu in the courtyard, Gu Guanqi saw Shen Qingqiu off out of the city.

They didn't part ways until they reached the outskirts of the city.

Gu Guanqi watched them go for a while, until Shen Qingqiu and his group were far away. Then he turned around, lightly touched the ground with his feet, and his figure rose up like a breeze, flying towards the direction of Taiwang Mountain.

He was moving incredibly fast; towns, fields, and rivers rushed past beneath his feet, and the wind whistled past his ears.

Mount Taiwang is far from Yanzhou City.

However, Gu Guanqi is now extremely fast. When he runs at full speed, ordinary people can't even see him.

He did not stop along the way.

As the sunlight gradually shifts from the brightness of midday to the twilight of the setting sun, the outline of Mount Taiwang appears on the horizon ahead.

As dusk settled, it draped the rolling mountains in a warm, dark gold. Pine trees lining the mountain path swayed gently in the evening breeze, their needles rustling down and carpeting the winding stone steps.

Gu Guanqi stopped and landed at the edge of a wide-open woodland at the foot of the mountain. As soon as he landed, he was attracted by a commotion in the woods not far away.

Among several old pine trees, on a blue stone, a female Taoist priest was playing dominoes with several young Taoist priests.

The female Taoist priest was none other than Xu Zhiwei.

Xu Zhiwei squatted in the middle, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, one hand holding a few dominoes, the other pressing a few copper coins on the stone surface. Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter as she stretched out her hands to the young Taoist priests: "Come on, come on, I won again this round! Pay up, pay up!"

The young Taoist priests looked miserable; some clutched their purses and shrank back, while others muttered, "Uncle-Master, you cheated again." Xu Zhiwei wasn't annoyed. She gently tapped the dominoes on the stone surface: "What cheating? It's clearly because you're not skilled enough."

As she spoke, she caught sight of Gu Guanqi out of the corner of her eye. Her hand paused, then she abruptly stood up, tossed the dominoes onto the stone surface, and strode towards Gu Guanqi, exclaiming joyfully, "Alliance Leader Gu, you've really come!"

Gu Guanqi slowly emerged from the woods, asking with a puzzled look, "Master Xu, did you wait for me here specifically?"

Xu Zhiwei nodded and said, "That's right. My senior brother—well, that's Zhang Daoji, the leader of our Heavenly Dao Sect. He predicted that Alliance Leader Gu would come to Taiwang Mountain today, and since I'm acquainted with you, he sent me here to wait for you!"

As she spoke, she turned back and waved to the group of young Taoist priests, "Alright, alright, you can all leave now. I won't charge you any money today."

The young Taoist priests, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly put away their copper coins, bowed hastily to the two men, and then disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Gu Guanqi exclaimed in surprise, "Master Zhang is indeed a master of Taoist magic; he could even predict this!"

Xu Zhiwei waved her hand and said, "He doesn't do his proper job. He just likes to think about strange and wonderful tricks. He often runs down the mountain to pretend to be a god or ghost. Don't be fooled by his superstitious talk."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "Master Zhang's magic is famous throughout the world, and I'd really like to see it for myself."

"What's so interesting about that old geezer?" Xu Zhiwei said. "Shouldn't you, a young man who cultivates the Path of Amorousness, be looking at a beautiful woman like me?"

Gu Guanqi smiled and said, "I'll watch it too."

Xu Zhiwei chuckled and said, "I've heard that your 'Path of Passion' uses arranged marriages as a means of connection and passion as a foundation to directly lead to the Great Dao of Cultivation. To be honest, I'm really curious about your 'Path of Passion'. I was too embarrassed to ask Wen Shuyi to accompany you before. How about we go on an arranged marriage now and you let me see what it's like?"

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A