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

Chapter 228 Slaying Through the Prince Ji's Mansion (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As evening fell, the banquet at Prince Ji's residence came to an end, and the guests gradually left.

Zhao Mao also returned to his residence. As soon as he entered, he saw Zhao Tianfeng sitting in the courtyard.

Zhao Mao smiled slightly, walked over, and asked, "Why are you back so early? Shouldn't you spend more time cultivating your relationship with Xue Wuqing?"

Zhao Tianfeng waved his hand and said, "That woman is too aloof, boring. Any one of the women in my manor is more interesting than her, especially since they all have a grudge against me, yet they are hopelessly in love with me. That's what makes it fun!"

Zhao Mao said, "Be careful, don't overdo it."

Zhao Tianfeng waved his hand and said, "Father, don't worry. If there were any women I couldn't control, I would have killed them long ago. However, I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing Xue Wuqing. I can't wait to witness her torn between love and hate for me the day I crush the Tianshan Sect!"

Zhao Mao said, "Xue Wuqing must die. That woman has strong talent and high cultivation. If she gets out of control, it will be troublesome."

Zhao Tianfeng said dismissively, "Father, don't worry. That woman is easy to control. She's not very bright. Even if I slaughtered the Tianshan Sect in front of her, as long as I explain my difficulties to her with deep affection, she will definitely believe me."

"Alright, just be careful yourself," Zhao Mao said, not offering any further advice. She then asked, "Did she say anything today about Gu Guanqi's current relationship with the Tianshan Sect?"

"It's nothing," Zhao Tianfeng said. "It's just that a demon has appeared in the Tianyi Sect, and they asked Leng Lingxi, the head of the Tianshan Sect, to help subdue the demon. Gu Guanqi was also invited."

Gu Guanqi's self-created "Road of Romance" is quite bizarre. It involves using blind dates as an opportunity to seek out romantic feelings and break through barriers.

Leng Lingxi wanted to befriend Gu Guanqi and gain his favor, so she wanted to arrange a blind date between Xue Wuqing and Gu Guanqi to help Gu Guanqi's cultivation. However, Xue Wuqing loved me and refused.

Zhao Mao nodded slightly and said, "It's good that it's nothing. However, I must say, Gu Guanqi's amorous ways are truly bizarre!"

Zhao Tianfeng said, "I think that Gu Guanqi might just be a womanizer who likes to flirt with women, but he's afraid of ruining his reputation, so he made up some kind of 'love affair story'."

Zhao Mao said, "There are many strange and unusual people in this world, so it's normal for some strange things to happen."

Zhao Tianfeng nodded and said, "However, those things are not important." As he spoke, Zhao Tianfeng poured Zhao Mao a cup of tea and said, "Father, we don't need to take Gu Guanqi to heart. He has nothing to do with the Tianshan Sect and won't stand up for the Tianshan Sect and fight us to the death."

However, Xue Wuqing revealed some things to me today, and we need to be careful. Leng Lingxi is already preparing to make a move against us. Sending Zhang Tinghe to my birthday banquet was a way for her to investigate the extent of our Ji Prince's Mansion's infiltration of various forces in Liangzhou.

Zhao Mao asked in surprise, "Xue Wuqing even told you this?"

"Yes," Zhao Tianfeng said, "Moreover, Leng Lingxi's attitude seems quite firm, and Xue Wuqing is coming to attend my birthday celebration."

Chen Yan was rejected and even locked up by Leng Lingxi. Xue Wuqing actually sneaked down the mountain to visit our Prince Ji's residence this time.

Zhao Mao frowned and said, "This news is crucial. I originally thought Leng Lingxi only harbored resentment towards us because of your mother's passing, but I didn't expect her to actually target us. This woman hasn't been involved in much affairs for so many years; I almost forgot that she was once a ruthless person who single-handedly saved the Tianshan Sect!"

Zhao Tianfeng said, "According to Xue Wuqing, Leng Lingxi feels that our Ji Wang Mansion is no longer suitable to command the Liangzhou Army. She must have already discovered that we are secretly bribing those generals in the Liangzhou Army."

If my guess is correct, she will definitely feint, making us think her focus is on the Liangzhou government, and then launch a surprise attack on the military while we are off guard.

Zhao Mao said, "The news that Xue Wuqing brought is too important. Leng Lingxi is indeed a remarkable person. She is already about to make a move against us, and I was completely unaware."

As he spoke, Zhao Mao couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He said, "The more I think about it, the more alarmed I become. If Xue Wuqing hadn't brought this news, we would have suffered a great loss, given that the one who was prepared was caught off guard."

Once Leng Lingxi makes her move, we probably won't even have a chance to resist. That woman is no pushover. Twenty years ago, when the Tianshan Sect was beset by internal and external troubles, it was that woman who single-handedly turned the tide, displaying remarkable ruthlessness and decisiveness.

Zhao Tianfeng's expression was also solemn. He said, "I will continue to deepen my relationship with Xue Wuqing."

Zhao Mao said, "You also need to be careful. Make sure to tell Xue Wuqing not to let Leng Lingxi know that she revealed this information to you. Otherwise, given Leng Lingxi's personality, she might actually do something like purging her own family."

Zhao Tianfeng asked suspiciously, "I don't think so. Xue Wuqing was raised by Leng Lingxi since she was a child. Leng Lingxi never married, so Xue Wuqing was both her disciple and essentially her daughter. Could she really bring herself to do that?"

Zhao Mao said, "Don't underestimate Leng Lingxi. Five years ago, why did I make your mother fake her death? It was because your mother was originally a spy planted by the Tianshan Sect next to me."

Although your mother secretly conspired with me, she outwardly cooperated fully and never showed any disloyalty towards the Tianshan Sect. However, back then, just because Leng Lingxi visited our Prince Ji's residence and realized you might be your mother's biological daughter, she harbored murderous intentions towards your mother.

Zhao Tianfeng was slightly taken aback and asked, "What do you mean by realizing I might be my mother's biological son?"

Zhao Mao explained, "According to the Tianshan Sect's plan, you are not your mother's biological child. Your mother used a secret technique to create the illusion of pregnancy, and then used a fake baby to deceive me when she was about to give birth."

This is done to ensure that your mother doesn't develop any disloyalty towards the Tianshan Sect. After all, having a biological child increases the likelihood that the sect's carefully cultivated spies will be turned against them.

Originally, the Tianshan Sect always believed that you were not your mother's biological child, and your mother deliberately maintained a cold and indifferent attitude towards you. However, five years ago, Leng Lingxi came to the Prince's Mansion as a guest.

Because you were assassinated, when your mother heard the news, she couldn't help but show a hint of worry. Leng Lingxi noticed this and began to suspect your mother.

So, I deliberately staged an accident, making your mother fake her death, and then framed the Hu people for it, which barely managed to avoid the matter.

"In the past. Now it seems that your mother's feigned death didn't dispel Leng Lingxi's suspicions."

Zhao Tianfeng nodded slightly and said, "So, this woman is indeed not simple. If I had known this would happen, I should have tried to seduce Leng Lingxi back then."

Zhao Mao rolled his eyes and said, "Leng Lingxi was once the most beautiful woman in the Qian Kingdom's martial arts world. Countless talented young men pursued her. Your tricks might fool a young woman like Xue Wuqing, but you're not qualified to deal with Leng Lingxi!"

Zhao Tianfeng smiled and said, "Actually, dealing with a woman like Leng Lingxi is quite easy. She is skilled in martial arts, capable, and cunning, but the more skilled a woman is, the more fatal her weakness."

Zhao Mao asked in confusion, "What?"

Zhao Tianfeng said, "First, he has to be good-looking; second, and most importantly, he has to be better than her. As long as these two conditions are met, it's easy to win over this kind of woman. Of course, if he's younger than her, it's even easier."

Zhao Mao frowned and said, "Isn't this Gu Guanqi you're talking about? There's no one else in the world who meets these three conditions better than him."

Zhao Tianfeng: "I don't think Gu Guanqi is more handsome than me!"

Zhao Mao said, "However, Gu Guanqi is a famous handsome man, and his martial arts are more than ten times stronger than yours, his fame is more than ten times greater than yours, and he is also younger than you."

He can satisfy a woman's admiration for strength, her vanity, and her emotional needs. Plus, he's young, highly skilled in martial arts, and his physical condition is definitely better than yours. So, comparing yourself to Gu Guanqi is like comparing apples and oranges.

Zhao Tianfeng:

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. A scholar appeared at the door, bowing hastily and saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The General of Zhenxi has been murdered in the street!"

Zhao Tianfeng and Zhao Mao were both stunned, wondering if they had misheard.

Liangzhou only has one General Who Guards the West, Liu Yiyun, Zhao Mao's third adopted son. Not only is he highly skilled in martial arts, but he also commands a large group of extraordinary individuals. Most importantly, Liu Yiyun is currently in Liangzhou City, having just left the Prince Ji's residence not long ago.

If Liu Yiyun died at the border, Zhao and Zhao Tianfeng wouldn't be too surprised. After all, the battlefield is ever-changing, and even Zhao Mao was always prepared to be killed when he went to the battlefield.

"Liu Yiyun was killed?" Zhao Tianfeng looked at the scholar and said, "Old Chen, are you kidding me? Killed in the street? In Liangzhou City, who would dare to kill Liu Yiyun? They'd be risking their entire family's lives!"

The scholar surnamed Chen quickly replied, "Your Highness, how could I possibly joke about such a thing?"

Zhao Mao said, "But didn't Yi Yun just leave my residence?"

The scholar surnamed Chen said, "I don't know the specifics yet. The news I just received is that General Liu saw a handsome young man on his way home after leaving the Prince's residence—" The scholar surnamed Chen said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Highness, Your Highness, you all know that General Liu is homosexual."

Zhao Mao nodded and asked, "And then?"

The scholar surnamed Chen continued, "General Liu then ordered his men to forcibly abduct the young man and take him home, but unexpectedly, the young man turned out to be a martial arts master who immediately went on a killing spree and killed General Liu!"

Zhao Tianfeng chuckled and said, "I told Liu Yiyun a long time ago to be careful and not to snatch people away so easily. He should at least do a thorough background check first. Now look what's happened, we've run into a tough nut to crack!"

As he spoke, Zhao Tianfeng stood up and said, "Old Chen, muster the troops." He looked at Zhao Mao and said, "Although Liu Yiyun messed up this matter, he is still your adopted son and my sworn brother, so we can't just ignore it."

Zhao Mao asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Zhao Tianfeng stretched and said, "What else can we do? First, find out their background and see if Liu Yiyun's death will be in vain. If they have a powerful background, we can save face. If they don't, then kill them and bury them with Liu Yiyun to fulfill his wish!"

Just then, a carrier pigeon flew in. The scholar surnamed Chen reached out, took the letter from the pigeon's leg, opened it, and immediately...

His expression changed slightly, and he said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, the other party's identity has been confirmed. He is—Gu Guanqi, the leader of the martial arts alliance of Qingyun and Hongzhou, and the sword immortal who is in charge of inspecting the world on behalf of the emperor!"

Zhao Tianfeng and Zhao Mao's expressions changed slightly.

Zhao Tianfeng chuckled softly, paused for a moment, and said, "Liu Yiyun really died in vain. This wasn't just a tough nut to crack; it was like kicking Mount Kunlun. By forcibly abducting Gu Guanqi, Liu Yiyun's death was quite glorious!"

Zhao Mao frowned and said, "How did Gu Guanqi end up in Liangzhou, and by sheer coincidence, run into Liu Yiyun? Is it really just a coincidence?"

Zhao Tianfeng said in a deep voice, "Father, do you suspect that the Emperor is going to harm us?"

Zhao Mao said, "Zhao Mingce is incredibly lucky to have successfully seized power. Our Liangzhou army numbers in the hundreds of thousands and is located on the border. He's bound to be suspicious of us."

Zhao Tianfeng said, "That's not right either. If Gu Guanqi was sent by the emperor, he wouldn't have killed Liu Yiyun. The emperor has just come to power, and the situation is unstable."

"We are members of the royal family; he should be even more inclined to court and curry favor with us. Then, by uniting as one and showcasing the prestige of the royal family, we can better deter other powerful clans. Didn't the emperor send someone to deliver commendations not long ago?"

Zhao Mao, still frowning, said, "Could it be... just a coincidence passing by?"

Zhao Tianfeng said, "Given Gu Guanqi's level and reputation in the martial arts world, he would never listen to anyone's orders. Even the emperor couldn't command him."

Previously, Leng Lingxi intentionally arranged for Xue Wuqing to go on a blind date with Gu Guanqi, right? I think Gu Guanqi's presence here is very likely related to this. As for killing Liu Yiyun, it was an inevitable outcome within a seemingly accidental one.

Gu Guanqi was a renowned handsome man in the martial arts world. If Liu Yiyun encountered him without knowing his identity, Liu Yiyun would undoubtedly be lustful, making Liu Yiyun's death inevitable.

"Your analysis makes sense," Zhao Mao said. "Now that we know his identity, I'll go see him myself!"

'

Just then, another carrier pigeon flew in.

The scholar surnamed Chen took the letter, glanced at it, and then handed it over, saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness, there's no need to look for Gu Guanqi anymore. Gu Guanqi is carrying General Liu's head to the Prince's residence. It seems he's up to no good!"

Zhao Tianfeng and Zhao exchanged a glance.

Zhao Tianfeng said, "Father, let's try diplomacy first, then force. Give Gu Guanqi a way out. If he accepts, everything will be fine. If he's persistent and doesn't appreciate our kindness, then we'll have to show you our years of experience."

Zhao Mao chuckled, "It's best to avoid a conflict. Given Gu Guanqi's strength, even if I win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, which will affect our subsequent plans. But if he's truly determined to be our enemy, then my decades in Liangzhou haven't been in vain!"

Outside the Prince Ji's residence in Liangzhou City.

Gu Guanqi walked slowly, carrying a cloth bag and a human head. The bag contained a human head, the head of Yuan Congyi, whom he had killed outside Liangzhou City.

He never expected that after entering the city, he would take another head.

Originally, after entering the city, he casually inquired about the reputation of the Prince Ji's mansion from some beggars and the like, and the result was naturally very bad.

Just as he was about to head to Prince Ji's residence, a group of people suddenly appeared and tried to kidnap him. The leader of the group was Liu Yiyun, one of Prince Ji Zhao Duan's seven adopted sons, who was known for his homosexuality.

And so, he had another head in his hand.

When Gu Guanqi arrived outside the Prince Ji's residence, he was stunned by its luxurious and ostentatious appearance.

He had traveled extensively and seen a great deal of the world, but apart from the imperial palace, he had never seen any private residence that could compare to the luxurious and magnificent Prince Ji's Mansion. It was not even half the size of the mansion.

Even the Hua family, who were once the richest family in Tianzhou and were said to be as wealthy as a country, did not have a lavish lifestyle that was only one or two tenths of that of the Ji Prince's Mansion.

"Heh," Gu Guanqi chuckled, "Although Liangzhou is poor, it hasn't shortchanged the Ji Prince's Mansion at all! Just looking at the Ji Prince's Mansion, you would never imagine that the Liangzhou army is so poor that it can't even afford to pay pensions!"

Just then, the gates of Prince Ji's mansion swung open, flames burst forth from within, and two rows of armored guards, carrying torches, filed out in orderly formation, lining up in two rows in front of the gate.

Immediately afterwards, a burly figure strode out from inside the door.

This man had graying temples, a steady gait, and a pair of tiger-like eyes that appeared exceptionally sharp in the torchlight; he was none other than Prince Ji, Zhao Mao.

Half a step behind him was Prince Zhao Tianfeng.

Although Gu Guanqi had never met Zhao Mao and Zhao Tianfeng before, he could tell their identities just by looking at their entourage and demeanor.

He felt a sense of admiration for the Zhao family's excellent genes; he had never seen an ugly one.

Among the members of the royal family he had met, the young women included Zhao Lingyuan from the Rong Prince's Mansion and Princess Zhao Qingci, both of whom were exceptionally beautiful. The young men included Emperor Zhao Mingce and Prince Duan Zhao Mingrui, both of whom were extremely handsome. However, the Zhao Tianfeng standing before him was even more handsome than Zhao Mingce and Zhao Mingrui.

In all the years Gu Guanqi has been traveling the martial arts world, Zhao Tianfeng is undoubtedly the most handsome man.

At the same time, Zhao Tianfeng, who had initially maintained a somewhat casual expression, found his heart involuntarily stirred when he clearly saw Gu Guanqi's face.

A surge of hatred welled up within him, because he had discovered that Gu Guanqi was even more handsome than him, and his temperament was even more otherworldly.

He originally thought that although he couldn't compare to Gu Guanqi in martial arts and reputation, he was definitely better in appearance. But now, he found that he was even worse in this aspect. Suddenly, a thought arose involuntarily in his mind—he really wanted to kill him. If this person was around, who would pay attention to this young master!

After sizing up Gu Guanqi, Zhao Mao thought to himself with considerable emotion, "How could someone surpass my son Tianfeng in both appearance and demeanor!"

Immediately, Zhao stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bow, and said in a very warm tone, "I am Zhao Mao. I was unaware of Alliance Leader Gu's presence. Please forgive my lack of hospitality!"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly in return.

Then, he threw the cloth bag in his hand and Liu Yiyun's head on the ground together.

The bag fell to the ground, its opening came undone, revealing Yuan Congyi's head.

Zhao Mao and Zhao Tianfeng were both startled the moment they saw Yuan Congyi's head.

They only knew that Gu Guanqi killed Liu Yiyun, but they didn't know about Yuan Congyi.

"Prince Ji, you're familiar with these two, aren't you?" Gu Guanqi said.

Zhao Mao feigned surprise, then asked疑惑地问道, "Alliance Leader Gu, these two are my adopted sons. How did they offend you?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Zhao Mao and said calmly, "Prince Ji, do you think they both deserve to die?"

Zhao Mao remained expressionless, cupped his hands and said, "I truly do not understand what Alliance Leader Gu means, please enlighten me."

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "So, Prince Ji is completely unaware of the numerous evils, wanton acts, and oppression of the people committed by these two?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mao's face showed a hint of shock: "Such a thing exists? Alliance Leader Gu, I'm getting old and have spent most of my time recuperating at home these past few years. These two are always well-behaved in front of me, I truly had no idea they were doing such evil deeds behind my back!"

He sighed heavily, his voice filled with pain and self-reproach: "Alliance Leader Gu, rest assured, I will thoroughly investigate to see if there are any other corrupt officials in the Liangzhou army. If so, I will uphold military discipline and show no leniency!"

Gu Guanqi looked at Zhao Mao, who was putting on an act, and said, "So, Prince Ji really doesn't know anything?"

"I don't know," Zhao Mao said. "If I had known that my men dared to bully and oppress the people, I wouldn't have needed the Alliance Leader's intervention; I would have already cleaned up the mess!"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I believe what Prince Ji said."

Zhao Mao quickly said, "Thank you for your trust, Alliance Leader Gu." He then gestured for him to enter, saying, "Alliance Leader Gu has come from afar; you must be tired from your journey. Please come inside and rest, so I can show you some hospitality. Please—"

Gu Guanqi raised his hand to interrupt Zhao Mao, saying, "Prince Ji, you should know that I now hold the Emperor's decree and am inspecting on behalf of His Majesty."

"Is it about the affairs of the world?"

Zhao Mao said, "I know, I know. Alliance Leader Gu has made great contributions by inspecting the four seas for His Majesty!"

Gu Guanqi said, "Good to know. Then I'll get straight to the point. Since Prince Ji doesn't even know that his adopted son is oppressing the people and committing numerous evils, it means that Prince Ji no longer has the ability to govern Liangzhou and command the Liangzhou army."

"In that case, Prince Ji, hand over the tiger tally. I will select a capable person for Your Majesty. Since Prince Ji is already old and retired, he may rest well in his residence!"

The moment Gu Guanqi said this, everyone present changed their expressions.

Zhao Mao was also slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Alliance Leader Gu is joking. The Liangzhou Army guards the border, protecting the gateway to the Qian Kingdom. How can the Tiger Tally be handed over so easily? A slight mistake could lead to a major disaster!"

Gu Guanqi said, "Prince Ji can't even manage his own men. How can you be expected to guard the border? Of the four generals, I encountered two scoundrels in just one day. The Liangzhou army under Prince Ji has deteriorated to this extent. How dare Prince Ji say that you are guarding the gates of Qian Kingdom?"

Zhao Mao's face darkened.

At this moment, Zhao Tianfeng, who was standing to the side, said coldly, "Gu Guanqi, how the Liangzhou army is managed is none of your business. Liangzhou was defended by my father, and hundreds of thousands of Liangzhou soldiers are supported by my father. Now you want the Tiger Tally with a single word? Who do you think you are? What, do you think you can mobilize the Liangzhou army just because you have the Tiger Tally?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Zhao Tianfeng and asked, "Who are you?"

Zhao Tianfeng said in a deep voice, "I am Zhao Tianfeng, the heir apparent of Prince Ji!"

"What is your official position?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Zhao Tianfeng said, "I don't hold any official position, but—"

"Do you even have the right to speak here?" Gu Guanqi said. "I am an imperial envoy personally appointed by His Majesty, with the power to act first and report later. I am of a higher rank than any other official. I am speaking to the General of Liangzhou in my capacity as imperial envoy. What right do you have to interrupt?"

Zhao Tianfeng was furious. He had always gotten whatever he wanted in Liangzhou since he was a child, and no one had ever dared to disobey him. Gu Guanqi's disrespect in front of so many people made him unable to suppress his killing intent towards Gu Guanqi.

At this moment, Zhao Mao hurriedly said, "Alliance Leader Gu, my son is ignorant, please don't take it to heart. However, he is right about one thing: military affairs are nominally based on the Tiger Tally, but in reality, they are very complex and cannot be resolved by a single Tiger Tally."

"The discipline problems in the Liangzhou army are indeed my fault, and I will certainly give you, Alliance Leader Gu, an explanation. However, it's getting late, so why don't we go inside and rest first, and discuss things in detail tomorrow?"

Gu Guanqi said in a deep voice, "The tiger tally is one thing, but there's another. I was ordered to inspect Liangzhou and discovered that Prince Ji's heir, Zhao Tianfeng, had repeatedly massacred entire families to forcibly seize women and wives. Furthermore, for his own amusement, he ordered Yuan Congyi to kidnap ordinary people and use them as prey for shooting and killing. Now that Yuan Congyi has been brought to justice, will Prince Ji deal with Zhao Tianfeng himself, or will this imperial envoy do it?"

Zhao Mao said in a deep voice, "Alliance Leader Gu, there must be a misunderstanding in this matter. We need to investigate it thoroughly."

"father!"

Zhao Tianfeng shouted, "What's there to explain? Don't you understand yet? Gu Guanqi is here today to cause trouble. No matter how much you lower your stance, it's useless!"

As he spoke, he looked at Gu Guanqi, sneered, and said, "Gu Guanqi, I don't know how arrogant you've become. Have you gotten so used to bullying others in the martial world that you think Liangzhou is a place where you can act so arrogantly? This is Liangzhou City. Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he would still have to abide by the rules of my Ji Prince's Mansion!"

Gu Guanqi said calmly, "I'd also like to see what the rules are in your Prince Ji's mansion!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Guanqi slapped Zhao Tianfeng with his palm.

Zhao Yan was terrified upon seeing this and blurted out, "Tianfeng, get out of the way!"

However, Zhao Tianfeng snorted coldly, his eyes showing no fear whatsoever, but instead burning with a fierce fighting spirit.

He had always been the pride of Liangzhou, the undisputed number one among the younger generation, but today he was completely outmatched by Gu Guanqi in every aspect, which left him feeling frustrated and resentful.

Therefore, when he saw Gu Guanqi strike him with a palm, he not only did not retreat, but instead drew his sword from its sheath. He thought to himself that he was definitely not weaker than Gu Guanqi.

"Zheng"

A clear, resonant sound of a blade rang out.

Zhao Tianfeng drew his precious sword, and a dark blue blade of light exploded out. The sword's momentum was like a long river pouring down, carrying a murderous aura. The sword light swept across the sky, like a cold river soaked in moonlight, carrying a bone-chilling coldness and a powerful sword momentum, directly meeting Gu Guanqi's palm strike.

However, Zhao Tianfeng's full-force strike was utterly crushed when it met Gu Guanqi's nonchalant palm strike.

In the next instant, the precious sword in Zhao Tianfeng's hand shattered into countless tiny iron filings.

"I----"

Zhao Tianfeng's pupils suddenly contracted, and the force he had been holding onto shattered in an instant, replaced by extreme shock.

Before he could react, he was struck head-on by the remaining force of the palm strike.

"Bang!"

Zhao Tianfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, his whole body was lifted off the ground and flew backward, his back slamming hard against the thick blue brick wall behind him.

The courtyard wall cracked instantly and then collapsed with a roar, sending dust billowing into the sky. Zhao Tianfeng was buried underneath, his fate unknown.

"Tianfeng!"

Zhao Mao let out a roar.

His face contorted, veins bulging on his forehead, and he immediately roared, "Activate the formation!"

In an instant, the ground of the entire Prince Ji's mansion began to tremble slightly, and fine white light patterns emerged from the gaps between the blue bricks, as countless veins of earth energy rose into the air and converged.

Immediately afterwards, a deep humming sound suddenly came from the void, and a huge golden array plate quickly appeared in the night sky.

At the center of the array plate, a beam of light shot into the sky.

The earth's spiritual energy converged from all directions and poured into the array plate.

At the same time, Zhao suddenly clasped his hands together, and his body instantly swelled up, his robes were torn by the shockwave, revealing his bulging muscles.

His hair and beard stood on end, and he let out a deep roar: "Fight!"

In an instant, a huge phantom appeared behind Zhao Mao, several feet tall, like an iron mountain rising from the ground, covering half the sky, and even the moonlight seemed to dim at this moment.

"Gu Guanqi!" Zhao Mao's voice was like thunder pouring from the sky, every word carrying killing intent: "Liangzhou is not a place where you can run wild!"

The moment the words fell, the enormous Dharma image swung its fist, carrying an overwhelming force, and smashed down on Gu Guanqi's head.

Before the punch even landed, the powerful wind had already arrived.

The blue bricks on the ground were lifted up by the terrifying pressure, and the broken stones shot out in all directions like a rainstorm. The armored guards who had already taken cover in the distance were thrown about by the shockwave and forced to retreat.

Gu Guanqi stood in the center of the surging storm, his white clothes fluttering in the strong wind, his long hair flowing behind him.

He looked up at the enormous statue, his face expressionless.

He thrust out with a single palm strike.

The moment the palm was thrust out, a solemn and majestic chant suddenly rang out from the void. The sound was deep and resonant, carrying an inviolable and righteous intent.

Immediately afterwards, a golden Buddha statue emerged from behind him, with countless swastika symbols swirling and dancing around Gu Guanqi's body.

The Buddha's palm strikes mountains and rivers.

The golden Buddha palm poured out from Gu Guanqi's palm, growing larger and larger until it was several feet wide in the blink of an eye, releasing vast Buddhist light, and collided head-on with the giant fist that the huge Dharma image was smashing down.

"boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out.

A terrifying shockwave swept outwards in all directions, lifting the blue bricks on the ground and shattering them into countless fragments in mid-air.

The next moment, the fist of that Dharma image shattered instantly.

The Buddha's palm continued forward.

The next instant, under the impact of the Buddha's palm, the Dharma image cracked open from the center, the crack quickly spreading to its entire body. The Dharma image's face distorted for a moment before collapsing with a bang.

At the same time, Gu Guanqi unleashed a sword strike.

The sword light was like a silver river falling from the sky, vast and boundless, instantly converging into a giant sword, which cleaved towards the array plate in the void.

In an instant, the array plate was cleaved by the giant sword, and then collapsed and dissipated.

Zhao Mao spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward uncontrollably. His back slammed into the stone lion next to the gate, shattering it and sending fragments flying.

Zhao struggled for a moment, then slowly stood up.

The next instant, a series of rapid footsteps sounded, and hundreds of cavalrymen appeared on the main road in front of the Prince Ji's mansion. They were all clad in iron armor, and the sound of their cavalry moving out blended into a chilling wave in the night.

The killing intent surged like a tide, and the armored figures stood like mountains.

Gu Guanqi snorted coldly and slashed out with his sword.

In an instant, a dazzling sword aura surged forth, transforming into a silvery-white sword tide that swept outwards.

This sword strike had no special sword intent, only an immense and unparalleled sword energy.

But in that instant, the heavy iron armor was as thin as paper in the face of the sword energy. Warhorses neighed and fell to the ground, and many cavalrymen were cut down along with their armor.

The sword light swept past, and blood turned into a swirling mist.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of cavalrymen fell, their corpses piled up on the ground, and blood flowed slowly down the soil.

Gu Guanqi kicked up a knife from the ground, which flew through the air and instantly pierced Zhao Mao's chest, pinning him to the half-broken stone lion.

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