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

Chapter 231 The Winged Man

Gu Guanqi and Leng Lingxi arrived at Tiesanguan that afternoon.

However, to their surprise, they originally thought that taking control of Tiesan Pass would encounter great resistance, after all, the general guarding Tiesan Pass was Feng Heng, the adopted son of Prince Ji Zhao Mao.

However, when they arrived at Tiesan Pass, they learned that Feng Heng had fled with a group of his confidants early that morning. While many of the remaining high-ranking officers were also Feng Heng's men, after Gu Guanqi, in his capacity as imperial envoy, directly executed several troublemakers, everyone became docile.

Subsequently, Leng Lingxi promoted a group of officers who were originally from the Tianshan faction and also arranged a temporary garrison commander, thus completing the power transition at Tiesan Pass on the same day.

After taking control of Tiesan Pass, Leng Lingxi felt much more at ease. Tiesan Pass was in a very special location, serving as the first line of defense for Liangzhou against external threats. If something went wrong here, and the subsequent passes reacted too slowly, the Hu people would be able to drive straight in.

After spending the night at Tiesanguan, Gu Guanqi and Leng Lingxi quickly headed to other places.

The subsequent events proceeded smoothly, because not only did Feng Heng run away, but Zhao Mao's other two adopted sons, Qi Xiuzhu and Fang You, who held important positions in the Liangzhou army, also ran away. They only arranged for a small number of confidants to cause trouble in the army, which also caused a little mutiny in the army.

However, Gu Guanqi always preferred to act swiftly and decisively. He had no interest in checks and balances of power and always killed people directly in the name of the imperial envoy.

He had the privilege of acting first and reporting later, granted by imperial authority, which made handling these matters much less troublesome. Although many veteran generals in the army had reservations, feeling that Gu Guanqi was too arbitrary, because some people were completely misled into participating in the rebellion, no one dared to openly oppose Gu Guanqi.

In just over ten days, the Liangzhou army was basically stabilized.

Of course, controlling an army of hundreds of thousands of people cannot be accomplished simply by fighting and killing; there are many subsequent adjustments, stabilizing morale, and checks and balances of power.

However, Gu Guanqi had no interest in getting involved in these matters. Everyone has weaknesses; although he was extremely skilled in martial arts, he truly lacked ability in power struggles. Fortunately, Leng Lingxi, as the leader of the Tianshan Sect, was the last thing he lacked in this area.

Gu Guanqi simply wrote a few letters and had them quickly sent back to the four prefectures of Qingyun, Hong, and Qi, so that these prefectures could select suitable generals, especially those in Hong Prefecture.

In addition, he sent a letter to the capital, urging Emperor Zhao Mingce to appoint a general to lead the Liangzhou army as soon as possible.

After finishing these tasks, Gu Guanqi began to rest, spending his days either reading or going out of the city to experience the desert landscape. He entrusted all matters concerning the army to Leng Lingxi.

He didn't care about power, and besides, Leng Lingxi was now his woman, so he had even less interest in getting involved in those matters.

That evening, the sun set over the long river, and a lone plume of smoke rose from the vast desert.

Gu Guanqi led a horse back from outside the city. Amidst the swirling yellow sand, he slowly arrived at the military town government office in Weicheng.

A soldier came to take his horse away, and he went straight to a small courtyard behind the military town government.

As soon as I entered, I saw a bonfire in the yard, with a ceramic pot hanging on it. The medicinal liquid in the pot was boiling in the fire. Leng Lingxi was sitting by the fire adding firewood, and a strong medicinal smell wafted from the pot.

Gu Guanqi walked over, puzzled, and asked, "Sect Leader Leng, what are you doing?"

Leng Lingxi raised her head, her expression full of resentment, and said, "You keep calling me Sect Leader Leng, but you're my husband!"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "Who wouldn't like the leader of the Tianshan Sect?"

Leng Lingxi retorted, "All you ever think about is causing trouble. Why don't you just call me 'Master' at night?"

Gu Guanqi's eyes lit up, and he said, "That's a great idea, Master! I'm going to be a rebellious disciple tonight!"

Leng Lingxi blushed slightly but did not object. She leaned close to Gu Guanqi's ear and whispered, "Actually, I brought the sect leader's robes with me. I'll wear them for you tonight."

Gu Guanqi reached out and hugged Leng Lingxi, saying, "Should I wear the Tianshan Sect disciple's robes?"

"Hmm," Leng Lingxi leaned against Gu Guanqi's chest and said, "Actually, I also brought a set, which I chose according to your figure."

"You're so good at this?" Gu Guanqi asked in surprise.

Leng Lingxi said, "Although I have never been married, I am not ignorant. Many people in the sect are married, and I have heard them talk about these things quite a bit."

Gu Guanqi smiled and asked again, "You still haven't told me what you're brewing the medicine for?"

Leng Lingxi pressed her cheek against Gu Guanqi's chest and whispered, "This is for conditioning our bodies. Our cultivation levels are both too high. The higher the cultivation level, the more detached we are from the human realm, and the harder it is to conceive. Therefore, we need to condition ourselves more to make it easier to get pregnant."

Gu Guanqi was somewhat surprised and asked, "Do you want to get pregnant?"

"Hmm." Leng Lingxi nodded slightly and said, "You're good-looking and talented, and I'm not bad either. Our child will definitely be outstanding. Don't you want one?"

"How could that be?" Gu Guanqi laughed. "Then I'll have to work even harder. But, if you get pregnant and have a baby, won't it have any impact?"

Leng Lingxi said in a low voice, "It won't have any impact. Once the Liangzhou army incident is over and the storm has passed, the news of our relationship will definitely spread sooner or later. So, isn't it normal for me to get pregnant with your child?"

There won't be any problems within the sect. If she conceives your child, the sect members will be happy, which will further strengthen the relationship between you and the Tianshan Sect. If the child inherits our talents, he can take over as the sect leader when he grows up.

Gu Guanqi smiled and said, "You've really thought things through."

Leng Lingxi said, "I really want to be a mother, and I really want to have a child for you."

"Okay, let's do our best."

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, followed by a voice: "Sect Leader, something terrible has happened!"

Leng Lingxi immediately stood up from Gu Guanqi's embrace, quickly straightened her somewhat disheveled clothes, and her face regained its stern expression. She called out, "Come in and talk."

A disciple from the Tianshan Sect rushed in, holding a letter in his hand, and said in a panic, "Sect Leader, the sect has been attacked!"

"What?"

Leng Lingxi was slightly startled. She immediately took the letter from the disciple and quickly began to read it, her expression becoming serious.

"What's wrong?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Leng Lingxi took a deep breath and said, "My senior sister, Duanmu Xian, is still alive!"

Gu Guanqi was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Duanmu Xian, Princess Consort Ji?"

"Yes," Leng Lingxi said, "It seems I wasn't wrong back then. Duanmu Xian had already betrayed the Tianshan Sect. Back then, to prevent me from investigating thoroughly, she actually faked her death."

As she spoke, Leng Lingxi handed the letter to Gu Guanqi, saying, "The reason why Prince Ji's adopted sons escaped so decisively was because Duanmu Xian summoned them and, taking advantage of the Tianshan Sect's current weak defenses, launched a surprise attack, directly assaulting the Tianshan Sect!"

Gu Guanqi asked, puzzled, "Is the Tianshan Sect so easy to conquer?"

Leng Lingxi said, "The main reason is the timing. Zhao Duan is dead, and in order to stabilize the situation in Liangzhou, most of our experts and disciples have been sent down the mountain. The Tianshan Sect is now very weak."

Duanmu Xian's strength should not be underestimated. She was once the second-best expert in the Tianshan Sect after me. With the help of Zhao Mao's adopted sons, it wouldn't be too difficult to storm the Tianshan Sect by surprise.

Gu Guanqi frowned slightly and said, "The Tianshan Sect has been passed down for hundreds of years, doesn't it have any foundation? For example, its sect's grand formations?"

Leng Lingxi sighed and said, "The sect's grand formation is only effective if it can be activated in time. Duanmu Xian is too familiar with the Tianshan Sect, and the Tianshan Sect is currently very vulnerable. With the sect's formation being used against them, it was impossible for them to activate it in time."

Gu Guanqi asked, puzzled, "Then what is she after? The most important thing for a sect is its people, and now most of the main forces of the Tianshan Sect..."

"They weren't even from the sect. She stormed the mountain—was it just to vent her anger? But I was the one who killed Zhao Mao and Zhao Tianfeng. If she wanted to vent her anger, she shouldn't have targeted the Tianshan Sect. Was it to rob the Tianshan Sect's property?"

Leng Lingxi shook her head and said, "The Tianshan Sect is very poor. Liangzhou is at war every year, and the imperial court has not paid military salaries for many years. Liangzhou is self-sufficient, and the Tianshan Sect is the first to bear the brunt. Basically, more than 90% of its income is used to subsidize the military."

"Then why did she go to attack the Tianshan Sect?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Leng Lingxi suddenly raised her head, looked at Gu Guanqi, and said, "She probably really is here for you."

"What do you mean?" Gu Guanqi asked, puzzled.

Leng Lingxi waved her hand, dismissing the messenger disciple, before saying, "Our Tianshan Sect has a legend that there is an extremely powerful beast raised in the Tianshan Mountains, and our sect's Flying Snow Instrument can control that beast."

"Duanmu Xian's attack on the Tianshan Sect at this time is probably aimed at controlling that strange beast to deal with you. Legend has it that that beast possesses world-destroying power, and no one can defeat it!"

Gu Guanqi asked, "Really?"

"It's half true and half false," Leng Lingxi said. "There are exotic beasts, but it's not certain if they are. When my master passed on his position to me, he instructed me that unless it was a crisis like the destruction of the sect, I should never activate the Flying Snow Instrument."

She said the beast was extremely strange, and using it would bring disaster with severe consequences. Furthermore, and most importantly, the Flying Snow Instrument couldn't control the beast; she said that to reassure people.

"Uncontrollable?" Gu Guanqi asked疑惑地, "What kind of relationship is that?"

Leng Lingxi hesitated for a moment before saying, "Only the successive sect leaders know about this matter."

"Then don't tell me," Gu Guanqi said.

Leng Lingxi said, "It's alright. Rules are rules. Many things go wrong because people don't explain things clearly or keep things to themselves, which eventually leads to big trouble."

The origin of that strange beast was quite mysterious. About two hundred years ago, when the Tianshan Sect was still a small sect, one day a strange beast suddenly descended from the sky and landed in the Tianshan Sect.

Later, that generation of patriarchs reached an agreement with it: the Tianshan Sect helped it recover from its injuries in Tianshan, and it helped the Tianshan Sect rise to prominence. The ethereal immortal skills we cultivate originated from that strange beast.

The Tianshan Sect also received assistance from that strange beast, which allowed it to gradually become a sacred place in the martial arts world. The Flying Snow Instrument was also created by the founder under the guidance of the strange beast; its function was not to control the strange beast but to connect with it.

However, what exactly happened in between remains unsaid by the founder, and cannot be verified now. It has only been passed down orally through generations of sect leaders that the Flying Snow Instrument should not be used unless absolutely necessary. However, the legend of that time claimed that the Flying Snow Instrument could control strange beasts; this was said to showcase the sect's strength and create a false impression.

"Therefore, Duanmu Xian didn't know the truth; she only knew that the Flying Snow Instrument could control strange beasts," Gu Guanqi said.

"Hmm." Leng Lingxi said worriedly, "According to the letter, Duanmu Xian attacked the Tianshan Sect this morning. At this moment, I'm afraid..."

"We've already obtained the Snow Flying Device. If she actually activates it, then we're in trouble!"

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and said, "It's alright, I'll go back and take a look. You keep an eye on the Liangzhou army, in case they have other tricks up their sleeves."

Leng Lingxi said worriedly, "With your cultivation level, I'm not worried about encountering Duanmu Xian, but we have absolutely no idea what the situation is with that strange beast. It would be too dangerous for you to go there now."

Gu Guanqi said, "Don't worry, I won't act impulsively. If things can't be done, I'll just leave and won't fight to the death."

Besides, I definitely can't not go. If Duanmu Xian can really cooperate with that strange beast, then it will come looking for me sooner or later. If it can't find me, it can cause trouble in Qingyun and Hongsanzhou, and easily force me to show myself. So, I have to find out as well.

Leng Lingxi quickly said, "Then I'll go with you—"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "Your lightness skill is not as good as mine. I can get there faster by myself. Besides, there's Weicheng. It's hard to guarantee that Duanmu Xian and the others haven't left any backup plans. Once you leave, there might be big trouble. It will be very troublesome then."

Leng Lingxi thought for a moment, nodded slightly, then took a step forward, reached out and hugged Gu Guanqi, saying, "If you encounter that strange beast, don't act rashly. Safety should be the top priority."

"As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild. We can contact the Great Bright Temple, the Heavenly Dao Sect, and even ask Ye Wudi and Jun Ziyou to help us deal with that strange beast. The world is vast; not everything needs to be shouldered by you."

"it is good."

Gu Guanqi hugged Leng Lingxi and said, "Don't worry, I won't act rashly."

"be safe!"

Leng Lingxi looked at Gu Guanqi, her heart filled with worry.

Gu Guanqi nodded, said nothing more, turned around and flew into the air, transforming into a streak of light and quickly flying away.

As Leng Lingxi watched Gu Guanqi disappear from sight, she tightly gripped the hem of her clothes and whispered, "Now I can understand why Senior Sister betrayed the Tianshan Sect. People are ultimately driven by emotions."

I was just luckier than her; my husband wasn't on the opposite side. Thinking back now, I'm sure my senior sister was going through a lot of pain back then!

The Tianshan Sect, a sacred martial arts site with a history spanning hundreds of years, has been reduced to a battlefield of carnage.

Shouts of battle rose from all sides, and raging fires burned in all directions, thick smoke billowing up and making the twilight even darker.

Duanmu Xian was dressed in a blue robe stained with blood. She walked quickly, passing through courtyards filled with corpses and blood, and finally arrived at the outside of a grand hall.

Behind her, her five adopted sons, each wielding a weapon, rushed in, and a fierce battle immediately erupted inside. However, very...

It stopped again.

Duanmu Xian then went inside. The main hall reeked of blood. More than a dozen Tianshan Sect disciples lay in pools of blood, and two elders lay on the ground, still breathing.

When the two elders saw Duanmu Xian's appearance clearly, they were both shocked.

"Duanmu Xian—is it really you—?"

"You actually intend to massacre the Tianshan Sect?"

Duanmu Xian ignored the two elders and walked straight into the depths of the main hall.

At the deepest part of the main hall, a stone statue stands quietly.

It was a statue of a woman, her face somewhat blurred; it was the stone statue of the founder of the Tianshan Sect.

Duanmu Xian stopped in front of the stone statue, her gaze falling on it, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

There was a time when she would come here every day to offer incense and worship.

She slowly raised her hand, and just then, "Duanmu Xian—stop—"

An elder screamed hysterically, "That's—that's the statue of our patriarch—are you going to—betray your master and betray your ancestors?"

Duanmu Xian turned her head, her gaze falling on the elder, her expression extremely indifferent, and slowly said, "It was the sect that was unjust to me first, forcing me to fake my death, separating me from my husband and son, and now we are forever separated!"

The elder spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted with all his might, "Back then, you volunteered to go to Prince Ji's mansion as an informant. Zhao Mao knew from the beginning that you were a member of the Tianshan Sect. Everyone knew this, but no one said a word."

To gain the trust of the Tianshan Sect, Zhao Mao willingly accepted you. In return, to prevent Zhao Mao from slipping out of their control, the Tianshan Sect arranged for you to enter the Ji Prince's Mansion as his princess. Later, the fake pregnancy to control the Ji Prince's Mansion was also something you strongly insisted on.

The sect has never coerced you, and has promised you that you can withdraw at any time. In what way have we wronged you?

Duanmu Xian paused for a moment, then said, "But people have feelings. I've fallen in love with Prince Ji. What can I do?"

The old woman retorted angrily, "Then you have no feelings for the sect at all?"

Duanmu Xian said coldly, "I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's pointless to say anything now. I betrayed the sect back then, but even after the sect found out, they didn't intend to hold back, did they?"

The old woman coughed up blood, her hands trembling slightly as she supported herself on the ground: "If I hadn't held back—how would you have had the chance to fake your death?"

"You talk too much nonsense."

Duanmu Xian suddenly flew into a rage and slashed out with her sword.

The sword flashed by, too fast to see its trajectory.

The elder's body suddenly stiffened, the light in his pupils quickly faded, and his head slid off his neck to the ground, blood gushing from the severed neck, spreading a dark red stain on the blue brick floor.

Duanmu Xian sheathed her sword, looked at the stone statue, and then struck out with her palm.

Where the palm landed, true energy surged in, and with a "crack," the stone statue split open from the center, then shattered, with pieces flying everywhere.

There is a groove on the base, in which a transparent crystal ball lies quietly.

The sphere was about the size of a fist, crystal clear, with wisps of pale silver energy slowly flowing inside.

Duanmu Xian reached out and took out the crystal ball, holding it in her palm. Instantly, she felt a bone-chilling cold emanating from it.

It was the Flying Snow Instrument, a magical artifact treasured by the Tianshan Sect.

Duanmu Xian looked down, a hint of excitement unconsciously showing on her face.

"The Flying Snow Instrument—finally in my hands! Gu Guanqi, you deserve to die!"

She held the crystal ball up in front of her, and then a stream of true energy flowed from her palm into the ball.

The crystal ball trembled violently, and the silver light that had been flowing slowly inside suddenly accelerated, spinning and surging.

Immediately afterwards, an even more bone-chilling cold emanated from the center of the ball.

The temperature inside the hall plummeted in that instant, a fine layer of white frost condensed on the blue bricks on the ground, and the dust floating in the air was frozen into tiny ice crystals.

At the same time, a pale silver beam of light shot into the sky from the crystal ball, piercing through the roof of the main hall and disappearing into the twilight sky.

Not long after, snowflakes suddenly began to fall silently from the sky.

First a few flakes, then a dozen or so, and in the blink of an eye, snowflakes were falling thick and fast.

Those snowflakes were peculiar, as if they carried a strange rhythm.

Immediately following, a very faint and delicate sound came from the air.

Outside the main hall, the snow curtain suddenly parted to both sides.

A figure descended from the sky, landing silently on the stone steps in front of the door.

It was a "person," yet it didn't quite resemble a person.

It has a pair of huge white wings on its back, with a wingspan of about ten feet. When folded, the feathers are layered and have a warm luster. It has a white crest on its head, and its beak protrudes forward like a bird's beak.

It was covered with a layer of white feathers from its neck to its limbs, which shimmered in the snow.

It stood outside the main hall, its wings folded, its head tilted, scrutinizing the people inside with an appraising air.

Then, the bird-man looked at Duanmu Xian, who was holding the Flying Snow Instrument, stepped into the main hall, and surprisingly spoke in human language: "Speak, what do you need me to do?"

Duanmu Xian stared at the bird-man in astonishment and asked, "You—are you a human—or a strange beast?"

The birdman tilted his head, a hint of human-like contemplation flashing in his amber eyes, before slowly saying, "I don't know what I am either. You can call me Heavenly Phoenix."

Duanmu Xian tightened her grip on Feixueyi's hand slightly and slowly said, "Tianfeng? — Alright, I —"

Just then, a series of rapid footsteps came from outside the hall.

Dozens of Tianshan Sect disciples rushed in from outside the courtyard.

The leader, also an elder of the Tianshan Sect, shouted sternly, "Duanmu Xian, you traitor who betrayed your master and ancestors, you—"

Before he could finish speaking, the elder noticed Tianfeng and was immediately startled.

At this moment, Duanmu Xian pointed at the Tianshan Sect disciples outside the hall and shouted to Tianfeng, "Tianfeng, I now order you to kill them!"

Tianfeng tilted her head, and a faint smile suddenly appeared in her amber eyes.

Then, it slowly raised its right hand, but its five fingers were not human fingers, but dry claws like bird claws, and it gently swept them towards the direction of the palace gate.

In that instant, the falling snowflakes froze for a moment, then surged towards the Tianshan Sect disciples.

In an instant, all the movements of the Tianshan Sect disciples froze.

A thick layer of white frost spread from their bodies at a visible speed, instantly transforming them into crystal-clear ice sculptures.

"Click, click, click—"

Then, a series of shattering sounds rang out. The ice sculptures shattered at the same moment, turning into countless tiny ice crystals scattered all over the ground, shimmering in the snowy light, leaving not a single drop of blood, as if those people had never existed.

Inside and outside the main hall, there was a deathly silence.

"What terrifying power!"

Duanmu Xian stood in the hall, her heart skipped a beat, and then she was filled with excitement.

She knew she had made the right bet.

This strange beast will definitely help her get revenge!

At this moment, Tianfeng withdrew her hand, turned to look at Duanmu Xian, and said calmly, "Alright, the first transaction is complete. You still need to complete two more transactions."

Duanmu Xian was slightly taken aback and said, "A deal? What do you mean?"

Tianfeng said with a half-smile, "It's a transaction. I do things for you, and you pay me."

Duanmu Xian was startled and said, "I possess the Flying Snow Instrument, and you're supposed to obey my orders, right? What reward do I need to pay?"

"You think I'll obey your orders?" Tianfeng pointed to herself, then to the Flying Snow Instrument, and said, "I made this thing myself. Do you think you can control me with it?"

Having said that, Tianfeng spread out its claws, then slightly clenched its fingers.

With a "bang," the Flying Snow Instrument in Duanmu Xian's hand exploded.

Duanmu Xian was startled and subconsciously took two steps back, a strong sense of unease instantly welling up in her heart.

"You—you weren't—controlled by the Snow Flying Instrument, were you?" Duanmu Xian swallowed hard and said, "You—you just said the transaction was complete, but I haven't paid any compensation yet!"

"It's already been paid."

Tianfeng pointed to Duanmu Xian's adopted sons.

Duanmu Xian looked over and noticed that her five adopted sons were all standing there motionless. Then, a sound of bones writhing came from their bodies. The next moment, their skin was torn open and bloody feathers began to grow.

"Stepmother—save—save me—"

Fang You was the first to come to his senses. He knelt down with a thud, blood streaming down his body, and dense feathers growing out of his skin.

Feathers began to grow on my face, neck, back, chest, and everywhere else.

The other four people were in the exact same situation.

"Godmother, help me—help me, godmother—"

The youngest, Qi Xiuzhu, burst into tears, screaming hysterically as he crawled toward Duanmu Xian. However, below...

In an instant, feathers sprouted from his throat, piercing his neck and spraying blood. He collapsed to the ground, lifeless, but the feathers on his body continued to grow.

"Stop! Stop! What have you done to them? Stop it now!" Duanmu Xian shouted at Tianfeng.

Tianfeng shook her head and said, "The transaction is complete; it cannot be concluded."

"What does that have to do with them?" Duanmu Xian said, "It was a deal between us, so if you're going to get paid, you should get paid from me!"

Tianfeng said, "I don't know what kind of reward I will receive. It's a matter of cause and effect. The transaction is the beginning of cause and effect, but I don't know how cause and effect will end."

"No—" Duanmu Xian said, "I don't know, I didn't know about this deal, it doesn't count—"

"Your opinion doesn't count," Tianfeng said, shrugging. "Even my opinion doesn't count."

"what!"

At this moment, Feng Heng let out a scream. His body was covered in feathers, his facial features were covered, and he was covered in blood. Then, he actually got up and ran out the door.

Immediately afterwards, several more screams rang out in the hall. Duanmu Xian's other three adopted sons spat out feathers and died. Strangely, feathers continued to grow on their bodies.

"No—it shouldn't be like this!" Duanmu Xian's face turned deathly pale. "This isn't what I wanted—"

Tianfeng looked at Duanmu Xian and said, "Alright, it's time for you to talk about the next deal!"

"No," Duanmu Xian quickly shook her head, saying, "I'm not doing business with you anymore. Go away, go back to where you came from!"

"Are you sure?" Tianfeng asked, looking at Duanmu Xian.

Duanmu Xian swallowed hard and asked, "Is it...is it okay?"

"Alright," Tianfeng said, "This is my path. Everyone who summons me must complete three transactions with me. If they stop halfway, the karma will all be transferred to you. I don't know what you will suffer then."

Duanmu Xian trembled, gritted her teeth, and said, "Fine, now I'll offer the second deal. I want you to kill Gu Guanqi, the leader of the martial arts alliance of Qingyun and Hongsan Prefectures and the imperial envoy dispatched by the emperor. Can you do that?"

Tianfeng tilted her head and closed her eyes slightly.

After a while, it suddenly opened its eyes, blood seeping from the corners. A surprisingly human-like smile appeared on its bird face, and its tone was full of surprise as it said, "What a formidable master! This era is indeed a great one, unprecedented in a thousand years!"

It looked at Duanmu Xian and said, "Congratulations, the deal is done. This is a deal I can complete. You could say this is your third deal."

Duanmu Xian said, "Give me the power to defeat you."

After sensing for a moment, Tianfeng said, "This is beyond my capabilities. This deal cannot be reached; you will have to find another one."

At this point, Duanmu Xian had given up all hope and said, "Then grant me immortality."

"No, it's still beyond my capabilities," Tianfeng said.

Duanmu Xian said, "Then you should kill Gu Guanqi first, and then I'll propose the third deal."

"Okay." Tianfeng nodded.

Duanmu Xian said in a deep voice, "So, you mean any transaction you can acknowledge is one you can complete, right?"

"Yes," Tianfeng said.

"So you're sure you can kill Gu Guanqi?" Duanmu Xian asked.

"But we need to go along with your original plan," Tianfeng said. "I saw in the cause and effect that Gu Guanqi is about to come to the Tianshan Sect, but I can't kill him here, he will escape."

"And in another thread of cause and effect, I saw your plan: after luring Gu Guanqi away, your contingency plan would involve colluding with the Hu people from within to capture Weicheng. Gu Guanqi would go to rescue Leng Lingxi, thus falling into an ambush. Then I would strike and kill him; he would have no chance to escape and would be killed by me!"

Duanmu Xian exclaimed in surprise, "You can see the causal lines? You can predict the future?"

Tianfeng thought for a moment and said, "More or less. In the mortal realm, we talk about the line of cause and effect, but in the realm of immortals, it's called observation!"

'

Tianfeng paused for a moment, then said, "The time has come. Leaving now will allow us to avoid an imminent encounter with Gu Guanqi!"

Having said that, Tianfeng stretched out its claws and grabbed Duanmu Xian, then spread its wings and flew into the sky.