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

The next day, early in the morning.

Dozens of people had already gathered in front of the Qiandeng County government office.

Zhou Mingyuan had changed into a clean official robe, and his head wound had been re-bandaged, making him look much more energetic. Standing beside him were more than a dozen county constables, each with a sword at their side, looking very spirited.

Lin Qi stood neatly to one side with more than ten disciples of the Golden Saber Sect.

In addition, there were more than thirty martial arts practitioners who rushed to the scene after hearing the news. Some were from the Siyang Gang, some from the Funiu School, and some were lone swordsmen. They had all heard the rumors and wanted to go to Qingfeng Temple to find out what was going on.

After a while

Xue Fuling and Gu Guanqi arrived on horseback.

Today, Xue Fuling was dressed in a fitted outfit. Because Qingfeng Temple was located on a mountain with poor roads, making carriages unsuitable, she chose to ride a horse. As a member of the martial arts world, she knew how to ride a horse and was also skilled in martial arts, though her skills were not high and she had not cultivated internal energy.

Relatively speaking,

Xue Fuling's riding skills are slightly better than Gu Guanqi's. Gu Guanqi only learned to ride a horse recently, but with the help of his internal energy, he can control the horse very well, so he learns quickly.

Once the two of them arrived, the group was fully assembled, and they marched out of the city in a grand procession, speeding along the official road.

Qingfeng Temple and Jindao Sect are adjacent to each other and are both local martial arts sects in Qiandeng County. Moreover, Qingfeng Temple has a longer history than Jindao Sect. However, as a Taoist sect, Qingfeng Temple focuses on alchemy and medicine, so it is not well-known in the martial arts world.

After walking for about an hour, the road gradually narrowed, and the mountains on both sides grew closer, with lush forests and birdsong filling the air. After walking for another half an hour, we rounded a bend in the mountain valley, and the view suddenly opened up before us.

A Taoist temple is nestled deep in a mountain valley, built against the mountainside in layers, with green tiles, white walls, flying eaves and brackets, which looks particularly solemn in the morning light.

When the group arrived at the entrance of the Taoist temple, Taoist priests from Qingfeng Temple came to greet them.

The leader was a middle-aged Taoist priest with a fair complexion and no beard. He wore a gray-blue Taoist robe, held a whisk, and spoke respectfully: "Esteemed benefactors, you have come from afar. I have failed to greet you properly. Qingfeng Temple is aware of your purpose. Our sect leader has been waiting in the temple for some time and will explain things to you in due course."

Zhou Mingyuan dismounted, straightened his official robes, and stepped forward, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Master."

"Magistrate Zhou, please; gentlemen, please!"

The group climbed the steps, passed through the mountain gate, and entered Qingfeng Temple.

The middle-aged Taoist priest led the group through the courtyard and into the main hall.

Inside the main hall, incense smoke wafted through the air.

At the very center are the statues of the Three Pure Ones, and the sandalwood incense in the bronze incense burner is burning brightly, with wisps of bluish-gray smoke rising and enveloping the entire hall in a hazy mist.

Seven or eight Taoist priests knelt on prayer mats, heads bowed, bodies crouched, not daring to move. Their robes were soaked through, whether from cold sweat or the morning dew, it was hard to tell.

At the very back, an old Taoist priest with white hair and beard sat cross-legged on a futon.

He was about seventy years old, with a thin face, slightly high cheekbones, and half-open, half-closed eyes, making it impossible to discern his expression. He wore a faded gray Taoist robe, his hair was tied in a bun with a wooden hairpin, and he had a somewhat otherworldly and venerable appearance.

This person is Yu Yuanqiao, the head of Qingfeng Temple.

Zhou Mingyuan strode into the hall, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling Taoists before finally settling on Yu Yuanqiao. He said in a deep voice, "Sect Leader Yu."

Yu Yuanqiao slowly opened his eyes, stood up from the prayer mat, and bowed to Zhou Mingyuan: "Magistrate Zhou, this humble Taoist has been waiting for you for a long time."

He straightened up, shifted his gaze from Zhou Mingyuan, then looked at Gu Guanqi, Xue Fuling, and Lin Qi following behind, before finally returning it to Zhou Mingyuan's face. He sighed, his voice low and deep:

"Magistrate Zhou, I have investigated this matter thoroughly. It was indeed the fault of my Qingfeng Temple that the batch of Qing Sui Cao was sold to the county government under the guise of Qing Fan. The reason was these disciples. They did not know what the county government was buying those medicinal herbs for, and in order to gain more profit, they used cheap Qing Sui Cao to impersonate Qing Fan."

They thought the Green Marrow Grass was non-toxic, at worst it wouldn't have much medicinal effect after use. They never imagined it had to be used in conjunction with Black Velvet and Calamity-Relieving Flower. These people, blinded by greed, have caused such a disaster. I've already bound them; Magistrate Zhou can deal with them as he sees fit!

The Taoist priests trembled, lowered their heads even further, their foreheads almost touching the ground.

"Sect Leader Yu," Zhou Mingyuan's voice turned cold, "you think you can just dismiss this with a simple 'blinded by greed'? Do you know how many people have died? Sixty-seven people have died so far! And that number is probably still rising. One hundred and seventy-three people have already bought the pills. I don't know how many more can be recovered, or how many can be saved?"

Yu Yuanqiao remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Besides this matter, I also intend to report on the use of the Golden Spirit Grass to cure the epidemic. However, the reasons are of great importance and cannot be discussed in public. I would like to ask Magistrate Zhou, Physician Xue, Doctor Gu, and Young Hero Lin to move to the backyard, where I will explain in detail."

Zhou Mingyuan frowned slightly, swallowing back the words he was about to say. He whispered to Xue Fuling, "Physician Xue, it seems Yu Yuanqiao wants to use this matter to negotiate, hoping Qingfeng Temple can weather this crisis smoothly. What do you say?"

Xue Fuling understood Yuyuan Bridge's plan: they probably wanted to exchange the Golden Spirit Grass for the plague, along with some unique or secret methods.

Xue Fuling said in a low voice, "Once the epidemic spreads, the lives of millions of people will be hanging by a thread. I think the epidemic is more important than assigning blame."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded slightly, his voice gentle yet carrying a barely perceptible urgency: "In that case, please lead the way, Sect Leader Yu."

Yu Yuanqiao nodded and turned to walk towards the back hall.

Gu Guanqi, Xue Fuling, Zhou Mingyuan, and Lin Qi followed him away.

The other heroes from various factions who came to inquire about the matter were all baffled and helpless, and could only wait for the outcome.

quickly,

Gu Guanqi and his group arrived at a secluded courtyard behind the main hall.

Yuyuan Bridge led the four people into the main hall.

Subsequently,

Yu Yuanqiao served tea to everyone and bowed, saying, "Please wait a moment, everyone. I'm going to the inner room to fetch something that relates to the truth about the Golden Spirit Grass."

Zhou Mingyuan nodded and said, "Okay, we'll wait for you here!"

After Yu Yuanqiao finished speaking, he turned and walked into the inner room.

As Gu Guanqi watched his retreating figure, she felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Watching the game?" Xue Fuling called softly when she saw him lost in thought.

Gu Guanqi withdrew his gaze, shook his head slightly, and said in a low voice, "Sect Leader Yu walks with great vigor; he doesn't look like an old man in his seventies."

"It must be the effect of Taoist internal energy cultivation to strengthen the body!" Xue Fuling said.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said nothing more.

But as they waited and waited,

However, the Yuyuan Bridge has yet to be completed.

Several people were getting impatient.

Zhou Mingyuan had already opened his mouth, about to shout,

suddenly,

"ah--"

A piercing scream came from inside the room.

Gu Guanqi and the others immediately stood up, with Gu Guanqi, who was sitting on the outside, being the first to rush into the inner room.

The inner room was small and simply furnished. There was a wooden couch, a desk, a chair, and a few calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall.

Yuyuan Bridge lay face down on the ground beside the desk, motionless.

Blood gushed out from beneath him, spreading a large dark red stain on the blue brick floor.

A dark figure was breaking through the window and escaping.

"Cheng"

Gu Guanqi drew his sword, its blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, tracing a cold, clear arc.

The dark figure didn't even turn its head, but instead flicked its wrist—

A streak of cold light pierced through the air.

It was a dagger, its blade gleaming, stained with crimson blood.

However, the other party seemed to be in a hurry, and threw it at an angle, sticking it directly into the window.

The bloodstains on the dagger were still warm and flowing, clearly freshly applied.

The dark figure had already touched the top of the wall, using the momentum to leap several feet forward, and disappeared into the morning mist in a few leaps.

Gu Guanqi wanted to give chase, but then he heard a commotion of footsteps and exclamations behind him—

"Sect Leader!"

"Master Yu!"

"Guards! The sect leader has been assassinated!"

The sounds grew louder and more frequent as they approached.

Gu Guanqi turned around and saw that seven or eight Taoist priests had rushed into the inner room, along with a large group of people from various martial arts sects. When they saw Yu Yuanqiao lying on the ground, their expressions changed drastically.

Just then, Zhou Mingyuan suddenly pointed at Gu Guanqi, his voice rising sharply and becoming almost distorted: "Quickly grab Gu Guanqi! He killed Sect Leader Yu, don't let him escape!"

All eyes turned to Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi was standing by the window, holding the Autumn Water Sword in one hand, with the bloodstained dagger in front of him.

The morning light shone through the mist, illuminating him and making the bloodstains on the dagger stand out starkly.

Zhou Mingyuan's shout was like pouring a ladle of water into a pot of boiling oil.

The Taoist priests immediately rushed over!

"Gu Guanqi, you're going to pay with your life!"

"Don't let him get away!"

"You wicked thief!"

Xue Fuling, on the other side, immediately prepared to explain on behalf of Gu Guanqi.

At this moment, Lin Qi suddenly shouted sharply, "Don't let Xue Fuling get away! The two of them conspired to kill Sect Leader Yu!"

At his shout, the Golden Saber Sect disciples behind him drew their swords and blocked the door to the inner room completely.

Several Taoist priests from Qingfeng Temple rushed to the window, their swords flashing, aiming straight for Gu Guanqi, while others charged towards Xue Fuling.

At this point,

Gu Guanqi and Xue Fuling understood perfectly well:

This is a trap.

The events that occurred in Qiandeng County were merely bait, meant to lull them into a false sense of security, to make them trust Zhou Mingyuan and Lin Qi, so that the two of them could then close the net. Among those Taoist priests, there were probably some of their people acting as cooperators.

Gu Guanqi understood.

This is a trap specifically set for him and Xue Fuling, so there's no way he'll be given a chance to defend himself.

Immediately, he turned around, and the Autumn Water Sword drew an arc in the air.

"Clang, clang—"

The three longswords snapped in two with a crisp sound as they fell to the ground.

The three Taoist priests were shaken and staggered backward, their hands split open and bleeding profusely.

Gu Guanqi did not linger in the fight.

He swiftly moved forward, his figure rapidly approaching Xue Fuling.

"Stop him! Don't let him take Xue Fuling away!"

Lin Qi shouted, and a large group of martial arts practitioners rushed over.

Gu Guanqi thrust out two swords, instantly knocking down two people. Then he kicked the two corpses away, smashing down a large group of people who were trying to approach Xue Fuling.

"Anyone who dares to come near, I'll kill them!"

Gu Guanqi shouted loudly, his voice like a thunderclap. The surge of his inner force caused a buzzing in the ears of everyone in the hall. Several Taoist priests who were nearby were so shocked that they stopped in their tracks.

The sheer awe of that moment caused the dozen or so people at the door to stop in their tracks.

Seizing this brief moment, Gu Guanqi declared loudly, "I didn't kill Sect Leader Yu! Zhou Mingyuan and Lin Qi are framing us; don't be used!"

His voice was loud and clear, and with his inner strength, every word was clearly heard by everyone present.

A middle-aged Taoist priest glared angrily at Gu Guanqi and shouted, "Stop trying to deny it! We saw it with our own eyes; the weapon was right in front of you. How could it be fake?"

"You saw it with your own eyes?" Gu Guanqi sneered. "You saw me make a move? You saw me kill the Fish Master? The murder weapon was on my window, so it's because I killed him? I suspect you colluded with those two bastards to frame me!"

"The murderer hasn't gone far yet. If we seal off the Taoist temple and search the surrounding area now, we'll surely be able to find his trail. At the very least, we should check it out now..."

Before Gu Guanqi could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a trembling voice from behind him:

"Look! There are words on the ground!"

All eyes turned to the ground next to Yu Yuanqiao's body.

A large patch of blood had seeped onto the blue brick floor. And within that dark red stain, a single word was clearly written in blood—

"Gu".