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

Nanshan School Stable.

After leaving the backyard, Gu Guanqi and Fang Cunxin headed straight for the stable.

They came on horseback yesterday, so naturally they'll be riding back on horseback now.

"Brother Gu, don't take it to heart," Fang Cunxin said, leading her horse beside Gu Guanqi. "My uncle is the head of a sect, and sometimes his perspective on things is different from ours. There's absolutely no reason for him to look down on you!"

"It's alright." Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "Blind dates are normal. Everyone has different requirements and ideas, so I won't be angry. Relatively speaking, this is good too, as it saves everyone's time."

"It's great that you think that way. I was just worried that you might feel uncomfortable."

Fang Cunxin secretly glanced at Gu Guanqi, and seeing that his expression was normal, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her steps becoming lighter. She immediately changed the subject, saying, "Brother Gu, since you don't have anything to do right now, and our caravan is also setting off for Lishan County today, why don't you come with me to Lishan County for a stroll?"

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment,

He currently has a blind date event with Fang Cunxin in progress in his system, and since he doesn't really have anything else to do, going for a stroll would be nice. So he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll be a bodyguard with you for once!"

Fang Cunxin laughed and said, "Then you'll have to call me Head镖方 (Fang the镖头, head镖). Perform well, and maybe I'll teach you a few镖 (镖) techniques if I'm in a good mood!"

"Alright then, please take good care of me, Chief Escort Fang!"

Immediately,

The two then rode their horses towards Zhenwu County to join the escort team.

However, when they arrived at the inn where the caravan was staying, they found several constables from the Six Doors at the door.

The two dismounted and walked to the door, where they were stopped and questioned by the Six Doors constables. Gu Guanqi and Fang Cunxin quickly explained that they were guests of the inn.

at this time,

A voice called out from inside the inn: "Gu Guanqi!"

Gu Guanqi turned his head and saw a figure walking out of the hall. It was none other than Shen Qingqiu, whom he had not seen for a long time.

Since he moved three months ago, he has only seen Shen Qingqiu three times, the most recent time being a month ago. This is because Shen Qingqiu is now a deputy commander and has a very busy schedule, often needing to travel to various places for inspections.

"Qingqiu, what a coincidence?" Gu Guanqi asked.

"Unfortunately," Shen Qingqiu stepped forward, "I was already in Tongan County next door investigating Mei Ruolian's whereabouts when I received news yesterday that Mei Ruolian had appeared at Yunqi Temple. So I rushed there overnight, and when I checked the files at the county government office, I found you there too. I have to say, you really are a bit of a jinx to Mei Ruolian!"

"Commander Shen." Fang Cunxin quickly bowed to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu looked Fang Cunxin up and down and asked, "You are... Fang Shiyang's daughter?"

Fang Cunxin quickly replied, "Yes."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and asked, "How did you two end up in Zhenwu County together?" She looked at Gu Guanqi and smiled, "What, switched careers to become bodyguards?"

"Just came out for a stroll to clear my head. It just so happens that Cunxin is on a delivery mission, so I thought I'd join in," Gu Guanqi waved his hand and asked, "What are you investigating here?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I'm here to ask about what happened at Yunqi Temple the night before last, to see if I've missed any details!"

Gu Guanqi asked, "Did you get anything out of You Si?"

Shen Qingqiu shook his head and said, "Just like he told you back then, if you scare him with the 'thousand needles' trick, he won't dare lie to you. By the way, did you really learn how to do the 'thousand needles' trick?"

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "I am a doctor, so I can learn a set of acupuncture techniques very quickly."

Shen Qingqiu said, "However, don't be too superstitious about the thousand needles technique. While it works for most people, we've encountered individuals with strong willpower who deliberately spread false information to mislead us. When you travel the world, if you encounter those who practice demonic arts, don't trust them easily!"

"I understand," Gu Guanqi said.

"Where are you going now?" Shen Qingqiu asked again.

"This shipment is being delivered to Lishan County," Gu Guanqi said. "I'll go along and take a look."

After saying that, Gu Guanqi recalled the encounter with the Heavenly Saint Sect that rainy night and asked, "Qingqiu, do you know about the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded and said, "Of course I know. One of the six sects of the demonic path. What's wrong?"

Gu Guanqi immediately recounted his encounter with the members of the Heavenly Demon Sect that day.

After listening, Shen Qingqiu frowned and said, "Since you've all come all the way to Qingyang County, you should be more careful. Once you've finished this shipment, return to Qingyang City as soon as possible and try to avoid going out."

Recently, the Heavenly Demon Sect has indeed been making moves, quite a commotion in Linzhong County. Even Commander Yan of our Six Doors rushed over there. If I'm not mistaken, their kidnapping of Miss Fang is probably out of revenge!

"Revenge? What do you mean?" Fang Cunxin asked, puzzled.

Shen Qingqiu said, "In Linzhong County, the reason why the Heavenly Demon Church was exposed this time was because your father stumbled upon a Heavenly Demon Church gathering while he was escorting goods. Your father even killed many of them."

Fang Cunxin asked anxiously, "Where's my dad? Is he alright?"

Shen Qingqiu waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. A few days ago, our intelligence from the Six Doors said that your father only suffered minor injuries and went to the Xiao family in Changqing County to recuperate afterward."

"It's alright, it's alright." Fang Cunxin breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Subsequently,

After asking some more questions about the Yunqi Temple incident, Shen Qingqiu left with his men.

Then, Fang Cunxin gathered the escort team and set off, leaving Zhenwu County.

that night,

While the caravan was resting, Gu Guanqi took out a Lesser Rejuvenation Pill from the system.

After a night of refinement, his internal strength increased by five years.

Subsequently,

After another three days of travel, the goods were successfully delivered to their destination.

Fang Cunxin and Gu Guanqi originally planned to travel around Lishan County, but after hearing Shen Qingqiu's words and learning that the Heavenly Demon Sect was causing trouble, they canceled their plans and returned the way they came.

The return trip had no cargo, so the journey was much faster.

It only took two days to reach Zhenwu County again.

……

It was noon that day.

Nanshan Sect, Houshan Manor.

The morning sunlight streamed into the room through the window. Fang Ying sat in front of the dressing table, slowly combing her hair in front of a bronze mirror.

The woman in the mirror had a calm expression, revealing neither joy nor anger, only a deep weariness hidden in her eyes.

Yan Caiwei pushed open the door and walked in, saying softly, "Mother, you wanted to see me?"

"Um."

Fang Ying quickly tied her hair up, then slowly stood up, took Yan Caiwei's hand and sat down on a chair next to her, whispering, "Caiwei, be prepared, what your mother is about to say may have a big impact on you."

Seeing that Fang Ying's expression didn't seem like a joke, Yan Caiwei's heart skipped a beat for no reason. She said nervously, "Mother, you...you wouldn't be so angry about what happened with Young Master Gu that day, and you want to...divorce Father? Mother, although Father acted arbitrarily, it shouldn't have come to this. Actually, I've thought about it carefully these past few days, and what Father said isn't without reason. Young Master Gu is too high a level; I really am not good enough for him."

Fang Ying shook her head and said, "It has nothing to do with Young Master Gu's matter."

Yan Caiwei asked nervously, "What is it?"

Fang Ying slowly took out a piece of paper from her bosom, placed it on the table, and slowly unfolded it. It was a wanted poster posted by the government, and the person wanted was none other than Mei Ruolian, an actress from one of the Eleven Towers of Qingyang who had been making a lot of noise recently.

Yan Caiwei asked in confusion, "Mother... what are you going to do with this?"

Fang Ying said in a deep voice, "I have met Mei Ruolian. Although he is a man, he is extremely handsome and charming. Moreover, he seems to have practiced seductive arts, which makes him even more alluring. Therefore, for many men, Mei Ruolian's gender is no longer important."

Yan Caiwei frowned and said, "Mother, you...you don't suspect that Mu Shuyao...is Mei Ruolian, do you? That's unlikely, Father...he's always been very upright. He only married Mu Shuyao because he was temporarily blinded by her beauty. You saw it yourself, Mu Shuyao is really too beautiful!"

Fang Ying sighed deeply and said, "Right now, I just hope your father is truly blinded by beauty. Even if he is a lecher, at most he'll just take a few more concubines. What I'm worried about is that he's gone astray!"

Yan Caiwei whispered, "Mother...you suspect that Mu Shuyao is Mei Ruolian, and that Father knows his identity and is colluding with him?"

Fang Ying pointed to the wanted poster and said, "Did you see what the wanted poster says? Mei Ruolian is killing people to refine pills, and those she killed are all martial arts masters. As far as I know, in the past two or three months, many martial arts practitioners have gone missing in the Zhenwu County, Tong'an County, and Yang'an County areas."

Yan Caiwei quickly said, "But that doesn't necessarily mean it has anything to do with Father, Mother. You're probably overthinking it..."

"Where is your senior brother? And where did Zhang Xuan and Ma Liu go?" Fang Ying asked.

"Didn't they go out to run errands?" Yan Caiwei said.

Fang Ying shook her head and said, "I've had my suspicions for a long time. In all my years at the Nanshan Sect, I've never had such a busy year. Your father sent out more than twenty of his forty-three personal disciples in just two months. This is very unusual."

I hadn't thought about it that way before, but I felt something was off. Later, news came from the Six Doors that the actress Mei Ruolian had been exposed for murder and alchemy and had fled. I had a bad feeling then.

Until a few days ago when Young Master Gu came here, your father suddenly changed his mind, which made me feel that there was something seriously wrong with your father. Because I can't understand why your father would suddenly change his mind. A young talent like Gu Guanqi is hard to find even with a lantern, and he is also the martial arts master he admires the most. He has no reason to give up such a good son-in-law.

However, when I suspected that Mu Shuyao was Mei Ruolian, I felt that it made sense, because Gu Guanqi was Mei Ruolian's enemy.

These past few days, I've seen quite a few wanted posters for Mei Ruolian at the foot of the mountain. The authorities have already verified that Mei Ruolian is very likely in the Zhenwu County area now. Moreover, she is hunting martial arts masters to refine pills. The more I think about it, the more I feel that your senior brothers probably weren't out on a mission, but were murdered!

Just like Huiming of Yunqi Temple, who murdered his fellow disciples without anyone suspecting a thing.

Yan Caiwei's face turned pale. She said, "Mother... you must be overthinking it. Father isn't that kind of person. He wouldn't do such a thing!"

Fang Ying said, "I don't believe it either, and I don't want it to be true, but your father is too suspicious. With his identity as the leader of the Nanshan Sect as a cover, it's so easy for him to do those things!"

Yan Caiwei asked nervously, "Mother... what... are you going to do?"

"I hope I'm just overthinking it," Fang Ying said. "I'm going to look into it."

"How will you investigate?" Yan Caiwei asked.

"You don't need to worry about that," Fang Ying said. "Just listen to me now, go down the mountain immediately to Qingfeng Inn in Zhenwu County. If I don't come looking for you before 5 PM, don't hesitate, go directly to the county government office to report that Mu Shuyao is Mei Ruolian!"

Yan Caiwei exclaimed in panic, "But, Mother... if... if Father really did that, and we report it to the police... he'd be sentenced to death!"

Fang Ying reached out and gently stroked Yan Caiwei's head, saying, "Caiwei, you must remember that if family members make mistakes, we can choose to help deal with them and help cover them up, because they are family."

But there must be a bottom line to this mistake, because we are human beings. If your father really colluded with Mei Ruolian, harming fellow martial artists and his own disciples for her sake, then he can no longer be considered human!

"Mother, no, Father wouldn't do that..." Yan Caiwei's voice choked with emotion.

Fang Ying smiled slightly and said, "Caiwei, I really hope I've misunderstood. I hope Mu Shuyao isn't Mei Ruolian, or perhaps Mu Shuyao is Mei Ruolian but your father doesn't know it, and that he hasn't been Mei Ruolian's accomplice. If that's the case, I'd rather give my life to protect your father!"

"mother……"

Fang Ying sighed softly and said, "I've loved your father for over twenty years. I've shielded him from a knife, given up my dreams to become a stay-at-home wife, left a light on for him in the middle of the night, and brought him an umbrella in the rain..."

Caiwei, you must believe that no one in this world loves your father more than I do, and no one would rather your father go astray than I do.

Yan Caiwei remained silent, unsure of what to say.

Fang Ying slowly stood up and said, "Alright, calm yourself down, let's go down the mountain!"

Yan Caiwei closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time before slowly opening them.

Her eyes had returned to normal and were very calm.

Then, he got up and went out the door without looking back. He walked at a leisurely pace, without any sign of anything unusual.

Fang Ying stood at the door, watching Yan Caiwei walk away.

She turned around, went into the room, opened a cabinet, and took out a short sword from the bottom shelf.

The scabbard was jet black, without any decoration, and covered with a thin layer of ash.

She brushed the dust off the scabbard with her hand, grasped the hilt, and slowly drew the sword.

The sword was still gleaming, its blade gleaming with a cold light; the weapon, unused for many years, remained as sharp as ever.

She looked at her reflection in the sword and suddenly smiled.

His smile had a hint of self-deprecation.

She slowly sheathed the short sword, hiding it inside her clothes, and strode out of the room.

A morning breeze rushed towards her, making her robes flutter in the wind.

After passing through the corridor, around the artificial hill, and across a stone bridge, we headed towards the deepest courtyard of the manor at the back of the mountain. There, a small courtyard that had been abandoned and uninhabited for many years was now occupied by Mu Shuyao, the concubine that Yan Sihai had arranged for him to take.

The courtyard was very quiet, supposedly because Mu Shuyao preferred quiet, so Yan Sihai never arranged any servants or maids for her.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed.

She knew that Yan Sihai was currently taking Mu Shuyao to see the flowers on the back mountain, so she didn't have much to worry about. She leaped into the courtyard, quickly entered the house, and began searching everywhere in Mu Shuyao's bedroom.

However, after searching the entire house thoroughly, she found nothing suspicious.

At this point,

She felt a slight sense of relief.

Because if Mu Shuyao is Mei Ruolian, then she would have some items that an ordinary woman wouldn't have, such as tools for disguise, things for practicing martial arts, etc. If no incongruous items can be found, it means that Mu Shuyao may not be Mei Ruolian.

Fang Ying searched very carefully, checking all the rooms, but found nothing unusual, so she prepared to leave.

But, just as she was about to leave,

Suddenly I felt something was off about the bedroom, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

She went in and out several times before finally realizing that the size was wrong—the area of ​​the room next to the bedroom plus the bedroom itself did not match the overall size of the house.

"There's a secret room here!"

She was once a chivalrous woman who roamed the martial arts world, and she had a wealth of experience in the martial arts world. She immediately judged that something was wrong with the wall.

"There's a secret room in this house!"

She had lived in the Nanshan Sect for many years, but this courtyard had always been abandoned. She had only been here a few times and had never known that there was a secret room here, nor had she heard Yan Sihai mention it.

this moment,

The unease in her heart instantly stirred.

She searched around the wall, feeling around for a while, and finally pressed down on a slightly loose brick. With a soft "click," a crack appeared in the wall, slowly sliding to both sides to reveal a downward stone step.

Copper lamps were embedded in the walls on both sides of the stone steps, casting a dim, yellowish light that made the passageway appear shadowy.

Fang Ying took out her short sword, gripped it tightly in her hand, and slowly walked inside.

The stone steps weren't long; after about twenty steps, we reached the bottom.

Pushing open a heavy iron door, a strong, nauseating stench hit me.

Fang Ying instinctively covered her mouth and nose.

Inside the iron gate was a spacious underground chamber, as large as the main room of an ordinary family home. Several oil lamps were embedded in the walls of the chamber, their dim yellow light illuminating the entire space in a dark and eerie atmosphere.

When Fang Ying saw the scene in the underground chamber, her face turned deathly pale.

At the very back of the underground chamber, several stone platforms were placed side by side.

On each platform lay a faceless, humanoid monster, and beneath the platform lay a pile of dried corpses.

The mummified corpses were unrecognizable; their skin clung tightly to their skeletons, and they were shrunken into a ball, their flesh and blood drained. Judging from the remaining fragments of clothing, there were men and women, young and old, at least seventy or eighty corpses. Many of the mummified corpses were wearing the clothing of disciples of the Nanshan Sect.

On the other side of the basement, there are rows of wooden shelves standing against the wall.

The wooden shelf was filled with bottles and jars, some containing powders of various colors, and others containing unknown medicinal herbs.

"It really is... Mei Ruolian!"

Fang Ying's face turned pale. Not daring to disturb the monsters, she quickly retreated, closed the door to the secret chamber, and after a quick check to make sure no traces were left, she left.

She left with her head down.

I had only one thought in my mind: to report the case to the police immediately.

However, upon arriving at the training ground,

She stopped again. She looked at the sun; there was still a long time before dusk. After hesitating for a long time, she returned to the villa, but instead of going back to her own courtyard, she climbed over the wall and entered Yan Sihai's study.

About 15 minutes later,

Footsteps could be heard outside.

Then the door opened, and there stood Yan Sihai. He immediately saw Fang Ying sitting in the chair, paused slightly, and then said with displeasure, "What are you doing here?"

"Close the door first, I have something to tell you," Fang Ying said.

Yan Sihai didn't close the door, and said in a deep voice, "I'm not in the mood to argue with you."

"I didn't come here to argue with you," Fang Ying said, getting up and closing the door behind her. She called softly, "Husband!"

Yan Sihai was stunned.

Fang Ying hadn't called him that for many years; to be precise, since having children, the two of them had gradually started calling each other by their names.

Fang Ying stepped forward and hugged Yan Sihai tightly.

Yan Sihai was at a loss for what to do.

"My lord, I've prepared some valuables and jewels for you. You should leave quickly," Fang Ying said, looking up with teary eyes. "Go to the desert, go to the grasslands, and never come back!"

Yan Sihai frowned and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Fang Ying took a deep breath and said, "I already know. Mu Shuyao is Mei Ruolian. I saw the secret room incident and the murder-for-alchemy plot!"

Yan Sihai froze, then grabbed Fang Ying's arm and whispered, "You... went to report it to the police?"

Fang Ying looked at Yan Sihai and said, "I'm going to report this to the authorities, but I really can't bring myself to send you to your death. I want to give you time, my husband. Go ahead, head towards Lishan County, take a boat to Cangwu County, which leads directly to the Northern Desert. You're highly skilled in martial arts, you can live well there. As long as you don't come back, you can survive!"

"Have you told anyone else?" Yan Sihai asked.

Fang Ying took a deep breath and said, "No, I..."

Yan Sihai breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly used acupressure to immobilize Fang Ying.

Fang Ying looked at Yan Sihai and whispered, "Husband, I beg you, please stop being so stubborn. If you don't leave, you'll have no way to survive! Leave, and I'll wait until you're far away before reporting it to the police."

"When the time comes, I will give my life to answer to the martial arts community. I will die in your place to protect our children. You hide in the desert and don't come back. I will have the children move to Qingyang City. My brother will protect them. Then I will die. I will commit suicide to atone for my sins, and no one will seek revenge on them. Our family will still have a way to survive. Husband, listen to me. Don't continue down this wrong path!"

"You don't understand, you simply don't understand!" Yan Sihai said, "I love her, I'm willing to do anything for her. As long as you don't tell anyone, no one will know. We're almost a couple, and then I'll take her away and run away with her!"

"You said...you...love her?" Fang Ying was struck dumb.

"Yes, I love her!" Yan Sihai said firmly. "Therefore, I will not allow anyone to stop me from being with her."

"Then what am I?" Fang Ying asked incredulously, "What does my love for you mean?"

Yan Sihai looked at Fang Ying, his gaze eerily calm: "But I have no love for you."

Fang Ying was stunned. She stared at Yan Sihai for a long while before saying, "Then, what about these past twenty-odd years?"

"It's a deal," Yan Sihai said calmly. "Back then, I needed the influence of your maternal family. Your brother, Fang Shiyang, was the chief镖头 (head镖师) of the Zhenshan镖局 (Zhenshan Escort Agency) and one of the eleven masters of Qingyang Tower. Without him, I couldn't have secured my position as the leader of the Nanshan Sect. It's that simple."

Fang Ying closed her eyes and said self-deprecatingly, "To you, was it all just a transaction from beginning to end?"

Yan Sihai took a deep breath and said, "If... I hadn't met Shuyao, I would have played the role of a loving couple with you for a lifetime."

only……

I used to think fame and fortune were the most important things, but after meeting Shuyao, I realized they weren't that important after all. As long as I can be with her, I'm willing to give up everything. Anyone who tries to stop us from being together is my enemy and deserves to die!

Yan Sihai sighed and said, "Fang Ying, why do you have to get involved in this mess? I've already planned it all out. Once Shu Yao's elixir is refined, I'll fake my death and escape with her. No one will know about this. From now on, you can live your life, and I'll live mine. Isn't that better?"

"Are you really that naive, or are you pretending?" Fang Ying said, "I can even detect the traces of what you've done. Do you think you can keep this a secret forever? It will be exposed sooner or later. Have you thought about what I'll do then? What will happen to the children? The entire martial arts world will seek revenge against us!"

Yan Sihai remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "I'm sorry, Fang Ying, I can't think about anything else. I won't allow anyone to stop me from being with Shu Yao!"

Yan Sihai raised his hand.

His hands were large and thick, with strong knuckles, and his palms had a faint bronze sheen—this was the Iron Palm, the famous Iron Palm of Qingyang County, which could shatter metal and stone with a single strike.

He looked at his palm, then at Fang Ying who was waiting to die with her eyes closed. His hand was suspended in mid-air, not falling for a long time.

Fang Ying looked up at Yan Sihai.

There was no fear of death in their eyes, only the sorrow of a dead heart.

"Fang Ying, I'm sorry, I really have no other choice now!"

Yan Sihai gritted his teeth and slapped down with his palm.

But he stopped just before he touched Fang Ying's forehead.

He looked at Fang Ying, hesitated for a moment, reached out and pressed Fang Ying's speech acupoint again, then picked her up and put her into a box.

Then,

He covered it with some books to make it look like it was a box full of books, and carried the box to the deepest courtyard in the manor.

In the courtyard, Mu Shuyao was sitting by the window, holding an embroidery hoop in her hand, embroidering with her head down.

She wore a white dress, her long hair loosely tied up, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears, making her face appear even whiter and more delicate.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling upon her and making her look like a fairy from a painting.

"What is this?" Mu Shuyao asked in confusion.

"Let's go inside first and talk about it," Yan Sihai said, carrying the box into the secret room.

Mu Shuyao followed her in, and when she saw Fang Ying in the box, she asked in surprise, "What happened?"

Yan Sihai sighed and said, "She just came here and discovered the secret room. She knows everything about us."

Mu Shuyao remained calm and said, "She didn't tell anyone else, did she?"

Yan Sihai shook his head and said, "No."

"Then why don't you kill her? What's the point of keeping her alive? Are you planning to feed her to my 'big medicine' too?" Mu Shuyao said, "Isn't that a bit too cruel? After all, she's your wife."

Yan Sihai shook his head and said, "Shuyao, I'm sorry, I can't do it. I don't love her, but over the years, we've developed a familial bond. I can't bring myself to kill her!"

"So, you want me to take action for you?" Mu Shuyao asked.

Yan Sihai shook his head and said, "We won't wait any longer. I'll find an opportunity in the next couple of days to sacrifice all the disciples of my Nanshan Sect to refine the pill. Once your Transformation Pill is successfully refined, I'll take you far away. Even if we're wanted by the authorities, it doesn't matter. We'll hide our identities and go somewhere no one knows us. We'll go to the desert, to the grasslands—we'll always find a place to stay!"

He then looked at Fang Ying and said, "As for her, lock her up here for now, and we'll talk about it later!"

Mu Shuyao looked at Yan Sihai and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, just a slight upturn at the corners of the mouth, but that very faint smile seemed to brighten the entire secret room.

Then, she looked at Fang Ying and chuckled, "You seem to have something to say?"

As she spoke, she released Fang Ying's speech-impairing pressure point.

Fang Ying spoke up: "Yan Sihai, you...you don't know that Mei Ruolian is a man?"

Yan Sihai remained silent.

Mu Shuyao smiled slightly and said, "Fang Ying, I am truly a woman now!"

Fang Ying's eyes widened in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Mu Shuyao said, "The martial art I cultivate is called the Celestial Rebirth Technique. At the final stage, I will enter the Celestial Rebirth Realm. If I wish to become a woman, I can have the opportunity to change my gender, thus becoming a woman completely, inside and out!"

Fang Ying asked, "So... you've succeeded?"

Mei Ruolian nodded and said, "Yes."

"Then why do you still kill people to refine pills?" Fang Ying asked.

Mei Ruolian said, "Because I have only reached the realm of Heavenly Manhood in martial arts, my gender status is not stable. Once there is a fierce battle and my power is greatly consumed, I will turn back into a man and it will be very difficult to turn back."

Speaking of which,

Mei Ruolian sighed and said, "If it weren't for this, why would I have to run away like a stray dog? With my current cultivation level, I could have killed Yan Wangchuan and Gu Guanqi and left Qingyang City openly and honestly!"

Fang Ying quickly asked, "But why did you come to the Nanshan Sect?"

Mu Shuyao smiled and said, "I originally didn't plan to come to the Nanshan Sect. I was going to Linzhong County, but I didn't expect to meet Sect Leader Yan here. He was willing to give up everything for me and help me cultivate. I couldn't refuse his kindness, so I came."

"Well, speaking of which, the reason why Sect Leader Yan suddenly changed his mind and disagreed with your daughter's relationship with Gu Guanqi a few days ago was because he learned from me that night that he would definitely kill Gu Guanqi after I completed my alchemy. He didn't want your daughter to invest her feelings in a dead man!"

Fang Ying remained silent for a while, then sighed and said, "At least, I lost to a woman, which makes me feel a little better!"

Mu Shuyao chuckled and said to Yan Sihai, "Take off her clothes and give them to me. I'll disguise myself as her and go out to have a fight with you. Then I'll go down the mountain and have an excuse to say that she ran away from home."