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

The hour of You (5-7 PM).

Qingfeng Inn in Zhenwu County.

Yan Caiwei sat in a room on the second floor by the window, which was half-open. The sun was setting, leaving only half a setting sun.

She has been sitting here since the afternoon, without moving.

The tea on the table had long since gone cold, but she hadn't taken a single sip. She clutched the handkerchief in her hand, the cloth crumpled and almost falling apart at the edges.

She was waiting for the hour of You (5-7 PM) to arrive.

But at this moment,

She watched the sun begin to set; it was past 5 PM.

The string that had been taut all along snapped at that moment.

She stood by the window, watching people come and go on the street, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

Then she turned around, quickly walked out of the room, and went downstairs.

There weren't many guests in the inn's lobby, and the waiter was wiping the tables.

Yan Caiwei stepped out the door, and a fiery red halo spread out on the bluestone road, making the shadows of pedestrians appear longer and shorter.

She walked quickly with her head down.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

She saw a man and a woman walking side by side across the street. Both were dressed in tight-fitting clothes, with weapons at their waists, and their steps were unhurried.

The man wore a moon-white long robe, with a long sword hanging at his waist, its scabbard as white as autumn water and frost. The woman wore a black close-fitting outfit, with a long spear slung diagonally across her back, its tip gleaming coldly in the twilight.

It was none other than Gu Guanqi and Fang Cunxin.

They had just returned to Zhenwu County from Lishan County today. Since it was getting late, they found an inn in Zhenwu County to stay overnight and would continue their journey the next morning.

Fang Cunxin then invited Gu Guanqi to go shopping together.

The two walked and talked, with Fang Cunxin occasionally laughing out loud. Gu Guanqi tilted his head slightly to listen, a faint smile on his lips.

Yan Caiwei felt a slight pang in her heart as she watched them chatting and laughing.

But she didn't have the energy to savor the bitterness and quickly ran over.

"Cousin! Young Master Gu!"

Fang Cunxin looked in the direction of the voice, and when she saw it was her, she was slightly taken aback, then smiled: "Caiwei? What are you doing here?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Yan Caiwei's flustered expression, her eyes red and teary. Realizing something was wrong, she quickly stepped forward, took Yan Caiwei's hand, and whispered, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Yan Caiwei grasped her hand in return; her fingers were icy cold and trembling slightly.

"Cousin, something might have happened to my mother... Mu Shuyao, she might be Mei Ruolian..."

She took a deep breath and quickly recounted everything Fang Ying had said.

"My mother said that if she didn't come to find me by 5 PM, I should go to the yamen to report the case. She hasn't come yet, so most likely... most likely something has happened!"

Yan Caiwei's voice trembled, but her words were clear, coherent, and without omitting any details.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cunxin's expression changed drastically. She gripped the gun barrel tightly and said in a deep voice, "We must return to the Nanshan Sect immediately!"

"Don't rush in," Gu Guanqi said. "If you rush in now, you won't save anyone, and you'll only alert them. Your aunt is still in their hands, and her fate is unknown. If she's still alive, alerting them now will only harm her."

Fang Cunxin quickly asked, "Brother Gu, what do you suggest we do?"

Gu Guanqi said, "For this kind of thing, you should naturally find a professional."

Fang Cunxin immediately realized what she meant and said, "You mean... Commander Shen?"

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "When we ran into her last time, she said the Six Doors are currently stationed at the post station. Let's go there to find her!"

Immediately, the three of them headed towards the post station.

The inn was not far from Qingfeng Inn; it took less than fifteen minutes to walk there.

Two constables from the Six Doors were standing at the entrance. When they saw the three of them coming, they reached out to stop them.

Gu Guanqi stepped forward and said he had clues about Mei Ruolian. The constable recognized Gu Guanqi and had no doubts. He immediately led the three of them into a reception room.

Shortly after, Shen Qingqiu hurriedly came out from outside and went straight to the point: "Gu Guanqi, I just heard from someone that you have any leads on Mei Ruolian?"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "The exact location has been confirmed!"

Shen Qingqiu quickly asked, "Where is it?"

Gu Guanqi looked at Yan Caiwei and said, "Miss Yan, why don't you tell Commander Shen what happened?"

immediately,

Yan Caiwei repeated Fang Ying's words from beginning to end, in even more detail than when she had spoken on the street.

After listening, Shen Qingqiu stood up and said, "If that's the case, then the matter is basically 80-90% certain. In fact, in the past few days, our Six Doors has also tracked down some clues, all of which point to the Nanshan Sect. However, because we still lack some specific clues, we are not very sure, which is why we haven't taken action yet."

Gu Guanqi said, "If that's the case, then we can lock onto it."

Shen Qingqiu nodded and said, "There's no time to lose, I'll gather the men immediately."

After saying that, Shen Qingqiu looked at Gu Guanqi and Fang Cunxin and said, "You two should disguise yourselves and change into Six Doors uniforms. As for Miss Yan, she can stay here for the time being."

Not long after,

Shen Qingqiu then gathered his men, and dozens of constables from the Six Doors rushed towards the Nanshan Sect. However, upon arriving at the foot of the Nanshan Sect, Shen Qingqiu ordered the main force to stop.

She selected the four most skilled martial artists from the group, along with Gu Guanqi and Fang Cunxin, and the seven of them went up the mountain while the others waited for the signal.

Before long, the group arrived outside the gates of the Nanshan Sect.

It was already evening, and dusk had fallen.

Two lanterns hung on the stone pillars on either side of the mountain gate, their orange light swaying slightly in the night breeze, casting the three large characters "Nanshan Sect" on and off.

Two disciples guarding the mountain stood at the entrance. Upon seeing the group of people arrive, they quickly stepped forward to stop them.

Shen Qingqiu dismounted, took out his waist token from his waist, and handed it over, saying in a calm tone: "Shen Qingqiu, Deputy Commander of the Six Doors, has come to deliver a message to the Nanshan Sect. Go and inform them immediately!"

The disciple guarding the mountain took the waist token, glanced at it, and his expression changed slightly. He quickly clasped his hands in greeting and immediately invited the group to enter the mountain gate. After passing through the martial arts training ground, they arrived at a courtyard specifically for receiving guests. Someone else had already gone to inform them.

……

At this moment, Yan Sihai was in Mu Shuyao's courtyard, and the two were enjoying tea.

A disciple's voice came from outside the door: "Sect Leader, Shen Qingqiu, the Deputy Commander of the Six Doors, has come to visit."

Yan Sihai's expression changed, and he tensed up. He opened the door and asked, "Did they say what they were going to do?"

"Yes," the disciple said, "They said they were relaying instructions from the Six Doors to various gangs to help track down the actress Mei Ruolian."

Yan Sihai's pupils contracted slightly as he asked, "How many people have come?"

"Including Shen Qingqiu, there are seven people," the disciple reported.

Yan Sihai breathed a slight sigh of relief, waved his hand, and said, "You can go down first, I'll be back in a bit."

The disciple immediately took his leave and departed.

Yan Sihai turned to look at Mu Shuyao and said, "You scared me."

Mu Shuyao chuckled, "You've become paranoid because Fang Ying made you think this way during the day. If I had revealed my identity, Shen Qingqiu would have immediately mobilized the Six Doors constables and county soldiers to surround the Nanshan Sect. If it were a secret investigation, he wouldn't have swaggered in like this and followed the rules to inform you."

Yan Sihai nodded and said, "That's true. I was indeed frightened by Fang Ying. Now I get all worked up at the slightest thing. Hmm, I'll go and meet Shen Qingqiu first!"

Mu Shuyao nodded slightly.

Yan Sihai then went out the door and headed straight for the courtyard where guests were being received.

Before long, they arrived outside the living room.

Upon entering, Yan Sihai glanced at Shen Qingqiu and the others, then fixed his gaze on Shen Qingqiu, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Commander Shen, it's an honor to have you here! I'm so sorry I didn't greet you properly!"

Shen Qingqiu returned the greeting with clasped hands and smiled, "Sect Leader Yan, you are too kind. I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."

"Commander Shen, what are you saying?" Yan Sihai gestured for his disciple to serve tea, then asked, "May I ask what brings you here, Commander Shen?"

Shen Qingqiu sat down in the host's seat and said casually, "It's nothing major. We've been searching for Mei Ruolian's whereabouts recently, but we haven't made any progress in the Zhenwu County area. So, we applied to the Thousand Household Office for a Jianghu cooperation order. As the leading martial arts sect in Qingyang County, the Nanshan Sect should personally deliver this order."

Yan Sihai laughed heartily, understanding Shen Qingqiu's flattery, and was quite pleased. He said, "Commander Shen, you're too kind. Our Nanshan Sect has always acted according to the orders of the Six Doors, obeying the law, paying taxes on time, and daring not to overstep our bounds in the slightest. We unconditionally obey any order from the Six Doors. Commander Shen is busy with official duties; there was no need for you to come in person!"

Shen Qingqiu said, "The Six Doors have witnessed the actions of the Nanshan Sect. They are a model for the martial arts world. Commander Yan has publicly expressed his high praise for the Nanshan Sect and has repeatedly stated that the current trend in the Qingyang martial arts world should be based on the Nanshan Sect. We should call on all martial arts sects to learn from the Nanshan Sect, actively combat bandits and mountain thieves, restore peace to the local people, and establish a positive atmosphere in the martial arts world!"

Yan Sihai quickly replied, "It is truly an honor for the Nanshan Sect to receive praise from Commander Yan. Our Nanshan Sect has been granted permission by the imperial court to establish itself here, and we should naturally act in accordance with the Jianghu regulations promulgated by the imperial court. Combating bandits, capturing mountain thieves, and major robbers is our bounden duty..."

The two chatted for a while longer, talking about everything from the Six Doors' orders to the atmosphere of the martial arts world, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Yan Sihai's vigilance gradually relaxed with each casual remark.

Just as he finished speaking and picked up his teacup again to take another sip—

Shen Qingqiu moved.

With both swords drawn, their blades flashed like bolts of lightning, aimed straight for Yan Sihai's throat.

At the same instant, Gu Guanqi also moved.

The Autumn Water Sword slid out from inside the outer robe, its light as smooth as water, silent and stealthy, its tip aimed straight for Yan Sihai's back.

One in front, one behind; one with a knife, one with a sword; their coordination was seamless.

Yan Sihai's reaction was incredibly swift. He hurled the teacup at Shen Qingqiu, simultaneously leaning back to avoid Gu Guanqi's sword.

But he was too slow.

Shen Qingqiu's blade grazed his neck, shaving off a strand of hair. Gu Guanqi's sword tip, however, stopped steadily at his back, just half an inch away from piercing his flesh.

Yan Sihai froze.

He remained leaning back, not daring to move an inch.

Shen Qingqiu immediately applied pressure points, and Yan Sihai's body instantly froze again. The teacup fell, but before it could hit the ground, Shen Qingqiu caught it with his foot, without spilling a single drop of tea.

The disciples of the Nanshan Sect in the hall were shocked to see this and prepared to make a move.

In that instant, Gu Guanqi flicked his left fingers repeatedly, sending more than a dozen steel balls shooting out from his fingertips with a sharp and piercing sound.

The Finger Flicking Divine Power.

The steel balls accurately struck the pressure points of several Nanshan Sect disciples in the hall. The disciples froze, unable to move, and their mute pressure points were also struck, rendering them speechless.

From the moment Shen Qingqiu made his move until all the Nanshan Sect disciples were subdued, only two or three breaths had passed.

Yan Sihai's eyes were filled with terror. He wanted to speak, but he couldn't because his acupoints had been pressed to silence him.

Shen Qingqiu glanced again at the Nanshan Sect disciples on the ground who had been acupunctured, and his gaze fell on a slightly younger disciple.

She went over and released the pressure points on the other person.

The disciple's face was deathly pale, and he was trembling all over.

Shen Qingqiu said calmly, "If you want to live, go and invite Mu Shuyao to the reception room. Just say... just say that Sect Leader Yan has invited you. If you mess this up, you should know the consequences."

The disciple stammered, "When the sect leader goes to invite Consort Mu, it's usually a female disciple who goes."

Shen Qingqiu nodded slightly and gave Fang Cunxin a wink. Fang Cunxin understood and, carrying the two-sectioned spear on her back, followed beside the disciple.

The disciple composed himself, walked to the door, looked around, and approached a female disciple carrying a teapot. He said, "The sect leader has ordered that you summon Aunt Mu!"

Having said that, he took the teapot from the female disciple's hand.

The female disciple, unsuspecting, turned and left.

Watching the female disciple leave,

Fang Cunxin led the male disciple into the living room again, and then used acupressure to immobilize him once more.

Shen Qingqiu said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, get ready. Don't let Mei Ruolian slip through our fingers!"

Immediately,

The group then each chose an ambush point in the courtyard.

Not long after,

Led by the female disciple, Mu Shuyao arrived at the courtyard.

The moment Mu Shuyao stepped into the courtyard,

Gu Guanqi and the others, who were hiding in the shadows, were slightly startled.

without exception,

Everyone was amazed by Mu Shuyao.

Mu Shuyao wore a plain white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, as black as ink. Her features were exquisite, and her eyes held a cool and aloof air, as if she were untouched by worldly affairs. As she walked in the night, her skirt fluttered gently, making her look like a fairy from the moon palace.

The night breeze lifted her long hair and skirt, making her look like a painting in the moonlight.

The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she suddenly stopped.

They did not go any further inside.

A night breeze blew, rustling the osmanthus tree in the courtyard. A few fallen leaves were swept up by the wind and swirled around her feet.

She frowned slightly, her gaze slowly sweeping over every corner of the courtyard wall, roof, and corridor.

Then, she spoke.

The voice was low, clear and cold, as if it were about something perfectly ordinary.

"It seems I've been exposed. You all no longer need to hide. Come out! There are two on the roof, two under the eaves, one behind Guihua on the right, and two inside the house!"