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

Chapter 89 Martial Arts Tournament

Gu Guanqi didn't know how to answer Jiang Baili's question.

Saying I can't go with her feels like refusing to heal her wounds, while saying I can go with her feels like I'm abducting an innocent girl.

So he changed the subject, saying, "Let's treat the injury first; we can talk about other things later."

"Alright, alright, Master Gu is right, let's treat the injuries first!" Chu Wuwang quickly chimed in, asking, "Master Gu, is there anything you need to prepare for treating your injuries?"

"No need," Gu Guanqi turned around and looked at Jiang Baili, who was still sitting upright in the chair, and said, "Miss Jiang, I will now administer acupuncture to you. Please sit still and do not move around."

Jiang Baili hummed in agreement and then sat quietly, maintaining an upright posture and remaining motionless.

Gu Guanqi took out the cloth bag from his sleeve and unfolded it. A row of silver needles was neatly inserted into the cloth, gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the sunlight. He took out a silver needle, heated it over a candle flame, and then wiped it with strong liquor to disinfect it.

With his current medical skills, he doesn't need to go through the trouble of removing his clothes to perform acupuncture. Even through clothing, he can accurately insert needles into acupoints.

Jiang Baili remained motionless, her breathing unchanged, as if the silver needles inserted into her acupoints had nothing to do with her.

Gu Guanqi held the needle in his left hand and placed his right index finger on the end of the needle, slowly channeling a wisp of purple qi into the silver needle. The qi was gentle and continuous, like spring rain nourishing all things, seeping in inch by inch along Jiang Baili's meridians, slowly dispelling the cold qi lingering deep in the acupoint.

However, the cold energy within Jiang Baili's body was extremely domineering. Upon sensing the intrusion of the external true energy, it immediately began to counterattack, quickly dissolving the Purple Cloud True Energy bit by bit.

This directly resulted in Gu Guanqi being extremely mentally and physically exhausted during the acupuncture process. He had to precisely control the flow of true qi, constantly perceive the changes in Jiang Baili's body, and continuously replenish his true qi.

Time passed little by little, and a fine layer of sweat gradually seeped out from Gu Guanqi's forehead.

About half an hour later, Gu Guanqi finally removed the last silver needle, wiped it clean with strong liquor, and put it into his cloth bag. He let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to Jiang Baili, "Alright, that's enough for today, Miss Jiang. You should start circulating your internal energy to regulate your breathing."

Jiang Baili nodded slightly, closed her eyes, and began to regulate her breathing.

Gu Guanqi then looked at Chu Wuwang and said, "Senior Chu, I didn't bring the pills that Miss Jiang needs with me. Please send someone with me to Old Master Yan's house to fetch them."

"Very well, very well!" Chu Wuwang quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Hero Gu! Thank you, Hero Gu!"

Gu Guanqi then asked, "Senior Chu, do you have any books on fortune-telling at home that you would be willing to share?"

Chu Wuwang asked in confusion, "What does Master Gu need these books for?"

Gu Guanqi said, "I am quite curious about the way of metaphysics."

Chu Wuwang nodded slightly and said, "I do have some relevant books here that I can give to Master Gu. However, I must first remind you that martial arts are the orthodox path, while fortune-telling is merely a side path. And learning side paths often depends on one's destiny. Some people can never learn them in their entire lives, while others understand them instantly. You can take a look, but don't delve too deeply into it!"

"Okay." Gu Guanqi nodded.

Then, Gu Guanqi looked at Yan Wangchuan and said, "Old Yan, I'll head back first."

Yan Wangchuan stood up and said, "I'll go back with you. Brother Chu and Sister You haven't seen each other for many years. They must have a lot to talk about today. I won't disturb them here. Let's have tea another day!"

Chu Wuwang quickly said, "Brother Yan, there's no need for that—"

Yan Wangchuan waved his hand and said, "I have nothing important to do these days, so I have plenty of time to visit. There's no rush."

"Alright then," Chu Wuwang said without trying to persuade them further, "I'll see you off!"

Then, the group went out.

You Jinxiang and Chu Wuwang saw Gu Guanqi and Yan Wangchuan off. At the same time, they arranged for a servant to accompany Gu Guanqi and Yan Wangchuan to fetch medicine. The servant also carried several books, which were the books on fortune-telling and metaphysics that Chu Wuwang had given to Gu Guanqi.

"Master Gu".

Just as she reached the door, You Jinxiang suddenly called out.

Gu Guanqi turned around, puzzled, and asked, "Senior You?"

Yu Jinxiang walked out leaning on her cane, carefully considered her words, and said, "Master Gu, I have something I'd like to say to you."

"Please speak, Senior You!" Gu Guanqi said.

You Jinxiang hesitated for a moment before saying, "My junior sister grew up in the mountains since childhood and has never had any contact with outsiders. She is aloof and naive. Her words just now were quite offensive. Please don't take them to heart, Master Gu."

In addition, my junior sister is exceptionally talented and has received my master's true teachings. Although she is still young, her martial arts skills are already superb, and her future prospects are limitless.

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly, understanding the implication, and cupped his hands, saying, "Senior You, rest assured, I understand what you mean. Miss Jiang is indeed as beautiful as a fairy, which makes her easy to be coveted by. I'm afraid someone might take advantage of her innocence to commit abduction. But rest assured, Senior, I am a person of good character and will not have any wicked thoughts."

Upon hearing this, You Jinxiang quickly waved her hand and said, "Master Gu, you misunderstand. That's not what I meant. I wasn't here to talk about coveting or not coveting. I'm not that ungrateful."

Besides, with your martial arts skills and reputation, Master Gu, what woman wouldn't be worthy of you? I would never say such a thing.

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback. When he heard You Jinxiang's words, he subconsciously thought that she was there to prevent him from having any other thoughts.

"So, what do you mean, senior?"

You Jinxiang said, "What I mean is, although my junior sister can't compare to your achievements, her martial arts are very high. She's just been cultivating in the mountains and hasn't made a name for herself in the martial world. If she were to enter the martial world, she would definitely become famous. Moreover, she is exceptionally talented and has inherited my master's skills. She's actually quite good. If you, Hero Gu, are still unmarried, you might as well consider her!"

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback.

You Jinxiang continued, "Furthermore, according to your birth dates and times—you are indeed destined to be together."

Gu Guanqi didn't know what to say for a moment.

You Jinxiang smiled slightly and said, "It is a bit presumptuous of me to say this, but the main reason I am bringing this up is because my junior sister is inexperienced and does not understand that interpersonal relationships need to proceed gradually. I am afraid that she might do something unusual in her interactions with you, Master Gu, and offend you."

Therefore, I would like to ask for your understanding, Master Gu. Also, according to astrology, you two are indeed destined for each other. Therefore, I would also like to tell you, Master Gu, that if you find it difficult to accept your junior sister's behavior, please be patient and don't be so resistant!

"Alright." Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "Then I'll take my leave!"

Take care!

You Jinxiang and Chu Wuwang watched Gu Guanqi leave.

Once the figure was out of sight, Chu Wuwang asked, "Senior Sister, if Junior Sister really develops feelings for Gu Guanqi, how will you explain it when Master returns?"

You Jinxiang waved her hand and said, "Master is a cultivator, and he cultivates the Great Dao of Nature. If Junior Sister can truly develop feelings for Gu Guanqi, Master will only be happy. In addition, Master has always hoped that Junior Sister can go down the mountain and live a normal life. But since Junior Sister is unwilling, he cannot force her."

"I see." Chu Wuwang nodded slightly and said, "Master is such a master that he has his own way of doing things. Even you and I were able to predict that Junior Sister's Red Star would move. There's no way he couldn't have predicted it. He probably foresaw this event long ago, which is why he left just the day before Junior Sister's cultivation went wrong."

You Jinxiang exclaimed, "Eh?" and said, "I hadn't thought of that before. Now that you mention it, it's actually quite possible!"

The next day, early morning.

The weather is unusually nice today; it's been a long time since we've had such a bright sun since the beginning of winter.

So, after Yan Wangchuan and Gu Guanqi finished breakfast, they each carried a chair to the yard to lie down and sunbathe.

Yan Wangchuan sipped his tea, while Gu Guanqi read the books, specifically the ones about fortune-telling and metaphysics that Chu Wuwang had given him the day before.

"Today is probably the last sunny day of the year. According to the usual pattern, it will snow in about ten days at most!" Yan Wangchuan said.

Gu Guanqi glanced at his book and casually replied, "Snow is good. I came to Qingzhou City for two things: to have my fortune told and to see the snow on Tianjun Mountain. After that, I should return to Qingyang City."

Yan Wangchuan grinned and asked, "Then do you want to take that beautiful, fairy-like Jiang Baili back home for the New Year?"

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and said, "This is indeed a troublesome matter; I'm afraid we'll have to stay here for quite some time."

Yan Wangchuan rolled his eyes and said, "Are you really that stupid or just pretending? You keep insisting on going back. What can that girl do? To get treatment, she'll definitely have to come with you, which will give you many more opportunities. Such a beautiful girl, don't tell me you're not tempted!"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and teased, "Didn't you say you'd act as my matchmaker?"

Yan Wangchuan waved his hand and said, "I was actually thinking of introducing my niece to you, but let's forget about it now."

My niece's biggest advantage is that she's quite pretty, but compared to Jiang Baili yesterday, she pales in comparison.

Now that Chu Wuwang and You Jinxiang both say you two are destined for each other, wouldn't it be humiliating for me to rush in and introduce my niece to you? Come to think of it, my niece is quite ordinary. She doesn't have Xue Fuling's medical skills, Lin Yourong's family background, or Fang Cunxin's martial arts prowess, and even her appearance isn't outstanding.”

Gu Guanqi knew that Yan Wangchuan must have had some concerns because Chu Wuwang had cast the divination for the so-called marriage yesterday.

However, Gu Guanqi did not expose Yan Wangchuan's thoughts.

Yan Wangchuan chuckled again and asked, "Aren't you really going to try? Chu Wuwang and You Jinxiang's fortune-telling skills are trustworthy. If they say you and Jiang Baili are destined for each other, then you definitely are. Take the initiative to get to know them, and good things will happen!"

Gu Guanqi waved his hand and said, "You saw that Miss Jiang yesterday. She's different from ordinary women. Even if I wanted to get close to her, I wouldn't know how."

I don't really believe in Senior Chu's fortune-telling skills. He said I'm destined to be with Miss Jiang, so I'll just have to see if he's really that accurate!

"It's not that you can't do it, but some things are destined, and you can't avoid them—"

Just as Yan Wangchuan was about to say something, there was a knock on the courtyard door.

"Who is it?" Yan Wangchuan called out.

A cheerful voice came from outside the door: "May I ask if the esteemed hero Gu Guanqi is here?"

Yan Wangchuan asked, "What do you do for a living?"

The man said, "I am Chu Feng from the Wenjian Sect. I am here on the orders of the sect leader to deliver an invitation to the martial arts tournament to Hero Gu."

Yan Wangchuan and Gu Guanqi exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Immediately, Yan Wangchuan went over and opened the door. A tall young man stood outside, carrying a long sword on his back. He bowed and said, "Junior Chu Feng greets Lord Yan!"

Yan Wangchuan sized you up and said, "I remember you. Which disciple of Venerable Liuyun were you again?"

"The eighteenth," Chu Feng replied quickly.

"Yes, yes, eighteen," Yan Wangchuan nodded, then asked, "You just mentioned a martial arts tournament, what martial arts tournament?"

Chu Feng quickly asked, "I heard that Master Gu is currently staying at Lord Yan's residence. Is he there?"

"He's here, come in!" Yan Wangchuan said.

Thank you!

Chu Feng cupped his hands in greeting and followed Yan Wangchuan inside. Upon entering, he saw Gu Guanqi reclining on a deck chair, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Junior Chu Feng greets Great Hero Gu!"

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback, then said, "Brother, we're about the same age, there's no need for that!"

Chu Feng quickly replied, "As the saying goes, the accomplished come first. Master Gu is a grandmaster on par with my master, so I should naturally show him the respect due to a junior!"

Yan Wangchuan said to Gu Guanqi, "You don't need to pay attention to it. That's how the Wenjian Sect people are. That Venerable Liuyun, Shang Guzhou, is an old scholar who is very particular about rules and seniority. As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the inferiors follow. All the disciples of the Wenjian Sect are like this."

Gu Guanqi exclaimed, "So it's a sect that values ​​etiquette. No wonder it's the most respected leader in the Qingzhou martial arts world. The sect must have a very good atmosphere."

"Oh----"

Yan Wangchuan chuckled lightly, but didn't say anything more.

Gu Guanqi then asked Chu Feng, "Young Master Chu, what brings you to me?"

Chu Feng hurriedly took out a gold-embossed invitation from his bundle and respectfully handed it to Gu Guanqi, saying, "The Qingzhou Martial Arts Conference will be held on Wenjian Mountain on the fifteenth of next month. My master specially sent me to invite you, Master Gu. You are a martial arts grandmaster and a representative of the Qingzhou martial arts world. Please be sure to attend!"

After saying that, Chu Feng took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Gu Guanqi, saying, "This is a personal letter written especially for you by my master."

Gu Guanqi took the letter and opened it to read it.

As he looked at it, he frowned.

Yan Wangchuan asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Sect Leader Shang said in his letter that the reason for convening this martial arts conference is not because the Sword Inquiry Sect wants to convene it, but because Wen Qiuchi of the Guanyin Sect wants to convene it. Wen Qiuchi not only wants to establish a sect in Qingzhou, but also wants to establish the Qingzhou Martial Arts Alliance, with herself as the leader. Anyone who does not submit will be slaughtered and their entire sect wiped out."

"As for my matter, Wen Qiuchi specifically requested that I attend the martial arts tournament to settle our personal grudges."

"So arrogant?"

Yan Wangchuan took the letter and read it, then said, "Does Wen Qiuchi really think she's some kind of powerful dragon crossing the river? Does he think the martial arts world of Qingzhou is some kind of scoundrel that he can trample on at will?"

Gu Guanqi asked, "What is the actual level of Wen Qiuchi's martial arts? And can the Guanyin Sect really stand against the entire martial arts world of Qingzhou with just one sect?"

Yan Wangchuan pondered for a moment and said, "It's hard to say about Wen Qiuchi's martial arts skills. He has been famous for many years, but he is actually not very old. He is only thirty-five or thirty-six this year."

Previously, her reputation in the martial arts world was primarily based on her status as the vice leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. She didn't fight often, and her achievements weren't particularly outstanding. However, things are different now, since she even defeated and killed Chu Shukuang, the leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, in a direct confrontation.

That's the only impressive feat she has, so opinions on her martial arts prowess are divided. Some say she ranks in the top ten in the Qian Kingdom, while others say her martial arts just happened to counter Chu Shukuang and she's not actually that strong.

Gu Guanqi asked, "Which explanation is more reasonable?"

"It all makes sense," Yan Wangchuan said. "Chu Shukuang's martial arts are undoubtedly very powerful; he is one of the world's top grandmasters. Wen Qiuchi was able to defeat and kill him, so his strength must be extremely powerful. It makes perfect sense."

Another explanation isn't entirely unfounded. Wen Qiuchi is the daughter of the previous leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the Blood Bone Elder, while Chu Shukang is the Blood Bone Elder's disciple. Both of their martial arts were taught to them by the Blood Bone Elder, so it's plausible that the Blood Bone Elder would leave his daughter a backup plan to deal with Chu Shukang.

Gu Guanqi said, "Hmm, back in Tianping County, Liu Su said that Zhou Jinyuan and Yue Xiaotian were both Wen Qiuchi's senior brothers, and that they were also disciples of the Blood Bone Elder?"

Yan Wangchuan nodded and said, "According to the information found by the Six Doors, their martial arts skills were indeed taught by the Blood Bone Elder."

Gu Guanqi asked in surprise, "This Blood Bone Elder is quite something; his disciples are all so powerful. The Guanyin Sect must be very strong, right?"

Yan Wangchuan nodded slightly and said, "Wen Qiuchi is the daughter of the Blood Bone Elder. She already held a position of great righteousness within the Heavenly Demon Sect. Therefore, after she killed Chu Shukuang, the internal resistance within the Heavenly Demon Sect was not strong, and the Guanyin Sect basically inherited most of the Heavenly Demon Sect's power. Besides Wen Qiuchi, there are also the Left and Right Protectors who hold the title of Grandmaster!"

Gu Guanqi said, "There's no way we can fight them. Even excluding the two from the Six Doors and the seriously injured Old Master Lin from the Lin family, there are still four Grandmasters from Qingzhou. Besides, they have the home-field advantage, so we're not worried about their lower-level combat strength. The main problem now is whether anyone can stop Wen Qiuchi!"

Yan Wangchuan shook his head slightly and said, "We can't be too optimistic. After all, the Heavenly Demon Sect is one of the six major sects of the demonic path, a top-tier force in the world, with numerous experts under its command. Moreover, Wen Qiuchi is probably not a brainless person. She has many ways to establish her sect in Qingzhou, but she chose this method of directly opposing the martial arts world of Qingzhou. She must have absolute confidence!"

Gu Guanqi pondered for a moment and asked, "Actually, I've always had a question. After all, the Heavenly Demon Sect committed so many heinous crimes and even participated in a rebellion. Now that Wen Qiuchi has surrendered, does that mean they've truly agreed to everything? Are all the crimes they committed just wiped clean? Doesn't that set a very bad example for the righteous path in the world?"

Yan Wangchuan sighed and said, "His Majesty is young, the Empress Dowager is ruling from behind the curtain, and the eunuch faction is heavily involved in controlling the government. In recent years, some of the court's actions—alas, it's a long story!"

With that, Yan Wangchuan waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about that. Are you going to the martial arts tournament?"

Gu Guanqi carefully put away the invitation and letter, and said, "Of course I'll go. Since Wen Qiuchi has specifically named me to settle things once and for all, I can't just wait for her to come after me!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Feng quickly cupped his hands and said, "Hero Gu, I have already delivered the invitation letter, so I will take my leave now. I still need to deliver some other letters!"

Gu Guanqi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble!"

"Master Gu, Lord Yan, this junior takes his leave!"

Chu Feng bowed, then turned and slowly left.

Then, Yan Wangchuan raised an eyebrow at Gu Guanqi, grinned, and said, "Wenjian Mountain is in Duanjiang County, which is quite far from Qingzhou City. You will have to set off in the next few days. Jiang Baili, what are you planning to do?"

""

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and said, "Let's see if she's willing to come along."

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