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

Chapter 92 Guanyin Cult

After about five breaths,

'

A muffled thud came from outside the window, like something crashing heavily to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, an exasperated voice came from outside the window, tinged with anger and fear: "You idiot!"

I already said, just kidnap them! You had to use this damn sleeping gas! Now look what happened, the gas has all shrunk to itself!

Another voice, weak and frustrated, as if just getting up from the ground and still dizzy, said: "I—I didn't know it would turn out like this. How did someone end up watching this broken window—"

"Shut up! Get up right now, the person's inside, just grab them!"

Before the words had even finished—

"Bang! Bang!"

Two loud crashes rang out, and the window bars snapped, sending splinters flying. Two figures burst through the window one after the other, their movements swift and agile, landing silently.

The candlelight was swept by a strong wind, shook violently a few times, and almost went out. The flickering light cast indistinct shadows on the ancestral hall.

The women screamed in alarm, and several of the more timid ones collapsed to the ground, trembling and clutching their children.

With a clang, Chen Rou drew her short sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the candlelight, and stood in front of the women.

Two people broke in through the window: a monk and a Taoist priest.

The monk was about forty years old, with a burly build, broad shoulders and a thick waist. He wore a gray monk's robe, had six ordination scars on his bald head, and a face full of fierce features.

The Taoist priest was of similar age, thin, with a sallow complexion, wearing a tattered Taoist robe, and carrying a whisk in his hand. He was standing unsteadily with a vacant look in his eyes, clearly still dazed from the intoxicating smoke he had been smoking.

As soon as they landed, their eyes swept over the people in the ancestral hall.

The monk's gaze lingered on Chen Rou for a moment, a lewd smile appearing on his lips: "Hehe, as expected of Qi Changkong's wife, she still retains her charm. It wasn't in vain that I've been thinking about her for so long—"

Then, his self-light moved towards Jiang Baili.

In that instant, the monk's pupils contracted sharply.

The Taoist priest also saw Jiang Baili, and his unfocused eyes instantly cleared up; he too was stunned.

Under the candlelight, Jiang Baili, dressed in a plain white dress, with her black hair flowing like a waterfall, stood there quietly with an expressionless face, like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting, or like Chang'e who had floated down from the moon.

The monk's Adam's apple bobbed, he swallowed, and then burst into laughter, his laughter filled with greed and excitement: "Hahaha! Excellent! Today I not only caught a mature woman who still retains her charm, but also such a beautiful young girl! I've lived for forty years and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it!"

The Taoist priest snapped out of his daze, chuckled, rubbing his hands together, his eyes filled with lewdness: "I've really struck gold today—"

Chen Rou held her short sword horizontally in front of her and shouted sharply, "Who are you two scoundrels? Do you know the name of my Tingshan Sect!"

The Taoist priest chuckled and said, "Madam, please don't be angry. After I've properly pampered you, I'll tell you who I am."

After saying that, he turned to look at the monk, and the two exchanged a glance before moving at the same time.

The monk took a step forward, and his large, fan-like hand reached directly at Jiang Baili, his five fingers like hooks, carrying a sharp gust of wind.

The Taoist priest turned around, flicked his whisk, and headed straight for Chen Rou. The silver strands on the whisk stood up like steel needles, aiming straight for Chen Rou's face.

"Miss Jiang, get out of the way!" Chen Rou shouted, her short sword meeting the Taoist's whisk.

The swords clashed with a crisp "clang," sparks flying everywhere. Chen Rou felt a gentle, yin-like force surge from the whisk, causing her arm to go numb slightly and her feet to involuntarily take a step back.

She was startled. This Taoist's internal strength was far superior to hers, even among the top masters in the martial arts world.

And on the other side-

The monk's hand was almost touching Jiang Baili's shoulder.

His lips were already curled into a grin, and his eyes were full of triumphant excitement.

In that instant, Jiang Baili raised his hand and struck out with a palm.

That palm strike was light and airy, seemingly without any force, and didn't even look like an attack; it was more like casually waving away a wisp of smoke in front of him.

However, where the palm wind passed, a ripple that could be seen with the naked eye appeared in the air.

The monk's pupils suddenly contracted.

He tried to dodge, but the hand seemed to lock onto his body. No matter which way he dodged, the palm wind blocked his retreat.

"Bang-"

A dull, loud bang.

The palm print struck the monk in the chest. As if struck by an invisible giant hammer, the monk was sent flying backward, crashing through the wooden door behind him and landing heavily on the blue brick ground outside the ancestral hall. He rolled twice before coming to a stop.

He lay sprawled on the ground, gushing blood. The monk's robe at his chest had been shattered by the force of the palm strike, revealing a sunken chest beneath. His eyes were wide open, and blood continued to flow from his mouth; he was clearly on the verge of death.

The ancestral hall was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned.

The short sword in Chen Rou's hand hovered in mid-air. She looked at the seriously injured monk outside the door, then at Jiang Baili, her eyes filled with disbelief.

The women were so frightened they couldn't speak.

The Taoist priest's smile froze instantly.

His eyes were filled with terror, and he involuntarily took two steps back, holding his whisk in front of him. His voice trembled as he asked, "Who—who are you?"

Jiang Baili did not answer, her face expressionless.

She remained standing in the same spot, her pure white dress spotless, her expression calm, yet her eyes seemed to be wandering off into the distance.

A ruthless glint flashed in the Taoist's eyes.

He suddenly raised his hand, and countless tiny black needles flew out from his sleeve. The tips of the needles gleamed with a bluish luster, clearly coated with potent poison, and they rained down on Jiang Baili.

The poisoned needles pierced the air with a dense hissing sound, appearing like a black rain in the candlelight, enveloping Jiang Baili's entire body.

Chen Rou's expression changed drastically, and she cried out urgently, "Miss Jiang, quickly hide!"

However, Jiang Baili remained motionless, seemingly lost in thought.

The next moment, Jiang Baili slightly raised her hands.

Her movements seemed slow, like waving her arms in water, but with this seemingly slow wave, an invisible true energy surged from her palm, like an invisible wall blocking her way.

The poisoned needles flew to within a foot of her, then seemed to hit an invisible wall and hovered in mid-air.

There were at least thirty or twenty densely packed poison needles, hovering in front of Jiang Baili, their tips pointing forward and their tails trembling slightly, like a swarm of frozen insects.

Then, with a slight wave of his hand, Jiang Baili caused all of the dozens of poison needles to fall to the ground.

Chen Rou's eyes were filled with disbelief.

The candlelight shone on Jiang Baili's face, making her aloof expression appear even more unreal.

"Who exactly are you, you, you—who are you, this master?"

The Taoist priest was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and his face instantly turned ashen.

He stammered out a sentence, then, disregarding everything else, he turned around abruptly and, like an arrow released from a bow, flew towards the entrance of the ancestral hall.

His lightness skill was not weak; in the blink of an eye, he had already reached the door and was about to rush out.

But the moment he stepped out the door—

A white shadow swept past him, as fast as smoke, or like a solidified moonlight, silent and invisible, and in an instant it blocked his way.

Jiang Baili stood there, her plain white dress fluttering slightly in the night breeze, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, moonlight pouring down from behind her.

The Taoist priest stumbled and nearly fell, staggering back several steps before his back hit a pillar in the ancestral hall, barely managing to regain his balance.

His legs were trembling, and his voice was trembling, choked with sobs: "Heroine—heroine, spare my life! This humble Taoist—no, I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I offended you, heroine, please spare my dog's life!"

He knelt on the ground with a thud, his forehead hitting the blue brick floor with a heavy thud: "I dare not do it again! I swear, from this day forward I will repent and never do evil again! Please, heroine, spare my life! Please, heroine, spare my life!"

While kowtowing, the Taoist priest quietly slipped his hand into his sleeve, preparing to take out a hidden weapon for a sneak attack.

However, in that instant, Jiang Baili struck out with his palm, and an extremely powerful surge of true energy gushed out from his palm.

"Bang"

Before the Taoist could even scream, his body trembled and blood instantly flowed from his seven orifices.

The hidden weapon in his hand slipped from his sleeve and rolled all over the ground with a clattering sound.

Inside the ancestral hall, there was a deathly silence.

At this moment, at the village entrance.

The band of bandits, carrying torches, circled the village several times, their horses' hooves making the ground tremble slightly. The torchlight flickered in the night, casting shifting shadows on the bandits' faces.

In the village, the villagers gripped their hoes and sickles, barely daring to breathe. Even Zhang Guodong and the other disciples of the Tingshan Sect were on edge.

However-

Just when everyone thought a fierce battle was inevitable, the band of bandits suddenly turned their horses around and quickly retreated along the way they had come.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance, and the light of the torches gradually disappeared into the depths of the night, leaving only a patch of mud trampled into pieces and a few torches that had not yet been extinguished, burning into clusters of flickering flames on the ground.

"What's going on?"

"Why did you leave?"

"Are you alright now?"

"Don't let your guard down; they might just launch a surprise attack!"

"

The villagers were all very puzzled. Many felt as if they had survived a disaster, but many more were even more nervous, worried that this was a trap set by the other side.

However, the band of bandits was getting further and further away.

"this----"

Zhang Guodong suddenly stood up, staring in the direction the bandits had gone, his pupils suddenly contracting.

"A feint to the east while attacking in the west!"

He roared, his face instantly turning deathly pale, "Their target is the ancestral hall!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jing's heart sank. Without saying a word, she leaped and flew towards the ancestral hall.

Zhang Guodong followed closely behind, rushing over at high speed.

Gu Guanqi thought about it and agreed that Zhang Guodong's suggestion was indeed possible, so he immediately headed towards the ancestral hall.

However, he wasn't too worried, because he knew that Jiang Baili was very skilled in martial arts. If something unexpected happened, she wouldn't be able to get hurt without any reaction.

After all, Jiang Baili is only trying to avoid using force, not that he can't use force at all.

The three of them quickly arrived at the entrance of the ancestral hall.

The gate to the ancestral hall remained tightly closed.

The group leaped in.

When they saw the scene inside, Zhu Jing and Zhang Guodong's hearts jumped into their throats. There was a body outside the ancestral hall and another body inside. The door itself was also dilapidated.

The two didn't have time to look around and quickly ran into the ancestral hall. When they saw Chen Rou and their junior brother inside, they both breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Master's wife! Are you alright? What happened here?" Zhu Jing quickly walked up to Chen Rou and asked.

"I'm fine," Chen Rou shook her head, but her gaze involuntarily fell on Jiang Baili, and she said, "Thanks to this Miss Jiang, those two lecherous thieves were after me—"

Then, Chen Rou briefly recounted what had happened.

After hearing this, Zhu Jing and Zhang Guodong were both shocked.

The two were even more incredulous when they learned that the monk and the Taoist priest had been killed with a single palm strike.

Let alone those two being martial arts masters, even killing an ordinary person with a single palm strike would require extremely profound internal strength.

Both of them swallowed hard and looked at Jiang Baili.

At this moment, Gu Guanqi also walked in.

Zhu Jing took a deep breath, turned to Gu Guanqi and Jiang Baili, clasped her hands in a deep bow, and said in a solemn and sincere tone, "Thank you for your help, Miss Jiang. May I ask who you two are?"

Jiang Baili didn't speak, but quietly looked at Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "Miss Zhu, I already told you at the village entrance that my name is Gu Guanqi."

Zhu Jing was stunned.

Zhang Guodong was also stunned. Suddenly, a possibility occurred to him, and he stammered, "You wouldn't happen to be—the Sword Immortal Gu Guanqi, would you?"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I dare not call myself a sword immortal, but I should be the Gu Guanqi you've heard about!"

Although Zhu Jing and Zhang Guodong were mentally prepared, they were still taken aback when they heard Gu Guanqi admit it.

Zhang Guodong immediately clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "To think it's a sword immortal in person! My wife and I were blind to your greatness and have been extremely rude. We hope you will forgive us, Great Hero Gu!"

Zhu Jing quickly cupped her hands in greeting, and Chen Rou, though a woman confined to the inner quarters, had clearly heard of Gu Guanqi's reputation, and also hurriedly bowed, saying, "Greetings, Master Gu." Then, she couldn't help but ask, "And this young lady?"

Gu Guanqi said, "Her real name is Jiang Baili. However, she has been cultivating in the mountains and has never come out. Although she has martial arts skills, she has no reputation in the martial arts world."

Chen Rou chuckled and said, "With Miss Jiang's martial arts skills, she will surely become famous throughout the martial arts world in due time."

"What's the use of being famous in the martial arts world?" Jiang Baili asked softly.

Gu Guanqi chuckled and said, "That's a good question. I don't know either."

"Hmm." Jiang Baili didn't ask any more questions.

Gu Guanqi then said to Zhang Guodong and Zhu Jing, "Let's not talk about this for now. Let's go check these two corpses and see if we can find out their identities. These two were cooperating with the bandits outside, so they couldn't possibly be just lecherous thieves!"

Immediately, Zhang Guodong and Zhu Jing each began to search one of the corpses.

A moment later, Zhang Guodong, who was outside, shouted, "Found it!"

The group quickly went over.

Then they saw Zhang Guodong holding a palm-sized bronze token, with images of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin carved on both sides.

"This is the Guanyin Token!" Zhang Guodong said.

Gu Guanqi immediately thought of Wen Qiuchi, the Blood Guanyin, and asked, "Is it related to Wen Qiuchi?"

"Yes," Zhang Guodong said in a deep voice, "Wen Qiuchi's nickname is Blood Guanyin. In order to win over experts, she specially forged a batch of Guanyin tokens, which were divided into four grades: gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and were given to those who had made contributions to her."

The holder of this token can make a request to Wen Qiuchi of a corresponding rank, which Wen Qiuchi will certainly grant. A bronze Guanyin token grants immediate access to the Heavenly Demon Sect Master, and it is equally valid within the Guanyin Sect. Anyone who possesses a bronze Guanyin token undoubtedly holds a high position within the Guanyin Sect!

Gu Guanqi said in a deep voice, "Since they are Wen Qiuchi's people, and they have gone to great lengths to kidnap the family members of the participants just before the martial arts tournament is about to be held, their purpose is self-evident, they are definitely after the martial arts tournament."

Chen Rou quickly asked, "Master Gu, do you mean they want to capture me and my son to threaten my husband?"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "My personal guess is this: Wen Qiuchi wants to establish the Qingzhou Martial Arts Alliance at the Martial Arts Conference and seize the position of Alliance Leader, which will inevitably encounter strong resistance from the Qingzhou martial arts community. If I'm not mistaken, the Tingshan Sect is against it, right?"

Zhang Guodong chimed in, "Wen Qiuchi's ambition to unify the martial arts world of Qingzhou is utterly delusional. Forget unifying Qingzhou; even if she wanted to establish a sect in Qingzhou, my Tingshan Sect would be the first to object. Does she really think that changing her name can cover up the crimes committed by the Heavenly Demon Sect over the years? Those corrupt officials in the imperial court are all heartless bastards!"

Gu Guanqi said, "So it's quite obvious that if Wen Qiuchi wants to establish a sect and a martial arts alliance in Qingzhou, he must force all the martial arts factions in Qingzhou to agree at the martial arts conference. It's necessary to use some underhanded methods."

Zhang Guodong suddenly realized, "So, they deliberately created these illusions of flower thieves and bandits to cover up their true purpose! If that's the case, they can't just be targeting our Tingshan Sect; other sects in Qingzhou are probably in trouble too. We must notify them to be on guard as soon as possible!"

Chen Rou said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid that many people are already under control!"

"Just ask around," Gu Guanqi said.

Zhang Guodong asked in confusion, "Ask whom?"

"Of course it's that band of bandits!" Gu Guanqi said. "I'm going to chase after them now and find out what's going on."

After saying that, Gu Guanqi said to Jiang Baili, "Miss Jiang, you wait for me here. Your internal energy is unstable right now, so try not to use your true energy."

"

"good!"

Jiang Baili nodded in agreement.

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly. Although Jiang Baili was naive and inexperienced, she had one good trait: she was never stubborn. No matter what request he made, Jiang Baili would always be obedient.

Immediately, Gu Guanqi lightly touched the ground with his feet, and his figure soared up like a wild goose, leaping onto the roof. Then he used the Lingbo Weibu technique, his figure appearing ethereal and uncertain in the moonlight. Walking on the moon, he was like a streak of light, sweeping past the treetops in the night and disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"With such superb lightness skills, how come there are rumors in the martial arts world that he is not good at lightness skills?" Zhu Jing said.

Zhang Guodong said, "These are just rumors from the martial arts world, you can't believe them. I've even heard that Master Gu is ten feet tall and as strong as an ox!"

"Too."

Zhu Jing chuckled softly, then looked at Jiang Baili, walked over, and said, "Miss Jiang, judging from what Master Gu just said, are you suffering from internal injuries? Perhaps I should take you to rest first?"

Jiang Baili shook her head slightly and said, "He told me to wait for him here. I'm not going anywhere. If I leave, he won't be able to find me when he comes back."

Zhu Jing quickly replied, "No, it's right here in this village. Master Gu will be able to find you when he returns."

Jiang Baili remained silent.

Seeing this, Zhu Jing had no choice but to give up and stop trying to persuade her. However, filled with curiosity, she hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Miss Jiang, may I ask what your relationship is with Master Gu? Are you engaged?"

Jiang Baili asked in confusion, "What is an engaged couple?"

Zhu Jing explained, "It means we will get married in the future, but we are not married yet."

Jiang Baili thought for a moment and nodded.

Zhu Jing's eyes lit up immediately. Not only Zhu Jing, but Chen Rou and Zhang Guodong also couldn't help but move closer.

Zhu Jing quickly asked, "But judging from how he addressed you, it seems like you two aren't very familiar with each other?"

Jiang Baili nodded and said, "He did say that we weren't close."

Zhu Jing was slightly taken aback and asked, "Then how did you two become engaged?"

"Because we are destined to be together," Jiang Baili said.

Zhu Jing suddenly realized, thinking to herself, "It seems that this is an engagement arranged by the elders. The two of them probably haven't spent much time together, which is why they are not familiar with each other."

"Even a woman like this can't choose her own marriage?"

For a moment, Zhu Jing looked at Jiang Baili with a mixture of sympathy and heartache.

"Then—do you like Master Gu?" Zhu Jing asked.

Jiang Baili asked, puzzled, "What does it mean to like someone?"

Zhu Jing was slightly taken aback, and felt even more heartache.

She already had a very clear image of Jiang Baili in her mind: a pitiful girl whose life had been planned out from childhood, who only needed to obey the orders of her elders and had no need for her own emotions.

She had seen many daughters of prominent families who were like this; from the moment they were born, they began to live according to the wishes of their elders.

She learns a craft, gets married, and raises children, ultimately confining herself to the inner quarters of the house for the rest of her life.

"Sigh!" Zhu Jing sighed and said, "Liking someone means caring about them, for example, whether they are close to you in your heart, whether you are willing to be with them."

"I am very willing to follow him," Jiang Baili thought for a moment and then said, "In terms of closeness, besides my master and senior sister, he is the person I am closest to."

"So you really like him!" Zhu Jing said.

At the same time, Zhu Jing looked at Jiang Baili and breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking to herself: At least she is lucky. Although she cannot choose her own marriage, at least she has met someone she likes.

only----

Zhu Jing suddenly thought of the rumors circulating in the martial arts world about Gu Guanqi going on blind dates everywhere.

Suddenly, a wave of heartache for Jiang Baili welled up in my heart again.

"Master Gu has the courage to defy fate, but Miss Jiang cannot. Fortunately, fate has arranged for her to be with the person she loves. If—Master Gu also loves her, then her unfortunate fate will turn into great fortune!"

She sized up Jiang Baili, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Miss Jiang is so beautiful. If she knew a few tricks up her sleeve, winning over Master Gu's heart would be a piece of cake. But she's too naive. I have to help her!"

Zhu Jing felt reassured and quickly asked, "Miss Jiang, do you want to win over Master Gu's heart?"

"What would I do with his heart? Wouldn't he die?" Jiang Baili said.

Zhu Jing smiled helplessly and said, "What I mean is, I want him to like you too. I can teach you!"

"Why do I need him to like me too?" Jiang Baili asked.

"This girl is so silly, so pitiful!"

Zhu Jing wanted to hug Jiang Baili and comfort her. She slowly said, "Only if he likes you too will you be happy after you get married, and only then will you be able to get along well!"

Jiang Baili suddenly realized, "So, you're going to teach me how to get along as a couple?"

Zhu Jing thought for a moment and said, "That's one way to understand it."

"Okay, thank you, you're such a kind person," Jiang Baili said. "Then teach me now."

Zhu Jing immediately said, "First of all, you must make full use of—"

"Jingmei!"

Just then, Zhang Guodong suddenly interrupted Zhu Jing, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Jingmei, I have a feeling something's not right. It sounds like she's done the splits!"

Zhu Jing rolled her eyes and said in a low voice, "Brother Dong, how can you have no compassion at all? Such a good girl, how can you bear to let her live a life of misery? She's already suffered enough, we can't let her suffer even more after she gets married!"

"No, what I mean is, is it possible that there's a misunderstanding?" Zhang Guodong said.

"Absolutely impossible." Zhu Jing said decisively, "You don't understand women at all. Just look at your master's wife and you'll understand how much Miss Jiang has suffered."

Zhang Guodong immediately looked at his teacher's wife, Chen Rou, and found that Chen Rou was looking at Jiang Baili with reddened eyes, full of pity and sympathy.

Zhang Guodong scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "Maybe I really—I was wrong!"