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

Chapter 11: Bound by Life and Death (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As soon as the Fire Phoenix uttered those words...

The group of unorthodox masters were in an uproar and all looked at the masked man.

The masked man sneered, "Do you people have a choice? Either you all attack and kill them together, and maybe you'll have a chance to live. Or I'll be killed. If I die, the Gu Mother will die, and you'll all die with me!"

At this moment, the faces of those notorious thieves and unorthodox individuals turned grim, and they were quite conflicted.

"Kill them!"

The masked man suddenly roared.

The group of thieves hesitated and looked at each other.

Immediately afterwards, the masked man made a strange, sharp, and piercing sound.

At that moment, the expressions of those unorthodox masters all changed. They all felt the Gu worms moving in their bodies and knew that the masked man was threatening them.

"kill!"

Immediately, some people couldn't withstand the pressure. Compared to being killed by Gu Guanqi, they were more afraid of being tortured by the Gu worms and wishing they were dead. They immediately roared and charged at Gu Guanqi.

Once someone takes the lead, many more people immediately follow suit.

In an instant, a crowd surged forth, surrounding and attacking.

Gu Guanqi charged out with his sword.

The moment the Autumn Water Sword was drawn, a cold, clear sword light exploded in the dim mine, like a bolt of lightning striking down in the dark night.

As the sword light flashed, the three men at the forefront didn't even have time to raise their weapons before their throats were slashed by the sword tips, blood splattered, and they collapsed to the ground.

Gu Guanqi kept moving, using his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to navigate the narrow mine shaft, his figure as ethereal as smoke and mist as he weaved through the crowd. Although the unorthodox masters outnumbered him, they couldn't move freely in such a confined space; instead, they jostled and hindered each other.

Gu Guanqi's sword was incredibly fast.

Each sword strike precisely pierced a vital spot. Throat, heart, brow—each blow was fatal, swift and decisive. The sword light flickered in the torchlight, like streaks of silver lightning cutting through the darkness.

Blood splattered, screams rose and fell, and corpses piled up one after another in the narrow mine tunnels.

Jiang Baili rushed out at that moment, her palm technique exquisite, instantly killing several people. Then, Fire Phoenix also made her move, wielding a long whip, each lash bringing down an opponent.

Zhu Jing stood at the entrance of the cave, holding a knife.

Gu Guanqi, on the other hand, became more and more courageous in the battle.

Within moments, more than half of the people lay in pools of blood.

The remaining unorthodox masters were terrified by the fierce swordsmanship and retreated one after another. However, due to the crowd behind them, they had nowhere to retreat and could only grit their teeth and charge forward.

Gu Guanqi's sword momentum did not diminish. With a sweeping motion, the sword energy surged, knocking away the weapons in the hands of four or five people in the front row. The tip of the sword then swept across, and three more people fell to the ground.

this moment,

Seeing that things were not going well, the masked man turned around and ran away. In a flash, he disappeared into a side path.

"These people are yours!"

Gu Guanqi said something, then flicked his wrists repeatedly, and in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people fell down.

The remaining small number of people are no longer a concern.

Gu Guanqi had great confidence in the martial arts skills of Jiang Baili and Huo Fenghuang.

Immediately, he chased after the masked man, using his Lingbo Weibu footwork to its fullest extent, his figure moving like a ghost through the mine.

The two sped through the intricate mine shafts, one after the other. The masked man was extremely familiar with the terrain, weaving left and right, deliberately choosing narrow and difficult side passages. However, Gu Guanqi's lightness skill far surpassed his, and the distance between them not only did not increase, but actually grew closer.

Soon, they caught up to the bottom of a cave.

This is a cave that has been carved out, with jagged stone walls all around and towering rock formations overhead, offering no further way out.

The masked man stopped, turned around, and stared intently at Gu Guanqi with his eyes behind the mask. Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh: "Gu Guanqi, the auspicious location I chose for you is quite good, isn't it? You…"

Before the masked man could finish speaking...

Gu Guanqi unleashed a sword strike, the Autumn Water Sword drawing a cold arc in the air as he moved with the speed of a shooting star, aiming straight for the masked man's chest.

The masked man's pupils constricted as he tried to dodge, but the sword was too fast. He didn't even have time to react before the tip of the sword pierced his chest and emerged from his body.

The masked man's body stiffened abruptly.

He looked down at the long sword that had pierced his chest, blood gushing from the wound, flowing down the blade and dripping onto the stone ground beneath his feet.

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, and his body began to tremble slightly.

With a flick of his wrist, Gu Guanqi knocked the ghost mask off the masked man's face.

Beneath the mask was the face of a middle-aged man he had never seen before. The man was thin, with high cheekbones, and a cold smile played on his lips.

With his last ounce of strength, the middle-aged man slowly raised his hand, pointed upwards, and said in a hoarse, weak voice, "This...above...is a lake...you can't escape..."

Before the words were finished—

"boom--"

An explosion occurred at the cave entrance, causing it to collapse instantly. Boulders rolled down, completely blocking the escape route.

Immediately afterwards, the rock strata above collapsed, and huge rocks carrying soil poured down.

The ground suddenly shook violently, a muffled thud came from the rock above, and gravel fell down in a flurry.

Gu Guanqi's expression changed, and he suddenly looked up.

On the rock wall above, cracks were spreading at a visible speed, like a spider web, in all directions.

He immediately drew his sword.

The sword is drawn, and a celestial being descends from the heavens!

One after another, clear and solitary sword lights suddenly appeared from the cave, stretching out horizontally and vertically, like moonlight pouring down and stars falling, with sharp sword intent carrying the force of breaking through the air and slashing straight at the cave entrance that had collapsed and blocked it.

Where the sword light swept past, a thin, silver-thread-like crack first appeared in the blue stone, and in an instant, the crack spread wildly like a spider web.

A deafening roar!

The thick, hard stone wall collapsed with a deafening roar, sending debris flying and dust billowing into the sky.

The large rocks blocking the cave entrance were chopped up.

Gu Guanqi struck again with his palm.

Stones flew everywhere.

He immediately rushed into the cave and fled quickly.

"Boom!"

At that very moment—

With a deafening roar, the rock strata above the cave entrance completely collapsed, and a terrifying torrent of water surged in like a celestial river bursting its banks, carrying mud, sand, and rubble, pouring into the cave with overwhelming force.

Gu Guanqi's expression changed slightly.

She used the Lingbo Weibu technique to its fullest extent, running wildly through the cave, with a surging torrent of water rushing towards her from behind.

……

Meanwhile, in the upper part of the mine.

As Fire Phoenix and his companions were locked in combat with those unorthodox masters, they suddenly heard a muffled rumbling sound coming from the bottom of the cave, causing the entire mine to tremble slightly.

Immediately afterwards, the unorthodox masters who had fought against them all changed their expressions drastically, clutching their chests and letting out painful screams. Some collapsed to the ground, convulsing, while others bled from all seven orifices, clearly suffering from the backlash of the Gu worms.

The phoenix felt a chill run down its spine and was about to speak—

"boom--"

A stone wall next to them collapsed with a crash, sending debris flying everywhere.

Through the collapsed wall, they saw deep within the mine in the distance, where a terrifying torrent of water was surging down from the mountaintop, like an angry dragon roaring as it poured into the mine, swallowing everything in its path.

Zhu Jing's expression changed drastically, and she said, "There's a lake diagonally above this mine!"

Fire Phoenix immediately shouted, "Everyone, evacuate quickly! This mine will be flooded soon!"

The hostages were terrified and turned pale. Upon hearing this, they all ran towards the cave entrance.

However, at that moment, Zhu Jing suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! Master Gu is still at the bottom of the cave!"

Upon hearing this, the Fire Phoenix turned to look at the surging torrent of water, shook its head slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in its eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Such a large flood... we can only hope for the hero's fate. I believe that good fortune will come to him!"

Having said that,

However, both Huo Fenghuang and Zhu Jing knew that survival was virtually impossible. The impact of such a powerful current made it impossible to survive. Even if they managed to survive by relying on their profound internal strength, the mine was complex and dark, and it would take enough time for them to suffocate several times over to swim out.

But, at this very moment—

A white shadow flashed by.

It is ginger-flavored white carp.

Without any hesitation, her pure white figure shot towards the cave entrance that Gu Guanqi had entered earlier, like a streak of light.

Zhu Jing was shocked and quickly grabbed Jiang Baili's sleeve, saying urgently, "Miss Jiang, you can't go! It's too dangerous!"

Jiang Baili didn't even turn his head, and struck out with his palm.

That palm strike was light and airy, yet it carried an extremely powerful true energy. Zhu Jing felt a gentle yet irresistible force surge towards her, and her five fingers involuntarily loosened their grip on Jiang Baili's sleeve. Immediately afterward, she was shaken back several steps and crashed into the stone wall behind her. Her arm was sore and numb, but it did not cause her any harm.

Then, she watched helplessly as Jiang Baili rushed into the cave.

The figure in pure white flashed through the dimly lit mine, and in an instant, the sound of rushing water echoed from within.

Fire Phoenix stood aside, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Then, she took a deep breath and said to Zhu Jing, "Miss Zhu, let's go. It's up to fate now!"

Zhu Jing looked at the cave entrance, sighed slightly, and turned to follow the fire phoenix towards the entrance.

……

At this moment, in the passage, Gu Guanqi kept moving, his figure darting through the mine like a ghost. Behind him, the flood roared and surged, carrying mud, sand, and gravel, creating a deafening roar in the narrow tunnel. Waves of water repeatedly crashed against his heels, almost swallowing him whole.

Just as he turned a corner,

He was shocked to see a figure in pure white approaching him.

"elder brother……"

Jiang Baili's voice sounded somewhat muffled amidst the roaring water.

Gu Guanqi's pupils contracted slightly. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Jiang Baili's waist, pulling her close. He then used his full strength to continue running forward.

Behind them, a torrent of water swept in rapidly.

Gu Guanqi rushed out of the side path and arrived at the empty hall where the previous group battle had taken place.

At this moment, the area is now a vast expanse of water, with water gushing out from various openings and the water level rising at a visible rate.

His gaze swept across the area and he saw that the entrance they had come in through had completely collapsed, with huge rocks blocking the exit completely, and murky water was seeping out from the cracks in the rocks.

Without hesitation, Gu Guanqi leaped into the air. Using the Golden Goose Skill to propel himself through the air, he took several steps and thrust out his Autumn Water Sword. With a clang, the sword disappeared into the stone wall above, down to the hilt.

He had one arm around Jiang Baili and the other gripping the hilt of his sword; the two of them were suspended in mid-air.

Beneath their feet, floodwaters surged from various cave entrances, converging, colliding, and churning in the hall. The water level rose higher and higher, gradually overflowing the moss on the stone walls and the stalactites at the bottom.

Gu Guanqi glanced down, then looked up at his surroundings. The path in was blocked, and the other entrances were filled with water, making it pitch black and impossible to see the end. A few torches flickered high up inside, soon to go out.

He looked down at Jiang Baili in his arms.

Jiang Baili rested her head on his chest, her plain white dress was mostly soaked, and her black hair clung to her cheeks. Her aloof and ethereal face remained expressionless as she quietly nestled in his arms, as if the raging flood outside had nothing to do with her.

"Why did you run into the cave instead of running out?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Jiang Baili slightly raised her face, looked at him, and said in a calm but serious tone: "Because there is a very important point in the way of husband and wife getting along, which is to depend on each other for life and death."

Gu Guanqi was slightly taken aback.

The only sound in the cave was the roar of the flood; otherwise, all was silent.

He looked down at Jiang Baili, at her eyes that were as clear as a cold pool.

Jiang Baili raised her head and looked straight into his eyes.

"Brother, your heart is beating fast."

Her voice was very soft.

Gu Guanqi remained silent.

Jiang Baili spoke again, "Have you fallen for me?"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and said, "It's no use if only I'm moved."

Jiang Baili blinked, and something seemed to be melting in her clear, cold eyes, like an undercurrent surging beneath the ice.

"Brother," she said, "that day you asked me why I was so certain we were destined to be together, and I said it was because I cultivated the Great Dao of Heavenly Interaction, and felt guided by some unseen force. But, in truth, I haven't cultivated the Dao of Heavenly Interaction!"

"Hmm?" Gu Guanqi looked at Jiang Baili, puzzled.

"Actually," Jiang Baili said softly, "I fell for you the first time I saw you, brother!"

this moment,

The last torch in the cave was extinguished by water, plunging the cave into darkness.

Jiang Baili hugged him even tighter.

Gu Guanqi said, "Don't be afraid. Hold my hand tightly, and I'll take you out."

Jiang Baili said softly, "Brother, hold onto Little Fish tightly. Brother, I can take you out."

"Hmm?" Gu Guanqi asked in surprise.

Jiang Baili continued, "The lake is flooding. My only worry is that if I go into the cave and can't find my brother, I won't come out. But as long as I can find my brother, I won't worry, because I know a lot of martial arts, including several underwater techniques."

Gu Guanqi said, "However, the exit has already collapsed."

Jiang Baili said, "It's alright, brother. Hold on tight to me, I'll lead you to the lake. You don't need to worry about anything, just hold my hand. I know the art of measuring qi, so you don't need to worry about breathing."

Gu Guanqi said, "I have a method of sealing acupoints with silver needles, which can put people into a state of tortoise breathing, where they do not need to breathe for a long time."

The Medicine King's Divine Manual contains several breathing techniques that can be used in water, which is Gu Guanqi's greatest source of confidence in his current situation.

Jiang Baili also reached out and grabbed the sword hilt, saying, "Then brother, please give yourself the acupuncture. I don't need it."

"it is good."

At this moment, Jiang Baili was holding onto the sword hilt and dangling in the air, so Gu Guanqi freed up one hand and quickly took out a silver needle to puncture his own acupoints.

Before long, he entered a state of tortoise-like breathing.

"Brother, hold my hand tightly!"

Immediately, Jiang Baili led Gu Guanqi into the water.

The icy lake water instantly swallowed the two of them.

Gu Guanqi had already entered a state of tortoise-like breathing after receiving acupuncture, requiring almost no breathing, and his consciousness was very clear. He could feel Jiang Baili's hand tightly gripping his hand; that hand was slender yet exceptionally strong in the water, pulling him along like a nimble fish darting through the water.

Jiang Baili's underwater skills are truly remarkable.

Her internal energy circulated, and a thin layer of energy subtly formed around her, seemingly isolating her from the lake water. Her movements in the water were incredibly light; with each leg swing and each twist of her waist, she used the momentum perfectly to propel herself forward. Even with the immense force of the surging lake water, she was still able to move against the current.

The floodwaters cascading down from the mountaintop carried mud, sand, and gravel, forming swift, turbulent undercurrents.

But Jiang Baili seemed to be able to predict the direction of every undercurrent. Sometimes she would turn to the side, sometimes she would dive, and sometimes she would swim close to the stone wall, always managing to slip through the gaps in the undercurrents. Her hand was always firmly held by Gu Guanqi's.

Gu Guanqi was led by her hand and enveloped by her true energy, rising and falling in the water with her movements.

He could sense the changes in Jiang Baili's internal energy, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, sometimes rapid, sometimes slow, perfectly responding to the impact of each stream of water.

Time becomes blurred in the water.

Gu Guanqi didn't know how much time had passed.

finally--

"Splash—"

The water broke open, and moonlight poured down.

Jiang Baili pulled Gu Guanqi out of the water. The moon was bright and the stars were few, and the silvery moonlight sprinkled on the water, making it shimmer like a layer of broken silver.

The two swam to the shore, and Jiang Baili pulled Gu Guanqi ashore.

Gu Guanqi released the Turtle Breathing Acupuncture Technique and immediately began to gasp for breath. His gaze suddenly fell on Jiang Baili's long sleeve, where a sword was wrapped around it. It was the Autumn Water Sword that he had left behind on the wall of the cave.

He turned to look at Jiang Baili beside him and asked in surprise, "Little Fish, why did you bring your sword with you?"

Jiang Baili raised her head, her clear eyes shining brightly in the moonlight.

She looked at Gu Guanqi, her tone calm but earnest: "Brother is a swordsman, and a sword is very important to a swordsman. Therefore, this sword is very important to brother, and I cannot let it be lost."

Gu Guanqi shook his head slightly and said, "The sword is not that important to me, at least not worth the risk you would take."

"I understand, brother."

Jiang Baili nodded slightly, but at that moment, a layer of icy mist appeared on her body, her lips lost their color, and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

A bone-chilling cold emanated from her body, and even from several feet away, Gu Guanqi could clearly feel the chill.

Gu Guanqi's expression changed slightly, and he grabbed Jiang Baili's wrist.

Jiang Baili's wrists were frighteningly cold, and the chill was spreading wildly from her body. A thin layer of frost was even faintly condensing on her plain white dress.

Gu Guanqi immediately understood upon taking her pulse that Jiang Baili's body was already imbalanced in yin and yang. During the long time she was underwater, she had been using her true energy to fight against the rapid current, which had caused her internal energy to be over-exhausted, resulting in the sudden outburst of yin energy that was no longer suppressed.

The situation became extremely critical.

It has far exceeded what it was before, and it can no longer be suppressed by simply applying silver needles to acupoints.

Similar to the situation when Jiang Baili neutralized the true energy of the Tribulation-Breaking Finger for Lin Yourong, Jiang Baili's current situation is even more critical, and the cold energy is many times stronger than the true energy of the Tribulation-Breaking Finger.

Gu Guanqi needed to fully activate his Purple Cloud True Qi at this moment.

"Little Fish," Gu Guanqi said, "Little Fish, the cold energy in your body has fully erupted. Guiding it with silver needles alone is no longer enough. I must use my internal energy to force it out. I need to remove your clothes so that I can accurately channel my internal energy into your acupoints."

"Okay." Jiang Baili nodded slightly.

Gu Guanqi said, "Don't worry, after I use silver needles to stimulate the acupoints, I will blindfold myself with a cloth strip, so I won't..."

"Need not."

Jiang Baili interrupted Gu Guanqi.

She sat on the grass, her body still trembling. The cold was clearly reaching her heart, but she remained calm, as if she couldn't feel the pain. Her eyes were still clear as water as she looked at Gu Guanqi and said calmly, "Brother, we are destined to be husband and wife. There's no need for so many taboos."

The moonlight bathed her, illuminating her aloof and ethereal face like the first snow on a mountain peak. Her eyes were pure and clear, without a trace of impurity or shyness.

She simply untied the soaked silk sash around her waist, and her wet dress slid off her shoulders, down her slender waist to her feet, piling up like a white cloud in the moonlight.

The moonlight shone down on her without any obstruction.

Her skin was as white as snow, glowing faintly in the moonlight, like the finest mutton fat jade, so delicate and flawless.

Her collarbones are sharp and clean, like they were cut by a knife. Her shoulder and neck lines are smooth and beautiful, flowing down from her shoulders. Every inch of her lines is just right; adding or subtracting even a little would make her look too plump or too thin.

She sat in front of Gu Guanqi, surrounded by a chilling aura. The moonlight outlined her figure as if it were an ice sculpture, cold, pure, and untouched by any dust.

Gu Guanqi's gaze lingered on her for a moment before immediately looking away.

"Little Fish, turn your back to me," he said softly.

Jiang Baili immediately turned around, with her back to Gu Guanqi, and slowly sat down on the rock.

Immediately, Gu Guanqi quickly calmed his mind, suppressed his chaotic thoughts, circulated his Purple Cloud True Qi, and soon felt a warm sensation in his palms.

Then quickly use silver needles to prick the acupoints of Jiang Baili.

Then, Gu Guanqi took a deep breath and slowly placed his palms on Jiang Baili's back.

The moment his palm touched her back, a bone-chilling cold rushed up his spine. The chill was more intense than he had anticipated, as if he were touching not a living person's body, but a block of ice buried deep underground for thousands of years.

Jiang Baili's body trembled slightly, but she did not make a sound.

Gu Guanqi steadied himself, and the Purple Cloud True Qi surged from his dantian, flowing into Jiang Baili's body through his palm.

The true qi was warm and gentle, like a warm current slowly flowing along the meridians. However, the cold qi in Jiang Baili's body was too domineering. As soon as the Zixia true qi entered, it was enveloped by layers of cold qi, as if it had been trapped in an icy plain, making it impossible to move an inch.

Gu Guanqi frowned slightly and increased the flow of his true energy.

The characteristic of the Purple Cloud Divine Skill is that it accumulates strength gradually and is continuous, gaining an advantage the longer the battle lasts.

At first, the Purple Cloud True Qi retreated step by step in the face of the cold air, but gradually, as more True Qi poured in, the warm current began to condense and grow stronger, like a ball of fire wrapped in the cold wind, burning stubbornly.

A long time passed.

Gu Guanqi's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his face was slightly pale, but his palm remained firmly pressed against Jiang Baili's back, without moving an inch.

Wave after wave of Zixia True Qi flowed in, gradually forcing out the chilling energy deep within Jiang Baili's meridians. The chilling energy slowly escaped from the pores of her body, transforming into wisps of visible white mist under the moonlight, rising gently and dissipating in the night breeze.

Jiang Baili's body gradually became less cold, and a faint warm color appeared on her skin, like the spring breeze shining through the ice.

Gu Guanqi's breathing gradually calmed down, his palm still firmly pressed against Jiang Baili's back, forcing the last bit of cold air out of her body.

Gu Guanqi then finished his practice and let out a long breath.

just,

The coldness of ginger and white carp is only a temporary solution, not a permanent cure.

Now she has only forced out the leaking cold energy; the real problem is the imbalance of Yin and Yang in the internal energy she cultivates.

Gu Guanqi's Purple Cloud True Qi was still somewhat lacking; it couldn't directly address the root cause, and could only force out the generated cold energy, but couldn't directly guide the Yin and Yang True Qi to restore balance.

at this time,

Gu Guanqi's face was pale, and he looked very tired.

He used up the little bit of his remaining true energy to dry Jiang Baili's clothes.

Jiang Baili slowly put her clothes back on, covering her exposed skin, then turned around to look at Gu Guanqi and said, "Brother, I'm still a little cold."

Gu Guanqi was taken aback and said, "How could this be...?"

Just then, Jiang Baili snuggled into Gu Guanqi's arms, curling up with her ear pressed tightly against his chest, able to hear his heartbeat.

"This way it won't be cold," Jiang Baili said.

Gu Guanqi: "..."

Although the performance was very obvious, the speed of progress was incredibly fast.

Seven or eight days ago, they didn't know anything, but now they know everything. If this goes on for a long time, what will happen?

At this time,

A ray of light suddenly broke through the sky and fell upon the world.

Snowflakes were faintly falling.