Heir to the martial arts world, starting with not crying at the Grim Reaper

The inn was bustling with noise in the early morning.

Early morning is usually the busiest time at the inn.

Those on the road need to get up early to set off, and those who are hungry need to eat breakfast, but this morning the inn is unusually lively, all because people are saying that the Yuhe Pavilion outside the town is haunted again.

No matter where they are or whether they are involved in the underworld or not, they all enjoy listening to excitement and gossip.

"My neighbor said she went over there early this morning to pick some lotus leaves to make porridge, but she found a skull and ran back in fright."

"What skull? Five or six men, they looked like country bumpkins from out of town, their heads were all smashed. That ghost was incredibly ferocious!"

"So you were just a country bumpkin from out of town. No wonder you didn't know Yuhe Pavilion was haunted!"

"Yeah, these country bumpkins stink."

"Are those bodies still there?"

"It's still there; it's said that even the fairies of the Ziyang Sect were alarmed."

"That's terrifying! I have to go check it out."

……

Listening to these discussions, Gu Jiu couldn't help but sigh to himself, "Overnight, I've turned into a vengeful ghost."

Given time, if he continues to uphold justice, he might achieve a reputation similar to "The Uncrying Death God." Would he then be able to practice the Cloud-Dispelling Palm technique even faster?

During this period, Gu Jiu really felt it: the more he felt like Bu Jingyun when practicing martial arts, the better the training results became.

There's a feeling that no one understands the Cloud Dispelling Palm better than me, not even Bu Jingyun.

Lao Tzu truly deserves to be called a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand!

He left the inn and continued on his way.

No matter what, I must go and see the Ziyang market today.

……

Next to the Yuhe Pavilion, the six corpses were lined up in a row.

The remaining five hall masters and one steward of the Xuan Gui Hall were there, but they did not dare to step forward. They simply stood respectfully behind a woman.

The woman was dressed in a purple robe embroidered with a three-sun pattern, indicating that she held a high position in the Ziyang Sect.

Although she is nearly forty years old and has had four husbands, Elder Feng of the Ziyang Sect is still single and well-maintained. Her skin is delicate, and she is as radiant as the bright jade bead flower in her hair, giving her a very charming appearance.

Of her four husbands, except for the second one who died suddenly, the other three, when she no longer loved them, all passed on their skills and unique techniques to her. This is one of the reasons why she was able to become an elder at the age of forty.

It can only be said that it's all because she loves so much.

However, in the past two years, she has not been able to fall in love with anyone again, so her skills have stagnated, which has bothered her and made her more irritable.

It is said that women tend to have a bad temper as they get older, but Elder Feng would never admit to this, because every husband she had ever had loved her to death, even though she did seem to be a little older.

Elder Feng Yun was in a bad mood this morning.

In short, Xuan Gui Tang was an organization she had helped to establish, and the people in it were a mixed bag; some of them were nothing more than cattle or horses in her eyes.

But no matter how much of a beast of burden she is, she is still her beast of burden.

This morning she heard that the fourth brother of Xuan Gui Hall had been killed, which is equivalent to someone killing her horse!

What's most infuriating is that, supposedly, it was right before the fourth brother was about to break through the Blood Qi barrier that even the powerful medicine was stolen.

In Elder Feng Yun's eyes, after seeing the true form, they were no longer cattle or horses, but human beings.

If these men are men, they can be put into a circle, and whoever improves and becomes more vigorous is more likely to become her new husband.

For her, the more men in this circle, the better, because the more men there are, the more likely they are to become experts, allowing her to choose more freely.

But in the end, he was murdered!

Looking at the row of corpses with shattered heads, Elder Feng Yun pondered, "They died in the same way as Wang Li. This man is incredibly audacious, daring to cause such chaos on Ziyang Sect's territory and even steal such a powerful medicine."

Even she, an elder, was somewhat envious of the Yinshan Ginseng Blood Pill.

"I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If this scoundrel dares to show his face in this area, he will surely meet a terrible end."

These are Elder Feng Yun's original words. Her words always carry great weight both inside and outside the Ziyang Sect.

"Are there any other clues?" Elder Feng Yun asked.

"There's a piece of drawing paper stuffed up this guy's ass."

The head of the Xuan Gui Hall took out a piece of paper that was soaked in water.

The lower half of the drawing paper was waterlogged and nothing could be seen clearly except for a blurry portrait of a human head.

The drawing looks like it's a man.

"What is this? Why is it stuffed in your butt?" Elder Feng Yun asked.

The head of the hall pondered, "Elder, after a few discussions, we think this isn't a portrait of the man's favorite male lover; it's probably a portrait of the murderer."

"Um?"

"Perhaps they had a grudge against the murderer long ago and had drawn his portrait. When they were about to be killed, the victim quickly stuffed the entire portrait into his anus to leave evidence, but unfortunately it got wet."

Listening to the Grand Master's analysis, Elder Feng Yun felt it was a bit strange, but it also made some sense.

She couldn't help but take another look at the drawing paper, which seemed to have a smell. All she could make out was that the person in the drawing had messy, curly hair, but nothing else.

……

Gu Jiu left Tianjing Town and headed east.

More and more people were on the road, and the farmland that originally followed the undulating terrain was gradually replaced by a cluster of dilapidated thatched and tiled houses.

This is already the outskirts of the city. Standing here, you can already see the towering city walls of Ziyang Market.

The city wall is about four or five zhang high and looks very imposing. In contrast, the scattered thatched houses and mud houses look dilapidated and small.

Whether in Wuyang City or Ziyang Market, the poor can only live in such dilapidated places.

Of course, there are certainly wealthy families' villas and such in these scenic suburban areas, but they would never be near such slums.

In front of the city gate, a long stone tablet stands there.

The words "Ziyang Grand Market" are engraved on it, signifying that we have finally arrived at our destination.

However, because the stone tablet was so long, Gu Jiu couldn't help but think that a word should be added after the four characters.

As you enter the city gate, a picturesque mountain city built against the mountain comes into view.

A light rain had just fallen this morning, leaving the dew fresh and clean.

Compared to the square and flat terrain of Wuyang City, the terrain of Ziyang Market is obviously much more complicated.

Not long after entering the city gate, you can hear the noise and the sound of horses' hooves rushing overhead, because there are bridges overhead that follow the contours of the mountains.

The roads below are streets, and the "bridges" overhead are also streets.

The noise above and below intertwined, creating a lively scene.

Looking up from a slightly open area, the people and vehicles moving on the roads at higher elevations appear to be in the sky.

The market was quite lively, with all sorts of people mingling together, creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere.

However, Gu Jiu soon ran into bad luck.

Because compared to the all-female inn in Tianjing Town, he encountered all-female restaurants, all-female teahouses, all-female cloth shops, and even some roadside stalls that only catered to women.

He visited three cloth shops before finally finding a piece of red cloth in a normal shop to make a new cloak.

Even more outrageous is that there is an all-female district on the east side of the city, which can only be entered by women, just like men and dogs are not allowed to enter.

Of course, he saw even more turtles along the way.

This Ziyang market is no smaller than Wuyang city, but it is much cleaner. It's not that the people here are more civilized, but rather that people come out to clean the streets from time to time.

These people worked very hard sweeping cow dung, horse dung, and even human excrement; some even squatted down and vigorously scrubbed the stone slabs.

Their figures, squatting there wiping the floor, were no different from real turtles.

At this point, Gu Jiu couldn't help but admire the Ziyang Sect.

The ability to attract so many "good men" to gather together and willingly contribute, even as resources, until this bustling urban cluster is formed, is certainly a skill in itself.

To the east of this city, there is a ladder that climbs up the mountain, and at the top of the ladder is the largest power in the Ziyang Market – the "Ziyang Gate".

It can be said that Ziyangmen controls everything here and is the undisputed local tyrant.

Although the main gate of Ziyang Gate is not yet visible, its spectacular scenery can already be seen.

It was a huge statue standing next to the ladder to heaven.

The statue is at least ten feet tall, blending into the clouds and mist of the mountains, like a real deity overlooking everything in the world, appearing majestic and imposing.

The huge statue depicts a woman holding a long whip, her clothes flowing, with a large dog lying beside her.

This should be one of the more famous attractions in Ziyang Market. Many people come to admire the statue, and Gu Jiu is among them.

But as he got closer and got a clearer view of the statue, he couldn't hold back any longer.

The statue at the feet of this giant female statue is not a dog at all, but a human.

A person lying face down.

However, its crouching posture was too arrogant at first and then obsequious, making it look like a dog from a distance.

The "dog" sculpture depicts none other than the founder of the Ziyang Sect, "Ziyang Zhenren".

This enormous statue naturally depicts the scene of Master Ziyang willingly being whipped and enslaved by his wife Zhou Lin, which moved the men around him so much that they couldn't help but kneel down and worship.

This is practically like meeting their ancestor!

Many men climbed up on their knees, tears welling in their eyes, as if on a pilgrimage.

Gu Jiu stood inside, feeling completely out of place, and quickly moved away.

Below the giant stone statue stands a stone tablet that records the life stories of Master Ziyang and the first fairy Zhou Lin.

The content inside was almost identical to what the Second Gang Leader had described that night: how Master Ziyang played the flute to entertain the guests, how he gradually mastered his divine skills, and how he earned the title of "Master Ziyang."

However, there is one detail that the second gang leader did not mention: the stone tablet says that Master Ziyang is still alive.

The Ziyang Sect has been established for 412 years. According to the description on the stele, the longest-lived person in the martial arts world, known as the "Second Invincible," only lived to be 308 years old. However, the stele still indicates that its founder, Master Ziyang, is still alive.

It is said that he was reluctant to be buried and wandered on this land, wanting to protect the fairies of Ziyang Sect for generations. Disciples who are destined to meet him can occasionally see him.

After reading it, Gu Jiu felt that it was a terrifying story.

What's the point of being reluctant to be buried? Just because someone is reluctant to be buried doesn't mean they can stay away from it.

At this moment, when he looked at the statue of Master Ziyang lying there like a dog, he felt a little uneasy.

Gu Jiu felt that the martial arts world was probably sick.

He had hardly encountered any normal martial arts people on his way here from Wuyang City.

They're all either crazy or perverted.

For a moment, he found the mountain tiger and his companions, who looked like beggars, somewhat endearing.

Although they were at the very bottom of the underworld, they still had a sense of humanity and were just as normal as I was.

The sculpture was so exquisitely crafted that it made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Gu Jiu felt that this place was eerie and decided to leave first.

He has important business to attend to today.

Now that he had come to the Ziyang Grand Market, he naturally wanted to buy the secret manual.

I wonder if I can find a brand new version of "Paiyun Palm" or other martial arts manuals.