Having studied for a hundred years, why do you call me the Martial Saint?

Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard at the foot of Suishan Mountain.

The courtyard was small, with blue tiles and white walls. Apart from that, it hadn't been renovated much, like a forgotten property of some nouveau riche.

Luo Gushuang stood under the corridor, her white dress blending seamlessly with the moonlight.

Hai Yuxu stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the courtyard, gazing into the distance towards Suishan.

The two remained silent for a long time before Hai Yuxu finally spoke.

"Palace Master Luo, it's been many years, but you still retain your charm."

"Sect Leader Hai, you're too kind," Luo Gushuang replied calmly. "The Canghai Sword Sect has gained quite a reputation these past few years; I've often heard of it even within the Hanyue Palace."

"Hahaha!" Hai Yuxu laughed heartily, but then changed the subject, "Palace Master Luo is joking. My Canghai Sword Sect's meager reputation is nowhere near as profound as the Hanyue Palace's foundation. This time, Palace Master Luo has personally come to Suishan, surely not just to watch a few matches between outer disciples, is it?"

Luo Gushuang smiled softly and pulled her cloak tighter around her:

"Isn't Sect Leader Hai here too? This outer sect competition at Sui Mountain is much more lively than I imagined."

"It's lively, but we don't know if behind this liveliness lies a happy event or a funeral," Hai Yuxu said meaningfully.

But Luo Gushuang didn't respond; she just stared quietly ahead.

Both of them could guess each other's intentions, but neither of them spoke them aloud first.

Suddenly, a burst of unrestrained laughter came from outside the courtyard.

"Hahaha, what a pair of smiling tigers! Each one is more eloquent than the other, and each one more hypocritical than the last!"

Both of them changed color at the same time.

Snowflakes fell softly from the courtyard wall, and a figure suddenly appeared on the wall, looking down at them.

He looked to be a young man in his early twenties, wearing a long robe with red and black stripes. His face had an eerie quality, and a playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Young Master Yu!"

Hai Yuxu's pupils constricted sharply, and he said in a cold voice.

Luo Gushuang remained silent, revealing a look of apprehension, as if a chill was rising from her body.

"Palace Master Luo, you see me and don't even say hello?" Gongzi Yu jumped down from the wall with a smile, landing lightly between the two, completely unconcerned about the hostility in their eyes, looking completely fearless.

"What brings the young master of the Netherworld Sect here?" Hai Yuxu's tone was gloomy, his body tense, as if he were about to make a move at any moment, extremely vigilant.

"Could it be to avenge your sect's Right Envoy?" Luo Gushuang said calmly, but the chill emanating from her body did not diminish.

"revenge?"

Gongzi Yu smiled dismissively.

"That idiot was cleaved in two by Yang Qingfeng's sword. He was a good-for-nothing himself. What does it have to do with me? My Netherworld Sect never keeps good-for-nothings. Once they're dead, they're dead."

Luo Gushuang and Hai Yuxu exchanged a glance, their expressions differing.

Gongzi Yu stopped smiling and looked the two of them up and down.

"Stop pretending," he said slowly. "You two are both smart people, so I won't beat around the bush. You didn't come to Suishan to celebrate Yang Qingfeng's birthday, did you? You're both just looking to get something out of Suishan, aren't you?"

Hai Yuxu snorted coldly and did not reply.

Luo Gushuang remained silent.

Gongzi Yu didn't mind and continued:

"You two can continue to pretend here, but I must kindly remind you that we're not the only ones interested in Suishan. In a few days, once the news spreads widely and attracts even more people, it will be much harder for you to get a share!"

Hai Yuxu coldly said, "Young Master Yu, did you come here tonight just to spout this nonsense?"

"Nonsense?" Gongzi Yu raised an eyebrow and sneered, "I'm somewhat surprised that Sect Leader Hai is so calm."

"Alright, this young master will show some sincerity."

He scanned the two men's faces and said sarcastically, "Tonight, I will send my followers up the mountain. If you two just want to watch, then go ahead."

The words were barely out of his mouth when he vanished.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

After a long silence, Hai Yuxu finally said in a deep voice, "Palace Master Luo, do you believe his nonsense?"

Luo Gushuang remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Whether you believe it or not, you'll know tonight."

Tiny snowflakes began to fall.

Luo Gushuang looked up at the sky.

Unbeknownst to us, the moonlight was hidden by thick clouds, and the sky gradually darkened.

……

A dense forest at the foot of Suishan Mountain.

Gongzi Yu stood with his hands behind his back on a raised earthen slope.

The wind howled, making his long, dark red robe flutter loudly.

Gongzi Yu stretched out his hand, and a few snowflakes fell into his palm, instantly turning into water.

He stared at the watermarks, then suddenly smiled:

"Good snow, the heavier the better, preferably enough to cover the blood on the road, so as not to soil my shoes."

Four figures stood behind him, silent and waiting.

A tall, thin man stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, our men are ready."

Gongzi Yu didn't turn around: "Speak."

"The seven gangs and thirteen strongholds nearby, totaling more than a thousand people, are all gathered in the dense forests at the foot of the mountain. These people have taken our Heart-Eating Pill. If they do not take the antidote for three days, they will suffer a fate worse than death. They are the perfect cannon fodder."

Gongzi Yu didn't speak, but simply flicked the water droplets off his hand.

The man continued, "The sect has 370 elite members, including 37 at the True Qi Realm and 4 at the True Yuan Realm. They are all currently on standby."

Gongzi Yu then slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the four figures who had been standing behind him.

Besides Xu Qishi, who was reporting to him, there was also a man with disheveled hair, a hunchbacked old woman, and a burly man in iron armor, all exuding the aura of the True Yuan Realm.

"Of course, there are also those who know about Suishan..."

Xu Qishi clapped his hands.

Several ragged men were pushed to the front. The man in the lead, who was in his early thirties, knelt down as soon as he saw Gongzi Yu.

"This humble man, Yu Chang, greets the young master."

"I heard from Envoy Xu that you know Suishan like the back of your hand?" Gongzi Yu looked down at him.

Yu Chang kowtowed: "I have been in Suishan for fourteen years, working my way up from a menial servant to an outer gatekeeper. I dare not say that I know every blade of grass and every tree in the mountains, but I remember every path, every sentry post, and every hidden sentry post."

"Fourteen years is not a short time. Why were you expelled?" Gongzi Yu raised an eyebrow and asked.

Yu Chang gritted his teeth and said, "I committed a theft in a certain county, stealing more than five hundred taels of silver. Later, the sect verified the crime, and I was stripped of my cultivation and banished from the mountain..."

"How much?" Gongzi Yu was taken aback.

"...Five hundred taels."

Gongzi Yu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Stealing five hundred taels of silver and you get your cultivation destroyed?" He laughed so hard he almost fell over. "I thought you killed a fellow disciple or rebelled against the sect, that's why you were expelled! For such a trivial matter, you're expelled from the sect? These so-called prestigious sects are truly boring!"

He walked up to Yu Chang, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Besides, just kill the disciples you don't want. Why cripple their cultivation? It's pointless and foolish to invite trouble later."

Yu Chang was sweating profusely, his forehead pressed against the cold ground, making him feel chilly, but he dared not look up.

Gongzi Yu withdrew his smile and said calmly, "Say something useful."