Wandering Swordsman |

"Come in." Duan Qianya's voice came from inside the house, calm in tone but carrying an undeniable authority.

The two men pushed open the door and entered, bowing respectfully. One of them stepped forward, his voice low and tense: "Sect Leader, your subordinate is incompetent... We searched Dali City for a whole day, but we couldn't find him."

Duan Qianya sat at his desk, flipping through an ancient book. Upon hearing this, his fingers paused slightly, the edges of the pages wrinkling slightly. He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as torches, sweeping over the two men as if two cold beams of light pierced their hearts.

As the two prepared themselves to bear the sect leader's wrath, Duan Qianya fell silent for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. He slowly closed the book in his hand, gently placing it on the table with a soft "snap".

"You've worked hard." His tone suddenly softened, even carrying a calm smile. "You don't need to look anymore."

The two were taken aback and looked up at Duan Qianya, their eyes full of doubt.

"Sect Leader, this..." the disciple couldn't help but ask.

Duan Qianya stood up, walked slowly to the window, and gazed at the night sky in the direction of Dali City. A faint smile appeared on his lips: "Shen Mo's whereabouts are no longer important. Since he has chosen to leave Diancang, let him go."

He turned around, his gaze as deep as the night: "The Black Wind Gang has already made arrangements. In less than three days, they will create a big commotion to draw all of Shen Mo's attention."

The two disciples were startled by what they heard. Although they did not understand the deeper meaning, Duan Qianya's confidence made them relax involuntarily.

"Yes, Sect Leader," they replied in unison, bowing and stepping back.

......

Two days later, the headmaster of the Elite Academy was reviewing classic texts in the Martial Arts Alliance. Suddenly, the window creaked softly, and a carrier pigeon gracefully landed on the desk, the tube tied to its leg gleaming faintly in the candlelight.

The old man's expression hardened, and he quickly took out the intelligence from the tube. His eyes swept over it, and his face changed drastically.

"The Tomb of the God of War!" he murmured to himself, his voice filled with shock and excitement. "Could it be... that the 'God of War' really existed?"

He immediately rose, donned his outer robe, and with a single step, his figure vanished like smoke. In the darkness, he used his lightness skill, his figure darting between the eaves, disappearing swiftly into the night like a ghost.

......

Guigu.

This mysterious place is hidden among the mountains, nestled in deep, misty valleys, like a fairyland. If an ordinary person were to stray into this place, they would find themselves surrounded by thick fog, with steep mountains and dense forests. A moment's carelessness could lead to disorientation and an inability to ever find their way out.

Only those from Guigu can discern directions in the fog and follow the winding, ancient path hidden among the vegetation, step by step, deeper into the valley.

At the mouth of the valley, a natural stone gate resembles the open mouth of a giant beast, with vines entwined on it and mottled with green moss, as if it has withstood thousands of years of wind and frost.

Passing through the stone gate, a breathtaking view suddenly unfolds before you—Ghost Valley is spring-like all year round, with babbling streams and exotic flowers and herbs covering the mountains.

The air was filled with a faint scent of medicine and flowers, making even breathing feel lighter.

White cranes dance gracefully in the mountains, monkeys frolic in the forest, and a few thatched huts are scattered in the distance with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, creating a scene resembling a living landscape painting.

Here, there is no bloodshed or power struggles, only tranquility and wisdom.

The valley is a hidden paradise. The entire Ghost Valley, apart from the valley master Ghost Valley Master, includes the "Three Obsessions"—the Sword Obsession, the Book Obsession, and the Love Obsession—plus some servants, medicine boys, and valley guardians, totaling no more than twenty people.

However, these twenty-odd people were all extraordinary individuals. Any one of them could become a genius who could influence the world. Especially Guiguzi himself, although he was the master of the valley, he personally handled many affairs, personally taught and instructed others, just like a reclusive sage.

......

Here, the night was deep, the mountains were as black as ink, and all was silent.

Within Ghost Valley, the lights still shone dimly, like a galaxy falling into the valley.

The lights shone through the windows of the thatched cottages, reflecting on the stream and creating shimmering ripples.

The night breeze swept through the forest, carrying the fresh scent of grass and the fragrance of ancient trees, as if time itself slowed down and became quiet here.

A figure swept into the valley like the wind, his clothes fluttering, his steps light and graceful, like a wisp of night breeze, silently landing on the blue stone path in the valley—it was Guiguzi.

Without pausing, his gaze sharp, he headed straight for the highest point in the valley—the library.

The library is built against the mountain, layer upon layer, like a book tower hidden in the clouds.

It is built of ancient trees and bluestone, with mottled exterior walls and vines, as if it has been integrated with the mountain.

The pavilion has upturned eaves and corners, and a bronze bell hangs under the eaves. The bell has a distant sound and it is said that it will ring softly on its own every full moon night, as if responding to some kind of rhythm between heaven and earth.

The doors are made of two thick sandalwood panels, with an ancient scroll carved on them: a sword and a book, one representing literature and the other martial arts, symbolizing "a combination of literary and martial talents, wisdom and courage." When you push the door open, the creaking sound carries the whisper of time, as if every grain of wood is telling a story of the past.

The pavilion is deep and spacious, with bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling. Each shelf is filled with rare and ancient books, their yellowed pages bearing faded characters, yet still exuding a calm and dignified fragrance of ink. The air is filled with the faint scent of sandalwood and agarwood, mixed with the aged smell of paper, creating a sense of tranquility that instantly calms the mind upon entering.

The library houses tens of thousands of books, covering astronomy, geography, military strategy, medicine, mechanics, martial arts, and even some secret manuals long lost to the martial arts world. Each book seems to hold a piece of history, waiting for a destined person to read and interpret it.

Guiguzi pushed open the door and entered, his steps light yet hurried, carrying an undisguised anxiety and anticipation.

Without pausing for a moment, he headed straight for the depths of the library, to the area dedicated to the "Secret Texts".

Upon seeing this, a young man who was organizing scrolls immediately put down the bamboo slips in his hand and bowed respectfully: "Valley Master."

This person is one of the managers of the library. His name is Mo Yan. He is only twenty years old, but he is already well-versed in the classics of various schools of thought. He is one of the orphans that Guiguzi brought back from the Jianghu nineteen years ago.

"Mo Yan, go and fetch your book-obsessed elder brother." Guiguzi's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable command. "I have urgent business to attend to."

"Yes." Mo Yan responded and left, her steps light as the wind.

Guiguzi walked straight to a row of ancient books in the corner, his eyes sharp, his fingers lightly tracing the spines of the books, finally stopping at a yellowed, nameless book. The book's cover was mottled, its edges curled, clearly indicating its great age; it didn't even have a title, only a few barely noticeable, blurred characters engraved in the corner of the back cover.

He carefully pulled out the booklet, as if holding a priceless treasure. He walked to the desk, gently brushed the dust off the pages, and turned to the first page, his eyes revealing a mixture of eagerness and reverence.