Chapter 129: Another Murder Case Appears

Cangshan Town at night was still very noisy.

However, as time slowly passed and deep night approached, it gradually quieted down, with only a few gambling houses still bustling.

Inside a gambling house called 'Da Sanyuan' in the center of town, it was incredibly lively. More than a dozen gambling tables were surrounded by people, including quite a few highly respected martial arts veterans.

Such sights were common. People who immersed themselves in the martial arts world sought fame and fortune, and once attained, they inevitably pursued enjoyment. Even the most respected martial arts veterans, despite their esteemed reputations, were still human. And humans have hobbies and interests. The real martial arts world wasn't as romantic as ordinary people imagined; in fact, its underbelly, involving various characters and indulgences in wine, women, wealth, and gambling, was the true mainstream.

At this moment, at a central gambling table, an imposing middle-aged man furiously crushed the pai gow tiles in his hand. He stood up abruptly and declared, "I'm done! Damn it, my luck tonight is just too cursed!"

"Master He, when is your luck *not* cursed?" someone quipped.

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter.

Master He huffily retorted, "I'll be back tomorrow night! Don't any of you leave; I'll show you how I win it all back!"

"Then we'll be waiting for you to bring us more money tomorrow!"

Master He snorted coldly and walked out.

"Walk safely, Master He!" "Master He, let me see you out!"

Despite the teasing, those present held Master He in high regard. After all, he was no unknown in the martial arts world; he was the sect leader of the Copper Bull Sect in Qingzhou, commanding hundreds of disciples. He was a renowned first-rate master, having practiced his Xuan Su Gong for decades, accumulating profound internal energy. Few dared to offend him. It was only at the gambling table, where everyone was a fellow gambler, that they dared to jest. If they met him in the martial arts world on any other day, hardly anyone would even approach him to speak.

Two disciples accompanied Master He.

The three left the inn; it was already deep night, and outside was eerily quiet and dim, a stark contrast to the lively gambling house. Someone, for reasons unknown, was playing a xiao (vertical flute) in the late hours, but the sound was distant and faint, barely audible. The only thing truly clear was Master He's incessant grumbling.

"Damn it, why is my luck so rotten? Didn't get a single good hand all night."

"Damn it, I'll have to wash my hands thoroughly tomorrow. This terrible luck must be because I bled a few days ago when I fought those bandits on Liangjin Mountain, breaking my fortune!"

Muttering to himself, Master He touched the wound on his arm, which still ached faintly.

"It must be! Otherwise, my luck wouldn't be this bad!"

As Master He continued to grumble, his two disciples looked rather helpless. Their master was excellent in every other aspect, but he was a compulsive gambler. Half of the sect's annual income was squandered by him at the gambling tables, forcing the disciples to live frugally.

As they walked, Master He suddenly fell silent.

Both disciples looked at him, puzzled.

In the darkness of night, his expression was unclear, but Master He suddenly looked up and said very calmly, "Wait for me here; I need to relieve myself."

The two disciples, suspecting nothing, remained in place. They did not notice that Master He's eyes were now empty and vacant, and his movements slightly stiff.

Master He walked into a nearby small alley, his figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

Late at night, in the inn.

Gu Mo was sitting cross-legged at the head of his bed, resting with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, he heard a sharp whistle, like a keen blade cutting through the oppressive silence of the night.

The whistle was high-pitched and urgent, reverberating through the empty town. Its lingering echo startled birds roosting for the night, sending them flapping into the dark sky.

Gu Mo slowly rose. Just as he opened his door, he heard that Elder Sang, who lived across the hall, had already flown out through a broken window. Inside the inn, disciples of the Canglan Sword Sect, Daoist Yuan, and other martial arts masters staying there all rushed out of the inn.

"Brother."

Gu Chuxia emerged from the adjacent room, not forgetting to sling her book-box onto her back. This box contained the famous swords Lingxi and Qiushui, as well as the Qianji Mechanism Box, all extremely valuable. As a bit of a miser, Gu Chuxia would never allow these items to leave her sight.

She walked to Gu Mo's side and asked, "Should we go take a look?"

At that moment, the sisters Ye Lingsu and Ye Wanyue also emerged from their room, looking a bit sleepy. Ye Lingsu gently covered her mouth as she yawned and said, "That whistle was made by the Canglan Sword Sect disciples today. They distributed many of them to serve as an instant alarm while tracking the culprit. If anything seemed amiss, they were to blow the whistle immediately. It seems they've probably found the culprit's whereabouts."

"I see," Gu Mo nodded. "Then let's go, we'll check it out together." Just as they were about to leave, Gu Mo asked, "Your wounds aren't bothering you, are they?"

Ye Lingsu waved her hand and said, "They're just superficial wounds. They haven't healed yet because of the poison, but our movements aren't affected. It's just a bit of bleeding and a slight smell."

"That's good, I was still worried about your injuries," Gu Mo said.

Ye Lingsu retorted indignantly, "Hero Gu, although your martial arts are unparalleled, don't think that our decades of internal cultivation were for nothing, alright?"

"You're revealing your age, my two fairies!"

Ye Lingsu: "..."

Ye Wanyue: "..."

No matter the world or the era, women are always very sensitive about their age.

Immediately, the four of them used their Qinggong (lightness skill) to swiftly move towards the sound.

Gu Mo's Qinggong was incredibly fast, and his ability to pinpoint locations was exceptional. Although the whistle had stopped, he still accurately locked onto the position from which it had originated.

However, the area was already bustling with activity; many people from various sects were searching everywhere.

"Everyone, search in teams! Do not act alone!"

"The culprit must not have gone far!"

Gu Mo and his companions heard these shouts and initially thought their guess was correct: the culprit's whereabouts had been discovered.

However, when they saw the corpse in the alley, they realized they were mistaken. It wasn't that the culprit had been found; rather, another person had been killed.

At that moment, a group of Canglan Sword Sect disciples were holding torches, and Elder Sang was kneeling by the corpse, examining it. Most of the other sect members, however, were spread out in groups, searching in all directions.

One of Elder Sang's disciples quickly came forward to greet them, saying, "Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, esteemed fairies, Master He of the Copper Bull Sect has been murdered. His death is identical to that of Mr. Tieqin. However, his death occurred no more than a *zhancha* ago, so everyone speculates that the heart-gouging killer is still in this area. That's why they're conducting a carpet search. Even if we can't find the person directly, finding the heart would be a major breakthrough."

The Twin Immortals of Snowy Ridge exchanged glances. Ye Lingsu said, "We should also go help search."

Immediately, the two swiftly used their Qinggong and dashed off.

Gu Mo did not go.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to help, but primarily because he was blind. Relying solely on perception, he could sense people everywhere, which wouldn't be much help in finding the culprit.

Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia walked into the alley.

Those gathered around quickly made way for them.

Seeing Gu Mo arrive, Elder Sang quickly stood up. However, his first action was to disperse the Canglan Sword Sect disciples and other sect members who were simply spectating, sending them to block both ends of the alley.

Then, he whispered, "Hero Gu, I'm afraid our previous speculation was correct: it truly is a *chang* ghost hunting masters to refine a Heart-Snatching Gu King."

"Have you found anything new?" Gu Mo asked.

Elder Sang replied, "When we heard the alarm just now, we rushed here quickly. But it was still too late. By the time we arrived, Master He had already been killed. It was identical to the death of Mr. Tieqin, except that this time the discovery was quicker because Master He's disciples were nearby when it happened..."

Elder Sang then recounted the events surrounding Master He's murder, saying, "From the moment Master He said he needed to relieve himself to when his disciples noticed something was wrong and entered the alley to search, only half a *zhancha* passed. Again, his heart was taken without any sign of struggle. However, this time, we did find a clue."

As he spoke,

Elder Sang lifted Master He's sleeve, revealing a distinct scar on his arm joint.

Gu Chuxia quietly told Gu Mo, "There's a scar on the Chize acupuncture point. It looks recent."

Gu Mo nodded and asked, "Is there anything peculiar about this scar?"

Elder Sang explained, "The scar on the Chize point itself isn't unusual, but it's very strange that both victims, Mr. Tieqin and Master He, have scars in the same location. The most bizarre aspect of their murders is that both were martial arts masters, yet there were no signs of resistance when they were killed."

Gu Chuxia quickly asked, "Then, is this related to the scar on the Chize point?"

"It's highly related," Elder Sang confirmed. "There's a type of Gu, called the Soul-Stealing Gu. Its cultivation requirements are extremely difficult, but once successful, the Gu worm can control a person's mind. The implantation method involves making a three-inch incision between the Chize and Neiguan acupuncture points, allowing the Gu worm to travel along the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin into the brain.

The most potent aspect of this Soul-Stealing Gu is that the victim rarely detects it, feeling nothing unusual in daily life. However, when a specific sound appears, the Gu worm's tentacles will stimulate the victim's Tanzhong acupuncture point, causing their mind to be controlled, like a puppet, and afterwards, they may even have no memory of the event."

Gu Chuxia exclaimed in surprise, "That powerful? If someone could use this Gu to control others, wouldn't they be able to conquer the world?"

"Not quite that powerful," Elder Sang clarified. "The Soul-Stealing Gu can only control one person at a time. Furthermore, the higher one's cultivation and stronger one's willpower, the weaker the Gu's effect. For instance, in Master He's case, based on the circumstances, the perpetrator could only temporarily induce a numb, vacant state in him. Even Master He's walking posture was somewhat stiff at the time. However, for a master, this effect is already sufficient for killing."

Elder Sang paused, then continued, "I just questioned Master He's disciples again and learned that on their way here, they encountered a group of bandits. During the fight, Master He's arm was injured. It now seems that wasn't a coincidence.

Coincidentally, some disciples from the Shi family also just reported that on their journey, they encountered a disreputable inn. During the ensuing skirmish, Mr. Tieqin sustained some minor injuries, one of which was precisely on the Chize acupuncture point!"

Just then, Gu Chuxia's eyes widened, and she said, "Brother, I remember Sister Lingsu and Sister Wanyue were both injured during the battle at Kongming Temple. Could that also not have been a coincidence?"