Chapter 147: Nangong Yuexi

In that instant, Gu Mo suddenly struck, grabbing the grey-robed man's head and slamming it onto the table. With a resounding crash, the table splintered into pieces, startling the other diners who scattered in all directions.

The crowd looked on to see the grey-robed man lying on the ground, his head bleeding profusely. He twitched faintly a couple of times before falling completely still.

Gu Mo calmly asked, "Does anyone else wish to take my saber?"

A deathly silence fell over the inn.

After a short while, another voice broke the stillness, "Hero Gu, aren't you being rather excessive? Regardless of who truly owns the saber, that man merely asked a question, and you immediately resorted to lethal force..."

Gu Mo turned slightly to face the speaker and asked, "Are you also attempting to seize the saber?"

The man swallowed hard and replied, "I didn't mean that; I was just..."

"If you're not trying to take the saber, then keep quiet."

Gu Mo's tone remained remarkably calm. He reached behind him, took down the black iron box, and placed it on the floor. "The Gouchen Saber is right here," he announced. "I will count to five. Anyone wishing to claim the saber may remain in this inn. Those who do not, leave... Five... Four..."

"Hero Gu!" The leader of the Jinquan Gang, Wang Weiyang, who had spoken first, declared loudly, "As a renowned hero from Yunzhou, is this truly how you conduct yourself—so overbearingly? The Gouchen Divine Saber was forged by the Soldier Saint of our Qingzhou region. Are we martial artists of Qingzhou not permitted to even inquire about it?"

"Exactly, you're far too arrogant!"

"Do you truly believe there are no capable martial artists in Qingzhou?"

"You were merely supposed to choose a master for the divine saber on behalf of Iron Candle. By what right do you claim it for yourself?"

"A respected hero from Yunzhou has proven to be nothing more than a reputation-seeker!"

"Today, the martial arts heroes of Qingzhou are gathered here, not for the saber itself, but to demand justice and assert our rightful place!"

At once, the inn erupted in a clamor, as many martial artists swelled with righteous indignation.

However, Gu Mo paid them no mind, continuing to speak slowly: "Three... Two..."

His voice remained utterly calm, yet amidst the clamor of the inn, every single person could clearly hear him.

"One!"

As Gu Mo uttered "One," the expressions of many in the inn drastically changed. A few individuals immediately scurried out of the inn. More remained hesitant, but convinced that with such a large crowd, Gu Mo wouldn't dare harm them, they decided to stay.

"Fellow martial artists!" Wang Weiyang, the leader of the Jinquan Gang, bellowed, "This Gu Mo is utterly tyrannical! He intends to forcibly seize our Qingzhou divine weapon! He must provide us with an explanation today, or else..."

"And who are you to demand one?" Gu Mo sneered.

Gu Mo let out a cold snort, his aura instantly condensing. His right palm, poised like a coiled beast, shot out abruptly. This was the "Sudden Arrival" technique from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, an impossible move to defend against. In that very instant, an incredibly powerful, dragon-shaped surge of energy roared forth, resembling a materialized flood dragon, bearing the might to cleave mountains and shatter stones.

Wang Weiyang had no time to mount an effective defense. He was sent soaring like a kite with a snapped string by the immense force, arcing through the air before plummeting heavily to the ground, spitting blood. His condition remained unknown.

Gu Mo's sudden, second strike completely stunned everyone in the inn. However, someone immediately began to incite the crowd in hushed tones: "What are you afraid of? He's merely a man from Yunzhou. We call him 'Hero Gu' out of courtesy, but he actually believes he's extraordinary. This is Qingzhou! With so many of us, how many can he possibly kill? Does he truly dare to antagonize the entire Qingzhou martial arts world?"

"Let's fight him!"

"That divine saber belongs to Qingzhou! How dare a man from Yunzhou attempt to claim it for himself?"

The martial arts world is never short of hot-headed individuals who act recklessly. Immediately, a considerable number of people dared to launch an unprovoked attack on Gu Mo. As soon as one person took the lead, others blindly followed, and with a growing crowd, it created the illusion among those with reservations that victory was within their grasp.

In an instant, dozens of figures converged on Gu Mo, encircling him.

"Hmph!" Gu Mo snorted coldly, tapping his foot on the ground. With a single step, an invisible wave of energy erupted outwards. This was the "Six Dragons' Ride" technique, and instantly, several attackers were sent hurtling backward, crashing into and bringing down a large number of others.

Gu Mo then charged into the melee, unleashing the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Each strike was incredibly powerful, one after another. With every palm thrust, a dragon-shaped energy roared forth, either circling gracefully or lashing out fiercely, scattering the martial artists throughout the inn. The air was filled with a cacophony of screams and the splintering of tables and chairs. In mere moments, the inn was reduced to a chaotic scene of groaning and wreckage, with injured bodies strewn haphazardly across the floor.

After only a brief exchange, no fewer than twenty individuals lay incapacitated. No one could tell how many of them were alive or dead.

In an instant, all those who had been overcome by their emotions felt as though they'd been doused with a bucket of icy water in the dead of winter; their minds instantly sobered.

They quickly realized that they were currently attacking none other than the esteemed Hero Gu of Yunzhou, the second-ranked grandmaster on Yunzhou's Heavenly Ranking—and an internal energy grandmaster, particularly skilled in prolonged combat.

Their fear instantly turned to terror. In a flash, panic spread like wildfire through the crowd. No one knew who first shrieked "Run!", but like startled birds, everyone scrambled for the exits. Tables and chairs were sent toppling, and crockery shattered across the floor.

Gu Mo's killing intent was still strong; he had no intention of letting these people off easily. He understood that to effectively resolve such troubles, he needed to inflict enough terror to ensure they wouldn't dare cause further issues, otherwise, the problems would be endless.

Frankly, today's incident occurred because he hadn't yet killed enough people in Qingzhou. If this were Yunzhou, not only would a mere rumor not incite such a reaction, but even if Gu Mo openly announced his intention to choose a new master for the divine saber, the prominent figures of the Yunzhou martial arts world would simply chuckle and let Gu Mo keep it. Unless they were absolutely certain he genuinely intended to part with the divine weapon, no one would dare to attempt to seize it, or even inquire about its disposal. It's akin to Gu Chudong's Thousand Mechanism Box; it rests in her hands, and no one in the Yunzhou martial arts world would ever dare to question its use or ownership.

Therefore, to minimize future troubles, he needed to instill absolute terror in the martial artists.

Instantly, he vanished, a mere flash of movement, and pursued them outside with a speed that whipped up a fierce gale. Those fleeing felt a sudden chill creeping up their backs. When they dared to glance behind them, they saw Gu Mo relentlessly pursuing them, like a harbinger of death.

Amidst the panicked crowd, an old man, unable to contain his terror, cried out, "Gu Mo, do you truly intend to slaughter us all? Are you trying to make an enemy of the entire Qingzhou martial arts world?"

This man was a highly respected first-rate master from Qingzhou, known in the martial arts world as Old Man Yangshan.

"Do a group of shameless scoundrels like you, coveting others' possessions, truly represent the Qingzhou martial arts world?"

Instantly, Gu Mo lightly tapped his foot, leveraging the momentum to leap high into the air. He twisted his body mid-air and struck out fiercely with his right palm, which was imbued with immense force.

With a dull, explosive "thump," Old Man Yangshan's head burst open like a watermelon, scattering crimson and pale matter everywhere. Witnessing this, the remaining individuals were utterly terrified and fled for their lives. However, Gu Mo's palm techniques were devastatingly potent; wherever he went, screams and cries of agony echoed.

In mere moments, the once bustling long street became eerily desolate. Bodies lay haphazardly on the ground, blood gushing and pooling into crimson puddles. Had these individuals not been seasoned martial artists who knew to scatter and flee, their demise would likely have been even swifter.

From within the shops and inns lining both sides of the street, numerous martial artists huddled behind doors and windows, observing the horrific scene with stunned silence, then murmuring amongst themselves. Some secretly congratulated themselves for not having become entangled in the conflict, while others were filled with unspoken rage.

They watched as the remaining twenty-seven or twenty-eight individuals who had fled the inn were chased relentlessly, terrified and stumbling, yet not a single soul dared to intervene or offer assistance.

Just then, a clear, cold command echoed from a distance: "Hero Gu, please cease!"

The voice was crisp and melodious, like an oriole's song from a valley, yet it carried an undeniable and authoritative tone.

Following the sound, everyone looked to see a contingent of over a hundred uniformly dressed figures approaching rapidly. Their steps were synchronized, their aura imposing, and their weapons glinted with cold light. In the blink of an eye, they had reached Gu Mo, drawing their weapons in unison to block the street and shield the few martial artists Gu Mo had been pursuing.

Immediately thereafter, gasps of astonishment rippled through the martial artists hidden along both sides of the street.

"It's Fairy Nangong!"

"Is Fairy Nangong here to ensure justice is served?"

"Fairy Nangong is one of the Ten Fairies of the Mystic Maiden Palace, and soon to be the wife of Blade Emperor Ye Jinglan! Not only that, but she is also the eldest daughter of the Divine Weapon Villa in Qingzhou City—a formidable martial arts power, one of the foremost in the entire city! She will certainly be able to uphold justice and curb Gu Mo's arrogant demeanor!"

As the crowd buzzed with chatter, the contingent from Divine Weapon Villa slowly fanned out, creating a clear path down the middle.

A woman, moving with graceful, lotus-like steps, slowly emerged. This was Nangong Yuexi, the undisputed most beautiful woman in Qingzhou.

In that moment, the entire street seemed to fall silent.

Nangong Yuexi was clad in a thin, gossamer-like white garment, giving her an ethereal appearance, as if she were veiled in mist. She appeared to be around twenty years old. Aside from her dark hair, her entire being seemed pristine white. Her face was exquisitely beautiful, peerless in its charm, yet her expression was cool and indifferent, as pure and cold as fresh snow.

"Brother, she's so beautiful!" Gu Chudong, who was standing beside Gu Mo, couldn't help but blurt out.

Even as a woman, she found herself momentarily captivated upon seeing Nangong Yuexi. A thought suddenly crossed her mind: "So this is what legendary, celestial beauty truly looks like!"

It was only then that she understood Lin Qixia's intense aversion to Nangong Yuexi. Even though Lin Qixia herself was a beauty in a million, her expression would darken, and she would appear utterly helpless whenever Nangong Yuexi's appearance was mentioned.

She also finally grasped why Lin Qixia had said that once she met Nangong Yuexi, she would understand why Ye Jinglan's affections had shifted so reasonably.

"Brother," Gu Chudong whispered, leaning closer to Gu Mo, "I heard that Zhuo Fanghua was Qingzhou's most beautiful woman before Nangong Yuexi. This means they are both beauties of the same caliber. So, I now find it entirely plausible that Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing had a falling out over a woman!"

Gu Mo seemed somewhat surprised. "Is she truly that beautiful?"

"She really is."

"How many of my palm strikes can she endure?" Gu Mo asked.

"Huh? That has nothing to do with beauty, does it? It depends on her martial arts prowess!"

"Then from where does she derive the courage to stop me from killing?"

"Well..."