Chapter 164: Siege

Gu Mo slowly began, "Manor Lord Lu, I don't believe there's a truly 'unrivaled' person in this world. Whether human or divine, everyone possesses weaknesses. You, too, undoubtedly have them. Only if your weaknesses are such that no one can exploit them, then you might truly be unrivaled."

Lu Canyang nodded slightly, acknowledging, "You speak wisely..."

Silence instantly enveloped the hall.

Everyone stared intently at Lu Canyang. Even Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing, weakened and unable to move, fixed their gaze on him.

It was exceptionally quiet.

After a considerable silence, Lu Canyang's face, scarred by burns, uncharacteristically shifted. His voice held a hint of bewilderment. "What are you all anticipating so eagerly? Surely you don't expect me to voluntarily expose my weaknesses, do you? That would be the act of a fool, wouldn't it?"

An awkward silence fell upon them.

Gu Mo offered an embarrassed smile as well. He had, in fact, just entertained the thought that Lu Canyang, being so inflated with arrogance at that moment, might expose his own weaknesses if provoked.

"Manor Lord Lu," Gu Mo began, "there's still something I don't comprehend."

Lu Canyang nodded and replied, "Go on."

Gu Mo continued, "Whether it's your quest for vengeance or your ambition to become unrivaled, neither concerns me. Why then do you seek to involve me?"

Lu Canyang eyed him with suspicion. "I haven't involved you at all. Haven't you, Sir Gu, been the one to proactively step in from the very beginning? From acquiring the Gouchen Demonic Blade to arriving here today, every step was your own initiative!"

Gu Mo pondered this, realizing it was, in fact, true.

He had just heard Lu Canyang's account of forty years of complex grievances and intricate schemes, each building upon the last. He had subconsciously assumed he was also caught within these machinations.

Gu Mo cupped his hands toward Lu Canyang. "Then, Manor Lord Lu, since these events were merely accidental, I bear you no ill will. As the Gouchen Demonic Blade was originally yours, I congratulate you on its return. I have no desire to involve myself in your complex affairs. May I take my leave?"

"No," Lu Canyang stated decisively. "I have already ascended to the pinnacle of power, though the world remains unaware. Today marks my inaugural battle to declare my unrivaled status. Without a formidable master like you, Sir Gu, it would be utterly uninteresting. How could this be worthy of my debut as the world's number one if not for a grandmaster such as yourself falling before my blade?

Tonight is perfectly timed. Following yesterday's battle at Soul Severing Cliff, the city is teeming with experts from various factions, so there's certainly no shortage of spectators. It simply depends on how many masters from the Six Gates will arrive. If those two grandmasters don't show up, then, Sir Gu, we'll simply shift our battlefield to the Six Gates' headquarters!"

Gu Mo's voice deepened. "So, you intend to fight one against three?"

"No," Lu Canyang corrected. "I intend to face all the city's masters alone."

"You're assaulting the authorities. Are you not concerned about retaliation from the imperial court?" Gu Mo inquired.

"Hahahahaha..."

Lu Canyang burst into laughter. "What is the imperial court? At worst, I'll simply storm the imperial palace and sever the emperor's head. Since I am truly unrivaled, what does it matter if I face an entire city, or even a nation, by myself?"

Gu Mo was momentarily speechless.

He couldn't discern if Lu Canyang's confidence stemmed from sheer arrogance, or if he was genuinely invincible to such an extent, having reached a realm beyond Gu Mo's comprehension.

Concurrently, Tie Zhu, Qi Miaoxuan, Ye Jinglan, and Chu Tianqing were all cast into a somber mood.

A short while later, outside the Divine Weapon Manor, the rapid thud of hooves like a sudden downpour and the scuffle of many footsteps announced their arrival. In moments, numerous Six Gates constables swarmed into the manor.

At the forefront were Chen Yunqiao, the Six Gates East City Commander, and Zhuo Qingfeng, a Commander of a Thousand. Both wore stern expressions, their gazes swiftly surveying the grim spectacle within the manor.

"The Divine Weapon Pavilion," Gu Chutong, who accompanied them, stated. "My brother and the others are in the Divine Weapon Pavilion."

Corpses littered the manor grounds, blood gleamed ominously under the moonlight, and the nauseating stench of gore hung heavy in the air. Everyone's brows furrowed as they quickened their pace towards the Divine Weapon Pavilion.

Upon reaching the exterior of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, hundreds of Six Gates constables arrayed themselves in formation on the open ground.

Chen Yunqiao, Zhuo Qingfeng, and Gu Chutong stood at the forefront. Observing the scene within the Divine Weapon Pavilion's main hall, they were all momentarily perplexed by the situation.

Meanwhile, inside the Divine Weapon Pavilion's main hall,

The atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

Gu Mo clutched his Spirit Rhinoceros Sword, while Qi Miaoxuan was tending to Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing's injuries.

Tie Zhu stood by, appearing somewhat stunned.

Lu Canyang, meanwhile, remained perfectly composed. His confidence was absolute; even as Qi Miaoxuan desperately tried to heal Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing, he paid them no mind whatsoever.

He also completely disregarded the presence of no fewer than three hundred Six Gates constables amassed on the square outside the Divine Weapon Pavilion. He merely tilted his head to glance at them, then turned to Gu Mo and said, "Sir Gu, Xie Mingzhong and Liu Ruohong have arrived. It seems I won't need to make an unnecessary trip to the Six Gates headquarters after all. Tonight, right here, I shall slay you three grandmasters..." He then looked at Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing, amending, "Or rather, five grandmasters, along with hundreds of constables, to solidify my claim as the world's preeminent master."

Gu Mo subtly frowned, remaining silent.

He knew precisely who Xie Mingzhong and Liu Ruohong, as named by Lu Canyang, were. They were the two paramount grandmaster chief constables of Qingzhou's Six Gates. Xie Mingzhong was widely known in the martial world as "Iron-faced Yama," and Liu Ruohong as "Soul-chasing Impermanence," serving as the two foundational pillars of the Qingzhou Six Gates.

Given the presence of both these figures and hundreds of constables, Lu Canyang's unwavering demeanor genuinely made Gu Mo question the true extent of his power.

"Sir Gu, let's take this fight outside. We'll leave some space in here for Old Nine to properly treat Ye Jinglan and Chu Tianqing. Perhaps they might recover somewhat. If they do so before I kill you all, I'll have the chance to face five opponents simultaneously, which would be quite exhilarating!"

Lu Canyang's voice remained calm, yet each word landed like a heavy hammer blow to Gu Mo's heart, exerting immense pressure.

Although they had not yet clashed,

Lu Canyang was, without a doubt, the most formidable opponent Gu Mo had encountered, in terms of pressure, since awakening his past life memories.

"Please."

Gu Mo cupped his hands, indicating for Lu Canyang to proceed first.

Lu Canyang's self-confidence was so absolute that he felt no concern about Gu Mo launching a sneak attack from behind. He simply strode forward, exposing his back to Gu Mo.

Soon, both men emerged from the Divine Weapon Pavilion.

Zhuo Qingfeng promptly inquired, "Brother Gu, what exactly is happening?"

Gu Mo offered a helpless smile. "This person is both Nangong Qun, the current manor lord of Divine Weapon Manor, and Lu Canyang, the former manor lord of Righteous Qi Manor. As for the intricacies of why, let's discuss them if we manage to survive this. Manor Lord Lu believes himself to be the unrivaled master, and his current intent is to kill everyone here to declare his supremacy!"

Having spoken, Gu Mo cupped his hands towards a small courtyard a short distance from the Divine Weapon Pavilion and called out, "Chief Constable Xie, Chief Constable Liu, there's no need to conceal yourselves any longer. Let us combine our strength to confront Manor Lord Lu, who apparently deems himself the unrivaled master!"

At that very moment,

A muffled voice emanated from the small courtyard: "Thirty years ago, after Jiang Ruoxu vanished upon succumbing to inner demons, the rankings of masters across all nations automatically shifted down by one place. Even Su Qianqiu, currently considered the martial world's foremost expert, only dares to call himself the 'second unrivaled.' It's truly unexpected that my Qingzhou, a land of remarkable talents, now produces someone who dares to claim the title of 'unrivaled'!"

It was a heavily built, white-haired old man, his dark official robe billowing in the night wind. His imposing nine-foot frame loomed like an iron tower. Three claw marks slashed across his left cheek, extending from his brow bone diagonally down to his neck, glowing with an eerie blue light under the moonlight. Six bronze tokens clinked at his waist, each inscribed with the characters "Execution."

This man was none other than Xie Mingzhong, renowned as "Iron-faced Yama."

In his left hand, he carried a heavy mace. With a resounding *clang*, he slammed it onto the ground, shattering the green bricks into a spiderweb of cracks.

Lu Canyang assessed Xie Mingzhong. "It seems, Chief Constable Xie, you are rather unconvinced by my declaration of being unrivaled?"

However, these words did not come from Xie Mingzhong, but from within the small courtyard.

A dark figure, resembling a bat concealed within the shadows, moved with unbelievable agility. His steps were feather-light, each touch akin to a dragonfly skimming water, leaving scarcely a trace. He launched himself into the air, tracing a graceful arc, his robes fluttering without the slightest hint of earthliness.

In the blink of an eye, he landed perfectly on the crest of a lush treetop, which barely swayed under his weight.

This was none other than Liu Ruohong, "Soul-chasing Impermanence," the second grandmaster of Qingzhou's Six Gates.

Unlike Xie Mingzhong, he spoke with utmost courtesy. Although he too was well over sixty, he deferred to Lu Canyang as a junior. After all, when Lu Canyang rose to prominence as a grandmaster in Qingzhou, Liu Ruohong was merely a nascent young man, having grown up on the tales of the Nine Righteous Ones of Qingzhou.

Lu Canyang gazed at Liu Ruohong and remarked, "Isn't the ultimate purpose of martial cultivation to contend for the title of 'unrivaled'?"

Liu Ruohong replied, "Senior, you are nearing ninety. Are you still clinging to these ephemeral titles?"

Lu Canyang chuckled softly. "Chief Constable Liu, are you perhaps hoping that a few words from you will cause me to 'drop the butcher's knife and immediately become a Buddha,' as the Buddhists say? Are you not intending to pursue the massacre of over two hundred people at Divine Weapon Manor? Or do you imagine I might simply commit suicide and atone for my sins based on your mere words?"

Liu Ruohong offered a helpless smile. "Senior's words are indeed true; I have spoken unnecessarily. If that is the case, then this junior shall respectfully witness Senior's extraordinary prowess!"

Seventy-two bone-piercing nails erupted from his sleeve, their passage through the air sounding like ten thousand beating wings, weaving a crimson barrage within ten meters. The tips of the nails glowed with an eerie peacock-blue luminescence, each trailing a violently toxic vortex that seemed to freeze even the moonlight into ice crystals in its wake.

Lu Canyang remained perfectly still. A blood-red protective aura instantly flared before him, solidifying into a wall of qi that seemed to burn with inner fire. Yet, in that precise moment, the cluster of nails miraculously split into twelve distinct arcs mid-flight. Like sentient beings, they curved around the qi barrier, resembling twelve wisps of willow floss striking Lu Canyang's vital pressure points from every direction.