Chapter 175: Dragon and Tiger, Two Heroes

Gu Mo smiled and waved, gesturing for Yu Shijiu to sit. "Brother Yu, please have a seat. Let's talk."

Yu Shijiu immediately sat down, but he was visibly uneasy and restrained.

Seeing this, Gu Chudong smiled faintly. She recalled an earlier time when she and her brother escorted escorts in Linjiang Prefecture. Under the guidance of Uncle Qu, they had met several martial arts masters. Back then, she and her brother, just like Yu Shijiu now, felt restless and uncomfortable in the presence of those senior martial artists.

Reflecting on it, it had only been a year or two.

Yet, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Now, it was others who felt constrained in front of her brother.

Gu Chudong poured Yu Shijiu a cup of tea and said, "Young Hero Yu, your swordsmanship is excellent!"

Yu Shijiu abruptly stood up, stammering, "I, I, I... I can demonstrate again! Just now, I, I didn't want to hurt anyone, so... I didn't perform well. Grandmaster Gu, Lady Gu, my swordsmanship is actually much, much better than it was during that fight... I... truly, I..."

Yu Shijiu was very agitated, his words jumbled. The more he tried to express himself, the less he knew what to say, and in his haste, he took his flimsy, iron-like sword from his back, ready to perform for Gu Mo on the spot.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, young brother, don't be so eager," Zhuo Qingfeng said, gently pressing Yu Shijiu back into his seat. "Grandmaster Gu isn't going anywhere. You'll have plenty of opportunities to show him your swordsmanship."

Yu Shijiu's face flushed with urgency. "My swordsmanship is really... sigh..."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "Brother Yu, we actually have a strong connection. The first wanted criminal I eliminated after becoming a Blade Catcher was Fei Long, whom you pursued from the Northern Desert to Yunzhou."

"What a coincidence," Yu Shijiu said, holding his teacup. "That Fei Long was a terrible man, burning, killing, and looting everywhere. I chased him for a long time but never succeeded. Later, I heard he was killed by you, Grandmaster Gu."

Gu Mo said, "I've long heard that 'Flying Swordsman' detests evil and possesses a chivalrous spirit, and seeing you today confirms your reputation. Speaking of which, the 'Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence,' just like Fei Long, was led to me by you, Brother Yu. What exactly happened with the Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence?"

Yu Shijiu explained, "I wasn't initially looking for the Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence. I had heard about the whereabouts of the 'Dragon-Tiger Twins' and was tracking them towards Hanyadu. I planned to visit a friend along the way. When I passed through Yuan Family Village, I saw the Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence.

"At first, I thought I was mistaken, so I stayed in that village for several days to confirm that the old man was indeed the Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence, who had been missing for years. Then I went to kill him. However, I didn't expect that while his martial arts were subpar, his lightness skill was impressive. It took me several days to catch up to him. Just as I was about to strike, I encountered this group from Tongshan Sect.

"Yuan Zhu from Tongshan Sect was from Yuan Family Village and had been raised by the Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence since childhood. Having received his kindness, she insisted on protecting him, refusing to listen to anything I said. I had also once received a favor from the Tongshan Sect Leader, so I couldn't bring myself to harm their disciples. So, I kept following them until we reached this place."

Zhuo Qingfeng quickly asked, "Young brother, are you saying you have information on the Dragon-Tiger Twins' whereabouts?"

Yu Shijiu nodded. "Yes, I've spent years mingling in various black markets across the Northern Desert. I know many people from all walks of life, so I'm quite well-informed. The Dragon-Tiger Twins are currently in the Hanyadu area. From what I know, they are there for a pair of short staffs made of 'Stellar Iron' that appeared in Hanyadu's black market, supposedly crafted by a renowned master. Both brothers use short staffs as weapons."

Zhuo Qingfeng's eyes lit up. He turned to Gu Mo and said, "Brother Gu, these Dragon-Tiger Twins are also targets of our Six Doors. These brothers are rising evil martial arts masters who have gained considerable notoriety in the Northern Desert in recent years and are among the most prominent wanted criminals there. Since we're already here, shall we go after them?"

Just then, the system's prompt sounded in Gu Mo's mind once more:

"New target detected.""Wanted Target: Dragon-Tiger Twins""Mission Level: Three Stars""Mission Reward: Max-level Extinction Cross Blades."

This Extinction Cross Blades technique, originating from "Heavenly Blade and the Bright Moon," is a top-tier blade art known for its domineering and ruthless nature. When executed, blade energy crisscrosses, delivering fierce attacks, aiming to quickly overwhelm opponents with immense power and swift strikes.

Gu Mo felt this blade art came at a timely moment, as Gu Chudong had nearly perfected her refined Profound Void Blade technique.

Incidentally, Gu Mo had noticed that while Gu Chudong's talent in swordsmanship was average, her aptitude for blade arts was quite good. And now, she possessed a very powerful Gouchen Demonic Blade, so she coincidentally lacked a sufficiently powerful blade art.

Therefore, the Extinction Cross Blades really came at the perfect time.

The next morning, as soon as Gu Mo opened his door, Zhuo Qingfeng arrived and handed him a sword, saying, "I was in such a hurry a few days ago in Changling County that I forgot to give you this sword. Ironhead forged this for you. After that fight at Divine Weapon Villa, both of your famous swords were destroyed.

"Later, after Ironhead recovered from his injuries, he specifically borrowed the earth fire at Divine Weapon Villa to forge a sword for you. However, because I was rushing to the Northern Desert, time was a bit tight. But even though this sword isn't as good as your previous two, it's definitely a rare and excellent sword. When I return this time, I'll specially get some good materials and have Ironhead forge a truly fine sword for you."

Gu Mo drew the sword from its scabbard, felt its balance, and nodded. "It's quite good."

Zhuo Qingfeng chuckled. "Ironhead is, after all, the direct disciple of the Weapon Saint, Tie Zhu, so of course, it wouldn't be bad. Oh, right, there's something you need to help me with."

"Yu Shijiu?" Gu Mo asked.

"You know me well, Brother Gu!" Zhuo Qingfeng laughed. "That young man is a talent; he can fight, and his character is good. I really want to recruit him into the Six Doors. However, he seems to have some concerns. Aren't you going to Hanyadu to capture the Dragon-Tiger Twins? That young man practically worships you. Try to talk to him when you have a chance and see what's holding him back."

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "I'll try, but I'm not sure he's suited for the Six Doors. I can sense that his sword intent is very pure; joining officialdom might not be good for him."

Zhuo Qingfeng said, "Just give it a try; no pressure if it doesn't work out!"

Gu Mo nodded and asked, "From what you're saying, you're not going to Hanyadu?"

Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head. "No, I'm not going. The gains from this trip are significant. Besides capturing the Ghostly Old Man of Impermanence, the biggest unexpected bonus was those reckless Tongshan Sect disciples. They gave me a perfect excuse to make a move. Openly harboring a wanted criminal and attacking imperial officials—any one of those is enough to cause serious trouble for the Tongshan Sect.

"Of course, the main point isn't just the Tongshan Sect, but that our Northern Desert Six Doors can use this as an entry point into the Northern Desert martial arts world. This matter is crucial, and I must personally oversee it. Otherwise, if I head to Hanyadu and someone in the Six Doors releases those Tongshan Sect disciples as a favor, I'll suffer a huge loss."

Gu Mo didn't fully understand the intricacies of the Six Doors' operations, so he asked directly, "What do you plan to do?"

"Naturally, I'll force Tongshan Sect to concede," Zhuo Qingfeng replied. "Tongshan Sect is one of the Eight Great Sects of the Northern Desert and has a wide sphere of influence here. As soon as Tongshan Sect yields, the Six Doors will be able to carve a path into the Northern Desert martial arts world."

"What if Tongshan Sect doesn't concede?" Gu Mo asked.

Zhuo Qingfeng laughed. "The Six Doors might not be able to take on the entire Northern Desert martial arts world, but we can certainly handle a single Tongshan Sect. I was simply hesitant to use force because I was mindful of various connections and worried about escalating the situation. But now that I have leverage against Tongshan Sect and justice is on my side, if I use force against them, who among the other sects would dare interfere? They aren't truly trying to rebel."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

Zhuo Qingfeng continued, "My presence or absence won't affect anything. Chen Xiuyuan will continue to accompany you, and I'll also dispatch a team of elite constables to go with you to Hanyadu to help gather information and be at your disposal."

"Understood."

Hanyadu was not far from Ghost Cry Ridge. However, due to the harsh environment of the Northern Desert, with its rampant wind and sand, Gu Mo's group traveled slowly, taking two full days to arrive.

However, once they reached Hanyadu, their living conditions were much better than at Ghost Cry Ridge. They stayed in a large market town within Hanyadu. On the day they arrived, Gu Mo and his companions checked into the best accommodation in Hanyadu Town: a small courtyard with earthen walls.

Afterward, over thirty Six Doors constables dispersed, fanning out from Hanyadu Town to investigate the whereabouts of the Dragon-Tiger Twins.

They didn't go to the "black market" because it wasn't a physical marketplace. Instead, it referred to a network of individuals from all walks of life who had various connections and means to trade illicit goods or acquire items not available in regular markets. This entire circle of people was thus known as the "black market." Simply put, it was a network of merchants dealing in grey area business in different locations.

Many uninformed people spread rumors, mistakenly believing there was an actual market somewhere called the black market.

If such a place truly existed, the authorities wouldn't need to investigate; they could simply blockade its entrance and arrest everyone.

Yu Shijiu was very familiar with the black market. He led Chen Xiuyuan and others, inquiring everywhere about the Dragon-Tiger Twins' whereabouts, but for several days, they found no leads.

Until this morning.

Gu Mo was in the courtyard, guiding Gu Chudong through the final stance of the Profound Void Blade technique, when Chen Xiuyuan returned with his men. "Grandmaster Gu," he reported, "we've found the Dragon-Tiger Twins' whereabouts."

"Where?" Gu Mo asked.

Chen Xiuyuan's expression was grim. "A small village called Dawang Village, unremarkable in Hanyadu. The entire village has only fifty or sixty people; it's more like a small clan than a village.

"We found a lead: the Dragon-Tiger Twins arrived at Dawang Village about seven days ago, and... for these past seven days, not a single person has emerged from the village."

Gu Chudong asked, puzzled, "No one has emerged? Is that strange? It's quite normal for people in small, secluded villages not to leave!"

Chen Xiuyuan slowly replied, "They haven't just not left the village; no one has even left the homesteads, not even to work... The Dragon-Tiger Twins... they revel in cannibalism!"

Gu Chudong's eyes widened in shock. "You're not saying that everyone in Dawang Village has been eaten by the Dragon-Tiger Twins, are you?"

Chen Xiuyuan nodded slightly. "That possibility is very high."

Gu Chudong's face instantly turned pale.

Chen Xiuyuan added, "Young Brother Yu Shijiu and the Six Doors constables are ready, waiting for you to depart together."

Immediately, Gu Mo stood up and motioned for Gu Chudong to prepare to leave.