Chapter 179: Revisiting the Cold Crow Ferry

Gu Mo put down his bowl, exclaiming, "Annihilation?"

"Yes," Zhuo Qingfeng said, "complete annihilation. We only received the news today. As you know, our Six Doors currently have limited oversight in Mobei. Simply put, we haven't been able to establish a presence within the Broadsword Gate's territory, which causes significant delays in information."

Gu Mo frowned slightly. "That's not normal. Logically, even if, as you mentioned, some evil masters are suspected of cultivating the Zombie Arts, there's no need for them to wipe out the Broadsword Gate, is there? The Broadsword Gate is no small sect. Unlike previous village massacres or clan exterminations, the destruction of the Broadsword Gate will undoubtedly draw the attention of the entire Mobei martial arts world. This goes against the usual methods of such individuals."

Zhuo Qingfeng replied, "It's more than just a deviation from their usual methods; I believe this is an open declaration of war. Based on the information about the Zombie Arts provided by Broadsword Gate's leader, Yu Chi Feng, and some documents our Six Doors have uncovered: cultivating the Zombie Arts only requires fresh blood to suppress the cold poison, not as a direct training requirement. This means large-scale exterminations like this are completely unnecessary. Even He Changqing, when he practiced the Zombie Arts, never committed mass killings in one go. He was detected back then primarily because the martial arts world in Mobei was more stable; he was noticed after merely massacring a few small villages.

However, the situation in Mobei is different now. Evil cults are rampant, and each sect only looks after its own interests. Village massacres and clan exterminations have occurred frequently in recent years; as long as they don't cause too much of a stir, they generally go unnoticed. If the Dragon-Tiger Duo hadn't been killed by you, exposing the Zombie Arts, no one would even know they still existed.

Now, with the Dragon-Tiger Duo exposed, those who practice the Zombie Arts should, normally, be more cautious and secretive in their cultivation, occasionally killing a few people for blood without attracting much attention from the Mobei martial arts world. Yet, the reality is that they have publicly exterminated an entire sect, and one of Mobei's eight prominent sects at that. This incident will undoubtedly cause turmoil in the Mobei martial arts world, drawing the attention of all sects, and the events of the past will re-emerge. The major sects will certainly launch a joint investigation, especially since all eight sects participated in the original encirclement of He Changqing. Therefore, this method feels like someone is declaring war, openly using the Zombie Arts for extermination. It's a direct message to the Eight Great Sects: 'He has returned for revenge!'"

Listening to Zhuo Qingfeng's analysis, Gu Mo found it very reasonable.

Because Gu Mo knew very well that He Changqing was not dead. The system wouldn't assign a task related to a dead person. It was almost certain that He Changqing had been hidden for thirty years, secretly cultivating a large number of subordinates who practiced the Zombie Arts, such as the Dragon-Tiger Duo and others Zhuo Qingfeng had identified as suspected practitioners. Perhaps He Changqing originally had a different revenge plan, but the exposure of the Dragon-Tiger Duo forced him to accelerate his timeline.

Gu Mo asked, "So, what are your plans now?"

"Investigation, of course," Zhuo Qingfeng said, picking up a cup of tea. "This is an excellent opportunity for our Six Doors. The annihilation of the Broadsword Gate, whether the mastermind is He Changqing as you suspect, or his successor, will undoubtedly affect the entire Mobei martial arts world. And our Six Doors can use this opportunity to legitimately intervene in the Mobei martial arts scene by investigating the Zombie Arts and the Broadsword Gate massacre. The various factions in Mobei will have no grounds for objection; even if they have official connections, they can't stop our Six Doors from participating in the investigation, can they?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly. While Zhuo Qingfeng's words sounded ruthless, they were indeed so. After all, for the Six Doors, whether a martial arts sect was annihilated or not was of little concern; they only cared whether the Six Doors could maintain control over the martial arts world.

Gu Chuwinter, who was drinking porridge, suddenly said, "Brother Zhuo, don't talk like that. When you put it that way, it sounds like your Six Doors are the masterminds, as if you deliberately annihilated the Broadsword Gate just to find an excuse to intervene in the Mobei martial arts world."

Zhuo Qingfeng smiled faintly. "Sister Chuwinter, I won't lie to you. Over two hundred years ago, when the Six Doors were first established, they did employ 'calling thief to catch thief' tactics to suppress the martial arts world. Of course, that was in the very beginning; the current Six Doors wouldn't resort to such methods."

"No wonder people say officials are all black-hearted!" Gu Chuwinter grumbled.

Zhuo Qingfeng chuckled, then turned to Gu Mo. "Brother Gu, I'll need your support. I'm preparing to head to Han Ya Crossing immediately. The various Mobei martial arts sects are undoubtedly also on their way there, and the Six Doors must seize this opportunity to make a public appearance before the Mobei martial arts world. Furthermore, with the Broadsword Gate annihilated, the martial arts landscape around Han Ya Crossing will shift, and the Six Doors must also use this chance to establish control over the area."

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "It's perfectly reasonable for the Six Doors to intervene; no major sect would openly oppose it, right? And it's even less likely that anyone would dare to attack the Six Doors. This situation is different; the sects won't send hotheads. Even if the Six Doors lack prestige in Mobei, the higher-ups of the various sects aren't fools; they'll certainly put on a show of cooperation. What kind of support do you need from me?"

Zhuo Qingfeng chuckled. "For this support, Brother Gu, you won't need to fight. You simply need to accompany our Six Doors. The Mobei martial arts sects aren't stupid; they'll undoubtedly guess that our Six Doors intend to use this opportunity to intervene. They can't stop us, but they can resist. The simplest method would be for them to select a highly respected martial arts veteran to lead their own investigation team, using 'martial affairs settled by martial artists' as an excuse, and then feign compliance with our Six Doors. However, if you publicly appear and state your intention to also participate in the investigation of the Broadsword Gate massacre, I wonder who in the Mobei martial arts world would dare step forward to lead? Unless someone considers themselves more esteemed than you—the Great Hero of Yunzhou, one of the Ten Grandmasters of Qian, a sworn enemy of evil, and the righteous Number One Investigator Under Heaven!"

Gu Mo was speechless.

"Alright, whatever," Gu Mo said. "Just make sure you don't drag us into your power struggles. I am indeed very interested in investigating the Zombie Arts, so I'll go with you. But Brother Zhuo, don't just focus on seizing power; the culprit still needs to be found!"

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded. "The culprit must be found. The Zombie Arts are a huge hidden danger. If this matter isn't handled properly, even if I successfully take control of Mobei in the future, the Zombie Arts will continue to plague us, always causing great trouble. Most importantly, the mastermind, whether He Changqing's successor or He Changqing himself, dares to openly declare war at this time, meaning their strength is absolutely extraordinary. If it's a successor, it might be a bit better, but if it's truly He Changqing, then we're in trouble. He Changqing was already a Grandmaster back then. Now, after thirty years in hiding, his Zombie Arts have likely reached a supreme level. Who knows how powerful he's become? Should I wait for a future of bloodshed instead of finding him quickly while you're still here?"

That same day, Zhuo Qingfeng gathered over a hundred elite members of the Six Doors and set off. Zhuo Qingfeng took this matter very seriously, bringing along both Commander Zhong Lianshan and Deputy Commander Chen Yin. These two, nicknamed "Four Eyes" and "Night Owl" respectively, were top-tier experts in investigation.

Gu Mo and Gu Chuwinter, the siblings, also accompanied them.

Originally, Gu Mo wanted Gu Chuwinter to stay in Changling County to rest, as she hadn't been in good spirits since the incident at Dawang Village. However, Gu Chuwinter disagreed and insisted on coming along. To prove she had recovered, she proudly devoured several large meat buns right in front of Gu Mo.

Gu Mo didn't insist further. Deep down, he felt it was good for Gu Chuwinter to experience more of the martial world's harshness, just as when he first took the seven-year-old Gu Chuwinter into the martial world. Back then, she wouldn't even dare to hit anyone, but gradually she became capable of decisive action. Now, the martial world they faced was deeper and broader, requiring them to forge even greater fortitude.

The group of over a hundred people journeyed majestically towards Han Ya Crossing, taking four to five days to reach the Broadsword Gate.

However, upon their arrival, the Broadsword Gate was already in mourning. The sect grounds were draped in white, and disciples wearing mourning attire greeted guests outside the main gate.

The annihilation of the Broadsword Gate meant that everyone present in the sect that night was killed; it wasn't a complete massacre of the entire sect. After all, in a large sect, there would always be some members away on errands or visiting relatives at any given time.

"The Great Hero of Yunzhou is here!"

"And the recently established Six Doors Inspector for Mobei has also arrived, I think his name is Zhuo Qingfeng."

"I heard the Great Hero of Yunzhou is blind, is that true?"

"Go see for yourself! He's the tenth Grandmaster on the Qian Dynasty's Heavenly Ranking, and they say he's only in his early twenties?"

As Gu Mo and his group approached the Broadsword Gate's main entrance, news quickly spread among the disciples and guests, causing a stir. Many people descended the mountain to welcome them.

At the mountain gate, after exchanging pleasantries, Gu Mo gained a general understanding of the Broadsword Gate's current situation. Not a single second-generation disciple remained, only a few third-generation disciples and some outer sect disciples were left. Its decline was undeniable. However, due to lingering goodwill and historical ties, many sects from the Mobei martial arts world came to offer condolences. The leaders of the other seven of the Eight Great Sects were also expected to arrive in person.

Gu Mo, Zhuo Qingfeng, and their group were escorted up the mountain and proceeded to the main hall to offer incense and condolences. After completing the ritual, Zhuo Qingfeng, seizing the opportunity while the leaders of the major sects were present, spoke frankly: "Gentlemen, I am here today, firstly, to mourn those who perished at the Broadsword Gate, and secondly, to investigate the culprits behind this incident. As righteous members and respected elders of Mobei's martial arts world, you surely will not stand by idly while the Broadsword Gate suffers such a calamity. Therefore, I implore you to lend your full support!"