Chapter 181: Behind the Scenes Mastermind

Zhuo Qingfeng frowned and asked, "Completely untraceable?"

Lin Duanyun slightly shook his head and said, "To say he's completely untraceable is naturally impossible. Although my master has enjoyed traveling the martial arts world in recent years, he has always remained within the northern deserts. If he occasionally leaves, he notifies us in advance. The fact that he hasn't sent any letters in the past six months means he must be within the northern deserts. I will immediately send word back, asking all channels and personnel of our Qiongshan Sect to help search for him."

Immediately, the leaders of other sects also expressed their willingness to help search for Bai Qiliao.

On this matter, Zhuo Qingfeng didn't believe these people would feign compliance. After all, it concerned the Zombie Art, and the survival of these eight major sects. If He Changqing were indeed alive and seeking revenge, things would become chaotic, with the Great Blade Sect serving as a clear precedent.

After all the prominent martial artists offered to help search for Sect Leader Bai, Zhuo Qingfeng added, "Searching for Sect Leader Bai is one task. The second is that our Six Doors recently compiled a list of evil masters suspected of practicing the Zombie Art. We need the major sects to help us look for them. Let's exchange information; once there's any news, we'll notify each other."

Immediately, Zhuo Qingfeng dispatched people to distribute the wanted posters compiled by the Six Doors, featuring evil masters possibly practicing the Zombie Art, to the leaders of each sect.

Afterwards, everyone discussed the evil masters for a while before dispersing.

Gu Mo stayed with Zhuo Qingfeng at the Great Blade Sect for several days, departing only after all the victims had been buried. At the same time, people from various martial arts sects who had come to offer condolences also left.

However, Gu Mo and his companions did not return to Changling County but instead settled down in Hanyadu.

Zhuo Qingfeng established a Six Doors Hundred-Household Office in Hanyadu. From this base, he began to engage with the martial arts forces in the Hanyadu area. After all, with the Great Blade Sect wiped out, the martial arts forces in Hanyadu were leaderless, making it the easiest time for the Six Doors to assert control.

Gu Mo, meanwhile, proceeded according to his original plan, teaching Gu Chuxia the Extinction Cross Blade Art.

Gu Chuxia's Bright Jade Art had already reached the seventh level, significantly improving her martial arts realm and bone structure. Coupled with her considerable talent in blade arts, she learned very quickly. Within just a few days, she had grasped some of the essential principles of the Extinction Cross Blade Art.

On this day, at noon, Gu Chuxia was practicing her blade art in the courtyard. She assumed a stable stance, holding the Gouchen Demonic Blade, and slowly executed the techniques according to the art's principles. With each swing, all her strength was poured into the strike.

As the blade gleamed, faint cross-shaped blade qi swirled out, but it was thin and ethereal, like a flickering candle in the wind.

Gu Mo sat under the eaves nearby and threw a wooden stick towards Gu Chuxia.

Gu Chuxia quickly unleashed a strike. In an instant, a cross-shaped blade qi shot out, splitting the wooden stick into four pieces.

However, Gu Mo slightly shook his head and said, "The essence of the Extinction Cross Blade Art lies in its ruthlessness, decisiveness, and concise moves. Yet, each move contains a resolute intent, leaving no room for retreat once executed, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent at the fastest possible speed.

"The forms primarily involve direct chops and horizontal slashes. Though seemingly simple, they are so fast that opponents are caught off guard. Through its unique power-generation techniques, the blade qi crisscrosses, not only surprising opponents with its speed but also with the unexpected directions and angles of its appearance.

"But your current blade qi hasn't grasped the true essence of the Extinction Cross Blade Art, which focuses on two key aspects: speed and deception. Speed means being clean and decisive, while deception means being bizarre and tricky."

As he spoke, Gu Mo stood up and took the Gouchen Demonic Blade from Gu Chuxia. Instantly, a cold glint flashed across the blade.

He lightly stomped his foot, and the firewood pile in the courtyard suddenly exploded.

The blade struck. The blade qi twisted like venomous snakes emerging from the earth. Dozens of cross-shaped cold lights darted east and west, like a spiderweb scattered by the wind. Yet, those crooked lines precisely entangled each piece of firewood—the snapping sounds were as fine as rain, and the wood chips turned to dust before they even hit the ground.

"The Extinction Cross Blade Art is a merciless blade," Gu Mo said, returning the Gouchen Demonic Blade to Gu Chuxia. "If a merciless blade shows mercy, it will never unleash its true essence."

At that moment, in the courtyard, the blade qi still lingered in the air, like a group of restless spirits.

Gu Chuxia held the Gouchen Demonic Blade, deep in thought.

Gu Mo said no more, slowly walked out of the courtyard, leaving Gu Chuxia to ponder.

As he stepped out the door, Zhuo Qingfeng walked towards him.

Gu Mo said, "Just now in the courtyard, I heard your hurried footsteps. If I'm not mistaken, there's been another vampiric incident, and it's not a minor one!"

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded and said, "You're right. We just received news that all seven major sects, while returning from the Great Blade Sect, were ambushed by zombies. The ambush locations were incredibly precise. The people from the Five Tiger Sect, Hanjiang Sect, and Suxin Nunnery were almost completely wiped out. The Qiongshan Sect, Dragon Gate Sect, Golden Palm Gang, and Tongshan Sect sustained varying degrees of casualties. They are currently gathered in Tuoling Town, where the Qiongshan Sect managed to capture a zombie alive. Now, many martial arts sects are rushing towards Tuoling Town."

Gu Mo asked, "Who was captured alive? Have they interrogated them to find out who is behind this?"

Zhuo Qingfeng replied, "The zombie captured by the Qiongshan Sect is Yin Jiuniang, the infamous Nine Nether Ghost Mother, an evil master renowned in the northern deserts martial arts world."

The name Yin Jiuniang struck a chord with Gu Mo. He immediately found a related mission in his Sea of Consciousness system:

Wanted Target: Yin JiuniangMission Level: Two-starMission Reward: Profound Iron DaggerNote: Mission expired

Seeing that note, Gu Mo knew that Yin Jiuniang had likely been taken over by the Six Doors. He had encountered this situation before, as his system contained records of many wanted criminals. Once those wanted criminals were apprehended, the system would remove the "mission expired" note.

Zhuo Qingfeng continued in a low voice, "It's impossible to interrogate any useful information from her. According to the person sent by Lin Duanyun, the leader of the Qiongshan Sect, they found that while the zombie appeared normal, she wasn't truly normal. Her mental will was being controlled and enslaved, making it impossible to extract any information."

"Mental enslavement?" Gu Mo was surprised.

"Yes," Zhuo Qingfeng said, "It's like the infamous Soul Transfer Art in the martial arts world. However, the Soul Transfer Art has significant limitations; it can only control someone's mind for a short period, turning them into a zombie-like being with no memory upon waking.

"But the Zombie Art is different. According to the Qiongshan Sect's messenger disciple, Yin Jiuniang appears no different from an ordinary person, except for her extreme loyalty; she won't reveal the person behind her even if beaten to death.

"However, the leader of the Golden Palm Gang possesses a secret mental technique. He discovered that Yin Jiuniang's consciousness has a mental slave seal, one that is utterly unbreakable. If forcibly broken, it would lead to her death and the dissipation of her spiritual essence."

Gu Mo said solemnly, "So, although a living person was captured, it's actually useless?"

"No," Zhuo Qingfeng shook his head and said, "It's useful, because you are here."

"What do you mean?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

Zhuo Qingfeng said, "The person behind this definitely knows about the mental slave seal in Yin Jiuniang's consciousness, so they wouldn't care if she was captured alive. But what if Gu Mo, the esteemed Hero of Yunzhou and a Grandmaster, publicly declares that he has a way to remove mental slave seals? Do you think the person behind this wouldn't be worried?

"No matter how confident they are in their secret art, they would be shaken by the solemn declaration of a Grandmaster renowned throughout the martial arts world. They would undoubtedly be unable to resist trying to verify it, or silence her. We're only worried about them not making a move. As long as they move, they will expose a weakness."

Gu Mo asked, "Are you sure they will come?"

"Absolutely," Zhuo Qingfeng said. "Because in this attack on the seven major sects, the perpetrator was able to precisely obtain their movements, departure times, and so on. This means that the perpetrator must have been among those who came to offer condolences at the Great Blade Sect, and their identity would not be that of an ordinary martial artist.

"And now, it's not just people from the seven major sects; martial artists from all forces who attended the condolences are also returning and rushing to Tuoling Town. In this situation, those who return might not necessarily be connected to the Zombie Art, but if they don't return, then there's definitely something suspicious. Therefore, the person behind this will certainly also rush to Tuoling Town."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "That makes sense. So, you want me to use my reputation as the Hero of Yunzhou to put pressure on the person behind this?"

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded and said, "To be honest, no matter how strange their methods are, no matter how confident they are in themselves, I don't believe that if Gu Mo, the Hero of Yunzhou and one of the Ten Grandmasters of Qian, says he can break it, they would remain completely unconcerned. I don't believe anyone can be that confident."

Gu Mo chuckled, "What if they really are that confident?"

Zhuo Qingfeng laughed, "If they truly are that confident, then we'll continue to investigate step by step. Yin Jiuniang's capture and the confirmation that she practices the Zombie Art mean that our previous assessment at the Six Doors was correct: there is a group of evil masters who all practice the Zombie Art. We will continue to pursue this.

"Although these individuals might all have mental slave seals like Yin Jiuniang and won't reveal any clues about the person behind it, they themselves are clues. They will always have commonalities, points of intersection. By slowly investigating, we will eventually find traces."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "So, shall we leave now?"

"Of course, the sooner the better."

Tuoling Town, a relatively large market town within Hanyadu, was usually bustling, but now it was even more so, with various martial arts forces converging. There were at least four or five hundred martial artists present.

The current focal point of the gathering was a manor in Tuoling Town called Lujia Manor.

Gu Mo, Zhuo Qingfeng, and a group of Six Doors constables traveled day and night. After a full day and night, they arrived at Tuoling Town. Many martial artists came to greet them, surrounding Gu Mo as he entered Lujia Manor.

After some polite greetings and pleasantries, Lin Duanyun, the leader of the Qiongshan Sect, and the leader of the Golden Palm Gang led Gu Mo and Zhuo Qingfeng into a secluded room.

Inside the room, a woman with severed arms was bound by thick iron chains. Four thumb-thick chains were wrapped around four large boulders.

The woman sat on the ground, exuding a chilling aura, trembling, and her face was pale, clearly showing symptoms of a cold poison attack. This person was none other than the evil master Yin Jiuniang.

Gu Mo stepped forward and lightly tapped Yin Jiuniang's forehead. He indeed felt traces of mental energy fluctuations. However, being completely ignorant of mental martial arts, he naturally had no way to deal with it, and immediately shook his head slightly.

Seeing Gu Mo shake his head, Zhuo Qingfeng, Lin Duanyun, and the others were somewhat disappointed, but not overly so. After all, they had already prepared themselves for the possibility that Gu Mo might not be able to remove Yin Jiuniang's mental slave seal before arriving.

After they stayed in the room for a while, Zhuo Qingfeng and Lin Duanyun emerged, publicly declaring that Gu Mo had also failed to remove Yin Jiuniang's mental slave seal, and that Yin Jiuniang had died on the spot, causing an uproar.

However, that very night, some observant individuals noticed that the Six Doors elites and several core members of the Qiongshan Sect were not in Lujia Manor.

Late at night, in a small courtyard at Lujia Manor.

A young man around thirty years old paced back and forth, anxiety etched on his brow. The fact that this person was given a private courtyard in Lujia Manor, where many martial artists had gathered, indicated his extraordinary status. He was Ke Wenshui, the master of Peach Blossom Mountain Villa.

Although Peach Blossom Mountain Villa's status in the northern deserts couldn't compare to that of the eight major sects, it was still a major force, second only to them. Its master, Ke Wenshui, was a young talent whose reputation rivaled that of Lin Duanyun, the current leader of the Qiongshan Sect. However, because Lin Duanyun had the backing of the Qiongshan Sect, his fame was slightly greater.

"Master." A hunchbacked old man with an ugly face appeared outside the door. This was the chief steward of Peach Blossom Mountain Villa, Ke Wenshui's foremost confidant.

Seeing the old steward, Ke Wenshui quickly ushered him in, then closed the door behind him and asked, using internal energy to transmit his voice, "How is it?"

The old steward also transmitted his voice, "Master, it's exactly as you suspected. The news from earlier today was a smokescreen they released. Gu Mo, Zhuo Qingfeng, and Lin Duanyun are currently not in Lujia Manor."

Ke Wenshui's pupils slightly contracted, and he continued to transmit his voice, "This is troublesome. That Gu Mo probably really does have a way to remove the mental slave seal I planted.

"They must have realized that the person behind this is in Lujia Manor, so they deliberately declared that Gu Mo failed to remove the seal to make us lower our guard. The truth is likely that Gu Mo can remove it, but it's very difficult and was interfered with midway, which is why they announced his failure. Then they secretly moved Yin Jiuniang away to remove the seal.

"But they made one crucial mistake: they shouldn't have said Yin Jiuniang died. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have realized they were throwing up a smokescreen. They never expected that while I can't silence her from afar, I can sense whether the mental slave seal is still present. Now, the fact that Yin Jiuniang's mental slave seal is still there means she isn't dead."

The old steward asked, "Master, what should we do now?"

Ke Wenshui said, "Send word to Sikong Xiao and the others. I can pinpoint Yin Jiuniang's location. It's time for a gamble. Gu Mo's attempt to remove the mental slave seal is extremely difficult and highly taxing on his spirit, meaning his strength will be severely diminished. Their secretly moving her out is actually our opportunity; if she had remained in Lujia Manor, it would have been more troublesome."

The old steward voiced his concerns, "Master, but after all, there are so many martial arts masters in town. If a fight breaks out, they will arrive as reinforcements very quickly. The main concern is Gu Mo; he is a Grandmaster, and even with spiritual exhaustion, he might still be difficult to deal with. What if we are exposed?"

Ke Wenshui's expression turned grim. He said, "Do we have any other options now? We have to gamble. It's better than idly waiting here for Gu Mo to break Yin Jiuniang's mental slave seal, only to be directly besieged and certainly die.

"It's better to strike first and fight; perhaps there's still hope. If we are truly exposed, then we'll go on a rampage. I might not be able to avenge my father by killing all our enemies, but it will be enough. Even if I die, I'll have the face to meet my father in the afterlife!"