Chapter 240: Human-faced Demon Beast Appears

Mount Wuwei, Grand Tutor's Residence.

In a small courtyard at the back of the residence, a traditional house with green tiles and white walls nestled among bamboo groves. Bamboo shadows swayed, rustling softly. In the corner of the yard, bamboo leaves were a vibrant green, and by the fence, several wild chrysanthemums bloomed quietly.

Gu Mo sat in the courtyard, fishing. His fishing rod was remarkably simple: a bamboo pole, a line, and a hook fashioned from a bent embroidery needle. He would sit there all day, usually catching nothing, but he enjoyed it thoroughly and had been fishing there for several days.

Since arriving at Mount Wuwei on the tenth day of the ninth lunar month and learning about the conflict between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager from Grand Tutor Zhang Daoji, Gu Mo had not been in a hurry to leave. That very day, Ye Jinglan and Su Ziyou visited the Grand Tutor's Residence. This time, Zhang Daoji allowed Ye Jinglan entry and personally received him.

After Ye Jinglan explained the situation, Gu Mo immediately agreed to help, telling Ye Jinglan and Su Ziyou to proceed with their investigation and to inform him whenever they needed assistance.

Subsequently, Gu Mo took up residence in the Grand Tutor's Residence, enjoying its hospitality.

By today, the fifteenth of the ninth lunar month, it had been six days.

However, Gu Mo hadn't been idle during these days. Using his Transcendent Martial Arts realm, he slightly modified the Muscle Tendon Cleansing Scripture and the Marrow Cleansing Scripture. He then utilized the powerful capabilities of these two divine arts to refine Gu Chuxia's physique and marrow.

The effect was remarkably significant.

Gu Chuxia was already approaching the ninth level of the Bright Jade Skill, having reached the eighth level, 'No Self, No Other, Forgetting Both Self and Object.' The Bright Jade Skill itself could improve innate talent, and the deeper one cultivated it, the greater the enhancement.

Now, Gu Mo further used the perfected Muscle Tendon Cleansing Scripture and Marrow Cleansing Scripture to perform a forceful 'enlightenment' on Gu Chuxia, refining her muscles and marrow. In just a few days, Gu Chuxia's cultivation realm advanced by leaps and bounds, bringing her to the brink of a breakthrough.

Then,

Zhang Daoji, sensing the situation, lent his aid. He recited the Daoist sect's most authentic pure heart mantra, the 'Scripture of Purity and Tranquility,' for Gu Chuxia. As the leader of the Daoist sect, his understanding of Daoist realms was undoubtedly among the best in the world, and he successfully guided Gu Chuxia into a state of unity between heaven and man.

This brought her one step closer to perfecting the Bright Jade Skill.

Consequently, Gu Chuxia entered secluded cultivation.

By now, she had been in seclusion for a day and a night.

Gu Mo knew that once Gu Chuxia emerged from this secluded cultivation, she would have mastered the Bright Jade Skill, entering the martial arts realm of 'Boundless Asura, Tendon-Cleansing Nirvana, and Carefree Dream.'

This speed was truly astonishing. It had only been two years since Gu Chuxia began cultivating the Bright Jade Skill, and she had already reached the realm of mastery.

However, considering,

with the enhancement of various resources coveted by the martial arts world, and almost daily one-on-one guidance from an unparalleled Grandmaster of inner cultivation, this speed was, in fact, quite normal.

Originally, Gu Mo had planned to visit Mount Longhu and use the blessed lands of the Ascension Platform to help Gu Chuxia achieve mastery of the Bright Jade Skill. However, with the arrival of the Muscle Tendon Cleansing Scripture and Marrow Cleansing Scripture, her progress had accelerated.

Two people entered the courtyard: Zhang Daoji and the Daoist boy Huaisu.

They approached Gu Mo. Huaisu bowed respectfully, while Zhang Daoji patted his round belly and sat on a stone beside Gu Mo, asking, "Still no fish?"

Gu Mo replied, "You've eaten all the fish in this lake. There aren't any left, so how can I catch one?"

Zhang Daoji said, "You know there are no fish, yet you still cast your line?"

Gu Mo chuckled, "Must there be fish to fish? What one fishes for is a feeling, a state of mind, Old Grand Tutor, you wouldn't understand."

Zhang Daoji pursed his lips and said, "You're starting to sound like Su Qianqiu, young man. That's not good; it's asking for trouble."

Gu Mo smiled and countered, "But in reality, it's usually Su Qianqiu who does the beating, isn't it, Old Grand Tutor?"

Zhang Daoji rolled his eyes. "You really don't know how to talk," he grumbled. As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at the room behind them. "Hmm, Chuxia's seclusion is about to end. She's now in the stage of regulating her inner energy."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

Zhang Daoji sighed in admiration. "Heaven truly favors you two siblings. You, for instance, possess talent unrivaled in an entire era. And it turns out, even Chuxia, whom everyone in the martial arts world thought was merely your little follower, is equally talented. Has she turned twenty yet?"

"Nineteen," Gu Mo replied.

"Tsk, tsk, nineteen years old," Zhang Daoji mused. "If I'm not mistaken, she cultivates both inner energy arts and martial intent, though with inner energy being primary. When she emerges from this seclusion, her internal energy will reach a state of flawlessness."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

Mastery of the Bright Jade Skill meant reaching a state of perfect clarity and endless inner energy. However, Zhang Daoji hadn't studied the Bright Jade Skill and wasn't aware of its specific characteristics. He merely inferred Gu Chuxia's inner energy realm based on common internal martial arts, and indeed, it had reached a flawless state, without any vulnerabilities or weaknesses.

"Nineteen, nineteen... What was I doing at nineteen?" Zhang Daoji said. "I was still peeking at the Daoist nuns in the neighboring temple! Comparing oneself to others truly infuriates!"

Gu Mo chuckled, "But Old Grand Tutor, you are now the third greatest master in the world!"

Zhang Daoji patted Gu Mo's shoulder. "How about I introduce your sister to a master?"

"You, Old Grand Tutor?" Gu Mo asked.

Zhang Daoji shook his head. "My current status is special, and my seniority is too high; I can no longer take on disciples. However, rest assured, the person I introduce to your sister is absolutely a top figure within the Daoist sect. Her innate talent will not be wasted, and she will certainly learn the unique techniques of Mount Longhu!"

Gu Mo chuckled, "Old Grand Tutor, who do you think my sister could take as a master that would be more suitable than staying by my side? Could anyone value my sister more than I do?"

Zhang Daoji paused, then said, "That's true, with a Grandmaster like you present, there's indeed no need to seek far and wide. However, I am truly tempted. Someone so young and talented, if they don't join my Daoist sect, I'd be unwilling. How about you join my Daoist sect instead?"

Gu Mo asked, "It's not that I look down on the Daoist sect, but I just want to ask, Old Grand Tutor, in today's world, who is qualified to be my master and accept me as a disciple? It's hard to say who would be teaching whom."

"How about this then," Zhang Daoji suggested, "I'll transmit a Daoist divine ability to you, then accept you as a disciple on behalf of my master. After that, we'll go to Mount Longhu for your initiation, and announce to the world that you are the new Celestial Master of the Daoist sect. How does that sound?"

"Is the Daoist sect that short of enforcers?"

"It's just that I'm afraid one day you'll be misled by those Buddhist fellows into their so-called enlightenment and then renounce the world!"

Zhang Daoji added, "Oh, right, Ye Jinglan is here. There's progress on the investigation. But I see Chuxia's seclusion is almost over. I'll go greet him first; you can come over a bit later."

Gu Mo nodded. "Alright," he said. Then, perplexed, he added, "I recall you didn't think highly of Ye Jinglan before. Why are you so polite now, even going to greet him personally?"

"The situation is different," Zhang Daoji said with a chuckle. "First, I must state that if Ye Jinglan had not become an official in the court, I would still respect him as a martial arts grandmaster. The reason I didn't see him before was because he was a retainer of Prince Jin, and I... I don't wish to involve myself in the succession struggle. I don't side with any imperial prince; I always stand with the Emperor. So, my refusal to see Ye Jinglan wasn't directed at him personally, but at anyone who had clearly taken part in the struggle for the throne."

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "But Ye Jinglan is still Prince Jin's man, isn't he?"

"But he is currently working for His Majesty. Once this matter concludes, I will not see him again."

"I see. So, are you siding with the Emperor as a person, or the title itself?"

Zhang Daoji chuckled softly, offered no reply, and turned to leave with Huaisu.

Gu Mo watched Zhang Daoji's receding back, lost in thought.

After some more time passed,

the fluctuations of inner energy in the room behind him subsided.

The door slowly opened, and Gu Chuxia emerged. At that moment, even the bamboo leaves accumulated on the green tiles seemed to pause. She quickly approached Gu Mo, moving as if carried by the wind, radiating an inexplicable sense of deterrence and pressure.

This was because she had just broken through and hadn't fully adapted, thus not yet entering a state of inner restraint.

"Brother!"

Gu Chuxia, her face beaming with uncontainable joy, ran to Gu Mo's side, grinning and flashing two rows of sparkling white teeth. She looked utterly simple and earnest as she exclaimed, "Brother, I feel amazing! I'm filled with power, and I have a feeling I can defeat anyone!"

Gu Mo: "..."

He suddenly understood why so many people he had encountered before always believed themselves to be the greatest under heaven. The sense of security brought by such power could indeed easily lead to conceit. If one's mindset wasn't adjusted in time, and if those around them constantly flattered, they could truly become increasingly arrogant.

So,

Gu Mo slowly extended his hand, placing a single finger on Gu Chuxia's shoulder.

Gu Chuxia felt as if a great mountain had suddenly descended upon her. Her body nearly disintegrated, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move a single inch.

"Alright, alright!" Gu Chuxia quickly cried out, "I won't be conceited anymore!"

Gu Mo slowly released his finger and said, "I only used ten percent of my strength."

Gu Chuxia pouted, linking her arm with Gu Mo's. "Oh, Brother, can't you just let me be arrogant for a bit?"

Gu Mo chuckled, "No, you can't. You've just broken through, and your state of mind is unstable, making it easy for inner demons to arise. If you don't adjust your mindset promptly, it will be very difficult to correct later."

"Alright," Gu Chuxia thought for a moment, then asked, "Brother, what level would my current strength be considered in the martial arts world?"

Gu Mo pondered, then shook his head slightly. "It's difficult to say," he replied.

It was indeed difficult to assess. With Gu Chuxia's perfected inner cultivation from the Bright Jade Skill, and benefiting from its endless vitality and the martial realm of 'Boundless Asura, Nirvana of Tendon Cleansing, and Carefree Dream,' she undoubtedly surpassed ordinary top-tier masters. However, she would still fall short when compared to a Grandmaster. Yet, Gu Chuxia possessed the Gouchen Demonic Blade, which even Gu Mo couldn't precisely gauge. He wasn't sure to what extent Gu Chuxia had mastered the blade, as he could no longer sense its spirit, meaning the Gouchen Demonic Blade had completely forged a spiritual contract with Gu Chuxia. Although he could still use it, in his hands, it was merely an incredibly sharp blade, not a divine weapon. So, whether Gu Chuxia truly qualified as a Grandmaster-level practitioner was a question Gu Mo couldn't answer. Nevertheless, it was undeniable that with the Gouchen Demonic Blade in hand, Gu Chuxia unquestionably possessed Grandmaster-level combat power, potentially even surpassing average Grandmasters.

However, even without the Gouchen Demonic Blade, Gu Chuxia's current martial cultivation would be comparable to that of Grandmasters in the weakest martial arts regions of Qian, such as Suzhou and Fengzhou. Moreover, if Gu Chuxia could master the Extinguishing Cross Blade Art, she would genuinely possess the combat power of a regular Grandmaster.

Ultimately, Gu Mo did not answer Gu Chuxia's question about her strength level. Instead, he quickly helped her adjust her energy state before taking her to meet Ye Jinglan.

Shortly after,

Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia arrived in a courtyard.

Ye Jinglan and Zhang Daoji were chatting over tea. Seeing Gu Mo enter, Ye Jinglan immediately stood up to greet him, cupping his hands and saying, "Brother Gu, I've come to ask for your help!"

Gu Mo chuckled, "Elaborate."

Ye Jinglan explained, "These past few days, Brother Su Ziyou and I have been thoroughly investigating the Four Seas Merchant Association. Brother Su truly lives up to his reputation as a master investigator; he has already uncovered preliminary clues linking the Association with Ghost City. However, as you know, our immediate priority is the upcoming Four Nations Trade Agreement Conference. Therefore, our main focus is to investigate how Empress Dowager Yan plans to disrupt the conference."

Gu Mo nodded slightly, slowly sat down, and asked, "Have you found anything?"

"Halfway there," Ye Jinglan replied. "Based on various clues, Brother Su inferred that Empress Dowager Yan might have made two sets of preparations. First, to directly ambush the leaders of the four merchant associations chosen by His Majesty. If those four associations encounter problems on the signing day, Empress Dowager Yan can use it as an excuse to have the Four Seas Merchant Association take their place, thus directly stealing His Majesty's achievement, and His Majesty would even have to thank her for saving the situation. Second, and this is our greatest concern, is that Empress Dowager Yan, if pushed, might directly attack the diplomatic delegations from the three nations. Should anything happen to them, the signing naturally would be annulled."

Gu Mo asked, "Since you have a direction, why is it only halfway investigated?"

Ye Jinglan explained, "Because there are still two days and one night until the conference, we dare not act rashly. The three nations' delegations are staying at the Honglu Temple, and the four merchant associations are at the Imperial Inn. Brother Su has secretly identified Empress Dowager Yan's assassins and has people monitoring them. We plan to delay, waiting until Empress Dowager Yan no longer has time for a second preparation, then we'll directly apprehend them. If we act now, it would give Empress Dowager Yan time to prepare a second response."

Gu Mo said, "Are you certain you have it under control? Let's not have any slip-ups."

Ye Jinglan replied, "The Grand General of the Imperial City Guard personally arranged the personnel, so there shouldn't be any issues. Besides, didn't I come to invite you? It's to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, to have you as a backup."

Gu Mo asked, "What are Empress Dowager Yan's specific arrangements?"

Ye Jinglan said, "First, she bribed people within the Honglu Temple and the Imperial Inn. Or rather, those people were already her loyalists, just deeply hidden; if not for Brother Su's meticulousness, they would be undetectable. Second, we've detected unusual movements from Ghost City. They are likely coordinating an inside-out attack. The confirmed individuals among the Ten Evildoers are Turtle Lord Zheng Laodao and Iron Abacus Sun Suniang."

"Which side should I go to?" Gu Mo asked.

"Honglu Temple, relatively speaking," Ye Jinglan replied directly. "To be honest, the three nations' delegations are more crucial, so I'd feel more at ease if you went there, Brother Gu."

"Alright."

Gu Mo nodded in agreement. He was quite interested in Zheng Laodao and Sun Suniang. He knew of both of them. Zheng Laodao ran gambling dens, stopping at nothing, ruining countless families. It was rumored that many gambling establishments in the capital were his property. Because the martial art he cultivated was a top-tier defensive skill, he was known in the martial world as 'Turtle Lord.' Iron Abacus Sun Suniang was Zheng Laodao's partner; one ran gambling dens, the other lent money. Sun Suniang was most infamous for her 'live person collateral' scheme, where borrowers had to leave organs such as eyes, tongues, or kidneys as pledges. Those who failed to repay on time were turned into 'living dead puppets' for entertainment.

Since Gu Mo arrived in the capital, his system had collected wanted information on the Ten Evildoers, including Sun Suniang and Zheng Laodao:

Wanted Target — Zheng LaodaoMission Level — Four-starMission Reward — Max-level Melancholy Palm

Wanted Target — Sun SuniangMission Level — Three-starMission Reward — Ambidextrous Combat Technique

Gu Mo still had some interest in these two martial arts. While they weren't outstanding among the skills he currently possessed, both had very distinct characteristics and were highly valuable for reference.

The Melancholy Palm used 'emotion' as its guide and 'sorrow' as its force. Each move contained the obsession of 'seeking yet not obtaining, loving yet unable to hold.' It could not be executed by anyone without profound inner pain. The power of this palm technique depended on the practitioner's emotions; the greater the sorrow, the stronger its might. It also possessed special effects like 'a hundred-fold anguish, and sympathetic resonance with things,' which could draw enemies into one's own emotional state.

Of course, based purely on the characteristics of this martial art, its power would be greatly diminished when Gu Mo executed it, as his mental state was profound and rarely inclined to excessive sadness.

However, this martial art held significant reference value.

Overall, the Melancholy Palm, much like Li Xiaoli's Flying Daggers, belonged to the category of martial arts focused on martial will. Li Xiaoli's Flying Daggers' spiritual will lay in upholding justice, leading to a will of faith, while the Melancholy Palm's lay in an emotionally driven combat will.

Especially its special effects, 'a hundred-fold anguish and sympathetic resonance with things,' which also had a slight domain-like quality.

Gu Mo intended to draw inspiration from its combat will and special effects to enhance his own fighting spirit. In battles between masters of the same caliber, combat will could be the decisive factor in victory or defeat.

The most typical example of weak combat will was Zhang Wuji. Despite having fully maxed divine martial arts, he could still be injured by a quickly mastered Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

The second martial art, the Ambidextrous Combat Technique, also held great reference value.

This martial art defied the conventional understanding that one cannot do two things at once. Through extreme concentration and purity of mind, it allowed for independent control of both left and right limbs, possessing the miraculous effects of 'attacking the enemy while defending oneself' and 'integrating different martial arts.'

Once mastered, one could attack with both sides simultaneously, perform two tasks at once, or attack with one hand and defend with the other.

Simply put, it allowed the use of two martial arts simultaneously without interference, essentially turning one person into two. In terms of pure technique, it was arguably the strongest rapid-mastery martial art; once learned, one's martial power immediately doubled.

The concept of the Ambidextrous Combat Technique wasn't profoundly complex, but its difficulty was immense. Only those with a pure mind could master it; the more intricate one's thoughts, the less likely they were to succeed.

Overall, Gu Mo was quite interested in both the Melancholy Palm and the Ambidextrous Combat Technique. He was particularly keen on the latter, as this martial art could also take opponents by surprise by exploiting their habitual thinking.

He wondered if he could pass it on to Gu Chuxia, because this martial art was truly a top-tier rapid-mastery skill. As long as one could get started, mastery would be very quick. However, the entry requirements were extremely difficult; one either could do it or couldn't, and it couldn't be forced. The most direct way to test it was to draw a circle with one hand and a square with the other simultaneously.

Soon, Gu Mo concluded his discussion with Ye Jinglan and returned with Gu Chuxia to their courtyard to pack their belongings.

Upon entering the courtyard,

Gu Mo said to Gu Chuxia, "Sister, try if you can draw a square with your left hand and a circle with your right, simultaneously?"

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

Gu Mo reached out, took two bamboo twigs, handed them to Gu Chuxia, and pointed to the ground. "It's drawing a circle with one hand and a square with the other, simultaneously, and it must be very..."

Before Gu Mo could finish speaking,

Gu Chuxia began drawing, and she completed it instantly.

Gu Mo didn't open his eyes, but he could sense that Gu Chuxia had indeed drawn them, and they were remarkably standard.

For a moment,

Gu Mo was a little stunned.

In his mind, Gu Chuxia was a bit of a money-grubber. While her thoughts weren't overly complex, she certainly wasn't entirely naive, as she always had a small calculation going on in her mind.

"Brother," Gu Chuxia pouted, "That's very simple, actually. Have you forgotten? The eighth level of the Bright Jade Skill is 'No Self, No Other, Forgetting Both Self and Object.' As long as you enter that state, drawing a square with your left hand and a circle with your right is very easy!"

Gu Mo was slightly taken aback, then he smiled.

He had indeed forgotten that this characteristic of the Bright Jade Skill provided his sister with a massive advantage. The Ambidextrous Combat Technique was practically tailor-made for her.

"Good girl. I'll teach you a martial art after some time!"

Gu Chuxia rubbed her head, looking utterly confused. How did the conversation suddenly shift to teaching martial arts?

Soon, Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia followed Ye Jinglan to the capital. The three of them went directly to the Honglu Temple.

The Honglu Temple was a government agency responsible for receiving foreign envoys and coordinating state ceremonial activities. However, at present, the Honglu Temple was guarded by soldiers from the Imperial City Guard everywhere.

Gu Mo did not bother interacting with the Honglu Temple officials, nor did he meet the foreign envoys. It was meaningless to him; he was merely there to lend a hand, to be a backup if anything went wrong.

Ye Jinglan naturally wouldn't go through the unnecessary trouble of introducing Gu Mo to those people. He simply led Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia to a tall building within the Honglu Temple and instructed someone to prepare two rooms.

"Where is Lord Su?" Gu Mo asked.

Ye Jinglan opened the window, gazing out over half of the Honglu Temple's buildings. "Brother Su went to investigate another case," he said. "He finds it very suspicious that His Majesty's previous attempts to reclaim control of the inner treasury from the Empress Dowager consistently failed. The first two times, an unexpected incident occurred at the critical moment, leading to failure, and the latter three times, the responsible individuals directly betrayed him. He thought it was very strange that all three responsible persons would betray, so he went to investigate."

"Has he found any issues?" Gu Mo asked.

Ye Jinglan replied, "I don't know the specifics, but he discovered a common thread: those individuals all enjoyed visiting pleasure houses, especially the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel."

Gu Chuxia interjected, "Is that the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel where the Blood-Handed Zither Master, Shang Wugui, used to stay?"

"Yes," Ye Jinglan confirmed.

Gu Chuxia said, "Well, isn't that normal? Among those who frequent pleasure houses, anyone with money would love to go to the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel. Its courtesan, Su Qingyu, is the capital's foremost beauty, renowned for both her talent and looks. Even a ruthless evil master like Shang Wugui was willing to disfigure himself just to stay by her side. Many civil and military officials in the court enjoy visiting the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel; Su Qingyu's dancing is incredibly beautiful, truly captivating enough to topple a city!"

Gu Mo asked, perplexed, "How do you know Su Qingyu's dancing is beautiful?"

Gu Chuxia explained, "When Li Li took me sightseeing in the capital, we passed by the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel. I remembered that Shang Wugui had left a letter before he died, and after much thought, I decided that even though he was a bad person, he was also deeply devoted, so I delivered the letter to Su Qingyu. Then, I chatted with Su Qingyu for a while, and on a whim, she performed a special dance for Li Li and me. If Li Li weren't a princess, she would have wanted to become her disciple; it was truly magnificent!"

Ye Jinglan chuckled, "You're right, Su Qingyu's dancing is indeed beautiful. Brother Su went to investigate the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel a few days ago, and after seeing Su Qingyu dance, he hasn't stopped thinking about it. But, he's increasingly convinced that something is amiss with the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel, so he's been going there every day to investigate. The expenses are enormous; the Imperial City Guard's internal affairs office is already complaining!"

Gu Mo: "Visiting pleasure houses on public funds?"

"Indeed," Ye Jinglan confirmed. "He even paid a high price for the opportunity to be Su Qingyu's private guest. It's incredibly expensive, costing thousands of taels for a single night. And simply having money isn't enough; you also need talent to impress Su Qingyu. Luckily, Brother Su is exceptionally talented; a few short poems completely enchanted Su Qingyu, allowing him to be her private guest for several consecutive nights. Brother Su's talent is extraordinary; he truly works hard for the investigation!"

Gu Mo: "..."

Gu Chuxia: "..."

"Uh, Brother Ye," Gu Mo began, "don't you think it's possible that Lord Su isn't suffering at all, and might actually be quite pleased?"

"Hm?" Ye Jinglan paused, then said, "Pleased about what? He's putting himself in danger, isn't he?"

Gu Chuxia couldn't help but interject, "Meeting a courtesan on public funds? That's a good thing you can't even beg for!"

Ye Jinglan pursed his lips. "It's not to the extent of abandoning public duty for a woman. I've met that Su Qingyu; she can't possibly have that much charm."

Gu Chuxia and Gu Mo both fell silent for a moment,

understanding why Ye Jinglan didn't suspect Su Ziyou was visiting pleasure houses on public expense. After all, Ye Jinglan genuinely seemed to have little interest in women.

"Brother, you absolutely must not be like Brother Ye in the future," Gu Chuxia whispered. "That's not good; we still need to learn to appreciate girls. After all, you still need to find a few sisters-in-law!"

Gu Mo: "..."

Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia stayed at the Honglu Temple that very day.

Ye Jinglan took Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia on two tours around the Honglu Temple, familiarizing them with the surroundings.

Originally, Gu Mo had expected the Empress Dowager's faction to make their move the next day. After all, if they acted just before the signing conference, even a failed operation could still largely disrupt it.

However, to their surprise,

the Empress Dowager's faction launched their attack on the very night of the fifteenth of the ninth lunar month.

However, because the Imperial City Guard had made preparations, the assassins planted by the Empress Dowager's faction within the Honglu Temple were apprehended as soon as they made their move. Only a small number offered stubborn resistance.

Gu Mo ascended to the rooftop, surveying the situation within the Honglu Temple, his focus primarily on the area where the three nations' delegations were housed.

Everything was under control, and no unforeseen incidents occurred.

The experts of the Imperial City Guard truly lived up to their reputation as one-in-a-hundred talents. In combat, they completely overwhelmed the assassins.

However,

just as everything was about to calm down,

a disturbance erupted outside the Honglu Temple. Shouts of battle shook the heavens as over a hundred black-clad figures forcibly charged into the temple. The martial arts prowess of this group was clearly superior to that of the assassins hidden within the Honglu Temple.

However, they were all stopped at the side entrance by the elite troops of the Imperial City Guard.

Amidst the chaotic fighting, Gu Mo received a telepathic message from Ye Jinglan: "Brother Gu, Zheng Laodao and Sun Suniang have appeared!"

Gu Mo immediately swooped down and flew, reaching a rooftop in the side courtyard with a few swift leaps.

Below, there was chaos, but overall, the Imperial City Guard's forces were completely suppressing the black-clad assassins.

At this moment,

Ye Jinglan cleaved with his saber, sending a white-haired masked figure flying.

However, the person's defensive techniques were truly formidable. Even after directly taking a blow from Ye Jinglan's saber, they were merely sent flying, sustaining no injury.

"That's Zheng Laodao!" Ye Jinglan shouted.

Gu Mo immediately pointed a finger, sending an invisible sword qi soaring. But in a corner, a white-haired old woman holding an abacus flicked it, and seven or eight abacus beads shot out, precisely intercepting Gu Mo's invisible sword qi.

The abacus beads shattered, eight of them breaking in succession,

erupting into surging dust in the air.

Ye Jinglan struck down a black-clad figure with a single saber blow and telepathically messaged Gu Mo, "That's Iron Abacus Sun Suniang!"

Gu Mo had already guessed without Ye Jinglan telling him. He telepathically replied, "Brother Ye, these two are likely a feint, a tactic to lure us away. I suspect there's a backup plan inside the Honglu Temple."

Ye Jinglan replied telepathically, "No need to worry, Brother Gu. Everything is within expectations. General Lu Changyun, the Left General of the Imperial City Guard, is already inside with his masters, lying in ambush. We just need to calmly eliminate these villains!"

"If that's the case, then I'll make my move!"

Just then,

Gu Mo's figure suddenly vanished. The next instant, he reappeared like a ghost a dozen zhang away, directly above Zheng Laodao's head. The Six Meridian Divine Swords condensed into a sword formation, and inner energy, like silver dragons coiling, transformed into a sharp longsword in his palm.

Zheng Laodao's pupils constricted. A strong wind roared above his head. Before he could react, the chilling sword light, imbued with the power to shatter mountains and cleave peaks, struck down upon him!

Immediately, dark light surged around Zheng Laodao. A turtle-shell-shaped energy shield violently appeared, with dark golden patterns flowing across it, resembling the faint apparition of the mythical Black Tortoise.

Gu Mo's sword qi struck the shield, erupting in a deafening roar. Cracks spread across the surface of the energy shield like a spiderweb, shattering into tiny pieces in an instant.

The inner energy sword continued its trajectory, slashing onto Zheng Laodao's shoulder. Sparks flew amidst the clang of metal. Beneath Zheng Laodao's seemingly ordinary robe, a shimmering turtle shell armor was hidden, surprisingly hard enough to withstand Gu Mo's sword strike, leaving only a faint mark.

Before Zheng Laodao, who was sent flying backward by the force, could regain his balance, a cold gleam shot from Gu Mo's fingertip, tearing through the air directly towards his throat.

At this critical moment, a whooshing sound came from afar. Sun Suniang, who was being relentlessly pursued by Ye Jinglan and fleeing in all directions, suddenly turned. Twelve iron abacus beads slid from her sleeve. As she tossed them, they arranged themselves into a Nine Palace formation in mid-air, forcefully scattering the invisible sword qi. Immediately, seven sword holes appeared on a nearby tree, forming the Big Dipper constellation.

Gu Mo's brow furrowed slightly, and the aura around him suddenly surged. He countered with a backhand palm strike.

A brilliant green light erupted from his palm, and the palm wind surged like an angry wave, seemingly aimed directly at Sun Suniang.

Sun Suniang's abacus beads instantly formed a formation in front of her chest. In a flash, light interwoven into a net, creating a cage of light that shimmered with a mercury-like luster, stirring up layer upon layer of numerical ripples, intending to intercept Gu Mo's palm strike.

However, as the palm wind neared, it abruptly and bizarrely changed direction, making several strange turns in the air before appearing behind Sun Suniang. The palm strike directly landed on the back of Sun Suniang's head.

With a muffled 'thud,' a mist of blood splattered everywhere.

Sun Suniang's head had exploded.

A system notification sound rang in Gu Mo's mind:

Three-star wanted criminal eliminated.Obtained three-star reward — Max-level Ambidextrous Combat Technique.Claim?

At this moment, Ye Jinglan, who had been pursuing with his saber, looked at the corpse, its head exploded like a watermelon, and was filled with helplessness.

Gu Mo, however, laughed. "Brother Ye, your movement technique... needs practice!"

Ye Jinglan: "..."

Just then, Gu Mo once again charged towards Zheng Laodao. And in that very instant, a terrifying beast's howl suddenly echoed from within the Honglu Temple.

"Roar..."

The sound came from the western corner of the Honglu Temple, a shriek like tearing silk. It was as if someone was scraping a rusty iron chain across one's heart, incredibly penetrating and terrifying. Even Gu Mo felt his temples throb upon hearing it.

Zheng Laodao seized the opportunity, rolling half a circle behind a rockery. The half-turtle shell armor on his waist scraped the ground, sending sparks onto the sole of his shoe, scorching a hole. In an instant, he burrowed into the earth.

At this moment, in the large artificial lake at Honglu Temple, countless bubbles suddenly erupted on the surface, as if someone had shattered an entire crate of luminous pearls at the bottom. With a 'boom,' a wall of water shot skyward. The white marble railing, carved with twin lotus flowers, shattered in response, and a striped ferocious tiger burst from the water.

The tiger's body was a full three zhang long and one zhang high. A few circles of faded red silk were wrapped around its hide. Each of its whiskers dripped with muddy lake water, creating bowl-sized dents when hitting the green bricks.

Most horrifying was the tiger's head—it was no beast's head at all, but clearly a swollen, distorted human face. Its eye sockets were empty. The features of that human face were twisted, its mouth gaping to the ears, revealing stark white fangs. In its hollow eye sockets burned two clusters of eerie green ghost flames. Wet, long hair clung to its face, and with each shake of its head, countless drops of blood were flung off, sizzling corrosively as they landed on the bluestone slabs.

It was the fabled Man-faced Demonic Beast!