Chapter 276: One's Own Strength Opens a Turbulent Era

Jiang Ruoxu withdrew his hand.

The Black and Red Envoys felt the pressure suddenly vanish, freeing them from the suffocating sensation of death. Both showed expressions of surprise and confusion.

The Black-faced Envoy said, "Oh, Jiang Ruoxu stopped!"

The Red-faced Envoy asked, "Does he think he can't beat us?"

The Black-faced Envoy said sagely, "I think it's because he's a sword spirit, a primordial spirit, which means a ghost. We are humans; we can't touch him, and he can't touch us!"

"That makes sense. Why are we afraid of him then?" said the Red-faced Envoy.

"Exactly, he can't hit us."

The Black-faced Envoy extended a finger and beckoned towards Jiang Ruoxu, calling out, "Come on, hit me!"

Jiang Ruoxu remained motionless, his face expressionless.

Seeing this, the two became even more confident in their conjecture. The Red-faced Envoy also stretched out a finger, saying arrogantly, "Jiang Ruoxu, come hit me!"

"You two fools!"

Jiang Ruoxu swung his hand, delivering two slaps. With two sharp 'smacks,' two resounding blows landed on the left and right sides of the envoys' faces. They were instantly sent flying sideways, soaring dozens of yards backward before crashing to the ground, unconscious.

Immediately after,

Jiang Ruoxu looked at the palanquin and said calmly, "You are the Saintess of Penglai Island these two fools were looking for?"

The palanquin curtain was lifted,

Xiaobai stepped out. Gone was the innocent child's expression she had worn before; the clear purity had also vanished from her eyes. She cupped her hands towards Jiang Ruoxu and said, "When I was alive, you were still in a corner of Jiang Nation. By the time you became famous, I was already dead. It's a pity I didn't live to see your era."

Jiang Ruoxu asked, "Who are you?"

"I am someone who entered Penglai Island thirty years before you," Xiaobai said. "I also realized the problems of Penglai Island thirty years before you. And I am the only person in this era who has been reborn on Penglai Island while retaining memories of a past life."

"Reborn on Penglai Island? What do you mean?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

"It means exactly what it says: I was resurrected on Penglai Island after death," Xiaobai replied. "I know you've already sensed the issues with Penglai Island and the confinement within your soul. That's why you're trying to avoid Penglai Island."

"What all do you know?" Jiang Ruoxu inquired.

"What you know, I know. What you don't know, I know. What you want to know, I also know," Xiaobai stated. "However, I am willing to tell you everything."

"What's your reason?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiaobai explained, "I need a teammate, and you are the only one in this era who has a chance to remain lucid on Penglai Island. Only you can help me—and, of course, help yourself—because you and I are alike; we both want to break free from Penglai Island's restrictions."

Jiang Ruoxu spoke frankly, "Tell me your experiences and what you know. I will discern whether what you say is true or false. If it's true, I will cooperate with you. If it's false, I will kill you."

Xiaobai smiled slightly and said, "In my previous life, my name was Yu Jinghong. I was the sole female grandmaster in Yunzhou, Qian Nation. Globally, my reputation wasn't widespread, but on Penglai Island, I was considered the foremost martial artist among women of that era, which is why I received an invitation from Penglai Island.

I made my name through swordsmanship, but I was also a Qi Cultivator. On Penglai Island, I received immense assistance and eventually even met Bai Yujing, elevating my cultivation method to a level beyond the Ascension Realm. However, as I was breaking through to the Ascension Realm and about to knock on the Heavenly Gate, I encountered my inner demons.

Fearing to confront these inner demons directly, I had no choice but to self-cripple my cultivation, halting at the Half-step Ascension Realm. It was precisely because of that self-inflicted cut that I discovered a mysterious restriction deep within my primordial spirit, holding me back. Even if I were to knock open the Heavenly Gate, I would still be pulled back, unable to enter. You must be similar to me; you also saw the restriction, didn't you?"

Instead of answering, Jiang Ruoxu said, "Continue."

Xiaobai continued, "My ascension failed, and that self-inflicted cut severely wounded my primordial spirit. It was during my slow recovery that I realized the restriction I had discovered actually originated from my own martial art.

At that moment, I suddenly realized that Penglai Island's assistance in helping us cultivate and perfect our martial arts was not as selfless as it seemed; in reality, they had secretly set a price.

Therefore, I made a bold attempt. I cultivated a demonic martial art that allowed me to condense a puppet primordial spirit by devouring the souls of others. If I gathered enough, it could even reach half the cultivation level of my main primordial spirit. Afterward, I transferred my memories into that puppet primordial spirit.

I then sealed it within my physical body and an array. My main body, however, took a gamble: I chose to commit suicide, letting my consciousness dissipate and my spiritual energy return to the heavens. My wager was that Penglai Island's true objective was my primordial spirit."

Jiang Ruoxu's gaze towards Xiaobai shifted, replaced by an expression of admiration.

Xiaobai continued, "I don't know how much time passed, but I was truly reborn on Penglai Island. However, I had no memories of my past life; I was just a newborn. And because I had left a trace of my divine consciousness in that puppet primordial spirit, my rebirth on Penglai Island in this life resulted in me being a fool.

But my gamble had only just begun. The trace of my divine consciousness gradually lost its ability to suppress the puppet primordial spirit. That puppet was no longer content to remain trapped in the coffin and kept constantly resisting, but my array was strong, and it couldn't get out.

In fact, during my growth in this life, the puppet primordial spirit almost escaped once. Fortunately, I had a good disciple. I had left a wisp of his sword intent on the coffin, which severely wounded the puppet and bought me a few more years.

Ultimately, there was still some deviation from my plan. I never expected to be repaid with enmity so many years after my death, leading to the puppet primordial spirit breaking free from its coffin ten years earlier than anticipated. The moment she emerged from the coffin, the foreshadowing I had laid in my spiritual energy in my past life resonated.

In this life, guided by fate, I forcibly escaped from Penglai Island. However, because the puppet primordial spirit emerged ten years earlier than I expected, I consequently had ten fewer years of cultivation in this life, leaving my cultivation insufficient. After leaving Penglai Island, I gradually lost the ability to sense the guidance.

Nevertheless, destiny was on my side. After two stagnant years in Yunzhou, I was incredibly fortunate to encounter Gu Mo. He took me to Canglan Sword Sect and then to the location of my puppet primordial spirit. Once the puppet primordial spirit was destroyed, the divine consciousness I had sealed away returned to my main primordial spirit, and my memories gradually came back.

That is my experience."

Jiang Ruoxu asked, "Who is that disciple of yours?"

"Qi Tianshu. You might have heard of him," Xiaobai replied.

"So it was him," Jiang Ruoxu said. "If it's him, then it explains why his sword intent could suppress your puppet primordial spirit. His sword intent is very unique."

"You know each other?" Xiaobai asked.

"He was there the last time I went to Penglai Island," Jiang Ruoxu said. "He took an extreme path. He isn't good at fighting, but when he fights for his life, he's like a mad dog, capable of biting off a piece of flesh from anyone. Many people can defeat him, but they're all a bit afraid of him.

Many thought he had taken the wrong path, but in reality, he hadn't. He fully utilized his talent, achieving upward and downward compatibility in terms of life essence. It's just a pity that creatures in the Ascension Realm are ultimately rare in this world, which made it seem like he had gone astray."

Xiaobai sighed softly, "His talent in swordsmanship is very strong. The first time I saw him, I knew he was destined to become a towering figure in the way of the sword."

"We call him the Sword Sect. His achievements in swordsmanship alone are higher than mine," Jiang Ruoxu said. "Since you need help, why didn't you seek him out?"

"It's useless," Xiaobai replied. "I need someone who can remain unaffected by the restriction after entering the island. Tianshu... he hasn't been able to discover the restriction after all these years. His swordsmanship is strong, but he can't fully control it himself, so he can't be the helper I need. Besides you, I can't think of a second person. If you hadn't come to find me today, I would have sought you out."

"How did you know about me?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiaobai explained, "In this life, I lived on Penglai Island for eighteen years. I was exceptionally gifted and became the Saintess of Penglai Island. Also, because my mind was incomplete, the First and Second Island Masters had no reservations about me.

They spoke about you more than once. They could sense that you were trying to break the restriction within your primordial spirit. So, when my mind and memories recovered, the first helper I thought of was you."

Jiang Ruoxu asked, "As far as I know, Gu Mo is also at Canglan Sword Sect now. This young man is the foremost in the world, with unfathomable cultivation. Without relying on the Startled Sting Sword, even I wouldn't be confident facing him directly. Why didn't you invite him? He hasn't been to Penglai Island, so he wouldn't have its restrictions."

"I dare not invite him," Xiaobai said.

"Why not?" Jiang Ruoxu asked, puzzled.

Xiaobai stated, "I suspect Gu Mo is the inner demon!"

"Hm?" Jiang Ruoxu was surprised. "Where did you get that idea?"

Xiaobai explained, "Gu Mo possesses a complete primordial spirit and can freely project his primordial spirit out of his body while also retaining his physical form. This is utterly impossible in this era. Jiang Ruoxu, you know that only those in the complete Ascension Realm can freely project their primordial spirit. Once one reaches the Ascension Realm, they are bound to knock on the Heavenly Gate, and the inner demon stands before that gate.

No one in this world can defeat an inner demon, and even if by chance they do, and knock open the Heavenly Gate, they would surely have to enter it quickly. How could they possibly linger in the mortal realm? Therefore, I suspect Gu Mo has been controlled by an inner demon. This also perfectly explains why Gu Mo, originally just an ordinary martial artist, became the world's foremost expert in just a few years!"

Jiang Ruoxu slowly said, "What you say makes sense. Gu Mo's sudden leap from someone with no background to the world's foremost expert in just a few years is indeed incredible and aligns well with the possibility of being controlled by an inner demon. However, it's not a certainty.

There are sages in the world, and one type is 'those who know from birth.' Gu Mo also fits this description. As for what you said about it being absolutely impossible to successfully knock on the Heavenly Gate, that's not entirely true; it is possible."

Xiaobai asked doubtfully, "With an inner demon present, how could one possibly knock on the Heavenly Gate?"

Jiang Ruoxu stated, "I successfully knocked open the Heavenly Gate."

Xiaobai's pupils constricted slightly, and she exclaimed in shock, "How did you knock on the Heavenly Gate?"

Jiang Ruoxu explained, "I am different from you. When you faced your inner demon during your ascension, you flinched and cut off a realm. But I confronted the inner demon directly.

The inner demon is very powerful, and its life essence surpasses that of humans. Even an Ascension Realm cultivator cannot inflict much damage upon it. However, coincidentally, the Startled Sting Sword I brought from Penglai Island can harm the inner demon.

I fought the inner demon for a long time; I was indeed no match for it. But during the battle, I successfully knocked open the Heavenly Gate. I saw what was beyond the Heavenly Gate, but I couldn't enter because of the Penglai Island restriction in my primordial spirit. I was pulled back."

Xiaobai was utterly shocked and took a while to recover. She then asked, "So, you've already surpassed the Ascension Realm?"

"Barely," Jiang Ruoxu replied. "Although I couldn't enter after knocking on the Heavenly Gate, I obtained a wisp of immortal energy from beyond it, which indeed places me beyond the Ascension Realm in terms of life essence."

Xiaobai asked, puzzled, "After my memories and mind recovered, I stayed at Canglan Sword Sect for over a month. During that time, I learned many things about the current era, and one of them was about you..."

"Are you referring to my cultivation deviation?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiaobai nodded.

Jiang Ruoxu explained, "I successfully knocked on the Heavenly Gate, but I was pulled back to the mortal realm by the restriction. Along the way, I clashed with the inner demon again, and his demonic energy corrupted my mind, causing me to suffer cultivation deviation and be hunted by the world. Eventually, I regained my lucidity. Not wanting to get entangled further, as the inner demon was still lurking, I voluntarily became the sword spirit of the Startled Sting Sword to avoid the inner demon taking advantage of my vulnerability!"

"I see," Xiaobai nodded.

Jiang Ruoxu asked, "Could you continue talking about Penglai Island? What is the truth?"

Xiaobai explained, "Actually, there is no Bai Yujing on Penglai Island. No, to be precise, the First and Second Island Masters *are* Bai Yujing—they are two ancient beings who have lived for countless ages.

They have been consistently doing one thing: continuously creating and perfecting martial arts, making them more powerful and diverse in their abilities. However, human capabilities have limits. Even if they have lived for an unimaginable number of years and their cultivation is high, they can still have blind spots in their thinking.

Therefore, every thirty years, they invite various talented individuals from the world to Penglai Island to create together, combining the strength of an era's prodigies. They share the martial arts manuals they have created and perfected without reservation, all to gather the wisdom of even more exceptional talents."

Jiang Ruoxu asked doubtfully, "What is their purpose?"

"I don't know," Xiaobai shook her head. "Their purpose seems to be solely to create and perfect martial arts."

"What about Bai Yujing?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiaobai explained, "From what I understand, Bai Yujing is actually a mental illusion created by the First and Second Island Masters. Their cultivation is extremely high; I suspect they might also have surpassed the Ascension Realm.

Therefore, they created Bai Yujing primarily to select the most gifted individuals and use their powerful spiritual strength to deduce martial arts for others, making them stronger and more perfect. At the same time, another objective is to deceive all the prodigies into having a mental restriction invisibly planted within them.

After those who have had these mental restrictions planted within them die, they are then guided by the Island Masters to be reincarnated. This reincarnation is not the cycle of rebirth as ordinary people understand it, but rather a deliberate manipulation by them. All who successfully reincarnate are subjected to restrictions placed upon them even in the womb.

These individuals are all reincarnated top prodigies of the current era, retaining their powerful spiritual energy from their past lives. At the same time, they are bound by these restrictions and all possess a pure, childlike heart. You've been to Penglai Island, so you should know that everyone on the island is incredibly naive, just as simple-minded as those two fat men you just slapped away."

Jiang Ruoxu nodded and said, "I thought it was because Penglai Island was isolated from the world."

"That's only part of the reason," Xiaobai said. "The main reason is that during reincarnation, the First and Second Island Masters impose restrictions. Everyone is given a pure, childlike heart, and they diligently cultivate martial arts, delve into the martial way, and create and perfect various techniques. That's why prodigies from the outside world, when they visit the island every thirty years, find such powerful, profound, and diverse martial arts on Penglai Island. It's because the island's inhabitants are all creation machines for the First and Second Island Masters."

Jiang Ruoxu said gravely, "So, the purpose of placing restrictions on our primordial spirits is to ensure that after we die, we are all reincarnated on Penglai Island to be used by them."

"Precisely," Xiaobai nodded.

Jiang Ruoxu pondered for a moment and said, "According to what you've said, if I weren't pursuing ascension, I wouldn't really need to be an enemy of Penglai Island. They provided me with opportunities, helped me perfect my martial arts, and allowed me to break through my limits in this life. The compensation is to be used by them after death, and they even give me a second chance at rebirth."

Xiaobai said, "Theoretically, that's true. But out of gratitude, would you refrain from finding a way to eliminate the restriction in your primordial spirit?"

"No," Jiang Ruoxu replied.

"Exactly," Xiaobai said. "Therefore, we should cooperate."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "I aim to remove the restriction. But even if you remove it, you still wouldn't dare to face the inner demon, and thus couldn't ascend. What have you been planning for all these years?"

Xiaobai said in a low voice, "I'll eventually find a way to deal with the inner demon, or perhaps Penglai Island itself holds the means to combat it. But I can't wait until I already have a method to deal with the inner demon before slowly figuring out how to remove the restriction, can I?"

"That makes sense." Jiang Ruoxu asked, "What's this reincarnation process like?"

Xiaobai explained, "It's not like the reincarnation found in legends. In a way, it's more akin to possession. After an ordinary person dies, their consciousness and mental will disappear. But after a martial arts master dies, their consciousness vanishes, yet their spiritual energy and will linger for a long time.

During this process, the First and Second Island Masters use their methods to infuse this lingering spiritual energy and will into the nascent divine consciousness of a fetus in a pregnant woman's womb. It can be considered a rebirth, and also a form of possession. It's a rebirth because the fetus's consciousness is born this way from the very beginning. It's possession because, without this spiritual energy injection, the fetus's life would take a different path."

At this point,

Xiaobai fell silent for a moment, then said, "So, in this life, I actually have no relation to my previous life, because my consciousness from the previous life has already vanished. In this life, a new consciousness was born.

However, there's another problem: memories. Now that I have memories of my past life, my consciousness is still this newly born consciousness. But all my perceptions, beliefs, and emotions will change. So, am I the newly born consciousness, or the consciousness from my past life?

Am I Xiaobai, or Yu Jinghong?"

Jiang Ruoxu chuckled lightly. "I cannot answer that question, because according to this logic, the me of the previous moment has already remained in the past. Only the me of now is truly me. The me of this moment is not the me of the last moment. I am not myself; I have died in this very instant. The me of the next moment is merely another person who possesses my memories!"

Xiaobai fell into deep thought.

Jiang Ruoxu waved his hand and said, "My personal suggestion is that you could invite Gu Mo to cooperate. Frankly, it's unlikely he's an inner demon. And even if he were, wouldn't that make cooperation even more beneficial? How much nourishment has the existence of Penglai Island deprived the inner demon of?"

Xiaobai asked doubtfully, "Gu Mo killed your physical body and your descendants. Now, Jiang Nation might even perish because of Gu Mo. Can you set aside your prejudices and cooperate with him?"

Jiang Ruoxu said, "At our level, do familial bonds or descendants still matter? Without completely severing karmic ties, how can one ascend? Did you not sever your worldly karmic ties when you attempted ascension?"

Xiaobai suddenly realized, "It seems I've been somewhat influenced by the memories of this life."

If she still valued mortal emotions, she wouldn't have left the Lu family with no means of self-defense out of fear of exposure.

In her previous life, even though Doctor Lu was her grandson, he was primarily just a tool to manage her array. To prevent the Lu family from developing other ideas due to martial arts skills and becoming unwilling to stay in Qingyi Village, she hadn't allowed them to practice martial arts.

"Next year, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, I will come to Penglai Island. I hope you'll be prepared," Jiang Ruoxu said.

"Aren't you curious about how I plan to do it?" Xiaobai asked.

Jiang Ruoxu said indifferently, "I'm not interested in your plans. If your side succeeds, that's best. If not, I will kill. If I win, I regain my freedom. If I lose, I will bear all the consequences myself."

Xiaobai said, "At that time, I will truly need you to fight."

"Alright."

With that, Jiang Ruoxu transformed into a wisp of mist and instantly merged into the Startled Sting Sword. The sword then shot skyward, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye.

The day after their meeting with the Penglai Island envoys, Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia left Canglan Sword Sect and headed towards Linjiang Commandery.

Along the way, Gu Chuxia was very excited, as they hadn't returned to Linjiang City in over a year.

However,

Upon returning to Linjiang City, the scene within the city surprised both Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia. Linjiang City had become much more desolate.

Linjiang City, being the confluence of three rivers with convenient waterways, had always enjoyed prosperous commerce. Among the six commanderies of Yunzhou, its level of prosperity was only slightly less than that of Yun Commandery, where the prefectural seat was located.

Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia were natives of Linjiang and had lived in Linjiang City for many years, making them intimately familiar with it. They had never seen Linjiang City so desolate. Many shops on the streets were closed, and the itinerant vendors they remembered were nowhere to be seen.

"Brother, something must have happened in Linjiang City!" Gu Chuxia exclaimed in surprise.

Gu Mo said gravely, "We haven't been back in a long time. Perhaps the prefect has changed, and the new prefect has implemented some new policies..."

Before Gu Mo could finish,

They saw a team of constables brazenly enter a restaurant, smashing things. Finally, the manager emerged, smiling apologetically, and paid them off to settle the matter.

Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia witnessed all of this from the doorway.

As they continued, they saw multiple instances of constables using violence to force merchants to pay money. Simultaneously, they also saw many hoodlums swaggering through the streets, acting extremely brazenly, while the constables simply turned a blind eye.

These scenes,

left both Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia very puzzled.

The siblings had lived in Linjiang City for years and had never encountered such chaotic public order before.

Soon, as they passed the Changfeng Escort Agency, they were surprised to find its entrance bustling with activity, with many people queuing to enter and exit. What astonished Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia even more was that many of these individuals were colleagues they knew from their days as escorts, including many well-known veteran escorts from Linjiang City, who were pillars of other escort agencies.

Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia moved closer to inquire and discovered that everyone was there to apply for positions at Changfeng Escort Agency.

Another layer of doubt accumulated in their minds.

Just then, Gu Chuxia suddenly tugged at Gu Mo's sleeve, pointing towards the entrance, and said, "Brother, it's Uncle Qu... And the other person... looks like Xie Zaiyuan, the head escort of Pingnan Escort Agency. No way, Pingnan Escort Agency is the top one in Linjiang; unless it collapses, Xie Zaiyuan wouldn't switch jobs, right?"

Gu Mo also recognized that the person beside Qu Heng was indeed Xie Zaiyuan.

Although Xie Zaiyuan was an insignificant figure in the grand scheme of the martial world, that was only to the current Gu Mo. For Gu Mo a few years ago, when he was still an escort, someone like Xie Zaiyuan could be considered his lifelong pursuit.

As a fellow professional, Xie Zaiyuan's name was highly renowned to him. Although he never had the chance to interact with him, he often watched from a distance with his colleagues back then.

Even Qu Heng, as a seasoned escort leader back then, was considered a lower-tier individual compared to Xie Zaiyuan. However, at this moment, Xie Zaiyuan was remarkably humble in front of Qu Heng, even to the point of being somewhat obsequious.

Qu Heng walked Xie Zaiyuan to the door. Xie Zaiyuan held Qu Heng's hand and said, "Brother Qu, we've known each other for many years, and you know my character and abilities. Please say a few good words to Boss Tang for me. I don't have to be a head escort; being a regular escort would be fine. I beg you!"

Qu Heng smiled slightly and said, "With your qualifications, Brother Xie, how could you possibly be just a regular escort? If you humble yourself to come to Changfeng Escort Agency, I would gladly step down and let you be the head escort..."

"Brother Qu, please don't say that," Xie Zaiyuan quickly interjected. "Brother Qu, given the current situation, alas, I truly must ask you for a favor to earn a living!"

"Nonsense, Brother Xie. Just go back and await news. Within two days at most, I will send you a reply," Qu Heng said.

"Brother Qu, I'm counting on you!"

"Don't mention it."

Qu Heng waved goodbye to Xie Zaiyuan and was about to turn and enter the agency when he suddenly heard a familiar voice call out, "Uncle Qu."

Qu Heng immediately trembled all over. He quickly turned around and scanned the crowd. Soon, he spotted Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia by the roadside. Although the siblings were both wearing conical hats, making their faces unclear, Qu Heng recognized them at a glance and rushed over.

"When did you two get back?" Qu Heng asked, his voice filled with excitement and a hint of reproach. "You didn't even say you were coming!"

Gu Chuxia giggled and said, "Uncle, we just arrived." She shook the large book box on her back and continued, "See? I haven't even put my things down yet, and I haven't even gone home."

Qu Heng smiled slightly and said, "You two siblings have been away for a year and a half this time. However, I often hear news of you in Yunzhou."

Gu Chuxia laughed, "That would be news of my brother, right?"

Qu Heng said, "News of your brother, yes, but there's plenty of news about you too. You are now the ninth-ranked grandmaster on our Yunzhou Heavenly List, the only female grandmaster. Your name is very well-known in Yunzhou, especially among women in the martial world; many are hoping you'll establish a female sect, just like the Xuan-Nü Palace!"

"Let's not even think about that, I'm not cut out to be a sect leader," Gu Chuxia waved her hand. "By the way, Uncle Qu, what happened in Linjiang City? Why has it changed so much? Has the prefect been replaced?"

"No," Qu Heng replied. "Come on, let's talk as we go. Tang Buyi is also at the escort agency."

Immediately, the three of them headed into the escort agency.

At this moment, many people were watching Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia, after all, Qu Heng's status in the Linjiang escort industry was now extraordinary. Anyone he personally greeted would naturally arouse curiosity.

Meanwhile, Xie Zaiyuan, who hadn't gone far, was also observing Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia with a few friends.

As Gu Mo and Gu Chuxia entered the main gate, Gu Chuxia turned slightly, and as she looked up, her profile was revealed.

Xie Zaiyuan's heart gave a sudden start. "That person... it seems to be Gu Chuxia... Heroine Gu!"

The few individuals were instantly startled. Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Then... doesn't that mean... the person beside her is the foremost in the world... Grand Hero Gu Mo!"

"Grand Hero Gu has returned to Yunzhou?"

"Is Changfeng Escort Agency really connected to Grand Hero Gu?"

"What's there to doubt? Tang Buyi, the 'Timely Rain' of Linjiang, once fought back-to-back with Grand Hero Gu, and Qu Heng, the head escort, is Grand Hero Gu's uncle..."

Inside the escort agency,

Gu Mo, Gu Chuxia, and Qu Heng walked side-by-side. Qu Heng said gravely, "Linjiang City hasn't changed prefects. The reason it's so desolate now is because the government has been forcibly levying taxes, causing many shops to close down directly."

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "Does the Linjiang government dare to levy taxes privately?"

"It's not private; taxes are being levied nationwide," Qu Heng said, surprised. "Have you not been out and about for a long time?"

"Yes," Gu Mo replied. "For the past two months, I was first at Longhu Mountain, then at Canglan Mountain. I truly don't know what has been happening in the outside world."

Qu Heng sighed and said, "War is about to break out."

Gu Chuxia asked, surprised, "War? With whom?"

"Chu Nation," Qu Heng replied. "I don't know the specifics, but I heard from government officials that the court has dispatched over three hundred thousand troops to Jiang Nation, and Chu Nation also has hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have arrived in Jiang Nation. It's said that Chu Nation intends to pass through Jiang Nation to attack our Qian Nation. I don't know what's wrong with Jiang Nation; they actually allowed Chu Nation's army to enter their territory without resistance!"

Gu Chuxia suddenly looked up at Gu Mo.

Gu Mo's mouth twitched. "..."

It seemed the reason Jiang Nation didn't resist was because of him!