Chapter 293: Self-Confident Child of Fate

Recently, the Grand Court of Diplomatic Receptions in Chang'an City has been bustling with activity.

This is because the State of Gan is holding a Grand Ceremony for the Establishment of the Crown Prince, and all nations have sent delegations to observe. Even the State of Chu, currently at war with Gan, dispatched an envoy. This demonstrates the diplomatic protocols between nations; despite ongoing hostilities on the front lines, essential courtesies are never omitted.

After all, many things are not simply black and white.

For instance, while the States of Chu and Gan are fiercely engaged in battle on the territory of the State of Jiang, they are also closely cooperating along the border of Later Qin. Furthermore, imperial merchants from both nations are leading efforts to exchange goods and resources.

Therefore,

For this Grand Ceremony for the Establishment of the Crown Prince, the State of Chu had dispatched its delegation early, arriving in Gan before the New Year. The delegation was personally led by Princess Consort Xiao Ziyin.

At this moment, in the courtyard where Xiao Ziyin resided, she was meeting a young man. He was ordinary in appearance and dressed simply, but his demeanor was remarkably composed. Even when facing Xiao Ziyin, a princess of high status and power, he remained calm and at ease.

This individual was Ye Chen, the most celebrated martial arts prodigy in the State of Chu. Before reaching the age of thirty, he had already become the third most skilled martial artist in Chu, surpassed only by Grandmaster Liansheng and Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of Chu.

"Young Master Ye," Xiao Ziyin said with a light smile from her seat of honor, "We have been in the State of Gan for quite some time now, and you don't seem to be in a hurry to find the treasure map. If I'm not mistaken, you only possess four fragments of the map, which isn't enough to locate the Cold Mountain Treasury!"

Ye Chen smiled faintly, directly retrieving four palm-sized pieces of parchment from his robe and placing them on the table. "If Your Highness is interested in these map fragments," he said, "I would be pleased to give them to you!"

Xiao Ziyin asked, puzzled, "Young Master Ye, didn't you travel thousands of miles from Chu to Gan precisely for the Cold Mountain Treasury?"

"Indeed."

"Then why...?"

Ye Chen waved his hand. "These things hold no meaning for me," he said. "To be frank with Your Highness, I am not one to contend for things. I always believe in destiny and serendipity. If something is truly mine, it will naturally come into my possession; if not, I do not force it."

Xiao Ziyin praised, "Young Master Ye, your perspective is truly profound!"

Ye Chen rose. "Your Highness, if there is nothing further, I shall take my leave," he said. "When I was in Chu, I heard of Chang'an's Three Wonders: the morning bells and evening drums, the underground Ghost City, and the sleepless Chang'an. I must experience them for myself!"

Xiao Ziyin rose to see him off. "This is the State of Gan, after all," she said. "Our status as Chu citizens here is somewhat sensitive. Young Master Ye, please be careful. If you encounter any trouble, immediately send someone to inform me!"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but..." Ye Chen said with confidence, "I don't anticipate encountering any trouble."

As they chatted casually, Xiao Ziyin accompanied Ye Chen to the door. There, two swordsmen stood: one dressed in black, the other in white. One had a stern countenance, the other a gentle one, making them quite distinctive.

These two were no ordinary individuals; they were the most renowned brother swordsmen in the State of Chu, both Grandmasters. The swordsman in black was Chang Qi, and the one in white was Chang Liu.

The two bowed respectfully to Xiao Ziyin, then positioned themselves one on each side of Ye Chen and departed.

Xiao Ziyin watched the three of them leave, muttering, "This Ye Chen... he truly is uncanny. It's one thing for his own luck to be incredibly good, but even those around him seem to receive blessings."

The female attendant beside Xiao Ziyin commented, "The Chang brothers were originally only second or third-rate figures in the martial world. However, ever since they joined Young Master Ye, they have encountered various fortuitous events within just a few years, both achieving the title of Grandmaster!"

Xiao Ziyin remarked, "Ye Chen and Gu Mo are both extraordinary individuals."

As she spoke, Xiao Ziyin turned and entered the courtyard, continuing as she walked, "Burn those map fragments Ye Chen just gave us, then create a batch of fakes and release them into the black market to sow confusion and stir up trouble in Chang'an City."

The female attendant quickly replied, "Understood, Your Highness. However, I am somewhat concerned. That Ye Chen is simply too uncanny. I worry that even without a map, he might still stumble upon the Cold Mountain Treasury!"

"It's fine," Xiao Ziyin said. "If even this finds its way into Ye Chen's hands, it simply means he truly has a touch of divine destiny. The Emperor instructed me to bring Ye Chen to Gan this time precisely because he wished for me to leverage Ye Chen's luck. In that case, my plan will only proceed more smoothly."

The female attendant nodded. "I hope Young Master Ye's luck is truly that effective, enabling us to locate the whereabouts of the Grand Compassion Monk!"

With that,

The female attendant picked up the parchment pieces from the table but still hesitated, asking, "Your Highness, are we truly not going to try and contend for the Cold Mountain Treasury?"

Xiao Ziyin scoffed, "In Chang'an City, if we were to contend for it, wouldn't we just be doing the dirty work for the State of Gan? If there truly were riches equivalent to an entire nation, do you think Gan would allow us to take them?"

"Your Highness speaks wisely."

Immediately, the female attendant directly burned the parchment pieces.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.

Gu Mo arrived in Chang'an City with Gu Chudong and Hongyi. This time, they did not bring the zither player because someone was needed to look after the house, and the zither player was also busy arranging magical formations at the Gu family residence, leaving no time to go out.

"Chudong, Chudong, over here!"

Just outside the gates of Chang'an City, they heard the voice of Princess Chengyang, Li Li. Gu Chudong turned around to see a carriage stopped by the roadside, and Li Li was dismounting from it.

Gu Chudong dismounted and walked over. Li Li immediately jumped up and hugged Gu Chudong, saying, "I've been waiting for you here since early morning!"

Gu Chudong smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you in my letter that I would probably arrive around noon? Why did you come so early?"

"I was just missing you," Li Li said. "Oh, let me tell you, I recently met a master clay sculptor! He's incredibly skilled; his clay figures look just like real people. I had him sculpt one of me, and it's absolutely identical! I'll take you to see him tomorrow so he can make one for you too!"

Gu Chudong asked, "Is it even more lifelike than my brother's wood carvings?"

Li Li thought for a moment. "How to put it? It's different. While your brother's wood carvings are lifelike, they are still made of wood, and you can tell they're not real at a glance. But the clay master's figures are different; they look like real people. Oh, you'll see for yourself when you come to my house later."

With that, Li Li finally dismounted from Gu Chudong and, seeing Gu Mo and Hongyi approaching on horseback, her expression immediately turned serious. "That pretty older sister is here too," she asked. "Did she steal your sister-in-law's position?"

"No," Gu Chudong replied, "She can't be my sister-in-law. Didn't I tell you last year at your house? Hongyi is my brother's maid!"

Li Li pouted. "She's so pretty," she said. "Maid is just one identity; sister-in-law could be a new one!"

"Oh, I don't know how to explain it to you," Gu Chudong said. "Anyway, it's just impossible for her to be my sister-in-law!"

Li Li hugged Gu Chudong's arm. "Well, I don't care," she said. "As long as we two are the very best of friends!"

Then, Li Li addressed Gu Mo, "Hero Gu, why don't you stay at my place?"

Gu Mo waved his hand. "Chudong can stay at your place," he said. "I'll be staying with Old Man Ye's family."

Naturally, Gu Mo couldn't stay at the Princess's residence. After all, Li Li was still unmarried, and it would inevitably invite gossip for a grown man like him to live there. Moreover, both he and Li Li held unusual statuses, making it easy to spark speculation if they were together.

Furthermore, he needed manpower to move things from the Corpse Cocoon Cave. Asking Ye Jinglan for help was the most suitable option, as Ye Jinglan had a group of trusted confidants who had followed him since his days in the martial world of Qingzhou. They were highly skilled in martial arts, worked cleanly and efficiently, and would not cause unnecessary trouble.

"Alright then!"

Li Li immediately agreed. After all, for her, inviting Gu Mo was merely an afterthought; her objective from the very beginning had been Gu Chudong.

Ye Jinglan rode out from the city, dismounted, and cupped his hands in greeting. "I had planned to come earlier to wait for you," he said, "but before I could leave, Brother Su stopped me to help investigate a case."

Gu Mo waved his hand. "No matter," he said. "It's not as if I can't find my way."

"Brother Ye," Gu Chudong called out.

"Sister Chudong," Ye Jinglan replied, bowing respectfully.

"You two can chat leisurely," Li Li said. "Chudong and I will go have some fun first!"

Gu Mo gave Hongyi a look, and Hongyi immediately followed. Her primary duty was to ensure Gu Chudong's safety.

Ye Jinglan watched Hongyi leave and said, "I heard Princess Chengyang mention that you brought back a very beautiful girl after a sea journey last year. I thought she was joking, but it turns out it's true!"

Gu Mo smiled, said nothing further, and changed the subject. "Any progress on the Cold Mountain Treasury?" he asked.

Ye Jinglan shook his head. "Things have become complicated," he said. "Recently, a large number of treasure map fragments have appeared in the black market of Chang'an City, causing all sorts of disputes and leading to an exceptionally high number of cases. I haven't rested since returning a few days ago."

"So someone is stirring up trouble behind the scenes?" Gu Mo asked.

Ye Jinglan nodded slightly. "Based on the clues we currently have, it does seem that someone is deliberately creating chaos behind the scenes," he said. "Their objective is not yet clear. However, this is a sensitive period, and we are concerned that someone might be targeting the Grand Ceremony for the Establishment of the Crown Prince. More importantly, while outsiders are unaware, we know that the so-called Cold Mountain Treasury is a death trap. If that poisonous pearl were to erupt, it would be disastrous."

Gu Mo asked, "What about the clues for those eight map fragments?"

Ye Jinglan replied, "They are under investigation, but it's very difficult. After all, there are eight countries, with one fragment per country. The one in our State of Gan has been found, but we currently have no leads on the others. We also can't search too conspicuously, as alarming others and revealing the existence of the poisonous pearl would be problematic. The good news so far is that we have one fragment of the map in hand, and others can't assemble a complete set, making it unlikely they'll find the Cold Mountain Treasury."

Gu Mo said, "But we must act quickly. That old geezer Qi Miaoxuan might be too preoccupied for now, but once he frees himself, whether or not there's a treasure map won't matter."

Ye Jinglan nodded. "His Majesty attaches great importance to this matter and has specifically arranged personnel to investigate and search throughout Chang'an City," he said. "As for me, there's nothing I can do; I'm not skilled in this area, so I haven't gotten too involved. These recent cases have already left me utterly exhausted. However, Brother Su Ziyou from the Dali Temple and Brother Zhuo Qingfeng from the Six Fan Gates aren't much better off than me. Brother Su, in particular, has been so tormented by the 'Ghoul Devouring Marrow' case recently that he can barely eat or sleep, and his hair has turned white. This morning, he even specifically came to me for help. He's started to suspect there's an informant within the Dali Temple and specifically borrowed a group of men from me."

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "'Ghoul Devouring Marrow' case? What happened?"

Ye Jinglan explained, "Since before the New Year, a series of murders have occurred in Chang'an City, with several cases even committed in broad daylight. The modus operandi is consistent: victims' heads are severed, and their brain marrow is consumed. However, the eerie part is that all thirteen registered 'Ghoul Devouring Marrow' cases have eyewitnesses, yet seven of the culprits identified by these witnesses were already deceased, and the other six identified suspects all have alibis and are almost incapable of committing such crimes."

Gu Mo asked, "Then why does Brother Su suspect an internal issue at the Dali Temple?"

"Because Brother Su, in two consecutive pursuits, cornered the culprit in dead ends, yet each time the culprit vanished without a trace," Ye Jinglan explained. "His suspicion of an informant within the Dali Temple is more out of frustration. Primarily, he has grown doubtful of the abilities of the Dali Temple's constables!"

With that, Ye Jinglan suddenly chuckled and said, "If Brother Su knew you were in the capital, he would surely shamelessly beg you for help. After all, you are a nemesis to wanted criminals! Currently, the Dali Temple has classified this case as one involving a master of disguise impersonating others to commit crimes. The wanted code name is 'Ghoul,' and there's a reward of three thousand taels!"

A system notification sounded in Gu Mo's mind:

New target detected.Wanted Target – Ghoul?Mission Level – Six StarsMission Reward – Max-level Sword of Worlds Apart

"Sword of Worlds Apart," originating from the Demon Sword Life-and-Death Chess, is a martial art that pushes sword energy to its extreme. Its core principles are the materialization of sword energy and the defeat of enemies across dimensions.

Practitioners can compress their entire internal energy into an extremely fine, helical beam of sword energy, creating a "worlds apart" effect when launched from the sword tip—the sword energy causes spatial distortion the instant it makes contact with the target.

While this martial art doesn't offer a significant boost to Gu Mo's current abilities, its martial philosophy of condensing sword energy to the extreme is greatly beneficial to him. It is quite similar to Qi Miaoxuan's previous technique, where a simple finger strike maximized the attack's power.

Seeing the system notification,

Gu Mo was slightly surprised, realizing he had triggered a six-star wanted criminal quest.

It was worth noting that the Grand Shopkeeper, one of Gan's three most wanted criminals, was only a six-star target. So far, Gu Mo had only ever defeated five six-star wanted criminals in total.

He hadn't expected such a seemingly minor case to be six-star rated.

However, upon seeing the question mark next to the wanted target, he understood. Like Qi Miaoxuan, whose wanted alias was Tie Hanshan, this Ghoul certainly had other wanted identities; 'Ghoul' was merely one of its aliases.

Immediately, Gu Mo said, "I think you could remind Brother Su to investigate wanted criminals with a very significant impact, similar to the Grand Shopkeeper or the Human-Faced Demonic Beast. Comparing them might lead to clues!"

"Why?" Ye Jinglan asked, puzzled.

Gu Mo thought for a moment. "I have a premonition that this Ghoul's identity is not simple," he said. "Don't ask me how I know; I can only say that once one's cultivation reaches a certain level, one can have unique intuitions about anything."

Ye Jinglan looked skeptical. "I'm not highly educated; don't try to fool me, alright?"

Gu Mo smiled faintly. "It's guaranteed to be true."

Ye Jinglan nodded. "Alright then, I'll inform Brother Su shortly."

"By the way," Gu Mo asked, "have you refined the Qilin bone?"

Ye Jinglan shook his head slightly. "Not quite yet. I've been busy ever since I returned to the capital and haven't had much time to refine the Qilin bone."

Gu Mo said in surprise, "That's strange. You, Ye Jinglan, once risked your life to pursue power by cooperating with Qi Miaoxuan, and you came to the capital to become an official for that very reason. Why are you now putting the enhancement of your strength aside?"

Ye Jinglan chuckled softly. "People always change," he said. "It's true that I previously followed Qi Miaoxuan's orders to join the court as an official for the sake of gaining power. However, in that process, I discovered a greater life purpose, such as using my martial arts to protect this nation. Before, I merely pursued the value of power; now, I seek to use the value of power to realize the value of life."

Gu Mo gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Brother Ye, I think you might be remembered in history!"

Ye Jinglan laughed. "Being granted a noble title and high office doesn't appeal much to me, but if you're talking about being remembered in history, I don't think many men could refuse that!"

Gu Mo smiled. "Then you should all the more diligently refine the Qilin bone, to elevate your martial arts to a higher level. You'll be able to accomplish even more."

"I understand," Ye Jinglan said. "It's just that Chang'an City is in a special period right now. The Grand Ceremony for the Establishment of the Crown Prince cannot afford any mishaps, as it would otherwise shake the morale of the troops on the front lines. Furthermore..."

Ye Jinglan paused, then transmitted his voice telepathically: "After the Grand Ceremony, His Majesty will personally lead an expedition, and I will accompany him. Therefore, at present, I must even more vigorously assist His Majesty in clearing out Chang'an City, preparing for the Crown Prince's regency."

"The Emperor is personally leading an expedition?" Gu Mo asked, surprised.

Ye Jinglan sighed and transmitted, "In truth, the front line is not optimistic at all. The court is merely worried about undermining the nation's resolve to fight, so they are deliberately suppressing information. In reality, our front line isn't just facing a money shortage; the situation is already extremely tense. If His Majesty doesn't personally lead the expedition, I fear that within half a year, our army's morale will be shattered by Chu!"

Gu Mo exclaimed in surprise, "It's already reached such a critical point!"

"Otherwise, if it weren't absolutely necessary, why would His Majesty personally lead an expedition and put himself at risk?" Ye Jinglan asked.

For a moment, both men fell silent.

After a moment, Ye Jinglan spoke again. "Oh, Brother Gu, you mentioned in your previous letter that you needed some help moving the things left by the Plague God in the Ghost City. When do you plan to go?"

Gu Mo said, "Tomorrow, perhaps... Hmm?"

Before he finished speaking, Gu Mo suddenly paused, a faint sensation stirring in his spiritual consciousness. The restriction he had left beneath the abyss of the Corpse Cocoon Cave had been triggered.

Ye Jinglan noticed Gu Mo's change in expression and immediately asked, "What's wrong, Brother Gu?"

Gu Mo slowly said, "The spiritual restriction I left in the Corpse Cocoon Cave has been triggered. I'm afraid we'll have to go to the Ghost City right away."

"A master?" Ye Jinglan asked nervously. "Qi Miaoxuan? Only Qi Miaoxuan should know the Plague God's hiding place, right?"

"It's likely an accidental intrusion!" Gu Mo said. "If it were Qi Miaoxuan, he wouldn't have triggered my restriction."

"Then I'll immediately gather our men, and we'll head to the Corpse Cocoon Cave right away!"

Beneath the abyss outside the Corpse Cocoon Cave settlement, the underground river surged, its turbulent waters instantly swallowing the sound of stones occasionally falling.

No one knew how deep this abyss was, nor how swift the currents beneath it flowed. Furthermore, no one knew there was a limestone cave in the center of this abyss. However, at this moment, one person did know: Ye Chen, who had come from the State of Chu.

Half a day earlier,

Ye Chen and his two swordsman subordinates came to explore the underground Ghost City. Unfamiliar with its shadowy depths, they were swindled out of a lot of money and even tricked onto a dilapidated boat. Fortunately, all three were martial arts masters, so their lives weren't in danger. They drifted aimlessly until they arrived at the Corpse Cocoon Cave.

Coincidentally, however, the person who had swindled them also appeared at the Corpse Cocoon Cave. Ye Chen immediately moved to apprehend him, but the man was a local tough in the Corpse Cocoon Cave area, aided by a local gang, and managed to escape from Ye Chen's grasp.

During the pursuit,

Unfamiliar with the terrain of the Corpse Cocoon Cave, Ye Chen and the swindler both fell into the abyss. The swindler plunged into the underground river at an unknown depth below, while Ye Chen, without even needing to employ survival techniques, coincidentally landed on a recess less than a foot wide just outside this limestone cave.

He even kindly intended to pull the swindler back up, but coincidentally, he grabbed a bag from the swindler's waist. Not only was his own swindled money inside, but there was also much more wealth.

However, Ye Chen was accustomed to such occurrences.

He took out a tinderstick for light and entered the limestone cave.

The limestone cave was quite ordinary. With the torchlight, its full extent could be seen at a glance; it was rather spacious, about twenty feet square, but contained nothing other than a few stalactites.

He heard a sound from outside and stepped out to see Chang Qi, tied with a rope, slowly descending. One hand gripped a dagger sharp enough to cut through iron like mud, while the other held a torch.

"Young Master, are you alright?" Chang Qi quickly asked upon seeing Ye Chen.

Ye Chen chuckled softly. "Ah Qi, don't you know me by now? What could possibly happen to me?"

Chang Qi stepped onto the high platform and said, "Well, Young Master, shall we go up now? Chang Liu is waiting above; we can have him pull us up."

"Have Ah Liu wait for a moment first," Ye Chen said. "Let's take a look inside the cave."

Chang Qi asked, puzzled, "Is there anything in the cave?"

"No," Ye Chen replied.

"Then what are we looking for?" Chang Qi wondered.

Ye Chen said, "It would be strange if there was nothing. I wouldn't have fallen down this cliff for no reason."

Chang Qi quickly interjected, "It wasn't for no reason; it was an accident!"

Ye Chen chuckled softly. "Ah Qi, you've been with me for two or three years now. Haven't you gotten used to it yet? There are no accidents for me; all 'accidents' are blessings. This cliff is so high, and the underground river below is so turbulent. Given this level of danger, I suspect this time's blessing won't be small."

"This..."

Chang Qi froze for a moment, then immediately circulated his inner energy to transmit his voice.

The limestone cave was two hundred feet below the top, but for a master like Ah Qi, transmitting his voice two hundred feet was effortless.

Following that, Chang Qi entered the limestone cave with Ye Chen.

However, even with Chang Qi holding the torch, and despite the ample light, they still couldn't find anything inside the limestone cave.

Chang Qi searched back and forth with the torch, looking in every corner. He finally returned to Ye Chen, frustrated, and said, "Young Master, there's nothing here!"

Ye Chen chuckled softly. "Don't be impatient. I don't need to search; blessings will come to find me..."

As he spoke, Ye Chen leaned against the nearby stone wall.

However, the moment he leaned,

The instant his fingertips touched the rough texture of the stone wall, a faint blue energy wave pulsed through his palm as if alive. The stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling suddenly began oozing a luminous white liquid. Their formerly rigid tips curled and twisted like octopus tentacles, and the liquid drops, as they hit the ground, formed rings of mysterious runes.

"Crack—"

The right stone wall suddenly cracked open with spiderweb-like fissures. Azure mist seeped out, coalescing mid-air into a swirling star map. In that instant, their entire surroundings transformed, leaving only hazy light screens, obscuring everything else from view.

"What... what's happening?"

Witnessing the changes before him, Chang Qi was somewhat surprised. He swung his long sword, but couldn't cut through the light screens. As he advanced, the screens advanced; as he retreated, the vibrant, colorful screens also retreated.

For a moment,

Chang Qi was a little panicked. Shielding Ye Chen, he said, "Young Master, be careful. This place is too uncanny!"

Ye Chen, however, remained completely composed. "Ah Qi, relax," he said. "Just wait and see. Before long, this thing will either break apart on its own and reveal its true form, or someone will come to help us break it!"

The moment Ye Chen's words fell,

The bizarre light screens before them truly dissipated.

Before them, an open stone door appeared on a stone wall. Through the gap, they could clearly see an underground palace illuminated by numerous luminous pearls.

Just as Ye Chen was about to venture into the underground palace to investigate, a sound suddenly came from the cave entrance. He quickly turned his head to look and saw Chang Liu, who had been bound by ropes and unceremoniously dropped at the entrance, looking utterly disheveled.

Ye Chen asked, puzzled, "Ah Liu, what happened to you...?"

Chang Liu quickly said, "Young Master, there are masters!"

Ye Chen frowned,

A group of people entered the limestone cave, but Ye Chen's gaze settled on the two individuals at the front. Although both were young, their demeanor was extraordinary and completely unlike the others: one carried a saber, and the other carried a sword.

The man with the saber seemed noble, his presence quite imposing. The other, carrying a sword, appeared to be only around twenty years old, with an ethereal aura.

These two were Ye Jinglan and Gu Mo.

Ye Jinglan appraised Ye Chen, then cupped his hands and said, "Friend, this is private property. If you've stumbled in by mistake, please leave. If you've intentionally trespassed, then I ask you to state your intentions!"

Ye Chen smiled faintly and cupped his hands. "My apologies, friend," he said. "I was pursuing a rogue and accidentally fell down, stumbling into this place. I wasn't aware this was private property. If there's any damage, I'm willing to compensate!"

Ye Jinglan was somewhat taken aback. He hadn't expected the person before him to be so accommodating. After all, anyone seeing this limestone cave would know it held a significant opportunity or treasure, and even if they knew it was claimed, they wouldn't willingly give it up.

Yet, this man was astonishingly straightforward.

Immediately, Ye Jinglan said, "Compensation won't be necessary."

As he spoke, Ye Jinglan knelt down and untied the ropes binding Chang Liu, then helped him up. He then turned to Ye Chen and said, "My apologies, there was a slight misunderstanding with your subordinate up there earlier. However, I merely tied him; I did not harm him."

Ye Chen's eyes were full of surprise. "My subordinate is exceptionally skilled," he said. "For you to capture him without injury, you must certainly be a distinguished figure. I am Ye Chen of Chu. May I ask for your names?"

Ye Jinglan exclaimed in surprise, "You are Ye Chen, the Fated One?"

Ye Chen cupped his hands. "You've heard of me?"

Ye Jinglan said, "Your reputation precedes you. I am Ye Jinglan of the State of Gan." Then, he introduced Gu Mo, "And this is Gu Mo, the Great Hero of Gan!"

Ye Chen's eyes lit up, and he said with delight, "So it is Gu Mo, the number one hero under heaven, himself! I was wondering who possessed such a distinguished aura. I am Ye Chen; I have long admired your name, Hero Gu!"

Gu Mo slightly cupped his hands.

Then, Ye Chen rubbed his hands together and asked with a beaming smile, "Hero Gu, would you be interested in taking me as your sworn elder brother? Join me, and I guarantee you'll reach new heights!"

Gu Mo: "Wait, what?"

Ye Jinglan: "He's that audacious?!"