Chapter 32: One Palm

In the main courtyard of the Wang Manor, a young man of about twenty sat on a rockery, a long sword strapped to his back and a foxtail grass between his lips. He watched Gu Mo, who stood on the dam, with a mocking expression. At the same time, many onlookers turned their gazes towards them, some with amusement, others with curiosity.

Gu Mo, though unable to see, could pinpoint the young man's location by sound. He also sensed the presence of many people around him, though he couldn't determine their identities—whether they were Wang family guards, jianghu guests there to lend aid, or even Six Gates constables.

"Who are you? Are you sick?" Gu Mo remained silent, but Gu Chudong, unable to tolerate the provocation, immediately lashed out.

The sword-carrying youth snorted coldly. "Who I am doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that I am upright and cannot stand pretentious fraudsters!"

"You're the fraud!" Gu Chudong retorted furiously. "My brother is a Blade Catcher; he killed Feilong. Who are you to question him?"

"Heh," the youth scoffed dismissively, "who knows if it was just a lucky break? Everyone knows that when Feilong was killed in Zhushan County recently, Hero Shen Bai was also there. I'm just worried that some people take advantage of a situation and then shamelessly take all the credit!"

"You..." Gu Mo stretched out a hand to calm the enraged Gu Chudong, then asked in a flat tone, "What do you want, sir?"

"Nothing much," the sword-carrying youth said, jumping down from the rockery. "I just want to test your mettle, to see what right a blind man has to be here."

Gu Mo smiled faintly. "And do you have the right?"

"Why don't you try and find out?"

As the atmosphere grew tense, Wang Yuanbao, the host, finally stepped forward to mediate. "Hero Gu, Hero Lin," he began, "let's talk this out peacefully. There's no need to spoil the harmony. Come, let me introduce you two. We are all jianghu people, and meeting here is destiny!"

With that, Wang Yuanbao first introduced the sword-carrying youth. "This is Hero Lin Buqi from the Bashan Sect. He comes from a prominent family, is righteous, and cannot tolerate any wrongdoing. He wasn't aware of Hero Gu's reputation, leading to this misunderstanding. He was simply concerned that I might be deceived, which is how this came about. Hero Gu, please forgive him." Then, he introduced Gu Mo. "Hero Lin, this is Hero Gu Mo, the Blade Catcher from Bu'er Mountain Villa. Hero Gu is no jianghu fraud. He's a Blade Catcher who only recently emerged, but despite the short time, he has already slain many notorious evil experts, including Feilong, Iron Arhat, and Master Kuxin..."

"Alright, Squire Wang," Lin Buqi said, waving his hand. "We are all jianghu people. Whether one has skill is never determined by words, but by genuine action. As for boasting, who can't do that?"

"Oh, Hero Lin, why must you be so difficult? Please, for my sake..."

Lin Buqi cut off Wang Yuanbao directly and addressed Gu Mo. "Blind man, if you claim you're not a fraud, then exchange a few blows with me. If you don't dare, then leave on your own and don't try to deceive anyone here!"

"I'll fight you..." Gu Chudong was furious. He immediately drew his saber and lunged at Lin Buqi.

"Alright, Chudong," Gu Mo said, restraining Gu Chudong from rushing forward. He then turned to Lin Buqi. "While I don't know your purpose in provoking me, you have indeed made me uncomfortable and a bit angry. So, let's fight. I want to let off some steam!"

At this moment, in a pavilion not far from the courtyard, two men in Six Gates constable uniforms watched with keen interest. The leader was Zhuo Qingfeng, the Swift Wind Divine Constable, who was heading the Six Gates team tasked with apprehending the assassin Silver Fox. He was the Chief Constable of Six Gates in Linjiang Commandery, holding the rank of Qianhu, and was known in the jianghu as "Qianhu Zhuo."

Standing beside Zhuo Qingfeng was his deputy, Xiao Xuan, also a renowned expert within the Six Gates.

"Lin Buqi has hit a brick wall. He's going to lose," Zhuo Qingfeng said with a smile.

Xiao Xuan asked, confused, "My lord, you think so highly of Gu Mo?"

"It's not that I 'think highly' of him; it's that I know about Gu Mo," Zhuo Qingfeng explained. "A couple of days ago, when Wang Yuanbao sent out an extra invitation, I investigated. This Gu Mo is far from simple. He currently has the heads of six notorious wanted criminals: Zhou Tong the Flirtatious Thief, Feilong the Horse Bandit, Iron Arhat, Yang Tang, and others. None of them were easy targets. If it were one or two, you could call it luck, but killing so many is certainly not a matter of luck. Furthermore, Shen Bai himself admitted that he was no match for Gu Mo."

Xiao Xuan asked in surprise, "Wasn't that matter with Shen Bai just a rumor?"

"No," Zhuo Qingfeng replied. "I've investigated thoroughly; it truly came from Shen Bai's own mouth. Moreover, Gu Mo and Shen Bai formed a strong friendship in Zhushan County. They exchanged martial arts insights for three days and three nights at the Tang family estate. To be able to exchange martial arts with a master's disciple like Shen Bai, Gu Mo absolutely cannot be a fake expert."

Xiao Xuan chuckled. "Then Lin Buqi has truly met his match."

Zhuo Qingfeng elaborated, "Lin Buqi's presence at the Wang Manor at this time is primarily due to his status as the Bashan Sect's lead disciple. Wang Yuanbao invited eight jianghu experts in total. Lin Buqi has the lowest reputation and experience among them and isn't highly regarded. He's eager to make a name for himself, but the other six are formidable: three Golden Blade Catchers and the three Tong brothers, who, when fighting as a trio, can even overwhelm seasoned first-rate experts. Naturally, he wouldn't dare challenge them. Gu Mo's timing was perfect; he has some reputation but is far less intimidating than the other six, and he's blind. So, Lin Buqi thought he could pick on Gu Mo, not only gaining a reputation for righteousness and intolerance of wrongdoing but also showcasing his strength to Wang Yuanbao and earning respect. It's truly a win-win situation for him."

Xiao Xuan remarked, "Lin Buqi's strength isn't weak either. His master is the head of the Bashan Sect and a seasoned first-rate expert. Lin Buqi has inherited his master's true teachings..."

"Even his master wouldn't necessarily be a match for Gu Mo, let alone him."

"Are you serious?"

"Just watch. The fight is about to begin!"

As Zhuo Qingfeng and Xiao Xuan finished speaking, Gu Mo and Lin Buqi were already at daggers drawn. Wang Yuanbao still tried to mediate, but Lin Buqi was determined to fight Gu Mo. Upon hearing Gu Mo accept the challenge, he eagerly drew his sword, saying, "Squire Wang, there are many jianghu frauds out there..."

In an instant, Lin Buqi surged forward, his sword like a swimming dragon. The long sword in his hand arced gracefully, like a crescent moon parting the clouds, and with a 'ding,' executed a beautiful sword flourish. To those who understood, it was overly flashy and purely for show.

Nevertheless, it had to be said that Lin Buqi possessed some skill. His sword moves were fierce and layered, like crashing waves, rapidly lunging towards Gu Mo.

"Get lost!" Gu Mo had been as still as a mountain, but in that instant, his right palm shot out like lightning, unleashing "Sudden Arrival" from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. A colossal surge of qi erupted, causing a thunderous boom like a clear-sky bolt of lightning, sending sand and pebbles scattering and dust swirling everywhere.

Lin Buqi's long sword shattered instantly. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His face was ashen, and his eyes were filled with shock and embarrassment.