Chapter 51: Intense Battle

Killed a four-star wanted criminal.Received a four-star reward: A fully leveled Li Family Flying Dagger.Claim reward?

Gu Mo silently thought "claim." In that instant, he cultivated the Li Family Flying Dagger to its profound mastery.

The Li Family Flying Dagger was a martial art that transcended mere techniques. While it incorporated skills and forms, these were not its core. Its essence lay in willpower, spirit, and extreme speed coupled with absolute precision.

The Li Family Flying Dagger never misses!

Li Xunhuan's understanding of the martial true intent behind the Li Family Flying Dagger was compassion and redemption. However, the moment Gu Mo achieved mastery, he grasped the true intent of seizing flaws and delivering a fatal blow.

Everyone's interpretation is different. Each person's martial true intent varies, even when practicing the same martial art. As for who is stronger or weaker, it's impossible to determine; it only depends on whose understanding of the true intent is deeper.

Nevertheless, it must be said that the martial philosophy of the Li Family Flying Dagger was indeed the most profound among all the martial arts Gu Mo currently possessed.

***

At this moment, in the courtyard, the three masters collapsed to the ground.

Yet, despite this, Madame Wang, standing at the entrance, remained impassive. The deaths of the three men seemed to have no effect on her. She merely waved her hand slightly, and in the next instant, dozens, even hundreds, of people appeared on the roofs of the front and side buildings, all armed with crossbows.

"They claim they have no rebellious intentions, yet they've secretly stockpiled crossbows," Zhuo Qingfeng said in a deep voice. He had barely managed to stand after Gu Chutong gave him an antidote pill. "Sir Gu, if you can leave, go! Don't worry about us!"

Zhuo Qingfeng and Chu Yuan were both martial artists, and neither of them was weak. They knew full well the immense restrictive power bows and crossbows held over martial arts masters. While a single archer facing a martial arts master would be killed, ten archers facing a master could lead to a high probability of the master being shot dead. And if a hundred archers surrounded a master, it would be extraordinary if the master even managed to escape with their life.

When Gu Mo sensed the nearly a hundred crossbowmen appearing, he understood why Madame Wang could be so confident.

Therefore, the moment he sensed the crossbowmen, Gu Mo didn't hesitate. With a forceful stomp, he sent the three corpses in front of him flying upwards, using them as a shield. A swift push then propelled the bodies outward, directly striking Gu Chutong, Zhuo Qingfeng, and Chu Yuan. The immense force sent all three of them flying out of the courtyard.

Madame Wang didn't pay any attention to the current state of Zhuo Qingfeng, Chu Yuan, and Gu Chutong. Even watching them being flung out, she remained unconcerned. Instead, she waved her hand and ordered, "Shoot to kill!"

Arrows flew in unison. In an instant, an arrow rain, like a black torrent, whistled towards Gu Mo. The sharp whistling sound, like ghosts wailing, seemed to tear apart the tranquility of the world.

Seeing this, Gu Mo lightly tapped the ground with his toes, his body floating up like a phantom. He weaved and dodged on the ground like a specter, arrows whizzing past him and embedding themselves into the wall behind him, their fletchings vibrating. He darted left and right amidst the arrow rain, his figure as fast as lightning, as if merged with the wind. He quickly burst through a window and vanished into the west wing, instantly disorienting the crossbowmen.

It was indeed difficult for martial arts masters to perform effectively against crossbowmen, but there was always a prerequisite: that the engagement took place in an open, spacious area with no cover.

The next moment, Gu Mo soared upwards, directly smashing through the roof. He shot up from below onto the rooftop, a handful of steel beads appearing in his grasp. He fired them frantically with both hands; with every bead launched, a crossbowman fell.

Seeing this, the other crossbowmen panicked. They all pulled their triggers, and instantly, a hail of arrows, like a swarm of locusts, shot towards Gu Mo.

Gu Mo's expression remained unchanged. He lightly stomped his foot, crushing the roof tiles and dropping down to evade the arrow rain. Then, in the next moment, he flew out from the window of another room, his agile figure moving swiftly between the pillars of the long corridor. Like a dark shadow, he darted forth, his feet lightly touching the tiles as his hands moved rapidly, sending out streams of finger-force that whistled from his fingertips, tracing invisible paths in the darkness.

Each stream of finger-force accurately struck its target; some hit the crossbowmen's foreheads, others pierced their hearts. Before their crossbow bolts could even be loosed, these crossbowmen had already perished. As the finger-force continued to unleash, crossbowmen fell one after another, their wails and terrified shouts intertwining, shattering the night's silence.

Gu Mo's lightness skill was also peerless. He moved and leaped between houses, seeking cover, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, denying the crossbowmen any chance to surround and shoot him.

In a short while, corpses lay haphazardly on the ground, blood spreading in the darkness, emitting a strong, metallic scent.

Watching the crossbowmen fall like dumplings, one after another, Madame Wang's calm expression finally faltered. She now realized she had made a grave error by allowing Gu Mo to throw out the "liabilities." Without Zhuo Qingfeng and the others to hold him back, and with the courtyard not being an open area without cover, the crossbowmen's ability to restrain Gu Mo was virtually negated.

"Gu Mo, we will meet again," Madame Wang glared at Gu Mo resentfully, then turned and entered the house.

"Why wait for later!" Gu Mo roared, swiftly descending from the rooftop, his robes flapping and long hair streaming. His eyes remained devoid of expression. Suddenly, he made a grabbing motion in the air with his right hand, employing the Dragon Catching Skill.

In an instant, air currents surged, and an invisible force, like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, whistled towards its target. Madame Wang, who had just entered the house, felt an overwhelming, irresistible power envelop her. Her feet involuntarily lifted off the ground, and she flew straight towards Gu Mo, instantly landing in his grasp. Her face was filled with panic, yet she was utterly powerless to resist, instantly brought right before Gu Mo.

"Release the Madame!" "Madame!" Immediately, the surviving crossbowmen were aghast. They rushed forward, but, holding their crossbows, dared not attack Gu Mo, fearing they would accidentally injure Madame Wang.

"Madame Wang, you'd best not make any sudden moves. Otherwise, with just a slight squeeze, your neck will shatter!" Gu Mo threatened.

Madame Wang's expression once again returned to calm. She said, "Sir Gu, your martial arts are truly profound and unfathomable. This humble one is utterly amazed. My only regret is not knowing sooner how formidable your martial arts were!"

"And if you had known sooner?"

"If I had known sooner, I would have certainly fled at the first sight of you," Madame Wang chuckled lightly.

"I thought Madame Wang might have some other tricks up her sleeve," Gu Mo said calmly. "Madame Wang, things have come to this. You should honestly confess what you know, lest you suffer."

Madame Wang assumed a pitiful demeanor, with a hint of shyness and fragility, and said, "Sir Gu, do you truly have the heart to kill me?"

"Madame Wang, I am blind. Casting alluring glances at me is useless," Gu Mo stated.

Madame Wang: "..."