Chapter 7: The First Mission

After signing the affiliation agreement, Yan Sanniang immediately arranged accommodation for Gu Mo and his sister. It was a small, free-of-charge courtyard not far from Bu'er Villa, belonging to Yan Sanniang and fully furnished with furniture and kitchenware.

That night, the siblings moved in.

The next day, at dawn, Gu Chutong returned with firewood, rice, oil, and salt. By the time Gu Mo woke up, the meal was already prepared, perfectly on time.

This was a tacit understanding they had developed over many years.

Since Gu Chutong was seven, Gu Mo had been traveling the martial arts world with her. The siblings had visited many places across the land. Back then, they had a clear division of labor: Gu Mo earned money, and Gu Chutong handled domestic matters like food, clothing, and shelter.

Gu Chutong knew Gu Mo's routine perfectly, always saving a lot of time. The reason for this efficiency was that Gu Mo not only needed to earn money but also had to practice martial arts. He never slackened, regardless of the season. This diligence and perseverance were the main reasons he was able to master forty-eight forms of his Mysterious Blade Technique, even without guidance.

After finishing their meal, Gu Mo began instructing Gu Chutong on her blade technique.

Gu Chutong was astonished because, despite Gu Mo's blindness, he could always spot flaws in her technique, even the most subtle ones.

Gu Chutong couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother, if you had been this skilled earlier, I would have become a great hero by now!"

"Then I would have had to lose my sight even earlier," Gu Mo replied.

Gu Chutong pouted and said, "Never mind then, I'd rather you weren't that strong. But seriously, Brother, purely in terms of martial arts, you seem like a completely different person."

"And as a person?" Gu Mo asked.

"Well, your personality hasn't changed, and your habits haven't either. It's just your demeanor that's different; you have a profound, enlightened feel about you!"

Gu Mo smiled faintly.

He was indeed experiencing a form of enlightenment.

Buddhists say there is great terror between life and death, and great confusion between reincarnations.

He had undergone a major transformation, awakening his past life's wisdom.

In a way, he had changed, but in another, he was still the same person.

However, his martial arts attainment had indeed reached a level most people couldn't achieve in a lifetime, thanks to the Nine Yang Divine Skill. He was just a step below a grandmaster who had returned to simplicity, yet far superior to ordinary first-rate martial artists.

Of course, this was his martial arts realm, not necessarily his combat power.

Combat power was difficult to assess.

For instance, Old Blade, whom he met last night, was a renowned first-rate master in his youth. After decades of immersion, his martial arts realm should be far beyond that of a typical first-rate master, yet Gu Mo's exquisite internal energy techniques had intimidated him into not daring to make a move.

Combat power and martial arts realm were not entirely correlated.

While Gu Mo was instructing Gu Chutong in her blade practice, he heard footsteps outside the courtyard. Although he hadn't yet heard voices, he could discern that it was Yan Sanniang and the swordsman named Ah Qi, who always protected her closely.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

A knock sounded at the door.

Gu Chutong opened the door, and indeed, it was Yan Sanniang and the black-clad swordsman, Ah Qi.

"Young Master Gu," Yan Sanniang asked upon entering, "do you plan to rest for a while before taking on tasks, or are you ready to accept one now?"

"Anytime," Gu Mo replied. "Do you have many tasks?"

"Naturally, I have plenty," Yan Sanniang said. "However, I'd like to ask Young Master Gu to apprehend a notorious bandit. As you know, my Pursuing Wind Pavilion has just opened, and this is the time to build its reputation. The best way to do that is, of course, to complete a few impressive bounty hunter missions."

"Tell me about it," Gu Mo said.

Gu Chutong came out with the teapot to pour tea and casually remarked, "Boss Yan, please don't give us some impossible task like capturing a cult leader. We're bounty hunters, not aspiring corpses."

"Sister Chutong, you're joking," Yan Sanniang said. "Even if you wanted to capture those demonic giants, I wouldn't dare let you. My Bu'er Villa couldn't withstand their wrath, and I don't have the means to acquire intelligence on such figures. Besides, I'm counting on your brother to help me earn money; I'd suffer a huge loss if he were to die."

Gu Chutong poured tea for Yan Sanniang and Ah Qi, then sat silently beside Gu Mo.

Yan Sanniang took out a stack of rice paper and said, "This is the intelligence I've gathered. Young Master Gu, have you heard of the Flying Horse Gang?"

"Are you referring to the group of horse bandits who constantly roam the northern desert?" Gu Mo asked.

"Exactly," Yan Sanniang confirmed. "It seems Young Master Gu is familiar with them."

Gu Mo nodded.

Having worked as a bodyguard for Changfeng Escort Agency for several years, he naturally paid close attention to organizations like bandits and horse thieves.

The Flying Horse Gang was one such group of horse bandits that their escort agency particularly focused on. They constantly roamed the northern desert, frequently massacring entire villages and families. Very few bodyguards escaped alive when their convoys encountered them.

This group of horse bandits was utterly heinous. While most bandits and robbers primarily sought wealth, and their victims could usually survive by promptly handing over their money (though beautiful women might be abducted), the Flying Horse Gang was different.

When they acted, they took both lives and wealth. Their favorite pastime was massacring villages: gathering all the villagers together and then beginning a slaughter, competing to see who could kill more. Their methods were extremely cruel, sparing no elderly, children, or even infants.

The authorities had conducted multiple encirclement and suppression campaigns, but with little success.

This was because the horse bandits never stayed in one place, constantly moving around throughout the year. Most importantly, the Flying Horse Gang primarily revolved around its leader, Flying Dragon; the other members were unimportant. If one died, another quickly replaced them. Over a decade, many batches of Flying Horse Gang members had come and gone, but the leader, Flying Dragon, had always been the same person.

Yan Sanniang said, "Recently, this group of horse bandits has appeared in Linjiang Prefecture."

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "The Flying Horse Gang hasn't left the northern desert for over a decade. Why have they suddenly come to Linjiang Prefecture?"

Yan Sanniang explained, "They ran into a tough opponent. A swordsman recently emerged in the northern desert, gaining immense fame in the martial arts world. He's known as the Flying Swordsman, appearing out of nowhere. No one knows his name, so some also call him Nameless.

It's unclear what grudge this person holds against the Flying Horse Gang, but he relentlessly pursues them, day and night. His swordsmanship and lightness skill are exceptionally high, forcing the Flying Horse Gang to flee the northern desert.

In just half a month, they've committed three village massacres in Linjiang Prefecture. The Six-Gates Agency has been aggressively pursuing them, and although they've captured a few Flying Horse Gang bandits, Flying Dragon has remained elusive. The authorities have increased the bounty by a thousand taels."

Gu Mo remarked, "A thousand taels? Wouldn't that make all bounty hunters go wild?"

"Yes, and not only that," Yan Sanniang continued, "various martial arts factions and wealthy merchants have also put up bounties. Accumulated, it exceeds three thousand taels. Successfully completing this single mission would be enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a lifetime."

Gu Mo asked, intrigued, "Do you have insider information?"

Yan Sanniang nodded. "Yes, it's absolutely the most current, first-hand intelligence in the entire martial arts world. The Flying Horse Gang committed three gruesome acts in Pingze County, and all clues and information about them are currently concentrated in Pingze County and its vicinity. However, I have the latest intelligence: Flying Dragon has already fled to the Zhushan County area. Are you interested?"

"I'll give it a try!" Gu Mo replied.

Just then, a system notification sounded in Gu Mo's mind:

New target detected.Wanted Target: Flying DragonMission Level: Three StarsMission Reward: Max-level Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms