Chapter 82: Big Shots

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong descended the mountain quickly under the moonlight, deliberately avoiding the government officials.

This was a major case, and if they had stayed at the scene, they would undoubtedly have been required to go to the county yamen for official procedures. Given the complexity of the matter, it wouldn't have been resolved in less than two or three days.

So, they slipped away quickly.

It wasn't until the fifth day, when they had already reached the border of Qingyang Prefecture, that Zhuo Qingfeng, who had been catching up, finally caught up with them.

"You two siblings are really sly," Zhuo Qingfeng complained as he caught up with Gu Mo's carriage on the official road. "You had your fun running off, leaving me alone there to deal with the Qingyang Prefecture officials."

Gu Mo leaned by the carriage window and said with a smile, "Aren't you a government official yourself? Still afraid of dealing with other officials?"

"The main issue is that I crossed jurisdictions without authorization," Zhuo Qingfeng said helplessly. "Fortunately, we successfully solved the cat demon case, which also exposed the unsavory dealings behind the Four Great Sword Sects. The merit is significant enough that headquarters probably won't heavily investigate my unauthorized cross-border actions. I also have someone above me who can help; they'll just issue a secret order stating I was investigating the case under orders."

Gu Mo chuckled, "So, everything's fine, and you even get credit!"

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded, "It's not entirely fine. My master will scold me to death."

"Who is your esteemed master?" Gu Mo inquired.

Zhuo Qingfeng proudly stated, "Du Sha, one of the two chief constables of the Six Doors in Yunzhou, known in the martial arts world as the 'Martial Judge'."

Gu Mo paused slightly, surprised. He knew Zhuo Qingfeng had connections, but he hadn't expected them to be so prominent.

The two chief constables of the Yunzhou Six Doors were not only high-ranking officials, holding positions equivalent to third-rank dignitaries, but also martial arts grandmasters themselves. Out of the ten grandmasters in Yunzhou, two were from the Six Doors, precisely those two chief constables.

Gu Mo chuckled lightly, "With such a strong background, what are you afraid of? Your master is Chief Constable Du Sha. Is there anything he can't handle?"

"But when my master disciplines his disciples, he really hits hard," Zhuo Qingfeng said helplessly. "Don't let my forty-something age fool you; when he wants to teach me a lesson, he doesn't care how old I am. He beats me as if I were his grandson, and I can't even dodge. The more I try to avoid it, the harder I get hit."

Gu Mo smiled faintly and said, "Then may you wish yourself good luck."

Zhuo Qingfeng sighed helplessly and said, "Let's not talk about it. If I'm going to get beaten, I'm going to get beaten. There's no escaping it anyway, and thinking about it more won't change the outcome."

"By the way," Gu Chudong suddenly turned her head and asked, "Commander Zhuo, what happened to the four sect leaders?"

Zhuo Qingfeng replied, "They've been imprisoned. Those four old geezers had their martial arts crippled by Zuo Yue. When they were rescued from the tomb, they were already tortured beyond recognition. But they deserve no sympathy at all. To think I used to believe Zhao Congwu was a decent person."

At this point, Zhuo Qingfeng's tone began to grow angry. He continued, "The Six Doors in Qingyang Prefecture conducted a thorough investigation overnight. You can't even imagine how bloody the history behind the infamous Divine Cat Temple in Qingyang Prefecture truly is. Human trafficking, forcing women into prostitution, exterminating entire families to seize land – their heinous crimes are simply too numerous to list. For decades, who knows how many tears of blood and dry bones piled up.

None of the four sect leaders were clean. The Divine Cat Temple was originally spread by them. After Fang Lianshan's death, the four of them went into hiding, secretly promoting the Divine Cat teachings and establishing temples everywhere, accumulating vast wealth, all of it stained with blood. Later, they transformed into the Four Great Sword Sects, each becoming revered martial arts veterans and founding ancestors.

Honestly, I even think they should have been left in Fang Lianshan's tomb, to starve and thirst to death in that cramped space, just like Fang Lianshan did, in those dark, silent secret passages, so the vengeful spirits could find them!"

Gu Chudong said, "Then, the Zuo father and son still did a good deed. If it weren't for them, perhaps the four sect leaders would have remained respected until their deaths, with no one knowing their true identities, and might even have been remembered gloriously for generations."

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded. "From various perspectives, the Zuo father and son indeed did a good deed. However, they weren't good people themselves. While seeking revenge, they also intended to seize control of the Four Great Sword Sects and continue enjoying the bloody profits from the Divine Cat Temple. If it were purely for revenge, Zuo Yue, as a young sect leader, could have easily gathered criminal evidence against the Four Great Sword Sects.

Comparatively, Mo Qingxian was quite good. Although he also fabricated a huge lie, he didn't deceive the poor. His Blood Tear Pills were solely for conning the wealthy. However, now Lingyun Villa is in trouble. Over the years, the Blood Tear Pills had long deviated from their original purpose, becoming a luxury item based on reputation. Now that Mo Qingxian is dead and the lie exposed, many people will lose everything. Without Mo Qingxian, Lingyun Villa won't be able to withstand the public's rage.

Of course, the Four Great Sword Sects are also ruined. Too many high-ranking members were involved in the Divine Cat Temple's activities. It's likely they'll disintegrate, like monkeys scattering when a tree falls. Even if they don't completely disband, only a handful will remain. However, with the fall of the Four Great Sword Sects, the martial arts world of Qingyang Prefecture is bound to be plunged into chaos again."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

The fall of the Four Great Sword Sects involved significant martial arts interests. At the same time, the title of 'Leader of Qingyang's Martial Arts World' was something countless sects would fight to the death for.

"Oh," Gu Mo suddenly asked, "Has the Soul-Devouring Art been found? That martial art truly is profoundly mysterious."

Zhuo Qingfeng waved his hand, "I'm afraid that martial art will disappear from the martial world. The manual Fang Lianshan carved in the secret passage was already destroyed by the Zuo father and son. And with Zuo Yue's death, the Six Doors haven't found any related manuals on the Zuo family's side.

As for that bell, I specifically studied it for half a day. Its design is very clever. However, without the Soul-Devouring Art, that bell holds little significance; its only notable feature is that its sound is more impactful than an ordinary bell's."

Gu Mo sighed, "What a pity."

"Not necessarily a pity," Zhuo Qingfeng said. "There's no guarantee this kind of martial art isn't some evil technique. Perhaps its cultivation methods involve harmful practices. Its loss might actually be a good thing for the martial world!"

"That makes sense too."

"By the way, your bounty from the Qingyang Prefecture Six Doors will be directly transferred to the Linjiang Six Doors. I'll hand it to you personally then."

"Thank you very much, Commander Zhuo."

Several more days passed quickly.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong finally returned to Linjiang City.

After traveling with Zhuo Qingfeng for a day, he departed first. His unauthorized cross-border case needed urgent attention, so he couldn't leisurely return to Linjiang City with Gu Mo.

"Brother, should we go back to Qingping Alley first, or to Buer Villa?" Gu Chudong asked.

"Let's go to Buer Villa first and say hello to Boss Yan!"

Soon, the carriage arrived at Buer Villa.

The gatekeepers of Buer Villa naturally recognized Gu Mo and Gu Chudong. One servant immediately ran to take the horses, while another quickly went inside to announce their arrival.

Before long, A Qi came out.

A Qi was as always, dressed in his perennial black attire, holding a black longsword. He cupped his hands towards Gu Mo and Gu Chudong and said, "Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, my boss is currently meeting with a guest. You two will have to wait for a moment."

"No problem," Gu Mo replied.

"Please come in."

A Qi led Gu Mo and Gu Chudong to the side hall in the back courtyard used for receiving guests. As they passed Yan Sanniang's study courtyard, they suddenly heard a fierce argument coming from inside. Yan Sanniang sounded very agitated.

A Qi's expression changed. Without waiting for Gu Mo and Gu Chudong to ask, he drew his sword and swiftly rushed inside.

"Get out!"

Immediately, a deep male voice came from within.

The next moment, A Qi was sent flying directly out.

Gu Mo quickly extended his hand, catching A Qi and preventing him from hitting the ground.

"Thank you, Hero Gu..." A Qi couldn't finish his sentence; his body went limp, and he slumped to the ground.

Gu Mo placed a hand on A Qi's back, quickly channeling a stream of internal energy into his body. He whispered, "What powerful internal force. Brother A Qi, don't hold it in, spit out the blood!"

Immediately, Gu Mo gently patted A Qi's back again.

"Pffft."

A Qi spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face instantly pale, but his spirit and vitality recovered significantly. He quickly thanked, "Thank you."

Just then, Yan Sanniang rushed out of the courtyard, anxiously hurrying to A Qi's side and asking, "A Qi, are you alright?"

A Qi said, "Hero Gu helped me regulate my internal breathing. It's not a big problem."

Yan Sanniang quickly thanked Gu Mo.

Gu Mo waved his hand and asked, "What happened? Who injured A Qi?"

Yan Sanniang sighed and remained silent.

Gu Mo didn't press further, because he sensed two people emerging from the small courtyard. Although Gu Mo couldn't see them, he could perceive that both were martial arts masters. Especially the person walking behind, Gu Mo felt a powerful spiritual will emanating from them – a characteristic only possessed by martial artists who have cultivated their martial true intent to a significant degree.

At this moment, indeed, as Gu Mo had sensed, two people walked out of the courtyard. The one in front was a handsome young man, appearing to be in his thirties. His eyebrows bore a slight resemblance to Yan Sanniang's, and he exuded an elegant, noble aura.

Behind the young man was an old man with a longsword strapped to his back. He wore a plain white robe, clean and simple like moonlight, its wide sleeves gently swaying in the breeze like drifting clouds. His long, thick beard was as white as snow, adding to his ethereal and wise appearance.

"Third Sister!"

The young man barely glanced at Gu Mo and Gu Chudong. He simply looked at Yan Sanniang and said, "This is your last chance. Think it over carefully. I hope that when I return next time, I'll hear the answer I want."

Yan Sanniang's face was grim, and she remained silent.

A Qi stared intently at the young man, glaring in anger.

The young man glanced at A Qi, then looked at Gu Mo, pointed at A Qi, and asked, "You treated his injury?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "I did. Do you have any instructions?"

The young man shook his head slightly and said, "You treated someone I hit. I can interpret that as you provoking me. You shouldn't have intervened without my permission."

"But I already did," Gu Mo replied.

The young man said, "Therefore, considering this is your first offense, I won't hold it against you too much. However..."

The young man looked at A Qi and continued, "This fellow needs to suffer a second punishment. If I say he has to lie down for half a month, then he must lie down for half a month."

The young man's tone was very flat, devoid of any discernible emotion, yet it conveyed an air of condescending arrogance.

The young man looked at Gu Mo and chuckled, "His second punishment is a direct result of you treating his injury, understand?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man pointed a finger towards A Qi.