Chapter 97: Gu Chudong's Martial Arts Mastery

"Gu Mo?" Nie Dongliu frowned slightly. "Who is that?"

Yin Tianye quickly replied, "He's Gu Mo, the blind Blade Catcher who recently solved the Cat Demon case, which led to the near collapse of the Four Directions Sword Sect."

That explanation instantly reminded Nie Dongliu. "What does this have to do with him? Isn't Gu Mo from Linjiang Prefecture? Does he even know Yang Qingtong?"

Yin Tianye shook his head. "According to the Moon Worship Cult, Gu Mo was passing through Wolong Mountain on his way to Tai'an County. It just so happened that Yang Qingtong was being pursued there at the time. You might have heard that Gu Mo despises evil and never lets any wanted criminal go. And as you know, there are always wanted criminals among the Moon Worship Cult members, so a conflict ensued."

"Just because of that?"

Yin Tianye nodded slightly. "Yes, according to the Moon Worship Cult, that's precisely why."

"How could Gu Mo, a mere Blade Catcher, kill Dou Ruohua?" Nie Dongliu questioned.

Yin Tianye said, "I find it hard to believe too. However, the Moon Worship Cult wouldn't lie about something like this. Besides, although Gu Mo hasn't been active for long, he's caused quite a stir in the martial arts world recently. He's killed many formidable experts, including the lecherous thief Zhou Tong, Flying Dragon of the Flying Horse Gang, Yunzhou's top assassin Silver Fox, and the Cat Demon. His martial arts are unfathomable, so it's not impossible that Dou Ruohua fell by his hand."

Nie Dongliu's expression turned grim. After a moment, he asked, "What do we do now? Where is she?"

"We lost track of her," Yin Tianye replied. "The Moon Worship Cult can't openly search for Yang Qingtong. So, their idea is for us to take over. We can openly search for Yang Qingtong's whereabouts without raising suspicion."

Nie Dongliu remained silent for a while, slowly calming himself. Then he said, "Tianye, first arrange something. Get the Moon Worship Cult to cooperate. Whether it's to directly capture or to lure them out, pick a small sect and wipe them out. Prepare all sorts of evidence and pin the blame on Gu Mo and Yang Qingtong.

"Before dark tomorrow, I want the news of Gu Mo colluding with Yang Qingtong and joining the Moon Worship Cult to slaughter the righteous sects to spread throughout Tai'an County. We need to completely solidify this narrative. It can be that Gu Mo defected to the Moon Worship Cult, or that he was a member from the start. Either way, he must become a pariah, someone whose words no one believes. Do you understand?"

Yin Tianye quickly responded, "Don't worry, Big Brother, I understand. Tai'an County is my territory. This news will spread throughout the county within three hours, and the entire Dongping Prefecture will know within three days."

As evening approached, the world seemed enveloped in a thin red veil, hazy and diffused, casting a faint golden glow that gilded rooftops and treetops.

A bustling market town, about sixty to seventy *li* from Wolong Mountain, was alive with activity. Peddlers called out their wares, attracting passersby, and shops along both sides of the street were wide open.

Gu Chutong was walking down the street, carrying a large bag of baked flatbreads and dried food. As she passed a teahouse, she suddenly heard a few people inside, who were chatting over tea, mention the name "Gu Mo." She turned her head and saw that all of them carried weapons, clearly martial artists.

Immediately, Gu Chutong entered the teahouse, casually tossed a few copper coins for a cup of tea, and sat at a table behind the group, facing away from them.

"I can't believe it! That blind Gu, who's been making a name for himself recently, turns out to be a member of the Moon Worship Cult! And he's mixed up with that heartless Yang Qingtong, who betrayed her father and turned against the righteous path!"

"Isn't that normal? Who had heard of Gu Mo before? He became famous in the martial arts world in just a few months, less than a year. How could that happen without someone backing him?"

"But isn't Gu Mo a sworn brother to Zhuo Qingfeng, the Swift Wind Divine Investigator?"

"What kind of good person would collude with the imperial court's lackeys? It's just a shame for the Wutong Sect. They thought that blind Gu was a righteous man, completely unprepared, and ended up almost annihilated!"

"Could there be a misunderstanding about this?!"

"What misunderstanding could there be? The Alliance of Trust and Righteousness has already issued a martial arts warrant! And right now, Nantin Manor is holding a martial arts convention, with so many righteous sects vowing to hunt down Gu Mo. How could this be fake?"

As she listened, Gu Chutong felt something was amiss. She quietly reached up and brushed her hair over her face to partially conceal it, then silently left the teahouse. Afterward, Gu Chutong wandered around the market town, thoroughly gathering information.

She then quickly left the town and headed towards a mountain forest.

Last night, after Gu Mo treated Yang Qingtong's internal injuries on Wolong Mountain, dawn had already broken. The three of them hurried along. However, Yang Qingtong's internal injuries were severe, especially the unusual baleful blood energy. Even with Gu Mo using his Nine Yang internal energy for treatment, it still required some time, so their travel speed wasn't very fast.

Fortunately, they traveled light, and Gu Mo's lightness skill was excellent. They still managed to cover sixty to seventy *li* in half a day, reaching the outskirts of a market town.

However, concerned that Yang Qingtong was currently being hunted by both righteous and unorthodox factions and shouldn't show her face, Gu Mo sent Gu Chutong into the town to buy some dried food.

Unexpectedly, she returned with such news.

Gu Chutong quickly arrived at a dilapidated mountain temple outside the town. It was a decrepit mountain god temple, very rundown, with even the stone statue of the mountain god reduced to only half.

This ruined mountain temple served as the temporary lodging for Gu Mo and the other two.

"Brother, we're in big trouble!"

Gu Chutong entered the ruined temple, handed the baked flatbreads to Gu Mo, and said, "I just heard news in town that the Alliance of Trust and Righteousness has started a bounty for you."

"A bounty for me?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

"Yes, a full ten thousand taels!" Gu Chutong exclaimed. "They're saying you're originally from the Moon Worship Cult and that you annihilated the Wutong Sect along with Miss Yang. They claim the Wutong Sect was about to capture Miss Yang when you suddenly appeared and, exploiting their trust, launched a surprise attack. In the end, only two Wutong Sect disciples managed to escape. The most crucial part is that this incident supposedly happened in Tai'an County."

Gu Mo took a bite of his baked flatbread and chuckled lightly. "So, even before we've reached Tai'an County, we've already committed a major crime there."

Gu Chutong nodded. "That's right. You're wanted."

Yang Qingtong, feeling very apologetic, said, "Hero Gu, I'm so sorry. You've been implicated because of me. It must be because you rescued me last night on Wolong Mountain and helped me escape the Moon Worship Cult's pursuit.

"Nominally, I've now betrayed my father and joined the Moon Worship Cult; I'm considered one of them. So, the Moon Worship Cult can't openly search for me. But they're worried I might go to Tai'an County and meet Sect Leader Qi. That's why they've directly instructed the Alliance of Trust and Righteousness to pursue me. They've framed you because you're with me; they're afraid you'll speak on my behalf, so they're slandering your reputation to ensure no one in the martial arts world believes you."

Gu Mo slowly finished his baked flatbread and said, "That's not the main point here. The problem now is, if this continues, it won't be long before I truly become a public enemy, hated by everyone in the martial arts world. Rumors spread with one mouth, but refuting them breaks your legs. Especially with a real silver bounty—even if it's fake, people will prefer to believe it's real. That's ten thousand taels of silver."

Gu Chutong looked worried. "Brother, if this goes on, we'll truly become demon cultists. What should we do now? The Alliance of Trust and Righteousness is directly framing us, and the Moon Worship Cult will surely cooperate with them to frame us, just as they framed Miss Yang. By then, we'll have no way to defend ourselves."

"No matter," Gu Mo said, clapping his hands. "We'll continue with our original plan. We need to find a way to meet Sect Leader Qi. However, we'll have to pause for a bit. Given the Alliance of Trust and Righteousness's methods, it's not hard to guess they intend to forcefully frame us. They definitely won't let us successfully meet Sect Leader Qi. The moment we show our faces, it's bound to trigger a massive encirclement. So, we can't rush. First, we need to heal Miss Yang's injuries. That way, whether we fight or hide, we won't be too passive."

Yang Qingtong, filled with guilt, said, "I've dragged you both down, Hero Gu, Heroine Gu. If I, Yang Qingtong, can overcome this difficulty, then for the rest of my life, should either of you ever have a need, I will go through mountains of blades and seas of fire without hesitation."

Gu Mo waved his hand. "Miss Yang, you exaggerate."

In truth, besides helping Yang Qingtong with her injuries, he had an even more important matter: he wanted to first enhance Gu Chutong's strength.

To be honest, for him, it didn't matter if they couldn't prove their innocence. At worst, he could take Gu Chutong and flee far away from Yunzhou. As for Yang Qingtong's fate, he genuinely didn't care.

However, regardless of future circumstances or the situation, it was crucial to raise Gu Chutong's cultivation as soon as possible.

Last night, after killing the Left and Right Daoists, he received two three-star rewards: one was a max-level Dugu Nine Swords, and the other was a Grand Rejuvenation Pill.

The Grand Rejuvenation Pill is a sacred medicine for healing, but its more powerful effect lies in increasing internal energy. It shares the same origin as the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill, but its effects are much stronger. The Lesser Rejuvenation Pill is said to increase internal energy by five years, while the Grand Rejuvenation Pill claims to increase it by thirty years.

Of course, these are theoretical and based on basic internal energy, and the actual effects vary from person to person. Nevertheless, both the Grand Rejuvenation Pill and the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill are invaluable treasures.

However, Gu Mo currently possessed four types of internal energy: Profound Void Internal Energy, Ice Cold True Qi, Nine Yang Internal Energy, and Jade Clarity True Qi. Especially with the characteristics of the Nine Yang and Jade Clarity internal energies, Gu Mo's internal energy had reached a depth incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Increasing his cultivation had little meaning for him.

But for Gu Chutong, it was a shortcut in martial arts.

That very day, Gu Mo retrieved the Grand Rejuvenation Pill from the system and gave it to Gu Chutong.

Gu Chutong wasn't too surprised by Gu Mo producing a cultivation-boosting pill like the Grand Rejuvenation Pill.

Because, regarding Gu Mo's sudden increase in martial arts prowess and the periodic appearance of powerful, unheard-of martial arts, Gu Chutong, after her initial confusion and doubt, quickly came up with her own explanation.

She elaborated on the story Gu Mo had jokingly told her about a white-bearded old man taking him as a disciple and imparting skills. She then deduced that Gu Mo had a mysterious master who appeared and disappeared unpredictably. She even concocted a series of stories about this mysterious "master," such as plots from storybooks where the master couldn't reveal himself for certain reasons and so secretly trained disciples.

Therefore, when Gu Mo produced the Grand Rejuvenation Pill, Gu Chutong simply assumed that Gu Mo's mysterious master, who was rarely seen, had secretly met with Gu Mo again at some point.

Like the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill before it, it couldn't be absorbed and digested instantly. However, with Gu Mo by her side, and since Gu Chutong also cultivated Gu Mo's Jade Clarity Arts, it was possible to ensure optimal absorption of the medicinal properties, virtually preventing any waste.

The Grand Rejuvenation Pill's medicinal power was extremely potent.

For several consecutive days, Gu Chutong experienced a constant surge of vital energy; her entire body—from limbs and bones to meridians and vital points—felt as if molten liquid was coursing through it.

Meanwhile, Gu Mo continuously used his Jade Clarity True Qi to guide her. Jade Clarity True Qi is an extremely cold energy, and the interplay of cold and heat allowed Gu Chutong's internal energy to reach a state of Yin-Yang balance and opportunity.

An ordinary person wouldn't be able to grasp this, but Gu Mo's Jade Clarity Arts had reached the realm of Limitless Asura, enabling him to perceive minute details and easily seize that opportunity. Through several days and nights of almost sleepless effort, he ensured that Gu Chutong absorbed the Grand Rejuvenation Pill's effects with double the usual efficiency.

Under normal circumstances, the Grand Rejuvenation Pill would have allowed Gu Chutong to break through, at most, to the sixth layer, the "Gold Jade Tempering Fire" realm. However, with Gu Mo's unreserved assistance, she directly broke through to the seventh layer, the "Blood Jade Slaughtering Masses" realm, instantly reaching the level of a top-tier martial arts expert. Her true qi had transcended from tangible to intangible, then undergoing a qualitative change to a blood-red color, capable of breaking metal and shattering stone.

However, once the Jade Clarity Arts reached this stage, there were no more shortcuts.

The Jade Clarity Arts are divided into nine layers, but in reality, the first seven layers constitute one realm: accumulating internal energy, the qualitative change of true qi, and the tangible-to-intangible state.

The last two layers, the eighth layer, are the "No Self, No Other, Forgetting All" realm, and the ninth layer is "Limitless Asura, Tendon Transformation Nirvana, Light Dream Carefree."

These latter two realms transcend the level of internal energy, entering the spiritual plane of martial arts philosophy and life's understanding. In these realms, internal energy becomes less important, with greater emphasis on enlightenment—insights into martial arts and into the existence of the world.

Internal energy cultivation can be expedited with heavenly treasures, but realms cannot be shortcutted, unless one is Gu Mo.

During these past few days, Gu Mo, Gu Chutong, and Yang Qingtong had been hiding in a cave deep in the mountains.

While assisting Gu Chutong in refining the pill, Gu Mo also treated Yang Qingtong's injuries.

Gu Mo's internal cultivation realm was very high, and his control over internal energy reached a near-Dao level. He managed the timing perfectly.

The time it took for Gu Chutong to digest the Grand Rejuvenation Pill was nearly identical to the time it took for Yang Qingtong's injuries to heal. On the very night Gu Chutong successfully broke through to the seventh layer of the Jade Clarity Arts, "Blood Jade Slaughtering Masses," Yang Qingtong's internal injuries also fully recovered, and all the baleful blood energy was extracted.

At dawn the next day, the three of them set off towards Tai'an County.