He certainly didn't resist contact with the Huiyuan Sword Art; it was indeed time to unlock a special CG.
However, he always felt that unlocking a special CG here would be a bit unfair to her.
Regardless, he decided to try it first.
Gu Chengming adjusted his expression, wanting to cup the small face of the Huiyuan Sword Art.
Yet—'Whoosh.'
His palm passed through the young girl's cheek without any obstruction, like reaching for the moon's reflection in a pool of water.
Gu Chengming was stunned.
Refusing to believe it, he tried to grab her hand, touch her waist, and even attempted to press his forehead against hers.
The result was the same without exception.
Pass-through, pass-through, and still pass-through.
He passed back and forth through the girl's body several times. Aside from making himself look like a madman grabbing at the air, there was no actual physical contact.
"This isn't right, is it?"
Gu Chengming felt somewhat perplexed and withdrew his hand in frustration.
He could see her but couldn't touch her. How was he supposed to sleep with her like this?
Was there a bug in the mechanics of this illusion?
As if sensing Gu Chengming's defeat, the little girl in front of him felt a bit pained for him.
She stood on her tiptoes, stretched out her small hand, and gently patted the top of his head.
Though there was no physical sensation, the comforting thought was clearly conveyed.
"Um..."
Huiyuan Sword Art blinked her eyes and offered a constructive suggestion: "Why don't you try one of the other techniques?"
Gu Chengming heard this and fell into thought.
That's right. Since this illusion targeted his divine soul and thoughts, maybe changing the 'channel' would work?
With a thought, the spiritual energy circulation route within Gu Chengming's body instantly changed.
First was the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art.
As the technique switched, the petite and lovely Huiyuan Sword Art before him gradually faded, dispersing into points of starlight. Immediately following, a surge of righteous energy condensed out of thin air.
As light and shadow restructured, the figure of a giant female scholar dressed in a green robe appeared before Gu Chengming.
It was the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art.
Before Gu Chengming could even greet her, the personification of the Zhou Rites stood with her hands behind her back. She first surveyed the surroundings with a deep frown, then sighed.
"Though I harbor the heart to give my all and the intent of utmost sincerity, it is my fault that I cannot help my Lord excel."
The moment she appeared, Gu Chengming subconsciously looked at the pure white wall behind him. He saw the pink line of text that read 【The Room Where You Can't Leave Without...】 suddenly twist. The words rearranged themselves, finally becoming several bold, sharp characters that exuded a sense of slaughter:
【The Room Where You Can't Leave Without Beating Up Female Cultivators】
"..."
Gu Chengming looked at this line of text and felt his vision go dark, helplessly rubbing his forehead.
Now he truly understood.
So this illusion differed from person to person... or rather, from 'technique' to 'technique.'
For everyone who entered, the 'condition to exit' would change based on their inner obsessions or characteristics.
Huiyuan Sword Art was pure in her love and attachment, while the Zhou Rites...
Gu Chengming recalled its 'Excellent' reaction when he was thrashing Feng Ya earlier and felt speechless. So in its eyes, aside from 'reasoning,' everything else was 'physical reasoning,' wasn't it?
The problem was...
Gu Chengming looked at the space that only contained himself and the Zhou Rites.
Where was he supposed to find a female cultivator to beat up?
This path was blocked.
Gu Chengming sighed and could only switch techniques again.
This time, it was the Qingxin Art.
As a gentle breeze brushed past, the serious figure of the Zhou Rites dissipated.
In its place was the figure of a woman who seemed to be holding a handful of melon seeds, looking completely bewildered.
She clearly hadn't reacted to what was happening yet. One second, she was savoring the show from within the Sea of Consciousness, and the next, the scene shifted, and she was pulled onto the stage.
"Huh?"
The Qingxin Art looked at Gu Chengming and then at the surroundings, clearly in a daze after having the gossip she was watching turn back onto herself.
Gu Chengming didn't bother explaining and directly looked up at the wall.
The writing on the wall changed again, turning into a line of text filled with the desire for gossip:
【The Room Where You Can't Leave Without Seeing Gu Chengming and Huiyuan Sword Art Together】
Gu Chengming: "..."
He turned his head with a subtle expression and stared at the Qingxin Art.
"Why... is this your thought?"
So you don't even want to leave; you just want to ship us in person, is that it?
The Qingxin Art's gaze drifted as she guiltily hid the melon seeds behind her back, talking about everything except the topic at hand with an innocent 'I don't know' look.
But this condition was clearly a dead end.
Gu Chengming had no choice but to keep trying.
Spiritual energy flowed, switching to the Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art.
This time, the writing on the wall became extremely sharp, even faintly exuding a bloody light. It was short and concise:
【The Room Where You Can't Leave Without Killing a Sword Cultivator】
Gu Chengming took one look and skipped it.
This Flowing Cloud Following Moon was indeed a method created by that extreme sword cultivator from back then; it was nothing but killing.
But the only sword cultivator in this room was himself.
Suicide?
What a joke. Who knew if dying in this illusion would lead to actual brain death? The risk was too high; skip.
Finally.
Gu Chengming took a deep breath and placed his last hope on Old Hundred.
With the surge of blood and qi power within him, Hundred Bones Resonating finally made its appearance.
'Boom!'
Amidst a roar of vibrating blood and qi.
A tall, beautiful girl with snow-white hair appeared before Gu Chengming.
Unlike the illusory nature of the other techniques, Hundred Bones Resonating, which specialized in the physical body and blood qi, appeared exceptionally solid at this moment. Her skin was as white as snow, yet it held a healthy, rosy glow.
The moment she appeared, she first looked down at her hands, then touched her face.
"Eh? I have a body?"
She excitedly spun around twice, her silver hair flying. Then she suddenly lunged at Gu Chengming, grabbing his shoulders. The sensation was actually warm and powerful.
"Emperor Gu! Look! I have finally descended upon the world!"
Gu Chengming looked at the white-haired beauty before him and felt the real pressure on his shoulders. Although he felt a bit subtle about it, he was mostly relieved.
Finally, there was one he could touch.
However.
When he turned his head with great expectation toward the wall, wanting to see what simple clear condition this Hundred Bones Resonating would provide.
On that wall, ten thousand rays of golden light burst forth, and several characters carrying supreme majesty, as if intended to suppress all eternity, slowly emerged:
【The Room Where You Can't Leave Without Becoming an Emperor】
"..."
Gu Chengming looked at that line of text, then at the white-haired girl who was waiting for him to order the conquest of the heavens.
—The one who is the least surprising is indeed you, Emperor Bai.
"Emperor Gu, this is a heaven-sent opportunity!"
Hundred Bones Resonating didn't care about anything else. She pointed at the text: "Since this illusion dares to set this prompt, it has acknowledged your imperial talent! As long as you have the thought, this world will be within your grasp. If you don't become an emperor now, when will you?!"
Gu Chengming sighed, just about to see if there was another way.
Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind, and he laughed.
"You're right, Emperor Bai."
In the next moment, Gu Chengming no longer suppressed himself and directly activated the Primal Emperor Art.
—Emperor State!
'Buzz—'
With just a sliver of his aura leaking out.
'Crack!'
The originally indestructible pure white space issued a groan of overbearing weight the moment this aura appeared, as if it could not withstand the descent of such a great existence.
The line of characters on the wall, 【The Room Where You Can't Leave Without Becoming an Emperor】, couldn't even last for a single breath before crumbling directly into fine powder.
Immediately after, the entire space began to tremble violently as countless pitch-black cracks spread through the void.
'Boom—!'
The illusion shattered.
'Snap—'
A crisp sound, like a string snapping, abruptly exploded within the silent guest room.
Only a few breaths had passed in the outside world.
Gu Chengming's fingers, which were originally pressed against the window frame, trembled slightly, and his eyes instantly regained their clarity.
【Hundred Bones Resonating is quite satisfied, as if she has already seen the scene of Emperor Gu crushing the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in the future. She hums an unknown tune happily, appearing somewhat unsatisfied that it ended so soon.】
【Huiyuan Sword Art feels immense regret and pity within her heart.】
【Although she acted generously just now, she feels quite resentful in her heart. That evil entity was simply too weak. If that illusion had been a bit more capable, maybe she could have...】
【Even if it were only in a fake illusion, even if it were just a gentle touch, it would have been fine.】
【At the thought of this, she let out a long sigh, her head drooping as she felt she had missed a heavenly opportunity.】
At the same time, in the void before Gu Chengming, a shrill, piercing scream—which seemed to be stuck in a throat by something—came to a sudden halt.
Following that, a graceful figure wearing pink gauze was 'spit out' by the space, falling heavily onto the floor.
'Thud.'
Everyone looked closer and couldn't help but gasp.
What graceful woman was that?
It was clearly a stark white skeleton draped in half a piece of rotten human skin.
The skeleton's eye sockets were deep. Where ghostly green soul-fire should have been burning, there was now a chaotic grayish-white. Its entire skeleton was twitching violently. Its mouth opened and closed, but what came out wasn't a ghostly wail, but a series of meaningless 'clack-clack' sounds, like a jammed mechanical device.
This third realm evil entity, the 'Pink Skeleton,' which excelled in illusions and the human heart, had now completely crashed like it had burned its brain out.
The black-faced man who was previously aggressive about taking someone away was so frightened by the monster that suddenly dropped out that he retreated three steps, nearly losing his grip on the soul-locking chain in his hand.
As a head constable of the Demon-Slaying Bureau, he naturally recognized this as a third realm evil entity.
But what he couldn't understand was why this evil entity had suddenly fallen out on its own.
And it looked as if it had suffered a cultivation deviation...
Song Qing was also stunned. He subconsciously looked at Gu Chengming beside him.
Gu Chengming remained in his previous standing posture as if he had anticipated this long ago.
Why did this evil entity turn into such a state?
Everyone looked at each other, their hearts filled with shock and confusion.
However, Gu Chengming didn't care about their reactions, nor did he look at the twitching Pink Skeleton at his feet.
Because the moment the illusion shattered, he had clearly captured an invisible thread deep within the evil entity's soul that was trembling violently due to the backlash, connecting it to the other end.
At the end of that thread was panic and intense pain.
—Found you.
Gu Chengming's gaze turned cold. While the black-faced man was still in a daze, he directly broke through the window frame and charged into the night.
Deep in the dark alleyway opposite the Elegant Garden.
On the attic of a seemingly abandoned general store.
'Pfft—!'
A figure dressed in a gray robe with their face hidden under a hood suddenly spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.
The blood was a bizarre black color and began to corrode the floorboards upon landing.
"The illusion shattered?!"
The gray-robed figure clutched their chest, which felt like it was about to split open, their eyes full of disbelief.
That was his natal evil entity, refined over several years using the spirits of countless obsessed men and women. Even an ordinary second realm, perfection stage cultivator would be worn down to death by those endless rules of lust once they fell into it.
What on earth did that kid from the Night Guard Division do in there?!
The terrifying pressure that erupted in that instant had poured back through the divine soul connection, shattering more than half of his dao heart in an instant.
"Escape!"
The gray-robed figure couldn't afford to feel distressed over the ruined Pink Skeleton. He was about to activate a secret art to flee when he found that his spiritual energy was sluggish due to the backlash.
And that sword qi was already within a hundred feet.
He couldn't run.
A flash of despair appeared in the gray-robed person's eyes, which then turned into a streak of ruthlessness and determination.
Failing the mission was already a path to death. If he were captured alive by the Night Guard Division and subjected to soul-searching, not only would life be worse than death, but he would also implicate his Master's grand plan.
Facing the sword light that was about to break through the window, he didn't hesitate for a second. He raised his palm and struck it heavily against his own crown.
'Bang!'
This strike not only shattered his head but also ignited the poison and restrictions already buried within his body.
At the same time, a cluster of ghostly green fire ignited on his face.
'Sizzle—'
At the very moment Gu Chengming broke through the attic window.
What he saw was a corpse slumping down.
The person's face had been burned into a scorched mess by the ghost fire, making it impossible to recognize their original appearance. Their meridians, dantian, and even divine soul had been completely destroyed by that single palm strike, leaving not even a sliver of a remnant soul.
All clues and all aura were cut clean at this moment.
Gu Chengming stood with his sword sheathed, looking at the body emitting black smoke, his brow furrowing slightly.
This death warrior had clearly had his heart-pulse shattered by the backlash of the third realm evil entity and was spitting black blood all the way, yet he could still burst out with such an astonishing escape speed. If the opponent hadn't been at death's door, Gu Chengming might not have even caught his shadow tonight.
Currently, he had sword intent for offense and Hundred Bones for defense, but his travel speed for pursuit was truly a shortcoming. It seemed that after returning to the Night Guard Division, he had to exchange for a top-tier movement technique.
Otherwise, in the future, if he encountered someone he couldn't beat and wanted to run, or someone he wanted to kill but couldn't catch, that would be truly frustrating.
Thinking this, he walked forward and used his scabbard to flip open the man's hood.
Aside from the face that was thoroughly destroyed, this person didn't even have a storage pouch. Their clothes were the most common coarse cloth found on the market, leaving no identifying marks that could be traced.
The clues were cut, but not entirely.
With this kind of death warrior's methods, plus the inexplicably fast intervention of the Demon-Slaying Bureau earlier, the water behind this was clearly deep enough to drown someone.
"Forget it."
Gu Chengming shook his head and reached out to grab the corpse's collar as if he were carrying luggage.
This kind of mess, which likely involved high-ranking court officials or even imperial secrets, was better left for his superiors to worry about.
He was only here for experience; there was no need to take everything onto himself.
Once finished, he tried saying a few words and found everything was normal, letting out a sigh of relief.
It seemed that the Primal Emperor Art activated in the illusion hadn't carried over to reality. Thank goodness.
Back at the Elegant Garden, in the guest room.
With the suicide of the death warrior behind the scenes, the Pink Skeleton that was still twitching on the ground—sending chills down everyone's spines—seemed to have all its energy and spirit drained in an instant.
'Crack... crack...'
Accompanied by a series of tooth-grating cracking sounds, the half-human, half-bone body began to rapidly weather and wither.
The originally fresh human skin shriveled up, and the crystalline white bones became gray and brittle. Finally, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, it turned into a pile of black ash emitting a rotten stench and a few broken, withered bones.
Just as everyone was still recovering from this bizarre turn of events.
'Thud.'
The sound of a heavy object hitting the floor rang out at the guest room door.
Gu Chengming clapped his hands and pointed at the unrecognizable scorched corpse on the floor, his expression as calm as if he had just gone out to take out some trash.
"The one pulling the strings was in the attic opposite. Seeing that the matter was exposed, he committed suicide."
"..."
Inside the room, there was a deathly silence.
The fiery red treasure pearl that Song Qing had been spinning in his hand dropped to the floor with a 'thud.'
He looked at the evil entity that had turned to ash, then at the corpse still emitting heat at Gu Chengming's feet, his mouth hanging slightly open.
This was too fast, wasn't it?
From the time Gu Chengming fell into deep thought, then broke through the window, to him carrying a corpse back—had even the time for a single stick of incense passed?
Song Qing hadn't even finished thinking about how he would help smooth things over for Gu Chengming if they actually started fighting, and the case was already solved?
And the black-faced man who was previously aggressive now had an even more colorful expression on his already dark face.
He looked at the corpse, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, and the hand holding the soul-locking chain became somewhat stiff.
As an old constable of the Demon-Slaying Bureau, he wasn't an idiot.
The signs of the evil entity's backlash, plus this corpse that was clearly a death warrior, had already slammed the facts hard into his face.
Gu Chengming stepped over the threshold. He didn't take an overbearing stance but simply asked back, "Now that the evil entity has been removed and the real culprit is dead, do you still insist on taking this Hehuan Sect disciple back for interrogation?"
The black-faced man's face twitched. He glanced at the gazes from the surrounding noble guests and then at Gu Chengming's half-smiling eyes.
The case was already settled. If he forcibly took someone now, he would be knowingly breaking the law and intentionally looking for trouble.
This kid from the Night Guard Division had the corpse and the evidence. If this truly reached the Emperor, the Demon-Slaying Bureau would be the one without reason.
"This matter was indeed my mistake. I ask the colleagues of the Night Guard Division for forgiveness."
The black-faced man forced himself to find a way out. "Since the Night Guard Division has already identified the culprit, that is naturally for the best. This matter will be handled by our colleagues from the Night Guard Division. We will take our leave first."
Finished, he didn't even explain the misunderstanding. He waved his sleeve and led his men as they scurried out of the crowd, their backs appearing rather pathetic.
Once the people from the Demon-Slaying Bureau were far away.
Only then did Song Qing snap back to his senses and look at Gu Chengming, his voice full of admiration. "Brother Gu! You're simply too amazing!"
"I originally thought you were just skilled in sword arts, but I didn't expect your investigative skills to be first-rate as well!"
Gu Chengming helplessly brushed off his hand.
At this time, Yun Wan, who had been maintaining order and comforting everyone, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked at the disciple who had collapsed on the ground and was already being supported away to rest, and then at the pile of ash from the evil entity on the floor, feeling a wave of lingering fear in her heart.
If Gu Chengming hadn't been here today, if he hadn't acted out of justice and been so meticulous, a bucket of filthy water would have been dumped on the Elegant Garden today.
At that time, not only would that disciple's life have been forfeit, but even the reputation of the Elegant Garden would have been ruined.
Yun Wan adjusted her slightly messy hair and walked toward Gu Chengming with elegant steps.
This time, there was no trace of her previous frivolity or testing in her eyes. In its place was nothing but gratitude and seriousness.
She didn't perform the casual etiquette of the entertainment world but instead clasped her hands and respectfully performed a daoist bow to Gu Chengming.
"For today's matter, I thank Young Master Gu for speaking out for justice and coming to our rescue."
"The entire Elegant Garden is deeply grateful. Yun Wan has recorded the Young Master's great kindness."
Gu Chengming waved his hand. "Manager Yun is too polite. It was just a matter of duty."
Yun Wan raised her head, her tone firm. "To the Young Master, it might be a matter of duty, but to me and the sisters of the Elegant Garden, it was a life-saving grace."
At this point, she glanced at the surrounding onlookers who hadn't dispersed yet and lowered her voice. "There are too many people here, and it's not the place to talk. I will have people watch over the corpse and the scene to wait for the Night Guard Division to take over."
"Young Master Gu, Young Master Song, if you don't mind... could you move to the back hall? I'll have some simple wine prepared to help you both recover from the shock."
In the back hall of the Elegant Garden, the tables were messy with dishes.
With the real culprit dead and the evil entity dispersed, this heart-stopping storm had finally come to an end.
Yun Wan personally filled Gu Chengming's cup with spiritual wine, holding the cup with both hands as she said seriously, "If not for the Young Master turning the tide today, not only would my Elegant Garden have to close its doors, but even that falsely accused Junior Sister would likely have been unable to escape death. There's no need for words to express great gratitude. If the Young Master has leisure in the future, please come to the Elegant Garden often."
At this point, Yun Wan chuckled, her eyes roaming over Gu Chengming's handsome face. Half-joking and half-serious, she promised, "As long as the Young Master is willing to come, the entire Elegant Garden will treat you as an honored guest. Even if the Young Master only comes to drink a cup of clear tea or listen to a tune, I will take responsibility for making all of the Young Master's expenses free of charge. If the Young Master is interested in double cultivation... the Elegant Garden is willing to give you a seventy percent discount."
'Pfft.'
Beside them, the wine Song Qing had just sipped nearly sprayed out.
Gu Chengming's hand holding the wine cup also trembled slightly. He pretended not to understand the deeper meaning. "Manager Yun is being too polite."
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was lively.
Seeing that the time was about right, Gu Chengming seemingly casually steered the conversation toward business. "To be honest, I am quite curious about your sect's cultivation techniques. Seeing the circulation of aura between Manager Yun and those Junior Sisters today, it seems there is a subtle harmony of Yin and Yang. I wonder if there is any particular story behind it?"
Following that, he expressed his interest in the Hehuan Sect's techniques.
Hearing this, Yun Wan put down her wine cup. The smile on her face receded slightly, showing a bit of a difficult expression.
"Young Master Gu wishes to borrow my sect's techniques?"
She shook her head and sighed. "It's not that I am stingy. If it were gold, silver, spiritual pills, or Dharma artifacts, I would have no objection if the Young Master asked. But these techniques are the foundation of our sect."
"The sect has strict orders. The core methods of the Hehuan Sect cannot be practiced by non-disciples. Furthermore, restrictions are placed on our divine souls. If an outsider forcibly probes, it will only lead to mutual destruction."
"This rule has been passed down for thousands of years, and there has never been a precedent."
Although Gu Chengming had expected this, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
It seemed that the 'Hehuan' bond term was indeed not that easy to get.
Seeing Gu Chengming fall silent, Yun Wan's sharp mind assumed he was eager for the Dao.
Her beautiful eyes lit up again as she leaned forward slightly, looking at Gu Chengming with a bit of heat and expectation. "However, rules are dead, but people are alive."
"Young Master Gu's talent is outstanding, your blood qi is pure Yang, and your character is resilient. You are truly a piece of fine jade that my Hehuan Sect dreams of. If the Young Master is interested..."
"I am personally willing to write a letter of recommendation to the sect elders. With the Young Master's conditions, it wouldn't be difficult to enter the Inner Sect directly as a Direct Disciple. At that time, wouldn't the thousands of techniques in the sect be open for the Young Master to browse?"
"..."
Gu Chengming felt a wave of helplessness as he watched Yun Wan act as if she wanted to handle his recruitment on the spot.
"Cough, I thank Manager Yun for her kindness." He subtly moved back. "It's just that I have already joined the Wenjian Sect. My Master's grace is deep, and I have no intention of switching sects."
After saying that, he bluntly changed the subject.
Yun Wan could only drop the matter with regret.
The next morning, at the Night Guard Division.
In Vice Commander Liu's office, the atmosphere was rather subtle.
'Bam.'
The scroll recording the details of last night's case at the Elegant Garden was slammed heavily onto the desk by Vice Commander Liu.
He stared with his tiger-like eyes at the normally composed Gu Chengming as if he were looking at a monster.
"...You killed another one?"
Vice Commander Liu pointed at the line 'third realm Pink Skeleton' in the scroll, his voice even changing pitch slightly. "It hasn't even been half a month!"
Vice Commander Liu felt that his perception of reality had taken a hit.
He had originally thought that Director Zhou giving this case to Gu Chengming was just for him to find some clues and gain some experience.
Naturally, if he encountered a tough nut to crack, he would come back to call for backup.
Who would have thought this kid would directly flip the table and even force the death warrior sent by the mastermind to suicide?
"That evil entity suffered a backlash from the illusion, and I just took advantage of the opening," Gu Chengming said with his usual explanation.
"Taking advantage..."
Vice Commander Liu's mouth twitched, naturally not believing him. He flipped through the latter half of the scroll concerning the description of the death warrior.
Disfigured face, suicide, no identification, yet able to control a third realm evil entity.
"This matter is a bit troublesome."
Vice Commander Liu rubbed his aching temples.
To be able to raise such a death warrior and even use 'Wine Gold Paper,' an imperial item—the clues pointed straight at the imperial court, and might even involve those few...
He didn't speak plainly, but Gu Chengming understood his meaning.
This was no longer a simple matter of slaying demons and monsters.
"You did the right thing here; it was right to bring the corpse back." Vice Commander Liu took a deep breath, stood up, and grabbed the scroll on the desk. "But I have to report this to the Director first."
Deep within the Night Guard Division, in a quiet room.
Zhou Qingmu was still in her purple-gold official robe, sitting at the desk reviewing official documents.
After listening to Vice Commander Liu's report—especially hearing how Gu Chengming had once again independently killed a third realm evil entity and forced a death warrior to suicide.
This Director General of the Great Qian Night Guard Division, who was usually indifferent to emotion, slowly put down her vermilion brush.
She raised her head. In those cool eyes, there was no surprise as Vice Commander Liu had expected. On the contrary, the corners of her mouth curved into a faint arc, and a 'just as I expected' expression appeared on her face.
"Not bad."
Zhou Qingmu nodded slightly. "I knew that since he could practice the Zhou Rites, his character and methods would naturally be extraordinary. A mere third realm evil entity that relies on illusions would naturally not trouble him."
"..."
Standing below, Vice Commander Liu felt cold sweat running down his forehead as he heard this.
He stole a glance at his own Director, feeling speechless in his heart.
What did she mean by 'mere'? That was a third realm evil entity!
An ordinary second realm cultivator, even at the perfection stage, would find it quite a thorny situation if they encountered a third realm evil entity skilled in divine soul attacks.
"But Director..."
Vice Commander Liu couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "That was killing an enemy across realms, after all... If it had been an ordinary second realm cultivator, their body would probably be cold by now."
He was truly worried that because his genius Director was too strong, she would develop some misunderstanding about the people below. If she started handing out high-difficulty missions like common cabbage in the future, how were the brothers below supposed to survive?
"Naturally, the standards for a genius cannot be compared to those of ordinary people." Zhou Qingmu seemed to see through his thoughts and gave him a faint glance. "If you find it difficult, it is because you are not strong enough."
Vice Commander Liu: "..." That was heart-piercing, Director.
"However..."
Zhou Qingmu's tone shifted, and her gaze landed on the records concerning the death warrior in the scroll, her eyes instantly turning cold. "Since they dare to reach out so far—even daring to touch court officials and even framing a sect..."
"Then continue the investigation; investigate to the very end."
"Tell Gu Chengming to let loose and do it. If the sky falls, I will be the one holding it up."
Vice Commander Liu sighed in his heart, thinking, Director, this matter really isn't something a second realm Wenjian Sect disciple can investigate.
But thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall Gu Chengming's battle record again.
One month: two third realm evil entities, one second realm evil entity.
He thought to himself that this little Gu seemed to be someone who didn't follow common sense either.
Was it really that he, a mortal, didn't understand the world of geniuses?
Unaware of Vice Commander Liu's thoughts, Gu Chengming had already returned home.
The night was deep, but several warm yellow lanterns were lit in the small courtyard.
Gu Chengming pushed open the courtyard gate. He had just shed his exhaustion and hadn't even had time to change out of his patrol uniform—which was stained with a bit of night dew—when he saw a purple figure excitedly approaching him.
Yu Wenqiu wasn't lying on her favorite soft couch today. Instead, she had an expression like she was presenting a treasure. Before Gu Chengming could even speak, she grabbed his sleeve and dragged him toward a corner of the courtyard without a word.
"Little Gu! Come here, quick! Look at what good treasure I found today!"
Gu Chengming stumbled slightly from being dragged and laughed helplessly. "Elder, did you find some good pastry shop again?"
"Vulgarly put! Too vulgar!"
Yu Wenqiu looked back and glared at him, then mysteriously pointed at the corner of the courtyard wall that had previously been empty.
"Eating, drinking, and playing are low-level interests. Today, I did this for our home... cough, for our temporary base, to greatly enhance its elegance!"
Looking in the direction she pointed, Gu Chengming was slightly stunned.
In that previously bare corner, there was now an extremely exquisite Flowing Light Cloud Swing made of woven vines.
It was no ordinary object. The vines presented a warm jade-like color, and several clusters of glowing spirit fruit hung from them, emitting a soft light.
The seat of the swing was wide and comfortable, covered with a thick cloud-silk soft cushion, enough to accommodate two people sitting side by side.
Beside the swing frame, several spirit plants named Drunk Evening Breeze had been specially transplanted. When the night wind blew, small flower petals would fall like snow, looking quite beautiful.
"How is it?"
Yu Wenqiu stood beside the swing with her hands on her hips, her chin slightly raised. "This is the Flowing Light Cloud Swing that I found by scouring the ghost markets of the capital from a destitute mechanist! Sitting on it not only brings a breeze to your face but also gathers spiritual energy and calms the mind. It's perfect for reading storybooks at night!"
"I tried it; the hardness of the cushion is just right, and the swinging motion is very conducive to sleep."
Gu Chengming suddenly felt a subtle sense of déjà vu.
This was too much like a newly married couple where the wife, while the husband was out working, carefully planned to add some items to their new home that—though not of great use—could increase the spice of life.
But there were no dialogue boxes or options when talking to Elder Yu normally.
Wait, actually, there were.
Gu Chengming recalled the matter of gaining the Wisdom Eye back when he was at the Wenjian Sect.
"Cough."
He forcibly suppressed this rebellious and somewhat dangerous thought and extremely cooperatively gave a thumbs up. "Elder has a Wisdom Eye; this item is truly wonderful. With it, this small courtyard indeed has a few more traces of an immortal's residence. Truly elegant."
"Of course!"
Yu Wenqiu was satisfied and sat on it first, patting the spot next to her. "Come, try it?"
Gu Chengming followed suit and sat down.
The two chatted for a few moments about what they had seen today. Yu Wenqiu shared some interesting stories she had heard from the market, and the night grew deeper.
Leaning against the soft cushion, Gu Chengming's thoughts drifted a bit.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Since the Zhou Rites could flourish in the Great Qian officialdom, what about another technique?
As the Director General of the Night Guard Division, what did Director Zhou lack most?
It was intelligence, control, and a channel that could bypass layers of bureaucracy and directly reach the bottom level.
And he happened to have such a thing in his hands.
If...
Could he give the All Wonders Same Source Method to Director Zhou?
The Myriad Wonders Gathering of the Wenjian Sect was good, but it was limited to the sect.
If he could use Director Zhou's hand to build a 'Great Qian version of the Myriad Wonders Gathering' in this capital, or even within the entire Great Qian territory, covering all cultivators...
At that time, intelligence would no longer be blocked, and all the cultivators in Great Qian would become nodes in this network.
Wouldn't that cause a massive surge in favorability for the All Wonders Same Source Method?
Gu Chengming transmitted this thought to himself.
【The All Wonders Same Source Method is suddenly stunned, then comes to a realization and is incredibly excited.】
【Building a Myriad Wonders Gathering in the capital fits its imagination of a mastermind behind the scenes too well!】
【Hundred Bones Resonating is also incredibly excited.】
【Is Emperor Gu finally going to rebel?】
Gu Chengming suddenly calmed down.
Rate on N.U.
