A thick scent of blood hung heavy over the Whale Boat.
The massive head of the Jiao-dragon rolled across the deck.
As the arrogant offspring of the Dragon Lord was decapitated, the once-boisterous stage fell into a deathly silence. The Honglu Temple attendants, who had been singing along just moments ago, were now as quiet as cicadas in winter, not even daring to breathe.
【Hundred Bones Resonating cheers: Slaying an enemy of a higher realm! Emperor Gu is mighty!】
【Hundred Bones Resonating's Favorability +5】
【Current Favorability: 195/∞ (Life and Death Inseparable)】
After the cheers, it suddenly seemed to remember something:
【Emperor Gu, don't forget to harvest the materials from that demon's body!】
Gu Chengming sighed. With a flick of his fingers, the dragon's corpse, which had fallen into the sea, was lifted out. With a heavy thud, it slammed back onto the deck.
Then, carrying the blood-dripping Tinglan Sword, he walked slowly toward a corner of the Whale Boat.
Cowering there was the Honglu Temple official who had been sycophantically flattering Ao Qing earlier. Seeing Gu Chengming approach, the official's body trembled violently. He forced a smile that looked more like a sob and stammered while cupping his hands:
"L-Lord, what is the need for this? We were only acting according to the regulations of the Great Qian..."
Gu Chengming paused slightly, his voice cold. "Are the regulations of the Great Qian to help demons devour its own people?"
Sensing the undisguised killing intent in Gu Chengming's words, the official was terrified out of his wits. He scrambled to explain:
"Lord, let me explain! This really isn't my fault! All those merchant families in the East Sea, those fleets from the great clans—they all do this!"
"For the spirit pearl trade, as long as we can stabilize the East Sea..."
He swallowed hard, trying to use 'logic' to persuade this madman:
"They're just a few commoners. You have a bright future, Lord. Why bother offending the Dragon Lord for such a small thing—"
Squelch—
In the next instant, the official's voice stopped abruptly. His eyes widened as he looked at Gu Chengming in a daze, seemingly unable to comprehend why the sword had suddenly appeared at his throat.
Then, his vision began to spin. Amidst the dizzying rotation, he saw a familiar headless body dressed in green official robes falling limply to the floor.
Gu Chengming sheathed his sword, flicking the blood away. He couldn't be bothered to reason with such a person.
Since your regulation is that life is as cheap as grass, then I will follow my regulation as well.
—A life for a life for those who kill without cause.
【Inside the Sea of Consciousness, the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art watched the rolling head. Instead of finding it cruel, it let out a long sigh of relief.】
【It spoke solemnly: An official who is neither benevolent nor righteous, who views the people as grass and fawns upon superiors while deceiving those below—this is a termite of the nation, a parasite of the rites.】
【Killing him is not a violation of the rites, but rather a purification of the source. It is truly heartening! This is the correct interpretation of using punishment to assist in education!】
【Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art's Favorability +5】
【Current Favorability: 78/Liking】
Having dealt with the primary accomplice, Gu Chengming looked around.
The actors and crew members who had been hiding in the corners were all kneeling on the ground, burying their heads and trembling. They were terrified that this god of slaughter would lose himself in the bloodlust and kill them all.
Gu Chengming ignored them and turned back to the massive dragon corpse. Ao Qing was dead, but this matter was far from over.
He knew very well that the Jiao-dragon clan would never let the death of Lord Fubai's son go unpunished.
The most satisfying thing to do would be to take this head to Reef Village and place it before the memorial tablets of the victims to comfort their spirits, but that would be irrational.
Reef Village was just a mortal settlement. If the East Sea Jiao-dragons found out that the dragon was killed near Reef Village, or if the body was displayed there, they would surely vent their rage on the innocent villagers.
Therefore, he had to divert their attention.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the massive dragon tail, which was over thirty meters long. With a low shout, the physical strength of a second realm cultivator, enhanced by the Hundred Bones Resonating, exploded. He actually managed to drag the ten-thousand-pound dragon corpse, crashing through the walls of the ship's cabin and leaping off the Whale Boat.
Boom!
A massive splash erupted on the sea.
Gu Chengming stepped onto the waves, his spiritual energy operating at its peak. Dragging the dead dragon, he sped away like a powerboat, heading into the deep sea—away from Reef Village and the shipping lanes.
About half an hour later.
Gu Chengming finally found a deserted island. It was a barren pile of black reefs, devoid of any vegetation, with nothing but jagged rocks and crashing waves hitting the shore.
It was remote enough, yet conspicuous enough.
Thump!
With a casual toss, Gu Chengming threw the massive dragon corpse onto a flat reef on the island.
The impact made the entire small island tremble.
【Hundred Bones Resonating could no longer wait: Emperor Gu! Quick, quick, quick! The inner dan!】
Gu Chengming shook his head helplessly. Old Bai really wouldn't let any benefit slip away.
But it was right; every part of a Jiao-dragon was a treasure. Since he had killed it, there was no reason to let it go to waste.
He stepped forward. Using the knowledge he had learned from the Classic of Mountains and Seas at the Imperial Academy, he quickly identified a spot three inches below the dragon's belly. There was a scale there that was different from the others, faintly emitting a dim glow.
The Tinglan Sword left its sheath with a light stroke.
The tough dragon skin was sliced open, and a fist-sized, crystal-blue bead emitting dense water spiritual energy rolled out.
"So this is a Jiao-dragon's inner dan..."
Gu Chengming put the inner dan into his storage pouch. Then, following the guidance of Hundred Bones Resonating, he began to butcher this once-lofty offspring of a Dragon Lord like a common pig or sheep, crudely hacking it into eight pieces.
The dragon scales were stripped away haphazardly, and the dragon tendons were pulled out. The scene was gruesome and utterly humiliating.
After finishing this, Gu Chengming looked at the bare stone cliff, the indignation in his heart still unappeased.
He stepped forward with his sword, channeling spiritual energy into the blade. On the most prominent cliff face overlooking the sea, he carved several large characters several inches deep—
【The Slayer of the Jiao-Demon is Gu Chengming!】
After writing, Gu Chengming sheathed his sword and didn't linger, turning to step back onto the waves.
The night was as dark as ink, and the sea breeze still carried a hint of lingering blood. However, the shadow that had been looming over Reef Village seemed to have quietly dispersed with the slaughter that had occurred on the sea.
Inside the thatched hut where Aji lived, the candlelight was dim.
The pure spiritual energy protecting his heart had finally taken effect. The boy's ashen face had regained some vitality, and his breathing had gradually become steady and long.
Though his eyes would never return, at least his life was barely saved.
Gu Chengming stood by the bed and checked the boy's pulse one last time. After confirming he was stable, he turned around.
The elderly village head was kneeling at the door, his entire body still shaking uncontrollably.
"Take this."
Gu Chengming casually tossed a heavy storage pouch containing many healing pills and spirit stones.
"Give him one of the pills from inside every three days. It will be enough to help him reconstruct his meridians and nurse his body back to health."
"The remaining spirit stones are for him to live on. If anyone asks, just say they were left by an old friend."
The village head clutched the storage pouch with trembling hands. He banged his head against the rough mud ground, oblivious to the bruising on his forehead, only able to repeat a few words:
"Thank you, thank you, Lord... Thank you, benefactor..."
Gu Chengming said no more. He took one last look at the boy on the bed, who still had a furrowed brow even in his coma, and then turned to step into the night.
Inside the county office, the lights were blazing.
Magistrate Li was not asleep; or rather, he didn't dare to sleep.
He paced back and forth in the hall, his official boots nearly wearing through the floor tiles.
Every few moments, he would look up at the dark night sky outside the door, his eyes filled with anxiety.
In his view, the young man was full of passion, but ultimately too young and impulsive. Going alone against a Jiao-demon with such an immense background was like striking a stone with an egg.
"Sigh... what a tragedy..."
Magistrate Li let out a heavy sigh. Just as he was about to sit down and drink some cool tea, a figure appeared silently at the entrance of the hall.
Li's hand jerked, and the teacup shattered on the floor with a crash.
He jumped to his feet. When he saw the figure in the blood-stained patrol uniform, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"L-Lord Gu?!"
He stumbled forward to meet him, looking Gu Chengming up and down, his voice trembling:
"You're back? Then... that Lord Ao..."
"Dead."
Gu Chengming casually pulled over a chair and sat down. "I cut off his head, chopped up his body, and left it on an island to feed the birds."
Magistrate Li felt like he had been struck by lightning. He froze where he stood, his mouth hanging open.
He had imagined countless possibilities—Gu Chengming returning heavily injured, Gu Chengming being chased away after being humiliated, or even Gu Chengming dying.
But he never once thought that this evil dragon, who had occupied the East Sea coast and made countless officials bow and scrape, would actually... be slaughtered?
"D-Dead?"
Magistrate Li murmured to himself. In his clouded old eyes, shock gradually faded, replaced by an extremely complex emotion.
Thump.
This old magistrate, who had 'endured humiliation' for the sake of the county's people and spent a lifetime bowing and scraping, now faced Gu Chengming—who was decades younger than him—and his knees buckled. He knelt down heavily.
This time, it wasn't to beg for mercy or to dissuade him. He simply trembled, old tears streaming down his face, as he performed a deep bow to Gu Chengming.
"Lord..."
"Get up."
Gu Chengming brushed his sleeve. Looking at this tearful official, he instructed:
"Listen well. I killed that Jiao-demon, and I killed the Honglu Temple official as well. It has nothing to do with Reef Village, nothing to do with this county office, and certainly nothing to do with the coastal people. You tried your best to stop me, but I was consumed by bloodlust and ignored your warnings. Do you understand?"
Magistrate Li's body shook. Having struggled in officialdom for a lifetime, how could he not understand the meaning behind those words?
"Lord, you are..."
Magistrate Li's lips quivered. He wanted to say something, but found his throat blocked as if by cotton.
A thousand words finally turned into a single choked sob: "This official... understands."
Gu Chengming nodded and didn't linger any further. He stood up and strode out.
The next morning.
In Reef Village, the crazy old scholar seemed to have had a change in his madness. Usually, he would just huddle in the haystacks shivering and muttering "it's laughing," but today he was a different person.
He found a piece of rotten wood from somewhere, stole a dull carving knife, and sat on a rock at the village entrance. Smiling foolishly, he began to carve away.
Villagers passing by asked what he was carving, but the old scholar didn't answer.
His craftsmanship was truly terrible. Amidst the flying wood chips, the final product was crooked and distorted.
It looked like neither a god nor a mortal.
Some said it looked like a swordsman hero, others said it looked like a faceless clay bodhisattva.
Only the old scholar knew what he was carving.
He carefully placed the ugly wooden carving in the very center of his dilapidated straw hut. Every day, he offered up the rations he had saved. Even when his stomach growled with hunger, he would respectfully perform three kowtows.
Years later, when the village encountered another maritime disaster and new legends began to spread, people finally realized that the wooden carving seemed to be holding a sword.
Of course, that is a story for another time.
Although the storm in the East Sea had not settled, the journey back was a rare moment of peace.
Because he had been so busy after slaying the dragon, he finally had some free time to carefully appreciate the CG.
As his divine sense entered, a brilliant scroll slowly unfolded in his Sea of Consciousness.
【CG: Sword Seal: Pure Heart】
In the image was a woman with purple hair wearing a light purple celestial dress. In the void behind her floated a translucent phantom of a broken sword, formed entirely of soul power. The woman's gaze was no longer the playful and teasing look Gu Chengming was familiar with. Instead, a very faint smile played on her lips as she looked out of the painting, meeting the eyes of the person outside.
Simultaneously, the skill description appeared.
【Sword Seal: Pure Heart: Can be triggered when the host suffers from any form of mental control or negative mental state. Uses the heart sword to sever delusions, clearing all soul-level negative states from the host and their techniques. Cooldown: One day.】
"..."
Gu Chengming looked at this description and couldn't help but smack his lips. What an outrageous skill.
But on second thought, the bond effects of his several techniques all seemed quite outrageous.
However, what surprised Gu Chengming even more was not the skill effect of the Qingxin Art, but that...
【Qingxin Art is looking at you with a beaming smile, as if it can never get tired of looking.】
What does this mean, Xiao Qing...
Gu Chengming wondered to himself.
Logically, status windows and dialogues should only appear when he did something specific to increase favorability, or when a technique wanted to express a certain emotion.
He thought back to how the Qingxin Art had previously used the "Favorability Increased" system prompt to remind him of things. He realized that this status window was being played like a toy by this prankster.
But seeing the Qingxin Art actively pop up a window, with an expression clearly expecting something, he couldn't ignore it.
"What is it?"
The text in the dialog box jumped.
【Qingxin Art propped its arm under its chin: It's nothing. I just wanted to look at you.】
Gu Chengming said with a smile, "Can't you look at me normally?"
【Qingxin Art refused to let it go. It extended a finger and lightly drew circles on the edge of the dialog box: That's different.】
【Before, it was a spectator sitting below the stage, holding melon seeds and watching you busy yourself on the stage. Though it was looking at you then, it always felt like there was a veil between us.】
【But now, it is standing on the stage too.】
【Since I'm a character in the play, I naturally have to take a good look at what you look like.】
【Hmm... looking closely, your features are balanced, your nose is sharp, and you're very handsome when you're decisive in slaughter. Now, this helpless look... is also very likable.】
Gu Chengming was caught off guard by this direct flirtation. Just as he was about to reply, new text appeared.
【Qingxin Art sighed: I used to think I liked watching you cause trouble because it was fun.】
【But looking at it now, I like looking at you simply because I want to look at you.】
【Whether you are swinging your sword to eliminate demons or just sitting here in a daze...】
【I like looking at it all.】
Whoa, what a direct hit.
Gu Chengming suddenly found himself momentarily speechless.
A gentleman can endure much, but the Gal Master soul cannot.
Just as he was about to flirt back with a couple of lines, he saw the Qingxin Art continue.
【Alright, let's not talk about that. What do you think of me in that picture just now?】
Hearing it mention the CG, Gu Chengming's topic was immediately diverted, and he instinctively began to ponder:
"The clothes matched the style of the image perfectly. The new hairstyle looks great too. The content was also very cleverly designed."
【Qingxin Art instantly narrowed its eyes with happiness.】
【It hummed an unknown tune with satisfaction: At least you have good taste. Alright, I won't bother you anymore. Rest for a while. I'll call you when we get to the capital.】
【Goodnight, my hero.】
Gu Chengming looked at the Qingxin Art, which had run away after landing a flurry of direct hits, feeling a bit complicated. But soon, another familiar line of text appeared.
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual has seen everything that just happened.】
【It watched as the Qingxin Art, which usually only ate melon seeds and looked for fun, actually took this opportunity to flirt.】
【It was greatly shocked, and a sense of crisis immediately rose in its heart.】
It looked down at itself.
Simple sword attire, eternal black hair. Besides hugging its sword and acting spoiled, it seemed it really wasn't as good at flirting as the Qingxin Art?
An unprecedented sense of crisis struck.
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual hugged its greatsword tightly. This is bad, really bad.】
【It always felt that it was the original partner who had accompanied Gu Chengming all the way from the Qi Refinement stage.】
【Whether it was Hundred Bones Resonating, the Zhou Rites, or even that new lewd woman, it had never cared about them.】
【Because none of them understood Gu Chengming's heart!】
【But the Qingxin Art is different... this fellow has been living in the Sea of Consciousness and knows Gu Chengming's likes and dislikes like the back of its hand. And now it has actually awakened this direct-flirting attribute!】
【This isn't the Pure Heart Art at all, this is clearly the Home-Wrecker Art!】
The Huiyuan Sword Manual grew anxious. It paced around in circles. The more it thought about it, the more it felt that if it didn't do something, its position as the 'Main Wife' would be in jeopardy.
It tried to mimic the Qingxin Art and strike a very girly, flirtatious pose—after straining for a long time, it only felt incredibly awkward.
It tried to think of something to say.
—But its head was full of "so amazing," "I like you most," and "hug me." It couldn't put together sophisticated phrases like "Goodnight, my hero."
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual felt a deep sense of defeat.】
【It looked at the Qingxin Art, which had already gone to sleep satisfied with its beauty rest. It gritted its teeth and made a heavy note in its little notebook.】
【A formidable rival! This is a lifelong rival!】
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual secretly swore that after returning to the capital, it would cultivate even harder, unlock even better-looking CGs, and steal Gu Chengming's gaze back from that purple-haired woman!】
【It puffed out its cheeks indignantly. In the end, it couldn't resist and secretly murmured in a tiny voice in a corner of the Sea of Consciousness:】
【...You're my hero too.】
【Though the sound was so small that even it could barely hear it.】
The wind in the capital always seemed a bit louder than elsewhere, but also more forgetful.
The dragon-slaying feat at the East Sea coast was, after all, thousands of miles away. The news had not yet spread through the streets and markets of the Great Qian.
Even within the Night Guard Division, very little was known about it.
Inside the Hidden Dragon Courtyard, Vice Commander Liu was buried under a pile of dossiers concerning minor demon troubles around the capital.
When Gu Chengming entered, he only glanced up. A gratified smile of "I can trust you with anything" appeared on his square face.
"You're back?"
Vice Commander Liu put down his vermilion brush and took a sip of tea.
"You worked hard on this mission. The officials in the East Sea are the most troublesome. I imagine they just had you go through the motions to appease the people, right?"
To him, this was just a routine clean-up task.
At most, the hot-headed Gu Chengming had argued with the local officials and eventually chased away the troublesome water bandits.
Gu Chengming's expression remained neutral. He didn't offer much explanation and simply handed over the mission completion report.
"I have fulfilled my mission. The matter has been resolved."
"Good that it's resolved."
Vice Commander Liu made a large stroke and stamped a red seal on the dossier.
"Go to the Merit Hall to collect your reward. I'll give you a Grade-A evaluation for this one; after all, it wasn't easy traveling that far. There aren't any big cases in the division for the next few days. Go back and rest, wash off the dust from the road."
Gu Chengming cupped his hands and took his leave.
Looking at his retreating back, Vice Commander Liu shook his head and remarked:
"Young people really are fast on their feet. He finished the round trip in just a few days. It seems that the East Sea task wasn't as difficult as the rumors said."
Little did he know that what was written in that report wasn't about driving away water bandits.
It was about slaying a dragon.
When he returned to the small courtyard in the Jishan Neighborhood, it was mid-afternoon.
The courtyard gate was left slightly ajar. The orange cat was lying on the threshold sunning itself. Seeing Gu Chengming return, it lazily rolled over, exposing its soft belly as a way of greeting him.
A faint scent of pastries wafted through the courtyard.
Yu Wenqiu was wearing loose, goose-yellow casual clothes today. She was nestled in her favorite wicker hammock, holding a plate of exquisite osmanthus cakes, with a pot of steaming spirit tea nearby.
Hearing footsteps, she turned her head. Seeing Gu Chengming standing safely at the door, she didn't show much surprise. Instead, she looked like she was seeing the neighbor boy returning from buying groceries.
"Oh, Little Gu is back?"
She waved with a smile, her fingertips still stained with some pastry crumbs.
"Your timing is perfect. The osmanthus cakes are fresh out of the oven and still warm. Come and try some."
Gu Chengming closed the courtyard gate, shed the weariness of the journey, and sat down at the stone table.
"Elder, your skill is getting more and more proficient."
He took a pastry from Yu Wenqiu and took a bite. It was soft, chewy, and sweet—truly not bad.
"Of course. In this life, it's all about eating and drinking."
Yu Wenqiu stuffed another piece into her mouth and asked indistinctly, "How was the scenery at the East Sea?"
She blinked her eyes with curiosity. "That so-called water bandit trouble, how was it handled in the end? Did those officials try to gloss everything over and make you furious?"
Gu Chengming swallowed the pastry and poured himself a cup of tea. "The scenery was alright, just a bit too much of a fishy smell."
"As for the water bandits... it was actually a demon beast causing trouble."
Gu Chengming paused and said nonchalantly, "I didn't like the look of it, so I killed it."
"Killed it?" Yu Wenqiu's movements froze for a second before she smiled dismissively. "It's good that you killed it. Those minor demons that bully mortals deserve to die. At most, it was probably just some mixed-blood Jiao-beast of the second realm? It's just that those officials were making a mountain out of a molehill."
"It wasn't a mixed-blood Jiao-beast." Gu Chengming added while eating his pastry, "It was a Third Realm, Early Stage Jiao-dragon."
"Oh, Third Realm, Early Stage. That is indeed a bit troub..."
Yu Wenqiu replied instinctively. Then, her entire body stiffened as if she had been hit by a freezing spell.
Plop.
The piece of osmanthus cake she had just picked up and hadn't yet put in her mouth fell straight down.
By some miracle, it landed right on the head of the orange cat that was walking by asking for pets, shattering into several pieces.
The orange cat was stunned for a moment, let out a "meow," and then happily lowered its head to start eating.
But Yu Wenqiu couldn't care less about the cat now. She slowly turned her head, her beautiful eyes widening until they were perfectly round. She stared fixedly at Gu Chengming, her voice changing pitch:
"What did you say... you killed?"
"A third realm Jiao-dragon," Gu Chengming repeated. After thinking for a moment, he added, "He should have been a direct descendant of the East Sea Whale-Shark Clan."
"..."
Yu Wenqiu opened her mouth wide, looking at Gu Chengming and then at the pastry being eaten by the cat, as if trying to confirm if she was still dreaming.
Third realm? Jiao-dragon? Direct descendant?
"You... you you you."
Yu Wenqiu pointed at Gu Chengming, her finger trembling. "You're only in the second realm! You killed a third realm Jiao-dragon?!"
Gu Chengming nodded. "Yes. I killed it solo. It took a bit of effort, but it was fine."
"It took a bit... of effort..."
Yu Wenqiu felt a wave of dizziness.
She remembered that she had also been a genius listed on the Hidden Dragon Ranking back in the day. But when she was in the second realm, encountering a third realm demon beast meant she could only run for her life. This kid was something else; he goes out for one trip and slaughters one?
"It's over, it's over..."
Yu Wenqiu slapped her forehead and wailed:
"Isn't the East Sea side going to go crazy now? Can this small courtyard still be peaceful? My osmanthus cakes, my novels, my good days..."
Though she was wailing, she suddenly jumped off the hammock in the next instant and lunged to Gu Chengming's side, grabbing his arms and feeling him all over.
"You didn't lose any limbs, did you? You didn't damage your dao base? Quick, let this elder check!"
Gu Chengming let her inspect him. His heart felt a bit warm as he smiled and said, "Elder, rest assured. I am completely unharmed."
After confirming Gu Chengming was truly fine, Yu Wenqiu let out a long sigh of relief and slumped back into her chair, picking up another piece of cake to calm her nerves.
"Fine, what's done is done."
She took a fierce bite of the pastry, but her eyes held a fierce look of protection.
"In any case, you're a member of the Wenjian Sect and an official of the Night Guard Division. If the heavens fall, Zhou Qingmu is tall enough to hold it up. And if that's not enough, we still have our sect."
"And if all else fails, I can just take you and run. I'm in the fifth realm—if I can't win a fight, can I not win a race?"
"Tell me, whose offspring was it?"
Gu Chengming didn't answer with the name directly. Instead, he asked, "Elder, you've been in the sect for many years. Have you ever heard of a senior from the Wenjian Sect—the Reef Daoist?"
"The Reef Daoist?"
Yu Wenqiu's movements paused slightly. She swallowed the pastry, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her eyes.
"Of course I know of him. When I first entered the sect as an Outer Sect disciple, he was still alive. He held a nominal position as an elder in the Enforcement Hall. Back then, he often sat on the cliff edge looking at the sea. He was a very good-tempered old man and even gave me sweets."
Speaking of this, she sighed with a bit of regret.
"Unfortunately, I heard later that something went wrong with his cultivation. He failed to break through to the fifth realm and perished."
"Does the Elder know why he failed?" Gu Chengming pressed.
Yu Wenqiu shook her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of her teacup.
"The specific details are a well-kept secret within the sect. I only remember that when he fell, Sect Leader Shen stood before the Sword Tomb and said something that still leaves a deep impression on me."
She mimicked the Sect Leader's solemn tone and said slowly:
"The Sect Leader said: 'The affairs of the world are unpredictable. When a sword cultivator cultivates their sword, they must first settle their heart. If one blindly suppresses their true nature and endures until the end, the sword in their hand will not slay their enemy, but their own heart demon.'"
Speaking of this, Yu Wenqiu frowned slightly, as if remembering something strange.
"Come to think of it, it was quite odd. When the Reef Daoist perished, it should have been a tragic loss for the sect, and everyone should have been grieving. But at the funeral that day, the expressions of the Sect Leader and several Supreme Elders were quite subtle. Rather than mourning, it felt more like they were offering a blessing of liberation."
Gu Chengming's heart stirred upon hearing this.
When he was reading the miscellaneous records of the East Sea at the Imperial Academy, he had found things suspicious. Although Lord Fubai was called a Dragon Lord, he was only in the fifth realm. Moreover, Jiao-dragons were naturally lustful and had many offspring. The death of one son would never be enough for him to risk his entire clan's survival against a colossus like the Wenjian Sect.
Furthermore, when the Reef Daoist's entire family was killed back then, it was a blood feud. He had all the justification in the world.
The motivation that supported his hard cultivation to the peak of the fourth realm should have been the obsession for revenge.
Why did his sword stop at the final moment? Why didn't he charge into the East Sea, and instead died of melancholy within the sect?
If it was due to a heart demon, then it made sense.
He worried too much, thought too much. For the sake of the so-called big picture and not to cause trouble for the sect, he forced himself to suppress that lethal sword strike. This pent-up frustration in his heart for a hundred years eventually became the calamity that stifled his path.
Gu Chengming explained his analysis to Yu Wenqiu. After listening to him, she was stunned for a long while before finally realizing the complexities of it all. She suddenly looked at Gu Chengming.
"So you suddenly mentioned the Reef Daoist? Don't tell me..."
Gu Chengming nodded. "The Jiao-dragon I killed was named Ao Qing, the offspring of Lord Fubai. He was the very same demon who killed the Reef Daoist's family back then."
"..."
A long silence fell over the small courtyard.
Only the rustling of the wind through the leaves of the osmanthus tree could be heard.
After a long time, Yu Wenqiu let out a long sigh, her expression extremely complex. She squeezed out a single sentence: "The connections between things in this world really are intricate."
She looked at the calm young man before her and suddenly had an extremely absurd illusion.
Very few people in the Wenjian Sect mentioned the secrets of the Reef Daoist. Even an elder like her only knew a few things.
Yet Gu Chengming, a disciple who had only recently joined, seemed to see through it all clearly. He had even personally severed the thread of karma that had been entangled for a hundred years.
Even though Gu Chengming had joined the sect decades after her and was a rank lower in seniority, the secrets he knew gave her the feeling of facing a senior.
Add to that this kid's achievement of killing a third realm enemy while in the second realm...
"Sigh..."
Yu Wenqiu couldn't help but sigh. The osmanthus cake in her hand suddenly didn't taste as good.
Although she had long known there were differences between people, the gap was simply too large.
She couldn't help but think of her brilliant Senior Sister Luo, who had always looked after her.
Back then, Senior Sister Luo was the same. No matter what trouble arose, one strike of her sword would settle everything.
She thought to herself that geniuses each had their own extraordinary talents, while a mediocrity like herself...
Ah, wait, no matter what, she could be considered a mediocrity who lived an extraordinary way, unlike those ordinary, rule-following mediocrities!
At this thought, the gloom in Yu Wenqiu's heart vanished.
She straightened her chest, the carefree smile returning to her lips. She even held a trace of inexplicable pride as she happily stuffed another piece of osmanthus cake into her mouth.
"..."
Across from her, Gu Chengming watched his elder's expression.
From initial shock to subsequent deep thought, then to the depression of self-doubt, and finally suddenly becoming inexplicably proud while humming a little tune.
Gu Chengming found himself a bit bewildered.
Inside the Imperial Observatory in the Great Qian capital.
As the center for monitoring the nation's destiny and observing celestial anomalies, every part of this place was quite mysterious.
The Star-Gazing Tower towered into the clouds, the armillary sphere on its roof slowly rotating day and night. Inside the Director's office, sandalwood smoke drifted.
Vice Director Song Zhixing sat behind a large red sandalwood desk, holding a yellowed ancient book, with a cup of Biluochun tea that had long gone cold by his hand.
He was about fifty years old, with a three-strand beard and a refined face. Sitting across from him at the long desk were two young monitors responsible for recording the 'earth movement detector' and the 'Qi Observation Platform.' They were boredly organizing recent dossiers.
"Master Song, the aura around the capital has been surprisingly stable these past few days."
One of the young monitors, named Chen Mo, put down his vermilion brush and rubbed his aching wrists, unable to help but yawn:
"Except for a couple of wild demons startling the earth qi in the Western Mountains a few days ago, nothing major has happened. The reports from the Night Guard Division are mostly trivial cases. Life is so dull it's becoming unbearable."
Song Zhixing didn't look up, only turning a page of his book:
"Dull is good. If we at the Imperial Observatory become busy, then the world would likely be in chaos. Besides, how many days of peace have we had? A month ago, during that incident on the Drunk Dream Boat, even the Great Qian Dragon Qi was stirred. That night, the Director himself entered the palace to meet the Emperor and hasn't had much sleep since."
Hearing this, Chen Mo shrank his neck and said with a sheepish smile, "I was just complaining casually. That night's commotion was indeed terrifying. I heard it was the remnants of the Longevity Sect?"
"Don't ask what shouldn't be asked, and don't look into what shouldn't be looked into."
Song Zhixing gave a light warning: "Our job is only to watch and record. As for who killed whom and how, that's for the Ministry of Justice and the Night Guard Division to worry about."
As they were speaking, another monitor responsible for watching the 'East Sea Plate' let out a soft exclamation.
"Master Song, come and look at this."
The monitor's voice held a hint of uncertainty as he pointed at the miniature East Sea map carved from a single piece of black jade:
"The aura along the East Sea coast... seems a bit chaotic."
Song Zhixing put down his book. He didn't stand up, but simply flicked his sleeve, sending a soft wave of spiritual energy into the black jade map.
Hum—
Ripples appeared on the surface of the map. The area representing 'Reef Village' suddenly lit up with a piercing blood-red light. It was followed by a burst of extremely violent water-element spiritual energy. Even from many thousands of miles away, the heart-pounding pressure could still be felt through the array projection.
"A third realm demonic aura explosion?"
Song Zhixing's brow furrowed slightly as he finally stood up and walked to the map:
"Looking at the purity of this spiritual energy and that unique fishy stench... it's a member of the Jiao-dragon species? And the bloodline isn't low; it should be a direct descendant of the East Sea Whale-Shark Clan."
Chen Mo's expression also changed. He quickly flipped through the Records of Exotic Beasts of the East Sea by his side to compare and said in surprise:
"Master Song, this fluctuation looks like Ao Qing, the son of that 'Lord Fubai.' Isn't he supposed to be cultivating in the depths of the East Sea? Why would he come ashore and cause such a commotion?"
"Cultivating?" Song Zhixing sneered:
"That's just for show. This little Jiao-dragon has a violent nature and loves to eat humans. He's done many heinous things over the years. It's just been covered up by the people from Honglu Temple, so it never blew up."
He tapped the map lightly with his finger, and the blood-red light suddenly expanded.
"But this time... it seems he kicked a steel plate."
"Open the 'Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing' array."
"Yes!"
The two monitors didn't dare to delay. They immediately took their positions and performed a series of hand seals.
As an obscure and difficult incantation rang out, the massive ancient bronze mirror at the top of the Star-Gazing Tower slowly rotated. A brilliant beam of starlight descended from the sky and projected into the void in the center of the hall.
The light and shadows twisted and gradually solidified.
In the image was the already dilapidated Whale Boat.
Amidst the wind and storm, Gu Chengming stood proudly in his black patrol uniform. Four flying swords circled around him. Opposite him was the Jiao-dragon, which had revealed its half-demon form with its scales bristling, letting out an ear-shattering roar.
The observers in the Imperial Observatory could tell what was going on after just a few glances.
Though Gu Chengming only had a second realm cultivation and his true essence was far less than that of the dragon, his use of the 'Entanglement Technique' was simply exquisite.
Furthermore, the coordination of the four swords was masterful. Main attack, main defense, main control, and main suppression—their roles were clearly defined and endless.
Such spiritual sense control... even an ordinary third realm early stage cultivator might not be able to achieve this, right?
"This kid... is he really just a new second realm cultivator?"
In the image, Ao Qing grew increasingly desperate as the fight went on. Massive waves towered and the Whale Boat shattered.
A strange luster suddenly appeared on the Tinglan Sword in Gu Chengming's hand. That luster wasn't like any of the sword intents he had shown before. Although they couldn't fully perceive the nature of that power through the array projection, Song Zhixing, as a fifth realm grandmaster, still keenly captured that 'anomaly' in that instant.
—An external karmic force?
In the image, the sword light flashed.
Without any suspense or obstruction, the dragon scales that even a second-order Dharma Sword would find hard to penetrate were easily torn like paper before that single strike.
Squelch.
The dragon's head was severed, and blood sprayed.
"What a fierce strike, what decisive slaughter."
Song Zhixing took a deep breath, the look of appreciation in his eyes growing more intense. "Although the final blow borrowed external force, it doesn't change the outcome of this battle."
He turned and walked back to his desk, sitting down once more. This time, however, his expression was much more serious.
"Slaying an enemy of a higher realm is inherently dangerous. Moreover, to cross the chasm between the second and third realms... the fact that this boy could suppress the frenzied dragon with just his sword array and sword intent proves that his combat power far exceeds his peers. He's even a match for an ordinary third realm cultivator."
"As for that final strike..."
Song Zhixing smiled and picked up his vermilion brush. On a fresh dossier, he wrote down three characters: "Gu Chengming."
"In a life-and-death struggle, only the result matters. Being able to borrow external force is also a form of skill."
"Chen Mo."
"Your student is here." Chen Mo hurried to bow.
"Go and bring me the dossiers for the Hidden Dragon Ranking." Song Zhixing's brush tip hovered over the paper, a drop of vermilion ink about to fall.
"What was Gu Chengming's original rank?"
"In response to Master Song, he was 64th," Chen Mo answered without needing to look. "He was just promoted after the last Drunk Dream Boat case."
"64th..."
"Slaying a third realm enemy while in the second realm, solo with a single sword, in a direct confrontation."
Song Zhixing pondered for a moment. His brush finally descended, writing with powerful strokes a number that made Chen Mo's heart skip a beat.
【Hidden Dragon Ranking No. 20: Gu Chengming】
【Origin: Wenjian Sect Direct Disciple】
【Cultivation: Second Realm, Early Stage】
【Achievements: Slew the third realm evil entity Nightmare Wandering Corpse on his first day in the capital; then slew a second realm middle stage Filth Corpse Demon and a third realm evil entity Pink Skeleton. Half a month later, slew two second realm sword cultivators at the Jubo Merchant Guild and escaped unscathed from a third realm rogue cultivator. On the Lantern Festival, assisted the Night Guard Division in breaking a fourth realm evil array (though the Director intervened, his initial contributions in breaking the array and distracting the enemy were significant).】
【Recently, at the East Sea coast, solo intercepted and slew a third realm early stage Jiao-dragon. In this battle, with a second realm body, he completely suppressed the dragon and eventually beheaded it, butchering the corpse and carving his name on the cliff. Though there is suspicion of borrowing power, his firm sword heart and fierce courage make him an outstanding figure among his generation, a hero of our time.】
Song Zhixing put down his brush and looked at the ranking. He walked to the window with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the eastern horizon. Dawn was coming; the long night was almost over.
The next morning, before the mist had dispersed.
The wind in the capital seemed even more boisterous than usual. Just as the storytellers in the tea houses were striking their gavels to find something new in their old tales, a piece of news from the East Sea poured into the capital. It landed on the desks of countless nobles, in the undercurrents of the court, and in the whispers of the streets and markets, all in just one sentence.
—A dragon caused trouble; one sword slew it.
Thus...
The wind rose from the duckweed, and the sword resonated through the capital.
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