Chapter 20

Gu Hanyuan followed the crowd to the outside of the hall, looking at his first little leek.

Zhang Wuji was fourteen or fifteen years old, with the appearance of a delicate young man, very much like Zhang Cuishan, though softer. Although he was still young and hadn't fully grown, he had inherited the high-level good looks from his parents.

As for Wutian, he had already fled the Wu Dangpai the moment Zhang Sanfeng made his move.

The puppet Wutian's goal had been achieved, so there was no point in staying. Moreover, the primary puppet technique had a limited duration, so it was best to leave the crowd's sight as soon as possible.

Wutian had appeared and made his presence felt. He had used the counterfeit Dragon-Slaying Saber to resolve the crisis of Zhang Cuishan being interrogated by the various sects, fulfilling his promise to Yin Susu. He had also incidentally drawn out the Xuanming Elders.

As long as the Xuanming Elders appeared, Zhang Sanfeng would inevitably intervene to save Zhang Wuji, and being busy treating the cold poison, he wouldn't have to worry about Zhang Sanfeng trying to detain Wutian.

It could be said that all the planning had been completed according to Gu Hanyuan's scheme.

As for clashing with Kongwen for Yin Susu's sake, and later engaging Kongwen, although these were unexpected situations, the results were equally good.

Gu Hanyuan had used Kongwen to farm reputation and reveal his talent. From now on, he could walk the Jianghu openly as a Wu Dang disciple; perhaps he could even earn a title like the number one of the third generation of Wu Dang.

Although the villain points he earned had been spent, they hadn't been part of the original plan, so they were a pleasant surprise. He now had 470 villain points remaining.

Looking at Zhang Wuji, who was receiving treatment from Zhang Sanfeng, Gu Hanyuan felt he could harvest another wave of villain points from Yin Susu.

Many people from the various sects had gone to pursue Wutian, but aside from a few Grandmasters, they posed no threat.

Yet, none of the Grandmasters present were skilled in lightness skills.

Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, Wutian had easily shaken them off until they lost his shadow.

Not long after, Kongwen, Abbess Miejue, and other Grandmasters returned to the Zixiao Palace with those who had gone to pursue Wutian.

At this time, only Song Yuanqiao remained in the main hall to entertain the various sects; the other elders and the Seven Heroes had all gone to the backyard to help Zhang Sanfeng treat Zhang Wuji.

When Kongwen saw that Gu Hanyuan was still in the main hall, he was visibly relieved, wanting to resolve the misunderstanding caused by Kongwen earlier.

The whereabouts of the Dragon-Slaying Saber were known, and since Wutian had killed Xie Xun, there was no point in looking for Xie Xun anymore. Today's goal of striking at the Wu Dangpai had not been achieved, and they had even been caught in a compromising position; it was truly a case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice. As for the Longmen Security Bureau matter, it wasn't worth mentioning at all.

Kongwen only wanted to find Gu Hanyuan to cut his losses; otherwise, if today's events spread, there would be no end of trouble.

Through the previous events, Kongwen had also discovered that Gu Hanyuan was the type who wouldn't release the hawk until he saw the rabbit, so he simply got straight to the point.

"Amitabha. Gu Shaoxia, Kongwen has offended you previously, and I hope you will forgive me. From now on, the North Shaolin is willing to owe Gu Shaoxia a favor; as long as it does not violate Jianghu morality and sect rules, we can agree to Gu Shaoxia's request."

Kongwen's sincerity was quite substantial; for the dignified North Shaolin to be willing to owe a third-generation disciple a favor could be said to be unprecedented.

Although he added quite a few restrictions later, if there were truly a difficult matter they needed help with, it probably wouldn't be of much use.

But what Gu Hanyuan cared about wasn't how this favor would be repaid, but that as long as this favor existed and was spread from today, it would bring him immense fame.

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Gu Hanyuan didn't continue to press the issue; moreover, the Wu Dang people had all gone to the backyard to save Zhang Wuji, and there was no one left to borrow influence from, so it was better to stop while he was ahead.

"Master Kongwen is indeed reasonable. Gu was young and impetuous, saying many inappropriate things; please do not take offense. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will certainly visit the North Shaolin."

Seeing that Gu Hanyuan had provided a way out, Kongwen nodded with satisfaction and bowed again.

"Amitabha, Gu Shaoxia is indeed deep in righteousness."

Then Kongwen expressed his intention to take his leave to Song Yuanqiao; since the North Shaolin's reputation issue had been resolved, there was no point in staying, and it would be better to return to the North Shaolin as soon as possible to arrange for people to search for Wutian's whereabouts.

After the two exchanged a few perfunctory courtesies, Kongwen left with his people.

Afterward, the leaders of the various sects all took their leave with their disciples.

Did they really expect the Wu Dangpai to provide a meal for this group of unwelcome guests?

Not long after, the bustling crowd in the main hall had left completely. Only Shangguan Haitang remained.

She walked up to Gu Hanyuan and looked him over for a moment, finding that he looked even better up close than before.

"Brother Gu, I am Shangguan Haitang. Today, Brother Gu's words suppressed the North Shaolin and his sword injured Master Kongwen; it truly left me in awe."

Gu Hanyuan's mood improved significantly after seeing Shangguan Haitang's exquisite face; looking at Kongwen's old face for too long was truly disgusting.

"I naturally know of the Master of the First Manor Under Heaven, Shangguan Haitang. You are even more dashing and elegant than the rumors suggest. Just seeing Brother Shangguan is enough to make one feel pleasant. If you have time, why not stay at Wu Dang for a few more days? Gu will treat Brother Shangguan well."

Shangguan Haitang smiled like a flower upon hearing Gu Hanyuan's words, so beautiful that she nearly exposed the truth of her cross-dressing.

Although she was somewhat tempted, she still had to return to the capital to report today's events to the Iron-Gall Godly Marquis Zhu Wushi. Today's events had caused such a stir—whether it was Gu Hanyuan's sudden emergence or the appearance of the mysterious Wutian—it would cause a sensation in the Jianghu, so she had to make preparations early.

"Shangguan also feels like I've met a kindred spirit in Brother Gu. Unfortunately, I have urgent matters and must return to the capital as soon as possible, so I cannot stay long. If Brother Gu comes to the capital in the future, you must come to the First Manor Under Heaven to find me; we shall drink until we are drunk."

"That is truly a pity. When Gu descends the mountain, I will certainly go to the capital, and we shall drink and talk then. Let Gu see Brother Shangguan off."

Gu Hanyuan held reservations about Shangguan Haitang's suggestion of drinking until they were drunk, and he wasn't afraid of her cross-dressing identity being exposed.

"Brother Gu, no need to see me off; we shall meet again. Hero Song, farewell."

After Shangguan Haitang greeted Song Yuanqiao, she didn't dawdle and left Wu Dang cleanly. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====