Chapter 254: Damn, He

Hu Long Mountain Villa is an intelligence hub, its grounds spacious; Tie Dan Shen Hou Zhu Wushi rose from his chair and walked slowly down the steps to stand before Duan Tianya, who knelt on the ground, and reached out to help him up.

Duan Tianya looked up at Tie Dan Shen Hou.

Since returning from Japan with Gu Qing, Duan Tianya had immediately come to Hu Long Mountain Villa to meet this adoptive father, and inexplicably compared Gu Qing with Tie Dan Shen Hou.

These two men might be of the same level of prowess.

"How was your learning in Japan?"

Tie Dan Shen Hou asked with concern.

Duan Tianya promptly recounted all he had experienced in Japan to Tie Dan Shen Hou.

By Gu Qing's side, Duan Tianya's sword art had made great progress.

"Gu Qing?"

Tie Dan Shen Hou walked to his desk, brushed ink across paper to write the name, then placed it into a hidden compartment for Hu Long Mountain Villa's intelligence network to investigate, while his eyes narrowed slightly and said: "Tokugawa Ieyasu is a formidable figure, and the three ninja—Mien Kuang Silang—were all toppled by Gu Qing… remarkable."

Tie Dan Shen Hou knew Japan had many masters; Gu Qing's ability to disrupt a wedding, kill, and seize power there must stem from invincible strength.

"Pity that Gu Qing, though capable of seizing power, was swayed by a woman."

Tie Dan Shen Hou remarked sharply: "Ryuji Tashima gave him two daughters, and he came crawling back—utterly lacking spirit."

In Tie Dan Shen Hou's view, Gu Qing had seized the throne and should have unleashed his might in Japan, but being trapped by a woman showed poor vision.

"Or perhaps Master never had such ambitions to begin with."

Duan said.

He had spent time beside Gu Qing and knew Gu Qing viewed power lightly.

Tie Dan Shen Hou nodded, took out the intelligence reports from Hu Long Mountain Villa—most entries were blank—and his brow furrowed deeply, sensing an unexpected variable.

According to Duan, Gu Qing had left Jingcheng for Japan; yet this master had wandered through Jingcheng, and Hu Long Mountain Villa had no record of him—this was negligence.

It also meant Gu Qing's intentions ran deep.

Duan Tianya was Tie Dan Shen Hou's designated Son of Heaven No. 1; now, Gu Qing had intervened to teach him martial arts, inevitably stirring suspicion in Tie Dan Shen Hou.

"Where will Gu Qing go after returning to the Central Plains?"

Tie Dan Shen Hou asked.

"Intelligence indicates Gu Qing is heading to Jueqing Mountain Villa."

Hu Long Mountain Villa's spy said.

Jueqing Mountain Villa?

Tie Dan Shen Hou was startled—he felt Gu Qing was truly coming for him!

Tie Dan Shen Hou's nature resembled Shangguan Jin Hong's: he demanded complete intelligence and meticulous planning, so his thoughts naturally branched out—he speculated which faction Gu Qing belonged to, why he approached Duan Tianya, and so on; unconsciously, his gaze fell on Duan Tianya and he asked: "Tianya, I sense you're comparing too—why not compare me with your master?"

Duan Tianya gazed deeply in thought.

"Gu Santong leans toward physicality; Tie Dan Shen Hou leans toward business."

Gu Qing, while with Liu Sheng Xueji and Liu Sheng Piaoxu, had offered sharp evaluations of the two greatest masters of the era.

At this moment, Liu Sheng Xueji and Liu Sheng Piaoxu both dressed as Han women, walking beside Gu Qing, observing the scenery of Shenzhou—it was indeed different.

"Husband, after more cultivation, you will surely surpass the Invincible Naughty Child."

Liu Sheng Piaoxu said: "Husband is more physical than Gu Santong, more business-minded than Tie Dan Shen Hou!"

Such an evaluation made Gu Qing smile.

After returning to Shenzhou, Gu Qing spent most of his time traveling with Xueji and Piaoxu, rarely fighting; regarding wealth, a slight display of his medical skill or an act of righteous heroism naturally drew wealthy patrons to befriend him—Xueji and Piaoxu never worried about gold or silver by his side.

Amid this leisurely journey through mountains and waters, Gu Qing arrived calmly outside Jueqing Mountain Villa.

Jueqing Mountain Villa was the domain of Ba Dao; within it, disciples cultivated the martial art known as Jueqing Zhan. To master this art, one must spend seven years continuously killing friends, thereby severing emotion, righteousness, pity, love, kinship, and friendship—thus severing heaven, earth, gods, and demons.

In Tianxia Diyi, Tie Dan Shen Hou trained Duan Tianya, Shangguan Haitang, and Guihai Yidao; among them, the Di Zi No. 1 spy, Guihai Yidao, trained within Jueqing Mountain Villa.

"Jueqing Mountain Villa—stop, intruders!"

The guards of Jueqing Mountain Villa coldly drew their blades, blocking Gu Qing, Xueji, and Piaoxu from entering.

"We're here to challenge the school."

Liu Sheng Piaoxu, knowing Gu Qing intended to meet Ba Dao, declared bluntly.

The guard, sensing hostility, immediately drew his blade and attacked; the sharp blade descended, but Liu Sheng Piaoxu suddenly moved, her bare hand brushing the blade's edge—"Dang! Dang!"—the two swords were deflected, each guard striking the other's shoulder blades.

Both had launched lethal strikes; this deflection left them severely wounded.

Gu Qing observed Liu Sheng Piaoxu, noting her faint smile after seeing blood—this soft, sinister smile now bore a touch of goddess-like aura.

"Intruder attack!"

The two wounded guards alerted Jueqing Mountain Villa; instantly, guards and disciples poured out, each wielding long blades, eyes cold, fearless, standing guard before the villa.

"Husband, let me handle this!"

Liu Sheng Piaoxu's inner killing intent, though somewhat dulled by staying beside Gu Qing and wandering Shenzhou's landscapes, flared back to life upon seeing blood.

She grasped her blade, plunged into the crowd, and within three moves, wounded several disciples; the Jueqing disciples grew furious, unleashing a torrent of slashing attacks.

"Snow Drifts Through Mortals!"

Liu Sheng Piaoxu moved with elegant grace, her blade merciless; as "Snow Drifts Through Mortals" erupted, seven or eight disciples, unprepared, were wounded by the blade qi—but this only enraged the Jueqing disciples further, unleashing wave after wave of lethal techniques, nearly drowning Liu Sheng Piaoxu.

"Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua…"

Long blades whirled like tangled threads, completely overwhelming Liu Sheng Piaoxu; this brutal sword style left her trapped, forced to close her eyes and await death.

"Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang…"

Long blades clattered to the ground.

All looked around—Liu Sheng Piaoxu's figure was gone; turning back, they saw her standing calmly beside Gu Qing, smiling sweetly.

At the last moment, Liu Sheng Piaoxu had been rescued by Gu Qing; it was precisely because of such a master beside her that she dared act so recklessly.

"Unforgivable!"

Jueqing Mountain Villa's men charged forward, eager to fight again.

"I've had enough of you."

Gu Qing surged into the crowd in an instant; next came cries of pain—every single disciple fell to the ground, struck by Gu Qing; they still didn't know how he moved or how they were hit. Among them was Guihai Yidao, now lying on his back, utterly immobilized, gazing at Gu Qing with burning eyes.

This Gu Qing was the powerful figure Guihai Yidao sought.

"Amazing! Amazing!"

The master of Jueqing Mountain Villa, Ba Dao, stepped forward, staring at Gu Qing with a cold, hard voice: "What grudge do you hold against me to come here and provoke us?"

"No grudge, no feud—can't I come to challenge Jueqing Mountain Villa?"

Gu Qing asked.

Ba Dao sneered and shook his head: "I don't care who you are—this is a critical phase in my disciples' training; I won't let you disrupt it."

Jueqing Mountain Villa's training method was one of severing kinship and love: initially, 128 disciples trained in pairs; by year's end, each pair fought to the death, leaving only one survivor—64 advanced, then 32, 16, 8, 4, 2, and finally 1.

Year after year, like breeding venomous insects, the sole survivor emerged as the master of Jueqing Zhan's secrets.

This Jueqing Zhan required 127 lives to forge—and thus the sword art became priceless.

"Draw your blade."

Gu Qing was deeply interested in Jueqing Zhan and wished to see its true quality.

!

Ba Dao gripped his blade coldly, entering the state of severed kinship and love; he held the blade in one hand, staring at Gu Qing with icy focus.

Gu Qing stepped forward, ignoring Ba Dao's piercing killing intent, walking calmly toward him.

Guihai Yidao, on the ground, strained his eyes wide, determined to memorize every detail; in his gaze, he saw Ba Dao's blade swing toward Gu Qing!

As if in a dark world, a streak of white appeared.

Guihai Yidao had never imagined Jueqing Zhan could be like this; at this moment, time stretched endlessly—he greedily watched every detail of Jueqing Zhan: the perfect fusion of speed and power, the flawless harmony of internal qi and technique, the near-perfect strike landing on Gu Qing's head…

"Dang!"

Guihai Yidao stared, as if in a long, unawakened dream—suddenly, he awoke.

That perfect strike of Jueqing Zhan was caught effortlessly between Gu Qing's two fingers—no surge, no miracle, it even seemed coincidental.

But it was caught.

Ba Dao stared at his blade held between Gu Qing's two fingers—his face twisted in utter shock; looking at those two fingers, Ba Dao could not help but weep.

Gu Qing had not merely defeated Ba Dao—he had shattered Jueqing Mountain Villa's pride.

"How dare you…"

Ba Dao choked out.

Even Tie Dan Shen Hou would never dare meet Jueqing Zhan with two fingers.

"I've caught harder blades than this."

Gu Qing said calmly.

In the world of the Passionate Swordsman, when Gu Qing faced Li Xunhuan, Xiao Li Feidao had accidentally carried lightning—its pressure far exceeded Jueqing Zhan.

"Enough, enough!"

Ba Dao hurled his blade aside: "I've lost."

After speaking, Ba Dao walked out of Jueqing Mountain Villa; Jueqing Zhan was his greatest skill, yet it had been broken by two fingers—this shattered his martial confidence. Now he only wished to leave the Jianghu, marry a wife, and live a quiet, peaceful life.

Gu Qing watched Ba Dao's retreating back; in the original plot, Ba Dao was defeated by Guihai Yidao's Jueqing Zhan, abandoned his blade, opened a small shop, lived a quiet, warm life—now defeated by Gu Qing, his path should be similar.

"Rude…"

Gu Qing sighed; he had sent Ba Dao to a life of wife, children, and warm bed—a good outcome—and yet the man showed no gratitude.

"Husband, your hand…"

Liu Sheng Xueji stepped forward, grasping Gu Qing's hand that had used Lingxi Finger; seeing faint wounds on his palm, she quickly fetched a handkerchief and medicinal water to clean it.

The blade aura of this Heartless Slash is quite condensed.

Gu Qing said with a smile.

In this world of the Top Martial Artist, stats are generally inflated—even lowly soldiers can produce special effects and unleash blade auras. The Heartless Slash is a supreme martial art of the Wu Lin; its condensed blade aura is naturally extraordinary. Though Gu Qing had prepared himself, he still suffered a minor wound.

Without the Diamond Unbreakable Divine Skill, the Spirit-Linking Finger is weak.

Gu Qing sighed.

Without absolute defense, directly blocking a blade is unwise.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu glanced at the shallow wound, recalled the Heartless Slash just now, shook her head slightly, and asked the many disciples lying on the ground: "Do you still wish to train the Heartless Slash here?"

Gui Hai Yidao had trained the Heartless Slash for a year and had already killed one friend; now he was about to kill another when he suddenly saw Ba Dao defeated and heard Liu Sheng Piaoxu's question. Despite the pain in his body, he forced himself forward and said: "I must train the Heartless Slash."

Gu Qing studied Gui Hai Yidao before him.

Gui Hai Yidao's life has been a tragedy. His early years were consumed by vengeance, seeking to kill the man who murdered his father. After endless twists, he discovered that his own mother was the killer. Then he was lured into darkness, falsely accused, and barely reconciled with himself—only for Shangguan Haitang to be murdered just as they were about to find happiness.

You are not suited for the Heartless Slash.

Gu Qing spoke plainly.

Though Gui Hai Yidao appears heartless, his inner heart burns fiercely; even if he reaches the level of Heartless Slash for a time, he will never fully unleash its power later.

Then what martial art suits me?

Gui Hai Yidao asked.

Gu Qing looked at Gui Hai Yidao, smiled, and said: "Actually, my sword technique is also quite good."

Gui Hai Yidao stared at Gu Qing, understood, gritted his teeth, and bowed to Gu Qing as his master.

Gu Qing reached out to help him up and said: "I can take you on a journey through the Jianghu, and help you identify your enemies." After witnessing the Heartless Slash, Gu Qing also wished to take Gui Hai Yidao to search through his father's belongings.

In the Top Martial Artist world, there is also a demonic sword technique: "Mighty Dominance Over Heaven," practiced by Gui Hai Yidao's father, Gui Hai Bailian, and the even deeper "Three Forms of Avici." In the plot, both techniques were discovered by Gui Hai Yidao in his father's relics. But Gu Qing suspects these two techniques were actually crafted by the Iron Dan Divine Marquis, since Gui Hai Bailian's relics had been sifted through many times—yet whenever Gui Hai Yidao needed to descend into demonic madness, he always unearthed something new.

You've taken another good disciple.

Liu Sheng Xueji examined Gui Hai Yidao and said to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing smiled, quite satisfied.

Gu Qing smiled, but the Iron Dan Divine Marquis could not.

Iron Dan Divine Marquis' Guard Dragon Manor.

The Iron Dan Divine Marquis stared at this intelligence, his brows knotted together. Gu Qing had first taken Duan Tianya as a disciple, and now Gui Hai Yidao—clearly, in the Iron Dan Divine Marquis' eyes, this was a direct challenge to him!

(End of Chapter)