Chapter 255: Innately Evil Zhu Wushi!

Utterly heartless, utterly cut off from moral ties, utterly devoid of pity, utterly devoid of love, utterly severed from family, utterly severed from friends, utterly defying heaven and earth, utterly defying gods and demons…

Gu Qing flipped through the swordplay manual of the Heartless Slash, blocked a single strike of the Heartless Slash with bare hands, and already grasped its essence; now comparing it with the manual, the Heartless Slash held no more secrets.

"It does have some merit."

After flipping through it, Gu Qing set it aside—after all, this slash had driven back Eunuch Cao.

Liu Sheng Xueji and Liu Sheng Piaoxu also studied the manual; both were swordswomen, naturally comparing notes and selecting each other's strengths.

"Your foundational slash is already solid."

After flipping through the manual, Liu Sheng Xueji looked at Gui Hai Yidao, who was diligently practicing his sword, and said: "If he were of the Liu Sheng family, he could learn the God-Slaying One-Slash."

Gui Hai Yidao had trained under his father Gui Hai Bailian since childhood, forging an unshakable foundation; later he completed his training under the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis, then came to the Heartless Manor to take a master, and throughout his martial cultivation, he had never been delayed.

As for the God-Slaying One-Slash… in the future, Gui Hai Yidao would be framed because the God-Slaying One-Slash confused one-third of the Tyrant's Might, creating an illusion so convincing that everyone mistakenly believed Gui Hai Yidao was indiscriminately slaughtering.

Gu Qing looked at Gui Hai Yidao—such a man, with a tragic past, devoted and single-minded, obsessed with avenging his father, his right arm severed…

In Gui Hai Yidao, Gu Qing saw the shadow of an old acquaintance.

"All your grueling training in the Heartless Manor has been wasted effort."

Gu Qing came before Gui Hai Yidao and said: "No matter how strong or fierce your slash is, if your opponent refuses to engage, you're powerless. So I'll teach you some combat techniques—if you can merge them, in future battles, one slash will suffice; whether that slash is the Heartless Slash or not, it makes no difference."

Gui Hai Yidao stared fixedly at Gu Qing.

Gu Qing studied Gui Hai Yidao's face and thought it could learn the Solitary Sword Art—but that face carried a gloomy arrogance.

"Listen well."

Gu Qing spoke, transmitting to Gui Hai Yidao the essentials of the Solitary Sword Art and the General Outline of the Nine Yin Scripture.

As Gu Qing's understanding of martial arts deepened, the core content of these two arts had changed greatly; with just these teachings, Gui Hai Yidao could refine his own swordplay, and his future achievements would surely be extraordinary.

Gui Hai Yidao silently memorized Gu Qing's teachings, looked at him, and his gaze was now profoundly different.

Having lost his father in childhood and trained with the blade since youth, Gui Hai Yidao held profound insights into human nature; even after recognizing the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis as his adoptive father, he still wondered whether the Marquis might turn against him—this was why Gui Hai Yidao could sense when others "had demands," recognizing their bond as one of mutual interest.

But Gu Qing was different—Gui Hai Yidao felt Gu Qing was like Gui Hai Bailian of old: teaching him martial arts purely out of kindness.

Gu Qing had no ulterior motive toward him.

"Thank you, Master!"

Gui Hai Yidao solemnly said, committing the teachings to memory.

"Let's go."

Gu Qing said: "I'll take you to find the killer."

Gui Hai Bailian once cultivated the demonic blade Tyrant's Might, which drastically altered his nature—whenever he wielded the blade, he easily fell into demonic frenzy and slaughtered indiscriminately. Thus, Gui Hai Bailian's three friends—Qilinzi, now the number one swordsman Jian Jingfeng, and the current abbot of Shaolin Temple, Liao Kong—met Gui Hai Bailian at the Biexie Manor to persuade him to abandon the demonic blade.

Gui Hai Bailian drew his blade against his three friends; in desperation, his wife Lu Huanong struck him from behind.

The tragedy of a wife killing her husband, a mother killing her father, was too great—so the three men fell silent and buried the truth completely.

Gui Hai Yidao's gaze sharpened. "Where do we find the killer?"

Gu Qing thought a moment. "Qilin Manor is closest—we'll go there."

Gui Hai Bailian's three friends were all formidable; Gu Qing planned to meet them one by one before revealing the truth to Gui Hai Yidao.

Gui Hai Yidao nodded.

In the Jianghu, news spread swiftly. Gu Qing's return from Japan, his defeat of the Tyrant Blade, and the dissolution of the Heartless Manor quickly became the hottest topic; spurred by those with intent, Gu Qing had risen as a rising hero of the Jianghu—wherever he went, people who had heard the news rushed ahead to pay their respects.

Moved by good merit, whenever someone sought his aid and Gu Qing could help, he did so willingly; over time, Gui Hai Yidao's gaze toward Gu Qing grew ever more reverent—he felt his father's murder and Gu Qing's deeds along the way both stemmed from the same righteous heart, a purity unlike that of the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis.

As they wandered leisurely, they arrived near Qilin Manor, where two men awaited on the roadside; upon seeing Gu Qing, they hurried forward.

"Master!"

Duan Tianya addressed Gu Qing, then turned to Xueji and Piaoxu, calling them "Mistress."

Beside Duan Tianya stood a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old "man," whose smile was strikingly handsome.

"This is Haitang."

Duan Tianya introduced.

"Great Hero Gu…"

After addressing Gu Qing, Haitang looked at Gui Hai Yidao and said: "Yidao, it's been a long time."

Gui Hai Yidao's heart stirred, but his face remained stern; he nodded to Haitang.

"Why are you here?"

Liu Sheng Piaoxu asked in confusion.

"Great Hero Gu…"

Haitang looked at Gu Qing and said: "Beneath our Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis's Dragon Guard Manor lies the Number One Manor, which gathers the greatest talents of the world. My adoptive father, the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis, heard you taught Tianya your sword art and wishes to invite you into the Number One Manor—no constraints, no obligations, and your travels through the Jianghu will be far easier."

The Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis wanted to recruit Gu Qing.

Gu Qing studied Haitang and smiled. "Why didn't your master, Wuhen Young Master, join the Number One Manor?"

Wuhen Young Master was the mysterious figure repeatedly mentioned in the Number One Manor—a genius in astronomy, geography, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, mystic arts, agriculture, irrigation, and more—a superior version of Wang Lianhua and a close friend of the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis.

Upon hearing Wuhen Young Master's name, Haitang was secretly startled—her training under Wuhen Young Master was known to only a few, yet Gu Qing had named him instantly.

"My master has always been proud—he dislikes being under another's roof…"

Haitang quickly bowed to Gu Qing in apology—Wuhen Young Master refused to be under another's roof, and surely so would a man like Gu Qing.

"Has my adoptive father come too?"

Gui Hai Yidao asked.

Duan Tianya frowned. "How do you know?"

"He always…"

Gui Hai Yidao was about to say "he humbles himself before talent," but realized the phrase might disrespect Gu Qing, so he mumbled: "He's always like that." Haitang, reunited with Gui Hai Yidao after so long, smiled and said: "My adoptive father learned you were heading to Qilin Manor and went ahead to wait there—he says Qilinzi is also his friend."

Gui Hai Yidao nodded.

Gu Qing's gaze shifted between Duan Tianya, Haitang, and Gui Hai Yidao—these three had once formed a stable love triangle; in the original TV series, Haitang first loved Duan Tianya, and when she saw it was hopeless, she withdrew and was about to be with Gui Hai Yidao when Liu Sheng Piaoxu killed her.

Now Duan Tianya had no romantic entanglements—who Haitang would end up with was uncertain.

"Yidao, this is your senior brother."

Gu Qing introduced Duan Tianya and Gui Hai Yidao to each other, forging a master-brother bond, then said: "Let's go to Qilin Manor together."

Since the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis had come to him, Gu Qing would certainly meet him.

Duan Tianya, Haitang, and Gui Hai Yidao all nodded; as they turned toward Qilin Manor, they saw thick smoke rolling across the sky—clearly something was wrong.

"Qilin Manor is in trouble—hurry!"

Haitang immediately mounted her horse; Duan Tianya and Yidao followed close behind, racing toward Qilin Manor.

What is Zhu Wushi up to…

!

Gu Qing stared at the smoke—the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis had already arrived at Qilin Manor, yet the manor still suffered upheaval; clearly Zhu Wushi was behind it.

"Let's go take a look."

Gu Qing frowned slightly—the current Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis could already use the Absorbing Skill and the Heavenly Reversal Technique to move mountains; his stats surpassed Gu Qing's, but if they truly fought, Gu Qing was not afraid.

The Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis's stats were absorbed; Gu Qing's achievements were earned in battle.

The battle at Qilin Manor raged fiercely.

Gu Qing, Liu Sheng Xueji, and Liu Sheng Piaoxu arrived to see Duan Tianya, Haitang, and Gui Hai Yidao fighting a group of black-clad men. Duan Tianya, having trained longest under Gu Qing, was the strongest among them; he showed no mercy, his Illusionary Sword art weaving blades through the air, gaining clear upper hand.

"Snow Drifting Through the World!"

The two sisters, Liu Sheng Xueji and Liu Sheng Piaoxu, each wielding blades, charged into the fray; with the Snow Drifting Through the World technique combined with Duan Tianya's forces, they swiftly defeated the black-clad men—but when they tried to take prisoners, the men each swallowed poison and collapsed dead.

"They're death cultists…"

Haitang examined the bodies.

Gui Hai Yidao, anxious for the interior of Qilin Manor, rushed inside and saw many black-clad corpses in the main hall; the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis Zhu Wushi, bloodied and disheveled, held Qilinzi in his arms, his expression stunned and heartbroken.

"Adoptive father!"

Gui Hai Yidao looked at the Iron-Fisted Divine Marquis, his eyes flickering. "Is this the killer of my father?"

"Yidao."

Zhu Wushi gently laid Qilinzi down, sighed, and said: "Look at the ancestral tablets in the room."

Gui Hai Yidao turned and saw a tablet in the corner, inscribed with the name: Gui Hai Bailian.

All these years, Qilinzi had been burning incense for Gui Hai Bailian.

At this moment, Gu Qing arrived with Liu Sheng Xueji and Liu Sheng Piaoxu; he exchanged a glance with Zhu Wushi, acknowledging him, then watched as Zhu Wushi began his performance.

"Yidao, this man, Qilinzi, is not your father's killer—he is a worthy elder you should respect."

Zhu Wushi looked at Gui Hai Yidao, his expression deeply complex.

Gui Hai Yidao turned back. "Adoptive father, you already know who my killer is?"

"Killer… killer…"

Zhu Wushi sighed. "When I arrived, Qilinzi was already mortally wounded. He heard you were coming for revenge and told me everything, begging me to teach you to let go of hatred. Yidao, let your quest for vengeance end here."

Zhu Wushi viewed everyone as pawns; Gui Hai Yidao's obsession with revenge was something Zhu Wushi had quietly observed—he needed Gui Hai Yidao's quest to be passionate, meaningful—and now was not yet the time.

"Tell me the truth!"

Gui Hai Yidao roared.

Zhu Wushi lowered his eyes, speaking with profound sorrow: "Yidao, listen to me—beyond hatred, the world holds many things worth your pursuit. As for your quest for vengeance… if you insist on revenge, then first come for me."

Zhu Wushi took the blame upon himself.

Gu Qing watched Zhu Wushi's performance in silence—without eliminating Cao Zhengchun, Zhu Wushi was an excellent actor, every action flawless; but after eliminating Cao Zhengchun, the Divine Marquis's advantage became too great, and he simply stopped acting.

"You think I won't kill you?"

Gui Hai Yidao glared at Iron Dan Divine Marquis.

"Then come after me."

Iron Dan Divine Marquis spoke calmly: "Yidao, I will tell you the truth when the time is right—but not now. You are still too immature."

Gui Hai Yidao's killing intent surged outward, then gradually receded; his blade remained sheathed.

Gu Qing watched all this and felt that Iron Dan Divine Marquis was indeed a master actor, manipulating Gui Hai Yidao as if he were a puppet—Gui Hai Yidao's descent into madness, the misunderstanding surrounding his mother's death, the fatal resolution by Shaolin Temple, and finally Hai Tang's death—all were tied to Iron Dan Divine Marquis's schemes.

"Master..."

Gui Hai Yidao, dazed and hollow-eyed, turned to Gu Qing and stumbled toward him, tripping over a broken table and nearly falling to the ground.

Gui Hai Yidao's mind was in chaos—he hoped Gu Qing would help him decide what to do.

Gu Qing looked at Gui Hai Yidao's state and sighed inwardly: Even this stumble could be blamed on Zhu Wushi—truly, Zhu Wushi was born evil...

"Master Gu."

Iron Dan Divine Marquis turned his face toward Gu Qing and said: "Your father's death involves too many threads. If you persist in investigating, it may not be good for Yidao."

As Iron Dan Divine Marquis spoke, his gaze held a note of earnest hope—that Gu Qing would let this matter end here.

Gu Qing looked at Iron Dan Divine Marquis and smiled suddenly: "Are you teaching me how to act?"

At these words, Zhu Wushi's previously earnest expression darkened; his brows dipped slightly, and a chill radiated instantly.

This visit to Qilin Manor was not merely to stop Gui Hai Yidao from uncovering the truth—it was also to test Gu Qing, to see if he could be won over, or at least brought to Zhu Wushi's side. But this entire test ended with Gu Qing's single sentence: "Are you teaching me how to act?"

Gazing at Gu Qing's defiant expression, Iron Dan Divine Marquis for a moment saw Gu Santong.

(End of Chapter)