Chapter 69: Hu Du Has Arrived

Gu Qing looked at Wu Dunru with a strange expression.

Wu Dunru’s face gradually flushed red with shame.

At that moment, Gu Qing remembered that in The Return of the Condor Heroes, Wu Santong, Wu Dunru, and Wu Xiuwen had indeed charged at Li Mochou, and the Li Mochou they fought was holding Guo Xiang in one arm, moved by Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen’s infatuation with Guo Fu, and thus held back her blows.

Under such circumstances, with Yang Guo nearby snatching Guo Xiang and disrupting them, Wu Santong only managed to land one hit on Li Mochou, but she instantly killed both Wu brothers with her Ice Bone Silver Needles.

Now, with no external interference, Wu Santong bringing the two Wu brothers to provoke Li Mochou was outright absurd.

“Rest well and heal.”

Gu Qing offered a word of comfort and did not press further.

These Wu family men were too weak; Gu Qing didn't even bother to comment.

Gu Qing’s comfort meant more to Wu Dunru than countless criticisms.

Over the years, his neglect of martial cultivation due to jealousy over Guo Fu flashed before his eyes, leaving Wu Dunru utterly humiliated.

Gu Qing found a chair and sat down, turning to Wu Santong and Wu Xiuwen; Ouyang Feng’s antidote had indeed proven miraculous—through the reverse flow method to expel poison, both men’s minds gradually recovered, their awareness returning, taking in their surroundings, realizing they had escaped death, and finally relaxing.

Seeing the poison had mostly dissipated, Gu Qing had them lie on the bed first to replenish their strength, then resume the inverted bloodletting therapy—this constant bleeding treatment always made Gu Qing feel like he’d turned into an old Western physician.

“Big brother…”

Wu Xiuwen looked at Wu Dunru and asked: “Was it Grandmaster Gu who saved us?”

Wu Xiuwen saw Gu Qing and naturally assumed he was the one who rescued them.

Hearing this, Gu Qing’s curiosity stirred—Li Mochou used Ancient Tomb martial arts, moving at incredible speed; had she truly intended to kill them, there was no way the Wu family father and sons could have escaped.

“It was the Beggar’s Sect that saved us.”

Wu Dunru said: “Just as the female demon was about to catch up, a Beggar’s Sect master happened to be nearby—he launched a sudden attack to draw her away, allowing me to flee with you, and we were rescued by this hero…”

As Wu Dunru recounted everything, Wu Santong and Wu Xiuwen thanked Zhao Lei, who in turn credited Gu Qing, prompting the Wu family father and sons to sincerely thank Gu Qing once more.

“Which Beggar’s Sect master could have held off Li Mochou?”

After being humiliated by Li Mochou, Wu Santong was deeply shaken; hearing a Beggar’s Sect member had intervened, he asked anxiously.

Wu Santong had believed his own martial arts had greatly improved, yet he never imagined Li Mochou’s progress was even greater—her cruelty unchanged, the psychological trauma she once inflicted on him now resurfacing.

Gu Qing was also curious—the Beggar’s Sect now had Hong Qigong and Huang Rong, but talent had become scarce; most former elders were dead, and even the mediocre Lu Youjiao had risen to sect leader. For someone to suddenly intercept Li Mochou was truly rare.

“He’s called He Shiwo.”

Wu Dunru said.

He Shiwo?

Isn’t that Hu Du’s alias?

Gu Qing had just been looking for Hu Du to settle accounts; hearing the name He Shiwo, he sat up straight.

Who says the Wu family father and sons are weak? The Wu family father and sons are amazing!

Wu Dunru recounted their escape: in his description, He Shiwo had launched hidden weapons to provoke Li Mochou, then fled while she chased, barely allowing them to escape; as for He Shiwo’s fate, Wu Dunru did not know.

Hearing of He Shiwo’s great righteousness, Wu Santong—who had just recovered from madness and whose emotions were volatile—burst into loud sobs, mourning He Shiwo.

Gu Qing did not comfort Wu Santong but turned to Wu Dunru, asking about He Shiwo’s appearance, then inquired about the recent conditions in Xiangyang and Dengzhou; according to Wu Dunru, the Mongols had recently been terrified, retreating into Nanyang, while the Martial Alliance and Song troops were eliminating Mongol outposts everywhere—the situation was promising.

“Yang Guo has also made a name for himself in Huaixi.”

Wu Dunru said: “The people there suffered the worst plundering and harbored the deepest hatred for the Tartars; Mongol atrocities reached as far as Yangzhou. Wherever Yang Guo’s forces advanced, the Mongols grew weak as pigs awaiting slaughter. Gradually, many civilians came to believe a divine power protected Yang Guo, flocking to join his ranks—he now commands over ten thousand troops, immensely formidable.”

Ouyang Feng’s poison was indeed perfect for deceiving common folk; with such a figure aiding him from behind, Yang Guo naturally prevailed. After the “miracle,” Yang Guo gained an aura of divinity and greater popular support, greatly aiding recruitment.

“Not long ago, the Master of the Peach Blossom Island brought Guo Fu to Yang Guo as well.”

Wu Dunru spoke of this, his expression gloomy.

Huang Yaoshi’s nature had always been indifferent to romantic entanglements, but after his efforts on Cheng Ying’s behalf, he felt he owed Guo Fu some effort, so he agreed to Huang Rong’s request and brought Guo Fu to Yang Guo’s side.

Gu Qing noticed Wu Dunru’s sorrow over Guo Fu and asked: “Did you encounter Yelu Yan in Xiangyang?”

In the original Condor Heroes, Wu Dunru and Yelu Yan were a couple.

Wu Dunru nodded at the name and said: “She went with her brother to join Yang Guo—Yelu Qi is talented in both literature and martial arts, exactly the kind of person Yang Guo lacks.”

When speaking of Yelu Yan, Wu Dunru was indifferent; his impression of Yelu Qi was far stronger.

“Bad.”

Gu Qing sensed trouble—he hadn’t been near Yang Guo for a while; could this kid really be opening a harem?

In this casual conversation, Zhao Lei received word from a retainer and hurriedly had him bring the visitor in, then said to Wu Santong: “Master Wu, He Shiwo isn’t dead—he’s returned!”

Wu Santong, upon hearing He Shiwo was alive, immediately stopped crying and tried to rise to greet him, but lacked strength; Wu Xiuwen was the same. In the end, the fully recovered Wu Dunru accompanied Gu Qing and Zhao Lei to the courtyard, where they saw two people entering.

One was He Shiwo, whose face was grotesquely ugly.

The other was Qiu Chuji, dressed in a Daoist robe.

Gu Qing greeted Qiu Chuji and wondered why he had come.

“Of course, to hunt down Hu Du.”

Qiu Chuji had not expected to meet Gu Qing here and said: “Hu Du committed a crime in Luoyang recently; upon hearing it, I came here and saw this Beggar’s Sect disciple being chased by Li Mochou, so I intervened to save him.”

He Shiwo nodded with a forced, grim smile, his body stiff as he helped Wu Dunru up.

Gu Qing glanced at the man twice—he was almost certainly Hu Du. Hu Du leading Li Mochou to encounter Qiu Chuji could not have been coincidence; it was pure manipulation to use Qiu Chuji to escape.

Qiu Chuji had been completely fooled by Hu Du.

Now Hu Du, using He Shiwo’s identity, was establishing ties with Guo Jing’s disciples…

“Grandmaster.”

After mentally labeling Hu Du, Gu Qing casually said: “If you can’t find Hu Du, you could simply go to Karakorum and burn the city down—it would settle the account with Chongyang Palace just as well.”

Karakorum was the capital of the Great Mongol Empire.

Qiu Chuji glared at Gu Qing—you actually dare to suggest that!

(End of Chapter)