Ignoring cultivation realm, ignoring distance—to hear one of the most important inner voices from the depths of a certain person's heart.
Honestly, judging by the description of this single entry alone, it already carried a faint flavor of a conceptual god.
Mind-reading arts were not unheard of in this cultivation world, but they were usually limited by the strength of one's soul, physical distance, and the target's defenses.
If it had no limiting conditions, this might be the most useful support-type CG among all the CGs Gu Chengming possessed.
But unfortunately, it had one fatal flaw: randomness.
Random meant uncontrollable, which also meant most of the information Gu Chengming obtained could very well be useless.
As if to confirm his guess, on the second day after obtaining this CG, the first inner voice Gu Chengming received appeared.
[Once some time passes, I'll team up with the brothers to kill a third-realm Hao Serpent. After I've saved up enough money, I'll quit the demon-hunting squad and go marry Xiao Cui.]
The source was unclear, but he could faintly make out the voice and gender.
Honestly, purely in terms of intelligence gathering, this one was a bit too limited.
To filter out useful information from this single sentence was no less difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.
First, he had to know who the owner of the voice was; second, even if he knew who it was, this inner voice was most likely useless—
—unless that so-called "Xiao Cui" was actually some undercover agent of the Eternal Life Sect, or that Hao Serpent demon beast had some earth-shattering treasure hidden in its belly.
But obviously the odds of that were extremely low.
Gu Chengming's gaze fell on that still-dim CG icon.
However, the current CG was in a "not yet fully unlocked" state, with the progress bar only at the very beginning.
This meant the ability was not set in stone; it still had enormous room for optimization.
And the directions for optimization now before him were nothing more than two: first, reducing the randomness to make the target more precise; second, increasing the clues within the inner voice so he could locate the target more easily.
And perhaps the way to unlock the CG was related to "doxxing" the owner of the inner voice?
Since it was an intelligence-gathering ability, then perhaps establishing the source of information was the key to raising the CG's unlock progress.
Thinking of this, Gu Chengming hesitated no longer and began investigating people who fit the criteria.
For the Myriad Wonders Assembly—which now covered the several thousand rogue cultivators of Snowfall Pass and bore official endorsement—this was no difficult matter.
In the span of just one stick of incense, several pieces of filtered intelligence surfaced in Gu Chengming's mind.
Though there were many rogue cultivators in the Northern Territory, only a handful of squads had the guts to go after a third-realm demon beast like the Hao Serpent.
And among these squads, those with members who had recently shown signs of wanting to retire and who had a childhood sweetheart back home...
"The Black Martial Demon-Hunting Squad, vice-captain Zhou Xing."
Found him.
At the very moment he confirmed this information—
[CG: Heart Is All Things, Current Unlock Progress: 10%]
Gu Chengming thought, just as expected—this CG's unlock mechanism advanced through the whole process of hearing the inner voice and then pinpointing its true owner.
Now it was time to start playing the doxxing game.
His heart felt rather subtle about it.
Late the next night, the hour of Zi.
The wind and snow outside the window still howled as Gu Chengming sat quietly in his study.
[That batch of goods is hidden in the ice cave beneath the cliff—no one should have found it. As long as I weather these few days while the heat is on, once that murder-fiend Gu Chengming lowers his guard, I can ship the stuff out.]
This time the voice was a bit clearer than yesterday's, and he could now completely distinguish the gender.
Gu Chengming's eyes lit up.
Not bad luck—a big fish, no less?
Ever since the Myriad Gold Pavilion fell, although its remnant forces in the Northern Territory had been swept clean once, just as a centipede dies but does not stiffen, there were always a few that slipped through the net and hid in the shadows.
Gu Chengming immediately summoned Nuo Tao, who was dozing off in the side hall.
This eminent disciple of the Myriad-Theft Gate rubbed her bleary, sleepy eyes and drifted in, her face full of resentment: "Brother Gu, what hour is it even?"
Gu Chengming ignored her complaint and spread out a map directly: "I'm counting on you, Miss Nuo—check every place near Snowfall Pass that fits a cliff terrain and has recently shown unexplained spiritual-energy fluctuations or signs of deliberate concealment. I wouldn't feel at ease handing this matter to anyone else."
Though Nuo Tao complained out loud, upon hearing "counting on you" and "wouldn't feel at ease handing it to anyone else," she inexplicably felt rather pleased and willingly set about the grunt work.
Her talent for causal tracing was indeed beyond reproach.
After roughly a few hours, a red circle was heavily drawn onto the northwest corner of the map.
"Here."
Nuo Tao pointed to a place called Hawk's Sorrow Ravine: "There's a small caravan that used to be attached to the Myriad Gold Pavilion. They've been acting furtive these past few days—ostensibly out gathering herbs, but their route keeps circling around this Hawk's Sorrow Ravine."
Gu Chengming was naturally most grateful, and personally fetched some pastries to reward Nuo Tao.
The latter gave a couple of hums—though she wasn't particularly fond of pastries, she found Gu Chengming's attentiveness quite agreeable.
Early the next morning, news of victory arrived.
That band of Myriad Gold Pavilion remnants was wiped out in one fell swoop, and a large quantity of contraband drugs that had not yet been moved was searched out from the ice cave.
The CG progress bar in Gu Chengming's sea of consciousness increased by another small notch.
[CG Unlock Progress: 30%]
As the unlock progress rose, the CG's effect grew better and better.
The inner voices Gu Chengming heard became clearer and clearer, even beginning to come with some faint ambient sounds, making it all the more effortless for him to pinpoint locations.
And the Myriad Wonders Assembly's expansion went all the more smoothly, covering not only Snowfall Pass but even beginning to spread toward several of the surrounding garrison cities.
It was also at this time that the earlier investigation into the Myriad Gold Pavilion turned up a new clue.
It was news about that old trade route of the Myriad Gold Pavilion.
After the Myriad Gold Pavilion fell, that smuggling route—which led straight into the depths of the Demon Domain and yielded astonishing profits—became ownerless property.
Originally, Vice-General Liang Si and Gu Chengming had intended to seal it off for a period and then have the authorities take it over once the situation stabilized.
But in just this brief gap of a month or two, that trade route had unexpectedly been occupied by demons.
The Northern Garrison Manor, the council hall.
Vice-General Liang Si pointed at the red line on the sand table that wound deep into the snowfields, his brows tightly furrowed.
"According to the scouts' reports, the one now entrenched along that line is the Green-Scaled Hawk King."
Liang Si's voice was somewhat low: "Forty-sixth on the Demon Sovereign Ranking, a great demon at mid fourth-realm."
Gu Chengming, seated at the lower seat, chuckled lightly at this, though little mirth could be heard in his tone.
"Well, isn't that enemies on a narrow road..."
The Green-Scaled Hawk King...
Wasn't this the very demon beast that had nearly capsized him and little Elder Yu back when he'd first arrived in the Northern Territory?
Later it had been caught up in the battle between Director Zhou and those several demon kings, suffered grave wounds, and fled.
Gu Chengming had been looking for a chance to take revenge ever since.
Vice-General Liang Si's tone shifted, and a trace of confusion appeared on his face: "But there's one point that's very strange."
"According to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's earlier intelligence, although this Green-Scaled Hawk King narrowly escaped in that ambush by the Night-Watch Bureau, it was also gravely wounded and dying, its very foundation injured—yet how long has it been since then?"
Though a demon beast's physique was powerful, it also recovered slowly, unless it had consumed some heaven-and-earth treasure, or else...
Gu Chengming fell into thought—the Myriad Gold Pavilion was gone, but the Eternal Life Sect still remained.
If it really was as he suspected...
Then his revenge plan might need to be moved up the schedule.
Because the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had observed the stars by night and calculated signs that a demon tide might erupt in the Northern Territory in the near future, the already grim atmosphere of Snowfall Pass grew ever more taut.
The formation glow atop the city walls never ceased day or night, and cartload after cartload of city-defense supplies poured ceaselessly into the pass.
On top of this, the Capital also dispatched "reinforcements" from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, who braved the wind and snow to reach the Northern Territory before the storm sealed off the roads.
As a current guest of the Northern Garrison Manor and a member of the Night-Watch Bureau, and especially as the founder of the "Myriad Wonders Assembly," Gu Chengming actually already held a certain degree of say in Snowfall Pass.
Out of courtesy among colleagues, and also carrying a measure of curiosity about the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Gu Chengming personally received these two reinforcements from the Tianding Sect in the side hall.
Both wore brocade robes embroidered with cloud patterns and bore an extraordinary bearing—they were precisely the leaders of the Tianding Sect's descent from the mountain this time:
Zhou Hui, eighth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and Xu Huayi, ranked high at second.
Gu Chengming had read the dossiers on these two beforehand, and could not help feeling somewhat astonished.
The Tianding Sect truly lived up to being a colossus on par with the Wenjian Sect; this generation of disciples was indeed a font of talent.
That Zhou Hui, though only at late second-realm cultivation, was an expert in formations and talismans.
In a battle in the Southern Frontier, he had single-handedly laid down the Nine-Revolutions Thunder-Fire Formation, forcibly trapping and killing a demon beast that even ordinary third-realm cultivators would struggle to breach. That battle made his name resound, and he was hailed as a master of formations among the younger generation.
And that maiden Xu Huayi, who had been sitting quietly to one side with a cold expression, was even more remarkable.
Second on the Hidden Dragon Ranking—a credential whose weight even outstripped that of the present Gu Chengming.
Rumor had it she entered the Dao through painting, and the judge's brush in her hand could depict all the myriad forms of mountains and rivers.
Her most illustrious feat was at the shores of the East Sea, where with a single «Ten-Thousand-Mile River-Locking Painting» she trapped two perfected third-realm jiao demons within the painting's realm and ultimately refined them into ink alive.
As the saying went, the enemy of one's enemy was a friend—though this was their first meeting, could she be counted as half a friend of his?
Gu Chengming muttered inwardly to himself.
And judging by their records, they were both geniuses for whom slaying foes above their realm was as routine as eating and drinking.
Because of Song Qing, his impression of the Tianding Sect was roughly that they were quite wealthy but rather timid.
But it now seemed the phrase "arts that commune with the divine" was no empty boast.
In the officialdom of the Great Qian there was an unwritten rule: sword-cultivator sects like the Wenjian Sect, upon descending the mountain, mostly dealt with the Night-Watch Bureau in charge of slaughter, while sects like the Tianding Sect—skilled in deduction, formations, and geomancy—were mostly tied to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
Someone like Song Qing, who'd run off to idle his days away in the Night-Watch Bureau, was purely an outlier.
Within the side hall, the fragrance of tea curled up. Vice-General Liang Si had already gone to the front hall to handle official business with the accompanying Imperial Astronomical Bureau officials.
Zhou Hui set down his teacup and sized Gu Chengming up with his gaze.
His attitude was quite courteous, and even carried a few traces of genuine respect:
"Fellow Daoist Gu's great name has thundered in our ears the whole way here—slaying the jiao demon in the East Sea, destroying the Myriad Gold Pavilion at Snowfall Pass, cleaving down a fourth-realm with the sword... such grace truly puts us to shame."
Beside him, Xu Huayi also gave a slight nod.
Though she said little, her eyes held none of the arrogance of disciples from great sects, but instead revealed a few traces of approval.
It was clear these two had genuinely come to resist the impending demon tide, without that restless air of those who came merely to gild their résumés and rack up seniority.
After the pleasantries, they came to the real business.
Zhou Hui said gravely: "I won't hide it from you, Fellow Daoist Gu—besides aiding in the city's defense, we two, senior sister and junior brother, have come this time also under orders from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to set up a 'Heaven-Listening, Earth-Watching' sub-formation within Snowfall Pass."
Saying this, he paused, and gave a rueful, somewhat emotional smile:
"It's just that when we entered the pass just now and saw the rogue cultivators within in such orderly fashion, with information passing so swiftly it was astonishing—after asking around a little, I learned that Fellow Daoist Gu had actually already created a Myriad Wonders Assembly."
As he spoke, Zhou Hui looked at Gu Chengming, his eyes full of amazement:
"To construct such an enormous intelligence network through a method of soul-intercommunication, ignoring the barriers of distance—such a technique I have never seen even within my Tianding Sect's Scripture Pavilion. Fellow Daoist Gu is truly a divine man."
Gu Chengming thought, you're the divine one, but showed nothing on his face, saying with a smile:
"It's merely the way of my sect, just to make it convenient for everyone to share what they have and lack."
It seemed the Northern Territory was remote, with information lagging behind—the Capital still didn't know the "Myriad Wonders Assembly" had already come into its own, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to such trouble to send people to lay down a formation.
Zhou Hui pondered for a moment, seeming to weigh his words, then spoke:
"Fellow Daoist Gu, this Myriad Wonders Assembly is indeed marvelous. It's just that precisely because it's so important—having now become the eyes and ears of Snowfall Pass and even nearly half the Northern Territory—I have an unreasonable request."
Gu Chengming raised an eyebrow slightly: "Please speak, Fellow Daoist Zhou."
"Could control of this Myriad Wonders Assembly be temporarily transferred—or rather, merged into the system of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?"
Zhou Hui did not beat around the bush, but analyzed earnestly: "Don't misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Gu—I'm not coveting this merit; it's truly that this matter is of grave consequence."
"After all, Fellow Daoist Gu is alone, and must also slay enemies on the front lines. If Fellow Daoist Gu were to fall into danger by mishap, or even be targeted and captured by a powerful figure of the demon race, then wouldn't this Myriad Wonders Assembly—which holds the intelligence of the entire Northern Territory—throw its doors wide open directly to the demons?"
"Such a hidden danger cannot go unguarded against."
These words could be called well-reasoned and well-founded, leaving not the slightest fault to pick at.
But as Gu Chengming heard them, his mind was quite clear.
Not to mention that the Myriad Wonders Assembly was an effect of his CG and simply could not be peeled off and transferred.
Even if it could be handed over, he had no intention of doing so.
For one, he had been arranging matters around the Myriad Wonders Assembly for a long time; for another, if he handed it over, the Myriad Mysteries Convergence Method would surely be disappointed.
As a master of gal-games, how could he ever let his own heroine be saddened!
Besides, even if such a situation truly arose, he could completely seal off the Myriad Wonders Assembly.
Zhou Hui seemed to see through Gu Chengming's thoughts and hastily added: "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Gu—the Imperial Astronomical Bureau will surely record this in the files. The merit of founding it remains entirely yours; we would never dare to embezzle the slightest bit."
Gu Chengming smiled and did not take up the thread, merely asking back: "Then in Fellow Daoist Zhou's view, to whom should this Myriad Wonders Assembly be entrusted for it to count as safe?"
Zhou Hui thought for a moment before saying: "Before the elders of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau arrive, it could be jointly managed by myself and Senior Sister Xu for the time being—the two of us would ensure it is protected in full."
Gu Chengming couldn't help laughing at this: "If I recall correctly, you two are also of second-realm cultivation, are you not? Since I would be in danger, does that danger simply vanish once the two of you are managing it?"
Zhou Hui was momentarily stalled, then said confidently: "Though we two are also second-realm, we carry life-protecting treasures bestowed by our sect and do not personally venture into danger, so naturally—"
Halfway through his words, he suddenly stalled.
He abruptly recalled that this Fellow Daoist Gu before him was no rootless rogue cultivator.
This man was a disciple of the Wenjian Sect, bearing a sword talisman personally bestowed by Luo Jinyao, seventh on the Heaven Ranking, and just a few days ago had used that very thing to cleave a fourth-realm great cultivator clean in two.
In terms of life-protecting treasures, in terms of the hardness of his backing, in terms of actual combat record, this man before him seemed not the slightest bit inferior.
The so-called "safety hazard" seemed, at this moment, a bit untenable.
In truth, Zhou Hui felt bitter inside as well.
They had come bustling in with a mission, intending to roll up their sleeves and lay down a grand formation, only to arrive and find that Gu Chengming had long since finished the job—and done it better than they could.
How were they supposed to report back on this?
If they just played the spectator and slunk off, where would that leave the face of the Tianding Sect and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?
Proposing to co-manage the Myriad Wonders Assembly was, on one hand, indeed a matter of safety considerations; on the other, it was to forcibly insert themselves into this system—at the very least they needed the title of "joint command" for things to look passable.
The atmosphere within the side hall grew a bit awkward for a moment.
Gu Chengming saw through it but did not say so, unwilling to waste time on these pointless verbal disputes.
Since reasoning wouldn't get through, then they'd settle it in the most direct manner of cultivators.
"I understand Fellow Daoist Zhou's concerns—nothing more than worry that my strength is insufficient and I can't safeguard this key."
Gu Chengming rose to his feet, gazing calmly at these two heaven's-pride figures of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and made a gesture of "please":
"In that case, why don't we go to the training grounds and spar a round."
"If the two of you can best the sword in my hand, then the safety problem of this Myriad Wonders Assembly will naturally have a better solution. The answer will reveal itself then—how about it?"
With words having reached this point, it was naturally hard to refuse.
Zhou Hui drew a deep breath, a few sparks of fighting spirit kindling in his eyes as well, and rose, cupping his hands:
"Since Fellow Daoist Gu extends such a gracious invitation, then I'll be so bold as to offend."
The training grounds of Snowfall Pass were not paved with white-jade green bricks like those in the Capital.
To suit the bitter cold of the Northern Territory, here was laid the hardest black-mystic rock.
Years upon years of erosion by wind and snow, and the hacking of blades and weapons, lent this ground a cold, biting iron hue.
By the effect of a formation, the wind and snow were sealed off outside the grounds.
Zhou Hui stood in the field, his cloud-patterned Tianding Sect Dharma robe stirring without wind.
In his view, though Gu Chengming was strong, it was largely on the strength of a sword-cultivator's keenness for slaughter and that sword talisman bestowed by Luo Jinyao—if it really came down to intricacy of methods and depth of foundation, the Tianding Sect's path of formations and talismans might not necessarily lose.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, please."
Zhou Hui formed a hand seal with one hand, three crimson-red talismans pinched between his fingertips, opening straight into the Tianding Sect's signature skill—the Nine-Revolutions Thunder-Fire Talisman.
Gu Chengming's expression was calm, his right hand resting casually on the hilt of [Evil-Repeller] at his waist.
The instant the words fell, Zhou Hui moved.
He did not press the attack, but trod the Gang steps, his figure exploding back three zhang, while flinging the talismans in his hand.
The crimson firelight burst open in midair, transforming into three ferocious fire serpents that, wrapped in crackling thunder, sealed off every avenue of retreat to Gu Chengming's left, right, and above.
At the same time, he swept his sleeve, and a dozen-odd palm-sized formation banners took root upon the ground, a layer of pale-golden light curtain instantly rising to shield him within.
Attack and defense both prepared, watertight to the last drop.
Facing this thunder-fire surging at his face, Gu Chengming advanced rather than retreated.
"Zheng——"
A clear, resonant sword cry rang through the entire field.
[Evil-Repeller] left its sheath, and immediately after, the five flying swords behind him—the Wave-Listening Sword, the Jiao-Slayer, and others—rose into the sky together.
As the sword-light flowed and circled, it formed an airtight net of swords around Gu Chengming's entire body.
Immediately after came Flowing Cloud Moon-Following—his body moving with the sword, Gu Chengming's figure became elusive and uncertain, like a wisp of flowing cloud weaving through the gaps in the thunder-fire.
In the instant those three imposing thunder-fire serpents were about to touch him, they were deftly parried and sliced apart by the sword-qi circling his body, scattering into a sky full of sparks.
—Such a fast sword!
Zhou Hui's pupils contracted slightly; the spell in his hands shifted, and the formation banners blazed with light.
Raise the formation—Trap the Dragon!
The spirit veins beneath the ground were drawn forth, and countless earth-yellow walls jutted up without warning, attempting to lock down Gu Chengming's feet.
The next moment, the six Dharma Swords hovering in the air abruptly spread apart, each seizing one of the six directions—up, down, east, south, west, north—enveloping Zhou Hui together with his formation within.
[Bond / Dharma Sword (6/6): Six Harmonies Sword Formation]
"Fall!"
As Gu Chengming's sword-fingers pressed down, the six Dharma Swords descended at once.
Zhou Hui only felt the flow of spiritual energy around his body instantly become incomparably sluggish; the formation light curtain, which had been operating smoothly, actually let out overburdened creaking sounds under the pressure of this sword-force, its glow flickering on and off.
"This is... a sword formation?!"
Zhou Hui was greatly shocked at heart.
For a second-realm sword cultivator to command multiple swords was already no easy feat; those who could form them into a formation were rarer still, as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
And a sword formation like the one before him—a self-contained world, endlessly self-renewing—he had only seen on those elders within his sect.
Not daring to hold back in the slightest any longer, Zhou Hui bit through the tip of his tongue.
"Four Symbols Formation-Command, turn!" A thick phantom of an azure dragon coiled and rose, attempting to ward off that omnipresent sword-qi.
However, since Gu Chengming had already unleashed the sword formation, he had no intention of giving his opponent a chance to catch his breath.
With a slight stir of his mind, the [Red Dust Art] in his sea of consciousness quietly began to turn.
Gu Chengming's sword-fingers waved lightly, and the imagery within the Six Harmonies Sword Formation abruptly shifted.
[Sword Intent: Cling]
That azure dragon phantom had been roaring in resistance, but under the erosion of this sword intent, sticky as glue, it seemed to sink into a quagmire, its movements growing slower and slower—even the circulation of spiritual energy within Zhou Hui's body was dragged along and became sluggish.
"Damn it! What kind of devilish sword intent is this!"
Cold sweat seeped from Zhou Hui's forehead. He felt as though he were entangled by countless invisible spider threads, each mobilization of spiritual energy costing him three times the usual effort.
If he didn't use a real move now, he feared he'd lose without even touching the hem of his opponent's robe.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, take this move of mine!"
Zhou Hui gave a violent shout, pouring all the spiritual energy in his body madly into the talismans.
A golden heavenly dragon phantom several zhang long took shape amid the burning talisman paper—a strike powerful enough to threaten a third-realm cultivator.
In the very instant that golden dragon was about to devour Gu Chengming, his figure suddenly turned illusory for a moment.
——[Red Dust Phantom Body Formula]
There was no violent fluctuation of spiritual energy whatsoever, only an extremely unique aura of the red dust—as if containing all the myriad states of living beings—spreading out.
In Zhou Hui's field of vision, that "Gu Chengming" still stood in place, then raised his sword to meet the golden dragon, and immediately shattered without a sound.
"A fake?!"
Zhou Hui whipped his head around, a strong sense of crisis making his scalp feel as if it would burst.
At some unknown moment, the real Gu Chengming had already passed through layer upon layer of formation, through the still-raging aftermath of the golden dragon, and stood at a spot less than three chi behind him.
All the flying swords had returned to their sheaths.
Gu Chengming did not use his sword.
He merely sank his waist slightly and drew back his right arm. In that instant, the ethereal, transcendent air of a sword cultivator about him vanished completely, replaced by an imperial pressure domineering to the extreme—as if it would shatter the very vault of heaven with a single fist.
[Heavenly Emperor, lend me strength!]
Zhou Hui wanted to turn around, wanted to unleash a defensive treasure, even wanted to crush a teleportation talisman.
But under the lock of that terrifying fist intent, he found he couldn't move.
He could only watch helplessly as that fist grew ever larger in his vision.
Before the fist-wind even arrived, the protective spirit-light on his face that he took such pride in crumbled layer by layer like paper, the fierce wind pressing his face out of shape and his breath stalling.
"I'm going to die..."
The instant this thought flashed through Zhou Hui's mind, that fist had already arrived.
"BOOM——!!"
An ear-splitting blast roared across the training grounds, as if a thunderclap had struck out of thin air.
The terrifying air wave spread madly outward in a ring centered on the two of them, instantly evaporating the snow on the ground into white mist.
Zhou Hui squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body trembling violently, waiting for the bone-shattering agony to descend.
One breath.
Two breaths.
The expected pain did not come—only the great crashing sound of something collapsing and crumbling by his ear, and the biting fist-wind that scraped his cheeks raw.
Trembling, he opened his eyes.
He saw that Gu Chengming's fist had stopped at a position half a cun to the side of his right ear.
There was no luster of spiritual energy on the fist's surface—only the green veins made especially prominent by exertion, and the faint heat rising from it.
Gu Chengming's expression was calm as he slowly withdrew his fist, then lightly patted away a bit of dust that had settled on the other's shoulder.
Zhou Hui stiffly turned his head, looking back along the trajectory of that fist.
"Hssss——"
He saw that behind him, the training-ground floor paved with black-mystic rock—reputedly indestructible—now bore, plain to see, a ravine dozens of zhang long and bottomlessly deep.
The rock on both sides of the ravine had all been reduced to powder, taking on a charred-black state as if scorched by high-temperature friction.
And at the end of that ravine, the training ground's thick protective formation light curtain was now covered with spiderweb-like cracks, teetering on the verge of collapse.
This one punch had pierced through the ground and nearly punched through the formation.
If this punch had veered off by even a cun...
Zhou Hui touched his still-burning ear, feeling that his back was already soaked through with cold sweat.
Had it landed on his body—forget life-protecting treasures—even if his whole person were refined into a treasure, he'd probably have been reduced to a puddle of mush.
Isn't the Wenjian Sect about practicing the sword?! Was this really a punch a second-realm cultivator could throw?
"Fellow Daoist Zhou?" Gu Chengming's voice pulled him back from his fear.
Zhou Hui swallowed a mouthful of saliva, gave a rueful smile, and bowed deeply toward Gu Chengming.
"I've lost. Senior Brother Gu... is formidable. This junior cannot hope to match you."
This "Senior Brother" was called out in utter sincerity.
In the cultivation world, the more accomplished was the teacher—though they were both second-realm, the strength Gu Chengming had just displayed completely exceeded his realm of understanding.
[Hundred Bones Resonance laughed heartily: Looks like this so-called heaven's-pride is nothing more than this.]
[And that what's-her-name second-place too—Heavenly Emperor Gu, beat her up!]
[Hundred Bones Resonance favorability +5]
"You're too kind."
Gu Chengming found it amusing inside, but did not show too much smugness on his face.
He fished a few fine Qi-Restoring Pills from his storage pouch, tossed them into his mouth, chewed them up, and swallowed.
As the medicinal power dissolved, the parched meridians within his body were nourished anew, and Gu Chengming's pale complexion regained a touch of ruddiness.
He turned, his gaze passing over the still-dazed Zhou Hui to land on the maiden who had been quietly watching the battle at the edge of the field.
——Xu Huayi.
Second on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the pillar of the Tianding Sect's generation.
The fighting spirit in Gu Chengming's heart had not subsided with that punch just now; on the contrary, it grew ever more eager because of the strength of his opponent.
He very much wanted to know just how much chance of victory his methods—steeped in many peerless arts—stood before this true heaven's-pride.
"Fellow Daoist Xu." Gu Chengming cupped his hands, fighting spirit blazing in his eyes: "Though Fellow Daoist Zhou has been defeated, since Fellow Daoist Xu has come, might I ask for a pointer or two?"
"Let me too witness the grace of the Hidden Dragon Ranking's number two."
The wind and snow seemed to pause for a moment at this instant.
Hearing this, Zhou Hui instinctively wanted to speak up to dissuade them.
But seeing the earnest look in Gu Chengming's eyes, he swallowed the words back.
Xu Huayi, in a plain white long dress, stood out especially vividly at the edge of this black training ground.
Upon hearing Gu Chengming's challenge, she did not immediately agree, nor did she show any look of being offended.
After a moment, she lightly shook her head: "There's no need to spar."
Xu Huayi's voice was very soft, yet very clear: "The strength Fellow Daoist Gu has displayed—I admit that without full preparation, I'd find it hard to break the deadlock within a hundred moves."
She glanced at that shocking ravine and said with a light smile: "Since Fellow Daoist Gu has already proven his qualifications and strength, this pointless quarrel is no longer necessary."
Gu Chengming was stunned for a moment.
He had originally assumed that, having come on behalf of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, she would surely find a way to meddle in the matter of the Myriad Wonders Assembly—he had even prepared to fight this senior sister and junior brother in a relay battle.
But it turned out the other party was actually reasonable?
Gu Chengming looked at his own fist, then at Xu Huayi's figure, and in the end a trace of regret still welled up in his heart.
Not getting to cross hands with the Hidden Dragon Ranking's number two, to see just what kind of grace that legendary «Ten-Thousand-Mile River-Locking Painting» possessed, was truly a pity.
[The Red Dust Phantom Body Formula was a bit regretful too: If you were outmatched, you could've used some sufficiently underhanded tricks.]
Damn, why are you getting regretful in such a weird spot.
After the commotion over at the training grounds dispersed, Gu Chengming saw the two Tianding Sect disciples off.
Over on the other side, Vice-General Liang Si had also just seen off those several Imperial Astronomical Bureau officials with their complicated expressions.
Once the idle bystanders had dispersed and the hall doors were shut tight, only the faint crackling of the burning floor-heating remained.
"Sit."
Liang Si gestured to the lower seat and personally poured Gu Chengming a cup of hot tea: "That lot from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau prize following heaven and accommodating men. Zhou Hui and Xu Huayi may be heaven's-pride, but they're young after all and easy enough to talk to—it's those several accompanying officials who are the difficult characters."
Liang Si drew a freshly drafted document from his sleeve and pushed it before Gu Chengming:
"This is the result we just negotiated. Control of the Myriad Wonders Assembly remains in your hands, but in exchange, the Tianding Sect's 'Heaven-Listening, Earth-Watching' grand formation will need to borrow the Myriad Wonders Assembly to calibrate the bearings of demonic qi."
Gu Chengming picked up the document and gave it a glance, then nodded: "The Myriad Wonders Assembly was meant for sharing in the first place—this is naturally no problem."
"Beyond that, regarding the matter of that Green-Scaled Hawk King, I also let slip a little hint to them. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau takes this extremely seriously, and that Miss Xu Huayi seems to intend to investigate as well." Liang Si pondered for a moment, then said: "The Tianding Sect folks carry many life-saving means—letting her go scout the way is just as well."
"It's just that I always feel this demon tide comes about strangely, and that Hawk King stranger still. Gu Chengming, you must take extra care during this period—the Myriad Wonders Assembly is now the target of all arrows. If the demon race learns that you're the one who came up with this thing, I fear there'll be assassination attempts aimed at you."
Gu Chengming nodded, lost in thought.
If that Fellow Daoist Xu was also interested, perhaps he could cooperate with her?
By the time he had dealt with that pile of tangled official business and returned to the small courtyard of the Northern Garrison Manor, the sky was already nearing dusk.
Inside the room the floor-heating burned warmly, dispelling the chill from his body.
Yu Wenqiu seemed especially afraid of the cold today, her whole self curled up deep within the fox fur on the soft couch.
Seeing Gu Chengming return, she neither rose nor asked about the affairs outside, merely shifting inward most naturally to free up half the spot, then pointing at the long-cold teacup on the side table and a plate of unshelled nuts.
Today she had shed her usual elder's airs, and that habitual loud-and-blustery energy was gone too, instead exuding a soft, clingy tenderness like a cat that had just woken from sleep.
As for Nuo Tao in the side hall, it was a different scene altogether.
That eminent disciple of the Myriad-Theft Gate, Nuo Tao, who had unfortunately been press-ganged into service, was sprawled across the desk without a shred of dignity.
At some point her face had picked up a few smudges of ink, making her look like a little calico cat that had just crawled out of a coal heap. Though her hand still gripped a brush, her head kept bobbing, clearly exhausted to the extreme.
Seemingly sensing Gu Chengming's arrival, she flusteredly sat up straight, hurriedly tidying the scattered account books before her, trying to put on a diligent appearance of "I'm working very hard, I haven't slacked off."
Gu Chengming found her look rather amusing, and set another steaming basket of pastries on her desk as a meager consolation to this laborer.
Watching the maiden's eyes light up the instant she saw the food, Gu Chengming took the chance to give her some words of encouragement.
To be honest, the work the maiden did wasn't really all that necessary; it was just that when she had nothing to do, her "hands would itch"—and rather than let her out to cause trouble, it was better to find her something to keep busy with.
With the occasional words of encouragement and small rewards, the maiden actually took great delight in it.
After finishing the day's affairs, the night had gradually grown deep.
The hour of Zi.
Gu Chengming, who had already pulled up his blanket and was ready to sleep, bolted upright on the bed, stiff as a board, like a corpse reanimating.
For no other reason than that the "inner voice," arriving punctually at the hour of Zi, had carried into his ears.
It was a blurry, indistinguishable woman's voice.
[This Gu Chengming really is a—I only noticed today, his hands are so good-looking, his face is so good-looking, good-looking good-looking good-looking, I really want to ■ him.]
[Yin-Yang Creation Strategy: ?]
[Huiyuan Sword Formula: ?]
Paying no heed to the reactions of the cultivation methods, Gu Chengming broke out in cold sweat, the people he'd met today flashing through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Yu Wenqiu, Nuo Tao, and... Xu Huayi?
——Damn it, there's a Werewolf game segment too?
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