Return to Yun Province, Tie Tou Missing

After leaving the Northern Zhou Imperial Palace, Gu Mo and Ye Chen visited Flying Temple to find the stone tablet that Saint Monk Huineng mentioned, which recorded the story of the Seven Saints Slaying Dragons.

Neither Gu Mo nor Ye Chen could decipher the content inscribed on the tablet. The script from over two thousand years ago was indeed somewhat abstract, and neither of them specialized in that field.

However, Gu Mo didn't doubt that Saint Monk Huineng had lied. There was no reason to do so. Moreover, even though he and Ye Chen couldn't recognize the ancient script, they could record it and have it deciphered by the Imperial Academy upon their return to the Qian Kingdom.

Gu Mo's main purpose for visiting Flying Temple wasn't to verify the stone tablet, but to erect a cenotaph and a monument for Master Huineng, so that future monks of Flying Temple would know that Master Huineng had sacrificed himself to subdue demons and suppress monsters.

Afterward, Gu Mo, Ye Chen, and the Yun brothers departed.

On the way back, their pace was much slower than on the way there, as they were no longer in a hurry. Gu Mo pondered the use of Demonic Stone Origin Qi as he traveled.

His Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique also absorbed demonic energy, and the demonic energy from the Demonic Blade was extremely pure, complementing the Demonic Stone Origin Qi perfectly.

As for the dragon scale, Gu Mo decided to have Tie Tou forge it into a blade for him. Now that he had obtained the max-level Demonic Blade, he was in need of a suitable blade.

Gu Chundong's Kirin Demon Blade was decent, but Gu Mo found it less convenient to use. Firstly, the Kirin Demonic Power within it couldn't keep up, and secondly, the Demon Blade had developed sentience and recognized Gu Chundong as its master. Although Gu Mo could still use it, it wasn't quite compatible.

It wasn't that the Kirin Demon Blade acted against Gu Mo, but rather that the blade spirit's consciousness was limited and stubborn, unable to adapt flexibly.

In comparison, the Kirin Demon Blade's consciousness was inferior to Gu Mo's Grand Void Sword. His Grand Void Sword contained the Profound Heaven Floating Stone, giving it great evolutionary potential. Later, after Gu Mo cleansed Ling Xiao's Nascent Soul and fused it into the sword as a sword spirit, it possessed mature sentience from its very inception.

Therefore, although the Grand Void Sword recognized Gu Mo as its master, others could also use it as long as Gu Mo commanded it, making it very flexible.

Thinking of Ye Chen's earlier speculation that there might be other hidden Ascension Realm cultivators in the world who could cause chaos, Gu Mo felt a sense of anticipation. Once the dragon scale was forged into a blade, he could replicate his previous actions and cleanse the Nascent Soul of an Ascension Realm cultivator to serve as a sword spirit.

In late March.

Gu Mo and his companions exited Northern Zhou and reached the border of the Qian Kingdom.

Ye Chen then bid farewell to Gu Mo.

At a crossroads beneath a cliff, Ye Chen, mounted on his horse, cupped his hands to Gu Mo and said, "Big Brother, I'll come to the Qian Kingdom often to visit you in the future. Of course, if you miss me, you can also come to the Chu Kingdom to find me. I'll treat you, and I guarantee you'll have a great time. I'm quite influential in the Chu Kingdom."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and replied, "I'll come to the Chu Kingdom in the latter half of this year."

Ye Chen quickly said, "That's great! But, Big Brother, could you write me a letter before you come? I have to ask my mother for permission every time I go out. Sigh, I'm not afraid to tell you, even though I'm in my twenties, I still get beaten by my mother at home. So, I have to inform my mother in advance every time I go out. Otherwise, if I dared to sneak away, I'd get beaten when I returned!"

"Hahaha..." Gu Mo chuckled lightly and said, "Alright, no problem. I'll definitely send you a letter before I go to the Chu Kingdom, and I guarantee you won't get beaten!"

Ye Chen rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

Gu Mo continued, "By the way, you've now touched the threshold of the Ascension Realm. While ordinary people might not take fifty to sixty years to take that step, your situation is special. You might break through at any moment if you encounter some fortuitous encounter. But you must restrain yourself, do not ascend, and do not abandon your physical body."

Ye Chen asked doubtfully, "Why? Aren't all the Inner Demons killed by you now?"

Gu Mo replied, "It's not just about the Inner Demons. I feel there might be a problem with ascension. Dragon Tiger Mountain has an ancestral teaching: do not ascend. I didn't quite understand it before, but since I killed the Inner Demon, I've vaguely felt something in the heavens probing me.

But when I try to investigate, I can't find anything. Also, theoretically, the Heavenly Gate should appear upon reaching the Ascension Realm, but there are always exceptions. For example, me. My physical body reached the Ascension Realm first, and the Heavenly Gate didn't appear to me. This also indicates a problem."

Ye Chen quickly said, "I understand, Big Brother. I'll also try to find a way to ascend through the physical body."

Gu Mo added, "My method of physical body ascension cannot be learned by others except me. However, you can try to break through the limits of your physical body. You are still young and have plenty of time. You don't need to worry about lifespan. You can try to break through.

There are mainly two directions to break through the limits of the physical body: one is to break the physical body's spatial constraints. The second is to purge impurities from the body, similar to washing tendons and cutting marrow. The clay figures created by the Divine Monk Dabie in Chang'an City were in this direction."

Ye Chen was also a top martial artist of the current era, and he grasped things quickly. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I understand, Big Brother!"

Gu Mo cupped his hands and said, "It's getting late, you should go quickly!"

"I'm going!"

Ye Chen turned his horse, waved goodbye, and galloped away, kicking up dust.

Subsequently, Gu Mo and the Yun brothers quickly departed in another direction.

In early April.

Gu Mo returned to Chang'an City.

Chang'an City was as prosperous and bustling as ever. The storm caused by the establishment of the Crown Prince had passed.

Gu Mo went directly to Princess Chengyang's mansion.

Gu Chundong and Li Li came to welcome Gu Mo after hearing the report from the gatekeeper.

Gu Mo followed Gu Chundong and Li Li into the mansion, and the scene before him greatly surprised him. When he returned from Penglai Island last year, Li Li's princess mansion had already reduced its daily expenses and sold many valuable items.

However, it was still passable.

But now, the princess mansion was just an empty shell. Even the welcoming stone at the entrance was gone. The marble table in the pavilion and the koi in the artificial lake were also gone. Even the rockery only had its base left. The servants who used to be in large numbers were also significantly reduced.

"Li Li, did your house... get robbed?" Gu Mo asked with a smile.

Li Li pouted and said, "Who would dare to rob my house? It's the same as last year. I sold those things, and I reduced the number of servants working in the mansion as much as possible. The money was all used to replenish the national treasury. Oh, Chundong even gave our Emperor father thirty thousand taels of silver!"

Gu Mo looked at Gu Chundong with surprise. He knew very well how stingy Gu Chundong was. She was the type of person who would eat a few extra bowls of rice when visiting friends to get her money's worth. It was almost unbelievable that she would give away tens of thousands of taels so generously!

Gu Chundong understood Gu Mo's confused and shocked expression and said, "Brother, His Majesty is going to lead the army personally. I can't help much, so I can only support him with some money, just like Chengyang!"

Gu Mo was aware of the Qian Emperor's decision to lead the army personally. The Qian Emperor had told him about it long ago. At the beginning of the year, Ye Jinglan was transferred from the Ministry of Justice back to the Imperial City Division in preparation for the Emperor's personal expedition, as Ye Jinglan would serve as the Great General accompanying the Qian Emperor to the front lines.

"When?" Gu Mo asked.

"They're departing in two or three days," Gu Chundong said. "Brother Ye is also going."

Gu Mo nodded and didn't say anything further. Instead, he carried the wrapped dragon scale into the small courtyard.

Although the dragon scale had returned to its original state and was no longer ten feet wide as it was under the control of the Inner Demon, it was still two feet long, one foot wide, and weighed a thousand catties.

It was fortunate that Gu Mo's cultivation was profound. If an ordinary person wanted to bring this dragon scale back from Wutong City in Northern Zhou, it would have required immense manpower and resources.

As Gu Mo placed the dragon scale on the ground, the floor directly sank.

Seeing this, Gu Chundong asked curiously, "Brother, what is this?"

"Dragon scale," Gu Mo replied. "It's a good item I obtained in Northern Zhou. I'm bringing it back to forge a blade."

Gu Chundong lifted the cloth, revealing the dragon scale.

It resembled a piece of jade, with irregular wavy edges, shimmering with a faint blue luster, as if hiding the secrets of the deep sea. The surface patterns were winding and intertwined, seemingly with flowing energy. A light touch sent a bone-chilling coolness, as if one could feel the majestic aura of a galloping dragon.

"Brother, are there really dragons in the world?"

"I've killed a Kirin, so it's not strange to have dragons, is it?" Gu Mo chuckled.

"That's true," Gu Chundong grinned. "It's so magical, a dragon scale! So magical!" She gently stroked the dragon scale and said, "Then, does that mean the Reverse Scale Blade from the Thirteen Taboos might also be real?"

"I think the Thirteen Taboos might all be real," Gu Mo said.

"Is that so," Gu Chundong slowly stood up and asked, "Then, Brother, are you going to find Tie Tou to forge the dragon scale blade for you?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "I plan to go to Yun Province to find Tie Tou in a couple of days."

He trusted Tie Tou's forging skills; the Grand Void Sword was proof of that.

Gu Chundong said joyfully, "Brother, when are we going back? Will we be staying for a long time this time? My orchard isn't finished yet!"

Since buying the estate in Yun Province last year, Gu Chundong had been working on its construction, wanting to fulfill all her childhood dreams about houses, such as having her own orchard, fish pond, and vegetable garden. Moreover, she wanted to be personally involved in the entire process.

At the beginning of the year, Gu Chundong's orchard had begun construction, but she had to stop when she came to the capital.

Looking at Gu Chundong's expectant eyes, Gu Mo smiled and said, "We'll be staying for a long time this time. I'll only go to the Chu Kingdom at the end of the year. I had an appointment with Master Liansheng earlier."

Gu Chundong quickly said, "Then we'll have enough time. I'll ask Li Li if she wants to come to Yun Province to play with me."

With that, Gu Chundong wrapped up the dragon scale and ran out.

A moment later, a guard from the princess mansion came to report that Ye Jinglan had arrived.

With Gu Mo's permission, Ye Jinglan entered shortly after.

As soon as Ye Jinglan reached the entrance, he said with a smile, "Brother Gu, if you didn't return soon, I would have had to go to the Jiang Kingdom to see you."

Gu Mo chuckled and said, "I just happened to get back."

"As soon as you entered the capital, the Imperial City Division received the news..."

As they spoke, they walked into the main hall.

As soon as he entered the hall, Ye Jinglan suddenly felt uncomfortable. His gaze fell upon the wrapped dragon scale in the living room, and a look of solemnity appeared on his face. He asked, "Brother Gu, what is that? I feel a sense of repulsion!"

"Dragon scale," Gu Mo replied. "You have Kirin blood flowing in you and Kirin bones. You are a divine beast, just like dragons. As the saying goes, kings do not meet kings. It's normal to feel repulsion."

Ye Jinglan asked in surprise, "Where did you get the dragon scale?"

"I obtained it after killing the Inner Demon..."

Then, Gu Mo briefly recounted the events in Northern Zhou.

After listening, Ye Jinglan sighed, "Northern Zhou was already in chaos, and now it's even worse. It's probably beyond repair."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

Ye Jinglan pointed at the dragon scale and said, "So, you're planning to forge a blade with this dragon scale now?"

"That's the plan." Gu Mo replied.

Ye Jinglan said, "Alright, after I go back later, I'll find a cold jade bottle and give you a drop of my essence blood. You can then give my essence blood to Tie Tou. That kid is a disciple of the Weapon Saint Tie Zhu, and he'll definitely know how to integrate my Kirin blood with earth fire.

Yours is a dragon scale. With Tie Tou's skills, he can definitely refine it. However, refining it with ordinary earth fire will surely cause some of its properties to be lost. But with Kirin Fire, it's different. Moreover, it can speed up the process, and perhaps even stimulate more of the dragon scale's dragon might."

Gu Mo placed his hand on Ye Jinglan's shoulder, felt his physical condition, and chuckled, "Hmm, that's fine. You're almost completely evolving into a Kirin body now. A drop of essence blood won't have much of an impact!"

Ye Jinglan said, "I must also thank you, Brother Gu, for the Kirin bone you gave me. The energy contained within it is too powerful. After refining it over the past two months, my Kirin body has indeed reached near completion. I'm almost at the physical body Ascension Realm you mentioned, so I'm halfway to ascension."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Soon. Once your Kirin body reaches completion, you can reach the full physical body Ascension Realm. It's just a pity that your current path relies too heavily on Kirin blood. Nascent Soul ascension is impossible."

Ye Jinglan laughed heartily and said, "Brother Gu, not everyone is like you. Without Kirin blood, with my talent, it would be difficult for me to even reach the Ascension Realm in my lifetime. Moreover, as you said, there might be problems with Nascent Soul ascension. This is already a great gain for me!"

Gu Mo smiled and asked, "When are you leaving?"

"The day after tomorrow," Ye Jinglan replied.

Gu Mo said, "You'll be leading the army and protecting the Emperor's safety. I won't add to the trouble. I wish you a safe journey in advance. I won't see you off the day after tomorrow."

Ye Jinglan laughed, "If you were to see me off, I really wouldn't have the time to pay attention to you."

"Haha..."

That day, Gu Mo also met with Zhuo Qingfeng and Su Ziyou, and finally, went to the Imperial Palace to see the Qian Emperor.

Early the next morning, Gu Mo left the capital with Gu Chundong and Hong Yi.

However, Gu Chundong was a little disappointed because Li Li had refused her enthusiastic invitation to play in Yun Province.

It wasn't that Li Li didn't want to play. Li Li was naturally playful and wished she could be with Gu Chundong all the time. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't refuse Gu Chundong's invitation.

But now, the Qian Emperor's personal expedition was imminent.

Although the Emperor's personal expedition could greatly boost morale, it was also accompanied by suspicion and talk of defeat. After all, if it weren't a time of extreme crisis, why would the dignified Emperor personally lead the army? Even Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of the Chu Kingdom, who was famous for his personal expeditions, had not taken this step yet.

Therefore, the Qian Emperor's personal expedition was indeed double-edged. It could boost the morale of the front lines, but it also brought about unrest among the people domestically.

At this time, any move by the royal family could be infinitely magnified by those with ulterior motives, leading to all sorts of rumors. This was why Li Li had refused Gu Chundong. She was worried that if she went to Yun Province, someone would spread rumors that the royal family had secretly transferred assets, and that the war on the front lines had completely failed!

However, Gu Chundong didn't remain disappointed for long, as Gu Mo began to teach her the Demonic Blade techniques.

But the Demonic Blade Gu Mo taught Gu Chundong was modified. The original Demonic Blade required mastering the artistic conception and moves of the Demonic Blade first, and then entering the "Turbid World Demonic Pool" to absorb its profound mysteries. The pool water was mixed with all kinds of poisons from around the world, with a pungent and foul smell, containing extremely strong demonic nature and killing intent.

Cultivating this Demonic Blade turned one into a killing machine.

Therefore, after obtaining the max-level Demonic Blade, Gu Mo modified it using his current martial arts realm. The moves remained the same, but the artistic conception was changed.

In the original Demonic Blade, demonic energy controlled the person, and the person became a demon. However, in Gu Mo's modified version, the person controls the demonic energy, and the demon is merely a martial arts technique.

The reason for such a change, besides Gu Mo's high martial arts realm, was that the Turbid World Demonic Pool was no longer needed. Gu Mo now possessed purer Demonic Stone Origin Qi than the Turbid World Demonic Pool, which Gu Chundong could continuously absorb demonic energy from.

The Demonic Blade was originally a rapid cultivation technique. After Gu Mo removed the drawback of demonic nature invading the spiritual consciousness, although the speed decreased, Gu Chundong's new version of the Demonic Blade was completed in about a month.

Gu Chundong was already a Martial Dao Grandmaster. With the completion of the Demonic Blade, she directly cultivated her Demonic Blade Domain.

As for further progress to the Ascension Realm, it was no longer about simple cultivation but about realm comprehension. Even if one were to ascend with the Demonic Blade, it would not just be about cultivation, but about comprehending one's own path to cultivation and cultivating a Nascent Soul or a demonic body.

Thus, time flew by, And it was early May.

Gu Mo and his companions finally returned to Yun Province and arrived at Yun City.

Gu Mo went directly to the Six Doors.

When Gu Mo revealed his identity, the Commander of Yun Province's Six Doors and Chief Constable Du Sha personally came to greet him.

Du Sha was Zhuo Qingfeng's master, and he had met Gu Mo in Mobei when they rescued the Second Prince, now Crown Prince Li Zhongqing. Therefore, their relationship was quite good, and they were quite familiar with each other.

Thus, after a few simple pleasantries, Gu Mo got straight to the point and said, "Chief Constable Du, I'm here today to find Tie Tou. I need to ask him to help forge a weapon."

Upon hearing this, Du Sha and the Commander's expressions changed slightly.

Du Sha cupped his hands and said, "Great Hero Gu, Tie Tou has gone missing. Our Yun Province Six Doors have been searching for half a month, and we still have no clues!"

Gu Chundong exclaimed in shock, "How could something happen to Tie Tou? He's always so simple and doesn't offend anyone!"

Du Sha nodded and said, "Even if he offended someone, it wouldn't matter. Tie Tou is the number one weaponsmith in Yun Province. He has made many contributions in the past two years, and his rank has reached Thousand Household Commander. Most importantly, at the beginning of the year, he improved the God-Slaying Crossbow. His achievement has reached the highest level, and His Majesty has personally commended him. If he hadn't been unwilling, His Majesty would have transferred him to the Ministry of Works.

His forging workshop is protected by ten Super-Class Experts, over forty elite Six Doors members, and over a hundred apprentices who are also skilled in martial arts. To be frank, the importance placed on him now is no less than that of the Yun Province Governor, perhaps even more so. He is too important. Every time he improves a weapon, it means a greater chance of victory for our Qian Kingdom on the battlefield."

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "Then how did he go missing?"

"I don't know," Du Sha said with deep remorse. "It's shameful to say, but half a month has passed, and we still haven't figured out when Tie Tou went missing."

Du Sha organized his thoughts and said, "On April 12th, Tie Tou was forging weapons in his workshop as usual. There was no abnormality until he went to sleep.

He also slept in his workshop, so all the guards followed their routines. Not only were there people patrolling constantly, but the courtyard where he slept was always guarded by experts. Moreover, Tie Tou himself is a Super-Class Expert. His Golden Bell Shield, which has reached the eleventh level, is rare in the world. His hidden weapons are also top-notch in this era.

That night, there was no sound and no disturbance. However, the next morning, Tie Tou did not appear as usual. He usually woke up before dawn. The guards realized something was wrong and went in to check. He was gone.

What's strange is that there were no signs of a struggle in the room, as if Tie Tou had left on his own. However, he didn't take any of his belongings with him, and none of the many guards in the courtyard saw him leave. It was as if he had suddenly disappeared while sleeping.

Gu Mo asked, "Did Tie Tou say anything or act strangely before he disappeared?"

"No," Du Sha replied. "The current Tie Tou is a national treasure. Any matter concerning him is highly valued. We can confirm that there were no abnormalities before his disappearance.

However, the abnormality is outside. During this period, Tie Tou is not the only master weaponsmith who has gone missing in Yun Province. Thirteen cases have been reported so far. Without exception, they all disappeared mysteriously, just like Tie Tou.

Gu Chundong exclaimed in surprise, "So many? Not a single one showed any abnormality?"

Du Sha nodded and said, "Not the slightest abnormality, nor were any traces left at the scenes of disappearance. Currently, this case has made no progress!"