Yan San Niang

Although Gu Chundong was not very old, only seventeen, she had been roaming the jianghu with Gu Mo since she was seven. She counted as a veteran of the jianghu herself and was highly vigilant. She hid the head well, making it look no different from an ordinary bundle.

Along the way, she encountered no mishaps while leading Gu Mo.

"Brother, why do I feel like you can see?"

"Why do you say that?" Gu Mo asked.

"You walk so steadily," Gu Chundong said. "Yesterday morning, we set out and walked an entire day before reaching Great Treasure Mountain. But today, on our way back from Great Treasure Mountain, we walked less than two hours. I did not even need to deliberately slow my pace."

Gu Mo smiled faintly and said, "I had an epiphany last night. My internal energy has improved greatly, and I can now adapt to life as a blind man."

"I see." Gu Chundong nodded. "That is good. But Brother, do not worry. I will definitely find a way to heal your eyes someday."

"Alright."

Gu Mo smiled faintly. He was not too worried about it.

Now that he had the system at his side, he was not too concerned about whether his eyes could be healed. He planned to become a Blade Catcher. First, he could earn money to hire renowned doctors. This was a world where martial arts flourished brilliantly; as the saying went, medicine and martial arts were never separate, so Divine Doctors were naturally not scarce. Sooner or later, he would find a doctor who could heal his eyes.

Second, even if he could not find someone to treat him, as long as he kept hunting and killing Wanted Criminals, perhaps one day the system's rewards would grant him something that could heal his eyes.

"Brother, you look really handsome when you smile."

"Then I will smile more from now on."

"Mhm, I like seeing you smile. Ever since your eyes became damaged, you have always been gloomy. You would not talk, and your temper became violent too. I was so scared,"

"It will not happen again."

Gu Mo stretched out a hand in a caressing gesture. Gu Chundong cooperatively tilted her head and rubbed it against his palm.

This had been a habit between the siblings since they were young.

Gu Mo was three years older than Gu Chundong. Ten years ago, their parents suddenly vanished, leaving the siblings to depend on one another. At only ten years old, Gu Mo had set out on the road of raising his younger sister and searching for their parents.

Fortunately, both siblings had learned martial arts from their parents since they were three or four years old. Though young, they had some ability to protect themselves. Yet they were still far too young and suffered countless hardships. The siblings had endured only by serving as each other's Spiritual Pillar.

And some time ago,

he had been unable to bear the blow of losing his sight. His mind had teetered on the verge of collapse, his moods had been as unpredictable as cloud and rain, and he had become easily enraged. Gu Chundong had truly suffered through a miserable time.

Linjiang City was the county seat of Linjiang County and exceptionally prosperous. Because it lay at the confluence of several great rivers, it had become the commercial hub of several surrounding counties.

Yet trade had both made and ruined it. It brought rapid economic growth, but it also brought many problems. The most typical was the ever-increasing number of jianghu people who came here seeking gold. Since ancient times, heroes had the common failing of breaking the law through martial force, so Linjiang City's order was rather chaotic. Many evildoers liked to commit crimes here.

Although the Six Doors of the imperial court did everything they could to suppress them, they were always stretched thin and short of manpower. Thus, the authorities had no choice but to use martial artists to control martial artists, issuing bounty notices and inviting jianghu people to assist them. As a result, Blade Catchers flourished throughout Linjiang County.

To that end, the Six Doors had specifically established a department to deal with Blade Catchers.

Gu Chundong led Gu Mo to the yamen and turned in the head of Flower-Picking Thief Zhou Tong. After it was quickly verified, they received the reward of three hundred taels.

Three hundred taels of silver was an enormous sum. In the past, when Gu Mo had worked as an escort master at the Long Wind Escort Agency, even with his daring, hard-fighting temperament, he could only earn around one hundred taels in an entire year. After deducting all kinds of expenses, very little remained.

Therefore, three hundred taels of silver was a huge fortune to them.

Gu Chundong tucked away the money and happily emerged from the yamen. "Brother, let us buy a carriage. It is inconvenient for you to walk, and you cannot ride a horse. A carriage would suit you best. We could return to our hometown in only about half a month. Then we can buy a small house. Hmm, there should still be some money left over. I could do a little business or something. Once my martial arts improve, I can do big business and earn lots and lots of money, then get your eyes treated. After that, we can bring a sister-in-law home, and she can give you several big, plump sons!"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "I do not want to go back."

"Huh?" Gu Chundong asked in confusion. "If we are not going back, are we staying in Linjiang City?"

"Mhm, we are staying in Linjiang City," Gu Mo said.

Gu Chundong had never opposed Gu Mo. She immediately said, "That is fine too. But property in Linjiang City is very expensive. Three hundred taels will not buy us a house, so we can only rent somewhere to live. It is not easy to do business here, either. I can find a martial arts school and work as an instructor. The monthly pay would be a little low, but it would be enough for us to live on, and I would have time to train properly."

Gu Mo smiled faintly. "I want to become a Blade Catcher."

Gu Chundong hesitated for a moment. "That works too. As long as you are happy, Brother. We can take on some simple bounty missions and make a living."

"Difficult missions are not out of the question either."

"Brother, I cannot beat them!"

"It is fine. I will fight. You just lead the way and collect the heads."

Gu Chundong looked at Gu Mo's covered eyes, wanting to speak but stopping herself. She dearly wanted to dispel Gu Mo's unrealistic idea, but she was worried about damaging his state of mind. She did not want the Essence, Qi, and Spirit he had only just regained to sink back into dejection and collapse.

Although Gu Mo had told her that his internal energy had improved last night, she did not believe it could make up for the flaw of blindness.

"Alright, Brother, I will listen to you. Let us find an inn first. Then I will slowly look for a house."

Gu Chundong thought that Gu Mo could not see anyway, so he could not truly go out and become a Blade Catcher. There would not be any danger, so she would not argue with him over whether becoming a Blade Catcher was feasible.

The siblings chatted as they searched for an inn.

Just as they passed by a small alley,

Gu Mo suddenly stopped and said, "The two friends behind us have followed us all the way here. What guidance do you have? Why not show yourselves and speak plainly?"

Gu Chundong's expression changed slightly. She immediately gripped the hilt of her saber and assumed an attacking stance.

At once, a woman's voice came from the alley. "Young Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, do not misunderstand. I bear no ill intent!"

Gu Mo could not see her and could only hear her voice. It was an exceptionally pleasant voice, though not simply because it sounded sweet. It carried an inexplicable, seductive allure. If her appearance matched that voice, she would undoubtedly be a very charming woman.

In truth, she was exactly as Gu Mo had imagined.

The person who emerged was indeed an exceptionally beautiful woman. Her figure was graceful and supple, and a moon-white gauze dress traced her slender waist to perfection—so slender it seemed it could be held in one hand, as though it might break with a single fold. Every frown and smile carried a bewitching posture.

Behind the woman stood a tall and straight youth with a solemn expression. Dressed in black and holding a black long sword in his arms, he stood one step behind her, seeming to be her guard.

"I am Yan San Niang of Unique Villa," the woman said with cupped hands.

"So it is Boss Yan, the Bone Scraper. I have long admired you. May I ask what guidance Boss Yan has for me?" Gu Mo replied with cupped hands.

Gu Mo had spent four years in Linjiang City, roaming the jianghu all that time. He was very familiar with the jianghu of Linjiang County and knew more or less every notable figure with a name.

Yan San Niang was an extraordinary person, one of the rare women who had made a name for herself in the jianghu. She owned an estate in Linjiang City and specialized in making wine. She was famed for her beauty, enough to intoxicate many men, but her methods were also ruthless. Thus, she had earned the jianghu nickname Bone Scraper.

When Yan San Niang announced her identity,

Gu Chundong, already highly alert, became even more wary, even somewhat nervous.

Because she knew full well that no one who had made a name in the jianghu was simple.

Gu Mo was also considered a rising star of the jianghu around Linjiang County. His saber technique was exquisitely peerless, yet after all these years, he had still failed to earn a resounding nickname.

Yan San Niang cupped her hands and said, "Young Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, I saw the two of you turn in Flower-Picking Thief Zhou Tong's head at the yamen just now. I wished to ask whether you intend to become Blade Catchers. If you do, we can cooperate."

Gu Mo chuckled. "Could it be that Boss Yan no longer plans to run a Wine Estate and wishes to change careers to open a Wind Chasing Tower?"

Young Hero Gu had truly hit the mark," Yan San Niang said. "Wine estate business is not easy these days. I have indeed changed careers and entered the wind chasing business."

Wind Chasing Towers were intermediary organizations that specifically served Blade Catchers. Blade Catchers were rather unusual: they were all jianghu people, and most did not like dealing with the yamen. Some Blade Catchers were even Wanted Criminals themselves, so they needed someone to deal with the authorities on their behalf.

Furthermore, Blade Catchers had always worked alone. Without intelligence, catching wanted criminals was highly inefficient. Sometimes, they could be in the same place as a wanted criminal and missed them without even realizing it.

Under such circumstances, organizations like Wind Chasing Towers, which served Blade Catchers, emerged.

Blade Catchers affiliated themselves with a Wind Chasing Tower. The tower helped negotiate prices with the yamen and provided precise intelligence. When facing powerful Wanted Criminals, the Wind Chasing Tower could also contact other Blade Catchers to cooperate.

Simply put, Wind Chasing Towers were organizations that sought ways to help Blade Catchers complete bounty missions more quickly and easily, while also raising their prices as much as possible. Once a mission was completed, they split the reward fifty-fifty.

This arrangement was a mutually beneficial partnership for both Wind Chasing Towers and Blade Catchers.

Do not be fooled by the fact that half the reward was taken. Blade Catchers definitely did not lose out.

Take Zhou Tong, whom Gu Mo killed last night. If he had had a powerful Wind Chasing Tower behind him, even after half the reward was taken, he would have received more than the three hundred taels from the yamen. Other jianghu people, or wealthy families harmed by Zhou Tong, would have offered rewards too. The Wind Chasing Tower was needed to investigate and negotiate those prices.

"I see," Gu Mo said. "But Boss Yan, there are no fewer than eight or ten Wind Chasing Towers in Linjiang City. Why should I choose your newly established Wind Chasing Tower rather than those old, famous ones?"

Yan San Niang said, "Naturally, I have my advantages. First, I currently have very few Blade Catchers under me, and the network of connections I can use is exceptionally abundant. If Young Hero Gu and Heroine Gu affiliate yourselves with me, I will naturally do everything in my power to provide intelligence for you two. If you join those large Wind Chasing Towers, it will be difficult to obtain firsthand intelligence.

"Second, I take a smaller share. I do not dare break the rules of the trade, so publicly it will still be a fifty-fifty split. However, I will return twenty percent through other means, such as gifts. I will take only thirty percent.

"What do Young Hero Gu and Heroine Gu think?"

Gu Mo nodded. "That is acceptable. But I am somewhat tired today. Tomorrow, send someone with sincerity to discuss the details with me. Since Boss Yan is in the wind chasing business, surely you will not be unable to find where I am staying?"

Yan San Niang cupped her hands. "Until tomorrow."

"Farewell."

Gu Mo cupped his hands and left with Gu Chundong.

Watching Gu Mo and Gu Chundong depart, the black-clothed youth behind Yan San Niang asked, "Boss, Gu Chundong is only a little girl, and she is carrying around a blind man as dead weight. Is there any point in recruiting them? That Zhou Tong was clearly a bargain the siblings picked up. Everyone knows Zhou Tong had been pursued for days and had less than a tenth of his strength remaining."

Yan San Niang shook her head slightly. "The one I am recruiting is not Gu Chundong, but Gu Mo."

"A blind man."

"Yes, a blind man."

The black-clothed youth chuckled. "Boss, I am afraid you will misjudge this time. That blind man will not live to see tomorrow's sun."

"Why do you say that?"

The black-clothed youth said, "A little girl and a blind man struck it rich and obtained three hundred taels of silver. Now they have become that great prize themselves. Three hundred taels is enough to buy several lives, let alone when it is a little girl leading around a blind man."