Are You Questioning Me?

Void Form was delighted and asked, "Then may this humble one leave?"

Gu Yuanqing raised his eyes to look at Void Form but said nothing for a long while.

Void Form's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Gu Yuanqing was going back on his word?

After a long time, Gu Yuanqing finally said calmly, "Do not forget your promise. Send another twenty books each year. Martial arts manuals, ancient biographies, or strange miscellanies—all are acceptable. There is only one requirement: these books must have value. Do you understand what I mean by value?"

Suppressing the joy in his heart, Void Form clasped his fists and said, "Naturally. They must be books seldom seen on the market."

"You may be thinking that once you descend the mountain, the world is vast, like a fish slipping into rivers and seas, impossible to trace. But I have a bad habit: if someone promises me something, they must do it. Otherwise, I feel ill at ease. I have left a small mark on you. If you are confident you can evade my pursuit, you may disregard this."

Void Form hastily declared, "Rest assured, Young Master Gu. Though I, Void Form, am a great thief, my word carries the weight of nine tripods. I will not break faith with anyone. Besides, you are a Grandmaster. No matter what, this humble one would never dare deceive you!"

"Before you leave, hand over the original copy of that Remnant Scripture you have hidden on you as well."

Void Form's expression stiffened slightly. From a gap in his close-fitting clothes, he drew out a roll of paper whose material could not be identified and handed it over.

"Then go. I do not wish for any news related to me to come from your mouth."

As Gu Yuanqing finished speaking, Void Form felt his entire body lighten, and the True Qi throughout his body returned to normal.

"Many thanks, Young Master! This humble one will certainly keep his mouth sealed." Void Form could no longer suppress his delight. He hurriedly clasped his fists and bowed, then turned and left the room, using his Movement Technique to swiftly depart.

When he reached the edge of North Spring Mountain, he could not resist looking back.

But at that very instant, pressure suddenly descended without warning, and the True Qi throughout his body froze once more.

Void Form was horrified, thinking Gu Yuanqing intended to kill him. Yet the next moment, the pressure vanished like smoke, and he immediately understood that it was a warning.

He clasped his hands and bowed toward Gu Yuanqing's courtyard, then used his Movement Technique again, avoiding the open sentries and hidden watchers as he completely left North Spring Mountain.

Only after reaching the mountain opposite did he finally relax completely and let out a long breath.

This time, Void Form had truly stumbled hard. He had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used to lure it—he had humbled himself so thoroughly that he had nearly called Gu Yuanqing grandfather just to win a sliver of life.

Twenty Cultivation Methods had nearly emptied out everything he had learned in his lifetime! And that Remnant Scripture—he had always felt it concealed some secret, which was why he had kept it by his side for years. Now, everything was gone. He must have had water in his brain to climb that mountain.

Still, surviving was already a great blessing!

At that moment, he spotted someone hurrying toward his location. Focusing his gaze, he found it was an acquaintance.

"That old fossil from the Thieves' Sect has sharp eyes. He must have noticed me coming down from the mountain and wants to ask what happened."

With a thought, he turned and left. He had no desire to remain near North Spring Mountain now.

The figure arrived where Void Form had been standing moments ago. He was small and thin, dressed in coarse hemp clothes, with a Wine Gourd hanging from his waist.

"Why did that little brat Void Form run the moment he saw me? Could he have stolen some fine treasure from North Spring Mountain?"

The old man in hemp clothes' eyes lit up, and he used his Movement Technique to quickly pursue him.

After fleeing more than ten li, Void Form abruptly stopped.

Ahead of him stood a figure within the shadow of the treetops, his body swaying gently with the trees in the breeze.

Void Form's face darkened. "What are you chasing me for, you old bastard?"

The old man in hemp clothes grinned, revealing his large yellow teeth. "If you had not run, why would I chase you?"

"That means I do not want to see you. I warn you, stop following me, or do not blame me for being discourteous."

Void Form circled around the great tree, his body drifting away like green smoke.

After traveling another li or so, he suddenly flicked his hand, sending several blue needles tearing through the air.

With a cry of alarm, a figure sprang out from the shade of the trees and said furiously, "Ice Soul Qi Breaking Needles! Void Form, do you truly intend to kill me, you brat?"

"I told you already. Do not follow me."

"Then explain yourself. What exactly did you see on North Spring Mountain, and what did you steal? The Thieves' Sect has its rules—those who see it get a share!"

Void Form's face turned livid. He said nothing at all. The emotions he had bottled up on North Spring Mountain erupted at once.

Without another word, a dim radiance emerged around his body. A Profound Martial Phenomenon appeared. He drew a Short Sword from his waist, power bursting beneath his feet as he charged straight at the old man in hemp clothes.

The clanging of weapons colliding rang out without end.

The old man in hemp clothes cried in alarm, "Void Form, have you gone mad?"

A moment later, Void Form forced back the old man in hemp clothes and escaped once more.

"If you follow again, I will kill you!"

The old man in hemp clothes watched Void Form's departing figure and muttered, "Something is off about this fellow."

Gu Yuanqing carefully examined the original Remnant Scripture and found that it was indeed no different from what Void Form had written down.

After reading for a while, he took out his notes.

"Though I only understand part of this Fragmentary Text, that part has the same marvelous effect through different paths as what Miaoxuan described about Grandmaster cultivation. It truly is extraordinary. To me, it is no less valuable than a Grandmaster cultivation method. What a pity it is only a Fragmentary Text."

Gu Yuanqing had lost all desire to sleep. As he studied, he recorded his findings, occasionally using annotations from other manuals to analyze the meaning within the Fragmentary Text.

In the blink of an eye, dawn was approaching. Only then did he finally put down the Fragmentary Text and lie in bed for half an hour.

As his cultivation grew, Gu Yuanqing needed less and less sleep. Half an hour was enough to restore his mental fatigue.

After rising in the morning, he practiced swordsmanship, then gathered Gang Qi. Just after breakfast, Deputy Commander of Divine Eagle Guard Yuan Yingsong arrived outside his courtyard gate at the foot of the mountain.

"General Yuan, what brings you to my humble place today? Would you like to come in and sit?"

"There is no need, Young Master Gu. I have come to take someone away." Yuan Yingsong clasped his fists in greeting, his tone calm.

Gu Yuanqing was slightly taken aback and smiled. "Take someone away? On North Spring Mountain, there are only myself and two servants. May I ask whom the general intends to take?"

"Ghost Hand Void Form!"

Gu Yuanqing's gaze narrowed slightly as he smiled. "May I ask who told the general that Ghost Hand Void Form was on North Spring Mountain?"

"My apologies, but I cannot disclose that. Void Form is a wanted criminal of the Imperial Court. I ask that Young Master Gu hand him over to me."

"I am sorry as well, General. You arrived a few steps too late. Void Form has already descended the mountain."

Yuan Yingsong was stunned at those words. Sensing the auras, he indeed found only one person within Gu Yuanqing's courtyard. He urgently said, "Void Form left? He is a wanted criminal of the Imperial Court. How could you release him without authorization?"

Gu Yuanqing's smile faded. He said flatly, "General, are you questioning me? I, Gu Yuanqing, am merely a commoner imprisoned here. What does capturing wanted criminals have to do with me? On the other hand, General, you are charged with guarding this Forbidden Ground, yet you allowed someone to slip inside. Is that not a dereliction of your duty?"

Seeing Gu Yuanqing's gaze, Yuan Yingsong's expression froze. In his haste, he had forgotten that the man before him might be a Grandmaster. He hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "I misspoke. Since Void Form is no longer here, I shall not disturb you further, Young Master."

"I will not see you out."

Gu Yuanqing closed the courtyard gate.

Yuan Yingsong led his subordinates down the mountain with a gloomy expression.

An Imperial Guard commander behind him hurried forward a few steps. "Brother-in-law... General, Gu Yuanqing is merely a prisoner. Why must you be so courteous to him? Even if there may be a Grandmaster behind him, he is treating us Imperial Guards with far too little respect, is he not?"

Yuan Yingsong shot him a glance and rebuked, "Silence. Is there any place for you to interrupt how I conduct myself?"

The commander slowed his pace resentfully.

Yuan Yingsong returned to the foot of the mountain and entered a military tent.

Within the tent, an old man dressed like a scholar was holding a Dossier, sipping tea as he read it.

Yuan Yingsong clasped his fists in greeting. "Senior."

The old man glanced outside the tent and frowned slightly. "Where is Void Form?"