...Leaving the commandery, southwest he hastened on; the passenger boat sailed south upon the shining river. Banners drew ever nearer the road to azure clouds; sword at his waist, he journeyed toward Linjing.
The passenger boat traveled swiftly downstream. At this rate, it would reach the territory of the Anhe Divine Capital in half a month. From there, he would change to horseback, and the Anhe Linjing Circuit would not be far away.
He had made killing Gu Xiqiao his first objective. This was, of course, also Yu Zhengxing's recommendation in the jade slip.
Kill first, repay kindness afterward. The order could not be reversed.
For an executioner, imposing presence came first. Show might before kindness, and kindness would be better appreciated; show kindness before might, and that might could no longer be brought to bear. This was a sword cultivator's creed.
...The passenger boat stopped and started, passengers boarding and disembarking, one group replacing another. Yet the distinguished guest in the first-class cabin kept to himself and never showed his face. Gradually, everyone forgot about him.
The passengers had no access to him, and the sailors dared not approach. The very rich and influential were bound to have their eccentricities. Considering that he was also a cultivator, there was nothing surprising about it.
Hou Niao was still tinkering with his Purple Mansion. Once he stopped paying any attention to the Purple Mansion Vortex, he gradually made new discoveries. He was pleased to see that he was still a normal human being. He could not regard himself as a freak simply because he had this vortex.
The cultivation method from the Anhe Daoist Sect was excellent. It helped him trace the signs of his own Purple Mansion bit by bit. Under pressure from his dual dantian, it gradually became clearer,