The woman takes her husband's surname.
The masked man followed, urging, "Chase them! If we don't kill them this time, we'll never have another chance."
Ghost Boss glanced sideways, flicked his hand and swatted away the masked man, warning, "Patriarch Hua, it's not your place to command me."
Hua Lingteng was forced back a few steps by the fierce palm wind, his face flushed as he said, "If we hadn't sent you the message, you still wouldn't have been able to find the Hundred-Faced Young Man."
"So what? Is it honorable to use someone else to do your dirty work?"
The Ghost Boss flew to the top of a tree, gazed into the distance, finally chose a direction, and flew away, saying, "I'll only catch the people I want to catch. As for the rest, you can handle them."
The Ghost Gate Death Servant leaped after him.
Wu Yizhao asked Hua Lingteng, "What do we do now?"
Hua Lingteng pointed to two other paths, "Let's split up and pursue them."
Fang Gu Jin Ning circled north, disappeared into the woods, and entered the canyon.
As the sun sets, towering peaks block out the last rays of light from the sky. The valley is dark and narrow, and the sound of horses' hooves pierces through the canyon, soaring into the sky.
Xiao Heng'an decisively abandoned his horse, grabbed Gu Jinning's waist, and leaped up the cliff of the valley to the top.
The loud cry attracted the Ghost Gate members, and the Death Servants sped up to chase after the horse.
In the darkness, Gu Jinning saw Ghost Boss suddenly stop, look towards the summit, and turn back uphill.
Gu Jinning cursed Ghost Boss for being cunning, and pulled Xiao Heng'an into the woods. But a gust of wind swept across their faces, and a dark figure appeared in front of them.
"Still running? How long are you planning to stop?"
The Ghost Boss flicked his sleeve and unleashed his Ghost Blade.
Gu Jinning pushed Xiao Heng'an aside, jumped up a tree, and shouted, "Let's talk this out, can you please stop being violent?"
The Ghost Boss sheathed his Ghost Blade, glanced over, and said, "Alright, then hand over the item."
Gu Jinning jumped down from the tree and hid behind Xiao Heng'an, saying, "I always do things properly and never take a penny more than necessary. I definitely didn't take anything from you."
Ghost Boss stepped forward, and Xiao Heng'an drew his sword to defend.
The Ghost Boss stopped in his tracks, flicked his sleeve, and said, "If you didn't take it, then she did. Hand over the person, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse."
Gu Jinning retorted, "That happened a year ago. How would I know where your wife went? I'm only responsible for getting paid and doing things. Once the money is paid and the job is done, I don't cover after-sales service."
"This matter arose because of you, so naturally I have come to find you."
With a flick of his sleeve, Ghost Boss unleashed a powerful palm strike. Gu Jinning countered by shooting a hidden arrow from her sleeve and drawing her soft sword, joining forces with Xiao Heng'an to attack from both sides, forcing him to defend with his palms and preventing him from using his Ghost Blade.
After several rounds, Ghost Boss's palm strikes grew increasingly fierce, and his already sculpted face became even colder due to his anger, causing the surrounding air to freeze.
He suddenly retreated dozens of steps, revealing several ghost blades in his hands. He unleashed several blades simultaneously, with extremely fine iron wires wrapped between the blades, forming a huge wire mesh.
The sharp sound of weapons cutting through the air pierced the eardrums, and trees fell and rocks cracked wherever they went.
The two hurriedly dodged to the sides, their swords striking the ghost blade and instantly breaking in two.
Gu Jinning said urgently, "I really didn't know she took your things. How about this, let's compromise: I'll help you find her, and you don't have to keep chasing after us."
Those who understand the times are wise. Ghost Boss is the master of the Ghost Gate. He lives on the cliffs all year round and has mastered a unique lightness skill that no one can match. Moreover, his skills are domineering and unruly. He is bloodthirsty and unreasonable. In addition, his Ghost Blade can cut through iron like mud. He is simply a man-eating Yama.
Gu Jinning was unwilling to risk her life and said hastily, "It's easy for you to kill me, but then you'll never know where that thing is again."
As expected, Ghost Boss stopped and recalled Ghost Blade.
Gu Jinning exchanged a glance with Xiao Heng'an, then slipped behind him, revealing only her neck, and said, "I don't pry into personal matters when I'm doing business. But thinking about it, she does have some issues. Well, I can tell you where I last saw her. Whether you can find her or not is another matter."
The Ghost Boss, toying with the Ghost Blade in his hand, ordered, "Take me there."
Gu Jinning smiled and said, "I haven't finished dealing with my work yet, so I can't go. How about I draw you a map?"
The Ghost Boss saw through her little scheme at a glance and sneered, "They're just a bunch of rabble from the imperial court, nothing to be afraid of. Do you choose to find someone, or do you want me to hand you over?"
Gu Jinning hesitated, "Then let's find someone. I'm too lazy to bother with them; it's much more comfortable to cooperate with Lord Guimen."
The ghost boss glanced at Xiao Heng'an, "Him?"
Not far away, the Ghost Gate assassins arrived. Gu Jinning quickly grabbed Xiao Heng'an's arm and said, "He has to come with me to protect me."
The Ghost Boss scoffed again, "People from the imperial court? Can you really trust them?"
"Then you won't need to trouble yourself."
The sky was completely shrouded in darkness, and dark clouds obscured the last remaining starlight in the night sky. Wild beasts howled in the forest, and strange birds cried out in the valley.
Gu Jinning and Xiao Heng'an were disarmed and squeezed into a carriage with the Ghost Boss, heading north.
Throughout the journey, Ghost Boss kept giving the two of them strange looks.
Gu Jinning felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze and broke the silence, "Um, Lord Guimen, the journey north is long and arduous. Shouldn't we arrange a time? My time is also very valuable. A single deal can result in a loss of several thousand taels."
The ghost boss slowly wiped the skull on the blade, glanced at me, and said, "Try to do business with me? If you find the person, everything is fine; if you don't, I'll kill you..."
The ghost leader pointed at Xiao Heng'an, threatening him with a half-smile, "...Him!"
Gu Jinning pouted and muttered under her breath, "What's so great about it?"
The ghost leader straightened up and demanded, "What did you say?"
Gu Jinning raised her head and said, "What I mean is, Lord Guimen, you boast that you are the best in the world in martial arts, and claim that no one can dodge three moves from you. Today, he fought you for more than ten rounds, and you did not gain the slightest advantage. If you hadn't used your evil hidden weapon, who knows who would have won or lost. If you kill him, wouldn't that make you seem petty?"
The Ghost Boss replied in a sinister tone, "The Ghost Gate never reasons."
Gu Jinning forced a smile and softened her tone, "Look, we're two against one, and we have a good chance of winning and escaping if we fight with all our might. We didn't run away because we didn't want a misunderstanding to ruin our relationship. Lord Guimen, you may say you're unreasonable, but you're actually much more righteous than those prestigious sects. I want to be your friend."
The ghost boss wasn't buying it and ignored her with a cold face.
Gu Jinning continued to plead, "I'm telling you the truth. That swordsman from the Dao Sect was at least a chivalrous person, but he ended up becoming a lackey of the King of Qin, which is a disgrace to the martial arts world. You're different. You have principles and dignity. You're skilled in martial arts and handsome. You're excellent in every way. I've always looked up to you as a role model."
"Heh." Ghost Boss laughed. "You didn't hold back when you were plotting against me."
Gu Jinning waved her hand awkwardly.
“Survival is all about getting paid to do things, you know that, but I absolutely did not harm a single brick or tile of the Ghost Gate. It was your wife who was afraid that the Ghost Gate Mountain was too high and the road too steep, making it inconvenient for her to visit her family, so she became hesitant and asked me to help her leave. I really didn’t expect her to have ulterior motives.”
Her incessant chatter successfully appeased the old man's anger.
The Ghost Boss ignored her and turned to ask Xiao Heng'an, "A court official, can you stand her smooth talk?"
Xiao Heng'an replied calmly, "It's alright."
The ghost leader asked, "What's your name?"
Gu Jinning answered quickly, "His name is Gu Wangshu."
Xiao Heng'an relaxed his brows, indicating his agreement.
The ghost boss then asked Gu Jinning what her name was.
Gu Jinning casually said, "Bai Sheng."
The ghost boss bluntly asked, "Does wearing a mask really make you think you're a man?"
Gu Jinning switched back to her female voice and shook her head listlessly, "Dealing with someone as smart as Ren isn't very pleasant; it's not fun."
She clasped her hands in a fist and solemnly introduced herself: "I am Gu Qianning, the founder of the Thousand Faces Sect. I take my husband's surname, so please accept my humble opinion."
Ghost Boss let out a deep, sneer. What Thousand Faces Sect? A bunch of swindlers trying to get something for nothing. He'd been searching for her for almost a year and hadn't even found a single plot of land belonging to the Thousand Faces Sect.
"As long as you two don't have any wicked thoughts, I'll reluctantly spare your lives."
Gu Jinning quickly chimed in, "Of course, of course, we're the most obedient."
"Aren't you in a hurry anymore?"
"No rush, no rush, we're still counting on your protection."
Xiao Heng'an had witnessed Gu Jinning's skills in navigating the world of martial arts; she was adept at being flexible, opportunistic, and sycophantic.
Accompanying her on her journey through the world would be a unique experience.
Even before leaving the city, Gu Jinning had prepared a backup plan. If the transaction didn't go smoothly and she didn't return by 5 PM, Qinglian would spread the news that the princess had entered the imperial mausoleum to keep vigil for her great-aunt, the Empress Dowager, for three months.
Song Ming and Song Hui successfully shook off their pursuers and entered the city. They quietly returned to the Prince of Jin's residence through a tunnel and immediately learned of the news released by Qinglian. They then released the news that the Prince of Jin had entered the imperial mausoleum to observe mourning for three months.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yi helped the two put on a show and requested permission to mobilize heavy troops to protect the imperial mausoleum.
The imperial mausoleum is a sacred site; no one may enter without a summons. Even if Xiao Liao has suspicions, he cannot trespass.
In this way, he not only fulfilled his descendants' filial piety towards the Empress Dowager and won Xiao Juebai's approval, but also escaped Xiao Liao's investigation, achieving two goals at once.
Xiao Liao knew that Gu Jinning and Xiao Heng'an were up to no good, but due to pressure from all sides, he could not act forcefully, and the arrest was thus delayed.
As the month drew nearer, Xiao Yi remained calm and composed, while Xiao Liao grew increasingly anxious and his hatred for Xiao Yi deepened.
He wants everything that Xiao Yi is unwilling to fight for!
Early autumn in Kyoto carries an undercurrent of tension, while autumn in the north already carries a sense of desolation.
The mountain wind slipped into the bumpy carriage, damp and cold against people's skin.
Gu Jinning shivered and put her hands in her sleeves. "Hiss, the wind in the mountains is so cold. Lord Ghost Gate, do you have any warm clothes?"
The ghost leader replied dismissively, "No." He then instructed the driver to go into town to rest.
Xiao Heng'an's palm injury has healed. These days, he has been sharing a car with Boss Gui, rarely speaking, yet the relationship is surprisingly harmonious.
"When you go into town to wash up, you guys better take off those tattered masks right away; they've been bothering me the whole way."
God knows how painful it was for him to see two men's faces being intimate in front of him.
Gu Qianning, in particular, with a male face and a female voice, chattered on and on all day long, it was simply unbearable!
After spending several days together, Gu Jinning figured out that Ghost Boss was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and was no longer afraid of him.
She even planned to curry favor with the Ghost Gate so that they could act powerfully and influentially for her Thousand Faces Sect.
"Lord Guimen, everyone in the martial arts world calls you Boss Gui, so what is your real name? Is your surname Gui?"
The Ghost Boss coldly uttered two words, "Ghost Jue".
Gu Jinning clapped her hands and exclaimed, "This name is great! It means 'Gui Jue Gui Jue' (鬼玨鬼绝), meaning 'all ghosts are exterminated.' It signifies both Bao Yu (宝玉) and the ability to exorcise ghosts. It's a wonderful idea!"
Gui Jue couldn't stand her deliberate flattery, so he lifted the curtain and sat outside the carriage.
Gu Jinning winked triumphantly at Xiao Heng'an, lifted the curtain, peeked out, and saw a city not far ahead. She grabbed Xiao Heng'an's arm and exclaimed excitedly, "We're in the city! We're in the city! Yangcheng, it sounds like a good name!"
Gui Jue frowned as he listened.
Xiao Heng'an noticed that the words "Yangcheng" were indeed engraved on the city tower. He pulled her back to sit down and wrote the words "Yang Yu" in her palm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
