Humility towards each other
Gu Yi's every move is watched by the world. His appearance in the West Market has already caused quite a stir. Now, he has appeared in Luoyufang, the largest gathering place for Hu women and Hu merchants, with Mo Yimingyue present. Princess Wansui will definitely not say anything good about him.
Just as A Qiu was about to declare that her internal strength had mostly recovered, Gu Yi lifted her up with one hand, carried her straight through the window, and landed lightly under the railing.
Mo Yimingyue leaned out, looked down at them, her eyes gleaming, and said, "There's something else I forgot to say. Lanling Hall recently took on a new job, which should have been yours, A Qiu, but since your martial arts haven't recovered yet, it's fallen to me and Senior Brother."
Ah Qiu, who hadn't carried out assassination duties for a long time, asked in surprise, "Who is the target?"
Mo Yimingyue said, word by word, "Grand Marshal and General, Marquis of Dongguang, Pei Yuanli."
Even Ah Qiu was taken aback and gasped in shock.
Pei Yuanli was not some highly skilled and difficult-to-kill person; the problem was that killing him now would cause serious political turmoil.
Gu Yi, however, was slightly taken aback, but had already guessed most of it.
This must have been the condition Xiao Chang'an used to persuade Li Chongyu to come to court.
The imperial court could not openly execute Pei Yuanli, but Xiao Chang'an could hire a Jianghu assassin to stage an accident.
This is the meaning behind Xiao Chang'an's words before he left: "I do not wish to be a gentleman like the Junior Tutor, therefore I may have more methods than the Junior Tutor."
Gu Yi sighed inwardly when he thought of this.
Although Mo Yimingyue was speaking to A Qiu, her gaze was fixed on him, clearly implying that she was conveying a message to him.
Ah Qiu's eyes flashed as she asked, "So, between you and Senior Brother, who took this job?"
Mo Yimingyue rolled her eyes and made a helpless expression, saying, "The two of us are currently being humble to each other, and the touching scene is no less than Kong Rong giving away the pear."
A-Qiu was so angry she almost laughed. She said disdainfully, "As expected, you can't do without me."
Mo Yimingyue grinned, revealing a set of snow-white teeth, and said, "That's right. I hope that Junior Sister's divine skills will recover quickly so that she can return to kill for her senior brothers as soon as possible."
Gu Yi ignored his nonsense, grabbed A Qiu, and quietly descended from the shadowy eaves, disappearing silently into the noisy crowd below.
Once outside the gates of Luoyufang and back on the main street, Gu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and released his grip on A Qiu's collar.
Ah Qiu said sullenly, "Why are you sighing? Don't you come here often?"
Gu Yi was taken aback. He looked at her and wondered seriously if he had gained a disciple and now had to ask her permission before taking any action. He doubted that any sect or school would have such a rule.
And when she got angry, she stopped calling him "Master" and simply slipped away from him, landing a full three feet away.
And he did frequent brothels in the past, just not in the way she imagined.
Gu Yi never lied in his life.
But he felt resentful at being unfairly stigmatized. So he decided to use whatever he could to defend himself.
He said, "It's been almost ten years since I last came here."
...
A-Qiu stared at him with disbelief, as if she wanted to tear him apart with her gaze.
So, his image as a refined and aloof gentleman, always mindful of propriety and propriety in front of the people, was cultivated over the last ten years? The timing does indeed match. Gu Yi's rise to power and regency, gradually gaining renown throughout the land, all occurred within these last ten years.
No wonder Gu Yi was so disrespectful and reckless towards her in that underground chamber. It turns out he actually has this side to him, he just hides it well usually!
Back then, she was practicing the White Silk Dance, and he wouldn't even glance at her. It turned out that he was just that kind of person who couldn't bear to look at anything improper.
A-Qiu grew angrier the more she thought about it. She looked at the bustling brothels on both sides of the street, their red flowers and green willows swaying in the breeze, the girls' warm smiles seemingly dripping with honey—this whole street was a red-light district. She stomped her foot angrily in the middle of the street and shouted, "I'm not going back to Jinlingtai! Go back by yourself!"
Since meeting A Qiu, Gu Yi had seen her with a gentle smile and ease, as well as her helpless and furious state in front of him, where she could only swallow her anger and endure it.
But I have never seen her so undisguised and nakedly angry.
He never explained himself to anyone in his life. As An Daoling said, why should the Junior Tutor explain himself to anyone? Only others were obligated to explain and smooth things over for him. Since he had never practiced this before, he was naturally speechless at this moment.
If it were Ah Qiu's senior brother Gongyi Xiu, who was used to frequenting brothels, he would definitely be able to come up with such a thing without hesitation.
Furthermore, Gu Yi also had his own considerations.
As a respectable man, how could he possibly explain to his disciples that he had gone to a brothel, but that he only ever listened to intelligence and never did anything else?
Regardless of whether she believes it or not, this... doesn't seem like a matter of pride for a man.
Seeing Gu Yi standing there helplessly, A Qiu's suspicions were confirmed. Although she had vaguely sensed something before and felt very unhappy, she hadn't figured out what Gu Yi's visit to a brothel had to do with her.
After all, the eldest brother had visited, and the second brother should have visited as well. Master Wanqi... according to Gu Yi, had also visited.
She now understood why she was unhappy. Because her master and fellow disciples had never asked her to promise them a lifetime commitment, not even when she was delirious from the fever or sick.
Gu Yi's promise might not be a lifelong commitment; it could just be flirting. Her senior brother, Gongyi Xiu, would probably make such vows four or five times a night. Only she would be foolish enough to take it seriously.
Even if... it doesn't count after she wakes up, she still finds it unforgivable!
Seeing that Gu Yi was unusually silent, she immediately set off.
After running through several streets, the fragrance of the flower-lined streets and the beautiful scenery in his eyes dissipated, and all that could be seen were the bustling streets and alleys. Only then did A-Qiu feel that he could breathe more easily and his mind gradually calmed down.
She was an extremely calm person by nature, and always very clear about the pros and cons.
She had clearly told herself that what she said that night, whether to him or her, was meaningless.
Putting aside the promises made that night, her current identity is Gu Yi's only disciple. What Gu Yi does or where he goes is none of her business.
Putting aside how many times Gu Yi had helped her in the past, her martial arts skills had now recovered to most of their former level, all thanks to Gu Yi. What right did she have to be angry with Gu Yi?
Once Ah Qiu calms down, he rarely acts impulsively.
For both emotional and rational reasons, she couldn't possibly turn against Gu Yi right now, just like that day, during that unsuccessful apprenticeship ceremony, when Gu Yi was kissed by her, she had to pretend nothing had happened.
Both the imperial court and the music bureau had hundreds of eyes watching them.
Before A Qiu could figure out where to go next, he suddenly felt a sense of foreboding and turned around.
The long street she was facing was now deserted and eerily silent.
The chill in A Qiu's heart had not disappeared. Without showing any emotion, she placed her hand on the "Louyue" brocade at her waist and said in a deep voice, "You've followed me all this way. Come out!"
In an instant, white figures flashed out from all impossible angles—on the eaves, behind the trees, beside the walls, and by the bridge.
These people were all wearing straw hats, which were pulled down very low.
The faces under the straw hats were indistinct, but they were all dressed in the same white clothes.
In a single glance, A-Qiu had already counted them clearly. Thirteen people.
The three main branches of Lanling Hall have "Nine Cauldrons" under their direct command: Yiyan Hall has "Eight Steeds"; Xingfeng Hall has "Eight Horses"; and her Divine Weapon Hall has "Thirteen Shadows".
The Thirteen Shadows are the shadows behind the Divine Weapon Hall Master. They are the most unshakeable force besides the Hall Master. Nominally, they are A Qiu's subordinates, but their loyalty to Wan Qiqing is beyond question, and they also have the responsibility to supervise the Hall Master.
A Qiu's rise to become the head of the Divine Weapon Hall was not only due to Wan Qiqing's instructions, but also to her own achievements. Her achievement was that she single-handedly broke through the combined "Shadow Combat Technique" siege of the Thirteen Shadows.
The leader, gripping his weapon, slowly stepped forward and said, "It's been a long time. I hope you are well, Hall Master. I hope you haven't forgotten the date of our test."
A-Qiu felt a sudden alarm bell ring in her heart. How could she have suddenly forgotten this part?
Lanling Hall originated from assassins, and strength is paramount. Whether it's her or Gongyi Xiu and others, anyone who wants to secure the position of hall leader must undergo regular assessments by the hall. This is also the hall's consistent "fighting to sustain fighting" principle. Assassins differ from other martial arts sects; they don't emphasize self-cultivation, but they must constantly maintain the pressure of walking on the edge of life and death in order to unleash their full potential.
Thirteen Shadows was chosen to test her, and Thirteen Shadows herself also had to be tested by the others in the hall.
As master and servant, they often face life and death together. The leader intimidates his subordinates with absolute power, while the subordinates, while obeying, are always looking for the leader's weaknesses.
This was designed by Wan Qiqing, who had a deep understanding of human nature; it was the true system of Lanling Hall.
Her master, Wan Qiqing, would not deliberately spread the news of her recent loss of martial arts skills, but he would also not deliberately hide it from the hall.
Only the Thirteen Film Society took notice of this news.
She currently spends most of her time in the Jinling Terrace within the palace, which is under the protection of the Imperial Guards and guarded day and night by the Junior Master of the Imperial Guards. The Thirteen Shadows cannot enter, nor would they be willing to pay the price of total annihilation just to test her.
Every time she left the palace, Gu Yi was always by her side. This time, however, she was the only one left alone.
She instinctively looked behind her. The leader noticed this and continued in a emotionless voice, "Well, the church master learned that after you parted ways with Master Gu, he immediately turned around and went in another direction. He must have something to investigate."
For some reason, A Qiu's heart, which had just been raised, then gently sank back down.
This is consistent with Gu Yi's usual style. He's not the type to chase after a girl and explain things.
Not wanting her subordinates to see her as overly hesitant and indecisive, she let out a long sigh and declared loudly, "Come on!"
A clear whistling sound rang out, like the roar of a dragon. "Louyue" was drawn from its sheath, its light as cold as lightning, illuminating the sky and the earth.
All thirteen figures were moved.
Gu Yi's Crescent Moon Sword was once famous throughout the land. But none of them had ever seen it, because that was ten years ago.
Despite their emotions, the thirteen assassins were all experienced and would not change their plans because of this. The moment the sword was drawn, the thirteen immediately dispersed, surrounding and blocking A Qiu's path, while all their weapons were drawn at once, attacking A Qiu.
A-Qiu, who was directly in the line of fire, immediately felt a heavy, powerful wind and aura pressing down on him, making it almost impossible for him to see.
The Lanling Hall's assessments are never lenient, nor will they make exceptions for the hall master if they are injured or lack skill. That would defeat the purpose of the assessment.
Therefore, in the past, when a gang leader was injured, he would usually choose a place to hide, so as not to be killed by his own subordinates before being found by his enemies.
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