Chapter 23: Gao Yuanyuan or Zhou Zhiruo

Zhou Zhiruo truly had a way of saying things that shocked everyone.

In the territory of Bianzhou, the Bad Commander was arguably the only master of the Qimen Realm visible to the public. It would be an exaggeration to say that everyone knew his name, but it was certainly true that his reputation alone was enough to stop children from crying and send evil spirits scurrying away. It had likely been a very long time since anyone dared to ask him who he was to his face.

"Haha, you girl, you are quite interesting!" The Bad Commander carried Wen Tao in his hand as if he were weightless. "I am the Commander of the Bureau of Unsavory Men of the Duke of Tang’s Mansion, the Bad Commander! Young lady, the Duke of Tang cannot die yet; I must take him back to the mansion. Would you mind?"

"Hmph!" Zhou Zhiruo let out a cold snort but offered no reply.

"Cough, Gao Wu here, greetings to the Bad Commander!" Knowing it was his turn to step forward, Gao Wu bowed and said, "Since this is a domestic matter of the Duke of Tang’s Mansion, we naturally would not dare to interfere. Please, feel free to proceed, Bad Commander."

The Bad Commander nodded. "I know of you. Thanks to you, Xingyun was saved this time. You are welcome to visit the mansion when you have time; the Longyuan Map shall be available for you to view, young hero."

Gao Wu had not expected the Bad Commander to be so generous as to promise him a viewing of the Longyuan Map. He quickly bowed in gratitude and promised to pay a visit.

"Xingyun, let's go!"

Li Xingyun, clutching his broken Longquan Sword, followed the Bad Commander with a vacant expression. Li Ye, looking as if he had lost his world, hung his head in despair, muttering continuously, "Impossible, we had clearly left Kaifeng, how did we end up back here?"

"Commander!" Shangguan Yunque, Yang Shuzi, and the other Tiangang lieutenants, seeing that the Bad Commander had not spared them a single glance, knelt in unison.

Without turning his head, the Bad Commander ordered, "Lock them all in the dungeon."

A large group of black-clad and black-armored Unsavory Men filed in from outside, bound the lieutenants, and dragged them away.

Zhou Zhiruo sheathed her Heaven Sword and turned to the others. "Are we not leaving?"

"Yes, let's go, back to Kaifeng City first!"

Inside Kaifeng, as soon as Zhang Zifan and Ji Ruxue parted ways with Gao Wu, they eagerly sent reports of the strange occurrences at the Duke of Tang’s Mansion back to the Tongwen Pavilion and the Huan Yin Pavilion respectively.

Once that was done, Zhang Zifan could not help but sigh to Qingguo and Qingcheng, "The world outside is truly dangerous. Even a genius like me, capable of reaching the Human Ranking, feels as if I am walking on thin ice, with my life at risk at any moment!"

"Don't be afraid, Master Zhang—*cough, cough*—we sisters will protect you!"

"That's right, Master Zhang, don't lose heart. With us by your side, we guarantee you'll be safe and sound!"

Zhang Zifan: "..."

In the Qingfeng Inn, inside Gao Wu's room, Liu Yifei, dressed in white, stood by the window, while Zhou Zhiruo, in red, sat at the table sipping tea.

"Who is she?"

"Who are you two?"

The two women spoke almost simultaneously. Liu Yifei wanted to know if the woman in red before her was the real Zhou Zhiruo or Gao Yuanyuan. As for the woman in red, she wanted to know the details about these two people.

Gao Wu looked at the woman in red and said earnestly, "Odd changes, even stays the same?"

Zhou Zhiruo’s hand paused slightly. "Signs depend on the quadrant?"

"Are you Sister Yuanyuan?"

"Liu Yifei?"

Gao Yuanyuan looked incredulous.

Gao Wu felt utterly helpless. These two were veteran actresses indeed; the moment they arrived, they acted their parts perfectly. Back at the Qianling Mausoleum, Gao Wu had once truly believed he had summoned the real Zhou Zhiruo.

After Gao Wu and Liu Yifei explained the situation, Gao Yuanyuan finally grasped the truth.

"So, this kid was the first to transmigrate, and then, through the Nether Order, he summoned us one by one? And every time he advances in rank, he can summon another person?"

Gao Yuanyuan summarized, her bewitching and cold face suddenly displaying a look of confusion and girlish innocence, creating a sharp contrast.

Liu Yifei nodded. "That's exactly it."

"Can we go back?"

"We don't know yet. We haven't found any clues, but Gao Wu and I have discussed that there must be a great secret hidden within the Longyuan Map of this world. Perhaps the way back is hidden inside it!"

"The Longyuan Map?"

"Is this the Longyuan Map?"

Inside the Duke of Tang’s Mansion, Li Xingyun was seeing the real Longyuan Map for the first time.

"When that Gao Wu comes again, you shall show him this map."

"Master, this Longyuan Map is the national treasure of the Great Zhou Empire. Why are you willing to let Master Gao view it?"

"Before I entered the Qianling Mausoleum, I cast a divination. The hexagram indicated that Gao Wu is destined for greatness and has a boundless future—so much so that even I cannot fathom it!"

"Ah? This..."

"It is best for you to form bonds with him while you are still humble. Once you reach eighteen and inherit the title of Duke, it will be incredibly difficult to make friends of such life-and-death caliber!"

"Master, what about my father?"

"Keep him under house arrest for now." The Bad Commander waved his hand, unwilling to discuss it further. "Next, you must seek the master swordsmith Ouyezi to reforge the Longquan Sword."

Outside Kaifeng, the red-haired Ghost King Zhu Youwen sat cross-legged in silence in a ruined courtyard, never forgetting to cultivate even while away from home.

"Lord Ghost King, a secret report from Kaifeng!"

Zhong Xiaokui, looking like a young girl, walked into the courtyard silently. She was austere, her eyes sharp, wearing a red hat and a red dress.

"Hmm, Xiaokui, tell me."

With the Ghost King's permission, Zhong Xiaokui opened the report.

"After the Duke of Tang and Li Xingyun returned to the mansion today, the Duke went to the backyard and has not come out since. It is rumored that the Longquan Sword was broken, and Li Xingyun has been ordered by the Bad Commander to find a way to reforge it."

Zhong Xiaokui paused before continuing.

"Gao Wu has another mysterious woman in red by his side. She appears to be from a heretical sect; no other information is known for now."

The Ghost King remained expressionless. "Is there still no word on when Gao Wu will leave the city?"

"None."

"Go. Watch him closely. Once he leaves the city, report back immediately!"

Zhong Xiaokui bowed and vanished in an instant. Within the abandoned farmhouse, thick black smoke swirled and then settled into silence once more.

The next day, to avoid any complications, Gao Wu prepared to head to the Duke of Tang’s Mansion early to hold Li Xingyun to his promise and view the Longyuan Map.

The map was rumored in the martial arts world to be miraculous, but no one could clearly describe what it looked like or what its effects were.

Moreover, ever since the Bad Commander agreed to let him see it yesterday, Gao Wu had felt a strange sensation. There was a secret waiting to be uncovered in the Longyuan Map—not the martial arts or treasures rumored in the world, but something related to his own bloodline.

Gao Wu, dressed in cyan martial attire, looked heroic and composed.

Liu Yifei, however, had abandoned the cyan and blue outfits of the previous days, wearing the long white dress she had been in when she first arrived. She truly looked like a fairy descended to earth. As she walked out of the inn, she drew the gaze of countless passersby. Some men accompanied by their wives suffered ruthless pinches, leaving them bruised, yet they still could not keep their eyes off her.

As for the other woman in red, she looked like a spirit from the underworld. Though she was stunningly beautiful, everyone who saw her instinctively looked away, not daring to take a second glance.

Inside the Duke of Tang’s Mansion, Gao Wu bowed.

"Young Duke, I have come to view the Longyuan Map."