Gu Yuan stood lost in thought, slowly savoring the insight he had just gained, feeling as if he had acquired another layer of understanding of this Sword Formulas.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

At that moment, a cry from Ah Huang echoed in Gu Yuan's mind, followed by a scene from Ah Huang's perspective being transmitted to him.

A few secretive figures appeared at the back gate of the Qian Mansion. Upon closer inspection, these individuals had bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on their chests, clearly members of the Cyan Bamboo Gang!

They were dragging a bulging black sack, which by its shape seemed to contain a person.

They knocked on the door five times in the rhythm of long-short patterns.

Creak—

The back gate was opened, and two people, looking like household servants, came out warily. Upon seeing a few familiar faces, they relaxed slightly.

After exchanging a few words, one of the servants took out a money pouch and tossed it to the members of the Cyan Bamboo Gang, who nodded with a smile, left the black sack, and hurriedly departed.

...

"So it really does have something to do with the Qian Mansion..."

Gu Yuan was first surprised, then smirked coldly, ordering Ah Huang to monitor the Qian Mansion.

In recent days, he had Ah Huang and Big Mouth keeping an eye on the Qian Mansion, the two little ones each monitoring the front and back gates.

Ah Huang and Big Mouth were small and inconspicuous, making them experts at surveillance, not likely to attract any attention.

Now, they had indeed discovered something suspicious!

Then, through Ah Huang's vision, Gu Yuan observed the two servants locking the black sack in a room, then guarding it inside.

Witnessing their inaction, Gu Yuan was unsurprised and patiently continued to watch their every move.

At dusk, the two finally carried the black sack out of the room. At this moment, an unremarkable carriage was already waiting outside the back gate of the Qian Mansion.

The two servants threw the black sack onto the carriage and also boarded it.

During this, they merely gave the carriage driver a hand gesture.

The driver nodded without saying a word, snapped the reins, and drove away.

Through Ah Huang's vision, Gu Yuan scrutinized carefully, only to notice something unusual.

The driver was both deaf and mute, a deaf-mute person!

Clearly, such a person could keep secrets better than ordinary people.

Gu Yuan hesitated no longer, his body's tendons and bones resonated with a crackling sound, resulting in some changes in his physique.

His frame became broader, he grew taller and slimmer.

Even his facial features became more mature and stern, his eyebrows sharp as swords slanting upwards, and his eyes cold and indifferent, piercing like blades!

Yan Shisan, his new alias, was officially playing his role!

The carriage took advantage of the night to leave Beiliang City.

Ah Huang followed behind, and Gu Yuan, clad in a new set of black clothing, tailed Ah Huang.

Once out of the city, they arrived at a desolate wilderness, where the carriage came to a stop.

The two servants dragged the black sack down, and the person inside seemed to have woken up, making muffled "mm mm mm" sounds, trying to struggle, but was subdued by a few punches to the abdomen from one of the servants, bringing compliance.

Then, the three proceeded to a nearby mountain cave.

The cave was pitch black, like the gaping maw of a ghastly specter.

Especially at night, the howling cold wind and the faint mist added to the eerie atmosphere.

Tap-tap-tap—

Accompanied by soft footsteps, a figure approached from the side.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man.

This man was of average build and appearance, except for a pair of cold eyes.

On his arm hung a pair of Iron Claws, chilling and glinting with a ghostly green gleam.

"Another tributor from the Qian Mansion, Qing Ping?"

Seeing this man, especially the poison-coated Iron Claws on his arm, Gu Yuan's mind recalled the information from Steward Wu.

The Qian Mansion had two tributors, Qian Fengping and Qing Ping.

The former excelled in Palm Technique, with a powerful move, "The Big Stone-Throwing Hand," but had previously been killed by him.

As for the latter, he was a notorious outlaw later recruited by the Qian Mansion, adept with a pair of venomous Iron Claws, which sealed one's throat with their poison, earning him quite a reputation for ruthlessness.

He's undoubtedly the middle-aged man with Iron Claws tied to his arm.

"Have you brought the thing Young Master wants?"

Qing Ping's voice was calm and deep, yet it sent a sensation akin to bugs crawling to one's ear, making people distinctly uncomfortable.

"Greetings, Steward Qing! The person Young Master wants is right here!"

Upon seeing Qing Ping, the two burly servants were so frightened that their legs felt weak. After respectfully saluting, they pulled open the black sack, revealing a firmly bound, bruised and swollen man with a rag stuffed in his mouth.

The man was tall and sturdily built, with well-developed muscles, clearly a martial artist, and not just any Martial Master, but one at least in the Refining Tendons Phase.

One of the servants explained with a fawning tone:

"Steward Qing, this person is a lone Martial Master from the neighboring county, having achieved Great Success in Marrow Refining. He usually acts alone, so even if he disappears, it won't attract attention anytime soon."

"Hmm, not bad."

Qing Ping casually praised, then stepped forward to grab the Martial Master, turning to head into the mountain cave:

"You two may leave now."

"Yes! Yes, yes!"

The two, relieved, responded in unison and quickly scrambled onto the carriage, patting the driver's shoulder, urging him to leave promptly.

As the carriage drove away, Qing Ping approached the mouth of the cave.

At this time, a chilling wind gusted out from inside.

Faintly, one could hear eerie wailing and howling sounds akin to ghosts and wolves.

Qing Ping, who had behaved with aloof arrogance in front of the two servants earlier, now showed a glimpse of fear in his eyes, as if recalling something, shivered involuntarily, and then, trying to sound as calm as possible, respectfully said:

"Young Master, the thing you requested has been brought."

"Good, send it in."

A moment later, a voice leisurely responded, its tone clear and magnetic, making one almost certain just by hearing it that the owner must be a handsome man.

But in Gu Yuan's ears, there was a discernible sinister note in the voice.

"Yes, Young Master!"

Qing Ping escorted the Martial Master into the cave. After turning several corners, he reached the depths of the cave.

Inside, torches flickered, casting a yellowish hue throughout the cave.

A tall, handsome young man sat on a snow-white rug.

He was clad in luxurious apparel, eyes half-closed, exuding a cold yet overwhelming aura.

Upon closer inspection, wisps of smoke-like black aura seemed to entangle his body, like dense smoke.

In the corner behind him lay a heap of desiccated corpses, haphazardly stacked.

Their bodies were shriveled like withered wood, the corpse skin rough and full of wrinkles, clinging tightly to their bones, as if they had endured hundreds of years of weathering, drained of moisture and vitality.

The twisted faces of the dead still bore expressions of terror, shock, hatred, and pain from their last moments of life.

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