Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 187 Ancient Artifact
The leader looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before saying, "I really don't know the whereabouts of the sect leader. I've only heard that they're preparing a grand plan, which seems to be related to an ancient artifact. Once they get their hands on it, they can control the world."

Bei Chenshu exchanged glances with Gu Changzhou and Bei Chenhan, all seeing a look of solemnity in each other's eyes. Bei Chenshu slowly said, "It seems that the threat posed by the Blood Spirit Sect is far greater than we imagined. Lord Gu, when you are patrolling the martial world, you must pay close attention to news about this ancient artifact."

Gu Changzhou nodded and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do everything I can to find out the truth."

Bei Chenhan also said, "Your Majesty, I will speed up the assessment process in the court to find the hidden Blood Spirit Sect spies as soon as possible, so as to prevent them from causing trouble at a critical moment."

Bei Chenshu said with relief, "With your help, I feel much more at ease. This incident has made us realize that the enemy will not give up easily, and we must always remain vigilant."

Subsequently, Bei Chenshu ordered his guards to take these people into prison and keep them under strict guard.

After the guards left, Bei Chenshu discussed some countermeasures with Gu Changzhou and Bei Chenhan before they dispersed.

Upon returning to his residence, Gu Changzhou immediately summoned his trusted confidants in the martial arts world, explained the situation of the Blood Spirit Sect in detail, and arranged for them to disperse as soon as possible to inquire about the ancient artifacts.

"Brothers, this mission concerns the safety of the dynasty, so please be extremely careful. If you find any clues, come back and report to me immediately."

Gu Changzhou said solemnly. Everyone clasped their hands in response, saying, "Rest assured, Lord Gu, we will certainly not fail in our mission!"

Meanwhile, Bei Chenhan returned to his residence and discussed with his trusted advisors how to more effectively assess court officials.

"My lord, for this assessment, we might as well start by observing the officials' words, actions, and daily interactions in secret. Perhaps we can discover some clues."

An aide suggested.

Bei Chenhan nodded and said, "This plan is feasible. In addition, we should also pay attention to those officials who suddenly act differently than usual, becoming low-key or acting abnormally. They are very likely to be spies of the Blood Spirit Cult."

After assigning tasks to his trusted men, Gu Changzhou pondered how to patrol the martial world more effectively.

He knew that the Blood Spirit Cult was secretive and that the clues to the ancient artifacts must be deeply hidden. If he could get help from Liu Sijun, with her expertise in runes, formations, and strange arts, he might be able to discover some clues that ordinary people would not be able to detect.

Gu Changzhou arrived at Liu Sijun's residence, where Liu Sijun was studying some ancient rune texts.

Upon seeing Gu Changzhou arrive, she put down the book in her hand and stood up to greet him.

Gu Changzhou said, "Lord Si, I have come here today to discuss important matters."

Liu Sijun smiled slightly and said, "Is it related to the ancient artifacts of the Blood Spirit Sect?"

Gu Changzhou was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "You are very perceptive; you guessed it right away. The Blood Spirit Sect is now plotting to acquire an ancient artifact, hoping to use it to control the world. His Majesty has ordered me to patrol the martial world and search for clues about the artifact. I know this is a difficult task. You are proficient in runes and formations and have a good understanding of all kinds of strange and unusual events. I wonder if you could come with me and lend me a hand?"

After a moment's thought, Liu Sijun nodded and said, "Sijun will certainly accompany you since Lord Gu has invited you. The Blood Spirit Sect acts evilly; if they succeed, the world will surely descend into chaos."

Gu Changzhou was overjoyed and said, "With Miss Liu's help, this patrol has a much better chance of success. However, to avoid alerting the enemy, we need to find a reasonable excuse to leave the capital."

After a moment of thought, Gu Changzhou had a sudden inspiration and said, "Recently, I heard that there is news circulating in the martial arts world that a mysterious ruin has appeared. It is said that it contains rare treasures that can enhance spiritual power and ancient cultivation methods. Why don't we use this as an excuse to lead a group of heroes to explore the ruin? In this way, we can secretly monitor the movements of the Blood Spirit Sect and also keep our secrets hidden."

Liu Sijun nodded in agreement: "This plan is excellent. However, is this information reliable? If it attracts many martial arts practitioners, something unexpected might happen."

Gu Changzhou: "I deliberately released this news to attract various forces, including members of the Blood Spirit Cult. We can use this opportunity to observe their actions and perhaps find clues related to the ancient artifacts." After agreeing on the plan, Gu Changzhou and Liu Sijun immediately began preparations.

Gu Changzhou issued a call to arms, inviting heroes from all walks of life in the martial arts world to join him in exploring the mysterious ruins.

The news caused quite a stir in the martial arts world, with many martial arts practitioners responding enthusiastically.

A few days later, Gu Changzhou and Liu Sijun led a group of heroes of the martial arts world on their journey.

Along the way, the group traveled in a large and orderly manner, seemingly heading towards the treasures in the ruins. In reality, Gu Changzhou and Liu Sijun kept a close eye on any suspicious individuals in the group, while also paying attention to any unusual activity along the route.

When the group reached a mountain forest, Liu Sijun suddenly sensed a faint, malevolent aura.

She approached Gu Changzhou discreetly and whispered, "Lord Gu, something's fishy here. I sensed an evil aura, perhaps related to the Blood Spirit Cult."

Gu Changzhou nodded slightly, signaling everyone to stop and rest for the time being.

He secretly instructed Jiang Tai to search the surrounding area carefully to see if any clues could be found.

Jiang Tai led his men to disperse and carefully search the mountains and forests.

Not long after, Jiang Tai rushed over and whispered a few words in Gu Changzhou's ear.

Gu Changzhou's expression changed slightly, and he said to Liu Sijun, "We have discovered some Blood Spirit Sect markings ahead. It seems they have also been active in this area."

Liu Sijun frowned slightly and said, "Let's go take a look."

The two, accompanied by several experts, headed in the direction Jiang Tai had indicated.

In front of a secluded cave, they discovered some strange runic markings that emitted an eerie light, seemingly guarding something.

Liu Sijun crouched down and carefully examined the runes. After a moment, she said with a solemn expression, "These runes are unique to the Blood Spirit Sect and are used to prevent outsiders from entering. It seems that there must be something important hidden in this cave, perhaps related to an ancient artifact."

Gu Changzhou looked at the cave with a determined gaze and said, "No matter what, we must go in and find out. Si Jun, please help us break this restrictive rune."

Liu Sijun nodded, channeled his spiritual energy, and quickly formed hand seals in the air.

As she moved, the runes shimmered, seemingly resonating with her spiritual power.

After a difficult process of breaking through, the restrictive runes finally dissipated slowly.

Gu Changzhou and the others cautiously entered the cave. The cave was dark and damp, filled with a pungent smell.

They ventured deeper into the cave passage, when suddenly, a group of Blood Spirit Cult members appeared ahead, guarding a treasure chest that emitted a ghostly light.

(End of this chapter)