Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 423 A Flick of the Finger
Tie Mu, the lord of Blackwater City, was born into a noble family. He learned martial arts and military strategy from a young age and was known for his bravery and skill in battle even in his youth.

In his twenties, he became the lord of Blackwater City and took over the power of the Tie family. He rectified military discipline, trained elite troops, and defeated the Rong and Qiang tribes who had ravaged the Northwest for many years, restoring normal order to the Northwest frontier.

As a result, trade flourished, making Khara-Khoto the largest commercial center in the Northwest.

Over the past two decades, the Han people have effectively controlled the Northwest region, keeping other ethnic groups out of the Blackwater region.

It is because of Tie Mu guarding the frontier that everyone can live a peaceful life.

In the Northwest region, when people talk about Iron Shepherd, the lord of Blackwater City, everyone, young and old, men and women, will give him a thumbs up in praise. Everyone believes that Iron Shepherd is the pillar of the Northwest and the golden beam that holds up the sea!
When Gao Wu heard Ma Qianli talk about important matters, memories related to Tie Mu naturally flashed through his mind.

In the Blackwater City region, the Iron Shepherd's status was equivalent to that of an emperor, no, he was even more prestigious than an emperor.

This man could command the loyalty of countless people with just a single word. Such immense influence was truly rare in this backward ancient world.

Ma Qianli and his group actually wanted to assassinate Tie Mu; they really have some nerve!
Gao Wu didn't know how strong Tie Mu's martial arts were, but this was, after all, a world where martial arts existed.

If Tie Mu wasn't skilled in martial arts, he couldn't have fought for thirty years without a single defeat. How could he possibly have single-handedly suppressed the frontier!
Moreover, the three of them were hacked to death by the guards before they even got close to Tie Mu.

The Blood-Clad Alliance must have experts in charge of the grand plan; these people are just pawns and have no right to participate in it.

It's fortunate that Ma Qianli still had the mind to fantasize about the wonderful things that would happen after the deed was done.

Gao Wu thought about this and felt something was wrong. Such an important matter should not be known to the subordinates before it is carried out.

It's no secret that three people know something. Besides, it's highly unusual that a few lowly soldiers would know that the mission was to kill Tie Mu.

With so many people around, someone is bound to leak the news. Besides, Tie Mu, who has guarded the Northwest for decades, is unlikely to be a kind person.

If the other side still can't hear a thing after such a commotion, then Tie Mu is truly doomed.

Although Gao Wu's Yang Spirit was subject to various restrictions, he still retained some basic abilities. For example, his 40-point root talent, even though his body didn't come with him, allowed him to analyze and calculate at speeds a thousand or even ten thousand times faster than people like Ma Qianli.

He was mainly busy dealing with various problems in his body and sensing the location of Qi, so he didn't pay attention to these minor matters at all.

After thinking about it for a moment, he immediately realized the problem.

A group of low-level assassins were probably just bait... As for who exactly was plotting against Tie Mu, that was beyond his knowledge.

Gao Wu looked at Ma Qianli with some pity. This guy was actually quite shrewd and wicked. In the end, he suffered because he had never been to school and spent his whole life at the bottom of society. He had no vision or knowledge.

Even if we take a step back and actually kill Tie Mu, the vast Blackwater City will definitely be taken over by other powerful figures, leaving these small fry to plunder at will.

Gao Wu originally didn't want to get involved in this mess, but then he thought that Tie Mu was ultimately a Han hero, and if something happened to him, it wouldn't just be the Tie family that would suffer, but also the millions of people struggling to make a living in the Northwest.

He was almost certain that this world was not an illusion, but a real material world.

Because the laws governing this world are strict and stable, they suppress his spirit, making it difficult for it to leave his body.

Another point is that no matter how elaborate the illusion is, it is still far removed from the real material world.

In the simplest terms, he just casually crushed a piece of stone. The stone shattered under the force, and some of it was ground into powder by his finger strength, which then scattered in the evening breeze.

His powerful mental strength allowed him to observe every detail of the process; no illusion could be so meticulous that he couldn't detect any problems.

Even Ma Qianli and Hu Qiniang, who are right in front of us, may not be very intelligent or have bad character, but their life spirit is real and genuine.

Therefore, it was actually the Nine Cauldrons that opened the door to this world, rather than the Nine Cauldrons carrying the world.

If we use the parallel multiverse model to explain it, this world, which is similar to but not identical to the ancient Alliance, is also very reasonable.

Judging from the physical appearance and skin color of Hu Qiniang and Ma Qianli, they are typical Han Chinese. Even their languages ​​are extremely similar.

Gao Wu felt a sense of familiarity with them, as if he had suddenly found fellow villagers in a strange place...

Seeing Gao Wu's deep gaze and silent demeanor, so different from his usual unrestrained and sarcastic manner, Hu Qiniang couldn't help but feel a little surprised and suspicious.

Because of a woman's subtle intuition, she always felt that this man seemed to have changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what had changed.

There are rumors in the martial arts world that there are human skin masks that allow one to completely impersonate others, so much so that even family members cannot tell the difference.

As an assassin, Hu Qiniang knew that was pure nonsense. As skilled assassins, they judged people not only by their faces, but also by their physical characteristics, hands, and feet.

This includes walking and talking, including their backs. It's one thing for strangers, but even for familiar people, they can sense something is wrong just by listening to their footsteps.

Although something about Lao Gao was off, he was definitely not being impersonated by anyone...

Hu Qiniang's eyes flickered. Could it be that Lao Gao really wanted to inform on them?
The reason they were grouped into threes was to have them supervise each other and prevent anyone from informing on each other.

Ma Qianli also sensed that the atmosphere was a bit subtle. He looked at Hu Qiniang and Gao Wu suspiciously, and his eyes flickered as he secretly gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Old Gao is known as the swift swordsman, but his knife is no slower either.

To survive in the Northwest, you have to be ruthless. That's just how wild and rough this place is.

Gao Wu noticed their unusual behavior and couldn't help but laugh: "You two are hooking up, fine, but what, you want to kill me to silence me?"

Ma Qianli's expression was gloomy, but Hu Qiniang said with a smile, "We also called you, but you didn't want to come, so don't blame us."

She added earnestly, "Actually, it would be quite nice if the three of us lived together."

"Hahaha..." Gao Wu waved his hand, "Forget it, I like young girls, I don't want to find myself a mother."

"Pah... I wouldn't dare take you, you son of a bitch!" Hu Qiniang was a little embarrassed and annoyed. She thought she was very beautiful, but she was indeed old and the wind and sun had made her look older.

Hearing Gao Wu say that, she couldn't hold back. However, seeing that he had recovered completely and was no longer the ambiguous person he used to be, she felt a little relieved.

After all, they've worked together for several years. Lao Gao is wicked but not stupid. He probably won't do anything foolish.

Ma Qianli said, "We've been out for too long. If we don't go back soon, Old Cross-Eye will start cursing us."

Old Slant-Eye was their superior, someone they had always been connected to. After all, he had stronger internal strength and was skilled in using hidden weapons.

With his martial arts skills, he could easily suppress the three of them. He was also a silver medalist in the Blood Robe Alliance and was considered a core member of the organization.

In this operation, all twenty-odd bronze-level assassins were managed by Old Slant-Eye and lived together in a horse farm outside the city.

I came out to pay respects to Lord Long San these past few days because I was feeling cooped up at the horse farm, so I wanted to get out and have some fun.

As for that beggar, he was truly unfortunate. He somehow ended up sleeping on this earthen platform and was killed by Old Gao with a single sword strike, becoming a sacrificial offering.

The three of them descended the earthen platform and rode their horses back to the horse farm. No one came out to question them.

Back in his room, Gao Wu discovered that it was actually a simple wooden shed with a bed hastily built out of wood and covered with dry grass.

Fortunately, the weather in August wasn't too cold. People could still manage in this drafty wooden shed.

Gao Wu had just finished possessing the body, and his Yang Spirit was extremely exhausted. He pulled the thin blanket over himself and fell asleep...

Hu Qiniang, however, did not sleep. She discussed it with Ma Qianli, and the two of them quietly went to find Old Cross-Eye.

Old Squinty leaned against the bed, his squinty eyes coldly scrutinizing Ma Qianli and Hu Qiniang. "You say Gao Laosi is going to betray us? What evidence do you have?" Hu Qiniang smiled obsequiously, "If we had evidence, we would have taken action directly. It's just that Gao Laosi suddenly wanted to go out to worship the God of Wealth in the middle of the night, which was very strange. Later, he was fiddling with something up there, and there was no movement for a long time."

Ma Qianli also said, "The three of us have always had a good relationship. We wouldn't have done this if it weren't for the importance of the matter."

"Alright, keep a close eye on him. Wait for my order before making a move."

Old Slant-Eye waved the two men away. He also felt that things were a bit strange, so he gave the men a few instructions, mainly to go to the high platform to check the situation and see if Old Gao had left any secret messages or anything like that...

Gao Wu was completely unaware of this; he slept until almost noon before waking up.

After a natural sleep, the fatigue from the Yang spirit's possession and reincarnation was finally mostly recovered.

He tried it, and he could still cast the five-stage Dao-entry level divine spells, but their power was reduced by more than a hundred times...

Gao Wu sat on the straw mat, stroking the long sword and recalling the Gale Sword technique that this body had practiced. It consisted of twenty-four moves, which could be described as rather rudimentary and crude.

What's truly worth mentioning is the breathing and energy management techniques that complement swordplay, including footwork and body movements, which together form a complete set of sword techniques.

The so-called true energy in this world is different from source energy. This is also an important reason why the Yang Spirit is restricted.

True Qi gathers in the dantian and circulates along the meridians. Through these meridians, True Qi can unleash greater power in the muscles and bones. It can be considered a kind of extraordinary energy, although its energy level is far inferior to that of Source Power.

Gao Wu didn't know what to do next, but he knew that to gain a foothold in this world, the first thing he needed was sufficient martial prowess.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you can't use your source energy, then practice martial arts diligently.

The True Qi system is much simpler than the Source Force system, after all, it has a lower energy level. True Qi is closely related to all parts of the body.

With his current talent and insight, Gao Wu has already completely understood the Swift Wind Sword martial art simply by mentally deducing its principles.

In fact, this body has been trained for twenty years, and it's barely at the proficient stage in the Gale Sword technique.

Gao Wu also discovered that the foundation of true qi lies in spiritual power, since the circulation of true qi along the meridians is entirely guided by spiritual power.

Martial artists are too weak in mental strength, so they can only move forward steadily, using acupoints to naturally divide the meridians into short segments.

With gradual progress each day, one eventually masters true qi and unblocks the meridians.

When true qi flows along the meridians and spreads throughout the body, it can stimulate the power of all the internal organs and muscles.

The connection between the Ren and Du meridians is crucial; if one can open the bridge between the Ren and Du meridians, one will be a top master in this world.

Unfortunately, the Gale Sword does not have a method for circulating energy through the Ren and Du meridians. It only has methods for circulating energy through the three Yin meridians of the hand and foot.

Even after twenty years of training, this body has only opened up two meridians.

Gao Wu's spiritual power was so strong that, upon understanding the essence of this method, he immediately used his spiritual power to guide the true qi in his dantian.

A wisp of true energy, propelled by his spiritual power, traveled straight along the meridian like a sword, continuously penetrating all the acupoints of the Hand Taiyin Meridian. In the blink of an eye, the meridian was opened.

With an additional meridian circulating in his dantian, Gao Wu's true qi became even stronger. Having gained experience from his success, he then unleashed his full power to connect the other three meridians.

At this point, all three Yin meridians of the hand and foot were connected and linked to the Dantian, allowing the true Qi to form a complete circulation, and also increasing his true Qi level by more than five times.

Gao Wu felt that this was acceptable, roughly equivalent to his level as a top-tier martial artist.

The original owner could barely be considered a master, but was still a mediocre one. Now, judging solely by the strength of his true energy, he should be considered a second-rate master.

Even a second-rate expert would be enough to roam freely in this remote area... at least dealing with Hu Qiniang and Old Slant-Eye wouldn't be a problem.

He mastered the Gale Sword technique in the blink of an eye, but he didn't feel proud of it. After all, he had forty points of innate talent, martial arts skills far surpassing those of this world, and spiritual power like that of a god.

Such methods are not difficult at all once you understand the underlying principles.

Gao Wu wanted to help Tie Mu, but he also needed to find a suitable way, at least one that wouldn't get him involved.

Saving people shouldn't be done unilaterally. Especially for a powerful figure like Tie Mu, if he rashly approaches, he might very well be mistaken for a spy and executed.

This is no joke. Tie Mu is a general leading a large army; he wouldn't hesitate to act in such a matter.

Moreover, helping Tie Mu is also a shortcut. It allows him to quickly come into contact with the powerful figures of this world and obtain more resources.

Gao Wu also wanted to see the martial arts of this world. He wanted to at least acquire a few top-tier martial arts techniques and improve his own skills first.

Old Qin once said that he could sense the Nine Qi with the Heavenly Mandate Sword. However, this realm suppressed the Yang God too severely.

If my martial arts skills improve, I might be able to retrieve the Heavenly Destiny Sword and find that wisp of Qi!

The Blood-Clad Alliance is clearly not up to par; it's a ruthless business organization that prioritizes profit above all else, with virtually no avenues for advancement.

At noon, a group of people sat around a long wooden table to eat. There was a large pot of stewed mutton, along with pickled scallions and garlic, a pot of wine for each person, and plenty of large flatbreads.

Gao Wu also ate heartily. He had just opened up several meridians, his true energy was abundant, and his appetite was great. He needed to eat something to replenish his energy.

Old Man glanced at Gao Wu eating, and apart from the fact that he was eating a lot, there was nothing unusual about him.

The people who went to inspect the earthen platform didn't find anything wrong. So he didn't say anything more.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the old man with the slanted eyes said, "Tie Zhen will come to the horse farm this afternoon to inspect it. This horse farm is her property."

"As is customary, Tie Zhen is always accompanied by twenty guards when she travels. Once they enter the horse farm, we will all work together to kill the guards and capture Tie Zhen."

Everyone was astonished upon hearing this, as it was completely different from the plan they had known beforehand.

Gao Wu knew that Tie Zhen was Tie Mu's younger sister and held a high position in the Tie family. However, attacking Tie Zhen would definitely alert Tie Mu.

If the other side brings men over, they can immediately raze the horse farm to the ground... As for using Tie Zhen as a hostage to threaten the other side, it's probably not going to be of much use.

A merciful general cannot command an army. If he could threaten Tie Mu by capturing a family member, he wouldn't need to lead troops.

The old man with the slanted eyes said with a grim face, "This operation is of paramount importance. If it fails, we will all die!"
"Now we can only work together to accomplish this great task. The rewards afterward will be enough for our retirement, so we won't have to live a life of constant danger anymore... Don't you all agree?"

Everyone responded solemnly.

Gao Wu noticed a person in the room behind the old man with slanted eyes. The person was standing by the window, and although only a corner of his clothes was visible, Gao Wu could tell from his aura that this was a master, and a master whose true energy was much stronger than his own...

He knew in his heart that if anyone dared to show their face, they would be killed immediately.

The old man's slanted eyes darted around and landed on Gao Wu. He said, "The enemy is skilled with bows and arrows and is good at mounted archery. Fourth brother, you are good with a fast sword. When they come over, you disguise yourself as a servant and go to launch a surprise attack. The rest of you will cooperate and not give the enemy a chance to draw their bows."

Gao Wu was in a bad mood. Old Slant Eyes was targeting him! The key point was that the two sides had never had any enmity. It must be Hu Qiniang and the others talking behind his back.

He glanced at Hu Qiniang and Ma Qianli, but the two of them acted as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that Gao Wu remained silent, the old man said in a deep voice, "What, you're unwilling?"

(End of this chapter)