Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 436 The Decapitation Sword
Yongcheng, the capital of Yongzhou, is the gateway from the northwest to the Central Plains.

With a great river to the south and high mountains to the north, the city sits nestled between mountains and rivers, controlling the main road to the Central Plains.

The city was high and its walls thick, with fully armored soldiers patrolling the walls. A canal was dug beneath the walls, drawing water to form a wide moat around the city.

Yuhe, who was visiting Yongcheng for the first time, looked around curiously with her big eyes. She had thought that Blackwater City was very big and imposing, but compared to Yongcheng, it was not that big or imposing.

Gao Wu exclaimed, "What a formidable pass!"

Such a large city, as long as it is internally united and willing to fight, is difficult to conquer even if there are ten times the number of troops outside.

No wonder Tie Mu was so wary of Tian Chengji, the military governor of Yongzhou. This man, who held the strategic pass, truly kept Tie Mu firmly under his control in Heishui.

September is a time of bright sunshine and refreshing autumn breezes, making it the most comfortable time of year.

Caravans, vendors, and laborers lined up in long queues in front of the city gate, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere that showcased the prosperity and grandeur of the metropolis.

The city gate soldiers were only responsible for maintaining order. Only caravans would be detained for inspection of their documents and permits; ordinary merchants and civilians were not required to be inspected.

To make her travels easier, Yuhe wore a turban with a sun hat on top, a face mask, and a long black robe. When she rode on horseback, ordinary people couldn't tell that she was a woman.

Gao Wu was dressed similarly, except he wasn't wearing a mask, and his Chun Jun sword and Sun-Shooting Bow were tucked into a specially made leather pouch.

Carrying a sword is not illegal, but bows and arrows are controlled weapons and private ownership is strictly prohibited. Fortunately, the Sun-Shooting Bow looked like an iron rod, and no one would have guessed that it was actually a bow...

Although it was Yuhe's first time here, she had received instructions from Tie Zhen. She took Gao Wu straight to the Tie family's trading company, where they could provide food and lodging and accompany them, which would save a lot of trouble.

Longsheng Trading Company is located on Changjie Street in the center of Chengnan District. Its signboard is quite large, and there are trucks parked in front of it.

Yuhe went over, introduced herself, and took out the iron token given to her by Tiezhen.

The iron plaques are made by melting gold and black iron. They have a unique shape and intricate patterns. Each black and gold iron plaque corresponds to a different code.

Even if someone else manages to grab the iron plate, it's useless if they don't know the code.

The people in the business were also very familiar with the Tie family's situation. If someone were impersonating them, they would know something was wrong after a little questioning.

Yuhe's acquisition of the identity token signifies Tie Zhen's status within the Tie family, second only to Tie Mu.

Upon receiving the report, the manager of the trading company hurriedly welcomed Yuhe inside. After exchanging the code words and confirming that she was indeed a member of the Tie family, the manager greeted her with a beaming smile: "Miss Yu, please feel free to tell me what you need."

"I'm here with you, sir, for a temporary stay. Whenever the caravan goes to the Central Plains, please take us with you."

Before Yuhe could finish speaking, the steward's expression changed. He asked in a low voice, "Sir? Is it Master Gao Wu, the 'Head-Cutting Divine Sword'?"

"Ok?"

Yuhe was also dumbfounded. What kind of name was "Decapitation Sword"? Who gave the gentleman this name? It was too awful.

She quickly came to her senses and said, "It's Mr. Gao."

"So it's Mr. Gao who has arrived. Why didn't you say so earlier? I would have gone to greet him right away."

The steward panicked even more after confirming the news. It was the Beheading Sword that had arrived. It was said that on the night the alien races in Blackwater City rebelled, the Beheading Sword turned the tide, beheading thousands of people in one night, with heads rolling all over the ground, and finally driving back the alien races.

The news has spread throughout Yongcheng these past two days; the fame of the "Decapitation Sword" has resounded far and wide.

Everyone spoke of it vividly, as if they had seen it with their own eyes.

Such a terrifyingly powerful figure could easily lose his head if he were to be even slightly careless.

Gao Wu waited outside the gate with his horse in hand. He noticed two men in the shop across the street staring at him, but they didn't dare to meet his gaze. They seemed a bit furtive.

It was also because of his strong mental power that he dared to sense these very subtle eye expressions.

Before long, the manager and several employees came up quickly, their attitude unusually warm and respectful.

The manager noticed that Gao Wu had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were bright. He stood there upright and relaxed, with a natural air of composure, which was very different from the fierce and evil spirits in the legends.

Even so, the person in charge dared not be negligent in the slightest. He knew all too well that one cannot judge a book by its cover!
With such a great reputation, could it be fake?! Absolutely not! The men had all heard of Gao Wu's name and were terrified of him. They were also afraid of offending Gao Wu, so they were all extremely attentive.

Gao Wu noticed the manager and the staff acting strangely. After they finished their work and left, he asked, "These guys seem afraid of me?"

Yuhe said with a strange expression, "Sir, your name has spread to Yongcheng, but they have given you an unpleasant nickname."

Under Gao Wu's questioning gaze, Yu He said somewhat awkwardly, "They call you the Head-Cutting Divine Sword."

"Hahahaha..." Gao Wu laughed loudly. Although the name was vulgar, it was also fitting.

Yuhe, however, was still indignant on Gao Wu's behalf: "These country bumpkins are really ignorant, giving him such an awful nickname."

"It's not bad."

Gao Wu thought this title was actually quite impressive, better than titles like Cold-Blooded Divine Sword or Parting Sword!
Yuhe was still hesitating: "At least it should be called the Decapitation Sword..."

"Haha..." Gao Wu found it somewhat amusing. In fact, the simpler and more direct a name is, the easier it is to spread.

The "Decapitation Sword" and the "Beheading Sword" mean the same thing, but "Beheading" sounds too refined and lacks impact; it doesn't sound very imposing.

Yuhe was still a little puzzled when she saw that Gao Wu didn't seem angry.

Geese leave their calls as they fly by, and people leave their names as they pass through life.

With martial arts skills at Master Gao's level, wealth, power, and beautiful women are all within easy reach. What truly matters is reputation.

The name "Decapitation Sword" is just too awful...

She didn't dare say more, and changed the subject, saying, "I asked the manager, and a caravan will be leaving for Tai'an tomorrow. We can just follow them."

Gao Wu nodded and asked, "Tian Chengji and your Tie family are mortal enemies, right?"

He wasn't very clear about the Tie family's affairs, after all, he hadn't stayed long enough to pay attention to such trivial matters.

Neither Tie Mu nor Tie Zhen had told him about these things. He had only occasionally heard Yu He scold Tian Chengji a few times…

"Yes, Tian Chengji was the mastermind behind this attack on us."

Yuhe nodded vigorously, then added, "But this has nothing to do with us; Young Master and the others will handle it."

She then comforted Gao Wu, saying, "Although the military governor holds a high position and wields great power, he has many skilled subordinates."

Gao Wu said to Yu He, "There was someone watching us outside the door just now. Were they the governor's men?"

Yuhe thought for a moment and said, "It's probably the Seven Killings Gang. They are backed by the Kongtong Sect and are quite arrogant in the Northwest. In recent years, the Kongtong Sect has colluded with the Jiedushi Tian Chengji, which has greatly increased their power."

She said softly, "Both sides have businesses doing business, and if they take action against each other, everyone will suffer huge losses. Generally speaking, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly."

"We're leaving tomorrow, so there shouldn't be anything else to do."

Gao Wu asked, "How about I go and chop off Tian Chengji's head? That would be doing General Tie a favor."

"what?!"

Yuhe's big eyes sparkled with interest at the suggestion, but she quickly calmed down.

She advised, "Tian Chengji's mansion has many experts, and it is said that he has hundreds of adopted sons alone. There are also two thousand elite soldiers guarding it day and night. It's too dangerous."

"The General and his team will handle things at home; there's no need for you to take any risks, sir..."

Gao Wu smiled: "It's just a small thing, there's no need to take any risks..."

The main reason is that Tie Mu is very good. He was willing to pass on the Vajra Vidyaraja Seal to him in its entirety, without keeping anything to himself or making any demands that he not pass it on to others.

Gao Wu appreciated this generosity.

If we don't run into him, fine. But since we do, let's just take Tian Chengji's head while we're at it... and live up to the reputation of the Decapitation Sword!
(End of this chapter)