Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 437 Appearance Without a Trace

After dinner, Yuhe helped Gaowu wash his face and feet, and then she went to sit on the small bed in the outer room.

Yuhe actually wanted to persuade Gao Wu not to take the risk, but she felt she would be letting the Tie family down if she actually said it.

If I don't say anything, I feel like I'm letting my husband down.

She was feeling very conflicted, but her eyelids kept getting heavier and heavier. She kept reminding herself not to fall asleep.

She had only been traveling on horseback for two days, and although it wasn't a rush, she had to endure wind and rain and sleep outdoors along the way. She also had to take care of her husband, and by the end of the two days she was completely exhausted.

The room was warm and the bed was clean. It had started raining again outside, and the fine raindrops fell on the tiles and windows, making a soft and soothing sound...

Yuhe fell asleep without realizing it. When she opened her eyes again, the window paper was already turning pale, and it was already dawn!

She was startled to find that she had slept until dawn. Looking down, she realized she had been covered with a thin blanket.

Yuhe felt uneasy and hurriedly put on her shoes and got out of bed. She gently pushed open the door and looked into the bedroom, where she could vaguely see Mr. Gao's profile lying on the bed.

She breathed a sigh of relief; Mr. Gao must not have gone out, otherwise, no matter how soundly she slept, she would have heard him coming and going.

Besides, Tian Chengji was a military governor, with many adopted sons and a large number of elite soldiers protecting him.

If Mr. Gao really wanted to storm in, the battle would surely have been deafening, alarming the entire city. It wouldn't have been so quiet...

She was slightly disappointed again. If only Mr. Gao could get rid of Tian Chengji as soon as possible.

"She's awake." Gao Wu also woke up. Hearing Yu He's movements, he called out, "Get some water to wash up."

From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.

It was so inconvenient in ancient times. If he had to fetch water to wash himself, he would first have to find a place with water, then find a basin, then gather firewood to heat it up, and then bring it up. It was just too much trouble.

With Yuhe, it's just a matter of a word.

The little girl wasn't good at martial arts, but she was very efficient at doing things. Gao Wu trusted her abilities.

Yuhe quickly brought hot water and helped Gao Wu wash up. The waiter also brought breakfast.

Hot and spicy soup paired with mutton buns is fragrant, spicy, and delicious – a truly satisfying and enjoyable meal.

After serving Gao Wu his meal, Yu He was still very curious and wanted to ask why the master hadn't dealt with Tian Chengji last night.

But she didn't dare to ask any questions, so she just kept packing her things and putting them away.

The two fine horses rested overnight, were brushed clean, and ate the best bean feed; they were both full of energy.

Gao Wu put away the Sun-Shooting Bow and the Chun Jun Sword, and placed the rest of the luggage on the caravan's wooden cart.

The group left the city through the east gate, and the guards at the gate checked their documents and then let them pass.

This trade route must be several hundred years old. The daily passage of caravans has left deep ruts on the road.

The horse pulling the cart didn't go very fast; it was about the same speed as a person walking briskly.

Gao Wu and Yu He walked at the front of the convoy because it would be very dusty behind them.

The two men and two horses were a little faster and quickly shook off the caravan. After climbing a gentle slope, they looked back and saw the mountains beginning to turn autumn colors, the river surging with turbid waves, and the ancient and majestic city of Yongcheng standing tall in the center.

Under the bright autumn sun, the mountains, water, and city create a stunningly beautiful picture.

Seeing Gao Wu deep in thought, Yuhe couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, sir?"

"Nothing much, just enjoying the view of Yongcheng."

Gao Wu said, "Yongcheng under the night rain was solemn and dignified, very beautiful. It's a pity you didn't get to see it..."

Yuhe was somewhat surprised: "Sir went out in the middle of the night?"

“Yes, didn’t I tell you to go and get Tian Chengji’s head? I can’t go back on my word,” Gao Wu said calmly.

"what?!"

Yuhe was even more shocked. She paused for a moment before hurriedly asking, "Tian Chengji is dead?"

"His head is gone, he probably won't survive."

Gao Wu casually said, "There was a lot of blood, and I was in a hurry to go back to sleep, so I didn't look at it much."

"Ah!" Yuhe's mouth gaped open, completely stunned.

Gao Wu looked at Yu He with amusement. To be honest, Yu He's shocked expression was somewhat distorted, and she looked dazed. Fortunately, she had a good foundation and still looked pretty.

The important thing is that Yuhe's expression was very accurate, providing him with enough emotional value.

For that reason alone, bringing Yuhe is worthwhile.

Yuhe quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly explained to Gao Wu, "Sir, it's not that I don't believe it, I'm just too shocked!"

She then asked, her face full of confusion, "Since Tian Chengji is dead, why isn't martial law declared in the city?"

With such a high-ranking official dead, Tian Chengji's subordinates should have been doing everything they could to find the murderer, so why is there no word of it?

"Tian Chengji has so many adopted sons, and they all want to inherit the position. Right now, they're all in a hurry to seize power. They don't care about anything else."

Although Gao Wu is not very old, he is very experienced in this area.

Tian Chengji was ruthless and treated his many adopted sons as his henchmen; while he was alive, these adopted sons were his helpers.

If he dies, his adopted sons will surely swarm him and devour the entire Tian family.

Besides, he killed all the experts in Tian Chengji's room. No one knew it was him who did it.

Even if we knew what he did, how many people would dare to seek revenge against him?

Yuhe nodded repeatedly. "Sir, you are truly amazing. You have dealt with Tian Chengji, the ruler of Yongzhou, without making a sound."

Without Tian Chengji, no one could suppress the Tie family anymore, which was undoubtedly great news. She looked at Gao Wu with admiration and said, "Sir, your martial arts are unparalleled; killing the military governor is as easy as killing a chicken!"

"That's it?" Gao Wu was looking at Yu He with great anticipation, but the girl didn't say anything more after that.

Gao Wu said, "Yu He, your ability to praise people is not as good as my ability to behead people."

"Yes... I haven't read enough books..."

Yuhe offered a somewhat weak explanation. She wanted to praise her husband, but couldn't think of any words.

Gao Wu laughed heartily; teasing the little girl was quite fun...

Yongcheng Tian Mansion.

Xu Tianxing, the leader of the Kongtong Sect, led two elders into the courtyard. As soon as they entered, they saw eight headless corpses lying on the ground, their heads rolled to the wall, and blood splattered the blue brick floor into a blackish-red stain.

Xu Shaoyang, who was waiting in the courtyard, hurriedly came forward and bowed respectfully: "Father."

The dozen or so fully armored experts following behind Xu Shaoyang also bowed in salute.

They were all experts from the Kongtong Sect, and almost all of them came with Xu Shaoyang.

Xu Tianxing frowned slightly: "What exactly happened?"

Xu Shaoyang shook his head: "I don't know. I only received the news at four in the morning that Tian Chengji had been killed. It was only when the maid went to deliver incense in the middle of the night that she realized something was wrong."

"I received the message and immediately sealed off the inner quarters. I've already killed a few disobedient fellows."

In order to curry favor with the military governor Tian Chengji, Xu Shaoyang, despite being the son of the leader of the Kongtong Sect, also became Tian Chengji's godfather.

Xu Shaoyang possesses exceptional martial arts skills and is also shrewd and calculating, making him highly regarded among his many adopted sons.

This attracted many experts from the Kongtong Sect, and Xu Shaoyang gained considerable influence within the Tian family mansion.

Tian Chengji knew this, but he didn't care.

The Kongtong Sect has many masters and deep roots in the local areas, making it a formidable force. As long as the Kongtong Sect cannot extend its influence into the military, its foundation cannot be shaken.

Tian Chengji never expected that he would die such a violent death. Xu Shaoyang seized the opportunity and immediately took control of the inner quarters to block the news. He also had his father, Xu Tianxing, invited to oversee the situation.

Xu Tianxing also knew that this was a valuable opportunity. Although their Kongtong sect had no roots in the military, they could find people to cooperate with.

Tian Chengji served as a military governor for more than a decade, and in recent years he has disobeyed the imperial court's orders, amassed wealth on a large scale, and raised a group of assassins.

Putting everything else aside, if they could acquire Tian Chengji's property, the Kongtong Sect wouldn't have to worry about money for the next fifty years.

Xu Tianxing then rode at full speed, but his horse died halfway there. He and two elders used their lightness skills to finally arrive.

Xu Tianxing looked at the several corpses in the yard: "You killed them?"

Xu Shaoyang said in a deep voice, "These people are all loyal to the Tian family, they cannot be kept."

"Why make such a fuss when you've already killed them?" Xu Tianxing frowned slightly. Killing a few people and making it so bloody and cruel was unnecessary.

"No, it was mainly to imitate the killer's methods," Xu Shaoyang explained. "Tian Chengji was beheaded."

After listening to his son's brief account of what had happened, Xu Tianxing entered the room and saw Tian Chengji lying dead on the bed, his head rolled on the floor, his eyes still wide open, looking as if he had died with his eyes open in disbelief.

After seeing the state of the bedroom, Xu Tianxing felt a chill run down his spine.

Tian Chengji's residence was guarded by a large number of personal guards, so how did the other party manage to enter silently?
Tian Chengji was a first-rate master with superb martial arts skills and rich combat experience.

As long as Tian Chengji calls out for help, he can immediately attract a large number of his personal guards and adopted sons.

Could it be that the one who made the move was a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm?

Xu Tianxing remained silent for a while before asking Xu Shaoyang, "What did those guards say?"

"They claimed they knew nothing and heard nothing."

Xu Shaoyang was also very surprised by this. Tian Chengji was terrified of death and even when he slept, he was surrounded by many guards, yet he was still silently killed in his bedroom.

The eight guards outside, along with the numerous guards inside and outside the courtyard, were completely unaware.

The person who made the move was truly like a ghost or god...it was extremely terrifying.

Xu Tianxing pondered for a moment and said, "Could it be the Blade Demon Bai Ke?"

"Probably not."

Xu Shaoyang said, "Yesterday I received news that two people from the Tiejialongsheng Trading Company came. They were riding very fine horses and had quite an extraordinary demeanor."

"The Tie family made the move?" Xu Tianxing's face, covered in black spots, showed surprise. If the Tie family had the ability, they would have done it long ago, why wait until today?

"Recently, the Tie family has befriended a master named Gao Wu, nicknamed the 'Head-Chopping Divine Sword.' It is said that Blood Wolf King Chi Na and Sun-Shooting Bow Ye Qingfeng were both killed by him. He is ruthless and likes to chop off heads when he kills, hence his nickname."

"The Decapitation Sword?!" Xu Tianxing was rather old-fashioned. He had dominated the Northwest for many years and was known as the Sun and Moon Sword. Everyone in the Northwest martial arts world knew about him.

Upon hearing the name "Decapitation Sword," he felt as if a mountain king had suddenly appeared out of some bandit's den—both crude and laughable.

Xu Shaoyang said, "Regardless of whether it's true or not, just pin the blame on this person."

"Tian Chengji's nephew, Tian Yue, is also a first-rate expert and has great prestige in the army. Tian Chengji has been cultivating this nephew and plans to hand over military power to Tian Yue after his death."

Xu Shaoyang said, "Tian Yue is stationed at the Tianxiong Army camp. The news has probably already leaked out. Tian Yue will soon bring the Tianxiong Army back."

He said, "Tian Yue and Tian Chengji are very close, and he will definitely avenge Tian Chengji. We have no influence in the army, so why don't we lure Tian Yue to find the 'Decapitation Sword' and then lead him to fight the Tie family?"

"The fiercer the battle, the more Tian Yue will need to rely on us..."

Xu Tianxing nodded. The Tian family was large and powerful, and had many experts; they couldn't be swallowed up in one bite. Luring Tian Yue to take revenge was an excellent plan...

(Please give me a monthly ticket~)

(End of this chapter)