In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 123 The Chaos Begins
A short while later, after watching the other Emei disciples carry away the bodies of Zhao Jingyi and the others for disposal, Abbess Juezhu began instructing her disciples to deal with the women and children who had been abducted by the Ghost Hand Gang within the settlement.

After all the instructions were given, it was already completely dark.

Inside the main hall, after taking a sip of tea, Abbess Wujue looked at Gu Shaoan again.

"You handled this matter well, but you overlooked one thing."

Gu Shaoan, with a look of doubt, clasped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Martial Uncle."

The Abbess said in a deep voice, "The Ghost Hand Gang members deserve to be killed, but before killing them, you should interrogate them to find out about the human traffickers who are secretly helping the Ghost Hand Gang kidnap people."

Gu Shaoan replied, "I have also inquired about this matter, but it involves other prefectures such as Kuizhou Prefecture, Shunqing Prefecture, and Xuzhou Prefecture. These places are not within the sphere of influence of our Emei Sect. Even if we knew about it, it would be inconvenient for us to take action."

There are other martial arts forces besides the Emei Sect.

The Tang Clan, which, like the Emei Sect, was a second-rate force, was the first to be affected.

The Abbess of Insulation snorted coldly and said, "So what? We're not going to attack them, but rather follow the clues to kill those human traffickers."

"We have a legitimate reason to fight, who would dare to stop us? If they do, we'll just teach them a lesson."

“These human traffickers are incredibly audacious, daring to play this game of ‘blind spot’ right under the nose of our Emei Sect. If we just let it go after we find out, what if others follow suit? We must either not act at all, or when we do, we must act with thunderous force. Not just in Linhai Town, but all the human traffickers in the surrounding prefectures must be wiped out.”

"Only in this way can these beasts know the price they will pay for daring to cause trouble on my Emei Sect's territory."

Gu Shaoan was speechless after hearing what the Abbess Insulation said.

But after thinking about it, I have to admit that the method used by Abbess Isolation would be more effective.

The best way to deal with people who dare to engage in human trafficking is to intimidate them. Only by killing them until they are terrified will they not dare to harbor any illusions and extend their reach to the Emei Sect.

As for the surrounding forces such as the Tang Clan, they would never directly clash with the Emei Sect just because of some human traffickers.

They would even take the initiative to help, considering the reputation of their own sect, in order to save face.

Therefore, when it comes to the same situation, experienced people are much better at handling it than inexperienced people.

Therefore, Gu Shaoan cupped his hands and said, "At this moment, it was my poor thinking that led me to this conclusion. I hope my senior uncle will forgive me."

The nun said softly, "It's alright. There's always a second time after the first. After this incident, you'll know how to handle it if you meet me again."

"Anyway, the government has already registered the places of origin of these people who were abducted by human traffickers in the past few days. From the places where these people were abducted, we can roughly tell which places are still haunted by these bastards. In a few days, after the elders and other disciples arrive in Linhai Town, we will take care of these matters. Do you three want to come along, or go back to the mountain directly?"

Gu Shaoan thought for a moment and said, "Disciple, senior sister, and junior sister have been away for some time now, and their cultivation has inevitably suffered. Let's go back to the mountain!"

Abbess Wujue nodded and said, “Very well! The three of you are far more talented than me and the sect leader. That’s why you must not be negligent. Moreover, I heard that after a few years of quiet, the Ming Cult has recently become active again. If we encounter any problems in the future, we can feel more at ease with the three of you in charge of the Emei Sect.”

Gu Shaoan raised an eyebrow at the mention of the name "Ming Cult".

"What is this Ming Cult that my martial uncle is talking about?"

Abbess Wujue shook her head and said, "I don't know the specifics yet, but I do know that two months ago, the Kongtong Sect and the Huashan Sword Sect had conflicts with the Ming Cult. Among them, Tang Wenliang, the third of the Five Elders of Kongtong, was injured by the Ming Cult."

Speaking of the Ming Cult, Abbess Juejue couldn't help but think of Abbess Miejue, and then she sighed deeply. When she mentioned the Ming Cult, her tone became colder.

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan's heart stirred.

"Have you started planning this early?"

Gu Shaoan knew that in a few years, the six major sects would be besiege Bright Peak.

But without a reason, the six major sects would not risk everything.

Therefore, before the six major sects besieged Bright Peak, there must have been some disputes and battles between them, which made the contradictions between the two sides reach an irreconcilable point and a fight to the death.

In Gu Shaoan's eyes, the current conflict between the Kongtong Sect, the Huashan Sword Sect, and the Ming Cult is probably just the beginning.

In the coming years, the conflicts and struggles between the six sects of Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kongtong, Huashan Sword Sect, and Kunlun and the Ming Cult will only intensify.

"The signs of chaos are beginning to emerge!"

Thinking about what would happen after the six major sects besieged Bright Peak a few years later, and the people who would appear on Bright Peak, Gu Shaoan suddenly felt a sense of urgency.

With Abbess Juequan overseeing the next steps, Gu Shaoan didn't delay. After bidding farewell to Abbess Juequan and Abbess Jueling the next morning, he set off with Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo, finally arriving at Emei after several days.

On the fourth day after Gu Shaoan and his group returned to Emei, Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen also successfully returned to the mountain with a group of elders and disciples.

Inside Abbess Miejue's bamboo courtyard, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted, yet it could not dispel the heavy gloom that settled between Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen's brows.

Upon entering the Bamboo Courtyard of Extinction, the first thing they noticed was that Abbess Extinction and Abbess Juechen looked unwell.

Looking at the eldest senior sister Zhao Jingxuan and the third senior sister Bei Jinyi standing to the side, Gu Shaoan guessed that Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen must already know about the events in Linhai Town.

After the three approached and bowed, Abbess Miejue didn't waste any words and asked directly, "What do you think about the fact that my Emei Sect disciples acted as accomplices to evil this time?"

In front of Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen, Gu Shaoan did not hide anything and said frankly, "After all, there are too many disciples in my Emei Sect. It is both unexpected and reasonable that such a situation would occur."

“Unexpected, yet reasonable.” Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen exchanged a glance and both couldn’t help but sigh.

They were all top-notch upright and incorruptible figures in the martial arts world, intolerant of even the slightest injustice, and naturally understood what Gu Shaoan was saying.

A large sect is like a towering tree; where the roots are abundant, decaying leaves and withered branches will always grow.

The desire for everyone to be as flawless as a rock is ultimately too idealistic.

The disaster in Linhai Town was caused by the depravity of Zhao Jingyi and others, and it also exposed the huge risks hidden behind the phrase "a mixed bag of good and bad people".

Abbess Miejue took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the frustration and helplessness in her chest, and then said, "In the past, the Emei Sect had too many things to deal with, and perhaps we did not consider the situation of the disciples being stationed. Now that the problem has been exposed, we are thinking of seeing if there is a way to prevent it."

"The three of you were involved in this incident. Do you have any thoughts on it?"

Gu Shaoan did not answer immediately, but looked at Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo beside him.

Zhou Zhiruo understood, exchanged a glance with Yang Yan, took a deep breath, and said, "Master, in my opinion, if we want to prevent the incident in Linhai Town, we must first change the regulations for stationing troops in our Emei Sect and implement a rotation system."

Abbess Miejue gave a soft "hmm" and said, "Continue."

Zhou Zhiruo explained in detail: "According to current practice, once the disciples stationed in our Emei Sect are assigned, they will be stationed in one place. Unless summoned by the sect, they will not be changed. Over time, they will become lazy and easily develop other thoughts, making them vulnerable to being corrupted and manipulated by treacherous people."

"However, if it is a rotation system, with a period of six months or a year, the rotation of defense can also prevent people from forming a network of relationships by staying in one place for a long time."

"If this method is implemented, even if people like the Ghost Hand Gang want to bribe the disciples stationed there with money, they will have nowhere to start. Senior Sister Zhao and the others in Linhai Town will also not dare to take money rashly because of the rotation defense method."

Yang Yan added, "Secondly, with the addition of the system of undercover investigations, our Emei Sect can select reliable, capable, and resilient disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall within the sect to form several teams to conduct unannounced undercover investigations of all the outposts."

"Check their daily lives, their official dealings, and their disciples' whereabouts and reputations. Keep them constantly vigilant, as if a sword of Damocles hangs over their heads!"

As Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen listened to what the two said, a slight smile unconsciously appeared in their eyes.

However, what the two women said was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a well-organized and logical one.

This prompted Abbess Miejue to look at Gu Shaoan and ask, "Did you teach all of this?"

Gu Shaoan shook his head and smiled, "This was the idea of ​​Senior Sister and Junior Sister Yang themselves, and has nothing to do with me."

Immediately afterward, Gu Shaoan recounted the whole story of how he had set this issue for the two of them.

Only then did Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen realize why Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan were able to respond immediately to their questions. Abbess Juechen nodded and smiled, "It's good that you can still think of ways to improve things after encountering problems, considering the big picture."

The expectations that Abbess Juechen and Abbess Miejue had for Gu Shaoan and his companions were clearly different.

Solving problems when they arise and seeking revenge are things that wandering martial arts practitioners do.

As a disciple of a sect, one must not only have the ability to solve problems, but also a broad perspective when encountering issues.

When encountering problems, one should step back from one's personal perspective and look at the situation from the perspective of the entire sect.

Only in this way can we solve the problem once and for all.

However, after a moment of contemplation, Abbess Juechen spoke up: "This idea of ​​taking turns to guard the area coincides with the ideas of my senior sister and me, but if we establish a patrol team to conduct secret investigations, might it sow the seeds of suspicion and discord within the sect? Are we really going to have to monitor and guard against each other among our fellow disciples?"

In response to Abbess Juechen's words, Yang Yan replied with a touch of youthful arrogance: "Master, I believe that reputation is more important than personal feelings. If we allow parasites to erode our foundation out of fear and suspicion, that would be the true self-destruction of our Great Wall."

Zhou Zhiruo nodded and said, "If we are upright and honest, why should we fear surveillance? Those with guilty consciences should be constantly vigilant."

Abbess Miejue looked at Gu Shaoan, "Shaoan, what are your thoughts?"

Gu Shaoan smiled and said, "Methods are all tested. As long as we can determine that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, we can give it a try. In my opinion, as long as we ensure that the senior sister or elder who is in charge of the inspection is upright and will not become a tool for someone in the sect to seek personal gain, then this inspection method will be entirely beneficial."

Hearing what Gu Shaoan said, Abbess Miejue nodded.

"That's true. How can we tell if something is good or bad if we don't try it?"

"In that case, I will discuss this matter with your Uncle Juechen in detail later before making a decision."

Both Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo were delighted to hear that their painstakingly devised methods had been adopted and recognized.

After finishing their business, Gu Shaoan suddenly began to describe to Abbess Miejue the special feeling he had experienced when using "Immortal's Support" several times recently.

As Gu Shaoan recounted the story, the expressions of surprise on the faces of Abbess Miejue and Abbess Juechen grew increasingly intense.

After recounting his own feelings, Gu Shaoan continued to ask, "Outside Datong Prefecture, I overheard Master talking with that senior who had already reached the stage of Condensing Yuan Qi into Gang Qi. They mentioned 'momentum.' I wonder if what I'm experiencing is a manifestation of 'momentum'?"

In response to Gu Shaoan's words, Abbess Miejue nodded and said, "If what you say is true, then in the move 'Immortal Supporting the Head' alone, you may have truly touched the threshold of 'momentum'."

After a pause, Miejue continued, "The level of smoothness and perfection is to hone every move, every style, and every bit of force to perfection."

"However, even if a martial art reaches a level of perfection, it still follows an inherent framework. It is like a divine weapon that is carefully crafted according to a blueprint. Although its power is great, it cannot break free from the limitations of the blueprint."

"The momentum is another level above form. It arises from intention and permeates the whole body. When the mind and intention are unobstructed and the spirit is concentrated as one, the body's qi, blood, strength, and spirit are all integrated. When the intention moves, the momentum moves."

"This momentum does not come from the power of heaven and earth, but from elevating one's own essence, energy and spirit to an unprecedented peak, thereby generating an invisible pressure and a unified power."

"It is because of this momentum that you can unleash the power of 'Immortal Supporting the Head' with every move you make."

Hearing what Miejue said, Gu Shaoan frowned and pondered.

According to Abbess Miejue's current statement, "momentum" is indeed at a higher level than "smooth and pleasant".

It is very likely that Qiao Feng, a hundred years ago, also reached the level of "momentum" in the "Taizu Changquan" (a martial art).

That's why it can unleash considerable power when combined with one's own profound skills.

If Gu Shaoan can use the "Immortal Touches My Head" move to reach or even master the level of "momentum," he might also be able to further advance martial arts such as the "Sunset Sword Technique" and the "Willow Catkin Sword Technique."

Their strength will inevitably increase significantly.

Although the extinction has confirmed that he had indeed touched the "power" when he used "Immortal Support" several times before.

However, the words of Extinction are only an introduction, without explaining how to comprehend and master them.

Seeing Gu Shaoan deep in thought, Abbess Miejue comforted him, saying, "Your ability to touch the threshold of power with 'Immortal's Head Support' several times in a row is enough to show that your mastery of this move is even higher than that of Guo Xiang, the creator of 'Golden Top Cotton Palm'."

"Next, you just need to calm down and focus on your practice. Sooner or later, you will definitely be able to fully grasp the level of 'momentum.' Do not be impatient for quick results, or you will disturb your own state of mind."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "Master, rest assured, I understand."

Afterwards, Gu Shaoan asked Miejue for the cultivation method of "Spiral Nine Shadows" from the "Nine Yin Manual" and then turned around, bowed, and left.

Only after Gu Shaoan and the other two stepped out of the courtyard did Abbess Miejue finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing Abbess Miejue's behavior, Abbess Juechen couldn't help but have a hint of mockery on her face.

"It seems like Senior Sister is under a lot of pressure!"

Seeing the expression on Abbess Juechen's face, Abbess Miejue couldn't help but shake her head.

"Asking knowingly."

Seeing Abbess Miejue's helpless expression, Abbess Juechen smiled and said, "Shao'an's comprehension is indeed the highest I have ever seen. The key is that this child is also very hardworking. It is only a matter of time before such a disciple surpasses us in strength. The fact that Shao'an has been able to achieve this so far only proves that Shao'an is even more outstanding."

"Having such a disciple is a blessing for Senior Sister and for Emei. Why should Senior Sister worry so much?"

Miejue sighed and said, "I'm not worried, but helpless. After all, Shao'an's mastery of martial arts is now above ours. In other words, Shao'an's cultivation will have to rely on himself from now on. As his master, I can't help him in the slightest."

Gu Shaoan's excellence has been something that Abbess Miejue has been proud of in recent years.

But everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

For Abbess Miejue, Gu Shaoan's excellence also put immense pressure on her.

Just like now.

Abbess Miejue's mastery of the "Golden Summit Cotton Palm" technique was only at the level of "comprehension and mastery," and she had not yet reached the realm of "perfect and complete mastery."

Not to mention grasping the level of "momentum".

Now, setting aside some martial arts knowledge, in terms of mastery of martial arts and skill, Abbess Miejue has been left behind by Gu Shaoan.

This also made her feel like she had nothing left to teach Gu Shaoan. In addition, the pressure brought by the improvement of her disciple's strength over the past year has made Abbess Miejue spend one or two more hours cultivating every day.

He was deeply afraid that one day, as the master, he would be far surpassed in strength by his disciple.

Faced with Abbess Miejue's sighing and helpless expression, Abbess Juechen also sighed softly.

"Yes! My disciple is too outstanding. As his master, it is indeed a headache."

As she spoke, Abbess Juechen also thought of Yang Yan and felt a heavy pressure as well.

After returning to his bamboo courtyard, Gu Shaoan's thoughts still unconsciously lingered on what Abbess Miejue had just said.

But the more Gu Shaoan thought about it, the less he understood.

Later on, it actually made me feel a bit more stuffy in my chest.

At this point, Gu Shaoan could only suppress the thoughts in his mind.

"Forget it, I'll just dedicate one incense stick's worth of time each day to practicing the Golden Top Cotton Palm. Little by little, I'll eventually comprehend it, as long as I can use it more often."

With that thought, Gu Shaoan gathered his thoughts and strode into his room.

(End of this chapter)