In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 176 Trouble just keeps coming to us.
The thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

South of Huaishan Prefecture.

Upon arriving at Huaishan Prefecture south of Wudang, Gu Shaoan moved like a wild goose, his body gliding several meters through the air with each touch of his toes on the ground.

The biting wind made the black veil under Gu Shaoan's bamboo hat flutter continuously.

The continuous heavy snowfall had limited effect, even though local governments had arranged for people to clear the roads.

With the snow piling up, it would be difficult to ride a horse for long, and one would have to take care of it. It would be more convenient and faster to travel by light footwork.

With Gu Shaoan's current lightness skill that leaves no trace in the snow and his sixty years of internal energy, even without fully activating his lightness skill, he can travel hundreds of miles in a day.

In just half a month, they had already left Wudang territory.

Looking up at the sky, which was almost completely dark, Gu Shaoan saw a post station in the distance.

However, as Gu Shaoan drew closer, he discovered that the post station was actually abandoned.

"Well, at least it can at least shelter us from the wind and snow."

With that thought, Gu Shaoan circulated his true essence and moved forward nearly eight zhang before finally lowering his body.

As he walked toward the next post station, he used his true energy to amplify his hearing.

After glancing at the horses grazing in the stables next to the post station and some wagons, Gu Shaoan looked away and continued forward.

Upon pushing open the tightly closed door of the inn, a stuffy smell, a mixture of dust, old wood, and a hint of sweat, wafted towards me.

However, besides these ordinary smells, Gu Shaoan clearly also detected a special scent.

Through the veil, one could see several bonfires flickering in different corners of the empty hall of this abandoned post station. The dim, swaying light barely outlined human figures and made the spider webs hanging under the eaves appear to light up and dim.

Gu Shaoan's gaze swept over them steadily.

Inside the room, around a fire in the center, sat seven or eight men, with some goods scattered around their feet. They looked tired, but were sturdy and had the wariness and shrewdness typical of merchants.

On the right side of the house, there were three or four people who looked like ordinary travelers, dressed in relatively thin and worn clothes, wrapped in blankets they could find, huddled close to the fire to keep warm.

In addition, there was a pair of figures in the right corner of the house.

He was wearing a large, old, dark fur cloak with the hood pulled low, revealing only the tip of his pale beard. He was curled up against the wall, motionless, like a withered old tree root, exuding an indescribable sense of desolation.

Beside him nestled a little girl of about eleven or twelve years old, also wrapped in a thick old cloak, the hood undone, revealing a delicate little face reddened from the cold. Her big, dark eyes, like two black grapes soaking in water, were looking at Gu Shaoan at the door with curiosity and without fear.

As Gu Shaoan pushed open the door, the previously quiet conversation inside the room fell completely silent for a moment.

All eyes turned to Gu Shaoan standing at the door.

Several people in the merchant caravan had already placed their hands on the weapons beside them.

Taking in the situation inside the house, Gu Shaoan's gaze lingered briefly on the old man in the corner before slowly withdrawing his eyes.

He raised his left hand and used the scabbard of the Heaven-Slaying Sword to close the door he had just opened.

The low howl of the wind and snow was completely blocked outside the door, and only the crackling sound of burning firewood could be heard inside.

This post station looks like it has been abandoned for many years.

The ground was covered with traces of the campfire that had burned out.

The advantage is that the house is filled with dry firewood and hay.

It must be leftovers from other people who stayed at this inn before.

After collecting some firewood and dry grass, Gu Shaoan walked to a corner by the door, piled up the firewood and dry grass, and lit them with a tinderbox.

Before long, the burning campfire also dispelled the darkness around Gu Shaoan.

After spreading a layer of hay on the ground, Gu Shaoan sat down against the wall.

It was only after Gu Shaoan sat down that everyone in the room turned their attention away.

He reached into the bundle and found a sesame seed cake in his hand.

After casually tossing a few sweet potatoes to the fire to roast slowly, Gu Shaoan also brought the sesame seed cake in his hand to the fire to soften it a little before eating it and drinking water.

Seemingly noticing the gaze, Gu Shaoan turned his head.

But then he saw the girl in the corner, one old and one young, staring at him with her big, round eyes.

After a moment's hesitation, Gu Shaoan took out another flatbread, toasted it over the fire for a short while, and then gestured to the girl.

Upon seeing this, the girl smiled at Gu Shaoan and then shook her head.

It was just a matter of convenience, and since the other party was wary and didn't appreciate it, Gu Shaoan didn't insist.

After finishing the sesame seed cake, Gu Shaoan leaned against the wall, his internal energy circulating like flowing water.

Over the past six months, Gu Shaoan's progress on the "Emei Nine Yang True Scripture" has become increasingly slow.

Only now has the seventh level of the "Emei Nine Yang True Scripture" reached the minor completion stage.

At the current pace, it seems that reaching perfection will really have to wait until Gu Shaoan comes of age.

While circulating his internal energy, Gu Shaoan focused his thoughts on the "Emei Sword Manual".

When a martial art is created, the creator can at most reach the pinnacle of its form.

For example, Gu Shaoan, in the "Emei Sword Manual", has already reached the level of "smooth and perfect" in all nine forms.

However, it has not yet reached the level of "momentum".

Not to mention the subsequent "domain" level.

If Gu Shaoan could elevate "Sword Nine: One Sword Across Worlds" in the "Emei Sword Manual" to the level of "momentum" and "domain", his strength would undoubtedly increase significantly.

However, the difficulty of cultivating this thing is even greater than Gu Shaoan had expected.

Even with the help of the "enlightenment" entry, Gu Shaoan hadn't been able to grasp the slightest hint of "momentum" over the past two weeks.

This reminded Gu Shaoan of a certain singer from his previous life, who wrote a song in his youth without thinking, and who could no longer sing it when he got old.

Gu Shaoan now feels the same way.

When creating "One Sword Separates Worlds", he only thought about drawing upon the power and momentum of heaven and earth to have one more trump card.

However, the difficulty of subsequent cultivation was overlooked.

After shaking his head, Gu Shaoan tried to clear his mind of thoughts.

By the time the sweet potatoes were roasted, it was already completely dark outside.

Using a piece of wood, he picked out two pieces and moved them to the side. After they cooled down and he ate them, Gu Shaoan focused his mind on cultivation.

Outside, the north wind howled wildly, whipping up heavy snowflakes, and the night sky was as black as ink.

The warmth inside, mixed with the smell of damp firewood and dust, contrasted sharply with the bone-chilling cold outside the window, creating a palpable contrast, like a thin sheet of paper that could be torn apart at any moment by the raging night.

Gu Shaoan sat cross-legged against the corner wall, his breathing barely perceptible, as if he had entered a meditative state.

The true essence continues to circulate stably and efficiently within the body.

The warm, sun-like energy circulated continuously within his body, so even though Gu Shaoan was dressed in thin clothes, he did not feel cold at all.

Just as this tranquil introspection and the external clamor reached their peak, Gu Shaoan, who was leaning against the wall, suddenly opened his eyelids.

Those eyes, which appeared especially deep amidst the interplay of firelight and darkness, instantly turned towards the doorway.

Without any violent movement, only the head turning, a focused and tangible gaze pierced through the door, penetrating the snowy night outside. A few breaths later, Gu Shaoan suddenly sensed a fluctuation of true energy.

The moment he sensed the fluctuation of true energy, Gu Shaoan's gaze turned to the corner.

Suddenly, the old man, who had been sitting motionless like a rotten tree and whose breathing was barely audible, moved.

Without warning, the withered arm suddenly extended from the cloak and picked up the little girl who had just fallen asleep beside him.

Immediately afterwards, the old man's body rose up suddenly like a ghost, and then darted to a spot below the roof beams of the post station where several thick roof beams crisscrossed.

In this already dim night, unless one gets very close, it would be extremely difficult to discover that there were actually two people hiding in the shadows of the roof beams.

The movements were light and swift, leaving only a faint sound of wind breaking in the air.

Apart from Gu Shaoan, the other group of caravan members did not notice anything unusual.

Almost as soon as the grandfather and grandson had hidden themselves, the faint sound of galloping horses could be heard outside.

A moment later, a loud crash suddenly came from the entrance of the post station.

The next second, the already flimsy wooden door of the post station was smashed open with a tooth-grinding cracking sound, as if struck by a battering ram.

The raging wind and snow, carrying a biting chill, roared into the house like a flood bursting its banks.

The warmth that had been barely maintained by the campfire was instantly shattered, and the flames flickered wildly, almost going out.

Everyone inside, whether they were hunched-over passersby or wary merchants, turned pale with fright and quickly huddled together, shrinking back towards the fire.

Snowflakes and ice shards swept into the room, blurring the view.

Immediately afterward, amidst the wind and snow blowing into the house from outside, more than twenty figures swiftly and orderly surged into the post station.

The group moved swiftly and sealed off the small post station in an instant.

They were all dressed in black, each carrying a weapon in one hand and a lantern or torch in the other, and their brows exuded a strong sense of ferocity.

He's clearly not a good person.

This sudden turn of events caused the passersby and merchants inside the house to show expressions of shock.

The caravan members had already grabbed their weapons, watching warily as the group of people suddenly burst into the post station.

Just then, a person slowly stepped into the inn from the entrance and then slowly walked to the front of these men in black.

The man appeared to be in his forties, dressed in scholar's attire, and waving a pristine white folding fan untouched by snowflakes, standing out starkly against the tense and menacing atmosphere around him.

With a perfectly measured smile on his face, and even brushing away the nonexistent snow dust on his shoulder with his folding fan, he said in a gentle and polite voice, "It's a deep, snowy night, please forgive my intrusion."

He nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the terrified faces of the crowd before finally settling on the campfire, which crackled and popped as the wind and snow blew in.

"We are chasing a few petty thieves who have stolen from our homes. In the heat of the moment, we caused quite a disturbance. Rest assured, if you would do us a favor, we will not harm anyone here."

His voice was soft and his attitude was sincere.

Upon learning the visitor's intentions, the people inside the house, who had just been frightened, felt somewhat relieved.

The middle-aged scholar, with eyes like a hawk, scanned every corner with sharp precision: the trembling traveler huddled by a pillar, the wary caravan clutching its goods, the dusty, cobweb-covered roof beams. Finally, his gaze settled on Gu Shaoan, who was still leaning against the wall, not getting up.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan was still wearing a bamboo hat, and the light veil in front of him swayed gently in the cold wind.

The leaping flames and the draped black veil obscured Gu Shaoan's true appearance.

But no matter who you are, you can see Gu Shaoan's indifference from his casual posture leaning against the wall at this moment.

Seemingly intrigued, the middle-aged scholar let out a soft "Eh" and then walked towards Gu Shaoan.

"My friend, would it be convenient for you to take off your straw hat? Of course, I just wanted to confirm."

The black veil beneath the conical hat fluttered slightly, and a soft, youthful, calm voice, seemingly without any fluctuation, clearly rang out.

"inconvenient."

The three words were spoken lightly, yet they carried a tone of firmness, leaving no room for negotiation.

The middle-aged scholar's smile seemed to freeze for a moment, and the folding fan he was gently fanning himself paused. Gu Shaoan keenly sensed a fleeting, sinister glint in the man's eyes, like a viper's hiss. But it was only for a split second.

Immediately afterwards, the middle-aged scholar lowered his gaze and placed it on the Heaven-Slaying Sword that Gu Shaoan had placed on his lap.

The next instant, that refined and gentle smile perfectly covered it again.

"Of course, of course. Your voice sounds so young, so different from my master's old dog. I was being presumptuous."

After uttering a calm and composed voice, the middle-aged scholar bowed slightly and then turned and left.

After turning around, at the middle-aged scholar's command, several men dressed in black quickly searched the post station with lanterns.

In contrast, the middle-aged scholar closed his eyes and waited quietly.

A moment later, after the search had yielded no results, the middle-aged man opened his eyes and said, "It seems we rushed the chase and misjudged the direction; they're not here."

When the middle-aged man spoke, there was a noticeable increase in anger in his voice.

He then turned and glanced at Gu Shaoan before bowing to the others in the room and saying, "I am truly sorry for disturbing your peace."

After saying that, he turned to the door and waved his paper fan at the people outside: "Let's go! Chase them in the southeast direction."

Immediately afterwards, as if rehearsed, the group moved with the same speed as they had come, and then retreated like the tide, silently disappearing back into the howling wind and snow of the night outside the door.

The last person even thoughtfully closed the door to the inn.

The barrier was barely closed, blocking out the wind and snow, and also the figures of those uninvited guests.

The room was once again filled with the flickering light of the campfire, a light that seemed to have survived the ordeal, but the tense chill did not seem to have completely dissipated.

Before long, the sound of horses galloping away could be heard outside.

However, Gu Shaoan, who was leaning against the wall, frowned slightly at this moment.

A quarter of an hour later, amidst a chorus of curses and swears, those whose sweet dreams had just been interrupted lay back down.

The room seemed to have returned to its previous tranquility.

It was at this moment that the old man who had been hiding in the rafters brought the girl back to the ground.

Just as the old man released the girl, a slight cough came from his mouth. The girl quickly took the water bottle from her waist and handed it to the old man.

"Grandpa, are you alright?"

Looking at the two people who had returned to the ground, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but sigh softly.

It has to be said, that's just how life is in the martial arts world.

Even if Gu Shaoan doesn't go looking for trouble, trouble still finds him on its own.

It's so late at night, I can't even get a proper rest.

Just as Gu Shaoan sighed softly, a smug laugh suddenly came from outside the door.

"I'm afraid that something bad will happen to you and your grandfather tonight."

Then, with a loud crash, the door to the inn, which had just been closed, was kicked open again.

Amid the girl's frightened gaze and the old man's upward gaze, the middle-aged scholar, who should have left earlier, stepped back into the room.

　The next chapter will have one or two points!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)