In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 207 The Price of Honor is Death
a few days later.

The night was deep, and a silver disc hung in the mid-sky, its clear light falling silently like a waterfall.

Deep in the bamboo forest behind the mountain,

The wind whistled through the slender bamboo poles, carrying with it the unique coolness of the night.

A rich, refreshing scent of bamboo leaves wafts through the air, carrying the unique astringent and sweet aroma of plants, as if the essence of the moonlight in the mountains and fields has been crushed and soaked into the wind, mixed with the subtle fragrance of bamboo joints that becomes even cooler under the moonlight.

In this tranquil moment, within the clearing of the bamboo forest, Gu Shaoan's palms danced, every movement carrying an air of ethereal grace.

As his true energy circulated, streaks of water-like residue lingered briefly in the air as Gu Shaoan's palms swept across the ground.

Under the moonlight, she seemed to draw the moonlight like a ribbon, her figure blending into the night air of the bamboo forest, ethereal as a banished immortal descending to earth.

High up in the bamboo forest.

At this moment, Abbess Miejue, Abbess Wujue, Abbess Juechen, Zhou Zhiruo, and Yang Yan each stood atop a green bamboo stalk.

Mei Jiangxue stood on a bamboo branch, with Abbess Zhuanju's hand resting on her shoulder.

With the help of the Abbess of Insulation, no matter how the bamboo branches beneath Mei Jiangxue's feet swayed in the cold wind, Mei Jiangxue's body was always able to stand steadily on the bamboo branches.

All eyes were now focused on Gu Shaoan in the bamboo forest clearing.

Gu Shaoan's strength has long surpassed theirs.

Even Abbess Miejue, Juechen, and Juejue were well aware of this.

For a martial artist

To rapidly improve one's strength, in addition to one's own arduous training, one can also observe the training and battles of masters, thereby reflecting on one's own shortcomings and recognizing one's deficiencies.

As a disciple of Emei, Gu Shaoan was currently practicing the Golden Summit Cotton Palm. For Abbess Miejue and the others, being able to observe Gu Shaoan's practice for a while was completely equivalent to what they could gain from several days or even months of arduous training.

Therefore, as Gu Shaoan practiced the Golden Summit Cotton Palm in this bamboo forest every day, Abbess Miejue and others would gather there immediately to observe him silently.

In the clearing of the bamboo grove, Gu Shaoan gently closed his eyes.

The various forms of the "Golden Top Cotton Palm" could be executed almost instinctively, without Gu Shaoan needing to think about them deliberately.

Last year on Mount Wudang, when Gu Shaoan used the "Martial Arts Enlightenment Card," his state of sudden enlightenment caused the "Immortal Touching the Head" move in the "Golden Summit Cotton Palm" to touch the threshold of the "Domain."

Although it was only a brief moment, it gave Gu Shaoan the feeling that he had stepped into a brand new world, and everything around him seemed to have changed.

Over the past year, Gu Shaoan has been trying to re-enter that unique feeling, but even after triggering the [Enlightenment] effect, he still failed to take that crucial step.

Having practiced the Golden Summit Palm technique countless times, and used the "Immortal's Touch" technique fifty or a hundred times, Gu Shaoan always felt that his "Immortal's Touch" was just one step away from the "Domain" level.

Just then, a cold wind suddenly rose.

Leaves fell from the branches in the cold wind, then were swept up by the wind and blew across Gu Shaoan's cheeks.

It was also in that instant when a wisp of cold wind brushed against my cheek that a familiar sense of clarity and enlightenment unexpectedly surged forth once again from the depths of my heart.

Like a torrent washing away the dust from a precious pearl, or like moonlight piercing through the clouds and falling directly into the heart.

The [Enlightenment] effect was triggered again, and in this state of mental clarity, Gu Shaoan stopped what he was doing.

Instead, she slightly raised her head and gazed at the slender bamboo leaves fluttering in the wind under the moonlight, lost in thought.

"Insightful foresight"

Anticipating the enemy's moves

"Chess pieces, chess players, chess game"

Zhang Sanfeng's descriptions of "domains" flowed through Gu Shaoan's mind like water.

Gu Shaoan practiced and used the "Immortal Touching the Head" mental technique, moves, and energy application tips countless times, and was instantly permeated, cleansed, and sublimated by a vast and pure "knowledge" and "comprehension".

Gradually, a glimmer of light seemed to appear in Gu Shaoan's originally dull eyes.

Driven by this flash of inspiration, Gu Shaoan, who stood in the bamboo forest, moved once again.

This time, however, as Gu Shaoan's palms flew, in the eyes of Miejue and the others in the distance, Gu Shaoan's moves gradually gave people a different feeling.

At this moment, although the palm techniques Gu Shaoan was using were still from the "Golden Top Cotton Palm" technique, the feeling he gave people each time he made a move was completely different.

Even though it wasn't the "Immortal Touching the Head" move from the "Golden Top Cotton Palm" technique, each move somehow conveyed the ethereal and fierce feeling of "Immortal Touching the Head".

Sensing the change in Gu Shaoan's palm technique, the eyes of Extinction, Insulation, and Dust-Free flashed, and their expressions became even more focused.

However, if Abbess Miejue and the others were to get within three feet of Gu Shaoan at this moment, they would be surprised to find that there was a unique energy within three feet of Gu Shaoan.

Just then, an even more biting gust of cold wind suddenly arose.

The wind swept through the bamboo forest, swirling countless slender bamboo leaves into a chaotic dance in the air.

Gu Shaoan, however, seemed completely oblivious, remaining engrossed in his cultivation.

However, just as the rustling sound in the air was heard, and a falling leaf was still three feet away from his back, it was as if Gu Shaoan had eyes on the back of his head. Even though he did not turn around, at the moment when the leaf was about to touch the edge of that invisible boundary, Gu Shaoan seemed to have already "seen" its trajectory and landing point.

Immediately, Gu Shaoan casually twisted his left foot to the side.

The breeze stirred up by his toes also propelled Gu Shaoan's body two feet to the side. In the instant he spun around, Gu Shaoan's fingers touched the edge of the leaf perfectly.

The next instant, the bamboo leaf, which had been intact just moments before, instantly transformed into the finest bluish-green powder, which drifted away silently.

Upon seeing this scene, the eyes of Abbess Miejue and the others, who were standing atop the green bamboo in mid-air, all narrowed.

A look of confusion instantly appeared on their faces.

They clearly couldn't understand how Gu Shaoan could crush a bamboo leaf into powder with just a light touch of his fingertips.

In the open space.

The wind swirls the leaves, and the bamboo leaves fall like a sudden rain or a chaotic flurry of snowflakes.

As the bamboo leaves slowly drifted down from the sky, Gu Shaoan's eyes had closed without him noticing.

But though his eyes were closed, Gu Shaoan's mind seemed to have been opened.

He no longer needed to deliberately "see" those flying leaves. When any leaf, no matter from which tricky angle, no matter how fast or slow, strong or weak, was about to enter within three feet of him, the weight, speed, trajectory, angle of entry, and even the faint whistling sound produced by tearing the air could be clearly reflected in his mind.

The feeling was like observing a grain of sand in the palm of your hand, which was right in front of you.

At this moment, the invisible palm force permeating the domain was like an army of billions of dust particles obeying his command. He didn't need to deliberately "strike" with his palm; a mere thought or a slight movement of any part of his body was enough to instantly mobilize the "Immortal's Touch" gentle force lurking within the surrounding area.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan even had a unique feeling that everything within a three-foot radius around him belonged to his own body.

In this state, facing the sky full of bamboo leaves, Gu Shaoan would sometimes gently brush away the gentle vortex of air created by the fluttering of his robes, like a whisk.

Sometimes it's as light and delicate as plucking a flower.

The movements were gentle and graceful, yet always carried a sense of ethereal beauty, as if a celestial being had descended to earth.

When the wind died down and the leaves fell, not a single new bamboo leaf fell within three feet of Gu Shaoan.

A moment later, Gu Shaoan slowly opened his eyes.

Gu Shaoan glanced around at himself and exhaled a breath of stale air.

A smile slowly appeared on Gu Shaoan's face, and then spread.

A year later, Gu Shaoan's "Immortal Touching the Head" in "Golden Top Cotton Palm" has finally successfully moved from the level of "momentum" to the level of "domain".

at the same time.

Gushan City. In a secluded courtyard that appeared tranquil but was brightly lit inside, dozens of men dressed in uniform black outfits moved swiftly, like black streams flowing silently through the courtyard and corridors, delivering secret reports and organizing files. The air was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere of busy activity.

A secluded corner in the backyard, far from the light of the main courtyard.

A tall, slender man in black stood under a tree in the courtyard, carefully tossing a pure black carrier pigeon into the night sky.

The carrier pigeons flapped their wings and took flight, quickly disappearing into the darkness and heading towards a certain destination.

Looking in the direction where the carrier pigeon disappeared, the man's tense shoulders finally relaxed slightly, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and he breathed a long sigh of relief.

Night enveloped his face, revealing only a barely perceptible weariness and deep confusion in his eyes.

He rubbed the icy residue of the letter between his fingertips, muttering to himself as if pouring out his confusion of the past few days: "What exactly is the identity of that woman named Suxin? Why is she so important to the Marquis?" For several days in a row, almost all the spies and informants of the Dragon Guard Manor in the southwest region were mobilized at Zhu Wushi's request.

Having been a member of the Dragon Guard Manor for over a decade, the man had never seen the manor so exposed, with all its informants and undercover agents now revealed.

Just as he finished speaking and his thoughts were shrouded in thick fog, a voice suddenly entered the man's ears.

"You really want to know who Su Xin is?"

The voice was cold and deep, yet carried a powerful, invisible pressure, like an icy pillar in the winter night, suddenly coming from the deep shadows of the corridor behind him.

The tall, slender man shuddered violently, as if he had been doused with ice water.

He turned around instantly, his movements as swift as lightning, displaying a high level of alertness.

When his gaze fell upon the imposing figure slowly emerging from the shadows, all his vigilance instantly transformed into overwhelming shock and awe. He immediately knelt on one knee and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate greets the Divine Marquis."

Although Zhu Wushi was not wearing a python robe at this moment, but only ordinary clothes, his long-standing authority and the natural, awe-inspiring demeanor in his every move pressed down like a mountain.

His deep eyes, like cold stars hidden in the darkness, rested on the kneeling man, and he said calmly, "Get up!"

Hearing Zhu Wushi's words, the man exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling slightly relieved: "Thank you, Divine Marquis."

After the man stood up, Zhu Wushi said, "Liu Chenyue, 21 years old, from Gushan City."

Upon hearing Zhu Wushi reveal his identity, Liu Chenyue lowered his head and said, "That's right."

Zhu Wushi's gaze fell on him as if it were a physical object, and he remained silent for a few breaths. This brief silence carried an immense pressure.

After Liu Chenyue stood up, Zhu Wushi's cold and deep voice rang out again under the moonlight, as if recounting a long-buried past, or as if uncovering a raw, painful wound:

"Didn't you want to know who Su Xin is?"

"I will tell you."

Then, with a look of reminiscence on his face, Zhu Wushi recounted how he met Su Xin, how they got to know each other, and how he accidentally injured Su Xin during his final battle with Gu Santong.

Zhu Wushi spoke so vividly that Liu Chenyue could feel Zhu Wushi's love for Su Xin in every word he said.

However, considering that Shenhou's beloved was not only someone else's fiancée, but also a living dead who had been unconscious for over twenty years, Liu Chenyue couldn't help but show some doubt on his face.

Just then, Zhu Wushi suddenly turned his head, his deep, cold eyes piercing Liu Chenyue.

"Judging from your expression, are you curious as to why someone of my status and position would be so fixated on such a woman?"

Liu Chenyue quickly replied, "This subordinate dares not."

"The fact that you don't dare to prove that's what you really think."

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Wushi's gaze suddenly turned as sharp as a knife.

"You think that way because you don't understand, and also because you're too young."

At this point, Zhu Wushi's tone suddenly softened, his voice lowered, and he spoke with a gentle and tender tone.

"You haven't truly met a woman like that yet, a woman for whom you'd willingly abandon all reason, pay any price—even if it means going against the whole world, even if it means falling into an abyss—to have her, to stay with her."

The night wind blew his clothes, but it couldn't dispel the tangible aura of melancholy and fervor surrounding him.

His eyes were vacant, as if they pierced through the courtyard before him, returning to a moment etched in his memory:

"Every man has a dream buried deep in his heart that no one else knows about."

"For this dream, I can give up everything, including my reputation, status, and even my life."

"And Su Xin is my dream."

At this moment, Zhu Wushi suddenly took a step closer to Liu Chenyue, and his imposing aura almost suffocated Liu Chenyue.

"Do you understand? When a person loses the dream that sustains their life, they become a true walking corpse! Living is nothing more than an empty shell waiting to decay! More pathetic than a lifeless living dead!"

Zhu Wushi's voice suddenly rose, hoarse and resolute, on the verge of collapse. His eyes blazed with a frenzied red light, and the lines of his face were twisted into a near-grotesque expression.

The violent killing intent was so palpable that it sent chills down one's spine.

"Therefore, I will not allow this dream to be shattered."

"Otherwise, all my efforts and plans over the past twenty-odd years will become a complete joke."

The last few words, like the sharp edge of a blade carrying millennia-old ice, cleaved the silence of the night.

After the rage subsided, Zhu Wushi fell into a brief silence. The murderous aura that was capable of tearing everything apart gradually subsided in the night wind, but his icy and piercing will became even clearer and more solidified.

After a long while, he slowly raised his eyes and his gaze fell back on Liu Chenyue, who was already terrified and at a loss after being utterly horrified by the killing intent that Zhu Wushi had just unleashed.

The ferocity on his face seemed to slowly fade, replaced by an extremely eerie, almost gentle calm.

He spoke softly, his voice returning to its deep, steady tone, as if stating a fact: "Actually, I should thank you today."

Liu Chenyue felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his mind went blank.

The immense fear even made him forget to think for a moment. Faced with Zhu's indifference, he subconsciously squeezed out a question: "Thank... thank me?"

Zhu Wushi nodded slightly: "That's right." He took a step closer, as if a wise elder was confiding in him, "Because these things have been weighing on my heart for too long, day and night, making me feel too uncomfortable. Therefore, I must find someone to confide in."

In the end, Zhu Wushi's face even showed a hint of appreciation and gratitude.

For some reason, looking at the gentle Zhu Wushi in front of him, Liu Chenyue suddenly felt a sense of panic.

Feeling uneasy, Liu Chenyue lowered his head and replied, "Yes, it is my greatest honor to be able to share the burdens of the Divine Marquis!"

The fear in his heart made Liu Chenyue's voice tremble uncontrollably, and his head almost drooped to his chest, not daring to look into Zhu Wushi's unfathomable eyes.

However, the moment he lowered his head, a hand as steady as a rock, containing immense and irresistible force, rose without warning and then gripped his throat.

"Hmm~"

Liu Chenyue couldn't even scream before his eyes widened instantly, his face and eyes filled with terror.

"Click"

The next second, a crisp, teeth-grinding sound of bones breaking was so abrupt and jarring in the deathly silent courtyard.

Slowly releasing his grip, Zhu Wushi stared expressionlessly at the fallen body.

As Zhu Wushi's gaze fell upon Liu Chenyue's face, still etched with fear and astonishment, his cold, emotionless voice finally broke the silence, "But unfortunately, this honor comes at a price."

"It's death."

As soon as the words were spoken, the moonlight remained cold and clear.

However, just as Zhu Wushi turned around to leave, a splashing sound suddenly reached his ears.

Zhu Wushi turned around quickly, and when his gaze fell on the carrier pigeon fluttering down in the air, a suction force suddenly burst forth from his hand.

Under this suction force, the carrier pigeon in the air was immediately pulled into Zhu Wushi's hand.

A few breaths later, as the carrier pigeon fluttered away again, Zhu Wushi found himself holding a bamboo tube.

After crushing the bamboo tube in his hand, Zhu Wushi slowly unrolled a rolled-up piece of paper.

By the cold moonlight, as he looked at the few lines of small characters on the note, a terrifying wave of energy suddenly erupted from Zhu Wushi's body.

The blast of air pushed Liu Chenyue's body against the wall.

Zhu Wushi gripped the note tightly in his hand, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion.

"Somebody come!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two figures emerged silently from the surrounding shadows as if by teleportation, and then knelt on the ground.

Zhu Wushi said coldly, "Pass down the order to conduct a full-scale search for any information related to the Ghost Hand Gang, the Giant Sword Sect, and the Four Seas Hall. Find out for me what forces are behind them."

"I obey my orders!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two people who were kneeling on the ground disappeared into the night like shadows.

　I wrote about Zhu Wushi several times, but I just couldn't get into the feeling of being obsessed with love. I could only keep comparing it to the TV series to get a feel for it! I hope I can capture the feeling of Zhu Wushi in my writing!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)