In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 282 Money Paves the Way, Shangguan Jin Hong
A moment later, in a room in the backyard of the escort agency, Yang Yan looked at Gu Shaoan and said, "Senior brother, would you like us to accompany you to the appointment?"

When asked by Yang Yan, Gu Shaoan thought for a moment and then shook his head and said, "They're after me, so I'll go alone."

Gu Shaoan had already vaguely guessed the identity of the person behind the matter, and considering the other party's strength, it would be safer for Gu Shaoan to go alone.

If Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan were brought along, Gu Shaoan wasn't sure if he could take care of them once things got serious.

In comparison, it's better to act alone.

Seeing that Gu Shaoan had already made his decision, Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo had no choice but to abandon their thoughts.

"I don't know who it is, but they are so despicable as to secretly poison my father in an attempt to force you, my senior brother, to die."

Gu Shaoan said softly, "In the martial world, unless you are mediocre and incompetent, it is normal for others to have their eyes on you."

After thinking for a moment, Gu Shaoan said, "After I leave, be careful in the escort agency and try not to go out."

Knowing what Gu Shaoan meant, Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo both nodded in agreement.

At 5 PM, in the eastern suburbs of Baijiang Prefecture.

The golden hues of the setting sun were splashed onto the vast river surface, shattering into millions of shimmering golden scales.

A gentle breeze blows, the river surges gently, creating endless, shimmering folds that stretch and shatter the last rays of light between heaven and earth, then shine them anew.

Right there on this riverbank bathed in golden light, stands a pavilion that blends seamlessly with the golden hues of the world.

Several figures stood around the pavilion.

The group was dressed in dark gold outfits, with dark gold masks covering their faces, revealing only their eyes.

But what is most eye-catching is the pavilion itself.

Its beams, pillars, eaves, and even every railing seemed to be completely covered with a thick, dazzling layer of gold paint, reflecting a brilliant golden light under the afterglow of the setting sun.

The gold lacquer on the surface of this pavilion alone is enough to ensure that an ordinary family will have no worries about food and clothing for a lifetime.

What hangs around the pavilion is not an ordinary bamboo curtain or gauze curtain, but a kind of thin, almost transparent golden brocade.

This brocade is so light and thin that when the river breeze blows by, it flutters and dances gently as if touched by an invisible hand.

As it fluttered, a golden halo, like ripples on water, appeared on the brocade surface, flowing and changing, like a dream.

Inside the pavilion, a man sat quietly at a table.

The man was burly and wore a pure gold mask that covered his nose at the very bottom.

Her dark gold robe shimmered slightly in the light emanating from the surrounding shimmering brocade.

At this moment, he casually rested one hand on the edge of the table, while the other hand was picking up a gold cup.

The wind rustled through the dense reeds on the bank.

He sat there quietly, facing the golden glow of the river and the setting sun, calmly raising his cup and taking a sip.

His posture was relaxed and elegant, as if he were enjoying the evening breeze and fine wine all to himself.

Although he didn't utter a single word, his entire being exuded an aura of authority and disdain.

Just as the pavilion and the riverside were reflecting each other's glory, a figure appeared gracefully like a gentle breeze.

Just as Gu Shaoan approached, the dark gold guards around the pavilion focused their gazes on Gu Shaoan, who was dressed in green, from behind their masks.

The man in the pavilion paused for a moment as he raised his wine cup.

He slowly turned his head.

Although the pavilion was obscured by layers of golden gauze, Gu Shaoan could still sense the scrutinizing gaze in the man's eyes.

Gu Shaoan ignored the gazes of the guards, holding his sword in his left hand and his right hand behind his back as he stepped forward.

As Gu Shaoan took another step forward, the guards around the pavilion instantly sprang into action, using their lightness skills to stand around Gu Shaoan, gripping their sword hilts and poised to strike.

Despite this, Gu Shaoan seemed oblivious and continued walking towards the pavilion.

"Boom!"

As they took another step and their feet touched the soft, fertile earth, a deep, resonant sound, like the first beat of a drum from the ancient wilderness, suddenly echoed in their ears.

The next instant, an immense, mountain-like pressure descended upon the guards from all directions.

The moment the terrifying pressure descended, the special energy contained within it shattered the true energy that they had just mobilized in their bodies with a domineering and ruthless force, and also forced these guards to their knees, unable to move.

In contrast, Gu Shaoan calmly walked past the guards until his shoulder brushed against the soft, shimmering brocade, and stepped into the pavilion.

With his eyes lowered, Gu Shaoan looked at the burly man in front of him who wore a golden mask.

The latter was also sizing up Gu Shaoan.

A few breaths later, the masked man spoke: "I have long heard that Young Master Gu of the Emei Sect is as handsome as Pan An and as gentle as warm jade. Seeing him today, I can confirm that he lives up to his name. Whether it is his appearance or his temperament, he is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people."

After a pause, the man glanced at the guards kneeling outside and said, "However, I had heard that Young Master Gu was gentle and humble in dealing with matters, which is somewhat inconsistent with the domineering attitude he just displayed."

Gu Shaoan said calmly, "The approach will naturally differ depending on the person you are dealing with."

Upon hearing this, the man nodded in deep agreement and said, "That's right! As far as these guards are concerned, they are indeed not qualified to act arrogantly in front of Young Master Gu."

After saying that, the man slightly raised his right foot and then stomped it down, making a "bang" sound.

At the same time, a special kind of energy suddenly burst forth from the man's body, causing the shimmering brocade quilts hanging around the pavilion to be lifted high.

The next second, Gu Shaoan felt a powerful and concentrated force suddenly rush into the vicinity of the guards, dispersing the force that Gu Shaoan had gathered.

Without the terrifying force pressing down on them, they all stood up.

"Go down!"

As soon as the man spoke, several guards stood up, bowed respectfully, and quickly left.

The man raised his left hand and gestured, "Young Master Gu, please have a seat."

After Gu Shaoan sat down, the man raised his left hand and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

A stream of water was drawn from a wine pot placed in a copper basin of ice water and flowed into the wine cup in front of Gu Shaoan.

The wine is dark red, crystal clear, and carries a hint of grape aroma.

"I hope Young Master Gu will enjoy this fine wine from the Western Regions."

As he spoke, the man picked up his golden cup and took a sip of the wine.

Gu Shaoan also picked up the wine, sniffed it gently, and then took a small sip. "It is said that fine wine is served in a luminous cup, and a golden pavilion has been specially built for this purpose. With your wealth, it would not be difficult for you to obtain some jade cups that are suitable for these fine wines. However, it is quite rare to abandon jade cups and use golden cups instead."

The man casually said, "Fine wine is like a person. While a jade cup with fine grape wine is exceptional, a gold cup with wine is equally noble."

"Moreover, jade cups are fragile, and once broken, they are worthless. But broken gold is still gold, and it will still drive people crazy for it. So I prefer gold cups to jade cups."

Gu Shaoan said unhurriedly, "As expected of the leader of the Money Gang who believes in 'money paves the way,' his preferences are quite straightforward."

Upon hearing this, the man paused slightly in the hand holding the golden cup.

Looking up at Gu Shaoan with interest, she softly said "Oh".

Gu Shaoan said casually, "There are not many experts in the Great Wei Kingdom who have achieved the Qi Condensation Realm, let alone spend so much money to build such a golden pavilion just to meet people. Among the experts in the Great Wei Kingdom who have achieved the Qi Condensation Realm, who else but Shangguan Jin Hong of the Money Gang has such a fondness for gold and pursues luxury?"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin Hong laughed and said, "You are smarter than I thought, being able to guess my identity so quickly."

As she spoke, Shangguan Jin Hong removed the mask she was wearing.

He was around forty years old, with high brow bones that made his eye sockets appear exceptionally deep. His thick eyebrows were not arrogant, but rather like two solemn steel lines pressing straight down on his eye sockets, giving him an air of authority without anger.

Looking directly at Shangguan Jin Hong, Gu Shaoan slowly said, "After traveling for so long, I am also a little tired. We have had our drinks and met the person. Chief Shangguan, please speak your mind!"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin Hong raised her hand and picked up a wooden box placed on the table.

Gu Shaoan turned his head to look and saw two items in the box.

A two-inch-sized, blue-green medicine bottle.

The other one is a token.

Gu Shaoan was very familiar with the token.

It was the Azure Dragon Token that Lin Xian'er had taken out earlier.

"So they still want to keep recruiting!"

Gu Shaoan knew the Azure Dragon Society's next move, so he also knew that what the Azure Dragon Society needed now was to lie low and remain hidden from everyone's sight.

Given the current situation between Gu Shaoan and the Azure Dragon Society, they are far from reaching the point of armed conflict.

The Azure Dragon Society doesn't need to be so high-profile; they have to make such a big fuss.

Once the matter becomes public knowledge, it will be detrimental to the Green Dragon Society's future plans.

Therefore, when Gu Shaoan guessed that Shangguan Jin Hong was behind today's events, he vaguely guessed that Shangguan Jin Hong's purpose was also to recruit him.

He shifted his gaze from the dragon-headed token to Shangguan Jin Hong opposite him.

"Gu thought he had made himself very clear when he faced that girl last time."

Shangguan Jin Hong smiled and said, "I think that Young Hero Gu doesn't understand what this token represents."

Under Gu Shaoan's calm gaze, Shangguan Jin Hong said, "Young Master Gu's talent is known throughout the martial arts world. Everyone believes that with his talent, it would not be difficult for him to become the second Master Zhang."

"However, potential is still potential. The Celestial Realm is not an easy realm to enter. Even with Young Master Gu's talent, it will take him several decades to reach this level."

"And in these past few decades, can Young Master Gu guarantee that he or the Emei Sect will not attract any other trouble?"

"Besides, Young Master Gu, don't forget about the matter of the Demon Master Pang Ban."

"As far as I know, after being seriously injured by Young Hero Gu, Demon Master Pang Ban has successfully found a new furnace and mastered the Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique."

Upon hearing that Pang Ban had actually mastered the "Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique," a hint of doubt flashed through Gu Shaoan's mind.

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Shaoan asked, "Did Pang Ban find a second furnace cauldron?"

As far as Gu Shaoan knew, Pang Ban relied on Feng Xinglie as a furnace to master the "Dao Xin Seed Demon Technique".

However, not long ago, Gu Shaoan had met Feng Xinglie and Li Ruohai at the Emei Sect, so he could confirm that Feng Xinglie was not the problem.

If Shangguan Jin Hong is correct, then the only explanation is that Pang Ban has found a new furnace.

Shangguan Jin Hong clapped his hands and said, "Young Master Gu's reaction was indeed quick. Not bad, Pang Ban has found a new furnace cauldron containing the Dao Heart."

Seeing Shangguan Jin Hong's reaction, Gu Shaoan frowned.

Noticing Gu Shaoan's expression, Shangguan Jin Hong continued, "Although Pang Ban has lost an arm because of Young Master Gu, even if he has mastered the Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique, he is still no match for Young Master Gu. However, the Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique and even the supreme divine skill of the Demon Master Palace are extremely profound."

"With the talent of the Demon Master Pang Ban, and with the martial art of the Dao Heart Demon Seed Technique, it would not be difficult for him to condense the Three Flowers and enter the Celestial Realm in another ten years."

"When that time comes, how will Young Master Gu and the entire Emei Sect face a Celestial Realm expert as their mortal enemy?"

Immediately afterwards, Shangguan Jin Hong changed the subject.

"However, if Young Hero Gu can join us, we can guarantee that within ten years, no force in the world will dare to provoke the Emei Sect. Even if the Demon Master Pang Ban can reach the Celestial Realm, he will not take action against Young Hero Gu or the Emei Sect."

"In addition, we can provide you with some rare martial arts manuals, exotic flowers and herbs, and even Shaolin's Great Rejuvenation Pill."

"As long as you are willing to join us, you can have fame, fortune, and power. It's only a matter of time before you even reach the Celestial Realm."

Gu Shaoan chuckled to himself at this.

Previously, Pang Ban had been seriously injured by Gu Shaoan.

According to Zhang Sanfeng, Pang Ban's own spiritual seed had become problematic.

Even if one were to master the "Great Demon Seed Technique of the Dao Heart," it would still take a considerable amount of time to restore Pang Ban to normal.

Not to mention condensing the Three Flowers and entering the Celestial Realm.

It would be virtually impossible without ten years.

As for Gu Shaoan, with the help of achievement points, lottery, and other resources such as skill level and proficiency panel, reaching the Celestial Realm within ten years was almost a certainty.

Moreover.

With the effects of the attributes "Immovable as a Mountain" and "Indestructible Vajra", once Gu Shaoan can cultivate his "Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill" to the twelfth level, even if Gu Shaoan has not entered the Celestial Realm, he will be able to innately restrain Pang Ban's martial arts.

Gu Shaoan couldn't think of any reason why he needed to be wary of Pang Ban.

As for the other conditions that Shangguan Jin Hong mentioned, they did not sway Gu Shaoan at all.

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Shaoan suddenly spoke up: "If everything is as good as Chief Shangguan says, then why hasn't Chief Shangguan reached the Celestial Realm yet?"

A single, casual remark instantly choked Shangguan Jin Hong to the throat, making it impossible for her to utter another word.

　Sorry, my cold suddenly got worse. I'm coughing a lot today and my head is spinning, so I can only update once today!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)