In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 285 How can a speck of dust be poison?

Faced with the sudden change in the meaning of the move, Shangguan Jin Hong felt a chill run down his spine.

"Ho~"

As a low growl, like a beast on the verge of death, burst from the depths of Shangguan Jin Hong's throat, the powerful and domineering Qi Yuan within his body was instantly squeezed to its limit, surging wildly into the pair of golden dragon and phoenix rings in his hands!

"Buzz—Clang!"

The twin rings emitted a deafening shriek, and the originally smooth trajectory suddenly became fierce and decisive.

The golden light of the Dragon and Phoenix Rings in Shangguan Jin Hong's hand condensed to the point of almost turning into liquid flames. The inner ring shrieked like a dragon's roar, while the inner ring was as heavy as a mountain, and they fiercely met the indifferent palm pressing down above his head from the left and right.

The terrifying force even caused the light and shadow along the way to distort.

However, just as the mother-and-child dragon and phoenix rings were about to touch that fair hand, a sudden change occurred.

The originally chaotic and turbulent wind by the river seemed to receive a sign, and instead of being a disorderly turbulent current, it formed a clear, silent vortex that quickly converged towards Gu Shaoan's palm.

The shattered light and shadow, the flying dust, and even the fine particles of qi scattered in the air, were like moths drawn to a flame, captured and combed by an invisible force, and thrown into the slowly pressing palm.

This is not a martial arts move deliberately performed, but a spontaneous response to the power of heaven and earth.

And in Shangguan Jin Hong's pupils, widened to their limit by fear and determination.

That fair hand, though still pressing down with that leisurely and carefree posture, and seemingly unchanged in speed, had a strangely different "presence" in this world!

In an instant, it became ethereal and indistinct, like moonlight reflected in a lake, gentle and intangible, as if a breeze had passed by without leaving a trace.

In the next instant, it suddenly solidified and became violent, like a thunderclap breaking through the clear sky, so fast that there was no time to react, yet it remained clearly in my eyes.

The line between fast and slow is completely blurred.

It was right in front of Shangguan Jin Hong, the slight opening of its five fingers was clearly visible, but in Shangguan Jin Hong's perception, this hand and even Gu Shao An's entire aura had disappeared.

He could clearly see the hand pressing down, but he couldn't pinpoint its exact trajectory, nor could he detect any fluctuations in vital energy or any pulling force of qi attached to it.

It was as if what he was seeing was just an illusory projection of light and shadow!

This eerie sense of dislocation and unreality instantly captivated Shangguan Jin Hong's mind.

In that subtle moment of intense mental turmoil and sensory confusion, Gu Shaoan's downward-pressing palm, like mercury spilling onto the ground or a gentle breeze passing through a crack, passed through the gap between the mother and child dragon and phoenix rings with incredible softness and elusiveness.

It was as light as if it were passing through a breeze that never existed.

The movements were completely unhindered, without the slightest sound of wind or fluctuation of energy. They were as natural as willow branches brushing the surface of water, yet so fast that they exceeded the limits of human perception!
Before Shangguan Jin Hong could even process the panic caused by his confused perception into a corrective action, a fair and slender hand, as if ordained by fate, gently and precisely pressed down on his left shoulder.

There was no explosive force capable of destroying mountains and overturning seas, nor was there a torrent of flames that could scorch bones and melt marrow.

Only a strange "weight," as deep as an abyss and as cold as water, instantly spread throughout the body from that point of contact.

It was as if the entire dome of the sky was pressing down on his shoulder blade.

The surging, powerful energy within him, poised to unleash its final strike, was instantly frozen, collapsed, and dissipated by this gentle press.

Like an avalanche, the fluid rushed back into the meridians and dantian, bringing excruciating internal pain.

At the same time, an overwhelming force caused a crisp crack to come from Shangguan Jin Hong's shoulder.

Immediately afterwards, Shangguan Jin Hong's body began to sink uncontrollably.

Until both knees landed firmly on the ground.

"boom!"

The moment his knees touched the ground, the ground within a three-zhang radius around Shangguan Jin Hong's knees sank three inches out of thin air.

Fresh blood also spurted from Shangguan Jin Hong's mouth.

His face, which had been dignified and imposing even without anger, turned as pale as paper at that moment.

All the fierceness, despair, and resentment on his face froze into a complete blankness and deathly ashes.

He lost.

The defeat was both inevitable and unbelievable to him.

The difference between immortals and mortals is as simple as a touch.

With a single palm strike that severely injured Shangguan Jin Hong, Gu Shaoan used the residual force of the blow to float lightly backward before landing gracefully beside Shangguan Jin Hong.

Shangguan Jin Hong raised her head with some difficulty, only to meet Gu Shaoan's condescending gaze.

At this moment, in Shangguan Jin Hong's eyes, Gu Shaoan's original gentleness was gone, and his whole body exuded an air of disdain and arrogance.

His pride compels him to look up.

With his gaze fixed on Shangguan Jin Hong, Gu Shaoan said in a calm tone, "It seems that Chief Shangguan does not have the power to force me to join the forces behind you."

"Perfect timing. I'd also like to trouble Chief Shangguan to deliver a message back to me: the same thing will not happen again. I hope this will be the last time your backers meet with me."

"If there is a next time, I may not be able to have the same patience."

At this point, Gu Shaoan suddenly tucked his right hand into his sleeve, and when his hand reappeared, it held a purple pill.

As the energy burst forth from his hand, the purple pill instantly turned into powder and was enveloped by the energy.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Shaoan flicked his wrist, and the powder was instantly enveloped by a burst of energy and rushed into Shangguan Jin Hong's body.

In an instant, Shangguan Jin Hong felt a boiling, knife-like pain as her blood flowed through her body, causing her body to tremble involuntarily.

"what have you done?"

Upon encountering the unusual sensation within her body, Shangguan Jin Hong's expression changed drastically.

Gu Shaoan said calmly, "It's just a matter of reciprocity!"

"This poison is called General's Blood. Every evening thereafter, Shangguan Gang will experience a boiling, knife-like pain as his blood flows through his body, which will last for about fifteen minutes."

"This poison can be considered a unique secret recipe of mine. It is difficult to cure by ordinary means. Rash treatment may aggravate the poison. If left untreated, the poison will naturally dissipate after half a year."

Upon learning that the poison was not lethal, Shangguan Jin Hong felt a sense of relief, then sneered, "So it turns out that even a righteous sect like Young Hero Gu would resort to poison."

Gu Shaoan said without changing his expression: "Everything in the world is righteous when used for righteous purposes, and evil when used for evil purposes."

“My Emei Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect, but we are not pedantic. We also adhere to the principle of ‘repaying injustice with justice and kindness with kindness.’ You secretly poisoned me first, so what’s wrong with me punishing you with poison as a small lesson?”

"If the poison you used hadn't been weak and your purpose hadn't been to lure me here, that palm strike wouldn't have landed on Chief Shangguan's shoulder, but directly on his head."

"Remember, if you use these methods to target people around me again, Chief Shangguan had better prepare a coffin for yourself before you do anything."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Shaoan slowly turned and walked away. Watching Gu Shaoan leave, Shangguan Jin Hong, enduring the pain from her injuries and the blood of the general, asked, "Don't you want the antidote for Yang Tie's poison?"

Without turning his head, Gu Shaoan said, "How can a speck of dust be considered poison?"

"The silkworm spins silk until its death; though the name sounds nice, it's nothing special. It won't stump me."

Upon hearing Gu Shaoan's words, Shangguan Jin Hong's eyes narrowed.

If anyone else had said those words, Shangguan Jin Hong might have scoffed.

But since it was Gu Shaoan who said these words, Shangguan Jin Hong had no doubts whatsoever.

A few breaths later, Shangguan Jin Hong suddenly spoke up: "Your strongest skill is swordsmanship?"

Seemingly understanding Shangguan Jin Hong's meaning, Gu Shaoan said calmly, "If Chief Shangguan can reach the third realm of the unity of man and ring in the Mother-Child Dragon-Phoenix Ring, perhaps he can still make me draw my sword."

"But before that, Chief Shangguan was not qualified to make Gu draw his sword."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Jin Hong took a deep breath and said, "Next time, I will make you draw your sword."

Gu Shaoan paused, and then the sound echoed along the riverbank.

"I, Gu, am waiting for that day. But until then, I advise that if you are in my area, Chief Shangguan and the forces behind you would better behave yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Shaoan took another step, his figure instantly soaring into the river like a dragon in the clouds. He lightly touched the surface of the river with his toes and quickly disappeared into the distance.

It was after Gu Shaoan left that Shangguan Jin Hong spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Gu-Shao-An"

After murmuring Gu Shaoan's name, Shangguan Jin Hong took out a pill, put it in her mouth, and then sat cross-legged, enduring the discomfort in her body and circulating her internal energy to regulate her breathing.

After a stick of incense.

Yang Family Escort Agency, Baijiang Prefecture.

Although it was completely dark, the front hall of the escort agency was brightly lit by the lanterns hanging there.

Not only Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan, but also Yang Tie and the others from the Yang Family Escort Agency were gathered in the front hall, gripping their weapons tightly, and the atmosphere around them became inexplicably heavy.

As Gu Shaoan floated into the front hall, Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo, who were the first to spot him, immediately brightened up.

"Senior Brother (Junior Brother)"

Gu Shaoan nodded to the two women, then turned to Yang Tie and said, "The matter has been resolved, Uncle Yang, there is no need to worry."

Upon hearing this, Yang Tie breathed a sigh of relief and then told the rest of the Yang Family Escort Agency to disperse and rest.

After a short while, when there were no outsiders around, Yang Yan looked at Gu Shaoan and asked, "Senior brother, who poisoned you?"

Gu Shaoan did not hide anything and said directly, "The leader of the Money Gang is Shangguan Jin Hong."

Within the Great Wei Kingdom, there are only so many experts who have mastered the art of condensing primordial energy into a powerful force.

Meanwhile, the Money Gang and Shangguan Jin Hong have gained considerable notoriety in recent years.

When they learned that the poisoner was actually from the Money Gang, not only Yang Tie, but even Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan turned pale.

Zhou Zhiruo asked nervously, "Junior brother fought with him?"

Gu Shaoan smiled and nodded, saying, "We've exchanged blows."

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan turned to look at Yang Yan and Yang Tie, saying, "I also taught him a lesson and helped Uncle Yang vent his anger."

Upon hearing this, Yang Tie quickly waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's good that you're alright."

For Yang Tie, the Money Gang, as a first-rate force, was an absolute behemoth.

They are not people he can afford to offend.

Even though he had been poisoned and suffered a loss, Yang Tie didn't dare to hold a grudge against the Money Gang and Shangguan Jin Hong. All he wanted was to let things go.

After hesitating for a moment, Yang Tie asked, "Won't offending Shangguan Jin Hong cause you trouble?"

Gu Shaoan reassured him, "Uncle, don't worry, there won't be any follow-up troubles."

"That's good, that's good!"

After responding a few times, Yang Tie's gaze fell on Gu Shaoan, and he couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

When Yang Tie first met Gu Shaoan, Gu Shaoan's demeanor and actions made him feel that Gu Shaoan's future achievements were bound to be extraordinary.

Who would have thought that in just ten years, the boy who was only up to his chest back then would have grown to such a height.

Even when facing someone like Shangguan Jin Hong, he could handle it with ease.

Looking at Yang Yan, who was equally graceful and had an outstanding temperament, Yang Tie couldn't help but feel glad that he had agreed to let Yang Yan join Emei.

After chatting with Yang Tie for a while, the three of them saw him off.

After returning to the backyard, Yang Yan asked, "Senior brother, why didn't you mention our purpose in front of my father just now?"

In response to Yang Yan's question, Gu Shaoan gently tapped Yang Yan's forehead and said, "Master told us to come in person to invite Uncle Yang first, and then propose marriage. If we don't propose marriage, the invitation won't be proper. We just arrived in Baijiang Prefecture today empty-handed. How can we propose marriage? We can only propose after we go to the city tomorrow to buy the betrothal gifts and enter the door. Otherwise, what will people inside and outside the escort agency think?"

Upon hearing what Gu Shaoan said, Yang Yan immediately understood, and then put her arm around Gu Shaoan's shoulder and said, "Senior brother is so thoughtful."

"You, you're too lazy to even think about these things, you deserve a beating."

Yang Yan pouted and said, "Anyway, with Senior Brother around, he'll definitely be more thorough in his considerations. Why should we think so much? Senior Sister, oh?"

Hearing this, Zhou Zhiruo smiled and nodded in agreement.

Both Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo are clever and quick-witted, and their thoughts are usually quite thorough.

Only when she was in front of Gu Shaoan did her mind become sluggish, and she didn't think too much about many things.

At this moment, Zhou Zhiruo asked, "As a first-class force, why would Shangguan Jin Hong, the leader of the Money Gang, suddenly think of recruiting a junior brother?"

With no outsiders around, Gu Shaoan didn't hide anything and said frankly, "It's not that Shangguan Jin Hong wants to recruit me, but rather that the Azure Dragon Society behind Shangguan Jin Hong wants to recruit me."

Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo looked on with suspicion, clearly unaware of the Azure Dragon Society before.

In response, Gu Shaoan recounted the origins of the Azure Dragon Society.

After learning about the Azure Dragon Society from Gu Shaoan, Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan's expressions gradually became serious.

Seeing this, Gu Shaoan comforted him, "Although the Azure Dragon Society is strong, it is currently in a dormant state and has no old grudges with my Emei Sect. Even if they have any plans in the future, it has nothing to do with my Emei Sect. You don't need to worry about these things. Just do your own thing. As long as we are strong enough, even the Azure Dragon Society will not dare to provoke my Emei Sect."

(End of this chapter)