In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 501 Acting like a prostitute while pretending to be virtuous
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the lobby became heavy.

The dozen or so disciples of Cihang Jingzhai all placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, watching Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue warily in the corner.

Faced with this sudden escalation of tension, Gu Shaoan seemed oblivious.

He slowly put down the bamboo chopsticks in his hand, making a slight clinking sound, and then calmly picked up the celadon teacup on the table, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip, his posture as leisurely as if he were enjoying tea in his own backyard.

Mei Jiangxue raised her eyes slightly, her clear and cold eyes, like glass immersed in a cold pool, swept over the dozen or so Cihang Jingzhai disciples who were on high alert, without the slightest emotion.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the heavy air, carrying an indifferent tone that kept people at a distance: "We're just passing through and staying temporarily at this inn. We have no interest in your affairs."

As soon as she finished speaking, she looked away, as if the disciples with swords in hand were no different from the grass and trees by the roadside, and focused her attention back on the cup in front of her.

"Senior Sister Wu."

A disciple standing close to Wu Mengci moved his lips slightly and called out in a very low voice, his eyes questioning.

Upon hearing this, Wu Mengci's gaze swept over Gu Shaoan's handsome, almost otherworldly profile, and Mei Jiangxue's aloof and ethereal beauty once more.

She frowned almost imperceptibly, then used her true energy to condense a sound into a line and transmitted it to her fellow disciples beside her: "These two do not seem to be from the Demonic Sect, and their auras are deep and unfathomable, so their strength is probably extraordinary. Since they have not made a move yet, they are probably not enemies. For now, do not cause any trouble. You should go to the inner hall to rescue them, and be sure to act carefully."

The disciple beside him nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue like a dragonfly skimming the water, before giving a wink to the other disciples.

Of the dozen or so white-robed disciples, apart from Wu Mengci and two others who stayed behind to keep watch, the rest quickly drew their swords. With a flash of sword light, they swiftly and silently formed a simple formation and sped towards the inner hall leading deep into the post station.

Their movements created subtle air currents, causing the candlelight to flicker uncertainly.

Wu Mengci stepped forward, cupped her fists towards Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue in the corner, and performed a traditional martial arts salute. She deliberately kept her voice calm: "There are reasons for what happened today. I did not intend to disturb you, nor did I want to involve you two. It was out of necessity. If I have offended you, I hope you will forgive me and not take offense."

However, her words seemed to sink without a trace.

Gu Shaoan, still leisurely sipping his tea in the corner, and Mei Jiangxue, looking down at the clear liquid in her cup, neither of them even lifted their eyelids, let alone responded.

It was as if the bloodshed in the hall, the tension of drawing swords against each other, and her supposedly proper apology were nothing more than dust in the void, not worth a second glance.

This scene caused Wu Mengci's eyebrows to furrow involuntarily once again, but she quickly relaxed them.

Without saying anything more, Wu Mengci kept her sword in her hand while waiting, and her attention remained focused on Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue.

Before long, the clanging of weapons clashing violently echoed from the depths of the post station, occasionally mixed with the conversations of Cihang Jingzhai and members of the Demonic Sect.

The sound reached the main hall, causing Wu Mengci and the other two disciples of Cihang Jingzhai to become increasingly tense.

Just then, Mei Jiangxue transmitted her voice, saying, "Senior brother, aren't these post stations set up by the imperial court? How can Cihang Jingzhai and the Demonic Sect fight so fiercely right here at these post stations? Aren't you worried that the imperial court will investigate?"

Although Mei Jiangxue was a disciple of the Emei Sect, she was in the Great Wei Kingdom and did not have the support of the Sun family like Sun Xiaohong. She only knew about the internal strife in the Great Sui Kingdom, but did not know the specific situation within the Great Sui Kingdom.

In response, Gu Shaoan explained using the method of transmitting sound into secret: "After Yang Guang's death, the Sui Dynasty is now divided into four major clans: the Yuwen Clan, the Song Clan, the Li Clan, and the Dugu Clan. Each clan occupies a region, and the court is controlled by the Yuwen Clan. Although the court still exists, it is already a mere shell of its former self."

"Let alone just a post station, even if some officials in the court were killed, as long as important figures are not involved, there is no need to worry about being held accountable afterward."

Upon hearing this, Mei Jiangxue looked at Gu Shaoan in astonishment.

"Has the Sui Dynasty fallen into such chaos?"

Gu Shaoan nodded slightly and said, "Not bad!"

After confirming this, Mei Jiangxue asked in confusion, "Then why didn't Zhu Houzhao take advantage of the internal strife in the Sui Dynasty to first annex the Sui Dynasty and then deal with the Yuan Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Shaoan chuckled inwardly.

While others might not know, Gu Shaoan was aware of Zhu Houzhao and Xiang Yutian's scheme.

Xiang Yutian and Zhu Houzhao's men had already infiltrated the Yuwen family, and Yang Guang's death was also inextricably linked to Xiang Yutian and Zhu Houzhao.

From the very beginning, Zhu Houzhao, as the emperor, had a long-term vision and analyzed the situation of the Sui Dynasty very early on.

Among the three kingdoms of Wei, Sui, and Yuan, Wei and Sui were similar in terms of military fortune, while Yuan was the weakest.

If the Great Wei Kingdom and the Great Sui Kingdom were to clash, even if the Great Wei Kingdom were to eventually annex the Great Sui Kingdom, the cost would be too high.

If things go wrong, the Yuan Dynasty could take advantage of the situation and launch an attack.

Within the Sui Dynasty, nearly 70% of the top experts were distributed among the four major clans.

Moreover, the power and influence of the four major clans are far beyond what ordinary martial arts forces can match.

Zhu Houzhao knew that once Yang Guang died, the four powerful clans would definitely not sit idly by.

At that time, the four major clans will inevitably fight each other for the imperial power.

Once the four major clans of the Sui Dynasty have determined their victors, more than half of the Sui Dynasty's top experts will inevitably be killed or wounded.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao's plan was to take advantage of the period after Yang Guang's death, when the four major clans were fighting for power, to have the Great Wei Kingdom secretly take over the Great Yuan Kingdom.

Then, they would sit back and watch the tigers fight, waiting until the experts of the Sui Dynasty and even the troops of all sides had been exhausted, before secretly leading people into the Sui Dynasty.

At that time, the world will be unified.

If we disregard other factors, Zhu Houzhao's plans and arrangements were indeed excellent.

Unfortunately, he also had Xiang Yutian by his side.

The nurturing of the dragon veins across the land of China is nearing its end.

What is needed is not just the extra fortune after the fall of the Great Wei or the Great Yuan, but a greater and more abundant fortune after the unification of the Nine Provinces.

Therefore, Xiang Yutian's initial plan was to unify the Nine Provinces. However, Zhu Houzhao mistakenly believed that Xiang Yutian was supporting him and the Great Wei Kingdom.

In reality, the true beneficiary of the support for Yutian was the Li clan of the Great Sui Dynasty.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao was merely one link in Xiang Yutian's scheme from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, both Xiang Yutian and Zhu Houzhao's plans fell through because of Gu Shaoan's appearance.

"I wonder if, without Xiang Yutian's secret help, the Li clan can still successfully defeat the other three clans and establish the Li Tang dynasty."

Just then, as if sensing something, Mei Jiangxue suddenly glanced out the window of the post station, then raised her chin slightly and subtly swept it across a certain spot on the roof.

About half an incense stick later, the sounds of clashing weapons gradually subsided, and the Cihang Jingzhai disciples who had rushed into the inner hall reappeared in the main hall. They looked tense and tired, and their bodies bore more or less the marks of the fierce battle.

However, the difference was that when these Cihang Jingzhai disciples returned to the main hall, there were several more people with them.

Among them was a woman who appeared to be around forty years old.

However, the woman's face was withered and bloodless, and her plain white robe was soaked with blood. She was breathing weakly and had obviously suffered severe internal injuries.

Elder Bai.

Upon seeing the woman, Wu Mengci relaxed and immediately went to greet her.

After checking the situation and confirming that Elder Bai and the other disciples of Cihang Jingzhai were not in immediate danger, she quickly glanced at the corner again. Seeing that Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue were still sitting calmly, seemingly oblivious to everything around them, she did not hesitate any longer and immediately waved her hand and ordered in a deep voice: "This place is not safe to stay. Take them away and leave immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples of Cihang Jingzhai immediately supported the wounded and turned to rush towards the door.

However, the moment they turned around, something unexpected happened.

"boom!"

With a loud crash coming from the doorway, the main gate and windows on both sides of the post station, which had been closed by Cihang Jingzhai not long ago, were smashed open by a violent force at the same moment. Broken pieces of wood shot in like sharp arrows, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

At the same time, figures moved with ghostly speed, carrying a suffocatingly cold aura, and shot in through the broken doorways and windows, instantly surrounding the exit of the hall and the Cihang Jingzhai group.

The candlelight in the lobby was also startled by the turbulence caused by these people and kept flickering.

Seeing the people who suddenly rushed into the hall and surrounded them, Wu Mengci and the other disciples of Cihang Jingzhai changed their expressions drastically. They knew they had been ambushed.

Immediately afterwards, a clear, charming female voice, tinged with a hint of casual teasing, suddenly entered the hall, clearly penetrating everyone's ears:

"I always naively thought that only demonic sects like ours would resort to such underhanded methods as poisoning! I never imagined that Cihang Jingzhai, a so-called righteous sect, would do the same thing behind the scenes."

The sound was ethereal and elusive, making it difficult to pinpoint its source.

In response to the woman's voice, Wu Mengci said in a deep voice, "Methods are neither good nor evil, only how they are used. Why do you use poison to harm people? We use medicine to save people. How can the two be compared?"

However, no sooner had those words been spoken than the charming female voice rang out again.

This time, however, what entered the lobby first was a "pfft" of laughter.

A few breaths later, when the laughter subsided, the woman's voice rang out again.

"If it was just to save someone, then drugging them would be one thing, but why go and kill someone who is powerless to resist after drugging them? You've done something like taking someone's life by surprise, and now you're spouting all sorts of benevolence and righteousness. You Cihang Jingzhai are truly hypocritical, like a prostitute trying to build a memorial archway!"

These sharp and blatant accusations caused Wu Mengci to furrow her brows.

But compared to the insults, what Wu Mengci was more concerned about was the current situation.

Looking at the men in black surrounding her, who were eyeing her menacingly and exuding a fierce aura, she knew that they must have a backup plan, and it was definitely not just a simple encirclement.

Thinking of this, she immediately used her inner energy to transmit her voice, which was urgent and clear and reached the ears of all her fellow disciples: "The situation is unusual, do not linger in battle! Listen to my command later, and break through to the southeast window with all your might. Be sure to protect Elder Bai."

Immediately afterwards, Wu Mengci roared, "Go!" and charged towards the group of demonic cult members in the southeast.

In an instant, Cihang Jingzhai and the members of this demonic sect were locked in a fierce battle.

However, just as the two sides were locked in a fierce battle, five members of the Demonic Sect, armed with weapons, charged towards Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue, who were hiding in the corner.

Faced with this scene, Mei Jiangxue frowned slightly, and a clear hint of impatience flashed across her clear, cold eyes, which were as cold as an icy lake.

"Humph"

After a cold snort was uttered, Mei Jiangxue remained seated without moving an inch. However, as she circulated her true energy, she suddenly raised her right hand, her fingers forming a sword shape, and casually slashed through the air!
"laugh--!"

A faint yet sharp tearing sound, so sharp it could pierce eardrums, suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterwards, a pale golden sword aura, condensed to the point of being almost tangible, shot out from her fingertip like a golden lightning bolt appearing out of thin air.

Wherever the sword energy passed, the air seemed to be forcibly pushed aside by an invisible force, forming a transparent wave of air that was visible to the naked eye and slightly distorted.

The hard bluestone slabs on the ground were as if they had been ruthlessly plowed by an invisible plowshare, instantly creating a straight trench five inches deep and two zhang long. The dust and gravel were carried by the sword energy and shot out to both sides like tiny arrows.

The few cold-faced disciples of the Demonic Sect stared at the destruction caused by Mei Jiangxue's casual stroke, their eyes narrowing and their bodies trembling violently.

The next second, the demonic disciple at the forefront stomped his right foot hard on the ground, then used the force of the stomp to stop himself. He suddenly spun around and shouted "Kill!" before raising his blade and charging towards the Cihang Jingzhai disciples in the main hall.

Upon seeing this, the others suddenly came to their senses and turned around, charging towards the disciples of Cihang Jingzhai with murderous intent.

A wise person knows when to yield.

Coincidentally, the Demonic Sect has the most outstanding talents.

(End of this chapter)