In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 517 The Feelings of the Heart, the Harmony of Self and Nature
The four major clans of the Sui Dynasty were in conflict with each other, which temporarily created a stable situation.

If it weren't for the Bad People organization established by Xiang Yutian, the internal strife in the Sui Dynasty wouldn't have happened so quickly.

Even the Celestial Realm experts of the four great clans wouldn't have been reduced to just a few in such a short period of time.

Once chaos erupts in the Sui Dynasty, the Bad Guys will likely have to turn their attention back to the Wei Dynasty.

Rather than reacting passively later, it's better to deal with Xiang Yutian and the Great Xia Dynasty as backup plans first, once and for all.

However, judging by the timeline, the Bad Guys should have become more active in the Sui Dynasty in the last two years, and their reputation has gradually grown.

But Shang Xiufang is unaware of this.

In Gu Shaoan's view, it was highly likely that Xiang Yutian's death led to the dormancy of the Bad People on the side of the Great Sui Kingdom.

"It seems we can only wait for information from the Sun family."

Gu Shaoan knew about the Bad People, but he only knew that the general location of Hidden Weapon Valley was within the territory of the Li Clan, but he did not know the exact location.

If the matter on the Sui Dynasty's side is resolved and the Sun family still fails to locate the Hidden Soldier Valley, Gu Shaoan will have no choice but to resort to some less efficient methods.

The next day, as dawn broke and a thin mist still shrouded the river in Tongyang Prefecture, the magnificent flower boat of Shangxiu Pavilion had already cast off its moorings, set sail, and gradually disappeared into the morning mist.

Not long after, deep within the inner city of Tongyang Prefecture, in the backyard of an inconspicuous yet heavily guarded mansion.

Yuwen Bo was not inside the house, but was sitting cross-legged on a huge blue stone in the courtyard.

His eyes were slightly closed, and his body was surrounded by a visible blue-white aura.

The aura was like an extreme cold current, chilling to the bone, circulating and constantly emanating from his body.

The air temperature in the courtyard dropped sharply, and a layer of white frost condensed on the ground. Even the nearby grass and trees were covered with fine ice crystals.

Wisps of blue-white aura, more solid and colder than ice mist, swirled around him like living things, rising and falling slightly with his long breaths. He seemed to be sitting in the center of an invisible vortex of ice, his aura heavy and chilling.

Just then, Yuwen Shiji strode across the front courtyard and into the backyard.

When he saw Yuwen Bo bathed in the icy aura, he immediately stopped in his tracks, held his breath, and stood respectfully to the side with his hands at his sides.

Time passed second by second, and it wasn't until half an hour later that the oppressive chill in the courtyard slowly receded like a tide. Yuwen Bo's blue and white aura gradually receded into his body, and the wisps of chill dissipated as well.

He slowly opened his eyes, a trace of icy blue light still lingering deep within his pupils, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, looking directly at Yuwen Shiji, who stood to the side with his hands at his sides.

"The ship has sailed away?"

Yuwen Bo's voice was deep and calm, revealing no emotion, yet carrying an invisible sense of oppression.

Yuwen Shiji quickly bowed and replied, "About an hour ago, we went down the river and left the territory of Tongyang Prefecture."

He paused, a hint of reluctance and hesitation on his face, and continued, "Uncle, I think there's still something fishy about this. If that young man surnamed Gu on the boat last night was truly an unfathomable master, Shangxiu Pavilion could have remained calm and continued to stay in Tongyang Prefecture. Now that they've left in such a hurry, it seems like they're feeling guilty and eager to get away. I'm afraid that young man on the boat yesterday was just all bark and no bite."

However, Yuwen Bo's face did not show any sign of agreement or relief. Instead, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his gaze deepened. He did not respond to Yuwen Shiji's speculative inquiry, asking, "Was the message sent back?"

"The first thing I did upon returning home last night was to send out the letter. I reported the matter in detail to the family via a secret, 600-li express courier. Father will receive the letter within half a month at the latest!"

Then, Yuwen Shiji snorted coldly: "I want to see if that kid on the ship can still be as tough as he was yesterday when facing his father."

At this moment, Yuwen Bo pondered for a moment and then shook his head, saying, "Let's find out the kid's identity first, and see if he has a powerful backer or is just a wandering swordsman."

Upon hearing Yuwen Bo's words, Yuwen Shiji was slightly taken aback, but then immediately understood Yuwen Bo's thoughts.

"Does Uncle intend to bring this person into our Yuwen family?"

Yuwen Bo nodded slightly.

"Within the present Sui Dynasty, the Song Clan, after Song Que, has appeared to be keeping a low profile, but they are actually preparing for war in Lingnan and recruiting a navy at great expense. Their intentions are obvious."

"The Dugu clan, though seemingly indifferent to power, has cultivated numerous powerful clans and secretly recruited assassins in the Guanzhong Plain."

"The Li clan is the leader of all the dragons. That kid Li Shimin, under the guise of 'suppressing bandits,' has been recruiting veteran generals and heroes from all walks of life. He is ambitious and his power is like oil boiling over a fire. His father, Li Yuan, may seem mediocre, but he is actually shrewd and calculating. Over the years, no one knows how much grain and military equipment the Li family has stockpiled and how many extraordinary people they have recruited in Taiyuan and Chang'an."

After catching his breath, Yuwen Bo continued, "The current balance is merely the calm before the storm. The four major clans are all secretly accumulating strength and searching for an opportunity to break the balance and completely crush the other three clans."

“Although this young man did not directly attack last night, he was able to silently neutralize our attacks from inside the pavilion. This alone is enough to show that he is no ordinary person, and his strength is probably no less than mine.” “The key is his age. He looks to be about the same age as Shang Xiufang, and a few years younger than you.”

"To have such a high level of internal energy cultivation and strength at such a young age, if he could be recruited by the Yuwen family, he would definitely be a great help in the future."

Yuwen Shiji frowned and said, "But the attitude of that kid yesterday might not be so easy to subdue."

Yuwen Bo smiled and said, "At such a young age, to have such cultivation and strength, it is only natural that he is arrogant. That's why I asked you to write a letter to have my elder brother come over. As long as we can dampen his arrogance, given the current status of the Yuwen family in the Great Sui Kingdom, giving him some sweet treats should make it easy to subdue this boy."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Shiji suddenly realized and said, "No wonder Uncle left directly last night. He didn't want to continue fighting with that person and make enemies, so he wanted to subdue him later."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Bo nodded and then said, "You must remember, if you want the Yuwen family to continue to grow stronger, in addition to the growth of our own family, we must also know how to recruit talents to serve us. Once all the talents in the world have joined the Yuwen family, what can the Li family or the Song family do?"

Finally, Yuwen Bo glanced at Yuwen Shiji and continued, "I know you want Shang Xiufang, but whether a woman or the world is more important, I don't need to teach you."

Yuwen Shiji quickly replied, "Uncle, rest assured, when it comes to important family matters, I can still distinguish between what is important and what is not."

"My uncle and father both said that those who achieve great things must first have the capacity to tolerate others. Although my Yuwen family is domineering, it is only towards mediocre and useless people, not towards talented individuals. If they can help my Yuwen family to take control of the Great Sui Kingdom or even the Great Wei Kingdom, why should we care about a mere woman? Power is what men should pursue, and women have always been appendages on this path."

Seeing this, Yuwen Bo nodded in satisfaction.

"Have someone secretly keep an eye on Shangxiu Pavilion's movements, but don't alert them."

Yuwen Shiji replied, "Nephew understands."

Time flies, and it's already early September.

The flower boats of Shangxiu Pavilion sailed downstream, leaving behind the bustling Tongyang Prefecture and traversing the continuous rivers in the heart of the Sui Dynasty.

The early autumn wind carries a hint of crispness, dispelling the lingering heat of late summer and turning the layered forests along the riverbanks yellow.

At dusk that day, the setting sun shone like gold, painting the western sky in a magnificent hue of orange and crimson.

The rosy clouds poured down from the sky, sprinkling the wide river surface and gilding the rolling water with a layer of shimmering gold.

A gentle river breeze, carrying the freshness of water vapor and the coolness of autumn, brushed against the gunwale and ruffled a few strands of Gu Shaoan's dark hair.

Gu Shaoan stood alone on the bow deck, hands behind his back, facing the wind, his clothes fluttering lightly.

His gaze was distant.

The distant mountains, like dark eyebrows, are outlined in undulating silhouettes against the evening glow. Nearby, on the riverbank, golden reeds sway in the wind, rustling softly. Waterbirds returning to their nests skim across the shimmering river surface, leaving behind fleeting silhouettes and clear calls.

A vast and desolate tranquility permeated the world, as if time itself had slowed down in this magnificent twilight.

Beside the pavilion, Shang Xiufang sat by the railing, playing the zither while teaching Mei Jiangxue some music theory, the music sometimes melodious.

Zhou Shuxian stood beside him, like an ordinary old servant.

Sailing along the Yangtze River for days, one can witness its magnificent waves, its ceaseless flow, and its calm, mirror-like surface reflecting the clarity of everything around it.
The imagery of rivers and streams, whether turbulent rapids or deep, still waters, left a silent imprint on Gu Shaoan's mind, becoming an undercurrent surging within his heart.

Just then, the dormant [Enlightenment] effect was triggered again.

Like an ancient well tossed with a stone, it suddenly rippled with incredibly strong waves, and an extremely refreshing feeling immediately emerged from within Gu Shaoan, calming his mind and making his brain much clearer.

Under the influence of this entry, Gu Shaoan suddenly entered a mysterious state of "feelings of the heart and the fusion of self and things".

In an instant, Gu Shaoan's mind was enveloped by an overwhelming and irresistible spiritual light. All the insights he had gained in his mind recently about water, rivers, flow and tranquility, like countless trickles of water, were suddenly broken free of their shackles under the guidance of the power of the words.

He closed his eyes lightly, and his aura instantly became mysterious and unpredictable, as if he had merged with this world and become a part of this vast river and sky.

Although no trace of his inner energy leaked out, he naturally exuded an aura of profound depth and unfathomable power, as if the ground beneath his feet was not the deck, but the source of the river.

At that very moment, an aura suddenly spread out from Gu Shaoan.

In an instant, the effects spread throughout the entire ship.

Shang Xiufang, Mei Jiangxue, and Zhou Shuxian, who were on the pavilion, almost simultaneously noticed the special aura that filled the air. They all looked up at Gu Shaoan on the bow of the ship, their eyes showing a hint of surprise.

(End of this chapter)