Chapter 312: Returning to Yunzhou, Iron Head Missing

After leaving the Northern Zhou Imperial Palace, Gu Mo and Ye Chen went to Feilai Temple. There, they found the stone tablet Saint Monk Huineng had mentioned, which recorded the story of the Seven Sages Slaying the Dragon.

Gu Mo and Ye Chen couldn't decipher the content recorded on it, as the script from over two millennia ago was indeed quite abstract. Neither of them specialized in that field.

However, Gu Mo didn't suspect Saint Monk Huineng of lying, as there was no need. Moreover, even though he and Ye Chen couldn't recognize the 2,000-year-old script, they could simply record it and have scholars from the Imperial Academy in Qian Kingdom identify it.

Gu Mo's main purpose for visiting Feilai Temple wasn't to verify the stone tablet. Instead, it was to erect a cenotaph and leave a memorial tablet for Master Huineng. This way, future monks returning to Feilai Temple would know that Master Huineng sacrificed himself to subdue demons and suppress evil.

Subsequently, Gu Mo, Ye Chen, and the Yun brothers departed.

On the way back, their pace was much slower than on the way there, as they were no longer pressed for time. Gu Mo spent the journey contemplating how to utilize the demonic stone's primordial qi. His Demonic Heart Sutra also absorbed demonic energy. The demonic energy from the demon blade, being supremely pure, complemented the demonic stone's primordial qi perfectly.

As for the dragon scale, Gu Mo decided to return and have Tie Tou forge it into a blade for him. Having now acquired the max-level demon blade, he was in need of a suitable weapon.

The Qilin Demonic Blade in Gu Chudong's possession was decent enough. However, it was no longer very convenient for Gu Mo to use. Firstly, the Qilin demonic power within it couldn't keep up with his current needs. Secondly, the demonic blade had developed sentience and recognized Gu Chudong as its master. While Gu Mo could still use it, it never quite felt right. It wasn't that the Qilin Demonic Blade was intentionally opposing Gu Mo, but rather that the blade spirit's consciousness was quite limited and rigid. It couldn't adapt flexibly yet.

In comparison, the Qilin Demonic Blade's consciousness was inferior to Gu Mo's Tai Xu Sword. His Tai Xu Sword contained Profound Sky Floating Stone, giving it immense evolutionary potential. He later purified Ling Xiao's primordial spirit and merged it into the sword, transforming it into a sword spirit. From its very inception, it possessed mature sentience. Therefore, although the Tai Xu Sword acknowledged Gu Mo as its master, it was very flexible; others could also use it if Gu Mo commanded.

Thus, recalling Ye Chen's previous speculation that other hidden Ascension-realm cultivators might emerge to cause chaos in the world, Gu Mo felt a certain anticipation. Once the dragon scale blade was forged, he could follow the same principle: capture an Ascension-realm cultivator's primordial spirit, purify it, and turn it into a blade spirit.

Late March.

Gu Mo and his companions exited Northern Zhou and reached the border of the Qian Kingdom.

Ye Chen then bade farewell to Gu Mo. At a crossroads beneath a cliff, Ye Chen, on horseback, cupped his hands and said to Gu Mo: "Big Brother, I'll often come to Qian Kingdom to visit you in the future. Of course, if you miss me, Big Brother, you can also come to Chu Kingdom to find me. I'll be your host and guarantee you a great time. I'm quite well-connected in Chu Kingdom."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and replied, "I'll be coming to Chu Kingdom in the second half of this year."

Ye Chen quickly said, "That's wonderful! But Big Brother, could you send me a letter before you come? Every time I go out, I have to ask my mother for permission beforehand. Ah, don't laugh, but even though I'm in my twenties, my mother still often gives me a good beating at home. So, I have to clear it with her in advance every time I leave. Otherwise, if I dare to sneak off, I'll get thrashed when I return!"

"Hahaha..." Gu Mo chuckled softly and said, "Alright, no problem. I'll definitely send you a letter before I go to Chu Kingdom, to make sure you don't get beaten!"

Ye Chen scratched the back of his head and grinned.

Gu Mo added, "Oh, right. You've now touched the threshold of the Ascension Realm. For most people, it might take thirty to fifty years to make that leap. But your situation is unique; you might encounter an opportunity and break through at any time. However, you must restrain yourself. Do not ascend, and do not abandon your physical body."

Ye Chen asked, puzzled, "Why? Haven't the heart demons already been killed by you?"

Gu Mo replied, "It's not just the heart demons. I feel that ascension itself might be problematic. Longhu Mountain has an ancestral teaching: 'Do not ascend.' I didn't fully understand it before, but ever since I killed the heart demons, I've had a vague feeling that something in the heavens is probing me. However, when I try to investigate, I can't find anything. Furthermore, theoretically, when one reaches the Ascension Realm, the Heavenly Gate should appear. But there are always exceptions, like me. My physical body reached the Ascension Realm first, yet the Heavenly Gate did not appear for me. This also indicates a problem."

Ye Chen quickly said, "I understand, Big Brother. I'll also try to find a method for physical ascension first."

Gu Mo said, "My method for physical ascension cannot be learned by anyone else besides me. However, you can try to break through the limits of your physical body. You are still young and have plenty of time, so you don't need to worry about longevity. You can try to break through. There are mainly two directions for breaking the limits of the physical body. One is to break the spatial constraints on the physical body. The second is to eliminate impurities from the body, similar to cleansing the meridians and marrow. The Great Compassion Divine Monk in Chang'an, who created mud figures, was working in this direction."

Ye Chen was also one of the top martial arts masters of his time, easily grasping many concepts. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I understand, Big Brother!"

Gu Mo cupped his hands and said, "It's getting late, hurry along!"

"I'm off!"

Ye Chen turned his horse around, waved his hand repeatedly, and galloped away quickly, raising clouds of dust.

Immediately after, Gu Mo and the Yun brothers swiftly departed in another direction.

Early April.

Gu Mo returned to Chang'an.

Chang'an was as prosperous and bustling as ever. The commotion caused by the establishment of the Crown Prince had subsided.

Gu Mo headed straight for Princess Chengyang's manor.

Gu Chudong and Li Li came to greet Gu Mo together after being informed by the gatekeeper. Gu Mo followed Gu Chudong and Li Li into the manor, but the sight before him greatly surprised him. Last year, when he returned from Penglai Island, Princess Li Li's manor had already reduced its expenses on food, clothing, and other necessities, and many valuable items had been sold. Still, it had been somewhat passable. But now, the princess's manor was practically bare. Even the welcoming stone at the entrance was gone. The marble table in the pavilion and the koi in the artificial lake were all gone. Even the rockeries were reduced to mere bases. The throngs of servants from before had also significantly dwindled.

"Li Li, has your home... been robbed?" Gu Mo asked with a laugh.

Li Li pouted and said, "Who would dare to steal from my home? Just like last year, I sold all those things. We also reduced the number of servants working in the manor as much as possible. All the money went to fill the national treasury. Oh, Chudong even gave my imperial father thirty thousand taels of silver!"

Gu Mo looked at Gu Chudong with some surprise. He knew how stingy Gu Chudong was, someone who would eat several extra bowls of rice when visiting friends just to get some value back. It was incredible that she would so generously give away tens of thousands of taels!

Gu Chudong understood Gu Mo's bewildered and shocked expression and said, "Brother, His Majesty is about to lead a personal expedition. I can't help much, so I can only support him with some funds, like Chengyang!"

Gu Mo knew about the Qian Emperor's upcoming personal expedition. The Qian Emperor had told him about it long ago. Earlier this year, Ye Jinglan was transferred from the Ministry of Justice back to the Imperial City Directorate, also in preparation for the expedition. Ye Jinglan would accompany the Qian Emperor to the front lines as the Grand General of the Imperial Army.

"When?" Gu Mo asked.

"They're departing in two or three days," Gu Chudong said. "Brother Ye is going too."

Gu Mo nodded, saying no more. Instead, he carried the wrapped dragon scale into the small courtyard. Although the dragon scale had now returned to its original state, no longer being the ten feet wide it was under the heart demon's control, it was still two feet long and one foot wide, weighing a thousand jin. Fortunately, Gu Mo's cultivation was profound. If an ordinary person wanted to bring this dragon scale back from Wutong City in Northern Zhou, it would require immense manpower and resources.

As Gu Mo placed the dragon scale on the ground, the floor immediately sagged.

Seeing this, Gu Chudong asked, puzzled, "Brother, what is this?"

"A dragon scale," Gu Mo replied. "It's a good find from my trip to Northern Zhou, and I've brought it back to forge into a blade."

Gu Chudong lifted the cloth, revealing the true appearance of the dragon scale. It resembled a piece of dark jade, with irregular wavy edges, shimmering with a deep blue luster, as if it held the secrets of the deep sea. The surface texture was winding and intricate, appearing to have energy flowing within it. A light touch sent a bone-chilling coldness, as if one could feel the majestic power of a surging dragon.

"Brother, are there really dragons in the world?"

"I've already killed a Qilin, so it wouldn't be strange if there were dragons, would it?" Gu Mo chuckled.

"That's true," Gu Chudong grinned, saying, "How amazing! A dragon scale, it's so incredible!" She gently stroked the dragon scale and added, "Then, doesn't that mean the Dragon's Inverse Scale Blade from the Thirteen Taboos could also be real?"

"I think all Thirteen Taboos might be real," Gu Mo said.

"Is that so?" Gu Chudong slowly rose and asked, "So, Brother, are you going to ask Tie Tou to forge the dragon scale blade for you?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "I plan to return to Yunzhou in two days to find Tie Tou." He had great faith in Tie Tou's weapon-forging abilities; the Tai Xu Sword was proof of that.

Gu Chudong said joyfully, "Brother, when are we going back then? Will we stay there for a long time this trip? My orchard isn't finished yet!" Ever since she bought the manor in Yunzhou last year, Gu Chudong had been busy with its construction, eager to realize all the ideas she'd ever had about a home since childhood, such as having her own orchard, fish pond, vegetable garden, and so on. Moreover, she insisted on being personally involved in every step of the process. Earlier this year, Gu Chudong's orchard had begun construction. However, it had to stop once she came to the capital.

Seeing Gu Chudong's expectant gaze, Gu Mo smiled and said, "This time, we'll stay for a long while. I won't go to Chu Kingdom until the end of the year, as I previously made arrangements with Master Liansheng."

Gu Chudong quickly said, "Then there's plenty of time! I'll go ask Li Li if she wants to come to Yunzhou with me to play." With that, Gu Chudong wrapped up the dragon scale and ran out.

Soon after, a guard from the princess's manor came to announce Ye Jinglan's arrival. With Gu Mo's permission, Ye Jinglan soon entered. As soon as he reached the entrance, Ye Jinglan smiled and said, "Brother Gu, if you hadn't returned, you would have had to go to Jiang Kingdom to see me."

Gu Mo chuckled, "Looks like I returned just in time."

"The Imperial City Directorate received news as soon as you entered the capital..." The two conversed as they walked into the main hall.

As soon as he entered the hall, Ye Jinglan suddenly felt a sense of unease. His gaze fell upon the wrapped dragon scale in the living room. A serious expression appeared on his face as he asked, "Brother Gu, what is that? I feel a sense of repulsion!"

"A dragon scale," Gu Mo said. "You have Qilin blood flowing in your veins and Qilin bones. Both Qilin and dragons are divine beasts. As the saying goes, 'Kings do not meet kings,' so repulsion is normal."

Ye Jinglan asked in surprise, "Where did you get a dragon scale?"

"I got it from killing the heart demon..." Gu Mo then briefly recounted his experiences in Northern Zhou.

After listening, Ye Jinglan sighed, "Northern Zhou was already chaotic, and now, with things going from bad to worse, it must be in utter disarray."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

Ye Jinglan then pointed at the dragon scale and asked, "So, you're planning to use this dragon scale to forge a blade?"

"That's the plan," Gu Mo replied.

Ye Jinglan said, "Alright, when I go back later, I'll find a cold jade bottle and put a drop of my essence blood in it for you. When you give my essence blood to Tie Tou, that lad, as the disciple of the Weapon Sage Tie Zhu, will surely know how to incorporate my Qilin blood into the earth fire. This is a dragon scale. With Tie Tou's methods, he can certainly refine it. However, refining it with ordinary earth fire would likely cause it to lose some of its properties. But with Qilin fire, it's different. It can also speed up the process and might even stimulate the dragon scale to exude more of its draconic might."

Gu Mo reached out and placed a hand on Ye Jinglan's shoulder, sensing his physical condition. He chuckled, "Hmm, that works. You're almost fully evolved into a Qilin body now, so a little essence blood won't have much impact!"

Ye Jinglan said, "I must also thank you, Brother Gu, for the Qilin bone you gave me. The energy contained within it is incredibly potent. After refining it over the past two months, my Qilin body has indeed almost reached completion, nearing the physical Ascension Realm you mentioned. I'm practically half-step ascended."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "Soon. Once your Qilin body is complete, you'll reach the full physical Ascension Realm. It's just a pity that your current path relies too heavily on Qilin blood, making it impossible for your primordial spirit to ascend."

Ye Jinglan laughed heartily and said, "Brother Gu, not everyone is like you. Without the Qilin blood, given my talent, it's hard to say if I could even reach the Ascension Realm in this lifetime. What's more, according to you, there might be problems with primordial spirit ascension, so I've already made a huge gain!"

Gu Mo smiled and asked, "When are you leaving?"

"The day after tomorrow," Ye Jinglan replied.

Gu Mo said, "You'll be leading the army and protecting the emperor's safety then, so I won't go and cause any trouble. I wish you a smooth journey in advance, and I won't see you off the day after tomorrow."

Ye Jinglan laughed, "If you came to see me off, I wouldn't actually have time for you."

"Haha..."

That day, Gu Mo also went to see Zhuo Qingfeng and Su Ziyou again. Finally, he went to the imperial palace to meet the Qian Emperor.

Early the next morning, Gu Mo, Gu Chudong, and Hong Yi left the capital. However, Gu Chudong was a little disheartened because Li Li had declined her enthusiastic invitation to visit Yunzhou. It wasn't that Li Li didn't want to go; she was naturally fond of fun and wished to spend every day with Gu Chudong. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't refuse Gu Chudong's invitation.

However, the Qian Emperor's personal expedition was imminent. While a personal expedition could greatly boost morale, it also came with suspicion and rumors of defeat. After all, why would a dignified emperor personally lead an army if not for a moment of critical survival? Even Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of Chu Kingdom, renowned for his fondness of leading expeditions, hadn't taken this step yet. Therefore, the Qian Emperor's personal expedition was actually a double-edged sword. It could boost morale on the front lines, but it would also cause domestic unrest. At such a time, any action by the imperial family could easily be exaggerated and twisted into various rumors by malicious individuals. This was why Li Li refused Gu Chudong. She worried that if she went to Yunzhou, people would spread rumors that the imperial family was secretly relocating, or that the front-line war had been completely lost, and so on.

However, Gu Chudong wasn't disheartened for long, as Gu Mo began to teach her the Demon Blade saber techniques. The Demon Blade techniques Gu Mo taught Gu Chudong were modified. The original Demon Blade required first mastering its essence and moves, then entering the blood pool of the "Turbid World Demonic Pond" to absorb its profound mysteries. The pond water, a mixture of a hundred poisons from across the land, was foul-smelling and contained immense demonic nature and killing intent. Mastering this original Demon Blade essentially created a killing machine. Therefore, after acquiring the max-level Demon Blade, Gu Mo used his current martial arts realm to modify it: the moves remained unchanged, but the essence was revised. The original Demon Blade involved demonic energy controlling the practitioner, turning them into a demon. However, after Gu Mo's modifications, it became about the practitioner controlling demonic energy, with "demon" merely being a martial arts technique. The reason for such a transformation, besides Gu Mo's high martial arts realm, was primarily that the Turbid World Demonic Pond was no longer necessary. Gu Mo now possessed the demonic stone's primordial qi, which was far purer than the pond and could be continuously absorbed by Gu Chudong.

The Demon Blade was originally a fast-track martial art. After Gu Mo eliminated the drawback of demonic nature invading one's consciousness, although the cultivation speed slightly decreased, Gu Chudong mastered the new version of the Demon Blade in only about a month. Gu Chudong was already a martial arts grandmaster. Now, with the Demon Blade mastered, she directly cultivated her own Demon Blade Domain. As for advancing further to the Ascension Realm, it wasn't merely about martial arts cultivation, but about comprehension of one's realm. Even if one were to ascend using the Demon Blade, it wasn't just about mastering it, but about using it to comprehend a cultivation path unique to oneself, cultivating a primordial spirit or a demonic body.

Thus, time flew by, and it was now early May.

Gu Mo and his companions finally returned to Yunzhou, arriving in Yuncheng. Gu Mo went directly to the Six Fan Gates. After Gu Mo revealed his identity, the Commander of Yunzhou's Six Fan Gates and Chief Constable Du Sha personally came to greet him. Du Sha was Zhuo Qingfeng's master. He had also become acquainted with Gu Mo during the rescue of the former Second Prince, now Crown Prince Li Zhongqing, in Mobei. Therefore, their relationship was quite good, and they were quite familiar with each other.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gu Mo went straight to the point, saying, "Chief Constable Du, I'm here today to find Tie Tou. I need his help in forging a weapon."

Upon hearing this, Du Sha and the Commander's expressions subtly changed.

Du Sha cupped his hands and said, "Great Hero Gu, Tie Tou has disappeared. Our Yunzhou Six Fan Gates have been searching for half a month, but there's still no clue!"

Gu Chudong exclaimed, "How could something happen to Tie Tou? He's always so simple-minded and doesn't offend anyone!"

Du Sha nodded and said, "Even if he offended someone, it wouldn't matter. Tie Tou is Yunzhou's foremost weapon smith. He's earned many merits over the past two years, reaching the rank of Qianhu. Most importantly, at the beginning of the year, he improved the God-Slaying Crossbow, which even reached the emperor's ears, and His Majesty personally commended him. If he hadn't been unwilling, His Majesty would have already transferred him to the Ministry of Works. His forging workshop was guarded by ten top-tier masters and over forty elite members of the Six Fan Gates, providing full protection. Additionally, more than a hundred apprentices were also skilled martial artists. Seriously, the importance placed on him now is no less than that on our Yunzhou Prefect, perhaps even more. He is too important; every weapon he improves means a greater chance of victory for our Qian Kingdom on the battlefield."

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "Then how did he disappear?"

"We don't know," Du Sha said with shame. "It's regrettable, half a month has passed, but we still haven't even figured out when Tie Tou disappeared." Du Sha collected his thoughts and explained, "On April 12th, Tie Tou was, as usual, forging weapons in his workshop. There was nothing unusual until he went to sleep. He also slept in the workshop, so all the guards followed their routines. Not only were there constant patrols, but his small sleeping courtyard was always guarded by masters. Furthermore, Tie Tou himself was a top-tier master; his Eleven-Gate Golden Bell Shield was rare in the world, and his hidden weapons were among the best of their time. That night, there was no sound, no disturbance whatsoever. Yet, the next morning, Tie Tou did not appear, despite usually waking before dawn. The guards realized something was wrong, went in to check, and found him gone. Strangely, there were no signs of struggle in the room, as if Tie Tou had left on his own. However, he hadn't taken any of his belongings. None of the many guards in the courtyard saw him leave. It was as if he had simply vanished in his sleep."

Gu Mo asked, "Before Tie Tou disappeared, did he say anything or make any strange movements?"

"No," Du Sha replied. "Tie Tou is a national treasure now. Everything concerning him is highly scrutinized, and we can confirm there was nothing unusual before his disappearance. However, the abnormality lies outside. During this period, Tie Tou isn't the only master blacksmith to have disappeared from Yunzhou. Thirteen cases have been reported so far, and without exception, all of them vanished just as strangely and suddenly as Tie Tou."

Gu Chudong asked in surprise, "So many, and not a single one showed any unusual signs?"

Du Sha nodded, "Absolutely no abnormalities, and no trace left behind at any of the disappearance sites. Currently, this case has made no progress!"