Chapter 5 – The Mediator

  "Brother, where are we going now?"

  "Out to the outskirts. There’s a mountain shrine out there—we can rest there for now."

  "We’re not staying in an inn anymore?"

  "No. Tonight’s business isn’t over yet. Any inn we stay at might get caught up in the fallout. Damaged furniture is one thing, but dragging innocents into this? I’d rather not."

  Gu Mo knew the martial world well—vast, wild, and fierce. There was romance, honor, blood vendettas, fame won in a night, or lost in a breath.

  What the world admired were its blossoms in full bloom, but what they often forgot were the bones buried beneath those blooms. Heroes or vilins, those who lived by the bde left trails of death behind them.

  Gu Mo wasn’t particurly kind or sentimental—but he didn’t like causing unnecessary death. If it could be avoided, it should. If not, so be it.

  Tonight’s trouble wasn’t over.

  A lecher like Zhou Tong was worth 300 taels. Plenty of bounty hunters had their eyes on him. Now that he’d been brought down by Gu Mo and his sister, not everyone would take that lying down.

  He had sent a message earlier at the inn—but there were bound to be skeptics. And then there was Zhang Xiong, a Broadsaber Gang lieutenant. That man was dead. The gang would respond.

  "Brother, can you still fight?"

  "I could go another night if I had to."

  The Nine Yang Divine Skill lived up to its name. Among its many powerful traits was the ability to generate self-renewing inner strength.

  In the jianghu, every fighter cultivated inner energy. It was, in essence, stamina. The deeper the reserves, the longer one could fight.

  Gu Mo’s Mysterious Void Bde Art wasn’t overly taxing. With the Nine Yang Divine Skill, saying he could fight all night might be a stretch—but not by much.

  "Brother… your inner strength… it’s not from the Mysterious Void lineage, is it?"

  "A couple nights ago I had a dream. An old man with a white beard appeared and said I was too handsome to be wasted, so he passed on a secret divine art..."

  "Brother! If you’re going to make something up, at least try! I’m seventeen, not seven."

  "Haha! Okay, fine. But hey, this divine skill isn’t suitable for girls. Next time I dream about that old man, I’ll ask for one you can train in."

  "Great, I’ll hold you to that! Wait—how did your bde art get so good all of a sudden?"

  "I dreamt of the white-bearded old man again..."

  "Brother!"

  "Hahaha..."

  They joked and teased each other all the way toward the city outskirts. The mood was light. Gu Mo was cautious, but not afraid—not with the Nine Yang Divine Skill on his side. And Gu Chudong? As long as her brother was smiling, she had nothing to fear.

  But elsewhere in Linjiang City...

  Their actions were causing waves.

  Zhang Xiong’s death wasn’t the most earth-shattering event in the city—but it was enough to turn heads. The "Wolf, Bear, Tiger, Leopard" quartet of the Broadsaber Gang were well-known across Linjiang.

  Zhang Xiong wasn’t an elite fighter, but he had a name. And he’d died along with more than a dozen of his men.

  ...

  South City – No Second Manor.

  A bck-cd swordsman entered Yansanniang’s room. “Boss, you were right. I underestimated him. Gu Mo is indeed strong. Zhang Xiong brought over twenty men—they were sughtered. Gu Mo even beheaded Zhang Xiong. But... how did you know he was strong?”

  "I didn’t."

  Yan Sanniang smiled. “I just happened to be at the yamen and saw the siblings cim the bounty. Despite being blind, Gu Mo stood calmly—no trace of fear or uncertainty. That kind of composure, so soon after going blind? That’s not normal.”

  "Now that you say it... makes sense. His mental strength is no joke. But this could get messy. Zhang Xiong was one of Old Knife Lu Yingchuan’s men. And Lu’s no pushover. Even in his old age, the guy still holds real power."

  "Lu’s old," Yansanniang said, waving her hand. “He’s nearly seventy, and all he wants is peace. If it weren’t for fear of retaliation, he would’ve retired already."

  "The Broadsaber Gang looks big, but beyond their top four—what do they really have? Let’s not pretend. Use my name, send Lu Yingchuan an invitation to dinner at the Hundred Flower Restaurant. I’ll mediate."

  "And Gu Mo?"

  "I’ll meet him again myself."

  Yansanniang smiled. “We can’t let other bounty guilds snatch him away. He showed up at just the right time. If he takes down another few high-value targets, No Second Manor’s transition into the bounty business will be set."

  Any business needed clout.

  And No Second Manor needed a high-profile catch to make waves among the bounty hunter community. If Gu Mo gained fame with their backing, others would follow.

  Especially since Gu Mo was blind. It would prove that their intelligence and support services could turn even the disadvantaged into legendary bounty hunters.

  ...

  Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were making their way out of the city—when they encountered Yan Sanniang again.

  The moment she spoke, Gu Mo recognized her voice.

  "Madam Yan? What a coincidence."

  "No coincidence. I came to see you, Young Master Gu."

  She stepped forward. A soft floral scent drifted past.

  Gu Mo instinctively stepped back half a pace.

  She chuckled. “You’re quite the gentleman.”

  “I must say, I didn’t expect you to cause such a stir so soon. You’ve made enemies of the Broadsaber Gang—no small matter. Lu Yingchuan and his four lieutenants are not to be taken lightly.”

  Gu Mo smiled faintly. “Or maybe... they’ve made an enemy of me?”

  She paused—then ughed. “Well said. No point beating around the bush. I’ve arranged a meeting with Old Knife to resolve this conflict. If you’re willing to reconcile, I’ll broker the peace.”

  “I’d be grateful. If we can settle it with words, all the better.”

  Gu Mo agreed without hesitation. He wasn’t interested in cshing with the Broadsaber Gang just to prove a point. His goal was to hunt bounties, not start turf wars.

  With Zhang Xiong dead, the root of the problem was already gone.

  (End of Chapter)