Chapter 45
: Driven to madness by hatred, majestic and magnificent!
At the foot of Jiming Mountain.
The group traveled in a grand procession, galloping on horseback.
At the front of the procession were officials clad in robes with three-legged golden crows; these were the officials of the Chuzhou Martial Peak Hall.
A colorful-winged pigeon swooped down from the sky and landed right on a person's shoulder.
Zhao Can reined in the horse and removed the secret paper tied to the pigeon's leg.
He unfolded the book, his pupils suddenly contracted, his face became extremely ferocious, and his eyes were filled with pain and hatred.
"Gu! Lin!"
Zhao Can roared hysterically, then abruptly turned his horse around and charged back like a madman.
The colleagues from the Martial Peak Hall looked puzzled.
The centurion, clad in a snow-white golden-crowned robe, quickly gave chase and asked in confusion:
"What caused your outburst?"
Zhao Can felt as if he were drinking blood, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hands, which were tightly gripping the reins, were trembling violently.
The centurion rode his horse to block the road ahead, watching his men with great concern.
Zhao Can, filled with boundless hatred, spoke each word with deliberation:
"Gu Lin brutally murdered my father. I will skin him alive, and I will make the Gu family pay with their lives!"
Having said that, he disregarded everything and charged forward on his horse.
Upon hearing this, Baihu's thick, dark eyebrows furrowed deeply.
The colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall were even more horrified.
Of course they knew Gu Lin. This mission was for the Chuwei County selection competition. Gu Lin, the champion of Chuwei County, had brutally killed Zhao Can's younger brother Zhao Yao on the martial arts stage, and now he had even murdered Zhao Can's father.
The hatred for killing his brother and father is so deep that no hatred could be found anywhere, no wonder Zhao Can went completely insane.
"Still standing there? Stop him!" the centurion commanded.
The colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall realized what was happening.
In a short while, the crowd surrounded Zhao Can, each with a look of sympathy on their face.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 101read.com. We have the most comprehensive book search service.]
Zhao Can's eyes were red-rimmed as he stared intently at the centurion and roared:
"Lord Zhou, you are unmoved by your father's tragic death! How can you be a son? I will personally kill that beast!"
Commander Zhou first tried to calm him down, then said in a deep voice:
"Calm down first. It was easy for you to kill Gu Lin, but if you secretly slaughtered the members of Dongsi, even your nine generations of relatives wouldn't be enough to pay for it."
Zhao Can stared intently at him, his eyes bulging with tears. "Lord Zhou! This beast murdered my father! He strangled my father to death in front of everyone!"
The people in the Martial Peak Hall remained silent.
Everyone who gets a job at this prestigious place is a smart person.
Zhao Can's father was an official in Chuzhou, a county assistant official, a powerful eighth-rank official.
The Dongsi Tianxuan Guard had the authority to execute officials below the seventh rank without prior approval.
Is the top young person in Chuwei County a fool?
Clearly, Gu Lin used his limited power to investigate Zhao Can's father through proper procedures.
Zhou Baihu said gently:
"You will come with me back to the Martial Peak Hall in Chuzhou first, and go to the Dao Discipline Division. If it is found that the madman killed indiscriminately for personal gain, I will personally exert pressure to strip him of his Xie Zhi robe. After that, he will be like fish on a chopping board, at your mercy."
After he finished speaking, the colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall looked at each other in bewilderment.
The worst-case scenario is when all the evidence is presented.
Gu Lin was simply fulfilling his duty to clean up official corruption; who would dare to criticize him?
It has to be said that Gu Lin is arrogant, fearless, and looks down on everyone.
Do they really think that winning the championship in Chuwei County means they can act with impunity?
What a big joke!
Who among you here isn't exceptionally talented? Who didn't fight their way through the selection process? But once you arrive in the sacred land of Chu, you have to gradually accept your mediocrity. Some people are heroic and gentle, while others are exceptionally gifted and still need to cultivate connections. A martial artist from a small prefecture really doesn't know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is!
A dazzling genius? Just an ordinary soldier in the Holy Land!
Zhao Can was in great pain, his face still contorted, and he did not reply to Commander Zhou for a long time.
Commander Zhou stepped forward two paces and solemnly advised:
"Zhao Can, you and the eldest daughter of the fourth branch of the Sima family are in love and will be getting married at the end of the year. Your future is bright, so don't ruin it. No matter how weak Gu Lin is, he is still a member of the Dongsi Temple. Unless you find evidence of the Gu family's crimes, if you make a move against the Gu family, the Dongsi Temple will use it as an excuse to take down your disgusting Wuji Hall."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The four holy lands were openly rivals, and behind the scenes they were even more irreconcilable, each wishing the other would weaken and collapse.
Most importantly, Zhao Can has a bright future. He is already the head of the Wuji Hall, whose robes are embroidered with three-headed, three-legged golden crows, and he will also be able to marry the eldest daughter of the fourth branch of the Sima family.
The Sima clan is a sixth-rank aristocratic family in Chuzhou, with dozens of members in their sacred grounds. Through marriage alliances and other means, their power is flourishing. With the Sima clan's assistance, Zhao Can's future will undoubtedly be further enhanced.
If Zhao Can loses his mind in anger and seeks revenge in private, then everything will be ruined.
Gu Lin was not the ghostwriter.
He was a member of the East Temple who stood out in the Divine Dynasty selection competition.
Killing him in private would be an insult to Toji, and Toji would never let it go.
No matter how arrogant and domineering Gu Lin was, he killed Zhao Can's brother within the rules of the martial arts arena and legally killed Zhao Can's father within the scope of his power.
Commander Zhou said solemnly:
"Let's go back to the Martial Peak Hall first. The Martial Peak Hall will keep a close eye on this madman. Once we get the chance, we will definitely make him perish."
With tears welling up in Zhao Can's eyes, he clenched his arms and slammed them into the ground, unleashing a torrent of hatred that sent mud flying everywhere from the small area.
"Ah!" He kept throwing punches, his hatred building up to the point of almost materializing, his roar echoing through the heavens and earth.
He hated it. He hated that he should have sent someone to crush this ant when Xiao Yao wrote the letter. At that time, this beast was just a seed player in Shiyang.
He hated his own incompetence, hated that he couldn't bear to give up his future and couldn't immediately skin his family alive to avenge his father and brother!
The colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall remained silent, letting him vent his emotions.
......
......
After nearly twenty days of arduous travel, Gu Lin and his party traversed mountains and valleys, finally arriving at Chu City, the capital of Chu Prefecture.
This is a bustling metropolis with a population of over one million. The official road ten miles away is paved with bluestone slabs, and the city is lively and bustling inside and out.
Upon seeing this young man dressed in a black xiezhi robe, the passersby and wandering knights all bowed and clasped their hands in respect, addressing him as "Sir."
The group entered the city and headed straight for Luoxia Mountain.
Through the story told by the swordsman on the way, Gu Lin gained a general understanding of the four sacred sites in Chuzhou.
Nearly an hour later, Gu Lin arrived at the inner city of Luoxia.
At this moment, Yan Shouxu, Wei Xuan, and the other two ghostwriters looked up, their eyes wide with astonishment.
Looking out, one sees a series of magnificent and imposing palaces standing in all four directions of the mountains, shrouded in mist and bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
Yan Shouxu pointed to the swirling mist and exclaimed in surprise:
"This is the legendary holy land!"
Even the mist is full of spiritual energy!
A ghostwriter chuckled:
"This is just the office of the ghostwriter; the sacred land is much higher up."
Yan Shouxu blushed with embarrassment upon hearing this, and was even more shocked.
The man who had written the introduction respectfully looked at Gu Lin and introduced him:
"Lord Gu, Luoxia City is the residence of the families of the Holy Land's swordsmen. The various government offices of Chuzhou are also located in Luoxia City, including some aristocratic families, top sects, and leading merchant guilds..."
Gu Lin listened and nodded.
Undoubtedly, the inner city of Luoxia is the core of power in the entire Chuzhou, while the sacred land of Luoxia Mountain possesses all the resources of Chuzhou and is the place with the most abundant spiritual energy.
This is the holy land that people dream of!
"Let's go to the East Temple to report first." Gu Lin reined in his horse and galloped towards Luoxia Mountain.
The crowd followed.
From the foot of the mountain, there is a flat and wide granite road, with various rare and ancient trees planted on both sides. Along the way, knife-wielders come in an endless stream, and lotus seed costumes, flying fish costumes, deer costumes, and magpie costumes come into view.
Yan Shouxu suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He felt very inferior. The people who came and went were all heroic and powerful, and they were all geniuses who were one in a million.
Wei Xuan and Lin Yan'er were the same, but they had a good attitude and said with a smile:
"We didn't have the ability to get into the yamen of ghost doctors; we were only able to do so because of Lord Gu's kindness. We must be loyal to Lord Gu."
Strictly adhere to the order and emphasize the key points.
At this moment, he fully acknowledged his mediocrity. He could be considered a goldfish in Shiyang County, but everyone here was shining brightly, while he was dark and dull.
The only way is to cling to Lord Gu's coattails and fight for a bright future!
The group walked to the mountainside, where the roads leading to the continuous palaces were interconnected.
"The easternmost position is the office of the swordsmiths under the jurisdiction of our East Temple," a swordsmith respectfully stated.
Gu Lin nodded:
"The three of you go and report."
Yan Shouxu and the other two bowed respectfully and headed to the yamen with excitement.
Gu Lin continued walking upwards.
After walking for a quarter of an hour, we finally arrived at the top of Luoxia Mountain, and only then could we catch a glimpse of the entire sacred site.
In sight, there are nearly a thousand ancient and magnificent halls, and several tall buildings with eaves that reach into the sky. In particular, the four sacred objects perched on the top of the tall buildings are particularly eye-catching.
The eastern position features a statue of a ferocious, roaring xiezhi (a mythical beast).
The western position is represented by a Qilin overlooking the world.
The southern direction is the most unique, as if a magnificent white lotus flower has fallen from the sky and slowly unfolds in the sunset.
In the north, there is a fiery three-legged golden crow statue, blending into the sunset.
This scene is more than just magnificent and awe-inspiring!
Gu Lin, who was always calm and composed, was also generous and excited at this moment.
What's even more peculiar is that the scene resembles a giant chessboard, divided into four distinct and orderly sections.
Standing atop the mountain, I felt completely relaxed and my mind was clear.
It truly lives up to its reputation as the place with the richest spiritual energy in Chuzhou.
No wonder the conditions for joining the holy land are so harsh; only through hardship and danger can one enjoy the abundant fruits.
Gu Linping calmed himself down and headed east.
After walking about a hundred steps, a magnificent golden plaque comes into view, with the two large, elegant characters "Dongsi" (East Temple) written on it.
The group traveled in a grand procession, galloping on horseback.
At the front of the procession were officials clad in robes with three-legged golden crows; these were the officials of the Chuzhou Martial Peak Hall.
A colorful-winged pigeon swooped down from the sky and landed right on a person's shoulder.
Zhao Can reined in the horse and removed the secret paper tied to the pigeon's leg.
He unfolded the book, his pupils suddenly contracted, his face became extremely ferocious, and his eyes were filled with pain and hatred.
"Gu! Lin!"
Zhao Can roared hysterically, then abruptly turned his horse around and charged back like a madman.
The colleagues from the Martial Peak Hall looked puzzled.
The centurion, clad in a snow-white golden-crowned robe, quickly gave chase and asked in confusion:
"What caused your outburst?"
Zhao Can felt as if he were drinking blood, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hands, which were tightly gripping the reins, were trembling violently.
The centurion rode his horse to block the road ahead, watching his men with great concern.
Zhao Can, filled with boundless hatred, spoke each word with deliberation:
"Gu Lin brutally murdered my father. I will skin him alive, and I will make the Gu family pay with their lives!"
Having said that, he disregarded everything and charged forward on his horse.
Upon hearing this, Baihu's thick, dark eyebrows furrowed deeply.
The colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall were even more horrified.
Of course they knew Gu Lin. This mission was for the Chuwei County selection competition. Gu Lin, the champion of Chuwei County, had brutally killed Zhao Can's younger brother Zhao Yao on the martial arts stage, and now he had even murdered Zhao Can's father.
The hatred for killing his brother and father is so deep that no hatred could be found anywhere, no wonder Zhao Can went completely insane.
"Still standing there? Stop him!" the centurion commanded.
The colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall realized what was happening.
In a short while, the crowd surrounded Zhao Can, each with a look of sympathy on their face.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 101read.com. We have the most comprehensive book search service.]
Zhao Can's eyes were red-rimmed as he stared intently at the centurion and roared:
"Lord Zhou, you are unmoved by your father's tragic death! How can you be a son? I will personally kill that beast!"
Commander Zhou first tried to calm him down, then said in a deep voice:
"Calm down first. It was easy for you to kill Gu Lin, but if you secretly slaughtered the members of Dongsi, even your nine generations of relatives wouldn't be enough to pay for it."
Zhao Can stared intently at him, his eyes bulging with tears. "Lord Zhou! This beast murdered my father! He strangled my father to death in front of everyone!"
The people in the Martial Peak Hall remained silent.
Everyone who gets a job at this prestigious place is a smart person.
Zhao Can's father was an official in Chuzhou, a county assistant official, a powerful eighth-rank official.
The Dongsi Tianxuan Guard had the authority to execute officials below the seventh rank without prior approval.
Is the top young person in Chuwei County a fool?
Clearly, Gu Lin used his limited power to investigate Zhao Can's father through proper procedures.
Zhou Baihu said gently:
"You will come with me back to the Martial Peak Hall in Chuzhou first, and go to the Dao Discipline Division. If it is found that the madman killed indiscriminately for personal gain, I will personally exert pressure to strip him of his Xie Zhi robe. After that, he will be like fish on a chopping board, at your mercy."
After he finished speaking, the colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall looked at each other in bewilderment.
The worst-case scenario is when all the evidence is presented.
Gu Lin was simply fulfilling his duty to clean up official corruption; who would dare to criticize him?
It has to be said that Gu Lin is arrogant, fearless, and looks down on everyone.
Do they really think that winning the championship in Chuwei County means they can act with impunity?
What a big joke!
Who among you here isn't exceptionally talented? Who didn't fight their way through the selection process? But once you arrive in the sacred land of Chu, you have to gradually accept your mediocrity. Some people are heroic and gentle, while others are exceptionally gifted and still need to cultivate connections. A martial artist from a small prefecture really doesn't know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is!
A dazzling genius? Just an ordinary soldier in the Holy Land!
Zhao Can was in great pain, his face still contorted, and he did not reply to Commander Zhou for a long time.
Commander Zhou stepped forward two paces and solemnly advised:
"Zhao Can, you and the eldest daughter of the fourth branch of the Sima family are in love and will be getting married at the end of the year. Your future is bright, so don't ruin it. No matter how weak Gu Lin is, he is still a member of the Dongsi Temple. Unless you find evidence of the Gu family's crimes, if you make a move against the Gu family, the Dongsi Temple will use it as an excuse to take down your disgusting Wuji Hall."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The four holy lands were openly rivals, and behind the scenes they were even more irreconcilable, each wishing the other would weaken and collapse.
Most importantly, Zhao Can has a bright future. He is already the head of the Wuji Hall, whose robes are embroidered with three-headed, three-legged golden crows, and he will also be able to marry the eldest daughter of the fourth branch of the Sima family.
The Sima clan is a sixth-rank aristocratic family in Chuzhou, with dozens of members in their sacred grounds. Through marriage alliances and other means, their power is flourishing. With the Sima clan's assistance, Zhao Can's future will undoubtedly be further enhanced.
If Zhao Can loses his mind in anger and seeks revenge in private, then everything will be ruined.
Gu Lin was not the ghostwriter.
He was a member of the East Temple who stood out in the Divine Dynasty selection competition.
Killing him in private would be an insult to Toji, and Toji would never let it go.
No matter how arrogant and domineering Gu Lin was, he killed Zhao Can's brother within the rules of the martial arts arena and legally killed Zhao Can's father within the scope of his power.
Commander Zhou said solemnly:
"Let's go back to the Martial Peak Hall first. The Martial Peak Hall will keep a close eye on this madman. Once we get the chance, we will definitely make him perish."
With tears welling up in Zhao Can's eyes, he clenched his arms and slammed them into the ground, unleashing a torrent of hatred that sent mud flying everywhere from the small area.
"Ah!" He kept throwing punches, his hatred building up to the point of almost materializing, his roar echoing through the heavens and earth.
He hated it. He hated that he should have sent someone to crush this ant when Xiao Yao wrote the letter. At that time, this beast was just a seed player in Shiyang.
He hated his own incompetence, hated that he couldn't bear to give up his future and couldn't immediately skin his family alive to avenge his father and brother!
The colleagues in the Martial Peak Hall remained silent, letting him vent his emotions.
......
......
After nearly twenty days of arduous travel, Gu Lin and his party traversed mountains and valleys, finally arriving at Chu City, the capital of Chu Prefecture.
This is a bustling metropolis with a population of over one million. The official road ten miles away is paved with bluestone slabs, and the city is lively and bustling inside and out.
Upon seeing this young man dressed in a black xiezhi robe, the passersby and wandering knights all bowed and clasped their hands in respect, addressing him as "Sir."
The group entered the city and headed straight for Luoxia Mountain.
Through the story told by the swordsman on the way, Gu Lin gained a general understanding of the four sacred sites in Chuzhou.
Nearly an hour later, Gu Lin arrived at the inner city of Luoxia.
At this moment, Yan Shouxu, Wei Xuan, and the other two ghostwriters looked up, their eyes wide with astonishment.
Looking out, one sees a series of magnificent and imposing palaces standing in all four directions of the mountains, shrouded in mist and bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
Yan Shouxu pointed to the swirling mist and exclaimed in surprise:
"This is the legendary holy land!"
Even the mist is full of spiritual energy!
A ghostwriter chuckled:
"This is just the office of the ghostwriter; the sacred land is much higher up."
Yan Shouxu blushed with embarrassment upon hearing this, and was even more shocked.
The man who had written the introduction respectfully looked at Gu Lin and introduced him:
"Lord Gu, Luoxia City is the residence of the families of the Holy Land's swordsmen. The various government offices of Chuzhou are also located in Luoxia City, including some aristocratic families, top sects, and leading merchant guilds..."
Gu Lin listened and nodded.
Undoubtedly, the inner city of Luoxia is the core of power in the entire Chuzhou, while the sacred land of Luoxia Mountain possesses all the resources of Chuzhou and is the place with the most abundant spiritual energy.
This is the holy land that people dream of!
"Let's go to the East Temple to report first." Gu Lin reined in his horse and galloped towards Luoxia Mountain.
The crowd followed.
From the foot of the mountain, there is a flat and wide granite road, with various rare and ancient trees planted on both sides. Along the way, knife-wielders come in an endless stream, and lotus seed costumes, flying fish costumes, deer costumes, and magpie costumes come into view.
Yan Shouxu suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He felt very inferior. The people who came and went were all heroic and powerful, and they were all geniuses who were one in a million.
Wei Xuan and Lin Yan'er were the same, but they had a good attitude and said with a smile:
"We didn't have the ability to get into the yamen of ghost doctors; we were only able to do so because of Lord Gu's kindness. We must be loyal to Lord Gu."
Strictly adhere to the order and emphasize the key points.
At this moment, he fully acknowledged his mediocrity. He could be considered a goldfish in Shiyang County, but everyone here was shining brightly, while he was dark and dull.
The only way is to cling to Lord Gu's coattails and fight for a bright future!
The group walked to the mountainside, where the roads leading to the continuous palaces were interconnected.
"The easternmost position is the office of the swordsmiths under the jurisdiction of our East Temple," a swordsmith respectfully stated.
Gu Lin nodded:
"The three of you go and report."
Yan Shouxu and the other two bowed respectfully and headed to the yamen with excitement.
Gu Lin continued walking upwards.
After walking for a quarter of an hour, we finally arrived at the top of Luoxia Mountain, and only then could we catch a glimpse of the entire sacred site.
In sight, there are nearly a thousand ancient and magnificent halls, and several tall buildings with eaves that reach into the sky. In particular, the four sacred objects perched on the top of the tall buildings are particularly eye-catching.
The eastern position features a statue of a ferocious, roaring xiezhi (a mythical beast).
The western position is represented by a Qilin overlooking the world.
The southern direction is the most unique, as if a magnificent white lotus flower has fallen from the sky and slowly unfolds in the sunset.
In the north, there is a fiery three-legged golden crow statue, blending into the sunset.
This scene is more than just magnificent and awe-inspiring!
Gu Lin, who was always calm and composed, was also generous and excited at this moment.
What's even more peculiar is that the scene resembles a giant chessboard, divided into four distinct and orderly sections.
Standing atop the mountain, I felt completely relaxed and my mind was clear.
It truly lives up to its reputation as the place with the richest spiritual energy in Chuzhou.
No wonder the conditions for joining the holy land are so harsh; only through hardship and danger can one enjoy the abundant fruits.
Gu Linping calmed himself down and headed east.
After walking about a hundred steps, a magnificent golden plaque comes into view, with the two large, elegant characters "Dongsi" (East Temple) written on it.