Chapter 1 Only Then Did He Realize

Gu Xi initially thought Guan Huan had just run into friends from Dongping by chance, something like a merchant caravan. He wasn't too concerned about leaving Xiling. After all, the Dao Ming Sect's Eagle Hall held overwhelming power, and staying in Xiling incognito would probably mean running to the depths of the mountains. But was seclusion in the mountains truly safe? That small sect that triggered everything was a good counterexample. However, after hiding in the carriage and traveling with Ye Tao and his group for a while, Gu Xi immediately felt something was wrong. Although there were indeed quite a few people in the group who weren't from Zhongtu (Central Lands), and they really did seem like an exploration team led by the daughter of a Frankish grand artisan, as they claimed, once they left the city and started traveling on the road, the actions of the guards began to give them away. Did any merchant caravan or exploration team need scouts and flanking vanguards? Moreover, although the horses and weapons equipped by the dispatched guards had been carefully selected and didn't have any obvious flaws, the single-tube telescopes in the soft leather pouches at their waists too extravagantly revealed their true colors. Because Ye Tao hadn't freed up time to manufacture glass, let alone optical glass, the single-tube telescopes produced by Bosch Tool Shop were all made of naturally ground crystal lenses, and their prices were outrageously high. Of course, that was just the price for external sales. When the Dongping military made bulk purchases, Ye Tao would give a substantial discount. Only then did Gu Xi begin to understand that the person this team was protecting was much more important than he had imagined. And Guan Huan, this usually carefree and unserious person, probably had a much wider range of acquaintances than he had shown in front of the martial artists in Xiling. But even so, Gu Xi didn't doubt Guan Huan's motive for promising to eliminate Pan Jue. Because if Guan Huan really had some other purpose in messing around in Xiling, he wouldn't have bothered with a second-rate martial artist like him. He would have had plenty of opportunities to befriend martial artists with much more influence, and he wouldn't have taken on so much trouble to help him send messages and protect his family.

Where did the nickname "Qingxin Sword" (Pure Heart Sword) come from? On the one hand, it was because the martial arts Gu Xi practiced were steady and orthodox, and his swordplay seemed to lack any worldly ambition. On the other hand, it was also because Gu Xi and his school had always been detached and reluctant to engage in martial world disputes. This time, his inability to restrain himself and getting involved in a dispute had made it impossible for Gu Xi's family to stay in Xiling. Perhaps he would be even more determined to adhere to a non-interventionist stance in the future. But Gu Xi knew that his future path, while he could rely on Guan Huan, would probably depend more on the important person this group was protecting. Martial artists could practice martial arts because their families had some wealth. Otherwise, they simply couldn't afford the costs of practicing martial arts. The common rule of "poor scholars, rich martial artists" hadn't changed in this time and space either. Gu Xi knew that his family would probably stay in Dongping for a considerable amount of time, and might even make Dongping their home in the future. Having lost their assets in Xiling, they would need to find a way to make a living. They couldn't really resort to robbery. What Gu Xi understood even more clearly was that, compared to Xiling, where local governance was lax in some places, Dongping, which had risen to power as a warlord state, had a stronger, almost harsh attitude towards local stability and good governance. In recent years, even those notorious master thieves in the martial world didn't dare to enter Dongping, because once their whereabouts were discovered by the local government, mobilizing hundreds or even thousands of soldiers to encircle and suppress one or two people was a favorite fitness activity for the well-trained local garrisons in Dongping.

With this in mind, Gu Xi carefully observed the team again, and he quickly discovered that the core of the entire team was actually the recorder and odd-job man, Guo Fen, whom he had previously been misled into thinking was Miss Sophie's gigolo. Did Dongping have such a young important official? Yes… an answer immediately jumped into Gu Xi's mind. And this answer really startled him. Ye Tao's outstanding performance in politics, economics, and military affairs wasn't known throughout the world, but Ye Tao's identity as the number one craftsman in the world was known to everyone. Gu Xi wasn't so naive as to think that Ye Tao, just because he was the number one craftsman in the world and the son-in-law of the Dongping royal family, would really come to Xiling to travel, sightsee, and broaden his horizons. Although he didn't know what Ye Tao had come for, he must be carrying a heavier responsibility. Seeing Ye Tao chatting with the guards without any airs, even sitting next to the coachman and playing the harmonica to add a touch of ease and comfort to their tense journey, Ye Tao should be an easy person to get along with.

The actual journey was faster than expected, probably because the road east of Shunyi City was better than they had anticipated. They set off in the early morning and traveled non-stop, except for a short rest at noon. And a team consisting entirely of riders and four-wheeled carriages, with the intention of speeding up, covered nearly two hundred *li* in just one day, which wasn't anything surprising.

When they camped by a river beach in the evening, Gu Xi noticed that even their camping was so unique. The freight wagons served as the outermost barrier, and in the inner circle, the carefully designed passenger carriages had the partitions at the back of the compartments flipped open, and inside were directly folded tents. With just a few tent pegs, they could naturally block wind and rain, and the passengers slept in the carriages, warm and comfortable.

After settling his family, Gu Xi walked to the area where Ye Tao, Dai Qiuyan, and Sophie's carriages were gathered. Seeing Gu Xi's hesitant expression, Ye Tao smiled and greeted him, "Mr. Gu, is there something I can help you with?"

Gu Xi took a few steps closer. Zhou Rui moved a little to make room for him by the rising bonfire and placed a thick felt mat on the ground, signaling him to sit down. Then he turned around and continued to fiddle with his barbecue. After they set up camp, Zhou Rui had just casually walked into the nearby woods and made a catch. An immature wild boar was enough for the entire team to feast on.

"My lord, I am deeply grateful for your help this time. I will never forget your great kindness," Gu Xi said to Ye Tao, bowing deeply.

Ye Tao smiled and said, "Mr. Gu, please sit. With Guan Huan's abilities, Pan Jue will surely be killed by the day after tomorrow night… Since Mr. Gu has already guessed it, then I will formally introduce myself. I am Ye Tao."

Ye Tao's name was enough. Gu Xi bowed deeply to Ye Tao again before sitting down on the felt mat.

"My lord, how did Guan Huan get to know you?" Gu Xi asked his question.

"Guan Huan is my eldest martial brother's cousin. He has known me since he was a child. He is only a few years older than me," Ye Tao said.

Gu Xi was shocked. Whether it was because of Guan Huan's extremely strong skills or because of Ye Tao's relationship, Guan Huan could easily find a good job in Dongping. But why was this guy sticking to the uninteresting martial world? Was he really obsessed with martial arts? From Gu Xi's understanding of Guan Huan, he didn't think Guan Huan was that kind of person.

"By the way, is Guan Huan really that famous?" Ye Tao looked at Gu Xi's expression and felt that there must be something strange about it.

"Famous… too famous," Gu Xi said with a wry smile. "Now that heroes are rising together and a large number of experts are being recruited by the governments of various countries, the martial world is declining. And in this declining martial world, Guan Huan is the absolute number one expert among the younger generation. Even in the entire martial world, he is one of the best. At first, because he drew his saber too fast, he was called 'Quick Saber' Guan Huan; later, he switched to a thick-backed mountain-chopping saber, and he wasn't so fast anymore. He liked to use force to overcome skill, and everyone called him 'Tyrant Saber' Guan Huan; for a while, he used a different saber almost every time he fought, and everyone called him 'Changing Saber' Guan Huan; because he was quick-witted, even those whose martial arts foundation was superior to his were often defeated by him using various methods, and everyone called him 'Exquisite Saber' Guan Huan; this time he came to Xiling, and he usually used a thick-backed mountain-chopping saber when fighting, but only when he really encountered difficult enemies would he switch to a strangely shaped saber, and he insisted that it was a sword… so everyone started calling him 'Strange Saber' Guan Huan again. My lord, you don't know, the martial world is like this. Even if someone draws out a chopstick and says it's a sword, as long as he really wins, everyone will just touch their noses and accept it… Guan Huan is capable, and he has all kinds of tricks for everyone to talk about, so it's impossible for him not to be famous. However, I really didn't expect Guan Huan to have this kind of relationship with you."

"That guy is just so fun, I'm used to it," Ye Tao said with a chuckle, listening to Gu Xi's humorous description.

"My lord, I'm afraid I won't be able to return to Xiling in the short term. I have to take care of my family… Can you give me some guidance?" After chatting for a while, Gu Xi asked hesitantly.

"Mr. Gu, that's not difficult… But do you have any requirements? Or are there any concerns? If you are unwilling to take a position in the Dongping government system, I can also recommend other jobs for you. It would be a bit of a waste of your talent to have you guard a house for someone; however, the major trading companies travel all over the country and are bound to encounter various problems, so they always hope to have experts stationed there. I'm just afraid it would be more tiring," Ye Tao replied.

The request Gu Xi made sounded somewhat rude to the guards around him. In their opinion, if Gu Xi wanted to rely on Ye Tao, he should express his loyalty, or else he shouldn't say such things. But in Ye Tao's view, this was as normal as someone who happened to be unemployed asking who had a suitable offer to recommend when chatting in his original era.

"I am willing to follow your instructions… Now the Dao Ming Sect's influence extends throughout the government and the public, which is truly unfortunate for the people of Xiling," Gu Xi said.

"Very good." Ye Tao nodded. Gu Xi, as a second-rate expert with a lot of room for development in terms of ability, would be a good choice whether he was recommended to the intelligence bureau to contribute to the various deployments against Xiling in the future, or recommended to the Leiyin Demon Sect to become a member of the protective force in order to cope with the conflicts that would inevitably occur with the Dao Ming Sect in the future.