C19 The Truth Behind Her Back

It was quite unexpected when the Gu family was ambushed by several figures shrouded in the darkness of the night. What was even more surprising was the revelation that the leader of these assailants returned to none other than the home of Gu Tian's grandfather. And to think that Gu Tian's grandfather was the mastermind behind the attack seemed almost too bizarre to be true, yet that was indeed the case.

Gu Tian's grandfather didn't reside in Pan City; he was the City Lord of Feng River City, one of the largest cities in the Tamura Empire. His position was far from ordinary, and his strength was shrouded in mystery. Rumors circulated that he had reached the ninth level of the Nascent Flow, while others speculated he was at the fifth level of the vital spirit. Regardless, it had been over a decade since anyone had witnessed him in action.

"City Lord, we've secured the item you requested!" The man in black, who had previously abducted Gu Tian, presented the Bronze Mandate to Chen You Shou with a report.

"Is the kid, Gu Tian, unharmed?" Chen You Shou inquired, taking the Bronze Mandate and examining it closely.

"He's fine. We followed your instructions to the letter—just a few punches and a bit of blood to teach him a lesson," the man replied indifferently to the stoic City Lord.

"Excellent. Here is your payment," Chen You Shou said, handing over a stack of silver notes and a vial of pills. "I trust this matter remains between us."

"Rest assured, our organization would rather die than betray our employer," the man responded with a chuckle, his mind racing with questions. "What is the origin of this item? Could the Gu family truly hail from Reigh?"

Curiosity isn't just a woman's trait; men are equally susceptible, especially the leader of the most elite group of assassins on the Martial Spirit Continent. He was as curious as any. He was familiar with Reigh, but what puzzled him was why the Feng River City Lord, knowing the Gu family's origins, would target his own kin and demand the Bronze Mandate from his grandson. Had he not considered the possibility that if Gu Mong placed great value on the item, Gu Tian's life could be at risk?

Truthfully, he was eager to uncover the significance of the Bronze Mandate and why Chen You Shou would risk so much for it. With this in mind, he resolved to relay the details of the Bronze Mandate back to the assassin headquarters in Reigh for a covert investigation. If the Sky Mandate was indeed tied to the legacy of an Almighty in Reigh, it would be a significant discovery. Securing a chance to enter Reigh could pave the way for a more powerful and extensive journey in the martial arts.

He never anticipated the shockwave that would ripple through Reigh when the news reached its shores. The Nine Dragons Sky Mandate, lost for tens of thousands of years, had resurfaced. Their family's ancient lore proclaimed that whoever possessed it could command the nine levels of heaven and earth, harking back to a time when even stars and moons could be plucked from the sky. The decline of the once-mighty Gu family was twofold: fear of the Nine Dragons Sky Mandate's power and the covetous desire of others to claim the sealed treasure within.

After the assassin departed, Chen You Shou instructed his steward, "Please summon the Master Appraiser to our residence. I have an item I need him to evaluate."

Chen You Shou then gazed at the Bronze Mandate in his palm, murmuring to himself, "This should have been simple to acquire, right? Yet, something feels off. Could it possibly be a counterfeit?"

While pondering, Chen You Shou toyed with the artifact, examining it in the sunlight from every angle, "No matter how I look at it, I can't discern anything extraordinary. Could it truly contain a formidable being within?"

In the Martial Spirit Continent, there existed alchemists, refiners, and appraisers akin to Earth's antique experts. They were adept at evaluating not only the grade of pills and weapons but also the age and provenance of various items, which granted them a unique status.

Promptly, the steward by the Feng River City Lord's side managed to bring the city's most renowned appraiser to the mansion. This appraiser, around seventy years of age, was celebrated not for his years but for his decades of unerring service in his field.

"Old Mo, come take a look at this for me, will you? Tell me if it's genuine or not," Chen You Shou said, extending the Bronze Mandate towards him as Old Mo arrived.

"What do you mean by genuine or not? You'll need to clarify what this item is before I can determine its authenticity. Or perhaps you could suggest how you'd like me to appraise it?" Old Mo inquired, having never encountered such a token, nor recognizing it as the emblem of any known power.

"Let's do this: could you determine its age and see if it's indeed an artifact from over a thousand years ago?" Chen You Shou suggested, recalling Gu Mong's words about the Gu family's Nine Dragons Token being an heirloom of countless millennia.

"Over a thousand years old? City Lord, surely you haven't been duped, have you? The craftsmanship is indeed impressive, but it's not going to fool me. This piece is, at best, only twenty to thirty years old. They've merely inlaid the surface with some ancient bronze rust. I must admit, the technique is quite sophisticated." Elder Mo chuckled as he stroked his beard, looking at Chen You Shou, whose complexion had darkened, and said, "City Lord, surely no one has pulled the wool over your eyes, claiming this is some kind of treasure?"

Fraudulent artifact dealers are a reality both on Earth and in this world, with the main difference being the abundance of mysteries here. Take, for instance, the tombs of deceased Almighties, powerful experts filled with innumerable treasures and coveted inheritances. Consequently, many dealers fabricate fake treasure maps and tomb keys to swindle money from the gullible.

"Cough, cough, Old Mo, it's enough that you're in the know. Please, keep this to yourself; it's a matter of my reputation," Chen You Shou said with a feigned blush of embarrassment.

"Haha, it's quite common, but rest assured, I won't breathe a word of it. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," replied the appraiser, Old Mo, with a chuckle.

"Very well, I'll have someone escort you out," Chen You Shou said, gesturing politely, while internally he pondered, "If this is a counterfeit, then where is the real one? Gu Mong, if I were to order the deaths of Gu Feng and Xianyue, would you then bequeath the Sky Mandate to Gu Tian?"

It must be acknowledged that the Feng River City Lord's tactics were ruthlessly cunning. If Gu Feng and Xianyue were to die, Gu Tian would undoubtedly secure his position as the future head of the Gu family. Should the Gu family possess the legendary Sky Mandate, it would likely be passed down to Gu Tian in the next generation.

Gu Feng was already a target of Gu Tian's, and now the Feng River City Lord had dispatched assassins after him as well—talk about kicking someone when they're down. It appeared that Gu Feng's destiny was fraught with more than its fair share of trials.

Meanwhile, having dealt with the Gu family's Fifth Elder, Gu Feng continued his journey to Osesey with his mother. As for the disposal of the Fifth Elder's body, Gu Feng unceremoniously dumped it into a nearby river. A proper burial? That was out of the question. If it hadn't been for Xianyue's intervention, he would have left the body to be devoured by wild animals.

As evening fell, Gu Feng and Xianyue finally arrived at the bustling city of Osesey, which was far more prosperous than Pan City. Towering city walls stood at 14 meters high, with vigilant guards stationed at the gates, overseeing the steady flow of citizens and merchant caravans coming and going.

"Halt!" commanded the soldiers at the city gate, blocking Gu Feng and his mother from entering. They scrutinized Gu Feng, who exuded handsomeness with an undercurrent of mischief, and then eyed the large stack of beast skins he carried. "Don't you know there's a tax for entering the city?"

"A tax?"

"Merchant or not, you're bringing a load of beast skins into the city, so we're obliged to collect a 15% tax," explained one soldier, gesturing toward the soft-scaled skins behind Gu Feng.

"What does 15% amount to?" Gu Feng inquired, unfamiliar with the commercial laws of this world.

"Judging by your goods, they should fetch around two thousand taels of silver. We'll round it down and take three hundred taels from you," the soldiers at the gate calculated.

"Fine, three hundred taels it is. I'll pay," Gu Feng conceded, eager not to squander any more time. He had plans to spend the night in Osesey and intended for his mother to procure second-level or higher soulstones for his cultivation. With the substantial sum of silver notes he carried, he was confident he could enhance his strength to the third level of Body Tempering. Delaying his return to Osesey by a few days was of little concern.

With that settled, Gu Feng produced three silver notes, each worth a hundred taels, and handed them over without a backward glance. He then led his mother, along with the soft-scaled beast skins, into the city.

As they entered Osesey, they unwittingly caught the attention of a woman among the crowd. She was dressed plainly, her face adorned with freckles that contrasted with her bright, lively eyes. Was she smitten with the dashing Gu Feng? Hardly. Her gaze was fixed on the bulge of silver notes at Gu Feng's chest, a sly smile playing on her lips.

It was clear, without a doubt, that she was a pickpocket or a thief. Gu Feng, being a newcomer laden with silver, had become the prime target for the local thieves.

"Mother, shall we find a place to process these soft-scaled beast skins before we look for an inn to rest? What do you think?" Gu Feng felt as though he had been transported back to the ancient Warring States period, his heart brimming with a warrior's spirit, longing to join the fray on the battlefield and carve out a legacy for all time.

"Mm, I'll follow your lead. I'll take you to the materials shop first, and then we'll go enjoy some delicious food," Xianyue said, her familiarity with the area evident, having been born and raised here.

"Sounds good. After half a month of nothing but dry rations, my taste buds are crying out for something flavorful. I'm looking forward to a proper feast!" Gu Feng surveyed his surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of that enigmatic woman.

Just then, a minor commotion unfolded before him. A man was berating and striking a woman for not earning enough money to support the family. Gu Feng typically wouldn't involve himself in disputes, whether it was a man hitting a woman or vice versa. However, the woman, having been slapped, stumbled into Gu Feng, giving him no chance to sidestep.

"Miss, are you alright?" Gu Feng quickly helped her to her feet, concern in his voice.

The woman, her face adorned with freckles and a fresh red handprint, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, looked up at him with a pained yet pitiful expression. She shook her head and responded, "I'm okay, thank you."

She hastily moved away from Gu Feng, while the man who had hit her, his face twisted in anger, pursued her, shouting, "You wretched woman, don't you dare walk away! Come back here! If you refuse to work, I swear I'll beat you senseless!"

"Ah, the men of this world are truly pathetic. They fail to earn money and then blame their own women. Doesn't he realize that with his looks, who would dare to hire him unless it's in the dark?" Gu Feng watched the chase, his thoughts returning to the woman's freckled face and the lack of panic in her sparkling, gem-like eyes, so unlike those of an ordinary woman. He stood there, momentarily dumbfounded, and muttered to himself, "Could my luck be any worse?"

Upon realizing this, Gu Feng reached into the hidden pouch over his heart. Moments before, it had contained a thick stack of silver notes totaling fifteen thousand taels, but now they had vanished without a trace.

"What's the matter?" Xianyue, who was nearby, noticed Gu Feng frantically patting himself down and asked, "Could your silver notes have been pickpocketed?"

"Chase them!"

Without another word, Gu Feng took off after the two individuals. Alas, they had disappeared into the throng of the crowded street, a place they knew like the back of their hand. Where could he possibly begin to look for them? Should he report it to the authorities? In a city where criminals were bold enough to commit such acts, would involving the officials even make a difference?

After a fruitless search, Gu Feng returned to where he started, seething with rage. "Damn it, if I ever catch you, I'll make sure you're so beaten that even your own family won't recognize you. Don't think for a second that I'll hesitate to strike down a woman."