In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 488 Rotten Meat Attracts Flies

Noticing Gu Shaoan's expression, Mei Jiangxue asked, "Senior brother, do you know the people talking downstairs?"

"It feels somewhat familiar, but I'm not sure," Gu Shaoan replied truthfully.

Immediately, Gu Shaoan ignored the noise downstairs and explained Mei Jiangxue's earlier words: "Do you know about the incident a few years ago when I accompanied my master and the others to the Hengshan Sect's succession ceremony?"

Mei Jiangxue nodded and said, "I first overheard the senior sisters in the sect mentioning it by chance, and later I learned the details from Senior Sister Yan'er."

Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "Because of the conflict with the Songshan Sect, after Zuo Lengchan and others in the Songshan Sect died, in order to avoid further retaliation from the Songshan Sect, I took my senior sister and junior sister Yan'er to the Songshan Sect to resolve the subsequent troubles."

"But when we arrived at Dengfeng Prefecture, which is near the Songshan Sect, and dealt with the last remaining experts of the Songshan Sect, we encountered Dongfang Bai in Dengfeng Prefecture."

"Dongfang Bai, the leader of the Sun Moon Cult?"

"Not bad." Gu Shaoan nodded in agreement.

Mei Jiangxue frowned.

"According to what my senior brother said, the appearance of Dongfang Bai and other members of the Sun Moon Sect in Dengfeng Prefecture was also aimed at the Songshan Sect. However, the Songshan Sect's Zuo Lengchan and the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan were all dealt with by my senior brother and senior sister."

"With the strength of the Sun Moon Sect, including Dongfang Bai, destroying the Songshan Sect would be a piece of cake. Why is it that after so many years, the Songshan Sect is still safe and sound?"

A few breaths later, Mei Jiangxue seemed to realize something and exclaimed in surprise, "Senior brother means that the Songshan Sect may seem to be unharmed now, but in reality, it has already been taken over by the Sun Moon Sect?"

Gu Shaoan nodded slightly.

Upon hearing this, Mei Jiangxue felt a chill run down her spine.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan said softly, "This is where Dongfang Bai's intelligence lies."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "The clever thing about Dongfang Bai is that he didn't destroy the Songshan Sect, but instead controlled it. He secretly replaced the Songshan Sect members with members of the Sun Moon Divine Cult."

A look of understanding flashed in Mei Jiangxue's eyes, but she did not interrupt Gu Shaoan and continued to listen.

There are three advantages to doing this.

Gu Shaoan held up three fingers. "Firstly, it can supervise the various forces around Dengfeng Prefecture in the name of the Songshan Sect."

"Secondly, the Songshan Sect is nominally a second-rate power, but it receives a lot of tax revenue and controls a considerable amount of business every year. If the Sun Moon Sect were to take over directly, it would inevitably take a lot of effort and time. However, if it were to take over in the name of the Songshan Sect, it would save a lot of trouble."

"Furthermore, the territories controlled by various sects in the martial arts world need to be reported to the imperial court. After the destruction of the Songshan Sect, the area around Dengfeng Prefecture should be a powerless force, and various martial arts forces can intervene in it legitimately. The Sun Moon Divine Sect has no choice but to expend energy to deal with it."

Mei Jiangxue nodded.

Fame and fortune are tempting, and Dengfeng Prefecture was managed exceptionally well by Zuo Lengchan, making it a place that could be described as "prosperous".

The annual tax revenue of Dengfeng Prefecture alone is enough to entice other powers.

Not to mention other livelihoods and hidden benefits.

This is a lucrative opportunity, and other second-rate powers around Dengfeng Prefecture might not be able to sit idly by.

The loss of the Songshan Sect could attract the alliance of other, stronger second-rate forces, causing the Sun Moon Sect considerable trouble.

If it attracts a top-tier force like the White Sand Gang, even Dongfang Bai wouldn't be able to do anything about it and would end up doing all the work for them.

"Thirdly, the Sun Moon Cult is a demonic cult. Although the Songshan Sect's conduct is questionable, it still wears the skin of a prestigious sect. Some things that the Sun Moon Cult cannot do, the Songshan Sect can do. Outsiders obviously would not think that the Songshan Sect, which is fighting the Sun Moon Cult to the death, has long been a force of the Sun Moon Cult."

"If used properly, it can be a valuable trump card in critical moments."

Mei Jiangxue's mind raced, and she said softly, "According to what Senior Brother said, the benefits of the Sun Moon Sect doing this are indeed greater than directly destroying the Songshan Sect. This way, they can obtain all the resources and sphere of influence of the Songshan Sect, and at the same time, they can do some things for the Sun Moon Sect in the name of the Songshan Sect in the martial arts world."

At this point, Mei Jiangxue paused, then suddenly looked up at Gu Shaoan and said, "Senior brother, do you mean that the Hengshan Sect in Nanshan Prefecture, like the Songshan Sect, seems to be unaffected, but in reality, it has been controlled by the Sun Moon Divine Sect?"

Gu Shaoan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "Judging from the current situation in Nanshan Prefecture, that's probably the case."

Mei Jiangxue continued, "But since the Sun Moon Sect has taken control of the Hengshan Sect, why doesn't it manage the Nanshan Prefecture properly? Is it intentional?"

Gu Shaoan said calmly, "Previously, Dongfang Bai was invited by the Azure Dragon Society to join the Azure Dragon Society, and then followed the Sunflower Ancestor in the palace to serve Zhu Houzhao, but the Sunflower Ancestor was Zhu Qiyang's man."

"With Zhu Qiyang killed by me, Sunflower Ancestor was also dealt with by Zhu Houzhao."

"Now it seems that Dongfang Bai was also dealt with by Zhu Houzhao."

In Zhu Houzhao's eyes, someone like Dongfang Bai was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will.

Gu Shaoan didn't ask whether Zhu Houzhao had dealt with Dongfang Bai.

The reason people believe that Dongfang Bai has also been dealt with by Zhu Houzhao is entirely due to the current situation in Nanshan Prefecture. Otherwise, given Dongfang Bai's abilities, Nanshan Prefecture wouldn't be in its current state, with martial artists clustered together and seemingly out of control.

That's just how the martial arts world is.

Opportunity and danger are always intertwined.

Based on his original experience, Dongfang Bai's ability to comprehend the transformation of heaven and man with just a fragment of the "Sunflower Manual," thereby reaching the level of Condensing Yuan and becoming a top-tier master in the world, is enough to demonstrate his talent.

However, because of Gu Shaoan, Zhu Houzhao arranged for the Sunflower Patriarch to investigate Gu Shaoan's life, which led to Dongfang Bai catching the Sunflower Patriarch's eye.

This brought Dongfang Bai to a position closest to power.

However, because Zhu Qiyang was killed by Gu Shaoan, Dongfang Bai was implicated and ended up being buried with the Sunflower Ancestor.

As a result, Dongfang Baidu died before he could even change his name to "Dongfang Bubai".

However, these are not matters for the Emei Sect.

As long as human desires persist, so too will chaos.

The martial arts world has never been a peaceful and tranquil place.

Without involving the Emei Sect or Gu Shaoan, and without any reason, neither of them had any interest in getting involved in the affairs of other factions.

After the two finished their meal and paid for it, they put their straw hats back on and went downstairs.

"Brother Linghu, let me tell you, Leader Ren really wants to invite you to join the Sun Moon Divine Cult. Think about it, your master used to look down on you and kicked you out. Now that you've learned Leader Ren's divine skills, as long as you join the Sun Moon Divine Cult, with Leader Ren personally guiding you, it won't be long before your strength increases greatly."

"When you, Linghu Chong, become famous throughout the martial arts world, what will your master and those who looked down on you think?"

"Listen to your brother's advice, come back to the Sun Moon Divine Sect with me, and you will be second only to the leader. You will have everything you need, whether it's fame, fortune, women, or power."

When Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue came down, most of the guests on the first floor had already left, and only a few tables of leftover food remained in the empty lobby.

At a table in the corner, two men sat side by side, with several empty wine jars scattered haphazardly on the table in front of them, the air thick with the smell of alcohol.

One of them was burly and strong, with a leopard-like head and bulging eyes. His face was covered with a thick beard that looked like steel needles, exuding a wild and untamed air.

He was dressed in a worn-out blue cloth short jacket, the front of which was open, revealing his hairy chest. A short-handled sharp knife was slung across his waist, and several faded red silk ribbons were wrapped around the scabbard.

At this moment, he had one foot on a bench, holding a wine bowl in his hand. His rough face was already showing signs of drunkenness, but his round eyes still shone with a sharp and restrained light, occasionally flashing a hint of frivolity.

The other person had a handsome face and wore a light blue outfit, but his hair was messy and his clothes were loose.

Who else could it be but Linghu Chong?
On his way downstairs, Gu Shaoan glanced at Linghu Chong.

Looking at Linghu Chong, even Gu Shaoan couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

The world of martial arts is vast, so vast that it took Xiang Yutian, in conjunction with the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion and the Azure Dragon Society, a hundred years to search for the Sun family behind Sun Baifa.

But sometimes things are so small that people who shouldn't have any connection can bump into each other by chance.

Several years ago, shortly after Gu Shaoan's wedding, Abbess Miejue told him that the leader of the Hengshan Sect had visited the Emei Sect with Yue Buqun, and that Yue Buqun had also subtly revealed that he had expelled Linghu Chong from the Huashan Qi Sect.

Gu Shaoan never expected to meet him here in Nanshan Prefecture.

Then, Gu Shaoan shifted his gaze slightly, glancing at the man beside Linghu Chong before looking away.

Seemingly because of Gu Shaoan's strange behavior upstairs, Mei Jiangxue couldn't help but look at the two of them as she came downstairs.

She glanced at Linghu Chong's table in the corner through the light veil of her bamboo hat, but didn't notice anything special, so she looked away and continued walking towards the door.

As if sensing Mei Jiangxue's gaze, the bearded man who was drinking with Linghu Chong suddenly turned his head and looked at Gu Shaoan and Mei Jiangxue, who had already reached the door.

When his gaze fell upon Mei Jiangxue, he noticed her graceful figure that was faintly visible as she walked, as well as the aloof aura that seemed to emanate from her very bones. The man's eyes lit up.

Just as the man's gaze locked onto Mei Jiangxue, Gu Shaoan seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He then slowly turned around and looked again at the person next to Linghu Chong.

After glancing at him for a while, Gu Shaoan's gaze fell on the short knife tucked at the man's waist.

As his thoughts raced, Gu Shaoan vaguely guessed the man's identity.

"Interesting. It's like rotten meat attracts flies. After all this time, these two have ended up together again."

(End of this chapter)