In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 58 The Lurking Viper

Amidst the bustling crowd, Zhou Zhiruo held Gu Shaoan's wrist tightly, her pretty face beaming with barely concealed excitement.

"Junior brother, look! What a huge sugar painting stall! I've seen it before when my father and I went to the market. I even saw the stall owner create little people and dragons with my own eyes!"

At this moment, Zhou Zhiruo was just like an ordinary girl, her eyes sparkling as she pointed at an old man by the roadside who had a sign that read "Sugar King Zhang".

The old man quickly sketched on the smooth stone slab with golden sugar syrup, and in the blink of an eye, a lifelike sugar dragon took shape, eliciting cheers from the children watching.

"Slow down, senior sister."

Gu Shaoan stumbled slightly as she pulled him, and gave her a helpless yet indulgent reminder.

Zhou Zhiruo nodded at first, but the next second she pulled him a few steps and stopped in front of a stall selling clay figurines.

The painted clay figures are all different in shape and have an endearing, simple appearance.

"That little swordsman looks just like you, junior brother!"

She picked up a small clay figure with a round face and rosy cheeks, holding a wooden sword, and gestured in front of Gu Shaoan, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

After negotiating the price with the stall owner, he took out a coin from his purse and bought it.

The heavy weight of the money pouch at her waist gave Zhou Zhiruo a lot of confidence. She pulled Gu Shaoan along, sometimes smelling the rich aroma of the spice stall, sometimes being attracted by the exquisite velvet flower headdress, and sometimes curiously watching the acrobats swallowing swords and breathing fire.

The crisp sound of the copper bell, the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts, and the bright red of candied hawthorns—everything seemed new and exciting, dazzling her like a butterfly taking flight for the first time from a flower garden.

Although Gu Shaoan wasn't particularly interested in such excitement, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Zhou Zhiruo's rare carefree and cheerful expression.

He quietly followed beside his excited senior sister, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo were both very good-looking.

In addition, the clothes they wore, though seemingly simple, were actually made of high-quality materials.

With their looks and demeanor, they looked exactly like a young master and lady from a wealthy family who had run away from home.

Especially Gu Shaoan, a small man carrying an extremely long sword, how could he not attract attention?
Seemingly aware that he and Zhou Zhiruo were too conspicuous, Gu Shaoan kept glancing calmly at the crowd as he accompanied Zhou Zhiruo, taking in the bustling scene of everyday life while remaining vigilant.

At the end of the street, Master Juechen, standing in front of a jewelry stall, nodded in satisfaction, watching Gu Shaoan, who remained vigilant.

The bustling street is like a flowing river of five colors, with the surging crowds providing the best cover.

A few dozen steps away from Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo, under the shadow of an inconspicuous teahouse eaves, several slovenly-dressed men were staring intently at the outstanding young couple.

Their gazes, like hooks coated with venom, lingered greedily on Zhou Zhiruo's beautiful profile and the seemingly bulging money pouch at her waist, and even more so on the elegant longsword in Gu Shaoan's arms.

Zhou Shan, with a hideous scar on his face, licked his chapped lips, his eyes filled with naked possessiveness.

"Fat sheep, and a pair of big fat sheep!"

His low voice was rough and unpleasant, like two pieces of sand rubbing together.

“That little girl is incredibly beautiful. If we kidnap her and sell her to a good brothel madam, we could get at least that much!” He stretched out his hand from his sleeve, then spread his fingers to indicate.

Beside him, a skinny, short accomplice named Li San rubbed his hands together, chuckling lewdly. "Scarface has a sharp eye. This little wench is indeed beautiful. In a few years, she'll be bewitching countless men and will definitely fetch a good price."

"But that kid is no less impressive. At such a young age, his looks and demeanor are top-notch. He's clearly been carefully raised by a wealthy family. Whether he's sold or has his hands and feet cut off to make him a beggar, he'll definitely make a lot of money."

However, noticing Gu Shaoan's posture holding the long sword and his calm gaze that occasionally swept over his surroundings with vigilance, Li San felt a slight chill.

"But Scarface, that kid... something's off about him. He's young, but the way he wields the sword doesn't seem like he's just pretending. And the look in his eyes..."

Li San thought for a moment, but couldn't come up with a suitable adjective.

He couldn't describe it, but he felt that the child's gaze was not that of a child with the innocence or curiosity one would expect, but rather like that of a small animal in the forest, carrying a hint of innate wariness.

"Hmph, just a little brat who hasn't even been weaned yet! So what if he's a bit clever? Does he think he can cause any trouble?"

Zhou Shan spat out the tea leaves in his mouth and said disdainfully, "When they reach the corner at the end of the street where there are fewer people, we'll catch them off guard, use that 'Immortal's Fall' to knock them over and carry them away."

A ruthless glint of calculation flashed in his eyes.

Li San asked, "What about those guys we were keeping an eye on before?"

Zhou Shan scoffed, "Forget it, these few inferior goods combined aren't even as good as these two."

"Okay!" Li San rubbed his hands together, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth.

After a pause, Zhou Shan instructed, "This area is Wudang's territory. Remember to be ruthless. After tying these two up, everyone retreat. Once we reach Ming Cult's territory, we'll sell this batch of meat."

After a brief discussion, the group quietly blended into the noisy crowd, like lurking venomous snakes.

Silently trailing behind Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo, their greedy eyes, like an invisible net, were locked onto their prey.

However, as the group approached, Gu Shaoan, who was already on guard, immediately noticed that something was wrong.

As if searching for someone, Gu Shaoan casually glanced around and, sensing the few people quietly mingling nearby, narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the sword sheath with his left hand.

"Are these people human traffickers, or do they have ulterior motives?"

Thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to guess the identities of these people and their motives for suddenly targeting him.

Gu Shaoan glanced at Zhou Zhiruo, who was still oblivious to what was happening, and remained calm, not reminding her at this moment, lest she lose her composure and reveal her weakness after learning that someone was watching them.

At the same time, in the middle of the street, Abbess Juechen stood in front of a jewelry stall and picked up a wooden hairpin. Suddenly, her expression darkened.

But the next second, Juechen noticed Gu Shaoan's little movements, raised his eyebrows slightly, the coldness in his eyes began to dissipate, and the corners of his mouth turned into an interesting smile.

A moment later, as the two walked, Gu Shaoan could clearly sense that the few people who had seemed amiss earlier were following them at a distance.

Moreover, as the group moved, they subtly formed an encirclement, ensuring that they could follow Gu Shaoan and Zhou Zhiruo in every direction.

"An experienced player?"

(End of this chapter)