Leaving Qingshan Courtyard, the main gates of the Cui Manor drew closer and closer.
Cui Zilu's expression grew visibly more tense, and even her breathing became shallow.
Seeing Gu Chengyin from afar, the gatekeeper hurried forward with a bow. "Is the Marquis going out? Do you need a carriage prepared?"
Gu Chengyin nodded. "Please do."
The gatekeeper replied, "You are too polite, Marquis. I will arrange it for you immediately."
Just as he was about to turn around, he noticed the fresh-faced youth beside Gu Chengyin and could not help but ask in confusion, "And this is? How come I have never seen him before?"
Cui Zilu's body stiffened. Just as she was about to be discovered...
Gu Chengyin shifted a step sideways, blocking Cui Zilu from view, and said calmly, "She is my person. Do you really need to have seen her?"
The gatekeeper's face changed, and he quickly bowed to apologize. "I misspoke! Please punish me, Marquis!"
Gu Chengyin waved his hand and ordered, "Go prepare the carriage."
"Yes!" Seeing that Gu Chengyin was not going to pursue the matter, the gatekeeper breathed a sigh of relief and hurried off to get the carriage.
Soon, a carriage with blue curtains pulled up to the gate. The gatekeeper called out, "Marquis, the carriage is here."
Gu Chengyin motioned for Cui Zilu to board first, stepping up after her.
But before boarding, his gaze casually swept over the coachman.
The man's bamboo hat was pulled low, obscuring his face.
However, his broad shoulders, the calluses on the webbing of his hands, and his restrained aura...
All of it declared one thing.
This was a martial arts master.
Gu Chengyin smiled faintly in his heart. The Cui family truly lived up to its reputation as a great noble clan; he had found the right protective charm.
He spoke politely to the coachman, "Excuse me, to the residence of the Left Vice Minister of Revenue."
The coachman gave a slight nod, his voice deep and thick. "You are too polite, Marquis."
...
The vermilion gates of the Left Vice Minister of Revenue's residence were shut tight. The stone lions stood solemnly in front, but they lacked their former majesty, instead enveloped in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Several Golden Feather Guards clad in golden armor stood with cold expressions, hands resting on their sabers, completely sealing off the exterior of the estate so that not even a drop of water could leak through.
The gleaming blades and chilling gazes cut off any prying eyes.
On the street in front of the residence, quite a few bold commoners had already gathered, standing on their tiptoes and whispering to one another.
They attempted to catch even the slightest glimpse of a wealthy family's downfall through the tightly closed gates and towering walls.
A buzzing of low murmurs filled the air as speculations, gasps, sighs, and even a hidden sense of schadenfreude quietly spread through the crowd.
When Gu Chengyin and Cui Zilu stepped down from the carriage, this was the scene that greeted them.
"Marquis Gu, please come inside."
A sharp-eyed servant who had been waiting just inside the gate hurried forward, bowing to lead the way. "Lord Wang and Head Catcher Zhu Qi are already waiting in the main hall."
Cui Zilu followed closely, half a step behind Gu Chengyin, trying hard to maintain the steady gait expected of a bodyguard.
But her racing heartbeat and involuntarily clenched fists still betrayed her inner tension and excitement.
Passing the spirit screen and winding through the corridors, the interior of the residence gradually revealed itself.
The courtyard was deep and the flora remained unchanged, but the passing servants all had ashen faces.
They hurried about, not daring to speak loudly, and an invisible sorrow and panic permeated the air.
Occasional muffled sobs drifted faintly from the backyard, adding to the desolate atmosphere.
They soon arrived at the main hall. Its furnishings were elegant, but at this moment, it felt empty and desolate.
Two men were standing in the hall. Hearing the footsteps, they turned to look.
One of them was about forty years old, lean and formidable, with dark skin and piercing eyes. He wore the black official uniform typical of a Ministry of Justice head catcher, an iron ruler hanging at his waist, and he exuded an aura of sharp efficiency.
Seeing Gu Chengyin, a polite smile appeared on his face. He took a few steps forward and cupped his fists in greeting:
"Marquis Gu, I have long looked forward to meeting you! I am Zhu Qi, Head Catcher of the Ministry of Justice. Under the orders of the Minister, I am specifically assigned to assist in investigating this case."
His tone was hearty, but his sharp gaze swept over Gu Chengyin and then over Cui Zilu behind him, who was clearly showing signs of curiosity and nervousness.
After introducing himself, Zhu Qi turned sideways and pointed to the other official beside him.
This man was about thirty years old, with a lean and clear face. He wore the green official robes of a Censorate Imperial Censor, and his elegant demeanor carried a stern authority that commanded respect without anger.
"Marquis Gu, this is Imperial Censor Wang Gangfeng of the Censorate."
Facing Gu Chengyin, Wang Gangfeng merely gave a slight bow with cupped hands, his expression indifferent. "Marquis Gu, an honor."
His manners were flawless, yet they revealed a sense of detachment and scrutiny.
The Censorate supervised all officials, so they naturally harbored a degree of suspicion and observation toward any bureaucrat.
Gu Chengyin politely returned the greeting. "Head Catcher Zhu Qi, Lord Wang, you have both worked hard. The situation is urgent, so let us skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. What do you say?"
Zhu Qi nodded. "The Marquis is straightforward. That is excellent."
His gaze fell upon Cui Zilu once more, carrying a professional inquisitiveness. "Marquis, may I ask who this young brother is...?"
Gu Chengyin's smile remained unchanged. He naturally stepped aside, revealing Cui Zilu to them. "This is my personal bodyguard. Lately, it has been an eventful autumn. For my own safety, I have brought him along. You two lords do not mind, do you?"
Zhu Qi suddenly understood. There had been many rumors in the Divine Capital recently, and he had heard quite a few things about Gu Chengyin.
He cupped his fists and said, "You are too serious, Marquis. With your esteemed status, safety must naturally come first."
Beside him, Wang Gangfeng glanced at Cui Zilu and said indifferently, "Investigating the case is what matters."
His attitude was clear: as long as it did not interfere with official business, he would not dwell on such trivial details.
Cui Zilu stood closely behind and slightly to the side of Gu Chengyin. Feeling the scrutinizing gazes of the two officials, her palms began to sweat slightly.
She tried hard to straighten her back and purse her lips to make herself look calmer, but her heart was beating like a drum. "Heavens, is this the scene of a major case?"
"That Head Catcher Zhu Qi looks so fierce, and Lord Wang feels so stern."
"Brother Chengyin is amazing! He does not have stage fright at all when facing these scary people!"
The three men took their seats in the main hall. Cui Zilu did not sit down, but stood respectfully behind Gu Chengyin, playing the role of a personal bodyguard well.
She held her breath and concentrated, ears pricked up, unwilling to miss a single word.
As the first official to arrive at the scene, Zhu Qi coughed lightly and spoke first, his expression turning serious:
"Marquis Gu, Lord Wang, in my humble opinion, since we have been ordered by imperial decree to investigate this case, we should first clarify the primary and secondary roles and establish a person in charge."
"Otherwise, if everyone holds their own opinions and disagrees, not only will it be unhelpful in solving the case, but it may also delay the opportunity. What do you two lords think?"
Gu Chengyin and Wang Gangfeng nodded simultaneously, waiting for him to continue.
A smile appeared on Zhu Qi's face. His gaze fixed on Gu Chengyin as he cupped his fists and said, "I am a rough man, so I will speak plainly."
"Lord Wang is an official of the Censorate, noble and upright, and I am merely a humble head catcher who would not dare overstep."
"Marquis Gu, you are a Director of the Imperial Household Department and the Marquis Bingjian personally conferred by His Highness. Your status is precious and your position esteemed."
"The way I see it, this case should be led by Marquis Gu. Lord Wang and I will assist from the side, checking for omissions and filling in the gaps."
"Only in this way can our commands be unified, yielding twice the result with half the effort. Lord Wang, what do you think?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
