Chapter 40: Fame

Gu Mo’s return journey was as unhurried as his departure. While the outward trip had taken only two days, the return journey stretched to five. Gu Mo used this time to teach Gu Chudong martial arts, maintaining a calm and unhurried demeanor throughout.

Upon returning to Linjiang City, they immediately headed to Buer Mountain Villa.

In a large hall, Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were sipping tea. Soon, footsteps echoed from outside the door, and Yan Sanniang entered. "Gu Mo, Little Sister Chudong, I am truly sorry," she began apologetically. "This time, our Buer Mountain Villa’s intelligence was mistaken, and it nearly led to significant trouble. We never anticipated Silver Fox would be so incredibly powerful; he’s simply terrifying!"

Gu Chudong, still visibly shaken, added, "Indeed, that Silver Fox is hardly human."

Yan Sanniang continued, "Our Buer Mountain Villa holds significant responsibility for this incident. We knew Silver Fox was formidable, and during our strength assessment, we tried to estimate his capabilities as highly as possible. Yet, we utterly failed to anticipate such an absurd level of power."

Ah Qi, a swordsman standing beside Yan Sanniang, suddenly inquired, "Great Hero Gu, you were present during Wang Yuanbao’s assassination. Is Silver Fox truly as formidable as the current rumors suggest?"

Gu Mo asked, "What are the current rumors?"

"They say he needs only one sword strike to kill, and no one can withstand him," Ah Qi replied. "His sword is faster than lightning, every thrust aims for the throat, and he is invincible among those below the Grandmaster level!"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly. "I didn’t actually witness him attack," he stated, "but based on the scene at the Wang family residence, his sword is at least as powerful, if not more so, than the rumors suggest. To this day, I cannot fathom how fast his sword truly is. The Tong brothers, all three were top-tier martial artists, known for their coordinated efforts that allowed them to dominate the jianghu. Yet, they were all struck down with a single sword to the throat, showing no signs of struggle or resistance. The Hidden One from Xinyi Bank, a master of lightness skills whom you both know, possesses exceptional agility, but even he had no chance to escape Silver Fox’s blade. Wang Yuanbao was guarded by over a dozen experts from the Six Doors, and all of them were slain without a chance to react — over a dozen individuals in a single courtyard. Even if they were just ordinary people, killing a dozen in an instant wouldn't be easy. So, I genuinely cannot imagine a sword like that. As for being invincible below the Grandmaster level, I cannot comment, as I have never encountered a Grandmaster and do not know what their capabilities are."

Ah Qi was a devoted swordsman, whose mastery of the blade was nearly perfected. However, he had yet to discern the path of martial arts beyond his current level. Hearing of a swordsman possessing such immense power, his heart swelled with excitement. "Can a sword truly be that fast?" he asked in astonishment.

Gu Mo remained silent; he didn't know the answer himself.

Yan Sanniang then added, "Still, this incident has brought you some intangible benefits, Gu Mo."

"What benefits?" Gu Chudong inquired.

Yan Sanniang explained, "News of Wang Yuanbao’s assassination in Yong’an County has already begun to spread and will soon reverberate throughout the entire Yunzhou martial world. Silver Fox has truly made a sensational debut, leaving the jianghu in awe. Rumors are rampant that Silver Fox effortlessly assassinated Wang Yuanbao amidst an encirclement by Zhuo Qingfeng, Xiao Xuan, the Tong brothers, the four elite 'Blade Bearers,' and numerous experts from the Six Doors, overwhelming them all and leaving blood on the scene. As you know, jianghu rumors tend to become more exaggerated with each telling. Now, the story has evolved into Silver Fox directly charging in, successfully eliminating Wang Yuanbao and many other masters, and then swaggering away, leaving the remaining experts too intimidated to intervene. And you, Gu Mo, are counted among those experts who dared not act. Now, when Silver Fox is mentioned, many people recall the four gold-medal 'Blade Bearers' who participated in the siege, and a significant number subconsciously place you alongside Old Man Bai, the Scholar, and the Hidden One."

Gu Chudong pouted. "That’s hardly a good reputation, is it?" she complained. "Being too scared to act, how humiliating to have that widely known!"

Yan Sanniang chuckled, "Oh, my dear Little Sister Chudong, while it may not sound flattering, don’t forget that your brother is now, in a way, ranked alongside Old Man Bai and the others. These individuals are all 'Great Hero'-level figures, celebrated throughout the Yunzhou martial world. How many in the jianghu yearn for such an opportunity to gain fame but cannot achieve it? From now on, who in the jianghu wouldn’t address your brother as Great Hero Gu? No one will call him Young Hero Gu anymore."

"But it still doesn’t sound good," Gu Chudong protested, "being too scared to act..."

"But that was Silver Fox!" Yan Sanniang countered. "Silver Fox has now ascended to third place on the Black List, bearing the title of 'invincible below the Grandmaster level.' Your brother, in this incident, was one of the four invited gold-medal 'Blade Bearers,' a top-tier jianghu expert who participated in the siege and not only survived but also faced Silver Fox directly. The Hidden One, the Tong brothers, and all those Six Doors masters who were killed will implicitly be considered weaker than your brother to have met their demise. Crucially, your brother also has his own accomplishments, and Shen Bai himself publicly conceded defeat to him. With a blend of truth and exaggeration, his fame will spread beyond Linjiang County, making him somewhat well-known throughout Yunzhou."

"He’s still just a foil for Silver Fox," Gu Chudong muttered stubbornly. "My brother will make a name for himself in the jianghu through his own strength, sooner or later!"

"I certainly believe that," Yan Sanniang said with a smile. "Our Great Hero Gu’s strength is undeniable. Soon, others will be trying to associate themselves with him to gain fame."

Gu Mo smiled faintly. "I suspect Buer Mountain Villa played a significant role behind the scenes for me to gain this reputation, didn’t it?"

"Just a little!" Yan Sanniang chuckled, covering her mouth. "Our Buer Mountain Villa is now entirely dependent on you, Great Hero Gu. The greater your fame, the better business will be for us."

Gu Mo chuckled softly, reminded of online marketing tactics from his previous life. It was a classic example of "celebrity bump-and-run" – where a lesser-known personality would strategically associate themselves with an A-lister. The more often such associations occurred, the more people would genuinely perceive the lesser celebrity as having higher status.

His current situation was quite similar. Since all of them were 'Blade Bearers' involved in the same incident, and the other three were renowned gold-medal 'Blade Bearers' in the jianghu, Buer Mountain Villa merely had to make a subtle move behind the scenes. Consequently, he was now perceived as a gold-medal 'Blade Bearer' of the same caliber. The rumors spread more and more widely, convincing an increasing number of people who were unaware of the full truth.

Gu Mo didn’t pursue that topic further; instead, he inquired about new assignments.

"For now, there’s no intelligence on any prominent wanted criminals," Yan Sanniang said. "They are all relatively minor cases. I’ll compile them into a booklet and give it to Little Sister Chudong tomorrow. The bounties aren’t high—a few taels, dozens of taels, and rarely over a hundred. If you’re interested, you could apprehend a few. However, please be mindful of your time. I’ve recently received some leads on two major wanted criminals, and we should have concrete information on them very soon."

"Understood."

After a brief conversation with Yan Sanniang, Gu Mo and Gu Chudong left Buer Mountain Villa and headed home.