Chapter Thirty-Three: Nourishing the Gu with Essence and Blood

Gu Xian asked immediately, "What are the terms?"

The woman in the red dress shook her head slightly. "I haven't thought of them yet."

She pondered for a moment and said, "How about this? We make a pact for three years. If I do not come to you to claim this condition within three years, it shall be considered void. How does that sound?"

Gu Xian did not agree right away; instead, his wariness deepened. "If you don't explain it clearly, it is difficult for me to agree."

The identity and background of the woman before him were far too mysterious; there was no telling if she was setting a trap for him. Among cultivators, all sorts of insidious methods were endless, and one had to be on guard.

Upon hearing this, the woman muttered, "What a cautious little brat."

Shaking her head, she said solemnly, "Rest assured, this condition will not involve anyone around you; it concerns only you, and it will not cause you any harm. That should satisfy you, right?"

Only then did Gu Xian nod. "Then it is a deal."

Once the agreement was settled, the woman in the red dress began her explanation.

"Chili Cave is a sacred ground in the hearts of countless gu masters in the world. A gu master's entire life of cultivation is spent on the efforts of raising insects and refining gu. However, outside of Chili Cave, there is no shortage of brilliant and talented gu masters who possess their own unique insights into raising and refining gu."

"The very first gu master in history to successfully raise a Myriapod was one such person. It is rumored that he was born in an unremarkable little village in the western part of the Southern Yujian Continent. Orphaned at a young age, he grew up relying on the charity of others before leaving home to wander the world, where he learned a few base methods of gu cultivation."

"In the Southern Yujian Continent, he raised gu using human hosts, wreaking havoc on several villages in succession. For a time, righteous cultivators everywhere called for his head, and from that point on, he vanished for nearly a hundred years."

"When he reappeared, he brought with him the first Myriapod ever seen, slaughtering an entire city. The world was struck with terror."

"However, a few years after that, the Great Perfected One from Mount Sanqing descended to open the prologue of the sixty-year crusade against demons, and this gu master perished in that catastrophe aimed at demonic cultivators."

"But the Myriapod he raised remained, and later generations of gu masters have occasionally raised them since."

The woman in the red dress cleared her throat and continued, "Because the Myriapod only possesses formidable killing power after reaching maturity, and the energy required to raise it in the early stages is too great, their numbers are actually quite low. At the very least, we haven't seen one around here for a long time."

"The larvae of the Myriapod require a constant diet of fresh meat infused with spiritual energy to grow and strengthen. This alone is enough to give many gu masters a massive headache."

"But the one currently in Tongyang City seems to have forged a new path different from his predecessors. He is actually feeding the gu with essential blood—a truly ingenious approach. If he can actually pull off this feat, he might well be another prodigy who has opened a new path for all the gu masters in the world."

After saying this, the woman's expression shifted slightly, and she hurried away.

Gu Xian heard her ethereal voice resonate in his ear: "Young Master Gu, do not forget what you promised me."

Before long, the sounds of doors opening in succession came from outside.

Gu Xian walked out to find Xia Qinghe and Yang Mao both holding their swords, their expressions extremely grave.

The woman in the black robe looked at him, her brows furrowed. "Who was that?"

She had been cultivating just moments ago when she suddenly perceived an incredibly powerful aura shrouding the entire courtyard. Under the weight of that aura, she could not even call for help.

It was only after that presence dissipated that she rushed out. She did not see the figure, but she could still sense the lingering aura in Gu Xian’s room.

The man in the green robe had no intention of hiding anything. He called the two into his room and recounted the visit from the woman in the red dress.

Xia Qinghe couldn't help but ask, "What exactly does she intend by doing this?"

Gu Xian replied with a helpless expression, "I wish I knew."

In truth, he had a faint premonition that she might have set her sights on the Wu-Wang Immortal Mirror he possessed. However, this treasure was of great importance and could not be mentioned lightly. After all, beyond the Mirror, he didn't believe there was anything else about him that would attract a ghost cultivator of such unfathomable cultivation to pay a personal visit.

Yang Mao smiled. "Hey, those seniors with profound cultivation have meticulous minds; how could we possibly guess their intentions?"

"Based on what Gu Xian said, it is very likely that the other party has no ill intent. Perhaps it might even be a great opportunity."

Gu Xian could only nod slowly. Knowing so little about the woman, he had no choice but to comfort himself this way.

Xia Qinghe and Yang Mao soon returned to their rooms. After the events of the night, they couldn't sleep, so the three spent the rest of the night in meditation.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, the three were gathered for breakfast when a robust figure, built like a black bear, burst through the door and plopped down beside Gu Xian.

The man in the green robe turned his head. "Brother Chu, any leads?"

The burly man grabbed two steamed buns from the table and shoved them into his mouth, speaking while he chewed. "Got 'em, got 'em. It's an alley in the west of the city. Though 'Peach Blossom Alley' is a name from over a decade ago—there was an incident back then, and it's been renamed 'Green Willow Street'."

At this, the man couldn't help but curse, "Dammit! I spent the entire night flipping through maps at the prefecture office and couldn't find a thing. It wasn't until I mentioned the name 'Peach Blossom Alley' that an elderly clerk there had a sudden realization and told me the specific location."

Xia Qinghe stood up. "No time to lose, let's head out."

The man let out a groan, grabbed two more buns, swallowed them whole, and the group set off in a grand procession toward Green Willow Street.

As they left the office, Chu Yang said, "Don't worry, I've already sent men to seal off the entire street. If that guy is really hiding here, I guarantee he won't be able to escape even with wings."

Xia Qinghe’s expression was cold. "It is better to be careful."

Upon arriving at Green Willow Street, they saw two rows of verdant willow trees lining the road. The street was filled with shops, but the thoroughfare, which was usually bustling with the cries of vendors, was unusually quiet today.

This place was originally a deep, narrow alley connected to several markets in the back, but a nameless fire had burned through it, causing countless casualties. Later, someone rebuilt the long street on the ruins and changed the name in the process.

The reason for the change, of course, had everything to do with the Demon-Slaying officers in black official robes who frequented the area.

The group stopped at the entrance of the street. Yang Mao took out a compass from his storage treasure. As he silently recited a spell, threads of spiritual energy were channeled into it, and the compass began to rotate slowly.

Gu Xian and the others followed the direction indicated by the compass as they walked down the street.

This compass was a magical artifact Yang Mao had exchanged for in the Demon-Slaying Division's treasury; it could detect the aura of any demon or monster.

It was thanks to this artifact that they had successfully located the brothel where the wolf demon was hiding the previous night.