"Two elders?"
Visible gasps rang in the blue-gold hall, several pairs of eyes instantly searching for the truth in the sect leader's stony expression. The rank 5 Rock Heart Gu may have allowed Shu Zhe to master her facial features and control her unruly emotions, but it did not inhibit anything, especially the frustration from one individual daring to stand in her court and challenging the sect's authority.
The figure standing in the center of the court, his back straight and countenance proud, was a being no worse than the thirty elders seated around him. He was a middle stage rank 5 gu master, a king amongst men. However, he, too, appeared humble before Shu Zhe, carefully hiding his indifference.
Indifference was a trait shared by several members of the Wind Cloud Manor. Sharing the eastern region of the continent, the members of Spirit Affinity House were in constant contact with the disciples of Wind Cloud Manor despite their competition.
"Did you know, Sect Leader Shu?" Jirou Na questioned, her eyes sparkling with elation.
Shu Zhe didn't reply. She felt Le Tao's hopeful gaze, already aware of his distaste for Bai Shou, especially after the latter entered Elder Di Qing's faction. Meanwhile, Elder Di Qing hid her discomfort, realizing how much the sect's higher-ups underplayed the severity of Bai Shou's crimes and conflicts against Wind Cloud Manor.
"There must be an explanation for it," Elder Ya spoke in Bai Shou's defense. He was taken to her skills and the materials she offered to the sect. It was as exciting as it was enlightening; her view of the Dao opened a new door of perspective for the old Elder. How could he not want more? He stood to gain several more such research papers and philosophies so long as he squirmed past Bai Shou's patience.
"Should you feel excited, Elder Jirou?" Di Qing sneered. "I met Elder Jiu Loong Long. He was an experienced Gu Master and a gentle soul, but his nature did not diminish his skills. And you tried to fight Bai Shou, did you not?"
Jirou Na snorted coldly.
The so-called Wisdom Carriage Master was their competitor. However, the sect elders were not wary of his demise.
"But who is this Jiu Loong Jin?" Le Tao frowned. "It sounds like you are making excuses, Elder Hum Dum."
While Le Tao had no love lost for Bai Shou, he had been an elder for more than a decade and had to present a united front. His words instantly cautioned the elders of the opposing factions to maintain their cool.
The 'Wind Scythe' Hum Dum answered calmly.
"Jiu Loong Jin was Elder Jiu's younger brother, one of the sect's legacy disciples, and a recently appointed elder."
Several expressions changed at once.
Legacy Disciples were often more important in the sect compared to the elders and even the sect leader. They had the hand of a Supreme Elder above their heads, their future bright and position in the sect profound.
Even Shu Zhe narrowed her eyes at the revelation, briefly caught off guard.
"What evidence do you have?" Di Qing demanded.
Hum Dum revealed an information path gu, replaying the events of Jiu Loong Jin's ambush with an information path battlefield killer move. There was no voice in the recording, a convenient omission—observed several elders and Shu Zhe. However, they all saw the White Form Immortal Snake Gu blindsiding the bald gu master, devouring half of his body as he barely avoided the killing blow.
The recording ended with Bai Shou walking out of the destroyed battlefield killer move, several gazes momentarily attracted to the blood path's Blood River Python. It was injured and on the verge of destruction. She then watched Jiu Loong Jin breathe his last gasp before destroying his body with several expendable rank 2 gu worms.
"Is this proof enough?" Hum Dum questioned.
A wave of silence flooded the hall as several elders conversed with their gazes before Jirou Na cleared her throat.
"I admit Bai Shou proved her worth with such a combat potential. But criminals must face justice, and it is our duty as one of the Ten Ancient Sects to be the faces of this impartial duty."
"Elder Jirou is right," another elder chimed.
"Hmm. We should at least give Bai Shou a chance to prove her innocence." Though such words had no sincerity.
Shu Zhe pondered for a moment before nodding. She already had several plans to counter this issue, but doing so without Bai Shou's presence would be counterproductive.
Liberating Bai Shou of her crimes without an appropriate price would embolden a person of his nature. Instead, Shu Zhe needed to chain the wanderer to their Spirit Affinity House.
"Bring Bai Shou."
Shu Zhe punctuated her order with a steady tone.
<<<>>>
"I killed that man."
Unfortunately, there were too many methods in the Gu World to ascertain someone's killer and the fact the Wind Cloud Manor arrived with such damning evidence forced Bai Shou to reconsider her position and affirmations.
She had other immediate concerns, too.
'The White Form Immortal Snake is exposed. However, I don't have it in my first aperture, and the second aperture is hidden. I must not use the gu worms, including Jiu Loong Long's wisdom path gu set, in others' presence unless necessary.'
Her expression was dull and unreadable. Thoughts shot off in her head, fist-shaped orange brave thoughts collided with each other, forming more complete thoughts as Bai Shou pressed on her advantages as a wisdom path master to carefully suppress and destroy thoughts related to her secrets.
Just as she was recorded without her knowledge, Bai Shou couldn't be certain she wasn't under a Gu Immortal's deliberate inspection now.
"Good." Hum Dum's eyes brightened. "You admit your wrongdoings, demon—"
"Demon?" Bai Shou chuckled coldly. "Me? I killed that man because he ambushed me. What else did you expect, moron?"
Hum Dum stiffened before he turned and looked at Shu Zhe. He bowed slightly and cupped his fist.
"This demon has a glib tongue and shows no remorse, Sect Leader Shu. She also used an accursed blood path gu. We must not underestimate the thickness of her skin and deal with her at once without letting her lies confuse our justice!"
"You're the one with a glib tongue." Bai Shou sauntered into the center of the hall, an amused smile on her features. "I've only been a model outer disciple since my arrival, Sect Leader Shu."
"The past does not change," Hum Dum's cold words bit through Bai Shou's façade.
"It shapes the future," Bai Shou replied, straightening her back. "And the future I hope to build is peaceful and loving."
Even if the elders did not believe her words, they trusted the reputation borne from her actions. Bai Shou's recent movements were not unknown to others, and her charitable acts attracted plenty of attention.
"What of Elder Jiu Loong Long?" Hum Dum sneered. "Did he also ambush you?"
Bai Shou furrowed her brows and tilted her head.
"Who?"
"Elder Jiu Loong Jin's brother!" Hum Dum snorted. "You may know him as Wisdom Carriage Master."
"Oh." Bai Shou blinked. "I don't know him. I see. This Jiu Loong Jin must have confused me with his brother's murderer and ambushed me. Sigh. What a pity. If only he had the composure to hold back and talk things out. Perhaps your Wind Cloud Manor would have retained such a talented elder."
She continued shamelessly, accusing Hum Dum.
"You and your sect murdered Jiu Loong Jin!" She pointed at Hum Dum's nose, the latter's expression frosty. "If only you taught compassion in your sect, like how the kind Sect Leader Shu inspires in all of us!"
Everyone observed a crack in Hum Dum's usual indifference. Like every other Ancient Sect, the Wind Cloud Manor also required utmost loyalty from its members. It was one subject where indifference was intolerable.
"How dare you!" Wind Scythe growled.
"No!" Bai Shou suddenly thundered. "How dare you!"
"How dare you twist kind Jiu Loong Jin's sacrifice to avenge his brother's death for your sick greed?!"
"How dare you accuse Spirit Affinity House?!"
"How dare you insolently frame me for something I'm not?!"
Other elders grew tense, their shoulders tight with anticipation for any sudden attack as they all sensed Hum Dum's murderous intent.
Even Shu Zhe waited for a moment to strike when she felt something and sent her thoughts within a communication gu within her mind, receiving a message.
—Let things play out. —
"Nothing to say?" Bai Shou shouted, her voice echoing in the ornate hall. "Speak, ingrate! What excuses do you have to sully Wind Cloud Manor's name? What madness took you over?"
Hum Dum narrowed his eyes, his body language no worse than a poisonous beast ready to strike.
Everyone had limits, and after discovering Hum Dum's, Bai Shou kept pushing them as much as she could!
While the elders looked at Shu Zhe, hoping for her to intervene or judge the situation, the latter maintained an unflustered composure.
"Nothing," Bai Shou sighed. "You have nothing to say."
"I do," Hum Dum spoke suddenly. "You only stand alive due to Sect Leader Shu Zhe's presence."
Bai Shou blinked.
"Exactly!" She smiled. "But for what reason do you stand alive even after these malicious accusations?"
It was Hum Dum's turn to frown—
"None."
Bai Shou answered her rhetoric, a sudden burst of steam escaping her pores as Hum Dum's instincts screamed the instant he lost sight of the Chained Wanderer within the steam, her disappearance leaving a gaping pit in the human-shaped burst of heated fog.
Rank 4 Wind Sphere.
Green wind swallowed Hum Dum in a sphere, barely managing to stall a fist before it tore through the immediate defense and struck the Wind Cloud Manor's elder.
"Hmph."
A cold snort rang beside Bai Shou, her fist causing the lifelike Hum Dum to disappear in smoky wisps.
"A demon through and through!"
Bai Shou turned on her heels, locating the source of the contemptuous insult.
She flexed her shoulders.
"A deceiving liar through and through."
"Enough!"
"How dare you, Bai Shou?! Apologize!"
"No need to fight!"
"We won't stay silent at this madness."
Several elders stood from their seats, their gu worms armed and activated in a threatening demonstration as Bai Shou and Hum Dum maintained their stances despite further action.
"This is unacceptable, Sect Leader Shu," Hum Dum began, his voice gravely and eyes still squared on the dangerous beast before him.
Shu Zhe felt a slight headache. This had the schemes of Gu Immortals written all over it. Her superior would not have established contact if not for suspecting Wind Cloud Manor's supreme elders behind this spectacle.
"What did you expect, Elder Hum?" Shu Zhe spoke calmly, her voice tinted with a certain blandness out of instinct. "How would you react if someone accused you of such crimes? Since outer disciple Bai Shou claims she did not know Elder Jiu Loong Long, and you didn't provide any evidence for the former's death…"
Hum Dum's expression grew ugly at the words left implied.
Suddenly exhaling, Hum Dum recovered his composure as if his earlier agitation was a mirage.
"I bring evidence related to Elder Jiu's killer."
Hum Dum revealed another information path gu. This time it was a recording with a voice.
It was Jiu Loong Jin's recording.
A confession!
The recording clearly stated everything Jiu Loong Jin planned to kill Bai Shou, from contacting Yang Pao to several other backup methods that never came to pass because the Chained Wanderer decisively chose against entering the Blood Pot Sect as per her earlier agreement and ventured into the Elusive Wind Sect's treasury for personal benefits.
"We are supposed to believe that?" Even Jirou Na sneered, a hint of disappointment in her heart. So be it if there was ironclad proof against Bai Shou.
But this?
Did Wind Cloud Manor's Sect Leader lose his touch at scheming? What was all this supposed to accomplish?
"What do you have to say to this?" Hum Dum ignored Jirou Na. "Did you not appear injured near that village? Did you not befriend the other little demon named Yin-Yin?"
Bai Shou repressed a soft sigh in her heart.
Yin-Yin… That innocent soul had nothing to do with them, but he was now branded a demon after his sudden demise.
'I should have been more ruthless. If only I could see the future and predict Yin-Yin would fall into the enemy hands…'
Bai Shou knew she wouldn't hesitate to kill Yin-Yin herself. After all, the youth could prove to be the key that unraveled the mystery named Bai Shou and reveal the locked chest called Lo Jik.
The only silver lining was Bai Shou's appearance in the eastern region, as opposed to the southern region, or it would have been much too easy to connect her with the events in the Southern Borders.
Encouraged by Bai Shou's silence, Hum Dum continued.
"You killed several prisoners in the Spirit Rhino Sect to form a killer move," he began. "You placed several innocent mortals in danger by being in their vicinity and even indirectly murdered Spirit Rhino's Sect Leader's son! Have some shame and confess your sins, demon!"
"This is a waste of my time," Bai Shou exhaled and shook her head. "No. This is a waste of everybody's time. Just apologize to everyone of us, Elder Hum Dum. No need for groveling and kowtowing."
"I have strict orders, Senior Shu." Hum Dum's words lacked respect; his address to Shu Zhe was now reduced from 'Sect Leader' to 'Senior.'
"There will be decisive actions against Spirit Affinity House if you do not compensate us for such a humiliation!"
"Pfft!"
Jirou Na broke into a chuckle.
"Actions against us? Can Wind Cloud Manor afford going against us?" she questioned meaningfully.
The corner of Hum Dum's eyes twitched. The higher-ups knew a few things, making Bai Shou curious.
"No Ancient Sect has ever maintained superiority above the other since the beginning," Shu Zhe's words cut through the thickening tension. "Our current advantages do not ensure an invincible future. I believe it is beneficial for both sides to keep Bai Shou's matter different from the rest."
Other elders frowned, disapproving of Shu Zhe's decision on the matter. Superiority was meant to be leveraged!
"Sect Leader Shu is wise." Hum Dum cupped his fist.
"I'm glad you see things my way, Elder Hum." The corner of Shu Zhe's lips twitched slightly, tilting up by a fraction. "If you want Bai Shou, she is right before you. However, your ability to capture her is another matter."
Hum Dum scoffed internally.
"I hope junior Bai Shou lives a pleasant life within the sect. Our Wind Cloud Manor cannot make promises about her health outside the blessed land, Sect Leader Shu. She killed two of our own."
"One," Bai Shou corrected with a smirk.
One of the Elders soon escorted Hum Dum out. The revelation of Bai Shou being involved with the disappearance of two elders from similar Ancient Sects left the remaining elders within the room with a tale of caution and a need to reevaluate the individual brought into their fold by a Supreme Elder.
<<<>>>
Leveraging the sudden interest of the Wind Cloud Manor Sect in her to postpone her obligation to offer the unnamed gu recipe, Bai Shou began yet another project after discovering a surprising addition to the Exchange Halls related to outer disciples.
Chant Gu.
Bai Shou observed the rare rank 4 information path gu worm.
It was a costly gu worm and recreational for most—a failed attempt at revolutionizing the art of killer moves.
Using this expendable gu worm left an information path dao mark on the targeted gu worm. Ideally, a gu master would require several chant gu for the relevant ranks. A keyword could invoke each marked gu worm's use. For instance, Bai Shou would need several Rank 4 and Rank 5 chant gu to form a simple phrase for the killer move, last arrow, using the information path gu, allowing her to use it with the string of words, say: -
Final Strike: Last Arrow.
But this method had too many issues.
First, the gu master would activate the use of the targeted gu worm whenever he spoke the keyword. Second, the materials to refine the chant gu were too rare. And third, there was no rank 5 chant gu worm, reducing the possibility of creating verbal killer moves a distant dream. The creator of this series also realized the folly of such a gu worm and did not invest more time in refining the rank 5 advancement of the gu worm.
Undeterred by its disadvantages, Bai Shou was quite enticed by the possibilities of a gu worm like the chant gu.
'Sigh.'
She flopped into a chair.
'The difficulty of inventing a gu worm despite understanding its dao mark arrangement surpassed my initial estimation.'
Modifying necessary gu worms paled compared to such a task.
She had wanted to refine the hairy man equivalent of the dreamer gu for months now. Sure, she wouldn't want to expose such a gu worm in the sect, but she wasn't even capable enough of synthesizing the recipe despite moving in the right direction all this time.
Then Bai Shou also had another discovery related to the creation of a gu worm capable of protecting… no, masking her mind and thoughts. As one would expect, her progress in that regard was also nothing short of a snail's pace when compared to her swiftness in modifying the completed recipes.
It wasn't that she was incapable of achieving the required goals. Bai Shou merely underestimated the required time.
So, Bai Shou did not look down on the creator of the chant gu worm for not wanting to research the recipe for its rank 5 variant. In her books, that gu master was smarter than 70% of the population!
'Hairy Man Gu and Fake Mind Gu…' She groaned. There wasn't a shred of defeat in her being. However, Bai Shou wasn't averse to mental fatigue.
But understanding that mental fatigue did not excuse her from cultivation, and the recollection of Yin-Yin's sudden demise, alongside many others in her life, Bai Shou stuck to her guts and chose to strengthen her soul. A momentary or even decades-long lack of creativity would not crack the disciplined routine Bai Shou created for herself.
She smiled peacefully, letting go of her inhibitions.
Her head tilted down.
Bai Shou's breathing grew soft and deep. The Soul Bell Gu Worm never appeared above Bai Shou's head.
***
Alternate Title: Injustice From Both Parties; Yin-Yin's Cat Is Orphan, Let That Sink In; Hum Dum; Wind Scythe; Cheeky; A Demon; Twisted Words; Useless Revelation?; Gu Immortals Were Like: Let Him Cook; Fickle Caution; Powerless Against Gu Immortals; Catch Me If You Can; Chant Gu; Tedious Challenge; The Refinement Folly; Attack; A Cold Eye-Opener; Even Jirou Na Was Disappointed; Delivering Justice; The Jiu Brothers; Disappointing Evidence; A Waste of Time?; The Gu That Did Not Activate; Did… Bai Shou Sleep?
***
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