Adopting a concentrated look, her brows tightened, and with a fierce spark of fascination in her eyes, Bai Shou moved around her residence. Different colored lights shot out from her aperture. All these gu worms ranged from rank 1-3.
She received all these gu worms from Shu Zhe.
Rank 1 Qi Wall.
Rank 2 Blueprint.
Rank 3 Space Lock.
Rank 2 Qi Lock.
Rank 3 Dark Void.
Rank 3 Hidden Space.
Rank 2 Entrance.
Bai Shou carefully examined her residence's blueprint before making slight adjustments based on the information Shu Zhe provided. Once satisfied with the placement of these seven gu worms, she released a rank 4 gu worm.
It was a pure-white, translucent cicada with empty insides.
The Empty Cube Gu.
Unlike its use, the gu worm did not disappear into a dot, creating a space invisible to the naked eye.
Bai Shou continued ahead and revealed another rank 4 gu worm. It looked like a yellow ladybug, cute and attractive.
It was the Rank 4 Formation Heart Gu.
Such a gu worm was found in every region, most commonly used to set various formations. The Spirit Rhino Sect also used this gu worm to create the protective formation around their sect.
Bai Shou began to inject her essence into the formation path gu worm.
Releasing a flashy, yellow brilliance, the Formation Heart Gu connected with the gu worms Bai Shou had set earlier.
Nodding to herself, she began to inspect her residence. Her hand would be repelled by an invisible force whenever she tried to enter, and the Formation Heart Gu appeared distressed, allowing Bai Shou to feel that someone was trying to force their way into her humble abode.
Next, she used a few investigation-type gu worms to inspect the walls and found the combined use of Dark Void and Hidden Space through Formation Heart to be an adequate defense against such invasive methods. Of course, it held no meaning against Bai Shou's investigation killer move, but this formation was a step in the right direction.
Satisfied with her tests, Bai Shou added another formation path gu worm.
The Rank 3 Primeval Plate Gu looked like a palm-sized plate used to hold fruits. The formation carvings on its surface grew dense based on the primeval stones it stored, allowing the Formation Heart Gu to maintain the formation using this storage instead of Bai Shou's essence. In fact, Bai Shou already felt her essence in the Formation Heart dissipating.
This formation was what others in Bai Shou's first world call a signing bonus—a formation based on the Empty Cube Gu Worm, creating a defensive space with only one entrance created using the Entrance Gu.
Entering her home, Bai Shou observed her surroundings before using a few gu worms.
A smile tugged on her lips.
The Empty Cube Gu Worm, being a space path gu worm, caused friction and negatively impacted the use of other gu worms. However, the same wasn't true in the formation, partially.
A formation could also be used to suppress the enemy or capture others. Its use depends on the user's needs. In Bai Shou's case, the formation created a safe house for her to use other gu worms in. Needless to say, Bai Shou wasn't entirely entrusting her security on a formation created by a wisdom path gu master. There had to be some weak points. It was her responsibility to fix those gaps.
Now, Bai Shou had to make another choice.
'I could be patient and work for Shu Zhe to accumulate contribution points and exchange them for more information for the formation path or…'
A calculative glint gleamed in her eyes.
Being passive and hoping for others' kindness wasn't Bai Shou's manner of doing things. She had contacted Shu Zhe and formed a fairly respectable connection, but advancing any further required dedicated focus and enduring duration.
Even if Bai Shou left things to luck, getting intimate with Shu Zhe did not imply more formation path rewards.
Furthermore, could Bai Shou even claim her rewards without attracting any Gu Immortal's malicious intent?
"I must go fishing," Bai Shou muttered.
<<<>>>
"I'm tired, master!" Ju Lin whined, her legs feeling like jelly as she followed Bai Shou. She squeaked, almost tripping over a raised root. Her body rocked back and forth as she flailed her arms until regaining her balance. Unlike Bai Shou, Ju Lin was covered with sweat.
"The northern lake is a considerable distance from our residence." Bai Shou observed with a smirk. "And ordinary disciples cannot avail of services like using different carrier beasts to move from one location to another."
"We have been walking for two days, Master!" Ju Lin almost cried.
"You need to work on your stamina, Lin," Bai Shou instructed without pity.
"I know that…" Ju Lin exhaled, trying to keep up with Bai Shou's pace. "But is this trip worth it, Master? Can I really be of use?"
"Yes," Bai Shou answered. "It's just a few more minutes now."
"You said that yesterday!"
Bai Shou shrugged.
The duo uneventfully arrived at the Northern Lakes. It was a region controlled by one of the Legacy Disciples, who consistently employed Wang Nan.
Ju Lin froze when she discovered Wang Nan besides one of the outer lakes. The peak stage rank 5 gu master was seemingly the opposite of Bai Shou. Where the latter appeared kind and approachable most of the time, Wang Nan was anything but that. Furthermore, his reputation was filled with violent outbursts. He was a disciple known for his stoic attitude and the cuts he left on his enemies.
"Brother Wang," Bai Shou greeted with a soft smile. "I'm grateful for your indulgence."
"It's fine," Wang Nan replied. He appeared less moody compared to his previous meeting alongside Jirou Yi. His words still carried a sharp intent, causing the frozen Ju Lin to shudder the second Wang Nan glanced at her.
"I've seen her."
"She is Ju Lin from my side of the settlement," Bai Shou introduced calmly. "You must have seen her roaming with her parents, but I've become the cause of her restraints these days."
"You teach her?" Wang Nan turned to Bai Shou, no longer intrigued by the junior.
"Sometimes," Bai Shou replied, sighing fondly as she looked over to the pale Lin. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with her. Seeing her current state makes me afraid of having kids of my own."
'Stop spouting nonsense, Master! What if he just attacks me to teach me a lesson?' Ju Lin sweated internally; her dull survival instincts suddenly sharpened drastically when Wang Nan paid her slightly more attention.
"Hmm." Wang Nan nodded after a moment. "12 hours. 3300 primeval stones for every catch."
A sword phantom covered Wang Nan. A sharp gust of wind forced Ju Lin to close her eyes. When she opened them, she observed Bai Shou looking elsewhere. Wang Nan was gone.
"That was…" Ju Lin swallowed a nervous lump.
"That was the Rank 5 Sword Leap Gu Worm."
Bai Shou exhaled and turned to her with a smile. "Now, strip."
Ju Lin paused; her expression was blank.
"Master… isn't this place too public?"
Bai Shou looked at the lake and then frowned at Ju Lin.
"Time's up."
"W-Wait, I haven't done it with anyone—"
Bai Shou grabbed Ju Lin by the back of her neck and flung her forward. Her shout echoed in the forest surrounding the outer lake, followed by a loud splash.
*Phua*
Ju Lin gasped as she struggled to swim up. Bai Shou's chuckle fell on wet, deaf ears as the girl waved her limbs helplessly.
It wasn't until Bai Shou used a rope to pull her out did Ju Lin heard what her master had to say.
"As I was saying, a gu master needs to be able to learn to survive in different mediums. You spent your lifetime on the land, but what will you do if you find yourself surrounded by adversity in water or air?"
Gasping for breath, Ju Lin accepted her fate.
"I'll… hah… close my eyes, think of my family, and die with a smile."
"Ju Lin."
The girl looked up, her annoyance melting away the second she noticed the steel in Bai Shou's glare.
"I can kill you right now if you want that."
Ju Lin froze, unable to answer with her usual coquettish wit.
"I'm sorry, Master."
She lowered her head. "I… I'll act more appropriately."
"No, your words had some truth to them. There might just be a time when we can do nothing but accept our fates with a smile. However, you haven't given your all. Isn't it too pitiful? We truly live when we fight till our last breaths."
"So…" As Bai Shou spoke, she began to strip her robes.
"M-Master?!" Ju Lin's face flushed red.
"Sigh…" Bai Shou groaned. "We're going to swim and catch fish with our bare hands. How else would you do it if not with clothes specialized for diving? Ordinary cotton, wool, and beast hides will weigh you down."
The young gu master broke out of her stupor and followed Bai Shou's example before gingerly stepping into the water.
"Alright, keep practicing while I hunt for some dragonfish."
Ju Lin nodded, focused on her skills. Taking a huge breath, Bai Shou dove into the lake. While the species was artificially formed, it multiplied through natural reproductive cycles. Now intent on replacing one of her strength path beast phantoms with the dragonfish due to its food path origins, Bai Shou needed to feed the Fickle Heart Strength Gu 100 hearts of the ordinary dragonfish.
This species had a quick growth, and the ordinary ones needed to be separated from their stronger counterparts to prevent any accidents. Wang Nan, having some authority, allowed Bai Shou to hunt to her heart's content once the latter approached the former with an excuse to study the species and collect a few specimens.
Today, however, Wang Nan's conduct allowed Bai Shou to realize that he must have had other plans, too. There was no need for Wang Nan to act so polite, or it might be Jirou Yi's presence that the peak stage rank 5 sword path gu master found distasteful.
As for Ju Lin?
Bai Shou was keen on raising the girl, if not out of kindness, then a need to understand the human species a little better.
Man was the spirit of all living beings. It was a profound statement that allowed Bai Shou to peer into the depths of the human path for the first time and realize its grand, untapped potential. So, Bai Shou recently felt the need to understand a human's growth from a more objective point of view. Ju Lin had just stepped onto her path as a gu master, becoming a perfect subject for Bai Shou's research.
It wasn't the same as cutting someone up and understanding what made them tick. Bai Shou already knew the arrangement of the dao marks with the human body, both before and after the formation of an aperture. However, some things needed to be felt and understood through observation.
Helping Ju Lin learn new things and grow was the same as Bai Shou understanding something, which should have contributed to her master-level attainment. Since Bai Shou took a shortcut to that path with barely any experience, she needed to do this. Of course, being a master allowed Bai Shou to condense the time of understanding many things that could have taken years, if not decades, to a few short weeks.
Bai Shou swam around for a bit before locating the first target.
A dragonfish emperor was a massive beast, easily surpassing tigers and horses in size. However, an ordinary dragonfish looked closer to a catfish in size. Its scales were red, and whiskers floated from its face.
'That's worth 3300 primeval stones?' Bai Shou thought, swimming towards the lazy specimen. Being nurtured in such a close environment jaded the fish's survival instincts, a trait common throughout the Ancient Sect.
Its price was extraordinary, too. Complete corpses of ordinary beasts rarely sold for more than 10 primeval stones!
Calling the cost on dragonfish's head a premium would be an understatement when one recalled that Bai Shou was allowed a 20% discount from Wang Nan!
'Food Path… if only I can restart my dream path operations.' She sighed while killing the fish. Her growth would surpass the level she attained in the Shang Clan if she managed to find a safe spot. The things an Ancient Sect could offer surpassed the Shang Clan's opportunities, and being a rank 5 gu master assured Bai Shou could realize most of the opportunities.
Fortunately, Bai Shou's need for the Dreamer Gu wasn't as immediate. All she needed right now was to find better ways to secure her surroundings.
"Master…"
Ju Lin looked bitter and miserable after taking a bite of cooked dragonfish.
"Yeah," Bai Shou furrowed, too. Essence moon hung over the duo as they sat around a crackling fire. "It's hideous."
"You told me it was going to be worth it!"
Bai Shou looked over the flames, holding Ju Lin's frustrated gaze.
"You learned how to swim and realized life is full of disappointments. Worth it."
Ju Lin's expression crumpled as she began muttering under her breath while forcing herself to eat the fish.
"Don't worry, it's not poisonous." Bai Shou added, effortlessly hearing all those exasperated murmurs.
To their surprise, however, the duo found themselves filling up quite a bit with just small portions of the fish.
'Ho? Is this the effect of the food path dao marks in the fish? It's a young specimen, far from its peak growth. So, it must have very few dao marks. Still, it can reveal such effects.'
Bai Shou observed the fish and Ju Lin.
'Food path is related to feeding others. Even if it is not delicious, the fish is very filling. But I wonder if it is nutritious enough.'
After all, food by itself was a broad subject. Fulfillment of the body and taste was a minor aspect of the content compared to the values it provided. The human body needs several different kinds of meals to sustain life without falling ill from a deficiency in one's nutrition.
'Gu worms are also similar. They can eat more than one thing when truly hungry, trying to recover. For instance, the Sustenance Gu produces a substance that can keep a gu worm from dying from starvation. The dragonfish can also be used as a supplement for the gu worm's meal, allowing a gu master to reduce the portion of the commonly used food.'
'Ignoring the food path's seemingly massive study into taste, fulfillment, and possible nutrition, seeing things from a human's perspective is interesting.'
'Ju Lin didn't like the fish, but the sudden intrigue with its small portion already filling her up distracted her from its taste. She lost her annoyance and grew amazed.'
'Isn't it similar to considering the food path affecting one's emotion, which is the domain of the wisdom path?'
Bai Shou shook her head internally.
'No. Is it related to the human path?'
The casual interaction held several underlying meanings for someone like Bai Shou.
'Several dao… are the projection of the Grand Dao. Food affects emotions, and emotions affect wisdom. But all this happens within a human at the same time.'
She resisted the urge to use her investigation killer move, Scan the Dao.
A wave of inspiration brightened her mind.
'Can a human affect food? Well, we already do that. What is cooking if not a human changing the food?'
She then chuckled to herself.
'As if I can just start something new. I'm just missing something critical. The second I see it… I'll be able to refine that Hairy Man Gu and use that experience to try expanding the line of such gu worms.'
Bai Shou frowned and then looked at the giggling Ju Lin. She appeared engrossed with pieces of cut fish.
'Experience… that's right. Dreamer Gu already had some experience when I received it. It couldn't talk, but it was spiritual enough. It was in tune with the dao to the point of knowing a few recipes! Humans are a sum of their experience, the reflection of the consequences of their choices!'
'While I had a similar idea by following Yang Pao… unfortunately, some things are just not reusable in nature. To create something, I must sacrifice another.'
Bai Shou was interested in leaving the human path materials safe. Yes, it was possible to some extent, and not every recipe needed to follow the route the blood path developed into. However, to limit oneself to this restriction was utter foolishness.
Her eyes slightly glowed at the realization.
A light of inspiration pierced through the fog of ignorance in Bai Shou's consciousness as she couldn't wait to return to her residence!
However, fate had something else in store.
Bai Shou's senses prickled as she grew alert. Her ears twitched, and she sat straight, glancing east.
"Finish your food, Ju Lin. We're leaving."
Ju Lin opened her mouth to say something, but quickly quietened down when she noticed Bai Shou's attention was focused elsewhere. Nodding, the girl finished her meal in a few bites and put out the fire without further prompts.
<<<>>>
"I'm asking if it's true!" Le Tao growled, barely able to maintain his composure as his glare threatened to drill through Shu Zhe's skull. The room was alight with intense ferocity and tension.
Pondering for a moment, Shu Zhe nodded.
"How could you?" Le Tao stepped back, color draining from his face. "Why would Nu Wu be given any benefits after what he did?"
Shu Zhe knew about the irreconcilable hatred within Le Tao for Nu Wu since the latter befriended and assaulted the former's younger brother before using his corpse for gu refinement. Nu Wu was swiftly imprisoned once the matter was made known to the public, and Le Tao thirsted for revenge ever since.
To find his wife allowing such a scum special benefits behind his back… it almost made Le Tao mad with rage!
He couldn't believe his eyes and ears.
It was merely a rumor.
Le Tao wanted to believe that Shu Zhe's enemies must have released that piece of information to harm her reputation!
But now…
"So…" Le Tao grew quiet. "Your aperture is damaged, too. That, too, is the truth."
Shu Zhe issued a soft sigh and relented. However, her soft demeanor was a careful mask to contain a poisonous killing intent, a torrent of hatred and fury she tried to divert onto everyone but her last living blood relative.
"It is the truth. I contacted Nu Wu and offered him certain benefits if he could find a solution for my troubles."
Le Tao clenched his jaw tight before turning on his heels without another word. However, Shu Zhe knew the matter did not end.
It was merely the beginning of the chaos.
Someone she knew wanted her to move down from the Sect Leader's position, and such a change did not come without its cost because the Supreme Elders wanted to build tension within the mortal aspect of the sect every now and then to raise sharper, sturdier, and stronger disciples!
Once left alone, Shu Zhe retrieved a letter and five vats of wine.
Those were filled to the brim with the top-quality 1000-year-old Spirit Valley Wine!
It was what Shu Zhe asked Fairy Shu Ye to provide. But the additional letter provided a clear and concise meaning behind the Gu Immortal's actions.
It said:
Demands come with a price.
'And is the price of my demand to be of service to the sect… exile?' Shu Zhe clenched her fist, finding it difficult to keep her emotions steady despite her experiences.
'You released the information about my injuries to incite others' ambitions!'
The wisdom path gu master frowned, feeling something amiss.
'There's something unnatural about all this. Other Supreme Elders would have stopped Grandmother from taking such drastic actions unless… they want this. However, they do not share my grandmother's hatred for me.'
'Bai Shou…' Shu Zhe's eyes glowed. 'It must be because of her. I see… so that's how it is. But that conversation with Bai Shou revealed that she isn't dim-witted and might also catch onto the Supreme Elders' intentions.'
'They want to create an implicit understanding. This movement is a form of… welcoming.'
'And I'm the sacrifice.'
Shu Zhe felt momentarily bitter. But her heart was clear on the matter, and she did not hold Bai Shou responsible for such a change. That clarity of consciousness and emotions also allowed Shu Zhe to understand another thing.
'Even if I'm forced out of the Sect Leader's position, this is a test. If I manage to complete the sect's mission… not even grandmother can rely on her position to grieve me further. Bai Shou is the key to achieving that.'
She then sighed.
'Grandmother doesn't leave things unfinished. If I'm exposed, my allies would suffer something similar. And being Bai Shou's well-wisher, my enemies are also Bai Shou's enemies. Similarly, Bai Shou's enemies will become my enemy.'
"She left for the northern lakes. Ordinarily, the Legacy Disciple in charge of the mortal dragonfish controlled the protective formation in the region. However, he was sent to the Reincarnation Battlefield for experience by his master, leaving things in the hands of other disciples in his employ."
Shu Zhe felt a headache.
"Jirou Na… would not let go of such a chance."
Countless thoughts snapped in Shu Zhe's mind, including all of Jirou Na's children and their allies. Jirou Na only accepted one child as talented and ignored others on the surface. But Shu Zhe had collected enough information to think otherwise. Why would Jirou Na leave her tribe if she faithfully accepted Northern Plains' customs?
The reality was different.
Although accepting the tradition of following the most powerful, Jirou Na was a more sophisticated element than she let on. Her shrewd nature was underplayed by her strength path accomplishments. No elder was truly a moron.
Jirou Na never neglected her children in the truest sense of the word, and they knew it.
All this allowed Shu Zhe to think of one name.
The Violent Sword—
***
Alternate Title: Rewards; A New Formation; Another Step Forward; Planning For More; Going Fishing; Formation Path; Formation Heart Gu; The Northern Lakes; Learning Ju Lin; Bai Shou's New Pet; The Righteous Master; The Violent Sword Wang Nan; Fearful Ju Lin; Bai Shou Casually Adopting Ju Lin; Awkward Sword Path Gu Master; Hidden Agenda; Dragonfish; Food Path Musing; The Filling Fish; The Connected Dao; Dao Is Everywhere; The Presence of the Grand Dao; The Depths of Food Path; Bai Shou Is Primordial Origin's Fan; Human Is The Spirit Of All Living Beings FR; Exposed; Petty Granny At It Again; Le Tao's Shock; Et Tu, Shu Zhe?; The Distant Couple; Nu Wu Cackling In The Prison; Betrayed; Jirou Na's Move?; A Vicious Northerner; Bai Shou's Instincts; The Wine Arrives, So Does The Tea; Exposed Weakness; Collected Shu Zhe; A Wisdom Path Gu Master Actually Acting In Control? Impossible; Ensuing Chaos; The Immortals' Puppets; A Welcoming Presence
***
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