Chapter 06 bag 1
This chapter is purely fictional. I need it for writing a fiction novel.
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Gu Xuanyi smiled with satisfaction as he returned to the Eastern Pavilion. Not long after, the chest containing the young man's corpse, along with neatly documented notes on several potential disciples, had already been delivered.
Gu Xuanyi immediately set up a magical array formation. Using the materials available in the pavilion's storage, he lacked nothing for its creation.
As a bluish light glowed, a protective barrier encased the chest perfectly. A tiny worm, smaller than a grain of rice, was placed on the neck of the lifeless body.
Afterward, he turned and left. The Gu Yin and Yang—one of the high-level Gu insects. By placing Gu Yang on a pile of corpses, the Gu Yin would be born. Allowing them to meet would result in rapid reproduction, as their reproductive system was incredibly fast.
Using the Origin Gu, Gu Xuanyi could create high-level Gu insects as easily as breathing. With sufficient spiritual awareness, he could even identify the types of Gu insects used by others effortlessly.
A night passed swiftly, and five days in the game Immortal Legacy had gone by—while in the real world, only five hours had elapsed.
Gu Xuanyi had acquired the names of fifteen promising outer disciples, yet it was still insufficient for him. He needed more information about them.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, followed by the soft, calm voice of Gu Yuhan, "Young master, the carriage is ready."
Gu Xuanyi opened the door gracefully. His attire was stunning: elegant black robes with exquisite burgundy embroidery, perfectly complementing his presence.
As he exited the Eastern Pavilion with Gu Yuhan, they noticed Guo Binchang kneeling near the carriage.
"You're here. Get in and provide the details," Gu Xuanyi commanded as he stepped into the carriage, his expression indifferent and devoid of emotion.
"Yes, young master." Guo Binchang quickly entered the carriage.
As the carriage began to move, Guo Binchang explained his findings.
"Young master, Elder Gu Qianyi is no ordinary person. After investigating further, I discovered her real name is Ye Qianyi. She is one of the descendants of the Ye clan. However, the Ye clan was annihilated during a border war against demonic forces. The clan was completely wiped out, and with great reluctance, the previous Ninth Elder took her in and raised her as his own. Though he now resides in the outer courtyard, he cared for Ye Qianyi like his own child," Guo Binchang explained, handing over some written notes.
Gu Xuanyi's eyes widened as he read that the person who raised Gu Qianyi was once a genius of the Gu clan, renowned in the previous generation as the Greatest Alchemist of Gushan Province—Gu Zhangyu.
"However, the former Ninth Elder is in dire straits. His legs are paralyzed, and he is blind. Instead of living dependently on his adopted daughter, he became the chief caretaker of the clan's medicinal fields," Guo Binchang continued in astonishment.
Kim Joon-ho quickly pieced together the situation, recognizing it as a product of the political intrigues within the clan. It was clearly an effort to distance anyone who might become a pawn of Gu Aotian in his bid for clan leadership.
If this was meant to weaken Gu Aotian's power base, Kim Joon-ho understood who the culprit was—those aiming for the clan leader's position.
Gu Xuanyi waved his hand, signaling Guo Binchang to stop talking. "So, did you recruit people to follow and protect us, or are they following you?" His voice was heavy, his sharp gaze silencing Guo Binchang.
"Them? Subordinates? Clearly, I don't have any of those," thought Guo Binchang to himself. "Then who is the young master referring to?" he continued, perplexed.
"Judging by your foolish expression, I'd say they're following us. Yuhan, can you handle them?" Gu Xuanyi said, turning to the other side of the carriage where Gu Yuhan was seated.
Gu Yuhan nodded confidently, a triumphant smile on his face. "Stupid woman, watch this. You're even troubling the young master. I'm the only protector of the young master, foolish girl," he growled inwardly.
"I need them alive, no matter what," Gu Xuanyi commanded firmly, his voice hoarse yet dominating.
Without hesitation, Gu Yuhan stepped out of the carriage and immediately attacked two figures dressed entirely in black. Their heads were covered with black cloth, leaving only their eyes visible.
In one swift motion, Gu Yuhan slashed their legs as effortlessly as cutting through tofu. Smooth and easy. He delivered dozens of strikes in a single breath.
The two figures were powerless to retaliate. Gu Yuhan's movements were beyond their reaction speed. As they leapt and hovered above the ground, there was no way to evade the successive strikes of his blade, which landed over ten times in a moment.
Without delay, he dragged the two figures back near the carriage. Bowing respectfully, he reported, "Young master, I've brought them."
Gu Xuanyi observed the unique insects on their bodies. The Gu Clan had more than one branch of cultivation, with the most popular being the Poison Manipulators, Puppet Masters, Alchemists, Illusion Strengtheners, Seduction Arts Practitioners, and Body Enhancers.
Noticing the type of Gu insects cultivated by the two figures—beetle-like creatures with a glossy black color—Gu Xuanyi deduced they were from the Illusion Strengthening branch.
"So, they're so weak that they couldn't resist a single strike?" Gu Xuanyi asked to confirm.
Gu Yuhan grinned sheepishly. "Hehehe, you're absolutely sharp, young master," he replied while scratching the back of his head.
"Now, bind their souls. I'll take their Gu insects." Qi enveloped Gu Xuanyi's left palm, and in no time, the two beetle-like insects were resting in his hand.
"Yes, young master!" Gu Yuhan promptly used his True Qi to probe into the memories of the two figures.
"Young master, this is bad! Someone is targeting Elder Gu Qianyi of the Outer Courtyard," Gu Yuhan reported after scanning their memories. His face grew tense with worry. If anything undesirable happened, this could very well be a trap aimed at Gu Xuanyi as the young master.
"I already sent that foolish woman back to Guangzhou," Gu Xuanyi said, unbothered. "So, who's behind this?" he pressed with determination.
"Forgive me, young master. I couldn't identify them, but I've memorized their face. Please punish me, young master!" Gu Yuhan confessed regretfully.
"Calm yourself, Yuhan. I'll deal with you later. For now, it's best we head to Guangzhou immediately."
Gu Xuanyi's head stiffened as if scalded by boiling water, sending sharp pain through him. Reflexively, he clutched his head tightly, suppressing the groans threatening to escape. Fragments of Gu Xuanyi's memories flooded his mind.
"What is this? Are these older memories? Memories buried deeply by this character?" Kim Joon-ho wondered, slightly confused. If so, then Gu Qianyi would regain her full memories, and Aunt Park would figure it out on her own.
Kim Joon-ho had been playing for so long that he knew the Gu clan's intrigue was not easily unraveled. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his chaotic mind and spoke, "Gu Yuhan, how much money can I spend right now?"
"Considering you have been unconscious for over two months, you can spend up to five thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones," Gu Yuhan replied calmly.
If he recalled correctly, checking the archives at Elder Rong's place, that amount equaled the daily expenses of the Gu clan's Outer Courtyard. Spending such a sum was as effortless for Gu Xuanyi as plucking a leaf.
"The notes I gave you—can you recruit them within a few days?" Gu Xuanyi asked calmly, trying to estimate his expenditures.
"I've already done that, young master. After tracking and investigating their backgrounds, I found many similarities, young master," Gu Yuhan responded enthusiastically.
"They are all so desperate, young master," Gu Yuhan continued, pulling out his evaluation reports.
"Proceed as planned," Gu Xuanyi instructed with a slight smirk. His delight surged, as if everything was falling into place. With extensive experience playing role-playing games, how could he fail to grasp the nuances?
Living in a harsher real world full of intrigue, Kim Joon-ho always acted cautiously. If his plan to recruit fifteen Outer Courtyard disciples succeeded, he could form a special force under his command.
This would allow him to address the missing pieces scattered across various places. "Don't get complacent yet, Kim Joon-ho. Let's finish this initial stage of the game and earn a fortune afterward!" he cheered inwardly.
Suddenly, his demeanor changed. Grimacing in pain, his head felt as though pierced by countless needles, and his ears buzzed incessantly. His vision blurred, and as he stumbled, he clutched his head tightly.
Noticing his young master's condition, Gu Yuhan quickly asked with a worried expression, "Young master, what's happening? Where does it hurt? Young master?"
His consciousness faded further. His surroundings became harder to perceive, and his chest felt constricted.
His body burned as if aflame, sweat pouring from him. He collapsed, utterly limp.
"Young master! Young master!" Gu Yuhan called out frantically, pulling aside the front curtain. "Stop the carriage! Set up a tent—the young master is ill!"
The young coachman nodded swiftly. "Understood!"
Kim Joon-ho had never felt this way before. His body felt as though it was burning from within. Each breath was laborious, and he couldn't move freely.
Seeing blurry silhouettes of people around him, he felt utterly powerless, his mind in disarray.
"Origin Gu?" Kim Joon-ho thought in confusion. The only plausible reason for his current condition was that. Previously, Gu Xuanyi had specialized in using the Gu Sutra. Now, with that change, the results and effects on the body were drastically different.
With his previous martial arts techniques, he could manage this, but he needed several spiritual plants carefully dissolved. Gu Xuanyi mumbled weakly, his lips trembling as he whispered, "Yuhan."
The faint voice elicited no response. Gu Xuanyi grew increasingly anxious. Without those dissolved spiritual plants, the side effects were too severe. But he didn't have much time.
With trembling hands, he pulled out a red sprout, green fibrous root, and black petals, shoving them into his mouth.
A bitter and sour taste filled his mouth. As the spiritual plants slid down his throat, an itchy sensation spread like searing heat throughout his body.
Gradually, the heat was subdued by the three herbal components. Though lying weakly, he attempted to cultivate, resuming his comprehension of his cultivation technique.
The first stage of forming and refining his bones had been completed. Now, he needed to progress to the next stage: merging his blood with Qi circulation.
As if seeing through transparent light, he could observe the flow of his Qi and Demonic Qi clashing within him. Their collision generated the fiery energy coursing through his body, driving the Origin Gu to an abnormal state as it began absorbing both types of Qi directly.
Recalling the cultivation technique, he adjusted and redirected the Qi flow within him. The fiery energy burning in his chest came from the destructive and blazing Demonic Qi.
With Gu Xuanyi's memories, accumulating and controlling Qi was no issue for Kim Joon-ho. The real question was whether he could endure using the Origin Gu and the techniques he inherited from this character—or NPC—like Gu Xuanyi.
He did his best to stabilize his blood flow, ensuring it remained untainted.
Gu Yuhan returned after gathering some herbs from a nearby village, while the coachman arrived with food.
Gu Xuanyi's condition was dire—blood seeped from his nose and ears. Approaching him, Gu Yuhan felt as though his chest was crushed, his breath caught, and his face turned grave. Unable to stand, he collapsed, his body unresponsive.
A pained cry echoed outside the tent, and Gu Yuhan recognized it as the coachman's voice.
Processing the strange occurrences more sluggishly than usual, Gu Yuhan lifted his head to examine his young master's body. Finally, he pinpointed the main issue—it was the Origin Gu.
If the Origin Gu reacted to both Demonic Qi and True Qi, that was their problem.
The Origin Gu was an insect that had eluded successful cultivation for generations. Only one person had managed to harness its full potential: the Eighth Ancestor of the Gu clan—Gu Feiyun.
The oppressive air around them suffocated Gu Yuhan, taking control of his body. Struggling to stay conscious, he crawled across the ground, inching toward his young master with all his heart.
Yet his consciousness dimmed further, forcing him to claw desperately at the earth.
Unlike Gu Yuhan's worsening condition, Gu Xuanyi grew stronger. His True Qi successfully merged with the Demonic Qi within him. His blood depended entirely on his Qi flow.
As he continued to regulate his Qi movement, Gu Xuanyi felt his entire body calming. The searing pain subsided entirely, and the fiery energy obstructed in his central Dantian now coordinated perfectly.
Zhen Qi circulated around Gu Xuanyi's frail body. As if in deep meditative cultivation, spiritual energy surged skyward. A blood-red aura pierced the heavens, breaking the silence.
His feeble body floated, emanating a dark red glow and a dominating black aura. The skies darkened, clouds gathered, and lightning cracked as thunder roared.