Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 21: “If I Don’t Get Hurt Badly Enough, How Can I Make Him Feel Sorry For Me, Make Him Feel Guilty?”

　　“Love gu…” Wu Sheng muttered the words under his breath, his gaze suddenly turning distant.

　　He remained silent for a long while, as if lost in memories. His expression shifted unpredictably — at times deeply gloomy, at times wistful, and sometimes filled with inexplicable hatred. His face transformed like a stage actor performing rapid mask changes.

　　An Jiu didn’t dare make a sound. One look at this guy and she could tell his mind wasn’t right — most likely a complete lunatic.

　　And then she remembered what he’d done in the book: he had hidden his name for over twenty years just to study gu techniques. When he returned, the very first thing he did was exterminate his former sect. The reason? Simply because his old master and senior brothers had once looked down on him for being unserious. This guy’s brain clearly had serious problems.

　　Wu Sheng snapped out of his daze quickly. His first words were: “I can give you a love gu.”

　　An Jiu’s heart tightened. She knew things wouldn’t be that simple.

　　Sure enough, in the next moment Wu Sheng continued, “But I want you to become my gu vessel. You’ll test gu for me. Once I’ve refined my life-bound gu, I’ll let you go and give you the love gu as payment.”

　　Could she say no? She had no choice at all.

　　After thinking it over, An Jiu slowly nodded. “Okay.”

　　Seeing how readily she agreed, Wu Sheng gave her a surprised glance, but soon looked away again.

　　Despite An Jiu being a stunning beauty, Wu Sheng showed no reaction — not even a hint of pity or appreciation. He hadn’t so much as given her a proper look since the beginning.

　　This was a man with terrifying willpower. If she wanted him to lower his guard, she’d have to take it slow and subtle.

　　Wu Sheng returned to his seat by the fire. His voice drifted over from afar: “I’ve already given you a layer of gu poison. From now on, you’ll have to report every sensation clearly to me.”

　　An Jiu obediently replied, “Okay.”

　　After a pause, she added, “I’ve noticed my senses have become heightened. Even a light brush against my fingers causes pain, and the pain lingers for a long time.”

　　Wu Sheng got up and walked over again, a trace of disbelief in his eyes.

　　“So fast?”

　　He squatted in front of An Jiu, looking her up and down as if preparing to run a test.

　　The girl, dressed in red, leaned softly against the stone wall, both arms braced behind her on the ground. Her legs were tucked beneath the folds of her dress. His gaze roamed briefly before finally landing on her delicate, palm-sized, lovely face.

　　Under An Jiu’s slightly fearful gaze, the man slowly reached out toward her cheek, his cold fingers brushing her earlobe.

　　Then, he pinched it — hard. A sharp pain pierced through her.

　　An Jiu’s brows furrowed at once, her entire face crumpling from the sudden pain. Tears welled up rapidly in her eyes, glistening like morning dew clinging to blades of grass, trembling and ready to fall.

　　But Wu Sheng was unmoved. He stared at the vivid red imprint blooming on her earlobe, his pitch-black eyes glinting faintly with delight.

　　“A rare Jade-Pure Body.”

　　This kind of physique was uncommon. Its main characteristics were heightened sensitivity, faster absorption, and sharper reactions. However, because it behaved mostly like a normal body under usual conditions, it was extremely difficult to detect.

　　In the martial world, those with a Jade-Pure Body were often used to refine or test poisons and medicines. Where it might take a regular person one or two hours to react to a substance, a Jade-Pure individual would exhibit immediate symptoms, providing precise feedback to the poison master or alchemist.

　　This kind of body was essentially a naturally perfect experimental vessel. Ordinary people had internal impurities that hindered absorption, but the Jade-Pure Body had none — pure and receptive like flawless jade. Hence the name.

　　An Jiu didn’t understand what he meant, but she could tell from Wu Sheng’s tone that her body was something special — and that he was very pleased.

　　This realization weighed heavily on her heart, an ominous feeling creeping in.

　　And as expected, that feeling quickly became reality.

　　Apparently satisfied with her response, Wu Sheng began further experiments on her.

　　He sat cross-legged on the ground, face-to-face with An Jiu, and took out a copper cauldron about the size of a human head, setting it down between them.

　　There was a lid on the cauldron. Wu Sheng lifted it, revealing a small insect inside — something like a centipede, covered entirely in black scales. It was small, with countless pairs of fine pincers.

　　Wu Sheng gently scooped it up in his hands and brought it over to An Jiu. “Let it bite you.”

　　An Jiu paused for a moment, then obediently extended her left hand.

　　The insect bit the back of her hand.

　　It felt like a mosquito bite — not painful at all.

　　“How does it feel?” Wu Sheng stared at her intently.

　　An Jiu closed her eyes. This time, she was awake and could clearly feel a surge of heat flowing through her body. Wherever the heat passed, her already sensitive perception was heightened even further.

　　“My senses… seem to have become even sharper…” The weakness in her limbs had eased a little. That feeling probably wasn’t caused by the bug — but what the bug brought was something far more terrifying than simple weakness.

　　Wu Sheng nodded knowingly and reached out again, his hand heading straight for her flushed earlobe.

　　An Jiu lowered her eyes, lashes trembling rapidly — clearly afraid.

　　The corners of her eyes were still red, damp traces lingering — remnants of the tears she’d shed when he pinched her earlier. Clearly, she was an extremely sensitive Jade-Pure Body, and now also poisoned by his life-bound Gu. Subjected to such intense torment, she hadn’t made a sound — quiet and obedient.

　　A very promising test subject. Docile.

　　Even with Wu Sheng’s detached nature, his heart softened a little in that moment.

　　But not enough to spare her. He still reached out without hesitation and pinched her earlobe again with the same force.

　　“Mm…” The girl let out a muffled whimper, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. Two clear drops trailed down her pale cheeks and dripped from her pointed chin.

　　Her lashes fluttered as she looked up at Wu Sheng through the mist of tears in her eyes. Her once-vibrant red lips had gone pale from the pain. She was clearly enduring it, but the sob in her throat escaped despite herself. “It h-hurts more… than last time…”

　　Wu Sheng unconsciously lowered his voice, as if speaking louder would shatter the tear-filled gaze before him. “How much more?”

　　An Jiu bit her lip, lowering her thick lashes as she choked out softly, “About… five times more.”

　　Hearing this, Wu Sheng frowned slightly. Then he gave her a nod and said, “Alright, rest well.”

　　With that, he left An Jiu where she was, taking the copper cauldron back to the fire.

　　Then he began tossing things into the cauldron. The lighting was dim, so An Jiu couldn’t see clearly, but it looked like herbs, squirming bugs, and even small animals. He busied himself with the concoction for most of the night.

　　An Jiu kept her eyes closed as if asleep, but she was quietly observing him the whole time.

　　As a Gu master, Wu Sheng clearly didn’t have much martial skill. An Jiu had been watching him for hours, and he hadn’t noticed at all — completely absorbed in his brewing, like a mad scientist from a movie.

　　She waited, and waited, at least two or three hours passed before Wu Sheng finally finished his “research.”

　　He once again carried the cauldron over to her side, eyes glowing with fanatic excitement. “One more test. This time, the toxin should be even stronger.”

　　An Jiu pretended to be startled awake, looking at him with dazed fear.

　　Catching the clear fear in her eyes, Wu Sheng was silent for a moment before speaking: “Once I fulfill my long-cherished wish, I’ll detoxify you… and let you go home.”

　　An Jiu sneered inwardly — heh, who knew if his words were just to placate her? She never placed her hopes in others, never lived by anyone else’s mercy.

　　Though she thought this in her heart, her face remained docile and obedient. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly extended her right hand.

　　Wu Sheng once again cradled the small insect and brought it close to the back of her hand.

　　At the moment their fingers touched, An Jiu’s fingertips twitched — and she suddenly grabbed his hand.

　　Wu Sheng froze, not reacting for a moment. He instinctively looked up at the delicate girl before him.

　　The first thought that flashed through his mind was that she was just too frightened, so she held his hand for comfort.

　　But in the next instant, a sharp pain pierced his fingertip, as if something had stabbed him. A numbing sensation spread from his finger, rapidly flooding his entire body.

　　Wu Sheng: “You—”

　　He didn’t get to finish. In truth, he too possessed the Jade-Pure Body. After all these years wandering the world, he often tested Gu poisons on himself.

　　By all logic, a seasoned Gu Master like Wu Sheng shouldn’t have been felled by a mere snake’s venom. But first, he’d been completely off guard — and second, with his Jade-Pure Body’s exceptional absorption, the snake venom surged through his system in an instant. He didn’t even have time to save himself.

　　As he blacked out, Wu Sheng never would’ve imagined being brought down by an ordinary girl.

　　A dignified Gu Master… defeated by a snake.

　　Utter humiliation!

　　An Jiu had no way of knowing Wu Sheng’s thoughts. Seeing the man collapse in front of her, she scrambled up from the ground. She’d been pretending the entire time — all to make him drop his guard.

　　Now that he was unconscious, still cradling the Gu insect in his hands, An Jiu gave him a hard kick to shove him away, soothed the little snake curled around her wrist, and bolted out of the cave.

　　The snake’s venom would only paralyze him for half an hour — just one hour max. She had to run while she still had the time!

　　Pei Ji’s medical skills were top-notch. He should be able to cure the Gu poison in her body… right?

　　Trying to find comfort in her thoughts, An Jiu gritted her teeth and dove into the pitch-dark forest.

　　Though the night was still heavy, it was nearing dawn — the woods were just faintly illuminated, enough to distinguish tree shadows and avoid crashing into trunks.

　　An Jiu stumbled through the thick underbrush, branches scratching against her body, thorns tearing her clothes, scraping her skin and sending sharp waves of pain through her — the kind that was amplified a hundredfold by the Gu toxin.

　　“This sensory-enhancing poison is seriously bullshit…”

　　“Pei Ji, I hate you! Stupid damn system, come out and talk to me!”

　　The system, quiet until now, finally responded:【How may I assist the host?】

　　Still walking, An Jiu snapped, “Why the hell didn’t you warn me Wu Sheng saw me earlier?”

　　【All strategy actions are taken at the host’s own discretion. The system is prohibited from interfering.】

　　An Jiu: “Heh.”

　　After a pause — perhaps out of pity — the system added helpfully:【The host will not encounter danger. Pei Ji planted Liuxiang on your body.】

　　Liuxiang — a special tracking method once used in Jiufang City to hunt down a flower thief. A secret creation of Pei Ji. It was a scent undetectable to humans, but a special breed of insect he raised could track it. Once planted on a person, no matter where they fled, the insect would find them.

　　An Jiu wasn’t surprised at all. “I figured as much. Would’ve been weird if he didn’t leave a backup plan.”

　　【The host may blow the whistle. Pei Ji will locate you shortly.】

　　"Not yet," An Jiu muttered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. It wasn’t from heat — it was cold sweat born from pain.

　　The sweat had soaked through her clothes, making them cling uncomfortably to her skin. Her arms, cheeks, and neck — any place exposed — had been scratched raw by branches, stinging like fire.

　　At this moment, her entire body was aching.

　　The pain wrapped around her like a dense net, leaving no room to breathe, no corner untouched.

　　Gasping for air, she gritted her teeth and growled, “If I’m not hurt enough, how else am I gonna make him feel heartache? Guilt?”

　　“System, today I’ll teach you something. Once a man feels guilty for a woman — he’s not far from falling.”

　　Estimating the time, she finally collapsed beside a tree when she saw the faint pale light beginning to creep across the horizon. Exhausted, she leaned back, raised the bamboo whistle hanging at her chest to her lips, and blew hard.

　　A long, clear sound pierced through the forest, echoing far and wide — until it reached a certain someone's ears.

　　A man wearing a silver mask suddenly looked up, his head snapping toward the direction of the whistle.

________________

Author’s Note:

You guys thought this Gu poison only enhanced pain? Nah… just a brush, a touch is unbearable. Apply a little pressure, and the whole body starts trembling…

Author’s brain full of trash: [Tiny face turning yellow.jpg]

…..

T/N: Do you know what I like about this novel? An Jiu is certainly beautiful, and several people are initially infatuated with her. However, they back away after seeing her personality. I appreciate its realism. I'm tired of Mary Sue female leads; that plot is cliché. To be fair, I did enjoy it in my chuunibyou phase years ago. Haha.

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