Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 24: “Twin-soul Gu, Do You Know?”【Third Update】

 

　　A wind stirred through the forest, rustling the leaves. Pei Ji released a Scent-Seeking Insect, a moth-like creature that could follow a specific scent. 

　　The insect flew swiftly forward, and Pei Ji followed silently, his footsteps making no sound. 

　　He had only been practicing his divine skill for a few days, and his internal energy was still insufficient, but it was already showing results. 

　　The reason a divine skill was worthy of the name was its speed. Ordinary people would take years to achieve extraordinary martial arts, but he could significantly shorten that time, ten or even a hundred times faster. 

　　Now, Pei Ji was practicing again, and his skills were even more refined than before. He could avoid all the pitfalls he had encountered in his previous life. 

　　Without any unforeseen circumstances, he would be able to reach the same level as his past self in just half a year. 

　　His forward stride suddenly halted, and Pei Ji abruptly raised his gaze, looking ahead. 

　　The sky was already tinged with the first light of dawn. Not far ahead, in the forest, a figure clad in black stood beneath a tree, staring back at him. 

　　Pei Ji stopped, his voice echoing through the trees, “Wu Sheng?” 

　　Wu Sheng, after waking up, was filled with rage, feeling deeply humiliated. He was already narrow-minded and wouldn't let go of the girl who had deceived him. He had relentlessly pursued her, following her tracks until he reached this point. 

　　The two of them met on this path. 

　　Wu Sheng's anger burned away his reason. He didn't know who the masked man blocking his way was, but anyone who stood in his path must die!

　　“Are you trying to block my path?” 

　　“No, I’m here to take your life.” 

　　Wu Sheng sneered, without a second thought, his fingers twirled, and a small, palm-sized bamboo flute appeared in his hand. His face was grim, his eyes dark and sinister as he stared at the masked man in white, bringing the flute to his lips. 

　　Although his lips moved as if blowing, the short flute emitted no sound. 

　　A strange, rustling sound echoed subtly through the forest, like silkworms eating mulberry leaves, or countless tiny insects crawling and scratching at everything around them. The sound was dense, like a rain of insects, making one's scalp tingle. 

　　However, neither of the two men standing face-to-face paid any attention to this. 

　　The man in white remained motionless, his gaze calm and steady, as if he hadn't heard the rustling sounds from all directions. 

　　It was an attitude of utter disdain. 

　　Wu Sheng's brow furrowed deeper, his fingers rapidly pressing the holes on the flute, playing a melody that was imperceptible to ordinary ears. 

　　The rustling intensified, like a tide surging towards the man in white! 

　　If anyone were watching from nearby, they would have seen a vast swarm of insects suddenly appear in the forest. Insects of all kinds emerged from the ground, as if controlled by something, rushing towards the man in white. 

　　Because of their sheer number, the insects formed a massive black torrent, like a huge dark net, spreading across the sky and covering the man in the center. 

　　From beginning to end, the man simply stood there calmly, a faint smile playing on his lips. 

　　His only action was to draw a pure white folding fan from his sleeve. The thirty-six ribs of the fan were made of precious ivory, the entire fan snow-white, except for a single character written in thick black ink on the surface: ‘DOCTOR’(医-yī). 

　　Just as the black net approached within a meter of him, the surging insects suddenly stopped. 

　　As if fearing something, they halted at that distance, unwilling to approach any closer! 

　　Wu Sheng's gaze turned cold, instantly understanding that he had encountered a formidable opponent. He changed his movements, the tune becoming sharper. 

　　The insects began to stir, both fearing the man before them and yet urged onward by the melody behind them, causing them to hesitate. 

　　Finally, some insects obeyed the ‘command’ and crawled forward.

　　As soon as the insects crossed the one-meter line, they suddenly lost all ability to move. The giant net advanced less than three inches before coming to a complete halt! 

　　Upon closer inspection, it was evident that all the insects that had crossed the one-meter boundary were dead! 

　　In the blink of an eye, they were completely wiped out. 

　　Countless insects crawled forward, but they all met their demise, unable to reach even a corner of the white-clad man's clothing, dying midway. 

　　Layers upon layers of black insects surged forward, piling up their bodies into small mounds. 

　　“Who are you?” Wu Sheng finally regained some semblance of reason from his fury, realizing that this person was not someone he could handle. 

　　In a confrontation between experts, the disparity could often be perceived at a glance. 

　　Wu Sheng was skilled in the art of poison and knew instantly that the man in white was also a master of poison, and far more adept than he was. While he relied on manipulating insects and poisons, the man before him employed methods unlike anything Wu Sheng had seen; he was likely a pure poison master. 

　　It wasn’t that the insect masters were inferior to poison masters; rather, he could not discern the type of poison the other was using. 

　　Earlier, he had released the Gu insects he had cultivated, only for them to be poisoned and die immediately among the corpses of insects! 

　　Fortunately, they weren't his life-bound Gu; otherwise, Wu Sheng would have faced devastating losses. 

　　What do Gu masters compete in?

　　Of course, it's poison! 

　　This person's poison was more potent than his own. Even without using Gu, he wasn't a match for him. 

　　Understanding this, Wu Sheng’s resolve faltered; he was not one to recklessly seek glory, and he was known for his cautious nature. When dealing with the Huashan Sect, he would only dare to hide in the shadows like a rat, avoiding direct confrontation. 

　　“I have no enmity with you; I am the one who has overstepped. I am willing to withdraw, and I hope you will not hold it against me,” Wu Sheng said, showing humility. 

　　From behind the silver mask came a warm voice. The man in white gently grazed the fan's surface with his fingertips and smiled, “It’s not without enmity.” 

　　Wu Sheng furrowed his brow, puzzled about when he had made such a formidable enemy. He couldn't help but question, “I don’t know you; when did I offend you?” 

　　The man in white pronounced each word carefully: “You touched my belongings.”

　　He took a slow, deliberate step forward. His pace wasn't fast, and the surrounding insects didn't retreat, yet with each step he took, the insects parted like the Red Sea, creating a path for him. Even though these were Wu Sheng's insects, from an outsider's perspective, they seemed to obey the man in white as their master. 

　　Alarm bells rang in Wu Sheng's heart. He truly didn't recognize this powerful figure, nor did he understand how he had offended him. 

　　But seeing the other party's aggressive advance, he couldn't just run away, so he narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth to summon his life-bound Gu. 

　　Wu Sheng's life-bound Gu had recently undergone refinement, and its poison was already extremely potent. After encountering the girl with the Jade Pure Body, he had further increased its toxicity, making it exceptionally dangerous. 

　　As soon as the tiny insect appeared and landed on the ground, it rapidly crawled towards the man in white. 

　　The Gu insect's speed was far faster than the previous black insect torrent, almost like a flash of lightning. In an instant, the centipede-like insect reached the man in white, striking viciously at his neck. 

　　Once this Gu insect burrowed into its victim's body, it would instantly render them unable to live or die. 

　　On the girl, Wu Sheng had only used the Gu poison without letting the insect itself take root. 

　　If the Gu insect had actually taken root, she wouldn't have survived the night, dying from the unbearable pain caused by countless wounds. 

　　Even the smallest, most insignificant wound would inflict agonizing pain. 

　　This Gu was Wu Sheng's pride and joy, cultivated over several years. 

　　It was the reason for his past successes. 

　　Most importantly, this Gu was immune to all poisons; no poison could kill it. 

　　Wu Sheng's lips curled into a sinister smile, anticipating the sight of this person kneeling and begging for mercy. But the next second, his eyes widened in shock. 

　　The man in white was still standing perfectly still. He lowered his eyes, his long, dark eyelashes slightly lowered, his gaze fixed on something in his hand.

　　Between his long, slender, white fingers, the black Gu insect was held like a thin thread, gently pinched between two fingertips, struggling and writhing. 

　　He examined the Gu insect with amusement, then gently squeezed his fingers, crushing it as easily as if it were an ant. 

　　“Impossible!” Wu Sheng blurted out uncontrollably, simultaneously spitting out a mouthful of blood and collapsing weakly to the ground. 

　　That was his life-bound Gu, carefully nurtured for over ten years, fed with his own heart's blood. With the Gu's death, a tremendous backlash struck him, causing him to kneel on the ground, swaying precariously. 

　　How could someone touch the Gu insect without being parasitized? 

　　Wu Sheng couldn't believe what he had just witnessed; for a moment, he felt the world collapsing around him. 

　　The man in white continued to walk forward, a faint smile playing on his lips. That gentle smile, in Wu Sheng's eyes, sent a chill down his spine, as if he had fallen into an icy pit. 

　　Wu Sheng didn't flee; he knew he couldn't escape. 

　　He wasn't skilled in martial arts, not even remotely so. His master and senior brothers had repeatedly advised him, but he refused to listen, believing that there were other paths to success besides martial arts. 

　　Later, he proved himself, becoming a terrifying Gu master, completely abandoning martial arts to focus solely on his studies of Gu insects. 

　　Was this his death day? 

　　The man in white reached him, looking down with a gentle smile, and asked, “The girl you took away last night—which hand did you use to touch her?” 

　　A flash of understanding crossed Wu Sheng's face. So, it was because of this. 

　　Only now did he understand the reason for his demise. 

　　Wu Sheng chuckled bitterly, not answering the question, but instead asking earnestly, “Why aren't you affected by the Gu insect?” 

　　The man in white's smile faltered slightly. His long eyelashes fluttered gently, as if he hadn't heard the question, and he continued as if to himself, “Let's just assume you used your right hand.”

　　He raised his hand and flicked his finger lightly towards Wu Sheng's right arm. In the next instant, Wu Sheng felt a searing pain shoot through his right arm, as if his entire limb was being roasted over a fire. After a moment, he completely lost all feeling in his arm! 

　　His arm was rendered useless in the blink of an eye. 

　　Wu Sheng's face turned pale, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. He clutched his numb right arm, sensing that this was yet another poison he had never encountered before. 

　　He stared intently at the man in white: “Who are you? Even in death, let me die knowing.”

　　Only then did the man in white finally cast a glance at him, his gaze indifferent, as if he were looking not at a person, but at an inanimate object. 

　　Yet, a gentle smile played on his lips as he calmly said, “You don’t deserve to know who I am.” 

　　On the brink of death, Wu Sheng didn't hesitate to threaten, “Are you going to completely exterminate me? I learned from the elders of the Miao tribe in Nanjiang. If they learn of my death, my master will surely avenge me.” 

　　Upon uttering these words, Wu Sheng immediately sensed a change in the man in white's gaze. It seemed that only now was he truly seen by this person. 

　　“Nanjiang... I have a question for you. If you can answer it, I will let you go,” the man in white said, his lips curling into a sudden smile after observing him for a moment. 

　　Wu Sheng was overjoyed. “Ask.” 

　　“Twin-soul Gu. Do you know of it?” 

　　“You're looking for the Twin-soul Gu? You... could you be Pei Zhou's son?” Wu Sheng's eyes widened in disbelief. 

　　As soon as the words left his mouth, a sudden chill swept over him. 

　　Wu Sheng felt an icy coldness in the man's gaze, as if he were looking at a corpse. 

　　Wu Sheng wasn't stupid; he immediately understood that he had revealed the truth. 

　　Since the man was wearing a mask, he clearly didn't want to reveal his identity. Now that he had been recognized, Wu Sheng knew his chances of survival were slim. 

　　His mind racing, Wu Sheng quickly spoke, “I know the whereabouts of the Twin-soul Gu! I can help you find it! Eighteen years ago, your father came to me, asking me to find the Twin-soul Gu, and I did!” 

　　The man in white's eyes were dark and his voice cold, “You say Pei Zhou found the Twin-soul Gu?” 

　　“That's right. He sought the Twin-soul Gu to save your mother. The poison was originally meant for your mother. But she was pregnant at the time, and the fetus was also poisoned. The poison ultimately couldn't be completely eradicated.” 

　　The man in white stood motionless in the forest, a mountain wind rising, causing the branches to sway wildly.

　　His snow-white clothing fluttered in the wind, his face hidden behind the mask, his expression unreadable. 

　　Wu Sheng's heartstrings were taut. After a long moment, the tense atmosphere subtly relaxed, and he heard a gentle male voice softly speak beside him, “Good. Go find the Twin-soul Gu. This is a Yin-Yang Pill; it will activate once a month, causing unbearable pain. I will give you an antidote every month. If you betray me, you will die from the poison.” 

　　A jade-white finger held a red pill, offering it to Wu Sheng. 

　　Wu Sheng looked up at the man in white, seeing two dark, deep eyes behind the mask, as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool. 

　　“If you find the Twin-soul Gu, I will give you the true antidote and set you free,” the man in white said slowly and deliberately. 

　　Wu Sheng knew he had no choice; refusal meant certain death. He swallowed his saliva, took the pill, and swallowed it. 

　　Having done this, the man in white was about to leave, but he stopped, as if remembering something. 

　　He turned slightly, stating concisely, “The antidote for your life-bound Gu.” 

　　Wu Sheng immediately understood. “You want to cure the girl? My life-bound Gu has no antidote. To cure her, the Gu insect must bite her again, sucking out the poison from her body.” 

　　The man in white was silent for a moment before saying, “Don't leave these few days. I will summon you to cure her.” 

　　“...Yes.” 

　　Wu Sheng felt bitter. His meticulously planned scheme had crumbled before it even began. 

　　And he had encountered such a terrifying young man. If he remembered correctly, Pei Zhou's son was only eighteen years old. At such a young age, he possessed unparalleled skill in poison, far surpassing Wu Sheng, a renowned Gu master.

　　The younger generation surpasses the older; his skills were simply inferior. 

　　He wondered, however, if the renowned Medical King Pei Zhou knew that his son had strayed onto the wrong path. 

　　Medical King Pei Zhou was known for his compassionate heart. Yet, his own son had learned such ruthless poison techniques. If this were to get out, no one would believe it, would they?

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Author's Note:

The three chapters for the VIP release are complete! They total over 10,000 words! ~

The plot won't be too complicated; the main focus is still on the romance! ~

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