Carefully checking the last of the Gu she bought from the Exchange Hall, Bai Shou quietly sat on her mattress. The silence blanketing her residence's interior was deafening, not even a trace of moonlight slipping through, leaving her world dark and cold. Contrasting her surroundings, anticipation bubbled in her chest.
'I finally secured my residence,' she mused. Bai Shou had put things off until now, solely relying on the most basic security functions provided by the Sect itself. Meanwhile, her peers—the other Outer Disciples—often secured their homes using other Gu Worms and formations bought from the Exchange Hall to avoid their rivals and opponents' prying eyes.
Others might feel hopeless if they were the center of attention to a Gu Immortal or a group of Gu Immortals because of the difference in the ranks. However, even Gu Immortals were limited by the Gu Worms they possessed and the knowledge they acquired.
Bai Shou was fairly careful with her approach. Now that she had offered something of value for the Gu Immortals to invest into, assuming that they had been keeping a careful eye on her, she believed it was time to build a secure nest for herself.
The Gu Formation she exchanged for was a basic one. She was not very experienced in setting formations; all she had was Imaginative Strength's memories regarding the matter, who was a lone Gu Immortal. His knowledge of setting protective formations was similarly basic because he didn't feel the need to dabble in it after becoming an immortal, focusing entirely on trying to achieve his ambition of connecting the past with the present.
The first line of defense was obviously not enough but represented Bai Shou's attitude. The Immortals had maintained a remarkable distance from her since she was brought into the Sect. Not being a fool about it, Bai Shou realized that if the Sect hadn't already tried to get what she had then it was probably because they didn't know about her true wealth or didn't care about it and wanted something else from Bai Shou.
It could be something as simple and sincere as wanting to align Bai Shou's interest with the Sect and having her contribute more with her inventions.
It could also be a situation similar to fattening a pig before the slaughter.
Though… the latter sounded strange and useless because there had been no fattening until now.
If it was the former, Bai Shou was forced to wonder if it was just the Human Path achievements she'd managed to accomplish that intrigued the Sect.
Was Human Path truly THAT rare?
'It could be,' Bai Shou narrowed her eyes. 'I was under the assumption that whatever is rare for a Lone Gu Immortal like Imaginative Strength might not be the same for one of the Ten Ancient Sects. It's reasonable to assume that these forces would have some research on the matter. After all, just the traces of benefits I realized were already outstanding!'
Bai Shou exhaled softly and stopped thinking about the issue. After all, pondering over the Human Path was more intriguing.
'Before that…'
Bai Shou used a Rank 2 Gu before retrieving something from her Storage Gu.
It was a small jar barely enough to fill seven cups.
The Thousand-Year Spirit Valley Wine.
Overjoyed about their family enduring the calamity named Jirou Na, Di Qing was the most pleased during the banquet. She'd held Bai Shou in high honor, but that was mostly to inform all her guests—who had a decent chunk of Elders—that Bai Shou was in her faction. In exchange, Bai Shou got a small portion of the top-quality wine. Needless to say, offending Jirou Na and her resulting faction would have a consequence, but Bai Shou believed any mortal trouble paled compared to the loss of an Immortal Gu.
Bai Shou would have let the Immortal Gu starve to death or tried using it with the Dreamer Gu if her circumstances had led to a conflict with an Immortal. After many tribulations, Bai Shou cared more about her life than an Immortal Gu. And tackling an Immortal was not a calculated risk but another suicide attempt.
Calming her heart and mind, Bai Shou pulled away the jar's seal and an ethereal scent spread into her residence. The odor was a pleasant mix of wet dirt and damp bamboo. But Bai Shou's eyelids shot up in surprise once she experienced a floating sensation from her gut after the odor passed, leaving a sensationally visible 'scent.'
Bai Shou couldn't smell anything but watched a thin stream of mist ooze from the jar. With a life of its own, the mist steadily spread, covering Bai Shou.
*Chirp*
*Rustle*
Bai Shou's vision changed. Gone was the darkness around Bai Shou, replaced by a lush valley filled with tender shoots and flowers, the carpet of chirping birds flying overhead in beautiful formations. The sky was bright and Bai Shou was still cross-legged, sitting beside a narrow stream flowing with a glittering liquid that built a bank of mist on its sides.
'So, this is one of the ways a Wine can get you drunk.'
Bai Shou was still clear-headed. She had used a relevant Gu to prevent herself from feeling tipsy and accidentally using the Divine Travel Immortal Gu.
Closing her eyes, Bai Shou decided to preserve a small portion of the wine for emergency before bringing the jar filled with the same glittering liquid to her lips.
It was liquid amber.
The sense of relief her body experienced by drinking the beverage… couldn't be explained by words. For an enduring moment, all her worries, fears, doubts… and the sadness she believed to have buried deep in the abyss she called a heart fizzled into nothingness. Her boasts of being able to move on with her life melted, leaving but a fragment of peaceful acceptance.
The doubt gnawing away at her heart and soul… the confusion of not understanding what exactly it was that she felt after losing the several lovers he'd grown close to after her first…
It was all swept away by the stream of wine passing through her throat.
Bai Shou felt like she was floating by the end of it.
A recollection of memories filled her mind until she began to 'descend.'
The world around her returned to the dark.
This was a top-quality wine!
It was the same kind of wine the mythical Verdant Great Sun drank all his life until perishing under the Immemorial Light of Glory.
Bai Shou's eyes were still closed as understanding gripped her heart.
Is this how Verdant Great Sun felt?
Was this the reason he could spread his wings?
For this moment—a rare second—Bai Shou was at peace.
She felt the Divine Travel's hunger satiate momentarily but it was far from enough. It wanted… it needed more.
'So, it can be freeing.'
She couldn't help but allow a smile to grace her lips.
In the Legends, Verdant Sun asked Wisdom Gu worm's assistance to woo Desolate Moon. Eventually, the former had to drink four top-quality wines and felt that love was sweet, bitter, and strong. In the end, the mythical being comprehended more about wine than love.
Love…
'I've never really felt it,' Bai Shou's thoughts were consumed by that moment of peace. 'Did they all feel something similar? Was I ever such a peaceful and freeing force in their lives?'
If it was just freedom and peace, Bai Shou DID experience something of the kind when he was with Gu Yue Mo Yan. They were happy together, and if they had managed to escape Qing Mao Mountain, they would have lived happier lives. Being with Mo Yan might have prevented Bai Shou from encountering Chen Jiu altogether.
And others?
Bai Lin, Shang Xin Ci, Shen Cui, Hu Mei Er, Xiao Die, Chen Jiu…
Bai Ning Bing…
Bai Shou would have managed to act the same way with the rest of them. She was that capable. It was acting, after all.
But when she thought about it… an overwhelming sense of self-loathing clenched her heart for the umpteenth time.
An act…
That was all there was to Bai Shou's love; she would have never cared about it. These 'issues' would not be reemerging like surging tidal waves had Bai Ning Bing gone without a single word or a moment of sincere affection.
As such, Bai Shou recalled another dark-skinned figure of pretty gold, realizing another aspect she constantly suppressed until now.
'So, it is also a sacrifice.'
Freedom and Sacrifice… such contradiction bundled into an extremely mystical aspect of humanity Bai Shou could never hope to comprehend.
Love…
Her eyes were warm when she opened them, but instead of thinking about wiping the remnants of her confusion from her eyes, Bai Shou's pupils suddenly shrank when she witnessed something—
<<<>>>
Shu Zhe toyed with a jar of the top-quality wine—having experienced its taste before and no longer feeling the urge to go through it again. Though her body was rigid, the same could not be considered truth for her mind, soul, and feelings. Being a Wisdom Path Gu Master, Shu Zhe wished for her thoughts, will, and emotions to remain unhindered and free-moving despite maintaining self-control. Yet, several top-quality wines, and teas for that matter, constantly instilled the body with mystical effects that gave life to said thoughts, will, and emotions.
As one grows—a mortal or a Gu Master—they create an identity based on their surroundings and needs. Most Gu Masters will remain callous until the end of their lives, rarely sharing warmth even with those they were meant to due to the world's treacherous nature and several similar tales and legends cautioning them about the stretch of traitorous filth around everyone.
It wasn't rare for a mother to suddenly sacrifice their child and walk the demonic way.
Similarly, it wasn't unique for a demon to suddenly find love as they would reconcile with their partners and leave a blessed legend in their wake.
Such wines, especially the Thousand-Year Spirit Valley Wine, were known to impact the most tender spots in one's mind and heart—the areas that several individuals often hid under a bed of hard, unfeeling, and cruel memories.
'Why did Bai Shou need such a wine? Another material for a Gu perhaps?'
Shu Zhe stopped her musings. She wasn't inherently interested in these beverages and the small jar in her hand came from her husband, who was incredibly 'close' to Di Qing.
'She's thoroughly offended Elder Jirou Na, and Le Tao also doesn't have a good impression about Bai Shou, so he would turn a blind eye to Elder Jirou's actions once she tries exacting her revenge. But just the two Elders aren't enough.'
Among the 30 Elders were three other Rank 5 Gu Masters in the same position, in addition to Le Tao, Jirou Na, and Di Qing.
'Also, would Bai Shou still have the same condition for Yang Pao now that she obtained the wine?'
Shu Zhe wanted Bai Shou to focus on the injuries she endured as quickly as possible but not with the thought process of consequences be damned. The entire purpose of getting rid of her injuries was to grow and become something more. Being in the realm of the living would be the first requirement.
'Let's set a meeting between Elder Ya and Bai Shou…'
Her gaze twinkled.
'Also, I've already deduced the Gu Worm she would want to refine using those Space Path materials. If that's the case… I can lure her using a Killer Move.'
Even now, Shu Zhe did not think about giving Bai Shou what she wanted to maintain a level of need the former could use as a leverage. The materials related to the Preservation Gu Worm were still largely unavailable.
<<<>>>
"Soul Orchid Bloom Gu?" Bai Shou blinked, appearing rightfully clueless. She had little depth in the Soul Path and was unaware of its technicalities. While she had used Chen Jiu's Heavenly Specter as a ruse to give 'Bai Shou' a reason to travel to the Central Continent, seeking an Ancient Sect… she was also sincere in her need to heal the former doctor from the Southern Border. Unfortunately, her inexperience with the Soul Path required Bai Shou to seek more support.
Soul Path Gu Masters were generally more bloodthirsty, indicating how troublesome it would have been to seek their assistance.
Before Bai Shou sat a wrinkled old man, Elder Ya. He was one of the Rank 5 Elders, the leader of the Refinement Hall, supervising the faction responsible for refining and researching the recipes held by the Ancient Sect. It was already known that recipes from the Immemorial Era would be considered useless in the current era due to the eventual shift of the materials. So, there was a need for constant revision and refreshment of recipes lest others be doomed to seek nigh-extinct materials.
So, Bai Shou understood that Elder Ya's Gu Set and profession revolved not around combat but modification of recipes. It did not imply he had no combat potential but a relatively low one. Unlike Qin Juan, who was subpar in modification but surprisingly decent in combat, Elder Ya was the 'scholarly' kind.
"Hmm," Elder Ya stroked his white beard. "Ever since Sect Leader Shu entrusted me with the responsibility of upholding the Sect's end of the bargain, I've been consulting with a few peers and concluded that Soul Orchid Bloom Gu has the highest chance of recovering your mentor's consciousness. The issue with the Heavenly Specter you host is that her mind—the home of her thoughts and memories—was entirely destroyed."
"The Soul Orchid Bloom Gu is a rare Rank 4 consumable Gu that can breathe life into mindless ghosts—it can create the home for one's thoughts and consciousness. I predict using this Gu on the Heavenly Specter would not recover her memories, but it should be the starting point."
"Once she has a consciousness, we must consult Sect Leader Shu about recovering the memories."
'So, there isn't just a single Gu to do all of it,' Bai Shou pondered. 'Elder Ya is a Refinement Path Gu Master so there is a chance that a Soul Path expert may have a better idea. Also, a possibility exists that a Killer Move using the Soul Orchid Bloom Gu can help Chen Jiu recuperate. But that's not currently an option for me.'
"I understand," Bai Shou nodded calmly. "And when will you procure this Soul Orchid Bloom Gu?"
Elder Ya felt slightly troubled due to her placid demeanor.
Bearing the responsibility for assisting Bai Shou came with the lucrative rewards of studying more of the materials Bai Shou already shared with the Sect Leader. There was also a rumor that the Outer Disciple before him could refine several Rank 5 Gu at once!
So, Elder Ya thirsted to know more.
But that also came with a few costs. Since he wanted the materials for himself, he'd cut a deal with Shu Zhe to prevent others from adopting similar tasks so that he could be the sole recipient of further research materials shared by Bai Shou.
It would put Elder Ya's neutral faction ahead of the few other conflicting factions seeking more power. He worked under the Sect Leader's ambitions and boasted little hunger for authority unless it assisted him in getting more resources for his research. Several individuals like Elder Ya huddled together, requiring materials and desiring to be left alone.
As such, the responsibility of procuring or refining the Soul Orchid Bloom fell on Elder Ya's shoulders, not the Sect.
"This matter needs more time, Disciple Bai," Elder Ya smiled sincerely. Shu Zhe had set the meeting to allow the duo to familiarize themselves with each other, to which Elder Ya was grateful. "Though, I believe your assistance can further our pace in procuring the Soul Orchid Bloom Gu materials."
"Perhaps," Bai Shou nodded with a smile. "I would do anything to heal my mentor."
Elder Ya's gaze brightened.
"You are a filial disciple, Bai Shou," he spoke emotionally. "Rest assured, I would not be the reason for our Sect to be considered deceitful. The cost of procuring materials would still largely remain on our shoulders. However…"
His voice went soft and his expression turned dignified.
"I believe your methods can also assist us in healing your mentor. It's just a hunch, of course."
Appearing guarded, Bai Shou grew quiet before she shook her head.
"I see, but I have already shared whatever I researched about that subject."
A moment of silence brewed between the duo until Elder Ya nodded and sighed.
"I understand. For now, I would like to take some time and research the recipes I have regarding Soul Orchid Bloom to see what materials I can modify to reduce the cost."
Excused, Bai Shou left the living room.
'He's the greedy sort,' Bai Shou observed. 'It's not strange for others to distrust the fact I wholly shared all my recipes and understanding of the Human Path and they would be correct. However, being a Refinement Path Gu Master did not dampen his intelligence regarding resources. He will probably try getting more of my research by hanging Chen Jiu's revival over my head…'
She shrugged. Chen Jiu's current condition wasn't bothering her and she would instead seek a way to remove the Oath's effects before healing her 'mentor.'
Before she left, Bai Shou came across Yang Pao who had joined the Refinement Hall. Though an Outer Disciple, he already had a decent status due to his refinement proficiency instead of his Gu Rank. Greeting the man, Bai Shou left the Refinement Hall from the Legacy Disciple's region and returned to her residence.
'So, others cannot see her.'
Bai Shou restrained an urge to exhale as she glanced at a strange phenomenon.
Following Bai Shou exactly nine steps behind was an ethereal specter much like Chen Jiu's form—who also couldn't visualize what Bai Shou was seeing since she drank the Top-Quality Wine.
Once a graceful being, with a slightly longer nose that did little to dampen the attraction her curves and smile demanded, the specter's stare threatened to drill a hole into the back of Bai Shou's head… or ass with how she'd been staring down there. Her previous beauty was smeared by several chunks of flesh torn away, leaving gruesome bites littering her barely clothed form.
Gu Yue Mo Yan…
Just as Bai Shou believed to have taken a step in the right direction by barely elongating Divine Travel's survival… life throws shit ten times worse than what she wanted to endure.
***
Alternate Title: Wine Obtained; The Ethereal Wine; Bai Shou: I Learn From Verdant Sun's Mistakes *Drunk Verdant Sun Eventually Welcoming Drunk Lo Jik*; The Illusive Valley; A Drunk's Dream; Aspects of Love; Careful, Bai Shou/Lo Jik Is Begining To Understand; Lo Jik Without Understanding Love: Fucboi; Bai Shou After Understanding Love: Giant Sun's True Successor; Verdant Sun: What is Love? *Wisdom Gu: Dunno. Here, Get Addicted To Alcohol*; Bai Shou: What Is Love? *Bai Ning Bing: Dunno, Here, Enjoy Some PTST Lol*; Bai Shou: Starts To Experience Emotions *Ghost Gu Yue Mo Yan: I'm About To End Her Whole Ca…* *Sees Ass* *Imma End Her Whole Cake!*; In Another Timeline—Lo Jik Already Understand Himself Completely And Waifus FY For Benefits; A Wine That Unveils; Soul Orchid Bloom; Elder Ya; Refinement Hall; A Special Vision; Bai Shou: Mo Yan And I Could Have Lived Together *Sees Ghost Mo Yan: God Dammit! I Raised The Flag Again!*
***
THE MEME
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