"Here you go," Bai Shou leaned down and rubbed a young girl's head. She was petite and cute, her short brown hair combed neatly and appeared generally well-off. Blushing a storm with a broad smile on her face, her body vibrating from sheer excitement, the girl gingerly reached out and accepted the Rank 1 Gu. It was like a bedbug, flat and wide, and a tiny round head extending from its green body.
The Rank 1 Jade Skin Gu.
"Thank you, Senior!" The girl bowed before quickly turning on her heels and showing the Gu to her family. "Look! My first Gu Worm!"
As her father smiled and eased the girl's excitement, not forgetting to add praises, the woman of the family stepped out and bowed towards Bai Shou. She was the only Outer Disciple in the family, a white token gleaming from her belt.
"I'm grateful, Senior Sister," the Rank 3 female Gu Master spoke humbly, her voice soft but dripping with joy and gratitude.
"A deal is a deal," Bai Shou chuckled, her expression kind. "Your daughter brought me a cup of rice wine and didn't forget my remuneration, a primeval stone. There's no need for formalities, Sister."
The family appeared embarrassed, while the sheltered girl looked all too proud.
"No, no," the girl's mother instantly coughed and shook her head. "We cannot be taking advantage of you, Senior Sister. You have already helped a few of us refine the necessary Gu at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, our daughter did not bring any materials for the Gu refinement. She…"
Bai Shou helped the woman up, shaking her head.
"Our world is dangerous and cruel, Sister. Although a fool's attempt, I wished to preserve your daughter's smile and innocence. Memories and experiences like these might nurture her heart and emotions to bless our surroundings with similar kindness. One day, with enough warmth and affection shared, our world will also change for the better, and we will be able to protect the innocent smiles of our future generation."
The girl's parents looked moved, and the mother even shed a few tears as she glanced at her daughter before quickly enveloping the innocent one in a tender hug.
Soon, Bai Shou bid the trio a farewell. Her smile didn't falter even after they left—while her words were big fat lies, her emotions and the drive behind her actions weren't. She was a woman following the creed of convenient kindness. As a Rank 5 Gu Master with several stacked attainments, how was the act of brightening a new Gu Master's life with a gift nothing but convenient?
Her reputation was on the rise since she had been helpful to her 'village' outside of refining Gu for them at an appropriate price.
'Though… I hope those two teach their daughter better than idly stepping inside any Rank 5 Gu Master's residence,' Bai Shou rolled her eyes. The sect's life was convenient for the Disciple's family and could also breed bad habits. And as much as Bai Shou might look forward to a world where nobody had any conflicts… she understood conflicts drove growth and were a necessary part of one's life.
'Well, that's another commission fulfilled.'
Bai Shou secured her residence and tossed Mo Yan's ghost a glance before continuing her work.
It had been three days since the specter's appearance and Bai Shou had tried many things.
First, she confirmed her mind was protected and safe from alteration. After all, she had Wisdom Carriage's Gu Set and could achieve something so elementary. And unlike a few dramatic Gu Masters, Bai Shou wasn't quick to jump the gun and believe she was going demented, that she was unconsciously feeling guilty for killing Mo Yan's Grandfather and lying to her about love.
'Hmm. Let's confirm. Yep, not guilty one bit.'
Killing Gu Yue Mo Chen granted Bai Shou enough resources to breeze through the wilds. Besides, Mo Chen would have died either way, dooming his wealth.
Second, Bai Shou tried ensuring she wasn't in some Illusion Path Killer Move or something similar. Nobody around her could perceive Mo Yan's specter, not even Chen Jiu.
Third, Bai Shou confirmed that Mo Yan's specter, although quiet, was spiritual—her eyes moved and followed Bai Shou. And creepily enough, there would be a slight smile whenever the Qing Mao Mountain's survivor bent over for anything.
Fourth, Bai Shou refused to converse or engage with the specter. For all she knew, she struck true with the second point, and one requirement for the culprit behind the specter to continue was for Bai Shou to react.
Though, the way the specter appeared and its timing was… strange.
'Was it Di Qing? Was the wine tampered?'
There was a way to find the truth.
Bai Shou could use Scan The Dao on the remnants of the preserved Thousand-Year Spirit Valley Wine to confirm things. However, afraid that this was indeed a malicious specter, Bai Shou hadn't revealed her skills or any secretive Killer Moves. She'd stuck to refining Gu for others, is all.
And lastly, the specter was not immaterial. Although Bai Shou could leave the residence and quickly go to the other side of the Blessed Land and find Mo Yan appearing out of nothing, once the specter appeared, it did not phase through items. Even now, Mo Yao's ghost had legs and feet. She stood on the table, undoubtedly a conspicuous position. Meanwhile, Chen Jiu's Heavenly Specter was without legs and mimicked a floating ghost.
'Would a Gu Immortal use or create such a Killer Move to test my patience? Unlikely. Why would they stay away for so long if they did not have any intentions for me to acclimate into the sect?'
Bai Shou could understand, or rather, predict what these Immortals thought to an extent. It was wise to allow a mortal Gu Master to be at ease before trying to extract some contributions. Bai Shou would choose to do the same if lacking necessary Gu Worms, and so would the Imaginative Strength Immortal. Furthermore, Bai Shou intended to grow in a sect—eventually, she would share a few things for a fair price. That was her entire objective. It was the most stable way to steadily grow out of the Shang Clan's claws, which should reach her in the future.
So… the appearance of Mo Yan's specter stuck out like a sore thumb.
It was irrational and inexplicable.
No amount of thought and meditation helped Bai Shou understand what was going on.
How could anything just occur without a cause? What caused Mo Yan's appearance?
A Killer Move?
A Gu Worm?
Finding the cause would shine light on the motivation behind the specter's creation and—
"Do you still not understand?"
A familiar voice bloomed in Bai Shou's mind, raising dangerous alarms as she reeled back and stared at Mo Yan's specter with shock and brief horror in her brown hues. The specter's lips moved, but the voice came from within Bai Shou.
"Did you always spend hours thinking so many things? Gosh, I hope you weren't so tiresome in the head when we lay together."
'Oh, nah. A Killer Move to read my mind?'
Like a tidal wave, derivation and Brave Thoughts surged in Bai Shou's mind. However, she wasn't a Wisdom Path Gu Master and there was a limit to how many thoughts she could support.
"I'm not reading your mind, Dear Husband. I'm inside you… you called me."
Bai Shou's bottom lip trembled, her mind torn between ignoring or attacking the specter.
"How much more could you hurt me?" The specter's smile was sad. "I left everything for you, Lo Jik, yet you continue lying. I understand… I do."
'The thoughts in my mind aren't effective. She can still read my mind? How?'
Surprising Bai Shou, Gu Yue Mo Yan's specter suddenly sat on the table. Her smile stopped being sad and revealed slight mischief.
"Love is freedom. Love is sacrifice. I enjoyed spooking you these days, Dear Husband. Nice ass, by the way. Bai Ning Bing did one thing right, eh? I believe you wanted to refine a Gu to test if I can appear in a House Gu, correct? Please, do so. I'll wait here."
Bai Shou slowly reached for the door when her body froze.
"This time, I won't leave without a farewell, Lo Jik."
Unchained Vagabond quietly looked at Mo Yan, her heart twisting with emotions as she recalled the day of Mo Yan's demise. Those words… Bai Shou never spoke them to anyone. There were no records of those sentiments except inside her heart.
She gulped dryly, almost engaging with the specter before resolutely turning around and leaving the residence.
<<<>>>
'What is going on? How much does she know?' Bai Shou felt true horror for the first time, as if she'd been stripped for all her worth and presented to someone else. Her mind was a mess, and she had a difficult time regathering her thoughts. Even if the specter said she would wait, Bai Shou knew she could not refine anything, and her thoughts were lit up in chaos.
Her fists clenched tightly, and she ground her teeth. Anxious, Bai Shou soon booked a refinement hall before quietly meditating.
However, it was useless.
She'd been tested with something eldritch… and she failed.
Just the few statements from Mo Yan had a powerful effect on Bai Shou—especially the last statement.
Eyes keen with blood lust, Bai Shou wondered who spun such a Killer Move!
Yet…
'Are you a Killer Move?'
Bai Shou questioned without turning. There was an intuition in her heart… Something about Mo Yan filled Bai Shou with confidence that just a thought would be enough to summon her. And to her quiet defeat, the familiar voice filled with mirth echoed from behind.
"I'm not a Killer Move."
She gritted her teeth.
The refinement room was austere, with few decorations. It had a furnace in the center and a few materials, like a cauldron, placed to the side. The room was protected, and nobody should have been able to enter.
'Are you an illusion?'
"I wondered the same the first time I saw you… Heaven is unfair! How can you appear so attractive as a woman? I've half the mind to turn into a guy and have some payback for all the hours you left me tired! Hmph, you'd make a good wife."
Bai Shou felt a lump in her throat.
'How much do you know about me?'
"Clearly not enough… There are things you do not want to share with absolutely anyone. Those are the secrets I'm unaware of. I suppose, eventually, you would have told me about Grandfather's death had we escaped the village together or how you do not even understand a fraction of my feelings."
'I'm… I would have not shared the news of your grandfather—' Bai Shou tried. Yet, she would not even have harmed a single strand on Mo Chen had Mo Yan lived.
"Be a good woman and stop lying." There was humor in Mo Yan's voice. "Everyone has secrets. There are things I absolutely don't want you to know… just… I'm sad." Her tone turned gloomy. "You were lost the entire time. Had I been a good partner… had I been a smidgen more attentive like you… All I lived was for the village, but dying to a pack of wolves really put things into perspective."
Bai Shou's body quaked before she shook her head.
'This is too lenient. You aren't Mo Yan… I was never sad. If you truly knew me, you would realize I was quite happy and satisfied. And how convenient, right? There are things you do not know all of a sudden?'
"Even after all this… You do not believe me?"
'I will if you tell me what you are.'
"If only I knew it myself," the voice replied. "Do you desire for me to depart?"
Bai Shou paused, her thoughts and emotions faltered.
—I don't need money!—
—I want someone like Senior Mo in my life.—
Bai Shou recalled her first exchange with Mo Yan. Most of it was a lie.
"It was." Agreed the voice.
But would Bai Shou still have the same emotions after everything?
"You tell me." Mo Yan asked.
Bai Shou's body trembled when she opened her mouth only for Mo Yan to caution.
"This room is under surveillance, Dear. Do not use words but depend on your feelings—that is how we currently communicate. It's the reason I know what you think despite your defenses. Your emotions are defenseless."
'You are… dead.'
Mo Yan's voice grew quiet as Bai Shou steeled herself.
'You do not exist. You should not exist.'
'Nothing is the same. I accept your demise, Mo Yan. I made a mockery of your death and acted on your grave. Whatever I felt for you—they died with you.' Perhaps that was the only truth Bai Shou ever spoke to Mo Yan.
"Then say it."
Whatever Mo Yan was, Bai Shou held an intuition she was… his.
She was the same Mo Yan from all those years ago.
So, for once, Bai Shou did not want to say it.
She would genuinely move on… would there be guilt and regret?
For some strange, ungodly reason, Bai Shou got a second chance.
Mo Yan's appearance was an unknown effect.
Was Bai Shou willing to move past?
Could they not converse for hours and take this chance to finally understand each other?
Acceptance—not Bai Shou's but Mo Yan's—bloomed in the former's heart as if she appreciated such a thought.
Yet…
'Farewell.'
Everything stopped.
That tender moment of acceptance vanished into thin air, leaving a gaping pit of disappointment in Bai Shou's heart.
A soft sight emerged from within Bai Shou.
"It is farewell, Dear." Mo Yan's voice held no anger or blame. Instead, it was loving and sweet—like a dagger aimed at Bai Shou's heart. "I could not be there for you, letting you live in darkness for all these years. Love is freedom and sacrifice, so it must also be bitter, Lo Jik. But I know one thing others don't. It's the reason I'm truly proud of you. You shall move on and grow. And you will never lose your heart. It's why I could exist for this brief moment. Thank you… and do not mourn this parting."
Bai Shou slowly looked back, barely catching Mo Yan's entire form fading into nothingness. Her smile was just as hopeful and affectionate as the day they married.
Slowly, Bai Shou clutched her chest and heaved deeply.
That was… Mo Yan.
Her features were mangled, just as the day 'he' lost her.
'He' did not love her but merely valued her.
Lo Jik came into this world barely understanding love or so he understood about himself. He was a product of sacrifice but was soon cornered and forced into suicide.
Similarly, Bai Shou was a product of sacrifice, too.
Unlike Lo Jik, Bai Shou was left in a fog, her directions muddled, but her objectives clear. Mo Yan's sudden appearance was like a distant hand meant to guide her. But how could the lost guide Bai Shou?
If Bai Shou did not know love or could not love…
If the memories of Mo Yan's mangled corpse had been unable to move Bai Shou until this moment…
Why did she feel like someone tore her heart out?
What was this disgusting swarm of confusion?
Just…
What even is love?
<<<>>>
"Ah! Stop!"
A piercing shriek echoed in one of the settlements dedicated to the Outer Disciples as a young girl cried while struggling against another Gu Master with a green badge—and Inner Disciple.
"Mom! Dad!"
She used her recently refined Jade Skin Gu, a thin jade barrier condensed around her body but the defensive force a Gu Master with Rank 1 Initial Stage essence could muster was pathetic in the eyes of a Rank 3 Gu Master who slapped the girl away, causing the barrier to shatter and the assaulted girl to spit blood due to the remaining force.
"Lin!" the parents struggled, but they were forced to gnash their teeth, a force much grander than a mere Rank 3 Gu Master settled within the settlement.
Middle Stage Rank 4.
"This is unfair," the woman hissed, fire burning in her eyes. Had it been ordinary circumstances, the parents would have swallowed their anger. However, they could not sit back and endure their daughter getting injured. The couple wasn't the only one caught. Instead, the surrounding Rank 3 Inner Disciples gathered everyone before the Middle Stage Rank 4 Gu Master.
"Unfair?" sneered the youth. Decorated with a similar green token like the rest of Inner Disciple, the group's apparent leader declared loudly. "We are from the Disciplinary Hall! We were informed that every one of you stole from the sect!"
The group instantly paled, their bodies shuddering.
Disciplinary Hall was a centralized jail for all disciples. Unlike the other Halls, it was not spread over the entire Blessed Land and was a symbol of fear for everyone to follow the Sect's rules! Furthermore—
"Lies!"
"We never stole!"
"We're being framed!"
"Hmph, I never acted like a thief my entire life!"
A wave of fear transformed into anger and discontent as others stopped being passive and revealed their Gu Worms.
"It is only righteous for thieves to repent."
A calm voice followed by an unquestionable aura pierced the thickening tension as several Rank 3 Gu Masters, Inner Disciples or otherwise, felt a cold chill traveling down their spine. The concept of positions only worked when everyone was willing to accept their authority. However, the Gu World only understood power—and the pool of helplessness regarding the mysteries surrounding her elicited a wave of murderous rage like none before within Bai Shou.
There was only one individual indifferent to the threat of a Rank 5 Gu Master due to his background: the Middle Stage Rank 4 Gu Master Jirou Meng Hou, Elder Jirou Na's son.
As her mind recovered from her previous loss, Bai Shou encountered the current scene of conflict.
She crouched near the bleeding girl, the mask of affection and warmth she once adopted housing a distinct crack that made the hopeful girl shudder despite receiving Bai Shou's kindness and being healed.
"There," Bai Shou informed, gently patting the girl's cheek. "It should not hurt you anymore."
With that, Bai Shou stood up and met Jirou Meng Hou's arrogant glare.
"Be quick about it. Are there any other thieves?" Her words shocked the other Outer Disciples. Why was Bai Shou assisting Jirou Meng Hou?
How could she?
Understandably, many Gu Masters did not trust Bai Shou and merely adopted a familiar attitude of appreciation to enjoy her skills in Gu Fusion and Refinement. However, there were still a few who'd come to trust the woman—like the girl's parents.
"We did not steal anything, Elder Sister Bai! Please don't trust them!"
"Help us, Senior!"
"Do not give up on us, Senior! We cannot survive the tribulations within the Disciplinary Hall!"
"Hmph!" Jirou Meng Hou snorted seeing Bai Shou unmoved. It was an open retaliation. The Jirou Family rarely relied on underhanded tactics, with Jirou Na's strength deterring several Elders with unkind intentions. The latter had been honest about her conflict with Bai Shou—and the retaliation arrived as the Chained Wanderer expected. It was effortless to see that Jirou Na wished to destroy the reputation Bai Shou built by taking away any customer she had who did not boast a decent background. Jirou Na wanted to turn Bai Shou into a social pariah, forcing Unchained to stop her business!
Chained…
Unchained…
Shackles…
Decorations…
Bai Shou sneered at the Little Giant King who couldn't resist boasting about his ambitions in the Shang Clan. Chen Jiu was never a shackle…
The fickle Vagabond never understood the immensity and power one's own confusion had over one's resolve.
"It's good that you understand your position," Jirou Meng Hou sneered as he enjoyed the other Outer Disciple's expression twist into despair. Now, the Disciplinary Hall did not have absolute power and there would also be a trial, but anyone with a few brain cells to spare would realize how difficult Jirou Na would make their lives to send an example to everyone else!
And if these Outer Disciples and their family members fight…
Hehe…
The Inner Disciples, fearing their lives being harmed in the conflict, would be allowed to use 'appropriate' force.
"Take them all away!"
Jirou Meng Hou waved his hand but felt his palm touching something soft and squishy.
He blinked in surprise as his surroundings melted away.
The Outer Disciple's despair now emerged as a strange look, and even Meng Hou's underlings had colors drained from their faces.
Jirou Meng Hou's heart shuddered as he swiftly looked to his side, his hand pressed into a female's chest. He looked up, meeting a gloomy Bai Shou's blood-lusting glare.
"How dare you molest me, Junior?"
Jirou Meng Hou's instincts screamed at once as he pulled back only to realize he wasn't as swift on land as he was underwater—a clenched fist zoomed into his vision, effortlessly shattering his defensive Gu at a bestial roar before striking true and pounding him down on the ground.
*Gah*
Jirou Meng Hou saw stars but his surroundings were filled with painful howls and desperate pleas.
"W-We did nothing wrong!"
"Aaaaaggghhh!"
"Senior, please! Forgive us!"
Meanwhile, the healed girl watched everything with wide eyes, like the rest of the spectators. Each splatter of blood—every broken tooth, twisted limb, and gory opening—imprinted itself upon the impressionable, sheltered girl. Such was the Gu World, every moment of shared warmth held countless hours of conflict and violence.
Yet, for the coming years, the girl would want to be like nobody else but the senior whose punches left devastating marks on the beings who tried to separate her from her family.
***
Alternate Title: The Chances of Entering a Diddy Gu Master's Residence Is Low But Never Zero; Bai Shou And The Junior Lin Experienced Groundbreaking Stuff On The Same Day; Bai Shou: Just Let Me Move The Fuck On! *Karma For All The Fuckboi Behavior: No*; It Truly Is Karma; Mo Yan: Damn, Nice Rack; Mo Yan Wanted Some Payback; Not Mo Yan Admitting Being a Husband To All That Ass Sounds Nice; Bai *Ass In Constant Danger* Shou; Bai Ning Bing Was a Generational Hater With His Actions; A Truthful Revelation; Trickery?; Farewell; What Zero Therapy And Pokemon-Type Intimacy Collection Does To a Person; Bai Shou: The Gu World Needs Therapy *Also Bai Shou: Seeing The Ghost of the Past Beloved*; Love Is Bitter; A Wife Like None Other; Mo Yan Acting Like a Haunting Ghost And Scaring The Shit Out of Bai Shou For Shit and Giggles; When The Lies Stick; Slowly Learning Oneself; A Muck of Confusion; Bai Shou Using a Female's Strongest Power: Allegations; Bai Shou Doesn't Issue False Allegations, She Weaves Them; Bai Shou: Finally, a Chance To Let Loose *Bai Ning Bing: Loose… snrk*; A Torn Heart; A Resolute Step Forward; A Demon Carved Out Of Emotions
***
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