Chapter 65: Rouge Gu (Part 1)

Zhao Mingtang’s wedding took place, but Zhao Qinghe did not appear.
Xu Qianyu was already accustomed to her senior sister’s unpredictable comings and goings and thought nothing of it.

It was actually better that she wasn’t there, as it spared Guo Yi from seeing his sister and wavering in his affections once again.
Guo Yi had temporarily changed the bride, aware that it would attract gossip. This time, he kept a low profile, not inviting any guests; only a colorful bridal sedan chair quietly stood at the back door of the Zhao residence.

What puzzled Xu Qianyu was how eerily quiet the house was. Zhao Fukun was said to be seriously ill and did not attend. Mrs. Zhao seemed to have aged ten years overnight; when she helped her sort out the wedding garments, she couldn’t speak and started to cry first.
Even when Xu Qianyu suggested taking the betrothal gifts away, Mrs. Zhao did not oppose it.
“Mother, what’s wrong?” Xu Qianyu asked.

Mrs. Zhao glanced at her. Qianyu was of a similar age and temperament as Zhao Mingtang. When she played the part, her frowns and smiles were just like Zhao Mingtang was still by her side, which made Mrs. Zhao feel heartbroken upon seeing her.

Since Zhao Junzhu’s death, she had fallen into a state of despair for years, consumed by sorrow and regret, neglecting her two daughters. Only now, in their absence, does she understand the value of what she lost. If Qinghe and Mingtang were still here, she could send them off to marry like she is doing today.

Mrs. Zhao choked back tears. “It’s alright, you’re getting married, but mother will miss you.”
The groom urged, “Mingtang, hurry up and get on the wedding carriage with me.”
Mrs. Zhao hesitated to speak. After not seeing him for a few days, Guo Yi looked gaunt, his eye sockets deep, and he reeked of powder and wine, barely able to stand, yet his eyes glinted with a manic light, as if he were gravely ill.

Seeing that the groom was not well, she hesitated to remind the veiled “Zhao Mingtang.”
But the two celestial beings had told her yesterday that Zhao Mingtang was also a celestial being now, and she wasn’t afraid of malevolent charms. Thus, she held her tongue.
Xu Qianyu glanced at Guo Yi through the veil, bade farewell to Mrs. Zhao as usual, and boarded the carriage with him.

With the bride price secured and everything going smoothly, Xu Qianyu closed her eyes to rest. Suddenly, she heard Guo’s household servants in a panic calling for the “Second Young Master,” followed by a person stumbling through the curtain and falling in.
Xu Qianyu sidestepped, causing him to crash onto the seat.
Guo Yi scrambled into the carriage, ripping off her wedding veil, and Xu Qianyu’s eyes widened in shock.

Before her, Guo Yi’s jaw trembled, his arms reaching out as if he couldn’t wait for the carriage to return home, eager to get closer to the bride!
Xu Qianyu was just about to dodge when Guo Yi suddenly collapsed, his eyes wide open, his body convulsing, and his nose visibly twitching as if something was wriggling beneath his pale skin.
The parasitic worm inside him had been draining his essence—he was finished!
The carriage continued to roll along, and Xu Qianyu pulled the unconscious Guo Yi upright, positioning him awkwardly in the carriage. She opened a box of rouge she held and pressed it against his lips and nose.

That rouge was the most fragrant one in Zhao Mingtang’s room; just a tiny bit would last all day, let alone the entire box. The powder fell like snowflakes onto their clothes, overwhelming in fragrance.
Guo Yi began to cough violently.
Xu Qianyu had no idea how to deal with the parasitic worm. She remembered what an old woman had told her about folk remedies: if a worm got into your ear, rubbing a bit of scented oil outside the ear canal would eventually lure it out.
The parasite naturally wouldn’t be drawn by scented oil. Since it was a worm that thrived on the attraction of women, would it be tempted by the rouge on her? Thus, she had taken a box with her when she left.

In an urgent situation, it was worth a try. She focused intently on Guo Yi’s face; after a moment, she saw his eyes bulging, his mouth opening as if he were about to sneeze, and suddenly, something plopped out of his nose, landing on the red silk flowers tied to him.
The object was about the size of a pinky finger, resembling a centipede, translucent and drunkenly waving its eight crimson legs as it writhed.

Even Xu Qianyu, bold as she was, felt her hair stand on end at the sight of this creature, her back nearly pressed against the carriage frame.
Her magical artifact had to be reused, and she was reluctant to use her spiritual sword to touch this worm.

Thinking quickly, she took out the crow pot, cracked the lid open a little, quickly closed it again, and released a firecrow. The firecrow flew straight for the parasite, and with a crackle, both were incinerated in the air, leaving nothing behind.
Guo Yi gasped in pain, and a second and third parasite dropped onto the red silk flowers. Xu Qianyu repeated the process, releasing another firecrow.
However, as she prepared to release a fourth, the Crow pot began to shake violently as if it were about to erupt, making it hard for her to hold on.
The Crow pot was fierce and bloodthirsty; when the lid was opened, countless crows would burst forth, forming a fire dragon. It was meant for battle. How could she use it to catch worms one by one like this?

As a result, the flock inside rebelled, refusing to follow her commands and attempting to break free from the pot.
It would be a waste to let all those fire crows escape. Should she spray Guo Yi’s face with them? Was she out of her mind? It was just a pot, one that had cost her hard-earned money to craft, and she should be able to use it however she wanted. Why shouldn’t they listen to her?
Xu Qianyu’s lips tightened, pressing down firmly on the lid, determined to confront it. The firecrows crashed against the lid for a while, realizing they couldn’t break free, and eventually huddled together, refusing to fly out.

Xu Qianyu shook the pot, but it wouldn’t budge. After a moment, she closed her eyes and sank into her spiritual pool, her consciousness transforming into a pinpoint of light that dove into the pot.
This scene caught the attention of nearly all the elders in the elder assembly, instantly straightening their spines and watching Xu Qianyu in silence, their hearts racing.
Under the Golden Core stage, one does not possess divine consciousness, only a weak awareness. While a Golden Core practitioner might have their consciousness leave their body, how dare she attempt to do the same?

Xu Qianyu was unaware that this act was inappropriate because when she was training with Wuzhen to advance from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, part of the training was to strengthen her consciousness. At that time, she had learned the method of letting her consciousness leave her body.

Moreover, she had previously enhanced her consciousness to communicate with her senior brother, so she was no longer a mere firefly but rather a larger one, capable of writing on the butterfly paper.
Her consciousness felt like a meteor, cutting through the air as it fell, sensing the booming wind around her. Before her was a fiery red world, searing with heat.
This was the realm within the pot.

Aside from the blazing flames overhead, there were drifting black characters both above and below, barely visible, presumably of the heavenly stems and earthly branches.
As her consciousness crashed down, the surrounding “fire” seemed startled, scattering with a whoosh, transforming into countless fire crows flying about, bumping into each other while cautiously observing the newcomer from a distance.
The large firefly that had smashed to the ground shook its head and lazily took flight. Wherever it went, the fire crows would dodge away, following behind at a distance, whispering to one another as they formed a cluster of blazing fire.

As she flew, she looked down to search for the brightest array radiating white light—this was the pot’s belly, the source of the Crow pot’s power.
She dove towards the pot’s belly, crashing into the center of the glowing array, using her last bit of strength to maneuver her body and write her name, claiming the space as her own.
The flock of crows gasped in surprise.
Xu Qianyu’s consciousness exhausted; she popped back out, leaning against the carriage frame, panting heavily.

As she opened her eyes, she saw that seven or eight parasites had already landed on Guo Yi, dancing chaotically, creating a horrifying scene. Xu Qianyu, feeling weak, opened the pot lid without a word, and eight fire crows lined up to fly out, one crow for each worm, obediently claiming their target for destruction.

Outside the movie, the elders looked at each other, their expressions subtle. This disciple’s consciousness was powerful, not only showing the initial signs of spiritual awareness but also using it to suppress the magical tool. They couldn’t help but share a laugh at the peculiar situation.

Xu Binglai noticed from the corner of her eye that Hua Qingyu was staring intently, particularly focused. She had always had a contentious relationship with Xu Qianyu, so what was her reaction this time? Xu Binglai hurriedly took a sip of tea to hide the color in her eyes.
One by one, the Gu insects detached from Guo Yi, and his consciousness gradually returned. After a while, he began to cry and plead on the ground: “Mingtang, please stop burning me! I really can’t take it anymore. I promise I’ll do anything for you; you’re my first wife! Just tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you…”

A strong man weeping like this was bound to evoke sympathy. Besides, his obedience would certainly benefit her in obtaining the Soul Lock.
However, Xu Qianyu observed him coolly with her dark eyes. Though his mouth was begging, his gaze still carried an evil glint. It was hard to tell if it was Guo Yi begging for mercy or the Gu insects inside him using his voice to plead.
Xu Qianyu lacked compassion for non-human entities. Ignoring his tears, she slapped a box of rouge powder on him and opened the lid of the pot.

A fire crow flew in, snatching out a long, struggling Gu insect and reducing it to ashes.
Guo Yi slumped against the carriage frame, looking weak and pale, but his eyes gradually cleared, as if waking from a dream.
At that moment, the ceremonial carriage shook violently. Outside, there was a noisy commotion, as if two groups of people were arguing. A maid rushed over and said, “Second Miss, there are people outside blocking the carriage, saying they want us to return something.”
Xu Qianyu asked, “Who?”

“The owner of Fanghua Building, Liu Yian, apologizes for disturbing the Second Miss’s wedding.” The voice was soft but firm; the answer was delivered to her ear first.
Xu Qianyu lifted the carriage curtain a crack and saw a tall, slender man standing outside, bowing respectfully.
He was dressed in a gradient of rosy silk, adorned with jewels and colorful feathers, his long hair flowing down with several crimson feathers tucked into his hair crown. He sparkled like a peacock.
Xu Qianyu was not polite: “You know it’s an intrusion, yet you still block my ceremonial carriage. What’s the matter?”
Liu Yian lifted his eyes, revealing bright red makeup that slanted alluringly upward, giving him a completely charming appearance.

However, his gaze was sharp and devoid of femininity. He unfurled the paper in his hand, saying, “Second Miss, your parents borrowed a precious sword from us at Fanghua Building ten days ago, using the jade-carving shop as collateral. Our treasures are never sold, and this loan is made out of respect for your father as a fellow businessman.”

“This loan contract clearly states it is to be returned in ten days. Now that the deadline has passed, I have already given you a few extra days, yet I hear this sword has become part of your dowry. That’s simply unacceptable.”

A precious sword?

Xu Qianyu remembered that day when she had unexpectedly seen a sword in the dowry box. Over the past few days, she had rummaged through the other boxes, and they contained nothing but ordinary items; the Zhao family was not a family of military generals. It seemed reasonable to say the sword was borrowed.

“Second Miss, I don’t wish to make it difficult for you. I need that sword today for an exhibition, and I’m in a hurry. If you give me the sword, I’ll leave; making things easier for me is also making things easier for yourself.”

Guo Yi was on the verge of death, and Xu Qianyu couldn’t get out of the carriage, so she called for a maid: “Bring me the loan contract to look at.”
The loan contract and the Zhao family’s shop contract were handed into the carriage. Xu Qianyu glanced at them and saw that the matter was indeed as stated, so she instructed someone to accept it.

“Take it,” Xu Qianyu said. “My dowry is in the next carriage; the owner can retrieve it himself.”
Fortunately, the dowry and the bridal gifts were not in the same carriage. Xu Qianyu instructed her maids, “Watch him closely; he can only touch the dowry, not the bridal gifts. Report to me immediately if there’s anything unusual.”

Liu Yian retrieved the precious sword without further ado, packed the box back up, and made a gesture to let the carriage team pass.
It was supposed to be a small incident, and the ceremonial carriage continued on. However, after taking a couple of steps, Xu Qianyu’s expression changed.
The magical seal indicated that the Soul Lock had left her side!
Had Liu Yian used some means to take the Soul Lock as well?
Furious, Xu Qianyu wanted to jump out of the carriage to chase after him, but her sleeve was grabbed, and when she turned back, she was stunned:

Guo Yi was looking at her with pleading eyes, large tears streaming down his face, unable to speak, only managing some muffled sounds.
The Gu insects had not yet been completely removed, and if she left now, they would surely reignite.
These Gu insects multiplied at an alarming rate; three days ago, Guo Yi was still human, and now, three days later, he was exhausted and on the brink of collapse.
She could wait until she returned to burn them again, but Guo Yi had already been drained to the point of being a mere shell; he likely couldn’t withstand such repeated torment.

He felt this too, and his will to survive made him hold onto Xu Qianyu, unwilling to let her leave.
He was weak, and Xu Qianyu could easily pull away. But such a slight action made her lower the curtain: “I understand, I won’t go.”
After saying that, she really sat back in the carriage, ignoring the outside world, continuing to use the crow pot to exterminate the Gu insects.
Obtaining the Soul Lock was only the first step; she still needed to leave Penglai through a specific “door” to complete her task. Even if others got the Soul Lock, they had to keep it; otherwise, she would find a way to take it back.

That day she had accidentally pierced Guo Yi, and today, as she did good to the end, it was like returning a favor to him.
The wedding procession returned to the Guo residence, and the Gu insects within Guo Yi were also completely eliminated. Xu Qianyu dragged the unconscious Guo Yi out of the carriage, and his servants rushed up: “What happened to the Second Young Master?”
“He’s drunk,” Xu Qianyu said. “Quickly help him inside to rest and make him some chicken soup to nourish his body.”

She instructed them to keep an eye on Guo Yi and familiarized herself with the layout of the Guo residence.
The Guo residence had no demonic energy but was quite chaotic.
The large mansion had damaged bricks, and leaves covered the steps. The servants squatted together playing cards and gambling, shouting loudly; the kitchen maids were also cracking sunflower seeds and chatting. Once the bride entered, they lazily dispersed, giving off an air of decline.

She grabbed a maid: “Where are my in-laws?”
“The master and mistress went to the south to escort goods; they’ve been away for half a year.”
Xu Qianyu asked again, “Is there no one in charge of the residence?”

“It was originally the eldest young master who was in charge, but…”
The eldest young master, Guo Heng, was initially managing the family affairs. However, he suddenly joined the Taoist sect not long ago and has been traveling for half a month now, with no set return date. Once he let go of his responsibilities, the Guo family became what it is now.
Xu Qianyu sighed, pulled down her hood, and slipped out of the Zhao residence to seek her soul-binding talisman.

*

“Please enjoy the fine tea, miss.”
As soon as Xu Qianyu entered Fanghua Building, she was warmly greeted by two tea servers. The tea servers were dressed just like the owner of the tower, adorned with jewelry and wearing proud expressions.
Fanghua Building had four floors, much larger than the inn Ruan Zhuqing took her to last time. True to its name, the building featured ornate beams and painted rafters, epitomizing luxury.
The ground floor served as a tea house, filled with lacquered wooden tables from various regions. It was said that the upper floors housed private rooms and a treasure hall, which required a certain status to access.

Ordinary people could only sit in the tea house on the first floor.
Even so, Xu Qianyu looked back: high-ranking officials and nobles filled the seats, folding fans fluttering, silk-clad beauties laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xu Qianyu politely explained her identity and purpose to the tea servers, asking them to summon the owner. However, after waiting for a while, no one came.

As Xu Qianyu sipped her tea, a jingling sound caught her attention. Foundation-building cultivators were sensitive to sounds, and following the noise, she saw a ragged child wandering between tables, holding a straw target.
The target was adorned with grass-made grasshoppers, dragonflies, and cicadas. As he raised and lowered it, the cicada’s wings shimmered brightly. In his right hand, he held a broken bowl, shaking it up and down, causing the copper coins inside to clink.

The grass-made items were not worth much. Selling cicadas served as a pretty cover for begging.
He lifted the bowl to solicit business and made eye contact with Xu Qianyu, gazing at her with hope.
As a guest, the tea servers did not chase him away, but upon seeing someone of such status enter Fanghua Building, their faces showed displeasure. The child was small, and they easily blocked him, shoving him to the other side. A few tea servers exchanged knowing smiles, bumping into each other with teacups, soon pushing him to the door.

Xu Qianyu began to search her pockets. The Shui family was wealthy; whenever she encountered people smiling at her, she would often give tips, especially to children selling cicadas.
But at that moment, she had no money, which left her feeling frustrated. Suddenly, she remembered a wedding coin tied with a red string at her waist, so she pulled it off and tossed it into his bowl from a distance with a clink.

The wedding coin wasn’t worth much, but when the child saw the red string, he felt a sense of joy and smiled, revealing a gap in his teeth: “You’re a bride!”

“Yes.”

He stood on his tiptoes as if he was going to give her a cicada, but Xu Qianyu hurriedly said, “I don’t want any bugs.”
After spending the whole morning dealing with bugs, she no longer wished to see them.
“Then what do you want?”

Xu Qianyu thought for a moment and, amidst the bustling crowd, smiled proudly, “I want a butterfly.”
The child stared at her blankly, and after a while, his eyes turned red: “But I don’t have any butterflies.”

Xu Qianyu had intended to tease him, but to her surprise, he started to cry. She quickly waved her hand, “Then forget it.”
The child turned and ran out of Fanghua Building.
Xu Qianyu sighed, “Hey…”
Just as she was feeling frustrated, a tea server came back to report: “Miss Zhao, the owner is busy and refuses to see guests. Please leave!”
Xu Qianyu threw the teacup out of her hand.
The tea server’s expression changed, revealing her displeasure: “How dare you! Our Fanghua Building has porcelain that is a hundred years old; how can it be casually destroyed!”
Xu Qianyu had countless treasures at home and was somewhat knowledgeable about tea ware.

A simple touch revealed her lie. A hundred years? It was hardly even finished firing yet. Thinking this, she suddenly crushed another piece in her hand: “I’ve broken two pieces of hundred-year-old porcelain. Bring the owner to see me to discuss compensation.”
The tea server gritted her silver teeth: “…”
Fifteen minutes later, Xu Qianyu sat across from the peacock-like owner, Liu Yian, in a private room on the second floor.

Liu Yian looked at her: “So, Miss Zhao, are you regretting it again?”
“The sword was borrowed from Fanghua Building and should be returned to you,” Xu Qianyu said, “but if you have something that doesn’t belong to Fanghua Building, you should return it to me.”
Liu Yian twirled his teacup, his expression inscrutable, then suddenly shook his head with a smile: “Wonderful.”

He looked at Xu Qianyu and said, “Just now, a girl in a white dress with a basket came and said the same thing to you. She claimed that item is hers and is waiting on the second floor for an explanation. Otherwise, should you two have a fight?”