Chapter 78: Living Puppet? Take the Essence Blood! (1/2)

At the end of the Dog hour, the night had deepened, and the last trace of twilight had long been swallowed by darkness.

A shadow, ghostly and alluring, landed on the peak of Jiuli Mountain. Its movement was incomparably mysterious, and its aura was deep and restrained.

The person who had arrived wore a black robe, the sleeves fluttering gently in the wind, blending almost seamlessly with the night.

This person was none other than the Gu Saint, Wuming.

His face was concealed by the hood’s shadow. It wasn’t until he removed the hood that his deep-set eyes and sharp jawline were revealed.

Although he had long since abandoned the sword, his aura still felt like a blade that had been honed for years.

Whether standing still or stepping forward, every movement exuded an unyielding sharpness. Despite not carrying a sword, his body still emitted the proud and decisive aura typical of a sword cultivator.

The black robe not only added an air of mystery but also enhanced his dignified appearance.

The key was that he, who was rumored to be an old man, had removed his hood, revealing a face that looked as young as Pei Yin’s.

If they didn’t know better, they might have thought he was someone else’s disciple.

This just goes to show the power of the beauty-preserving techniques in the cultivation world.

In the cultivation world, if you encounter a handsome and young male cultivator, be careful not to misjudge his age, or you might mistakenly flatter him, and if you’re not careful, you could end up offending your master and betraying your ancestors.

Xuan Yangzi, Pei Yin, and the others exchanged pleasantries with Wuming. From their conversation, it was clear they were quite familiar with each other.

So familiar, in fact, that Wuming returned a piece of Elder’s token to Xuan Yangzi, likely one that Xuan Yangzi had given to him when he had sought him out previously.

Because Xuan Yangzi was of a higher generation, he addressed Wuming as “Wuming, kid,” and the latter didn’t seem surprised by it.

After the pleasantries, Wuming noticed Ye Qingning and squinted his eyes, his voice low as he asked, “Did you fall under a Gu curse? A member of the Ye family?”

Ye Qingning was momentarily stunned. She must have told Wuming her name beforehand through Xuan Yangzi.

She saluted and replied, “Senior, I was raised by the Ye family since I was young, but I am not of their bloodline. I have been cursed with the ‘Mother-Child Adversity Gu,’ which was placed by the Ye family. The mother Gu is also within the Ye family’s legitimate daughter.”

Ye Qingning had always been straightforward, so when it came to breaking the curse, it was important to mention who the mother Gu was placed on.

This revelation stunned everyone present.

The most shocked was Jiang Shaoling.

Not long ago, Jiang Shaoling had disliked Ye Qingning, irritated by her frail, delicate appearance.

When he had seen her spit blood in the Spirit Herb Garden, he initially thought it was due to her inability to answer the questions, but now he realized how wrong he had been.

The blood spitting was a result of the curse’s effects, and she was also enduring harm meant for someone else.

To his surprise, the one who placed the curse on her was none other than the Ye family.

Even though the Ye family had found their legitimate daughter, she had been raised by the Ye family since childhood. Even if she wasn’t of their blood, she had no control over the situation back then. For them to place the ‘Mother-Child Adversity Gu’ on her was too cruel.

Jiang Shaoling couldn’t understand why he was now feeling sympathy for her.

Xuan Yangzi, Tianji Zi, and the Second Elder were all heartbroken, lamenting that such a young girl had to endure such torment from the Ye family. Before arriving at Penglai Sect, she must have suffered greatly in the Ye family!

Had they not been concerned with their image, they would have surely yelled at the Ye family for their cruelty.

“Ye family truly knows how to do harm. To curse a foster daughter so ruthlessly,” Pei Yin’s voice turned cold, his expression matching that of Shen Xuanli’s.

Shen Xuanli’s gaze was fixed on Ye Qingning, his brow slightly furrowed, though he seemed deep in thought.

Wuming, upon hearing this, furrowed his brow and took another look at Ye Qingning.

The Ye family favored their legitimate daughter, using their foster daughter as a scapegoat, and their attitude seemed no different from those who blindly followed their master in a quest for the “good teacher.”

“Extend your hand,” Wuming instructed.

Ye Qingning obediently extended her hand, allowing Wuming to take her pulse.

As soon as Wuming’s fingertips touched her wrist, Ye Qingning felt a chill sweep over her.

However, it wasn’t long before Wuming withdrew his hand, his gaze dark as he looked at her.

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Chapter 78: Living Puppet? Take the Essence Blood! (2/2)

“Mother Gu Adversity, Child Gu Endurance. The pain endured by the Mother Gu will be transferred to the Child Gu. This Gu has been inside your body for a while, and it’s not like the usual Mother-Child Adversity Gu.”

“The Child Gu feeds on your blood, gradually growing stronger. Not only will it make you bear the burden of disasters, but in the end, it will fully control you, turning you into a puppet who obeys the one who carries the Mother Gu.”

Ye Qingning was stunned.

She only knew that the Child Gu would bear the harm for the Mother Gu, but she didn’t realize her curse was different. The Child Gu inside her would eventually control her, turning her into a puppet, completely obedient to the one who bore the Mother Gu.

The others in the room also changed their expressions. A living puppet? How sinister could the Ye family be?

Even if she wasn’t a blood relative, she had been raised by them for so long. To have her endure the disasters and then be made into a puppet—this was truly beyond evil!

“Senior, how can the curse in my body be broken?” Ye Qingning asked, clearly not wondering whether it could be broken but how it could be done. This showed her deep trust in Wuming.

Wuming gave her a praising glance and spoke softly, “The way to break the curse is to draw the Child Gu out of your body.”

“To draw out the Child Gu, you must obtain a drop of the essence blood from the one carrying the Mother Gu. It must at least be essence blood, not just ordinary blood.”

“With this as a catalyst, take the special elixir I will prepare, and use the ‘Cutting Thread Needle’ to sever the connection between the Mother and Child Gu, drawing the Child Gu out of your body.”

“Once the two are separated, you will experience a brief period of weakness, but you will recover in less than half a month.”

After a brief pause, Wuming continued, “How to obtain the essence blood is up to you. As for the Ye family, I won’t intervene. I’m only responsible for breaking the curse for you.”

“I understand. Thank you, Senior, for your guidance.” Ye Qingning performed a respectful bow. Obtaining the essence blood was her responsibility, but Wuming’s willingness to help her break the curse filled her with deep gratitude.

Wuming nodded, “Go ahead. The longer the curse stays in your body, the more harm it will do to you. The sooner it’s resolved, the better.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Senior. I’ll take my leave now and figure out how to get the essence blood.” Ye Qingning gave another respectful bow and was about to leave, but Xuan Yangzi and the others called out to her.

“Girl Ye, are you planning to go right now? Should I accompany you?”

Xuan Yangzi was indeed concerned. If the Ye family was capable of such ruthless actions, they surely wouldn’t let her obtain the essence blood so easily.

Pei Yin squinted slightly and said, “There’s no need to alarm the Ye family. Stirring trouble would only cause more problems. Just take the essence blood, and we’ll deal with the rest later.”

Pei Yin seemed to believe that the essence blood from a cultivator’s heart would be more effective than mere blood, and that taking the heart’s essence blood would be better for drawing out the Child Gu. There was no need for the essence blood, in his view.

“Xuanli, take her with you. Make sure you get the heart’s essence blood.”

Shen Xuanli nodded, “Yes, Master.”

Xuan Yangzi then looked at his two disciples, Lu Linyuan and Wen Xingshu, and said, “You two, take Little Sister… uh, I mean, Ye Qingning, to get it.”

Lu Linyuan and Wen Xingshu replied, “Yes, Master.”

It seemed like the old man almost let slip “Little Sister” again!

Jiang Shaoling: ??? That’s it? Why didn’t he call on me, just the two disciples?

Tianji Zi: Damn that Xuan Yangzi! He can’t go, so he sends his disciples. Is he picking on me for not having any disciples?

The Elder: Damn, it’s too late! I should’ve brought my disciples today.

…

Ye Qingning left with Shen Xuanli, Lu Linyuan, and Wen Xingshu, still slightly confused.

She was about to collect Ye Hanyue’s essence blood, but would it really be so convenient with them tagging along?

She wasn’t sure whether Ye Hanyue had returned to the Falling Cloud Sect or back to the Ye family, but both locations were not ideal for her to act. She needed to lure Ye Hanyue out.

With the three of them following her, it would be hard to avoid drawing attention, and Ye Hanyue would likely become suspicious.

But now that they were already following her, she couldn’t very well send them away. All she could do was make them stay hidden in the shadows for the time being.