Chapter 12: Mutual Refusal to Yield
With the icy blade resting against his neck, Song Yilou glanced at the edge and asked, “Does the Guanzhu no longer care about the lives of Prince Li and Shen Lanqing?”
Both of them knew clearly that the next step after Yun Wuxiang killed Song Yilou would be the revenge of his Vital Gu, hidden elsewhere, against those two.
Yun Wuxiang said indifferently, “Everyone has their own fate.”
Song Yilouâs probing gaze scrutinized him, seemingly analyzing whether he truly didn’t care about their lives as he claimed.
He was like a venomous snake observing its preyâs defensive net for any penetrable gap. As long as he caught a single flaw, he would burrow in through that crack, devouring the person completely, swallowing both flesh and bone.
Yun Wuxiang returned his gaze calmly, his eyes filled only with vigorous killing intent.
Song Yilou turned and smiled again. “Even if you kill me, the Guanzhu will also suffer backlash from the contract. Why go to such lengths?”
“I forgot to mention just now. There are two groups pursuing Prince Li. My people just interfered a bit. One group is the one that bought my poison back then. The other group is strange; they seem to have some connection with the Immortal Realm and know some peculiar spells, though they are just petty tricks compared to the Guanzhu.”
Song Yilou put on a stern face like a drama queen, speaking with righteous indignation: “They actually want to kill the people the Guanzhu is protecting. Isn’t this opposing the Guanzhu?”
“Guanzhu, you and I are now people of the same camp.” Every word Song Yilou spoke carried a hint of seductive persuasion.
“How about making a pact? Before we reach the Immortal Realm, you and I will coexist peacefully.”
A system notification sound rang in Yun Wuxiang’s mind.
[Special Mission Initiated: Investigate stowaways from the Immortal Realm to prevent them from destroying the plot. Eliminate all those with malicious intent.]
[Permission for temporary entry into the Mortal Realm has been extended. Restriction on cultivation outside has been lifted.]
Yun Wuxiang withdrew his sword, silently accepting the temporary truce, but still said, “Song Yilou, I don’t trust you.”
If there’s a chance, I’ll get rid of you first.
Song Yilou smiled. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t trust me, just trust the contract. Also, my desire to go to the Immortal Realm is genuine.”
The desire to turn you into a Gu is also genuine.
Yun Wuxiang gave a final warning: “Behave yourself.”
“I’ll listen to whatever the Guanzhu says.” Song Yilou looked obedient.
Yun Wuxiang knew very well that this was all an illusion.
A false peace was maintained between the two.
A loud crane cry rang out, interrupting their staredown. A giant white crane spread its wings and flew over, followed by various animals galloping toward them.
“Squeak squeak!”
“Chirp chirp!”
“Hoot hoot hoot!”
“Awoo awoo!”
A group of animals gathered at Yun Wuxiangâs feet, waving their limbs and gesturing something.
“There are strange bugs?” Yun Wuxiang understood the animals’ meaning through Dange’s translation. His gaze shifted to a certain someone who had climbed up a tree at some point and was standing on the same branch as a monkey, being despised by the monkey troop.
“Song Yilou.”
“Does the Guanzhu need something?” The ‘monkey’ in the tree raised a hand.
Yun Wuxiang: “Take back all the Gu you placed on the island.”
“Okay.” Song Yilou bent his finger and tapped his knee, emitting a hollow, eerie call from his mouth: “Return.”
Before long, a dense mass of colorful specks gathered at the spot. The trees and grass seemed to be covered by a layer of colorful fabric. The sheer number made Yun Wuxiangâs face turn dark, and the animals let out sharp cries as they ran away.
Had all the bugs on his island been assimilated into Gu by Song Yilou?
Song Yilou: “Wow, the Feng Shui on the island is really good. Look, the numbers have multiplied several times.”
Yun Wuxiang lifted a talisman paper, about to strike to annihilate the swarm of insects, when he heard Song Yilou speak again in that eerie, ghostly voice: “Kill.”
As the voice fell, it was as if a switch had been flipped. All the Gu insects entered a state of agitationâflapping wings, hissing, biting each other, slaughtering.
The dense swarm of Gu insects seemed to have started a war at this moment, and this war would have only one victor, who would become the Gu King.
Venomous insects covered the ground as corpses. A brilliantly colored blue poisonous spider fought until the end.
The newly born Poisonous Spider Gu King crawled up the tree trunk toward Song Yilou, finally stopping on his cheek. Its slender spider legs landed at the corner of his eye, making the small mole under his eye look as if it had turned into a tiny insect, spontaneously generating a bizarre sense of horror.
Yun Wuxiang raised the talisman in his hand. The paper shot straight into the sky, hanging above their heads.
“Burn.”
The talisman ignited spontaneously into fire, burning larger and larger until it expanded into a fireball.
Yun Wuxiang pressed two fingers together, pointing at the ground, and commanded: “Execute.”
The fireball turned into flowing light and crashed down on various parts of the island. The hidden Gu insects in all sorts of imperceptible corners were cleared out completely.
The two looked at each other across the distance. Red eyes met smiling eyes, killing intent met wickedness, neither willing to yield.
Capital City, Prince Li’s Manor.
After the pursuit incident, Shen Lanqing and Prince Li, whose relationship had become somewhat closer, were chatting idly. The manor’s steward walked over and said, “Your Highness, a Daoist priest is visiting outside the gate.”
Shen Lanqing: “What kind of Daoist priest? Is he good-looking?”
Nowadays, everyone in the manor knew Shen Lanqing. Prince Li had also given orders stating that this was an honored guest of the manor. The steward didn’t observe Prince Li’s expression first as he used to, but replied directly, “This… he is good-looking, but he feels quite young. I don’t know how his skills are.”
Shen Lanqing said to Prince Li, “I’ll go take a look.”
Prince Li stopped him: “Wait, let’s go together.”
The two walked quickly to the gate, seeing a figure standing in front of the main entrance from a distance.
After seeing the person’s appearance clearly, their steps slowed down in unison.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Shen Lanqingâs eyes. “It’s not the Guanzhu.”
Prince Li also lost interest. “Go back?”
Shen Lanqing: “Since we’re already here, don’t you want to know what this Daoist priest has to say to you?”
Prince Li: “Do you want to know?”
Shen Lanqing was stunned for a moment. He was clearly the one asking, so why was he asked back?
In the moment he paused, Prince Li took it as his tacit agreement and said, “Let’s go.”
As he spoke, he naturally took Shen Lanqingâs hand and walked toward the person at the gate. Both had long legs, so the distance to the door was covered quickly.
Prince Li: “Does the Daoist priest have business?”
The Daoist priest cupped his hands in greeting. “This poor Daoist is Mo Yang. Wandering here, I observed a strange aura in the Prince’s Manor. There must be evil spirits causing trouble. I ask the Prince to allow me into the manor to exorcise the evil.”
After Mo Yang finished speaking, Prince Li and Shen Lanqing both fell into a brief silence. It was simply because this person’s tone was too direct, completely lacking the pretentiousness of other charlatans.
Instead, he seemed like a young man who had just come down from the mountain after cultivating for a long time.
Shen Lanqing: “Can the Daoist priest tell what kind of evil spirit it is?”
Mo Yang: “I need to enter the manor to inspect it before I can know.”
Prince Liâs brow revealed a subtle hint of impatience. Noticing this, Shen Lanqing said to him, “If you are tired, go rest first. I will inspect the residence with this Daoist Mo Yang.”
Prince Li: “Not tired. Together.”
Mo Yang: “I don’t need anyone to accompany me.”
Shen Lanqing: “That won’t do. The Prince’s Manor is very large. If the Daoist is alone, I worry you might get lost.”
Mo Yang: “I can fly over eaves and walk on walls; buildings are not obstacles.”
Shen Lanqingâs gentle and elegant smile became a bit stiff at these two sentences. This Daoist Mo Yang truly didn’t understand worldly wisdom. Was this a question of whether he would get lost?
How could a majestic Prince’s Manor allow an outsider to walk around freely inside? Naturally, someone had to follow him at all times.
Perhaps because his behavior was too green and reckless, it actually made people curious about what he wanted to do. Prince Li and Shen Lanqing really let him into the manor, and the two followed Mo Yang around.
Mo Yang strode at the very front, heading toward a specific place with a clear goal.
Shen Lanqing and the other followed leisurely behind him.
Suddenly, Mo Yang seemed to have discovered something. He turned his head to look at a wall, then rushed toward it swiftly. His body was light as a swallow, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped over the wall.
Shen Lanqing: “He really can fly over eaves and walk on walls.”
Prince Li: “I can too.”
Shen Lanqing: “Actually, I can do a little bit too.”
The two turned their heads to look at each other. After exchanging a glance, Shen Lanqing proposed, “Follow him to take a look?”
Prince Li: “Up to you.”
Shen Lanqing thought about the scene of them climbing over the wall together and shook his head. “Forget it, let’s use the door. You are a majestic Prince; climbing walls would look unseemly if outsiders saw it.”
While the two took the long way through the door, Mo Yang leaped over the wall and rushed toward the alley ahead with his sword in hand. After a few turns, he saw a figure full of evil aura. Instantly locking onto the target, he drew his sword and slashed.
The person bent over to dodge his sword, kicked the blade away, and swept his dark, gloomy eyes over Mo Yang, as if looking at a dead man.
Mo Yang immediately raised his vigilance, entering a state of full alert. Just as he was about to attack again, he heard footsteps approaching.
“Stop, leave this place!”
The footsteps did not stop but instead came closer, the pace without a hint of disorder.
Something’s wrong! Does this evil creature have an accomplice?!
Mo Yang distracted himself to look in the direction of the footsteps. He saw a newcomer with a clear and pure aura, handsome features, and a very steady and heavy presence. It gave him the feeling of seeing his own Master, and he almost called out “Senior” directly.
He didn’t have time to call out because the evil creature beside him rushed toward that person.
Mo Yang hurriedly chased with his sword. “Evil creature! Watch my sword!”
The evil creature hid behind the newcomer and said, “Wah, Guanzhu save me!”
Yun Wuxiang raised his hand, using a paper talisman to block Mo Yangâs blade.
Mo Yang had originally determined he was a senior from the Immortal Sects. Seeing him protect an evil creature, he immediately glared angrily. “Who are you? You clearly have the aura of orthodox Immortal Daoist arts, so why do you shield an evil creature?”
Song Yilou poked his head out from behind Yun Wuxiang. “Because this is my Contract Master. I am his most intimate contract pet.”
As he spoke, he rested a hand on Yun Wuxiangâs shoulder and rubbed his head against the man’s neck, resembling a clingy cat.
The talisman in Yun Wuxiangâs hand instantly transformed into a long sword, which he backhandedly plunged into Song Yilou’s head.
He then said to the dumbfounded Mo Yang, “A newly subdued evil creature, still not very obedient. Fellow Daoist need not pay attention.”
Mo Yang closed his gaping mouth, pursed his lips, and said, “Evil creatures are cunning and not suitable choices for contract pets. Fellow Daoist had better dispose of it properly.”
Yun Wuxiang nodded. “I will.”
“Hmph, where did this bad guy come from, trying to sow discord between us? Guanzhu, don’t listen to him. Don’t hit the face when hitting people; Guanzhu, I’m disfigured now.”
Song Yilou backed away on his own, pulling his head off the blade. He leaned close to Yun Wuxiang again, the wound on his foreheadâwhich looked like a third eye had openedâhealing slowly. This scene once again aroused Mo Yangâs vigilance, and his grip on the sword tightened involuntarily.
This evil creature is truly bizarre.
His gaze fell on Yun Wuxiang again. To take such an evil creature as a contract pet, this person is also definitely not ordinary.
While Mo Yang observed the two, Yun Wuxiang was also sizing him up. From the phrase “aura of orthodox Immortal Daoist arts,” he was certain that Mo Yang was a stowaway from the Immortal Realm.
However, looking at this person’s appearance, he didn’t seem like someone who had been exiled.
Seeing Song Yilou and immediately slashingâhe was definitely an upright figure of the orthodox path.
For the time being, he was not a target that needed to be killed.
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