“Something’s not right?”
Luanyu, who was following closely behind him, was the first to hear this and questioned in confusion, “What’s not right?”
The slightly lagging pair of Yingzi and Baji, as well as Chunyan, also cast questioning looks at Xu Qi’an.
What wasn’t right?
Because it was too simple. Xu Pingfeng knew the importance of the shaman clans, and their choice could very well determine the result of the war in the Central Plains.
Such an important force, yet only a single disciple was sent, with nothing more than verbal promises and a few tempting conditions that the shaman clans could not refuse… Yes, those terms were enough to make them accept the alliance. If he himself had not intervened, the alliance between the shaman clans and Yunzhou would have already gone smoothly.
But, Xu Pingfeng was aware that he was in the Southern Marches.
Furthermore, the way he had collected Dragon Qi while travelling through the martial world hinged on his bizarre and powerful Gu arts, Xu Pingfeng must have known this information.
For someone so calculating, intent on seizing the Central Plains, would he really overlook such extraordinary Gu techniques?
Xu Pingfeng may not know exactly what the Sevenfold Gu is, but he could definitely guess that my Gu arts originated from an arrangement left behind by Heaven Gu Grandma. I had ties to the shaman clans and was in the Southern Marches, and with how important the shaman clans were, yet he sent only a disciple to persuade them…
This clearly isn’t Xu Pingfeng’s style.
Having reasoned through this, Xu Qi’an came to a conclusion:
Either Xu Pingfeng had another objective, or he had some way to restrain the shaman clans, ensuring the alliance failed and their experts dared not leave the Southern Marches.
Following this line of reasoning, it was not hard to guess Xu Pingfeng’s means of restraining the shaman clans, the Abyss.
At this thought, Xu Qi’an turned and walked back to Heaven Gu Grandma, saying,
“Grandma, I remember you once said that the Heaven Gu elder joined hands with Xu Pingfeng to steal the fate of the nation, in order to repair the Sage’s statue and seal the Gu God.”
Hearing him speak of matters relating to the Gu God, Luanyu, who had chased after him, put away her flirtatious manner and became serious.
The other chieftains, including Chunyan, also showed a grave expression as they looked at him and Heaven Gu Grandma.
Heaven Gu Grandma simply nodded:
“That’s right. Everything the shaman clans have done is to seal the Gu God.”
Luanyu hugged Xu Qi’an’s arm,
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
Her Central Plains dialect was imperfect, but her voice was soft and smooth, with the sensuality of a mature woman.
“The Abyss. The Jianzheng’s first disciple’s objective is the the Abyss.”
Xu Qi’an did not conceal anything. He cut straight to the point: “If Yunzhou and the shaman clans fail to form an alliance, he will most likely attempt to shake the Sage’s seal.”
The Heart Gu Master, Chunyan, shook her head slightly. “The Sage’s seal cannot be so easily disturbed. Even Grandma herself cannot shake it.”
Several leaders nodded, giving Xu Qi’an a look, thinking he worried too much.
Xu Qi’an’s face grew grave, and he said solemnly,
“Don’t ignore my words. The Sage’s seal is tied to fortune. That was the reason why the Heaven Gu elder set out to steal the fate of the Great Feng.”
Pausing, he scanned the faces of the chieftains:
“Arcanists have even greater command over fortune than the Confucians.”
Luanyu and the others’ expressions changed subtly.
Xu Qi’an continued, “Xu Pingfeng may not intend to break the seal, but he must have some goal. We must not be careless, head to the the Abyss at once.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the chieftains rode the wind one after another, heading towards the the Abyss with gloomy faces.
…
“So strong it almost brings despair…”
Deep within the primeval forest, Ge Wenxuan leapt through the miasma-filled woods, recalling the battle he had just witnessed. He was overcome with emotion.
When Xu Qi’an defeated the five chieftains of the shaman clans, the first feeling that surged within Ge Wenxuan was immense anger and frustration. Five beyond-mortal experts had acted together, only to be suppressed by that Xu, who subdued them with little cost.
Then, anger and frustration were replaced by fear, and a powerful urge to retreat.
To leave the Southern Marches and never return.
But he still had a task unfinished. Now that the alliance had failed, the next phase of the plan would begin.
Ge Wenxuan’s mind echoed with his teacher’s instruction before departure:
If Xu Qi’an intervenes and the alliance fails, take my item to the the Abyss.
My teacher truly is a master of strategy. If one plan fails, he has another. He never leaves empty-handed…
Relying on agile movement, Ge Wenxuan sometimes dashed through the forest, sometimes leapt along the treetops.
The poisonous creatures and beasts along the way gave him a wide berth, rustling away from him.
Ge Wenxuan specialised in formations and tactics, but as a mere fifth-rank Transforming Force and sixth-rank alchemist, he should not have been able to penetrate deep into the primeval forest.
But never forget, the ninth rank of the arcanist system was “Physician”; medicine and poison go hand in hand. He had taken antidote pills in advance, making him unafraid of the miasma.
He then applied insect-repelling powder.
Only thus could he delve into the region shrouded by the power of poison Gu, reaching the the Abyss.
In any other area, he would have been killed by Gu insects and beasts before even approaching the the Abyss.
Gradually, the trees around him thinned out, and the ground was exposed in large patches of black earth, like enormous stains.
But as Ge Wenxuan passed through this forest, a great rift appeared ahead of him. Its width was immeasurablej even as Ge Wenxuan stared into the distance, he could not see the opposite side.
The edge of the rift was not steep, but rather a gentle slope descending ever downward.
“The plants have started to become deformed…”
Ge Wenxuan stood at the edge of the rift, peering down. He saw a cluster of shrubs growing on the slope to the lower left. The leaves of the shrubs looked like tiny baby hands, and the flowers blooming among them resembled the smiling faces of children.
The primeval forest outside the rift was also filled with mutant plants, but their appearance was not as grotesque.
Ge Wenxuan removed the brocade pouch hanging at his waist. While remaining vigilant of his surroundings, he took out several magical artefacts.
An amulet forged from brass hung over his chest, emitting a faint yellow glow that spread outwards, giving a sense of great weight. This was an exceptional protective magical artefact.
Next, he swallowed a detoxification pill and smeared his body with a powder that repelled poisonous insects. Then, he placed a white jade leaf in his mouth. A spicy taste spread across his tongue, making his spirit greatly heightened. This was to guard against the Heart Gu manipulating his soul.
The third magical artefact was a flag, pitch-black as ink, emitting a nauseating stench of corpses. The shaft was made from white bone, and the banner itself was human skin, turned black from being soaked in blood for too long.
This flag was named the Yin-Gathering Banner, capable of summoning souls, raising ghosts, and controlling corpses.
“Right, I must also guard against the Desire Gu.”
Lastly, Ge Wenxuan took out a set of silver needles. With nimble fingers, he accurately inserted them into several acupuncture points on his abdomen, waist, and back.
The purpose of the needling was not to block the aphrodisiac, but to cut off part of his bodily functions, so that should he be poisoned, he would feel absolutely no ‘interest’, a temporary form of self-castration.
The side effect was that, for the next half-year, he probably would not feel any such ‘interest’ at all.
As long as you are ruthless enough with yourself, no one could defeat you.
All these magical artefacts had been gifts from his teacher, each of extraordinary value and status.
Once everything was ready, Ge Wenxuan proceeded down the gentle slope, delving deeper into the abyss.
After descending for about ten minutes, a sharp whooshing sound cut through the air. Ge Wenxuan performed a neat one-armed cartwheel, dodging an attack from the side.
When he steadied himself and looked back, he saw that the assailant was a small black-scaled snake, only a foot long, with two little horns on its forehead. Its dark gold vertical pupils were filled with ferocity.
Missing its target, the little snake leapt again, turning itself into a shrieking arrow, shooting straight at Ge Wenxuan.
As a fifth rank Transforming Force expert, Ge Wenxuan drew a short blade with a reverse grip and cut the snake in two.
“Plop…”
The snake was cut in half, writhing madly on the ground. From the cut surfaced a sticky, silk-like substance, as if trying to force the two halves back together.
Strength Gu, not very strong… Ge Wenxuan calmly watched the snake struggle for a moment before it finally died.
At that moment, a dense rain of arrows came whistling from both sides and from below the slope.
Whirr, whirr, whirr… The arrow rain struck the shield of light created by the amulet over his heart, producing ripples of glowing light.
With the arrow rain overhead, Ge Wenxuan ducked his head and ran, leaving the swarm of snakes behind.
If it hadn’t been for the protection of the amulet, that earlier wave of ‘arrows’ would likely have killed him. Even with Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, he would have been injured escaping.
And he had only just entered the abyss.
Shame that the Qi-watching technique can’t be used here, so I can’t avoid the dangers in advance. If I were to use Qi-watching, then I would inevitably see the qi of the Gu God, and looking at the qi of a beyond-rank would instantly shatter my soul… Ge Wenxuan grew even more cautious, maintaining a steady, moderate pace as he descended.
After another cup of tea’s worth of time creeping downward, evading many attacks from venomous insects and fierce beasts along the way, the light around him gradually dimmed.
Suddenly, Ge Wenxuan caught a whiff of a cloying sweet scent. His heart began to race and his blood surged. He knew he had been poisoned by desire Gu aphrodisiac.
The frantic beating of his heart made him dizzy, but that was all. The powerful aphrodisiac failed to ignite any forbidden thoughts in him. His lower body was as steady as Mount Tai, utterly unmoved.
He looked around and saw the Gu beast that had released the aphrodisiac at him. It was a black-furred animal, shaped like a dog.
When it saw Ge Wenxuan looking, it turned around and presented its rear to the white-robed human, trying to lure him with its “secret weapon”.
…The corner of Ge Wenxuan’s mouth twitched, but his face remained expressionless as he skirted around the side, ignoring the “black dog’s” secret weapon without being tempted in the slightest.
He continued down the slope. Along the way, he was beset by attacks from Dark Gu, hunted by Strength Gu, tempted by Desire Gu, manipulated by Heart Gu, and even encountered a group of walking corpses, but each time, he passed safely.
At last, he arrived at a flat area.
The light here was already extremely dim, like twilight just before nightfall.
Beyond the flat expanse was a real cliff, and beneath that cliff lay the sleeping Gu God.
This was the end of the slope.
Ge Wenxuan saw a tall statue standing at the edge of the cliff.
The figure wore a long robe and a tall Confucian cap, with one hand folded behind his back, the other resting on his abdomen, his head slightly bowed, gazing into the depths of the abyss below.
The Confucian Sage… The name flashed through Ge Wenxuan’s mind. His expression turned humble and respectful.
“The Confucian Sage truly did seal the Gu God.”
He had long known of this, but seeing the statue of the Confucian Sage standing watch here still left him deeply shaken.
“Sage above, Ge Wenxuan, a junior of the human race, pays his respects.”
He straightened his clothing and bowed deeply to the statue of the Confucian Sage.
“My sincerest apologies…”
Ge Wenxuan once again took out his brocade pouch, producing two items: a brass plate engraved with the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements, and a scale emitting a faint white glow.
Some ten metres behind him, well-hidden, a yellow-furred monkey with a colourful bead bracelet on its hand quietly watched the scene unfold.
It neither approached nor tried to stop him.
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