80. Huansheng Gu
Gong Yiling’s nerves were on edge. Just as she was about to reach her destination, someone pulled her into an alley.
If it weren’t for the unconscious Leng Yuli on her back, she would have already attacked.
However, the hands covering her mouth were surprisingly soft, and the person’s scent was familiar, suggesting it was someone she knew.
When she looked closely, she realized it was…
“Chuyue!?”
Yes.
Gong Yiling never would have expected to be pulled into an alley by Yan Chuyue.
“What are you doing here?”
“I arrived with Auntie Mu today.” Yan Chuyue said, peeking out from the alley. “Auntie Mu said she wanted to cook for you, so I came to the market to buy some things for her and happened to see you.”
“However…”
She turned and looked at Gong Yiling with concern. “What’s wrong? How did you not notice you were being followed?”
Followed?
Miss Gong raised an eyebrow.
She had been preoccupied with the reason for the attack, not paying attention to her surroundings.
Now that Chuyue mentioned it, Gong Yiling set down Leng Yuli and also peeked out of the alley.
“Don’t bother looking. They probably lost you and are gone.” Yan Chuyue then looked at the girl leaning against the wall. “Is this… Leng Yuli? What happened to her?”
“She was shot by an arrow. Why else do you think I’m carrying her?” Gong Yiling turned to Yan Chuyue, then quickly pulled out the arrow that had injured her and handed it to her. “This is it. It’s poisoned, but I don’t know what kind of poison it is. And Yuli doesn’t seem to have any major problems, she’s just sleepy.”
“Wait, let me see.”
Yan Chuyue took the arrow, touched the residue on it, and sniffed.
“This is… the scent of peaches?”
She closed her eyes for a while (actually searching for the corresponding item in her Divine Physician’s space), then opened them.
“It’s… Gu poison?”
“Gu poison?” Gong Yiling’s PTSD flared up.
After her recent encounter with the Divine King’s Court, Miss Gong had a deep impression of it.
Gu poison was a real pain. Fortunately, she had Yan Chuyue. Otherwise, she would be completely at a loss.
“Is there a way to cure it—that Nine-Tailed Min?”
“Yes, but…” Yan Chuyue crossed her arms and mumbled, “Yiling, do you remember I told you that not all Gu are poisons?”
“Yeah, you did say that.”
“The Gu Miss Leng is infected with is one of those that can’t even be considered a poison. It’s called Huansheng Gu.”
“Huansheng Gu?” Gong Yiling frowned, puzzled. “What’s that?”
“It’s also a product of the Mingjue Sect, but because it’s not lethal, it was abandoned long ago.” Yan Chuyue said, “Its effect is to put a person into a permanent deep sleep, but in that sleep—”
Yan Chuyue took out a large saber from somewhere and slashed at Leng Yuli.
The action was frightening, but with a “clang,” Leng Yuli’s body was unharmed, and the saber broke.
“Huh?” Gong Yiling was stunned.
This effect, in a game… was it the legendary “invincible while asleep”?
“You see? This Gu’s effect is to give you a super-regenerating turtle shell. Sleep is just a side effect.” Yan Chuyue shrugged. “Not just this spiritual artifact. Only a Heavenly Soul cultivator with a high-grade Immortal Artifact could break through this Gu’s defense.”
This… such a thing existed?
Seeing Gong Yiling’s speechless expression, Yan Chuyue said calmly, “Gu are all sorts of strange things. The reason they’re called ‘Gu poison’ is because of the Mingjue Sect.”
“So, are you going to use the Nine-Tailed Min to cure her?”
Mmm… that was a question.
Maintaining this state until the end of this incident would be beneficial for Leng Yuli.
But the problem was… who would be so foolish as to use this on Leng Yuli or herself?
If it were a deadly poison, it could be the work of the Divine King’s Court’s spies in the Baiyao Dynasty.
But the reality was, it wasn’t.
And this Gu, which could be considered a benefit, didn’t seem like something those bloodsuckers would come up with.
“How difficult is it to cultivate this Gu?”
“Difficult. It takes three hundred years for a larva to become an adult, and the extraction of the adult’s mucus is also a long process. The amount on this arrowhead alone would take at least three to five hundred years to produce.”
“Mmm…” Hearing this, Gong Yiling looked at the sleeping Leng Yuli and sighed. “Let’s leave it for now. We won’t use the Nine-Tailed Min on her yet.”
“Is it because of the danger?”
“Her identity is a bit special. If it’s exposed, the entire Baiyao Dynasty’s upper echelon will see her as a threat.”
Well… Yan Chuyue sighed, resigned.
It was clear that in her original setting, Leng Yuli was just a tragic character, with no other secrets.
But hearing Gong Yiling say this, she understood.
It seemed Leng Yuli had also been given a setting that the author couldn’t comprehend.
“What has happened during this time? Let’s talk while we walk.”
“Mmm.”
On the way, there were many other things that shocked the author.
But the Eight Desolations Sword Alliance and the Eight Desolations Sword Master, that was her original setting—she hadn’t written that part yet, but it was already planned.
In the original setting, the Eight Desolations Sword Alliance and the Eight Desolations Sword Master were two opposing factions, with no clear right or wrong. And the true inheritor of the Eight Desolations Sword Master was supposed to be the male lead, Jiang Chenmo.
But now, the setting of the Eight Desolations Sword Master was just a shell, with all the secrets being new additions.
It even connected the Eight Desolations Sword Alliance with the Baiyao royal family.
Although this additional setting seemed strange to the author, she had to admit that the story and the twists were quite good.
And after hearing Miss Gong’s full description, what was the author’s opinion on this suddenly appearing Yue Huasheng?
“Based on my professional assessment, this person doesn’t sound like a two-faced traitor, but more like a mastermind behind the scenes.”
Based on her professional assessment… well, the head of the assassins should be a good judge of character.
