However, Miao Qing’s appearance also made Chen Qing realize that she no longer needed to continue gathering information in the village.
After all, the ordinary people in the village didn’t know much about Gu techniques, and further investigation wouldn’t yield much.
Miao Qing, who had revealed her identity as a Gu Master, was actually the best avenue right now for understanding Gu techniques, but Chen Qing didn’t consider it for a second.
After all, this Traitorous Shizun had provoked the other woman’s daughter.
She absolutely wouldn’t give the Traitorous Shizun any more opportunities to interact with that girl.
But just because Chen Qing didn’t want to didn’t mean Su Mu didn’t.
Although she was usually a bit silly, Su Mu had picked up on the fact during Chen Qing and Miao Qing’s conversation that Miao Qing knew a lot about Gu techniques.
It was very likely the exact Gu technique she wanted to learn herself.
However, while the thought tempted her, the relationship between the two of them was now completely frozen solid.
According to those kids, Xiao Meng was still holed up in her room, refusing to eat.
If she went to her now to learn Gu techniques, she definitely wouldn’t teach her. It was all the fault of this damn Villain.
Su Mu shot a depressed glare at Chen Qing.
Unexpectedly, Chen Qing—who was walking ahead—turned around as if she had eyes in the back of her head and looked right at her.
“What’s wrong? Upset that Shizun can’t go comfort Xiao Meng? Is Shizun angry now?”
Although Chen Qing’s face bore a smile, the chill in her eyes was on the verge of spilling over.
“No, it’s not!”
Su Mu hurriedly waved her hands in denial. Given Chen Qing’s gaze, if she dared utter a single “yes” right now, she absolutely wouldn’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow.
“How about it?”
While Su Mu was frantically denying it, in one of the ordinary small courtyards,
Miao Qing, who had just left, sat in the courtyard of an ordinary woman’s home. The woman held a basket full of herbs that needed sorting.
“No use. That person’s really obsessed with Gu techniques. A technique that brings so much suffering—why do so many people want to learn it?”
Miao Qing said helplessly to the woman.
The woman didn’t respond. Instead, she looked at her with gossip in her eyes.
“Isn’t your family’s Xiao Meng sweet on that kid who was with her? Just slip her a Lovesick Gu, and that kid will be Xiao Meng’s. Still crying in her room—no backbone.”
“You say that easily. That person could massacre the village with her sword. Could you stop her?”
Miao Qing’s words made a flicker of wariness flash in the eyes of the woman sorting the herbs.
If it had been some ordinary martial arts expert coveting Gu techniques, they’d probably be buried under the soil by now.
But a figure who surpassed even a Grandmaster was living in the village and wanted their secret hereditary techniques.
It was like installing a nuclear bomb in your home that could go off at any moment—far too terrifying.
“Let the Clan Leader worry about this. I haven’t finished drying my herbs yet.”
Miao Qing watched the middle-aged woman bow her head to dry the herbs and fell into thought.
Chen Qing brought Su Mu back to their residence. There wasn’t much progress on the Gu techniques for the time being.
But she had expected as much—learning Gu techniques definitely wouldn’t be as easy as she’d hoped.
However, she could now confirm that those people in the village were Gu Masters.
After all, the faint energy on Miao Qing’s body wasn’t something every Ancient Miao tribesman possessed.
Anyone with that kind of energy on them was one of the village’s Gu Masters.
On the way back, she had also run into two other Gu Masters, though they weren’t as strong as Miao Qing.
Right now, she was preparing to make some “friendly” contact with them.
Miao Qing could probably never dream that the Grandmaster could be this terrifying.
Even faint traces of energy inside their bodies couldn’t escape her perception.
The Ancient Miao Tribe’s Clan Leader and Miao Qing still confidently believed
that aside from her, the village’s other Gu Masters were well hidden.
Chen Qing definitely wasn’t going to bring Su Mu along when she went to contact those mysterious Gu Masters.
After all, even as a Grandmaster, Gu techniques still held some mystery for her.
She couldn’t let this Silly Shizun take any risks.
“Stay put at home. If you dare sneak out…”
Chen Qing gave Su Mu a cold look, the warning in her eyes plain as day.
“Got it.”
Seeing how serious Chen Qing’s gaze was, Su Mu quickly nodded obediently.
Chen Qing eyed the docile Su Mu. After the harsh lesson she’d given this Silly Shizun last night, she refused to believe the Traitorous Shizun was that unteachable.
Chen Qing left, leaving Su Mu in the house.
Su Mu slumped dejectedly onto the stone table in the courtyard. Counter-killing the Villain was looking more and more hopeless by the minute.
If she waited any longer and Chen Qing mastered that terrifying Gu technique, she would truly be done for.
As Su Mu pondered what kind of inhumane fate awaited her once Chen Qing controlled her with Gu techniques,
she caught sight from the corner of her eye of a black-and-white creature quietly emerging from the woods.
Startled, Su Mu bolted to the utility room and snatched up a large wooden stick.
But just as she tensed up to fight the black-and-white intruder, she realized it looked familiar.
Wasn’t this Ah Meng? Though its fur was messy and matted in places.
Ah Meng eyed the wooden stick raised in Su Mu’s hand and gazed up at her with big, aggrieved eyes.
Seeing Ah Meng stirred up that same strange awkwardness in Su Mu as seeing Xiao Meng had.
But since it was Ah Meng, Su Mu lowered the stick.
Once Ah Meng saw Su Mu set down her weapon, it waddled its plump body over to the courtyard fence.
Ah Meng pawed anxiously at the fence, glancing back repeatedly.
“You’re calling me to come out?”
Seeing that Su Mu got it, Ah Meng nodded.
Su Mu watched Ah Meng’s startlingly human-like movements and even wondered if some big brother had transmigrated into this panda.
But she had heard that smart animals could learn and mimic human gestures.
Ah Meng had grown up at Xiao Meng’s side, so a touch of humanization made sense.
Facing the adorably dumb and silly-looking Ah Meng, Su Mu’s guard relaxed a little. She stepped out of the courtyard and approached it.
Ah Meng chomped down on Su Mu’s sleeve and tugged her toward the woods.
Su Mu yanked at her sleeve, trapped in Ah Meng’s mouth, but it held on tight.
And from the looks of it, Ah Meng wouldn’t let up today unless she followed.
Su Mu trailed Ah Meng into the woods, guessing at the panda’s intentions the whole way.
Ah Meng was smart. Had it noticed Xiao Meng refusing food for days and figured out it was her fault, so now it wanted to drag her over for an apology?
But since this bear had “kidnapped” her, it didn’t count as sneaking out. The Villain would have no grounds to punish her.
At that thought, Su Mu’s clear eyes lit up.
Her little brain was pretty sharp after all—not only could she get out, but she’d leave the Villain with nothing to say.
After leading Su Mu into a thicket in the woods and walking a bit farther, Ah Meng stopped under a large tree and didn’t budge.
“Ah Meng, what’s up? Why’d you stop?”
Su Mu looked at the motionless Ah Meng, a bad feeling rising in her heart.
