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CHAPTER 25: The Thousand-Year Gu King
At this moment, every servant and maid in the Su household had quietly gone into hiding. They knew all too well that the search for a bride to "bring luck" to the Eldest Young Master was a sham the girls were actually tributes for Madam Zi.
The Su family was immensely wealthy but eccentric; people vanished there without a sound. Madam Zi was a woman of supreme vanity, a beauty of a thousand charms. Yet, many years ago, she had been anything but beautiful; she had been, in fact, quite ugly.
In the Hehuan Sect, both men and women were typically peerless beauties. Madam Zi was the sole exception, and more damningly, she bore a large purple birthmark on her face. Back then, the members of the sect mockingly called her "Purple Girl." Perhaps because of this, she threw herself into the study of venomous Gu and dark sorcery, achieving a mastery of the sinister arts that far surpassed even her sister, the Sect Leader.
At some unknown point, "Purple Girl" married into the Su family and became Madam Zi. Su Baishan was madly infatuated with this ordinary-looking woman despite her birthmark; he defied all opposition to make her the mistress of the Su estate.
Initially, the servants knew of her homeliness. But as the years passed, Madam Zi grew more radiant, and the ugly birthmark vanished. However, as her beauty bloomed, more and more maids disappeared into the underground. By the time the original staff had been entirely replaced, no one was left who knew of Madam Zi's past.
The servants, the slaves, and even the steward knew one cardinal rule: never make a mistake. Those who did were dragged underground, never to be seen again.
Only after nightfall did the steward approach Madam Zi’s door, fawning, "Madam, there is a very beautiful 'Miss Yan' today. She will surely satisfy you!"
Madam Zi looked at the faint spots beginning to surface on her skin and asked fretfully, "Truly?"
Upon the steward's fervent assurance, Madam Zi felt a spark of interest. She placed her hand in his and set off eagerly to "consume" her prize.
Madam Zi’s beauty and power were both derived from the Gu King. Raising this Gu King was an arduous task; while it could subsist on regular humans, every fifty years, it required the nourishment of women with "Pure Yin" constitutions. Furthermore, once the Gu King consumed a woman, Madam Zi could assume that woman's beautiful face.
Having been injured recently, she needed to feed the Gu King even more Pure Yin women. The criteria were strict; she had screened candidates under the guise of the propitiatory wedding for ages and had only found eight. To avoid suspicion, she had picked sixteen to confuse onlookers. After such painstaking effort, the time to feast had finally arrived.
Madam Zi pushed open the door with frantic anticipation. She had to recover quickly, find a way to resurrect her son, and then avenge her beloved Baishan!
However, the moment she opened the door, her heightened senses, the result of being near one with her insects, detected a familiar aura. She couldn't quite place it. She stepped toward the "bride," wanting to see if the face was truly as peerless as the steward claimed.
In a flash of realization, Madam Zi remembered. She was familiar with this aura because she had traded blows with this person not long ago!
Her pupils shrank. She retreated instantly, crashing through the window and fleeing into the night sky!
The moment Madam Zi had entered the room, Yan Xueyi had planted a trace of demonic qi on her. Madam Zi had to be eliminated today, but more important was the Gu King. He grabbed Chao Jinsui’s arm, transformed into a cloud of black mist, and surged into the night in pursuit! Hong Niang followed close behind.
Madam Zi was fast. Knowing the layout of the Su estate perfectly, she vanished into the shadows. The black mist gave chase, but she flickered out of sight around a corner.
It was a shrine the Su Family Ancestral Hall. White funeral banners still hung there; since Su Baishan’s death, this was the only place in the estate that bore the marks of mourning. It seemed Madam Zi loved her son deeply but cared little for her husband.
Yan Xueyi landed, sensing the location of his demonic qi. "Incorrect. She is nearby."
But there was no one around. He pondered for a moment. "She's underground."
Hong Niang finally understood why she hadn't found anything despite circling the estate the true horror lay beneath the surface. This shrine was likely the entrance. However, the room was filled with nothing but identical ancestral tablets.
The demon lord glanced at Chao Jinsui.
Chao Jinsui fell into thought. This basement likely wasn't Madam Zi’s doing but a legacy of the original Su manor. Madam Zi was hiding here because she knew demons generally lacked expertise in formations. Unfortunately for her, she was being pursued by Chao Jinsui, who hailed from a prestigious sect.
The Kunlun Sword Sect’s education was systematic and vast; a common formation was no match for its Young Sect Leader. She circled the four cardinal directions and found a specific tablet. She touched it; there was no dust.
She reversed her sword and thrust it down, chanting:
"Three Wonders of Heaven: Sun, Moon, and Star. Piercing the heavens and the earth, shocking ghosts and gods. All gods bow their heads, and evil spirits flee without end. Six Jia and Six Ding, hear my command!"
"BREAK!"
It was a highly effective Earth-Breaking Charm. With a thunderous boom, a massive entrance appeared in the ground.
The three of them said nothing more as they stepped into the subterranean tunnel. The long passage was empty, echoing only with their footsteps. Suddenly, Yan Xueyi paused. He instinctively yanked Chao Jinsui back just as the world tilted!
The passage floor dropped away! Madam Zi had realized the palace had been breached. Her voice echoed, dripping with malice:
"Since you are so eager to die, I shall fulfill your wish!"
Black liquid began to seep onto the floor, hissing as it corroded the stone. A drop splashed onto Hong Niang’s hem, instantly burning through the fabric.
Hong Niang’s face paled. "Careful! This is the Gu's venom!"
Guang Ping had said this insect was at least a thousand years old. The sheer volume of venom accumulated over a millennium was staggering. The liquid was rising rapidly, flooding the narrow stone chamber. Chao Jinsui touched the walls and found them made of Fine Iron—a material used in sword-forging, famed for being "indestructible."
Madam Zi’s laughter grew shrill. As they lost their footing to the rising tide of venom, Yan Xueyi leaped up, floating in mid-air with Hong Niang. Chao Jinsui stood balanced atop the Kunlun Sword.
"If it keeps rising, this room will be full," she noted.
Yan Xueyi frowned. He and Hong Niang were demons, but Chao Jinsui was human; she couldn't withstand the toxicity of this liquid.
Chao Jinsui spoke suddenly: "This iron is hard, but the only thing harder... is a sword forged from it."
Not just the Kunlun Sword; the Demon-Subduing Sword was also a divine weapon. She looked at the cracks in the ceiling. She had just learned the third realm, the Thousand-Jin Realm, and was eager to test it. However, if she used her sword to pry open the ceiling, she would have nowhere to stand.
The Demon Lord looked at her. "Get on."
Without a word, she climbed onto his back. "Hold tight."
Finding no better handhold, she grabbed his demon horns.
The Demon Lord: "..." He froze. Demon horns were sensitive. He tilted his head uncomfortably but didn't shake her off.
He drew the Demon-Subduing Sword. Chao Jinsui instinctively reached out to touch the blade that had accompanied her for many years, but the sword immediately struck her hand and buzzed angrily. It seemed to be screaming: Fickle! You want to touch me now? No way!
The Demon Lord snorted triumphantly.
Chao Jinsui: "..." She turned to touch the Kunlun Sword, but the Sword Spirit in her sea of consciousness gave a snide huff. You touched another sword and now you come to me? Unfaithful!
Sigh. Why are all good swords so temperamental?
Both the Kunlun and Demon-Subduing swords stabbed into the ceiling cracks! Chao Jinsui closed her eyes, recalling the sensation of resisting the "Mount Tai" pressure from her training. Her expression grew solemn, sweat beading on her brow.
Slowly, the iron groaned and split!
The Demon Lord was naturally powerful. Unlike Chao Jinsui, who used elegant sword arts, he relied on pure, unadulterated brute force. Using the gap opened by the Kunlun Sword, he thrust the Demon-Subduing Sword deep and pried open a massive hole!
Hong Niang, unable to help without a sword, kept watch on the floor. "The venom is rising faster!"
Seeing her trap being dismantled, Madam Zi had increased the flow. She sneered, "Foolish! You’ll all stay here!"
The Demon Lord’s expression grew worse and worse. Hong Niang’s heart skipped a beat, thinking he was reaching his limit. Instead, the Lord, his veins bulging from exertion, reached back and smacked Chao Jinsui.
"Hold on tight! Don't wiggle!"
Chao Jinsui: "..." Controlling the Kunlun Sword with the third realm required all her focus. She had instinctively gripped his horns and accidentally tugged several strands of his hair. She apologized sincerely: "I didn't mean it."
She tried to let go, but he barked: "I didn't say let go! Don't you dare fall!"
Hong Niang: "..." She decided to pretend she didn't exist, her eyes darting between the Lord and the cold sword cultivator before she let out a muffled giggle.
Finally, Madam Zi snapped. The venom surged up, nearly touching their soles!
The Demon Lord finally turned his attention to the liquid. He frowned deeply, then activated his Shura Path, dragging out Su Liuyun’s scorched soul. With a chilling smile, he dunked the soul into the venom.
The soul screamed in agony! Madam Zi recognized it instantly. "My son! My son! Let him go! Stop it!"
The Demon Lord began "dunking" the soul like a ball. Madam Zi’s screams were sharper than her son’s. The tactic worked; the venom immediately began to recede. Yan Xueyi pushed the soul down, and the liquid retreated. He raised an eyebrow, looking like he was actually enjoying himself.
Until she tugged his horn: "Stop playing. It's almost open!"
He stuffed the soul back into the Shura Path. Soon, fresh air rushed in. The chamber was breached!
They emerged back into the tunnels of the underground palace. Ahead, Chao Jinsui spotted a hairpin on the ground. The passage was terrifying, marked by numerous drag marks. Among the gruesome trails, a beautiful, translucent green jade hairpin stood out.
She picked it up and recognized it immediately, it belonged to Ling Yun. Ling Yun had come with Chao Xiaotu; she was an inner-sect disciple Chao Taichu had sent to keep watch.
Chao Jinsui had a good memory. Ling Yun had been wearing this very hairpin when she and Wuya had seen her off at the mountain gate. Chao Xiaotu had been kicked into the lake, so Jinsui assumed Ling Yun would have been sent away with her. Why was she here?
Madam Zi wouldn't touch Chao Xiaotu, the Sect Leader's daughter was too valuable as a hostage. Ling Yun should have been safe.
"Was Chao Xiaotu among the eight girls?" she asked Hong Niang.
"No," Hong Niang shook her head. "But I remember someone was making a scene wanting to see Madam Zi earlier... likely that 'Xiaotu' person?"
Chao Jinsui gripped the hairpin. "Hurry. There might still be time!"
Yan Xueyi also remembered Ling Yun, mostly because he cared about Wuya and had noted the girl standing next to him. Seeing Jinsui’s distress, he grabbed her wrist and transformed into black mist, streaking toward the depths of the palace.
Soon, they found the Gu King and Madam Zi. It was a massive underground chamber, three stories high, wide as a training field. It was a place designed for a behemoth.
They finally saw the true form of the Gu King. A Gu is made by putting various venomous insects in a jar to devour each other until one remains. This millennial Gu of the Hehuan Sect was a gargantuan spider. It had sixteen legs, was pitch black, and was covered in jagged barbs. It occupied two-thirds of the hall.
The room was draped in webs, a true arachnid nest.
"Give me my son!" Madam Zi shrieked. Thousands of silk threads shot toward them, gleaming with a cold, poisonous light.
In an instant, the Demon Lord flickered forward, leaving eight afterimages in his wake! He tangled the threads around his ten fingers, sneered, and yanked with terrifying force!
The massive spider let out a piercing hiss as it was dragged several meters across the floor. The "unbreakable" silk snapped like cotton thread. He opened his dark phoenix eyes, and black flames erupted, racing up the remaining threads toward the Gu King!
Madam Zi screamed in agony. The spider sprayed venom to quench the flames. But Madam Zi, her mind cleared by the son’s scream, finally realized the truth. Those were the flames of Karma, Hellfire. And who could drag a soul from the cycle of reincarnation?
Only one person: The Demon Lord, Yan Xueyi.
Madam Zi was afraid of death. She was heartbroken for her son, but she also knew that as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.
Faced with a formidable foe, Madam Zi no longer wished to continue the fight! She had fused herself with the Gu King, but she had to escape. Gritting her teeth, she severed the connection.
With a spray of blinding venom to cover her retreat, Madam Zi fled into the tunnels like a madwoman. The Demon Lord didn't hesitate. He drew a circle of Hellfire on the ground to protect Chao Jinsui and Hong Niang, then vanished in pursuit.
Madam Zi is very good at escaping, and after recognizing Yan Xueyi, she used almost all of her skills for one purpose, to escape!
We absolutely cannot let her go now, otherwise, given Madam Zi's unorthodox methods, she might find another place to hide.
In the palace, after Madam Zi severed the bond, the Gu King let out a deafening roar. Deprived of a portion of its power and wracked with pain, it went berserk. It hungered for flesh to recover. It had many cocoons, but it wanted more.
Yet, it dared not approach the circle of Hellfire. It could only glare with its emerald eyes and hiss.
Chao Jinsui wasn't looking at the spider. She was looking at the ground. There lay an inconspicuous sword, standard Kunlun Sect Sword. Ling Yun hadn't reached the Golden Core stage yet, so she didn't have a personal sword from the Sword Tomb. The blade lay abandoned near a trail of drag marks.
"Miss, what is it?" Hong Niang asked.
Chao Jinsui whispered, "I can't feel her aura. Ling Yun was dragged in here, but her aura is gone."
Hong Niang went silent, looking awkward. To a demon, death was common. But she knew this human was different, she had a good heart.
"Hong Niang, I want to retrieve Ling Yun's remains."
"Miss Chao, your soul is unstable! Wait for the Lord to return!"
Even without Madam Zi's control, the mindless beast was dangerous.
Chao Jinsui looked at her hands. She wondered why Ling Yun had followed Chao Xiaotu. The others were outer-sect disciples, but Ling Yun was an inner-sect genius. Chao Taichu would never treat an inner-sect disciple as a mere servant; it would cause an uproar.
She realized now: Ling Yun had been punished. She was being exiled.
What could a sweet girl like Ling Yun have done wrong? Only one thing: that day, she had joined Wuya and the others to secretly open the mountain gate for Jinsui.
She had been an insignificant disciple in the vast sect. She couldn't fight the Sect Leader, but she had used her tiny bit of power to help. Chao Jinsui had left the sect knowing her efforts hadn't been in vain, someone remembered her.
For that small act of kindness, Chao Taichu had stripped her of her status and sent her to be a maid. And now, she had been eaten by this monster.
However, neither of them knew that deep within the webbed nest beneath the spider's belly, there were many white cocoons. Inside, the victims were being slowly drained of their life force and spiritual energy.
Ling Yun still had a vague consciousness. Since only half a day had passed, she hadn't died yet, but she felt extremely weak. As a cultivator, she knew her body very well, and she knew she was about to die and wouldn't last much longer.
Ling Yun, whom they thought dead, still had one breath left. She was vaguely conscious, her eyes streaming with tears. Is that the Young Sect Leader? Is it her?
For a moment, the human and the demon remained silent, surrounded by the burning karmic flames, with only the hissing of the giant spider audible.
Chao Jinsui looked at her hands. They were the hands of a sword cultivator, long, calloused, and scarred. Before her soul was injured, she had never felt powerless. With a sword in hand, she feared nothing. But now, she couldn't even control her own body perfectly.
"Wait until Yan Xueyi returns, and her bones might be dissolved," she thought. She gripped the jade hairpin until her knuckles turned white. She couldn't just stand there.
"No." Her gaze hardened. She had a way. Hadn't the Love Gu controlled her once?
She spoke suddenly: "Inner Demon!"
A dark figure drifted out from behind her. This demon had been planted by Yan Xueyi during her first Gu flare-up. It had tried to tempt her into the demonic path for months.
Hong Niang’s eyes widened.
Chao Jinsui said with iron resolve, "Inner Demon, take control of my body!"
Her soul was unstable, but the Inner Demon wasn't. If it took over, she could temporarily regain her functionality. The demon hesitated, then dove into her body.
Instantly, her mind was filled with a single word: "KILL!"
Her pupils bled into a deep, murderous red. The Kunlun Sword hummed with a brilliant golden light. Hong Niang moved to stop her, but Jinsui looked at the spider and said softly:
"I'm not going alone. Hong Niang, I heard you were a renowned demon general. Are we really going to lose to a mindless beast?"
Hong Niang: "..." Don't use reverse psychology on a demon!
"What, is a Great General afraid of a little spider?"
Hong Niang couldn't resist. Demons were easily provoked. "What 'little spider'? That's a Thousand-Year Gu King!"
But Chao Jinsui had already moved. She flickered forward, appearing directly in front of the monster. Her voice was a mere whisper:
"What Thousand-Year Gu King? I only know one thing."
Her black hair whipped in the wind as she met the spider's emerald eyes with her own blood-red gaze.
"A life for a life. The debt must be paid!"
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