CG - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Citing Wu Gu's unhealed leg injury, Wei Jinzhi insisted on driving her home. With Mr. Wei chiming in to support her, Mrs. Wei, despite her displeasure, couldn't be too harsh or heartless—after all, Wu Gu was their savior. And so, the matter of Wei Jinzhi taking Wu Gu home was settled.
A few days before they were set to leave, Wu Gu was still thinking about sending Song Yang off. She went to the back mountain late at night and found Song Yang huddled under a tree, crying. The school was on break, and the campus was pitch-black without any lights. The sound of sobbing from the woods was quite eerie from a distance; even she couldn't help but rub the goosebumps on her arms. She yelled, "What are you doing? Are you trying to find another excuse not to leave?"
Song Yang sobbed, "No, it's Yiqing. Something must have happened to her. Can't I even be sad that I won't get to see her one last time before I go?"
"How do you know something happened to her?"
"She promised to visit me every two or three days. It's been four of those 'two or three days' already. You don't understand. Something must have happened to her."
Wu Gu had a vague, bad feeling. She called Wei Jinzhi, who was waiting outside. A short while later, Wu Yong accompanied Wei Jinzhi deep into the woods. Wei Jinzhi said, "Miss Chang is at the Han family's home. The Han family also suffered losses in the last mission. I've already called them. You should bring Song Yang and come with me to check on her."
At the Han family's home, Chang Yiqing's soul was placed in the basement, protected by formations above and below. But looking at her condition, it was more than just an injury; her soul was almost a phantom, a sign that it was about to dissipate. Wu Gu was a little angry. When a Tianshi forms a pact with a ghost, the ghost naturally has to fight for the Tianshi, but the Tianshi shouldn't disregard the ghost's life and let it get hurt this badly.
The head of the Han family said, "Little Daoist friend, don't be angry yet. I've already used the Han family's Binding Soul Lamp to protect Yiqing. Rest assured, my family will do everything in our power to heal her soul."
Wei Jinzhi couldn't see Chang Yiqing but could see the lamp on the platform. She asked, "What happened?"
The Han Family Head explained, "Some time ago, we went on a mission. I thought that with so many masters present, there wouldn't be any danger, so I let Yeshuang go along to gain experience. I also had Yiqing accompany her for support. Who knew they would stumble into a strange barrier? Yiqing was severely injured protecting Yeshuang."
"Is Yeshuang okay?"
The Han Family Head sighed, "She's still breathing, but she hasn't woken up."
Wu Gu blinked. She had thought the Han family was disregarding Chang Yiqing's life, but it turned out their own daughter was also gravely injured. She immediately felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Master Han. I was too rash."
Master Han smiled. "It's alright. You were the one who came up with the idea to help Yiqing reincarnate, weren't you? That's very good."
Wu Gu asked, "Can I see Chang Yiqing?"
Master Han made a gesture for her to go ahead. "I'll go check on Yeshuang." With that, he left the basement.
Wu Gu didn't dare get too close. She released Song Yang, who cried out and was about to rush forward, but Wu Gu grabbed her. "Don't go over there. You'll hurt her."
"Gu Gu, hurry and think of something. You must have a way."
Wu Gu glanced at the Binding Soul Lamp and said, "Step back a little." She took out the Soul-Piercing Bell, controlled the tail of the bell to tie it around Chang Yiqing's wrist, and then infused her own spiritual energy. Chang Yiqing was very weak, and her spiritual energy was the best catalyst at the moment. After her spiritual energy circulated once through Chang Yiqing's body, her soul was visibly more solid.
She then drew a spirit-gathering paper talisman and placed it on Chang Yiqing. With her spiritual energy as a guide circulating inside Chang Yiqing, and the talisman drawing spiritual qi into the soul, Chang Yiqing could now recover on her own. Fortunately, the Han family's residence was rich in spiritual qi, and with an artifact like the Binding Soul Lamp to stabilize the soul, Chang Yiqing's recovery was only a matter of time.
After doing all this, Wu Gu's legs gave way, and she fell right into Wei Jinzhi's embrace. Wei Jinzhi saw a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and wiped it away. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I just need to rest a bit."
Song Yang was also concerned. "Gu Gu, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Chang Yiqing will be okay, don't worry."
"Gu Gu, I'm sorry." Song Yang looked like she was about to cry. Wu Gu had been running around for her since the day they met, all just to send her off. How could she keep troubling Wu Gu? "Gu Gu, you can send me off now."
"Can't you see I've used up too much energy and I'm tired? I don't have the strength to send you off."
"Then send me off when you're better."
Wu Gu waved her hand. "Can you really be at peace without seeing for yourself that Chang Yiqing is fine? I said I'd let you go peacefully. Now that you want to go, I'm not sending you."
Song Yang threw herself at Wu Gu, hugging her tightly and crying her eyes out. "Gu Gu, you're so good to me."
"Get off me, don't hug me. You're cold, okay?"
Wu Gu was held by Wei Jinzhi for about ten minutes and was still reluctant to leave her embrace. Wei Jinzhi was very worried and asked her, "Should I get Master Han to take a look at you?"
"No need, I'm fine."
Wei Jinzhi was about to ask more about her condition when a wave of yin coldness suddenly washed over them. Wu Gu's brow furrowed. Beside her, Song Yang began to tremble for some unknown reason. She grabbed Wu Gu's hands and stammered, "Gu Gu, what's coming? Why am I so scared?"
How could she not be scared? What ghost isn't afraid when ghost messengers arrive? She said, "There's a formation here, so don't move. I'll go out and see." Then she said to Wei Jinzhi, "Ghost messengers are here. I'm going to check. You stay here too."
"Will I be in danger if I go out?"
Wu Gu looked at Wei Jinzhi seriously and answered, "Probably not, but I'd worry."
"I can't be at ease if you go out by yourself either. Can I just watch from a distance?"
"Then stay far away."
The two of them came out of the basement to the first floor, where someone blocked their way at the staircase leading to the second floor, saying, "The family head is busy with an important matter and won't be able to see you out."
Wu Gu hesitated. Normally, she shouldn't get involved, but she had a feeling the person whose soul was about to be reaped was the Han family's daughter, who had been with Chang Yiqing. Just then, Wei Jinzhi spoke, asking softly, "Have you decided? Do you want to go up?"
Wu Gu looked at her and nodded. "Yes."
Wei Jinzhi called out, "Wu Yong." Wu Yong, who had been waiting on the first floor, subdued the Han family member in two moves. Wei Jinzhi then said to Wu Yong, "It's dangerous upstairs, don't come up. Wait for us downstairs." Then she pulled Wu Gu up to the second floor.
On the second floor, Master Han and his wife were standing guard in front of a door, holding artifacts. The room was also surrounded by a formation. Seeing them come up, Master Han said, "Miss Wei, the Han family is dealing with an important matter and cannot see you out. Please leave on your own."
Wu Gu said, "It's against the rules for you to block ghost messengers like this. The Underworld will hold you accountable."
Master Han was stunned, not expecting her to see what was happening. He decided to be frank. "My daughter, Han Yeshuang, was injured along with Yiqing. When she was born, I calculated her fate. I can't say she was destined for a long life, but she certainly wasn't fated to die young. Now her life force is depleted, and King Yama wants to claim her life. I can't accept it. I'll risk my own life to protect my daughter."
As he spoke, two ghost messengers dragging iron chains appeared at the end of the hallway. Seeing the standoff, one of them frowned in displeasure. "Han Shaoqi, are you trying to obstruct ghost messengers from reaping a soul?"
"Lord Ghost Messengers, my daughter is not fated to die. I implore you to report to the judge and investigate the truth."
The other ghost messenger said impatiently, "Just because you say so? It's written clearly in my Book of Life and Death. If you insist on blocking us, don't blame us for being unfriendly." He then turned to the frowning ghost messenger with excitement. "Lao Liu, stop dawdling. Let's do it." This more impulsive ghost messenger's surname was Wang.
Wu Gu blinked and said in a low voice, "Wait a minute. What if someone in the mortal realm is defying fate and changing destinies?"
Ghost Messenger Wang shot her a sidelong glance. "And where did you pop out from?"
Wu Gu dodged the question. "My master said that even if ghost messengers follow the rules, you can't be unreasonable. If someone's life force was stolen, causing their death, and you just reap their soul without asking questions, aren't you just aiding the evildoer and helping the wicked?"
Ghost Messenger Liu said, "When King Yama decrees your death at the third watch, who dares to keep you till the fifth?" The Book of Life and Death in his hand was marked clearly. Even if a life was taken by force, as long as the book was changed accordingly, nothing else mattered. He couldn't be bothered to waste more words and lunged toward the door. Seeing his swift movement, Ghost Messenger Wang grew incredibly excited and charged forward as well.
Wu Gu quickly pulled Wei Jinzhi a few meters away. She stood in front of Wei Jinzhi, watching the battle. Master Han and his wife were clearly no match for the two ghost messengers, especially Ghost Messenger Wang. Although Wei Jinzhi couldn't see the ghost messengers clearly, she could tell the Han family was at a disadvantage. She leaned close to Wu Gu's ear and said, "If you want to help, then go. Didn't your master say you have to be reasonable in all things?"
Wu Gu looked back at Wei Jinzhi, whose reassuring smile put her at ease. She nodded, but as she was about to go, Wei Jinzhi pulled her back. "Open my Yin-Yang Eyes. I need to be able to see what's happening to you."
"Okay." Wu Gu opened Wei Jinzhi's Yin-Yang Eyes, then added, "Just stand here and don't move. Ghost messengers are public officials of the Underworld; they generally won't target uninvolved ordinary people. As long as you don't get close, you'll be fine."
Over there, Mrs. Han, who was blocking the door, had her artifact knocked away by Ghost Messenger Wang. With a raise of his hand, he broke the room's formation and began to pass through the wall. Before he was fully inside, however, a force pulled him back. Half of his body was stuck in the wall as he turned to glare at Wu Gu. "You want to stop a ghost messenger from reaping a soul too?"
The Soul-Piercing Bell was tied around Ghost Messenger Wang's neck, and Wu Gu was pulling hard from behind, the red cord taut. She said, "I'm here to reason with you."
Mrs. Han took the opportunity to retrieve her artifact. She froze for a second, surprised that this young Tianshi could actually restrain the powerful ghost messenger. "Thank you, little Tianshi," she said.
Wu Gu replied, "It's too early for thanks." She infused her spiritual energy and yanked Ghost Messenger Wang out. Then she quickly leaped in front of the door, blocking it with the Soul-Piercing Bell. Her ankle throbbed with pain, but her expression didn't change. "Someone in the mortal realm stealing another's life force is a serious matter. Whether it's a Tianshi or a ghost messenger, we all have a responsibility to investigate it clearly. Especially you ghost messengers—you can't just reap a soul so ambiguously."
Ghost Messenger Wang clapped for her. "You're quite the responsible one, aren't you? But let's see if you have the skills to back it up."
The praise made Wu Gu feel a little sheepish. It wasn't entirely a strong sense of responsibility that made her help. She had a faint feeling that Han Yeshuang stumbling into the barrier and the Ghost King curse placed on Wei Jinzhi—two seemingly unrelated events—both had illogical elements, as if connected by some unseen force. So she fell back on her master's teachings, finding the most righteous-sounding reason to give herself an excuse to get involved.
Mrs. Han had intended to help Wu Gu, but seeing that she didn't need any assistance, she turned to help her husband deal with Ghost Messenger Liu. With the extra help, Master Han got a moment to breathe and dared to spare some attention for Wu Gu's side. He was amazed to see that despite her young age, Wu Gu was fighting on even terms with Ghost Messenger Wang.
Wu Gu's ankle had just healed and wasn't used to intense running and jumping. For a fight aimed at subduing an opponent, the Soul-Piercing Bell was in its element—it could block, bind, and tighten. She tried to minimize her movements, her hands rapidly manipulating the bell. Seizing an opportunity, she wrapped the Soul-Piercing Bell around Ghost Messenger Wang's chest and shouted, "Contract!" The bell coiled twice around his body, the cone and tail at the end tied into a special knot.
Ghost Messenger Wang couldn't break free no matter how hard he struggled. Wu Gu took the chance to punch him in the face. He didn't dodge, taking the blow head-on, and stumbled to the ground. Wu Gu then plopped down beside him, rubbing her ankle with both hands. Ghost Messenger Wang looked at her, his eyes filled with excitement. "Didn't expect someone so young to be such a good fighter. That artifact is clever too. What sect are you from?"
"You flatter me. No sect. My master taught me well."
Ghost Messenger Wang lamented, "It's been a long time since a Tianshi as skilled as you has come to the Underworld. Aside from Taiyi Palace and the Liaoshan Sect, who occasionally produce a few decent ones, the Tianshi from other sects are beyond terrible. Alas, the talent among mortal Tianshi has really withered."
"How is that possible? My master is very powerful. He went to the Underworld a few years ago."
"What's your master's name?"
"Wu Zhao."
Ghost Messenger Wang thought for a moment. "Never heard of him." He turned to ask Ghost Messenger Liu, who was being held at sword-point by the Han couple, "Have you ever heard of a Tianshi named Wu Zhao?" Ghost Messenger Liu also shook his head.
Wu Gu didn't believe him. "That just means the Underworld's network is terrible and your information is outdated."
Ghost Messenger Wang nodded in agreement, then asked, "What's the name of this artifact of yours? Do you have any others? Show me."
The two people and one ghost messenger on the other side watched as one person sat and one ghost messenger lay on the ground, chatting happily. The three of them exchanged bewildered glances, unsure if they should interrupt. Mrs. Han quietly nudged her husband. Master Han finally cleared his throat and called out softly, "Little Daoist friend, we still have business to attend to."
Wu Gu got up from the ground, dusted off her pants, and walked over to Ghost Messenger Liu. "You're more reasonable than him. Right now, the two of you have been taken down by the three of us. So, can we sit down and talk about this matter of stolen life force?"
If you could win, you reaped the soul directly. If you couldn't, of course you negotiated. It was a principle understood by both humans and ghosts. Ghost Messenger Liu said, "What does the little Tianshi mean?"
"You come inside with me to see Miss Han. If her life force was truly stolen, then you go back to the Underworld and report the situation. As for catching the culprit, that's a matter for us Tianshi in the mortal realm. How does that sound?"
Ghost Messenger Liu thought for a moment. What Wu Gu said made sense. "Fine, we'll do as the little Tianshi says. But if Han Yeshuang's life force wasn't lost without reason, then you can't stop us from reaping her soul."
"Deal."
"Wu Gu." It was Wei Jinzhi calling her. "Can I come over now?" She had seen that the ghost messengers were under control, but from a distance, she couldn't hear what Wu Gu was saying to them.
Wu Gu trotted over to take her hand, explaining as they walked, "I've made an agreement with them. We'll go see Miss Han first, and then we'll talk."
Wei Jinzhi straightened her messy hair and said softly, "You've worked hard." Her voice was so pleasant and gentle that Wu Gu's eyes curved into a smile, and she instantly felt full of energy.
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