CG - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

When life was too peaceful, the days seemed mundane. Half a semester flew by in the blink of an eye, bringing them to final exams. But Ji Yu never appeared. Although Wu Gu felt a great weight hanging over her heart, she also thought this was for the best. She often prayed that Ji Yu wouldn't show up, or that if he did, he would wait until Wei Jinzhi's soul had returned to the Underworld. By then, it wouldn't matter to her how many Ten-Life Benevolent Souls Ji Yu wanted to devour.

After the last exam of the semester, Wei Jinzhi picked Wu Gu up and took her home. As soon as winter arrived in North City, the temperature plummeted. Wu Gu dressed like a ball every time she went out, so she simply stayed at Yujing Huating, shutting herself in. She spent her days wrapped in a blanket on the sofa playing games. Meals were prepared for her on time, and someone would even feed her fruit. She was living like a complete couch potato but felt no need to change.

One day, after swallowing a piece of fruit, she had a sudden realization. She looked at Wei Jinzhi and said in all seriousness, "Sister Wei, I suddenly get a motherly feeling from you." It was true. She had been raised by her master since she was a child. If not for Wei Jinzhi, she might never have experienced such meticulous care and attention in her life.

Wei Jinzhi was stunned for a moment. "What did you just say?" she asked.

Wu Gu counted on her fingers. "Look, you have your issues too. You love buying me pretty clothes and shoes, and you even pair them with all sorts of accessories. You love dressing me up whenever you have the chance. No matter how I look at it, you're just like one of those new moms who dress up their daughters like dolls." The more she spoke, the more sense it made. Her expression grew more complicated, and she even asked in a tone of disbelief, "Sister Wei, you're not actually raising me like a daughter, are you?"

Wei Jinzhi placed the fruit she was holding onto Wu Gu's lap and said irritably, "Then you can eat it yourself."

Wu Gu sidled up to her again with a grin, her tone placating. "I'm going home tomorrow. Don't ask the auntie to cook tonight. Let me make you a meal."

Wei Jinzhi ruffled her hair, messing it up before combing through it with her fingertips. "If you dare say such nonsense again, I'll spank you and show you how a mother disciplines a naughty child."

Wu Gu's mouth fell open. The joke had gone too far, she thought. If Wei Jinzhi really spanked her, where would her dignity as a Celestial Master be? She couldn't let Wei Jinzhi spank her, no matter what.

Seeing Wu Gu covering her bottom as if ready to flee, Wei Jinzhi found her both silly and adorable. She pinched her nose and said softly, "Come back right after the New Year, okay?" She was finding it increasingly unbearable to be separated from Wu Gu for too long.

Wu Gu's eyes curved into crescents. "Okay," she said.

"Good girl."

Wei Jinzhi had to stay home for the New Year and couldn't take Wu Gu back herself. She bought Wu Gu a plane ticket and arranged for a car service, all to make her journey home less of a hassle. Just before leaving, Wu Gu wrapped her arms tightly around Wei Jinzhi's waist and wouldn't let go. When she finally had to leave, she kept looking back every few steps, full of longing and reluctance. Wei Jinzhi watched her go, thinking as her figure was still in sight, This feeling of missing someone before they've even left is just awful.

When Wu Gu got home, only Pang Diao was there to greet her. A light snow had fallen in the mountains a few days prior. Granny She had gone into the mountains to hibernate half a month ago, and Monkey had sent a message saying he wouldn't arrive until the next morning. The house was empty except for her and a bird. The last time she left, she thought she would never return. She stared blankly from the lounge chair under the tree, filled with a thousand emotions. After sitting for a while, she rolled up her sleeves and began a major cleaning to welcome the new year.

She went to Lao Wu's room and chattered on to the Soul-Summoning Bell, giving a detailed account of recent events. She didn't leave out Song Yang, Chang Yiqing, or the wish King Yama had granted. Of course, the person she mentioned most was Wei Jinzhi.

She said, "Master, I have someone I like. But she's a girl. She's incredibly beautiful and gentle, and she's the eldest miss of a wealthy family. Don't worry, she takes great care of me, much better than you ever did. But rest assured, your place in my heart can never be replaced."

The Soul-Summoning Bell couldn't give her any response. She sighed and continued with her tasks. As evening fell, the night sky glittered with stars, promising a clear day tomorrow. Before sleeping, she and Wei Jinzhi said goodnight to each other. In her dream, she seemed to be back at Yujing Huating, lazing on the sofa just like the past few days, while her Sister Wei held her, planting intermittent kisses on her forehead.

The pleasant dream came to an abrupt end at one minute past midnight. Wu Gu awoke with a start, clutching her chest, which felt like it was splitting open. She knew something had happened to Wei Jinzhi. This was a spell she had placed on the protective jade; as long as Wei Jinzhi was in trouble, she would sense it. Veins bulged on her forehead, and tears streamed from her eyes, whether from the unbearable pain or worry for Wei Jinzhi's safety.

Forcing herself to endure the intense pain, she ran barefoot into her master's room and frantically searched the shelves. The tears wouldn't stop. What could she do? She was a thousand miles away from Wei Jinzhi. How could she save her? Master must have a way. She couldn't let anything happen to Wei Jinzhi. In her panic, she tripped over the books scattered on the floor and fell flat on her bottom.

Master had said to remain calm and composed in the face of trouble. She took three deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. If even she had no solution, then Wei Jinzhi was surely doomed tonight. In that case, they would just die together. She returned to her bedroom to retrieve the Bronze Sword and the Soul-Piercing Bell, then walked barefoot to the tree and sat down cross-legged.

Pang Diao seemed to sense she was about to do something dangerous. It flew frantically around her head, occasionally pecking her forehead with its red beak. She raised a hand and set up a barrier to drive Pang Diao out. Pang Diao circled the barrier anxiously, flapping its wings even more furiously. She looked at the frantic bird and spoke.

"Pang Diao, if I haven't woken up by the time Monkey gets back tomorrow, tell him that all the techniques and artifacts Master left for me are now his. Also, you must have him go to North City to check on Wei Jinzhi for me. If she's okay, tell him not to let her know I died." Pang Diao attacked the barrier she had set up as if it had gone mad. She blinked, and another tear fell, clinging to her chin like a crystal bead. "Pang Diao, stop it. I can't let anything happen to her." She suddenly paused. There was a smile in her eyes, and her voice was as light as the wind. She said, "I love her."

Wu Gu raised her hand and drew a talisman in the air, then tapped her fingers between her eyebrows. Her cross-legged body fell backward. Her soul stepped out of her fallen form, picked up the artifacts, and vanished in an instant. This was the fastest way she could think of to return to Wei Jinzhi's side—using her soul to sense the location of the protective jade in exchange for a sliver of hope.

It was impossible to see what Ji Yu actually looked like. What appeared at the Changshan Villa was just a black mass—Yin Qi as solid as charcoal, oval-shaped like a giant egg. He had been severely injured by the backlash from the seal and had been waiting for a Ten-Life Benevolent Soul, which was why his recovery was taking longer.

If Ji Yu hadn't been wary of heavenly punishment and dared not act rashly while so heavily injured, how could Wei Jinzhi have survived until tonight? And it was precisely because New Year's Eve was different from other nights that it dared to appear here to personally take Wei Jinzhi's soul.

New Year's Eve: the transition between the old and the new, a period when the balance between light and darkness was most stable, and also when the Heavenly Dao relaxed and its punishments were at their weakest. At this moment, Wei Jinzhi lay unconscious in the courtyard of the Changshan Villa. A slender tentacle had pierced her forehead. Her soul was already visible, on the verge of being pulled out. Ji Yu didn't think Wei Jinzhi could escape this night and had let its guard down, almost failing to notice the sudden, ferocious sword intent that attacked it.

The Bronze Sword, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, struck fiercely, severing the black tentacle covering Wei Jinzhi's face. Ji Yu had no time for Wei Jinzhi now. Another tentacle shot out from the black mass and intercepted the Soul-Piercing Bell's sneak attack. Wu Gu's form materialized at that moment. Wei Jinzhi's soul was half an inch from her body—a mere half-inch, but it was the distance between life and death.

Wu Gu formed a Sanqing Sign with her left hand and pressed it against the soul's brow. With a forceful push of her three fingers, she gradually pressed the separated soul back into the body. Her right hand formed a sword sign to quickly control the Bronze Sword, trying her best to hold off Ji Yu. In the span of a finger snap, her forehead was already covered in beads of sweat.

More and more tentacles extended from Ji Yu's body. The Bronze Sword and Soul-Piercing Bell were no match and were ensnared by the tentacles. Suddenly, facial features appeared on the black mass, like a face imprinted on a black membrane. Its eyes bulged unnaturally, as if observing. Its mouth didn't open, but a voice emerged, "The Xuanqing Sword? A direct disciple of the Xuanqing Sect actually survived." Its laughter was shrill. "Perfect. New grudges and old debts will all be settled tonight."

Ji Yu's tentacles attacked Wu Gu swiftly. She dodged in a panic, continuously forming seals and drawing talismans, but these were no match for Ji Yu. She forcibly recalled her ensnared artifacts. First, she used the Soul-Piercing Bell to bind Wei Jinzhi, body and soul together. Only then could she focus on controlling the Xuanqing Sword to fend off the tentacles. Unfortunately, the Xuanqing Sword could not unleash its true power in her hands.

Wu Gu knew she couldn't drag this out. She split the Xuanqing Sword into six, which hovered around her as a shield. She then sat cross-legged within the swords, her hands rapidly forming mudras as she chanted. The last time she left, she had taken a book of spells, one said to be the most powerful of her sect.

As Wu Gu's hand seals and incantations synchronized, dark clouds began to gather above Ji Yu's head. Its tone held a hint of surprise. "The Supreme Qingyuan Mantra." Then it laughed. "Your cultivation is quite good; your soul will surely be a great supplement. This seat will experience your Xuanqing Sect's ultimate technique tonight."

The dense clouds above Ji Yu's head converged into a circle the size of a sports field, and a circular formation of the same size appeared beneath its feet. The Supreme Qingyuan Mantra could summon heavenly lightning comparable to divine punishment. A bolt of purple lightning shot straight toward Ji Yu. Several tentacles intertwined, forming the shape of a hand that deftly caught the purple lightning. It then flung the bolt back at Wu Gu. Fortunately, the Xuanqing Sword shield held, and Ji Yu did not succeed.

Sweat poured down Wu Gu's face. She focused her mind and spirit, driving her spiritual energy to unleash the formation's maximum power. The formation was stimulated, and the purple lightning bolts multiplied, their momentum growing fiercer. But Ji Yu either casually split them apart or caught them and threw them back at Wu Gu, as if this heavenly lightning was nothing more than a child's playful slap.

Wu Gu grew anxious. Her eyes snapped open. She turned, pressed her left hand's Sanqing Sign against the center of Wei Jinzhi's soul's brow again, and shouted, "Go." The Soul-Piercing Bell released Wei Jinzhi and flew toward Ji Yu, wrapping around the egg-shaped black mass. Bolts of purple lightning took the opportunity to strike down, each one aimed at the center of the brow on Ji Yu's face.

Ji Yu's face instantly vanished into the black qi. It was bound by the Soul-Piercing Bell, with the heavenly lightning watching like a tiger. Under Wu Gu's control, the angle of the purple lightning became increasingly cunning. It failed to dodge in time and was struck in a vital spot.

With a piercing shriek, the black qi surged. The red cord of the Soul-Piercing Bell snapped, and its cone and bell were sent flying by the immense force. Wu Gu waved her hand, and the Xuanqing Sword became one again, seizing the chance to charge at Ji Yu. This time, three tentacles, much thicker than before, shot out from the black mass, aiming for the Xuanqing Sword, the formation above, and the formation on the ground.

Wu Gu resisted an enormous force and roared, "Break." The purple lightning and the Bronze Sword surged with power once more.

In the end, this battle was only possible because Ji Yu had not fully recovered from its injuries, and the Supreme Qingyuan Mantra was connected to the Heavenly Dao, simulating divine punishment. If Ji Yu were to forcibly break the formation, it would inevitably attract the attention of the Heavenly Dao. In its current state, it would likely struggle to withstand even an ordinary heavenly punishment. Ji Yu was not foolish. A Ten-Life Benevolent Soul was precious, but the gain was not worth the loss.

Ji Yu's tentacles were not limited by a physical body and could stretch all the way to the formation in mid-air. The purple lightning wrapped around the black tentacles like bulging blue veins. The two sides were at a stalemate. But after a few minutes, the light of the purple lightning began to flicker and die out. The Supreme Qingyuan Mantra was forcibly broken by Ji Yu. However, the dense clouds gathering in the sky grew heavier—a sign that the Heavenly Dao had taken notice.

Ji Yu's facial features appeared again. It said, "This seat will spare you for now. But your soul will be this seat's sooner or later, as punishment for your Xuanqing Sect ruining this seat's plans."

The previous Ten-Life Benevolent Souls it had captured were not accompanied by disciples of the Xuanqing Sect. It was a pity that for the next ten years, only Wei Jinzhi's soul would be a ten-life one. Although Ji Yu was unwilling, it had plenty of patience. There were many seven- and eight-life benevolent souls in the world. While they couldn't increase its power, they were sufficient for healing. It would let them live a little longer for now.

Ji Yu vanished into the night. All was calm, as if the crisis had never happened. Only then did Wu Gu realize her hands were shaking violently. Her soul ached as if it were being burned by fire, and her consciousness was beginning to dissipate. She knew this was a precursor to her soul scattering completely. While she still had some strength, she first sent Wei Jinzhi's soul back into her body and drew a talisman on her chest. Finally at ease, she sat obediently beside Wei Jinzhi, quietly waiting for her own soul to dissipate.

After a long while, the pain gradually subsided, and her consciousness began to coalesce. Wu Gu looked down at the woman lying on the ground. After staring for a moment, she tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. She looked around at the unfamiliar scene, got up from the ground in a daze, and tried to walk home but couldn't remember the way. She furrowed her pretty brows and looked back at the woman on the ground. A feeling of reluctance was nagging at her, telling her to stay and watch over the woman and go nowhere else.

Wu Gu sat back down beside Wei Jinzhi with a blank expression, not knowing where to go or what to do or think. Suddenly, a bell rang in her ear. It was very familiar. She looked around but couldn't find the source. Then, the bell rang again. It sounded just like her master's Soul-Summoning Bell. Just as the third ring began, she was suddenly dragged up from the ground by someone forcefully twisting her ear.

She yelped in pain, covering her ears with both hands. "Master, be gentle!"

Lao Wu slapped her on the forehead. "Getting bold, are we? Daring to have your soul leave your body to save someone, and even using the Supreme Qingyuan Mantra in your soul form. If Lord Yama hadn't given you some cultivation, you probably wouldn't even know how you died today. Is Ji Yu someone you can handle right now? What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come home with me."

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