Traitor

Qi Refining involved breathing and meditation, absorbing the Spirit of Heaven and Earth.

But what exactly was the Spirit of Heaven and Earth, and where did it come from? No one knew.

All that was known was that this mysterious power was connected to the soul.

Where groups of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of living beings resided, the Spirit of Heaven and Earth became more active, making it easier for people to absorb.

Conversely, in deep mountains and ancient forests where human traces were scarce, the efficiency of breathing and meditation cultivation dropped markedly.

Gu Jinlai had felt this himself.

In the deep mountains and old forests, even his true qi recovered a fraction slower. He could only maintain his condition by consuming vast amounts of food to refine essence into qi.

"The stronger a sect is, the more likely it is built within prosperous cities. Yet when there are more cultivators in a city, cultivation efficiency also declines."

That was why Great Qian had always encouraged childbirth.

That was why, despite the fairly abundant resources made possible by cultivators, the common people at the bottom still lived in poverty due to overpopulation.

That was why many sects wished to monopolize a single city.

The Orthodox One Sect was Changjun City's local sect.

But the forces within Changjun City extended far beyond the Orthodox One Sect alone.

The Purgatory Demon Sect had established a branch in Changjun City, with "Gu Jinlai" stationed there.

Moreover, the Cold Moon Demon Sect of the Ten Great Demon Sects and the Yellow Heaven Dao Sect of the Six Immortal Sects had also established branches there.

Together with the relatively detached City Lord Mansion and Demon Refining Hall, the situation in Changjun City could truly be called tangled and complex.

Now that there was a chance to force the Purgatory Demon Sect out, the Cold Moon Demon Sect and Yellow Heaven Dao Sect did not mind fanning the flames from behind.

Unfortunately...

The current Gu Jinlai was no longer the man he had once been.

At that moment, in a forest a hundred li from Changjun City, several people knelt on the ground, their faces filled with terror as they begged for mercy.

"Spare us! Senior, spare us!"

"Call me Lord Gu!"

Gu Jinlai, once again dressed in luxurious silk robes, slowly emerged from the woods.

He strolled as though through a leisurely courtyard, his long hair casually tied behind him, his robes fluttering in the breeze. He cut an exceptional figure, utterly different from yesterday's bedraggled state—as far apart as heaven and earth.

"Spare us, Lord Gu! Spare us, Lord Gu!"

The group changed their tune with remarkable speed.

"Get lost."

Gu Jinlai shook the treasured sword in his hand. "Killing nameless rabble like you would only dirty this old man's sword."

"Thank you, Lord Gu!"

They repeatedly kowtowed before fleeing in haste.

Gu Jinlai looked at the faint red glow around them and tightened his grip on his sword.

In the end...

He endured it.

Light Red Name.

Hadn't he said he would let these pursuers experience terror?

A pack of Blood Changing rookies actually dared hunt down a mighty Spirit Refining expert like him?

They truly did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. They simply had no respect for Ancient Demon Gu!

Yet he could not kill them.

Killing them would stack another layer of Karma Buff on him, and even indirect effects would have consequences.

His fists hardened.

"Among the people pursuing me, are there really so few whose names are redder than mine? Isn't the world in chaos these days? Where are the monstrous fiends of the demonic path? Where are the peerless great demons!?"

Gu Jinlai stared at their retreating figures. "Once this old man washes himself clean... I will bathe the human world in blood! Slaughter ten thousand demons!"

Before he could finish, he suddenly noticed something and barked, "Who goes there!"

A figure darted over from the woods ahead.

The moment he saw Gu Jinlai, he trembled violently and threw himself down in worship. "M-Master, please quell your anger! It isn't worth it! The human world isn't worth your bloody slaughter!"

"..."

Gu Jinlai's expression froze.

He had been...

Overheard during his momentary, cathartic boasting?

How embarrassing.

But... Master?

Gu Jinlai looked at the man in his early twenties, and his heart stirred.

He had lived as "Gu Jinlai" for over a month and knew that the man had four disciples.

The eldest disciple was Su Nanxing, the second was Gu Xiangyang, the third was Ran Tianxing, and the fourth was Xie Xiaowan.

He knew this so clearly because of a piece of gossip from back then.

Fourth disciple Xie Xiaowan had fallen for Yellow Heaven Dao Sect's true disciple Fang Yichen and abandoned darkness for the light. In response, he had immediately gone to the Yellow Heaven Dao Sect's Changjun City branch, abducted its true disciple Li Muqing, and ordered her to marry his second disciple Gu Xiangyang.

The reason it had been Gu Xiangyang...

Was because Gu Xiangyang counted as his junior relative.

Gu Jinlai had no children, but he had an elder brother, Gu Changfeng, himself a Core Forming expert. Gu Changfeng had founded a clan in Chi Province, spreading its branches and leaves until it had reached its third generation.

Gu Xiangyang was the fourth son of Gu Changfeng's eldest son, Gu Haoran.

He had displayed talent for cultivation from childhood and had already refined qi into astral force before reaching thirty.

This man was in his early twenties and called him Master, so he should be the third disciple, Ran Tianxing.

There was nothing to worry about when it came to a disciple.

Gu Jinlai issued an order with a solemn expression. "I know what I am doing. What was said today must not reach a third pair of ears. Understood?"

"This disciple understands. This disciple understands."

Ran Tianxing nodded repeatedly. "Seeing that Master is unharmed is truly wonderful. I knew those clownish fools from the Orthodox One Sect could not harm Master in the slightest."

Gu Jinlai had read some letters left behind by the original owner. Though the man had been cruel and wicked, he had been exceedingly protective of his disciples.

It was said that the reason he had fallen out with Lin Xiao back then was to protect his eldest disciple, Su Nanxing.

Putting himself in the other's shoes.

Now, seeing his disciple rush from Chi Province to reinforce him upon hearing that he was in danger, even if the original "Gu Jinlai" was dead, it still brought comfort to his old heart.

"M-Master..."

Ran Tianxing looked at the dark-faced Gu Jinlai, seeming to make some sort of decision. "This disciple finally found you. Eldest Brother has also come, but he has been tied down by a Core Forming elder of the Orthodox One Sect and several true disciples. Should we go reinforce him?"

"Su Nanxing came."

He was "his" only disciple who had cultivated to the Core Forming realm. He had adopted him as a child and regarded him as an adopted son. From the words in those letters, it was clear that this disciple held "him" in great reverence.

With a Core Forming thug like that by his side, whenever he encountered people who angered him yet only had Yellow Names or Light Red Names, he could have his disciple deal with them.

"The Orthodox One Sect has some nerve."

Gu Jinlai's expression turned cold.

But before long, he sensed that something was wrong.

This scene...

Why did it seem so familiar?

After pondering for a moment, he said directly, "Saving a life is like fighting a fire. Your master will go ahead first. Follow afterward."

With that, he strode forward in great strides.

He had only run several dozen meters when Ran Tianxing's voice came from behind him. "Master, you are going the wrong way."

Gu Jinlai's expression changed.

He glanced at Ran Tianxing behind him...

This disciple's movement technique was quite impressive. He was actually not much slower than Gu Jinlai?

"One elder cannot do anything to Su Nanxing. The Orthodox One Sect has clearly mobilized all its forces to deal with this old man. This time, I will directly charge into Changjun, massacre the Orthodox One Sect's mountain gate, and make them pay the price. First, it will force the Orthodox One Sect to pay for its actions; second, it will relieve Su Nanxing's danger through the tactic of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao."

Gu Jinlai said.

"Master, it is not only Orthodox One Sect elders who are besieging Eldest Brother. Several true disciples are involved as well."

"They are merely several true disciples. The Orthodox One Sect's true disciples are only in the Qi Refining realm. With Su Nanxing's capabilities, even if he cannot defeat them, he can still withdraw at ease."

"But Master, I fear more Orthodox One Sect experts may rush over in the meantime. Eldest Brother will be in danger then."

Ran Tianxing hurriedly said.

Gu Jinlai stopped. "Third Brother, you seem rather nervous."

"I..."

Under Gu Jinlai's scrutinizing gaze, sweat immediately began to stream down Ran Tianxing's forehead.

"Third Senior Brother, I told you. With Ancient Demon Gu's old and cunning nature, there was no way you could deceive him."

At that moment, a cool voice came from the distant woods. "He suffered a qi deviation and his power has greatly declined. We can simply act and surround him to death. Why waste our breath luring him into a trap?"

Immediately afterward, leaves rustled.

A group of four hurried over.

There were two middle-aged men, as well as a young man and a young woman.

The one who had spoken was the young woman, around twenty years old, with delicate features and a long dress.

Seeing the sun emblems on their clothing and hearing how the woman addressed Ran Tianxing, Gu Jinlai guessed her identity.

"Fourth Brother? You still dare show yourself before me?"

"Why would I not dare? All under heaven may punish wicked demons and crooked paths! As a true disciple of the Yellow Heaven Dao Sect, I must follow the principles of my Yellow Heaven Dao Sect, slay demons and exterminate devils, and uphold the Yellow Heaven Dao realm!"

The woman—"Gu Jinlai's" fourth disciple, Xie Xiaowan—raised her fair chin, righteous and stern.

"Slay demons and exterminate devils, uphold the realm?"

Gu Jinlai turned his gaze toward the two middle-aged men beside her.

Both were Core Forming experts.

But that was not the crucial point!

The crucial point was that one emitted a faint red glow, while the other's Karma was like blood—Bright Red, as though it might drip at any moment!

The Yellow Heaven Dao Sect styled itself as righteous, one of the Six Immortal Sects, yet its elders included men with Karma towering to such heavens?

Still, it was not particularly strange.

Had he not seen this sort of plot plenty of times on Blue Star?

"Just them?"

"Yellow Heaven Dao Sect outer sect elders Zhang Buyi and Ma Zheng greet Elder Gu."

The two men gave a perfunctory cupped-fist salute.

"So, Third Brother, you have betrayed me as well?"

Gu Jinlai looked at Ran Tianxing.

Though demons being betrayed by their disciples was practically standard procedure, two out of four disciples betraying him was far too high a probability.

"A fine bird chooses the tree on which to perch. When I became your disciple, I did not know your character. I never imagined you would be so utterly bereft of conscience. Now, after being hunted by the Orthodox One Sect, you have even conceived the thought of bathing the human world in blood. Anyone with the slightest shred of conscience would never continue helping you commit evil!"

Ran Tianxing said heavily.

"Bathe the human world in blood?"

Xie Xiaowan ground her teeth. "Gu Jinlai, you truly are a demon born of nature. Before even reaching Spirit Refining, you already harbor thoughts of slaughtering all living beings. Once your demonic arts reach completion, will you not destroy the world?"

"Why are you two so fixated on bathing the human world in blood? I also said I would slaughter ten thousand demons."

Gu Jinlai looked at them. "Besides, I would say I have treated you quite well..."

"Pah!"

Xie Xiaowan spat. "When you accepted me as your disciple, did you ever ask whether I was willing? Your so-called kindness was nothing but wishful thinking on your part. In my eyes, it is like grass and mustard—worthless as a single coin."

Grass... mustard.

Why did Xie Xiaowan's tone make him think of a certain lowly creature on Blue Star?

"The evils committed by Ancient Demon Gu have enraged both heaven and mankind. Even all the bamboo in the world could not record them! Today, the two of us shall act on heaven's behalf and subdue demons, exterminate devils!"

Zhang Buyi said.

"Indeed. Let us elders of the Yellow Heaven Dao Sect send Ancient Demon Gu on his way."

Ma Zheng nodded.

"Elders, Xiaowan will become my Dao companion in the future. Killing this old demon will also remove a knot from my heart. This disciple is willing to lend a hand as well."

The young man added.

"Good."

Ma Zheng nodded once. "When dealing with these crooked demons and wicked paths, there is no need to speak of cultivation morals! Everyone, join forces and attack together!"

Gu Jinlai looked at the two Yellow Heaven Dao Sect elders.

Did their consciences not hurt when they said that?

At the very least, should they not wash their names clean first?

So bright red...

This old man liked it far too much.

Clang!

Gu Jinlai drew his sword from its sheath!