Gu Swarming the Skies

Xu Bai guessed that since the other party wanted them to leave, they must be worried about something happening. But now they were not letting them leave, so they must have a plan. Maybe tonight, maybe later, but it would happen sooner or later.

"This is getting more and more interesting." Xu Bai looked at the villagers coming and going, noticing their pale faces and timid expressions. He then returned to his seat, took out his Heavy Sword Method, and continued practicing.

Ye Zi stayed by Xu Bai's Xu Bai, waiting patiently with him.

Wu Hua continued to twirl his bald head, seemingly becoming more and more addicted to it.

Miao Xiao stared intently at Xu Bai, her eyes shining brighter and brighter.

Time passed slowly, and before long, the day was over. During this day, Xu Bai Xu Bai many things in the pavilion, including the fearful expressions of the villagers and the look of disgust on their faces as they passed by.

As darkness fell, a faint sunset glow appeared in the sky, gradually painting the entire sky red from the distant horizon.

Smoke rose from the village chimneys, and the aroma of food wafted through the village, making one's mouth water.

Gradually, the sky turned completely dark, the sunset disappeared, and the night gradually unfolded, like a drop of ink being poured onto rice paper with a brush, spreading layer by layer.

A faint candlelight flickered in the village, and the sounds of cats meowing and dogs barking gradually echoed through the quiet village. Everything seemed normal, and no strange events occurred.

Xu Bai had been watching the progress bar in his hand all day, and only now did he put the book away and look into the darkness not far away.

"They finally decided to come."

Following Xu Bai's gaze, everyone heard a series of hurried footsteps.

The sound of footsteps echoing in the darkness, and in such large numbers, was undeniably eerie.

"Squeak--"

Footsteps accompanied the sound of a door opening, the wooden door creaking and groaning, sounding especially eerie in the darkness.

One by one, the villagers came out of their rooms and gathered with the villagers from afar, coming to Xu Bai's pavilion and surrounding it.

Leading the group was the old man we'd seen during the day. He was leaning on a cane and clearly held a high position in the village. No one objected to him walking in front.

"Old man, what does this mean?" Xu Bai asked with a smile.

The villagers were still pale, but Xu Bai saw a hint of ferocity in their timid eyes, like rabbits cornered and about to jump over the wall to bite someone.

Murder?

Or murder.

"Guards! Arrest them!" The old man, who had been kind before, became ruthless. He waved his hand, his tone filled with a hint of cruelty.

The villagers looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.

They seemed very scared, but Xu Bai knew in his heart that these villagers were not afraid of him.

There was no communication, and the other party didn't know who I was, so of course I wasn't afraid, since there were fewer people on my side.

The other party is afraid of this pavilion.

Xu Bai walked to the edge of the pavilion, held onto the railing, and said with interest, "Are you afraid of this pavilion?"

The villagers all took a step back in unison. Although they didn't say anything, this action revealed their thoughts.

The old man shouted again, "What are you afraid of! This pavilion was built by that demoness, and we've already captured her. Are you afraid of this pavilion? Let me tell you, if this gets out, none of us will have an easy time. Now, capture them immediately and keep this secret forever!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers, who had been cowering in fear, seemed to have been given a shot of adrenaline. The fear in their eyes disappeared, replaced by madness.

No longer afraid, they surrounded Xu Bai and the others with ferocious expressions on their faces.

"Leave them alive." Xu Bai yawned, not even wanting to lift a finger.

Wu Hua clenched his fist, preparing to take Xu Bai's place, but unexpectedly, someone was faster than him.

"Lord Xu, how could we trouble you with this matter?" Miao Xiao looked at Xu Bai with admiration and gently waved her fair arm.

The next moment, countless Gu worms flew out from her sleeves, soaring in the sky and mingling with the darkness, appearing exceptionally terrifying.

"Buzz..."

The Gu worms flapped their wings, and the sounds, once faint, were amplified infinitely. Xu Bai and the others were not ordinary people, so they didn't feel anything. But when the villagers heard the sound, their faces turned ashen, their eyes rolled back, and they all collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, the old man clearly knew his predicament. Looking at the villagers lying all over the ground, he could no longer control his strength, his cane fell to the ground, and he sat down with a thud.

"You! You!"

He was at a loss for words; clearly, this scene was beyond his comprehension.

"Bring it over," Xu Bai said calmly.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet, with a long sword at its waist, strode up to the old man after Xu Bai gave the order, grabbed the old man's sleeve, and dragged him into the pavilion.

"No! I don't want to go to that witch's pavilion!" The old man struggled frantically, trying to escape, but it was no use.

"Bang!"

The Fourth-Rank Puppet threw the old man to the ground and stepped on his chest, leaving him helpless.

The old man stared intently at Miao Xiao, and said in fear, "You are too, you are also that witch who uses insects."

Miao Xiao was completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.

Just then, the Fourth-Rank Puppet raised his right hand and slapped the old man repeatedly, finally calming him down after a dozen or so slaps.

Sometimes, instead of wasting words, it's better to use physical methods to calm the other person down.

"Now, I'll ask you a question, and you answer it," Xu Bai said calmly. "What's your situation with the demoness you just mentioned?"

The old man's face was swollen like a pig's head. After hearing Xu Bai's question, he shuddered and said in disbelief, "You are not accomplices of those witches?"

"Smack!"

The Fourth-Rank Puppet slapped him again.

The old man finally understood. He could only reply that he had no right to ask questions. Looking at the gleam emanating from the long sword at Xu Bai's waist, he was terrified and slowly recounted what had happened...

"A long time ago... a woman came to the village. She was very beautiful, but she was covered in wounds."

"At that time, the village warmly welcomed her and let her recuperate here temporarily."

"This woman is very kind. She often helps the villagers with their work, including this pavilion, which she built so that tired villagers could rest here."

"But unexpectedly, one day, a group of robbers came to the village..."

In the dark night, the old man's voice rang out.

As Xu Bai listened to the old man's story, he gradually learned what happened next.

When the bandits arrived, the woman immediately took action and helped the villagers kill all the bandits.

However, since his injuries had not improved, this time he was further injured and fell into a coma.

This was originally a good thing, and his actions should have earned the villagers' gratitude. However, the problem was that the woman's methods were not quite right.

The woman was manipulating the corpses to fight the bandits.

It's normal for a remote village like this to not have seen many different trades.

For a village, this was an extremely terrifying thing; the moving corpses were truly horrifying.

Seeing that the woman had fallen into a coma, the villagers didn't know what was going on. An elder suggested that they tie the woman up and prepare to report it to the authorities early the next morning.

It seems there's nothing wrong with this; whether sending it to the authorities is good or bad, everything is clear now.

But to everyone's surprise, a major incident occurred that very night.

The villagers guarding her, seeing that the woman had fallen into a coma, became enraged and committed an inhumane act that night.

Early the next morning, some villagers were preparing to go to Soaring Cloud Prefecture to report the incident to the authorities, but they never expected such a big thing to happen.

If the woman is good, they have all broken the law, especially the old man; one of the two villagers is his son.

And so, the old man hardened his heart and decided to kill the woman.

After waking up and learning about her condition, the woman, already injured, went insane.

The old man was about to kill the woman when some villagers objected.

They believed that this woman could manipulate corpses, and if she became a vengeful ghost after death and came after them, none of them would be able to escape.

They couldn't release her, nor could they kill her, so they imprisoned this madwoman in the ancestral hall.

Sometimes, when a person's animalistic instincts are unleashed, they cannot be controlled.

That woman encountered all sorts of men every night.

The village women cursed her as a witch, and the men spat and cursed as they entered the ancestral hall.

Over time, there are more and more...

Until now.

After hearing this, Xu Bai's face turned extremely gloomy, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Wu Hua raised his foot and stomped on the old man's face, crushing his nose, and said angrily, "Even the most vicious hellish demons in this world are not half as vicious as you."

Ye Zi and Miao Xiao had the same expression, both conveying the feeling of extreme anger.

They helped them eliminate the bandits, but in return, they suffered harm from them and were repeatedly humiliated.

This group of people is more venomous than a cold, viper.

The old man screamed and begged for mercy, "Let me go, I had no choice, that woman is too evil, she can control corpses..."

"Young master, it should be a branch of the Corpse-Driving Lineage," Ye Zi said. "This woman was able to help them wipe out the bandits, so perhaps she is from the orthodox branch."

It was legitimate and recognized by the Great Chu Kingdom.

Xu Bai took a deep breath and said, "Is that woman still in the ancestral hall?"

The old man nodded and quickly said, "Yes, yes, I was here the night before last..."

Having said that, he dared not say any more.

"Take me there," Xu Bai said.

The old man struggled to his feet. He didn't dare to speak and quickly led Xu Bai toward the ancestral hall.

Xu Bai himself followed behind, but the Fourth-Rank Puppet was left behind by Xu Bai to guard the people of the village.

Before long, the old man led them to the outside of the ancestral hall. He pushed open the door and led them to a secluded room, where the door was reopened.

The room was very dark. The old man lit the oil lamp in the room, and Xu Bai was able to see what was inside. His eyes widened suddenly.

Inside the room, a woman covered in wounds lay on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She had scratches, bite marks, and kicks on her body, and her face was covered in dirt, but you could tell that she was a pretty woman.

The woman had a thick chain wrapped around her neck, was tied to the windowsill, and her limbs were also bound by chains.

Next to it was a dirty iron basin filled with leftover food.

On the woman's left wrist, there was a red silk thread tied with gold threads running through it, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary item.

"We can't take that rope off," the old man said timidly. "It's not afraid of fire or knives."

"Of course you can't take it down!" Miao Xiao said through gritted teeth. "Lord Xu, this woman should be Corpse-Collecting Lineage! That rope is a characteristic of Corpse Collector."

"Oh?" Xu Bai responded calmly.

Ye Zi looked at the woman with pity and anger in her eyes and explained, "In this world, there are many people who are homeless, and many people who die without anyone to claim their bodies. They do this for a living."

"They collect the bodies and bury the dead. Whenever they go out, they burn incense and candles, carefully and respectfully controlling the two corpses to protect themselves."

"In short, this is a profession that even His Majesty finds flawless. Even those evil people will not be their enemies, because Corpse Collector do not distinguish between the deceased's past and their body."

"This is a rare profession that neither the righteous nor the evil will bother with."

Xu Bai listened quietly and slowly walked up to the woman.

"A profession that even heretical sects wouldn't bother with?"

He took off his coat and covered the woman with it, concealing her wounds, and slowly squatted down.

The woman seemed to sense it, tilting her head and looking at Xu Bai with empty eyes, then opening her mouth.

Those snow-white teeth were reduced to half; judging from the wound, they had been forcibly smashed.

"Why did you break his teeth again?" Xu Bai asked, his back to the old man.

The old man said timidly, "She keeps yelling, and she bites people when we handle her..."

Xu Bai stopped talking, closed his eyes, drew the Black Saber Hundred Rends from his waist, and flicked it lightly.

The next moment, a crisp knocking sound rang out, which was Xu Bai using the soul-related abilities in his cultivation technique.

The melodious sound echoed in the room, which was quiet and dark. Under the light of the oil lamp, the woman seemed to find a moment of peace, but she quickly returned to her original state.

Xu Bai sheathed his Black Saber Hundred Rends and said expressionlessly, "The moment she regained consciousness, she destroyed herself. Her soul became chaotic and complex, beyond repair."

Wu Hua suppressed her anger and tried her best to remain calm. "Even at that moment, didn't she think about revenge?"

"I don't know," Xu Bai said calmly. "I don't know what she's thinking."

As he spoke, Xu Bai unlocked the chains on the woman's hands.

The woman regained her freedom, her empty eyes scanning the scene. She reached out and grabbed Xu Bai's sleeve, slowly leaning her head closer.

Xu Bai did not dodge.

The woman pressed her forehead against Xu Bai's chest; her dirty forehead left marks on Xu Bai's clothes.

Whether it was the sound Xu Bai had just made or something else, the woman closed her eyes and began to breathe evenly.

At this moment, the woman's face was serene.

Xu Bai covered the woman back up with the clothes that had slipped off, and said, "It seems quite clear now."

"This humble monk is going out for a bit." Wu Hua silently turned around, intending to leave.

Ye Zi and Miao Xiao exchanged a glance; they both knew what Wu Hua was planning to do.

They didn't stop her; in fact, they even wanted to go out and do that thing with Wu Hua.

"Wait a minute." Xu Bai suddenly looked at the old man and asked, "Has everyone participated?"

The control of the soul emerges.

The old man's face immediately went blank, and he nodded. "Yes, except for the children."

A moment later, the control over his soul vanished, and the old man couldn't believe what he had just said.

"Benefactor Xu," Wu Hua said, pressing his palms together, "This humble monk will be right back."

He couldn't help it; he felt like there was a fire burning in his chest, and if he didn't let it out soon, he would explode.

"No need to dirty your hands." Xu Bai picked up the woman, stood up, and gently helped her put on her clothes.

The woman regained consciousness, but she didn't make a fuss. She just clung tightly to Xu Bai's clothes, her eyes still empty, but she wasn't afraid.

"Get dressed." Xu Bai tied the thin belt around the woman's waist.

This garment is thin, yet it preserves the last shred of dignity for a woman.

"Ah!"

Outside the door, a piercing scream rang out, creating a stark contrast with the silence of the room.

Xu Bai raised his foot and kicked the old man in front of him out, while helping the woman out.

"Go out and see what a real Human Realm Purgatory is like."

Outside the door.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet held a long sword. Every time it passed a villager, it would wake the villager up and then cut them off with a single stroke.

It wasn't a fatal cut, but rather a cut to the artery in the neck.

Death is an extremely slow process, yet they could clearly feel it.

Fear was written on every villager's face as they clutched their necks, but they could not stop the gushing blood.

The long sword in the Fourth-Rank Puppet's hand was dripping blood, which accentuated its cold and sinister face, making it look exceptionally eerie.

The old man was horrified when he saw this, and his hands and legs trembled.

"You evil spirit! You are an evil spirit!"

He pointed at Xu Bai, whose face was calm, but his eyes were filled with nothing but fear.

"Yes, they all call me Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder, but now I feel that's more in line with my personality." Xu Bai smiled, his smile perfectly calm.

The woman lying in Xu Bai looked at this scene with empty eyes.

Screams echoed here, and blood flowed everywhere, soaking the earth.

Gradually, the screams subsided, and the ground was littered with corpses.

"Here, take this." Xu Bai took the knife from the Fourth-Rank Puppet and let the woman hold it.

The woman's eyes were vacant, and she instinctively gripped the long knife.

Xu Bai led the woman to the old man, took her hand, pressed the long knife against the old man's chest, and then gently pushed it inward.

"Laugh!"

The knife is slow, but there's a lot of blood.

The old man was completely unable to move and could only watch helplessly as the knife pierced his chest.

Pain and despair gripped his heart, and the feeling of death drew ever closer.

The old man died instantly when the long knife pierced through him.

The longsword returned to the Fourth-Rank Puppet's hand, and everything returned to silence.

Seeing this scene and Xu Bai's calm expression, Miao Xiao suddenly felt that she couldn't see through the idol in front of her.

A man known as the Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder, ruthless and decisive.

But at this moment, the man's ruthlessness and decisiveness gave people a strange sense of warmth.

Miao Xiao looked at the woman lying in Xu Bai. The woman seemed not afraid at all, and was even very quiet.

"Is this the real Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder?"

Miao Xiao didn't know which one matched the rumors circulating in the martial arts world, but she knew that she had seen another side of Xu Bai.

He truly deserves to be our role model.

All these people in front of me deserve to die.

Originally, even if Xu Bai Wu Hua didn't make a move tonight, she would have.

But now it seems unnecessary; these people in front of us have already been tortured to death.

Even that old man was stabbed to death by the woman herself using Xu Bai's unconventional method.

Miao Xiao felt that this might be the real Blood Slaughtering Saber Wielder.

Xu Bai, unaware of their thoughts, approached Wu Hua and said, "Let her keep an eye on things."

He shoved the woman into Wu Hua's hands.

The woman seemed to struggle slightly, completely different from when she was with Xu Bai, constantly trying to leave.

Fortunately, Wu Hua managed to subdue the woman.

Xu Bai slowly walked to the center, looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, and drew his Black Saber Hundred Rends.

"I know you may be watching from the side, because I can feel a gaze on me. But you are a master of Concealment Method, and even my soul can only sense a trace of it."

"You should feel fortunate, because you have thoroughly enraged me."

"So, come on, let me see what you're really capable of."

In the darkness, Xu Bai's voice carried an unprecedented chill.

A moment later, a series of eerie sounds began to echo across the previously quiet open space.

The corpse lying on the ground opened its mouth, and countless Gu worms flew out of it, covering the sky and gathering in mid-air to form a human face.

Xu Bai squinted as he watched this scene.

Once the face was formed, Miao Xiao spoke.

"It's you, Miao Zheng!"

Of course she recognized the owner of that face; it was Miao Zheng, the man she was searching for.

The man burst into laughter, ignoring Miao Xiao, and looked at Xu Bai, mockingly saying, "How does it feel? Doesn't this scene look incredibly cruel, Lord Xu?"

Xu Bai had no intention of beating around the bush and said directly, "Speak, what is your purpose?"

Since he was shown this scene, there must be a purpose behind it; Xu Bai didn't believe it was for no reason.

"My purpose?" The man's laughter turned into a sneer, "What purpose do you think I have? I'm just showing you how many wicked people there are in this world."

"It's true that I joined the Gu God Sect, and that was my own choice. But I can say for sure that up to now, the methods I've used in the Gu God Sect have all involved the corpses of those most heinous and wicked people."

"I did this to eliminate evil and improve my own strength, but you're chasing me like this. What do you think my purpose is?"

The face emitted a wanton and unrestrained laugh.

"I'll plant a curse in these so-called villagers and let them die slowly in despair. That's what I'll find satisfying."

"What's wrong with using their bodies to raise venomous insects?"

Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "This matter has nothing to do with me. If you want to do something to uphold justice, that's your business."

Miao Xiao clenched his fists and said, "Miao Zheng, if that's really the case, come back with me and explain it to the elders of the Miao Sect."

The man's face froze for a moment, then he sneered, "An explanation? There's no need. They'll just think the Gu God Sect wrong. As for Lord Xu..."

"I'm sorry, the Gu God Sect said that only by killing you can they tell me how to continue using the Golden Silk Gu after betraying the Miao Sect."

"What Lord Xu did just now has impressed me greatly. I was even wavering, but for the sake of the Golden Silk Gu, I beg Lord Xu to die!"

Xu Bai smiled and said, "Do you think I believe that?"

His face froze. "What do you mean?"

"You really use the corpses of the most wicked and evil to raise Gu?" Xu Bai said meaningfully, "It's just to find an excuse to save your life after you fail."

"Why do you think so?" The face's voice deepened.

Xu Bai slowly said, "I guessed."

The man nearly fainted from anger upon hearing this.

Guess?

"What kind of answer is this?" the face-shaped figure roared. "You're being completely unreasonable!"

"Reasonable?" Xu Bai raised his hand, gripping the Black Saber Hundred Rends, the blade pointing at the face, and said, "If you listen to me today, come out obediently, and tell me what you know, I will take what you just said as true."

"What if I don't tell you, and I kill you?" the man-faced man said.

A faint killing intent rose from Xu Bai's body as he slowly said, "If you are unwilling, I don't care if you are real or fake. None of my enemies have ever lived."

Regardless of whether he was good or bad, Xu Bai never let anyone who was targeting him go.

It's good that you don't go against yourself, you can make friends, and Xu Bai can even treat you sincerely.

He wasn't an unreasonable person, and he never hurt good people.

But if this good person were to turn against him, or even try to kill him, he wouldn't just sit idly by and wait to die.

He is a saint; it's impossible for him to turn the other cheek when someone strikes his left.

The moment you become enemies, there is no distinction between good and bad, only between friend and foe.

"Good!" The face was not provoked and was gradually dissipating.

The last voice of a human face could be heard in mid-air.

"Today, let's see if you die or I live!"

The countless Gu worms scattered in all directions and vanished in the blink of an eye.

This is not the end of everything, but rather the beginning of everything.

A buzzing sound echoed throughout the wilderness and mountain villages.

This sound was a hundred times better than the sound of the wings just now.

Xu Bai turned his head and found that there was a buzzing sound all around him. He looked over.

On the distant horizon, a dense mass of dark shadows is approaching.

Under the moonlight, Xu Bai could see clearly that it was a large swarm of flying Gu worms.

The sheer number of them is staggering; they have completely enveloped this small village.

In the blink of an eye, these Gu worms were already close by.

"Lord Xu, these Gu worms are very difficult to deal with." Miao Xiao looked at Xu Bai with a wary expression on her fair face.

Individually, the Gu worms are not particularly strong, but their sheer numbers are overwhelming. They are so numerous that it's terrifying to look at them, and you can't even count them all.

Some things, when produced in large quantities, undergo a qualitative change.

"How many corpses would it take to raise so many Gu worms?" Miao Xiao thought to himself.

She finally understood why the tribesmen who had defected were ultimately able to fight the Miao Sect to a standstill.

This method of raising venomous insects is incredibly quick and efficient.

It's unbelievable that Miao Zheng had already amassed such a large number so quickly after running away.

In the sky, the Gu worms did not attack them; instead, some of them transformed into human faces and spoke.

"Xu Bai, with so many Gu worms, your people might not be able to handle it. I'll give you a chance. As long as you're willing to leave the village alone, I won't harm your people."

His words were full of arrogance.

Before Xu Bai could speak, Wu Hua spoke up.

"Do you think we're fools? You think you can so easily divide us? You're just trying to fool us."

The face paused for a moment, then said, "It seems you all want to die with him. In that case, I'll send you on your way."

After saying this, the face formed by the Gu worms disappeared and never reappeared. Then, the Gu worms rushed over.

"Young master, I will cover for you." Ye Zi raised his hands, his ten fingers moved slightly, and a series of melodies came from his fingertips.

The next moment, everyone present received the blessing.

Miao Xiao was about to make a move when Xu Bai stopped her.

"Your combat ability is not good enough. Protect Ye Zi," Xu Bai said.

The Fourth-Rank Puppet remained still, guarding Ye Zi's side.

Ye Zi is the best support, so of course we can't afford any mistakes.

Miao Xiao wanted to retort, but seeing that the person she admired had already spoken, she didn't say anything.

The Gu worms are still on their way.

"Benefactor Xu, we are fighting side by side once again." Wu Hua's body was enveloped in bursts of light.

Buddhist nature and murderous intent intertwined within Wu Hua, creating a strange feeling.

The woman was subdued by Wu Hua and brought to Ye Zi's side.

At this moment, the Gu worms were already close.

Xu Bai drew the Black Saber Hundred Rends from his waist, which burst into countless fragments, like an inverted Milky Way.

The next moment, the battle began.

The Gu worms at the forefront were strangled by Xu Bai, but before he could take a step, he was surrounded by the Gu worms that followed.

On the other side, Wu Hua, enveloped in light, blasted away the surrounding Gu worms with each punch.

Despite the large number of Gu worms, the two seem to be handling them with ease.

Some of the Gu worms bypassed them and flew towards Ye Zi and the others.

However, when it was halfway there, it suddenly stopped and did not attack Ye Zi and the others, but continued to surround Xu Bai.

Xu Bai, who was surrounded by Gu worms, frowned upon seeing this scene.

He felt something was off earlier; why didn't these Gu worms attack Ye Zi? There was something fishy going on.

He was currently in the midst of a battle and didn't think too much about it.

There were countless Gu worms, covering the sky and the earth. As far as the eye could see, there were Gu worms everywhere, not even a single gap.

With each swing of his sword, Xu Bai could kill thousands upon thousands of Gu worms, followed by thousands more swarming towards him.

Wu Hua could take away many Gu worms with each punch, but the Gu worms attacking him were endless.

Miao Xiao right just now; this is a battle of numbers, and also a war of attrition.

Xu Bai is handling the situation with ease, Wu Hua is also fine for the time being, but if this war of attrition goes on for too long, he may be fine, Wu Hua might not be able to withstand it.

Thinking of this, Xu Bai looked at Ye Zi's location again, feeling that something was getting stranger and stranger there.

Because only Ye Zi's location was occupied, and there were no Gu worms there.

Besides Ye Zi, there was only Miao Xiao, the Fourth-Rank Puppet, and the woman who had been rescued.