Casting the Gu

Qing Xue flipped both hands, and several silver needles appeared between her fingers. Their tips were pitch-black, seemingly coated in deadly poison. With a flick of her wrist, she sent them streaking toward Old Man Xiang like arrows loosed from a fully drawn bow.

The night was hazy and gray, making the needles nearly impossible to spot. They were hard to defend against.

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Even Chen Han was startled for a moment. The hidden weapons had come out of nowhere; even he couldn't say for sure he would've dodged them.

But Old Man Xiang seemed to have known her tricks all along and was prepared. With a quick sway, he easily evaded the attack.

Then he strode forward, palm raised, and lunged straight at Qing Xue. She jolted and fired needle after needle, but Old Man Xiang already knew her killing moves and was ready for them. He dodged again.

"You old bastard!"

Anger surfaced on Qing Xue's beautiful face. She snapped at him, then swept her long legs toward Old Man Xiang. Her kick was so fast it left afterimages, and it struck with such force that he stumbled back again and again.

Chen Han conservatively estimated the force at eight hundred pounds. She had already reached Transformation Force.

"You saucy wench, those legs have some kick. I'll make sure to have a good feel of them later."

Excitement gleamed in Old Man Xiang's eyes. His muscles bulged, and the veins on his forehead stood out as his aura surged higher and higher. His power was terrifying—he, too, was a Transformation Force Martialist.

No, he was at the peak of Transformation Force! He was only a step away from becoming a Martialist!

His palms seemed to wield strength without taking shape, hard as iron. When he moved, it was like elephants and horses stampeding. This was the Elephant Horse Palm!

The two clashed head-on, palms and legs crashing against each other again and again. Their imposing auras and fierce, rapid attacks made onlookers tremble with fear. They had reached the point where one of them would have to die.

In the blink of an eye, several exchanges had passed. Old Man Xiang's Elephant Horse Palm was clearly superior to Qing Xue's legwork. She panted with exertion, and the pressure mounted as time went on. Gradually, she fell behind.

"Saucy wench, just give in to this old man. I guarantee I'll make you feel like you're in heaven and hell at once..."

"You shameless bastard..."

A bitter look crossed Qing Xue's face. In desperation, she seized an opening to put some distance between them. Then she flipped up the front of her clothes, revealing a glimpse of spring. Several green insects, shaped like fireflies, flew out on a fragrant breeze and darted straight at Old Man Xiang.

He chuckled and advanced instead of retreating. "Finally, you can't hold back and have to show your trump card?"

Facing the swarm, Old Man Xiang held his right palm charged for a long time. At last, he unleashed it with a surge of overwhelming force.

"Qi Shakes Mountains and Rivers!"

He roared, and the force of his palm seemed ready to crush the air!

Under such an attack, the glowing green insects were powerless to resist. They were all shaken to death at once.

"You old bastard, I'll remember this grudge. You'd better hope you never fall into my hands."

Old Man Xiang looked around and realized that the saucy wench had already lost all desire to fight when she released the insects. She had only sent them out to stall him for a moment and pave the way for her escape.

"Bitch, you still dare come looking for trouble? You don't know what's good for you... And you, brat hiding in the shadows—what are you hiding for? Get out here!"

He barked the command.

Sure enough, the next moment, Chen Han appeared behind him.

"You've got quite a knack for hiding your aura, kid. Even I almost didn't notice you."

The Taiji Health Cultivation Technique Chen Han had mastered had greatly enhanced his body, giving him a degree of control over it beyond what ordinary people could achieve.

Even when he shared a bed with Shen Wan'er at night, he could hold back for over half an hour without climaxing, leaving her groaning in frustration and unsatisfied with desire. There was no denying how formidable that was.

Chen Han folded his arms across his chest and stood tall, his gaze as calm as still water. He wasn't afraid of Old Man Xiang at all.

"Yet you still noticed me, didn't you, Senior?"

"Hmph, of course. I've roamed the martial world for years. How could a fledgling like you compare to me?"

Old Man Xiang looked at the young brat before him, who clearly didn't know his place, with arrogant disdain. He was displeased that Chen Han wasn't bowing and scraping before him.

Still, guided by the old saying that great masters could be found among the common folk and each generation surpassed the last, he chose not to strike Chen Han down outright.

"Kid, this is a fine thing. I'll give it to you."

He picked up one of the silver needles he had just dodged and flung it straight at Chen Han. He was testing him.

Chen Han remained calm. Only when the needle was about to pierce through him did he suddenly raise a hand, catching it securely with Two Yang Finger.

Caught off guard by the sudden needle, he couldn't say for sure he would've dodged it. But it was different when he was prepared—he caught it without so much as breaking a sweat.

Old Man Xiang immediately studied Chen Han from head to toe. Though he couldn't tell exactly how strong Chen Han was, that one move was enough to make him treat the young man cautiously.

"Since Senior has bestowed this treasure on me, I won't stand on ceremony."

As he spoke, Chen Han carefully put away the needle, then gathered up the rest that had fallen to the ground.

"Kid, I take it you followed that saucy wench here. What's your relationship with her?"

Chen Han smiled faintly. "We've made a few deals. That's all."

Old Man Xiang paused, then burst into laughter. "Well, kid, how about joining forces with me to capture her?

"You've done business with her, so you know she's a whore at the Black Market. She must have a huge fortune—at least a thousand taels of silver and several treasures.

"If you've taken a fancy to her and want to make her your slave, that's possible too. I have plenty of methods to train her. I guarantee she'll do whatever you say."

Chen Han considered this, weighing his options.

The reward was tempting, but wouldn't it be a bit dishonorable? Xue'er had even given him a discount.

"Kid, you're new to the world and inexperienced. You probably haven't realized it yet."

Chen Han's gaze sharpened, and his heart tightened. "Just say what you mean, Senior."

"That bitch put a gu on you!"

A gu?

Chen Han had heard a little about such things. The one that had left the deepest impression on him was the love gu. If someone placed one on the person they loved, then the moment they fell for someone else, the gu would devour their heart, making them writhe in agony until they died.

He suddenly recalled the stabbing pain he had suffered a few days earlier when breaking through to Transformation Force. Could that have been the gu this woman had planted in him?

Chen Han's hair stood on end, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

People weren't always what they seemed. Aunt Xue'er might appear to be just his type, but who knew what she was like behind his back?

He didn't doubt the old man's claim. Old Man Xiang had no reason to lie to him, and Aunt Xue'er had several ways to plant a gu in him: in the meat he had eaten or through casual physical contact.

Chen Han didn't understand this sort of thing, so it was safest to assume the worst.

"Is that true? Why would she put a gu on me?"

"I've always been one to speak without thinking. Why would I lie to you?

"As for why that bitch put a gu on you, you'll have to ask her. How would I know?"

Better safe than sorry!

Chen Han had already developed murderous intent toward the breathtakingly beautiful Aunt Xue'er. "All right. What do you want to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

......

Chen Han returned to his residence at Chen Mansion. The moment he opened the door, Li Muyun, who had been asleep, woke with a start and ran out of her room.

"Benefactor, you're finally back."

At last, the man who had saved her months ago stood before her again. Li Muyun felt a great deal safer, and a bright smile spread across her face.

"Mm. Have you settled in here? This is where I've lived since I was a child."

"It's very nice."

Li Muyun gazed at Chen Han with her lovely almond-shaped eyes, a hint of affection hidden in them. She wondered how there could be a man in this world so gentle, dependable, and handsome.

"Good, then..."

Just then, Li Muyun seemed to think of something. Her eyes grew misty with tears. "Benefactor, tell me honestly—what happened to me last night?"

Li Muyun was pure-hearted, but not stupid. After everything that had happened, she had more or less guessed the reason.

She couldn't believe it, but the facts were right in front of her, and she had no choice but to face them.

Chen Han could tell she had guessed something. Seeing her look as though she were about to cry, he couldn't bear it. In the end, he said nothing.