Granny Gu's Request

Based on Li Muyang's hundreds of failed explorations, the residents of Black Cloud Stronghold could roughly be divided into two groups.

One group was like Li Muyang: they wore purple bands around their wrists and practiced demonic arts under the guidance of the outsiders who followed Steward Wu. Their habits and way of thinking had already diverged from those of the original residents.

The other group still lived as they always had. They clung to the way of life passed down by their ancestors and did not practice demonic arts under the outsiders following Steward Wu, though neither did they oppose those outsiders leading the residents in cultivating demonic arts.

People with these two different ways of life shared the same stronghold, forming a strange balance.

And Granny Gu was one of those who maintained that balance.

She held great prestige in the stronghold. With her kind smile, she looked like a kindly old woman.

But no one in the stronghold dared show her disrespect. Even Steward Wu and his people were careful around Granny Gu.

When Li Muyang brought Little Wild Grass to the stronghold's Ancestral Temple, he saw an old woman sunning herself on the wooden steps of a stilt house beside the temple.

The old woman wore a benevolent smile. A long strip of black cloth was wrapped around her head again and again, making it look as though she wore a black ring.

From her appearance alone, she seemed no different from the other old people in the stronghold.

The moment he saw Granny Gu, a system dialogue box appeared in Li Muyang's vision.

[(Ask Granny Gu for help, and tell her the truth about Little Wild Grass)]

[(Better not go to Granny Gu. I should ask Steward Wu for help)]

[Please note: this choice will affect the heroine's future development path]

Li Muyang had visited Granny Gu several times before, but this kind of choice had never appeared.

It was also the first time the system had given him such a solemn warning.

Would this choice really affect Little Wild Grass's development path?

Did that mean asking Granny Gu for help and asking Steward Wu for help would lead to different routes?

Then he thought of what the system had said at the start: Little Wild Grass might become an immortal maiden, but she also had the potential to become a witch... The answer was obvious.

If he followed Steward Wu's route, Little Wild Grass would surely become more deeply tied to the demonic path.

Although Li Muyang was a demonic cultivator, he didn't have much of a favorable opinion of the demonic path—let alone old-school demonic cultivators like Steward Wu.

Old-school demonic cultivators like Steward Wu killed and did evil, bringing calamity to the land.

Li Muyang chose the first option without hesitation: ask Granny Gu for help.

"Oh? An evil thing that appears in your dreams?"

After listening to Li Muyang's account, Granny Gu's benevolent smile faded a little.

She beckoned Little Wild Grass over. When the girl came close, the old woman sniffed and rubbed against her all over, like an animal.

"There really is a strange, evil stench on you.

"Little Fish, you sure hit the jackpot. Only you could stumble across something this powerful."

The old woman looked cheerfully at Li Muyang and said, "Judging by its scent, this evil thing must be something very ancient. It was drawn here by the peculiar smell of the Soul-Lost One."

"It has a strange origin and an uncanny power. Ordinary people, even ordinary cultivators, would have a hard time resisting this monster."

"Only Soul-Lost Ones, or strange beings like that Human Trafficker, can resist it."

"If this old woman is right, you definitely didn't sleep last night, did you? You were too scared by the ghost stories to fall asleep?"

Granny Gu chuckled as she looked at Li Muyang. "You're lucky, boy. You survived by sheer chance. Since you were mixed up with this Little Wild Grass, that evil thing would have its eye on you, too."

"If you had fallen asleep last night, you'd be dead for sure. These evil things love killing people in their dreams."

Granny Gu's words made Li Muyang's eyes widen.

That Human Trafficker who sold children... was actually an expert?

But when he thought about it, it made sense. A Human Trafficker who went from place to place collecting Soul-Lost Ones and bringing them to Black Cloud Stronghold, and who had survived all kinds of strange encounters along the way, had to have a few tricks up his sleeve.

Li Muyang asked, "Granny, how do we deal with this evil thing?"

The old woman chuckled.

"Don't worry. This evil thing may be uncanny, but the ancestors of Black Cloud Stronghold used to feed on things like it."

"Though most of the things our ancestors left behind have been lost, they're still more than enough to deal with this evil thing."

As she spoke, Granny Gu looked deeply at Li Muyang, then at Little Wild Grass.

"But this old woman can't help you for nothing. Little Fish, you have to agree to one request of mine before I'll help you."

The old woman cheerfully laid out her demand.

A system dialogue box popped up in Li Muyang's vision.

[Granny Gu's request? ... She's not going to make me her ghost slave, is she? No! I can't agree. If Little Wild Grass dies, so be it. I can't die.]

[Refuse Granny Gu and I'll die; agree and I might still die... Should I agree?]

The two choices in his vision made Li Muyang's mouth twitch.

Granny Gu didn't seem as kind as she looked. No wonder no one in the stronghold dared cross her. She was a hidden final boss.

If this were real life, Li Muyang would definitely have hesitated.

But this was a game.

He chose the second option without a moment's hesitation.

"Fine! Granny Gu, please help us get rid of this evil thing. I'll be your ghost slave!"

At Li Muyang's words, Little Wild Grass froze beside him.

She seemed to understand what a "ghost slave" was. She looked at Li Muyang, her eyes wide with shock.

As for Li Muyang, he didn't actually know what a "ghost slave" was, but even he could tell it probably wasn't anything good.

But Granny Gu, still wearing her kindly smile, shook her head.

"This old woman doesn't want a scrawny little thing like you. Just remember that you owe me a favor, and agree to one request from me in the future."

Then the old woman turned to Little Wild Grass and held out a hand with a benevolent smile. "Come here, little girl. This old woman will get rid of the evil thing for you."

The girl hesitated, then timidly reached out and took the old woman's hand. Granny Gu led her into the gloomy Ancestral Temple.

Li Muyang wanted to follow them inside, but the old woman stopped him.

Granny Gu smiled kindly. "Little Fish, wait outside. You're not allowed in."

With that, the old woman closed the doors to the Ancestral Temple.

Li Muyang stood alone in the sunlight and glanced at the favorability bar in the upper-right corner of his vision.

[Little Wild Grass: 25 (She is terrified by your fervent goodwill)]

"?"

Li Muyang froze when he saw the favorability score.

Her favorability had gone up for no apparent reason earlier, and now he'd shown her goodwill, even agreeing to become Granny Gu's ghost slave to help her.

He'd thought he would get another boost in favorability this time.

But not only had the little brat's favorability failed to rise, she was actually terrified...

What on earth went through Little Wild Grass's head all day long?!