Gu Xinchao gently untied the rope bound around him.
At this moment, his entire body was bursting with strength. A mere slipknot was easily undone with a light tug, freeing him from the swaddling clothes.
He took a deep breath.
The Qi and blood surged throughout his body, flowing in the manner of the Seventy-Two Breaking Jade Fists. With a tiny body like a cannonball, Gu Xinchao shot out from the swaddling clothes and lunged directly at the female ghost suspended in the air above the bed.
While still mid-air, he threw a dainty little punch.
"Snap!"
The fist broke through the air with a crisp sound.
"Hee hee..."
The female ghost giggled.
Amidst the laughter, her figure turned ethereal.
Although Gu Xinchao's punch carried formidable strength and even contained an inch-force, it struck nothingness upon landing.
It was just like punching a cloud of mist.
"Hee hee..."
The red-robed female ghost reappeared on the roof beam. She tied a red ribbon into a noose around the beam, thrust her head inside, and hung there with her feet dangling and long black hair cascading down, staring straight at Gu Xinchao.
"Thud!"
A muffled sound echoed.
Gu Xinchao landed back on the bed.
The next moment, he soared into the air once again.
He catapulted himself toward the red-robed female ghost.
This time, the red-robed female ghost did not dodge. Her black hair whipped wildly like aquatic weeds, enveloping Gu Xinchao completely.
Every single strand of black hair was as tough and resilient as a bullwhip.
Even with the strength of the Organ Refining Realm (Early) and his Qi and blood fully unleashed, he could not break free.
Moreover, a chilling and eerie aura emanated from the black hair, eroding Gu Xinchao's Qi and blood and drawing out his vital life force, channeling it toward the female ghost.
You want it?
Take it!
Formless Heavenly Demon Wondrous Transformation!
Activate!
A Demon Seed slipped away first.
In an instant, it entered the female ghost's body and fused with her, establishing a one-sided mental connection between Gu Xinchao and his target.
This was somewhat different from fusing with the soul of a living person.
When a Demon Seed fused with the soul of a living person, Gu Xinchao could perceive the host's immediate thoughts, though he could not access their past unless the person actively recalled it.
However, when fusing with a pure spiritual creation—a malevolent spirit like the red-robed female ghost—he could perceive the other's past. At that moment, fragments of imagery surfaced in Gu Xinchao's mind.
Simultaneously, he was infected and dyed by a range of emotions.
It was akin to watching a movie.
An ensemble drama featuring multiple protagonists.
Among these lingering spirits were a imperial concubine who had hanged herself from a roof beam, a palace maid who could not bear the humiliation and trampling and had dashed her head against a pillar, and a noble consort who had died in agony from a severe illness...
And of course, innocent victims whose vital life force had been devoured by evil spirits.
Right now, this creature was nothing more than a stitched-together monstrosity with only the instinct to devour the vital essence of the living, entirely devoid of reason.
It was nothing more than a raving, malevolent spirit.
After the Demon Seed merged into the malevolent spirit, Gu Xinchao quickly gained control, suppressing and expelling those violent and chaotic auras.
To the female ghost, the Demon Seed acted as a sedative.
She stood obediently beside the bed.
The bloody scars on her face had vanished, the pitch-black sockets now showing whites of the eyes, and though her black hair still hung down, it no longer whipped about frantically.
She looked entirely normal!
Using the second Demon Seed right here?
That works too!
Gu Xinchao nodded.
Although this body of his possessed the strength of the Organ Refining Realm (Early), within the entire imperial palace, his strength was merely at the very bottom.
Body Tempering, Qi Refining, Aperture Opening, Xiantian, Martial Saint...
The imperial palace actually harbored the presence of a Martial Saint.
Furthermore, legends spoke of immortals.
The emperor was in seclusion precisely because he wanted to cultivate immortality.
Immortals were far too illusory and ethereal to mention, but a Martial Saint alone—legend had it—could shatter a small hill with a single punch, or strike a three-thousand-foot waterfall and cause it to stop flowing. They were the ultimate pillars of the nation.
Across the entire Great Wei and its tens of thousands of miles of territory spanning thirty-six prefectures, there were only a mere three or four Martial Saints holding down the fort.
Body Tempering?
That was merely the very beginning!
To Gu Xinchao, an infant's body was actually the best disguise, as it would not draw attention. The real question was: what should he do when danger arose?
He needed a bodyguard.
Noble Consort Lan?
Initially, Gu Xinchao had indeed intended to give the Demon Seed to Noble Consort Lan.
For a long time to come, Noble Consort Lan would be in close personal contact with him, and he needed her to protect him.
Now, however, giving it to this female ghost didn't seem like a bad idea.
She should be even more suitable than Noble Consort Lan.
After all, no matter how wild someone's imagination was, nobody would ever suspect that a mere infant could control a malevolent spirit like the red-robed female ghost.
Glancing at the red-robed female ghost, Gu Xinchao beckoned to her.
The next moment, the red-robed female ghost drifted onto the bed. Gu Xinchao leaped up into the air and kicked her squarely in the face with his tiny, tender foot.
Compelled by the Demon Seed to maintain a physical form, the female ghost was knocked flat on her back by the kick and landed on the bed.
Gu Xinchao jumped on top of her, raining blows with his fists and feet.
"Trying to scare me?"
"Sucking my life force?"
After a flurry of punches and kicks, the red-robed female ghost was beaten until her face was bruised and battered.
With two trails of dark nosebleeds hanging from her nostrils, she stared blankly at Gu Xinchao.
When Gu Xinchao waved his hand, the Demon Seed relayed a message, and she finally reverted to her original form, turning ethereal before slowly dissolving into nothingness.
At that moment, Noble Consort Lan walked back in with brisk steps.
On the bed, Gu Xinchao lay obediently in his swaddling clothes, his dark pupils rolling around in his eyes, looking exceptionally alert and lively.
Catching sight of Gu Xinchao, a smile blossomed on her face.
She let out an obvious sigh of relief.
The red-robed female ghost was sitting on the roof beam.
She gazed at Noble Consort Lan, a trace of greed flashing in her eyes, and she couldn't help licking her lips, though she didn't dare to jump down. Instead, she continued to cling, hovering just behind Noble Consort Lan's back.
"Hungry!"
She transmitted a message to Gu Xinchao through the Demon Seed.
"Hold it in!"
Gu Xinchao gave a prompt and blunt response.
"My child, why does Your mother feel so much warmer all of a sudden?"
Noble Consort Lan sat on the bed with a smile.
She picked up Gu Xinchao and gently rocked him.
"This is all brought by you, my baby!"
With that, she continued to smile.
Her eyes were tender, and her face radiated happiness.
Gu Xinchao closed his eyes, looking as though he were drowsy and falling asleep.
He opened Wei Xiaobao's perspective.
Through the Demon Seed, he immersed himself in experiencing Xiaobao's life.
At this moment, Xiaobao was pushing a flatbed cart bearing the corpse of Xiao Guizi across a small plaza and into a courtyard.
Three characters were written on the courtyard gate:
Dingfu Village.
The Great Wei imperial palace occupied an immensely vast area, encompassing the entire Baijing Mountain and the Imperial Lake. Palaces clustered together, lined with pavilions and terraces, connected by red walls and green tiles that stretched endlessly.
The southwest corner served as the Gate of Ominous Qi.
The living quarters for the eunuchs were also arranged in the southwest corner of the imperial palace; when not on duty, they would all return to this area.
Dingfu Village was located in the southwest-by-southwest, the very southwesternmost point of the palace.
Eunuchs without an official rank who met an unnatural death would be sent here to Dingfu Village before being arranged for removal from the palace.
Those with connections and money could have a coffin for burial.
They could even hire a corpse-driver to escort their remains back to their hometown.
No money?
A fire would burn them to ashes, and that was the end of it.
The ashes would be scattered in the potter's field.
With no one to offer sacrifices, they would gradually be forgotten.
Regardless of the method, they all had to pass through Dingfu Village.
"Wei Xiaobao, it's you again?"
"Are there no other people over at Eunuch Wu's place?"
"How come every time a little fellow dies, it's always you pushing the cart to Dingfu Village?"
"Who is it that died this time?"
A eunuch with a sallow complexion and a long, narrow horse-face shouted at Xiaobao.
He looked to be in his thirties and wore green robes, but embroidered on both his chest and back was a single cloud pattern.
This denoted a seventh-rank official.
"Eunuch Hai, the one who died is Xiao Guizi."
Wei Xiaobao raised his head, grinning as he replied with a vacant look in his eyes.
"Damn it!"
Hai Guozhong sprang up.
He lifted the cloth covering the flatbed cart and took a look.
"It really is Xiao Guizi!"
"This brat still owes me three taels of fine silver..."
He raised his head and shot Wei Xiaobao a glance.
"Xiaobao, you and Xiao Guizi were as close as brothers. How about you pay back those three taels of silver on his behalf?"
"I don't have money!"
Wei Xiaobao shook his head vigorously.
"You blockhead, how hard could it be to get some money?"
"What did you think of the matter I mentioned to you a while ago? Eunuch Xi is very sincere about this! He serves Consort Mei, and his godfather is a manager in the Imperial Stud. If you go work for him, you'll be living the good life..."
Hai Guozhong's horse-like face wore an extremely lewd smile.