However, looking at the figure in white among the crowd, with exquisite swordsmanship and an imposing aura, moving freely among the Kuangdao Sect disciples like a noble scion strolling through a garden, if not for the blood-stained sword, he would have been just that.
“Sānsān, did you perhaps make a mistake in your readings!” Su Su looked at her tattered dark guard uniform and then at Luo Yucheng’s spotless white clothes, instantly feeling drained.
“Host, I hope you can understand one thing,” Sānsān felt utterly heartbroken. “We’ve worked together for ten years. Can you trust me a little more and doubt me a little less, okay?”
Listening to Sānsān’s wronged voice, Su Su suddenly realized her mistake and patiently coaxed the intelligent baby. “Okay, okay! I believe you, I believe you, no more doubts.”
After Su Su finished speaking, she noticed the silence in her mind. Sānsān didn't reply, making her a little uneasy. Had it really gotten angry?
“Hahahaha, Host, you promised! I recorded it.” Sānsān’s voice was full of triumph. If it had a tail, it would surely be wagging wildly right now.
Su Su: “……”
OMG, what a naive AI!
Luo Yucheng also saw the dark guard approaching him. He instinctively tried to get a clear look at the person’s face, but it was blurry due to the distance.
As for the people around him, they were no match for him. He could repel them with just the sword in his hand.
Although he had joined the demonic cult, he was not someone who indiscriminately killed innocent people. His sole purpose was to personally slay those involved in his parents’ deaths.
In just a moment, he disabled the disciples from continuing their fight.
But for some reason, the figures of the dark guards were dwindling, while the righteous disciples led by Qin Qianyu were continuously arriving. At this point, one had to sigh; a war of attrition indeed had its effectiveness at critical moments.
Luo Yucheng also noticed that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable to them and showed signs of retreat. Coincidentally, Su Su and Liu Yan, carrying their swords, finally arrived beside Luo Yucheng.
“Sect Master, Protector Liu, you two go first, I’ll cover the rear,” Su Su said, looking at the increasing number of enemies, and shouted back to them without hesitation.
At this moment, Luo Yucheng also saw Su Su’s exposed eyes and understood that she was the one who saved him in Yan Bugui Forest, Thirteen.
However, seeing Su Su covered in blood, Luo Yucheng felt a surge of compassion.
He had actually paid attention to this person. She dared not kill anyone; every swing of her sword was merely for defense. Such a person staying here would undoubtedly end up sacrificing their life. He had been too hasty, indulging those traitors who were intent on rebellion from within.
“Sect Master, let’s go quickly. If we don’t leave now, it will be too late,” Liu Yan said quietly by Luo Yucheng’s side, earnestly requesting.
Listening to their words from behind, Su Su suddenly realized that these physical tasks suited her. What? You say I need to rely on strategy to save the villain? Don’t be ridiculous, she was just a decadent shut-in!
Su Su, ignoring the decisions of the two behind her, seriously used her cheat-like sword skills to fend off the continuously surrounding group. The other dark guards on the battlefield also silently arrived, forming a barrier.
Looking at the figures bravely standing in front of him, Luo Yucheng was not unaware of their intentions. The former Sect Master was in secluded cultivation, and as a new pillar, as long as he was alive, Nether Ravine would not be destroyed and there would be hope for revival. Ultimately, he forced himself to ignore the compassion and quickly fled with Liu Yan towards the back mountain.
Qin Qianyu, seeing Luo Yucheng’s intention to retreat, took a group of people to pursue Luo Yucheng.
Along the way, Liu Yan wielded the Fierce Long Whip, her attacks ruthless, claiming many lives. Luo Yucheng also took out his poison powder and threw it at them.
Upon contact, they would experience symptoms of weakness and lose their combat power.
When Luo Yucheng and the others finally reached the exit, having significantly outdistanced their pursuers, Luo Yucheng found many people standing there.
A Purple-robed Man, with delicate and effeminate features, his eyes concealing ferocity, stood tall and slender, a smile playing on his lips, exuding an air of absolute certainty.
Standing beside him was none other than the benevolent-looking Elder Xu, and the faces of the others were unfamiliar.
An intuition told Luo Yucheng that something was unusual. He intended to evade them with Liu Yan and escape into the forest to the right, when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his chest. He looked down to see a dagger embedded in him. His refined mask cracked slightly from the pain.
“Why?” Luo Yucheng asked, looking at Liu Yan, whose face was pale from excessive bleeding, “Why are you killing me?”
Liu Yan lowered her eyes, avoiding Luo Yucheng’s gaze, and said faintly, “It’s just that you stood in many people’s way.”
Luo Yucheng ignored the approaching assassins sent by the purple-robed man and stared fixedly at Liu Yan, who managed a strained smile. “I thought I could trust you.” Luo Yucheng shook his head. “I misjudged you.”
Liu Yan remained impassive. “I obey orders, my body is not my own. I’m sorry.”
Luo Yucheng did not reply. Only the bulging veins on his forehead revealed his stomach-churning pain.
In just a moment, Luo Yucheng’s face turned ashen. The poison took effect, leaving him weak all over, like countless ants gnawing at his bones. The intense pain, even with his past experience as a test subject, was unbearable, and he couldn’t help but groan. Knowing medicine as well as he did, he knew he had been poisoned.
The physical pain was nothing compared to the bone-chilling cold. Suddenly, despair clouded his heart. What use was his exquisite swordsmanship? What was the point of his transcendent poison techniques? In the end, he… it was just that he wasn’t ruthless enough.
Luo Yucheng’s last impression was of those eyes, purely black and dazzlingly bright. He… fell unconscious.
Liu Yan, beside him, was not faring any better. Already injured, she then exerted all her strength to stab Luo Yucheng. She struggled to stand up, dragging her heavy footsteps, and quietly walked behind the purple-robed man.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, despite having a cheat, Su Su, who dared not kill, could not escape being injured. She truly feared pain, but she could not retreat. The villain had likely not gone far; she needed to buy them time.
In this instant, Su Su suddenly verified a truth through personal experience: when a person distills their goal into the simplest objective, making it a belief, they will possess astonishing potential for execution.
Su Su was like that; she only wanted to guard this opening.
Sigh of the Jianghu [Forty-five]
Everything was dark, with no light. Luo Yucheng’s vision was blurry. He blinked to adjust to the darkness. He moved slightly, creating the sound of heavy chains. He looked down and saw that his limbs were all bound by long chains, the other ends nailed to the wall.
He instinctively checked his waist, and with disappointment, closed his eyes. As expected, the poison he carried had been deliberately taken away.
The entire room was depicted with a dark and eerie style. Luo Yucheng was trapped in the center. On either side of him were various torture instruments, all stained with a dark reddish hue, emanating a chilling aura.
Just then, the door opened, and the purple-robed man slowly walked in. His leisurely and relaxed demeanor made one feel as if he were strolling through a garden path, yet here, it appeared extremely bizarre.
Luo Yucheng swore he had never seen this person before, but why did that person want to capture him? His thoughts churned, but his expression remained unchanged as he waited for the purple-robed man to speak.
“Hand over the secret manual, and I will spare your life.” The effeminate voice echoed in the torture chamber.
Upon hearing this, Luo Yucheng looked up at the man’s arrogant face, avoided the question, and instead asked, “Who are you?
The purple-robed man’s lips slowly curved into a cruel arc. “You don’t need to know who I am. You just need to answer whether you’ll hand over the secret manual or not. Otherwise,” the man raised his hand and made a gesture. A servant behind the door appeared, carrying a tray with a long, barbed whip. He picked it up and swung it towards the ground, leaving a white mark. He said slowly, “You will have the chance to taste this whip.”
Luo Yucheng looked at the clear mark on the ground and frowned. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As soon as he finished speaking, with a “swish,” a bloodstain appeared on Luo Yucheng’s white robe.
He let out a muffled groan and remained silent. The purple-robed man, however, seemed to have lost his patience. He swung the whip several more times. Especially seeing Luo Yucheng’s white robe stained with blood, his violent tendencies surged. “You won’t talk? There will come a day when I will make you beg to tell me.”
After saying this, the purple-robed man stopped whipping and signaled to the servant beside him. The servant glared fiercely at Luo Yucheng and, with a sinister grin, poured saltwater all over Luo Yucheng in the room.
Luo Yucheng felt his consciousness gradually fading. His body was numb with pain. In a daze, he recalled the time when his mother was still alive.
Later, with every lash of the whip on his body, Luo Yucheng’s body trembled from the impact, but in his memory, he saw Gu Miluo’s gentle smile. She had softly said to the young Luo Yucheng, “Yucheng, do you know? Your father is the most formidable person in the world! He wrote a sword manual for you. That sword manual was written just for you. Little Chen must practice it well!”
Was this it? Was it the only thing his father left him?
Luo Yucheng thought hazily, no longer able to maintain his consciousness, and sank back into darkness.
“Master, he’s fainted,” the servant said, bending down.
“I know. When he wakes up, continue the interrogation!” the purple-robed man said, then turned and left.
“Don’t worry, Master, I will treat him well.”
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, Su Su’s surrounding dark guards had already fallen, and the righteous path had gained an overwhelming victory. Su Su was exhausted all over. Her black clothes were stained with blood – hers, the enemies’, and those of the dark guards who had fought alongside her. She couldn’t relax, but she was truly tired, wishing she could sleep…
Seeing that Su Su could no longer hold on, and with disciples from other sects continuously surrounding her, Sānsān decisively took control of Su Su’s body.
Then, those disciples witnessed a divine scene. The person who was utterly exhausted and nearly at her last breath suddenly seemed to have taken potent medicine, rapidly recovering and then evading the battlefield with her unpredictable Qinggong.
Sigh of the Jianghu [Forty-six]
Where is this? Su Su opened her eyes and found herself lying in a deserted mountain area. She felt as if her entire body was falling apart. Just a slight movement sent her wounds screaming.
“Sānsān, are you still there? Do you know if he escaped?” Su Su asked, her voice hoarse.
“He didn’t. He was captured. However, I can’t detect who captured him.” Sānsān was also confused. Was this their newbie quest? Why were there so many complications? But based on the experience of seniors, they had unfortunately encountered a plot lock.
Su Su’s face was blank, indicating she was utterly worn out. He still hadn’t managed to escape; her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Seeing that the host was beginning to doubt the target’s intelligence, Sānsān silently explained, “Liu Yan ambushed him. He was poisoned, so he was captured.”
Su Su struggled to sit up, a bitter expression on her face. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“Host, don’t worry. Although plot locks are difficult, they also mean huge rewards. After this mission, you won’t have to worry about points.”
Su Su: Indifferent, unmoved, unperturbed.
Sānsān: “Emmmm, let’s not talk about that for now. Host, someone is coming. I’m leaving!”
Su Su: “Hey, hey, hey! You haven’t even told me who’s coming, and you’re just abandoning me here?”
Looking at her body, which was like a disabled person, Su Su didn’t bother with futile struggles and quietly waited for the approaching footsteps.
…
Gu Xilou was pulled out of the solitary confinement room by his senior brother this morning. He thought he was being called for something important, but instead, he was sent to this desolate place to pick someone up. What kind of task was this?
Looking at the dark, indistinct person on the ground, whose gender and life status were unknown, Gu Xilou’s eyes were filled with disgust. He said impatiently, “Don’t worry, I’m here to save you.”
He crouched down and leaned closer. Seeing the exposed eyebrows and eyes, he realized he seemed to have seen them somewhere before. Then, he abruptly pulled off Su Su’s veil, his eyes widening in surprise.
“It’s, it’s, it’s you…” Gu Xilou pointed at Su Su, his fingertips trembling.
Su Su looked at the young boy with confusion. Hmm, he was quite handsome, but unfortunately, not her type. It was enough to admire him. Thus, acknowledging the boy’s good looks, she gave a token of what she considered her kindest smile and replied, “It’s what? You recognize me?”
“Don’t you remember that night at Chunfeng Tower?”
Looking at the boy, whose youth was as tender as an onion, Su Su couldn’t help but blush. Fortunately, due to excessive blood loss, her pale complexion hid it. She mumbled, “Chunfeng Tower? Did I… did I lay my evil clutches on him…?”
“What are you thinking? Why are you smiling so strangely? Hey, I mean, that night you went to Chunfeng Tower, I ridiculed you, right? Then you said I was too young, have you forgotten?” The boy tugged at his dark ear hair and smiled shyly.
Prompted by the boy, Su Su recalled that day. Ah, the fact that she visited a brothel seemed to have left a bad impression on the boy.
“Cough, cough, cough, cough, I remember.” Su Su couldn’t meet the boy’s clear eyes and pretended to lower her head to cough. She coughed too hard and actually coughed up blood.Seeing the blood in Su Su’s palm, the boy frowned and took a handkerchief from his embrace/bosom to wipe the blood from her hand. “You’re not afraid, I’ll take you back to my home, my senior brother will save you.”
Before Su Su could even nod, a dull pain shot through her chest, and she suddenly lost consciousness.
Seeing Su Su, who had been talking to him normally just a moment ago, suddenly collapse, the boy panicked. He picked Su Su up on his back and hurried towards Tianji Pavilion.
…
“Senior brother, save her quickly, she’s fainted.” Gu Xilou, carrying Su Su on his back, beat hard on Gu Jinshu’s door.
As soon as he spoke, the door opened. Gu Xilou quickly entered the room and carefully placed Su Su on the bed.
At this time, Gu Jinshu put down the Book of Changes he was holding, patted Xilou’s shoulder reassuringly, and then took Su Su’s pulse.
Gu Xilou looked at his senior brother’s ever-calm demeanor and his anxious heart also settled as he awaited his answer.
“She has Congenital Heart Disease, and also the cold poison left by the Cold Shattering Snake in her body.” Gu Jinshu was also very surprised. Although he had predicted that Su Su would have severe sword and knife wounds, he hadn’t expected her to have these incurable illnesses.
With almost every word he spoke, it was like a death sentence for Su Su. Looking at Su Su’s peaceful sleeping face, Gu Xilou saw his senior brother’s lips tighten and his expression become serious for the first time.
“Will she wake up?” Gu Xilou asked tentatively, his eyes filled with sorrow and sympathy.
Gu Jinshu nodded. His lips moved, and he gave Xilou the answer he least wanted to hear. “She can live for at most one more year.”
Gu Xilou was stunned, speechless. The innocent and straightforward boy rarely faced such scenes of life and death. He remembered the promise he had made to Su Su earlier. Unable to suppress his grief, he ran out in a hurry again, just as he had arrived.
The sound of the door closing, though not loud, awakened Su Su. She opened her eyes and was drawn to the gaze of the person before her.
To put it plainly, she saw the vast starry sky within them.
The man before her was not particularly striking in appearance, but his discerning eyes and his demeanor, combined, created a sense of mysterious elegance.
“Who are you?” Su Su asked dazedly.
Gu Jinshu’s lips curved upwards, as gentle as jade. “I am Gu Jinshu of Tianji Pavilion.”
Sigh of the Jianghu [Forty-seven]
Compared to the man’s gentlemanly demeanor and imposing aura, Su Su, in her black attire, seemed like a petty thief.
Su Su understood this point. For her, the worst outcome was just a ‘game over,’ a restart.
She wasn’t worried. What puzzled her was that she distinctly remembered the plot hadn’t mentioned a Jianghu organization called Tianji Pavilion, nor the name Gu Jinshu.
“Ding! Plot unlocked and triggered. Host, please check. Main quest: Reduce the villain’s Blackening Value 45/100. Side quest two now released: Save the villain, expose Elder Xu’s conspiracy. Completion: 0/100.”
Hearing Sānsān’s prompt, Su Su sighed helplessly and said faintly, “I am injured.”
“Host, you only have one year left. Don’t be inactive. The sooner you die, the sooner you can be reborn. Don’t you want to go to the next world to change your mood?” Sānsān said reproachfully.
“Only one year?”
“This body’s lifespan is only one year left. Even if the Poison Sage replaces your heart, you won’t survive.” At this point, Sānsān suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. “Are you… coveting the villain’s heart?”
“Pfft, how could that be? Am I the kind of person who would harm a flower?” Su Su said righteously. “Don’t worry, I’ll do this mission.”
Gu Jinshu watched Su Su’s expression shift rapidly as if no one else were present, from joy to sorrow, finding it quite amusing.
“May I know what to call you, Miss?” Gu Jinshu asked with a smile as he watched Su Su regain her composure.
Su Su had just finalized her plan with Sānsān and then remembered the person beside her. She was momentarily stunned and subconsciously said her real name, “Su Su.”
“Miss Su, you still have unfinished business, right?” Gu Jinshu rubbed his unconsciously furrowed brow, his tone familiar, as if he were an old friend who had known Su Su for many years.
When she heard the word “Su,” she realized she had revealed herself. However, it didn’t matter. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn’t possibly calculate something like borrowing a corpse to return a soul. More importantly, he harbored no ill intentions.
Su Su softly replied, “Mm!”
Gu Jinshu stood up and, backlit by the light, looked at Su Su’s pale face with a complex expression. “Wait until your injuries have healed before leaving!”
As Su Su watched Gu Jinshu turn away, his figure felt familiar. A sudden flash of inspiration struck her. “Were you at Kè Lái that night?”
Gu Jinshu paused upon hearing this and replied in a low voice, “Yes.”
Hearing his affirmative answer, Su Su’s brows furrowed. “Why were you there? Then, do you also know who gave them the Seven Days Drunk?”
Before Su Su and her group arrived, multiple murders had already occurred in Luoye Town. If Gu Jinshu had arrived before them, he should have known something.