Chapter 94: Cursed with the Love Gu

The moment Yun Jiao spoke, not only Qi Cheng but also the village chief and the four exorcists broke out in a cold sweat.

Perhaps because Yun Jiao had chatted so casually with that little cat demon earlier, they had subconsciously downplayed the girl’s identity. They’d even worried that Yun Jiao had been too trusting—believing the demon’s words and letting her return to the demon realm so easily.

Now that they thought about it, they realized how naïve they’d been.

Clearly, Yun Jiao had known exactly who that cat demon was, which was why she’d avoided any direct conflict.

If they hadn’t been so weak—if they had actually killed that snake demon, and then decided to “take care of” the cat demon while they were at it…

All four of them shuddered simultaneously, unwilling to imagine what might have followed.

“So,” Yun Jiao said, taking a deep breath, “this is no longer just about returning the demon core. This could become a war between the human and demon realms.”

Her words might have sounded exaggerated, but they weren’t empty threats.

If not for her master’s presence, if not for that fox who’d conveniently summoned her for a house call, this incident could easily have escalated into a full-blown interrealm crisis.

If that happened, the very disaster that Hall Master Xu once mentioned—the Mirage Demon War from five hundred years ago—might repeat itself. And how many exorcists would die in vain this time?

“I’ll ask one last time,” Yun Jiao said coldly. “Young Master Qi, think carefully. Do you know where the demon core or the missing children are?”

Qi Cheng’s expression twisted. His eyes flickered with panic and fear; his face turned from blue to white, back and forth. Finally, his trembling hand clenched at his side, and he stammered, “M-Master… I-I truly don’t know anything about any demon core. Even if it exists, why would I need such a thing?”

“Bullshit!” the old man couldn’t hold it in anymore and nearly burst into flames. “You little—!”

Before he could finish, the ever-loyal Madam Qi—acting like some brainless fangirl—stepped forward protectively again, glaring furiously at them.

“My husband already said he doesn’t know anything! What more do you want? Are you trying to pin this on him because you can’t find your precious demon core? Looking for a scapegoat, is that it?!”

“Miss Shao, watch your words!” Master Chen’s brow furrowed deeply.

“It’s the truth!” she snapped back, blocking Qi Cheng behind her like a lioness guarding her mate. “I think you’re the ones colluding with that demon! Get out of our house!”

“You—!”

Just as another argument was about to break out, Yun Jiao’s eyes stayed locked on Qi Cheng, her voice icy calm.

“So, you’re really not going to talk?”

He looked even more frantic. “I said I don’t know anything about a demon core!”

Yun Jiao’s face darkened. She sighed. “Forget it. I’m done talking.”

There was no reasoning with people who had the skin of a city wall—time to handle it directly.

Without warning, she pulled out her silver needles, grabbed Madam Qi—who had been puffing up her chest like a fighting rooster—and pinned her arm down.

“What are you doing—” Madam Qi gasped, not expecting Yun Jiao to suddenly strike, but before she could finish her scream, Yun Jiao’s hand flicked and a needle pierced the center of her forehead.

In an instant, Madam Qi froze, her body rigid and motionless.

Before anyone could react, Yun Jiao’s hands moved in a blur, striking several major acupuncture points in quick succession. Then she lifted the woman’s wrist and began carefully feeling along the meridians.

Her movements were swift, precise, and terrifyingly practiced. Everyone else just stood there, stunned.

What the hell is she doing?

One moment they were talking—then she just started stabbing people with needles?

And now she was… touching her hand? Rolling up her sleeve and feeling around?

Was she… taking advantage of her?

Right in front of the husband?!

(⊙_⊙)

Before they could make sense of it, Yun Jiao finished with one hand and immediately switched to the other.

“What are you doing?!” Qi Cheng finally snapped out of his daze, panic flashing across his face. “Let go of my wife!”

But Yun Jiao ignored him, still probing inch by inch with focused precision. A faint frown crossed her face, just as the silent observer in the back—Ye Yuan—spoke up quietly:

“Three inches lower.”

Yun Jiao’s hand shifted down to the woman’s wrist—and her eyes lit up. Found it.

She extended her hand toward the old man. “Knife.”

“Oh—right!” The old man automatically pulled a small surgical knife from his bag and handed it to her.

Qi Cheng’s eyes went wide as he realized what she was about to do. The color drained completely from his face. Dropping all pretense of frailty, he lunged forward with a shout.

“No—stop!”

But he was a second too late.

Yun Jiao’s blade had already sliced open Madam Qi’s wrist.

A thick, viscous fluid oozed out—but it wasn’t red. It was black.

Dark as ink, glistening like molasses, it flowed out in heavy clumps that writhed faintly as they fell.

Within that blackness, something moved.

“Stop! Stop it!” Qi Cheng screamed hysterically, struggling to rush forward, but the four exorcists had already reacted, blocking him immediately.

They all stared in horror as Yun Jiao pressed on Madam Qi’s arm, forcing more of the black sludge out.

Her entire body began to twitch, small lumps bulging beneath her skin as though something were crawling underneath.

Madam Qi’s screams tore through the air, raw and agonized, until her strength failed and she collapsed limply in her chair.

“Is that… a Gu?” Master Chen gasped. “She’s been cursed!”

Yun Jiao didn’t answer.

Her hands didn’t stop moving until a blood-red worm, unable to bear the pressure, slowly wriggled out from the wound and dropped to the floor.

The black sludge leaking from the cut gradually turned to normal red blood. Only then did Yun Jiao pull out her needles, seal the wound, and begin bandaging it.

The worm on the floor suddenly twitched—and turned, crawling straight toward Qi Cheng.

Qi Cheng’s eyes went wide with horror. The man who’d been so arrogant moments ago now looked utterly terrified.

“NO! Stay away! Don’t come near me—HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!”

Yun Jiao frowned. “Old man. Purification charm.”

“Oh! Right, right!” Bai Yu jolted back to awareness, yanked out a talisman, and tossed it.

A streak of spiritual flame flashed—

and the worm was instantly reduced to ash.

“There are still the eggs,” Yun Jiao said sharply, pointing to the clumps of black slime on the floor.

Eggs?!

The old man froze—and then, looking closer, saw that the goo indeed contained countless tiny white dots. Inside each one, minuscule worms writhed and squirmed, packed tightly together by the thousands.

A shiver ran down his spine. Goosebumps exploded all over his arms. He hastily threw two more purification charms, burning every last trace of them to dust.

Only then did the group recover from the shock, glancing between the unconscious Madam Qi and Yun Jiao, who was calmly removing her needles.

“Daoist Yun… what on earth was that?” one of them finally asked, voice trembling.

Yun Jiao straightened, dusting her hands off, and replied flatly:

“A Love Gu.”

“…”

What?

Σ(°△°|||)︴

(End of chapter)