Chapter 95: The Gu Master Behind It All

The so-called Gu was a type of poisonous insect cultivated by human hands. Its uses were endlessly varied: some were medicinal Gu that could clear the mind, drive away illness, or dispel evil; others were venomous Gu that devoured flesh and spirit alike. In the textbooks Yun Jiao’s grand-master had given her, there were whole chapters devoted to these creatures. The most powerful of them, it was said, could ensnare not only mortals but even immortals themselves.

The Love-Binding Gu found in Madam Qi, however, was among the weaker kinds. It lived inside the human body like a parasite, feeding on its host’s vitality. Though it caused little physical harm, its true danger lay elsewhere—it could twist a person’s mind, making the victim uncontrollably fall in love with the first person they laid eyes on. That was why it was called a Love Gu.

Which meant that the relationship between Qi Cheng and his “wife” was highly suspicious.

“I… what’s happening to me?” As Yun Jiao explained, Madam Qi slowly regained consciousness. She blinked at Yun Jiao in confusion, her gaze wandering until it landed on Qi Cheng, who was still sitting on the ground. For a second she froze, then her eyes widened in horror. The dazed expression vanished, replaced by fury and shame.

“You—you beast! You ruined my innocence!”

Her cry rang through the room. The memories of what had happened came flooding back, and tears welled in her reddened eyes. The hatred in her gaze could have burned him alive. She suddenly snatched the knife from Yun Jiao’s hand and lunged toward Qi Cheng, clearly ready to kill or be killed.

“No—!”

Startled out of his stupor, Qi Cheng scrambled backward in panic, hiding behind the exorcists like a coward.

“What are you doing?! You married me of your own free will—it has nothing to do with me!”

“Shut up! If you hadn’t tricked me into drinking that potion, how could I have— I’ll kill you!”

Freed from the Gu’s control, her mind had cleared, but her memories remained painfully vivid. Every humiliating moment was branded into her soul. The affection she once felt now curdled into loathing.

She had been a noble lady, and he had destroyed her life. Rage and grief overwhelmed her; all she wanted now was to drag him down to hell with her.

“Miss Shao…” Master Chen stepped forward quickly, blocking her path. “Calm yourself! For someone like him, it’s not worth staining your hands with blood.”

But the woman—no, the Shao family’s young lady—was beyond reason.

“Move! I’ll kill him! I’ll kill that monster!” Her whole body radiated murderous fury, her grip on the knife trembling with intensity. Her eyes were fixed on Qi Cheng with pure hatred, as if she wanted to tear him apart.

“Miss Shao…” Master Chen tried again to dissuade her.

“I said move!” she shouted, her voice cracking. “If you stop me again, I’ll kill you too!”

“He destroyed your life,” Yun Jiao said quietly. “If you kill him now, wouldn’t that be too easy on him?”

She stepped forward, calmly taking hold of the woman’s wrist. “Better to think it through—decide how to make him suffer properly before you act. Revenge should be worth the effort.”

(And please, stop using my knife, thank you very much.)

Miss Shao hesitated. Though her eyes were still red with fury, a flicker of doubt passed through them. After a long moment, she lowered her hand. Yun Jiao smoothly retrieved her knife.

“Now then…” Yun Jiao turned toward the trembling Qi Cheng, who was still hiding behind the others. “Let’s talk. Where is the cat demon’s inner core—and where are the missing children?”

Qi Cheng had long lost his composure. His face was pale, his expression twisted with panic. Yet he stubbornly clung to his denial, his eyes darting everywhere.

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about! What kind of witchcraft did you use on my wife to turn her against me?!”

“Who’s your wife?!” Miss Shao roared, trying to rush him again, but Yun Jiao held her back.

“Fine,” Yun Jiao said coolly. “Then let me ask a different question.”

Her gaze sharpened. “Where is the Gu master who gave you the Love-Binding Gu?”

His face went white as paper. His eyes widened in disbelief before he blurted out, “How do you—”

He cut himself off, realizing too late what he’d said. Panic spread across his face.

“Wondering how I knew?” Yun Jiao took out a handkerchief and calmly wiped the blade in her hand.

“It wasn’t hard to figure out. You’re a mere mortal with no cultivation. A demon’s inner core is useless to you—it can’t strengthen your body or extend your life. So why would you risk so much to steal it? Clearly, you had another motive. And your wife just happened to be infected with a Gu. Even an idiot could put the pieces together.”

She glanced at him, her tone growing colder.

“You made a deal with a Gu master. He gave you the Love-Binding Gu so you could control Miss Shao, make her fall for you, and marry into her family’s wealth. All you had to do in return was deliver him a demon core.”

Back at the sub-branch of the Exorcist Hall, Yun Jiao had already felt something was off.

Why would a remote mountain village have the money to hire four exorcists, one of whom was a One-Flower master? The difference in pay between a Copper-Coin exorcist and a One-Flower master was immense—someone had clearly paid a fortune.

The Hall wouldn’t have assigned such a high-ranked exorcist for a random case. Which meant Chen Tian-shi had been hired privately.

And from the earlier conversation, it was clear that Miss Shao’s family—her mother’s family—had been the ones to invite him.

That alone proved the Shao family was wealthy and influential, at least in this region.

Qi Cheng, on the other hand, was merely a small-town man of modest means. The village chief might think him “rich,” but only by local standards. If he truly had wealth, he’d have moved to the city just ten miles away long ago.

In this era, social status was everything. Someone like Qi Cheng could never have married a lady of the Shao family—unless she had been the one insisting on the marriage.

That was where the Love Gu came in.

A naïve little cat demon, easily deceived and willing to hand over her core, was the perfect bargaining chip. With it, Qi Cheng had exchanged one demon’s suffering for his own path to riches.

“And as for the children…” Yun Jiao’s voice grew colder. “The Gu master probably felt that one demon core wasn’t enough payment for a Love Gu. So he asked for something more—those children were the ‘extra price.’”

“Young Master Qi, you… you really…” The village chief stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

Qi Cheng stumbled back several steps, his guilty expression confirming everything. His composure finally cracked.

“It—it’s not my fault! It wasn’t me! He—he’s the one who wanted the children! He said only children have pure spiritual energy… He put a Gu in me too! I couldn’t stop him—I had to obey!”

So it’s true!

Master Chen grabbed him by the collar, furious. “Where is this man? Tell us!”

“I… I don’t know!” Qi Cheng shook his head desperately. “He just told me to take the children to the abandoned temple three miles east of the village. That’s all! I swear I don’t know anything else!”

“Daoist Yun…” The others turned toward her, waiting.

“Go!” she ordered.

They wasted no time. The group turned and hurried toward the door. But just as Yun Jiao was about to step outside, Qi Cheng lunged forward, grabbing her sleeve.

“Wait! I told you everything! What about me? The Gu in my body—what do I do?!”

Yun Jiao’s expression darkened. She met his terrified gaze and said evenly, every word cutting like a knife:

“The Gu in you… I can’t remove.”

Without another glance at his ashen face, she turned and strode out the door.

(End of chapter)