The Gu-Worm’s Price

The night was like a huge piece of black ink brocade, spreading softly yet richly on the boundless earth.

There was complete silence, with only the occasional cry of a night owl.

Lin Xingjian, clad in dark, fitted attire, moved swiftly, his sleeves flapping fiercely in the night wind.

His silhouette, akin to a phantom in the night, darted through the mountains and forests with light, steady steps.

As he passed, tree branches brushed softly, emitting a faint rustle.

Lin Xingjian knew deep in his heart that time was of the essence; he had to reach the Gu Cultivation branch of the Xuantian Dao Sect before dawn broke.

He was adept in many of the Shadow Sect’s extraordinary techniques.

Even though he had yet to enter the Foundation Establishment realm, he could remain sleepless thanks to a secret Shadow Sect art called Sleepless Night.

This technique, at his current stage of cultivation, shone like the North Star in the darkest night, proving incredibly practical.

However, once he successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, the cultivator’s own more potent abilities would gradually emerge.

At that point, the Sleepless Night secret art would likely be superseded by more profound cultivation methods.

As the first threads of dawn pierced through the clouds, Lin Xingjian finally reached the territory of the Gu Cultivation branch.

“To be in this Gu Sect territory once more truly makes one uneasy,” he murmured softly.

His gaze, wary and cautious, swept across his surroundings.

He observed numerous strange-looking Gu-worms (TL Note: A type of venomous insect or parasite used in Gu Cultivation) slowly floating in the air.

Some flickered like faint, eerie phosphorescence, emitting an unsettling glow.

Others resembled lurking hunters, silently clinging to tree branches.

Still others writhed at his feet, their bodies either slender or plump.

It was widely rumored that cultivators of the Gu Cultivation branch were exceedingly repulsive.

The environment of this Gu Sect, compared to that of the Sword Dao Sect, was truly a world apart.

Legend had it that the cultivators here focused on only three things daily: raising Gu-worms, refining Gu-worms, and playing with Gu-worms.

In their hearts, Gu-worms were their everything.

Before stepping into the Gu Cultivation branch, Lin Xingjian transformed himself into an unremarkable man.

He skillfully employed the Bone Contraction Technique, acquired from the system, quietly shrinking his form.

In short order, his physique became identical to that of the client, a transformation he performed with great proficiency.

This was not his first peculiar assignment.

Since he began cultivating, Lin Xingjian had been severely lacking in spirit stones (TL Note: A form of currency and cultivation resource), leaving him no choice but to engage in such dealings.

It wasn’t as if no one else had tried to snatch his business during this period.

However, Lin Xingjian was simply too competitive; he directly took on numerous jobs by offering “black s*ave” (TL Note: A slang term referring to extremely low-priced, exploitative labor) rates.

Yet, Lin Xingjian didn’t accept just any task.

The foremost condition was that the employer must not have had any contact with the target.

After all, if the employer had already interacted with the target, Lin Xingjian would merely be imitating the employer, and how could he then pursue those proud Immortal Maidens?

He naturally had to use his own abilities to impress the Immortal Maiden. As for whether the employer would be exposed later, his policy was simple: once the spirit stones were in his hand, he was not responsible for the fallout.

Confirming his disguise was flawless, Lin Xingjian slowly retrieved a small, delicate, sputum-bowl-shaped device from his robes.

He gently opened it, examined it carefully, and then, satisfied, closed it once more.

“After expending so much of my vital blood to meticulously nurture it, it has finally reached excellent quality.”

“I estimate I can deliver the mission today, and those five hundred spirit stones will soon be mine—what a grand business!”

Excitement gleamed in his eyes, as if the five hundred spirit stones were already firmly in his grasp.

Lin Xingjian’s current mission was largely similar to previous ones.

In essence, it involved disguising himself as a second-generation cultivator from the Gu Sect to help him pursue an Immortal Maiden of Gu Cultivation.

This Immortal Maiden, Yu Linglong, hailed from an extraordinary background.

Her appearance was pure and adorable, her figure petite and exquisite, and her dazzling silver-white hair cascaded like a waterfall.

At first glance, she exuded an air of innocence and beauty.

Yet, who could have imagined that such a harmless, charming young girl was a Gu Cultivator who dealt with venomous insects all day and was already showing subtle signs of succumbing to cultivation deviation.

“Knock, knock.”

As the first light of dawn emerged, Lin Xingjian arrived before Yu Linglong’s residence.

It was a dwelling neither crude nor lavish, but rather perfectly conventional in every aspect.

“Miss Yu, I have come to pay my respects.”

His voice was clear and gentle, tinged with humility and courtesy.

“Who are you?”

A soft, sweet female voice, laced with a hint of tenderness, drifted from within the door.

“Miss Yu Linglong, have you perhaps forgotten me? I am Zhang.”

“Zhang?”

The voice from inside the door was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

“Indeed. Half a year ago, I accepted Miss Yu Linglong’s request and, after much hardship, have now nurtured this Gu-worm to near completion.”

A trace of relief permeated Lin Xingjian’s voice.

He knew well that half a year of effort was about to bear fruit.

“You actually did it?”

A gasp of surprise came from within the door, and footsteps grew clearer, drawing closer.

With a soft creak, the door slowly pushed open.

A petite and exquisite young woman came into Lin Xingjian’s view.

Yu Linglong was utterly adorable, her rounded face like a freshly ripened, rosy apple.

She appeared to be no more than sixteen years old.

Her silver-white hair, illuminated by the rising sun, shimmered like a brilliant galaxy, radiating a captivating luster.

She wore a flowing green luo dress.

Its hem swayed gently with the breeze, further enhancing her snow-white complexion.

This young woman, who typically disliked wearing shoes, preferred to go barefoot, with a pair of delicate anklets adorning her slender ankles.

With each step she took, the silver bells on her anklets emitted a crisp, melodious “ding-dong,” like the clear spring water flowing through the mountains.

Yu Linglong possessed an innate affinity for Gu-worms that far surpassed ordinary people; she was the legendary Five-Poison Saint Body.

Common Gu-worm toxins could not harm her in the slightest.

This unique physique allowed her to progress smoothly on her path of Gu Cultivation.

Approximately half a year ago, a Gu Cultivator sought out Lin Xingjian, expressing his predicament with a troubled look.

He confessed that he simply could not win Yu Linglong’s affection because she had set an extremely demanding condition.

As a Five-Poison Saint Body, Yu Linglong intended to leverage her unique constitution to raise an exceptionally venomous Gu-worm.

This particular Gu-worm required the blood of her beloved to survive.

In other words, it necessitated someone deeply infatuated with Yu Linglong, whose love ran profound. First, they had to feed the Gu-worm with their own flesh and blood for eighty-one days, then nourish it with their blood for another forty-nine. Only then would the Gu-worm fully mature.

Lin Xingjian had spent over a month just waiting for this Gu-worm to hatch from its cocoon.

By calculation, exactly one hundred and eighty days, or half a year, had passed since he accepted the mission.

Half a year ago, when Yu Linglong proposed this condition, countless individuals, brimming with hope, took the Gu-worm cocoons she had developed.

Yet, to this day, not a single person had returned to report success.

The reason, in truth, was its extreme difficulty.

Indeed, who could endure a Gu-worm gnawing at them for eighty-one days, while also having to offer their own blood daily to feed it?

This demanded not only an iron will but also profound and unwavering affection as its foundation.

More crucially, this Gu-worm was exceptionally particular.

It would only devour the flesh and vital blood of those who genuinely loved Yu Linglong.

Should the feeder’s heart ever waver, even for a single day, the Gu-worm’s nourishment would immediately cease to be effective.

It was under such arduous and stringent conditions that Lin Xingjian had succeeded.

If one were to ask how he accomplished this, did he truly fall for Yu Linglong?

How could that be?

As the Shadow Sect’s foremost genius, simulating an emotion was a basic skill for a Shadow cultivator.

Lin Xingjian needed only to rely on his rationality to feign affection for Yu Linglong.

This fabricated love, however, proved sufficient to deceive the Gu-worm.

“Here, Immortal Maiden Yu, please observe. This is my accomplishment, and also a token of my sincere intentions.”

Lin Xingjian, holding the sputum-bowl-shaped device in both hands, carefully lifted its lid.

Seeing this, Yu Linglong eagerly took the device from Lin Xingjian’s hands.

The Gu-worm’s body was long and slender, covered in peculiar, fine hairs.

Under the sunlight, it shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow.

Its front bore four rigid antennae, and over a hundred tentacles gently swayed.

Moreover, a pair of transparent cicada-like wings, delicate as gauze, trembled softly on its back in the breeze.

The Gu-worm’s appearance was genuinely rather unsettling and terrifying.

Yet, upon seeing this small but fear-inducing Gu-worm, Yu Linglong showed no fear whatsoever.

Instead, she extended her fair, jade-like fingers, gently grasped the Gu-worm, and carefully cradled it in her palm, treating it as a precious treasure.

“Thank you. I can’t believe you actually did it.”

“Thank you, Gege (TL Note: A term of endearment for an older brother or male friend)!”

Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, and as she finished speaking, she threw herself into his arms.

Lin Xingjian was startled, instinctively wanting to push her away, but he knew well that this was absolutely not the right moment.

After a brief pause, he gently eased her away.

“Miss Yu, I have fulfilled my entrusted task as agreed. I wonder about our previous arrangement…”

Lin Xingjian inquired tentatively.

“I agree, Gege!”

Yu Linglong’s voice was crisp and melodious, like silver bells in the mountains.

“I have truly felt your intentions…”

“This Gu-worm is the best proof. If Gege hadn’t deeply loved me all this time, how could this Gu-worm have come into being?”

Her eyes sparkling with happiness and contentment, she had seemingly found her lifelong reliance.

“So, Gege, please swallow this Gu-worm.”

Lin Xingjian: “???”

“Miss Yu, I do not quite understand your meaning.”

“Are you suggesting I should eat this… Gu-worm that I’ve nurtured with my flesh and vital blood, which is incredibly venomous, and controlled by you?”

His voice was filled with disbelief, as if he were confirming whether he had misheard.

“Yes, Gege.”

“Don’t you love me, Gege? That’s why this Gu-worm could be born.”

“It is the crystallization of our love, yours and mine, Gege. I deeply understand your affection and devotion to me.”

Her eyes were full of expectation, waiting for Lin Xingjian to agree without hesitation.

“So, please.”

At this moment, Lin Xingjian’s heart began a fierce struggle.

After all, no one could predict what would happen if he swallowed this Gu-worm.

If it caused no harm, with the abilities he had learned from the Shadow Sect, he might even be able to spit it out.

But the thought of successfully obtaining those five hundred spirit stones, which would alleviate worries about his junior sister’s Foundation Establishment pills, filled him with resolve.

“Gege, what’s wrong? Why are you hesitating so much? Could it be… you don’t truly love Linglong?”

Seeing Lin Xingjian’s hesitation, the light in Yu Linglong’s eyes began to flicker erratically.

It brightened and dimmed, subtly carrying a hint of disappointment and suspicion.

“How could that be? I’ll swallow it right now!”

Lin Xingjian gritted his teeth, burned his bridges, and with a single resolute gulp, swallowed the Gu-worm.

The instant the Gu-worm entered his stomach, an indescribable wave of nausea surged through him.

The Gu-worm seemed to possess its own consciousness, struggling desperately, trying to crawl back up his throat.

Lin Xingjian suppressed the discomfort, forcing it down, his throat burning as if scorched by fire, a searing pain.

Having swallowed the Gu-worm, the chill on Yu Linglong’s face instantly vanished, replaced once more by joy.

Like a cheerful fawn, she gently nuzzled Lin Xingjian’s chest.

“That’s wonderful, Gege… you must stay with Linglong forever, absolutely never separate, otherwise… Linglong doesn’t know what she might do.”

A subtle threat lingered in Yu Linglong’s words.

Yet, her adorable appearance made it difficult to associate her with any danger.