A Gu-Worm’s Whisper and an Open Conspiracy

On the moss-covered stone steps outside the hall, a lone figure stood.

“Alas!”

Lin Xingjian sighed softly.

He had gained no benefits, yet inexplicably, he had awarded himself a three-year agreement.

Now, it truly was “thirty years to the east of the river, thirty years to the west” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom implying that fortunes can change dramatically over time), and one should never scorn a young man for his poverty.

At that moment, Lin Xingjian suddenly remembered the system’s reward, realizing that even the Ghost Shadow Steps, which had advanced two stages, hadn’t escaped his grasp.

‘Was this truly reasonable?’

“I only hope the Dao Gate Sect’s punishment will be lenient; a few months of seclusion for cultivation should suffice.”

Lin Xingjian pulled out the white paper from his pocket, the one with Zhang Jingya’s erroneous poem, and was suddenly startled.

Strangely, the paper remained pure white.

But where were the words that had been written on it?

“The words are gone?”

Lin Xingjian was utterly perplexed.

‘Hiss, could it be some special ink that vanishes shortly after writing?’

Unbeknownst to Lin Xingjian, the air subtly twisted behind him.

The ink-like characters had appeared on his back, only to quickly dissipate, as if they had never existed.

Lin Xingjian swallowed hard.

More than anything that had just transpired, the persistent foreign sensation in his throat clung to him like an inescapable phantom, dredging up memories of the life-saving Gu-worm from before.

That thing had actively flown out of his mouth.

A strong sense of foreboding suddenly surged within him, and he instinctively reached out to touch his stomach.

Though the situation had been dire moments ago, he was absolutely certain.

That small, round object had undoubtedly originated from within his abdomen.

Lin Xingjian racked his brains, and then, a sudden flash of insight struck him, bringing to mind the cultivators of the Gu Sect.

These individuals typically remained dormant, but once they acted, they were ferociously ruthless.

They excelled at harboring various Gu-worms within their bodies, then ejecting them through their seven orifices.

Using such sinister methods, they delivered fatal blows to their enemies.

“Wait!”

“I have a Gu-worm in my stomach? Why?”

Lin Xingjian’s face instantly turned ashen, as lifeless as withered grass struck by frost.

While a Gu Sect cultivator’s own cultivation might not be exceptionally powerful, the Gu-worms harbored within their bodies served as their most lethal weapons and their most formidable defensive barriers.

In the cultivation world, a certain combat rule was widely known.

When a Gu-worm emerged from the seven orifices of a blood-soaked cultivator, one had to act with the swiftness of a cheetah pouncing on its prey, immediately severing the opponent’s Gu-worm before delivering a fatal blow to the Gu cultivator.

Should this sequence be erroneous…

The outcome of the battle would become uncertain.

Centuries ago, a formidable cultivator once emerged from the path of Gu Cultivation.

This individual was particularly skilled at ejecting consumable sub-Gu through various insidious and bizarre means.

His method of expelling Gu-worms was exceptionally peculiar.

Not only did they emerge from his seven orifices, but he also created openings in his palms, chest, and back.

These orifices functioned like hidden mechanisms, allowing Gu-worms to be expelled from all directions, leaving no blind spots, and catching enemies off guard.

Recalling this, Lin Xingjian felt a chill surge from his feet to the crown of his head, causing every hair on his body to stand on end.

‘No, I absolutely cannot be negligent in this matter.’

‘I must return to the Shadow Sect as quickly as possible and ask Master to examine me!’

‘What if it truly is a Gu-worm…?’

Lin Xingjian immediately unleashed his movement technique, galloping non-stop towards the Shadow Sect.

Having mastered the Ghost Shadow Steps, he returned to the Shadow Sect like a howling gale, then hastily made his way to Yao Guang’s room.

“Master, please, I beg you to quickly examine my body; I fear I may have already…!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yao Guang’s small fist, like a whistling cannonball, slammed directly onto his head.

Lin Xingjian cried out in pain, quickly clutching his injured head, almost unable to suppress a louder shout.

“You brat! Are you trying to scare your Master to death?”

“Since when did you walk so silently? Just now, your Master thought it was an illusion.”

Yao Guang’s face still bore a look of lingering fear, her nerves unsettled.

Only then did Lin Xingjian realize.

He had already cultivated the Ghost Shadow Steps to the grand accomplishment realm, making his footsteps utterly silent.

“Master, I am truly sorry; your disciple was careless.”

Lin Xingjian sheepishly scratched his head, a simple smile gracing his face. “Your disciple fortunately cultivated the Ghost Shadow Steps to grand accomplishment, and for a moment, I forgot about it.”

“What?”

“You actually cultivated the Ghost Shadow Steps to grand accomplishment so quickly?”

“Your Master only sent you to the Dao Gate Sect to deliver a secret letter; how exactly did you manage this?”

Yao Guang gazed at her disciple before her, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Although she had previously known of Lin Xingjian’s extraordinary comprehension of cultivation techniques, truly unprecedented, this was simply too outlandish.

Ordinary people cultivating techniques and learning a divine ability had to endure countless hardships and undergo repeated tempering.

This boy, Lin Xingjian, however, was like a light boat flowing downstream, achieving success naturally.

Lin Xingjian’s heart sank with a ‘thump,’ and he inwardly cursed, ‘Not good.’

‘Perhaps I spoke out of turn this time.’

In the past, when cultivating techniques, there had never been a precedent of suddenly leaping across two realms at once.

This time, the Ghost Shadow Steps had directly advanced from minor accomplishment to proficiency, then to grand accomplishment.

Such abrupt progress was indeed prone to drawing suspicion.

Even if the person before him was his Master, who had meticulously guided him since childhood, it was inevitable that she would harbor doubts.

Although Lin Xingjian had never told Yao Guang about his system, he always informed her immediately whenever he learned a powerful technique.

He knew well that he couldn’t hide it from Yao Guang.

Rather than waiting for her to discover it herself later, it was better to confess openly; this would appear more forthright and spare Yao Guang from baseless conjectures.

“You brat…”

Yao Guang patted Lin Xingjian’s shoulder with a solemn expression, “You truly are a prodigy with extraordinary talent, an unprecedented Shadow Sect genius!”

“To think you comprehended the grand accomplishment Ghost Shadow Steps just by delivering a secret letter!”

“Excellent, excellent!”

“In the future, as long as you cultivate diligently and avoid any unforeseen harm, you will undoubtedly become a pillar of our Shadow Sect, with a promising future ahead!”

As Yao Guang spoke, her eyes welled up slightly, and she nearly shed tears.

Lin Xingjian watched this scene, his heart filled with helplessness.

Sometimes, he genuinely wondered if his Master’s mind was simply too naive.

Such bizarre and extraordinary progress, yet she didn’t harbor even a hint of suspicion.

‘Never mind.’

“Master, your disciple has successfully delivered the secret letter you entrusted me with, and the Dao Gate Sect has agreed.”

“Now, we simply await their reply.”

Lin Xingjian responded unhurriedly.

“Mm, that is good then.” Yao Guang nodded slightly, a hint of relief in her expression. “Next, the Xuantian Dao Sect should proceed with handling this matter, however…”

A worried expression subtly appeared on Yao Guang’s face.

She understood in her heart.

Given the modus operandi of those from the Xuantian Dao Sect, they would likely prioritize investigating the sale of Demonic Pills, then fully focus on ensuring the smooth progression of the upcoming Pill Sect Competition.

As for Lin Xingjian’s assertion that the Demonic Path might very well use this incident to orchestrate a larger conspiracy, without any evidence or clear direction, the Xuantian Dao Sect’s investigation would likely fall into a prolonged period of stagnation.

“Disciple, what are your insights and analysis on this matter? Do tell your Master.”

Yao Guang gazed earnestly at Lin Xingjian.

She hoped this exceptionally clever disciple could offer some unique and profound insights into this thorny issue.

Lin Xingjian pondered for a moment, temporarily setting aside the matter of what had emerged from his mouth.

He frowned slightly, sinking into deep thought, his mind a torrent of ideas constantly emerging, colliding, and intertwining.

After a while, he slowly began to speak.

“Master, in your disciple’s humble opinion.”

“If everything regarding this incident is as Li Tianliang stated, then it is highly probable that this is a long-premeditated scheme by the Demonic Path, and they must have made thorough preparations.”

“Having consumed a pill that forcibly raised his cultivation, Li Tianliang’s mind is likely already deranged after being taken back; extracting any useful clues from him will probably be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.”

“The Xuantian Dao Sect will undoubtedly consider the sale of Demonic Pills as their top priority, investigating it with all their might. Yet, they remain unaware that this is precisely falling into the Demonic Path cultivators’ open conspiracy (TL Note: A strategy carried out openly, often with a seemingly legitimate purpose, but still serves a hidden, malicious agenda).”

Upon hearing this, Yao Guang nodded gently.

When considering the matter carefully, it was indeed flawless…

The Xuantian Dao Sect was in the midst of the Pill Sect Competition, and their resources for handling this matter were limited, yet they couldn’t simply abandon it.

‘Truly, an open conspiracy!’