Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Gu Techniques

After obtaining the toad Gu, Zhou Luo conversed with the other person for a while longer. Only after half a shichen did he rise to take his leave.

"Xiao Wu, see our friend out," Zhu Quancheng said.

Yao Wu, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward eagerly, her eyes and brow smiling. "Brother Zhou, let me walk you out."

She had been listening nearby to their conversation and only now learned that Zhou Luo was not only extraordinarily powerful but also a top-level Pill Master. A flutter stirred within her heart.

She had already felt goodwill towards him because he was her savior. Now, learning of his remarkable talent, she held him in even higher esteem.

The desire to properly get to know him budded in her mind.

Faced with Yao Wu’s enthusiasm, Zhou Luo did not refuse.

Soon, they walked out of the yard, heading towards Feng Yuan Ju.

"Well, isn’t this the usually haughty Miss Yao? What’s got her all warm and friendly today?"

Next door, Xu Tian, dressed in flimsy gauze and a rather bold outfit, stood at her garden gate. Watching the two chatting and laughing as they approached, she called out teasingly.

Yao Wu paused mid-step, her small face darkening. She darted a veiled barb. "I’m warm only to those close to me. Not like some people, who are friendly to everyone. What’s the difference from those brothel girls?"

The smile froze on Xu Tian’s face. A faint, strange glimmer of light flickered in her beautiful eyes. "What a quick-witted little girl," she said darkly.

Yao Wu glanced at her, expression unchanged. "Naturally, I can’t compare to Friend Xu."

Zhou Luo watched their contentious exchange, unclear about the cause, and chose to remain silent.

Xu Tian didn’t look at Yao Wu again. Instead, she turned her gaze to Zhou Luo, her smile returning. "Friend Zhou, making friends is normal. But one must be careful. Don’t be fooled by appearances," she said.

"What are you implying?" Yao Wu snapped sharply.

Xu Tian gave a light laugh, turned, and retreated back into her courtyard, leaving Yao Wu visibly annoyed.

"Brother Zhou, let’s go," she said, clearly displeased.

Only once they were back in the garden of Feng Yuan Ju did Zhou Luo finally ask, "Friend Yao, what’s the situation between you and Friend Xu?"

Anger still tinged Yao Wu’s face. Upon hearing the question, she responded immediately, "Brother Zhou, listen, you absolutely must stay away from that woman."

Then, as Yao Wu recounted the story, Zhou Luo learned the origin of their enmity.

It turned out Yao Wu once had a Senior Brother. When they, along with their master, had first moved here, life was relatively normal.

That was until Xu Tian moved nearby later.

It was around that time that Yao Wu’s Senior Brother became deeply, obsessively attracted to Xu Tian.

This wouldn’t have been a bad thing at first. After all, the path of cultivation is long and lonely. Finding a kindred spirit, a partner who shares your heart and mind isn’t necessarily unfortunate.

Neither Yao Wu nor their master had opposed it initially.

But later, her Senior Brother’s obsession with Xu Tian deepened. He neglected his Gu techniques completely, lingering near Xu Tian’s courtyard every day.

Because of this, their master had repeatedly warned him: cultivation should be his priority.

But her Senior Brother didn’t listen. He later even moved directly into Xu Tian’s courtyard.

However, scarcely three days after moving in, her Senior Brother was found dead, violently murdered just outside the Immortal City.

At the time, Zhu Quancheng, guided by tracking Gu insects, arrived at the scene only to find a mangled corpse, barely recognizable if not for identification through the Gu insects.

After this incident, Yao Wu once went to confront Xu Tian at her place.

But that very day, Xu Tian was visiting as a guest at Geng Feng’s residence and had a solid alibi.

Yao Wu firmly believed Xu Tian had intricate ties to her Senior Brother’s death, yet the matter was left unresolved in the end.

From then on, Yao Wu held a deep grudge against her.

Later, she also noticed that any close male acquaintances who visited Xu Tian a few times never reappeared.

This made Yao Wu feel increasingly that Xu Tian posed significant danger.

That was why she warned Zhou Luo so seriously.

After hearing this, Zhou Luo seemed lost in thought and agreed to be highly cautious.

"Alright, Big Brother Zhou, I’ll head back now," Yao Wu prepared to leave.

Meow—

Just then, a cat’s cry sounded as Little White unexpectedly appeared in the main hall.

Seeing the pure white little cat, Yao Wu lit up with joy, quickly stood, and scooped it into her arms, saying, "What an adorable kitten! Big Brother Zhou, is this your pet?"

Zhou Luo was baffled, staring at the creature he usually saw only sunbathing, now emerging suddenly.

"It is a Spirit Beast," he had to nod in agreement.

Yao Wu cradled the little being, her fair, slender hands gently stroking its smooth fur, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she murmured, "It truly is cute."

Little White rubbed against her garments, its nostrils twitching slightly, seeming to adore her scent.

Zhou Luo managed an awkward grin.

He thought to himself, if she knew it was a Second Level Spirit Beast she was holding, perhaps she wouldn’t keep calling it cute.

"Big Brother Zhou, may I visit to play with it later?" Yao Wu asked, beaming with anticipation.

She appeared utterly smitten with the tiny creature.

If it weren’t so close to dinner time, she might have lingered longer to tease it.

"Well… yes, you can," Zhou Luo didn’t understand why Little White was acting unusual today but didn’t refuse Yao Wu.

After she departed, Zhou Luo pulled out that ancient book on entry-level Gu techniques and began studying it.

He had heard about Gu insects before and knew them vaguely.

He recalled a Gu insect called Heavenly Love Gu, a mother-offspring type where consuming the mother insect and implanting the child Gu insect in a desired person could win their devoted affection.

Another was known as Soul-Ecstasy Gu, cultivated with one’s own vital essence blood; if it bit another woman’s body, it could bewitch her mind, turning even the most virtuous female into a wanton seductress.

Once, an evil cultivator had wielded this Gu, wreaking havoc on multiple female cultivators and extending his evil reach to the Biquan True Sect, only to be ultimately slain by a Golden Core master.

There was also a Calming-Heart Insect that settled the mind and steadied the spirit, naturally dwelling near the heart and feeding minutely on heart blood, causing no harm. This treasure was invaluable for Closed-Door Training, incredibly scarce, and sought after yet unobtainable even by Nascent Soul grandmasters.

Now, as Zhou Luo scanned this introductory text for Gu Masters, he found an entry-level Gu insect called the Bedroom Cicada. Its chirping acted as an aphrodisiac, essential for marital intimacy, and its wings, when brewed, could make potent love drugs.

This struck him as rather intriguing.

Though Gu techniques paled next to the four major skills, mastering them could yield great utility.

He pondered focusing on them later, thinking how fortunate it would be to win this skill in a lottery.

After learning about it enough, Zhou Luo eagerly took out that toad Gu.

Following the records in the ancient tome, he carefully channeled spiritual energy and infused it into the toad Gu’s body.

Instantly, the toad Gu, previously devoid of life and listless, began to glow with a trace of vitality. Zhou Luo distinctly sensed a thread of connection forming between himself and the creature.

Since it was gifted by Zhu Quancheng, Gu insects of this type were exceptionally weak. Not only was nearly all their strength depleted, but their awareness was also muddled, lacking any ability to resist, making them extremely easy to refine.

Refining a powerful live Gu would be far more troublesome, requiring mastery of proficient Gu techniques to subdue it.

As the toad Gu stirred, it slowly opened its eyes, its belly puffing out as it gave a call.

Ribb-it—

The very next moment, Zhou Luo could clearly feel himself gaining control over this live Gu.

A mere thought from him would prompt the toad Gu to unleash its power.

The moment the toad Gu appeared, Little White, resting on the table, instantly perked up, its eyes gleaming with fervent desire as it stared at the creature.

Mew—

It called out, demonstrating its desire to devour the creature.

"You want it?" Zhou Luo glanced at it and asked.

Meow—

Little White nodded its head.

This made Zhou Luo instantly comprehend.

No wonder this guy suddenly showed itself; it must have been drawn by the Gu insect’s aura.

He hadn’t expected this little creature to eat Gu insects, though.

Since this Gu insect was useless to him, he simply tossed it to the cat and went back to studying the ancient tome.

…

As nightfall arrived, a figure quietly appeared in the neighboring courtyard, slipping into Xu Tian’s room.

Inside the room, Xu Tian looked expressionlessly at the figure and said coldly, "Utterly useless."

"Please forgive us, Elder Xu. We never expected a powerful cultivator at the later stage of Qi Refinement to suddenly appear when we were capturing that woman."

"Positive it was the later stage of Qi Refinement?" Xu Tian inquired icily.

"Absolutely certain. That’s the only reason Wu San and the others were defeated so swiftly. I suspect he may even have reached the eighth level of Qi Refinement," the person replied earnestly.

Hearing these words, Xu Tian’s lips curved upwards. "In that case, he makes for an excellent alchemical furnace. If I could absorb his power, perhaps my chances of Foundation Establishment would increase."

"Go investigate his identity thoroughly."