“What’s going on?” Baili Bin hastily hurried over to the scene in which the two were facing off. Uncle Tai had already given him a brief description of what was happening but even so, he was still shocked beyond words the moment he arrived.
Chi was swirling around the pitch dark wormhole and above his head was a thick layer of dark clouds. From time to time, screams of the combatants could be heard coming from within the cloud cover. It sounded so mortifying that it made peoples’ hearts go numb.
Murong Feiye peered up at the respected elder standing near the opening, his gaze becoming duller by the moment. Turning over to face Baili Bin, he said with a bitter smile, “Baili, trouble’s brewing…”
Baili Bin remained silent. He produced a couple of pieces of jade from his pocket before making some calculations on his lap.
A while later, he looked up with disbelief in his eyes. Coincidentally, his eyes met Baili Qu’s.
Baili Qu was nearly eighty years old as of this year. One could discern his agedness from his eyes, which right now, peered back at Baili Bin tenderly.
Baili Qu’s mouth did not move. As if their minds were connected, Baili Bin understood in the blink of an eye what Baili Qu was implying.
“Everyone.” Baili Qu slowly made his way towards the cave entrance. “An evil force is behind this cave’s creation! It has a radius of one hundred li, for now. After 49 days of development, it has become quite literally, purgatory in the human realm! If we do not break it now, in a matter of days, even the entire capital will be swallowed up, what more to say of this hundred li radius!”
“Amithaba.” An abbot who responded by chanting the name of the Buddha rose up. “Does the head of the Baili family have a solution for this?”
“Yes.” Baili Qu’s voice was firm. “I will break the formation with my flesh and blood.”
After announcing his decision, a white bearded Taoist elder approached the cave entrance. “Mr. Yi, let us head on in.”
Yi Bing recognised who this old man was. He was a high-level Taoist practitioner, famous throughout China.
“Murong boy, have you any wine? I have not had many hobbies in my life, but wine certainly is something that I enjoy!” Baili Qu’s smile was unexpected. Surprisingly, there was still a glow in his eyes.
The people gathered here today were all high-level individuals from the ancient martial arts world. Their conversations had stopped the moment they realized the weight of the situation they were in. Murong Feiye was a little hesitant but he produced an expensive-looking bottle of fine wine nonetheless. After filling a cup with said wine, he presented it with both hands to Baili Qu.
After that came the Taoist elder and the men who followed behind him.
“To all great masters,” For once, Yi Bing’s face was respectful and somber. “Yi Bing understands your righteousness but Yi Bing absolutely cannot allow you all to commit such a selfless act.”
Standing behind Yi Bing was a group of Jiang Shuxuan’s followers. Emanating off each one of them were incredibly daunting auras. Even Baili Qu and his allies did not look down on this lot.
Baili Qu sipped a mouthful of wine while he looked at the Seven-Frosted Blade that was producing a freezing aura within the cave. He then responded with a hearty laugh. “Mr. Yi, I know that you won’t listen to any other person’s command other than Shuxuan’s. We will lie here waiting. If by tomorrow morning, he still fails to come out, we will force our way in come hell or high water!”
With his head lowered, Yi Bing went silent. As long as Big Boss Jiang’s sword was here, he wasn’t afraid that these people would breach their defensive perimeter.
The mob from earlier this morning did not faze him. Even if they had a hundred times more men, there was no fear in his heart.
What he was worried about, was the truth in Baili Qu’s words.
***
After bringing Hua Youlin out for a meal, instead of heading straight for home, Gu Xiqiao brought him to the slums where poverty-stricken people lived.
“Sister Gu?” With Haha in his arms, Hua Youlin exited the car. “Are we here to pick Xixi up?” Gu Xiqiao did talk about picking Xixi up earlier but he did not expect her to come all the way back there.
“Let’s go,” said Gu Xiqiao as she shut the car door. She then led the way with Hua Youlin following closely behind.
The sky was already turning dark but there were still quite a lot of people roaming the streets. Again, Hua Youlin witnessed Gu Xiqiao’s charm at play. It didn’t matter if it was a woman, old man or child, they would all greet her with a ‘Miss Gu’ as they walked down the street.
Even the scar-faced meatheads smiled at her in a friendly manner, as Hua Youlin stared wide-eyed at the scene.
“This is for you.” Gu Xiqiqao could not refuse the enthusiastic four to five year olds who flocked around her. She received a lollipop from a generous toddler, which she then shoved into Hua Youlin’s hand. “You’re welcome,” she said.
Hua Youlin held onto the lollipop in a daze. Despite his listless demeanor, his heart was growing increasingly restless.
At the end of the slum was a large courtyard. This was where Gu Xiqiao was heading towards.
There was a young man guarding the courtyard gate. His eyes lit up the moment he recognized Gu Xiqiao’s face. “Miss Gu!”
“Yep. Keep up the good work.” Gu Xiqiao nodded towards him. And then, without hindrance, she brought Hua Youlin into the courtyard.
Outside the door.
A group of people stared enviously as the two stepped through the courtyard gate. Yao Jiamu was becoming more and more popular on the street for his brutality and power. Taking into account the Bai triad’s monopoly, he and Big Boss Bai had now become the rulers of the capital underworld. This also meant that countless people flocked towards them for protection and assistance.
This was especially so after Yao Jiamu’s announcement to handpick individuals to join his crew. The number of people joining the Bai gang spiked after this. However, only a hundred-or-so men made it through the rigorous selection process.
Followers of Yao Jiamu only needed three days of training before they started noticing how powerful they have become. Setting aside the lucrative benefits as well as a complimentary place to stay, merely gaining this amount of strength was a compelling enough reason for these men to join his ranks!
There was a great deal of people from other provinces looking to join the gang. However, Big Boss Bai was insanely picky; it was not an exaggeration to say that only one out of every hundred men gets selected by him.
With so many people trying out, most went home empty-handed. As such, when these people saw that a girl and a child went into the courtyard, they were very surprised.
A young man spoke out suddenly. His accent sounded a bit odd, indicating that he wasn’t a local. “Didn’t they say that yer can’t go in so easily? Why’d the two of them manage to get in?”
The people around him then glared back at him with contempt in their eyes. “Do you know who that person is? That’s Miss Gu!”
Miss Gu? Is she a celebrity or sumthin’? The young man was puzzled.
The crowd then started filling in the details that he missed. “You don’t know who Miss Gu is? At the very least, you should know who Young Master Yao is right? What about Big Boss Bai?”
The young man nodded.
“That’s it. You probably know about Big Boss Bai’s official announcement from a few days ago, right?” These people were blabbering non-stop.
“Ah!” It was then that the young man got his bearings. “So she’s the Miss Gu?”
Of course, he had heard from many mouths that nearly everyone here in the Imperial Capital had links to the criminal underworld. Even the Devil was afraid of crossing Miss Gu. This was all just hearsay and it was his first time seeing the woman in person. In his imagination, Miss Gu was probably some middle-aged ruthless wench.
What he saw today instead, was a warm, gentle young lady whose eyes were as clear as still water. Her face was so pretty it reminded him of an ink painting. She was the complete opposite of the ‘Miss Gu’ he had in mind, who was closer to a monster than a human.
***
Dusk had arrived but nearly every corner of the slum remained brightly lit.
Yao Jiamu had purchased every courtyard in this district and nearly everything was razed to the ground. What’s left was a handful of public resting spots, or large open areas for training his men.
Xiao Yun was busy with filming and she could only come over at three in the afternoon. Wu Hongwen on the other hand, made his way here immediately after receiving a message from Yao Jiamu.
“Xiao Mu, you’re getting pretty strong here aren’t ya?” His eyes lit up as he scanned the line of people practicing drills underneath the podium.
Yao Jiamu tossed a booklet into his hands. “That’s enough. This is the book both you and Xiao Yun are going to follow.
Wu Hongwen had been struggling as of late. He acknowledged that the gap between him and both Yao Jiamu and Gu Xiqiao had been growing larger. He was still pondering if he should take Yin Shaoyuan’s advice, to train within the ancient martial arts world. However, Yao Jiamu’s message came right before a decision could be reached.
In comparison to Gu Xiqiao, how powerful would the lot in the ancient martial arts world be? Seeing Yao Jiamu’s strength grow so drastically made Wu Hongwen dash all the way here without stopping.
“Finally, the time has come for me to pwn the newcomers.” Wu Hongwen looked at the fresh-faced rookies eagerly.
Yao Jiamu glanced at him before pointing at a specific individual. “Your opponent would be that thing.”
Wu Hongwen peered over to find a hulking red figure with fiery-red feathers approaching him. “…”
‘Good god what the hell is that thing?!’
“Young Master Yao, are you expecting new recruits?” Whilst Wu Hongwen was busy struggling against the behemoth, Lu Qi noticed two new faces in their compound.
Yao Jiamu spared her a brief glance. “They’re not recruits. Like me, these are people who Miss Gu had taught personally.”
Lu Qi stared in horror at the duo who was exchanging blows with Xixi. “T-They’re allowed to fight head-on with Xixi just like that?”
Apart from Yao Jiamu, no one else here, including herself could match Xixi in battle, even if it was limited to a single wing. These two seemed to be putting up a pretty good fight against Xixi, which baffled her.
“Just how powerful is Miss Gu?” Lu Qi’s eyes were filled with an indescribable sense of shock. In her eyes, Yao Jiamu was an incredibly powerful person and Xixi’s sudden appearance was truly bewildering. Considering how well these two performed in combat, she couldn’t help but wonder, just how much more powerful is Miss Gu?
Yao Jiamu shook his head when he heard Lu Qi’s question.
“It’s safe to say that she’s very very strong.”
Not too far away, Xiao Yun and Wu Hongwen, through the power of teamwork, had successfully slammed Xixi down onto the ground.
Hua Youlin’s lollipop almost dropped out of his mouth when he saw this scene the moment they approached the sparring grounds. “Big sis Gu, I think I’m in a dream right now.”
What the hell was that sedan-sized thing?! Why on earth did it have feathers?! Ahhh! It spurts out fire too?! Wasn’t there a law that banned the experimentation on animals after the founding of the People’s Republic of China?!
“Miss Gu!” Yao Jiamu noticed Gu Xiqiao’s presence, which was also when his eyes lit up. “Why are you here?”
Gu Xiqiao greeted him with a nod. “I’m just here to check if Xiao Yun and her friend are getting used to their new lifestyle.”
Wu Hongwen approached them with a sour face the moment she ended her sentence. “I can’t believe I’ve sunk so low to being bullied by a damned bird!”
“Do you think I’m your regular type of bird?” asked Xixi contemptuously.
‘Worse! I’m getting looked down upon by the bird!’ thought Wu Hongwen to himself.
“I bet that’s Xixi.” Xiao Yun patted the dust off her clothes while looking up at Xixi.
“Xixi?” Wu Hongwen froze up. Something had gone wrong with the world tonight, he thought.
Gu Xiqiao nodded. She then sensed the aura that was emanating from their bodies. It felt much more refined, and so she started speaking again. “Looks like this sorta training works pretty well on you two.”
“Beauty Qiao! Praise the Lord for I can continue to decimate these two in battle!” Xixi pushed Xiao Yun aside and rushed straight for its mistress.
Then came a scene which Lu Qi could never erase from her memory. The invincible Lord Xixi was swatted away by Gu Xiqiao’s palm as if it was just another housefly.
Where it landed a good five meters away, the bird left a massive crater in the ground. That, and Xixi’s unlovable feathery face.
The impact made a deafening sound, which made hundreds of heads turn. In the seconds that followed, the scene was filled with nothing but dead silence.
Yao Jiamu was not an exception. He was the one who tangoed with Xixi the most; he knew just how ferocious that bird was in battle. Here he was upon receiving praise from Gu Xiqiao, thinking that it was just a matter of time before he caught up with her.
The gap between him and her was not small. In fact, it seemed like it had grown much larger.
Staring at Gu Xiqiao, there was only one thing that could describe his expression at the moment.
Sheer horror.
“Xixi! Xixi! Will you expand for me?” As Gu Xiqiao drove home, Hua Youlin kept demanding that Xixi enlarge its tiny little body.
Proudly, Xixi responded, “This car’s too small! It’s not enough to contain my might and glory!”
Hua Youlin realized that it was right. “… then, why don’t you transform when we get home!”
The system then emerged out of nowhere. “Beauty Qiao, what are you planning to do with the pills that you handed over to Yao Jiamu?” At the rate at which things were progressing, Yao Jiamu and his men would undoubtedly become a rising force within the ancient martial arts world.
If that’s so, then a terrifying scene awaited them in the future.
“We’ll take one step at a time,” said Gu Xiqiao as she drove her car steadily.
Jiang Shuxuan did not come back that night either. Hua Youlin was thrilled. He put down his bag the moment he stepped through the front door and took over Jiang Shuxuan’s role of feeding the pets.
Gu Xiqiao on the other hand took a shower before entering her room. She unwrapped a jade box, which she opened to examine closely. “Little system, does the virtual space contain information about it?”
“No.” The system hovered above the jade box with a dead serious expression. “Beauty Qiao, I think there’s something special about this thing.”
Upon opening the jade box, a chilling atmosphere enveloped her entire room in an instant. Gu Xiqiao immediately formed a barrier around the box to prevent a regular human from making contact with this alien aura.
“It’s definitely unusual.” Gu Xiqiao picked up a black cube. It was so dark that it made her skin appear almost white in contrast. Her eyes wandered around its edges. “I can feel the rhythm of the fluctuations within.”
Her consciousness entered the virtual training grounds. Sitting on the floor cross-legged, she waved her hand before two piles of books materialized beside her. Looking down, she flipped through the pages patiently.
As if sensing the tension in the air, the system sat down beside Gu Xiqiao and like her, it flipped through the pages in search of something.
Dawn, when the first rays of sunlight penetrated the misty cloud cover.
Gu Xiqiao, who was sitting on top of her bed opened her eyes abruptly. Her shining eyes glided across the cold light. She had not slept even a wink but nothing on her face indicated signs of exhaustion. “System, check my friends’ list.”
Displayed on the clear panel was a satellite shot of the Imperial Capital. There were more than a dozen green dots floating around the map but Gu Xiqiao was fixated on one lone dot. Her expression became grave in the blink of an eye.
***
The ancient martial arts world.
Baili Qu was facing off with Yi Bing. However, Jiang Shuxuan’s Seven-Frosted Blade remained standing at the entrance of the cave; no one dared to move it.
The sun had already risen above the horizon in most places but only this spot remained dark and ominous. The sound of rumbling thunder echoed through the skies, as the cloud layer grew thicker and thicker.
Boom!”
The sky was split into two when a thick pillar of lightning stabbed into the ground.
“Mr. Yi! We’re running out of time!” Patience was running out for Baili Qu and his men. As the atmosphere of evil rose, even he found it challenging to maintain his physical form any longer.
Yi Bing looked up at the stars. “Clan Leader Baili! The situation cannot be contained any longer! It’s futile trying to go in there! Please lead the people of the ancient martial arts world away to somewhere safe!”
Boom! A bowl-sized opening appeared in the skies above from which a bolt of lightning struck.
Baili Qu turned around just in time to see the lightning land somewhere above Baili Bin and his men’s heads. Horrified, he yelled out, “No!”
Baili Bina and Murong Feiye were able to react in the nick of time. They raised their sacrificial life-saving trump card and instantly, rainbow-colored sparks formed by chi splattered in every direction.
However, everyone there recognized the futility of a human’s struggle against nature. How could man stand a chance against heaven?
Baili Bin looked up as the lightning bolt descended towards him. A look of regret surfaced in his eyes.
He had not gotten the chance to read that letter yet…
At that moment, a massive being appeared in front of him.
It had red feathers, which glowed underneath the lightning bolt. The creature looked up at the sky and let out a deafening shriek from its beak.
It sounded a little, excited?
Beside it was a petite figure that gradually became clearer to the eye. She wore plain clothes and had a head of jet black hair. Peering up at the lightning above her head, her pale-white face turned transparent from the blinding pillar of light. Still, fear was absent in her eyes.
Everyone was stunned the moment she appeared. The storm that was brewing at the mouth of the cave had vanished into thin air; tranquility had been restored. What followed was a terrifying amount of pressure that spread out from ground zero of the storm.
These people could never wipe the scene off their minds for the rest of their lives. The lightning, which they thought was futile to fight against was being held onto like an item in that young girl. The scariest moment came when she casted the entire thing in the opposite direction.
Boom!
Silence ensued.
The girl then slowly turned around and walked up to the cave entrance.
