The method may be shameless, but it works.
Jiang Li indeed did not pursue them.
Though Lian Qiao was quite indignant, to be honest, when it came to ruthlessness, she still fell a bit short compared to Lu Wujiu.
However, Jiang Li had indeed delayed them for some time. By the time they found the guest quarters at Piaomiao Feng, they were still a step too late.
The fellow disciple sharing a room with Xie Mingran looked bewildered: "Junior Brother? He said there was an urgent matter at home and hurriedly left with his luggage as soon as the mountain gate opened this morning."
It seemed that Xie Mingran must have panicked after realizing he had placed the Gu on the wrong person last night, which was why he fled as soon as the mountain gate opened.
Upon hearing this, Lian Qiao immediately rushed toward the mountain gate. However, from the gate downward, there were three completely different paths, each with multiple forks. Simply chasing after him would be futile.
Lian Qiao grew anxious and said to Lu Wujiu, "Hey, where's that dog of yours? A dog's nose is the sharpest. Hurry up and let it out to track him down."
Lu Wujiu frowned slightly. "…It's Taotie."
Lian Qiao was speechless. What kind of Taotie wagged its tail at people all day long!
"Fine, fine. Where's that dog-like Taotie of yours?"
Lu Wujiu paused for a moment before speaking leisurely, "Do I need you to remind me? I already sent it out to track him down."
Only then did Lian Qiao notice that the Taotie ornament on his sword was missing.
Speaking of this Taotie, one must mention a past incident.
The Tianyu Lu Clan inherited the Metal Spirit Vein among the five elements and excelled most in swordsmanship.
It was said that this Taotie was a young beast subdued by Lu Wujiu. Because the creature was too ferocious, he sealed it within his sword, using one evil to suppress another.
Unexpectedly, over time, the young beast thrived on the abundant demonic blood nourishing Lu Wujiu's sword. It realized this was far better than struggling to hunt on its own, so this spineless Taotie willingly acknowledged him as its master and transformed into a Sword Spirit.
Thus, Lu Wujiu's sword, empowered by the ancient ferocious beast, gained immense power and became a unique divine weapon in the world. The outside world even gave this Demon Sword an elegant name—the "Flower-Piercing Blood-Drinking Sword."
As the saying goes, the more blood it drinks, the more vibrant its patterns become.
Lian Qiao's evaluation of this was just one word: shameless.
But what puzzled her was how such a flashy thing could become so popular for a time?
After Lu Wujiu forged his sword, many young masters from noble families followed suit in crafting Demon Swords. Unfortunately, some couldn't find such rare and powerful ferocious beasts, while others lacked sufficient demonic blood from their hunts and were instead devoured by the Sword Spirits. No one else succeeded in forging such a perfectly harmonious divine weapon. Eventually, it evolved into merely carving beast patterns on sword blades, imitating only the superficial aspects.
However, in Lian Qiao's eyes, this so-called divine weapon was nothing special. The Taotie had grown increasingly plump, either hiding in the sword to sleep lazily or picking fights with her—just like its master, all show and no substance.
Yet, just as Lian Qiao was silently criticizing, Lu Wujiu's Flower-Piercing Blood-Drinking Sword suddenly trembled violently—
The blade hummed, pointing directly southeast!
The two immediately mounted their swords and flew over.
As soon as they landed, sure enough, Taotie had a man clamped in its jaws—it was Xie Mingran.
At that moment, Xie Mingran was clearly terrified out of his wits, screaming desperately, "What is this thing? Get away! Get away from me!"
Although Taotie was as strong as an ox, it truly had the heart of a child, far too playful. The more Xie Mingran tried to hide, the more excited Taotie became, occasionally swiping its claws to deliberately scare him.
Xie Mingran let out a miserable cry, already so frightened he was nearly fainting. There was no need for Lian Qiao and the others to lift a finger.
From a distance, Lu Wujiu scolded, "Come back."
Only then did Taotie turn around, reluctant to leave, muttering, "You came so fast! I didn't even have time to play!"
Lu Wujiu shot it a glance. "Do you like playing so much? Would you like to go back into your sword and play properly?"
"No, no!"
Taotie sulkily retracted its claws and transformed on the spot into a young child no taller than knee-height.
With rosy lips and pearly teeth, it had two small horns tied with red string on its head.
Then, putting on a serious act, it ran over and bowed to Lu Wujiu, speaking in a child's voice to claim credit: "Master, am I impressive?"
After saying this, it made a face at Lian Qiao.
Lian Qiao gave a forced smile. "Haven't seen you for a few days, and you're itching for trouble again, aren't you?"
Seeing this, Taotie immediately darted behind Lu Wujiu. Lian Qiao couldn't dodge in time and nearly crashed into Lu Wujiu's arms. She quickly stopped herself, her heart still pounding. "Move aside. I absolutely must teach it a lesson today."
Lu Wujiu had a headache. "It's eight years old. Are you eight too?"
Lian Qiao was angry. "It clearly started the provocation! It's so good at acting innocent, and you never believe me!"
Lu Wujiu had likely grown accustomed to such scenes. He cast a cold glance at the child. "Taotie—"
Taotie immediately lowered its head and reluctantly apologized.
This time, it was Lian Qiao's turn to lift her chin triumphantly. "Alright then. This time, I'll be the bigger person and let it go!"
With that, she turned in high spirits to the terrified Xie Mingran. "You should recognize me, right?"
Xie Mingran quickly nodded. "Of course I recognize you. You're Junior Sister."
"Good that you know." Lian Qiao didn't beat around the bush. "Speak. Was it you who placed the Gu on Jiang Li?"
Xie Mingran's face changed. "How did you know?"
Lian Qiao said, "Not only do I know, but I also know you used the wrong Gu, don't I?"
Xie Mingran was even more surprised, his eyes darting between the two. "Could it be… could it be that the original Gu is in your hands?"
Lian Qiao pressed her lips together. "That's none of your concern. I'm only asking you: where did you get the Gu? Did you steal it?"
"No!" Xie Mingran immediately denied. "This Gu… I found it!"
"Oh? Found it? Where?"
"Near Cangjing Ge. Someone else stole it and accidentally dropped it. I was on night duty that evening and happened to find it. In a moment of weakness, I used it on the young lady." Xie Mingran wore an expression of fearful sincerity. "Junior Sister, please let me go this once. Senior Sister Jiang is harsh and cruel. If I'm caught and taken back, I'll surely be hacked to pieces and die without a whole body!"
Lian Qiao was known throughout the sect for being tough on the outside but soft on the inside, so this Xie Mingran was clearly playing the sympathy card.
Unfortunately, there were too many holes in his story.
Lian Qiao raised an eyebrow slightly. "You really found it? This Gu isn't marked. If you found it, how did you know what kind of Gu it was, and why did you just happen to use it on Jiang Li, whom you've always admired?"
Xie Mingran's lips trembled.
Lian Qiao narrowed her eyes. "Xie Mingran, you're lying. You clearly knew this was a Love Gu, didn't you?"
Xie Mingran covered his face, his timid nature instantly causing him to slump to the ground. "This Gu… I did steal it."
So it was him after all!
Seizing the opportunity, Lian Qiao pressed further, "In that case, where is the Kongtong Seal? If you hand it over, everything may be dealt with leniently."
"The Kongtong Seal?" Xie Mingran looked bewildered. "The Kongtong Seal is missing too? But I only took the Love Gu."
Lian Qiao was also taken aback. "You didn’t steal the Kongtong Seal?"
Xie Mingran shook his head frantically. "Absolutely not, Little Martial Sister! Even if you gave me a hundred times the courage, I wouldn’t dare steal the Kongtong Seal! That day, I was punished by Senior Martial Sister Jiang to kneel outside. Late into the night, I suddenly noticed unusual activity in the Cangjing Ge and went to investigate. Who would have thought I’d run into a figure coming out…
The night guards all went after that person, and the back door was left slightly ajar for a while. I wanted to broaden my horizons, so I went inside and happened to see the shelf where the Love Gu was placed. In a moment of greed, I stole the Love Gu. Later, when the night guard senior martial brothers rushed back, I panicked and hid on a shelf outside. Then, while they were closing the door to discuss, I slipped away. Little did I know that when I used the Gu last night, I discovered it wasn’t the Love Gu at all, but a Gu that causes inexplicable itching…"
As he spoke, Xie Mingran broke into a slight sweat.
Lian Qiao finally realized what had gone wrong. She carefully asked, "When you were hiding on the shelf outside, did you drop the Gu you stole?"
Xie Mingran looked stunned. "How did you know?"
Lian Qiao inwardly rolled her eyes. So this was when the two Gus were swapped.
Not only did she know, but she had suffered greatly because of it!
At this moment, Lian Qiao truly felt like killing him.
However, she understood that what Xie Mingran said was likely true.
Given his abilities, he didn’t seem capable of breaking through the eighteen layers of restrictions in the treasure vault. At most, he was just taking advantage of the chaos.
No wonder! The Kongtong Seal and the Love Gu were completely unrelated. What had puzzled her the most was why this person would steal both items at the same time.
If… these items were originally stolen by two different people, then it all made sense!
She glanced at Lu Wujiu, who pressed Xie Mingran further, "Did you see what that person looked like? Any distinguishing features?"
Compared to the Kongtong Seal, the Love Gu was truly a minor matter.
Xie Mingran naturally held nothing back. He thought carefully for a long time before finally recalling something. "I remember! That person seemed…"
Before the words could leave his mouth, suddenly, a Cloud-Piercing Arrow shot over from the distance, piercing his throat in an instant.
Everything came to an abrupt halt.
Xie Mingran clutched his throat, slowly lowered his head in disbelief, then looked up at Lian Qiao as if he still had much to say.
But when he opened his mouth, what poured out was not words but a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Xie Mingran!" Lian Qiao rushed forward immediately.
But it was already too late. Xie Mingran gripped her sleeve tightly, filled with unwillingness, yet unable to utter a word. After a few convulsions, he fell to the ground, eyes wide open with regret.
Lian Qiao tried to Seal his Spirit Veins and Infuse Spiritual Qi, but it was all in vain.
"Who is it?" Lian Qiao looked around, but there was no movement nearby.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the arrow piercing his throat was heavily imbued with demonic energy. She quickly chased in the direction from which the arrow had come.
Yet the wilderness stretched vast under a low sky, the river clear and the moon near, and in the boundless night, not a trace of any figure could be seen.
Even Taotie could not detect the slightest clue.
"Even you can't find anything?" Lian Qiao wondered.
Taotie scratched his head. "Either this demon is far more powerful than I am, or it's exceptionally skilled at concealment."
Lu Wujiu pulled out the demonic arrow, staring coldly at the dark demonic energy coiled around it. "Perhaps it isn't a demon at all."
Taotie was surprised. "Not a demon? But this arrow clearly carries demonic energy, and it's strong!"
At this, Lian Qiao interjected coolly, "Having demonic energy doesn't necessarily mean it was done by a demon."
Taotie was even more confused.
Lian Qiao took the arrow, lost in thought. "Demons are unruly by nature. If they steal, they steal; if they kill, they kill. The demon realm and the Cultivation World have never been on good terms, and they can't be bothered to cover their tracks. Why would they need to silence witnesses? The only explanation is that the Kongtong Seal wasn't stolen by the demon realm but by an insider. This insider likely didn't expect that while they were the mantis stalking the cicada, a sparrow was watching from behind—a junior disciple happened to witness it, forcing them to come back and silence the witness. So, they deliberately tainted the arrow with demonic energy to frame the demons. Unfortunately, they overdid it and ended up revealing their own traces."
Taotie pouted, unable to refute this. "Alright, I didn't expect you to be so clever today!"
Lian Qiao raised an eyebrow threateningly. "What do you mean by that? When have I ever not been clever?"
Seeing the two about to argue again, Lu Wujiu rubbed his temples. Taotie immediately fell silent, turning his head away with a huff.
Lian Qiao then turned to Lu Wujiu. "Hey, the trail's gone cold again. Who do you think the insider is?"
Lu Wujiu replied coldly, "I don't know."
Lian Qiao's thoughts churned. You're not clueless—you probably know all too well. Perhaps… it's your own people playing the thief crying "stop thief"!
The story behind this was a long one.
Since the fall of the Divine Palace, although the Cultivation World was dominated by four great clans, over time, some families grew increasingly powerful, such as the Tianyu Imperial Family, which now controlled most of the mortal realm. Others, however, declined steadily, like the Qishan Lian Clan. Qishan was remote, its peaks cold and isolated, and compared to the other clans, it lagged far behind. If it weren't for Lian Qiao's father, Lian Cheng, taking his turn as sect leader of Wuxiang Zong over the past decade, it would have been difficult to maintain their status among the four great clans. Thus, the relationship between these two families could be summed up in four words—worlds apart.
As for the remaining two families, the Huiji Jiang Clan and the Qiaoming Zhou Clan, they too could be described in four words—wolves with sinister ambitions.
Thus, although the four great clans appeared harmonious on the surface, beneath it all, undercurrents surged, intricate and tangled, no less troublesome than the demon race.
Where there were differences, there was contention, especially regarding the enshrinement of the Kongtong Seal.
The Kongtong Seal was an ancient divine artifact, originally held by the Kunlun Divine Palace. It was said that this object could not only break through barriers but also contained pure spiritual energy. Cultivating with it could lead to Deity Transformation Ascension in no time, granting immortality alongside the heavens. Over the millennia, two Cultivators had achieved ascension this way, giving rise to the saying in the Cultivation World: "He who possesses the Kongtong Seal shall ascend."
Unfortunately, a century ago, Li Ji went mad, slaughtering the Divine Palace, and the Kongtong Seal was destroyed in the chaos, shattering into five fragments. One fragment was enshrined in Wuxiang Zong, while the whereabouts of the other four remained unknown.
Over the years, the great clans, while not speaking openly, had secretly dispatched disciples under the guise of slaying demons and vanquishing evil to search for the fragments of the divine artifact.
Therefore, if the fragment of the Kongtong Seal enshrined in Wuxiang Zong was truly stolen by an insider, it would be difficult to pinpoint the culprit. The imperial family, having grown powerful, naturally aspired to climb even higher, while Huiji and Qiaoming were equally unwilling to fall behind. All three families had motives.
It might not even be one of those three families, but rather… her father stealing it himself?
Lian Qiao considered this possibility and wisely chose to remain silent.
At this point, she decided to take the body back and question her father first.
Of course, when explaining the situation to her father, she deliberately omitted the part about being afflicted by the Love Gu, only mentioning that the Love Gu had been destroyed.
Sect Leader Lian did not doubt this and summoned Jiang Li to give an account to Huiji.
After all, even though Xie Mingran was dead, an empty Gu container could still be found on his body.
The matter of the Gu was self-evident, and Jiang Li, having suffered a silent loss, could hardly vent his anger on Lian Qiao.
However, Xie Mingran’s assassination had been too sudden, and he had not had time to describe the person he saw that night. As a result, the identity of the thief who stole the Kongtong Seal remained unknown.
Even so, this was only the official explanation.
After everyone else had left, Lian Qiao pulled her father aside and questioned him carefully about whether he was the one behind it.
Sect Leader Lian vehemently denied it.
Lian Qiao sighed. If her father were capable of such a thing, she would actually be less worried!
The Lian family lacked the imperial family’s power, the Jiang family’s numbers, and the Zhou family’s wealth. They had only managed to avoid collapse by taking turns serving as sect leader.
But now, the ten-year rotation was nearing its end, and this year was the final one. Unfortunately, her father was stubbornly focused on cultivation, and the Lian family had long been living beyond their means. Once he stepped down as sect leader, the family would likely collapse like a tree falling and scattering its monkeys!
Feeling frustrated, Lian Qiao even began to lament, "If only we had stolen it…"
Her father immediately frowned and scolded her, "Qiaoqiao, what kind of talk is that? Our Lian family has always upheld integrity and followed the path of supreme virtue like water. How could we entertain such crooked thoughts?"
He then launched into a lengthy lecture, but Lian Qiao quickly bowed her head before he could start from the beginning of time. "I was wrong, but—Father, since this person dared to strike at Wuxiang Zong, does that mean the other four scattered fragments have also been located?"
"Exactly," Sect Leader Lian furrowed his brow. "The fragments resonate with each other. On the night the fragment from Wuxiang Zong was stolen, I used the Astral Plate for divination and discovered unusual phenomena occurring in several places. It’s likely that the missing fragments are located in those areas."
With that, he took out a map marked with four or five points.
Lian Qiao felt even more uneasy. Once the Kongtong Seal fragments were gathered, the four great families would immediately reshuffle, inevitably leading to armed conflict and bloodshed. Concerned, she asked, "Do you have any suspicions about who the insider might be, Father?"
Sect Leader Lian shook his head. "Whoever it was managed to silently break through eighteen layers of restrictions. Few in this world possess such profound strength. On the night of the incident, I met with several of your uncles to discuss how to recover the divine artifact."
"Did you come to any conclusions?"
Sect Leader Lian's brow furrowed with a hint of displeasure. "The outcome? It's merely an excuse. Now that the fragments of the Kongtong Seal have been lost, they’ve used the pretext of Wuxiang Zong’s failure to protect them to intervene. After the discussions, they decided to lift all restrictions on the Kongtong Seal—whoever finds the fragments first will claim them. Given this, the reappearance of the divine artifact seems inevitable."
Lian Qiao understood now. No wonder Lu Wujiu knew about the loss of the Kongtong Seal—the imperial family must have already gotten involved.
"What about us? Should I go?"
Sect Leader Lian frowned. "The fragments of the divine artifact contain immense spiritual power, and after being scattered in the mortal realm for centuries, their aura is no longer pure. Who knows what sinister beings they’ve nurtured? That night, I observed the stars and saw that the areas with unusual disturbances were shrouded in demonic energy, darkening the sky and obscuring the moon. This journey is far too dangerous—you’re not suited for it."
"If I don’t go, then who will?"
Sect Leader Lian sighed. "There’s no other choice. With chaos looming in the world, it’s best to prioritize self-preservation."
But Lian Qiao refused to accept this. "Father, I disagree. It’s not necessarily true that if we don’t compete, others will leave us alone. What if we manage to gather all the fragments? We could defy fate and change our destiny—there would be countless benefits and no harm in trying."
Besides, she had a hidden motive. The divine artifact was said to break through all obstacles, so a mere Gu poison would surely be no match for it.
If she could gather the fragments, the Gu within her could be cured.
So, for this journey, she had no choice but to go.
Sect Leader Lian still refused to agree, but he couldn’t withstand Lian Qiao’s relentless pestering.
After a long silence, he sighed deeply. "You’re just like your mother—stubborn and impossible to dissuade. But this journey is perilous, and the fragments are scattered far and wide. It won’t be easy for one person alone. It’s best to travel with a companion. I’ve heard the Jiang clan intends to ally with the imperial family. What do you think? In my opinion, Lu Wujiu is actually quite suitable. Though he’s a bit aloof, he’s not a bad person."
The Tianyu imperial family ruled the Central Plains, with the widest territory and the greatest authority. Traveling with Lu Wujiu would undoubtedly save them a lot of trouble.
More importantly, Lian Qiao and he were both afflicted with the Love Gu, which would flare up from time to time, making it necessary for them to stay together.
But Lu Wujiu had spent the entire day with her and hadn’t even mentioned this matter. Was she supposed to take the initiative and ask him?
Hah, impossible!
Lian Qiao pursed her lips, her expression haughty. "Him? I’ll think about it."
Sect Leader Lian sighed again, knowing it was futile to press further.
Thus, Lian Qiao found herself locked in a silent battle with Lu Wujiu over who would speak first.
On the first day, Lu Wujiu showed no sign of movement and didn’t come looking for her. Lian Qiao remained composed—after all, she wasn’t the only one afflicted by the Gu. If worst came to worst, they could just die together.
On the second day, Lu Wujiu still hadn’t made a move. Lian Qiao began to feel restless. Could it be that what he said was true—that the Gu truly had no effect on him? If so, was she the only one being controlled?
On the third day, Lu Wujiu remained silent. Lian Qiao felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Under the guise of patrolling, she wandered around Piaomiao Feng, where Lu Wujiu resided. But he showed no signs of abnormality—he didn’t even glance at her. Lian Qiao grew utterly panicked. Could it be that she really had to take the initiative?
For three days straight, Lian Qiao was tormented, unable to sleep at night, her dark circles nearly reaching the ground.
Yet she couldn’t bring herself to swallow her pride and seek out Lu Wujiu. She simply slept exceptionally poorly each night.
That night was no different. In the middle of her sleep, she stirred awake, her throat parched with thirst. Half-asleep, she climbed out of bed and fumbled her way to the outer room for water.
But before she could even pick up the cup, she looked up and saw a dark figure standing by the window—
Still groggy, Lian Qiao thought it was a thief. Instinctively, she grabbed the sword beside her and thrust it forward.
Yet before the blade could make contact, it let out a faint metallic hum as two fingers caught it, and then her mouth was covered.
A cool voice came from the darkness.
“—It’s me.”
Through the faint moonlight streaming in from the window, Lian Qiao looked up and saw silver light cascading down the curve of his neck, like a jade mountain collapsing, a glimpse of spring, disappearing into the slightly open collar.
It took her a moment to realize it was Lu Wujiu.
Her heart instantly blossomed with joy.
Hah, what good is a stubborn mouth? You still came, didn't you?
Just as Lian Qiao was about to mock him, she noticed that Lu Wujiu's hand covering her mouth felt slightly feverish.
Moreover, whether it was an illusion or not, she felt that Lu Wujiu's breath against her neck was also scorchingly hot, as if…
As if it were even more severe than the last time.
No way! Lian Qiao's joy instantly turned to sorrow, her entire body stiffening as an unpleasant suspicion surfaced in her mind—
Could it be that this Gu is actually growing stronger over time?