The Cold and Pure-Hearted Killer: What Has She Truly Experienced?
Yuyi Yue paused and asked Fang Xun’gui:
“Can you understand what You Huo said?”
Fang Xun’gui remained silent for a long time before answering:
“Yes.”
How were the Master of the Blood Severing Pavilion, the Netherworld Hall, and Yuyi Yue connected?
Fang Xun’gui pressed further:
“What else did You Huo say?”
Yuyi Yue recalled as she answered:
“I asked You Huo why I could be used to threaten Xue Ningshuo. You Huo said he came to investigate the situation at the Netherworld Hall branch and saw me disposing of a body in the nearby barren mountains. He noticed the clothes I burned belonged to You Ye and realized I had a close relationship with Xue Ningshuo, most likely a hidden piece Xue Ningshuo had placed outside. So, I must be very important to Xue Ningshuo.”
Fang Xun’gui’s heart gradually sank.
Yuyi Yue continued:
“You Huo said he observed the area for a few days and became even more convinced I was connected to Xue Ningshuo. So, without time to report back, he rushed in, intending to capture me first before returning to the Netherworld Hall to report.”
After speaking, the confusion in Yuyi Yue’s eyes was almost overflowing.
She asked Fang Xun’gui:
“I couldn’t understand a single word You Huo said. Who is he? Who is Xue Ningshuo? What does any of this have to do with me?”
Fang Xun’gui closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
Indeed, what did any of this have to do with Yuyi Yue?
He was the cause of it all.
If he hadn’t led You Ye to this desolate courtyard, Yuyi Yue wouldn’t have disposed of You Ye’s body and naturally wouldn’t have been discovered by You Huo.
Fang Xun’gui clenched his fists, tightly suppressing the anger in his heart.
Everything had been wrong from the start.
Frowning deeply, he asked Yuyi Yue uneasily:
“Can you be sure You Huo wasn’t lying?”
As soon as he said this, Yuyi Yue also furrowed her brows.
Fang Xun’gui inwardly cursed himself.
He wasn’t questioning Yuyi Yue’s abilities, but his words clearly carried an air of distrust.
Just as Fang Xun’gui was about to try to remedy his statement, Yuyi Yue spoke first.
She said slowly:
“Probably not, right? The Truth-Telling Gu can draw out the truest thoughts from a person’s heart, and no one can resist it. Unless the person being subjected to the Gu is like me, fed various Gu Insects since childhood and long since Impervious to All Gu.”
Yuyi Yue had no idea how much impact her casual statement had on Fang Xun’gui.
Fed various Gu Insects since childhood?!
Fang Xun’gui had never imagined Yuyi Yue had such an experience.
As a killer of the Blood Severing Pavilion, undergoing various types of training was inevitable. Cold weapons, poisons, psychological tactics, and Gu Insects.
Gu Insects were the most mysterious among them.
The martial world viewed Gu as a scourge, ultimately because almost no one had the ability to control Gu Insects.
The Blood Severing Pavilion once heavily recruited a Gu Master to train its killers.
That Gu Master had only one disciple.
A few years ago, both the Gu Master and his disciple died from Gu Insect backlash, and since then, no one capable of using Gu had appeared in the martial world.
Because of this, Fang Xun’gui had always wanted to know what secrets “Misty River” and Yuyi Yue’s Master were hiding.
Fang Xun’gui asked with difficulty:
“You… were fed various Gu Insects since childhood?”
Yuyi Yue nodded: “What about it?”
Fang Xun’gui mustered his last bit of courage to ask:
“Cold Gu, Flame Gu… you were fed those too?”
Yuyi Yue looked somewhat surprised, then smiled:
“So you understand Gu Arts too? Yes, I was fed those. They’re the most basic Gu.”
The most basic.These four words squeezed Fang Xun’gui’s heart painfully.
In the first year Fang Xun’gui became “Zhan Kong,” that Gu Master force-fed him both a Cold Gu and a Flame Gu.
Those seven short days became a nightmare Fang Xun’gui never wished to recall again.
First came the bone-deep cold, so severe it stripped away all capacity for thought and reaction. His vision plunged into dark nothingness, his ears filled only with a grating, buzzing hum.
Three days later, he finally mustered every ounce of strength to stand. As the Cold Gu’s effects receded, allowing the simplest thoughts to return, the Flame Gu took hold.
Scorching heat and piercing pain instantly flooded every inch of his skin. Even his eyes felt as if they were being roasted over open flames. The sharp, stabbing agony was relentless. The blinding light before his eyes was like hell itself, and he couldn’t even tell if the screams and roars in his ears were hallucinations or tearing from his own throat.
It was torment more excruciating than any punishment he had ever endured before.
Yet Yuyi Yue said, “This is the most basic Gu.”
What had she been through?
Fang Xun’gui had always believed that only a past untouched by pain, cradled in warmth and happiness, could nurture eyes as clear and gentle as Yuyi Yue’s.
Yuyi Yue quietly watched the shifting expressions on Fang Xun’gui’s face and finally spoke:
“You’re feeling sorry for me. Why?”
Fang Xun’gui instinctively wanted to deny it, but meeting those eyes, he found himself speechless.
He didn’t know how long he remained silent before murmuring in a low voice:
“I didn’t realize you had experienced such terrible things.”
Yuyi Yue thought for a moment, then shook her head with a faint smile:
“After that, I learned various Gu Arts to protect myself. See, today, without the Truth-Telling Gu, I wouldn’t have been able to extract so much information from You Huo. At least that suffering wasn’t for nothing.”
Not wanting to dwell on this, she changed the subject:
“You haven’t finished. Who are You Huo and Xue Ningshuo?”
Fang Xun’gui struggled to compose himself and began to explain:
“You Huo is an assassin from the main hall of the Netherworld Hall. Xue Ningshuo is the master of the Blood-Severing Pavilion. I’ve been appearing frequently at the abandoned courtyard these past few days. You Huo thought you were, like me, a member of the Blood-Severing Pavilion, which is why he attacked you.”
At this point, Fang Xun’gui’s guilt was nearly overflowing:
“I’m the one who brought you all this trouble. I’m truly sorry. I’ll take responsibility.”
Yuyi Yue couldn’t help but chuckle:
“Why are you always so quick to take responsibility for this and that? Aren’t assassins supposed to be the most cold-blooded and ruthless people? You’re really too…”
Fang Xun’gui lifted his head slightly, anxiously awaiting her next words.
But Yuyi Yue only spoke halfway before ending the topic with a smile:
“It’s fine. Since You Huo is dead, there are no other issues. Don’t worry about it.”
Fang Xun’gui insisted stubbornly:
“No. This matter started because of me. I must take responsibility.”
Yuyi Yue had originally stood up. Hearing this, she let out a soft sigh and sat back down.
She looked at Fang Xun’gui and said earnestly:
“Just because this matter started with you doesn’t mean all the fault lies with you. Carrying too much guilt is exhausting; it will drive you mad one day. Don’t overthink it. I understand what you mean.”
Yuyi Yue smiled slightly:
“If you really must take responsibility, then please help me design a secret chamber, as we agreed. Oh, and by the way, help me stitch up my wound. I find it a bit difficult to tend to it myself.”She tilted her head slightly, pulling down her outer garment to reveal the wound that was still oozing blood.
“I’ve already cleaned it. Could you help me stitch it up? That should be a required skill for a killer, right? Is that okay?”
Yuyi Yue unwrapped the gauze from the wound layer by layer.
When Yuyi Yue pulled her outer garment down over her shoulder, Fang Xun’gui instinctively averted his gaze.
But then, his attention was completely seized by the gruesome wound—about three inches long, deep enough to expose bone.
He took a quiet breath, his eyes trembling.
For a moment, Fang Xun’gui even wished he could atone for this with his own death.