CG - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Wu Gu's home was in the southern mountains, where summer brought plentiful rain. The peaks, washed clean by the downpours, were slumbering in the lingering warmth of the sunset. Recently, Wei Jinzhi had been drinking the medicine Wu Gu decocted for her and receiving her attentive care. Both her body and her spirits were on the mend. Besides, there were no troubles here to weigh on her mind, and she passed each day in contentment and ease.

A month seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Wei Jinzhi's past fatigue had been a bone-deep exhaustion, but now, every breath she exhaled was filled with joy and lightness.

During this time, Wu Gu was reading a book about the Bronze Sword. The sword had played a crucial role in breaking the curse, and Wu Gu wanted to improve her ability to wield it as quickly as possible. Wei Jinzhi, who rarely saw her study so diligently, was filled with affection. She would always move a chair to sit very close to Wu Gu, either reading a book of her own or simply gazing at her.

Often, Wu Gu would blush under that focused gaze, only to be easily caught by Wei Jinzhi, who would laugh softly in her ear. Occasionally, Wu Gu would become flustered and glare at her, but Wei Jinzhi would always soothe her by stroking her face or rubbing her ear, and all her annoyance would instantly vanish.

After studying the Bronze Sword, Wu Gu began practical training. Wei Jinzhi made a habit of watching from under the veranda eaves. She watched Wu Gu's graceful figure and her clean, powerful movements, and her affection was always tinged with pride.

Here, the mountains were quiet and the rain sentimental, a place so beautiful it made one think there would be no partings. But there were always annoying things that came to disturb the mood. Another half a month passed, and it was time for Wei Jinzhi to leave. On the day of her departure, she waited for Wu Gu to finish her sword forms and asked, "Can I see your sword?" Wu Gu handed it to her. Wei Jinzhi visually measured its length and width before returning it. "The time is set," she said. "I'm leaving in an hour."

Wei Jinzhi had received a call from Mr. Wei the previous night. There was an emergency at the company, and he wanted her back in the city as soon as possible. Her family had already arranged a flight path for her private jet for that very afternoon. Leaving so suddenly inevitably increased her reluctance to part, so she had calculated the time to the airport precisely, wanting to spend as many extra minutes with Wu Gu as possible. She raised her hand to tidy the stray hairs on Wu Gu's forehead.

Wei Jinzhi's fingertips brushed past the back of Wu Gu's ear, as gentle as the wind in the treetops. When Wei Jinzhi had said her goodbyes that morning, waves of disappointment had washed over her. When she arrived, they hadn't specified how long she would stay, but since Wei Jinzhi never mentioned leaving, Wu Gu had tacitly assumed they would be together until the end of summer vacation.

This time, the goodbye meant Wei Jinzhi was really leaving. The sadness that had accumulated all day was like a popped balloon, bursting everywhere. Wu Gu tried her best to make her voice sound normal. "I have a gift for you."

How could Wei Jinzhi not see the tiny sparks of light in Wu Gu's eyes suddenly extinguish? She smiled gently and soothed her, "The call last night was sudden, and my family arranged everything, so I couldn't say a proper goodbye. If possible, I'd like to come back after I've handled my work. I just don't know if you'd find me annoying?"

"I don't mind, I don't mind." The light in Wu Gu's eyes lit up again. She spoke, her voice hiding a touch of shyness, "I want to take you to the airport. Don't worry, I can take a bus back myself."

It was a two- or three-hour drive to the airport from here. It was already past two, and Wei Jinzhi worried it would be inconvenient for Wu Gu to travel home after dark. But selfishly, she wanted Wu Gu to accompany her for those few hours. She said, "I'll book a hotel for you near the airport. You can stay there tonight and come back tomorrow. If you don't agree, I won't let you see me off."

Wu Gu nodded quickly. "I'll listen to you."

Wei Jinzhi reached up and pinched her earlobe, her tone laced with a smile. "Why are you so well-behaved?"

Before leaving, Wu Gu told Granny She she wouldn't be back that night. Granny didn't even lift her eyelids, just waved a hand to shoo her away. Once the car was on the road, they realized time was a bit tight. They hadn't noticed how difficult the mountain roads were on the way here, but the recent, continuous rain had softened the road surface, which had been pressed into multiple ruts by passing trucks. After drying, the surface was uneven. Driving over it was extremely bumpy. Wei Jinzhi's car hadn't been modified, and its built-in shock absorbers only provided limited relief.

Wei Jinzhi gripped the overhead handle with both hands, the car's jolting making her very uncomfortable. Wu Gu, however, was fine. Her upper body swayed with the car, but she remained seated steadily. Wei Jinzhi, her face pale, forced a smile. "When we get back to North City, I'll take you on a roller coaster."

Wu Gu smiled too. "Okay." She took out the gift she had prepared for Wei Jinzhi from her backpack. It was a peach wood sword, wrapped in red silk. Both sides of the guard had incised carvings of a bagua diagram. She explained, "I found it among the magical artifacts my master left behind. Ordinary people can use it too. It's for your protection."

Since it was something Master Wu had specifically left behind, it had to be a fine item. Given Wu Gu's thoughtfulness, Wei Jinzhi wouldn't refuse. She took it. "Thank you. I'll accept it, then."

Wu Gu was overjoyed and called out, "Sister Wei." But then she abruptly fell silent. Wei Jinzhi watched her quietly. Wu Gu didn't really know what to say; she was just so happy that Wei Jinzhi had accepted her gift that she wanted to call her name.

Wei Jinzhi waited a moment, and when nothing followed, she understood. She opened her arms and said, "Aren't you going to give me a parting hug?"

Wu Gu froze for a second, then buried herself in Wei Jinzhi's embrace. She didn't speak, just wanted to keep holding her. Wei Jinzhi stroked her hair, secretly kissed the crown of her head, and whispered in her ear, "I'll be back soon. You don't have to worry."

An inexplicable emotion clamored in Wu Gu's chest, making her thoughts a jumbled mess, and something swelled within her heart, much like the impatient anxiety before a shell cracks open. She tightened her embrace, breathing in Wei Jinzhi's pleasant scent. She always felt that Wei Jinzhi's scent was like leaves soaked in rain, a scent she had always loved.

The car drove for over an hour before reaching the county town outside the mountains. The time spent was much longer than on the way there. Once they were on the county road, the conditions were far better than in the mountains, and Wu Yong finally had the energy to pay attention to other things. After leaving the town and getting on the provincial highway, they passed through a deserted and sparsely populated area. He finally had to break the warm tranquility in the back seat.

"Eldest Miss, three cars are following us."

Wei Jinzhi's eyelid twitched; she had a bad feeling about this. She looked out the window. The sky was overcast, and at four or five o'clock, it was already completely dark. This was a desolate area, and she feared they were planning to block the car. Sure enough, the other party seized the opportunity. One of their cars floored the accelerator and quickly sped past their window.

Wu Yong had deliberately given them the chance to overtake, his purpose being to estimate their top speed. Once he had a measure of them, he turned the steering wheel, overtook the car from the side, and slammed on the accelerator, instantly speeding up to two hundred.

Even unmodified, Wei Jinzhi's car was top-of-the-line when it came to speed. Two cars behind them gave chase side-by-side, but even after more than ten minutes, they couldn't catch up. Just as Wu Yong thought things were turning around, Wu Gu shouted, "Be careful!" The front of the car was hit with a massive force, forcing it into a spin. Wu Yong frantically turned the steering wheel with one hand and reached for the electronic brake with the other, but the car still veered uncontrollably off the main road.

The moment trouble started, Wu Gu pulled Wei Jinzhi into her arms to protect her. The car's impact brought a strong jolt, and all the airbags deployed. Unfortunately, her head hit the car's ceiling, and she cried out in pain. Wei Jinzhi struggled to sit up to check on her. Her first instinct had also been to protect Wu Gu, but she hadn't been as fast.

The car didn't stop until it crashed into a row of trees off the road. Wu Yong asked in confusion, "What happened? How did the tire suddenly blow out?" He glanced at the rearview mirror; the pursuing cars had already driven off the main road and were heading toward them. He said, "Eldest Miss, they're coming after us. Let's run into the woods where the cars can't follow."

Wu Gu said, "It's no use, Brother Xiao Wu. They sent a vicious ghost to attack the car, that's why the tire blew. They can command ghosts, so it doesn't matter where we are." She passed the peach wood sword meant for Wei Jinzhi to the front and opened Wu Yong's Yin-Yang Eyes. "Brother Xiao Wu, take this. Just slash at any ghosts you see. As for the humans, five or six of them together are no match for you."

After making arrangements, she turned to Wei Jinzhi. "You stay in the car. Don't get out." Her tone was uncharacteristically firm, so Wei Jinzhi could only nod. With everything settled, she grabbed her backpack, opened the door, and got out. The moment her feet hit the ground, she turned and slapped two paper talismans on the car. Seeing her get out, Wu Yong also opened his door and followed.

Wei Jinzhi, realizing what was happening, rolled down the window and said urgently, "Open my Yin-Yang Eyes. I need to be able to see what's happening to you." Wu Gu did as she was told. Wei Jinzhi then grabbed Wu Gu's hand. "If something happens to you, I can't possibly sit here peacefully. I told you I'd be with you no matter what."

Wu Gu squeezed Wei Jinzhi's hand and forced a relaxed smile. "Sister Wei, I'll be fine. Master always said I have great fortune and a long life ahead of me." After speaking, she pulled her hand back and gestured for Wei Jinzhi to roll up the window. Wei Jinzhi reluctantly complied.

Wu Gu and Wu Yong walked to the back of the car and stood waiting for their opponents. The muggy, humid night wind stirred up a sense of unease. The three cars stopped a dozen meters away, and within a minute, seven people had gotten out. The moment she saw Ma Zhenshan, Wu Gu actually felt a sense of relief. A familiar enemy was better than an unknown one. She scanned the remaining people; they were all cultivators.

Ma Zhenshan had excellent eyesight. Upon seeing Wu Gu, a sinister look appeared on his face. "I was wondering how I lost you before." He was referring to the car that had followed them on their way here. At that time, Pang Diao had thrown a pebble into the exhaust pipe, causing the car to break down and abandon the pursuit. A realization dawned on him. "So I underestimated you. But it doesn't matter anymore." He raised a hand, and the two men closest to him immediately released Vengeful Ghosts.

Although the Vengeful Ghosts still had a human form, their faces were ugly and ferocious. Wu Yong had no confidence in fighting these things; his palms were sweating as he gripped the sword. Wu Gu stared at the shrieking Vengeful Ghosts and said to him, "Brother Xiao Wu, slashing with the sword is the same principle as hitting them with talismans last time. These two are much weaker than the one you killed before."

Wu Yong spat on the ground, hardened his resolve, and charged forward with his sword. Wu Gu nodded in satisfaction from behind, feeling that Wu Yong had the makings of a cultivator. The two Vengeful Ghosts were quite fair; one was tied up with Wu Yong, while the other lunged toward her. The ghost's approach seemed perilous, but she simply raised a hand and grabbed it by the neck. Staring coldly at Ma Zhenshan, she effortlessly crushed the Vengeful Ghost into nothingness before his shocked eyes.

The people on the other side all gasped in shock at this scene. Who would have thought that someone so young could possess such profound cultivation? Wei Jinzhi in the car, however, was calm. After all, she had seen Wu Gu single-handedly choke a vicious ghost in a haunted house. She breathed a sigh of relief. A moment ago, she had thought those unbearably ugly Vengeful Ghosts would be formidable.

Ma Zhenshan said in astonishment, "You were the one who broke Wei Jinzhi's curse? It seems you figured out it was me long ago. I truly underestimated you. I should have killed you months ago."

Seeing that he still had the presence of mind for useless regrets, Wu Gu's heart tightened. She was certain Ma Zhenshan still had a Ghost King in reserve, perhaps more than one. She held her breath, her hands already forming the mudras to summon the Soul-Piercing Bell and the Bronze Sword. But Ma Zhenshan didn't seem to want to release the Ghost King so early. Instead, he waved his hand again, ordering the others to release all the Vengeful Ghosts they had brought.

The Yin Qi from some twenty Vengeful Ghosts enveloped the wilderness. The sky grew as dark as thick ink, and even the air seemed to turn viscous, making it difficult to breathe.

Wu Gu scanned them; the cultivation levels of these twenty-odd Vengeful Ghosts were uneven. The strong ones would take some effort, while the weak ones could be crushed with a single squeeze. After crushing a few of the weaker ones, she said to Wu Yong, who was fighting with gusto, "Brother Xiao Wu, you go take care of those people. I'll handle the Vengeful Ghosts."

"Alright." With that, Wu Yong tucked the peach wood sword into the back of his waistband, dodged a Vengeful Ghost's attack, and charged forward. Wu Yong's moves were never sloppy. He was even cleaner and more efficient at fighting people than ghosts. Before the men could even react, two or three of them were already knocked down.

Wu Gu threw out several ghost-dispelling talismans, sweeping away half of the Vengeful Ghosts. The remaining five or six with higher cultivation levels ignored their masters' cries for help, their eyes blood-red as they swarmed her, looking as if they wanted to swallow her whole. Wu Gu, holding the Soul-Piercing Bell, dropped and rolled to dodge an attack. After getting up, she said, "If you hadn't followed them and done evil, I might have been kind enough to save you. But since you helped them try to harm Sister Wei, don't blame me for being merciless."

The Soul-Piercing Bell let out a sharp, urgent ring. The Vengeful Ghosts seemed to be bound, their movements slowing. Seizing the opportunity, Wu Gu threw two ghost-dispelling talismans with one hand while controlling the bell's cone with the other, sending it piercing rapidly through the nearest ghosts. Soon, the remaining Vengeful Ghosts with considerable cultivation were annihilated one after another, their souls scattering. A sudden wind blew past, and the wilderness returned to a moment of clarity.

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