CG - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After lunch in the cafeteria on Saturday, Wu Gu didn't return to the dorm with her roommates. Instead, she walked hesitantly toward the school's west gate. She wasn't sure if Wei Jinzhi would come. After they parted ways the other day, she'd had time to calm down and think things over, only then realizing how strange and ridiculous her actions had been. Never mind whether the other woman believed her—what if she was the bad guy? Wouldn't that mean she had exposed herself?

Wu Yong sat in the driver's seat, observing the situation through the windshield. Suddenly, he said, "She's here."

Wei Jinzhi glanced at her watch. Three minutes to one. Through the car window, she saw Wu Gu, still carrying that faded backpack, looking around outside the school gate. It seemed she was about to turn back after not seeing anyone, but then she hesitated and stopped. A playful impulse struck Wei Jinzhi, and she didn't get out of the car right away. Wu Gu waited for about fifteen minutes. Convinced she wasn't going to show, she turned to leave, her steps much smoother than before. Only then did Wei Jinzhi realize she had gone too far.

She quickly got out of the car and called, "Wu Gu."

Wu Gu heard the voice and turned. When she saw it was her, her eyes lit up, her earlier disappointment instantly replaced by contentment. "Oh, so you were in the car," she said.

There wasn't a hint of blame in her tone. Wei Jinzhi felt a pang of guilt, mixed with a touch of heartache. "I'm sorry for making you wait so long."

Wu Gu took a closer look at the car and had a realization. "No wonder I didn't see you. There's a talisman drawn on this car that concealed the Yin Qi around you. Otherwise, I would have spotted you right away."

Although Wei Jinzhi knew she had a problem with being plagued by Yin Qi, she never knew what it was actually like. Hearing Wu Gu mention it a few times, she couldn't help but try to imagine it based on her words, and she immediately creeped herself out, goosebumps rising on her skin.

Wu Gu didn't notice the change in her expression. Her eyes held a hint of surprise. "You actually didn't think I was a scammer." She took out the pill again. "You should probably take one now, in case you start feeling unwell later."

Wei Jinzhi quite liked taking the pill from her hand. As she held it in her mouth, it felt as if a clear spring was flowing from her abdomen to her limbs, refreshing her to the core. She smiled. "Thank you."

Wu Gu shook her head and asked, "You haven't touched that jade these past few days, have you?"

"No." Wei Jinzhi added, "The jade is in the car. Do you want to take a look?"

"Okay."

The car door closed, and Wu Yong started the engine, driving aimlessly. He watched the back seat closely in the rearview mirror. Wu Gu pressed her entire body against the car door, putting as much distance as possible between herself and Wei Jinzhi before opening the box. He mentally calculated the fastest way to subdue her if she tried to snatch it.

"This jade must have been recently unearthed. The Yin Sha is extremely heavy. If you were to wear it, you'd not only be nourishing it, but you'd also be aggravating your own Yin Qi." Wu Gu took a yellow paper talisman from her bag and, while sticking it along the seam of the box, explained, "This is to prevent the Yin Qi from leaking out." After sealing it, she placed the box on the front passenger seat. Wu Yong glanced at the brocade box beside him, then averted his gaze from the rearview mirror and focused on driving.

Wu Gu's actions were completely natural. Wei Jinzhi smiled, quite pleased by the girl's thoughtfulness. "Thank you," she said. "I forgot to introduce myself properly the other day. My name is Wei Jinzhi."

Seeing her formality, Wu Gu repeated, "My name is Wu Gu."

Wei Jinzhi smiled. "Your name is very unique."

Wu Gu pouted with a hint of disdain. "My master's surname is Wu. He found me on the side of the road, and since I was an orphan, he took a shortcut and gave me a name that sounds like it." He had even given her the nickname "Mushroom." Being called "Little Mushroom" was cute when I was a kid, but now that I'm older, I can't stand how sappy it sounds.

Wei Jinzhi feigned surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay."

Wei Jinzhi had expected Wu Gu to harbor some resentment about her past. After all, compared to her peers, life had forced her to mature and toughen up far too early. But as she studied Wu Gu's expression, she found no trace of sorrow or dejection. Instead, their two brief conversations had revealed the girl's sunny disposition and resilience.

Out of a sense of fairness, Wei Jinzhi began to share her own story. "I've been in poor health since I was a child. When I was fourteen, I fell gravely ill and slipped into a coma. The hospital couldn't find a cause, and my family was desperate, so they tried everything on me, from scientific to superstitious methods."

"Then Master Ma appeared. He was the first to say I was plagued by Yin Qi and that only a ritual could save me. My mother was eternally grateful and treated him as an honored guest. My father, though skeptical, didn't stop her. He figured at worst, they'd waste some money, and he could just consider it a charitable act. But unexpectedly, the day after Master Ma performed the ritual, I woke up. I was incredibly weak, but I was awake. For the past decade or so, I've relied on Master Ma's care."

Wei Jinzhi's voice was low and pleasant, and she spoke with a gentle cadence. Wu Gu's focused expression as she listened put her at ease, and she found herself revealing more. "Back then, my father was still skeptical, thinking Master Ma had just gotten lucky. But my mother became even more respectful toward him. Unfortunately, Master Ma couldn't cure my condition, only extend my life by a few years. These past ten-plus years have been difficult, but at least I'm still alive. For that, I'm already very grateful."

Wu Gu nodded very seriously. "Indeed. Given your condition, you should have reported to King Yama long ago." She was blunt, but Wei Jinzhi didn't get angry. There was even a hint of a smile in her eyes. Wu Gu tilted her head and asked cautiously, "Can I try?"

Wei Jinzhi nodded. Wu Gu took her wrist, drew a talisman in the air above it, and then placed three fingers on her pulse point. Wei Jinzhi felt warmth from Wu Gu's fingertips, as if a liquid-like substance was flowing from them into her body and circulating everywhere. She closed her eyes, feeling surprisingly comfortable. When she opened them again to ask what it was, she saw Wu Gu's brow furrowed into a tight knot. Her chest tightened, the novel sensation instantly replaced by disappointment.

The moment Wu Gu let go, she spoke first, not wanting to put the kind-hearted girl in a difficult position. Her tone was slightly self-deprecating. "Is it hopeless? It's okay, I'm used to it."

Wu Gu's eyes widened, and her voice rose. "Of course not!"

Wei Jinzhi's eyes lit up, not expecting such a turn of events. "What do you mean?"

But Wu Gu spoke with indignation. "I knew it! A perfectly healthy person, not possessed by a vengeful ghost or harmed in the womb—how could you have such heavy Yin Qi? It turns out you've been cursed. That's just too vicious."

Wei Jinzhi froze for a moment, but she wasn't surprised. She suddenly recalled a wandering charlatan she'd met in the mountains near Lincheng many years ago. She remembered the Daoist priest telling her, "For someone so young to be afflicted by such a vicious curse... what a pity."

At the time, she hadn't believed him. Thinking she would play along and see how he planned to scam her, she had asked, "Then, Master, can you save me?"

The man had shaken his head, saying only, "My cultivation is limited; I cannot see what curse has been placed on you." But he handed her a yellow paper talisman folded into a triangle and added, "I hope you can overcome this ordeal."

Wei Jinzhi had naturally assumed the man's goal was to sell her a peace talisman. Losing interest, she'd stuffed a hundred yuan into his hand, taken the talisman, and left. A few days later, she had forgotten all about it. As for the talisman, it had been tossed into a cabinet long ago.

Now, hearing Wu Gu say something so similar, she realized she had missed a great opportunity. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall the man's face, let alone find him in a sea of people. She looked at Wu Gu, who was so young, and thought her cultivation couldn't be that high. Her hopes began to fade again.

She said, as if to herself, "I know it's very difficult. You don't have to force yourself—"

Wu Gu's eyes widened even more. "Who said there's no way? It's just a bit troublesome and will take some time."

Wei Jinzhi was incredulous. "An old Daoist priest I met years ago said he couldn't do anything."

"That's because his skills were lacking."

Wei Jinzhi looked Wu Gu up and down again. She couldn't see any sign of profound cultivation. Wu Gu grew displeased with the scrutiny and narrowed her eyes. "Are you doubting me?"

Wei Jinzhi immediately placated her. "No, I just didn't realize you were so capable."

Wu Gu was pleased by this. "It's not that I'm so capable," she explained. "It's just that my master's bookshelf had books on how to break curses. It's just a bit complicated. I have to spend time figuring out what kind of curse was placed on you first, then I can try to break it bit by bit. It's like when you go to the hospital—the doctor has you do a full check-up first so they can diagnose the cause and prescribe the right medicine."

Wei Jinzhi nodded, thinking her explanation made sense. Even Wu Yong, who was driving, found himself listening intently. A few minutes ago, he had been quite displeased with Wu Gu, thinking she was just a stubborn kid trying to show off. But after hearing her explanation, his gaze in the rearview mirror was no longer as indifferent as before.

Wu Gu continued to explain, "Throughout history, there have been many types of curses, but whether they're foreign or local, they can generally be categorized. Some use a medium, others use self-sacrifice. So, as long as we can identify the method used to cast the curse, we can generally find a corresponding method to break it. It's difficult, yes, but not impossible."

Wei Jinzhi felt the blood rushing through her veins. After so many disappointments, she had long since given up hope. Most of the time, she just hoped to live a few more days and that her death wouldn't be too miserable or her body too unsightly. But Wu Gu's words had rekindled her desire to live. In that moment, Wu Gu seemed to be glowing in her eyes.

Wu Gu suddenly realized she had been talking too much. But seeing Wei Jinzhi looking at her with a smile in her eyes, she felt a bit embarrassed, and a sense of responsibility welled up inside her. She puffed out her chest and promised, "Don't worry, you have me."

Wei Jinzhi smiled and said softly, "Then I'll be troubling you."

Wu Gu was too shy to meet Wei Jinzhi's gaze. As she averted her eyes, she realized the scenery outside the window had become unfamiliar. At the same time, she remembered that her situation wasn't necessarily safe. She asked cautiously, "Where are we going?"

Wei Jinzhi felt the urge to tease her again. "Can't you tell? I'm actually planning to sell you."

Although Wu Gu lacked social experience, she wasn't easily fooled. The only reason she'd acted foolishly in front of Wei Jinzhi a couple of times was because Wei Jinzhi gave her a strange feeling. So, she played along with the joke. "Selling me would be difficult."

"Why is that?"

She pressed two fingers together, swiped them downward forcefully, and pretended to be fierce. "I'm not afraid to tell you, I don't just exorcise ghosts—I'm even better at summoning them." After speaking, she felt she lacked gravitas, so she added a snort for emphasis.

Wei Jinzhi suppressed a laugh. "Are you a Daoist cultivator?" Because of her condition, she had many dealings with the metaphysical world, especially with several of North City's major sects and families. She asked again, "What sect are you from?"

Wu Gu shook her head. "I don't know. Master never said."

"You could ask the other people in your sect."

"My master only had one disciple—me," Wu Gu said. "But if the old man wasn't in such a hurry to reincarnate, I could summon his soul and ask." Seeing the horrified look on Wei Jinzhi's face, she gave a sly grin before saying seriously, "When my master was alive, he did mention something about the sect declining. I think by my generation, I might be the only one left."

"That is quite a decline," Wei Jinzhi agreed. She remembered the sight of Wu Gu carrying coffees with both hands in the cafe and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her loneliness. She broached the subject tactfully. "We should exchange contact information. I'll have to trouble you with many things in the future, so if you run into any difficulties, you can come to me."

Wu Gu understood the implication behind Wei Jinzhi's words. She was perfectly capable of supporting herself now, so she had no intention of troubling Wei Jinzhi. She simply said, "Curing illnesses and exorcising evil is a Celestial Master's duty. It's only right that I help you."

Wei Jinzhi knew they weren't that close yet. Saying more would be presumptuous and might hurt Wu Gu's pride, so she changed the subject. "Let me know if there's anything I need to prepare in advance."

"Just some cinnabar, talisman paper, and a quiet room."

"I happen to have all of those."

"Perfect. I don't have class or work this afternoon. If you're not busy, why don't we try tonight?"

"Okay." Wei Jinzhi then instructed, "Xiao Wu, head to the Changshan Villa."

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