Volume Five: Amethyst Turns to Mist Chapter Three: Luring the Snake from Its Den

“Since the man in black targets attractive women under twenty-five, we'll use such a girl to lure him out,” Yao Guang said.

Everyone turned to look at Jiang Yun. She glanced around, then lowered her gaze to herself—twenty-three, young, fitting the criteria. She was about to volunteer as bait when Yao Guang shot her a fierce glare.

“Don't even think about it,” Yao Guang said irritably. “You can't be the bait. This man kidnapped seven girls without leaving a trace—he's clearly dangerous. You lack combat experience and wouldn't be able to protect yourself in a crisis. Besides, you're my only disciple; if anything happened to you, how could I live with myself? How could your parents? If you got hurt, just let it kill me instead.” She then looked at the other young women in the group. “None of you can go either. I said when I returned, not a single member of Heavenly Sword is to be lost. Before, I wasn't strong enough; now, with me here, I swear no one will dare harm Heavenly Sword. I'll obliterate them. This time, all the women will stay back for support; none are to participate directly. Xuan Chen, take my token and request backup from the special forces. Wait for my command. Chu Tianyou, Huo Mingkun, follow me; bring experienced men as undercover agents to form a perimeter. Jiang Yun, stay with me, ready to track from the car. Remember—all of you, every single one—be careful and come back safe. Jiang Yun, take the black porcelain bottle from my backpack; everyone, take one pill. These will protect you from poison and venom.”

After her analysis, Yao Guang looked at Jiang Yun. “How do you know so much about the Sheng Miao people?”

“Hehe, because my grandmother is a Sheng Miao herself, and a Gu Lady from Qingcheng Miao Village. So I know a bit, though I haven't visited often, and she rarely leaves the village,” Jiang Yun replied.

“Qingcheng Miao Village—you’re Li Ying’s granddaughter?! Then you must know Grand Sorcerer Li Cheng from Qingcheng!” Yao Guang was astonished.

“Of course. I have a life-bound Gu in my body, given by Grandpa Li Cheng. I was frail as a child, plagued by illness, so he implanted it to save my life. Without it, I wouldn’t be here. But my Gu can only protect me; it can’t attack,” Jiang Yun said earnestly.

“Hahaha, fate truly works in mysterious ways. Looks like we’ll be heading to Miao territory this time, and you’ll come along. I’ve ties to Qingcheng Miao Village myself. Let me show you something.” Yao Guang took a deep breath, extended her right arm, and a lump formed beneath the skin, slowly moving toward her palm. Shortly, a plump, white, silkworm-like insect appeared, its black bead eyes staring at Yao Guang, chirping softly. Then, it shook out two thin, transparent wings and flew, filling the hall with sandalwood fragrance. After circling, it landed on Yao Guang's shoulder, gazed at Jiang Yun, and chirped again. Jiang Yun’s mouth fell open in surprise. Suddenly, a small, plump insect appeared in her palm, much smaller than Yao Guang’s. The larger insect landed on Jiang Yun’s hand, and the two chirped together, like old friends reunited.

“Master, how do you have a century-old Golden Silkworm Gu King?” Jiang Yun was even more astonished.

“It’s a long story. During my cultivation, I wandered into Miao territory and was made a vessel for this Gu King by the Hei Miao. I barely escaped, saved by Grand Sorcerer Li Xing, Li Cheng’s grandfather, who cured me. But the Gu King couldn’t be removed, so Li Xing taught me how to tame it. After many trials, I finally did, making it my life-bound Gu. When I ascended, it was nourished by immortal energy and grew ever closer to me. Now, this little fellow is family—I never let it be used, just nurture it,” Yao Guang said, smiling at the plump insect.

“Master, yours isn’t just an ordinary century-old Golden Silkworm Gu King. It’s the finest of all Gu Kings. You’re now a revered immortal, so your Gu is also an immortal body. This is destiny. The Hei Miao crave the Gu King but never obtain a good one; the Bai Miao’s best are rare. And yours, the immortal Gu King, is every Gu cultivator’s dream. With it, no one can match you in Miao territory,” Jiang Yun sighed.

“So powerful? Haha, I don’t really understand. Cultivation, yes, but raising Gu, I’m an amateur. I’ve always treated this little one as a child, never thought to use it,” Yao Guang said, scratching her head awkwardly.

The Gu King, attuned to its master, heard Yao Guang’s words and flew back to her, chirping happily, then nestled into her neck and vanished. Jiang Yun’s own Gu returned to her body as well.

“Phoenix, the application’s approved. When do we move?” Xuan Chen entered.

“Now,” Yao Guang responded, snapping back to focus.

“You’ll be the bait? You don’t look like you’re in your twenties,” Xuan Chen observed.

“Are you stupid?” Yao Guang rolled her eyes. She waved her hand, and her appearance shifted—a youthful college girl, her monk’s robes transformed into a white casual T-shirt and tight jeans. Her waist-length hair became a shoulder-length bob, and her manicure vanished. In an instant, she was a fresh, radiant college student—clear, youthful, and pure, with only a faint scent, impossible to describe.

“Wow, Phoenix, who else but you could be such a beauty?” Huo Mingkun exclaimed, dumbfounded. “This is the girl-next-door every boy dreams of.”

“Brat, let’s go,” Yao Guang said, giving him a playful flick on the forehead, then led the group out.

After careful reconnaissance, Yao Guang chose a modest plaza as the site. There were roadside stalls, and nearby lay a residential area—not dense, with wide roads and few entrances, ideal for containment. Few people, minimizing complications if a fight broke out. Special forces lay in wait around the neighborhood, with a patch of woods behind, perfect for ambush. Snipers were positioned on rooftops. Xuan Chen and others, disguised as residents, followed at a distance. Jiang Yun drove a car equipped with tracking and surveillance near the area.

Yao Guang, carrying a backpack and headphones, her right hand cradling a phone, strolled leisurely into the plaza. Three spirit guardians followed, not too closely, invisible to mortal eyes lest the suspect’s spiritual senses detect them. Yao Guang wandered, suppressing her energy, passing stall after stall, stopping at an oden cart to pick her food, paying slowly, eating quietly. She moved on to a barbecue stand, ordered skewers, checked her phone, and smiled absently. After half an hour, she paused at a flower stall, admiring the bright red roses, unable to move away. She asked the price, bought one, sniffed it, and smiled contentedly.

“Phoenix, the target’s in your five o’clock,” Chu Tianyou’s voice came through the earbud.

“Girl, the target’s seven meters behind you. Be careful, there’s deathly aura on him,” Fox Spirit Sister whispered in her ear. Yao Guang’s face remained serene, holding the rose as she strolled across the plaza toward the residential area.

“Yao Guang, the target’s six meters behind you, following. He’s fixated—lead him to the ambush zone,” Xuan Chen’s voice sounded in her ear.

Yao Guang walked to the roadside, crossed the street, entered the residential area, her tail following at a measured distance. The spirit guardians overhead reported the suspect’s position. Yao Guang proceeded toward the alley at the end of the neighborhood, close to the woods—an ideal spot for the suspect to strike, and for her team to surround him. As she approached the alley, she suddenly quickened her pace; the suspect hurried after her, lips curling with a wicked smile as he chased her into the alley. But once inside, the girl he’d followed was gone.

“Are you looking for me?” Yao Guang’s voice came from behind. The man spun around to see Yao Guang standing quietly, smiling at him. He was dressed as seen in surveillance—black clothes, black hat, black mask, tall and lean, hands in his pockets.

“You led me here on purpose,” he said, his voice clear and clean. If she hadn’t known he was a suspect, Yao Guang would have thought him a neighbor’s son.

“What do you think?” Yao Guang replied, still smiling.

“Hmph, you’re courting death,” he said, and attacked.

Yao Guang smiled lightly, expecting nothing less. She dodged his first strike, then his second, as his clawed hands rained blows. She only evaded, never retaliating—his fingernails were poisoned, best not to touch. Miao Gu poison was troublesome. After several unsuccessful attacks, the man grew furious, roaring as he hurled a slender object at her.

Yao Guang saw it clearly—a dark green snake. She dodged, avoiding the venomous serpent as it missed, then twisted in midair to strike again. Yao Guang shifted, drawing her Orchid Sword, and with a flourish, sliced the snake into segments that fell to the ground.

The man in black, enraged, threw a handful of white powder at her. Yao Guang cursed inwardly and retreated swiftly—this was the powder of the Three Corpses Gu, dreaded even by ghosts. She didn’t want to get any on herself. As she dodged, a thin silver needle shot toward her. Too late to evade, the needle pierced below her left collarbone, blood spraying and darkening her white shirt.

“You’ve been poisoned by my black snake. Let’s see how long you last,” the man sneered as the white mist cleared.

“Damn it, I gave you a chance,” Yao Guang muttered, ignoring her wound. She rapidly formed a hand seal, pointing at him and shouting, “Break!” A golden sword-light pierced his chest, and he spat blood. At the same moment, the three spirit guardians materialized, circling him and sealing his meridians at lightning speed. The man howled in agony as Xuan Chen, Chu Tianyou, and their team rushed in from all sides, surrounding him. Jiang Yun pulled up, slipped a special sleeve over his handcuffed wrists, forced open his mouth, and poured in a bottle of green liquid. The man glared at Jiang Yun. “You sealed my life-bound Gu—you’re Bai Miao.”

Jiang Yun said nothing, turning to Yao Guang. The man called out from behind, “You’d better let me go. She’s been poisoned by my unique black snake—she won’t live half an hour.”

Jiang Yun ignored him, approaching Yao Guang. “Master, summon the Golden Silkworm Gu King. All poisons are its delicacy.”

Yao Guang nodded. The poison had broken her spell, returning her to her original form. She was pale, about to summon her Gu, when it flew out on its own, circled her once, then slipped inside her collar, crawling to the wound and biting in, sucking greedily. The pain was intense, making Yao Guang grimace; each bite felt as agonizing as a lightning strike.

“Ugh!” Yao Guang suddenly spat a mouthful of black blood, her complexion improving.

“Phoenix, are you alright?” Xuan Chen and the others crowded around.

“I’m fine,” Yao Guang shook her head. The Golden Silkworm Gu King emerged from her collar, circled her again, then flew straight to the man in black, burrowing into his clothes. At first, the man was terrified, then he collapsed, rolling on the ground.

“What’s happening to him?” Yao Guang asked, perplexed.

“Haha, that’s karma. He poisoned you without regard for the Gu King. Now, the little fatty is avenging you—he smells the Hei Miao on him, is scavenging his toxins for food, intimidating his life-bound Gu, and infecting him with Gu King’s poison. His cultivation is ruined; even if he lives, he’s a cripple. That’s retribution,” Jiang Yun said, feeling a satisfying sense of justice.

The Golden Silkworm Gu King flew out from his clothes, leaving the man sweating on the ground, terror in his eyes. It glared at him, then returned to Yao Guang’s neck and disappeared.

“Who are you, to possess the Golden Silkworm Gu King?” the man asked weakly.

“No rush, you’ll find out,” Yao Guang replied calmly, healing her wound.

“Take him away,” Xuan Chen ordered.

Yao Guang looked at Xuan Chen in frustration. “Why am I so unlucky lately, always getting hurt? If the Three Realms heard, they’d die laughing.” She started to walk, but dizziness overcame her, pain throbbing in her chest.

“Master…” Jiang Yun was startled, then said, “Master, the black snake’s poison drains your vitality. Rest a while—you’ll be fine.”

“Alright,” Yao Guang pouted. “Maybe I forgot to check the almanac before going out.”

“Phoenix, forgive me,” Huo Mingkun finished dealing with the aftermath and, hearing their exchange, stepped forward, bowed, then scooped the bewildered Yao Guang into a princess carry, gently placing her in the front passenger seat of Jiang Yun’s car and closing the door softly.

Everyone was stunned by his action.

“Why are you all staring? Phoenix is my master too—even if I haven’t formally apprenticed, isn’t it normal to care about her?” Huo Mingkun explained, puzzled by their looks.

“Hahahaha…” Xuan Chen burst into laughter, clapping Huo Mingkun on the shoulder. “Courage, such courage!”

Yao Guang laughed as well, amused by the scene.

Police sirens echoed through the sky, heading toward the Ye City Public Security Bureau.