Chapter 316: A Thousand-year Old Plot
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Jiji, you think you can find me the specific location of the laboratory?” Gu Xiqiao threw both of them into the basement of the Wei family manor before starting to question Jiji. At the same time, her consciousness continued to expand in every direction. In the blink of the eye, her mind had already covered the entire Mingzhou.
In spite of this, she still failed to find anything out of the ordinary.
Jiji was scouring through millions of databases on the internet and still found no trace of that laboratory she was talking about. Not a single trace of information could be detected.
“Beauty Qiao, something’s weird.” Jiji was stunned. “There should be bits of information about places like this on the internet, and yet I’m here empty-handed.”
Not finding anything was the weirdest thing it had ever come across.
Gu Xiqiao looked down at Leng Yuwei. A sinister smile broke across her face, which sent chills straight up Leng Yuwei’s spine.
“Chu Ziheng.” Gu Xiqiao called out.
Jiji’s eyes widened when it heard what Gu Xiqiao said. “Chu Ziheng? What’s up with him?”
“Remember that time when he worked with Uncle Mu on a joint-project?” Gu Xiqiao narrowed her eyes. “I’ve always found it odd as to why someone in the F&B industry would want to cooperate with Nine Heavens.”
“Nine Heavens?” Jiji made some calculations in its mind, which was so fast that not even China’s top-of-the-line supercomputer could match up with it. It didn’t take a long time for it to finally reach a conclusion. “Nine Heavens’ finance sector and network sector are running parallel to each other! Wait a sec—network technology!”
“That’s right, I recall him working together with Yang An previously,” said Gu Xiqiao, who reached out her hand and out came a tablet out of thin air. Her fingers started swiping away and soon, an image appeared on the screen. “It’s this one.”
The tablet floating in the air and the map on the screen was turned into a 3D projection.
***
Above the ground at Wei Manor.
“Young Master, there are intruders in the basement!” As the greatest wielder of power in Mingzhou, the basement of the Wei family manor was not just your average basement. Even the slightest movement in the basement could be detected by the control room.
“Basement?” Wei Chenxi sprung up from his seat. His facial expression changed immediately. Hastily, he rushed into the basement with a couple of armed guards.
All that was stored in the basement of their home were considered to be top secret in Mingzhou and by extension, China. For an intruder to suddenly appear in their basement made Wu Chenxi panic. Although Mingzhou was currently under threat, such secrets must never be leaked to the outside world!
The secrets involving their basement could not be filtered through the internet. Instead, they had to be encrypted using codes written down on paper before being sealed away indefinitely. Every single one of them exposed major weak points of their nation, which explained why Wei Chenxi was sweating bullets.
“How could that be?” At the entrance of the basement, one of his men noticed how everything was left undamaged and he let out a cry in surprise.
Wei Chenxi peered in the direction of the cry. “What’s the matter?”
“The basement. The door’s not broken?” The man started to doubt his own sanity.
“Wait a second!” Another man who was holding a tablet called out: “Everyone step back! There’s someone… on the other side of this door!”
The guards moved to both sides of the corridor and raised their gun barrels at the door as one of their comrades was nervously entering the password required to unlock the door. The red light above the door flashed three times before the heavy iron door heaved open.
In the middle of the doorway stood a single human figure.
The guard positioned closest to the door squeezed the trigger.
Before Wei Chenxi could react, the figure started closing in on the guard. With a pale left arm, the mysterious intruder grabbed the guard’s right arm and knocked the gun out of his grip. The way she moved was swift and she still had enough time to grab the gun before it hit the floor.
Crack—
It was the sound of someone’s wrist breaking.
Click—
Gu Xiqiao suddenly turned into the one behind the trigger. She turned around and peered over at the rest of the guards.
The guards gulped in fear when they saw a ghostly figure look over in their direction.
At the end of the passage, a dark figure hugging the wall was backing away in slow motion before a loud thud rang out.
The sudden noise struck fear into the guard’s hearts.
They all had to have 20/20 vision to be able to qualify for entering the military; they saw what had happened. The man who had collapsed onto the floor was a stranger with a clean hole in between his eyes. Thick, dark blood oozed slowly out from the hole.
In a state of disbelief, they shifted their gaze back onto Gu Xiqiao.
The speed at which she moved shocked them. To be able to grab their gun and plant a bullet in between that man’s brows, it all required so much calculation, skill, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
She’d never be able to grab their gun if she wasn’t as calm as still water. She’d never be able to make such a clean, precise shot if she wasn’t insanely quick to make calculations. She’d definitely die under their gunfire if she wasn’t skillful enough to deal with the situation.
Throughout the entire process, not even once did she lose her cool. Perhaps it was due to this that no one was able to make out what was going on in her mind.
It was already terrifying enough to face-off with such an enemy, who appeared to be years younger than them.
To be able to pull off such stunts at such a tender age, God knows what she’ll be capable of in the future.
“Mi-Miss Gu?”
Wei Chenxi’s voice was hoarse.
Gu Xiqiao flung the gun back to the man who initially aimed it at her. She nodded at Wei Chenxi before pointing at the man she had just dispatched. “This man topped the ranking of assassins across the world. You’ll have to find out yourself as to why he was here.”
She waved them goodbye before sticking her hands into her pocket and walking away.
“Good god!” The man who had been disarmed yelled out in a trembling voice. “Such combat skills, what great shooting, that level of situational awareness, she really is born to be an operator!”
He turned towards Wei Chenxi and asked, “Young Master, do you know who she is?” If she wasn’t in the military, they shouldn’t be qualified to be soldiers either.
Wei Chenxi saw the glimmer in his eyes. “Go back and clean yourself up.”
“Right,” said Gu Xiqiao who had now reached the end of the passageway. She directed a smile at Wei Chenxi. “There are two people in there. Um, you don’t need to care about them for now. I’ll send them off to somewhere suitable when the time comes.”
That was what she said before she finally left for good.
Wei Chenxi’s men were shocked. “Let’s head in and see who they are!”
Wei Chenxi peered down at the dead assassin with a round hole in between his eyes, which were still wide open. He was deep in thought for a while before letting out a sigh. What a sad way to go. To die with one’s eyes wide open. Still, he had to investigate what was going on.
***
Gu Xiqiao went over to Zhuge Yan’s place.
“Sister Gu, Jiji’s dead.” Shao Ge started bawling his eyes out the moment he saw Gu Xiqiao. He pointed at the robot that sat motionless on the floor. “It’s been one hour and it still hasn’t moved yet!”
The corner of Gu Xiqiao’s mouth twitched. “… it’s alright, it’s still alive.”
Jiji: “Yeah, I was just taking a nap.”
Gu Xiqiao: “…” What a great excuse.
“I guess robots need their sleep too huh?” Shao Ge took off Jiji’s floral garment and felt its cold robotic hands underneath. “It’s still a robot.”
“Nonsense! Do you still think I’m your average Joe robot?!” Jiji was furious.
Shao Ge tugged on Gu Xiqiao’s shirt. “It does look more demonic compared to other robots.”
Jiji was speechless.
‘Snap out of it Shao Ge! You weren’t like this before! The cute, shy Shao Ge is the best Shao Ge!’
“Where’s Xixi?” asked Shao Ge. “Didn’t it go out with you?”
“I assigned a mission for it to complete.” Gu Xiqiao sat down on a chair in the courtyard and watched the blooming flowers. “These flowers are pretty.”
“That thing helps you complete missions?” Jiji was rather concerned about Gu Xiqiao’s actions. Wasn’t itself plenty useful already?
At the very least, being a street magician was a viable way of earning money!
“As a Vermillion Bird raised up in evil aura,” a gentle voice came from behind Gu Xiqiao. Shortly after, a man sat down in front of Gu Xiqiao. “Letting it carry out missions in Mingzhou is most suitable considering its abilities.”
“Mr. Zhuge.” Gu Xiqiao smiled.
Jiji went silent. It shot a glance at Zhuge Yan before plopping down on the ground. It tugged a leaf of grass which it started gnawing on while soaking in frustration.
Gu Xiqiao was now powerful enough that it no longer could sense her thoughts. It now seems like things were only getting worse for strangers.
Jiji let out a great sigh.
“Wei Chenxi…” Gu Xiqiao looked up at him. “Why did I have to protect him?”
“If my senses aren’t fooling me, your chi contains the potential for life?”
Quite a lot of people already knew about this and Gu Xiqiao had no reason to conceal this fact. As she poured herself some tea, she nodded in response to Zhuge Yan’s question.
“But do you know that there is someone else with the same upgrade capabilities as you?” Zhuge Yan looked Gu Xiqiao dead in the eye and slowly said, “The first generation of Greedy Wolf Star Lords.”
Gu Xiqiao looked up immediately. She stared dumbfoundedly at Zhuge Yan for a couple of seconds before placing her cup down.
Zhuge Yan stood up and strolled around the courtyard, enjoying the flowers. “The sky’s the pivot, the Earth is the jade, mankind is the pearl, sound provides the balance, the Sun is the law and the light is the star. There is a saying in the Taoist school of thought that the Greedy Wolf Starlord will descend from the heavens and save mankind from its demise.”
“You are a person of merit, but from what I see on your face, your death won’t be peaceful.” Zhuge Yan’s face was dead serious. “This isn’t your destiny. The only plausible explanation I can think of is that your fate was altered when you were born. Someone was wishing for your death back then. The same applies today, in Mingzhou. Someone out there is planning to trap you here and finish you off for good!”
“Crash!”
The cup Gu Xiqiao was sipping tea from fell from her hands and rolled into the flowerbed.
Even Jiji was stunned.
Someone had altered her fate on the day of her birth, for her to die—
That’s right, she did in fact, die once before this…
The Greedy Wolf Starlord coming down to save the masses. Gu Xiqiao remembered the missions issued by the System. Each one of them was meant for liberating men from their suffering.
But, how did she get reborn? She had to start the reading all over again…
Gu Xiqiao’s thoughts were getting more and more convoluted. She gripped the table tightly and stared into the flower in front of her. From the moment she was born, everything had already been pre-calculated!
Pre-calculated?!
A lightbulb lit up in her mind. She suddenly recalled Baili Wenxi, how she had been abandoned before being picked up by Yu Man.
The evil aura that had plagued Baixing Village.
Connecting the dots, she realized that her being born was probably something already predetermined. Baili Wenxi loses her memory, making her unable to return to the ancient martial arts world, followed by her being adopted by Yu Man, and Yu Man’s inexplicable death, until her eventual return to the Gu family, and her inevitable death…
Wait a minute! A bright white light flashed in Gu Xiqiao’s palm. A tattered book appeared. This was something Emery had given her back at Baixing village. She had already finished reading it back during the selection competition and it introduced the reader to the theory of spacetime.
“Mr. Zhuge. I have already died once.” Gu Xiqiao inhaled deeply as she dug her nails deeply into the flesh of her palm.
There were too many thoughts flashing through her mind but everything was crystal clear. Her mind was crystal clear.
Zhuge Yan’s expression changed. He reached out and counted with his right hand. The more he did so, the paler his complexion became. In the end, fresh red blood sputtered out from his mouth.
“Young Master!” Wei Xi quickly rushed forward to support him.
Gu Xiqiao too reached out and grabbed Zhuge Yan in order to imbue his body with an unprecedented amount of life force. “There’s nothing wrong with your Young Master, go look for Wei Chenxi’s medicine.”
She proceeded to repeat a series of drug names that would be needed.
Although she was anxious, she still managed to maintain control over the situation. It appeared that her calmness had rubbed off on Wei Xi, who was able to come to her senses. She repeated the drug names after Gu Xiqiao and still found it difficult to memorize them all.
Gu Xiqiao waved her hand. “Jiji, you tag along with her.”
Jiji left parts of its consciousness in the virtual space before leaving with Wei Xi.
Zhuge Yan’s complexion improved significantly upon receiving life force from Gu Xiqiao. He coughed twice as Gu Xiqiao helped him settle down in his seat.
Using a handkerchief, he wiped the blood off of the corner of his mouth. “You have died once, but someone used an ungodly method to force you back onto this realm.”
“I believe that you saw much more than that?” asked Gu Xiqiao with her lips pursed.
“To speak about this matter, I must start my explanation from the beginning.” Zhuge Yan nodded. “After the War of the Ancients, the first generation of Greedy Wolves fell out. However, the monsters have not completely disappeared from this world of ours. They were buried in different spots across the globe. Now that a millennium has passed, the calamity has awakened once more. If we follow the trajectory of your previous life, how events have been developing, then the end of the world is nigh.”
“Who is that person who forcibly changed my fate?” Gu Xiqiao pondered.
Zhuge Yan paused for a moment. “Snow. All I see is an endless field of white snow.”
“I understand now.” Gu Xiqiao nodded. She rose from her seat and marched straight out of the front door. In her mind, she called out to Jiji. “Jiji, contact the Great Elder. I want to see all the records of the ancient martial arts world that were passed down for generations.”
She recalled the eight false scriptures which Jiang Shuxuan had obtained from the Baili family’s inventory of heirlooms. That must’ve been tampered with by someone and yet, they were still in the virtual space.
Also, there was the Murong family! There were problems with Murong Feiye’s cultivation technique. Due to this, she gave him a book containing five solutions to his problem and since then, his improvement has been rapid.
All the anomalies have been explained. The ancient martial arts world was on the decline and its population numbered less than the tens of thousands. Its strength was wavering which means only one thing—something was wrong with it!
Doubt swelled up in Gu Xiqiao’s heart. Her predictions had been accurate ever since she set foot in the ancient martial arts world. Just who was operating behind the scenes?
For such a huge scene to be involved, this plot must have stretched back a thousand years ago.
“Beauty Qiao, we’re back.” Jiji and Wei Xi rushed back hastily with the medicine. They were so eager that they crashed into Gu Xiqiao who was about to exit the main entrance.
Gu Xiqiao passed a note over to Wei Xi. “Follow the recipe as noted down here when preparing the medicine for your Young Master.”
“Thank you, Miss Gu.” Wei Xi immediately went in upon receiving the note.
Gu Xiqiao did not follow her back this time. Jiji stared up at Gu Xiqiao with its mouth open. It wanted to say something and yet it couldn’t. It heard what Zhuge Yan said and whatever Gu Xiqiao theory could come up with, it could too.
“Beauty Qiao!” Jiji suddenly called out. “Something’s happened to Little Hua!”
“I know.” A dangerous look surfaced in Gu Xiqiao’s eyes. “We’ll get Yao Jiamu and the Peacekeepers over immediately!”
The air around them fluctuated and in the next instant, she warped out of existence.
Mingzhou! They’re planning to kill her?! Now that she knew someone had forcefully brought her back to life, do they seriously expect her to die that easily?!
Chapter 317: Next Destination, The Huangfu Family!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Hua family were well-known for their prowess in the field of medicine. However, in the previous century, their reputation had steadily been on the decline.
Their hope had thus been placed in Hua Jingya, the new talent. In fact, they even encouraged her to become Divine Doctor Rong’s apprentice. Who would’ve thought that the moment she left the family would be the last time they’d ever see her. Another part of the reason why the family was so impoverished and desperate could be attributed to the Huangfu family’s sanctions.
A few days ago, Hua Youlin returned alone, which sent shockwaves through the Hua family.
This mainly was due to the fact that his return symbolized the return of the acupuncture technique, unique to the Hua family alone. After a round of assessment by Hua Zihou, it was discovered that Hua Youlin’s skill had reached its peak. It wasn’t just that, the methods he used, the school of thought he subscribed to was hard to comprehend for the lesser skilled members of his family.
The Hua family was thrilled. What they did not expect, however, was that the Huangfu family would soon face an existential threat.
For now, nearly every member of his family was rounded up and locked inside the hall of their very own dwelling.
“Youlin, the Huangfu family have said that as long as you invite that Miss Gu over, they’ll let us go immediately. Why aren’t you calling her then?” The one urging Hua Youlin to make the call was Zhang Si, a daughter-in-law of his family. She had an infant in her arms that appeared to be no more than a couple of months old. With bloodshot eyes, she glared down at Hua Youlin.
The rest of his family followed suit after Zhang Si made her demand.
Everything didn’t matter when one was staring right into the eyes of death. Even though Hua Youlin had transformed into a completely different person since his return to the family. Yes, his skill was terrifyingly well-honed but at this point, what’s left on their minds was the struggle for survival.
Hua Youlin bowed his head. He brushed his fingers gently across the golden tortoise that hung on his neck. Looking up at Zhang Si, he snickered. “Whether you live or die, it does not concern me.”
“Say something, Great Elder!” Zhang Si had no choice but to go down the path of indirect warfare, by using the great elder as her leverage.
The great elder’s head shrank into his shoulders as he trembled in fear. It was true. He had instructed some goons to beat up Hua Youlin back in the Imperial Capital but his plan was foiled when Gu Xiqiao intervened. After that, he had been shoved around by the powerful forces that ruled the capital. Amidst the struggle, their family had sustained considerable damage. Now, the mere mention of Gu Xiqiao’s name was enough to make him tremble uncontrollably.
“Alright, stop it.” Hua Zihou’s brows furrowed when he noticed Zhang Si’s reaction. “These people we’re facing are no ordinary people, do you not understand that?!”
Sensing Hua Zihou’s growing impatience, Zhang Si kept her mouth shut. Still, she continued giving Hua Youlin the evil eye.
Hua Zihou let out a sigh. He pointed at Hua Youlin’s broken finger and peeled his eyelids open to get a good look at the injury. “Are you alright, Youlin?”
“I’m fine, Uncle.” Hua Youlin shook his head and his facial expression remained unchanging.
“Listen to me Youlin.” Hua Zihou lowered his voice. “You are the last sliver of hope for our family. I absolutely cannot tolerate any harm done unto you. Their search for Miss Gu is a clear indicator of how capable she is. You need to send her a message, tell her to come to your rescue. That shouldn’t be too hard, no?”
“Uncle, you don’t understand.” Hua Youlin’s voice was equally as calm. “Sister Gu is incredibly strong. Everything that is happening and shall happen in the future, is already part of her calculation. However, she cannot locate where I am right now. What does that mean you might ask? Well, it means that the people binding us here possess the capability of dodging her consciousness. Whoever they are, they’re stronger than her.”
“Youlin, I believe that fate is on your side. From what you’re saying, I have faith that this Miss Gu should be able to come up with a rescue plan.” Hua Zihou balled up his fist tightly.
Hua Youlin stared down at the floor. “Sister Gu is only a couple of years older than me, but she’s miles ahead of me in every aspect. She’s insanely talented. You probably know about the ancient martial arts world, right? She’s a normal person but she was able to sweep them off their feet as an outsider. Her personality may seem a little cold but she cares deeply for her friends. If she knew what happened to me, she’d definitely go after our captors in revenge. Still, we can’t deny that they’re stronger than her. It’s pretty clear why they asked me to call her over—they want her to come with her guard down. The pressure she’s bearing on her shoulders is already plenty enough. I will absolutely not let her walk into such a trap!”
“But, if things go on at this rate, you’ll die!” Hua Zihou looked into Hua Youlin’s eyes. “Don’t you fear death?”
“If not for her, I’d be dead a long time ago.” Hua Youlin was surprisingly calm when he responded to his uncle’s question.
Hua Zihou stared at Hua Youlin, with no idea what else he could say. For some unknown reason, the way in which the boy was acting shocked him. If…a big IF, the Hua family was to survive this ordeal, there was no doubt that they would soon regain their former glory.
What a shame, time was running out. Hua Youlin lowered his gaze, which had a hint of melancholy to them.
Nightfall.
The clear panel was still up in front of Gu Xiqiao’s face. On it was Hua Youlin’s statistics, his vigor had already dropped below 50%!
Very well!
Gu Xiqiao’s gaze was stone cold.
In the next instant, she appeared right in front of the main entrance to the Hua residence. Still standing in the void, her ink-dark hair floated in the air as if she was underwater. The cold aura of a killer was so strong that the air pressure in her surroundings plummeted.
“Who are you?” The two armed guards watching the entrance raised their weapons as they kept their eyes glued onto Gu Xiqiao.
She raised her right arm lightly and next to her appeared two golden needles.
There wasn’t enough time for them to react when the projectiles plunged into their bodies. Their eyes were wide open as they stared at Gu Xiqiao in horror.
However, her eyes were already on the main entrance instead of them.
Bang! The door swung open forcefully despite how there wasn’t a single breeze blowing in the air.
Step by step, she patiently walked into the compound.
Behind her, the men slumped onto the ground lifelessly.
“Sister Gu!” Hua Youlin’s expression changed the moment Gu Xiqiao entered his vision. With a panicky voice, he yelled out, “Why did you come? Leave while you can!”
Gu Xiqiao only focused her eyes on the injuries Hua Youlin had sustained. Her face darkened. The murderous intent she had was so strong that it almost congealed into a physical state.
The sight of her made the people of the Hua family seal their mouths shut. They were initially curious about the Sister Gu that Hua Youlin frequently mentioned. Now that they saw her, they were so intimidated that they had forgotten how to speak.
“Tell me, who’s responsible for this?” Gu Xiqiao’s voice was cold, almost hostile. It was the side of her that Hua Youlin had never seen before.
Hua Youlin did not care that much about that. “It’s fine, let’s just leave, Sister Gu.”
“Tell me,” Gu Xiqiao’s line of sight shifted over to Hua Zihou. “Not a single word less. Tell me everything you know.”
Hua Youlin peered at Hua Zihou nervously. Of all the time, he chose to keep his mouth shut now? He watched in horror as Hua Zihou’s lips remained still.
“It’s the Huangfu family. They seem to be working together with a powerful figure.” Finally, Hua Zihou was able to answer Gu Xiqiao. His body visibly shuddered as he spoke. “Those people, they are like ghosts. They rounded us up and interrogated Youlin, forcing him to spit out your information.”
“What about his injuries?” Gu Xiqiao questioned.
“It’s the Huangfu family. How could we, a bunch of regular humans put up a fight against them? Half of our people have betrayed us, and Youlin was the first to be captured. They don’t care about us, regular humans. Just look at how heavy-handed they were when they interrogated Youlin.” Hua Zihou wiped a tear off the corner of his eye.
How could they possibly even resist the capture of those people?!
Gu Xiqiao nodded. Her next question cut straight to the chase.
What he said was true. From their perspective, the Hua family amounted to nothing. Killing one of them was the same as squashing an ant to death. If not for Hua Youlin, who would potentially reveal her identity, they probably would never even bother dirtying their hands, handling the Hua family for even a second.
Because, they weren’t worth their attention!
She clenched her fist tightly. Gu Xiqiao started thinking about the suffering of the Hua family, and more specifically, Hua Youlin had been put through because of her.
“Powerful figure? The Huangfu family?” asked Gu Xiqiao.
“Sister Gu!” Hua Youlin’s anxiety was rising. It was at this moment that he realized that he could speak again. “I’m fine, I really am. Those people are waiting for you to walk right into their trap. You must avoid taking the bait at all costs!”
“That’s right Miss Gu.” Hua Zihou wore a somber expression. “You leave with Youlin. At the very least, the Hua family wouldn’t be wiped out completely.”
“Little Hua, know that this is all because of my fault.” Gu Xiqiao peered down at Hua Youlin. “I should’ve at least let you see how strong Peace Manor has become now.”
“Sister Gu…” Hua Youlin’s expression changed one more time. “You need to think more rationally now!”
“Boom!” Right after he said that ten men suddenly appeared in the hall.
All of them were wearing a suit of black armor. They had burly figures and one could practically smell their bloodlust. Their eyes were as sharp as knives; it was clear that these people lived their lives constantly on the razor’s edge!
Hua Zihou and the rest of his family were horrified when they saw these people pop up out of nowhere. These men were the source of their nightmares for the past two days.
“That is the person our boss is looking for,” said one of them as he pointed at Gu Xiqiao. “Should we report this to him?”
“Take her out immediately.” ordered the leader of the team. It was clear that he viewed humans as the same as ants. “Her, and the rest of the people here. We’ll torch this place once the job’s done. Let’s keep things clean!”
“Understood!”
These men were quite obviously used to carrying out such tasks. Taking a human life was the same as drinking water or eating bread in their eyes. After all, no one from the secular world had the means to stop them from doing so.
Gu Xiqiao knew in the blink of the eye, just how arrogant these bastards were when she heard their response.
“Don’t kill us!” Zhang Si got on her knees and begged with her baby in her arms. “I have nothing to do with Hua Youlin, so don’t kill me please!”
“Spare our lives!” pleaded another member of the Hua family.
Too bad, these men did not care about the lives of regular humans. They raised their blades around which a dark mist swirled, up into the air. Just as the blade was about to be brought down onto their heads—
The ten of them stared in horror at the golden needles that appeared in front of their eyes. These needles had the thickness of a human finger and wrapped around it was a layer of purple electric sparks!
It was strange, how they suddenly came out of nowhere. The needles moved so fast there were visible afterimages that followed their trajectories. These projectiles pierced straight through their hearts and went cleanly out their backs, leaving no bloodstains whatsoever.
The ten needles returned to Gu Xiqiao’s side. The mixture of golden and purple hues projected a pure white light onto her face.
Drip, drip!
Fresh blood trickled down from the cavity in their chest onto the floor.
The hall was dead silent. The members of the Hua family who were begging for mercy froze up. The men who they thought were unfathomably powerful were now…dead?
They were stunned!
It appears that this young lady was no simple woman. She took down her foes in less than a second!
Good heavens! Just what sort of person is she?!
Thud!
Thud!
Ten dull thuds could be heard as the ten-man death squad slumped onto the ground lifelessly.
Gu Xiqiao glanced indifferently at their corpses. These men were nothing but minions; the battle was far from over!
“Jiji, lead Little Hua and these people away from here,” ordered Gu Xiqiao while walking exiting the compound. “Bring them to the Wei family.”
Jiji nodded before turning to face the Hua family.
Hua Zihou’s voice was trembling. “Miss Gu, y-you…don’t tell me you’re still thinking about bringing the fight to them? You absolutely mustn’t do that. These men that you have killed are incredibly powerful. God knows who else you might face over there.” Hua Youlin’s words were still fresh in his mind. If it really was as he had said, that the person behind this plot was stronger than Gu Xiqiao, he feared that she would march right towards her death.
“Sister Gu.” Hua Youlin tugged Gu Xiqiao’s shirt. He peered up at her, telling her not to go with his eyes.
Gu Xiqiao responded by patting Hua Youlin’s head, after which he lost his consciousness. She proceeded to push the boy into Hua Zihou’s arms. “Help me look after him.”
She stormed out of the entrance upon saying that.
“Stop acting so impulsively!” advised Hua Zihou when he noticed how furious Gu Xiqiao was when she left. He caught up with her and continued rambling on, “Youlin’s right. Those people are deliberately doing this to lure you into their trap. They probably have some sort of card up their sleeve.”
He finally understood what Hua Youlin meant when he described Gu Xiqiao as ‘stubborn’. She really was just that. Despite knowing that she was marching straight into a trap, she could not be held back, even by the combined strength of ten oxen.
It was at this moment that a stream of light flashed above his head. A number of figures descended from the sky and within mere seconds, a team was stationed beyond the entrance of the compound. That was followed by an explosion of chi so strong that it stirred up the dry leaves on the ground.
“Greetings Miss!”
This voice made Hua Zihou and the rest of his family hold their breaths. Even though they were regular human beings, the aura coming off from their bodies was so strong that even they could sense it. The faces of the Hua family members turned pale out of fear as if they had just seen a ghost. “T-These are the powerful figures I was talking about. They must’ve come here together with the men from before. They’ve come. They’ve finally come…”
Hua Zihou’s words sparked fear among his family.
Over the past few days, they experienced firsthand just how great the disparity of strength was between a regular human and these people. Any one of them could kill them with just the tip of their finger; to them, finishing off the Hua family was the same as killing a bunch of helpless ants!
They could not even fend against a single one of them, what more to say of a hundred of them.
And so, how could Hua Zihou not be fearful of what he was seeing?
He was suddenly given a grim reminder of how insignificant his family actually was!
“Miss Gu!” yelled Hua Zihou when he realized that instead of running away, Gu Xiqiao was striding towards their supposed enemy.
Gu Xiqiao ignored his cries as she continued moving forwards. “Team 1 to 3, escort Jiji to the Wei family and make sure their family stays out of trouble. The rest of you, follow my lead!” Her voice was cold, so cold that it could be felt down to the bone. “After messing around for so long, it’s time for you guys to unveil your strength!”
Sensing the anger in Gu Xiqiao’s voice, the Peacekeepers unleashed their chi to its fullest potential.
Half of the night sky above Mingzhou was illuminated as a result!
All of them had a gut feeling that tonight was going to be a sleepless night!
“Understood!” Their booming voices echoed through the air.
Immediately, seven separate teams trailed behind Gu Xiqiao and moved across the sky, towards the horizon.
Their next destination, Huangfu Manor!
The members of the Hua family suddenly felt their mind go blank. It felt as if their sense of reality had become fragmented.
They couldn’t believe their ears. These men…were subordinates of Gu Xiqiao?
The ‘miss’ they had mentioned, it was her?
Hua Zihou started seeing stars circling above his head. At this point, he no longer had any idea what to say anymore.
In the next moment, the people of the Hua family watched in horror as the aura of every member of the Peacekeepers grew stronger. They could tell, using their primitive senses that these men were as strong as the ten men Gu Xiqiao had just taken down.
Those who showed nothing but discontent for Hua Youlin upon his return were significantly more affected than say, Hua Zihou. Their faces were completely drained of color. They had no idea that Hua Youlin had such close connections to people such as Gu Xiqiao or the Peacekeepers.
Zhang Si and the elder of their family felt their legs buckle underneath their weight.
Gu Xiqiao was already plenty strong. Who would’ve thought that there would be an army of such men under her command?!
A hundred of them! According to what Hua Zihou told them, it sounded like these men had a stronghold in the ancient martial arts world. And in spite of this, they still had the intention to bully Hua Youlin? These people were drenched in a cold sweat. Fortunately, they had yet to exact their plans on Hua Youlin. Otherwise, God knows what would happen to them!
“It’s my first time seeing Miss Gu being so pissed off,” said one of the members of team 3. He walked up to Jiji and coincidentally discovered the state which Hua Youlin was in. His expression changed instantly. “Little Hua! N-No wonder! No wonder she’s so pissed!”
After invoking her fury, it would require a bloodbath for Mingzhou to cleanse themselves of this wrong they have committed!
Chapter 318: Bone-chillingly Terrifying!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Huangfu Manor.
The speed at which Gu Xiqiao traveled was so quick that she appeared right in front of her destination in just the blink of the eye.
Her figure landed softly in front of the main entrance, surprising the two men who were standing guard there. They stared at her in disbelief for a brief moment before they unsheathed their blades. “Declare who you are!”
“Get Huangfu Xuan out here!” yelled Gu Xiqiao at the gatekeepers. The murderous look in her eyes indicated that she wasn’t here for a friendly visit.
“Do you think Miss Huangfu is a person who answers your call like a dog?” The gatekeepers scoffed upon hearing her order. What she said was utterly preposterous. “Who do you think you are?!”
“If you don’t turn around immediately, prepare to stay here for eternity,” threatened one of them. They were no longer who they used to be. Despite being mere gatekeepers, their abilities have already far exceeded that of a normal human’s. Thus, they looked at Gu Xiqiao as if they were looking at some delirious fool who had unintentionally stumbled upon their doorstep.
They were supreme cultivators, so how dare a puny little human act so arrogant in front of them?
“I’ll only repeat this one more time. Get her out here right this instant,” said Gu Xiqiao casually.
“You don’t seem to understand what sort of situation you’re in, do you?” One of the gatekeepers reprimanded her as he approached her with his blade. There was a white glow to his blade and he didn’t appear to be in a particularly good mood today. Then, he dashed towards Gu Xiqiao with his blade, ready to strike.
Underneath the street lamp, the iridescent glow of his blade was almost blinding!
His comrade did not stop him from attacking the innocent human. In fact, he wore a smug expression as he watched the show unfold. “I did tell you not to mess with the Huangfu family, didn’t I? I’m tellin’ ya, even the Lord of Hell would slam the gates of hell in your face if he knew that you were messing with us before you di-…”
Before he could finish his sentence, before he could express how powerful he and his comrade was, his entire body froze up like a statue. He gulped down his words and his eyes were so wide open that they almost popped out of their sockets.
To his surprise, the young lady was not chopped in half by his comrade’s blade. She did not move, but with a pair of dark eyes, she stared at her attacker.
Boom!
A streak of purple lightning came out of nowhere and struck down his comrade!
The young lady, who was supposed to have been sliced in half stood on the ground, expressionless and calm.
The blade-wielding gatekeeper’s eyes were wide open before he slumped over dead. He never would’ve thought that his life would be taken by a girl as young as her, especially after considering how powerful he had become.
Wait, it all made sense now. How could she possibly be a regular human? She descended from the sky like an angel and demanded to see Miss Huangfu after all.
But, as he collapsed to the ground, it was all too late!
“Tell Huangfu Xuan to come out,” said Gu Xiqiao with her arm raised. A pillar of lightning with the thickness of a man’s arm hovered above the center of her palm. “Or else, you too will die like you friend.”
The other gatekeeper’s legs turned into jelly. Averting his gaze, he desperately crawled back into the compound.
“Tell her that my surname’s Gu.”
Her voice was soft and gentle but it almost exploded his eardrums, as if she was yelling straight into his ears. Suddenly, a terrorizing aura swept over him, making the gatekeeper trip over in fear as he made his way to his mistress.
Dear god! What a terrifying person! How on earth did they mistake her as a regular human in the beginning?!
In the study room of Huangfu Manor, nothing felt particularly out of the ordinary.
“Young Mistress, something’s happened to the Leng family.” The butler walked up to Huangfu Xuan and proceeded to report the recent developments in regards to the Leng family to her.
Huangfu Xuan frowned upon hearing the news. “What a bunch of garbage. We’ll ignore them for now. Master’s matter remains the top priority. Are there any developments on the Hua family’s side?”
“No, not for now.” The butler groaned. “About the Wei family…let’s just say, you won’t need to bother with them from now on.”
Huangfu Xuan looked down, hiding the dark look in her eyes. “That assassin probably has already infiltrated the Wei family by now. Miss Gu is irrelevant now. It’ll only be a matter of days before the entire Mingzhou comes under our control. When that day comes…”
“Why does Master care so much about Miss Gu?” The butler was confused.
He found it odd that so much effort was being invested by people of such great capability, solely for the sake of a budding university girl.
It didn’t make sense to him, no matter from which perspective the butler approached the matter.
“The Leng family is useless. I want you to send men over to keep an eye on the Hua family. The laboratory here still needs me. Time is running out.” replied Huangfu Xuan.
The butler nodded and was about to head out when someone came clambering into the room.
“Young Mistress, the gatekeeper said that someone with the surname ‘Gu’ is waiting for you outside.”
“Miss Gu? Are you sure it’s her?” Huangfu Xuan looked up and her suspicion was confirmed by the man. A sly smile broke across her face instantly. “Very well. It appears that I don’t need to look for her after all!”
With the wave of her hand, she signaled for the men to leave the room. Standing alone in the middle of the room, she announced triumphantly, “Master, Gu Xiqiao has arrived.”
Suddenly, a strong aura descended upon the quiet room. Following that, a lion whose body was surrounded by a layer of dark mist materialized out of nowhere!
“Let’s go.” The beast turned into a cloud of smoke before slowly transforming into a tall human figure. As attractive as he might appear to be, his eyes were filled with darkness and anguish. “The boss won’t let me kill her and has specifically ordered me to not act rashly. But…now that she has walked into his trap, Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, the pain you have endured prior to your deaths, I will avenge you!”
The door of the study room swung open the moment he intended to leave its vicinity.
Despite knowing that he was a nobleman and a member of her own family, Huangfu Xuan was momentarily taken aback. She knew just how strong he had become.; the people in the underground laboratory were all created by his own two hands. They had enough to form an entire army in fact. With so much power in her grasp, she could literally see the Huangfu family’s road to glory right in front of her!
“Gu Xiqiao! Hell hath no doors and yet you come here on your own will!” The figure led all of the elite fighters of the Huangfu family out through the front door.
Of these men, half were the products of experimentation while the other half consisted of true Huangfu family members.
They harbored the same feelings towards Gu Xiqiao as the two gatekeepers from before; they assumed that Gu Xiqiao was just a regular human, just insanely more arrogant. They were confused as to why Miss Huangfu stationed them here when they were only facing off with a person like her.
Realizing that they were committing the same mistake as his friend did, the gatekeeper made the call to desert his position.
As he ran, he bumped into a bunch of acquaintances who had arrived late. “Miss Huangfu’s looking for us. Where are you going?”
“Look, you have to trust me on this. Run while you can. That person outside mustn’t be messed with!” To be able to bend lightning to her will, we simply are no match for her. Let’s escape while we can!”
What a shame, that group of men ignored his advice. They laughed in his face. “Sounds like you’ve gone mad from all the gatekeeping duties.”
They then continued on their way, marching ignorantly towards their own deaths.
The gatekeeper looked back at them for one last time before letting out a sigh and leaving.
“Hell…” Gu Xiqiao peered over in the direction of the tall man. With a gaze as sharp as a blade, she said, “You will soon know what it feels like to experience suffering greater than hell!”
“Puny Houtian martial artist, how dare you make such a preposterous claim!” yelled the man in response. A red sword suddenly appeared in his grip. “I will cut you down in revenge for what you have done towards Xiao Liu and Xiao Qi!”
He swung his sword with all his might, and it was that moment that its blade grew larger and larger, while fiery red flames wrapped around it.
A terrifyingly powerful wave of energy exploded, sending most of his men ducking from the pressure.
Gu Xiqiao however, was unfazed by this show of force!
The sword was milliseconds away from slashing into her body!
And yet, she did not move a single muscle!
Huangfu Xuan cackled, and the people behind her followed suit. They figured that Gu Xiqiao must’ve been so scared that she froze up!
“My Lord, what a powerful man…”
“Yes! That’s My Lord!”
Huangfu Xuan and the others were mumbling to each other about that blade of his and how it was powerful enough to destroy the world!
“Gu Xiqiao, and I thought you were so powerful…” Huangfu Xuan smirked when she saw Gu Xiqiao frozen in place. In the next moment, however, that smirk of hers stiffened up.
Just when the flames were about to scorch Gu Xiqiao’s skin off, the shriek of a beast echoed through the sky!
Suddenly, a massive flaming bird appeared right in front of her.
Its body was covered in black flames, and the red flames on the man’s sword flickered inconsistently following its unexpected appearance. And then, the unthinkable happened—the flames on his sword went out.
The bird, in a seemingly human manner, looked at the men in disgust.
The ordeal was far from over!
It was time for Gu Xiqiao to make her move. She did not say a word as she reached up to grab the red sword that was floating in mid-air.
Snap!
Without hesitation, she broke the sword in half and threw it on the ground.
Clang!
It was the metallic sound of the sword hitting the ground.
What in tarnation?! Huangfu Xuan and her men were stunned. The invincible sword was snapped in half, by her?!
“Little Ba,” the man did not stop to look at his destroyed weapon. He was staring straight at Xixi and his brows were furrowed as if he was holding in an incomprehensible amount of rage and frustration. “Aren’t you supposed to still be sealed underground? Why are you here? Why are you together with this woman? She’s the one who murdered your seventh sister and your sixth brother!”
“Are you talking to me?” asked Xixi as it flapped its wings.
“I am your fifth brother!” said the man whose body was shrouded in darkness. In the surrounding air, traces of space tearing started to appear.
Xixi responded with a skeptical look. “Fifth brother?”
“That’s right!”
“Well, forgive me if this sounds a bit blunt but, I’m a bird but you, a dog, are claiming that you’re my brother?” Xixi returned to its original size and perched on Gu Xiqiao’s shoulder. “Come on girl, teach that dog a lesson!”
The man’s rage surged. Looking at Gu Xiqiao, he said, “Very well, no wonder you were able to kill my brethren!”
Roar!
A lion’s roar shook the earth and the man transformed into a humongous lion. Its body was emitting an endless supply of dark mist and its eyes were like two individual dark holes, where not even light could escape from!
The men behind him fell into formation following his transformation.
“God-binding formation! Unleash it!” Human words came forth from the lion’s maw. “Launch cyberspace!”
“Understood!” replied the men behind him. They swiftly returned to their seats and began to release the binds on him.
“Prepare to die, Gu Xiqiao!” The lion hopped into the air as a wave of pure, unfiltered energy flowed into its body. It charged aggressively towards Gu Xiqiao. No mercy this time, it thought.
With the power from the cyberspace, the god-binding formation and his unrivaled prowess in formation construction, he was planning to wipe Gu Xiqiao off the face of the planet with one single blow!
In his cyberspace, the chances of one escaping the attack were virtually zero. The man knew perfectly well the cards he was playing, and so, he funneled all his energy into this single hit. After all, the person he was facing against was a mere Houtian martial artist. There was no way she could repel his attack, even with all sorts of tricks she might have up her sleeve. In the face of an almighty force, she was nothing but a helpless fool!
A number of spatial cracks appeared in the air around him.
Gu Xiqiao stuffed Xixi into her pocket and slowly turned towards the beast. “Do you know how your seventh sister died? She failed to kill me, even in her cyberspace. Do you think you can achieve what she failed to do?”
The virtual training ground was projected around herself in the blink of an eye.
Almost simultaneously, a large pillar of lightning struck down next to her.
Huangfu Xuan’s jaw almost dropped to the ground upon seeing this. The confidence she had was shaken out of her immediately after witnessing this scene. She had thought Gu Xiqiao was just a nobody, someone who she could eliminate with just the snap of her finger. Never in a million years would she expect the enemy to be on par with the lord on the battlefield. In fact, the longer the battle went on, the more it seemed like she had the upper hand. S-She, she’s too strong!
As the two forces clashed, a strong gust of wind, almost hurricane-like, swept through the area.
His body, like a super-condensed battery, contained an immense amount of energy. And yet, he was being forced back again and again by this supposedly ‘Houtian’ young girl!
Spatial compaction!
Force of Thunder!
Anti-God-binding Formation!
He was dumbfounded! How could it be? Isn’t she a filthy Houtian?! How could she possibly use such powerful attacks? Why did her energy seem limitless?
As hard as it was for him to believe his eyes, she really did possess such great strength!
Several different types of auras were combined into a singular blow, creating an ear-splitting explosion in the air. The man suddenly found himself entangled by lightning bolts and in the next second, he smashed into the ground violently.
She was practically abusing him at this point!
Her show of force was way too terrifying as it was demoralizing! His men were stupefied.
Gu Xiqiao’s attacks, however, were still far from over. She pulled back the lightning bolts as she turned towards Huangfu Xuan and her men. She sneered at them. “Be patient, you’ll get your fair share of punishment!”
“All of you, come forth!” she ordered.
“Understood Miss Gu!”
The booming voice of seventy men shook the earth. Right after that, a formation of troops materialized out of thin air.
One could see that there were seven groups of men, with ten in each group. The Besieging Formation they constructed was multitudes more powerful than the God-binding Formation Gu Xiqiao’s opponent was relying on.
Rumble!
The noise went on non-stop, paralyzing the men around Huangfu Xuan through fear alone. She watched as the strongest men she had on her side got struck down one-by-one by Gu Xiqiao’s underlings. Her people offered little to no resistance against the attackers!
What baffled Huangfu Xuan the most was that despite all the bloodshed going on, the mythical great boss did not come to her rescue!
Gu Xiqiao just stood there calmly, with her hands behind her back as she watched her men butcher the enemy.
Huangfu Xuan’s body was now shaking uncontrollably. Scary. This is way too scary!