Never to be reborn? What kind of hatred, what kind of animosity is this!
Seeing the ferocious expression on Wu Yun's face, the question I had intended to ask her about her deep resentment towards Sui Wan'er was swallowed back. Some things are better left unknown; the less one knows, the less trouble one invites.
After venting her anger, Wu Yun seemed to realize she had lost composure. She asked me and Zhang Dabiao what we had just seen.
"Brother Zhang, why did you hit me just now?"
"When did I hit you? You're just..." Zhang Dabiao stopped mid-sentence, suddenly understanding my meaning. "You kid, you're always thinking about what you don't have, looking at what's in your bowl while coveting what's in someone else's pot. If I don't hit you, who will? Don't forget, you have a family."
"You're talking nonsense. I'm only eighteen, when did I get a family..."
"You..."
Unable to bear our banter any longer, Wu Yun finally spoke in annoyance, "All of you, shut up."
Instantly, Zhang Dabiao and I fell silent, looking at Wu Yun pitifully, like well-behaved children. Who could blame us when she had the bigger mouth and we had the smaller ones?
Our reaction amused Wu Yun. A smile touched her lips as she said, "You don't need to be like this. The Wu Gu women are not as terrifying as the rumors suggest. As young Master Song said, we are reasonable people. Help me find her remains, and consider it a favor I owe you, how about that?"
Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. To have the clan leader of the Wu Gu tribe owe me a favor! This was undoubtedly a windfall from heaven. With this favor, it was as good as gaining an extra life.
My heart raced with excitement, and I was eager to agree to help her find Sui Wan'er's remains immediately. However, after a moment's thought, I still asked, "Senior, is this favor for both of us, or just for me?"
Wu Yun's face darkened. "What do you think my favor is? A common cabbage by the roadside? Do you get as much as you want?"
Seeing her anger, I quickly explained, "Senior, when you were looking for Sui Wan'er before, it was both of us searching together. If my Brother Zhang hadn't been there, I would have been killed by Sui Wan'er. If I had died, where would you have found her remains? Everything has its due course."
Despite my fear of Wu Yun's Gu King, I still braced myself to demand benefits. This trip into the mountains was fraught with danger. Without her protection, who knew if we would see tomorrow's sun?
She could find Sui Wan'er's remains by taking her time, but she didn't realize that Sui Wan'er's vengeful spirit was no longer within her remains. No one knew where she was hiding now. Currently, only I could find her remains and true form; no one else could. This was the confidence I had in asking Wu Yun for a favor.
"Fine... Fine, it seems I, Wu Yun, am too accommodating, that you dare to demand favors from me? I don't believe I can't control you with Gu. You dare not find the person for me?" Saying this, she prepared to make a move.
Seeing this, Zhang Dabiao quickly drew his mountain-splitting saber, ready to act at any moment. He had no intention of waiting passively to be attacked. As he was about to draw his saber, I quickly spoke, "Senior Wu, I have something here. I wonder if Senior recognizes it?" As I spoke, I took something out of my bag and handed it to Wu Yun.
"What is this?" Wu Yun asked, but she still took it. She didn't believe I would play any tricks with it, as our lives were still in her hands. If I wanted to play tricks, I'd have to consider if I still had a life.
Wu Yun opened the outer wrapping and looked at the contents. Her voice trembled, "This is... How do you have this?" Looking at the dark, horse-dung-like object in her hand, she was incredibly surprised.
"A senior gave this to me, saying it could save my life at a crucial moment. I wonder if Senior needs it?" I said with a smile, but inwardly I thought, "That was close!" This Wu Gu woman, just as Prince Wu had said, was unpredictable, her moods changing in an instant.
What I gave Wu Yun was not a good thing. To outsiders, it was just a pile of garbage, something no one would even pick up if it fell. But to Wu Yun, that lump of stuff was incredibly precious, even more valuable than a mountain of gold.
It was the essence of a Gu King after refinement. If she fed this lump to her Gu King, it was highly likely to advance to the next stage.
Wu Yun's expression shifted constantly. The Gu King in her hand let out a roar like a tiger's, seemingly eager to devour the Gu King essence in her hand.
"Who gave you this?" Wu Yun asked sternly.
I was a little confused as to why she asked, but I honestly replied, "A senior I deeply respect gave it to me, saying that if I encountered someone from the Wu Gu tribe in the future, I could use it to save my life."
"Senior? A dead man, perhaps? Like Sui Wan'er, neither of you are good people." Wu Yun cursed with a hostile tone.
I gave an awkward smile and didn't reply. Who knew what their relationship was? When Prince Wu gave me this item, he only said to hand it over to the Wu Gu tribe if I met them, because he owed them a favor.
"Alright. I agree to owe him another favor, but you must immediately find Sui Wan'er's remains for me."
"That's no problem. Just give me her birth date and time, and finding her remains will be a matter of minutes."
Wu Yun was not one to waste time. She immediately took out paper and a pen and quickly wrote down Sui Wan'er's birth date and time.
Looking at the birth date and time on the paper, and then performing a quick calculation, I couldn't help but gasp. Sui Wan'er's birth date and time were incredibly strange. She was born in the Yin year, Yin month, Yin hour, and Yin刻 – a Yin-born woman.
A woman born like this was cursed by heaven from birth, facing hardship every year and calamity every three years. If she could survive past eighteen, her luck would turn. As a Yin-born woman, she was naturally peerlessly beautiful, gentle as water, and no man would not be captivated by her.
However, because of this, Yin-born women rarely lived past eighteen. Moreover, if a Yin-born woman appeared in a family, she was almost always disposed of by her own parents on the spot, let alone live to eighteen.
Seeing me staring blankly at Sui Wan'er's birth date and time, Wu Yun couldn't help but say, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the birth date and time, or are you just a fake Yin Gua Master?"
My face darkened. Before I could retort, Zhang Dabiao spoke up, "Old witch, my younger brother is a genuine Yin Gua Master. Don't mistake your ignorance for wit." Su Dan Novel Network
As soon as Zhang Dabiao spoke, I knew something was wrong. His words were like a disaster waiting to happen. His remark could very well enrage Wu Yun.
As expected, as soon as Zhang Dabiao finished speaking, Wu Yun's face turned ugly. With a casual wave of her hand, Zhang Dabiao fell straight down, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
"Senior, you..." He was fine one moment, and the next, Wu Yun had turned on him. Her change of heart was faster than a child's.
"What about me? He spoke rudely, and I merely taught him a small lesson. Don't think that just because you produced the Gu King essence, we are friends. If you can't find Sui Wan'er's remains, I will still turn my back on you."
Hearing this, my heart churned like a stampede. If it weren't for her formidable strength, I would have cursed her loudly. What kind of person is this! She took the benefits and then knocked the person unconscious. This is simply outrageous.
"Senior, he was wrong to speak out of turn, but there was no need to knock him unconscious. After all, you just promised to owe us both a favor. Is Senior planning to go back on your word? If so, then Senior can deal with me. I will not help you find the remains."
"You..." Wu Yun's face contorted with anger. She raised her hand, then put it down, repeating this several times before finally calming down and saying, "Fine. This favor will be considered repaid after we leave Qingfeng Mountain. I can guarantee your safety."
"Deal."
Watching Zhang Dabiao regain consciousness, I comforted him a few words and then began the ritual to find Sui Wan'er's remains.
I took out the iron bowl, cast the Yin-seeking coins... After a series of rituals, the divination revealed the location of the remains. However, when I determined the exact spot, my face immediately turned grim.
Why was she still there?