Chapter 242: Shocked—Held Close
By the third month Nan Xun had stayed in Mo Ran Hall, those gu men who had been carefully raised with good food and drink finally came in handy.
That day was the grand assessment of the National Preceptor’s eighteen disciples.
The National Preceptor had given them a full three years to refine three types of gu poison and learn the art of summoning wind and rain. Today was the day to test their results.
Each disciple led their own gu man into the arena, lining up in order. In front of each stood a small table, with three bronze gu containers placed side by side on top.
Nan Xun stood about three steps behind Gong Mo Ran. She had wanted to sneak a little closer, but the moment she took half a step forward, the white-robed beauty ahead turned back and swept her with a glance.
Nan Xun froze on the spot, instantly turning herself into a wooden post.
Gong Mo Ran looked over the disciples in the arena, raised his hand slightly in a gesture, and said calmly, “Begin the gu trial.”
Gong Da nodded and stepped forward, announcing loudly, “The gu trial begins. First type—Devouring Gu.”
At his words, the disciples simultaneously picked up the first gu container and took out a flesh-colored gu insect about the size of a little finger.
Gong Mo Ran swept his gaze over them and said lightly, “Good quality. Gong Da’s and Gong Liu’s are the best.”
A trace of pride flashed through Gong Da’s and Gong Liu’s eyes. Gong Da continued loudly, “Plant the gu.”
The disciples immediately planted the flesh-colored insects into the arms of the gu men.
Nan Xun saw with her own eyes that within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the strong gu men who had been implanted with the Devouring Gu had their entire arms visibly shrivel, turning into nothing but skin and bone.
At the same time, a large bulge rose on each arm, rapidly moving along it. If not for the restrictions placed by the one who planted the gu, the insect would probably have devoured the entire host clean.
Little Eight burst into sobs. “So brutal! Why does something like gu poison even exist in this world? It’s vicious and disgusting. Nan Xun, you’re right—snake babies are way cuter than this.”
Nan Xun chuckled inwardly. “I’ve noticed something, Little Eight. You’re afraid of insects.”
Little Eight: …
Every gu man screamed in agony. Some even smashed their arms hard against the ground, as if trying to pulverize the entire limb.
Just the first type of gu poison had already caused a gu man to die from pain.
Nan Xun glanced over—it was Gong Seventeen’s.
“Useless trash! Can’t even endure this little bit of pain!” Gong Seventeen cursed angrily, kicking the corpse several times before immediately selecting another gu man from the reserves.
Next came the Brain-Eating Gu and the Heart-Devouring Gu—far more terrifying.
The Brain-Eating Gu fed on a person’s brain marrow. During the feeding, the host didn’t feel much pain, but when the insect crawled around inside the skull, the pain was enough to make one roll all over the ground.
As for the Heart-Devouring Gu, it went straight for the heart. Though each bite was small, even a needle prick could be unbearable—let alone a living insect gnawing off pieces of the heart.
Nan Xun couldn’t help but touch her own chest. She felt she needed to eat more pig hearts or chicken hearts to nourish herself. Even after taking Little Eight’s great tonic pills, her heart still ached faintly.
The scene was too horrific. Once the Brain-Eating Gu and Heart-Devouring Gu appeared, every gu man writhed on the ground, smashing their heads against the floor, crying for their parents—miserable beyond words.
By the end of the entire gu trial, ten gu men had died, their deaths extremely gruesome.
The ground was covered in bloodstains from their struggles. Some gu insects died inside their hosts, causing the fresh corpses to emit a thick, foul stench.
Nan Xun felt that after seeing so much, she probably wouldn’t sleep well tonight. This was straight out of a horror movie.
Gong Mo Ran nodded slightly, seemingly very satisfied.
After the gu trial ended, the disciples removed the three gu containers from the tables and replaced them with another setup.
A furnace, a long sword, and several blank sheets of yellow talisman paper.
Nan Xun paused. This was… sorcery?
The white-robed beauty ahead suddenly spoke. “The art of summoning wind and rain is the supreme witchcraft of Mo Ran Hall. I will demonstrate it one last time. How much you learn afterward will depend entirely on your own aptitude.”
With that, Gong Mo Ran walked over to Gong Da’s table.
Nan Xun thought it had nothing to do with her, but the fake immortal suddenly turned his head, glanced at her, and beckoned like he was calling a puppy. “Girl, come here.”
Nan Xun let out an “ah” and jogged over, blinking up at him. “My lord, are you thirsty? Shall I make you some tea?”
Seeing her dog-legged manner, Gong Mo Ran’s lifeless eyes stirred slightly. “Girl, come a bit closer.”
Feeling uneasy, Nan Xun shuffled forward a few steps, stopping at a distance close enough for him to snap her neck with one hand.
“What do we do, Little Eight? My instincts say this isn’t good.”
“Eh, probably not. Relax—your grandpa’s got your back.”
Once Nan Xun stepped closer, Gong Mo Ran suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the table. He stood directly behind her, less than half an inch away, his left hand resting on the table edge as he leaned forward slightly, completely enclosing her in his arms.
Then he raised his right arm, reaching over to grasp Nan Xun’s right hand.
The disciples’ eyes bulged so hard they were about to pop out. Nan Xun was no exception.
Holy crap!
So close!
She knew he carried a faint sandalwood scent, but being this close, the fragrance flooded her senses, making her a little dizzy.
“Hiss—”
The sudden sharp pain snapped Nan Xun back to reality. All the pink bubbles in her head burst at once.
This bastard had actually cut her finger with the sword tip and was using her finger to draw talismans on the blank yellow paper.
Nan Xun: …
Little Eight cursed internally. “Damn it, I overthought it for a second. I knew it—how could he do anything indecent to you in public?”
Nan Xun didn’t have the heart to say that she had overthought it too.
Gong Mo Ran used her hand to draw three talismans. One finger’s worth of blood wasn’t enough, so he mercilessly cut another finger.
Nan Xun: You big bastard!
After finishing, Gong Mo Ran patted Nan Xun’s head and said expressionlessly, “Go. Stand aside.”
Nan Xun: …
She hugged a nearby tree, scratching at the bark with her uninjured hand, resentment filling her heart.
What Nan Xun didn’t know was that even that brief contact had nearly blinded all the disciples of Mo Ran Hall.
The National Preceptor disliked being touched by outsiders—this was common knowledge throughout Mo Ran Hall and even the imperial palace. Yet just now, he had actually held this woman and even grasped her hand!
Even if it was only to use her blood to draw talismans—he still touched her!
With so many men standing right there, Gong Da even closer—why didn’t the lord use Gong Da’s blood instead?!
