Chapter 1080: Chapter 263: What? The Commandery Princess Fed the Gu God?
The person chuckled and said, “If you’re carrying steamed buns, you must have other dry rations too. I won’t ask how you brought them in, nor will I demand them from you. Just give me the corn buns you guys aren’t eating.”
Chen Jie looked at the person and laughed, “You’re quite clever, aren’t you?”
As he spoke, Chen Jie handed him a flatbread and said, “Here, have one.”
The person said, “Thanks a lot, great hero!”
Chen Jie said, “But this flatbread isn’t free; how much do you know about the Gu God in this abyss?”
Hearing this, the person looked at Chen Jie and said, “The Gu God, haha, you’ve really asked the right person. For this sort of information, I, Bao Datong, surely know it.”
Chen Jie asked, “Bao Datong?”
The person laughed and said, “I am none other than Bai Xiaosheng, but friends call me Bao Datong. There are few things in the Jianghu that I don’t know!”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Hu said, “You’re boasting, right?”
Bao Datong said, “A name might be mistaken, but a nickname never is. I never boast.”
Xiao Hu said, “Then let me ask you, do you know about Hubei Huangzhou Prefecture?”
Bao Datong looked at Xiao Hu and said, “What do you want to know about Huangzhou Prefecture? If it’s Jianghu matters, there’s nothing I don’t know.”
Xiao Hu said, “Then tell me about Chen Jiusi.”
Bao Datong said, “You see, with someone as famous as Chen Jiusi, who doesn’t know about him?”
Xiao Hu, hearing this, watched him to see what he would say.
He then spoke up, “Chen Jiusi, born in the Tonghe Second Year, is twenty this year. He hails from Xiantao Village in Mianshui County, Huangzhou Prefecture. His grandfather was a doctor… Later, he defeated Nan Batian and became the leader of the Mianshui Fishermen Guild, then in Huangzhou Prefecture… He should now be a Martial Artist in the Wolf Smoke Realm, and serves as the Garrison Commander in the Huangzhou Prefecture, at the garrison commander’s office!”
Bao Datong rattled off the basic public information about Chen Jie’s life.
Xiao Hu was somewhat surprised by what he heard; this guy had some substance to him.
Even though some secrets he did not know, he was very clear on the surface information.
At this point, Chen Jie said, “Now, tell us about the Gu God.”
Upon hearing this, Bao Datong said, “The Gu God, according to legend, is developed from a Gu Worm left from Ancient Times, supposedly traceable back to the time of Chiyou.”
“Chiyou?”
Xiao Hu looked confused, and Hu Weiyong beside him said, “Books record that after Chiyou’s defeat, some of the Jiuli Clan integrated into the Huaxia Nationality, while others hid in the mountains, possibly becoming today’s Miao people.”
Chen Jie said nothing.
And Bao Datong said, “This brother is correct, so there are several versions of the Gu God legend.”
“One version says the Gu God was once the Chiyou Demon Venerable.”
Upon hearing this, everyone frowned, and Bao Datong continued, “Of course, this isn’t very credible. After all, the Gu God still eats, so it couldn’t possibly be the Chiyou Demon God. Moreover, the Chiyou Demon God was so terrifying back then; if it were still alive, it would have long led the Miao people to invade the Central Plains, so it shouldn’t be the Chiyou Demon God.”
Hearing this, Chen Jie said, “What about the other versions?”
Bao Datong said, “There are also claims that it was Chiyou’s mount in the past.”
Hu Weiyong said, “An Iron-eating Beast?”
At this point, Bao Datong looked at Hu Weiyong and said, “This scholar is knowledgeable, even knowing about the Iron-eating Beast.”
“Indeed, there is a beast, as recorded in the ‘Erya’: it resembles a bear, with a small head, short limbs, black and white mottled, able to consume copper and iron, fond of bamboo bones.”
Giant Panda!
Upon hearing the description, Chen Jie couldn’t help but think of a giant panda, which people in later generations regard as a pet, clearly such a fierce creature, and yet people say it’s adorably silly, making the panda not happy!
Bao Datong said, “Of course, I think these are baseless, but there’s one rumor I find somewhat plausible. Some say the Gu God is a giant serpent.”
“A giant serpent that lived for at least a thousand years, the Golden Snake Gu, the life guardian gu of a Miao genius from a thousand years ago, the Gu God.”
“Later, the Gu God died, and the Golden Snake Gu fell into a deep sleep, living for a thousand years, always regarded by the Miao people as a substitute for the Gu God.”
“Someone once picked up a huge golden scale, as large as a banana leaf.”
“Later, the Five Poison Sect people stole the scale back, and the matter caused a huge commotion. So, based on my observation, that deep abyss below is very likely where the Golden Snake is located.”
After hearing this, Chen Jie remarked, “From what you’ve said, it seems the Golden Snake is more plausible.”
He then looked at Bao Datong and said, “By the way, you mentioned that jumping from the mountaintop would definitely result in death?”
Bao Datong heard this and said, “That, I don’t know. So far, none have survived, but there’s a question.”
Chen Jie looked at Bao Datong and said, “Go on.”
“If no one could survive coming out of the abyss, where did that golden scale come from? You know, this Gu God was never rumored to have left the abyss!”
Hearing this, Chen Jie thought for a moment and said, “So there are two possibilities.”
“First, that scale isn’t from the Gu God, and the Gu God isn’t the Golden Snake.”
“Second, that the Gu God is indeed the Golden Snake, and someone managed to survive crawling out from the valley depths and brought it out for sale.”
Bao Datong said, “You’re quite clever. May I have your name please?”
Chen Jie smiled and said, “Mianshui Chen Jiusi.”
“Ah, so you’re Chen Jiusi!”
Upon hearing this, Bao Datong’s eyes brightened and he said, “You’re quite a prominent figure now. Some say you might be the youngest to enter the Heroic List.”
Chen Jie was taken aback and said, “The Heroic List?”
Bao Datong replied, “Yes, the Heroic List, one of the three major lists of the Jianghu.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Hu said, “What are the three major lists?”
Bao Datong said, “Heavenly List, Earthly List, Heroic List!”
Xiao Hu asked, “Is there a difference among them?”
Bao Datong said, “The Heavenly List has eleven people, all top-tier, at the peak of the Molten Furnace.”
Hu Weiyong said, “Why set the number at eleven, shouldn’t it be ten?”