Chapter 153
Bai Zihe's gaze sharpened. "What are the conditions?"
A gentle light flickered in the Gu King's fierce eyes.
He sighed and began to speak.
"I have a daughter."
"By calculation, she is almost eighteen this year."
"Back then, I sensed the Evil King's intentions and worried she would be caught in this struggle and suffer his poisoned hand."
"So I sent her to the mortal world outside."
"Although the Evil King had made arrangements in Miao Jiang for a long time, he could not interfere with matters outside."
As he spoke, the Gu King produced a jade bead.
The bead was transparent.
Within it, a wriggling worm could be clearly seen, constantly moving.
"This is called the 'Mother-Child Spirit Gu'."
"This one is the child gu; the mother gu is with my daughter."
"As long as this child gu is still alive, it means my daughter is safe and sound."
"My condition is..."
The Gu King looked at Bai Zihe and said solemnly, "Find and protect my daughter. Six months will suffice!"
Bai Zihe was taken aback. "Six months?"
The Gu King nodded. "Yes, not too long, just six months."
"Because of our Miao Jiang secret arts, in half a year, she will become the next generation's Gu King."
"At that time, she will also become a great aid to you."
Bai Zihe naturally had no reason to refuse.
"No problem."
"As long as Bai Zihe draws breath, your daughter will be in no danger whatsoever."
Upon receiving his assurance, the Gu King visibly relaxed.
For so many years, he had been nailed to this cross by the Evil King, enduring unimaginable torture daily.
What allowed him to persist, to never yield, and his consciousness to remain intact, was his daughter.
And now.
This young man before him, possessing astounding power at such a tender age, and agreeing to escort his daughter, undoubtedly lifted a great burden from the Gu King's heart.
At this moment.
The Gu King's right index and middle fingers formed a sword and he suddenly pressed them against his Tanzhong acupoint.
"Gulp—"
The Gu King spat out a dan bead.
Unlike the bloody aura typical of Miao Jiang treasures,
This item was white and lustrous, emitting a soft, gentle glow that felt like a spring breeze.
"This is called the 'Gu King Spirit Pearl'."
"Within it, is nurtured the King of Gu Worms!"
Bai Zihe gazed intently. A faint phantom could be seen within.
If not observed carefully, it would be completely undetectable.
"The King of Gu Worms possesses great suppression over all Gu worms."
"This is a suppression from bloodline, a suppression from the soul. No matter what kind of Gu worm, it must bow before it."
"As long as you have your sister swallow this, you can easily control the Gu worm in her mind."
With that, the Gu King handed the dan bead to Bai Zihe.
Bai Zihe held it and toyed with it, as he heard the Gu King continue, "Young friend, there is one point you must remember."
"The King of Gu Worms can suppress all Gu worms in the world."
"But if it hatches within your sister's body, there is no way in the world to suppress it, and your sister will surely die!"
"Therefore, it must be removed before the King of Gu Worms hatches."
He spoke with utmost seriousness.
Bai Zihe dared not be careless in the slightest, as it concerned his sister's life and safety.
To be safe, Bai Zihe cautiously asked, "About how long will it take for this King of Gu Worms to hatch?"
The Gu King glanced at the Gu King Spirit Pearl twice and said, "Fastest three months, slowest six months."
Three months!
Bai Zihe felt a sense of urgency.
If the Gu worm in Bai Ruoyi's mind wasn't dealt with within three months, then this Gu King Spirit Pearl would be a ticking time bomb, potentially leading Bai Ruoyi to an irrecoverable abyss at any moment.
Seeing his stern expression, the Gu King knew what he was thinking.
He immediately sighed and said, "In truth, the best method is still to possess sufficient strength."
"Young friend, to possess such strength at your age is truly unprecedented in my life. If you can ascend another level, you will be able to easily expel the Gu worm from her mind."
Bai Zihe knew this method as well.
He gave a bitter smile. "Three months to advance another level in strength... how easy is that to say..."
The Gu King pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of a method.
He said to Bai Zihe, "If one cultivates according to the usual process, it is indeed as difficult as climbing to heaven to advance further within three months."
"However, if you have sufficient fortune, it is not impossible!"
"Fortune?"
Bai Zihe's brows twitched. "Gu King senior, what kind of fortune?"
The Gu King smiled.
His gaze drifted into the distance, a look of reminiscence on his face.
"A hundred years ago, the Gu Emperor led the people of Miao Jiang in a great battle against Da Xia. I presume young friend has heard of it?"
This matter...
Whether in Miao Jiang or the central plains of Da Xia, it was a well-known story.
How could Bai Zihe not know?
But hearing the Gu King mention it now, it seemed to carry another meaning.
Bai Zihe immediately nodded and said, "This matter is practically written in history books; I indeed know of it."
"But I don't know why Gu King senior brings this up..."
The Gu King interrupted Bai Zihe. "Then do you know why the Gu Emperor wanted to advance into the heartland of Da Xia?"
Bai Zihe's eyelids twitched.
This likely involved some important secrets.
The Gu King continued, "The world all believes that the Gu Emperor intended to conquer the central plains and sought the throne."
"In reality, it was for but one treasure."
A treasure that could cause the Gu Emperor and Da Xia to wage war, resulting in millions of casualties and a thousand miles of bloodshed, could it be ordinary!
Bai Zihe hurriedly pressed, "What treasure?"
The Gu King slowly uttered three words: "The Ten-Sided Figure."
The Ten-Sided Figure?
Bai Zihe's heart pounded.
The cause of the great confrontation between two major powers was actually the Ten-Sided Figure?
Bai Zihe directly produced the Ten-Sided Figure and asked, "Gu King senior, are you referring to this?"
Upon seeing the object, the Gu King was utterly stunned.
No less than when Bai Zihe first heard of the Ten-Sided Figure, his bloodshot eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
"You, this..."
"The Ten-Sided Figure is in your hands?"
Saying this, he reached out as if to take the Ten-Sided Figure, to properly examine this legendary treasure.
But halfway through his reach, he noticed his own失态 (loss of composure).
He immediately took a deep breath, relaxed for a moment, and then chuckled, shaking his head. "Young friend, you've seen my lapse."
"This Ten-Sided Figure is of great consequence; do not reveal it easily in the future."
"Even I almost lost control."
Bai Zihe smiled and said nothing.
He could understand the Gu King's feelings.
After a moment, the Gu King continued, "After that battle failed, the Gu Emperor, fearing this object would fall into the hands of the Da Xia people, sent someone to send it away, entrusting it to generations of guardians."
"And this thing is a treasure that can greatly enhance one's strength!"
After listening to the Gu King's words, Bai Zihe's mind raced with thoughts.
At that time, the only ones who knew this secret were the people of the Miao Jiang Gu Emperor's faction and the opponents in Da Xia who fought against him.
Perhaps...
The misfortune of his mother, the targeting of the Bai family by mysterious individuals, were all related to these people.
Buzz!
At this moment.
The Gu King's entire being, his spirit and energy, underwent a seismic shift.
His eyes turned blood red, terrifying and ghastly.
Before Bai Zihe could ask, he raised his hand and threw a punch, directly towards Bai Zihe's temple.
Before the fist even landed, it brought forth gusts of wind, causing waves over ten feet high in the adjacent blood pool and sending a foul stench wafting over.
In a flash.
Bai Zihe fiercely struck out with a palm, intercepting the Gu King's punch.
The Gu King's other hand attacked again.
However, Bai Zihe was faster.
A golden light flashed, piercing the Gu King's body.
The Yin Yang Seventy-Two Needles.
Buzz!
With his movements restrained, the Gu King's accumulated internal energy began to dissipate, the blood-red light in his eyes gradually receded, and his consciousness slowly returned.
"Gu King senior, forgive my trespass."
Bai Zihe said.
The Gu King shook his head with a wry smile. "It is I who should apologize."
He then let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with desolation, reflecting on how he, a generation's Gu King, had fallen to such a state...
Bai Zihe took a deep breath and asked, "Gu King senior, do you know who the participants from the Da Xia side were back then?"
"And how is this Ten-Sided Figure to be unraveled?"