Zi Xiao and Cheng Mo also looked towards where the sound was coming from. They saw Shu Changhua holding a short piccolo and he was playing it softly. The giant snake circled its huge body on the ground a few times which kicked up a cloud of dust before it headed towards the entrance of the cave. When the snake reached the entrance, it stopped and assumed an attacking posture, firmly guarding the entrance to the Gu King’s nest. Cheng Mo’s chest heaved in anger and he said through gritted teeth: “You lied to me?”
Shu Changhua looked at Cheng Mo: “What did I lie to you about?”
Cheng Mo said in annoyance: “You said that the five Poison Gods are guarding the Gu King’s nest’s entrance and we can’t get close to the Gu King. But you clearly have a way to control them!”
Shu Changhua shook his head and walked slowly towards the entrance of the cave until he reached the giant snake. He turned back and said: “I’ve said many times, I can only bring you to have a look, I won’t help you kill the Gu King. I have never lied to you.”
Cheng Mo knew that Shu Changhua was telling the truth, but he still couldn’t stop feeling deceived in his heart. Zi Xiao held the saber in his hand and pointed at Shu Changhua. “I’ll kill you and then I’ll kill everything that gets in the way and then we can see the Gu King.”
Shu Changhua looked at Zi Xiao and lightly tossed the small piccolo in his hand. “You can give it a try.”
Cheng Mo was frightened by their expressions and exclaimed: “Zi Xiao, don’t do it!”
There was a flash of white light and the next moment, Zi Xiao was in front of Shu Changhua. Zi Xiao’s sword movements were extremely fast, only its silhouette could be seen, and he stabbed towards Shu Changhua’s vital points. As Shu Changhua backed away, a few small snakes flew out of his sleeves and they attacked Zi Xiao. Zi Xiao withdrew his sword and sliced the snakes in half, at the same time he struck his palm towards Shu Changhua’s chest. Shu Changhua did not dare to be careless and he blocked the strike. When their palms touched, Shu Changhua took two steps back and felt a surge of energy in his body. This exchange was over in an instant, when they separated, Cheng Mo came to Zi Xiao’s side and held onto his arm. “Don’t do anything yet.”
Under the silver-white moonlight, Shu Changhua showed a smile: “Taoist Zi Xiao really deserves your reputation. Looking at the martial arts in the Central Plains, I’m afraid that it would be difficult to find your opponent.” Shu Changhua sighed to himself. “You two are guests that came from afar, originally my Shuiyue Sect would have offered you whatever you wanted, but this Gu King is not just a sacred creature of the Yu Xi tribe, but it is also a sacred creature of my Shuiyue Sect. No matter what, I will not let you even take half a step into the nest.”
Cheng Mo looked at Shu Changhua: “Do you want to fight with us till death?”
Shu Changhua chuckled: “Leader, what are you talking about? We are husband and wife, how could I bear to hurt you?”
Cheng Mo heard what Shu Changhua said and his heart stopped. He restrained himself from taking a look at Zi Xiao’s expression, but he was a little flustered. Shu Changhua suddenly stretched out a hand towards him: “Come here, your husband said that he would take you out of here safely.”
Cheng Mo looked at Shu Changhua’s outstretched hand, but his own hand tightened its grip on Zi Xiao’s arm. He took a deep breath and said: “What exactly do you want?”
Shu Changhua’s smile faded and he lowered his gaze. “Since you are unwilling, then don’t blame your husband for breaking his promise.”
After speaking, Shu Changhua raised one hand and used the other to bring the piccolo to his lips: “Today, don’t even think about leaving!”
Once he played the piccolo, their environment changed. The bright moonlight turned dark and the forest became pitch black. Cheng Mo was startled, but he felt Zi Xiao hold his hand which gave him a peace of mind. The sound of the piccolo gradually faded away and in the darkness, the sound of the snakes and insects crawling and chirping could be heard everywhere. Cheng Mo could feel that Zi Xiao wanted to chase Shu Changhua so he grabbed him tightly and said: “Don’t go!”
All the snakes and insects were poisonous, in such a dark environment, every step was a death trap. The piccolo’s tune moved with the wind and when it stopped completely, the moonlight appeared again. The two of them were no longer in front of the entrance to the Gu King’s nest. Instead, they were surrounded by tall trees which extended into the darkness. Zi Xiao said coldly: “Qimen Dunjia. There are formations in this Gu King’s forest.”
Cheng Mo thought of Shu Changhua’s gloomy expression and then thought of the traps hidden in the woods. In the end, Shu Changhua did have ulterior motives and he felt extremely uncomfortable. He stood there in a daze, unsure of where they should go next. Zi Xiao took two steps, as if he was observing the formation in the forest. Cheng Mo shook his head, trying to let go of his uneasiness and heard Zi Xiao say: “This is the nine gate formation, eight deaths and one life.”
Cheng Mo looked at the darkness around them: “Eight deaths and one life?”
There were nine directions they could head towards, eight of them led to death while the last one was the only path they could take to escape alive. Cheng Mo asked: “How do we find the way out?”
Zi Xiao shook his head: “Choose one randomly, I will follow you.”
“Randomly?” Cheng Mo was taken aback. Zi Xiao looked at him: “It is up to us whether we live or die, even if it is the path that leads to death, there might still be a way to come back to life. Cheng Mo, when did you become so timid?”
Cheng Mo was embarrassed by his chiding and thought about how Zi Xiao suddenly appeared in the Gu King’s forest and asked: “Zi Xiao, did you come here to help me find a way to detoxify the Lustful Heart Gu?”
Zi Xiao deflected the question: “We’ll talk about it when we get out.”
Zi Xiao and Cheng Mo also looked towards where the sound was coming from. They saw Shu Changhua holding a short piccolo and he was playing it softly. The giant snake circled its huge body on the ground a few times which kicked up a cloud of dust before it headed towards the entrance of the cave. When the snake reached the entrance, it stopped and assumed an attacking posture, firmly guarding the entrance to the Gu King’s nest. Cheng Mo’s chest heaved in anger and he said through gritted teeth: “You lied to me?”
Shu Changhua looked at Cheng Mo: “What did I lie to you about?”
Cheng Mo said in annoyance: “You said that the five Poison Gods are guarding the Gu King’s nest’s entrance and we can’t get close to the Gu King. But you clearly have a way to control them!”
Shu Changhua shook his head and walked slowly towards the entrance of the cave until he reached the giant snake. He turned back and said: “I’ve said many times, I can only bring you to have a look, I won’t help you kill the Gu King. I have never lied to you.”
Cheng Mo knew that Shu Changhua was telling the truth, but he still couldn’t stop feeling deceived in his heart. Zi Xiao held the saber in his hand and pointed at Shu Changhua. “I’ll kill you and then I’ll kill everything that gets in the way and then we can see the Gu King.”
Shu Changhua looked at Zi Xiao and lightly tossed the small piccolo in his hand. “You can give it a try.”
Cheng Mo was frightened by their expressions and exclaimed: “Zi Xiao, don’t do it!”
There was a flash of white light and the next moment, Zi Xiao was in front of Shu Changhua. Zi Xiao’s sword movements were extremely fast, only its silhouette could be seen, and he stabbed towards Shu Changhua’s vital points. As Shu Changhua backed away, a few small snakes flew out of his sleeves and they attacked Zi Xiao. Zi Xiao withdrew his sword and sliced the snakes in half, at the same time he struck his palm towards Shu Changhua’s chest. Shu Changhua did not dare to be careless and he blocked the strike. When their palms touched, Shu Changhua took two steps back and felt a surge of energy in his body. This exchange was over in an instant, when they separated, Cheng Mo came to Zi Xiao’s side and held onto his arm. “Don’t do anything yet.”
Under the silver-white moonlight, Shu Changhua showed a smile: “Taoist Zi Xiao really deserves your reputation. Looking at the martial arts in the Central Plains, I’m afraid that it would be difficult to find your opponent.” Shu Changhua sighed to himself. “You two are guests that came from afar, originally my Shuiyue Sect would have offered you whatever you wanted, but this Gu King is not just a sacred creature of the Yu Xi tribe, but it is also a sacred creature of my Shuiyue Sect. No matter what, I will not let you even take half a step into the nest.”
Cheng Mo looked at Shu Changhua: “Do you want to fight with us till death?”
Shu Changhua chuckled: “Leader, what are you talking about? We are husband and wife, how could I bear to hurt you?”
Cheng Mo heard what Shu Changhua said and his heart stopped. He restrained himself from taking a look at Zi Xiao’s expression, but he was a little flustered. Shu Changhua suddenly stretched out a hand towards him: “Come here, your husband said that he would take you out of here safely.”
Cheng Mo looked at Shu Changhua’s outstretched hand, but his own hand tightened its grip on Zi Xiao’s arm. He took a deep breath and said: “What exactly do you want?”
Shu Changhua’s smile faded and he lowered his gaze. “Since you are unwilling, then don’t blame your husband for breaking his promise.”
After speaking, Shu Changhua raised one hand and used the other to bring the piccolo to his lips: “Today, don’t even think about leaving!”
Once he played the piccolo, their environment changed. The bright moonlight turned dark and the forest became pitch black. Cheng Mo was startled, but he felt Zi Xiao hold his hand which gave him a peace of mind. The sound of the piccolo gradually faded away and in the darkness, the sound of the snakes and insects crawling and chirping could be heard everywhere. Cheng Mo could feel that Zi Xiao wanted to chase Shu Changhua so he grabbed him tightly and said: “Don’t go!”
All the snakes and insects were poisonous, in such a dark environment, every step was a death trap. The piccolo’s tune moved with the wind and when it stopped completely, the moonlight appeared again. The two of them were no longer in front of the entrance to the Gu King’s nest. Instead, they were surrounded by tall trees which extended into the darkness. Zi Xiao said coldly: “Qimen Dunjia. There are formations in this Gu King’s forest.”
Cheng Mo thought of Shu Changhua’s gloomy expression and then thought of the traps hidden in the woods. In the end, Shu Changhua did have ulterior motives and he felt extremely uncomfortable. He stood there in a daze, unsure of where they should go next. Zi Xiao took two steps, as if he was observing the formation in the forest. Cheng Mo shook his head, trying to let go of his uneasiness and heard Zi Xiao say: “This is the nine gate formation, eight deaths and one life.”
Cheng Mo looked at the darkness around them: “Eight deaths and one life?”
There were nine directions they could head towards, eight of them led to death while the last one was the only path they could take to escape alive. Cheng Mo asked: “How do we find the way out?”
Zi Xiao shook his head: “Choose one randomly, I will follow you.”
“Randomly?” Cheng Mo was taken aback. Zi Xiao looked at him: “It is up to us whether we live or die, even if it is the path that leads to death, there might still be a way to come back to life. Cheng Mo, when did you become so timid?”
Cheng Mo was embarrassed by his chiding and thought about how Zi Xiao suddenly appeared in the Gu King’s forest and asked: “Zi Xiao, did you come here to help me find a way to detoxify the Lustful Heart Gu?”
Zi Xiao deflected the question: “We’ll talk about it when we get out.”
