Jianghu Demolition Squad

Between Buddha and Demon (Part Thirteen)

Yu’er voiced her confusion, “Even after all this, I still don’t know what’s wrong with Mo Wen.”

Jun Jimo, who had just walked into the room, speculated, “Could it be because of that woman?”

“What woman?” Yu’er asked.

Hua Lian snapped his fan shut and rested it against his chin, “On our way back, we ran into a woman. According to the people around, she was the former Holy Maiden. She approached Mo Wen and claimed to be her mother.”

Qing Jiu bowed her head, deep in thought. Hua Lian’s expression clearly showed his disbelief as he continued, “I’m afraid the Gu Emperor wasn’t willing to let Mo Wen go so easily. He deliberately arranged this mother-daughter reunion, hoping to use familial ties to keep Mo Wen in Miaojiang.”

“How did Mo Wen react?” Qing Jiu inquired.

Hua Lian chuckled, “She was completely shocked, of course. Imagine someone suddenly appearing after twenty years and claiming to be your mother. Anyone would be shocked. Yu’er, you would understand that feeling, wouldn’t you.”

Jun Sixue glared at Hua Lian, who pretended not to notice. “It was Valley Master Bai who truly lost her temper,” he continued, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Tsk, tsk, such a gentle soul, glaring at that woman as if she wanted to devour her whole.”

“She asked the woman, ‘Are you truly her mother?’ The woman, of course, responded ‘yes’ and added that if she didn’t believe her, Miaojiang had a Gu capable of identifying children, and they could use it to test her and ‘Yao’er.’ She affectionately called Mo Wen ‘Yao’er,’ expressing that now she had found her, she wanted to love and cherish her. Before she could finish her words, Valley Master Bai slapped her, declaring, ‘A person like you isn’t fit to be a mother.'” Hua Lian, recalling the scene, couldn’t help but laugh, “I never imagined Valley Master Bai could ever slap someone. That woman was stunned for a good while.”

Seeing Qing Jiu not reaching for her food, Yu’er began to serve her, meanwhile asking, “Where’s Valley Master Bai now?”

“She seemed quite angry throughout the journey back,” Hua Lian replied. “I didn’t dare ask where she was going. She probably had a lot to deal with after being away from the Xuhuai Valley for months.”

Jun Sixue finished her meal and set down her chopsticks, rinsing her mouth. “Second Sister,” Yu’er said, “could you please check on Valley Master Bai? If she’s available, ask her to come and check on Qing Jiu. Her Gu poison attacks are becoming more frequent.”

Understanding the request, Jun Sixue nodded and rose, “Alright, I’ll go right away.”

She left the room, summoning Jun Jimo and Jun Suyue along, effectively keeping the brothers from lingering or speaking out of turn.

Once the three had departed, Hua Lian’s expression grew serious as he turned to Qing Jiu, “What exactly is the Living Gu?” He was cautious in front of Jun Sixue, not fully trusting her with this sensitive issue involving Mo Wen, so he waited until she was gone to discuss it.

“When Mo Wen was talking privately with the Gu Emperor,” Hua Lian continued, his face pale with anger, “Tiger Lady and I were worried, so we eavesdropped. We overheard the Gu Emperor mentioning the reanimated corpses Wu Chang created, saying they were derived from the Living Gu. How could such monstrous abominations be related to Mo Wen?!”

Yu’er was also shocked, but at Hua Lian’s last statement, she said, “Mo Wen is just Mo Wen. Don’t associate her with those things.”

Hua Lian massaged his forehead, conceding, “You’re right. I was blinded by anger.”

Qing Jiu finally spoke up, her voice somber, “Living Gu is a forbidden technique in Miaojiang. It involves using a living person as the vessel for the Gu. If successfully cultivated, it can control all other Gu.”

Hua Lian interrupted, “I remember you mentioning that before.”

“You said the woman you met was the former Holy Maiden,” Qing Jiu continued. “She might not have been lying. She could actually be Mo Wen’s mother.”

Hua Lian’s eyes widened in disbelief, “How could that be possible!”

Qing Jiu gave him a sharp look, silencing him. “To cultivate the Living Gu,” she continued, “they need to start with the mother. They select a woman with exceptional qualities, someone naturally attuned to Gu insects, who can withstand the dual strain of pregnancy and the Gu’s implantation. After the child is born, it’s thrown into a pit filled with thousands of poisonous Gu insects. It lives among them, feeding on them, enduring their venomous bites. If the child survives, with all the Gu insects dead, it becomes the Living Gu.”

Hua Lian’s face contorted with disgust, and Yu’er’s eyebrows knitted tightly. Qing Jiu added, “The Holy Maidens under the Gu Emperor of Miaojiang have always been the best at controlling Gu. If that woman really was the former Holy Maiden, then she is indeed Mo Wen’s mother. If she had not volunteered, I might pity her for enduring such torture and being separated from her child. But she chose this path. From the moment Mo Wen was conceived, she treated her like a tool, not a human being. Just like Bai Sang said, she’s not fit to be anyone’s mother.”

Hua Lian gasped, shocked by the inhumanity of it all, “How do you know all this so clearly?”

Qing Jiu’s lips turned pale, and she coughed a few times, covering her mouth, “I heard it from Valley Master Xuan Shen when I first came to Xuhuai Valley.”

Yu’er draped a cloak around Qing Jiu’s shoulders. “Mo Wen must understand what happened,” she said, her voice filled with sympathy. “That’s why she’s so upset.”

Qing Jiu stood up, deciding, “I’ll go and talk to her.”

Hua Lian and Yu’er stood to follow her, with Hua Lian adding, “We’ll come too.”

The three of them walked to Mo Wen’s room, which was tightly shut. Qing Jiu turned to the others, “You two wait here.”

Qing Jiu knocked on the door, calling out, “Mo Wen.”

Sounds stirred from inside, and after a moment, Mo Wen responded, “What is it?”

“I need to talk to you.”

There was a pause before Qing Jiu announced, “I’m coming in.”

“Wait! No!”

Qing Jiu raised an eyebrow and changed her tone to one of firm authority. “I’m coming in.”

She pushed against the door, but it didn’t budge; it was bolted from inside. Realizing her own strength was insufficient to break the bolt, she glanced at Yu’er.

Yu’er stepped forward, pushed the door, and the bolt snapped in half, swinging the door open.

Qing Jiu entered to find the room cluttered with scrolls sprawled across the table and cabinets, Mo Wen busy tidying them.

“What are you doing?”

“Why did you come?”

Yu’er and Hua Lian stood outside the door. Qing Jiu closed it behind her and walked to the table, her eyes scanning the open books. “I have something to discuss with you. Hua Lian mentioned that you met a woman in Miaojiang who claimed to be your mother?”

Mo Wen casually affirmed, “Mmm.”

Qing Jiu pointed to a spot in one of the scrolls, “He thought you were upset about this…”

Mo Wen looked puzzled, “Ah?”

Qing Jiu looked up from the book at her. “It doesn’t seem that way now.”

Mo Wen, holding a stack of bamboo slips, retorted, “I don’t even know her. Why would I be upset about her?”

“Then why have you been so withdrawn and lost your appetite?” Qing Jiu asked, tapping her finger on the page. It detailed methods for dispelling Gu poison. “You obtained a cure from the Gu Emperor. Why are you still researching all this?”

Mo Wen hugged the bamboo slips tighter, her knuckles white, a soft clicking sound as the slips pressed against each other. She avoided Qing Jiu’s gaze, her breathing rapid and shallow. “That method won’t work,” she mumbled.

Suddenly, she spread the bamboo slips across the table, frantically searching for something specific. “I’m looking for another method,” she insisted, her voice frantic. “I can still save you.”

Qing Jiu called out, “Mo Wen.”

Mo Wen responded, “We can’t use that method.”

“Mo Wen,” Qing Jiu said again, “look at me when you speak.”

Mo Wen’s frantic movements knocked several books off the table. “There must be another way!”

Seeing her distress, Qing Jiu stepped closer, grabbing Mo Wen by the collar and forcing her to meet her gaze. “Look at me when you speak!” she commanded, her voice sharp.

Her raised voice reached Yu’er and Hua Lian outside the door. They exchanged worried glances, straining to hear what was happening, but the closed door kept the conversation private.

Mo Wen’s eyes welled up, her hands trembling as Qing Jiu held her. “I can’t do it, Qing Jiu,” she whispered, her voice filled with despair. “I can’t. I can’t do it.”

Qing Jiu softly spoke, “Mo Wen…”

“I killed my master, Qing Jiu,” she cried, covering her ears as if to block out the horrifying memory. “I’ll kill you too. What am I supposed to do?”

Qing Jiu leaned in and hugged her, patting her back to soothe her. “Alright, alright. Don’t think about it anymore. We’ll find another way. It’s okay, we still have time.”

The constant stress and travel had worn Mo Wen thin, but Qing Jiu’s comforting presence allowed her to relax, and she fell asleep.

In the evening, Bai Sang along with Jun Sixue and others came to check Qing Jiu’s pulse.

Before they left, Hua Lian inquired, “Did you see Mo Wen?”

Yu’er asked, “Isn’t she in her room?”

Hua Lian shook his head. Qing Jiu said, “Let’s look for her… No, let her be alone for a while.”

Bai Sang finished packing up and, instead of heading back directly, took a detour to the east side of the flower fields.

There, in an uncultivated patch of land, stood a mimosa tree, its branches spreading wide, offering a canopy of shade.

As dusk settled and frost glittered on the ground, Bai Sang stood at a distance. Beneath the tree, someone was crouched. She approached and said coldly, “Your friends are looking for you.”

Mo Wen was weaving a crown of flowers from a vine that bloomed year-round with delicate blossoms.

Yellow leaves swirled around them, carried by the wind. “She doesn’t have much time left,” Bai Sang stated, her tone unwavering. “It’s not enough time for you to find a new method. If you don’t help her, she’ll die.”

“I might lose control, I might… kill her…”

Bai Sang’s voice was like ice, “Lose control? Don’t speak so lightly. I spared you once, but if you lose control again and appear before me like that, do you think I’ll spare you again? Next time, I will take your life.”

Mo Wen slowly turned her head, her gaze meeting Bai Sang’s in the fading light. Her exceptional vision allowed her to see Bai Sang’s face clearly, even in the dimness. Hearing those ruthless words, however, brought a strange sense of relief. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest.

“Really? Little Shishu.” she asked, a hint of joy in her voice. Her agonizing dilemma had suddenly found a resolution.

“Little…” Bai Sang took a deep breath, closed her eyes, frowned, then turned around with a sweep of her sleeves, muttering, “Wretch.”

In the past, when Mo Wen was happy and forgot her manners, she would address Bai Sang in this familiar way.

As Bai Sang started to walk away, Mo Wen quickly got to her feet and followed. Her greatest fear was history repeating itself; she couldn’t bear the thought of regaining her senses only to find her loved ones hurt or dead before her, with the weapon in her own hands. Now that she knew the method to save someone, but it was not so different from her past actions, she was terrified of making the same mistakes again and hurting Qing Jiu, which would truly be an irreparable disaster.

But Bai Sang’s promise to intervene eased her anxieties. She allowed herself a glimmer of hope. Even if she lost control, Yu’er and the others would be able to restrain her. And this time, the scroll she had obtained contained clear instructions, unlike her previous haphazard attempts. Maybe this time, she could succeed.

Bai Sang glanced at Mo Wen trailing behind her. They reached a well-lit area, and Bai Sang noticed Mo Wen’s face, still as expressionless as ever. Yet, somehow, it seemed to radiate a strange sense of joy.

Bai Sang paused, momentarily stunned.

Mo Wen stepped closer, her movements hesitant. She brought her hands forward, revealing the object she had been hiding behind her back. She placed it on Bai Sang’s head. “Shishu, thank you.” she mumbled.

Snapping back to reality, Bai Sang’s expression darkened, “Who’s your Shishu!”

Mo Wen handed over the item and, seeing Bai Sang’s anger, immediately took off.

Bai Sang stood there, removing the item from her head. It was a crown of flowers woven from the vine, a gift from Mo Wen. She gazed at it, her fingers gently tracing the delicate blooms. “Mo Qingyan…” she murmured.