The Dragon

Words Can Wound Deeper Than Spears

After a night’s rest, the two woke to unfavorable weather. The day was overcast, with thick clouds blocking the sun. The wind blew strongly in the canyon, and even though it was summer, it felt chilly.

Gu Fuyou sat on Ah Fu, testing its strength, while Zhong Michu walked beside Ah Fu. Along the way, they encountered various cultivators, each accompanied by their spirit beasts.

Throughout the journey, Gu Fuyou was very excited. However, when she thought of Zhong Michu not being able to join her in the race, she felt a tinge of regret, thinking it was not perfect.

“Senior Sister Zhong,” she said, “you should have told me earlier that you can’t summon a spirit beast. We could have bought one in the market for you to ride temporarily. Then we could have raced together.”

Zhong Michu didn’t respond. Gu Fuyou, used to her silences, continued, “Next time. The next time we visit the Wandering Market, I’ll bring you along, and we can race together.”

Gu Fuyou leaned closer to her, feeling she had come up with a great idea, and said excitedly, “Senior Sister Zhong, next time let’s visit the roaming market together, alright?”

“Sit tight,” Zhong Michu advised, turning her head so they were mere inches apart.

The mountain winds had turned Zhong Michu’s cheeks pale, but her skin, being of a special spiritual nature, remained moist despite the constant cold, making it seem even more like jade.

For some reason, Gu Fuyou felt her face heat up and awkwardly straightened up.

Zhong Michu wasn’t actually looking at Gu Fuyou’s face; her gaze was fixed behind her. She called out, “Gu Fuyou.”

“Huh?!” Taken aback, Gu Fuyou reflexively clutched Ah Fu’s fur, causing the creature to let out a low growl of protest.

“Why do most of them have flying beasts, if this is a land race?” Zhong Michu pointed out.

Gu Fuyou paused, and upon Zhong Michu’s observation, noticed the same. While spirit beasts with high cultivation can fly and run on land, they’re still most powerful in their natural environment.

In other words, while it’s possible to use a flying creature in a land race, it isn’t ideal.

A sinking feeling rose in Gu Fuyou’s heart.

She quickly moved Ah Fu to the starting point, with Zhong Michu following on her sword.

Upon reaching the start, Gu Fuyou’s heart sank. Every participant had brought a flying spirit beast.

When Gu Fuyou questioned an official from the merchants’ association, he confirmed, “It’s an aerial race.”

Frowning deeply, Gu Fuyou challenged, “Why is it an aerial race? Wasn’t it supposed to be on land?”

“Perhaps you misunderstood?” he mused.

Frustrated but laughing in disbelief, Gu Fuyou retorted, “I asked the guide directly. He clearly said it was a ground race!”

The official chuckled, “Considering all the participants have brought flying beasts, isn’t it unlikely that everyone else got it wrong? We have no reason to deceive you.”

Irritated, Gu Fuyou left. Seeing her distressed expression, Zhong Michu inquired, “What happened?”

Pulling a face, Gu Fuyou sighed, “Turns out, it’s an aerial race. Ah Fu won’t be of any use this time.”

Ah Fu had only reached the peak of Qi Practicing and couldn’t fly.

Gu Fuyou looked at Ah Fu, who tilted his head slightly and stared back with his lustrous black eyes, appearing quite clueless.

She realized the only suspicious person in this situation was the guide. But she couldn’t leave, as her entry token could only be used once.

Even if she could leave, finding another spirit beast was not an option now.

Competitors kept arriving, and as soon as everyone was present, the race would start.

Gu Fuyou lunged and buried her face in Ah Fu’s fur, muffling her exasperated hums into its chest.

Even with all her capabilities, without a spirit beast, she felt helpless now.

Though missing the race wouldn’t physically harm her, she had been looking forward to this. Her hopes dashed by external factors made her frustrated.

Moreover, this was her first time entering without relying on her brother’s power, and she felt a bit proud deep down.

She wanted to go further, climb higher, and push her limits.

Somehow, she believed she could do it.

Even if she didn’t win, she hoped to at least rank in the race. Now that everything was shattered, how could she not be upset?

Ah Fu, understanding nothing, simply responded to her grumbles with soft whimpers.

“Oh, isn’t this Third Gu?”

Recognizing the voice, Gu Fuyou turned around and immediately frowned in distaste, “Zuo Tianlang.”

Meeting an annoying person when already agitated made her even more frustrated.

Zuo Tianlang strolled over, with a hearty laugh he opened his folding fan, swaying it lightly. With his narrow eyes, he looked up and down frivolously and said, “You’re here for the race too, so why did you bring a land spirit beast?”

Gu Fuyou snapped, “None of your business!”

Zuo Tianlang was about to mock her when his gaze inadvertently landed on Zhong Michu.

She stood elegantly, her dress as white as snow. Her enchanting beauty paired with her indifferent eyes, reminiscent of a sacred lotus on a mountaintop, unreachable.

People experienced in romance and sophistication know that there’s a unique charm when a dignified woman shows a hint of vulnerability.

As Zuo Tianlang looked at Zhong Michu, his eyes narrowed, and his pupils deepened.

He wondered how this woman, with her rosy cheeks and alluring presence, would look in a passionately enticing moment.

Gu Fuyou might not know the dirty thoughts running through his mind, but judging by his look, she was sure they weren’t good.

Gu Fuyou shifted to the side, positioning herself directly in front of Zhong Michu, lining up with her.

With a stern face, Gu Fuyou crossed her arms and called out, “Ah Fu, come here.”

Ah Fu walked over and sat down beside Gu Fuyou, effectively blocking Zuo Tianlang’s view.

Zuo Tianlang playfully shook his fan a few times, smiled, and remarked, “It seems that Gu Ren really didn’t show up.”

“I even specially arranged for someone to greet you.”

A thought crossed Gu Fuyou’s mind, and she responded, “So the guide was arranged by you!”

Speaking of land, when it’s actually in the air.

Her brother’s spirit beast is a black panther, also a land beast. If it had come and fallen into Zuo Tianlang’s trap, even though the beast could fly, its strength would be greatly diminished in the air, playing right into Zuo Tianlang’s hands.

Closing his fan with a snap, Zuo Tianlang tapped his head with it and lamented, “Ah, what a waste of effort. If I had known it was just a minor player like you, why would I have bothered?”

Gu Fuyou retorted, “You can’t defeat my brother, so you resort to these underhanded tricks.”

Zuo Tianlang said, “Strategy is also a talent. Like now, with a snap of my fingers, I can make you forfeit the race.”

Gu Fuyou defiantly responded, “Who says I can’t compete?”

She grabbed Ah Fu’s ear, giving it a tug and declaring, “If worst comes to worst, I’ll have my spirit beast run in the air; let’s see how you feel when all your meticulous planning falls apart. Master Zuo, watch closely: my Ah Fu runs incredibly fast, like lightning, and it’d be quite embarrassing if you, atop your flying beast, were to lose to him.”

Ah Fu cooperated with a loud howl, looking imposing.

Zuo Tianlang sneered, “Very well, I’m eager to see this lightning-fast spirit beast of yours.”

After that, he walked away with his entourage.

Once Zuo Tianlang was out of sight, Zhong Michu inquired, “Can Ah Fu fly?”

Gu Fuyou, her cheeks slightly red, replied, “I was just standing up to him. With him being so arrogant, shouldn’t I at least get a verbal victory?”

After her explanation, she suddenly realized that Zhong Michu was teasing her earlier.

It was a surprising revelation. This was the first time Gu Fuyou saw Zhong Michu make a joke, and it was so unexpected that it made her forget her earlier displeasure.

Switching her gloomy expression, she motioned to Ah Fu and prepared to leave, saying, “Senior Sister Zhong, let’s go.”

Zhong Michu asked, “Aren’t you participating in the race?”

Embarrassed, Gu Fuyou mumbled, “I was just bluffing…”

She wanted to flee after the bluff. For one, she didn’t want to deal with Zuo Tianlang, who was always looking for trouble. Secondly, considering how Zuo Tianlang looked at Zhong Michu, she hoped Zhong Michu could also stay away from him.

Zhong Michu glanced at the thick fog and dense clouds in the sky, and when she lowered her head, she asked, “Gu Fuyou, do you want to join the race?”

Feeling a bit dejected, Gu Fuyou gently patted Ah Fu’s head, admitting, “I do, but Ah Fu can’t fly.”

Zhong Michu remained silent for a moment, as if contemplating something. After a while, she spoke softly, “I’ll think of a way for you. Just wait.”

“Huh?”

Gu Fuyou thought to herself, “What solution could there be? You can’t summon either.”

She was about to call out, “Senior Sister Zhong…”

But Zhong Michu had already soared away on her sword, following the path they had come from. Gu Fuyou stood in place for a moment, then suddenly had a thought, murmuring to herself, “Ah! Senior Sister Zhong is skilled in beast taming. Maybe she can get a flying spirit beast from somewhere!”

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

At that moment, the bell signaling the gathering of participants at the starting line rang.

Gu Fuyou hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and decided to head towards the starting point.

The starting point was on the arch bridge of Wangyue Cave. A massive rock connected both ends of the canyon, forming a natural stone bridge.

By the time Gu Fuyou arrived, all the participants were ready on the stone bridge, proudly sitting atop their spirit beasts. These flying beasts were either ferocious, majestic, or dazzling, poised for action on the bridge.

The official in charge asked, “Third Miss, where is your spirit beast?”

Gu Fuyou replied, “Uh… it’ll be here in a bit.”

“This… Very well.”

The official allowed her onto the stone bridge. While everyone else proudly sat atop their spirit beasts, she alone walked onto the bridge on foot.

She had intended to stand off to the side and avoid attention. Unexpectedly, she accidentally stepped on a wing feather of a nearby beast. The beast roared, and she kept moving to avoid it, somehow getting pushed more into the center.

Laughter from those seated atop their beasts reached her ears, “Isn’t that Third Miss? Why is she here for the race?”

“Where’s her spirit beast?”

“They say she’s a bit off in the head, reckless. Is she planning to run on her own two feet against us? Haha.”

Eventually, Gu Fuyou found a clear spot in the middle and stopped.

She overheard someone ask, “Who is the Third Miss?”

“Oh, that’s Third Gu from Xiaoyao City, Gu Wanpeng’s daughter.”

“Oh, her, I know, I know.”

Gu Fuyou tightened her clothes, feeling a strong wind on the bridge that made her head spin.

“I heard she’s the reason Lady Gu died in childbirth.”

Gu Fuyou frowned, thinking how these men had longer tongues than the gossiping old ladies back home.

“Yes, that’s her. Lady Gu was such a beauty and highly skilled. It’s a shame she died giving birth to a daughter with average talent. Gu Wanpeng lost both his wife and got a mediocre daughter.”

Another man chuckled, “If someone who caused her own mother’s death had any talent, then there’s no justice in this world.”

Gu Fuyou’s face turned pale, her heart ached, causing her forehead to be covered in cold sweat and her breathing to become labored.

Without thinking, she turned around and called out weakly, “Brother…”

But there was no one behind her. It then dawned on her that Gu Shuangqing hadn’t come, and there wouldn’t be anyone to hold and comfort her as usual, covering her ears to block out the hurtful words.

Those words echoed clearly in her ears. She wanted to retort, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out.