**Chapter 20: The Return of the Gu**
Under the cover of darkness, Luxianbei hurried back to the narrow alley where Ahua was hiding. Turning around the corner, he saw the girl shrouded in a golden glow from the defensive spell formula.
Seeing the girl suddenly appear at the corner of the alley, clad in tattered black robes, her face wrapped tightly as if she belonged to some special religious sect, Ahua was momentarily stunned.
It wasn’t until Luxianbei pulled down his mask to reveal his face that she snapped back to her senses and quickly controlled the spell formula, opening a gap wide enough for one person to pass through.
In the next moment, the horrific sounds of battle and explosions from the station rushed through the semi-transparent shield formed by the intertwining spell formulas, carried along by the flying Luxianbei.
After sealing the spell formula again, Ahua turned to look at Luxianbei, who was leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, and asked, “What’s going on outside?”
To better hide, she had not only opened the defensive spell formula but also added a simple spell with soundproofing and illusion effects. She wasn’t clear on the exact situation outside, only knowing that there were suddenly many more spirit energy fluctuations in the station.
She had even thought for a moment that Luxianbei wouldn’t return and had worried about it for quite a while.
“The local gangs are fighting,” Luxianbei said nonchalantly.
“Ah?” Ahua was taken aback and instinctively placed her hand on her waist where, under her apron, she had hidden her alchemical firearms.
Luxianbei adjusted his breath and added, “It’s fine. They’re all blinded by rage now and won’t have time to pay attention to us for a while…”
“Is that so?” Ahua frowned and pressed, “But why are they fighting?”
“I instigated it!”
Ahua, “???”
Luxianbei glanced at Ahua, saw her odd expression, and explained, “Don’t worry, those guys have major emotional management issues. They explode at the slightest provocation and won’t even realize I’m the one who stirred things up…”
Hearing this, Ahua nodded slightly. Just as she felt relieved, she heard Luxianbei continue, “However, they really are targeting me…”
Ahua’s mood instantly tightened, her eyes widening.
“However, they don’t know yet that I’m the target they’re looking for.”
“…”
Ahua supported her forehead, fell silent for a few seconds, and weakly said, “Wang Buliu, I’m begging you, stop catching your breath; can’t you just say everything at once?”
“Uh, okay, but what I wanted to say is already said.” Luxianbei grinned, “If you still want to ask why they’re targeting me… I can only say, I don’t know either.”
To be honest, Luxianbei could not understand why he, such an upright and optimistic youth who got along well with others, would be pursued like this.
He thought it shouldn’t be his problem—those drugged guys acted without any logic.
If you wanted to reason with them, they would absolutely pull your sanity down to their level of madness, using their rich experience to defeat you, Luxianbei thought.
Ahua was staring at Luxianbei, her lips slightly parted, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.
After a long while, she silently sighed, reached beneath her fluffy maid’s dress to search for something, and pulled out two pairs of poor-quality plastic masks. Then she kept one and handed the other to Luxianbei.
“Since you’re sure they’re really coming for you, put this on. It might help hide your identity a bit.”
Luxianbei glanced at the masks in Ahua’s hands, barely able to distinguish them as Ultraman and Calabash Brother masks. He looked at Ahua, unamused, and said, “Are you kidding me?”
“Wearing something like this will just draw more attention, right?”
“What do you know?” Ahua rolled her eyes, “These have the Zhuyan Change spell formula solidified in them, for disguise.”
“My lady and I planned to use them when heading to the entertainment city, but we ended up not needing them.”
Zhuyan Change? Luxianbei took the mask, frowning slightly.
Isn’t this the kind of spell formula recorded in the knowledge of the Great Serpent God?
Where did they get this from?
As if sensing Luxianbei’s confusion, Ahua explained, “We prepared this before we set off.”
Just as Ahua said, before she and Jiang Li set off for Dream Come True Entertainment City, they specifically found the girl from the Ghost Market who sold the Zhuyan Change spell solidified masks last time and bought a few masks for use.
Generally speaking, it’s a serious taboo for the same person to win continuously in a casino. Even if they don’t cheat, relying solely on skill or luck is not enough, and being banned from entering is considered light punishment; in severe cases, one could even encounter foul play.
So, Jiang Li and Ahua originally planned to change their appearance each time they challenged the Big Boss.
However, they didn’t anticipate that Dream Come True Entertainment City was completely different from outside casinos; they seemed to hardly care if one or two customers won a significant amount of chips.
Anyway, 99% of the customers who won a lot of chips would eventually succumb to temptation and challenge the Big Boss in Nowhere Land, ending up losing everything.
“So… how do I use this? Just wear it directly?” Luxianbei tilted his head.
Although he did have such a special spell for disguising, he hadn’t studied it in detail and wasn’t certain how to use it.
His previous energy had been entirely focused on analyzing and completing the alchemical potion formulas.
“Yeah, just put it on directly,” Ahua nodded. “Once you’ve got it on, visualize the appearance you want in your mind, and then infuse spirit energy into the mask.”
“Any other questions?”
“Yes!” Luxianbei nodded, his tone serious, “If possible, could you help me with the disguise? It would save time.”
Ahua tilted her head in confusion, “I can, but why?”
“Because…” Luxianbei propped up his chin, dead serious, “When it comes to reshaping faces, I usually take two hours minimum!”
Not to mention with the Zhuyan Change spell formula, beyond not being able to change body shape, other parameters have no restrictions.
If time allows, I could even reshape all day! Luxianbei thought.
Ahua, “…”
Three minutes later.
Ahua withdrew her hands from Luxianbei’s face, stepped back, and assessed his appearance, which resembled the face created by the girl who sold masks. Satisfied, she nodded.
“This should be about right. When shall we leave?”
“Leave? Not so fast!” Luxianbei said, turning to look at the corner where a man was lying still under a pile of rags, pretending to be dead. “You’re fine leaving like this? Aren’t you afraid he’ll run out to warn those guys outside?”
Ahua frowned, tentatively asking, “What are you getting at?”
“Hmph, someone as decisive as I am, of course….” Luxianbei said coldly.
“k*ll him? That doesn’t seem too good, right?”
Hearing this, the homeless man’s body suddenly trembled.
“You also think that’s not so good, right?” Luxianbei shrugged. “Then let’s just knock him out and tie him up.”
Ahua, “…” Who was it that just said they were decisive?
————
Inside the station, the brutal fighting continued.
After learning that Calamity was dead, and the core of the urban legend likely resided in someone or some urban legend, the assailants had completely lost control, with their bloodshot eyes brimming with rage.
Following that, with more and more assailants entering the station, the struggle not only did not cease but grew more intense.
Without any prompting or guidance, newcomers threw themselves into the fray.
Eventually, these emotionally unstable spirit energy users and urban legends even forgot why they were fighting, driven purely by the desire to tear everything before them apart.
Soon, the platform was drenched in bl**d.
Hiding high above the station, Xiuyao looked down at the horrific scene inside the station, shook her fluffy little head, and muttered, “The master and the person from the entertainment city prohibit guests from carrying the drugs produced by Dan Sha Gu Shi’s pharmacy for a reason.”
“Look at these emotionally uncontrolled guys; what’s the difference from beasts? The master is right; these addicts are terrifying when they act alone but utterly ridiculous together.”
“It seems Princess Yugu is underestimating the situation; she might have thought, like those usual characters, that facing a large number of assailants would make her shiver in fear and surrender, right?”
As she spoke, her gaze drifted towards the place where Luxianbei and Ahua were hiding.
From a distance, she saw two shadowy figures sneak out from the winding narrow alley, taking advantage of the chaos to run toward the platform, climbing onto the tracks, and heading away from the station.
“Oh? That’s quite a good choice,” Xiuyao affirmed Luxianbei’s actions.
Although it would be impossible to reach the Lanzhe Inn or Dream Come True Entertainment City through the tracks without special tokens or the Giant train’s transport, during the chaotic situation within the station, and unable to leave, walking a short distance along the track to avoid danger counted as one of the best choices.
If they were smart enough, they could even stay on the distant tracks until just before the Giant train arrived, and once back, they could board the train and leave without issues.
“Interesting; if Princess Yugu doesn’t have any other backup plan, Calamity is likely to escape smoothly tonight,” Xiuyao murmured.
Just then, as Xiuyao spoke, the fighting in the station was nearing its end; among dozens of assailants, only a few powerful spirit energy users remained.
At that moment, two urban legends suddenly stopped their attacks, standing stock-still as if petrified, with glowing patterns blooming on their chests like lilies blossoming in thorns.
Then…
With a roar, their bodies exploded violently, flesh and bones instantly turning to shards, scattering across every corner of the platform.
Deaths like this were happening continuously on the platform, and no spirit energy users or urban legends noticed the anomaly.
Amid the chaos, the flesh that had already turned to shards began to wriggle as if alive, entwining and connecting with one another, covering the platform stained with filthy bl**d.
Under the cover of the filthy bl**d, the writhing flesh secretly began to outline unexplainable and bizarre twisted spell formulas, emitting filthy and faint spirit energy fluctuations.
Following that, the filthy bl**d on the platform boiled violently, rolling and bubbling, blooming into the shape of lilies, with faint wails echoing.
Under the catalyzation of the spell formulas, a certain substance was separated from the filthy bl**d, transforming into strands of colorless and odorless gas, gradually filling the entire station.
Hiding high above the station, Xiuyao accidentally inhaled a minute amount of this gas and immediately felt a lightheadedness like being slightly drunk, mixed with a wave of pleasure seemingly originating from the soul, making her unable to help but want to let out a delightful cheer.
In the next moment, she suddenly snapped back to attention, her pupils slightly constricting as she quickly surrounded her body with a large amount of spirit energy, and pulled out a snuff bottle-like device from under her wings, removing the cork, and taking a deep breath facing her nose, the overpowering powdery smell driving away the “precious” toxicity.
“d*mn it! That b*stard Yugu! Did she not intend to use these guys to deal with Calamity from the start!?”
“This is bad; I need to warn them quickly! Otherwise…”
Otherwise, they’d be done for!
Xiuyao inwardly cursed as she spread her wings and flew toward the direction in which Luxianbei and Ahua had left.
————
Five minutes ago.
Outside the station, on the wasteland.
A certain red-clad overseer from Dan Sha Gu Shi had been hiding in the shadows, observing the situation inside the station. Only after the last assailant entered the station did he pull out a palm-sized ancient bronze token, engraved with the character “Gu,” from his chest, infusing it with spirit energy.
Immediately, he heard the strange voice of Princess Yugu in his ear.
“Everyone has gone in?”
“Yes, boss, they’ve all gone in,” the red-clad overseer replied.
“How many have died?” Princess Yugu asked casually.
“Reporting to the boss, judging by the number of spirit energy fluctuations, it should be over half,” the red-clad overseer responded again.
“Very good! Then wait another five minutes before starting!” Princess Yugu said, “Also, once it’s done, come back immediately. Don’t let anyone catch on to you.”
“Understood.”
After respectfully acknowledging, the red-clad overseer put away the token, looking toward the station with a cold smile, remembering the words Princess Yugu said to him before their departure.
…
A few hours earlier, deep within the Dan Sha Gu Shi factory.
The red-clad overseer knelt on one knee before Princess Yugu, listening to her directives, with a hint of confusion on his brow.
“Boss, is it too unstable to just send those pitiful worms to deal with Calamity? Moreover, will a red-clad overseer’s position…”
“Fool!” He hadn’t finished speaking before being brutally interrupted by Princess Yugu.
“I certainly know they’re unstable and understand that giving them a red-clad overseer’s position is a losing deal; do I need you to tell me that?”
“But that’s just a verbal promise.” Princess Yugu said dismissively, “As long as every last spirit energy user and urban legend dies, doesn’t that mean I won’t have to honor it? Not having to honor it means I won’t take a loss!”
The red-clad overseer was perplexed and cautiously probed, “So, what does that mean for you, boss?”
“Fool!” Princess Yugu scolded again, “You should know about the new technology developed in the factory recently, right? This time is just perfect to test it on those guys.”
Upon hearing this, the red-clad overseer immediately clasped his fists and said, “Understood, I’ll take care of it right away!”
Once Princess Yugu mentioned the new technology in the factory, he immediately understood her intention.
The so-called new technology involves recovering residual drugs from the bodies of the homeless.
In fact, after those homeless swallowed the “precious” items, a significant amount of drug residue would remain in their bodies, subtly merging with their spirit energy.
When the leftover drugs in their bodies reach a certain dosage, unless they completely abandon all spirit energy, the drug residue will accompany them until d*ath.
However…
They turned into dry bones, allowing the medicinal properties to dissipate into the heavens and earth; to Princess Yugu, this was a huge waste—a thought akin to someone stealing her money.
Heart-wrenching!
Previously, Princess Yugu’s solution to such “pain” that felt like being played for a fool was to chop up the corpses and use them as raw materials for cultivating flower fertilizer, but that method was not very efficient.
Until recently, she finally discovered a more efficient method: a technique combining Gu poison and hoodoo, called the Returning Gu.
Now, as long as those homeless take the “precious” item infused with the egg of Returning Gu, once they d*e, the holder of the Returning Gu can easily separate the drug residues from their bodies.
Of course, if the goal is still alive, then let them d*e, right?
“Mm, get lost!” Princess Yugu said coldly. Then, as she thought of the benefits the Returning Gu could bring her in the near future, a slight smile unavoidably crept onto her vicious and ugly face.
Is there a deal more profitable than this in this world?
Cruel? The rules of Dan Sha Gu Shi have always been this bloody.
…
Five minutes later.
Standing on the wasteland, the red-clad overseer withdrew his mind, silently took out a palm-sized stone urn engraved with bizarre spell formulas from his chest.
Opening the lid of the stone urn, he saw a strange insect inside.
Its body was almost featureless, covered in grotesque growths, with complex and twisted patterns growing among the clumps of flesh, intertwined to form shapes resembling eyes.
As the strange insect’s body began to wriggle slowly, the eye-like patterns lit up with a rhythmic glow, as if coalescing from the void, giving birth to tiny, pearl-like eggs.
The strange insect in this stone urn represents the newly developed technology of Dan Sha Gu Shi—the Returning Gu.
At this moment, the majority of assailants inside the station have consumed the “precious” items infused with the egg of Returning Gu.
Seeing that their d*ath count had exceeded half, the red-clad overseer knew that relying solely on those emotionally unstable individuals could no longer pose any threat to Calamity, so he unhesitatingly activated the Returning Gu.
As he infused spirit energy into the stone urn, the spell formulas lit up with a dark green glow, causing the insect within to start writhing uneasily.
Then…
It suddenly raised its head, opening its mouthparts, emitting a series of high-frequency shrieks that the human ear could not hear, as if calling out to something.
An eerie spirit energy fluctuation spread out in all directions.
Soon, responding to the call of the Gu insect, a sound similar to flesh bursting faintly echoed in the station.
The separation ceremony for the drug residues had begun.
Before long, the “precious” items separated from the corpses would flood the entire station.
And the Calamity within the station would undoubtedly inhale excessive amounts of these “precious” items, sinking into an addiction born from the soul, unable to extricate herself, completely at the mercy of others, until her last ounce of usable value was extracted…
