Chapter 106 Heartless Love (Part 1)

The Jiang family, a secret prison.

"Elder Yu, Elder Yu?" Xuan Zhiyan called out softly to the person opposite him through the magic array that shielded spiritual energy.

Qu Fengyu lay lifelessly inside the imprisonment formation, managing to move a finger with difficulty.

"Elder Yu!" In his excitement, Xuan Zhiyan accidentally touched the magic array in front of him, and was immediately struck by a piercing pain that made him scream.

Hearing his scream, Qu Fengyu opened his eyes with difficulty. A somewhat familiar figure appeared in his blurry vision, “…Jiang Gu?”

Outside the magic array that imprisoned them, a cold-faced young man stood with his hands behind his back. His entire body was completely covered by a jet-black robe, which inexplicably gave off a chill in the dark and desolate place of the secret prison.

Xuan Zhiyan, who was in so much pain that he almost fainted, got up again and stared intently in the direction of Jiang Gulai, but he still didn't see a second figure.

“Impersonating the special envoy of Wangyue Ganlou, you have a lot of guts.” Jiang Gu looked down at her, “And you’re pretty stupid too.”

Qu Fengyu was speechless for a long time after being mocked so bluntly. “Of course I have my reasons.”

"Wu Hezhi?" Jiang Gu understood.

Qu Fengyu narrowed her eyes. Her mind raced, and it was clear that Jiang Gu was not the kind of person who would come to reminisce with her. He must have some ulterior motive for coming to see her. As her thoughts raced, a glimmer of hope ignited in her eyes. "Wu Hezhi is seriously injured. I need something from the Jiang family."

What would make her take such a big risk to infiltrate the Jiang family?

Jiang Gu had a plan in mind, but he didn't say anything. His gaze swept over the spiritual energy shield in front of her. "Even cultivators at the True Immortal Realm can't escape this formation. You'd better not make any rash moves."

"I would like to, but your Jiang family is too ruthless. You even shattered my dantian." Qu Fengyu sat cross-legged on the ground, smiling as he wiped the blood from the back of his hand. Unfortunately, the blood had dried, leaving a deep red mark. "Young Master Jiang, aren't you going to ask them why they spared my life?"

She guessed that Jiang Gu must have come for this reason, intending to exchange this item with him.

"Oh?" Jiang Gu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Qu Fengyu bluntly stated, "The secret order of Wangyue Ganlou is indeed in my hands, but it is now tied to my life. Unless I am willing, no one can get it. Young Master Jiang, if you can save the two of us, I will hand over the secret order with both hands."

Jiang Gu chuckled lightly: "So it was a secret order from Ganlou."

"You don't know?" Qu Fengyu's expression changed instantly, then turned to confusion. "Then why have you come?"

"Since you risked your life to infiltrate the Jiang family for Song Suixi, wouldn't it be a pity if you couldn't get it?" Jiang Gu asked instead of answering.

Qu Fengyu was instantly at a disadvantage. She frowned and said frankly, "Now, whether we can get out of here alive is a problem."

“I can help you get Song Suixi, and I can also help you escape from the Jiang family,” Jiang Gu said. “But you have to do one thing for me.”

"What is it?" Qu Fengyu was not stunned by this unexpected surprise. It was no easy feat to get someone as profit-driven as Jiang Gu to offer such terms.

Jiang Gu unconsciously rubbed his hands behind his back, and said slowly, "Help me find out where Wei Feng is."

Qu Fengyu's expression went blank for a moment, and Xuan Zhiyan, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head, "What did you do to Wei Feng?!"

Unfortunately, Jiang Gu's face remained expressionless, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true feelings.

“The mark I left on him has long been erased by you, and you directly branded your Jiang family’s Vermilion Bird Divine Mark on his primordial spirit. Even you can’t find him, so how could I possibly find him?” Qu Fengyu said.

“He has the blood of the Qu family. Your bloodline tracing technique is extremely skillful, and you can pinpoint his location,” Jiang Gu said.

Qu Fengyu crossed her arms and revealed a meaningful smile. "I thought Seventh Young Master didn't know, so I confidently lied to Wei Feng that I found him through the brand, making him extremely disappointed in me, his aunt. What a clever way to sow discord."

"If you weren't guilty, why did you acquiesce?" Jiang Gu's voice was cold. "There's no need for such high-sounding rhetoric."

Qu Fengyu's smile faltered as he realized Qu Fengyu's thoughts had been exposed. He decided to stop hiding his true intentions and demanded a higher price: "I can help you find Wei Feng, but you must first send Song Suixi to Wu Hezhi. They won't last much longer."

Jiang Gu didn't respond. Just when she thought he would refuse, she saw him nod and say, "Okay."

His swift action made Qu Fengyu feel uneasy, but saving the man was of utmost importance. Even if she had doubts, she could only suppress them and said solemnly, "Thank you, Seventh Young Master, for saving my life. I will do my best to find Wei Feng. However, my dantian is now completely destroyed, I have lost all my magic power, and I am trapped in this formation. I am afraid I will not be able to use my search technique."

"How do we do it?" Consultant Jiang asked.

Qu Fengyu said, "If even the primordial spirit imprint cannot find Wei Feng, then he must not be in the real world. He has most likely entered some extremely powerful virtual realm, such as an illusion, an array, or other spatial magic treasure. But all of this is based on the assumption that Wei Feng is still alive. Seventh Young Master should know this."

Jiang Gu's gaze turned slightly cold.

“If Wei Feng is still alive and within the Void Realm, the spiritual power and time required to cast the spell would be dozens of times that of a normal search for someone. I would need to borrow your spiritual power and cultivation at that time.” Qu Fengyu was slightly uneasy, and added, “Or you could borrow someone trustworthy and with strong cultivation.”

“I will come to find you every night at midnight.” Jiang Gu said this and turned to leave.

As he turned around, Xuan Zhiyan, who was beside him, caught a glimpse of a piece of wood flashing past under the black robe. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes hard and turned to look at Qu Fengyu.

Qu Fengyu stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Even Jiang Gu can't be found, Wei Feng is probably in big trouble this time."

Xuan Zhiyan looked at her hesitantly, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "What if Wei Feng ran away on his own?"

“But we need to relax.” Qu Fengyu met his worried gaze and smiled. “This is the first time I’ve made such a profitable deal.”

Xuan Zhiyan's heart sank heavily.

He originally thought he had seen too much of the worldly wisdom at Yanghua Sect, but when he actually went down the mountain and entered the world, he found that it was just a superficial understanding. True feelings were often feigned, and the hearts of people hidden under those masks could never withstand close scrutiny.

——

One month later.

Behind the Jiang family's main residence is Tianchi (Heavenly Pool).

Beneath the pervasive mist was the sound of gurgling water. Jiang Gu was completely submerged in the water, the warm pool water clinging to the cuts on his body. The newly grown flesh and bones were tinged with a light red. For a moment, it was impossible to tell which was more painful: the pain of peeling off skin and tendons or the pain of growing flesh and bones.

The footsteps approached from afar and were right behind us in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Gu did not release his divine sense. His wet hair floated in the water as he said coldly, "The pool is so wide, has the young master injured his eyes?"

Jiang Xiangyun leisurely unbuttoned his outer robe, chose a spot not too far from the pool, and immersed himself in the water, laughing, "Isn't this just a coincidence? I always run into Seventh Brother. It's all Grandfather's fault, though. I only have some minor injuries, but he insists that I soak in the water for a full hour."

Jiang Gu lifted his eyelids and met his teasing and probing gaze through the mist.

"Seventh Brother, your flesh and blood are growing rather slowly, and your spiritual energy is also severely depleted." Jiang Xiangyun looked at him leisurely. "I heard from Yao Li a few days ago that he ran into you in the secret prison. Seventh Brother, with such serious injuries, you shouldn't be wandering around. What do you say?"

"It's just routine," Jiang Gu said expressionlessly. "I have a formal position in the Jiang family."

Jiang Xiangyun laughed and said, "I almost forgot, Seventh Brother has a position in the secret prison, but if you ask me, you are so badly injured, you might as well put aside those unimportant duties. Why don't I mention it to Grandfather for you?"

"Thank you for your kindness, young master, but I still have a garden full of spirit pets to raise." Jiang Gu remained indifferent, clearly having no intention of having a long talk with him.

An hour passed quickly. As Jiang Xiangyun bent down to tie his belt, he suddenly spoke up: "Seventh Brother, it's fine that you gave Song Suixi to outsiders without permission, but don't lose sight of the bigger picture for a small matter. Don't ruin your promising future for a little beast."

After saying that, without waiting for Jiang Gu to speak, he jumped onto his flying sword and disappeared into the mist.

Jiang Gu lowered his eyes and met his reflection in the water, his eyes completely black.

At midnight that night, the prison was sealed.

Qu Fengyu remained seated cross-legged within the magic array, his expression grave. "Wei Feng's position and aura kept shifting, as if he were traversing through numerous illusions. I couldn't pinpoint his location at all, and..."

“Speak,” Jiang Gu said.

"Moreover, these illusions are extremely dangerous. If we continue searching like this, it will probably do no good to our souls." Qu Fengyu said tactfully, but in reality, if they continued searching in the same way as Jiang Gu, they would probably perish before they even found Wei Feng's trace. "At least we know now that Wei Feng is still alive."

She tried to dissuade Jiang Gu, but knew it was futile and she could only continue searching.

"I won't be coming back starting tomorrow," Jiang Gu said.

Qu Fengyu raised his eyes in surprise, and even Xuan Zhiyan next to him got up.

“The Jiang family has already noticed something amiss. I will find a way to send you out in a while,” Jiang Gu said.

Qu Fengyu was even more surprised, "Then are you still looking for Wei Feng?"

“I have learned your methods of finding people. All I need to do is keep your bloodline,” Jiang Gu said without changing his expression.

Qu Fengyu felt a chill run down his spine.

A month later, Qu Fengyu's primordial spirit was stuffed into a small wooden puppet and thrown into Xuan Zhiyan's arms.

Jiang Gu tossed her body into the spirit pet pouch, saying, "Once we find Wei Feng, I'll return your body to you."

Qu Fengyu gritted his teeth, "That secret order—"

“Of course you don’t need to worry about it.” Jiang Gu waved his long sleeves and threw the wooden puppets in which Xuan Zhiyan and Qu Fengyu were attached into the teleportation array. In the blink of an eye, the two disappeared without a trace.

He brushed the dust off his sleeves. In the distance, the ancient forest of the Jiang family's teleportation array was bustling with activity. He caught a glimpse of Jiang Xiangyun getting off the flying boat.

Jiang Xiangyun had obviously seen him too, and was just about to greet him with a smile when Jiang Gu turned around and disappeared without a trace.

“…Tsk.” Jiang Xiangyun touched his nose, looking slightly embarrassed.

Yao Li stood behind him, sword in hand, and said in a deep voice, "Young Master, he did it on purpose."

“I’m not blind,” Jiang Xiangyun said.

Yao Li said coldly, "Young Master let him release Qu Fengyu and the other two. If the patriarch investigates, I'm afraid he won't fare well either."

“You don’t understand. You should always leave room for maneuver so that you can meet again in the future.” Jiang Xiangyun shook the kitten in his hand. “My great-grandfather and grandfather were too absolute in their actions, which is why they have such a stalemate with the Spirit Dragon Sect. I know you’re going to say that you can’t survive in the cultivation world if you’re not ruthless.”

Yao Li was silenced after being silenced by him, and he raised his hand to lower the brim of his straw hat.

“But there are always times when everyone is unable to attend to everyone’s needs. Even if it’s just superficial harmony, it might save your life someday.” Jiang Xiangyun suddenly tilted her head and leaned closer to look at his face under the straw hat, smiling as she said, “You agree, right, Uncle?”

"..." Yao Li took a step back, pulled his straw hat down even lower, and said in a muffled voice, "This subordinate dares not."

Jiang Xiangyun straightened up and poked the kitten's ears again, "What's so fun about this thing?"

Before Yao Li could speak, he seemed to have lost interest, snapped the little spirit pet's neck and threw it aside, "I helped Seventh Brother so much, it's time for him to repay me. Why don't we let him deal with those people from the Spirit Dragon Sect?"

"Yes." Yao Li received the order and disappeared from the spot.

——

Although it has only been two months, Jiang Gu's half of his body has grown back. After all, Jiang Yinzhong did not set a time limit. Apart from the two hours he spent looking for Qu Fengyu every night, he was almost always soaking in this pool.

"...He's a madman. Even with the worst injuries, he can't stay soaking in water forever, can he? Doesn't he feel any pain?"

"Even my father can't stand soaking in it for half an hour every day... I've heard it's many times more painful than being slowly sliced ​​to death..."

"Hiss... I heard that the eldest young master's body tempering only lasted an hour. Isn't this a slap in the face to the eldest young master...?"

Tianchi is not completely closed off. Every day, injured Jiang family disciples come to heal their wounds. However, most of them are direct descendants or descendants who rank very high in the family elders' register. They do not avoid mentioning Jiang Gu when they speak.

After all, although Jiang Gu had a great reputation, he was all alone, with no teachers or elders to protect him and no wife or family to rely on. He couldn't easily mess with these scions of powerful families, and sometimes he couldn't help but be sarcastic and unpleasant.

Jiang Gu had long been used to it. Every midnight, he would leave on time, then return to the courtyard to set up an array to search for people. Two hours later, he would reappear in the terrifying pool.

Today was the first time he had used the technique to find people on his own, and he was quite clumsy in controlling it and almost suffered a backlash because he arrived at Tianchi half a day late due to his injuries.

There was already someone in his usual spot. From behind, he looked like a young boy, lazily stretching his arms and leaning against the edge of the pool. He probably noticed the footsteps, turned around happily, and called out in a lively and clear voice, "Master, you've finally arrived!"

Jiang Gu paused slightly as someone walked past him, hands on hips, and cursed, "You little brat, you think you're so tough? If you can stay here for a quarter of an hour, I'll call you master."

"Alright, it's a deal! You can't go back on your word!" The young man grinned and turned to grab his master's sleeve, only to be kicked instead.

...

Jiang Gu moved to a more secluded spot, but the familiar burning sensation made him frown.

This pool of water is really noisy.