Chapter 55 The Marrow-Eating Gu Appears, Doubts Arise
Karin was completely unaware of what the person in front of her was thinking, because a new problem was troubling her.
There's only one bed in this room. Now that Wen Jin has given it to her, where will she sleep?
Fortunately, the problem was quickly solved. Looking at the little bun's amazing childlike figure, Huali quickly tidied up the small couch she used for reading and showed her eight teeth, inviting the Demon Lord to move over.
It's impossible to compromise myself.
The Demon Lord, whose main form was ruthless and decisive, was surprisingly easy to take care of in his alternate form. He would eat whatever was given to him and sleep wherever he was told. His obedient nature pleased Huali, making her think that perhaps the Demon Lord wasn't so difficult to get along with after all.
After a long day of work and overusing her brain, Huali fell asleep immediately.
Ao Bai, observing her fluid movements, concluded: "Those who are carefree tend to have high-quality sleep."
Two layers of soft cotton quilts were laid on the tatami mat. Wen Jin was enveloped in warmth as he stared at Hua Li's sleeping face with deep swirling eyes. Finally, he closed his eyes with a sense of forbearance.
Thirteen days to go.
If he can find a way to absorb more spiritual energy during this period...
Thinking of this, Wen Jin slowly looked towards the main hall.
A tiny blue flame unfolded in his palm, transforming into a streak of light that drifted towards the horizon.
*
For three days in a row, the weather was calm.
Cheng Yuan's death did not cause any trouble. Hua Li was initially still speculating about a conspiracy, but after General Cen searched the palace every day without any results, she gradually calmed down.
Because of the obedience talisman, Zhang Dezhu now has a very positive view of Huali, and finds her much more pleasing to the eye. The quality of the food has also naturally improved, just enough for her and Wen Jin to eat.
*
It rained for two days in a row, and the wind, carrying the smell of blood, stirred up the dampness and rolled over the bloodstains on the bluestone slabs that had not yet dried.
Huali followed Zhang Dezhu out of the inner palace and saw several demon soldiers carrying a corpse, walking hurriedly out of the main hall's barrier.
This scene has been common in recent days. Wen Tingyun has been unable to find the person he is looking for, and the demon soldiers have died one after another.
But this time was different. A gust of wind blew by, and a withered, thin wrist dangled from the stretcher.
The skin above was bluish-gray, and the veins resembled withered branches that had been drained of moisture. As she passed by them, Huali smelled a familiar scent.
Zhang Dezhu shook his head and whispered, "It seems the king will soon be choosing a bride again."
Huali keenly sensed something was amiss and immediately bent down, saying, "My stomach hurts, I need to go to the restroom."
Zhang Dezhu narrowed his eyes. "You're covering your stomach."
Huali: "My stomach hurts."
Zhang Dezhu: "...So you're even going to move people, huh? Go away, go away, hurry up and leave."
*
Huali tiptoed behind the four demon soldiers to a deserted artificial hill. The surrounding area was overgrown with weeds, but the trees and flowers were unusually lush.
Several demon soldiers quickly dug out the pit and hastily buried the corpse inside.
The rough handling made Kaori frown.
After everyone had completely left, Huali went to the pit and used an earth-type card to dig the corpse out again.
The corpse looked familiar; she must have been one of the girls who entered the palace in the same batch as them. As she was exposed to the sunlight, the strange fragrance emanating from her body intensified.
At the same time, a lump the size of a fingernail suddenly swelled up on the bluish-gray skin, as if something alive was swimming under the skin.
"I'm so sorry, Miss. If you become a ghost, remember to look for Suoli and don't come looking for me." Huali pulled out her dagger and made a light cut on it, and dark red flesh buds immediately gushed out.
It turned out to be hundreds of red Gu worms tangled together.
Hua Li's face turned pale and goosebumps immediately rose. She endured the stomach cramps and carefully examined the insect, only to find that it was exactly the same as the one Yang Liu had taken out the night she stole the Xuan Tie.
"Ao Bai, can you tell what this is?" Hua Li asked, barely suppressing her nausea.
Ao Bai sniffed, "This is a marrow-devouring gu. This kind of gu has golden threads on its scales and has a symbiotic relationship with the host."
"They feed on the life essence of their host to replenish their pure demonic energy. This is harmless in the short term, but as the life essence gradually decreases, if the Gu worms are not lured out in time, they will be completely drained of their flesh and blood and used as a breeding ground for the Gu worms."
Huali thought of something, "Could it enhance the other person's cultivation? Like Tingnu?"
Ao Bai shook his head. "I know the host is thinking about the relationship between the two, but this Marrow Devouring Gu is mostly used by mortals without cultivation. The spiritual power of cultivators and mountain spirits can resist it and cannot be used to plant the Gu."
Just as Huali was about to ask more questions, she suddenly felt a gaze from not far away. She looked up sharply and saw a blue figure quickly run away from behind a tree.
Huali's expression changed and she lifted her foot to chase after him, but unexpectedly, the blue-clad figure fell to the ground on his own.
Huali: "......"
She took a few steps over and pulled the person up. When she looked down, she realized it was someone she knew.
"willow?"
Yang Liu saw a hint of panic flash in her eyes when she realized she had been exposed, but she forced herself to remain calm and scolded, "How dare you call me by my name? Slap yourself!"
Huali: "......" This girl is still immersed in palace dramas.
Seeing that Huali didn't move, Yangliu decided to take the initiative, snorted coldly, and raised her hand to slap her.
Hua Li's face turned cold as she grabbed Yang Liu's wrist and squeezed it tightly, not giving Yang Liu any chance to scream. The vines quickly wrapped around her and firmly covered her mouth.
Huali mimicked the Demon Lord's usual cold and gloomy expression, "If you dare to make another sound, I'll kill you."
This trick proved to be very effective, immediately startling Yang Liu into nodding repeatedly.
Huali loosened the vines a little. "Tell me, why did you come here?"
Yang Liu's gaze swept quickly across Hua Li's card, her voice shrill, "Don't think I don't know, you were the one who stole things from my room last time. If you dare to hurt me, I'll expose you right away!"
Hearing this, Huali sneered again, tightened her grip on Yangliu's wrist, and slowly leaned closer under Yangliu's terrified gaze. "Fine, let's see if your mouth is faster or the knife in my hand is faster."
It turns out that playing a villain with Jinjiang-style acting is really enjoyable. Yang Liu broke down in a second and reverted to the crying version from the beginning, asking, "Who exactly are you?"
Huali was too lazy to waste words with her. With a flick of her wrist, she caught the golden card, skillfully drew an obedience talisman, and placed it between Yang Liu's eyebrows.
The latter's terrified eyes instantly became blank and lifeless.
"Now I'll ask you questions, and you'll answer them."
Why are you here?
Yang Liu mechanically replied, "I heard that the deceased concubines were all brought here to be buried, and I was afraid, so I wanted to come and see for myself."
"What are you looking at?"
"Demon Gu".
Hua Li raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing with the demonic Gu? Where did you get it?"
There were too many questions, so Yang Liu paused before continuing to answer, "The demonic poison can make me more beautiful, gain the king's favor, and heal my wounds at the same time."
"The Gu worms were bought for me by Steward Gao."
Steward Gao? If Yang Liu hadn't mentioned him, she would have forgotten that such a person existed.
"Then what about these people? Did they also get the Gu worms from Steward Gao?"
"I don't know. I've only heard that the king's most favored concubines all die suddenly within seven or eight days, sometimes for a month, and their deaths are always gruesome."
"The concubines who entered the palace at the same time as us were all tortured to death. Now it's Qizhi's turn, and I'll be next."
Praying for a branch?
Huali's heart skipped a beat, and she wanted to ask again, but then she heard voices coming from not far away.
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