Chapter 1773: [Loss-of-Mind Gu] (Part 1)

Qin Yutong said coldly, "Having said I won't save, I won't save!"

Hu Xiaotian knew her nature; Qin Yutong is outwardly cold but inwardly firm. Once she decides on something, it's hard to change her mind. If he kept pressing, it would only provoke her resentment, leaving no room for maneuver. So he changed the subject, saying: "What are you doing in Yunyang? Did you miss me?" with a shameless, self-satisfied look.

Qin Yutong said, "You're already married to Long Xi Yue; as a married man, saying such things— isn't that shameless and lacking propriety?"

Hu Xiaotian gazed into Qin Yutong's eyes and said affectionately, "Your eyes can't fool me; I know how you feel about me in your heart."

Qin Yutong actually felt flustered under his gaze; her long black lashes drooped, and she whispered, "Hu Xiaotian, are you trying to use a beauty trap to force me to save someone?"

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but laugh heartily at her words; no matter what, Qin Yutong finally admitted she thought he was a handsome man.

Qin Yutong obviously realized why he was laughing, and she snorted, "A horse doesn't know its face is long— you're like a lump of charcoal, yet you act all superior and pretend to be suave; I can't fathom why so many women like you— are they all blind?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled narrowly and said, "Because I have my strengths; you'll find out for yourself later."

"Shameless!" Qin Yutong shouted angrily with raised eyebrows, her pretty face already flushed; if she weren't wearing a human-skin mask, her face would surely be bright red.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Miss Qin, you're overthinking it; I never expected someone as pure as you to twist my meaning."

Qin Yutong was so angry she was lost for words; indeed, literally speaking, his earlier remarks were not wrong. But she had certainly not misinterpreted his meaning— this bastard was just shamelessly teasing her.

Hu Xiaotian knew the principle of stopping while ahead; Qin Yutong is thin-skinned, and teasing should have limits— if he really angered her, things might not end well, given her nature she might even cut ties with him. So he timely brought up a topic that would interest Qin Yutong: "By the way, I discovered some strange things when I went to the Wuxian Sect's main altar on Purple Dragon Mountain this time."

Qin Yutong was already on the verge of an outbreak; hearing his words instantly sparked her interest, but she couldn't let her composure show, so she stared at Hu Xiaotian with icy eyes, expressing her contempt for him in that way.

Hu Xiaotian still wore a grin as he said, "I also crossed swords with Ren Tianqing and Lady Meizhuang, barely escaping with my life."

Qin Yutong sneered, "For that demoness, you really don't care about your own life at all."

Hu Xiaotian said, "If it were you in trouble, I would certainly sacrifice my life to save you." This guy never misses a chance to profess his feelings.

Qin Yutong's expression remained calm; she seemed unmoved by his words of affection.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Come with me!" He led Qin Yutong to his study and displayed the winged armor stored there for her to view.

Seeing the set of winged armor, Qin Yutong's beautiful eyes lit up, and she murmured, "Where did you get this dragon-wing armor?" Although she knew Hu Xiaotian should have obtained this set from the Wuxian Sect's main altar, she couldn't help asking about his experience.

Hu Xiaotian then recounted in full his trip to Purple Dragon Mountain to rescue Xi Yan at the Wuxian Sect's main altar; he is naturally eloquent, his story vivid and lively, with key moments exaggerated and embellished, making Qin Yutong feel as if she were there, her heart rising and falling with his perilous ordeal. When Hu Xiaotian finished, Qin Yutong whispered, "You mean the Wuxian Sect's main altar was destroyed by a volcanic eruption? Did the others die?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I can confirm the Wuxian Sect's main altar was destroyed, but I don't know whether Meizhuang and Ren Tianqing managed to escape; I hope that pair of scoundrels got swallowed by the lava." Actually he knew deep down that possibility was slim, given Ren Tianqing and Lady Meizhuang's abilities—they likely could have escaped.

Qin Yutong said, "The Wuxian Sect's abilities aren't limited to controlling poisonous insects; many of them are also skilled beast tamers."

Seeing Qin Yutong's anger subside, Hu Xiaotian seized the moment to ask, "Did you come see me this time for something important?"

Qin Yutong nodded and said, "I want you to take me to the Dakang Imperial Palace to see the Long Ling Shengjing with my own eyes."

Hu Xiaotian said, "All right, I'll accompany you."

Qin Yutong didn't speak; in fact, her purpose for coming this time was simply to have Hu Xiaotian accompany her.

Hu Xiaotian said, "When we were previously at the Sword Palace, I saw a set of your inner armor— is that the Phoenix Armor?"

Qin Yutong said, "How do you know?" She immediately realized something and nodded, "Must have been Meizhuang who told you, right?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "It was Granny Ying; Granny Ying said the former sect leader of the Wuxian Sect once passed the Creation Heart Scripture and the Phoenix Armor to a little girl." Gazing at Qin Yutong, he actually already understood that Qin Yutong was that little girl back then, and the former sect leader of the Wuxian Sect was her maternal grandmother.

Qin Yutong said, "You already know too much."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Now I start worrying you'll silence me."

Qin Yutong said, "Take me to see that demoness; I want to see what ailment she actually has."

Hu Xiaotian was overjoyed, thinking Qin Yutong had finally changed her mind and was willing to help treat Xi Yan's illness; he brought Qin Yutong to the room where Xi Yan was resting, where Long Xi Yue and Weisa were both keeping her company. Because they feared Xi Yan's lost consciousness might harm others, they had preemptively sealed her acupoints.

Qin Yutong and Long Xi Yue had been close confidantes since their time in Dakang; now, seeing each other again, their circumstances were vastly different from before. They exchanged a glance, and the warmth of reuniting after a long separation flowed between their hearts.

Weisa shook his head at Hu Xiaotian and sighed softly, "What she's afflicted with is not a soul-capturing technique."

Qin Yutong felt Xi Yan's pulse and examined her pupils, then said calmly, "Naturally it's not a soul-capturing technique; she's been infected with the Loss-of-Mind Gu."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Gu poison?"

Qin Yutong nodded and said, "It is the Wuxian Sect's most formidable gu technique, capable of controlling a person's consciousness and reducing them to a walking corpse."

Hearing this, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but feel tense: "Is there any way to save her?"

Qin Yutong shook her head and said, "I can't cure her; the solution must come from the one who cast the gu. To heal her, the caster must personally intervene, and I see her chances of recovery as minuscule."

Hu Xiaotian gritted his teeth and said, "That scoundrel Meizhuang— if I ever run into her, I'll make her wish for death but be unable to die!"

Regaining momentum, today I wrote five thousand characters; I aim to resume two updates of six thousand tomorrow! (To be continued~^~)