Chapter 843: line with translation of chapter title

The matter between Liu Junyan and Little Old Three was finally settled; Xiao Jiu had just let out a breath when she received a letter from Bái Sōnglán.

Bái Sōnglán had been afflicted with a Gu poison, and Guyun Que took her back to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to prepare a wedding; Xiao Jiu had never worried about it from the start.

She and Bái Sōnglán had known each other for years—leaving aside the Gu insect matter, just her medical skills, the countless pills and antidotes she held, and her masterful silver needles were enough for her to protect herself.

Guyun Que indeed had some cultivation, but he was barely twenty; in Bái Sōnglán's eyes he didn't even count as a younger brother.

Furthermore, Xiao Jiu had already read Bái Sōnglán's physiognomy beforehand, so she wasn't worried at all.

So, when Bái Jīngmò came to Yin Dang Hang seeking help at first, she chose to comfort Bái Jīngmò.

In secret, she also had people inquire about the situation in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, but no news came back until a few days ago when she finally got a clue.

It was said that many Gu masters had suddenly died there.

Xiao Jiu thus guessed that Bái Sōnglán's trip to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains was probably to stir up trouble.

Could it be that she truly loved that Gu insect too much to let go?

Or perhaps she truly felt something different for Guyun Que, flaring up in anger for a handsome guy?

Or… revenge?

She seemed never to have heard Bái Sōnglán say that she had any grudge against Gu masters.

For this matter, Xiao Jiu specially sought out Hui Moqiong to ask him carefully.

After all, they had once cultivated together in the Qinling Mountains, having relied on each other.

Hui Moqiong blurted out instinctively: "Nothing? Those years, aside from cultivating, she only had a one-sided love for the Copper Coin Person, and fell into inner demons and suffered the Heavenly Tribulation—I never heard of her having any dealings with Gu masters…"

As he spoke, Hui Moqiong suddenly paused, as if recalling something.

He slapped his forehead, vexed: "How could I have forgotten this!"

Xiao Jiu hurriedly asked: "Really?"

"Yes." Hui Moqiong said, "Back when we could cultivate together, I treated her like a real sister because we both had suffered terribly."

I had thirteen siblings, but only three remain—you know that; as for Shulan's side, it seems a junior of her clan met with misfortune, and even a sister who grew up with her was killed.

That person was a Gu master, a woman—what was her name again? Let me think.

That was ages ago; as a latercomer, Hui Moqiong hadn't been involved in many things, so naturally he doesn't remember them clearly.

But Hui Moqiong soon recalled: "That female Gu master was surnamed Ma, named Ma Yue'e. When I first met Shulan, she asked me to inquire about this person; unfortunately I was young and my abilities limited, so I found no information about Ma Yue'e. Later Shulan never mentioned it to me again, and after all these years I nearly forgot her—Xiao Jiu, why are you suddenly asking me about this?"

Xiao Jiu then shared her guess that Bái Sōnglán might have gone with Guyun Que to seek revenge.

Hui Moqiong sighed: "That little Guy is too young; he can't outplay Shulan. When the truth comes out, Shulan will dust off her clothes and leave, and that kid's world will probably collapse."

At that time Xiao Jiu rested her chin, thought, and said: "That isn't necessarily so."

In short, nobody was worried that Bái Sōnglán would suffer a loss.

Even upon receiving news of many Gu masters dying unnatural deaths, Xiao Jiu still judged that Bái Sōnglán would be returning soon.

By then she could question Bái Sōnglán about her experiences in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains without delay.

Yet unexpectedly, Bái Sōnglán herself hadn't returned, but her letter arrived first.

Xiao Jiu opened the letter, read it, and her brows furrowed.

Bái Sōnglán's letter was short—just three sentences, each packed with huge information.

"Xiao Jiu, upon seeing this letter it's as if we meet; I am all well."

"The Gu insect has been returned to Guyun Que; if he comes to Yin Dang Hang, hand over the silver box I left you to him."

"Guyun Que might be Wuling's blood relative."

"That's all."

Xiao Jiu felt her mind shaken upon reading it.

The first sentence reports safety but gives no return date, as if she were avoiding someone.

The second sentence gives the task; what secret still lies inside that silver box Xiao Jiu can't see, but Guyun Que might be able to.

When Bái Sōnglán originally left the silver box to herself, she was probably keeping a trump card.

The third sentence is what shocked Xiao Jiu the most.

Could Guyun Que really be Wuling's blood relative?

Wuling's original name was Guyun, indeed a surname.

But she never told Xiao Jiu that she also had a child!

No, no.

The timeline doesn't match.

Wuling has been dead for ten years; in the years before that she led a tumultuous, unsettled life, and before that she ran a teahouse merely to hide her whereabouts—she never dated, let alone bore a child.

Therefore Guyun Que cannot be Wuling's child, and the chance he is her brother is nearly zero.

Xiao Jiu analyzed over and over; the only possibility is that when Wuling left her clan, she still had relatives.

Guyun Que is the child left behind by those relatives!

Thus Wuling is likely Guyun Que's aunt—either paternal or maternal.

Of course, we cannot rule out a low-probability event.

No matter what, since Bái Sōnglán can tell me this, it shows she has basically figured it out.

Whenever Xiao Jiu thinks of the sins Wuling suffered back then, her grisly end in ashes and smoke, and how all of this is still tied to her by countless threads, she feels heartbroken.

This Guyun Que child, she must take charge of him.

Xiao Jiu at once contacted the people in Xiangxi and Southeast Guizhou, the remnants left by Wuling, asking them to reach out to Guyun Que; these people were originally Wuling's, and now handing them all to Guyun Que is the most appropriate arrangement.

After doing all this, Xiao Jiu actually found herself looking forward to the next time she meets Bái Sōnglán or Guyun Que.

But that day hasn't arrived yet, and something happened in Yin Dang Hang.

The cause was that Xiaoye said Little Old Three might soon need to break through to the next realm, requiring the sand-shedding process.

This 'sand' is not ordinary sand and stone, but gold sand.

The formation conditions for this gold sand are extremely harsh; its composition must simultaneously include gold, cinnabar, and various rare metals.

A thousand gold is hard to obtain.

Thus line: Xiaoye said the Linghai Dragon Palace has some, but it's far from enough.

Xiao Jiu found some at the Gui Shi, and also obtained some through Jin Wuya's connections, but in the end still lacked a bit.

In this process, Xiao Jiu had Hui Moqiong spread the news that Yin Dang Hang was collecting gold sand.

A few days after this news was released, at midnight, an old Daoist came to Yin Dang Hang, sneaking about.

The old Daoist's complexion looked somewhat poor; he was very thin, walking lightly as if treading on nothing, as if he might fall at any moment.

Xiao Jiu glanced over and first confirmed the person was human, then looked at his face, discovering that black qi swirled between the old Daoist's eyebrows, showing signs of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man.

That is…… he is about to die……