Chapter 89: Gu Maiden (2)

To implant the mother component of the Lust Gu, it must be placed within one’s body. After offering her heart’s blood, Tong Ling gained control over the gu insects effortlessly. She held the mother gu in her palm and directed it to burrow beneath her skin. Tong Ling watched as the gu insect moved under her flesh for a moment before calming down swiftly with her reassurance, disappearing without a trace.

As for the secondary gu…

Tong Ling retrieved the container, placing the secondary gu inside. When the mother gu does not control the secondary gu, they remain inactive.

Having completed this task, she lay back on the stone bed, her face pale. As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.

Upon waking from a restful slumber, Tong Ling felt about seventy to eighty percent recovered. Her heart had healed completely, and her skin was smooth as new, bringing a smile to her face. “I feel much better now, little M, thank you.”

In the consciousness sea, m577 uncomfortably turned away, showing only its fuzzy backside: [W-well, just don’t do that again in the future. If you had consulted me first, drawing your blood wouldn’t have been so frightening. There are many painless methods…]

Tong Ling chuckled softly, “Alright, from now on, I’ll come to you first when needed.”

Having tested the system’s limits with her actions, Tong Ling felt satisfied and thought, In the future, I can be even more unrestrained in pursuing my goals.

Returning to the Holy Priestess’s room, Tong Ling removed her tattered robes and retrieved a new dress from the wardrobe to change into.

Thankfully, those skinflint Xie family members hadn’t stripped away her dresses as well, but many of the female supporting character’s jewelry pieces were missing, which still infuriated Tong Ling.

Xi Ling’s fashion sense was quite simple, or rather, the attire for Holy Cult priestesses was uniformly consistent.

The dress was a uniform deep purple, fortunately stylish and gracefully flowing. On Xi Ling’s beauty, it looked even more stunning.

Something intriguing occurred to Tong Ling—while walking barefoot, her feet remained completely dust-free, and she felt weightless, barely sensing any discomfort from stepping on stones or grit.

For someone without martial skills to achieve this, either the priestess’s physique was extraordinary, or the villainess’s characterization endowed her with impressive poise. Consequently, Tong Ling decided to maintain her current appearance instead of seeking shoes to wear.

Regardless, every part of this body was strikingly beautiful, so there was no fear in showing it off.

Tong Ling discovered a hidden compartment within the room’s dressing table, where she found a small sachet containing a pale white flower called “Dew Orchid.” This flower remained unfading and emitted a captivating fragrance. As soon as Tong Ling hung the sachet around her neck, the poisonous insects surrounding her dispersed instantly. Finally, she could move about without being constantly followed by a swarm, giving off the unmistakable aura of a major villain.

The scent of the Dew Orchid mixed with her own unique aroma effectively repelled the toxic insects. Interestingly, the female supporting character had originally obtained this flower for Xie Xuefeng. During their romance, women often strive to present their best selves before their beloved. In the past, despite being surrounded by poisonous insects, the female supporting character never seemed bothered. Tong Ling surmised that, despite the character’s breathtaking beauty, her naive and childlike understanding of love might have been due to these insects deterring potential suitors away.

Seeing a beauty enveloped by venomous creatures would send chills down anyone’s spine, instantly dissipating any romantic interest. However, Xie Xuefeng managed to overlook this unusual sight, maintaining a composed demeanor while conversing amicably with Xi Ling—a hallmark trait of a skilled heartbreaker.

However, Tong Ling found Xie Xuefeng’s tactics rather clumsy. No normal person could remain completely unfazed by such a swarm of venomous insects. His unwavering calmness was clearly suspicious! He might deceive naive souls like Xi Ling, who had little worldly experience, but anyone more vigilant would undoubtedly question his identity and motives.

Tong Ling also considered Xie Xuefeng’s emotional manipulation to be inadequate. The female supporting character had deeply loved him and willingly wanted to assist him. Yet, instead, he pushed her towards darkness, causing chaos not only in their engagement but throughout the entire jianghu. If he had been truly skilled at deceit, none of these problems would have arisen.

Tong Ling packed her belongings, including spare clothes, daily essentials, and a meager amount of silver coins, then left the dilapidated Holy Cult, heading towards the Central Plains.

The female supporting character had spent years within the Holy Cult without ever venturing elsewhere.

As soon as Tong Ling set out, she encountered a dilemma—the Holy Cult was located too remotely, deep in the mountains where finding a carriage seemed impossible.

“Am I really supposed to walk down this mountain?” Tong Ling asked the system. “Don’t you have any cheats like ‘Divine Speed’ or ‘Shrinking Steps’? Making me cover such a long distance on foot is just cruel!”

Feeling helpless, m577 responded: 【Female supporting characters cannot possess martial arts; it’s part of their characterization.】

Tong Ling’s eyes flickered with an idea. “Fine, then I’ll solve this problem using the female supporting character’s way.” As she spoke, her wrist twisted, revealing a verdant green insect on her hand. She allowed the insect to enter her body and issued a command—control her movements to walk down the mountain.

This type of insect was called a slave insect, commonly used by the Holy Cult for domination. Once afflicted, the victim became akin to a slave, devoid of independent thought or control over their body during manipulation. The gu master could direct the infected person to perform any action, making them the ultimate obedient servant.

Strong-willed individuals could resist such poison insects, but it would result in excruciating headaches, akin to living through unbearable torment. If not swiftly countered to expel the insect from the body, the pain would intensify until the afflicted person relents, sinking back into a state of unconscious subjugation.

After casting the spell, Tong Ling’s consciousness returned to her consciousness sea, giggling, “Ah, being a Gu Woman is truly amazing.”

m577 watched helplessly as its host effortlessly navigated through the mountains: 【??】

Is this how gu can be used? Can one truly cast a gu on oneself and then control their own actions? Is that even possible?

Tong Ling casually said, “Come on, let’s watch a short film to avoid getting too bored on the journey.”

[…]

m577 opened a projection and selected a marathon-themed movie for the host to view: [Watch this; it’s most fitting for your current situation.]

Tong Ling promptly delivered a mental punch to the system. Only after the system obediently found and played a relaxing vacation film did her mood improve.

By the time the movie finished, the slave insect had guided the female supporting character’s body down the mountain. Tong Ling recalled the slave insect and began surveying her surroundings.

At the foot of the mountain lay a village inhabited by various ethnic minorities. Numerous farmhouses dotted the area, with assorted shops lining both sides of the road. As Tong Ling took a few steps, she noticed locals staring at her in bewilderment. As she approached, their gazes grew more vacant, muttering incessantly:

“Mom and Dad, I’ve seen Asharia!”

“Asharia!”

The playing children excitedly shouted, “Asharia has arrived, the sun will now hide!”

m577 promptly explained, “Asharia is the most beautiful goddess worshipped by this ethnic group. According to legend, Asharia’s beauty captivated countless suitors. The Sun God, enamored with her, took her as his wife. However, Asharia did not love him; she fell for the Moon God instead. In the end, Asharia and the Moon God eloped together, leaving the Sun God filled with shame and anguish, too embarrassed to face others.”

Tong Ling couldn’t help but chuckle at this tale. “Why do I feel like every beauty goddess ends up cuckolding their husband?”

“This is meant to celebrate free love!” m577 retorted, “How come you only focus on the cuckold aspect?!”

While Tong Ling conversed with the system, a dark-skinned youth with bright, spirited eyes approached her. He asked, “Sister Asharia, d…do you need any assistance?” His gaze swept over Tong Ling’s bundles, then, blushing, he eagerly promoted, “If you’re traveling far, our family’s carriage service can safely deliver you to your destination!”

As if fate had intervened, Tong Ling nodded gratefully. “I need to go to the Central Plains. Can your family’s carriage service take me there?”

“The Central Plains…” The youth hadn’t expected such a distant journey, but upon seeing the woman’s face opposite him, he quickly responded, “Yes! I can personally drive the carriage to ensure your safe arrival, Sister!”

“How much would the fare be?” Tong Ling was so impoverished that she barely managed to get by!

The young man scratched his head, bashfully responding, “If you tell me your name, sister, I can offer you a free ride.”

Upon hearing this exchange, others quickly caught on. Several young men from the village rushed over to Tong Ling, promoting themselves:

“I can take you! My family’s horses are robust and strong, capable of reaching any destination without issue!”

“Our horse-drawn carriage has soft cushions, ensuring a comfortable journey whether sitting or lying down!”

”…”

Tong Ling whispered to the system, “The villagers here are incredibly hospitable. Good mountains and waters truly nurture kind people. Maybe I could even enjoy free meals and lodging in the future.”

[…]

[Shouldn’t the standards for the Holy Cult’s priestess be higher?]

And with such behavior, how could she revive the Holy Cult’s reputation?

As the group of young men eagerly vied for her attention, a deep voice suddenly cut through.

“I’ll escort you.” The youth seemed quite influential; as soon as he spoke, most of the gathered crowd dispersed immediately.

The dark-faced youth who had first approached Tong Ling grimaced and complained, “Sanar, I thought you weren’t interested in such business…”

Sanar gripped the knife at his waist firmly. “I’ll escort her.”

The dark-faced youth fell silent, then stepped aside, mumbling, “Fine, since your martial skills are superior and none of us can beat you.”

As soon as the dark-faced youth moved aside, the remaining half-hearted contenders reluctantly backed off, leaving Tong Ling suddenly unencumbered.

Once the crowd dispersed, Tong Ling got a clear look at Sanar.

Unlike the tanned villagers around him, Sanar’s skin was extremely fair. Not only was his skin pale, but his hair and eyebrows were also snow-white. Despite the warm weather, while others dressed lightly, Sanar was fully covered. He wore all-black attire, including long boots, a black hooded cloak, and a crimson curved blade sheathed at his waist, clearly marking him as a skilled swordsman.

He appeared quite young, with a hint of childlike innocence still visible on his face. Yet, he possessed striking beauty. It was a delicate allure, characterized by high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, sharp brows, and luminous gaze, exuding an aura of aloof coldness when looking at others.

Tong Ling noticed that Sanar’s irises were pinkish-red, confirming her suspicion… This young man, Sanar, was naturally afflicted with albinism.

Realizing Sanar’s sensitivity to light, Tong Ling proactively walked up to him and suggested, “Let’s talk somewhere in the shade.”

Sanar gave her a surprised glance but didn’t object, closely following behind her.

They stood under the cool shadow of a tree. Before Tong Ling could speak, Sanar asked, “Are you a priestess from the Holy Cult?”

Raising an eyebrow, Tong Ling realized that while everyone else mistook her for Asharia, Sanar had correctly identified her. Could this young man have some connection to the Holy Cult?

“What if I am, and what if I’m not?” Tong Ling moved closer to Sanar. “I only care about one thing - can you take me to the Central Plains?”