novelAncient Martial Arts Advancement, The Bai Family
| ← Ch.128 | Ch.130 → |
"Who are you?" Apart from the older people from the ancient martial arts world, the old Taoist priest had never seen such dense and profound strength in anyone else before. He clutched the talisman in his hand tightly, looking at Gu Xiqiao with fear in his eyes.
Gu Xiqiao raised her hand slightly, a flash of white light bursting out from her hands and shooting out into four directions.
The old Taoist's eyes followed the four lights, and realized that it wasn't coming toward him, but instead moving at least one meter away from him. The flow of the lights was unpredictable, and it took a long while before he realized that the space in front of him was twisting and getting distorted.
After a beat, he suddenly exclaimed, "This... this is the Four Elephant Array!"
The Four Elephant Array was an extremely ancient array, and the records in history indicated that it was a combination of the Eight Trigram Array in accordance with the five elements of the north, south, east, west to form the array. It was known to be an array that surged forward and around endlessly, a mysterious force that was extremely powerful.
The array required four formation masters to draw up concurrently, and required for the four masters to have a certain level of bonds between each other. It was absolutely impossible for one person to perform it!
However, at this moment, the old Taoist priest was witnessing a single person performing this array with his own eyes, how was that possible!
He was still caught up in his astonishment that he didn't realize he had been trapped, he was still staring in awe at Gu Xiqiao, but what he didn't know was that this was a skill that was unique to Gu Xiqiao. Eight Trigram, Six Formation, Four Elephant Array, no matter what formation there was, she could do it all by herself. This was her natural talent.
The system had said countless times that she was talented, and these were not empty words, she just possessed a talented, heavenly gift.
The old Taoist priest was trapped in another dimension, where there were endless waves of energy attacking him from all sides, multiplying as the time passed by.
If this continued, he would definitely die being trapped here. The old Taoist priest gritted his teeth, choosing to utilize the protection talisman on his belt. Heavenly Lightning, no matter how painful it was, he had to use it. He could still get out while the talisman would be used, but if he lost his life then there would be nothing left.
Boom!
As soon as the Heavenly Lightning Talisman was used, a bright white thunder pierced through the sky, like a silver majestic sword illuminating the entire earth.
Yao Jiamu lifted his hands to cover his eyes, and he looked toward Xixi, before looking back at Gu Xiqiao, "Do we not help her?"
"My duty is to protect you, " Xixi said, twisted its large body to stand in front of Yao Jiamu. Sigh, humans were really weak, they wouldn't survive without it here with them, and then it looked at Yao Jiamu."Even if you go up there, aren't you just going to your death?"
Yao Jiamu: Although Xixi is right, I also really want to beat Xixi to death right now!
Boom!
Boom!
The wind and rain clashed down together with the thunder, the wails and screeches like a shrieking ghost. The sounds were getting louder as it continued to strike, and the lights were getting brighter as it went on. A thick pillar of light descended from the sky, breaking through the Four Elephants Array!
This was the power of natural forces. In the face of the two users, every other method was useless.
Gu Xiqiao raised her head, looking at the flashing lightning above. Her gaze was deep, and the rainwater would evaporate before it touched her, a transparent barrier forming about one meter around her.
The old Taoist priest who had used the Heavenly Lightning wasn't doing any better, he was kneeling on the floor, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. Seeing that Gu Xiqiao was wholly intact and unharmed, he was flabbergasted. How was this possible? How could she not be hurt at all by the power of the lightning?!
The old Taoist priest whose world was in shambles by what he had just witnessed could only stare at Gu Xiqiao for a long time. He had been injured badly by the lightning, and most of his skills had already been used up. He needed at least three to five years to recover from this, and after deliberating the pros and cons for a while, he pulled out a Teleport Talisman and left instantly to save his own life.
Gu Xiqiao ignored him, standing stiffly where she was. She closed her eyes, and a dazzling white light rose from her body, overshadowing the lightning immediately.
As though pulled toward her, the lightning started to move toward her.
"Miss Gu, is she okay?!" Yao Jiamu couldn't help but want to run to her direction to help, but Xixi caught him with its claws.
Xixi who had become big, its eyes were big and beady as it stared at Gu Xiqiao for a long time. It could feel the dense and profound energy in Gu Xiqiao rotating rapidly, and the piece of sky above her was also filled with a vortex of chi.
"Beauty Qiao has managed to advance again?!" Xixi squawked, stunned. Didn't she just reach Tendon Forging recently, and now with a blink of an eye, she's advanced to Fleet Foot?!
Fleet Foot was the real dividing line in the ancient martial arts world. When you reached this position, you could start using the forces of nature. There were tens of thousands of ancient warriors in China, but there were only less than hundreds of them who had reached the level of Fleet Foot. This also included the ones from the reclusive families, and there hadn't been anyone in the history that had reached Fleet Foot at her age. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that she was second to none in the past five hundred years.
Yao Jiamu didn't feel much of anything toward Gu Xiqiao's advancement, he didn't know how terrifying of a matter it was. He just saw the lightning that kept striking Gu Xiqiao, and he was worried."What's going on with that lightning?"
Xixi's eyes were still on her, its eyes blazing."That's the power of nature. Beauty Qiao has really done the impossible. The power of thunder and lightning, there really is nothing in this world that can stop her."
***
In a residential area not far from here, a boy who looked to be five or six years old stood in front of his window and shouted, "Which fellow Taoist is summoning this catastrophe?"
His mother, who rushed over to accompany him in worry that he was scared.... Was her son crazy?
***
Half a beat later, Gu Xiqiao had finished'summoning the catastrophe' and opened her eyes. Lightning flashed in her eyes for a moment, and it was captivating. She struggled to adjust for a long while before finally managing to keep the power and strength in her body under control.
Xixi looked at Gu Xiqiao, clearly feeling the terrifying aura that radiated from her, the same kind it felt when it faced Jiang Shuxuan.
"Beauty Qiao, you've advanced..." Xixi felt so frustrated, this was it. Now that she was stronger than it, she didn't need its protection anymore.
White, slender fingers raised slightly, a small purple electric sparked between them. Gu Xiqiao sighed, "Yeah, I've advanced." Finally.
Looking around at the messy courtyard, Gu Xiqiao willed all the rubble and mess away with just a thought."Let's go, to have a look at your Boss Bai."
"Oh." Yao Jiamu came back to himself. When he looked at Gu Xiqiao, it felt like something had changed. But when he looked at her face, it was the usual pale, white and glowing face. If he had to say there was any difference, it was probably... she had become even more fairy-like?
***
Boss Bai was talking to the priest of Kongshan Temple. He was a middle-aged man with a majestic and noble appearance, with elegant brows. Only, his forehead seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious black mist.
"Master, please just be upfront with me." Boss Bai had been involved in the underworld all his life, with the blood of countless people on his hands, though none of them were ordinary people. He also never believed in ghosts or gods, but the recent happenings were just too strange and out of this world.
There were two bullets in his body, and one of them had almost claimed his life. If he was killed due to vengeance, then that would be fine to him. However, this was a fight between two gangs, and he was completely uninvolved and innocent of this matter.
Even while driving he was suddenly hit by a truck out of nowhere, if Yao Jiamu wasn't in the car, he probably would have died on the spot.
And even while walking, there were vases that fell from the air...
At Yao Jiamu's convincing, Boss Bai finally went to find a priest. The first one he sought out was Master Chang Kong, a famous priest who was well known in Kongshan Temple.
Once he had reached the temple, he was caught up with a Taoist priest that said there was a calamity that was going to befall him. Boss Bai didn't know why he stopped in his steps, but only when a novice monk came up to him to inform him that Master Chang Kong had reached did he move from there.
Master Chang Kong's eyebrows were white, a gentle expression on his face, his gaze kind and warm. Sitting beside him, Boss Bai was able to feel the peace and calm radiation from the old man, and felt his own frustration on the recent happenings wash away.
His gaze finally came away from the window, and Master Chang Kong clasped his palm together and looked at Boss Bai."Amitabha, I already know the troubles of the benefactor. But the one who will save you is not I, but another."
"Another?" Boss Bai couldn't help but blink."And where is that other person? Where will I find them?"
"They have already appeared, " Master Chang Kong said, his gaze returning to the window."I imagine you will be meeting them very soon."
Just as he said that, a novice monk knocked on the door."Master Priest, there are some guests looking for Benefactor Bai."
"They are here. Please return, Benefactor Bai."
Ah Gen, who was waiting outside the door, came up to him when he saw Boss Bai leave the room."Boss, Yao Jiamu has come to see you."
Yao Jiamu? Could the person Master Chang Kong was talking about be Yao Jiamu? Boss Bai walked in large strides to the outside, and because he was walking in such a hurry, he almost tripped and fell into the mud when he reached the doorframe.
Boss Bai, who has never been this unlucky in his life: "..."
Yao Jiamu and Gu Xiqiao were standing in the courtyard. There was a pond full of lotus leaves in it, but you could hardly see any lotus flowers. There were dim lanterns hanging in the place, the lights were not bright, but it was just enough to see where you were walking.
Xixi had returned to its normal size, and was perched on Gu Xiqiao's shoulders. Seeing Boss Bai who had almost tripped, it couldn't resist the urge to flap its wings and fly toward Boss Bai, making circles around him as it cried out, "So stupid! So stupid! So stupid!"
Yao Jiamu, who was watching Xixi imitate a parrot with all its might: No matter how much you pretend to be a parrot, you can't hide the fact that you're a mythical beast!
Boss Bai, who had been mocked: This bird is gorgeous, this bird was only telling the truth, and although it is just a bird, although it is bad to be petty toward a bird, but... he really wants to pinch it to death, what do?
"Xixi, come back." Gu Xiqiao turned around, her brows furrowing slightly.
Xixi clicked its beak shut immediately, flying back to her shoulder in contentment. However, the eyes that looked at Boss Bai were still full of mocking laughter.
Boss Bai wasn't looking at Xixi anymore, but his eyes were instead on the girl beside Yao Jiamu. She was obviously there the entire time, but he hadn't noticed her until she made a move. He didn't even sense her presence the whole time before that.
Seeing her in that instant, Boss Bai was sure that the person Master Chang Kong had been talking about was her!
The girl exuded a fairy-like aura, similar to those immortals in stories, and she had exquisite beauty. When she looked over, he seemed to see purple lightning in her dark, obsidian eyes.
Boss Bai shook his head a little, trying to rid the thoughts in his head, and turned to Yao Jiamu.
Yao Jiamu scratched his head awkwardly."Boss Bai, didn't you say you wanted to meet your savior? It's actually Miss Gu, and since she was coincidentally at the temple today, I brought her to meet you."
Boss Bai had wanted to see the person who possessed such a miracle medicine, it had stopped the bleeding as soon as it touched his wounds, which stopped him from bleeding out in that instant.
In Boss Bai's eyes, the person who had saved him that time didn't have a big figure, but it wasn't small either. However, although he didn't expect the person to be as big as his memory, he wasn't expecting such a small figure either, and she even looked smaller than Yao Jiamu?
"Miss Gu, pleased to meet you." Boss Bai felt that Yao Jiamu would use this matter to tease him in the future, but he suddenly remembered Master Chang Kong's words again, that his savior was here. Could he have been talking about Miss Gu?
Looking at the youthful face in front of him, Boss Bai couldn't help but bite his lip. The savior that would help him was this doll-like girl, was it possible?
Gu Xiqiao glanced at Boss Bai, and suddenly opened her mouth, "Boss Bai, I would like to ask you a personal question. Have you any grievances with the Bai family from the Imperial Capital?"
Boss Bai froze at the question, lifting his head to look at Gu Xiqiao, the surprise clear in his eyes.
Even the older generations in the Imperial Capital weren't aware that he was actually part of the Bai family, and thought that he was just an abandoned child. Back then, his parents were both engaged in a research project in the laboratory when it suddenly exploded. On that day, Boss Bai became an orphan.
It was hard to survive in the Imperial Capital as an orphan without the protection of their parents, and soon after that, the head of the Bai family passed away, leaving the group of siblings to fight over the family inheritance. He was thrown into a baseless accusation by them, and was chased out of the Bai family the next day.
After he was chased out, he didn't give up on life or himself. He started from the bottom, mixing into the underworld of the Imperial Capital. The entertainment clubs in Jing Capital were now all under his control, and once the Bai family had found out, they wanted him back in the family, and he had outrightly refused to return.
Very few people were aware of his history, and once he had made a name for himself, he made sure that all of the previous records were destroyed. No one in the world knew about his relationship with the Bai family, so how did this girl know?
And it was at that moment, he suddenly believed everything that Master Chang Kong had said, that this girl in front of him was going to be his savior.
As he thought about this, he looked to Gu Xiqiao and opened his mouth, "So you're saying that the Bai family has lashed out at me because of this?"
Gu Xiqiao was silent for a while, pondering, "Put out your hand."
Boss Bai stretched out his left hand, he still harboured doubt toward Gu Xiqiao. On one hand, he thought that she was an enigma, but on the other hand, she was so very young. Could a doll-like girl like her really be able to pierce through the heavens?
There were flickers of electricity crackling softly on her white fingertips, and Gu Xiqiao slowly drew a symbol on the palm of Boss Bai's hand. The symbol drawn with purple light floated above his palm, lingering for a few seconds before completely vanishing.
"The Soul Extinguishing Seal, it serves to transfer the luck of the recipient to the caster. The recipient continues to run into increasingly bad luck as the days pass, and finally the recipient's soul will dissipate after seven days, never knowing the real reason behind their death, " Gu Xiqiao explained while she drew."Releasing this requires the right time and place. I've temporarily sealed the powers of the talisman on you, and I'll release it completely for you on the night of the full moon in a few days' time."
Yao Jiamu could see the distorted space slightly, and he saw the air in front of Boss Bai twisting a bit before returning to normal.
Boss Bai's eyes were wide when he heard that he could have died in seven days and not know the reason. He looked at his own palm for a long while, before turning his eyes toward Gu Xiqiao with disbelief on his face."That's it?"
Gu Xiqiao didn't reply, but Yao Jiamu was the one who came forward, speaking to him in a low voice, "Yeah Boss Bai, the magnetic field around you has returned to normal."
The magnetic field around him? What the hell was that? He opened his mouth, gaping like a goldfish, looking at Yao Jiamu as though he wanted to ask something, but no words came out from his mouth in the end.
"Miss Benefactor, this is what the Master Priest has instructed me to give you." The novice monk walked over, holding a piece of paper in his hands.
Gu Xiqiao took it from him, "Thank you, Master-in-training."
She opened it and there were six words written on it: Since we're here, take it easy[1].
What did it mean? Could it be possible that he knew that she was someone who had been reborned?
She repeated the words silently in her mind, and stared at the note for a long time before her eyes flashed, opening her mouth suddenly, "Master-in-training, the lotus flowers here have yet to bloom for many years here, right?"
The little novice monk looked over to the pond, sighing as he said, "Ever since Kongshan Temple was built, I have never seen the sacred plant bloom."
Gu Xiqiao nodded slightly, then she turned to walk in the direction of the pond. Once she reached it, she knelt down and touched the water in the pond. The water was cool, and she lowered her gaze, a huge force of natural energy flowing out from her slender fingers that were still in the water.
Master Chang Kong, who was in the meditation room, opened his eyes suddenly, the prayer beads in his hands had stopped moving. He looked in the direction of the pond, "Amitabha, excellent."
The next day, the sacred flowers in Kongshan Temple which had not bloomed for many years had suddenly flowered overnight. It became a topic of interest for many people, as well as adding a lot of pilgrims for the temple.
The lotus flowers that had bloomed overnight were full of mysterious aura, and was a miracle all by itself. Many people came to admire this miracle, hoping to be able to bath in the mythical aura that surrounded it.
The novice monk greeted yet another group of pilgrims, and his eyes strayed to look at the sacred flowers again. He was the only one who knew that the flowers hadn't bloomed overnight, but it had bloomed in just an instant. When the young miss had placed her hand into the water, the entire pond flowered immediately, and that was really a scene of a miracle.
"Amitabha." Thinking of this, the young novice monk clasped his hand, reciting a prayer.
***
Xu Jing had been invited over to dinner by Jiang Shuxhuan, but it was just too busy at the student council. As a freshman, this was the time Xu Jing needed to perform well, and she would face the challenges head first with a positive mindset, unlike Gu Xiqiao, who was lazy to a certain extent. With that mindset, she thought that having dinner at Gu Xiqiao's place could be done any other day, and decided to postpone it.
Gu Xiqiao didn't have many issues regarding this matter, and she had also calculated that the next full moon would be in a few days, the Mid-Autumn Festival. Because it was close to the National Day, she had asked Xu Jing not to return home. It was just a good time to invite all the lonely people to have a good meal at her home.
Ever since Gu Xiqiao had drawn the array on his palm, Boss Bai felt that nothing big or bad had happened to him in the past few days. Even while he was walking on the streets, no random flowerpot would appear above his head. There was no appearance of a truck with sudden brake failure when he was driving alone along on the roads, and no small pebbles to trip him over...
Word had reached him on the miracle of Kongshan Temple, and he knew it wasn't just hearsay, he had witnessed it with his own eyes after all. The lotus flowers had gradually opened as far as the eye could see, and he felt like he could practically see the golden light shining from behind her figure, like the Buddha who had reached enlightenment.
At that, Boss Bai couldn't help himself, reaching out to Yao Jiamu, "Xiao Yao, what deity is Miss Gu?"
Yao Jiamu: Boss Bai, didn't you say you don't believe in ghosts and gods? Didn't you say that she was just a young little girl? How does it feel now that it's all coming back to slap you in the face? Does it feel good?
Seeing the meaning behind Yao Jiamu's eyes, Boss Bai felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed. He had not believed it at first. Anyone who laid eyes on such a beautiful and charming girl wouldn't have believed that she was some great master, right?
Having these thoughts in his head, Boss Bai straightened up, his eyes flashing, "I know better now, and it's not too late to realize it. Un, what should I prepare for Great Master Gu?"
"Money, " Yao Jiamu said with no hesitation, then he thought of Gu Xiqiao's habit of investing in the antique market, and thought that she might prefer these kinds of things."Items that are more ancient in nature, the more antique and expensive an item is, the more she likes."
Money? Antiques? Boss Bai felt a relief course through him, these were things that were easy enough to handle. As long as it was things that ordinary people couldn't find, he would be able to obtain it.
In terms of antiques, that was even easier for him. He owned an auction house and there were tons of antiques that he handled in them, with just one order he had them all withdrawn from the market. After it had been transported over, he got Yao Jiamu to bring Gu Xiqiao over to have a look at the items.
Of course, Yao Jiamu wouldn't object to any of this. Gu Xiqiao had expended so much energy and effort, it wasn't weird to accept some things in return, right?
As for Boss Bai, these things were just a drop in the ocean. What could compare to his own life?
Gu Xiqiao, who had received a massive amount of items that she is very interested in: She seemed to have stumbled upon a bright road that would lead to riches...
The system spirit's mouth twitched upwards. [Beauty Qiao, if you want to be rich, disregarding Nine Heavens company, even the investment portfolio that you just started is already raking in money every day, and you still want to earn extra money?]
"It's not the same, " Gu Xiqiao replied, her voice solemn, "The money I make is just that, money. These antiques are treasures that have been hidden away by people, and I would have to exert a lot of effort in order to find them. This way is great, it saves me the trip of going to the antique market."
System: Saying that you won't make a run to the antique market is something I won't believe.
Contrary to Boss Bai, Bai Xinran felt that something was wrong with herself lately. Firstly, the audition role that was initially already in her hands was snatched out by someone from B University. The director wasn't afraid of the Bai family name, and he didn't even give her any other female role to replace the role that had been taken.
Then she suddenly had diarrhea during a selection competition for a big performance, and had to abruptly miss it...
With so many things befalling her, some trivial and some not, she began to wonder whether she was also cursed. She had taken a peek at the talisman under Gu Xiqiao's bed, but the talisman was still in place and looked like it hadn't been touched. However, Gu Xiqiao looked fine, and it seemed like nothing had affected her?
It has almost been seven days, and she was still alive and kicking like normal. Could it be that the curse had failed?
Impossible, Bai Xinran thought as she shook her head. This was the method of that expert in the family, and it had never been wrong.
As for the things that had been happening to herself, it was all surely just a coincidence, for sure. It had to be a coincidence. Bai Xinran breathed a sigh of relief when she thought about it thoroughly and felt convinced at that, turning her glance toward Gu Xiqiao, who was lying on the bed while chatting with Xu Jing. She plastered a smile on her face as she said, "There's a banquet tomorrow evening for my birthday, the both of you have to come, definitely."
Xu Jing frowned, thinking about what kind of nonsense was Bai Xinran talking now, and was about to reject immediately when Gu Xiqiao spoke up instead, "Un, we'll be sure to be there on time."
'What has gotten into your head, you gone crazy?' Xu Jing's expression spoke volumes as she looked at Gu Xiqiao, using her gaze to relay her thoughts.
Gu Xiqiao thoughts for a while before returning a look, just to see what the hell the Bai family have.
Of course, Xu Jing didn't understand Gu Xiqiao's answering gaze."Sigh, I don't understand what you're trying to say."
Letting out a light sigh, Gu Xiqiao looked at her again, "It was more of a test of intelligence. Be good, it's better if you didn't understand it."
Xu Jing: Gu Xiqiao you really want to pick a fight with me, is it?
***
The next day evening, three people were preparing to leave the dorms to the Bai family residence. Xu Jing had rummaged through her wardrobe the entire day before finally finding a suitable dress, instantly admiring her mother's wise words and prediction.
Naturally, you had to dress glamorously when you attended a banquet. When Xu Jing turned around, she found Gu Xiqiao sitting on the bed playing with her phone as usual, wearing her usual jeans and T-shirt.
"Hurry up and change!" Xu Jing roared at her like a lion.
Gu Xiqiao picked at her piercings, "We're only going to play at the Bai family house, why do I need to change my clothes as though I look up to them?"
Xu Jing smiled, and thought that maybe Gu Xiqiao just didn't have an evening dress. She pulled out one of hers which was very exquisite, throwing it on the bed, "Hey, go and change into this. You have to dazzle everyone with your beauty tonight. Just think about it, you will be the centre of attraction at a banquet meant for Bai Xinran. Won't she just tremble with rage, puke blood and die? Let her regret inviting you!"
Reaching out to the evening gown, Gu Xiqiao threw it back to her, saying lightly, "It's too big."
Xu Jing: We can remain friends if we don't talk about our weight.
In the end, there wasn't any other way, so Gu Xiqiao put on her own floral dress that she had brought along.
After she had changed, Xu Jing gave an absent-minded glance at her, and was floored immediately. She knew that Gu Xiqiao had always been plain, not wearing any makeup or accessories. The girl in front of her was wearing a pastel yellow floral dress, highlighting her jade-like complexion, with ink black hair tumbling down to her waist like a waterfall. She made for a stunningly glorious sight, the awe-inspiring aura that she exuded when she walked with confidence, it was simply breathtaking.
"Can we go now, ancestor?" Gu Xiqiao yawned, squinting her eyes at Xu Jing.
Xu Jing snapped out of her daze. Even though she was displaying such unladylike actions, she still felt that Gu Xiqiao was stunning.
As they were all from the same dormitory, Sun Jiajia had also made the trip with them. Bai Xinran's address had been sent over to them long ago, and it was a villa on the mountainside. When they got off the car, Sun Jiajia gazed at the beautiful villa in front of her. She had only ever seen this villa on TV, and she couldn't help but reach over to cover her mouth with her hands, her mouth opened in stunned surprise for a long while. Her eyes were filled with admiration as she continued to stare at the villa."Xinran's family... is really really rich."
Even though the fact that Bai Xinran hailed from a rich family was well known, Sun Jiajia was still shocked when she saw the glorious villa.
Neither Gu Xiqiao nor Xu Jing responded to this comment, staying silent and calm.
The inside of the villa was even more luxurious, and Bai Xinran had invited a lot of people tonight.
When Gu Xiqiao arrived, Bai Xinran was talking to a few other ladies. The moment her eyes landed on Gu Xiqiao, the smile on her face slowly faded, because most of the people had turned their gaze toward Gu Xiqiao when she walked in.
"Xinran, is that your roommate?" One of Bai Xinran's friends asked as she looked at Gu Xiqiao, "Doesn't she know it's your birthday? She dares to dress like that, as though intentionally stealing the limelight from you?"
Bai Xinran plastered a smile on her face, ignoring the comment, "They are all my friends, let me introduce you."
"You're really out of your mind." Some of Bai Xinran's friends exchange glances, determined to teach this ignorant girl who didn't know her place a lesson on behalf of Bai Xinran.
Gu Xiqiao, who had not done anything: Even if she said anything, you wouldn't believe it. She really didn't do anything, just changed into a dress, she didn't even put on makeup.
Walking to Gu Xiqiao's side, seeing her flawless profile, jealousy was written on all of her friends' faces, "Miss, we have never seen you at any banquet before. Which Imperial Capital family do you come from?"
There was sarcasm and mocking underneath the tone.
"Sorry, I'm from N City." Gu Xiqiao raised her glass, observing the Bai family carefully on the inside, while maintaining a casual look on the outside.
Upon hearing her answer, the rich little ladies couldn't hide the trace of contempt in their eyes. N City was no different than a village from the countryside in their eyes.
"N City? I think there was a servant in my house that comes from N City." One of them said, giggling behind a hand covering their mouth.
Gu Xiqiao wasn't bothered by these small insults, but Xu Jing couldn't take it lying down."I think Niuniu from our house is also from the Imperial Capital. Oh, you definitely don't know what Niuniu is, right? It's our family dog, and it's really adorable."
"You!" It's just somebody from N City, how important can a person from N City be, and how big a backing could they bring out anyway?
These people naturally didn't place Gu Xiqiao to be anyone important in their eyes. Although the words were said by Xu Jing, the wine glass in the hands of a girl who was wearing a purple dress was thrown into the direction of Gu Xiqiao's delicate porcelain face.
Splash!
When it was thrown halfway, it suddenly splashed on her own face without reason.
The purple dressed girl looked at her own hands, her makeup ruined by the wine on her face. She looked particularly embarrassed, wiping her face as she looked at Gu Xiqiao, raising her right hand and flinging it toward Gu Xiqiao's face."You bitch!"
Splash!
She hadn't even landed her hand, and the person next to her suddenly lost control of their own hand, splashing the wine in her own hand on the purple dressed girl.
Splash!
Splash!
The wine in several other ladies' hands kept being thrown at the face of the purple dressed girl.
The scene attracted the eyes of many people around them.
"You! You all!" The purple dressed girl looked at all her friends, including Bai Xinran, in disbelief."Fine, fine! Just you wait!"
The aggrieved girl covered her face as she ran out in embarrassment.
Bai Xinran and the other girls wanted to explain, but they couldn't make any sound when they opened their mouths, and they couldn't even move a single step. When the girl was finally out of sight, they were able to move freely.
What the hell had happened? They looked at each other, traces of fear on their faces.
Gu Xiqiao withdrew her mental power, a grave look on her face. There was a wooden hut behind the villa, and there was nothing but malicious spirits in it. The Bai family... they had killed too much. Who knew how many innocent people had died by their hands?
There were countless puppets in the wooden hut, and one of them had Gu Xiqiao's name engraved on it!
Every doll represented a life, Gu Xiqiao also found the doll with Boss Bai's name inside.
What made her more enraged was the fact that there was a puppet of a three-year-old in the hut. Even if you have grudges, what did a child do to deserve it?
Boom!
Dark clouds suddenly covered the night sky which had been clear and bright, and a lightning bolt as thick as an arm struck down toward Bai Villa.
After some crackling and sizzling sounds, Bai Villa plunged into darkness. The power had gone out, and the lights outside the villa flickered rapidly. They heard the thunder breaking something, and the people in the hall were in a panicked state. They huddled together, some trembling in fear, fearing that the entire villa would be struck by lightning and collapse. They began to regret their decision to come to Bai Villa tonight.
After a few more flashes of lightning, the hut behind the villa was utterly destroyed. The dark clouds in the sky began to dissipate, and the thunder and lightning gradually faded away too.
At the same time, an old Taoist priest who was sitting cross-legged in a secret room at the outskirts of the city suddenly coughed up mouthfuls of black blood. He coughed continuously, and only recovered after a long while. He turned to look in the direction of the Imperial Capital, horror on his face.
***
"Beauty Gu, did you know that the outside world is saying that Bai family is receiving retribution for all the evil things they had done!" Xu Jing said as she held a pair of chopsticks in her hands."Did you see that Bai Xinran was absent today? I'm sure she's getting chewed out!"
"What about you?" Gu Xiqiao glanced at Xu Jing."Weren't you scared to death yesterday, and you've recovered nicely today?"
"Let's not bring that up anymore, okay!" Xu Jing said, embarrassment clearly written on her face. Normal people would naturally be afraid when they met this kind of situation, oh, except the big crazy Gu Xiqiao."You haven't seen how bad things are outside, and if I have to say, the Bai family is in a deep mess this time."
Gu Xiqiao smiled but said nothing.
The lightning had only destroyed the small black hut, but the spells within them had already been completed. The destruction of the hut could only slow down the effect of the Soul Extinguishing Seal, the recipients would still die after a few days. Thinking about it, she shoved a few mouthfuls of rice into her mouth."If there's nothing else, I have to go to the labs. Professor Jiang assigned me a topic, and I have to finish it quickly to have my holiday!"
Xu Jing, who knew the cause and effect: This was just plain showing off!
***
In the laboratory, Lin Xia was busy. Professor Jiang had given a topic on the fusion of cells, and he had successfully fused blood cells of two different patience without any signs of rejection.
Catching sight of Gu Xiqiao approaching the lab, he smiled and greeted her. There was no difference in their interaction, if you were looking for one, the only difference was that his smile was wider than usual.
"Why does Junior Lin look a little more cheerful today?" The other seniors who were working on their experiment in the labs looked on in slight confusion.
"Probably it's because his experiment is almost successful. I've seen him puttering around the labs these few days. Sigh, being Professor's Jiang's apprentice is good. I also wanna..."
"Sigh, say no more. If Professor Ban were to hear you, you'll have to clean the toilets again!"
Professor Ban was their mentor, and unlike Lin Xia, they were graduate students and were assigned to him. However, they longed for the famed Professor Jiang's tutelage.
Professor Jiang was rather particular, and after so many years, the number of apprentices he had taken could be counted with one hand. There were so many great students in A University, and yet only such few had managed to catch his eye!
This year was a bit unexpected, being that he had accepted two students. One was a junior, and the other was a freshman, which made everyone around them envious.
But when they heard that the freshman was the top ranker in the national finals, those people couldn't muster the effort to feel jealous.
Lin Xia had been continuously carrying out the experiments the past few days, consistently trying again and again. He was using a magnifying glass to observe the two cells, and this time it finally merged. He let out a sigh of relief, but the cells stopped dividing in the next moment, entering the aging stage.
Another failure, Lin Xia thought as he let out a heavy sigh. He turned to Gu Xiqiao, finding her not doing an experiment, but instead typing a report in front of the computer.
He walked to her side, seeing that she was typing up a report on the cell fusion, he couldn't help the dumbfounded look that appeared on his face."Why are you writing the report when you haven't even started the experiments?" She had also included several methods that he had used, how to get past the rejection period, and how two cells from different sources could be truly fused. The report was written in great detail, like she had done the experiments and had the results.
But Lin Xia was well aware that she hadn't been to the labs in the past three days!
Gu Xiqiao glanced at him."I'll do the experiment after I finish writing."
Lin Xia felt that this was the time to express himself, "Junior, practical is not the same as theory. When you actually do the experiment, it will not turn out the same as what you think. You should be doing the experiments before writing the report, otherwise it's just a waste of time."
"Thank you for your advice, Senior. I've already carried out the experiments." Gu Xiqiao replied, not pausing in her typing.
Well fine, it was rather like not turning back until you hit a wall. Lin Xia let out a sigh, thinking about how he would need to console his junior when she inevitably failed later on.
She had really already carried out the experiments in the virtual space for a long time. She had spent long enough time in there until even the system spirit had wanted to puke at the sight of her face, but of course, no one would believe the truth.
Finishing up her report, Gu Xiqiao took blood cells from two white mice, placing them in a petri dish. She then used a needle to transfer a few drops of chemicals onto it."Un, Senior, where's the PEG (polyethylene glycol)? I can't find it."
She was going through the steps slowly and methodically, step by step. It was pleasing to see the way she worked, and Lin Xia only snapped back when he heard her voice, feeling a little reluctant.
She dared to say that she had carried out the experiments, but she didn't know where the cell fusion agent was?
While thinking about it, he found the chemical and handed it to Gu Xiqiao, reminding her carefully, "Don't put too much, otherwise the cells will break easily."
"Thank you, Senior." Gu Xiqiao took the PEG, and put a drop into the petri dish, sliding the dish to observe it under the microscope.
Seeing the two cells gradually merging, Gu Xiqiao let out a sigh of relief. The virtual space was no different than reality.
Coming back to herself, Gu Xiqiao made a call."Professor Jiang, are you available now?... Yeah... I'm done... come on over then."
Listening to Gu Xiqiao's conversation, Lin Xia was startled."You've asked Professor Jiang to come over?"
"Yeah, didn't he say to check in with him once we were done?" Gu Xiqiao replied, squinting her eyes slightly. With her big brain, she was sure she didn't remember wrong.
"It's not that, you're asking Professor Jiang to check this over, just like that?" Lin Xia rubbed his temples."Usually it takes a while, since there's also the rejection period and the aging period. You should call the professor again and tell him not to come, otherwise if he sees that you've failed, he will surely get angry."
Professor Jiang had quite the poisonous tongue, and it was quite hurtful. Lin Xia was worried that Gu Xiqiao wouldn't be able to withstand a tongue lashing from him.
Knowing that he had good intentions in his heart, Gu Xiqiao smiled and patiently explained, "Don't worry about it, Senior. I have tried many times, and this is definitely a success." She had stayed in the virtual space for nearly five months before she had understood the method of cell fusion. Practise makes perfect, after all. Now she could easily integrate the cells.
Professor Jiang arrived soon after. Naturally, he wanted to knock the head of this little genius as well. After all, to be able to successfully perform the cell fusion experiment in three days was impossible, and he felt that she needed to be taken down a peg.
But when he saw the report that Gu Xiqiao had written, shock was plastered all over his face.
He had a total of four students under him, including Gu Xiqiao and Lin Xia. The previous two students also had the same topic for their graduation project. He himself had done cell fusion many times, and he naturally knew what area to pay attention to. That was why when he saw Gu Xiqiao's report, he knew that the direction of her research was right at one glance!
"Have you succeeded in your cell fusion experiment?" He looked at Gu Xiqiao, his eyes were wide, excitement and anticipation clear in them.
Gu Xiqiao pointed to the microscope."That... may I leave now?"
"Go on, go on!" Professor Jiang waved her away, taking the printed report with him as he took the stack of papers toward the microscope, starting to observe the dynamics of the cells.
Gu Xiqiao, who felt like she had been tossed to one side: Fine, she'll go then!
Lin Xia, a bewildered and dazed look on his face: She... really succeeded in one try?!
The solemn expression on Professor Jiang's face told him all he needed to know.
***
Gu Xiqiao left for Nine Heavens as soon as she was out of the labs, and once he heard of her coming, Yu Ning immediately pushed everything on his hands aside."There's a difference with the source code, and my opinion differs from the others and we can't reach an agreement. Will you take a look?"
"No way! Keep trying if you have any differences!" Gu Xiqiao replied without looking up, sitting in front of a computer.
Yu Ning: Is this your company or not?
Luo Wenlang watched as Gu Xiqiao read through a stack of documents, and proceeded to discuss his expansion plans with her. He had been running around the past few days, wanting to choose a real estate for Nine Heavens. After the company has more people, they would naturally need a bigger place, and it would be better to get a building with more floors. Since Nine Heavens was not lacking money, but talents.
"The company's business will expand naturally, and talents need to be attracted, but let's change the plan." Gu Xiqiao turned the monitor around, smiling widely as she let Luo Wenlang see the plan that she had just drawn up.
Luo Wenlang stared at it for a while, before stumbling back onto the couch, his butt hitting the cushions in shock."You, you... you actually want to acquire the Bai family?!"
The Bai family, which was a very famous family in the Imperial Capital. The Chen family could not even measure up to a leg of the Bai family, Gu Xiqiao was just entirely too bold!
[1] TL: 既来之, 则安之 is a Chinese idiom, which means since you're here and can't do anything to prevent it, you might as well accept the ups and downs of the situation, and enjoy the ride.
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