Shu Zhe kept staring at the ceiling. The recollection of Bai Shou's revelations rumbled like claps of lightning in her ears, leaving her unable to forget certain shocking secrets. It also left her feeling very small yet happy. Even if inadvisable after years of experience, Shu Zhe couldn't help but feel like a little girl all over again, feeling her father's immense love.
Of course, the emotion she built with Bai Shou was different. But it made Shu Zhe feel like the world wasn't just filled with crazed and demented killers cultivating soul and blood paths alike, wanting to transform every living being into fuel for their growth.
'It might also be what Bai Shou truly feels.' Shu Zhe noted. 'She said something about the supreme elder warning her not to speak any further. Doesn't this imply the supreme elders were privy of Bai Shou's status as an otherworldly demon? But why does this status hold so much importance?'
Being an ancient sect's leader for several years, Shu Zhe exchanged her contribution points for a lot of secretive and sensitive knowledge of the gu world. But even she had never heard of such outsiders.
'Is Bai Shou talented in human path because she is an outsider?'
Shu Zhe wondered before sighing softly.
It didn't matter.
She was caught in another conflict.
Shu Zhe briefly considered sharing the truth about her grandmother with Bai Shou. But there was also a deep pit in her gut. Their union had several underlying schemes and expectations. Earlier, Shu Zhe wanted to attach to Bai Shou and use her seemingly persistent attractiveness towards the supreme elders, the reason for which she knew now, to ward off Shu Ye's suppression. The former sect leader also wanted Bai Shou to research ways to heal her after the latter completed the recipe for Aperture Puncture Gu.
She also suspected the benefits Bai Shou might be seeking by consorting with her.
But that was before.
Now?
Shu Zhe exhaled softly, unable and unwilling to suppress the complex emotion rising up her chest.
'What if she leaves me?'
Shu Zhe feared. It wasn't the thought of Bai Shou leaving her that scared Shu Zhe. Her fears stemmed from the reasons for which Bai Shou might leave her.
'What if I was wrong about Bai Shou and she was just too good of an actress?'
Melancholic memories surfaced from the depths of Shu Zhe's heart. She was separated from her father, Da Shan, after awakening her aperture successfully. Shu Ye tossed Shu Zhe into an unlawful village prone to bandit attacks unprotected. There, Shu Zhe was forced to grow up and mature quickly or become another one of the girls beaten, raped, mutilated, and even violated after death.
She was still a young girl, like many other naïve sect disciples without enough experience about the real world, hopelessly smitten by another farm boy. However, her faith in humanity came crashing down when the boy she believed to have loved led her into a den of wolves as a distraction.
Shu Zhe barely survived, realizing that the boy always wanted a distraction to snatch a gu worm hiding in a small cave. In hindsight, Spirit Affinity House's former sect leader almost became a wolf group's meal because of a mortal's greed for a rank 1 gu worm. It was… hilarious.
She chuckled softly.
Her words to Shu Ye echoed back.
"I will never understand the love shared by lovers."
"And I'm cursed to never experience familial love again."
Shu Zhe lied that day. Unlike Bai Shou, she wasn't quite damaged yet. She knew what love was—a hindrance that could even bring a wisdom path gu master like her to her knees.
A hindrance…
'What if Bai Shou never felt the same? She might act dramatic about unable to understand certain emotions, but that's probably a mental thing. Her actions always penned a different story.'
'But what if those actions were lies, too? What if she decided to seek Shu Ye's support after learning the truth, unwilling to offend a gu immortal.'
Should Shu Zhe feel sad? If that happened, shouldn't she feel happy because she understood Bai Shou's true intentions? Better late than never, right?
'My mother chose to have me despite understanding the risks to her life.'
Shu Zhe closed her eyes, momentarily extracting herself from these complicated emotions.
'I wonder… how warm my mother's embrace would have been.'
'Warmer than Bai Shou's, undoubtedly.'
Shu Zhe couldn't help but smile.
'An otherworldly demon? What even is that title? That fool is an otherworldly moron.' She shook her head. In reality, Bai Shou was the last person Shu Zhe expected to fear a gu immortal. Her consort had been courting death since the first day as a sect disciple.
Her thoughts sparkled and displayed vivid recollections of the time she spent with Bai Shou. She was witty, constantly trying to get a rise out of her.
Despite a few arguments here and there, Shu Zhe couldn't recall a time where she wasn't invested in Bai Shou.
'I'll tell him.' Shu Zhe thought selfishly. 'Only after I have a method to heal. I'll even gift her the Soul Orchid Bloom Gu I've been carrying around.'
Although Shu Zhe could imagine just one rank 4 gu worm unable to fulfill the depths of Bai Shou's desires for a reward if the latter was the one who came up with a method to heal her—
*Bang*
Shu Zhe quietly sat up at the noise as Bai Shou made her appearance known with loud noises and frantic footsteps.
"I think I have a definitive way to heal you!" Her eyes were glowing like torches. She extended her hand, demanding bluntly. "Quick. Hand me a vial of your blood."
Shu Zhe blinked as Bai Shou continued, sending a letter gu.
"This is a letter gu meant for Feng Jin Huang. I need these materials and gu worms from Treasure Yellow Heaven. She can lend me the remaining amount of primeval stones—"
"I'll cover the cost, of course," Shu Zhe interjected as she fulfilled Bai Shou's demands. While common sense and caution after her unfavorable circumstances with blood path should have prompted her hesitance in fulfilling Bai Shou's demands, Shu Zhe's motions were instead fluid and swift.
"You don't need to inspect my aperture?" Shu Zhe asked, a little curious.
Bai Shou blinked and shook his head.
"It's no longer necessary."
Shu Zhe nodded slowly as Bai Shou offered a cheeky grin.
"And…"
"A loan of contribution points?" Shu Zhe asked.
Bai Shou nodded with a shameless smile.
"I'll work you to the bone, but sure." Shu Zhe nodded, granting her consort's wish grandly, like a wealthy partner was supposed to.
Bai Shou turned to leave but stopped at the doorstep. Turning again, she looked Bai Shou with uncertainty.
"Are you…"
"I'm fine, Shou'er." Shu Zhe spoke softly, a sincere smile on her face.
"I was going to ask if you were horny."
Bai Shou shrugged and left, leaving Shu Zhe speechless before she chuckled and lied down again.
<<<>>>
Bai Shou returned to the wilds yet again.
She always had another way to help Shu Zhe, which she selfishly hid for her own safety.
Blood Skull Gu.
No matter what the state of an aperture, an extreme physique always recovered. Bai Shou's understanding of an extreme physique continued to grow after entering Spirit Affinity House. To a human path master, gu masters with extreme aptitudes might as well be one of the rarest treasures.
One of the best ways to heal Shu Zhe was to increase her aptitude to the level of an extreme physique. Her aperture would recover in time and grant Shu Zhe great talent in the path corresponding to the extreme physique she might possess. But that randomness was an issue.
Shu Zhe was a wisdom path gu master. Only the Carefree Wisdom Heart Physique suited Shu Zhe.
Meanwhile, Bai Shou recalled the climactic battle between First Gen Gu Yue and Lord Sky Crane. First Gen Gu Yue schemed and used a killer move to refine his bloodline to increase the chances of a gu master with the Desolate Ancient Moon Physique appearing in Gu Yue Clan. By killing this particular gu master, First Gen Gu Yue wished to increase his aptitude to 99% at once! Of course, that was the limitation for Rank 4 Blood Skull Gu.
Bai Shou possessed the true Blood Skull Inheritance except for the immortal gu itself. She knew several blood path killer moves on how a Rank 5 Blood Skull could raise one's aptitude to an extreme level. Blood Sea Ancestor grew up with a poor aptitude. Blood Skull Gu was a way of dealing with these unfortunate cards that fate had in store for others.
But there was a problem she mentioned before.
Because of First Gen Gu Yue's methods, Bai Shou would gain the Desolate Ancient Moon Physique.
Instead, Great Strength True Martial Physique suited Bai Shou the most. Of course, she wanted this aptitude! The resonance of the physique and her strength path gu set would elevate all her methods to a level barely under an immortal killer move. She could rival a gu immortal's mortal killer moves with her own strength!
The disastrous loss in San Cha was still fresh in her mind.
However, there were several issues. Ignoring the fact whether Bai Shou could overcome this issue of randomness, how could she tackle the problem of an extreme physique gu master's self-detonation? The ten extreme physiques boasted heaven-defying aptitude, forced into an early grave! They were like a brightly glowing fire, consuming everything in its path before burning out.
Even if she solved this issue, how did Bai Shou plan to explain this effect? Blood Skull Gu was seriously too much. She would not be able to keep it once the secret was exposed.
Lastly, Bai Shou learned after her ventures in Treasure Yellow Heaven and other sources of information that a gu master with an extreme physique needed an immortal gu worm of their relevant paths to advance as a gu immortal!
Where was Bai Shou going to find strength and wisdom path immortal gu worms?
No matter what, a few of these problems couldn't be solved.
Bai Shou did not have enough strength and background to reveal Rank 5 Blood Skull Gu. Its attraction was too much. Gu Immortals were not stupid. Spirit Affinity House's determination of getting the Blood Skull Inheritance would be immense because it boasted an outstanding synergy with the recently acquired Dang Hun Mountain! They could dominate their competition with this combination!
She also couldn't acquire a wisdom path immortal gu worm for Shu Zhe. Trying to elevate Shu Zhe's aptitude to an extreme physique would spell her doom even if Bai Shou was still determined about advancing her own aptitude.
After all, she had two apertures!
Just because Bai Shou couldn't solve a few of these issues did not mean she couldn't solve all of them.
What stopped her from studying Blood Sea Ancestor's inheritance and innovating something new? Blood path was secretly advanced by several righteous forces and openly researched by many demonic gu masters over thousands of years. There were many new gu worms and methods. Furthermore, the materials for most of these gu worms were cheap compared to other paths.
She was a wisdom path grandmaster, boasted quasi-grandmaster-level attainment in human path, and blood and refinement path master! Once Bai Shou looked at this problem seriously, she began to discover several clues.
After some time, Bai Shou solved the great danger of an extreme physique gu master's self-detonation. Well, it was more like a mitigation—a reusable lid or a cap on the aptitude which could be removed and set back in place at will.
Then, Bai Shou discovered a way to get the extreme physique she desired. The answer came from the inheritance site she discovered alongside Qin Juan, the Man-Beast Life Burial Gu. It was a demonic and evil cultivation-assistance gu worm, capable of helping the user breakthrough the major realm in their cultivation at the cost of future potential. One of the key materials for this gu worm was a virgin female gu master.
With her intuition and a full-fledged deduction to modify the recipe, Bai Shou discovered that replacing the female gu master with a gu master of an extreme aptitude would grant the user that very aptitude!
Meaning, Bai Shou could sacrifice a gu master with the Great Strength True Martial Physique to get that aptitude regardless of her bloodline.
So, she found a method to suppress an extreme aptitude's self-detonation and how to get one's desired aptitude.
Bai Shou could effortlessly slaughter mortal villages and use the Blood Skull killer move on one survivor, elevating them to an extreme aptitude and checking which physique they attained until getting her desired effect.
But because Bai Shou couldn't reveal these methods, she spent a long time trying to find a way to heal Shu Zhe through these studies. Last night was she suddenly inspired after clearing some things with her wife.
In fact, healing Shu Zhe was a laughably simple matter!
'But even if I heal her, the effects of the Aperture Puncture Gu alongside the blood path gu worms permanently changed Shu Zhe's aptitude. I can stop her aptitude from fizzling out, sealing the injuries left on her. But it would not increase her aptitude again.' The way Aperture Puncture struck was by leaving a permanent 'hole' in the aperture from where most of the essence would fly out even if the gu master wanted to control it.
'Other talent-increasing gu worms found in mortal markets also wouldn't be of any help due to the severity and duration of the injuries.' After studying for so long, Bai Shou also realized a terrible secret to Shu Zhe's injuries.
'Even Heavenly Aperture Transformation Gu wouldn't work if used alone. There might be a chance if used in a killer move, but where would one find such a specific thing?'
Bai Shou scoffed.
Her attainment in wood path was ordinary, and she barely used the gu worms of this path. She did not have any confidence in creating such a killer move. And deep down, she didn't want to shift her focus from blood and human path due to their attractive potential.
'Man-Beast Life Burial, Aperture Puncture, Relic Gu Worms, Polished Gu Series, Blood Skull, Second Aperture Immortal Gu, Fake Aperture Immortal Gu…'
Bai Shou thought about the various gu worms and methods capable of affecting an aperture.
Corrode Aperture Gu.
Aperture Seal Gu.
Back Door Gu.
Snatch Aperture Gu.
These were some of the methods left in the Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable's inheritance.
The answer to Shu Zhe's injuries was hidden in these gu worms.
'I shouldn't heal Shu Zhe's aperture.' Bai Shou nodded, confirming her wild ambitions as she swayed the vial of blood, watching the blood swirl and slosh. Her gaze was eerie and cold.
'Why bother healing something so ruined when you can replace it?'
That was Bai Shou's answer.
Thieving Heaven's True Inheritance was about various ways of dealing with a gu master through their apertures. They were actually theft path gu worms with human path effects. Blood Sea Ancestor also achieved human path effects with his blood path gu worms. To Bai Shou, aperture and primeval essence was no longer as mysterious as it should have been. It had become a part of the human body, easy to dissect, modify, replace, hurt, and much more!
'But why should there be a gu worm for other gu immortals to inspect and learn from?' Bai Shou smiled coldly. Why did she say it was unnecessary to inspect Shu Zhe's aperture?
Because Bai Shou already did it using Evil Intentions Gu Worm long ago!
'Humans are materials. Even injured humans are just a different kind of material. Shu Zhe's blood is enough to be used as a means to an end, to directly refine the effects instead of a gu worm.'
Her gaze suddenly grew distracted. Becoming a wisdom path grandmaster wouldn't grant ceaseless inspiration to a wisdom path gu immortal until they worked and studied their desired topics. However, Bai Shou was a grandmaster with several master-level attainment! Earlier, she was used to getting inspiration about different things. Becoming a wisdom path grandmaster only made this occurrence more common.
'Isn't it like a killer move?'
Bai Shou paused.
'When I refined my body… wasn't it just a killer move?'
'Instead of gu worms, I used several materials and the effects of the gu worms already present in my body, using my primeval essence as a catalyst to advance my body refinement. But the essence was the same. Instead of using the gu worms, I manipulated the effects of the gu worms on my body.'
'Right now, I want to do something similar again. Instead of refining a complete gu worm, I'm transforming an incomplete recipe into a killer move. The effects I leave on Shu Zhe's blood will complement her aperture and create a transformation, completing this killer move.'
'Indeed. I'm not merely refining effects—I'm creating a killer move. A killer move itself is the use of several gu worms to stack certain effects or add different effects.'
This line of thinking had nothing to do with Shu Zhe or Bai Shou's current objective.
'Huh. So, I refined the effects through a killer move. Doesn't it mean killer move can be refined into a gu worm?'
Bai Shou blinked.
'I used a few gu worms to form the killer move Last Arrow. Does that mean I can eventually refine a Last Arrow Gu Worm?'
'What about Scan the Dao?'
'Or… Follow the Leader and Undefeated Refinement Palms?'
Bai Shou mused before smiling widely.
'Hehe… amazing. This joy of cultivation and learning never ends!'
She threw herself into her work.
A few days later, Shu Zhe sent the relevant materials, including a large group of Tank Trunk Elephants. Tank Trunk Elephants were rare, mutated beasts, attracting several space path gu on their bodies as they grew old. Their trunks looked surprisingly small compared to their hill-sized bodies. However, inside the trunk was a humongous space!
'Hmph! I can finally start reversing the effects of First Gen Gu Yue's methods.' Bai Shou snorted.
What?
She wasn't actually going to slaughter mortal villages just for a trial-and-error approach!
It wasn't because she'd grown a soft heart for the poor or wanted to extend the limits of her convenient kindness.
Just that…
It was too inefficient!
Bai Shou could do all that and more with desired blood path materials.
Fully aware of how grand the opportunity to enter Reincarnation Battlefield was, Bai Shou had planned to do all this during her first closed-door session. However, the lure of wisdom path grandmaster attainment was too intense! Bai Shou chose wisely. This improvement alone more than halved the time she needed to come up with several of these methods to undo First Gen Gu Yue's schemes.
'Great Strength True Martial physique…'
Bai Shou recalled the might Empress Wu Ji displayed. She might have been unable to surpass a gu immortal's long-lasting primeval essence, but she was more than ferocious!
'Needless to say, a gu immortal still cannot be defeated. But having an extreme aptitude gives me a better chance to… run.'
Bai Shou sighed and shook her head.
***
Alternate Title: Shu Zhe After Feeling Truly Loved: The World Might Not Just Be Filled With Blood and Soul Path Gu Masters *Bai Shou AF: No. There's Also Human Path Gu Masters Like Me Who Don't Let Any Part of the Body Go to Waste*; Bai Shou When She Meets Death: Hey, Pretty Thing. Wanna Luo Po and Chill; Bai Shou WILL Court Death; Death is Fine in Almost All Verses; The Endless Joy of Cultivation; Bai Shou Chose Wisely; More Loan; Bai Shou's Never Going to Repay Her Debts at This Rate; Another Closed-Door Cultivation Session; Curiosity; First Gen Gu Yue Mentioned; Bai Shou Only Now Realizing the Method Fang Yuan Used in Vol 1 Smh; Bai Shou: Human Path is Amazing *Fang Yuan Doing the Same Because He Did Not Want an Extreme Physique Corpse Go To Waste*; Truly, Shared Fortune and Misfortune; Next Target: Blood; Bai Shou Gets Grinding
***
Join the discord through the link in the synopsis.
Read 60 chapters ahead @ Patron and Subscribe Star (Links in the synopsis.)
Support the Fanfic through comments, likes, reviews and such (if the published site allows it.)