Chapter 178 - 102: Young Auntie, Watch Out, I’m Going In

Chapter 178: Chapter 102: Young Auntie, Watch Out, I’m Going In

The window was half-open to the night.

The moonlight, mottled by the autumn leaves outside, snuck through the crack in the window and fell upon that stunningly beautiful face.

Gu Xiangzhu held Zhao Ci’s wrist, a hint of anger in her gaze.

She had taken Zhao Ci’s pulse.

The remnants of True Qi she had left in his body had already been cleared out.

’This kid is very cautious with his cultivation.’

’That’s a good thing.’

And yet, his normally gentle and vigorous Imperial Extreme True Qi had become volatile and unstable.

It was a clear sign of the heavy toll that the dozen-plus draining battles today had taken on him.

’To reduce himself to this state over some Heaven-Suspended Spider Silk... It’s utterly foolish!’

’I want a little puppy.’

’Not a crippled puppy!’

Zhao Ci: "..."

He didn’t know how much of Gu Xiangzhu’s anger was genuine emotion and how much was just a calculated tactic.

He only knew that Gu Xiangzhu was waiting for him to give an explanation.

But he didn’t give one. Instead, he asked with some guilt, "You came to treat my injuries so late at night. Aren’t you tired?"

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

[Prompt]: Wish fulfilled. Reward obtained: Comprehension Value +100, Friend and Not Enemy Talisman.

[Friend and Not Enemy Talisman]: Use on a hostile target to partially reverse their hostility. Effects vary depending on the individual.

At his words, the anger in Gu Xiangzhu’s eyes softened somewhat.

’This kid...’

’What he’s most concerned about... is whether or not I’m tired?’

Still, she ordered, "From now on, you are not to be so reckless with your body."

Zhao Ci’s gaze lowered. "But if I don’t prove my worth, how can I ever turn my situation around? Besides, if I just let myself get pushed around, won’t that affect you too? I had to get my hands on that Heaven-Suspended Spider Silk!"

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

She looked at Zhao Ci, a complex expression in her eyes.

She sighed softly and, in the end, decided not to press the issue.

After a moment of silence.

She finally said, "I’ve found the culprit."

A murderous aura instantly flared around Zhao Ci. "Who is it?"

’This murderous aura wasn’t an act. He really, really fucking wanted to kill someone.’

He knew the Demon Monarch was involved, but the Monarch himself couldn’t have been the mastermind.

Gu Xiangzhu’s gaze sharpened. "He’s a colleague of mine, in a sense, but also a rival. He wants your Alchemy of Wine as well. The night I returned, I killed all of his spies within my ranks.

This is bound to attract the Emperor’s attention. Once the Emperor directs the Imperial Clan Court to investigate, it’s only a matter of time before they’re on his tail. Life won’t be easy for him, so he shouldn’t be making a move against you anytime soon.

The only problem is... the Emperor will likely pin the blame on me and use this as an excuse to suppress me."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, but it did little to ease the worry etched on her face.

For a man like Zhao Ci, showing vulnerability was an extremely effective way to close the emotional distance.

Moreover, everything she said was the truth.

As expected.

Zhao Ci felt a little guilty. "I’m sor—"

"Don’t say you’re sorry!"

Gu Xiangzhu cut him off. "Just focus on what you need to do. Don’t let my investment go to waste."

Zhao Ci: "..."

’To be honest, he truly hadn’t expected Gu Xiangzhu to be willing to give up so much. No wonder Old Deng had figured out the Demon Sect’s involvement so quickly—she must have tipped him off.’

’This move would definitely give Old Deng a perfect excuse to crack down on her.’

’The pressure on Gu Xiangzhu would mount, even within the Demon Sect itself.’

’This little "auntie" was really giving off angel investor vibes.’

’But all her scheming just made his heart sink.’

’Was it real or fake? He couldn’t tell. He really couldn’t tell.’

’Just when you think she’s only motivated by self-interest, she does something genuinely moving.’

’But then you think her feelings are genuine, and—goddammit—she’s thinking about training her dog every day!’

Gu Xiangzhu sighed lightly. "I hear you plan to go and challenge them tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

"How many?"

"As many as I can fight! Don’t you try to stop me!"

"I won’t stop you!"

Gu Xiangzhu found his stubbornness a little amusing, but she kept a straight face and scolded, "Your constitution is decent, so overexerting yourself once or twice won’t be a major problem. But... those Overlord Spear moves, you absolutely cannot use them again!"

’I wouldn’t use them even if you begged me to.’

’That damn Tyrant’s Tomb Sweeping... It sweeps my enemy’s grave, and then it sweeps my own.’

’And the Overlord Dragon-piercing Spear!’

’What dragon is that piercing?’

’It’s piercing me, that’s what!’

’Flex hard for a day, get buried the next.’

’If I had tempered my body to the level of First-Grade Tendons and Meridians, I could use certain techniques to unleash its power while mitigating the damage to my bones.’

’But for now... better to play it safe.’

"Okay."

Zhao Ci nodded obediently. "I’ll listen to you."

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

She felt a faint sense of delight.

’This kid is becoming more and more of a puppy.’

’It seems my strategy is working.’

But for now, the priority was to help Zhao Ci overcome his current difficulties.

The sudden re-emergence of the Demon Monarch had completely thrown off her rhythm.

Before discovering Zhao Ci’s cultivation talent, her strategy had been to use her financial influence to slowly chip away at the power bases of the other Dharma Protectors.

After her discovery, she decided that strength was far more reliable.

’This kid’s physique is terrifyingly powerful, and his talent for combat arts is also frighteningly high. If nurtured properly, his physical prowess could rival that of the Demon Monarch and Xiang Tiange in their prime.’

’Even if his Five Elements Divine Treasure is slightly inferior, by joining forces with me, our combined power could not possibly be weaker than the Demon Monarch of that era.’

She was growing increasingly confident in her ability to tame Zhao Ci.

Because no matter how powerful his son became, Zhao Huan would ultimately make a move on Zhao Ci’s Kidney Water Divine Treasure.

And from the way things were going, Zhao Ci was growing ever more reliant on her. Taming him into a subordinate even more obedient than a puppet was not an impossibility.

But now, she still faced two hurdles.

The first was how to perfectly deceive Zhao Huan.

The second was how to help Zhao Ci develop his strength as quickly as possible.

After all... a genius who fails to mature is a bigger joke than any common talent.