Chapter 549 - Gu Han and Dog

Inside the Hehuan Sect, Li Mao dropped his dismissive attitude after sensing the anomaly in the jade talisman. Something’s wrong!

He knew about Ah Gou’s situation and the mother-child jade talismans. Now that the mother talisman had problems, clearly the root cause lay with Ah Gou. The boy had most likely lost control!

He glared coldly at the sect disciple. “Speak! Tell me everything you know. If you dare hide so much as half a word...”

Trembling in fear, the disciple dared not conceal anything, pouring out everything he knew. “Yes, yes...”

After hearing the disciple’s account, Li Mao couldn’t help but snort. “Stealing a rooster? That woman’s taste is getting more elaborate! But then, it seems you don’t really understand Senior Brother Mu. If you ruin his plans, even if you have a thousand tricks, you’ll die an ugly death!”

He knew better than anyone that Mu Feng was nearly identical to Ling Ya in terms of temperament and methods. Setting certain aspects aside, among the so-called Seven Disciples of Emotionless, Mu Feng was the most troublesome and terrifying.

He held the jade talisman, sensing for a moment. “Enough. I’ll take that dog back first! Stupid woman, you’d better already be dead. Otherwise... Hmph!”

In the next moment, his cultivation exploded outward as he shot into the sky. The few sect disciples turned into clouds of blood mist.

***

At the Lin family territory, Gu Han appeared somewhat disheveled. On top of the bags under his eyes, a few rooster feathers clung to him. He appeared wronged. “Master Rooster, what does this have to do with me?!”

Chongming was thoroughly displeased. “I don’t care! I want my little pup!”

Not far away, Ah Gou glared at him fiercely, the hostility in his eyes even greater than before. Toward the Hehuan Sect Master, he had only mechanically and passively executed orders, like a walking corpse. Toward Gu Han, for the first time ever, he had developed an instinct to actively protect. So whoever hurt Gu Han, he’d fight to the death!

In fact, if Gu Han hadn’t held him back earlier, he’d have already bled that rooster dry. Not only had he fully recovered from his injuries, but his cultivation had also risen to the Feather Transformation realm. It seemed that Ah Gou had also benefited from Xiao Hei devouring Changmei.

Innocent as he was, Gu Han was curious about the boy’s condition. “Ah Gou, you really don’t remember anything from before?”

Ah Gou shook his head, then nodded, struggling to say, “Remember... a little...”

Gu Han appeared thoughtful, recalling Gu Tian and Wu Xin. Whether Gu Tian or Wu Xin, demonic nature or human nature, they were ultimately just manifestations of different facets of their personalities. Just like Gu Han when he had killing intent versus when he didn’t. In the end, he was still himself.

However, Ah Gou was different. Two completely separate, independent consciousnesses seemed to exist within him. One was the youth before Gu Han. Aside from his appearance and his speech, he retained the most traditional human nature.

The other was Xiao Hei. Whether in habits or displayed intelligence, he was almost entirely the embodiment of bestial nature. His human side and beast side coexisted, and each had its own cultivation and divine abilities.

Gu Han guessed, Could this be related to Ah Gou being a half-demon hybrid? No! It can’t be!

After all, Wei Fang was also a half-demon hybrid, but he had never shown anything like this.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Han asked again, “Ah Gou, can you still turn back into how you were before?”

Chongming’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Quick! Turn into that little pup for me!”

Ah Gou was silent for a moment. “I don’t want to...”

Gu Han understood that it was unwillingness, not inability.

Chongming coaxed patiently, “Kid, quick, turn into a little pup. I will take you to eat the best food and drink the best wine! Oh, right. I also have a treasure. As long as you turn into a pup, it’s all yours!”

Gu Han couldn’t hold back. “Master Rooster! You don’t mean the sword stele, do you?”

“Yeah!”

“Weren’t you going to give it to me?”

“I changed my mind!”

Ah Gou eyed Chongming warily. He felt Chongming wasn’t a good rooster because he kept bullying Gu Han.

While instinctively moving farther away from Chongming, he mustered his courage. “I can change... if you want, Master.”

“Don’t call me master.”

“Yes... Master.”

Gu Han felt that having the two around was incredibly exhausting. He sighed, then glanced at the colorful thread in Ah Gou’s hand. “Never mind. Master Rooster, don’t pressure him. This should be his obsession.”

After thinking, he took out a storage ring and put quite a few resources inside, then tossed it to Ah Gou.

Ah Gou stared blankly at the storage ring. “Master, for... for me?”

Gu Han smiled. “Who else?”

He knew how poorly the Hehuan Sect Master had treated Ah Gou.

After a moment’s thought, he added, “From now on, whether you’re injured or cultivating, just use what’s inside. When it’s used up, I’ll give you more.”

Ah Gou’s eyes were filled with excitement, confusion, and gratitude. It was as if the emotions that had lay dormant deep within him had all erupted at this moment. For the second time in his life, he felt care and sincerity from Gu Han’s words. For the second time in his life, a smile appeared on his face.

He carefully placed that storage ring together with his fang, tucking them away like priceless treasures. To Gu Han, it was merely an ordinary storage ring containing the most ordinary resources. But to Ah Gou, they were the most precious things in the world, worthy of being placed alongside that colorful thread.

“Master...”

Gu Han’s expression turned cold. “Don’t kneel! If you kneel, give the stuff back!”

Ah Gou didn’t dare to kneel.

Chongming shook his head and stopped trying to force the issue, but still kept muttering nonsense like “give me back my pup” and “I miss Xiao Hei” under his breath.

Gu Han had no intention of staying any longer. “Let’s go.”

The nearby forces would eventually learn of the Lin Clan’s downfall. Lingering around wasn’t a good idea.

Besides, now that he had the saint herb, he had to increase his strength as quickly as possible. After all, the Soul Crystals required to awaken Qian Ye would definitely be enormous. Even a second-rate force like the Lin Clan only had a thumb-sized piece, showing just how precious this stuff was. He’d have to deal with first-rate forces to get more. The higher his cultivation, the more confident he’d be.

Silently and without a trace, Ah Gou’s form dispersed into shadow, attaching itself to Gu Han’s shadow. Not a wisp of aura leaked out. Even Gu Han could only vaguely sense his presence.

While flying, Gu Han asked the question on his mind, “Master Rooster, can one person become two people?”

“What do you mean?”

After thinking, Gu Han explained, “Not an external incarnation. Completely two different people with different personality, habits, cognition... Even their cultivation and divine abilities are different.”

Chongming was silent for a moment. “Kid, what kind of question is that? Was it a bit hasty to make you the tenth generation Sword Chief? How about letting Xiao Hei take over?”

Gu Han’s face darkened. “Master Rooster! Xiao Hei is a pup, isn’t he?!”

Chongming looked at him like he was an idiot. “Yeah! I am saying that a pup’s smarter than you! Even a dog knows that’s completely impossible!”

Gu Han was at a loss. His gaze wandered over Chongming’s head as he silently pondered which was harder—his sword or a rooster head. Just as he was itching to test it out, the distant sound of battle cries rang out.