Upon seeing Commander Gu, Gu Han’s eyes instantly turned red.
“Gu Tao! Let her go!”
“Gu Han? Your injuries really have healed!”
Commander Gu loosened his grip, then scrutinized Gu Han from head to toe with a slight frown.
“I said...” Gu Han stepped forward, pressing closer. “...let her go!”
Commander Gu suddenly laughed. “Impressive! Gu Han, you’re still the sa Gu Han. Capturing this girl is as good as holding your life in my hands.”
As he spoke, his large hand gripped Ah Sha’s jaw. The implication was clear.
Gu Han forcibly suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and stopped in his tracks. “What do you want?!”
“Your life, of course!”
Commander Gu spoke slowly, “The young lord has said that in a month, he will depart for the Great Qi Martial Academy. In the anti, he doesn’t want to be troubled by a patricide like you. Do you understand?”
“Patricide? You actually believe that? You were personally raised by my father, you were his most trusted brother-in-arms! Since childhood, I’ve always respected you as an elder. Do you really think... I would be deranged enough to kill my father?” A trace of sorrow flashed through Gu Han’s eyes.
“Gu Han...” Commander Gu shook his head. “You’re still as naive as ever!”
As he spoke, he brushed his hand over his storage ring and took out a long spear. Its shaft was fiery red, engraved with countless runes. Compared to Gu Han’s sword, it was far superior in craftsmanship.
“The Firecloud Spear! My father’s Firecloud Spear. Why is it in your hands?!” Gu Han’s heart trembled.
“One does not receive rewards without rit. This spear is the reward I rightfully earned!”
Even as he said these words, Commander Gu’s expression remained indifferent.
“So that’s it!”
Gu Han now understood completely. His voice was filled with grief and rage, each word dripping with blood.
“You took part in my father’s murder!”
“A man must always seek greener pastures, mustn’t he? I served Gu Tian with diligence for so many years, but I never intended to remain a re commander forever!”
“You ungrateful dog! I’ll kill you!”
“Stay where you are! If you take another step, she dies!” Commander Gu’s grip tightened slightly.
Although Commander Gu was at the eighth stage of ridian Opening, Gu Han inexplicably gave him an overwhelming sense of danger. A cautious man like him would never let go of such an important bargaining chip.
“Young master! Don’t... don’t worry about ! Run! Just run!”
Ah Sha sobbed uncontrollably. In her simple mind, Gu Han had only just recovered from his severe injuries. There was no way he could be a match for Commander Gu.
Gu Han’s tone suddenly turned eerily calm. “Tell . What do you want?”
Commander Gu laughed coldly. “Your life, of course! Drop your sword, then—ah!”
Suddenly, he let out a cry of pain. Ah Sha had bitten down on his hand with all her strength.
“You fool! I’ll kill you!”
As he flew into a rage, his grip tightened. Ah Sha’s small face instantly flushed red. However, instead of loosening her bite, she clenched her teeth even harder.
She hated it. She hated her own uselessness. She hated Commander Gu’s despicable tactics even more. All the grievances and sorrow she had endured erupted at this mont.
She locked her eyes onto Commander Gu. They were no longer dazed, but deep and eerie. As their gazes t, Commander Gu’s mind went blank for a mont.
“Gu Tao! How dare you!!”
At that mont, a voice rang out from the darkness, cold as the ice on the bottom of a deep crevasse.
As the voice fell, a flash of light suddenly ignited within the pitch-black forest. At the sa ti, Commander Gu also snapped back to reality. However, the light was too fast—so fast that he barely had ti to react. He only caught a glimpse of it in his peripheral vision before it was upon him.
The Great Evolution Sword Qi!
In a split second, the sword qi slashed across his left shoulder and vanished into the depths of the forest.
He froze completely.
“What... what was that...”
Before he could finish speaking, blood gushed forth. His left shoulder and arm were severed from his body.
“AHH!!”
Only then did he feel the searing pain. His body tilted as he fell to one knee. Gu Han took this opportunity to step forward and gently hold Ah Sha in his arms.
“Young master...” Ah Sha’s voice was weak.
“I’m sorry, Ah Sha... I dragged you into this... It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone here.”
“Young master... I’m so tired...”
“Then sleep for a while. When you wake up, I’ll make you sothing delicious.” Gu Han softly patted her head.
“Okay...”
Before she could finish speaking, she had already fainted. After gently setting her down, Gu Han slowly approached Commander Gu. His face was as pale as ash.
“You... deserve to die!”
“Gu Han, I—”
“You think you’re worthy of wielding my stepfather’s spear?”
He swung his sword once more, and the spear fell to the ground together with Commander Gu’s right arm.
“Gu Han...” Commander Gu gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain, and lifted his head with great difficulty. His pale face was drenched in cold sweat. “I know I was wrong! I know I deserve to die! But... we’ve known each other for so many years. When you were little, you’d ride on my shoulders every day... You... you haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“So, you want to spare you?” Gu Han’s face was expressionless.
“Fine. Lend sothing, and I’ll consider it.”
“What?” Commander Gu’s face lit up with hope. “Anything! You can have anything! The Firecloud Spear? Take it! I was never worthy of it!”
“No.” Gu Han shook his head. “I’ll be taking your head as a tribute to my father!”
The mont his words fell, a streak of sword qi flashed. Commander Gu’s head rolled to the ground, his eyes still glimring with a trace of joy.
Gu Han knelt before the Firecloud Spear, bowing deeply. “Father, this is just the first. Everyone who took part in your murder will die. Not one of them will escape. They want to go to the Great Qi Martial Academy in a month? The only place they’ll go to is the underworld”
He glanced into the distance, his expression chilling.
***
“Useless trash! Incompetent fools!”
Inside the Gu estate’s main hall, Gu Yang raged as he glared at the corpse of Commander Gu lying before him.
“You couldn’t even deal with Gu Han? What’s the point of keeping you around?!”
Below him, several guards trembled, not daring to utter a single word.
Above them, Gu Chang cast a cold glance at Gu Yang. “Enough! One must remain calm in the face of great matters. Have you forgotten this principle?”
“No, Grandfather.”
“Let ask you.” Gu Chang’s gaze shifted to the guards. “Did any of you witness Gu Han personally kill Gu Tao?”
“No... but Commander Gu’s wounds...”
Beside Gu Yang, a middle-aged man suddenly spoke up. “Father! There’s sothing strange about this! Gu Han was a cripple just yesterday. Yet today, he has the strength to kill Gu Tao. That ans...”
This man was Gu Yang’s father, Gu Cheng.
“Withdraw.”
Gu Cheng waved a hand to dismiss the guards.
“If it was really him, then the only explanation is the golden seal! It explains how he fully regained his strength in just one day and even possessed the power to kill Commander Gu. But...that day, we all saw it. Gu Tian went completely berserk, losing all reason. How could he have possibly given Gu Han the golden seal?”
“We underestimated him.” Gu Chang’s eyes darkened. “We only saw him lose control, but we don’t know to what extent. Perhaps... he retained a final sliver of clarity and deceived us all!”
“Father! If Gu Han truly has the golden seal, will he end up like Gu Tian and lose his mind?”
“It’s possible.” Gu Chang’s gaze was sharp and chilling.
“But regardless, whether he goes mad or not, this threat must be eliminated. I made one mistake. I will not make another! Imdiately issue a bounty to the rogue cultivators of the Wild Forest. Declare that Gu Han committed patricide, slaughtered his kin, and shows no remorse. Anyone who captures him—dead or alive—will receive two thousand essence crystals and a high-grade spirit item!”
“Grandfather! That’s a lot...” Gu Yang hesitated.
Two thousand essence crystals was almost half a year’s worth of his cultivation resources. And in the world of dao artifacts, there were clear ranks. Magic items, spirit items, treasure items, profound items and so on were each divided into low, mid, high, and supre grades. Even in the entire Gu Family, high-grade spirit items were exceedingly rare.
“This is nothing!” Gu Chang waved his hand dismissively.
“The Wild Forest is vast. The Gu Family alone does not have enough manpower to comb through it. Besides, once you enter the Great Qi Martial Academy, this small expense will be repaid tenfold, or even a hundredfold!”
“Rest assured, grandfather.”
At the ntion of the Great Qi Martial Academy, Gu Yang’s confidence returned.
“I will soon break through, and I am close to achieving full mastery of the family’s Blazing Fla Scripture. That slot belongs to !”
“Excellent! You truly are the Gu Family’s prodigy. The future of our family rests on you alone!”
For the first ti, a smile appeared on Gu Chang’s face.
***
In the Wild Forest, the deeper one ventured, the darker the surroundings beca.
Amid the shifting shadows, two figures walked forward at a slow pace. The man in front had white hair but a youthful face that radiated vitality. His features were kind, and his deanor calm and wise. Walking half a step behind him was an old man who looked rather dainty. He had a pale, beardless face, and a hunched back.
“Chief Steward Li, are your injuries alright?”
“Ahem ahem... Elder Xue, I appreciate your concern. I was careless. Who would have thought that fire toad had already evolved to Tier 6?”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“It is our duty to protect you, Elder Xue. The Seventh Prince’s disease worsens by the day. Only you can save him.”
Elder Xue let out a long sigh. “My dical skills can only suppress the symptoms, not cure them. If my master were still alive, this would not be a problem at all.
“The Ghost Physician has been missing for decades, and nobody knows his whereabouts. The Eastern Wastelands are vast. Where could we possibly find him? Aih... Why must the Seventh Prince suffer such misfortune? At least this ti, we’ve gathered several valuable spirit herbs. Once we return—hmm?”
“What is it, Elder Xue?”
“This scent... it slls like a Scorching Sun Fruit.”
“Scorching Sun Fruit?” Chief Steward Li’s face lit up.
“That’s one of the key spirit herbs we need, isn’t it?”
“Indeed!”
“Good, good! Elder Xue, wait here. I’ll go take a look.”
“Be careful. Where Scorching Sun Fruits grow, Crimson Fla Snakes are often nearby. If they have matured, they’ll be at Tier 6. Their fire poison is extrely dangerous.”
“Rest assured, Elder Xue. I know what I’m doing.”
Without another word, Chief Steward Li shifted his body and vanished into the distance. Following the faint fragrance, he soon arrived at a peculiar-looking small tree. This was precisely where Gu Han had fought the snake.
There, his smile suddenly vanished. “Hmm? It’s gone?”
The small tree stood bare. A lingering scent remained, but the Scorching Sun Fruit was nowhere in sight.
“Damn it!”
He cursed under his breath. His gaze swept the area until it landed on a freshly-dug cave entrance nearby.
“Hey, you, whoever’s inside! Get out right now, Grandpa’s waiting!”
His words echoed sharply, piercing through the silence. Monts later, a youth appeared. He was gripping a battered sword and had a wary expression on his face.
It was Gu Han.
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