A Good-for-Nothing

276. Give Me a Hug

Translator: Dragon Rider

In the hospital.

Zu Zhichong reacted very quick. He set a barrier of enchantment around the ward lest large amounts of energy leak out to give rise to a supernatural event. Then he stood guard in the doorway to prevent any doctors or outsiders from disturbing them.

The head Gu-master produced a dagger and two small cups. The Gu-craft had been passed down from generation to generation in South Xinjiang. Until this day, Gu-masters still followed the traditions and used blood as Conductor to perform Gu-craft, which was a method dating back to ancient times.

“Supt. Li, before we do this, I need to remind you that you’ll suffer some injuries during the process, no matter whether it works or not. Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

“Yeah.”

“All right,” said the head Gu-master. “By the way, you have to promise me that you will not interrupt me no matter what happens during the process.”

These words struck the others as confusing, but Li Zong believed that the head Gu-master would not do him any harm, so he gave a nod of agreement.

A decision made, the head Gu-master started performing Gu-craft.

“First I need some blood from both of you. Not much. A drop or two will be enough.” Li Zong inclined his head, picked up the dagger and lightly cut the pulp of He Zheng’s finger. He Zheng was still comatose and thus barely felt any pain.

After a couple of minutes, the head Gu-master got everything she needed.

There was nothing Li Zong could do to help during the remainder of the process. The head Gu-master rolled up her sleeve, revealing her forearm, and cut her own wrist almost unhesitatingly. Then she started mumbling an incantation or something. Before long, something horrifying happened – a circular lump appeared on the woman’s slim forearm, and it was moving constantly. The head Gu-master stared at it and kept murmuring until the lump finally moved to the cut on her wrist.

It turned out that beneath that lump was a golden bug, which had three pairs of compound eyes and three pairs of wings. Its whole body was golden and it looked quite imposing.

This was the head Gu-master’s life-saving Gu. The moment her life-saving Gu left her body, the head Gu-master, who was in her forties, looked as though she had aged dozens of years in the twinkling of an eye, and half of her hair turned gray.

Li Zong could tell that the bug was her Primeval Gu. He had not bargained on this method named “Mutual Abandonment” requiring the head Gu-master’s Primeval Gu. “Stop it, Head Gu-master. I can’t ask you to use your Primeval Gu to do this for me.”

Some things must be done, but some must not. A Primeval Gu was a Gu-master’s last resort. Without her Primeval Gu, the head Gu-master would never be able to perform Gu-craft again, which meant she would no longer be the head Gu-master! The cost of getting this done was too heavy. Besides, the head Gu-master was not a relative of theirs or something, and there was no need for her to sacrifice so much for them.

“Supt. Li.” The woman’s voice sounded a lot older now, but she did not slow down. “What’s done is done. If you stop me right now, all our efforts will come to nought, and all three of us will be in danger.”

Li Zong, who had raised his hand in an attempt to stop her, put down his hand again, his lips pressed together, having mixed feelings. Li Zong liked this world, because these people made of mortal flesh never ceased to surprise him. They did not stint on their kindness, and neither did they conceal their sincerity.

The head Gu-master was doing it with efficiency. She produced a little earthen pot with two symmetrical handles. Li Zong recognized it. It was the Jiuli Pot, the most valuable treasure in South Xinjiang.

She tipped the blood into the pot and applied part of the remaining blood to He Zheng’s lips. The Primeval Gu was attracted by the fresh blood. “Supt. Li, open his mouth.”

Li Zong slightly raised He Zheng’s head and opened his mouth. Then the Primeval Gu slowly crawled from the head Gu-master’s hand into He Zheng’s mouth and disappeared from view. This scene was actually a little spooky. After sending the Primeval Gu into He Zheng’s body, the head Gu-master blended He Zheng’s and Li Zong’s blood in the Jiuli Pot and then had each of them drink half of it.

“Now the job is almost done.” The head Gu-master heaved a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat off her forehead and then said, “Supt. Li, from this day onwards, you’ll have to have him ingest three drops of your blood on a daily basis for three days, and then ‘Mutual Abandonment’ will be accomplished.

This Gu is almost finished, and he would not feel any more pain, but if his soul is disembodied for too long, he will gradually become forgetful and feeble. If his lost soul does not return to him within seven days, your marriage partner will be reduced to a Living Soul and his body will perish.”

“I see.” Li Zong inhaled deeply and then thanked the head Gu-master earnestly. “You did me a great favor. If there’s anything I can do for you, all you have to do is ask.”

The head Gu-master waved her hand. She looked like an entirely different person from who she had been a few moments ago. A short while ago she had looked like a woman in her forties, but now she appeared to be in her sixties or seventies.

She said nonchalantly, “Our clan would have been exterminated over a hundred years ago were it not for your help. What I did today was merely returning the favor. Besides, I’m an old woman now. Before I came here, I had resigned and made my apprentice the head Gu-master, so it no longer matters whether I have a Primeval Gu or not.”

The life-saving Primeval Gu was the source of a Gu-master’s powers. Though she put it in a relaxed way, Li Zong knew that the head Gu-master, having lost her Primeval Gu, might not be able to live long.

“Yes. I’ll keep your words in mind.”

The head Gu-master looked mild from start to finish, and her voice was soft. “I’ll go to Li City to visit my granddaughter Lan Bai. I wonder how she has been doing lately, and whether she has done us proud.”

“She’s been doing very well. I’ll have Zu Zhichong accompany you there.”

While they were speaking, He Zheng who had been in a coma all along suddenly stirred. His hand hanging from the edge of the bed twitched. Li Zong was talking with the head Gu-master, but they both looked in He Zheng’s direction as they noticed him stir.

He Zheng slowly opened his eyes and were greeted by Li Zong and an old woman.

He Zheng was feeble all over. Li Zong walked up to him to hug him but abruptly felt a knifelike pain in the forehead. Li Zong’s face paled visibly, blue veins standing out on his hand holding the headboard.

“Li Zong?” He Zheng shook his head. Still groggy, he did not notice Li Zong’s uncharacteristic reaction.

The head Gu-master hastened to smile, “You have a minor health problem, young man. You’re now in a hospital.”

He Zheng’s voice was weak. He attempted to sit up but found that he did not have enough strength to do that. After two unsuccessful attempts, He Zheng lay back onto the bed and said haltingly, “Wh–What happened to me? Are y–you a doctor?”

“Ha ha. I’m a friend of Supt. Li’s. I have a granddaughter named Lan Bai. Do you know her?”

“Lan Bai … I know her.”

During the conversation, He Zheng’s mind gradually cleared, and Li Zong finally managed to suppress the pain. He supported He Zheng into a sitting position, secretly wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said in a voice as placid as usual, “This is Lan Bai’s grandmother.”

The head Gu-master said, “I’ll be on my way and leave you in peace.”

Li Zong nodded. “Thank you for all your trouble.”

In fact He Zheng was still dizzy and did not know what was going on. At Li Zong’s words, he heard a hum in his head. “What happened to me, Li Zong?”

“Nothing. Someone cast a Soul-Binding Spell on you and took one of your souls, which is why you’re experiencing discomfort.”

He Zheng, feebly leaning against the headboard, was startled by Li Zong’s remarks. In a tremulous voice, he asked, “A soul?”

Lips pressed tightly together, he asked Li Zong, “It sounds pretty serious. Am I going to kick the bucket?”

At first He Zheng was just a little afraid, but with Li Zong by his side, he summoned up the courage to face whatever it was he might be faced with. Seeing that He Zheng could still tell jokes, Li Zong felt slightly relieved and said in a soft voice, “It’s okay. I’ll help you get it back.”

Arms around He Zheng’s shoulder, he tightened his embrace a little, a determined look in his eyes.

In SMB.

Zhao Fei was glued to the spot. Blood was still gushing out of Zhou Yize’s mouth and chest. There seemed to be a continuous ringing in Zhao Fei’s head, and he was having dizzy spells.

“I–I’ll go and get help.”

Suddenly his hand was grabbed. Zhou Yize’s voice was so low it was barely audible.

“Zhao Fei … that won’t be necessary. Stay here and keep me company.”

Zhao Fei averted his eyes, his face etched with distress. When he turned his head back, the look in his eyes had returned to normal. He crouched down beside Zhou Yize and looked at Zhou Yize’s gray eyes. Though it was Zhou Yize who was wounded and vomiting blood, Zhao Fei felt so miserable as though he had received a stab.

“Zhou Yize, what happened to you exactly?”

“I … I’m under a Constraint Spell.” Zhou Yize smiled a watery smile at Zhao Fei, feebly raised his hand and put it against Zhao Fei’s cheek. “Seeing you–you feel sorry for me is … is enough … ”

“Stop speaking.” Zhao Fei’s voice was as hoarse and tremulous as the sound of a cracked gong.

“Zhou Yize … my greatest regret is … I haven’t met you sooner.” Zhou Yize had been living in a bleak, sunless world since as long as he could remember.

However, then he had caught sight of Zhao Fei, and it had been as though someone had knocked on the door leading to his heart. Zhao Fei had pushed open that door, and Zhou Yize had felt as if he had met this man many many years ago, as if they had finally been reunited.

“The Demonic Seed … must be found … Watch out for … Zhou Qi … and … the Demon King.”

Zhou Yize’s voice became fainter and fainter and eventually trailed away to nothing.

But Zhao Fei still heard his last remark.

Zhou Yize said, “Zhao Fei, give me a hug.”

Zhao Fei was on his knees, his eyes red. Earlier this day when the two of them had met in SMB, Zhao Fei, like Zhou Yize, had had a foreboding feeling that their relationship would soon be over.

He had so many times told himself that the whole thing was just an act …

That they were just friends with benefits at the most …

But Zhao Fei was unable to find the reason why he had felt an overwhelming sense of loss after hearing Zhou Yize’s last remark, as though he had just lost something …

No, as though he had lost something precious which he had only recovered not long ago …

Zhao Fei held Zhou Yize, his forehead against the latter’s. All of a sudden, he saw some scenes.

A giant raw gemstone had been dug up, cut and then made into a jade Cong (a long hollow piece of jade with rectangular sides) and a jade mirror, both of which had been offered to the then emperor as tribute. The jade Cong and the jade mirror had kept each other company for thousands of years. The former had been fingered by dozens of empresses, while the latter had hung from the belts of many emperors. The two pieces of jade ware, soaked in dragon Qi, had gradually developed their own sentience.

Having been nourished by dragon Qi for dozens of centuries, the jade Cong had accumulated enough energy to turn into a human-shaped spiritual entity. He had worked for the Department of Counter-Demon Operations, the predecessor of SMB, and he had carried the jade mirror with him at all times.

However, during a large-scale battle, the jade Cong’s body had been destroyed, along with its spirit. The jade mirror had since then been kept in the Department of Counter-Demon Operations. It had been dozens of years before Zhao Fei had emerged from the jade mirror.

Zhao Fei’s lips were quivering. Han Zhuo walked over and attempted to pull him to his feet but failed. The look in Zhao Fei’s eyes turned vacant and lifeless.

Zhou Yize’s last remark seemed to be repeating itself again and again in his ears. Zhao Fei gave a smile that was uglier than a crying face. “So … the one I’ve been looking for all these years … is you.”