Spirit Affinity House's accommodations for the disciples were divided into the four cardinal directions: -
South: Ordinary Disciples.
West: Inner Disciples.
East: Elite Disciples.
North: Legacy Disciples.
The eldest of Jirou Na's sons, Jirou Yi, was an inner disciple. He lived in the west, away from the mountain acting as Elder Jirou's residence. Different from his mother, not only in appearance but also in mannerism, Jirou Yi was untouched by his northern heritage.
"It's delightful to make your acquaintance, Sister Bai." The youth stood to greet the woman, his smile pleasant and refreshing. However, all the middle-aged man's efforts reaped was a curt nod. Jirou Yi's guest was instead more captivated by the other, much older, man in the room. Such a gesture was not rude but natural in his eyes.
Even the Sect Leader wouldn't dare ignore the third party, his Peak Stage Rank 5 aura adding a substantial weight in the room.
Bai Shou instantly adopted a slightly more respectful expression, her body language shifting from distant to something more comfortable. Approachable.
Jirou Yi politely asked Bai Shou to sit. The latter also greeted the third party only to receive a similarly indifferent nod.
"I wasn't aware I would be meeting Brother Wang, Brother Jirou." Bai Shou didn't veil the deliberate curiosity in her voice. She knew a few things about Jirou Yi, after all, and he wasn't a product of dedicated fostering. He would be considered a case more useless than Qin Juan in matters related to understanding social cues.
Jirou Yi smirked, his expression pleasant and serene.
Including Bai Shou, Yang Pao, and Feng Bo, Wang Nan was one of the eight Rank 5 Gu Masters present in the ranks of the outer disciples. He was the only Rank 5 Peak Stage Gu Master, his skills praised within inner and elite ranks with an unmatched battle stage record to boot.
His story, like his aptitude for violence, was discussed animatedly.
Wang Nan was born to a common household, his family soon falling prey to the cruel elements stalking the land. However, the cause of Wang Nan's growth was not a discovered inheritance but a calculated assassination of an old Rank 1 Gu Master who did not have the necessary aptitude to advance any further.
While not a Gu Master, the young Wang audaciously ran to market to sell the old Gu Master. He claimed the corpse was a demonic Gu Master. The corpse never spoke to defend his honour, soon considered a criminal by everyone. Nobody understood young Wang Nan's nature at the time, promptly hailing the youth courageous and moral.
His story soon attracted the nearby Gu Family. Taking pity on his orphaned past and impressed by his bravery, the family soon employed Wang Nan as their son's butler after purchasing the corpse from him.
Wang Nan and his employer's son were quick to become nigh inseparable friends.
Wang Nan's friend was a year older and was due to leave on his 15th birthday to enter a sect and awaken his aperture.
The family never woke up the next day. Instead, Wang Nan walked out of the residence in his friend's clothes and entered the sect, successfully awakening his aperture. However, it might have been karma or Wang Nan's lack of foresight that not only did he only awaken a mere D-grade aptitude but was also discovered as the ruthless murderer.
One of the Sect Elders had arrangements with Wang Nan's employers and soon discovered the 'son' to have been replaced by the orphaned youth.
Any attempts to escape were useless. Defeated, Wang Nan accepted the truth and wished to confess his crimes before execution. The truth was exposed under the sharp guillotine.
Wang Nan's blood was poisonous. His family had foraged for food and accidentally consumed a rare poison. According to Wang Nan, he woke up to the corpse of a strange Gu Worm alongside his parent's bodies.
He'd become venomous, a trait he exploited with no remorse.
What should have been an execution turned into a prospect for research. The same elder who caught Wang Nan postponed the youth's execution.
Fortunately for Wang Nan, the sect was attacked that very night by a group of young and fortunate Gu Masters who would later terrorize other small and mid-sized sects under the monicker of the Pig Triplets.
Escaping his grim fate, Wang Nan preyed on others. He devoured and digested to grow. The sudden loss of his parents was a wake-up call that the youth never knew he needed. His name spread as he rose through the ranks. Wang Nan was a special case of violence. Not dedicated to any path, displaying his ignorance in his early years, Wang Nan was fortunate enough to survive the many ordeals others in his position should have succumbed to.
Wang Nan's demonic reputation shattered not with death but a chance encounter with his wife, a woman who reminded the stone-hearted and poison-blooded Gu Master of the same warmth he felt in his mother's embrace.
His acceptance into the Spirit Affinity House was controversial. But he'd changed for the better, his demonic tendencies nowhere to be seen even when his loving wife departed the world. Wang Nan devoted his life to raise and nurture his daughter, another inner disciple if Bai Shou recalled correctly.
However, Wang Nan never chose to advance any further.
Losses and love…
Sacrifice of one's future for the love of one's children…
Wang Nan's actions were opposite to Bai Shou's entire past. Yet, the hunger for blood in the Peak Stage senior's carefully veiled gaze was as clear as day to the former.
One more tragedy… just one more.
Wang Nan was a dormant volcano waiting to erupt, his sword path Gu Worms lusting after bodies to slash into ribbons.
'And this poor soul engaged his son to Wang Nan's daughter?' Bai Shou didn't know where to laugh or cry. Wait. The answer was easy. But the Chained Wanderer stifled her humour and chose not to laugh at her host's face.
There was a reason Wang Nan chose to remain an outer disciple. The man was not ambitious for power and was a beast of instinct. Rising higher in the social rank welcomed scrutiny, a poison to predators who lived in the shadow.
The servants served cups of wine, feeling the weight of their superiors' silence as they observed each other.
"Were you surprised, Sister Bai?" Jirou Yi began, his motions fluid and devoid of Jirou Na's characteristic roughness. He quietly raised his wine cup, toasting Bai Shou. Some things, however, were not so different. The inner disciple clarified his position rather bluntly. His words sought no political veil.
"I'm not my mother and hold no ill will towards you." His hand remained raised, a certain expectation dawning within his gaze.
"Ah," he sighed before chuckling. "How impatient of me. I accidentally subjected you to one of Northern Plains' traditions without any explanations."
Jirou Yi set the cup on the table.
His features softened after noticing Bai Shou's curiosity.
"Northern Plains do not have clans or sects. Instead, they collude and move in tribes. The strongest warrior retains the first seat and leads the tribe's elders in welcoming heroes they discover in their adventures by toasting a cup of wine. From the host's perspective, the guest drinking the entire cup displays respect and the beginning of a cordial relationship."
Bai Shou listened intently, a soft smile on her lips.
"Are we in the Northern Plains?"
Jirou Yi's expression stiffened as Bai Shou traced the cup's rim before resting her gaze on the quiet Wang Nan. "Respect is only afforded by the skilled in the Central Continent, as is required by the sect system. Here, I shall raise this cup in Brother Wang's honour, a dragon amongst men and the most skilled in this room."
She downed the entire cup at once.
Quietly and placidly, not a hint of shift in his features, Jirou Yi lifted his cup and repeated the gesture. His smile returned as the wine slid down his throat.
"I dislike wine," Wang Nan finally spoke, his hands unmoved from his sides.
"A tea perhaps?" Bai Shou inquired.
"Business." Wang Nan insisted, his eyes not having shifted from Bai Shou's since her appearance.
"Brother Wang Nan is as direct as ever." Jirou Yi chuckled before steering the conversation to a topic of his choice. "I'd like to relieve some of Sister Bai's worries before we carry on with our business."
"There's no need," Bai Shou replied. "It is as Brother Wang says: Business is more important. Your relationship with Jirou Na alongside your siblings adds nothing substantial to the trade, that is, if you wish to exchange the intended beast heart."
"Sister Bai?" Jirou Yi frowned. "That isn't appropriate."
"You do not decide what's appropriate." Bai Shou pointed out, her eyes meeting Wang Nan. "Brother Wang does. And if he insists business is the priority, then it shall be so."
Jirou Yi's features shifted as he grew quiet. He exhaled after a few moments, nodding.
He retrieved a bluish chest from his storage Gu Worm. The cold escaped the chest's surface, curling into lazy mist around the article as Jirou Yi set it on the table, carefully pulling it open to reveal an untouched heart. Its shape and form were not unfamiliar to Bai Shou. She knew about the creature the heart belonged to, even though someone from the 'outside' should not have known about it.
"What a curious thing." Bai Shou acted perfectly, leaning forward to display her surprise and hooked attention.
"A dragonfish," Wang Nan supplied succinctly.
"What is it?" Bai Shou questioned. "I heard you are one of the disciples in charge of dealing with dragonfish emperors, Brother Wang. However, I've never heard or read of such a creature in the Education Hall appointed to us Outer Disciples."
Jirou Yi closed the chest, noticing a flash of disappointment in Bai Shou's gaze at the act, an observation he decided to exploit in an opportune moment.
"I deal with eliminating the rare, hostile specimens from the school of dragonfish due to my Gu Set. All I know is that this is one of the more important resources in the sect's headquarters under a legacy disciple's management. Not even an Elder is allowed near the lake housing these beasts."
"You didn't answer my question, Brother Wang," Bai Shou stated with a shrug. "I asked what it is."
Wang Nan's silence and impassive expression announced the outer disciple's reluctance on the matter as Jirou Yi suddenly answered.
"Unlike what its habitat might suggest, dragonfish isn't a creature best known for water path but… the food path."
"Food path?" Bai Shou's eyes glinted. "That's a surprise. It's a dao spoken in the same vein of mystery as theft. Does the sect have a complete food path inheritance?"
"Maybe they do," Jirou Yi laughed. "Our sect is one of the Ten Ancient sects with superb foundations. None can measure its depth. A dragonfish is not found naturally, so it's not rare for Sister Bai to have remained unaware of such a beast. I knew I had to reveal this beauty once I heard about your requirement of researching the hearts of various Beast Emperors and Mutated Beast Kings."
'How kind.'
Bai Shou nodded and glanced at Wang Nan again, seemingly oblivious to the momentary shadow of annoyance in Jirou Yi's eyes.
"The material you procured is very interesting, Brother Wang. It won't be wrong to assume that your requirements to trade are similarly intriguing, right?"
"We were hoping to—"
Bai Shou exhaled and shot Jirou Yi a slightly tired look.
"Brother Jirou, please. I cannot conduct trade with you until Brother Wang explicitly suggests I'm negotiating with you and you alone. It would be disrespectful of me to assume otherwise."
Tensions thickened in the room as Jirou Yi's gaze sharpened.
"I'm the one who asked you here, Sister Bai," he replied coldly. "And you have failed to show appropriate bearings, testing my patience since the beginning."
Bai Shou paused and shook her head. Her smile broadened as she locked gazes with Wang Nan.
"What do you say to that, Brother Wang?"
"Do you wish to conduct trade or not?" Jirou Yi interrupted.
"Naturally," Bai Shou answered.
Feeling Jirou Yi's gaze, Wang Nan declared plainly. "Brother Jirou is the one you will negotiate with."
Bai Shou chuckled before Jirou Yi's nerves could soothe.
"As you wish, Brother Wang."
Jirou Yi eventually regained his composure and led the negotiations. As Bai Shou anticipated, he was the first customer lured by her growing reputation regarding her expertise in the refinement path from the Refinement Halls in the central region. Ambitious but not talented enough to achieve his objectives, Jirou Yi wanted to form a good relationship with the Chained Wanderer.
He would supply the hearts of the beasts based on the Gu Worm she would refine for him.
Of course, it was the beginning. The devil lay in the details, which the two parties had to seek and understand.
"My conditions are fairly simple, Brother Jirou."
Bai Shou didn't bother lying. Jirou Yi represented another section of scions who never grew up to their predecessors' expectations. Among Jirou Na's sons, Jirou Meng Hou was the only one with the potential to reach the ranks of an Elite Disciple. Her other two sons lived outside the sect, controlling smaller cities in the same manner as Yang Pao. Meanwhile, Jirou Yi was stubborn and craved vindication.
His act of forming marital connection with Wang Nan through their children despite the somewhat apparent risks displayed his bravery… and ignorance.
Being an Elite Disciple wouldn't mean much to outsiders if they lacked context.
Spirit Affinity House only had 10 legacy disciples! The imprisoned Nu Wu, or rather Kong Ri Yi, was one of them, and his status did not change despite his captivity. To become a legacy disciple meant to uphold someone's legacy—a supreme elder's legacy!
This position was limited, and there were rarely more than 10 legacy disciples in the sect's history at any given time.
So, the next best thing was to become an Elite Disciple.
Just look at Qin Juan. Her Gu Set and combat potential as a refinement path Gu Master filled the gaps left by her lacking experience. Finding a similar Gu Master on the mainland was a rare event.
"First, the primary conditions of refining a gu worm stay the same. I will need a recipe and three sets of materials, allowing me to provide the usual guarantee of 100% success rate as long as the rank of the target gu worm does not exceed Rank 3."
"Second, I will choose which Rank 4 or Rank 5 gu worm I refine after carefully inspecting the provided recipes. Some of these gu worms have unusually perplexing steps that I would rather avoid entirely."
"Third, I will require one dragonfish emperor's heart for every Rank 4 and Rank 5 gu worm I refine."
"What?" Jirou Yi gaped as a trace of annoyance flashed in Wang Nan's stoic gaze.
"I have a good reason to demand such a price," Bai Shou spoke with a smile. "After all, wouldn't you consider the service of being able to control whom I refine Rank 4 and Rank 5 gu worms for a pricey proposition?"
The inner disciple froze before his eyes regained their vibrancy.
"You would do that?" He questioned. "Why?"
"Why not?" Bai Shou shrugged. "But you didn't let me finish. This service isn't as simple as you believe, Brother Jirou."
"Every dragonfish emperor heart that I receive gives you one opportunity to revoke someone else's ability to refine the gu worm from the Giant King's Refinement Stall."
"It's not enough." Jirou Yi shook his head. "The price of a beast emperor's heart, much less an artificial one never seen outside, cannot be justified with such a simple service. If we're paying with the dragonfish heart for every Rank 4 and Rank 5 gu worms, you must rescind the condition of requiring three sets of materials and form an exclusive partnership."
Bai Shou chuckled at that.
"I will do no such thing. Let's forget about the matter entirely, then. I'll seek my research material from the Exchange Halls."
Bai Shou shifted from her seat to stand as Jirou Yi grunted.
"We can still exchange the heart, Sister Bai."
"How so?" Bai Shou questioned.
"We will follow the policies of the Giant King's Refinement Stall, including offering our favourite wines. However, our side must be prioritized for every refinement. For that, we will offer the beast emperor hearts at a 20% discounted price from the market rate."
Bai Shou considered his words.
"It's not too valuable if it's only the dragonfish hearts. The recipe I'm researching involves transformation dao's mysteries and requires me to observe many other materials. What else do you have to offer?"
Jirou Yi momentarily hesitated, resisting the urge to glance at Wang Nan for approval.
"The Mission Halls related to inner and elite disciples have several jobs for killing rampaging beasts—"
"No."
Wang Nan's voice cut into the negotiations.
"Beast emperors within the sect can use rank 5 gu worms. Meanwhile, the school of dragonfish lives in a special habitat and possesses no gu worms. The cost will increase substantially if we target other beast emperors."
Bai Shou blinked, her gaze drifting from Jirou Yi to Wang Nan and back.
"Fine."
Her words surprised Jirou Yi.
Bai Shou continued with a pleased smile on her face, her words almost drawing a constipated look on Jirou Yi's features.
"Who am I to believe I know better than Brother Wang Nan. We will only deal with the hearts of the dragonfish emperors at a discounted rate of 20% while prioritizing your requests in my business."
The remaining negotiations were smooth because nothing else was left to discuss.
"Bai Shou… Wang Nan…" Jirou Yi clenched his fists, his jaw tight with unconcealed frustration.
<<<>>>
"Wang Nan…"
Bai Shou remained thoughtful, her back on a mattress within the Empty Cube Gu.
There was more to the peak stage rank 5 gu master's story.
When the poisoned family slept, the toxins within Wang Nan attracted the starving gu worm. The said poison was the unnamed gu worm's food. However, the one curious aspect of Wang Nan's survival was the Gu Worm's demise.
Why did the Gu Worm die?
Due to overexertion.
The Gu Worm was attracted to the poison in Wang Nan's body because it was hungry. Yet, why did the Gu Worm use its ability to detoxify Wang Nan?
Bai Shou did not have an answer, neither did Wang Nan or other parties intrigued by his past.
Still, the event was parallel to a wild Gu Worm using its ability on its host beast.
'A beast…'
Bai Shou experienced a moment of clarity.
'Humans are human path materials. The same is true for variant humans. Preserving branch is a human path material.'
She observed everything she knew about the mysterious dao, discovering a distinct gap in her knowledge.
'Which ones are the human path beasts? Humans or variant humans?'
Bai Shou knew humans were called social animals in her home world. Such notions did not apply to the dao of the Gu World, or humans would also attract wild Gu Worms.
She quietly sat up and recovered the dragonfish emperor's heart.
'A food path creature.'
Her food path attainment was ordinary and wasn't too useful. However, she was not blind to its benefits.
'I'll have to change a few of my strength path beast phantoms. While a dragonfish's strength phantom isn't undesirable, I must acquire more of it to form a rank 5 strength phantom.'
Still, it was a start.
***
Alternate Title: The Honey Trap Strikes Again; Jirou Na's Opps; The Peak; Sword Cultivator; The Edgy Origin Story; Spirit Affinity House Do Be Making The Hottest Sheathes; Demonic Gu Masters Exist *Spirit Affinity House Fairies: It's Free Real Estate*; The Heart; Wang Nan and Jirou Yi; Negotiations; Games; Bai Shou's Hidden Agenda; Driving a Wedge; Admitting Wang Nan's Brilliance To Cast Yi In Shadow; The Scion's Envy; Thirsting Recognition; A Silent Vow; A Start; The Matters of Human Path; Human Path Beasts?; Ren Zu: The First Human Path Beast; Food Path; An Opportunity; A Dysfunctional Group
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