Deep and dark eye bags grew under Feng Jin Huang's eyes, marring what should have been a picture of golden perfection. She lacked her usual phoenix coronet, appearing less grand and slightly frugal. The space between her thin eyebrows wrinkled with a worried look. Sleep deprivation was not a major issue for the legacy disciple. She could effortlessly maintain her appearance if she had the time for it.
However, the recent losses and mistakes in managing a blessed land shed an unforgiving light on her weakness. Unlike other disciples, Feng Jin Huang did not lack experience with the main continent or dealing with many types of demonic gu masters. She was certainly not naïve like Sun Yao, raised in tough yet loving environment.
Her weakness wasn't just lack of management experience. She couldn't do anything about it. Becoming Hu Immortal Blessed Land's owner was her first great success. Internally, she knew her parents and grandmother wouldn't let anything permanently damage the blessed land. They would act if things grew out of hand, and Feng Jin Huang believed she would need to pay appropriately for their assistance.
But the financial losses revealed another terrible aspect Feng Jin Huang had remained blissfully ignorant of.
She wasn't a young woman. So, to recall Little Hu Land Spirit unwittingly call her an impatient little girl was a huge blow to her ego.
It also forced Feng Jin Huang to think about her earlier decisions, something her elders must have already noticed.
When compared to other experienced gu immortals capable of running the operations of their blessed lands, Feng Jin Huang would be considered someone with little to no financial literacy. It wasn't like she didn't realize the benefits of saving and investing in ideas while being mindful of profits and losses. However, she delved into gu immortal market with only a superficial understanding about their methods.
And, of course, she had impatiently invested in every lucrative opportunity without properly integrating the new system with the blessed land, incurring deep losses.
Impatience…
Bitterness filled Feng Jin Huang's mouth. Being blind to such a flaw left her alert and awake.
'If this doesn't work…' Feng Jin Huang felt slightly anxious. She could already deduce what her father, mother, or grandmother would demand for their assistance. Their methods would surely leave her embarrassed.
More than impatient, Feng Jin Huang was prideful.
'What if the answer to my trouble is right under my nose and I never required their assistance?' She was particularly worried about this possibility becoming her reality. 'That would be too much!'
'Hopefully…'
Regaining her focus and certain clarity, Feng Jin Huang's gaze sized up the figure standing in the distance, overlooking a small rock formation.
She could never be dependent on someone like Bai Shou.
'Thankfully.' She felt a surge of pride. 'If this works, it wouldn't be considered a grace from Bai Shou but my investment in this illicit son of a bitch showing great returns instead.'
'My genius… is almost frightening.' She cackled internally.
<<<>>>
'My genius will be the death of me. It's too scary.'
Bai Shou expressionlessly observed the rock formation. When sleeping, the rockmen curl and look like round rocks. However, these rockmen lay face first without movement, unconscious.
She had focused on this species for the better part of two years. Her demands for materials piled up constantly, transforming into Feng Jin Huang's most expensive investment and leaving her to fall for several discreet cons from the mysterious market Bai Shou should realistically have no idea about when the blessed land's owner tried to bring the blessed land out of a critical financial state.
Bai Shou bought several rare gu worms, research materials, recipes, and even biographies related to rockmen.
The Legends of Ren Zu was not just a story but a representation of the gu world's culture. Like leaving behind inheritances, creating biographies to immortalize one's achievements and to inspire the next generation was a core tradition. Granted, humans were a superior species and ruled the gu world. So, finding these stories about rockmen was an expensive demand.
Of course, it was not as expensive as killing all the previous rockmen while experimenting killer moves and demanding more.
Indeed, the rock formation before Bai Shou was different from the rockmen group she encountered the first time.
She had already cycled through nearly forty groups! This count of execution surpassed the brutal culling Bai Shou had to subject her hairy men followers in Ba Gui Blessed Land through.
'But I developed a good way seven months ago.' Bai Shou recalled with a slight chill in her heart. She needed seven months to undermine the method she created!
It had become a pattern, Bai Shou realized. Not only was human path's potential quite scary, but her proficiency also skyrocketed without any conceivable limitations!
Most gu immortals possessed master-level attainments in their respective paths. Yet, with enough foundation, they create several methods unique to themselves. Only extremely rare talents ever become a grandmaster as a rank 6 gu immortal. Those with multiple attainments were even rarer! The ability to deduce and comprehend several unorthodox methods was a mark of genius, allowing such talents to prosper.
Bai Shou…
She had too many master-level attainments! And deeply impressed by Imaginative Strength, she grew to become his spiritual successor with the hope of eventually rivaling and surpassing him intellectually. That was just the first step.
There were monstrous talents beyond the likes of Imaginative Strength Immortal!
So, she never stopped trying to advance her understanding of human path. And it often led to creative success.
'My earlier method took a long time'
Considering the duration Bai Shou had been alive for, researching for a decent method to create a rockmen business was truly the longest Bai Shou needed to grind. It was also partly due to Feng Jin Huang's request.
Selling unconscious rockmen was easy. But the ambitious woman wanted to sell submissive rockmen and charge more. She wanted to carve a spot for herself in an already competitive environment without needing to encounter the usual pitfalls of a budding business.
Previously, Bai Shou devised a way based on rockmen's soul. Unfortunately, Bai Shou's soul path attainment wasn't nearly enough. In fact, conceptualizing her first method greatly improved her understanding of the soul path.
'I created a killer move called the Descendants' Debt Trap. However, it could be used… on many things.' Bai Shou gulped secretly. 'Even humans.'
'But the remaining seven months were also very fruitful.' Bai Shou brimmed with eagerness.
She deduced recipes for two gu worms!
What was extraordinary about this achievement wasn't the fact Bai Shou succeeded but the duration within which she did. Too many gu masters invented and deduced new gu worms every day. It did not impact Bai Shou's attainment in any meaningful manner. Even if she possessed a few human path gu worms, she needed to use them regularly to understand their secrets—something she still didn't get enough time to achieve aside from a few hidden killer moves as trump cards.
Inside Bai Shou's aperture were three new gu worms.
One of them looked like a fly without wings, floating atop Bai Shou's primeval sea. It was Rank 1 Anchor Mind.
The second looked like a human-sized, dark-grey bee. It buzzed and flew around, releasing a rank 5 aura.
Bai Shou named it Descendant Gu, fittingly so.
Its ability…
Rank 5 Descendant Gu had no lower-ranked variations. Either they couldn't exist, or Bai Shou didn't have enough attainment/inspiration to deduce such a recipe. It was a one-time consumable gu.
Once activated, it consumed the entirety of one's lifespan, no matter how large or little of it remains, to leave behind an offspring of the same gender and aptitude as the target.
The origin of this gu worm was dark, directly connected to Dong Fanzhi Inheritance Shu Zhe obtained from Di Qing. That blood path inheritance was filled with bloody but curious recipes nonetheless, inspiring Bai Shou to develop this gu worm.
The so-called descendant would be an infant, but it grew to be an exact copy of the target.
This rank 5 descendant gu was the core gu behind the first method.
Bai Shou eventually decided against revealing it, forced to think of yet another gu worm.
This gu worm was not refined as a single gu worm but had two parts.
Inside Bai Shou's aperture was a pair of flying ants. One was red, and the other was black. Strangely enough, wherever the black ant flew, the red ant quickly followed. They collectively released a rank 3 gu worm's aura. Bai Shou had yet to deduce the recipe for their high-ranked refinement.
Rank 3 Leader and Follower Gu.
It was the essence of Bai Shou's hundreds and thousands of hours of relentless deduction and constant failures.
And boy, she was proud.
'Descendants Debt Trap is like a vicious cycle. Its effects would continue for five generations unless one of the targets somehow advanced to become a gu immortal. Humans are most spiritual, and they are very challenging to beguile.'
Bai Shou experienced this first-hand when she enslaved Li Xian. However, this killer move did not enslave the targets but made them very agreeable to Bai Shou.
Until now, she did not reveal anything about the gu worm. Even if someone refined it, they would only accidentally kill themselves or someone else, leaving a new child in the process. The killer move was another great secret.
The same couldn't be said about the Rank 3 Leader and Follower Gu.
Exhaling softly, Bai Shou spread her thoughts and controlled a few gu worms.
One of them was one of the core gu worms to perform the Vital Human Killer Move—Rank 4 Soul Imprint Gu.
Soul Imprint Gu, by itself, allowed a gu master to track their targets by leaving undetectable traces on them. It was an outstanding tool to capture gu worms or escaped slaves.
Rank 3 Leader and Follower Gu.
Rank 4 Soul Imprint Gu.
Rank 5 Multiply Gu.
Killer Move: Follow the Leader.
Inside Bai Shou's aperture, the pair of flying ant gu worms exuded warm brilliance.
Rank 3 Leader and Follower Gu had a strange use pattern. The red-colored Follower Gu dispersed into red fragments and flew out under the effects of the killer move, entering every unconscious rockmen. Ordinarily, it could only affect one target. However, Bai Shou's killer move helped deal with that issue. Whoever possessed the corresponding Leader Gu could now effortlessly persuade these rockmen.
But the most brilliant aspect about this gu worm was the eating habits of the rank 3 Leader Gu.
Once fed enough, Rank 3 Leader Gu would recreate the Follower Gu. So, it did not have a stringent feeding cycle and consumed more when it needed to produce its pairing Follower Gu!
"Wake them up."
Bai Shou exhaled and glanced back.
Feng Jin Huang nodded, gesturing to Little Hu Immortal to wake the rockmen.
*Rumble*
*Rumble*
*Rumble*
The ground shook slightly as the embedded rockmen moved roughly. Their thick arms and legs dragged mud and tore out the grass growing all around them. These rockmen were made from thick volcanic rocks, their bodies covered with a layer of jagged skin and deep-red cracks.
"Free us!"
"Fight us, if you dare!"
"We'll kill you!"
Their voices were coarse and filled with unmatched fury. They raised their arms, looking around.
Bai Shou observed them.
The rockmen didn't look like ordinary golems. Instead, their features were slightly more defined, and their glimmering stoned eyes reflected decent intelligence.
"Please, friend. Quell your anger."
Bai Shou cupped her fist and spoke loudly, attracting their attention.
The rockmen instantly turned to Bai Shou, the anger in their hearts magically simmering.
"Who are you?" One of them shouted. "We are not slaves! Don't you dare think for a moment we will do your bidding!"
"I understand, friend." Bai Shou smiled gently. "Look around. We don't mean to enslave you or sell you. If you would please, help me making this blessed land prosper."
The rockmen looked at each other before nodding.
"Hmm. Fine," agreed the leading rockman. "What do you think we should do?"
Bai Shou smiled.
"Follow that path. Enter Dang Hun Mountain and raise your numbers. My Senior Sister will meet you shortly and let you know everything. Many thanks, friend."
"We should be the grateful ones," boomed the rockman, laughing uproariously as he led his men to Dang Hun Mountain without being the slightest bit suspicious.
Feng Jin Huang, Qin Juan, and Sun Yao appeared with Little Hu Immortal after the rockmen left.
"It works…"
Feng Jin Huang's gaze sparkled with joy.
Qin Juan also appeared emotional. She participated in refinement of Rank 3 Leader and Follower Gu, incurring several injuries during a backlash. She even had a pair of gu worms inside her aperture.
Sun Yao, meanwhile—to nobody's notice—looked slightly distracted.
"Unfortunately, this method is slightly unsophisticated."
Bai Shou smiled tiredly as they approached her.
Feng Jin Huang shook her head.
"Don't be modest, Bai Shou." Sincere admiration flickered in her slightly bloodshot eyes.
"It's not modesty but reality." Bai Shou frowned and spoke with a solemn look. "There is no perfect control without a slavery gu worm. Needless to say, there will be some issues left without enslavement path methods. This killer move, Follow the Leader, has many disadvantages and restrictions."
Feng Jin Huang listened intently.
"First, the rockmen will be easily persuaded by me, but the same isn't true for their descendants. Thankfully, using this killer move is simple and it affects large groups at once. Second, because it's not perfect enslavement, the rockmen might still ignore me. Although, the killer move surely reduces the chances of such a backlash. Third, and most importantly, the effects of the killer move will wear off if any of them awaken their aperture. This killer move is still in its infancy and needs years of refinement."
Bai Shou didn't lie. Sure, the Descendants' Debt Trap worked on gu masters, but they were discussing the Follow the Leader Killer Move. She never stated she was without any means to affect a gu master.
Saying all this, Bai Shou looked Feng Jin Huang in the eye, shedding her usual playful demeanor and scandalous humor.
"Now rest, Sister Feng."
Her sincere words caught Feng Jin Huang off-guard.
"What?" She raised an eyebrow, appearing cold and cautious.
Bai Shou shook her head.
"I said what needed to be said." With that, she bypassed the stunned Feng Jin Huang and instantly grabbed Qin Juan's hand.
"Ah!" Qin Juan gasped, blushing a storm.
"Where are you going?" Feng Jin Huang questioned hastily, frowning. There was slight restlessness in her heart.
Bai Shou's body shifted as he looked over his shoulder with an unapologetic grin.
"You shouldn't mind us getting distracted after this success, right? I'm well within my right to start claiming my rewards."
Qin Juan's face turned bright crimson as the corner of Feng Jin Huang's eyes twitched. She couldn't help but scowl and simultaneously feel slight heat in her cheeks.
<<<>>>
"Success!" Bai Qing sighed in relief. Feng Jin Huang's recent losses greatly burdened the sect's fairy. After all, she was a that proud lass' mother and couldn't help but worry for her daughter. Controlling the maternal instincts flooding her bosom, Bai Qing looked up at her mother with slight wariness.
"This method belongs to Huang'er, mother. I spent a lot of resources keeping most of Bai Shou's research hidden from Xu Hao."
Bai La snorted, her expression twisting with displeasure.
The youngest looking of the family shot back drily.
"Why would I ever do anything in your or Huang'er's favor? It's not like I'm your mother. I just happen to have carried you for nine months and let you explode—"
"I didn't mean that!" Bai Qing sighed exasperatedly. "But you are still…"
"Against your marriage?" Bai La sneered. "With every living breath of mine, yes. But that will never obstruct my love for Huang'er. Xu Hao already overstepped his boundaries by approaching Bai Shou last time. He is being observed by First Supreme Elder now. So, be at ease. Although the Rank 3 Leader and Follower Gu is interesting, I don't intend to release the recipe for profits until Huang'er advances."
Bai Qing's eyelids jumped in surprise. She hadn't known about the matter of First Supreme Elder taking charge.
"Is it because of dream path?" She questioned curiously. First Supreme Elder only took charge of matter of grave importance for the sect.
Bai La sighed.
"I don't know." Her answer was candid. "Second Supreme Elder is overlooking the research for the dream path. It is being given the most importance, even more than human and blood path because of the prophecy of three venerables."
Bai Qing's gaze flickered. A strange emotion bubbled in her gut.
Venerable.
Such a title made a rank 6 gu immortal like her, who overlooked billions of talented mortals, feel small and next to nothing. To a Venerable, Bai Qing might also be the same as other mortal gu masters or civilians without a talent to cultivate.
'Dream Path…'
Bai Qing focused on Feng Jin Huang's image.
"Do you believe Bai Shou has a similar affinity for the dream path?" She questioned her mother.
Bai La shook her head, indicating her lack of certainty for this subject.
"If she does have such a talent, Bai Shou did a wonderful job hiding it until now." Bai La chuckled vainly, similarly proud of her investigation methods.
As the rockmen traveled to Dang Hun Mountain, Bai Qing and Bai La watched a surprisingly sincere moment between Feng Jin Huang and Bai Shou.
"That girl was wearing herself thin." Bai La snorted, but her care and affection for Huang filled Bai Qing with warmth.
"Bai Shou is also surprisingly appropriate. Knowing Huang'er state, he didn't tease her but earnestly suggested her to rest. In fact, he worked tirelessly the last dozens of months."
Then the mother-daughter pair watched all that heartfelt emotion evaporate as Bai Shou whisked Qin Juan away in his arms.
"Still a lecherous brat." Bai Qing snorted. After a while, she glanced at her mother.
"Mother?" She prompted. "You can stop this investigation killer move now."
Bai La sipped her tea, feeling warm and pleasant.
"I know." She smiled breezily.
Bai Qing froze before she thinned her lips and stood up with a snort.
"You are no better!" The daughter accused Bai La with some humor in her voice, hurriedly leaving the courtyard.
Bai La shrugged.
"Sigh. Can't even relieve one's boredom without being judged by a daughter."
She shook her head.
Besides, an old woman like her was slightly curious whether the next generation built on their ancestor's methods and improved their technique. She certainly had a few dozen minutes to spare for some natural entertainment.
'It's like watching two animals rut.' She thought vainly.
***
Alternate Title: Leave Grandma Alone, She's Just Bored; Bai Shou: You Gotta Pay for the View Old Gal *Bai La: I Pay Your Employer, My Granddaughter*; Dazed Sun Yao; Bai Shou Racks Up Her Variant Humans Kill Count; Descendant Gu; Bai Shou's Inspiration and Ambition: Imaginative Strength, Limitless, Thieving Heaven; Limitless: Chase the Dao *Bai Shou, Kneeling: Yes, Master*; Primordial Origin: Human is the Spirit of All Living Beings *Bai Shou: Of course, Master*; Imaginative Strength: Imagine, Imagine, Imagine! *Bai Shou: Right On, Senior Brother*; Understandable Self Nerf; Bai Shou Leads the Rockmen; Leader and Follower Gu; Feng Jin Huang's Investment Paid Off; Feng Jin Huang Fell for Every Immortal's Scam; Feng Jin Huang Needs the Bai Support; Bai Shou And His Rewards; Bai Shou: I Point the Way, You Follow *Millions of Rockmen Booming: Yes, Brother!*; Human Path: Cannot Enslave Others *Also Human Path: Rewires the Shit Out of Someone's Mind*; Bai Shou's Descendants' Debt Trap; New Killer Move Name: Baby Trap?; Bai La and Bai Qing's Observation; Bai La's Life: Sipping and Watching; Bai La Wants to Know What the Kids are Up To These Days; The Three Cold Hard Facts: Heaven is Fair, Fate is Meant to be Defied, and Lo Jik Corrupts; Feng Jin Huang's Restlessness; The Three Sisters Never Stood a Chance
***
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