"Understood, my Lord. Please follow me." Liu Er responded quickly. He reached into his robes, pulled out a small piece of a Primeval Stone, and placed it on the table as payment for the wine. After settling the bill, he turned and led the way out of the tavern without hesitation, with Liu Chen following closely behind.
"My Lord, this is Mr. Wang's home," Liu Er said, pointing toward a bamboo building. It was one of the finest structures in the village. The lower floor had been converted into a warehouse, and the yard was enclosed by a sturdy bamboo fence. Inside the courtyard, two small plots of land were neatly planted with green vegetables, creating a pleasant, orderly atmosphere.
Liu Chen glanced at the property casually, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Walk in and take a look."
Liu Er hurried to the door and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Old Man Wang! A Master Gu is here to see you! Come out and greet him immediately!" His voice echoed through the quiet village, a deliberate attempt to warn Old Man Wang so he wouldn't suffer a "disaster of recklessness" by failing to show proper respect to a Gu Master.
They waited, but the building remained silent. Just as Liu Er prepared to shout again, the door creaked open slightly. A soft, delicate voice drifted through the gap: "Who are you? My father and second brother are away. Please return tomorrow."
Liu Er looked at Liu Chen with an embarrassed expression. "Sir, it seems Mr. Wang is not at home."
"I will go in and wait for him myself. You can leave now," Liu Chen said, his mouth curling into a faint, cold smile that made the hunters shudder. "And remember: do not speak of this. If I hear a single word of gossip, your lives will be forfeit."
Liu Er and the other hunters turned pale instantly, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. They nodded frantically. "Yes, yes! we know nothing! Thank you for your mercy, Master Gu!" Without another word, the four of them fled as if the soles of their feet were greased with oil, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Liu Chen watched them flee in disarray, the smile on his lips growing more pronounced. He shook his head gently, long since accustomed to the terrified performance of mortals. He stepped forward, pushed open the bamboo gate, and strolled leisurely into the yard.
As he walked, Liu Chen re-evaluated the information Liu Er had provided during their walk.
Old Man Wang was a famous headhunter and the oldest hunter in the area, a man who had survived decades in the dangerous mountains where most were killed by wild beasts. His family history was even more intriguing. His eldest son, Wang Da, had disappeared last winter while hunting; rumors claimed he was eaten by a bear. Shortly after, Wang Da's wife committed suicide out of grief, though a darker rumor suggested that Old Man Wang had killed her himself to prevent her from remarrying. The second son, sixteen, was still a trainee hunter, and the youngest daughter, twelve, was said to be as beautiful as a water spirit.
Liu Chen's eyes narrowed. Based on his knowledge of the world, he knew the truth was far more sinister. Wang Da was not dead; he had stumbled upon a hidden Gu Master inheritance. By faking his own death, he had escaped the eyes of the clan to become a demonic cultivator.
Even more chilling was the fate of Wang Da's wife. She hadn't committed suicide. Wang Da had murdered her personally to use her as the primary material to refine a Rank 2 Love Life Separation Gu.
According to Liu Er, Wang Da had only disappeared a year ago. This meant he had likely only possessed his inheritance for a short time. In just half a year, his cultivation would, at most, be at the Rank 1 Upper Stage or perhaps the very beginning of Rank 2.
Liu Chen pondered this for a moment and felt a sense of relief. With his own A grade aptitude, the Innate Strength boost, and the crushing pressure of his Rank 5 Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider, dealing with a mid level opponent like Wang Da would be effortless.
The courtyard was not large, but it was kept very tidy. As Liu Chen passed the vegetable garden, his eyes were drawn to a green, cucumber like vegetable. He unceremoniously reached out, plucked it, and took a natural bite, as if he were in his own home.
"Well, this green melon tastes quite good," Liu Chen muttered to himself while chewing.
Suddenly, a scolding voice rang out from the bamboo building: "Who are you?! You're not allowed in here, and you dare to steal our melons? Just wait until my father and second brother return, they'll teach you a lesson!"
The voice was clear and melodious, like a yellow warbler emerging from a valley. However, the anger was undercut by a distinct lack of confidence and a slight tremble.
"I only need a map. I'll leave as soon as I find it," Liu Chen said calmly, as if the girl's threats were beneath his notice. "As for your father and brother... let's see if they actually dare to attack me when they return."
He strode into the bamboo building, ignoring the indignant protests from within. Pushing the door open, he walked straight into the inner room and then into the kitchen. The stove room was filled with the faint scent of woodsmoke. On the stovetop sat a neat bundle of bamboo knots.
Liu Chen crouched down, his eyes fixed on the bundle. He took a deep breath, seized one of the bamboo joints in both hands, and applied pressure. Click. The bamboo joint shattered instantly in his hands.
In fact, before coming here, Liu Chen had carefully recalled the relevant plot. He remembered that the animal skin map he desperately needed was hidden inside a specific bamboo joint in this very hearth. Without hesitation, he began to crush the joints one by one, searching for the map.
Just as he was focused on his task, a sudden, rapid sound of footsteps echoed through the room. A twelve year old girl the little loli of the Wang family rushed out like a gust of wind. Though her clothes were simple and plain, they couldn't hide her natural beauty and cute appearance.
"What do you want to do?! If you don't leave right now, I'm going to shout! Get out of here!" she shouted, her face flushed with anger as she tried to push Liu Chen away from the bamboo.
"Yo, you're not very big, but your breath certainly is," Liu Chen looked at the girl with interest, a playful smile spreading across his face. "The little girl looks pretty good! If you keep messing around here, hehe... then I'll just take you away and make you my child bride!"
As he spoke, he looked the girl up and down, secretly noting that she was indeed quite cute. However, this moment of dark fun didn't last long. He reminded himself that he was in the Gu World and time was running out; he couldn't afford to waste it here.
Liu Chen's expression turned serious. He reached out and squeezed the girl's soft, pink cheek with a little force. "You couldn't hide just now, could you? As soon as I touched these bamboo joints, you ran out like a frightened rabbit. What does that mean? It means there must be something very important hidden here, right?"
The girl's face turned pale as paper. She tried to break free but was powerless against his grip. She looked at him with a mixture of terror and disgust. Though she knew nothing of the map, she knew the items in the hearth were the family's most precious secrets, so she had rushed out to protect them without hesitation.
"Looks like I guessed right," Liu Chen said, his smile becoming more arrogant.
To prevent the girl from causing any further trouble, Liu Chen didn't hesitate to activate the Grass Puppet Gu within his aperture. With a mental command, the Gu was activated, and half of his deep green primeval essence, purified by his Liquor Worm poured into it.
Under the stimulation of this high quality essence, a lifelike grass puppet quickly took shape before him. Due to the rank restrictions of the Rank 1 Gu, it could only create a puppet capable of dealing with ordinary mortals, but for the young girl in front of him, it was more than enough.
The grass puppet moved with a slow, mechanical gait. To a girl who had never seen the supernatural before, the sight of a moving straw man was a living nightmare. Her face blanched, and her body trembled involuntarily. She stood paralyzed, her heart filled with fear and despair.
Finally, the puppet reached her, stretching out its rough, woven hands to grab her shoulders tightly. The girl felt a massive, immovable force pinning her in place. Her body lost all control, and she was left entirely at the mercy of the puppet.
Liu Chen saw that the girl was successfully restrained and turned back to the bamboo bundle with confidence. His movements remained skillful and focused; he didn't give the girl's plight another thought.
"Gu Master!" the girl suddenly shrieked, her voice filled with a final, crushing realization. She stared at him with wide, terrified eyes.
Liu Chen heard the cry and frowned slightly. He knew that for a mortal, a Gu Master was simply the most terrifying entity in existence.
Meanwhile, in the dense primeval forest nearby, two figures were slowly making their way down the mountain trail. They were dressed in rough animal skins, hunters who knew these woods intimately. These were Old Man Wang and his son, Wang Erlang, returning from their hunt.
Wang Erlang appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, tall, handsome, and full of youthful vigor. He carried a powerful bow on his back, its strings pulled taut. Behind him hung a dead goat, one of today's kills. In his hands, he carried a bamboo cage containing a small snow white rabbit with red eyes, a cute prize for the trip home.