"This matter... it goes back a long way..." Chou Jiu let out a long sigh, a complicated expression of recollection, hatred, grief, and deep affection appearing on his face.
"I don't have time to listen to your long-winded story," Fang Yuan ruthlessly interrupted him.
Chou Jiu choked for a moment, then had no choice but to say, "Then I'll make it short."
"My surname is Zeng, and my childhood name is A Niu. I was originally a mountain farmer who gathered herbs. Unfortunately, I once fell off a cliff, but as misfortune turned to fortune, I ended up within the Shadow Sect's blessed land. Through the guidance and trials of the land spirit, I was lucky enough to become a disciple of the Shadow Sect. The sect only had two people left: besides me, there was also an elder senior sister."
"My senior sister's surname is Chen, given name Jiu. She was as beautiful as a celestial maiden. She was raised by the land spirit since childhood and had never left the blessed land, making her innocent and naive. I was born ugly and had suffered exclusion and ridicule since I was young. But my senior sister was always kind and gentle to me. We spent day and night together, and gradually, feelings grew between us. In front of the sea in the blessed land, we made a solemn oath to protect each other and never abandon each other. We cultivated together, delved deep into the Life and Death Gate, and captured the Life Gu and Death Gu hand in hand..."
"That was the happiest time of my life. I thought we could grow old together like that. But then, after a terrestrial calamity, the land spirit was injured and fell into a deep sleep. A leak appeared in the blessed land, connecting it to the outside world, and a villain snuck in."
"That villain was heavily injured at the time. If I had known what would happen later, I would have tortured him to death right then and there! But I didn't. Instead, I saved him. He claimed his surname was Shang, and he had blood-red hair. He was eloquent and spoke sweetly. During his recovery, he gradually tricked my senior sister. His appearance was indeed a bit better than mine, and he used his handsome face to win her favor. My senior sister was pure and ignorant, and the more she talked with him, the happier she became. In the end, she took the initiative to care for him in every possible way."
"We argued over this many times, turning the whole place upside down. After the villain healed, I wanted to kick him out and continue living a blissful, immortal-like life with my senior sister. But who knew my senior sister's heart had already changed! She went against the oath we swore, wounded me, and defected with that villain!"
"I hate it! I hate my own soft-heartedness that caused this disaster. I hate my senior sister Chen Jiu for falling for someone else. And I hate that villain even more for his despicable shamelessness and stealing my love! After I recovered, I left the blessed land to roam the Southern Border, searching for the whereabouts of this adulterous couple. But how was I to know that this villain had risen to power and become the clan leader of the Shang Clan!"
As he said this, Chou Jiu paused and looked at Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was expressionless. With his memories from his previous life, he knew many secrets. Halfway through the story, he already knew who Chou Jiu was talking about.
Seeing Fang Yuan's lack of reaction, Chou Jiu bitterly smiled. "It seems you've already guessed their identities. That's right. That villain is the current Shang Clan leader, Shang Yanfei. And my senior sister Chen Jiu is the current Pure Hands Physician. The Shang Clan is a super clan, while I am weak and alone. All these years, I've been painstakingly building myself up in the Southern Border, all to deal with this filthy pair! What a pity. What a pity. I'm going to die here today and won't be able to fulfill this wish."
"Hehehe." Fang Yuan remained silent until the end, then suddenly laughed out loud.
He looked down at Chou Jiu sitting on the ground, his eyes sharp and sparkling. "Ghost Doctor, you've calculated well. According to what you said, the Shadow Sect now only has you and Chen Jiu. Once you die, if I want information about the Life and Death Gate, I'll have to go through Shang Yanfei and the Pure Hands Physician. When it concerns the Shadow Sect's blessed land, how could they possibly confess? When we fight, regardless of who wins or loses, it will work to your advantage."
"Hahaha... Little Beast King! You are a very frank and direct person. Those who only play tricks and schemes will never amount to much. But you are meticulous in your thoughts and domineering in your actions. You are a truly unparalleled great villain. You are right, that was my plan. It's a naked scheme, and you've already seen through it. So, are you still going to go to them to inquire about the Shadow Sect's blessed land?" the Ghost Doctor laughed heartily.
Fang Yuan stared fixedly at this rank five Gu Master, and after a long while, sighed. "Of course I am."
The Life and Death Gate was a primeval forbidden ground on par with the River of Time.
These kinds of places all bred unique Gu.
The Spring Autumn Cicada lived in the River of Time, so naturally, there were similar Immortal Gu in the Life and Death Gate as well.
With such massive benefits at stake, how could Fang Yuan not be tempted? Therefore, even though he knew it was Chou Jiu's scheme, he still had to dive right into it.
Chou Jiu laughed heartily until tears streamed down his face. "Little Beast King, though you are a rising star, I admire you. I am very much looking forward to the day you clash with that filthy pair. It's a pity I won't live to see it."
"The doctrines of our Shadow Sect have a different view on life and death. Born to meet, die to be with. Our meeting in this vast sea of people, and my dying at your hands, is an extraordinary fate. Perhaps you are truly destined for the Shadow Sect's blessed land and the Life and Death Gate. I might as well give you this wondrous fate. I hope you can seize it."
As he said this, Chou Jiu's expression calmed. His eyes became deep, as if they held the great wisdom of seeing through the mundane world and life and death. "I am going to die, and that's fine. In this world, who can avoid death? Longevity can be obtained, but eternal life is hopeless. Even those Heavenly Venerables and Demon Venerables of the past eventually turned to dust, right? Little Beast King, I can die by myself. I don't need you to do it."
With these words, he bit his tongue and committed suicide!
Blood spurted out, and life faded away. A generation of Ghost Doctors, the future leader of the Four Great Physicians, had fallen just like that.
"I never imagined that killing this Ghost Doctor would yield such important information. The Shadow Sect's blessed land, the Life and Death Gate... if I can control them, they will be the foundation of my hegemon's ambition. It seems I need to revise my great plan for rebirth again."
Any Gu Master who could cultivate to rank five was a product of survival of the fittest and intense competition. None of them were simple characters.
They all possessed their own unique opportunities, advantages, trump cards, or secrets.
At this point, the rank five Gu Masters in the blessed land had all been slaughtered by Fang Yuan.
Tie Mubai, Wu Gui, Ku Mo, Wu Lanshan, and Chou Jiu—these five individuals had distinct personalities, deep foundations, and formidable strength. If they had fought one-on-one, the current Fang Yuan would have been easily crushed by any one of them and stood no chance.