The overall situation was decided. With Wang Ding in charge of the aftermath, Bao Gu, who had long been used to peace and quiet, naturally stayed far away.
She knew that with Yu Mi’s belligerent temperament and her status as the Xuantian Sect’s young sect master, Yu Mi would absolutely join the battle. The battlefield was a chaotic mess, full of people and danger. Bao Gu herself was still being hunted by Void Tearing stage cultivators, so she didn’t dare show her face. She never caught sight of Yu Mi, and only after the fighting ended did she take out her sound-transmission jade talisman to contact her.
The talisman never responded.
Her heart instantly clenched.
She then used another sound-transmission jade talisman to contact Zi Tianjun, and likewise received no response.
Bao Gu grew anxious. Regardless of the risk of being entangled by all sorts of factions, she was about to head out and look for Yu Mi when she suddenly sensed movement from another jade talisman.
She took it out and probed it. It turned out to be Qu Yirou looking for her.
Bao Gu connected the talisman and asked urgently,
“Pavilion Master, have you seen my senior sister?”
Qu Yirou’s voice came from the talisman.
“I’ve seen her. She and Sect Master Zi are together, but they’re surrounded and can’t break away. Where did you run off to? I searched the whole battlefield and never saw a trace of you.”
“Pavilion Master Qu—”
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice came through the jade talisman, exaggeratedly polite and enthusiastic.
“A pleasure, a pleasure—”
Qu Yirou’s voice sounded again.
“The pleasure is mine! And you are?”
“I am Xinchen, an elder of the Clearheart Sect. I just witnessed Pavilion Master’s heroic bearing on the battlefield and am full of admiration. And this must be the young pavilion master? Truly a worthy disciple of a famed master—your presence is extraordinary!”
Inside the jade talisman was a cacophony of loud, showy chatter. Listening to the noise, Bao Gu almost suspected Qu Yirou and the others weren’t on a battlefield at all, but at a banquet teeming with big shots.
Knowing that Yu Mi and her Grandmaster were fine, Bao Gu finally relaxed and continued hiding in a quiet area far from the battlefield.
A good while later, Yu Mi contacted her via jade talisman and asked where she was. Bao Gu told her the route and method to get to her location.
About half a stick of incense later, Yu Mi, Jade Shura, and Qu Yirou stepped out of the void together.
The three of them took in the tranquil lake cradled by green mountains, and the sight of Bao Gu leisurely boating on the water, and exchanged looks. Their eyes turned a bit red with envy.
They had just fought a desperate, life-threatening battle, then were mobbed afterward by a bunch of cultivators trying to use them to get close to Bao Gu. They had only just managed to shake everyone off, and in the meantime Bao Gu had holed up in this idyllic place, drinking ninth-rank saint tea and hiding from the world.
Jade Shura landed lightly on the small boat, smiling as she looked at Bao Gu.
“Bao Gu, you’re really something, huh? Sneaking off all by yourself to hide out here in peace! Tsk, what is this place?”
She lifted her gaze and swept it around. There wasn’t the slightest trace of a battle ever having taken place.
Qu Yirou landed on the boat as well, sat cross-legged at the tea table opposite Bao Gu, poured herself a cup of ninth-rank saint tea, and drank it slowly.
She had just exchanged blows with people, taken two palm strikes, and been stabbed a few times. Although her injuries had already healed, she’d lost a lot of vital blood. Without rare treasures and spirit medicine to nurse her back, it would take at least one or two months to recover.
This ninth-rank saint tea contained a massive amount of life essence—perfect for her current condition.
Seeing Bao Gu’s pale face, Yu Mi asked,
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
As she spoke, she had already placed her fingers on Bao Gu’s wrist to check her pulse.
Bao Gu said,
“I ran fast enough. I only got brushed by the palm wind of a Void Tearing stage cultivator. It’s nothing serious. A bit of tea and I’ll be fine. What about you all?”
Yu Mi sensed a bit of lingering clotted blood in Bao Gu’s organs, but nothing serious, and felt relieved.
Jade Shura said,
“We took a few minor injuries. A couple of healing pills and we were good.”
She sat down next to her master and studied her master’s face.
Qu Yirou looked perfectly innocent.
“What are you staring at me for? With my skills, who’s capable of injuring me?”
Jade Shura gave her master an up-and-down look. She couldn’t see any signs of injury from Qu Yirou’s complexion. With a half-smile, she asked,
“If you’re not injured… why did you change your clothes?”
If your clothes hadn’t been torn by injuries, what reason would you have to change them?
Qu Yirou gave Jade Shura a light, dismissive glance.
“Did I? You remember wrong.”
Afraid Jade Shura would keep harping on this, she hurried to change the subject.
“Bao Gu, that method for freezing that region in the void and sealing off that domain—that was your work, wasn’t it?”
Bao Gu made a soft sound of acknowledgment.
“I set up a formation.”
Jade Shura laughed.
“The formation you laid was pretty terrifying—instantly erasing a Void Tearing stage cultivator. The aura it gave off felt like something from the ancient era. Did your martial mother sponsor you again?”
Bao Gu shook her head and said vaguely,
“That thing was something I dug out of some ruins in the Desolate Ancient Mountains.”
Qu Yirou suddenly understood.
“No wonder.”
A place that could seal the Ba, where sacred artifacts littered the ground… with Bao Gu’s luck, it really wasn’t surprising she’d dig up something heaven-defying.
Seeing that Bao Gu had no intention of going anywhere, Qu Yirou asked,
“Bao Gu, the battle’s already decided. All the major factions are eagerly waiting for you. Aren’t you going out to see them?”
This was the perfect time to win hearts and rally everyone to a grand undertaking. For Bao Gu to hole up here instead didn’t seem quite appropriate.
Bao Gu said,
“Let Wang Ding handle it.”
As soon as she spoke, she noticed Qu Yirou and Jade Shura both staring at her with wide-eyed astonishment.
She asked, confused,
“What is it? Did I say something wrong?”
Jade Shura stared blankly at her.
“For something this huge, you’re just… letting Wang Ding deal with it? You’re not going to show your face?”
Bao Gu blinked in surprise.
“Is that… wrong?”
Wrong?
Qu Yirou and Jade Shura looked at each other, both dumbfounded.
Qu Yirou gave Bao Gu a long, deep look, then silently lowered her head and drank tea.
Jade Shura asked,
“Bao Gu, do you have any idea how many factions and how many people are here right now? You gathered this many cultivators in one place, and you’re just tossing all of it to Wang Ding to handle? You’re really not going to deal with any of it yourself?”
Yu Mi patted Jade Shura lightly.
“Don’t be so shocked. She really is a hands-off boss. Anything she can dump on Wang Ding and the others, she absolutely won’t touch. Only when they can’t handle it anymore will she step in.”
Jade Shura stared at Bao Gu in a daze, completely dumbfounded.
She genuinely couldn’t imagine someone being a hands-off boss to this extent.
More than an hour passed. Nourished by ninth-rank saint tea, Jade Shura, Yu Mi, and Qu Yirou silently meditated and had recovered seventy to eighty percent of their strength.
Jade Shura couldn’t sit still. She stood up.
“I’m going to take a walk.”
She had just spoken when she saw Bao Gu take out a sound-transmission jade talisman and inject a wisp of spiritual power. Wang Ding’s voice then came from the talisman, requesting an audience.
Bao Gu told him the coordinates and the route to get there.
Jade Shura blinked and sat back down.
Not long after, Wang Ding appeared above the lake. He tapped a toe against the water, lightly landed on the small boat, cupped his fists to Bao Gu in greeting, then took out a large pile of jade slips and set them beside her.
Wang Ding said,
“The factions within the alliance army that infiltrated Kan Gang this time have been fully investigated. There are a total of forty-three factions. Compared to the forces that participated in besieging the Yue Kingdom last time, that’s twenty-three fewer. The list of the factions that went out to war this time, as well as the forces they deployed, are all recorded in these jade slips for Lord to review.
“As for the alliance factions that did not go out to war this time: nine have already been wiped out entirely. Another fourteen have declined into near-irrelevance and are now completely turtled up. The detailed list is also in the jade slips.”
As he spoke, he drew out the slips containing the lists and handed them to Bao Gu.
While Bao Gu was lowering her head to read, he asked for instructions,
“Subordinate has verified that the alliance forces have almost been drained dry. They essentially have no strength left to protect themselves. Should we seize this opportunity to strike at their sect headquarters and root them out completely?”
Bao Gu thought for a moment.
“Even a centipede can twitch after death. They still have their sect-guarding arrays. With Kan Gang’s current strength, it would be difficult to swallow them all whole.
“Divide up the alliance forces together with the factions that helped Kan Gang in this battle. Consider it payment for their assistance this time. Ask the Yue Kingdom if they’re interested in the Ziwei Dao Sect. If they are, Kan Gang can join forces with Yue to destroy Ziwei Dao Sect’s foundation and split it fifty-fifty.
“As for the rest of the factions, handle them as you see fit.”
Wang Ding continued,
“Because of the Ba scourge, some small factions are willing to attach themselves to Kan Gang. Subordinate has already arranged people to accept and settle them. The list of factions willing to submit to Kan Gang is recorded in these jade slips.”
Bao Gu gave a slight nod, picked up the stack of jade slips beside her, and flipped through them one by one, making notations as she went.
The contents of the slips were all battle casualty reports and various questions about postwar arrangements: placement of the small factions that had submitted, arrangements for rogue cultivators joining Kan Gang, allocation of healing pills to wounded Kan Gang disciples… a dozen or so items, all categorized by topic in the jade slips.
Bao Gu spent about half a stick of incense reading, then handed the jade slips back to Wang Ding one after another.
Seeing Wang Ding still standing in place, looking like he wanted to speak but was hesitating, she asked,
“Is there something else?”
Wang Ding nodded.
“Many powerful factions and sects wish to ally with Kan Gang, and they’re also seeking methods to counter the Ba. They want to purchase jade slips containing the methods for dealing with the Ba scourge. Subordinate believes that to contend with the Ba scourge, we still need to unite with the various powers of the cultivation world.”
Bao Gu said,
“Kan Gang and the Yue Kingdom already have an alliance. When I sold those jade slips to Yue, I promised them I would not sell the same slips to any other faction.”
She paused to think, then added,
“Have Kan Gang expand the Engineering Hall and mass-produce tools and magic artifacts specialized for dealing with the Ba scourge, then sell them.
“You can personally form non-aggression alliance oaths with factions wishing to ally with Kan Gang and gift them formation diagrams that restrain blood fiend miasma and deathly aura.
“As for the jade slips containing methods to counter the Ba scourge itself—let them decide whether they’re willing to pay a heavy price to buy them from the Yue Kingdom. They should be well aware that Yue once paid sixteen sacred artifacts to purchase them, and even lost Cangdu City over it.”
She paused again.
“Wang Ding, first forge an elite force capable of entering areas shrouded in blood fiend miasma, where corpse fiends and corpse ghosts run rampant. Send them out to search for survivors and bring them back for treatment.
“Kan Gang will do its best. Save as many as we can. If we can save one more, we save one more.
“As for the profits from selling the Ba-suppressing tools and artifacts, you don’t need to submit them to me. Use them to recruit more craftsmen and build even more tools and artifacts. As for pricing, you and Sun Dilong can decide based on the situation.”
Wang Ding nodded in agreement.
“Lord, you truly intend to go all-out against the Ba?”
He recalled that earlier today, before the eyes of the entire cultivation world, his Lord had sworn a heavy oath:
“So long as the Ba scourge is not eradicated and the people of this world know no peace, I, Bao Gu, I, Kan Gang, and I, Xuantian Sect, will not ascend to the upper realm!”
The implications of that vow were enough to shake the entire cultivation world. Some believed she had the power and confidence to back those words. Others thought she had spoken rashly in the heat of the moment. Still others believed it was a performance to rouse morale and put on a show for the rest of the cultivation world so they would assist Kan Gang in dealing with the alliance army.
Bao Gu said quietly,
“If the Ba scourge isn’t eliminated, we can’t build an Ascension Platform.”
Wang Ding bowed his head.
“Yes, your subordinate obeys.”
He hesitated briefly, then added,
“Lord, your palace has already been cleaned and prepared.”
Bao Gu said,
“Leave it empty. Once things are settled here, I’m going back to Xuantian Sect.”
Wang Ding froze for a second, then replied,
“Yes! If Lord has no further instructions, your subordinate will take his leave.”
He turned to go.
“Wait.”
Bao Gu called out.
Wang Ding turned back.
“Lord, do you have more instructions?”
Bao Gu said,
“The route back isn’t the same as the route you took in. If you leave that way, you’ll run headfirst into the defensive grand array.”
She then told him the correct route for leaving.
Wang Ding shot Bao Gu a long, wordless look, bowed, and took his leave.
After Wang Ding left, Jade Shura scooted next to Bao Gu and drawled,
“Hands-off Boss, with just a few casual sentences, you’ve settled all of Kan Gang’s monumental affairs. What’s left that actually requires you to stay here and handle personally?”
Being a leader like this… was truly comfortable.
Bao Gu said,
“The defensive grand array of Ghostshadow City still isn’t fully laid.”
Qu Yirou knew very well that the jade slips only contained things that could restrain the corpse ghosts, corpse fiends, skeleton monsters, and blood fiend miasma caused by the Ba—but nothing that could truly deal with the Ba itself.
She asked Bao Gu,
“Bao Gu, what are you planning to do about the Ba? I mean the Ba itself, not those things she created.”
Bao Gu let out a soft sigh.
“If the Ba herself comes to Ghostshadow City, maybe… I can gamble on the power of formations and fight her head-on once.
“Other than that, if I see her, all I can do is hide as far away as possible.
“We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Qu Yirou said thoughtfully,
“That massive earthquake in the Desolate Ancient Mountains—the one that shattered nine mountain ranges—do you think it was triggered by the Ba breaking free?”
Bao Gu said,
“If it wasn’t the Ba breaking free, you wouldn’t see that level of commotion.”
She added, deeply worried,
“I’m worried about Holy Aunt.”
Jade Shura frowned in confusion.
“The Demon Saint? Isn’t she really strong? I heard that outside Cangdu City, she wiped out skeleton monsters across dozens of miles with a single move.”
Bao Gu looked at Jade Shura.
“If you were the Ba, and you knew there was someone like Holy Aunt out there, someone who is innately your natural nemesis—even if she’s very weak right now and can’t threaten you yet—would you wait until she fully matures before dealing with her? Or would you eliminate her first?”
Jade Shura cried out,
“Well of course you’d kill her first.”
If you didn’t remove a potential threat, you’d be an idiot. For an existence on the Ba’s level, there was no way she’d be that foolish.
Bao Gu said,
“If the seal in the Desolate Ancient Mountains had never been undone, Holy Aunt would have been able to suppress the Ba to death. She even once drove her roots into the Ba’s coffin and directly pinned her down. Do you really think the Ba would spare Holy Aunt?”
Qu Yirou’s face went pale at that.
With just that little demon flower that was the Demon Saint—if she had been targeted by the Ba, how could she still have a path to survival?
She asked,
“Where is the Demon Saint now? When you said before that she was missing and her life or death was unknown… was that true?”
“Holy Aunt took Little Martial Aunt back to the snowfields.”
Bao Gu sighed.
“Forget it. I’m going to lay formations.”
She stood up and began packing away the tea set, preparing to leave.
