CHAPTER 380: CHAPTER 377: SEVEN-STEP GU (SECOND UPDATE)

"Of course, anything worthy of being called a major Path is certainly not simple."

Seeing that Hu Ma was interested in the topic, Calculation grew enthusiastic. "When Witches refine gu," he explained in a low voice, "at the very beginning, they indeed only focused on the toxicity of these snake bugs. By becoming familiar with and utilizing this toxicity, they could harm or injure people."

"Of course, once understood, it could also be used to dispel a gu and save people," Calculation continued.

"But this is just the superficial aspect," he said. "In the eyes of ordinary people, all they see in these snake bugs is poison. However, in the eyes of capable individuals, these poisonous insects also possess a spiritual essence."

"They are born in these mountains and fields, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon," Calculation explained. "Thereby, they contain some mysterious and eerie powers born from the alternation of yin and yang. Some bring disaster, some attract wealth, some can bewilder people, some can cause encounters with ghosts, and others can even reanimate the dead."

"Whether a Witch has truly entered the Path of gu refining depends on whether they have perceived the evil aura or spiritual essence of these insects and begun to integrate it into their own Gu Path."

This was the first time Hu Ma had heard such an explanation, but as he pondered it, he found it made a great deal of sense.

He didn’t know about other instances, but he recalled escorting Xiang back home on Pingnan Road. There, they had encountered someone wielding a two-headed snake, which instantly corrupted the surrounding feng shui, suffusing the entire area with a malevolent aura.

The Haishou Path and the Witchcraft Path shared certain similarities. In fact, the gu people considered such a two-headed snake a treasure.

And for attracting wealth, wasn’t the golden toad an example?

Although he still didn’t grasp the full extent of the situation at this blood food mine, he suddenly recognized this as an excellent opportunity to learn more.

If the Wugong Clan Chief hadn’t sought him out, he would never have witnessed such a mysterious gu refining method!

He simply sat down outside, watching from a distance. The only thing missing was a jar of wine, but he dared not bring one out. Calculation had already said, "Gu refining requires tranquility."

"If you bring wine over, the smell is too stimulating; who knows what chaos might erupt," Calculation warned.

"Some gu refiners only bathe a few times in their entire lives. Why? Because bathing changes their scent. The gu insects might no longer recognize them, potentially leading to a backlash!"

After about an hour, the young lady Wuya and the pale-faced Witch boy returned from outside the valley.

They each carried a bag, seemingly made of leather, bulging with contents that occasionally pressed against the material, as if something struggled within.

The two approached the Gu Altar and poured the contents of their bags into the hundred gu bowl held by the Wugong Clan Chief. From afar, Hu Ma saw snakes, toads, and centipedes tangled into a writhing mass, attempting to strike out as soon as they were released.

Strangely, the bowl in the Wugong Clan Chief’s hands seemed not deep, just a shallow two or three finger-widths deep. It looked as though the snake bugs could crawl out at any moment, yet once inside the bowl, they abruptly calmed down.

It was as if the bowl possessed some magical power that quelled their agitation.

The Wugong Clan Chief placed the bowl on the ground and rose. He then unexpectedly produced a curved knife. Lifting his garments to reveal his dark, swarthy skin, he slowly sliced open his own abdomen. After rummaging inside for a moment, he finally extracted a blood-soaked bamboo tube.

Carefully, he opened the bamboo tube and poured a round, glistening object, the size of an infant’s fist, into the bowl. Then, he immediately knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.

"That’s..."

This gruesome scene made Hu Ma frown, and he hurriedly glanced at Calculation.

"That’s the Gu Egg he’s going to refine..." Calculation also frowned, speaking in a low voice. "Some gu insects are powerful but also very delicate. They must be kept within one’s own body. Since he wanted to refine this gu, he nurtured it with his own Essence Blood and only took it out when placing it into the bowl."

"No wonder he said refining this gu would cost him half his life. Even now, before the refining has truly begun, he has effectively already lost half his life..."

"But this also proves he wasn’t exaggerating. Ordinary gu refining merely requires common poisonous insects found in the wild. He, however, selected so many poisonous insects only as auxiliaries; the true purpose is to refine the one gu insect he brought himself!"

"A hundred insects vying for supremacy, with the human body as its vessel—this gu insect must be extraordinary. It exuded a malevolent aura even before its ’birth’..."

As they spoke, the Wugong Clan Chief kowtowed a few more times to the Gu Bowl. He then stood up, retrieved several more bamboo tubes, removed their stoppers, and poured strange liquids from them into the bowl.

Afterward, he, Wuya, and the pale-faced young Witch simultaneously slit their palms, clenched their fists, and dripped their blood into the bowl.

"This is feeding the gu," Calculation whispered from the side. "Using one’s blood, or certain special poisons, to nurture the gu insects is meant to cultivate the evil aura in them."

"However, this Wugong is truly audacious, using Black Tai Sui to feed the gu insects! Ordinary insects might turn malevolent merely by touching Black Tai Sui, yet he uses it directly for feeding. How is that any different from feeding a zombie fresh blood?"

"That bowl he uses for refining gu is something special too. No wonder it’s called a Holy Object."

"The most important element in gu refining is the bowl. The more gu are refined within it, the more malevolent the bowl itself becomes. Ordinary insects refined in such a bowl will be imbued with a sinister aura. If an insect already possesses a malevolent nature, wouldn’t refining it in this bowl make it even more wicked, amplifying its evil?"

Listening intently, Hu Ma watched as the Wugong Clan Chief, after feeding the gu insect, bowed to the Gu Bowl once more before sitting cross-legged and chanting softly.

He held a small, white bone hammer, and with each interval of chanting, he gently tapped it near the rim of the Gu Bowl.

HISS HISS HISS...

From within the bronze Gu Bowl, a cacophony of frantic crawling and biting arose. Although the makeshift hut was still some distance from the onlookers, and the sounds of the insects’ struggles shouldn’t have been very loud, everyone present could hear them with unnerving clarity.

It was as if the sounds echoed directly beside their ears, boring into their very hearts.

"The Gu Fighting has started..."

Calculation rummaged through his pocket for a while, pulled out two yellow talismans, moistened them with his tongue, and stuck one on each of his ears. He then kindly asked Hu Ma, "This sound carries a malevolent aura; it’s not good to listen to. Do you want a couple?"

"One Blood Food Pill for two... no, for one talisman?" Hu Ma asked.

Hu Ma sighed with a touch of helplessness, shook his head, and said, "No need. This Gu Fighting is simply..."

"Letting these gu insects kill each other," Calculation whispered. "The one that survives will be the most poisonous, ferocious, and evil gu insect."

"Moreover, this process not only selects the strongest," Calculation elaborated, "but it also ignites its ferocity. After it has killed the other gu insects, it will concentrate all their venom and malevolent energies within itself. This makes it incredibly perilous when used to harm others, virtually impossible to defend against."

"If someone is afflicted by Witchcraft, only the one who set the gu can cure it; outsiders are helpless. This is because it’s exceedingly difficult to discern the complex interrelations of the various toxins involved."

"You might see what looks like a snake bite and rush to buy snake medicine. But you could unknowingly be afflicted by toad poison; using snake medicine in that case would only hasten your death."

"Of course, this is just a metaphor. Truly being afflicted by gu is much more troublesome than that."

Hu Ma slowly nodded as he listened. He had heard similar tales before. Watching the Wugong Clan Chief, Wuya, and the young Witch chanting in the distance, a sense of curiosity began to stir within him.

"They started Gu Fighting on the very first day. Don’t tell me the gu will be complete within a single day?"

"Far from it..." Calculation shook his head, whispering, "Gu refining requires seven steps; he’s only at step three now.

"First is Gu Fighting, to select the true champion poisonous insect. Then comes Gu Worship: burning incense and feeding blood, worshiping with utmost devotion. This is to unify the gu insect with oneself, allowing for effortless control.

"After Gu Worship is the fifth step: Gu Extraction. One must extract the fully formed gu insect from the bowl, help it to leave the Gu Bowl, and then keep it close. Some use small containers, while others keep it directly on their person. The key is convenience.

"After Gu Extraction is Gu Setting.

"Gu insects are inherently venomous, malevolent, and ferocious—all concentrated into one being. They are naturally meant to harm. Once refined, if not used to inflict harm, it will turn against its master.

"Therefore, the refiner often identifies a target for harm even before beginning the gu refining. Once the gu insect is formed, it must be sent to harm someone to dispel its innate hostility. Only then can it be safely kept by the master’s side without issue."

Hu Ma listened, growing increasingly surprised. "It sounds like as soon as it’s refined, they need to find a living person to ’consecrate’ the gu, so to speak..."

"Then what happens after setting the gu? If the target is harmed, does that mean the gu still isn’t complete?"

"Of course..." Calculation said. "After setting the gu to harm someone, it must be retrieved. Only when it can be both released and recalled is it a complete, true gu insect. If it can be sent out but not brought back, the gu refining is essentially a failure, and a backlash is inevitable sooner or later."

"Right now, this Old Clan Chief is still in the Gu Fighting stage," Calculation explained. "After Gu Fighting comes Gu Worship, interspersed with various feeding techniques."

"The most crucial part is Gu Worship. Whether the gu ultimately succeeds or fails hinges entirely on how this step is performed. I estimate he’ll need to worship for at least seven days; otherwise, such a ferocious gu will likely be uncontrollable."

"So, there’s not much to see in the later stages?"

Having observed the actions of Wugong and his retinue, Hu Ma let out a long sigh and rose to his feet.

Calculation seemed curious. "Why not listen a bit longer? You can just give me a few Blood Food Pills later, I won’t ask for much... It’s still early. Where are you off to?"

Without turning his head, Hu Ma replied, "To sleep!"