There was no doubt—this latest inner voice had reached a frankly terrifying level.
Was there really anyone he knew who was this flamboyantly repressed?
[Yin-Yang Creation Strategy: Little Gu, think carefully now. Someone who can say something like that... honestly doesn't even feel like a normal human being anymore.]
[It hesitated for a long while before continuing: Although I've always wanted to watch you dual-cultivate, if your first dual-cultivation partner is going to be the sort of obviously-not-a-virgin NPC, it would rather you never dual-cultivate for your entire life!]
[The «Huiyuan Sword Formula» beside it nodded along vigorously.]
Gu Chengming hesitated for a moment, but in the end he decided to go through the people he knew one by one and pin down the owner of this line.
The first thing he could be certain of: the other party had seen him today.
Elder Yu would call him "Little Gu," but Elder Yu probably wasn't this repressed.
Nuo Tao's way of addressing him should be "Brother Gu." Though he felt Nuo Tao might also plausibly be this repressed—still, lately he'd been pinning Nuo Tao down with all sorts of excuses to keep her doing paperwork in the Northern Garrison Manor, so she probably wouldn't have the energy... ah, no, wait—the more repressed someone was, the more likely they were to be thinking about such things.
Gu Chengming wasn't entirely sure. After all, he had to be quite certain of the target's identity for the inner voice to have any chance of raising his CG unlock rate—otherwise he could simply have run through everyone one by one in his head and figured it out.
But then there was also that Xu Huayi... having only met her once, surely she couldn't be this repressed?
In any case, harboring such thoughts, Gu Chengming decided to do a little probing.
The training grounds of Snowfall Pass had been cleared out today.
In order to set up that "Heaven-Watching, Earth-Listening Formation" capable of monitoring a thousand li in every direction, every restriction in the surrounding area had been fully activated, and all idle persons were forbidden to approach.
When Gu Chengming arrived, Xu Huayi was standing in the center of the grounds, holding in her hand a massive judge's brush that was white as jade through and through, sketching intricate formation patterns in the empty air.
Today she had changed into a light cyan set of close-fitting combat attire suited for movement, her long hair bound up high, looking crisp and spirited.
Seeming to sense Gu Chengming's arrival, she halted the movements of her hand, a perfectly measured faint smile appearing on her face—neither too distant nor especially intimate.
"Fellow Daoist Gu." She inclined her head slightly. "I've troubled you to make the trip in person. Regarding the data-stream connection for the Myriad Wonders Assembly, there are still a few nodes that require your authorization."
Gu Chengming observed her without revealing anything—her gaze was clear, her breath steady, and that stream of Righteous Noble Breath all about her looked nothing like something put on for show.
Even the emotional fluctuations fed back by the [Red Dust Art] were quite upright and serene.
"You're too courteous, Fellow Daoist Xu. This is, after all, my own duty."
Gu Chengming returned a salute and walked over to the formation diagram, remarking casually, "As it happens, I have a few details about the formation's operation I'd like to consult you on."
The two of them did not immediately get to the main business, but first chatted a few words about topics outside the formation's prototype.
"Speaking of which, I've heard of your remarkable feat at the shores of the East Sea, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Gu Chengming's eyes followed those flowing formation patterns, his tone carrying a perfectly measured note of curiosity:
"Entering the Dao through painting, sealing two malevolent third-realm jiao demons into a scroll to be refined... such methods are truly admirable. I wonder, Fellow Daoist Xu, what manner of resolve and state of mind did you possess at that time?"
The hand holding the brush paused slightly, and Xu Huayi turned her head, glancing at Gu Chengming with a touch of surprise.
After a moment, she gently shook her head. "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist Gu. What resolve was there to speak of?"
"At the time I was merely passing through that fishing village and witnessed with my own eyes that jiao demon stirring up wind and waves, devouring young boys and girls. For a moment my heart was filled with indignation, my feelings impossible to settle—that was all."
"Speaking of which, you should be able to empathize with that even more than I can, Fellow Daoist Gu?"
She turned around, looking directly into Gu Chengming's eyes, her tone sincere: "After all, we count as kindred spirits walking the same path."
Naturally, Gu Chengming knew she was referring to the matter of his slaying the offspring of the Fubai Dragon Lord at the shores of the East Sea.
Hearing her speak of it with such chivalry and free-spiritedness, Gu Chengming couldn't help but feel his goodwill toward this Xu Huayi increase by a few measures.
"You overstate it, Fellow Daoist Xu. I was merely seeking a clear conscience, nothing more."
Gu Chengming stopped probing and turned his attention back to the matter at hand, joking, "Since we're all kindred spirits walking the same path, then for this Heaven-Watching, Earth-Listening Formation, I, Gu, shall naturally cooperate with all my strength."
"That would be excellent." Xu Huayi nodded.
The so-called "Heaven-Watching, Earth-Listening Formation" was one of the Great Qian's most core strategic-tier formations.
It was not merely a surveillance formation; through special means, it linked the formation core with the local earth-veins, and even with the national fortune of the Great Qian itself.
Once it was set up, every stirring of grass and tree within the formation's coverage—whether the fluctuation of demonic energy, the circulation of a cultivator's spiritual power, or even the trembling of the earth's crust—would be fed back to the formation hub in exhaustive detail.
"Snowfall Pass lies in a remote location, and its earth-veins are tangled and disordered. To set down a complete formation here is extremely difficult."
As she traced lines upon that enormous formation diagram, Xu Huayi explained, "According to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's projections, it would originally take at least two months to comb through the earth-qi. But now that the demon tide is approaching, we can't wait that long."
"So I need to get this great formation up and running within half a month. By then, even if Senior Luo has not yet returned, we will still have the strength to put up a fight."
Over the time that followed, the two of them cooperated with remarkable accord.
Gu Chengming used the authority granted by the «Myriad Mysteries Convergence Method» to open the interfaces of certain soul-nodes, while Xu Huayi guided the formation core to embed those nodes one by one into the veins of the great formation.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Until Xu Huayi attempted to forcibly extend the formation's perception range from the main body of Snowfall Pass out to the "Hawk's Sorrow Ravine" beyond the pass—and then the accident happened.
"Hummmm—!"
A piercing sound abruptly rang out.
The formation diagram that had been hovering in the air suddenly began to shudder violently, and those lines of spiritual power, which had been flowing smoothly, seemed unable to bear the immense pressure and began to twist and snap.
The earth-veins of Snowfall Pass were already chaotic from years of accumulated baleful energy, and on top of that, there seemed to be some kind of powerful demonic energy interfering from the "Hawk's Sorrow Ravine" side. The instant these two forces collided, a terrifying soul-backlash was formed.
"Ngh!"
Xu Huayi let out a stifled grunt, and that originally fair face instantly went pale as paper.
"Damn it... I miscalculated..."
She cursed inwardly, cold sweat pouring down her forehead like rain.
She had wanted too badly to prove herself, and too badly to do something for everyone before the demon tide arrived, so much so that she had acted somewhat too rashly, underestimating just how treacherous the Northern Territory's earth-veins were.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, let go!"
Gu Chengming barked in a low voice, his other hand fingers held together like a blade, directly severing the spiritual power.
"Boom!"
A gust of energy exploded outward.
Xu Huayi felt her body go limp, and her whole person tumbled backward uncontrollably.
Gu Chengming, quick of eye and hand, swept out an arm and steadied her firmly.
In order to save her, this embrace had not concerned itself much with the propriety between men and women.
After a long while, a trace of color finally returned to Xu Huayi's complexion.
Only then did she seem to realize that their current posture was somewhat improper. Her body stiffened slightly, and then, borrowing his support, she straightened herself and, without revealing anything, drew back a step's distance.
"Phew..."
She let out a long breath of turbid air, tidied her somewhat disheveled temple-hair, then turned around and bowed deeply toward Gu Chengming.
"Many thanks for lending your aid, Fellow Daoist Gu."
Though her voice was still a little weak, her tone was open and sincere, even carrying a few notes of self-reproach:
"I overestimated myself. I had originally thought that, relying on the Tianding Sect's secret arts, I could lay down in one breath a great formation enveloping all of Snowfall Pass. I never imagined the Northern Territory's earth-veins would be so complex. I was too rash, and nearly brought about a great disaster."
She raised her head, her eyes full of vexation. "If not for your timely intervention, Fellow Daoist Gu, I'm afraid today it wouldn't have been only the formation destroyed—it would have implicated you in injury as well."
Watching her offer such a genuine, heartfelt self-examination, the suspicion in Gu Chengming's heart eased by another few measures.
"You're being too hard on yourself, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Gu Chengming waved a hand, casually dispersing the spiritual power lingering at his fingertips. "The way of formations is complex by nature; some setbacks are unavoidable. Besides, the situation here at Snowfall Pass is indeed special—it is no fault of yours, Fellow Daoist Xu."
Xu Huayi shook her head and gathered up the formation core from the ground. "No matter how you put it, today it was you who helped me, Fellow Daoist Gu..."
She hesitated for a moment, and in the end decided to invite Gu Chengming to gather for a small drink that night—a way of repaying the kindness of his intervention.
"Since you've invited me, Fellow Daoist Xu, I, Gu, shall naturally comply."
Gu Chengming agreed with a smile. "As it happens, I'd also like to hear your thoughts on the subsequent improvements to this formation, Fellow Daoist Xu."
"Then it's settled."
Xu Huayi smiled faintly, then turned and departed.
[Yin-Yang Creation Strategy, pondering: Could it be that it isn't her?]
[The Huiyuan Sword Formula let out a sigh of relief.]
At that very same moment, Xu Huayi, who had already walked out the gate of the training grounds, suddenly stumbled in her step.
And her hand, at this moment, was gripping the edge of her sleeve so tightly that her knuckles had turned a sickly bluish-white from the excessive force—perhaps she had overexerted herself.
Inside the Snow-Listening Tower, the brazier burned warm and mellow, while outside the window the flying snow drifted like catkins.
After three rounds of wine, Xu Huayi's tongue loosened as well.
Though she was a woman who had entered the Dao through painting, her temperament was rather free and unrestrained.
It was only at this very moment that Gu Chengming finally pieced together, from those fragments of sentiment voiced in the gaps between passing cups, the true reason this second-ranked figure of the Hidden Dragon Ranking regarded him so favorably—it was precisely that matter of slaying the jiao at the East Sea.
In her view, a cultivator ought to be just so, and a sword cultivator all the more so.
And it was precisely for this reason that, when she looked at Gu Chengming, it was as though she were beholding a masterpiece—wild and unrestrained in brushstroke, yet profound in conception—which gave her considerable goodwill toward him.
With the atmosphere built up to this point, the mood was high and the spirits flowing.
Xu Huayi was speaking with great relish, discoursing on the magnificent wind and snow of the Northern Territory, when she felt her throat go dry and reached out instinctively for the wine cup on the table.
Perhaps because she was too absorbed in the conversation, or perhaps because that ingrained, bone-deep disregard for trifles had gotten the better of her, she didn't even look—and with utter naturalness picked up the cup beside Gu Chengming's hand, the one still half-full of leftover wine, tilting her head back and downing it in one gulp.
Xu Huayi set down the cup, and even praised it with an air of wanting more.
But when her gaze followed Gu Chengming's slightly odd line of sight and fell upon that cup which clearly was not hers—along with her own cup beside it, brimming full and untouched—the air froze for a brief instant.
Xu Huayi blanked for a moment, and across that pretty face, already flushed from the wine, there flashed an exceedingly rare trace of dismay.
Picking up the wrong man's wine cup and downing it in one go—that did, after all, cross the line by a fair bit.
Xu Huayi coughed once to cover it up. "I was rather greedy for the conversation and the cup, and in a moment's carelessness snatched away your wine, Fellow Daoist Gu."
She rose to her feet, deftly raised a fair hand, and drew from her sleeve that judge's brush she was never parted from, her voice clear and bright:
"Since I've drunk your wine, Fellow Daoist Gu, and given you a spectacle to laugh at, if I made no gesture of recompense it would make my Tianding Sect look stingy."
"Let this serve as my apology to you, Fellow Daoist Gu."
As her words fell, she did not employ the slightest bit of spiritual power to press upon the surroundings; she merely gave her wrist an exceedingly nimble turn.
The tip of the brush touched no ink—instead, it lightly dabbed at the air that still lingered with the fragrance of wine.
"Take a look, Fellow Daoist Gu."
As her brush-tip roamed, the interior of the Snow-Listening Tower—which moments before had held nothing but the sound of wind and snow—suddenly began to glimmer with points of fluorescent light.
She took the wine-vapor for ink and the empty air for paper. That massive judge's brush was as light as an embroidery needle in her hand, and every stroke left in the air a streak of flowing radiance that lingered and would not fade.
Her opening strokes were like dragons and serpents rising from the land; her closing strokes were like a galaxy hung upside-down.
In but the blink of an eye, within this tiny chamber she had "painted" forth a resplendent river of stars.
Those candle-flames originally meant for illumination were drawn along by her conception, transforming into the brightest great stars within the galaxy, while the flying snow drifting in through the window became the stardust scattered among them.
Standing amid it all, Gu Chengming felt the scenery around him shift and change, as though in an instant he had stepped from the cold frontier pass of the Northern Territory into the vast, boundless ninth heaven above.
Xu Huayi withdrew her brush and stood, that plain white robe of hers taking on, beneath the radiance of this sky full of starlight, a few traces of an ethereal grace rarely seen in her on ordinary days.
She turned her head to look at Gu Chengming, a bright, radiant smile in her eyes:
"Fellow Daoist Gu, does this apology pass muster?"
Gu Chengming was awestruck.
...
The night was deep, the wind and snow rapping at the window.
When he returned to the side courtyard of the Northern Garrison Manor, Gu Chengming still carried about him some of the wine-scent that had yet to disperse.
He had to admit—tonight's apology drinks had indeed been quite an enjoyable affair.
That maiden Xu Huayi, though she was a woman, and the sort of cold, aloof, transcendent prodigy of a great sect, did have a forthright and bright temperament.
Whether it was her conversation and insight, or that final flourish of "sweeping the brush to paint a river of stars," all of it had greatly changed Gu Chengming's impression of her.
On the way back he had even quietly reflected to himself—had he earlier been measuring a gentleman's heart with the gauge of a petty person?
Before he knew it, the sound of the night-watch clepsydra outside told him it had already reached the hour of Zi.
Just as Gu Chengming was preparing to sleep, the "inner voice," punctual to the hour of Zi, once again drifted into his ears.
[Heh heh heh, I got to taste Gu Chengming's spit.]
"...?"
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