Chapter 313: Devouring the Master
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Do you recognize this?” Gu Yanfei asked again with a cold smile on her lips. Her eyes were clear and as deep as the vast starry sky. Everything was obvious in her heart.
Shangqing once again felt the feeling of being suppressed by Gu Yanfei in the Dingyuan Marquis Household last year. That feeling of being looked down upon, that feeling of distance that was beyond reach.
He couldn’t help but look away, only to see that the gazes and expressions of the surrounding commoners had changed.
In the past, they looked at him with respect, but now, they looked at him with hatred, disdain, disdain, and contempt... Their gazes seemed to be filled with thorns.
Shangqing’s heart tightened. He could imagine that the development of the matter had already exceeded his expectations.
Just now, Zhao Rang had brought people to escort him out of the palace.
Shangqing only thought that he was going to be sent back to Wuliang Temple. Now, he finally understood that this matter probably wouldn’t blow over quickly.
Even so, he showed no signs of fear.
He stood with his head held high and composed himself. He looked straight into Gu Yanfei’s eyes and denied loudly, “1 don’t recognize it.”
Zhao Rang looked at the Emperor’s ugly expression and scolded, “Shangqing, you poisoned the Eldest Princess. Now that the evidence is conclusive, you still dare to deny it!!”
“I’m innocent!” Shangqing didn’t bow to the Emperor. He just stood there with his hands by his side and defended himself calmly. “I’ve never poisoned the eldest princess.”
“Everyone in the imperial hospital and the palace knows that I’ve saved the Eldest Princess several times in the past five years, but I’ve never asked the Emperor for glory and wealth.”
“The Eldest Princess is seriously ill this time. I suggested that I could use the Heart Pill to save her because I was afraid that the Emperor would blame me for being incompetent. In the end, whether I do it or not depends on the Emperor.”
“I have a clear conscience.”
Shangqing’s words were dignified. He rid himself of all responsibilities and stood upright.
Since he wanted to be a benevolent ruler today, it was inevitable that he would be restrained. If it was the previous Emperor Taizu who killed decisively, he wouldn’t have the chance to stand here and defend himself.
“There’s no need to talk nonsense.” Gu Yanfei took a step closer to Shangqing and said indifferently, “This Gu worm will recognize its master. It doesn’t matter if you acknowledge it or not.”
The fingers of her right hand gently knocked on the wooden box.
Inside the box, the Blood Gu, which had been pretending to be dead, suddenly flapped its wings and flew out of the box. It flew in the direction of Shangqing so fast that it turned into a red shadow.
However, Gu Yanfei moved faster than the Gu worm. She was as fast as lightning and as fast as the wind. With a casual pinch, she accurately pinched the blood worm’s tentacles between her fingers.
The blood worm was only two inches away from the tip of Shangqing’s nose. Its wings were still buzzing and vibrating, but Shangqing didn’t move at all. He was neither afraid nor uneasy.
Shangqing looked at Gu Yanfei and said calmly,
“I’m from Wuliang Temple, the orthodox Daoist sect. How can I know witchcraft and evil arts! Second Lady Gu, these are just empty words. It’s better not to wrongly accuse innocent people.
When Shangqing said this, he was quite confident. His eyes and expression didn’t waver at all.
This Gu worm was indeed not planted by him.
Even if the Gu worm recognizes its master, it wouldn’t backfire on him.
Gu Yanfei stared at Shangqing for a while more before retracting his right hand that was holding the Gu worm. She said with regret and helplessness, “It’s not yours...”
As soon as she finished speaking, a talisman appeared between the fingers of her left hand. She said in a clear voice, ‘This is the Flaming Sun Talisman. It burns all the evil in the world and won’t stop until they’re all dead.”
She slapped the Flaming Sun Talisman on the Blood Gu. In the next moment, the talisman ignited on its own, and a bright yellow flame ignited the tail of the Blood Gu.
“The Gu... is burning!” Someone in the crowd screamed.
The flames burned rapidly along the worm’s body. The Blood Gu struggled and twisted in the flames in pain, but it was in vain. The flames burned brighter and brighter, turning into a ball of flames the size of a baby’s fist.
Gu Yanfei laughed slyly and shook the tentacles of the Gu worm. The burning Gu worm swayed like a fireball.
The flickering flames reflected on Shangqing’s withered face, forming a strange shadow on his face.
The scene of the Gu worm spontaneously combusting shocked the onlookers. They couldn’t take their eyes off it and were amazed that such a piece of paper talisman could burn this strange and terrifying Gu worm to death.
Everyone’s gaze was attracted by the burning Gu worm. No one noticed that there was another talisman in the palm of Gu Yanfei’s left hand, which was cleverly concealed by her sleeve.
The talisman flew out with the wind and rolled up with a fallen leaf...
“Ah!’
As soon as the talisman appeared, Shangqing suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream. He lost his composure and kicked his feet repeatedly, looking flustered and exasperated.
Two bright flames appeared out of thin air on his shoes.
The scorching flames quickly spread along the Daoist robe and pants. In the blink of an eye, the area below Shangqing’s knees was burning fiercely. The golden-red flames danced wildly and greedily climbed up his thighs...
Shangqing, who had turned into a “fiery man”, struggled in pain in the raging flames and roared. The scarlet Gu worm in Gu Yanfei’s hand also twisted its body and struggled desperately in the fireball.
At first glance, the man and the insect that twisted and struggled in the flames were exactly the same, exuding an indescribable strangeness, as if there was an invisible connection between them.
Everyone saw Shangqing spontaneously combust. This scene was so terrifying that everyone was shocked and couldn’t make a sound.
Zhang Min, his daughter, and the middle-aged woman could almost feel the burning heat on Shangqing’s body. They all took a few steps back in fear.
“The Gu worm knows its master.” Gu Yanfei touched her small chin and sighed faintly. “When the Gu worm dies, it’ll also devour its master.’
The last words were dragged out slowly. She seemed to be mocking and laughing at Shangqing, but at the same time, she seemed to be showing off her ability.
The Gu worm’s ‘master’ referred to Shangqing.
‘When the Gu worm dies, it’ll also devour its master.” These words repeatedly echoed in everyone’s ears. The crowd was silent, and only Shangqing’s screams echoed in the shivering, cold wind.
After a short silence, another indignant shout erupted from the crowd.
“Backlash!” The young man in green, who had a corner of his black inner robe exposed at his collar, pointed at Shangqing and said with certainty, “The Gu worm was burned, so it gave its master backlash.”
The ironclad evidence was right in front of them. With so many people witnessing it with their own eyes, everyone believed it..