Chapter 13

After being ambushed by Lin Huo, Wu Mian originally planned to pretend to be fleeing. When Lin Huo was behind him, he would launch a sudden and full-force attack. Wu Mian was determined to die together with his enemy, and his advantage was his abnormal ability to quickly recover from injuries. As long as it wasn't a fatal injury like decapitation, he could recover in a short time.

The witch ancestor hidden inside Lin Huo's body also feared Wu Mian's death. Moreover, from the fact that their souls could not merge, it was likely that Lin Huo's body had already begun to reject the witch ancestor's soul. Once Wu Mian's attack succeeded, the one who could least afford to waste time would be Lin Huo. After careful consideration, Wu Mian's chances of winning were already fifty percent.

Just as Wu Mian circled around to the back of the large banyan tree, his hands were already gripping the dagger embedded in his chest. As he pulled out the dagger, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed Wu Mian's arms and forcefully pulled him into another space.

Now, Lin Huo was still outside, frantically searching for Wu Mian's whereabouts. This space seemed to have some connection with the outside world. Several times, Lin Huo had accidentally entered the space, but he couldn't see Wu Mian, who was right in front of him.

Seeing Lin Huo enter, Wu Mian held his breath, not daring to make a sound. The old man beside him smiled and said, "Don't worry, say what you want to say, laugh when you want to laugh. The thief outside can't see you." As he spoke, the old man waved his hand in front of Lin Huo's eyes, but Lin Huo stared straight ahead, not even blinking.

Only then did Wu Mian believe the old man's words. After pulling out the dagger, blood gushed out like a waterfall. His shirt was already soaked in blood, and the sight was quite terrifying. However, the wound on his heart had already started to heal, and the breath he couldn't catch after being injured was finally returning.

After Wu Mian recovered, he had the strength to ask the old man, "Is this the location of the second map? Who are you?"

The old man grinned and said, "Whether it's a map or not, I can't explain it to you in a short time. But since you came up this mountain, I've seen everything clearly, including when you were caught by the trap and embarrassed yourself in the pond. Do you know who I am now?"

Seeing Wu Mian's cold eyes, which didn't seem to recognize his name, the old man frowned and said angrily, "Xu Fu didn't tell you about me... I knew this old man would hold a grudge." He took a deep breath and then said to Wu Mian, "Remember, my name is Gui Bu Gui..."

Before he could finish, Wu Mian suddenly slapped the old man's face. Although he held back, the old man was still hit so hard that his nose bled and he spun around. Wu Mian then said coldly, "Is it Gui or not Gui?"

Wu Mian didn't expect the old man to be unable to block or counter. He was just angry that the old man had watched him wander in the forest until he was almost dead before finally coming to his rescue. According to Wu Mian's nature, he needed to find a way to vent. The last question, "Is it Gui or not Gui?" was similar to the joke "Why don't you wear a hat?" years later.

The old man was stunned by the slap. He held his cheek and stared at Wu Mian. Seeing that the unreasonable man hadn't gotten an answer, he was about to roll up his sleeves for another hit. The old man, not wanting to lose, immediately shouted, "As long as you don't hit me again, it's up to you whether it's Gui or not Gui!"

At this moment, Wu Mian suddenly thought of something and frowned at the old man, "You said your name is Gui Bu Gui?"

Gui Bu Gui didn't understand Wu Mian's meaning. He kept blinking and said, "It depends on whether you hit me. If you don't hit me, I'm Gui Bu Gui. If you hit me, you can call me whatever you want."

"Then I'm sorry, this slap is on behalf of someone else." As he spoke, Wu Mian slapped the other side of Gui Bu Gui's face. Although he held back even more this time, it still made his nose bleed again.

"Even like this, you still hit me... You say it's on behalf of Xu Fu! You imprisoned me for 133 years, and you still haven't let go of your grudge? With your temperament, you're still a great master? I spit!" Gui Bu Gui immediately understood why he was hit and started cursing Xu Fu, covering both sides of his cheeks.

Wu Mian watched as Gui Bu Gui cursed until he was tired, squatting on the ground and panting heavily. Only then did he ask about the old man's background and what the second map was all about.

The two slaps had already scared Gui Bu Gui, and with Xu Fu not around, the old man had no reservations and began to tell his story.

Gui Bu Gui was a fangshi from the same period as Xu Fu. Before becoming a fangshi, he was already familiar with Xu Fu and knew some secrets about the great master's early days. Later, seeing Xu Fu's success as a fangshi, his childhood friend, who had become a god-like figure, Gui Bu Gui was envious and also joined the fangshi.

However, Gui Bu Gui's luck was not good. By the time he became a fangshi, most of the older masters had already ascended to immortality, and the fangshi were already led by Xu Fu. To do well in the fangshi path, the only way was to become Xu Fu's disciple. His childhood friend had become his master.

To be fair, Xu Fu had taken good care of Gui Bu Gui. Although they were master and disciple, Gui Bu Gui was not part of the Guang generation and was a special case. In front of others, Gui Bu Gui would call Xu Fu "Master" as a formality. When alone, he would call Xu Fu "you" and "I," and the great master didn't mind. After obtaining the elixir of immortality, Xu Fu became immortal, and among the first few people to receive the elixir, Gui Bu Gui was one of them.

However, Gui Bu Gui was naturally suspicious. He saw that some people who took the elixir did indeed become immortal, but others had adverse reactions and had to rely on Xu Fu's external help to change their bodies. A few even died before Xu Fu could help them.

Although the elixir offered the chance of immortality, the success rate was not high. Gui Bu Gui never dared to take it lightly. It wasn't until he was 118 years old and nearing the end of his life that he took the elixir of immortality just before his last breath.

Unexpectedly, Gui Bu Gui's body was extremely compatible with the elixir, showing no signs of adverse reactions. Even the painful transformation that others experienced when becoming immortal did not happen to him. As Guang Xiao later said, he just slept and became an immortal.

However, because he took the elixir too late, although he became immortal, his appearance and body were forever fixed at the moment before his death.

Seeing the Guang generation, who looked like they were in their twenties and thirties, with white hair, Gui Bu Gui felt annoyed. They were all immortals, so why were they so full of life while he was out of breath after a few steps? Gradually, he began to vent his frustration on Xu Fu.

Gui Bu Gui believed that if Xu Fu had tried harder to persuade him to take the elixir earlier, he wouldn't be in this situation. He didn't dare to cause trouble in front of the great master, so he started digging up Xu Fu's old stories when Xu Fu wasn't around.

At first, he would tell stories to a few close disciples and grand-disciples, like how when the great master was nine years old, he would peek through doors to watch girls bathe and was chased around the village by their parents. When he was eleven, he would steal his father's wine and almost set the house on fire.