Chapter 17

Wu Mian was originally holding in a burst of anger that he couldn't release. However, the old man Gui Bu Gui, contrary to his usual self, suddenly became bold and kept urging from the side. But what he said did have some reason; they had seen several checkpoints set up for him along the way, but not a single guard was in sight. It was evident from the chaotic scene that the guards had left in a hurry, even leaving behind their food and water.

One wanted to return for revenge, the other to find out what had happened and see if there was any advantage to be gained. The two quickly agreed, and with Gui Bu Gui leading the way, they took a small path that even the local Miao people didn't know about. After a long, winding journey, Gui Bu Gui and Wu Mian arrived at the top of the waterfall above the large pond.

The two avoided the rushing waterfall and hid in a patch of weeds. Below, they saw countless Miao people gathered by the pond. They had been driven into the water by a white-haired man. On the shore and in the pond, over a dozen Miao people lay dead, their bodies floating in the water, turning half of the pond red. The remaining Miao people looked at the white-haired man with fear, while the man stood on the shore with his hands behind his back, speaking to the Miao people.

Both Gui Bu Gui and Wu Mian recognized the white-haired man; he was Xu Fu's disciple Guang Xiao. Despite the distance, Wu Mian's current hearing allowed him to hear Guang Xiao's words clearly. He heard Guang Xiao say to the Miao people in the pond, "Are you still not going to tell me where he is?"

One of the Miao people in the pond stepped forward and shouted at Guang Xiao, "We've told you many times! No other fangshi has come here besides you! We've never heard of or seen Wu Mian!" The speaker was Lin Huo, who had just stabbed Wu Mian not long ago. There was a palm-sized wound on Lin Huo's shoulder, which was still bleeding profusely as he spoke, but by the time he finished, the bleeding had stopped.

Guang Xiao squinted at Lin Huo, waiting for him to finish. Then he suddenly laughed and said, "Then I'll ask a different question. Who gave you the elixir of immortality?"

As Guang Xiao said this, Lin Huo was taken aback. This expression did not escape Guang Xiao's notice. He laughed again and then extended his right hand, making a grabbing motion. Lin Huo's body was pulled towards Guang Xiao as if by an invisible force. In just a few breaths, he was in front of Guang Xiao, his neck being gripped by the white-haired man.

Guang Xiao lifted Lin Huo and stared into his eyes, saying, "What did he see in you? To give you such a great advantage." Lin Huo couldn't speak, only moving his hands frantically. None of the thousands of Miao people behind him dared to come to his aid.

Upon seeing Guang Xiao, Gui Bu Gui immediately shrank back and pulled Wu Mian down. He muttered to himself, "Really, I should have checked the almanac before leaving. How did I end up meeting this little brat?"

Wu Mian, puzzled by Gui Bu Gui's actions, looked at the old man and said, "What's his name again? Guang something? Aren't you fellow disciples? Why are you hiding from him?"

Gui Bu Gui looked at Wu Mian with a half-smile and said, "The little brat below is called Guang Xiao, one of Xu Fu's four major disciples. I don't need to hide from him. After all, he's called me 'elder brother' for a hundred years. He wouldn't dare do anything to me. But with you, it's a different story..."

Wu Mian, noticing Gui Bu Gui's deliberate show, suddenly reached out and touched the old man's chest, sending a bolt of electricity. Gui Bu Gui fell to the ground, convulsing. Wu Mian said, "Get to the point. How did I offend him?"

After convulsing for a while, Gui Bu Gui slowly got up, spat out the foam from his mouth, and looked at Wu Mian timidly, saying, "Can't you consider my age and just tell me what you're unhappy about instead of hitting me? I may have an immortal constitution, but most of my true essence is sealed by Xu Fu. I can't take many hits from you..."

As Gui Bu Gui said this, he kept moving backward, trying to increase the distance between himself and Wu Mian. Unexpectedly, Wu Mian nodded and said, "I won't hit you again. Just speak your mind."

With this response, Gui Bu Gui immediately broke into a smile and said, "The problem lies with the seed Xu Fu gave you. This seed is a concentrated form of Xu Fu's true essence. It was originally meant for his eldest disciple, Guang Ren, but no one expected Guang Ren's constitution to be incompatible with it. I don't know what Xu Fu was thinking, but he ended up giving it to you.

But don't be too happy yet. While the benefits are yours, the trouble is also brewing for you. Once Xu Fu sets sail, no one can control his white-haired disciples. The seed in your body is a great treasure. Whoever can extract it and refine it will become the second Xu Fu. You'll see, Guang Xiao is just the first. The others, Guang Ti and Guang Yi, are not to be underestimated. Even Guang Ren won't be content to let you have it so easily."

After saying this, Gui Bu Gui sighed, his expression relaxing. Looking at Wu Mian, who was frowning, he smiled slyly and continued, "Don't worry. We're standing above the altar of the Witch Ancestor. Our auras are mixed with the altar's, so Guang Xiao won't detect us. Even if he sees you, I can plead for you, and he won't be too hard on you. At worst, he'll drain all your blood and extract your bone marrow. No big deal, with your constitution, you'll recover in a year or two..."

Before he could finish, Wu Mian pinched his thumb and index finger together, sending another bolt of electricity. Gui Bu Gui fell to the ground, convulsing again, but this time he struggled to say, "But... we agreed... you wouldn't hit me?"

Wu Mian stood up and looked down at the waterfall again, saying in his usual tone, "I forgot. Do you want to hit back?"

While Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui were talking, things changed at the large pond. Guang Xiao was choking Lin Huo, demanding to know Wu Mian's whereabouts. Lin Huo truly didn't know, and no matter how much Guang Xiao tortured him, he couldn't get any information. In Guang Xiao's mind, Lin Huo must have been someone Wu Mian favored, otherwise, he wouldn't have given him the elixir of immortality. Moreover, it was clear that Lin Huo had taken the elixir not long ago, indicating that Wu Mian was hiding nearby, or at least hadn't gone far from the Miao village.

Lin Huo's neck had already been broken by Guang Xiao. If not for his immortal constitution, he would have died on the spot. His eyes were rolled back, and to the others, he looked as good as dead.

At this moment, a ripple appeared on the water in front of Guang Xiao. Then, from the center of the ripple, the Witch Ancestor emerged from the depths of the pond. Standing on the water, the Witch Ancestor shouted at Guang Xiao, "Fangshi, don't go too far!" As he spoke, the water under his feet suddenly rose and crashed down on Guang Xiao like a tidal wave.

Guang Xiao sneered, his body disappearing from the spot and reappearing on a patch of ground dozens of feet away. The water wave missed him and receded, returning to normal. Guang Xiao then pointed to the sky, muttering a few incantations. After the incantations, his hand pointed down at the Witch Ancestor.

Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed in the cloudless sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the Witch Ancestor's position. As the lightning hit, the Witch Ancestor's feet slipped, and he fell into the pond. The lightning struck the water where he had just appeared, and although the Witch Ancestor managed to escape, the hundreds of Miao people around him couldn't. After the thunder, dozens of Miao people were floating on the water.

"Hmm? Not bad..." Guang Xiao sneered, still holding Lin Huo by the neck, and walked back to the pond. He stood on the water, just like the Witch Ancestor, and walked to the spot where the Witch Ancestor had fallen. The Miao people around him scattered, not daring to stay near Guang Xiao.

He looked down at the water and said, "Now it's your turn. Where is Wu Mian hiding?"

As he spoke, a pair of withered hands suddenly emerged from the water beside Guang Xiao, grabbing his feet and pulling him down. But Guang Xiao, as if he had anticipated it, remained motionless. He chuckled, and a fire suddenly erupted on the water around his feet.