Undoubtedly, the internal voice from just now had reached a level that inspired fear.
Was there anyone he knew who was this deeply repressed?
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy: Little Gu, reconsider carefully. Someone who can say something like that... doesn't feel like a normal human anymore.】
【It hesitated for a long time before continuing: Although I’ve always wanted to see you engage in dual cultivation, if your first partner is this kind of obviously experienced NPC, I'd rather you never do it in your life!】
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual nodded vigorously beside it.】
Gu Chengming hesitated for a moment, ultimately deciding to cross-examine everyone he knew against that sentence.
First, he could confirm that the person had seen him today.
Elder Yu would likely address him as 'Little Gu,' and she probably wasn't that repressed.
Nuo Tao would call him 'Brother Gu.' While he felt Nuo Tao could potentially be that repressed, she had been buried under various excuses to work in the Northern Mansion lately; she shouldn't have the energy... no, wait, the more repressed one was, the more likely they were to think such things.
Gu Chengming was somewhat uncertain. After all, he needed to be absolutely sure of the target for the internal voice to increase the CG unlock progress; otherwise, he could just try every name in his head.
But then there was Xu Huayi. They had only met once; surely she wouldn't be that repressed?
With such thoughts in mind, Gu Chengming decided to test the waters.
...
The training ground of Falling Snow Pass had been cleared today.
To set up the Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Array, which could monitor a thousand-mile radius, the surrounding restrictions were fully active, and unauthorized personnel were strictly forbidden from approaching.
When Gu Chengming arrived, Xu Huayi was standing in the center of the field, holding a massive judge's pen that looked like white jade, sketching complex array patterns in the void.
Today, she had changed into a light green outfit suitable for movement, her long hair tied high, looking capable and heroic.
Sensing Gu Chengming's arrival, she stopped her movements and a perfect faint smile appeared on her face—neither too distant nor particularly intimate.
"Daoist Gu." She nodded slightly. "I've troubled you to come in person. Regarding the information flow connection for the Myriad Wonders Gathering, there are still a few nodes that require your authorization."
Gu Chengming observed her calmly. Her gaze was clear, her aura steady, and the noble righteousness radiating from her didn't seem faked at all.
Even the emotional fluctuations fed back by the Red Dust Technique were quite upright and peaceful.
"Daoist Xu is too polite. This is within my duty."
Gu Chengming returned the greeting, walked to the array diagram, and said casually, "I also happen to have some details regarding the array's operation that I'd like to ask you about."
The two didn't immediately get down to business, instead chatting for a few moments about topics outside the array's prototype.
"Speaking of which, I've heard of your heroic deeds at the East Sea coast."
Gu Chengming looked at the flowing array patterns, his tone carrying a fitting touch of curiosity.
"Entering the dao through painting, sealing two malevolent third realm Jiao-demons into a scroll to refine them... Such methods are truly admirable. I wonder what kind of spirit and mindset you had at that time?"
Xu Huayi's hand holding the pen paused slightly, and she turned her head to look at Gu Chengming with a bit of surprise.
After a moment, she shook her head gently. "Daoist Gu overpraises me. There was no 'spirit' to speak of."
"I was simply passing by that fishing village and saw those Jiao-demons causing havoc, devouring young children... My heart was filled with sudden indignation, and I simply couldn't let it stand."
"Speaking of this, you should be able to empathize more than I, right?"
She turned around, looking Gu Chengming straight in the eye with a sincere tone. "After all, we are fellow travelers on the same path."
Gu Chengming naturally knew she was referring to his killing of Lord Fubai's offspring at the East Sea coast.
Hearing her speak so chivalrously and freely, his impression of Xu Huayi improved by a few notches.
"Daoist Xu exaggerates. It was merely for the sake of a clear conscience."
Gu Chengming stopped testing her and turned his attention back to the business at hand, joking, "Since we are fellow travelers, I will naturally cooperate fully with this Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Array."
"That is for the best." Xu Huayi nodded.
The so-called Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Array was one of Great Qian's most core strategic-level arrays.
It wasn't a simple surveillance array; through unique means, it linked the array plate with the local ley lines and even the national destiny of Great Qian.
Once established, any movement within the array's coverage—whether it was the fluctuation of demonic qi, the circulation of a cultivator's spiritual power, or even the tremors of the earth's crust—would be fed back to the array's core in meticulous detail.
"Falling Snow Pass is remote and its ley lines are chaotic. It is extremely difficult to set up a complete array here."
Xu Huayi explained while sketching lines on the massive array diagram, "According to the Imperial Observatory's calculations, it would originally take at least two months to organize the earthly qi... but now that the demon tide is coming, we can't wait that long."
"So I need to make this array operational within half a month. By then, even if Senior Luo hasn't returned, we will still have the strength to fight."
In the time that followed, the two cooperated with considerable rapport.
Gu Chengming opened up the interfaces for some soul nodes through the permissions of the All Wonders Same Source Method, while Xu Huayi channeled the array plate to embed those nodes one by one into the array's veins.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Until Xu Huayi attempted to forcibly extend the array's perception range from the main body of Falling Snow Pass to the Eagle Sorrow Ravine outside the pass, an accident occurred.
"Buzz—!"
A piercing sound suddenly rang out.
The array diagram that had been floating in the air began to shake violently. The lines of spiritual power that had been flowing smoothly started to twist and snap, as if unable to withstand the immense pressure.
The ley lines of Falling Snow Pass were already chaotic due to years of malevolent energy, and with the addition of some powerful demonic qi interference from Eagle Sorrow Ravine, the collision of these two forces instantly formed a terrifying soul backlash.
"Ugh!"
Xu Huayi groaned, her originally fair face turning pale as paper in an instant.
"Damn it... I miscalculated..."
She cursed inwardly, cold sweat pouring down her forehead like rain.
She wanted too much to prove herself and to do something for everyone before the demon tide arrived, to the point of being too hasty and underestimating the danger of the northern ley lines.
"Daoist Xu, let go!"
Gu Chengming barked, his other hand pointing like a sword to directly cut off the spiritual power.
"Boom!"
A wave of air exploded.
Xu Huayi felt her body go soft, falling backward uncontrollably.
Gu Chengming was quick, extending his arm to catch and steady her.
To save her, he didn't worry too much about the propriety between men and women.
After a long while, color finally returned slightly to Xu Huayi's face.
She seemed to realize only then that their current posture was inappropriate. Her body stiffened slightly, and then she used his support to stand straight, quietly pulling away by a step.
"Whew..."
She exhaled a long breath, tidied her messy hair at the temples, then turned and gave Gu Chengming a deep bow.
"Thank you for your assistance, Daoist Gu."
Though her voice was still weak, her tone was open and sincere, even carrying a hint of self-reproach.
"I overreached. I thought that with the secret methods of the Tianting Sect, I could set up an array covering the entirety of Falling Snow Pass in one go. I didn't expect the northern ley lines to be so complex. I was too hasty and almost caused a major disaster."
She looked up, her eyes filled with regret. "If you hadn't acted in time, I'm afraid not only would the array be destroyed, but you would have been injured as well."
Seeing her sincere self-reflection, Gu Chengming's suspicions lessened even further.
"Daoist Xu is overstating it."
Gu Chengming waved his hand, casually dispersing the residual spiritual power on his fingertips. "The path of arrays is complex; some setbacks are inevitable. Besides, the situation at Falling Snow Pass is indeed unique. It wasn't your fault."
Xu Huayi shook her head, packing up the array plate on the ground. "Regardless, you helped me today."
She hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to invite Gu Chengming for a small drink tonight as a way to repay his help.
"Since you've invited me, I naturally accept."
Gu Chengming agreed with a smile. "It just so happens I also want to hear your thoughts on further improvements to the array."
"Then it's a deal."
Xu Huayi smiled faintly and turned to leave.
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy thought thoughtfully: Could it be it wasn't her?】
【The Huiyuan Sword Manual breathed a sigh of relief.】
Meanwhile, Xu Huayi, who had already walked out of the training ground gate, suddenly stumbled.
Her hand was currently clutching the edge of her sleeve tightly, her knuckles turning a sickly white from excessive force, perhaps due to over-exhaustion.
...
Inside Listening to Snow Tower, the stove fire was warm, and snow drifted outside the window like tufts of wool.
After three rounds of drinks, Xu Huayi began to open up.
Though she was a woman and entered the dao through painting, her personality was quite free-spirited.
It wasn't until now, in the gaps of their conversation and through her fragmented sighs, that Gu Chengming finally pieced together the true reason why this second-ranked prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Ranking looked upon him with favor—it was indeed the slaying of the Jiao-demons in the East Sea.
In her view, a cultivator should be like that, and a sword cultivator even more so.
Because of this, when she saw Gu Chengming, it was like seeing a masterpiece—though the brushstrokes were wild, the artistic conception was profound—which gave her a very favorable impression.
The atmosphere reached its peak, and their spirits were high.
Xu Huayi was in the middle of talking about the grandeur of the northern wind and snow. Feeling thirsty, she subconsciously reached for the wine cup on the table.
Perhaps she was too engrossed in the conversation, or perhaps her inherent informality took over. Without even looking, she naturally picked up the cup next to Gu Chengming's hand, which still had half a cup of residual wine, and drained it in one gulp.
Xu Huayi set down the cup, even praising it with lingering enjoyment.
However, when her gaze followed Gu Chengming's slightly strange look to the cup that clearly didn't belong to her, and then to her own full, untouched cup beside it, the air froze for a moment.
Xu Huayi froze, and a rare flash of consternation crossed her face, which was already slightly flushed from the wine.
Drinking from a man's cup like this was, to some extent, a bit over the line.
Xu Huayi coughed to hide her embarrassment. "I was too caught up in the talk and drank too much, accidentally stealing your wine."
She stood up, her slender hand moving gracefully as she took out her inseparable judge's pen from her sleeve. Her voice was clear.
"Since I've drunk your wine and made a fool of myself, it would be petty of the Tianting Sect if I didn't show some gesture."
"Let this be my apology to you."
As she spoke, she didn't use any spiritual power to suppress the surroundings, but her wrist moved with extreme fluidity.
The tip of the pen didn't touch ink; instead, it tapped lightly in the air that still carried the scent of wine.
"Look, Daoist Gu."
As her pen tip moved, the Listening to Snow Tower, which had been empty of everything except the sound of wind and snow, suddenly flickered with spots of fluorescent light.
Using wine vapor as ink and the void as paper, the massive judge's pen was as light as an embroidery needle in her hand. Every stroke left a lingering trail of flowing light in the air.
Starting like a dragon or snake rising from the earth, and finishing like a galaxy hanging upside down.
In the blink of an eye, she had literally 'painted' a brilliant galaxy within this small room.
The candles that were meant for lighting were drawn in by her intent, turning into the brightest stars in the galaxy, while the snow drifting in from the window became the stardust scattered between them.
Sitting in the middle of it, Gu Chengming felt the surrounding scenery change, as if he had stepped from the cold northern border into the vast and boundless heavens in an instant.
Xu Huayi stood with her pen withdrawn, her plain robes reflecting the starlight and appearing far more ethereal than usual.
She turned to look at Gu Chengming, a bright smile in her eyes.
"Daoist Gu, is this apology acceptable to your eyes?"
Gu Chengming was struck with awe.
...
The night was deep, and the wind and snow tapped against the window.
When he returned to the side courtyard of the Northern Mansion, Gu Chengming still carried a bit of lingering wine scent.
He had to admit that tonight's apology drinks were indeed quite enjoyable.
Though Xu Huayi was a woman and a genius of a great sect who looked cold and detached, her personality was truly straightforward.
Whether it was her conversation and insight or that final feat of 'painting a galaxy,' it all greatly changed Gu Chengming's impression of her.
On the way back, he had even been reflecting inwardly: had he been too narrow-minded before?
Unknowingly, the sound of the water clock outside rang; it was already midnight.
Just as Gu Chengming was preparing to sleep, the midnight 'internal voice' once again entered his ears.
【Ehehe, I tasted Gu Chengming's saliva.】
"?"
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