“`
Shang Huan laughed heartily as he watched the six figures walking away, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
The shadow of fear that had loomed over him due to the other party’s threats had dissipated in an instant.
But his joy was short-lived, as he felt a chill run down his spine.
When he turned around, he saw Mr. Gongsun, the man in the white mask, standing silently behind him.
Instinctively, Shang Huan shrank his neck and said with a sycophantic smile, “Thank you, Mr. Gongsun, for saving my life!”
“I heard you’ve been selling a lot of Hidden Qi Powder. Who made it for you?” Chen Mu asked in an even tone.
Shang Huan scratched his head in an embarrassed manner, “I made it myself.”
“I’ve mixed Insect Repellent Powder with sawdust and called it Hidden Qi Powder, claiming it can ward off exotic beasts.”
“I didn’t expect it to sell so well.”
“As a result, it attracted these troublemakers.”
“Thanks to Mr. Gongsun’s rescue, otherwise…” Shang Huan shuddered.
He immediately swore, “Mr. Gongsun, rest assured, from now on my life is yours. If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west!”
Ha…
Chen Mu looked at Shang Huan out of the corner of his eye, “So, did you also make up that Thorn Night Herb?”
“Isn’t it that profit stirs the heart?” Shang Huan said with a look of shame.
“Plus, I happened to be buying the Spiritual Light Method and was short on money.”
“Hearing that there was a shortage of medicinal herbs, I had the wrong idea. I thought up a batch of spices with a similar scent and passed them off as the real thing.”
Made it yourself? Very good!
“This fat fool didn’t sell me out. He kept the maker of Hidden Qi Powder and Thorn Night Herb a secret.”
“But that doesn’t mean I can just let him off the hook,” Chen Mu’s lips curled slightly.
He looked at Shang Huan with a gentle yet chilling gaze, “You’re quite tight-lipped.”
“Then why, when you betrayed me, did you do it so readily? The Wu Mountain Seven Brothers pressured you slightly and you spat out my name.”
“Were you thinking of using them to kill someone?”
“Were you hoping to kill them or me?”
“You weren’t thinking of us dying together, were you?”
Shang Huan’s scalp tingled instantly, his face turning pale.
Before he could open his mouth to explain, Chen Mu said with a light laugh, “Next time you open your mouth, remember to think about the United Heart Gu.”
“You wouldn’t want me to activate it, right? Heh…”
Seeing Shang Huan sweating profusely, Chen Mu under his mask couldn’t help but smile.
This fat man was too clever for his own good.
The quantity of Hidden Qi Powder he sold was far greater than what he had supplied.
Anyone could have guessed with their toes that this fat man had included another fake batch, increasing the volume of shipments.
Fortunately, this fatty was tight-lipped, pushing all the blame onto Gongsun’s shoulders.
Seeing Shang Huan frightened, Chen Mu casually threw him twenty bottles of Calming Pills, then disappeared into the drifting smoke in front of him.
…
Low Hill Courtyard.
Chen Mu was examining a black short rope, turning it over in his hand.
The rope was as long as a palm and as thick as a little finger, woven from black threads.
At both ends, an oval white jade bead was strung on it. When they got close, they would cling tightly together.
Chen Mu’s expression was complex as he looked at the rope.
This rope, it was alive!
“Netherworld Thread…”
The short rope Magic Artifact, made from Netherworld Thread, was called United Heart Rope, and it was the core component of the United Heart Gu.
As described in the Thousand Mountains Sutra.
The United Heart Rope could split into seven offshoots, each establishing a connection with a person’s body, allowing for combined growth between the offshoots and the one who planted the Gu.
In the end, the planter would be nurtured into a Seven Souls Path Soldier.
“A living Magic Artifact, using Gu to cultivate a Path Soldier, and made from something as eerie as Netherworld Thread…”
“It’s truly worthy of the Thousand Mountains Sutra!”
Chen Mu was not very surprised.
Wasn’t the Thousand Mountains Sutra known for such bizarre things?
The Five Ghosts Bag, the Yin Strategy, and now this United Heart Rope, not one of them was ordinary!
“I wonder where Lu Ku got this volume of scripture scrolls.”
“Daring to plant a Gu in himself, tsk tsk…”
There are two rules to the soldiers created by the Seven Souls United Heart Gu.
First, they cannot turn back and harm their master.
“`
The United Heart Rope is but a shackle for bound Daoist soldiers.
Second, one cannot kill a companion.
With seven hearts united, they can sense each other’s malice.
Originating from the same source, should one kill a companion, the Netherworld Thread in the assailant’s body would also run rampant and backlash.
The Wu Mountain brothers planted the Gu in themselves to trust each other and also for the Seven Souls Path Soldier to rapidly enhance their strength.
“Ruthless characters…” Chen Mu couldn’t help but shake his head.
With a thought, a gray wall materialized before his eyes.
A new entry had been added below.
United Heart Curse: 1136/10000/First Rank;
“First Rank should be about enough,” Chen Mu silently thought.
“I don’t expect the Wu Mountain brothers to work themselves to death.”
“Nor do I need them to.”
“As long as they don’t come causing me trouble, that’s fine.”
Chen Mu placed the United Heart Rope above his head, winding it around three times, jade stones locking together, perfectly binding his hair up.
“The best state is to never have dealings with each other,” Chen Mu shrugged his shoulders.
You continue to be bullies.
I’ll continue to be a homebody.
Chen Mu then thought of Shang Huan.
“I can’t sell the Hidden Qi Powder anymore.”
“The counterfeit Nightshade products must also be stopped.”
If it hadn’t been for the huge profits, this trouble wouldn’t have been brought about.
“There are still several months until Spiritual Light Perfection, and the demand for the Illusion Breaking Secret Technique isn’t urgent.”
“At worst, I’ll just have to sell an extra batch of Calming Pills.”
“The Imperial Goods Pavilion channel remains relatively safe.”
“If I save up slowly, I should eventually gather enough money to buy the secret technique.”
Having made up his mind, he got up to deal with the Yellow Bud Rice fields.
To control the Wu Mountain brothers, he had been running to Shang Huan’s place these past few days, and weeds had sprouted in the fields!
The Nightshade was also somewhat wilted.
His comfortable life had been disrupted for several days.
All because of that damn fatso Shang Huan!
…
In the Xinyou District, in front of a vast expanse of Yellow Bud Rice fields.
Seven stone courtyards were built side by side.
In the central residence, the six Wu Mountain siblings were gathered together.
“Wu Ruo, would you mind making a trip to the Heavenly River Water Mansion? We need to collect enough Netherworld Dust,” Lu Ku sat at the head, calmly saying to the gentle woman on the left.
“Okay.” Wu Ruo, dressed in a cyan crossover-collar ruqun with long hair to her waist, nodded gently.
“Does big brother have a way to counter it?” Ai Ji asked excitedly.
“The Thousand Mountains Sutra records a secret technique at the end.”
“It can make use of Netherworld Dust to accelerate the growth of the United Heart Gu.”
“The secret technique also mentions that if it grows too quickly and the United Heart Rope isn’t well controlled, there will be risks of backlash.”
“Gongsun Sheng just obtained the United Heart Rope, and his proficiency at using the United Heart Curse is not high.”
“And having control over our lives, having the power of life and death, he must be complacent.”
“This gives us a chance to break free.”
“I’ve already washed away the records of the secret technique with a potion, Gongsun Sheng will not know this.”
“And how to quickly cultivate the United Heart Gu has become key!”
The people in the living room suddenly shone with keen light in their eyes.
“Wu Ruo, don’t worry about the cost. Have Yu Lin accompany you to the Heavenly River Water Mansion and buy back all the Netherworld Dust you can find!”
“Okay!” Wu Ruo squinted her eyes, her expression suddenly stern.
“Everyone, put aside whatever you are doing.”
“The urgent matter at hand is the rapid growth of the United Heart Gu.”
“The day we break free from the shackles of the United Heart Rope is the day we kill Gongsun Sheng.”
“Mo Wuzhou’s confidant, ha…”
“I’m sure Lin Su will be very pleased!”
The six of them suddenly revealed smiling faces.