Chapter 80

“Alright, let me have a look.”
Lin Yang used his spiritual sense to carefully examine Lin Hu, scrutinizing every abnormality. He instructed Lin Hu to resume his cultivation.
At last, beneath the meridians, he noticed something unusual: a tiny black dot under the skin. Upon closer inspection, it proved to be a minute Gu insect.
Lin Yang recognized this creature—it was a Soul-Eater Gu, an incredibly rare parasite with no combat advantage for cultivators, which explained why almost no one used it.
Yet its true strength lay in concealment, serving as a tool for tracking and poisoning. The Gu would remain dormant unless the host cultivated, and its effect was insidiously slow; only after half a year of continuous cultivation, as Lin Hu had done, would it wear away the host’s very soul.
There must be more to this, Lin Yang thought, and so he examined Lin Hu again, but found nothing else suspicious even after a long search.
“Uncle, what’s wrong with me?” Lin Hu’s voice trembled as he saw Lin Yang’s expression grow increasingly grave, and his own face paled further.
“There’s no major problem for now. Try channeling a large amount of spiritual energy into the place I indicate.” Lin Yang gave the order, and Lin Hu complied.
Lin Yang also infused some of his own power, probing to stimulate latent marks. This process subjected Lin Hu to excruciating pain and drenched him in cold sweat.
“Hang in there—it’ll be over soon,” Lin Yang reassured him.
“I understand, Uncle,” Lin Hu replied through gritted teeth.
After a dozen or so breaths, a strange pattern emerged on Lin Hu’s arm, entirely black and resembling a bizarre insect. Lin Yang sent his spiritual sense into it and discovered it was a sub-Gu, continuously siphoning away Lin Hu’s spiritual energy.
“I’ve found the problem—this is the source,” Lin Yang declared.
“Uncle, what’s really wrong with me?” Lin Hu was terrified by Lin Yang’s grave demeanor, the pain fresh in his memory, and the recent sluggishness in his cultivation filling him with dread.

“It’s not a big issue—you’ve been targeted with a Gu. This type is filled with a fragment of another person’s soul. Once the Soul-Eater Gu has consumed your spirit, that person can temporarily replace your soul, seize your body, and then summon their own divided soul to take it away. It’s a most effortless method of body-snatching.” Lin Yang was astonished by such a scheme. Were it not for the fact that there was only one likely suspect, he might never have deduced the culprit.
“What should I do, then? Am I just waiting to die? Uncle, you must have a way to help me!” Lin Hu implored.
“It’s simple enough. I just need to channel spiritual energy precisely to destroy it. However, the meridians in your arm will be damaged and need recovery.” Lin Yang explained.
“Then please, Uncle, do it quickly!” Lin Hu shuddered at the thought of a parasite inside him.
“There will be some pain during the treatment—hold on, don’t let your efforts go to waste,” Lin Yang warned.
“I know, I’ll endure it,” Lin Hu promised eagerly.
“There’s no need to act tough,” Lin Yang replied, and without further ado began the treatment. Lin Yang’s pure fire-attribute spiritual energy summoned a lively flame in his hand, which he pressed to Lin Hu’s arm. The fire blazed directly from Lin Hu’s skin, the searing agony sending him into cold sweats and violent shivers.
After a quarter of an hour, Lin Hu was trembling uncontrollably from the pain, but the treatment was finally complete. Lin Yang handed him a medicinal pill.
Lin Hu swallowed it at once, and a green glow enveloped him, restoring his color and dispelling his pallor.
“There, you’re cured. Weren’t you the one who said you could handle it?” Lin Yang teased, noticing Lin Hu still trembling.
“How was I supposed to know it’d hurt that much? It was like being roasted alive!” Lin Hu protested sheepishly.
“Enough. Now you may have drawn the attention of the Grand Elder. What’s your plan?” Lin Yang brought the conversation back to the pressing matter, for Lin Hu’s situation was not without danger.
“Uncle, save me!” Lin Hu cried, his face turning pale again.
“There’s no need to worry too much. From what I know, the Grand Elder has only a few years left to live. If he wants to survive, he’ll have to act within that time. I’ll give you a few protective talismans. If anything happens, I can reach you within half an hour.”

According to Lin Yang, the Grand Elder had little time remaining. He had probably screened many candidates before settling on Lin Hu for his promising potential.
Unfortunately for him, though his methods were extremely covert, his cultivation was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Lin Yang’s soul was far stronger, and his magical power surpassed the Grand Elder’s as well. Others might never have discovered the problem.
“How about I stay here for the next few years? I’ll build a new house next door,” Lin Hu said, still uneasy and preferring to remain close to Lin Yang.
“That’s fine. Build yourself a small house next door and live there,” Lin Yang agreed.
“But this isn’t enough. We’ll have to find a way to lure the Grand Elder out.”
He continued, “Well, there’s no such thing as guarding against a thief forever. We’ll find a chance to lead him outside the sect, and I’ll trap him.”
“That won’t do, Uncle. You’ve only just become a Golden Core cultivator—how could you possibly defeat the Grand Elder?” Lin Hu doubted him.
“How could you say that? How could I not be a match for him? You don’t trust your uncle? That really hurts,” Lin Yang replied, feigning injury.
“But you do have a point—it could be dangerous. What if he kills you outright?” Lin Yang stroked his chin, then suddenly clapped his hands.
“Alright, then. I’ll set up a formation, and also give you a treasure to ensure the Grand Elder can’t catch you.” Lin Yang had not destroyed the Soul-Eater Gu’s tracking ability; as long as Lin Hu remained in one spot for too long, the Grand Elder could be drawn out.
“Is this really reliable?” Lin Hu was still worried and wanted Lin Yang to consider another plan.
“It’s settled. We’ll go to the southern valley of Yellow Maple Ravine, set up a new cave dwelling to lure the Grand Elder, and I’ll lay a trap to confine him. Once he’s trapped, you run—battles between Golden Core cultivators are not something you can influence.” Lin Yang outlined what he considered a flawless plan.