Chapter 2: What I Do Not Give, You Cannot Take
Looking at this seemingly harmless junior brother, it was almost impossible to reconcile his face with the villain from the vision—the man who would steal Gu Xiu’s opportunities, deceive the entire Qingxuan Sacred Land, and ultimately sacrifice his master and senior sisters as blood offerings to achieve his goals.
But Gu Xiu knew the vision was no dream. In that glimpse of the future, his falling out with his sisters and the excruciating midnight agony caused by his Dao injuries were all the result of this boy's intricate schemes. Jiang Xun had been plotting against him since before he had even returned from the Abyss.
"Junior Brother, why do you even bother with him?"
Before Gu Xiu could speak, a sharp, disparaging voice cut through the air. "A useless cripple like him staying in our Sacred Land only brings us shame and hinders our progress. If I were him, I would have had the decency to commit suicide for the sect’s sake. At the very least, he should leave and fend for himself."
The speaker was Seventh Senior Sister, Lu Qingyao. Having just framed Gu Xiu in the main hall, she made no effort to hide her loathing now that Guan Xuelan was absent. She looked at the man who had once cared for her as if he were a mortal enemy.
Jiang Xun sighed, putting on a show of defense. "Senior Sister, although Brother Gu’s cultivation is ruined, he is still my senior..."
"He doesn’t deserve the title!" Lu Qingyao snapped. "Junior Brother, you are too kind-hearted. Kindness is for the worthy. For trash like Gu Xiu, you mustn't show a hint of goodwill, or you’ll only end up harming yourself."
"But Senior Sister... Ah..." Jiang Xun looked at Gu Xiu with an apologetic, helpless expression. "Senior Brother, please, don't take her words to heart."
Gu Xiu had seen this performance a thousand times. He once thought Jiang Xun was a decent person, but hearing it now, he felt nauseated. It was all a farce.
Ignoring their duet, Gu Xiu fixed his gaze on the object in Jiang Xun’s hand. "You’re holding my property."
"Hm?" Jiang Xun was momentarily stunned by the coldness of Gu Xiu’s tone. He maintained a polite smile. "I saw this bamboo stick of yours. It looked unique, so I picked it up to play with."
Gu Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Had enough playing?"
"Pardon?"
"If you’re done, give it back."
Jiang Xun hesitated, looking down at the emerald-green stick. To a casual observer, it was a common piece of bamboo. But this was a relic that had followed Gu Xiu out of the Forbidden Land. It possessed the power of "Natural Restoration"—no matter how badly it was damaged, it would eventually reform itself out of thin air.
Years ago, the sect had studied it extensively and found no offensive or defensive properties. Labeling it a curiosity, they had tossed it back to him. Since then, Gu Xiu had used it as a simple herding rod for the spirit beasts, as it was quite handy and never stayed broken.
Only after the vision did Gu Xiu realize its true nature. This wasn't a herding rod; it was an unsealed divine artifact!
Jiang Xun seemed reluctant. "I heard you brought this from that terrifying Forbidden Land. It’s quite marvelous. I was hoping to borrow it for a while to study..."
"No," Gu Xiu said flatly.
"I... beg your pardon?"
"I don't like others touching my things. I’ve used that stick for a long time; I’m attached to it."
Jiang Xun looked toward Lu Qingyao with a pleading gaze. She did not disappoint him.
"Gu Xiu! It’s a broken piece of bamboo!" she shrieked. "If Junior Brother takes a liking to it, that is its greatest fortune! Don't be ungrateful!"
"Broken or not, it's mine." Gu Xiu ignored her, his eyes locking onto Jiang Xun’s. "If I give it to you, you may take it. But if I do not give it... you cannot take it."
As he spoke, a torrential, bone-deep killing intent erupted from his eyes.
His cultivation was gone, but the five hundred years of slaughter he had endured in the Forbidden Land had etched that murderous intent into his very soul. It was a malice that no loss of power could erase. Even Jiang Xun, endowed with natural Dao resonance, was momentarily paralyzed by the sheer weight of it.
In that moment of distraction, Gu Xiu reached out and snatched the bamboo pole back.
"Gu Xiu! What are you doing?!" Lu Qingyao was the first to snap out of the daze. "You dare use killing intent against your Junior Brother? You dare snatch something he likes?!"
She unleashed the crushing pressure of a Golden Core cultivator, attempting to force Gu Xiu to his knees.
However, she was met with a wall of indifference. Gu Xiu had survived the crushing gravity of the Abyss; the pressure of a mere Golden Core meant nothing to him. He gripped the pole tightly and met her gaze. "This is mine."
"Yours? Everything in this sect belongs to the Sacred Land, and the Sacred Land must provide for Junior Brother Jiang!" Lu Qingyao leveled the heavy accusation. "Are you trying to harm our sect’s future?"
Gu Xiu did not flinch. "I will not give this to anyone. Especially not him."
"Are you not afraid to die?" she hissed.
"Do you truly dare to kill me?"
Lu Qingyao bristled, but Jiang Xun stepped in. "Senior Sister—forget it. I was only curious. I never intended to make things difficult for Brother Gu." He turned to Gu Xiu with feigned remorse. "Please, let us not let a trivial matter damage our fellowship."
His words gave Lu Qingyao an out. Fratricide within the sect remained a major taboo, especially given Gu Xiu’s past merits. They could insult him, but they couldn't slay him in broad daylight without tarnishing the Sacred Land's reputation.
"Hmph! Look at the difference in character!" she spat, biting back further insults. "Junior Brother Jiang is a saint compared to you."
Satisfied with the last word, they turned and left. Gu Xiu watched them go, his hand tightening around the bamboo. He knew the path ahead was dangerous, but he was no longer the fool they remembered.