Chapter 245: Gambling on Gu
Chapter 245: Gambling on Gu
Innocent or not, valuable treasure invites trouble.
Gao Jing understood this truth perfectly well. He had been mentally prepared for problems to arise because of the coveted Hundred-Fruit Wine. It was simply a matter of facing each challenge as it came.
However, the opponent’s shamelessness and arrogance completely exceeded Gao Jing’s expectations!
He never imagined that Liang Zhiqiang, a distinguished chairman of a large company, would resort to gang-like tactics to threaten him.
Truthfully speaking, ever since his grandfather passed away, Gao Jing had been living alone.
He hadn’t tasted the warmth of family affection since then.
Although he had recently helped his stepmother, Ge Guizhi, and his half-sister, Gao Yuanyuan, they didn’t share deep, genuine feelings.
So Liang Zhiqiang’s threat wasn’t that powerful.
Even so, Gao Jing absolutely could not tolerate it!
At the same time, Gao Jing was very aware that confronting Liang Zhiqiang through normal channels, like calling the police or going to the media, wouldn’t harm the man one bit. Instead, Gao Jing could easily end up framed.
Gao Jing had previously looked up Liang Zhiqiang online. Brightglow Biotechnology was a significant local enterprise. Liang Zhiqiang, its chairman, boasted numerous titles and had the powerful backing of the Wansheng Group.
Even asking Qin Qing for help might not secure victory against Liang Zhiqiang.
Of course, Gao Jing could leave everything behind and start anew in Beijing or Hong Kong Island, escaping Liang Zhiqiang’s sphere of influence.
But even without Liang Zhiqiang, there might be a Zhang Zhiqiang or a Wang Zhiqiang in the future.
Where could he run to then?
If you can’t solve the problem, solve the person causing the problem!
Gao Jing was the only Superhuman on Blue Star. With his current strength, he could crush Liang Zhiqiang with one slap.
The problem was, using violence to eliminate Liang Zhiqiang would make Huaxia uninhabitable for him!
So he needed a method that left absolutely no trace.
After thinking, Gao Jing decisively activated the Bronze Anchor and entered the Great World.
He returned to his villa in the Blackwater Underground City.
Then he went to the Yuancheng Alliance to find Zhiqi.
“Your Honor Zhiqi.”
Seeing the Blackwater City official again, Gao Jing got straight to the point: “I want to kill someone.”
Zhiqi was startled: “Your Honor Gao Jing, who do you want to kill?”
“An enemy.”
Gao Jing said: “But I don’t want anyone to find out he was killed by me. Do you have any method?”
Zhiqi was a merchant from Wuzhi Abyss City and had once led the Qinghe Tribe’s merchant caravan. He held considerable influence both underground and in the Great Wilderness above.
Gao Jing had bought several very useful Witch Artifacts from him, so he came to ask if there was some weapon or potion that could kill without leaving a trace.
After listening, Zhiqi frowned and asked: “What kind of person is your target? A Totem Warrior? Or a Shaman?”
Gao Jing replied: “An ordinary person.”
“That’s simple.”
Zhiqi’s brow immediately smoothed, and he chuckled: “I do have just the thing here.”
He instructed the attendant standing nearby: “Xiao Dai, bring the Gu Stones.”
Xiao Dai blinked: “Master, how many shall I bring?”
Zhiqi waved a hand: “Bring all my stockpile. We’ll let Your Honor Gao Jing choose.”
“As you command.”
After Xiao Dai left, Zhiqi explained the origins of the Gu Stones to Gao Jing.
A Gu Stone contained the egg of a Spirit Gu.
Spirit Gus were flying insects that lived in places dense with Spiritual Energy. They had very short lives, lasting only one year, and only laid eggs once.
However, a Spirit Gu that formed a contract with a master would have a greatly extended lifespan.
Depending on the training methods used, these spirit insects could develop various abilities.
Some Spirit Gus were excellent spies, able to slip into enemy encampments unseen to eavesdrop and gather information.
Others were terrifying assassins, burning their own life force to deliver a single lethal strike!
“The Spirit Gu’s tail barb secretes a toxin.”
Zhiqi said: “It has almost no effect on Totem Warriors or Shamans. But if an ordinary person is stung…”
He gave a knowing smile: “They die within ten breaths.”
Gao Jing found this fascinating: “Would it be discovered?”
“Ordinary people would never find out. It would just look like a sudden illness, heart failure!”
Zhiqi explained: “Some Shamans do have ways to detect it. But who would ever know it was you?”
Plenty of people raised Spirit Gus in the underground world.
Especially Shamans – some kept dozens or even hundreds!
As they spoke, attendants Xiao Dai and Xiao Yun returned, each carrying two large wooden boxes.
The four boxes were placed on the table and opened, revealing rows of wooden compartments.
Nestled neatly inside these compartments were hundreds of stone eggs made of jade-like material. They were irregularly shaped, about the size of a chicken’s egg.
Gao Jing was surprised: “So many?”
Zhiqi smiled: “Not that many.”
A mother Spirit Gu could lay 20 to 50 Gu eggs at once, exhausting her life force and dying afterwards.
She injects each egg into rock infused with Spiritual Energy. After a while, these Gu Stones form.
Also called Gu Stones.
If someone digs up these stones, the mature larvae inside won’t hatch. They fall into a long slumber.
Reviving the Spirit Gu and making it form a contract is simple: Pierce your left ring finger, let a drop of blood fall onto the Gu Stone for it to absorb, and the Spirit Gu will awaken!
This is known as opening the Gu.
Training and controlling a Spirit Gu takes time, effort, and mental focus. Keeping one is actually quite demanding. Many people get a good Gu only to end up failing to raise it properly or letting it die.
It must be said, Spirit Gus differ greatly in quality.
The poorest kind has one pair of wings—a one-wing Spirit Gu. They evolve poorly and are largely useless.
The best are six-wing Spirit Gus, which can develop multiple abilities!
“Before the blood awakening…”
Zhiqi said very seriously to Gao Jing: “Not even a High Sorcerer could tell if the young Gu inside a stone is dead or alive, or what grade it is.”
“So.”
He flashed Gao Jing a familiar grin: “Choose any of these Gu Stones you like. They all cost one Shell Coin each. What kind you get depends entirely on your luck.”
“We call this gambling on Gu.”
Gao Jing suddenly understood—this was a tricky venture!
He immediately thought of gambling on raw jade stones back in the Primary World. It was almost exactly the same as this.
Even though Zhiqi didn’t say it out loud, Gao Jing easily guessed that most of these stones likely contained dead or poor Gu insects. The chance of finding something truly exceptional had to be extremely low.
Devious merchants are the same everywhere, across worlds too!
“One Shell Coin each, right?”
Gao Jing slapped the table: “I’ll do it!”