Bliss Gu

On the sixteenth of the eighth month, the Heroes Banquet convened, and the martial heroes gathered once more within the Justice Sect. The banquet hall of the Justice Sect was magnificent, far more spacious and opulent than most commercial restaurants. Even with nearly two hundred martial artists attending today, the venue accommodated them with ease. Over the years, under Shen Youran's management, the Justice Sect had flourished tremendously. From businesses legitimate and illicit throughout Luoyang to illicit dealings in buying and selling government posts, they took a cut of everything. Money flowed into Shen Youran's pockets like water. It was fair to say that this gathering gave everyone a vivid demonstration of the Justice Sect's immense wealth, manpower, and formidable leadership. Considering Shen Youran was only in his early thirties, Huang Donglai's prediction that he would become one of the six most influential figures in the jianghu over the next two decades was entirely well founded. Yet Shen Youran himself... did not truly care about any of that. In his eyes, the Justice Sect was unimportant. He certainly had ambition—an ambition to lead a sect to prominence and look down upon the realm... but that sect was not the Justice Sect. It was the Tianqi Gang. Some might wonder: he was already a figure of sect-leader stature, so as long as he succeeded, what difference did it make whether the organization he led was called the Justice Sect or the Tianqi Gang? In truth... there was no difference, at least in the eyes of others. To Shen Youran, however, the difference was vast. He had his own convictions, his own designs. Regardless of whether others viewed his obsession as stubbornness, childishness, or utter folly, as long as he deemed it necessary and right, he saw nothing wrong with it. Of course, he was entitled to his principles, but he would also have to pay the price for his choices. *** At the third quarter of the hour of the Rooster, during the Heroes Banquet. By now, the wine had flowed for three rounds and the dishes had been sampled five times over; the assembly of heroes was in high spirits. "Sect Leader, we have counted three times over. Everyone is accounted for, and our preparations are complete." Just then, a disciple of the Justice Sect approached Shen Youran, leaned down, and whispered in his ear. "Good. You may step down," Shen Youran murmured, setting aside his wine cup. Receiving his orders, the disciple swiftly departed. "Come, come, Sect Leader Shen, let me toast you a cup! Hahaha..." At that moment, a senior figure from another sect happened to walk over from a neighboring table to offer Shen Youran a toast. Shen Youran, however, acted as if the man were invisible. Expressionless, he rose from his seat, turned, and walked directly toward the raised platform at the northernmost end of the banquet hall. "Eh? Sect Leader Shen..." The man offering the toast brushed past him, momentarily stunned. Before he could say another word, Shen Youran was already far ahead. Soon, Shen Youran stepped onto the platform that rose noticeably above the surrounding floor. Quietly channeling his internal strength, he spoke: "Everyone, pray be quiet." In terms familiar to modern people, his voice sounded as if broadcast through a loudspeaker, booming with immense resonance. Hearing this, the assembled crowd knew Sect Leader Shen had formal business to announce, and the hall fell silent at once. The clatter of cups, plates, chopsticks, and spoons came to an abrupt halt. "I have several important matters to announce." The tone in which Shen Youran spoke was off... Not only was there not the slightest hint of respect or courtesy in his voice, but it also carried an unmistakable air of command. Yet at this moment, few noticed the difference, as everyone took it for granted that Shen Youran had taken the stage to award prizes to the top three competitors of the Youth Heroes Assembly. "First, as of today, the Luoyang Justice Sect is officially dissolved. All members, businesses, and assets of the Justice Sect... will be taken over by the Tianqi Gang." Shen Youran's subsequent words drew a collective gasp of disbelief from the crowd. Many who had grown tipsy were sobered instantly on the spot. "Second, from this day forth, I, Shen Youran, am no longer the Sect Leader of the Justice Sect, but the Gang Leader of the Tianqi Gang." Shen Youran paid no heed to their reactions, continuing in his own measured pace. Right then, a tactless fellow came forward, putting on a smile in an attempt to play peacemaker. "Heh, Sect Leader Shen, even as drunken banter, you're taking it a bit too far. Look, you've frightened everyone... If this is a joke, I think we should end it ri—" "Do I look like I'm joking?" Shen Youran cut him off with an icy glare, tossing the question back at him. Though a senior in terms of years, the man was merely a second-rate figure; had he been otherwise, he would not have lacked such discernment. Pierced by Shen Youran's stare, he felt his scalp tingle and his legs turn to jelly. Instinctively taking several steps back, he dared not utter another sound. "Third..." Seeing that no one else interrupted, Shen Youran continued, "I expect all of you present... to remain guests within my Justice Sect for a few days. You will dictate your respective sects' martial arts cultivation methods, closely guarded secrets, as well as the scandalous, shameful secrets among your elders and fellow disciples, holding nothing back. Once my men have transcribed every word... you may depart." The moment these words left his lips, the hall erupted like a boiling cauldron. Setting aside the younger generation, seated below were at least fifty heavyweight figures of vice-sect-leader stature. Every one of them possessed greater jianghu seniority and prestige than Shen Youran, and their martial arts were formidable. A demand like this would provoke even an ordinary disciple to flip the table in fury, let alone these prominent masters. "Bah!" Unsurprisingly, Feng Shunfeng was the first to leap to his feet. "Shen, did you eat something foul to lose your damn mind? You dare utter such words today—are you looking to die?" At the tables around Feng Shunfeng, aside from Feng Shunshui and their gang leader's nephew, Di Gui, the others were all representatives of waterway sects allied with their Water Transport Gang. Seeing Second Master Feng take the lead in slamming the table, they rose one after another, their hands instinctively dropping to their weapons. "Heh..." Shen Youran looked at him as though amused by a clown. "Second Master Feng, if whatever is inside that skull of yours functioned even slightly better, you wouldn't have been in such a hurry to spit such foul words at me." He paused and swept his gaze across the gathering once more. "I know that most of you here harbor thoughts similar to Second Master Feng's. If I do not provide a proper explanation for what I just said, none of you will let me off easily... Hmph, rest assured. Since I dare speak these words, I naturally have the means to back them up." With that, he raised his hand and clapped twice. The moment the claps died down, the entire row of southern exits of the banquet hall was slammed shut from the outside within two seconds. Without a second thought, everyone knew that the doors outside the banquet hall had been sealed airtight by disciples of the Justice Sect—or rather, disciples of the Tianqi Gang. That was not all. After the main doors closed, two men immediately walked out from the side door leading to the kitchen, carrying a third man across their shoulders. Moving swiftly and with purpose, they covered the distance in a few brisk strides, reaching Shen Youran's side before placing the person they carried onto an armchair. The crowd below focused their gaze. The man carried up was none other than the renowned "Silver Daoist" of the jianghu—Bai Ruhong. At this moment, Bai Ruhong was pale as ash and bound tightly in ropes. Although his eyes remained open and he still breathed, his limp, motionless state in the chair looked unnatural by any standard. Anyone with sense understood that for a master like Daoist Bai, releasing his internal energy outward would shatter iron chains, let alone mere ropes. For him to be in such a state, there was bound to be a reason. Shen Youran promptly dispelled their doubts. "Two days ago, Daoist Bai, just like all of you here, drank a cup of tea that I served..." Before he could even finish the sentence, more than half the people below turned pale, and the men of the Water Transport Gang looked thoroughly green. All of them walked the jianghu; who could fail to grasp his implication? Yet they were equally baffled. Among the heroes present were many proficient in the use of poison, yet not a single one had detected anything amiss two days prior... Of course, until now, the notion that the grand Sect Leader of the Justice Sect and host of the Youth Heroes Assembly would poison the tea served to the gathered heroes was simply unthinkable, making it virtually impossible to guard against. "Heh..." Seeing through their thoughts, Shen Youran smiled and added, "No need to make wild guesses. You could never guess what was put into that tea, and I have no intention of telling you." Evidently, Gang Leader Shen was unlike the typical poison-wielding villains commonly seen in martial arts television dramas; he was not about to smugly announce the name of his poison to his victims. Thus, the narrative clarifies here: the substance he used was called "Bliss Gu," a mysterious venomous parasite originating from Miaojiang. Strictly speaking, this thing was neither a plant nor a chemical concoction, but an exceedingly minute living organism, roughly the size of tea crumbs to the naked eye. Once Bliss Gu entered the human body, it would take up parasitic residence in the stomach and intestines. Approximately twelve double-hours later, it would rapidly multiply and divide, penetrating through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream and nervous system. From that point on, a person was officially infected by the gu. Those infected felt no abnormality under ordinary circumstances. However, the moment someone shook a "gu bell" nearby, their nervous system and internal organs would violently convulse, subjecting the victim to an agony worse than death. This sensation was comparable to the torment of severe drug withdrawal, if not vastly more terrifying; mere willpower was utterly futile against it. Attempting to endure it forcefully or channel internal energy to fight it off would result in direct physical trauma. Furthermore, once the attack of Bliss Gu subsided, the victim would temporarily fall into a state of limp, floating euphoria, as though drifting in the clouds, ascending to godhood, and transcending mortal flesh—hence the name "Bliss." No doubt some readers have already deduced it... That was right: the disciples of the Justice Sect had all been infected with Bliss Gu as well. That was why they followed Shen Youran's orders implicitly; even if he ordered them to turn against the entire martial world, none dared refuse. Of course, the gu inside those disciples was not from the same batch as the one currently afflicting these martial heroes. Every batch of Bliss Gu consisted of numerous male parasites and a single female parasite; one could consider each batch an independent colony. The parasites administered to victims were the males—microscopic, practically invisible to the naked eye, colorless, odorless, and undetectable through conventional poison-testing methods. The female, however, was about half the size of a thumb. When dried in a specialized manner and fashioned into a hardened cocoon inside a small metal cage, it became a "gu bell." Each gu bell could trigger only the Bliss Gu belonging to its own colony, holding no sway over the males of another. Even if an afflicted person ruptured their own eardrums and destroyed their hearing, they could not escape the effects of the gu bell. Suicide could certainly end the ordeal, but generally speaking, anyone who had experienced the rush of euphoria following an attack of Bliss Gu became unwilling to die... Their minds, as if hijacked by the parasites, craved the next arrival of bliss, suppressing suicidal urges. Only by thoroughly purging the parasites from the body could they return to normal. Finally, Bliss Gu possessed one last insidious trait: every six months, the parasites within the host had to be triggered at least once. If the interval between hearing the gu bell exceeded this limit, the parasites would go mad, devouring and ravaging the host's nervous system, causing a slow, excruciating death. Therefore, even destroying the gu bell would solve nothing... All told, the only way to be rid of Bliss Gu was to use an antidote to completely kill and purge the parasites. As for what that antidote was, that will be addressed in due time; let us return to the Heroes Banquet... *** Although Shen Youran did not utter the name "Bliss Gu" to the crowd, he did describe the sensations before and after its onset and the consequences of resisting—namely, part of the details recounted above. Had he not made that clear, it would hardly achieve the intended intimidation. Before he had even finished half his explanation, many below wore expressions of utter despair. Others who maintained a calm facade were either skeptical or still clinging to fleeting hope. Shen Youran was naturally prepared for such reactions. Right there on the platform, he produced a gu bell and shook it twice lightly. A brief shake meant a brief affliction. Shaking it just twice caused the onset to last only about a minute; after all, Shen Youran still had more to say, and he could not afford to let these people writhe in agony for half an hour. And so, after a minute of agony followed by dozens of seconds of bliss, the sprawling, disheveled heroes gradually regained their senses. Some looked completely dazed; others wore conflicted, lingering expressions... Whatever their individual thoughts, one thing was certain: they were now convinced that everything Shen Youran said was the absolute truth. "Now, everyone should understand the situation..." Shen Youran said in a leisurely tone. "I advise you all to cooperate obediently and not play the hero. The consequence of trying to hold out against this thing..." He paused, glancing toward Bai Ruhong. "...Daoist Bai serves as an excellent cautionary tale." At his reminder, many suddenly realized that while everyone had just suffered the torment, Bai Ruhong had remained slumped without moving a muscle, without even a groan. Evidently... Daoist Bai had refused to comply, had been tortured repeatedly by Shen Youran, and was now reduced to an invalid. "Gang... Gang Leader Shen." After a moment of silence, another person stood up from below, speaking in a comparatively courteous tone. "Even if doing this today... forces our temporary submission, are you not afraid that once we return to our sects, we will bring those who were not poisoned to hold you accountable and force you to hand over the antidote?" The one who posed this question was Lyu Shiyuan, the manager of the Qingyuan Zhongyi Sect, who held a prominent status among the vice-sect-leader figures present. "That is precisely why I am demanding that you disclose your sects' shameful scandals and dirty secrets alongside your martial cultivation methods before you leave." This reply did not come from Shen Youran. The speaker had just stepped in through the side door, walking up to the high platform at an unhurried pace as he spoke. The man appeared around forty-five years of age, of average build. In terms of facial features, he was not unsightly, yet he bore two traits that were deeply unsettling. First, his skin was a pale, sickly greenish-white resembling that of a corpse, thoroughly bizarre. Second, his body emitted a peculiar fragrance—sweet to the nose, yet inexplicably nauseating. "Venerable Master." Seeing this man, Shen Youran immediately clasped his fists and bowed with utmost deference. "Youran, you have done well." The man addressed as the Venerable Master—the proprietor of Bugui Tower—had by now arrived at Shen Youran's side. Standing alongside him, he looked down upon the martial heroes in the banquet hall and murmured, "If Qizong knew of this in the Netherworld, he would surely be proud of you." "The Venerable Master flatters me. How would Youran dare claim credit..." A flicker of delight passed through Shen Youran's eyes, though his tone remained modest. Just as this mastermind took the stage and exchanged pleasantries with Shen Youran... Suddenly... A figure shot out from below the platform, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Evil villains! I'll take you down with me!" Only one fool at the banquet would scream a warning to his target while attempting a sneak attack: Lei Buji. He had already resolved to fight Shen Youran to the death while listening to the explanation of the Bliss Gu's effects, but the onset of the parasite had temporarily incapacitated him. Now that he had circulated his breath below and recovered his strength, he charged up to lay his life on the line. Yet how could Lei Buji possibly be a match for Shen Youran and the Venerable Master... Shen Youran had no intention of killing Lei Buji here anyway; the youth possessed remarkable martial skills and an enigmatic background, meaning killing him might bring complications. Facing Lei Buji's sudden assault, Shen Youran merely smiled calmly and raised a hand, intending to catch the incoming fist with two fingers. Unexpectedly... another twist arose within the twist. Just as Lei Buji was about to leap onto the stage, another figure darted out from his flank, tackling him around the waist and cutting him off completely. Before Lei Buji could even see who had tackled him, he was pinned flat to the floor. Immediately afterward, a hand reached in from who-knew-where, slapping a fistful of sleeping powder straight into his face. A breath later, Lei Buji went limp and fell unconscious. Only then did the crowd see clearly that the two who had tackled Lei Buji and drugged him into oblivion were none other than Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai. "Hahahaha! Hahahahaha..." "Hahahaha! Hahahahaha..." The two clambered to their feet, letting loose flamboyant, villainous laughter. Then, with utter naturalness... assuming the swagger of genuine wicked accomplices, they strutted directly toward Shen Youran and the Venerable Master on the platform...