Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Chapter 405 Drunk and Out of Tune

The sound of the flute began at some unknown time.

Fame and fortune are hard to find among those who live outside the world.

Without this banquet, Ruan Ayao and Gu Yiguan would probably never have raised a glass together again.

As Gu Yiguan had predicted, Ruan Ayao had indeed vindicated her.

Both Xu Liuxing and Zeng Xiaolou died at the hands of A Die. When the demon race attempted to wreak havoc on the human race, it was Gu Yiguan who discovered the conspiracy in advance and managed to escape while saving Ruan A Yao.

This matter is now closed and should no longer be subject to wild speculation.

The clear sound of the flute was inexplicably tinged with a hoarseness.

In those days, the long halberd roared in the east wind, and we laughed as we drank away our grudges.

The strong liquor went down my throat, and I felt joyful.

Now, my old friends have withered like fallen leaves. At the banquet where wine cups clink and the night grows cold, a long halberd cuts off the cold wind, leaving only the out-of-tune flute music of drunkenness to accompany them. I am filled with melancholy.

As Gu Yiguan turned around and drew his halberd, the sound of his flute rose and fell in perfect harmony.

Yet the boundaries are clearly defined.

Zhu Wuyao heard Qi Suowei's voice in his ear:

"This sound cultivator is different. She goes against your senior sister's path. Her cultivation level has fallen many times and is unpredictable. If she were not exceptionally talented, she would never have achieved what she has today."

After listening to Qi Suowei's comments, Zhu Wuyao nodded silently.

She was right.

According to Zhu Wuyao, Ruan Ayao experienced two drops in cultivation level.

When they first met at the Immortal Cultivation Conference in Zhongling City, Ruan Ayao guessed from the strip of cloth tied around her wrist that she knew Gu Yiguan.

Although Zhu Wuyao was not as strong as her when they were in Zhongling City.

However, for someone of Gu Yiguan's generation, that level of understanding is still somewhat low.

Zhu Wuyao assumed that Ruan Ayao was deliberately suppressing her cultivation level for the sake of the sect competition. It wasn't until a few days ago, when she learned about the old story of the Ghost Sorrow Mountains, that she realized Ruan Ayao had been seriously injured.

If it weren't for the repeated drops in her cultivation level, Ruan Ayao would be no less capable than anyone else.

Just as Zhu Wuyao was observing the halberd and sword techniques, he saw Gu Yiguan sheath his halberd and stand there, saying to Elder Liao:

"Elder Liao's swordsmanship is superb, far surpassing mine. I just had a few too many drinks and am now drunk. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. I'll go and sober up first."

After speaking, he sheathed his halberd, gave a slight bow to those around him, and turned to leave.

Gu Yiguan's steps were steady and orderly.

Although he didn't seem drunk, Zhu Wuyao sensed something was off and found an excuse to go with him.

Avoid being in the public eye.

Zhu Wuyao arrived outside Gu Yiguan's house and saw that a barrier had been set up around the house, which puzzled her.

Since she didn't want to go back and continue dealing with those Juque Sect disciples, she simply sat outside for a while, helping to keep an eye out for anything unusual around her.

In less than half a moment.

Gu Yiguan's voice came from beside my ear:

"Come in."

The door was open, and after Zhu Wuyao went in, the barrier was set up again. Gu Yiguan was sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed, as if he had just finished meditating and circulating his qi.

The smell of alcohol on his clothes had dissipated.

Upon seeing this scene, Zhu Wuyao gasped and asked incredulously:

"Are you really drunk?!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the banquet, the senior members were very perceptive. After a few drinks and some lively conversation, they were the first to leave.

The younger generation was left to fool around.

Ruan Ayao found an excuse to leave.

She rode the wind, feeling the intoxicating evening breeze that couldn't dispel the lingering smell of alcohol, making her feel as if she were in a dream.

Until they reached the cliff.

The surging seawater shimmered under the moonlight, as dark and deep as an abyss.

She remembered something.

He rolled up his sleeves, untied the dark blue, almost black strip of cloth from his wrist, and held it in his hand, as if he had finally let go of his past obsessions.

Or perhaps they accepted this outcome.

Ruan Ayao loosened her fingers and stared intently as the strip of cloth drifted away in the wind and into the waves.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Zhu Wuyao, stroking his chin, paced back and forth, scrutinizing Gu Yiguan, and asked:

"Senior Sister Gu, while you're still conscious, tell the truth: have you been afflicted by the Blood Corrosion Curse?"

"I'll help you find more people."

Gu Yiguan ignored her nonsense, poured himself a cup of tea and drank it, seemingly also puzzled, and said:

"Something is definitely not right."

"Logically speaking, these few drinks shouldn't be enough to make me drunk."

She placed the teacup on the table, raised her hand and gently pressed her forehead, her eyes showing a hint of contemplation.

Gu Yiguan was not a heavy drinker.

Zhu Wuyao knew this, of course. Even if Gu Yiguan was outside the Star-Picking Tower with people from other sects around, or even inside the Star-Picking Tower with Sect Leader Fang guarding him, he would find it difficult to relax and get drunk.

Such a minor anomaly completely defies common sense.

"So you were really just pretending to be drunk?"

Gu Yiguan's sleeves fell to his knees. He glanced at Zhu Wuyao and nodded slightly.

"That's true. I'd also like to ask the Sword Immortal for some guidance."

"But I never expected that what I did to get drunk would turn out to be real."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wuyao scoffed.

She moved a stool, sat opposite Gu Yiguan, and said:

"Senior Sister Gu, you really aren't an honest person. If you want to hear Ruan Ayao's flute music again, just say so."

"You want to use my outsider's eyes to help you find something unusual, but you're also covering it up."

Zhu Wuyao abruptly changed the subject and asked:

"There is no Blood Corrosion Curse at all, right?"

Gu Yiguan paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and asked:

“How come you see?”

"Given your cautious nature, if the Blood Erosion Curse were truly as terrifying as rumored, I would have stayed at the Seven Illusions Sect for many days. Even though A-Die is already dead, you would have locked me up and observed me for a few more days."

“Yes, I was also deceived,” Gu Yiguan nodded.

Zhu Wuyao shook his head and recounted what he knew and guessed, one by one—

The so-called Blood Erosion Curse has two forms.

One of them is controlling corpses.

Just like the cultivator she beheaded, whose life was over and who was left with only a corpse, he was later made into a puppet, naturally devoid of any consciousness.

Secondly, it possesses abilities similar to those of the Pinghe Ding.

It can exert some degree of "control" over living people, or control over them to the same extent that A-Die controls Zhu Wu-Yao.

But it can never invade one's consciousness.

Because in this world, there is absolutely no way such a heaven-defying ability could exist.

Zhu Wuyao was completely unaware that he had been afflicted by the "Blood Erosion Curse".

It can cast a spell on someone without them even realizing it, and they won't even notice their consciousness being invaded. There are even rumors that it can manipulate Nascent Soul stage cultivators beyond their level.

If Ah Die were truly that powerful, Gu Yiguan would never have been able to escape unscathed back then.

The so-called Blood Erosion Curse can only "control corpses" and "tether movements".

Luo Budao's overflowing Taoist magic was a reenactment of past events, but not a fabrication of them.

Adie believes that by bringing the past events back to the public eye, Gu Yiguan can be stigmatized, so there is no need to fabricate anything.

That can only mean—

"Senior Sister Gu, back then you mistakenly thought that Xu Liuxing and Zeng Xiaolou's consciousness had been invaded by a curse and that there was no way to save them."

"After weighing the options, he had no choice but to kill his best friend to save himself."

"You were afraid that if this matter were exposed, others would not understand your predicament at the time and would only condemn you for being cold-blooded and heartless. That's why you kept covering it up and pinned the identity of the murderer on A-Die, right?"

Gu Yiguan did not answer immediately.

After a long silence, as if she were pondering and weighing her options, Gu Yiguan looked up at Zhu Wuyao, but at this moment he appeared unusually frank and said:

"You've already guessed it, I'm just pretending to be drunk."

"That was a good opportunity to seize the moment."