Subtle Clues Hidden in the Distance

Panfrying and eating at the same time, alternating between rare and well-done, Sima devoured seven or eight steaks before finally suppressing the raging hunger. Lingering fear remained in his heart, and he warned himself never to casually mobilize the abilities of the Gu insect again unless he had accumulated sufficient vital blood and essence. Even if he had to use it, the shorter the duration, the better, so as to avoid repeating past mistakes.

After finishing the steaks, Sima lay lazily on the sofa, reluctant to move. The little leopard cat jumped onto him to play, completely unaware of what had just transpired. Sima stroked its little head, lost in thought. Just moments ago, he had clearly perceived a mature "Resonance Gu." Most likely, the parent insect had suffered a difficult labor and, right before dying, transferred the Gu into the fetus, where it remained dormant for a long time until awakened by the "Psychic Gu," gradually regaining its vitality. The aura radiation range of a Gu insect was very small, and the little leopard cat liked to sleep curled up on his chest, which happened to stimulate the "Psychic Gu." Was this merely a coincidence?

Sima faintly perceived a subtle, hidden clue, like a snake slithering through grass. He had craved power, and the "Psychic Gu" had sensed this, awakening the "Resonance Gu" within the little leopard cat, controlling it, manipulating it, and rapidly maturing it in a short span of time... How much power could the "Psychic Gu" grant him? Thinking of this, Sima sighed helplessly, picked up his phone, and sent a text message to Zhou Lingri saying he was feeling unwell and would be taking half a day off. Zhou Lingri quickly replied with an expression of concern, jokingly telling him to keep track of the time and not miss lunch. That was something he certainly wouldn't miss; Sima was in dire need of a heavy tonic. He set an alarm, felt a wave of drowsiness washing over him, closed his eyes, and drifted off for a nap.

His nap was deeply profound, and when he woke up, it was already past ten o'clock. Sima sat there in a daze. What one thinks about by day, one dreams of by night; in his dream, he was walking at a leisurely pace with his hands behind his back, and wherever his thoughts fell, the little leopard cat moved like a phantom, slaughtering in all directions, leaving a wake of bloody terror. Dreams and reality are often opposites; the leopard cat was no fierce beast, and the "Resonance Gu" possessed no lethality whatsoever. However, this dream did dredge up painful memories from his past life. In his previous life, he had disdained the "Psychic Gu" for lacking combat capability, and after much searching, he had approached a reputable "Grass Sorcerer" to swap his Gu. He had paid a heavy price, only to find he had entrusted the wrong person and suffered terribly. The prepared Gu insect was swapped out and replaced with an inferior "Tiger-Wrestling Gu." By the time he woke up, the fait accompli was set, and his vitality had been severely and permanently damaged.

That "Grass Sorcerer" still had a shred of conscience; taking advantage of his defenseless state, the sorcerer hadn't taken his life. Swapping the Gu was swapping the Gu, but at least he had stuffed a "Combat Gu" in to muddle through. After Sima recovered his vitality, he inquired everywhere about the person's whereabouts, only to find that the "Grass Sorcerer" had vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no trace thereafter. Once bitten by a snake, one is terrified of well ropes for a decade; he no longer trusted people, clinging to that "Tiger-Wrestling Gu" to live out the rest of his days until he fell into enemy hands and was tortured to death. When keeping people, don't keep Gu; when keeping Gu, don't keep people. Since it was a Gu-swapping procedure, the "Psychic Gu" certainly couldn't be saved. He vaguely remembered that the very instant the Gu was extracted, amidst a hazy daze, he heard an exclamation of dismay before plunging into endless darkness.

Recalling it now, the regret contained in that exclamation was beyond description, akin to missing a priceless, peerless treasure. Was he lamenting the loss of the "Psychic Gu"?

Sima's heart beat violently. He slowly turned to his side, looking at the little leopard cat licking its fur and washing its face in the sunlight, and silently recited in his heart: "Little fellow, come here!" The creature made no response. Sima gathered his breath and called out verbally: "Come here, little fellow!" The little leopard cat twitched its ears, lazily glanced at him, let out a delicate meow, flicked its tail, and resumed its grooming.

The experiment had failed. The "Psychic Gu" could not control it; dreams truly were untrustworthy. Sima snapped fully awake, got up to wash his face, and took the little leopard cat with him to work. That noon, his appetite skyrocketed; he consumed a triple portion of the special staff meal, his stomach bulging so much that even his clothes couldn't hide it, and Zhou Lingri teased him mercilessly for it. Sima didn't mind; what went into his stomach was the only thing that truly belonged to him. He needed to accumulate enough vital blood and essence so that he would have the confidence to mobilize the "Psychic Gu" when necessary.

According to the regulations of the Second Division, once a Gu insect matured, it had to be reported promptly to undergo a series of tests to register the "Gu Master's" special abilities, how much vital blood a single use consumed, what flaws existed, and so forth. Completing this step would earn a certain amount of performance points. Had it not been for that bizarre dream and the recollected exclamation of regret, Sima might have considered confessing to "White Dove" and listening to her advice, but now he decided to keep his mouth shut and tell no one.

The "Psychic Gu" had already matured, so theoretically the "Resonance Gu" should no longer be active, but the little leopard cat still habitually slept on Sima's chest. Sima felt no physical discomfort, so he let nature take its course and didn't change its habit. As the days passed, Sima's appetite grew unabated, yet his body gradually grew thin. All "Gu Masters" were veterans who had been through this and had similar experiences, so they found it unremarkable. Zhou Lingri couldn't help reminding him that the Gu insect was drawing vast amounts of vital blood and was likely not far from maturity, urging him to prepare in advance and report any anomalies to her promptly, as she might be able to help.

Sima readily agreed on the surface, knowing well in his heart that this was the sequela of a severe depletion of vital blood; he shouldn't have impatiently used his ability the very day after the Gu insect matured.

For the following few weekends, Sima did not spend the night at Lu Youyou's place. He stayed home alone, conserving his strength and storing up energy. Aside from dietary supplements, he also sought out an "old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner" for herbal prescriptions, purchasing Ten-All-Tonic Pills, Ginseng Nourishing Pills, and Danggui Blood-Building Pills, swallowing them like candy. With his robust constitution capable of withstanding the strain, he quickly "stabilized and rebounded," his vital blood and essence daily growing richer until he gradually returned to prime condition.

After getting off work that evening, he took a taxi home, drank a few rounds of jasmine tea, and flipped through *Works and Days* under the light. He read: "When the artichoke flowers, and the wearisome summer is upon us, the cicada sits in a tree and pours down its shrill song continually from beneath its wings. Then goats are at their fattest and wine is sweetest; women are most lustful, but men are feeblest, because Sirius parches head and knees and the skin is dry with heat. But then would I have a shady rock and wine of Bibline, a crust of bread and milk of drained goats, and the flesh of an heifer fed in the woods, that has never calved, and of firstling kids; then would I drink bright wine, sitting in the shade, when my heart is satisfied with food, and facing the fresh west water, pour thrice of water unmixed, and make the fourth libation of wine." He sighed softly, feeling a sense of loss and melancholy.

He put down the book and raised his eyes. The little leopard cat was lying on the table, staring at him unblinkingly. A sudden surge stirred within Sima, and violent tremors echoed through his chest and abdomen. The "Psychic Gu" devoured vital blood, and the image of the insect surfaced in his mind—its cloud-like aura expanding and contracting like a beating heart. Sensing the "Resonance Gu" for the second time, he was already familiar with the path; the consumption of vital blood was not as heavy as the first time. The outline of the Gu insect became increasingly clear, resembling a centipede, drawing in its tiny legs to curl into a ball, looking utterly fragile, while the layers of its aura became much more distinct.

Having desperately accumulated vital blood during this period, his "family fortune" was substantial. Sima did not stop there; wanting to see where the limit of the "Psychic Gu" lay, he continued to sense the Gu insect inside the little leopard cat. For some unknown reason, his vital blood suddenly surged like floodwaters when a dam is breached, rushing forth in an unstoppable torrent. The "Resonance Gu" trembled violently, unfurled its body, and submitted to the coercion of the superior Gu insect. A deafening roar echoed in Sima's mind, and he tumbled to the floor chair and all, plunging into unconsciousness.