Chapter 372 â Origins
Gu Zuo slightly furrowed his brows.
If it was like this, then Mu Baizhi really had gone too far. But at that time, Mu Baizhi had been no more than a month old. It would be an exaggeration to say that it was done intentionally. It was more appropriate to say that it was the instincts of the Cuckoo Body.
The cuckoo was the turtledove occupying the magpieâs nest. Mu Baizhi robbed everything from her âfellow nest-mateâ Mu Baiyue. This appeared to be normal.
But if it was only this, then Hua Lanruoâs hatred of Mu Baizhi was somewhat excessive.
Back then, it was true that the one who rescued her was Mu Baiyue, but when all was said and done, Mu Baizhi had agreed with Mu Baiyueâs course of action. Moreover, the two siblings hadnât treated Hua Lanruo poorly over the years. Judging from Hua Lanruoâs initial description, as these siblings grew up, the relationship between them hadnât reached the degree of incompatibility of fire and water â At the very least, Hua Lanruo wouldnât have noticed anything if it hadnât been for the fact that she found out by accident.
As such, instinctively stealing her twin brotherâs innate talent after being born probably wasnât the only reason why Hua Lanruo despised Mu Baizhi from the bottom of her heart.
Some other matter shouldâve occurred⊠Perhaps, it had something to do with that young lady in the dungeon who looked exactly like Mu Baizhi?
Hua Lanruo caught her breath, and restrained the agitated mood in her heart. Then, she continued to talk: âAfter Mu Baizhi stole Senior Sect Brother Muâs innate talent, although the people of the valley were initially furious, Mu Baiyue hadnât been completely crippled. Mu Baizhi had also become rather strong. It couldnât be said that she wouldnât have prodigy-level potential once she grew up. Thus, this matter was kept secret. From that moment on, Mu Baizhi became the valleyâs most meticulously nurtured person. Meanwhile, due to this unexpected disaster, Senior Sect Brother Muâs recognition was designated as a mistake. The real person who showed promising potential would be Mu Baizhi.â
Gu Zuo thought about something.
If his life-saving benefactor had their innate talent stolen by someone else, and was suppressed into obscurity, then he certainly wouldnât have had the slightest favorable impression of that thief.
The fury of this Sister Hua wasnât entirely incomprehensible.
Hua Lanruo proceeded to say: âAt that time, I was young and didnât think much about it. My eyes were blind to the truth up until the point that I found out this secret. Looking back, I realized that Mu Baizhi had long been unobtrusively suppressing Senior Sect Brother Mu. From when he was originally a favored prodigy of heaven, she pushed him farther out of the limelight with each passing year. However, although Senior Sect Brother Muâs innate talent had been stolen, his intelligence was extraordinary. There were also many times that he gave advice to Mu Baizhi. It was a pity that whenever someone mentioned Senior Sect Brother Mu, they would only treat him as Mu Baizhiâs subordinate. Oftentimes, it was obvious that Mu Baizhi needed Senior Sect Brother Muâs advice. Unfortunately, people treated this as Mu Baizhi giving Senior Sect Brother Mu opportunities, and they would privately ridicule him. They would say that Senior Sect Brother Mu could only hold such a position in Jade Flame Valley because of his younger sisterâŠ
âIf it wasnât for their precious Ice Phoenix Goddess, how could they have known what kind of an incredibly talented personage Senior Sect Brother Mu was? It was clear that he couldâve blossomed with a lofty radiance that wouldâve put the sun, moon, and stars to shame!â
As she finished speaking, Hua Lanruo tightly clenched her fingers.
Gu Zuo mentally reconstructed the intact version of Mu Baiyue according to her words. It seemed that he indeed had the aptitude of a prodigy. To be honest, his impression of Mu Baiyue wasnât bad. Hadnât Lan Wenxi looked past the âoutward appearanceâ and seen Mu Baiyueâs inner self? Therefore, should Mu Baiyue be treated as a friend?
In additionâŠ
He felt that there wouldnât be any way to control oneâs instincts when one was a child, but after growing up, the thief used various methods to bully the victim. Not only did the thief trample on the victimâs seat of honor without saying anything, she also constantly displayed her âbenevolenceâ to her victim. Indeed, this seemed rather shameless.
Hua Lanruo still hadnât completely calmed down, and said: âSenior Sect Brother Mu shouldâve clearly understood these matters in his heart, but he was willing to let it go. Although I was of little value to him, I knew that Senior Sect Brother Mu and Mu Baizhi were biological siblings in the end. Since senior sect brother was willing, I also didnât say anything to the others. But afterwards, I came to know many thingsâŠâ
The following matters refreshed Gu Zuoâs three worldviews.
When Hua Lanruo was a little more than three years old, a white-clothed young lady was brought back to the valley. That young ladyâs looks were exceptional, her temperament was clear and cold, and the qi she emitted had a wintry chill. There was a dab of cinnabar between her eyebrows, and the contrast made her seem like a fairy. It was just that her face was covered with a light, muslin veil. Other people could see indistinct facial features, but they couldnât make out her true appearance.
This white-clothed woman had an indifferent nature, but she was rather caring towards young children.
Thus, the gaze the white-clothed young lady used when looking at Mu Baizhi was always different from how she looked at others. This gaze carried a feeling of gentleness. She followed Mu Baizhi, and came to Jade Flame Valley as a visitor. Later, she became this placeâs distinguished guest, and made many contributions for Jade Flame Valley.
She herself was someone who had ventured out from seclusion. However, when asked for more details, she only said that the travelled path was extremely long and going back to that place wasnât easy. If this tripâs venture was a failure, then it would be difficult to return.
Although the white-clothed young lady didnât accept Mu Baizhi as an apprentice, she taught and guided her wholeheartedly.
However, one day, Mu Baizhi suddenly took advantage of the womanâs lack of vigilance, and pulled her into a trap. When the woman didnât have any strength to resist, Mu Baizhi bit off her finger, and sucked away her innate talent!
Afterwards, people from Jade Flame Valley rushed over to suppress this matter. Someone was sent to disguise themself as the white-clothed young lady and leave Jade Flame Valley. As for the real white-clothed young lady, from that moment on, she was shut away inside the dungeon.
These kinds of things were all done by Mu Baizhi herself. She had only been five years old, but she was able to devise a way to use the great formations within Jade Flame Valley to control the white-clothed young lady, who closely cherished her. Then, she seized the other partyâs innate talent!
It was also from that point onward that Mu Baizhiâs appearances gradually changed. Two or three years passed, and she was blessed with the makings of a stunning belle which were no different from the white-clothed young lady.
Although Mu Baizhiâs original looks werenât bad, she couldnât compare to the white-clothed womanâs matchless beauty. After seizing the white-clothed young ladyâs innate talent, she likewise stole her appearance.
Ever since Hua Lanruo was rescued by Mu Baiyue, Mu Baizhi was already approaching this complexion. As Mu Baizhi grew older, no one doubted this change in appearance anymore.
How cruel, how despicable!
At once, Gu Zuo felt loathing for that Ice Phoenix Goddess.
If it was said that she had been dictated by instinct when she was one month old, then those deeds at five years of age were clearly premeditated. Could it possible that it was also considered instinctual? No. Perhaps, it really was an instinct. The nature of the Cuckoo Body was that it wanted to do these things in order to obtain everything for itself.
Soon after, he became somewhat puzzled: âIn that case, why does Brother Mu Baiyueâs features resemble Mu Baizhiâs?â
Hua Lanruo sneered: âNaturally, itâs because Jade Flame Valley wanted to safeguard Mu Baizhi, and made Senior Sect Brother Mu change his appearance to look this way. If senior sect brother hadnât learned a secret technique to alter his features, they mightâve forced him to swallow some secret medicines to accomplish this goal!â
Gu Zuo flinched slightly.
This way of doing things was reallyâŠ
Even he listened to this, and he felt very uncomfortable. Not to mention Hua Lanruo, who had been in contact with Mu Baizhi the entire time. For someone who used to be so revered to suddenly reveal their true face, it was indeed difficult to accept.
These were the facts that Hua Lanruo put together after accidentally learning some things, speculating on others, and making discreet inquiries with extreme caution.
However, Hua Lanruo wasnât done speaking yet.
âAfter Mu Baizhi stole Senior Sect Brother Muâs innate talent, her potential rose to the level of an exceptional genius. After she stole that white-clothed womanâs innate talent, the two types of talents were added together, which caused her to form a physique called the Ice Phoenix Body. It was precisely due to this physique that her strength advanced by leaps and bounds. The improvements couldâve been rated as a thousand miles in a single day.
âWhat was even more despicable of her was that she had been cultivating with the ultimate knowledge she robbed from that white-clothed young lady. Itâs the present-day Ice Phoenix Heavenly DanceâŠâ
Once she advanced to the Immortal Realm, Mu Baizhi no longer made any more breakthroughs. According to her remarks, she was in the middle of continuously accumulating. After her accumulations were perfected, she would achieve skyrocketing results as she broke through to the Atomic Realm. Many prodigies would do this, so naturally it didnât arouse anyoneâs suspicions.
However, after going through many matters, Hua Lanruo learned about another secret of the Cuckoo Body.
Currently, Mu Baizhiâs Ice Phoenix Body was actually a modification of the Cuckoo Body. Compared to a real Ice Phoenix Body, it was incomplete. While she could make a breakthrough just like this, her potential would fall below the standard of a genuine prodigy afterwards. Mu Baizhi gained her present reputation with great difficulty, so how was it possible for her to give it up?
Thus, she needed other methods and a satisfactory physique to conduct further breakthroughs â It was just that, due to the two shares of innate talent she previously absorbed, only the aptitudes of prodigies could elevate her to the next realm.
At this moment, Hua Lanruoâs face revealed a trace of revulsion: âShe had probably long known about this matter. Therefore, after reaching the Immortal Realm, she started roaming the continent. She met many prodigies, and mingled with a cold and indifferent attitude. She acted covertly, and because her appearance and temperament were ââ
Hua Lanruo swallowed down some harsh words: ââŠextremely outstanding, she fooled quite a few people. Adoration is a hallmark of the springtime of youth. Prodigies would inevitably admire a beautiful girl, not to mention that this girl was a prodigy, too. If they were connected by marriage, not only would they be able to gain a beautiful woman for a cultivation partner, they would receive a large rise in face. Naturally, there were several prodigies who held a favorable impression of Mu Baizhi.â
Gu Zuo nodded his head. He knew about this matter.
Back then, wasnât Fan Meng one of those people who admired Mu Baizhi? Moreover, he heard there was a possibility that their forces would be connected by marriage. That Fan Meng practically regarded Mu Baizhi as his future wife.
Hua Lanruo couldnât help saying: âMu Baizhi has been using that white-clothed womanâs stolen face, temperament, and innate talent to seduce prodigies. If that white-clothed woman knew about this, could you imagine just how, howâŠâ
She sighed: âIt was only later that I learned that, when Mu Baizhi found a target and got together with a prodigy, the Cuckoo BodyâŠâ Speaking up to here, she resisted the feeling of shame, ââŠwould plunder that prodigyâs innate talent during the coupling without leaving any traces.â
Truly, her disgust had reached its peak.
When Gu Zuo heard this, he suddenly remembered the Ice Phoenix Goddessâ friendliness to his familyâs big brother. At once, his scalp tingled and his hairs stood on end.
So to say, his big brother was also prey?
Furthermore, this hunter was harboring evil intentions!
Gu Zuo had a hard time speaking: âBefore, you warned us to be careful of herâŠâ
Hua Lanruo spoke so much, and it appeared that she had finally calmed down somewhat. At this time, she helplessly nodded: âThatâs right. Although I saw that Prodigy Gongyi didnât seem interested in Mu Baizhi, one moment doesnât equal a lifetime. Mu Baizhi has understood how to disguise herself like the cuckoo since childhood. This is her temperament, but it can also be said to be her natural instincts.
âBack then, the white-clothed young lady had been so graceful and elegant. After many years, Mu Baizhi is able to imitate about ninety percent of it. Sheâs rather capable at attracting men. However, every single prodigy has always been a person of strong willpower. Thereâs nothing to be done if one didnât guard against her in the beginning, but once that guard is raised, one could naturally see many flaws. At that point, their true feelings wonât be moved by her, and they wonât climb into her boiling pot.â
Gu Zuo rubbed the goosebumps on his body.
What Hua Lanruo said made a lot of sense. Once a personâs guard was raised, no matter how outstanding the beauty, it would be hard to sway a prodigyâs determination. At that time, the prodigy would see Mu Baizhi as an enemy rather than a woman. And since the other party was an enemy, their heart naturally wouldnât be moved easily.
Hua Lanruoâs momentary kindness saved her. At the same time, it also allowed Gu Zuo and Tianheng to know about the truth.
Really⊠This truth was unimaginable.
At this point in time, Gongyi Tianheng, who hadnât asked anything the entire time and had merely been quietly listening, suddenly opened his mouth: âThe core of this secret isnât something that you alone couldâve investigated. Someone else must have gotten involved⊠Is that person Mu Baiyue?â
Gu Zuoâs heart tensed. He promptly looked over.
Ah, right! With Hua Lanruoâs identity, no matter how much she investigated, it wouldâve been impossible for her to find out about extremely secretive things like Mu Baizhi and the Cuckoo Body. There was a chance if she had been born inside Jade Flame Valley. The clanâs influence inside the valley was tremendous. However, it was clear that this wasnât the case! She was an orphan brought in from outside the valley. It was impossible for her to have such a large information network in the valley⊠By herself, a single wooden beam couldnât support a house. Even if she was able to converse with the white-clothed woman in the dungeon, she wouldnât have necessarily known this much.
But Mu Baiyue was different.
Speaking of which, he truly was the most-likely candidateâŠ
Hua Lanruoâs complexion changed slightly.
Tianhengâs question was too sudden, and she didnât have enough time to hide it.
Gu Zuo suddenly understood.
Suppose that Mu Baiyue had his innate talent stolen by his younger sister in the beginning. If he really could put forward plans and ideas to Mu Baizhi, would this kind of intelligence be unable to see any problems after so many years? And once he saw a problem, he would naturally go to investigate it. After he found out, could there really be no anger or resentment?
In this world, it could be said that innate talent was one of the most important factors that determined a martial artistâs worth. Originally, Mu Baiyue ought to have been a prodigy. Naturally, like other prodigies, he possessed his own air of arrogance. If his most important aspect was snatched by someone else, even if that person was his twin sister, he probably wouldnât have truly been willing. Besides, if the two siblings had a close relationship and their familial bond was strong, then that would be one thing. Unfortunately, Mu Baizhi had been suppressing him over the years. How could he not find out?
Mu Baiyue was born and raised in Jade Flame Valley. The Mu Clan was also rather influential in the valley. Whatâs more, because âthe Ice Phoenix Goddess was his younger sisterâ, he wouldâve been able to grasp some things.
If he wanted to investigate these matters, so long as he facilitated Hua Lanruo, he wouldâve been able to slowly make discreet inquiries in secret. Both of their information were combined, and they wouldâve finally been able to obtain the results.
Perhaps⊠That white-clothed young lady in the dungeon had even more exchanges with Mu Baiyue.
The enemy of an enemy was a comrade-in-arms!
Thinking about this, Gu Zuo was puzzled once more: âThen, why has Mu Baizhi kept that white-clothed woman alive this whole time?â
Under normal circumstances, with Mu Baizhiâs ruthless heart and vicious hands, shouldnât she have cut the weeds and eliminated the roots? Wasnât keeping the woman alive too risky?
Hua Lanruoâs expression turned unsightly. It was like she was somewhat nauseated: âIn order to maintain her appearance, Mu Baizhi needs to take that young ladyâs blood every yearâŠâ
After all, stolen goods couldnât compare to the genuine article. Even with internal qi to protect the body, oneâs complexion was still rather hard to preserve. But if Mu Baizhi swallowed that young ladyâs blood, she could maintain the same youthful and otherworldly beauty.
Gu Zuo: ââŠâ
The more he heard, the more he felt that Mu BaizhiâŠhad the heart of a scorpion and the guts of a snake.
He wasnât sure of which adjectives to describe her.
It was just thatâŠGu Zuo had further doubts.
He couldnât help asking a question in his subconscious.
[System, why isnât the Cuckoo Body recorded in the Encyclopedia of Heaven and Earth Physiques?]
Indeed. He didnât think about it while listening to this tale, but he reacted after he finished hearing it. He was someone who had an item book that gave a detailed recording of numerous physiques. In that item book, there were obviously many unorthodox physiques, but as it happened, the Cuckoo Body was nowhere to be found!
What was the reason for this?
The systemâs reply was fast. It didnât keep him in suspense, but it also didnât toss him another item book.
[Heaven and Earth Physiques are said to be natural reflections of heaven and earth on the physiques of martial artists. They have nothing to do with bloodline inheritances. Therefore, they are completely arbitrary. It is possible to awaken a Heaven and Earth Physique among anyone, regardless of organization or individual.]
Gu Zuo seemed to understand a little.
[Then, could it be that the Cuckoo Body isnât classified as a Heaven and Earth Physique?]
The system was as thorough as always.
[The Cuckoo Body is a bloodline physique. Although it is called a physique, it is actually a product of oneâs lineage. These kinds of physiques are commonly due to a bloodline inheritance. If it is within the same family, the bloodline physique may possibly awaken among the descendants.]
Gu Zuo realized things clearly.
Simply put, one was randomized. Whoever had good luck would get it. The other was classified as an inheritance. Whoever was born with good genes would get it. However, if the Cuckoo Body was inherited through oneâs bloodline, then didnât this mean that the ancestors of Mu Baizhiâs clan likewise possessed this bloodline inheritance?
Gu Zuoâs expression was stiff.
Just one Mu Baizhi could stir up this much trouble. If there were more who had this physique in the clan⊠Who knew how many evil deeds that clan had committed?
From what Hua Lanruo said just now, one would understand that the Cuckoo Body relied entirely on stealing! Those who didnât rob from others would only be slightly stronger than ordinary martial artists.
Who would be able to resist walking down this shortcut⊠In addition, the Cuckoo Bodyâs instincts would also be driving these people to rob and steal.
Back to the matters at hand.
Now that she finished telling her story, it seemed like Hua Lanruoâs whole body had become much more relaxed.
She had been carrying such a secret. Although she despised Mu Baizhi, who appeared pure and holy, but didnât care at all about the methods to raise her innate talent, Hua Lanruo also felt heavy and mired down â In those years, her impressions of Mu Baizhi changed in a split second like the sky and the earth had turned upside-down. No matter how she denied the truth, she gradually calmed down as she learned more and more. It was just that, whenever she thought about it, a complicated mood would billow and churn. There was loathing. There was hatred. And there was also scorn directed at her past self.
Hua Lanruo sighed: âMu Baizhi attacked me probably because she was aware that I knew her secret. I had gradually drifted apart from her, and occasionally, it was difficult to hide my expressions. She naturally suspected me. However, despite her suspicions, for the sake of keeping her disguise, she had no choice but to put up with me. However, this time, she gave one slot to enter this leyline to Senior Sect Brother Mu, and the best candidate Senior Sect Brother Mu could bring along was me. It may be assumed that she had long made plans. After we came inside, the lava surged up during the earthquake, and almost everyone was separated. Naturally, she didnât need to go make any opportunities. Instead, she only needed to find my tracks and take actionâŠâ
Speaking up to here, her facial expression flattened: âAnd since she could find me, Iâm afraid that she has already used certain means against me at some point.â
Gu Zuo composed himself: âIn that case, what does Young Lady Hua intend to do now?â
Hua Lanruo said: âIâll still go back to Jade Flame Valley.â
Gu Zuo furrowed his brows: âIt wonât be safe.â
Hua Lanruo smiled freely: âI owe senior sect brother for saving my life. I must go and help him.â
While speaking, although she didnât formally admit anything, she already verified Tianhengâs guess: âMu Baizhi came to attack me with her face covered, and disguised herself down to the deepest levels. Even when she felt certain that I was going to die, she didnât expose herself. However, this deed of hers has helped me instead. Now, even though I was attacked, it isnât known who attacked me. At any rate, she has been planning to kill me for a long time. In the future, I just have to take greater precautions.â
Actually, Hua Lanruo felt that she had already been exposed, but her exposure could obscure Mu Baizhiâs line of sight, allowing Mu Baiyue a little more time toâŠ
Gu Zuo and Tianheng understood what she meant. They also didnât try to stop her. One couldnât help but sigh at the situation.
Hua Lanruo had been telling this story while lying down. Under the formidable medicinal power, her body had recovered by eighty to ninety percent. At this moment, she had a clear understanding of herself, and slowly stood up. Then, she bade farewell to these two people: âOpportunities to hunt for treasure are hard to come by. This Lanruo still needs to find Senior Sect Brother Mu and join up with him. This Lanruo shall never forget these two sirs for saving this oneâs life. Iâll definitely repay this favor in the future.â
Gu Zuo and Tianheng didnât keep her here. They only gave a slight wave, and allowed her to leave.
It was because they really werenât familiar with her. While they did rescue her and listen to her story, if they brought her along and journeyed together⊠That would still be inconvenient during this treasure hunt.
Once she left, Gu Zuo sighed. Then, he explained the matter of the Cuckoo Body being a bloodline physique to Tianheng. After that, he spoke with a bit of worry: âBig brother, do you think we need to investigate this Jade Flame Valley? For the time being, letâs not talk about Mu Baizhi. What Iâm concerned about is whether this bloodline inheritance also appeared among the Mu Clanâs ancestors.â
Tianheng faintly nodded his head: âIt should be investigated.â Then, he said, âPerhaps, itâs traced through Mu Baizhiâs mother. And supposing that it really is due to her mother, then we need to understand her motherâs origins.â
T/N: Thanks for the correction, Charysa.
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