Volume One: The Soul-Guiding Gourd and the Flame of Spirit Chapter 61: The Game of Extortion

Seeing the scene before them, the two venomous old men were suddenly drenched in cold sweat.

The yellow-haired boy before them, barely out of infancy, was astonishingly shrewd and slick! Was he really a mentally unstable child, as they had believed?

If this continued, “man is the knife, I am the fish.” The situation would be terribly dire.

With this thought, the two sinister elders exchanged a furtive glance, and simultaneously, murderous intent flickered in their eyes!

Yet, each harbored his own schemes. Both hoped, at the first sign of the other's weakness, to dispatch their counterpart as well.

Despite Gu Mo’s outward appearance—a patient’s gown and the air of a madman—he had spent years surviving in faraway lands. How could he not know the treacherous ways of the world?

Thus, the situation at hand grew ever more delicate.

Gu Mo tapped the stick in his hand, blowing bubbles from his mouth, and grinned slyly. “Niu Niu wants candy. Uncle Xiang’s golden pill is much more precious than candy. Then Niu Niu should give Grandpa Tang a smack first!”

As soon as the words left his lips, he swung the stick with all his might, striking Tang Xianshan squarely on the head.

A dull thud rang out, and Tang Xianshan felt dizzy and faint. Yet, with the blade lodged in his abdomen, he could only grit his teeth and endure.

Xiang Fourth Master, fighting for his life, seized the moment, driving the blade deeper into Tang’s belly, a rush of satisfaction filling his heart. But as soon as he felt elated, he realized the deadlock he was trapped in.

This was no fair game—it was a test of who had the tougher life!

Gu Mo gazed at his two enemies, grinning innocently, bubbles bursting from his lips, then suddenly snorted through his nose. A huge glob of mucus shot out.

From a distance, Xiao Yulou watched, a wicked smile tugging at his lips. “Brother Gu! With skills like these, why run a candle shop? You’d have been a star as an actor—perhaps even win the Golden Horse Award with ease!”

At that moment, Gu Mo looked nothing like a madman escaped from an asylum—he was a demon from the underworld.

Maintaining a safe distance, Gu Mo poked at Xiang Fourth Master’s chest with his tree branch. Soon enough, the dazzling giant python’s golden pill tumbled to the ground.

All three stared at the fallen golden pill, their eyes transfixed. (Even Xiao Yulou in the shadows felt his heart tighten, his greedy gaze glowing!)

Regret was thick in the air. How they rued their choices now!

Gu Mo chuckled, keeping a wary eye on the two old villains, and awkwardly used the branch to drag the golden pill toward himself, then tucked it into his own pocket.

With the golden pill in hand, Gu Mo continued to tap the branch, his gaze sweeping over Tang Xianshan, who quickly spoke up.

“Little friend, I also have the python’s egg and spirit horn in my chest—they taste just like chocolate! Could you perhaps count it as two strikes?”

Hearing this, Xiang Fourth Master was panic-stricken.

“Though the lunatic’s stick attacks aren’t deadly, Tang’s soft iron sword is no joke! Two strikes, and if I relax for even a moment, I’ll be the first to fall!”

With this realization, Xiang Fourth Master cared little for material goods. He glared viciously at Tang Xianshan and hurriedly said,

“Little master, I have a century-old ginseng in my chest—it can prolong life, or even bring the dead back! If sold, it could fetch a whole train car of candy!”

Hearing this, Gu Mo laughed, the ringing in his ears forgotten.

“Ah! Grandpas, where’s the candy? Where’s the candy?”

He deliberately put on a silly act, jumping around and making a scene.

“Ah~ No candy, Niu Niu can’t survive! Candy... candy!”

The two old villains, locked in deadly struggle, were dumbfounded. To their eyes, the lunatic before them seemed not to be pretending!

The next moment, Gu Mo, watching them closely, clenched his teeth and kept up the act.

A sudden rush of warmth—

Gu Mo’s pants were soaked with a stream of orange-yellow liquid, its pungent stench quickly spreading.

At this, Tang Xianshan hurried to comfort him: “Niu Niu, be good~ Grandpa has a python egg, much more nutritious than candy!”

Hearing this, Gu Mo carefully extended his branch toward Tang’s chest, and with a soft plop, the white jade-like python egg dropped out.

Quickly, Gu Mo caught it with the forked end of the branch, sparing it from destruction.

Xiang Fourth Master saw an opportunity and tightened his grip on the blade, driving it deeper.

The pain made Tang Xianshan break out in beads of sweat, nearly washing the blood from his face.

After pocketing the egg, Gu Mo suddenly lifted his arm and landed a heavy blow on Xiang Fourth Master’s head with the branch.

Stunned by the sudden strike, Xiang Fourth Master saw stars, and the soft iron sword pushed another inch into his belly.

His anger rising, Xiang Fourth Master forced back the blood in his throat, knowing any sign of weakness would only incite Tang Xianshan to escalate.

He put on a smile and looked at Gu Mo: “Niu Niu, why hit Grandpa?”

Gu Mo feigned ignorance, scratching his head.

“If it’s a fair game, anyone playing tricks must face Niu Niu’s punishment! Besides, neither Grandpa has any candy!”

The two hardened old men were shocked—who would’ve thought this lunatic would care about rules!

Just then, Xiao Yulou, clad in a tattered patient’s gown, made his entrance.

His gown was ragged, his long hair caked with dirt and urine, and a huge snot bubble hung from his nose. What he was chewing on remained a mystery.

He staggered over, speaking in a childlike voice, slurred and unclear.

“Niu Niu, do you have candy yet?”

Gu Mo’s heart jolted, and he instantly labeled Xiao Yulou as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” “Damn! Even cultivators lie and cheat? How shameless!”

Xiao Yulou, looking pitiful, opened his mouth wide, and a large chunk of chewed yellow mud fell out.

The two old men, locked in combat, were utterly bewildered.

“What’s going on? Another one?”

Gu Mo kept up his act.

“Dog Egg, don’t worry. Your brother has checked—the grandpas have no candy!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yulou collapsed to the ground, kicking his legs and wailing.

“Oooooh! No candy, Dog Egg is sad! Oooooh!”

(In that instant, the shameless Xiao Yulou grasped Gu Mo’s intentions. Their cooperation was seamless!)

Gu Mo turned to Xiao Yulou, winking and said,

“Don’t worry, Dog Egg. Niu Niu will search for you!”

He then faced the two old men, still locked in stalemate, and cried,

“Grandpas, hurry and give us candy! My little brother Dog Egg is going mad!”

At this, the two old villains were startled...

Minutes later, Gu Mo was surrounded by all manner of spoils.

The two sinister elders, drained dry, were on the verge of being outplayed by the yellow-haired boy.

Xiang Fourth Master shuddered inwardly: “Looks like we must kill this lunatic first!”

Clutching his blade, eyes blazing, Xiang Fourth Master glanced at Tang Xianshan, whose gaze was equally murderous.

Without a word, both suddenly dropped their stances, and two streams of poisonous energy shot toward Gu Mo.

Gu Mo was so frightened he nearly lost control.

At the very instant the poisonous energies were about to pierce him, a green ghostly fire enveloped him, chilling him to the bone.

With a swish, the two streams of poison were instantly repelled by the ghostly fire around Gu Mo.

All four on the scene felt their bodies clench, their hearts pounding in terror.

“What the hell just happened?”

Gu Mo, narrowly escaping death, felt the icy chill threatening to freeze his heart.

Xiang Fourth Master and Tang Xianshan, still locked in deadly struggle, were even more shocked.

“Who could have guessed the lunatic was so powerful! At such a young age, he’s mastered energy projection? But what was that flash of green energy? In my forty years roaming the world, I’ve never seen its like!”

The two stunned old men were frozen in place.

In the blink of an eye, their heads were struck dizzy by Gu Mo’s tree branch.

Gu Mo swung the branch fiercely, cursing as he did.

“You two old fools dare provoke me? Watch my Dog-Beating Staff Technique—every strike for the dogs!”

Thud, thud, thud!

After several heavy blows, the two old men saw stars. Who would have thought the two lunatics before them were pretending all along? In pain, both tried to strengthen their hold, intending to finish each other off before skinning the yellow-haired boy alive.

But in a flash, the gluttonous ghost in Gu Mo’s pocket poked its head out, and with a flick of its tongue, all the treasures vanished.

Gu Mo quickly bolted, sprinting away.

At that moment, the shameless Xiao Yulou shouted,

“Three Pure Blessing—Fire of Zhu Rong!”

A thunderous explosion erupted, and a massive fireball engulfed the two old men completely.

Both had roamed the world for years, respected wherever they went. Now, with bodies aflame and poisoned, locked in mortal combat, how could they bear such humiliation?

In a fury, both poured their strength into their weapons, and with a mighty cry, struck simultaneously.

With a sickening squelch, the two venomous elders perished together!

Thud!

Gu Mo, having barely run a few steps, heard the sound and quickly turned back. The two enemies, consumed by fire, lay dead in pools of blood.

A wave of bittersweet emotion surged in Gu Mo’s heart, and he howled to the sky, “Big brother, Gu Mo has finally avenged you!”

Xiao Yulou spat several times, strode forward, and placed a hand on Gu Mo’s shoulder.

“Brother Gu, whatever happens, vengeance is yours. Congratulations!”

Gu Mo, hearing this, allowed a rare smile to break across his grimy face.

Amidst the jubilant atmosphere, the distant jade pool once again stirred with hidden currents...