Bai Ning Bing continued trekking towards her goal.
Even now, she wore a mask upon her face, hoping that none of the Bai clansmen would be able to recognize her if they happened upon her.
She suddenly stopped as something descended from above. Google seaʀᴄh novᴇlfire.net
She was immediately on alert, of course.
Whoever this was, they had managed to approach her so fast that she had been unable to react.
This was not a Rank 3 aura emanating from what stood before her like she had expected.
No, this was Rank 5 aura!
'This is...!' Bai Ning Bing thought to herself.
Although she had only heard descriptions of this Gu from the clan head, as he had never been able to show it to her as he had once promised before passing away, she was able to identify it almost instantly.
It was a massive white snake with a slender appearance, closer to a dragon than a snake given its elegance, with cold and indifferent eyes. Two long ribbon-like whiskers flowed out from near its snout, completing its regal appearance.
White Form Immortal Snake Gu!
It was a Rank 5 gu worm which had been left behind to the Bai clan by their founding ancestor.
Much as the Gu Yue Clan had a prophecy around the Ancient Moon Desolate Physique, the Bai clan also had a prophecy around the White Form Immortal Snake Gu!
It was said that in the future, there would be a Bai clansman who had earned the recognition of the gu worm, after which this gu would take them into the sky to an inheritance left behind to them from the Bai clan founder.
The Bai clan head had thought that this person would be Bai Ning Bing. However, before Bai Ning Bing could gain an opportunity to approach the gu worm in question, they had been attacked by Lord Sky Crane, and all the subsequent events had happened.
'Why is this here?' Bai Ning Bing wondered to herself.
The most obvious answer was that the Bai clan had been unable to feed it after her detonation, and so it had wandered off.
'Why was it here before me though?' was her next thought.
The snake glared at Bai Ning Bing, as if challenging her.
Even now, as stubborn as a mule, Bai Ning Bing glared right back at it, wondering if it could still recognize that she was a Bai clansman despite the effect of Ying Rotation Gu and the mask she wore upon her face.
The truth was that it was a Water Path Gu worm and had been attracted here by the presence of Bai Ning Bing's small amount of Northern Dark Ice Soul Physique.
With a roar, it entered her aperture, suppressing all the other gu worms within it with is Rank 5 aura. Despite this, she had not actually been able to refine the gu in question and could not use it freely. She had only managed to somewhat befriend it for the time being.
It looked like while it was residing in her aperture, it had not acknowledged her as the true Bai clan's inheritor.
That was for the better, she felt, as otherwise it would be known to all the world that she was really Bai Ning Bing.
The Legends of Ren Zu, Chapter Four, Section 31 (continued)
Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence had resolved to save her brother before going to find Ren Zu.
She began digging into the ground as well, trying to find Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance.
"Brother! Listen to me!" she shouted out once she saw him.
"It is of no use, human," Pride Gu said. "The only thing that your brother can listen to right now is me. Other than that, he may as well be blind and deaf, ahaha!"
Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence went to go and take Pride Gu, however, Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance turned around away from her, shielding something in his hands.
The thing that he was shielding was a miniscule gu worm that seemed to be made of glass. It seemed to be so fragile that even blowing upon it might've shattered it.
However, to Blazing Lightning Brilliance, the gu worm in question appeared as strong and tough as iron, adorned with countless diamonds and rubies - one of the most precious things in the world, even more wondrous than Wealth Gu.
"That is Pride Gu," Cognition Gu told Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence. "It once resided within the heart of Great Strength True Martial, but has come here instead. You need to get rid of it."
However, no matter how Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence approached her brother, he kept turning around, trying to shield Pride Gu with all he could.
"Oh human, people will shield their pride above all else," Cognition Gu said. "You won't be able to reach it without hurting your brother."
"How can I find Shame Gu then?" she wondered. Although Pride Gu was being sheltered by Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance, she thought about starving it out.
"Munch, munch, munch," Pride Gu said, feasting upon Shame Gu. It was for this that it had come here and abandoned Great Strength True Martial - this was far more delectable! The strong were prideful, but sometimes, even the ordinary could have extraordinary pride. "Give up human. No one can convince someone to give up their pride. It can only be rid of someone on their own."
Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence was frustrated, but she still refused to give up on her brother.
"Human, your brother does not want to be seen by the world," Cognition Gu continued. "You need to find a way to hide him, only then will he give up on some of his shame."
Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence climbed out of the hole she was digging. If she still had Wealth Gu, she would've been able to conjure up something to help them, but for now, she could only go around looking for another solution.
Attitude Gu, which was a mask, was still with their father, and was out of the question.
Ultimately, she could find no solution and began kicking the soil in frustration when a thought struck her as she looked closer at the soil.
There was brown soil, of course, but other kinds as well. Near a river, she found dark red soil made from clay, and near a pond, found green soil that was mixed with moss.
"I've found it! I've found a solution!" she said. She took out parts of the soil, in various colors, and took them down with her to Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance.
"Sister, please go away," her brother said once more.
"Brother, I have a solution to your worries," she answered. "Look here at what I was able to make! Face paint! Place this on, and no one will be able to see your face!"
Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance took a look at it and then slowly, at his sister's encouragement, began applying it to his face.
In his sister's shiny and reflective hair, he watched his own appearance dissolve and turn into something new.
He was no longer Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance. If he walked out into the world, no one would recognize him. With this, he could be whoever he wanted.
By abandoning himself, he had also abandoned his sense of shame. And without shame, there was no source for pride left.
"No! Human, what are you doing?" Pride Gu asked before it shattered into a thousand pieces, having starved to death.
"Now come on, brother," Myriad Gold Wondrous Essence said. "Let us go and reunite with father!"
"Alright," Blazing Glory Lightning Brilliance said, following his sister out of the hole in the ground he had dug. He looked around, no longer blinded by Pride Gu. "Just how deep a hole did I dig for myself?" It looked like it would take forever for them to just climb out!