Demagogy gu.

Shen Lian was full of doubts, not quite sure how he had managed it.

"Could it be that I'm a genius?" he mused, patting the booklet.

"I'll have a better grasp of it once I study it thoroughly when I get back."

Wang Fugui examined the Iron Skin Gu in his hand, his eyes brimming with anticipation. Suddenly, he asked, "Brother Lian, if my whole body turns to iron, will 'that' part become more majestic, mighty, passionate and powerful?" He slyly glanced at his lower region.

Shen Lian couldn't help but roll his eyes, then playfully smacked Wang Fugui's ample belly. He teasingly scolded, "First, let's focus on shedding those extra pounds of yours."

After this exchange, they went their separate ways. Shen Lian headed straight home, wondering

 "My father is quite knowledgeable, perhaps he has information about Gu Masters." With this thought in mind, he set off to find his father, but unexpectedly, Shen Wanquan was called by the county magistrate for a meeting.

On the way back to the room, Shen Lian suddenly stopped and glanced at a two-story's small building. That place held the family's collection of books.

"The Shen family has maintained its wealth and heritage for five generations, Over the years, the Shen family has gathered an large collection of books. Shen Lian turned around and walked over to the building.

The study room was quiet, with an open door, and only a chubby woman was busy dusting the bookshelves inside. The air was filled with a unique smell mixed with a faint wood aroma and ink aroma.

In order to prevent the books from deteriorating, the windows were closed all year round, and the light in the room was somewhat dim. "Light the candle, I want to read a book." Shen Lian gave instructions to the fat woman.

"Oh, it's Young Master Lian. I'll light a candle right away." The chubby woman was clearly taken aback. Obviously, few people come here usually, which caught her by surprise.

She hastily lit three candles and placed them on the desk. Shen Lian waved his hand, saying, "You can go and rest now."

"Yes," the chubby woman replied. She left the room quietly and closed the door behind her.

Shen Lian started to search through the bookshelves one by one.

After half an hour, Shen Lian sighed. It wasn't exactly a fruitless search. He stumbled upon a record book similar to the local county annals and decided to read it out of curiosity. Unexpectedly, as he delved into it, his interest was firmly captivated.

"In the 61st year of the Guyou Calendar, there was continuous rainfall for eighteen days. A colossal tortoise, as massive as a mountain, emerged in the river outside the city. It devoured clouds and mist, vanishing without a trace after three days."

"In the 75th year of the Guyou Calendar, in the three villages near Snow Cliff City, hundreds of villagers and livestock died suddenly. The cause of death remained unknown."

"In the 83rd year of the Guyou Calendar, a dense fog suddenly blanketed downtown Snow Cliff City. Within the fog, the ghostly silhouette of a massive snake could be faintly seen. It stood more than ten feet high, with glowing red eyes. When the fog cleared, fifty-six people were missing."

"In the 99th year of the Guyou Calendar, Taoist Chibeard, the top expert in Snow Cliff City, engaged in a battle atop a tower. Suddenly, his adversary transformed into an enraged tiger. It tore Taoist Chibeard into three parts and then walked away."

"In the 105th year of the Guyou Calendar, a wandering woman appeared in the ruined temple outside the city. She mated with men all day and night, and then suddenly vanished. Thirty-six male corpses, all thin as sticks, seemed to have died from exhaustion."

 Looking at the brief records of cases, he felt a looming sense of danger in just a few words. The more he read, the more fear crept in. "So, this is the world I live in—full of crises, turbulence, and the inexplicable. At an unknown moment, death could strike suddenly, and one might find themselves defenseless. Danger! Danger! Danger!

The warm, yellow candlelight cast his resolute face in an uncertain light. Shen Lian took a deep breath and grew increasingly determined to become stronger. "Gu is my hope for strength," he mused. Gazing at his palm, he lay his head on the table, contemplating. "Lin Xiuping's book mentions that after the first Gu refinement is successful, the Gu creates an aperture in the host's body, which can be used to accumulate primeval essence."

"By that logic, I should have already refined the Demagogy Gu, but why isn't there an aperture?" Shen Lian questioned. "The Demagogy Gu, also known as the Disaster Gu, manipulates people to act on emotions rather than rational, moral ideas. When I manipulate Wang Fugui, I gain one bewitching point."

"It's clear that the Demagogy Gu's ability is related to bewitching, and its method is to confuse others. Upon successful bewitching, I get 1 bewitching points."

"But... what's the purpose of these bewitching points?" There were no answers to these questions in Lin Xiuping's books, so Shen Lian had to explore them on his own.

Shen Wanquan didn't return home until very late. Shen Lian warmly offered his father a bowl of ginseng tea as a sign of filial piety. "Father, I have something to ask you."

"Ah, what's on your mind?" Shen Wanquan inquired with a smile. Shen Lian, the eldest son, bore a striking resemblance to him and possessed both intelligence and talent. It was clear that he would inherit the family business in the future.

"How much do you know about Gu Masters?" Shen Lian inquired.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wanquan's expression subtly changed, and he remained silent for a while before he spoke. "Gu Masters are mysterious strong men who navigate the mist. They raise Gu, refine Gu, use Gu. They are neither good nor evil. In short, they are not the sort of people that ordinary folks like us could provoke."

Shen Lian was taken aback and inquired, "Father, did you ever consider becoming a Gu Master?"

Shen Wanquan sighed, his face carrying a sense of nostalgia. "In my youth, I did encounter Gu Masters, and I envied their incredible and mystical abilities. I acquired some Gu with friends and kept them for amusement, but none of us managed to refine them successfully.

Later, I met a Gu Master who possessed a 'Face-Analyzing Gu' and was skilled at fortune-telling. He advised me that if I were to inherit the family business, I would become wealthy and influential. However, if I chose to become a Gu Master, I would meet a miserable end in the future, and the entire Shen family would suffer the consequences. After hearing his words, I abandoned the idea of becoming a Gu Master and dutifully took over the family business. Just as he foresaw, I became wealthy and influential, with numerous wives and children."

Shen Lian found himself at a loss for words upon hearing his father's account. However, upon reflection, if there truly existed a 'Face-Analyzing Gu' in the world, that Gu Master might have guided his father rather than deceived him.

"Lian'er, what prompted this sudden question?" Shen Wanquan asked.

 "Oh… I heard from Wang Fugui that the master Lin Xiuping invited by the Zhu family is a Gu Master, so I'm a little curious." Shen Lian hesitated for a moment, then decided to hide the truth after all. He wanted to tell his father only after he has gained an achievement. 

Nevertheless, Shen Wanquan's expression altered, and he exclaimed, "Lian'er, you must avoid any involvement with Lin Xiuping. The Zhu family was destroyed because of him!"

"Because of him?" Shen Lian inquired.

 "That's right. Two months ago, the Zhu Family Escort took over a large order. During the process of escorting the goods, they encountered… a mysterious murderer who robbed them. Later, the Zhu Family invited Lin Xiuping to deal with the murderer. Lin Xiuping killed the murderer, but at the same time, he provoked a more powerful murderer came to take revenge and killed all of Zhu's family."Shen Wanquan seemed hesitant to mention the term "Demon or Monster" and preferred to avoid it.

So it is! Shen Lian was astonished. It suddenly occurred to him that the reason why Lin Xiuping wanted to sell Gu was probably because he wanted to run away and needed a lot of money. "Don't be in a hurry." Shen Lian took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. 

"Ultimately, the demons came for vengeance, and their primary targets were the Zhu family and Lin Xiuping. Perhaps, after Lin Xiuping manages to flee and divert the demons, Snow Cliff City will be safe."

With these thoughts in mind, Shen Lian wished that Lin Xiuping would swiftly depart Snow Cliff City. As if in response to his hopes, within a matter of days, the turmoil surrounding the Zhu family's tragedy gradually cooled down, and no further calamities occurred. Snow Cliff City gradually returned to the calm and peaceful state it had known in the past.

Shen Lian was still pondering how to utilize the Demagogy Gu when, one day, Wang Fugui rushed over in distress. He limped towards Shen Lian, clutching his buttocks and wailing as if he had just endured a thrashing of fifty lashes, his misery evident.

"Your legs are numb?" Shen Lian pretended not to notice and suppressed a smile. He knew that any mistake made by Wang Fugui would undoubtedly result in a severe beating from his father. It was like a realistic version of 18 years of compulsory education.

"No! I've been beaten!" Wang Fugui wailed. As he attempted to sit down, he abruptly stood up in pain, uttering continuous cries of "ouch." Shen Lian couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Beating is a sign of care, scolding is a manifestation of love. Your father truly cares about you!"

This time I'm in serious trouble, Brother Lian, you must save me."

"What's the situation?" Shen Lian inquired.

Wang Fugui extended his hands, revealing an Iron Skin Gu in his palm, and explained, "You know my father, he's quite frugal. When he found out that I spent 50,000 taels on an Iron Skin Gu, he flew into a rage and thrashed me so severely that my butt almost feels like it's been smashed to bits. He even threatened to kick me out of the house."

"I genuinely sympathize with you. So?" Shen Lian responded. Wang Fugui shrugged, holding the Iron Skin Gu, and said, "I can't refine this thing at all, and it devours more than a catty of refined iron every day, costing three to four thousand taels per month to maintain. It's too expensive, and my family won't support it. So..."

In fact, there was another important reason that he didn't mention. In order to refine the Iron Skin Gu, he had to cut his fingers and feed them with blood every day. The pain was so unbearable that he gave up after only three days. Shen Lian understood that this fellow just wanted to sell the Iron Skin Gu to him. "That's it…" Shen Lian looked very embarrassed, "You know that I am in the same situation as you. If I spend too much money, I will definitely be beaten and scolded. You can't harm me."

"What if I sell it for 40,000 taels? I still owe you 10,000 taels, so you can simply give me 30,000 taels!" Wang Fugui made a compelling offer, selling it cheaply without seeking repayment. He knew that Shen Lian could effortlessly obtain 30,000 taels from his family. He had formulated a plan in his mind before approaching.

 "This is so embarrassing." Shen Lian's heart was bright, and he pretended to be hesitant, Eventually, he reluctantly agreed.

Wang Fugui was overjoyed and handed over the Iron Skin Gu, afraid that Shen Lian might change his mind. He added, "I have approximately ten catties of refined iron remaining, and I'll have someone bring it to you when I return."

"Thank you very much," Shen Lian replied. He took the Iron Skin Gu and then went to the cashier to withdraw 15,000 taels. This, along with the remaining 15,000 taels from their previous transaction, totaled 30,000 taels, which he gave to Wang Fugui. "Haha, Brother Lian, you're a truly honorable and righteous friend!" Wang Fugui exclaimed, limping away with the money, moving surprisingly quickly.

Suddenly, at that very moment, a voice chimed in, exclaiming, "Successfully bewitched Wang Fugui, acquire 1 point of bewitching value." Shen Lian found himself momentarily stunned. 

"Before, I tricked Wang Fugui into cutting his hands, and now I've deceived him into selling the Iron Skin Gu at a low price," he quickly deduced, recognizing the cause and effect. It appeared that the Demagogy Gu possessed the ability to cloud people's minds. As long as the confusion continued, it would keep gaining bewitching points. 

"Iron Skin Gu, let's see if I can refine you," Shen Lian decided. 

Upon returning to his room, he shut the door and instructed Cuilan not to allow anyone to disturb him. He then pricked his finger with a silver needle and allowed a drop of blood to fall, feeding the Iron Skin Gu. The Iron Skin Gu displayed a strong reaction to the blood, greedily consuming it, yet it remained unresponsive to his mental connection, much like Wang Fugui's experience.

"Refining Gu isn't as straightforward as it seems," Shen Lian sighed. Just then, Demagogy Gu suddenly came out from the palm and came to the Iron Skin Gu like a ghost. The latter appeared to be frightened and tried to flee, but something intriguing occurred.

 It was as if the Life Gu was caressing the Iron Skin Gu, and it seemed like they were engaged in some form of communication. After a brief interval, the Iron Skin Gu affectionately rubbed against the Demagogy Gu, exuding a sense of delight and camaraderie, much like an affectionate and loyal puppy. This triggered a brilliant idea that rushed into Shen Lian's mind...