Chapter 5: Escape from the Gu Pagoda

  In the beam of light, the Gu Heart pulsed violently, its black surface writhing with distorted faces, as if the trapped souls within were struggling to break free. The spectral figure of Zhang Degui hovered in midair, the broken baton embedded in his chest glowing faintly, resonating strangely with the one in Ji Tian’s hand. The air inside the pagoda grew heavier, each breath feeling like inhaling thick, viscous liquid.

  “Your father… Ji Wenshan…” Zhang Degui’s voice was hoarse, dripping with resentment. “He thought he could stop me… but he was wrong… we were all wrong…” His six compound eyes narrowed, a grotesque smile twisting his lips.

  Ji Tian tightened his grip on the baton, his knuckles cracking under the pressure. He took a step forward, his gaze locked on the specter. “What did you do to my father?” His voice was low and trembling, a mix of anger and confusion.

  The specter let out a low, guttural laugh, as if the sound were being forced from the depths of his throat. “What did I do? Your father… he was the one who started all of this! He discovered the secrets of the Gu arts but refused to share them with me… I had to find my own way to power… using my wife and daughter… using my own life…” His voice grew more frenzied, a crimson light flickering in his six eyes.

  Zhang Xiaoyue shuddered at his words, her eyes filled with pain. She stumbled forward, her voice choked with emotion. “Father… why did you do this…?” Her hands clutched at her chest, nails digging into her skin as if trying to claw out the agony within.

  The specter’s gaze shifted to Xiaoyue, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. “Xiaoyue… my daughter… you carry my blood… and the power of the Gu… You are destined to become the vessel of the Gu Heart…” His voice was low and eerie, a mix of temptation and sorrow.

  “No!” Xiaoyue shook her head violently, her voice filled with despair. “I won’t become your tool!” She staggered back, her back pressing against the fungal-covered wall, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

  The specter’s laughter grew more manic. “You have no choice… the core of the Gu is consuming your life… Only by becoming the vessel of the Gu Heart can you survive…” His form twisted and wavered in the beam of light, like a fading illusion.

  Ji Tian clenched his teeth and charged at the specter. “I won’t let you win!” He swung the baton, the intricate patterns on its surface bursting with blinding light. As the baton made contact with the specter, the beam of light exploded, and the entire pagoda began to shake violently. The fungal tendrils on the walls writhed madly, and the black heart of the Gu cracked open, releasing a flood of Gu insects that surged forward like a black tide, their buzzing deafening.

  “Run!” Ji Tian grabbed Xiaoyue and bolted toward a hidden compartment at the top of the pagoda. Behind them, the bloodshot eyes on the fungal walls watched their every move, as if countless unseen observers were tracking their escape. The Gu insects followed relentlessly, the air thick with their foul stench.

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  They stumbled into the compartment just as the cracks in the Gu Heart spread throughout the pagoda, the walls beginning to collapse. Inside the compartment, half of a charred diary lay on the floor, the name “Ji Wenshan” barely visible on the cover. Ji Tian bent down to pick it up, his hands trembling slightly. He flipped to the last page, where his father’s handwriting was barely legible on the scorched paper:

  **“Brother Degui used his body to buy time… I must pass on the lifebound Gu…”**

  The writing ended abruptly, as if cut off by some external force. A mix of emotions surged through Ji Tian—anger, confusion, and a deep, unnameable sorrow. He looked up at Xiaoyue, her face pale as paper, her lips devoid of color. The Gu poison was rapidly consuming her life.

  “We… don’t have much time…” Xiaoyue’s voice was faint, her body swaying like a leaf on the verge of falling.

  Just then, the roar of an engine echoed from outside the pagoda. Ji Tian peered through a crack in the fungal wall and saw a vintage police car speeding down the fungal-covered street. The window was half-open, and the profile of the young officer behind the wheel bore an uncanny resemblance to his own. The man’s sharp features and determined gaze reminded Ji Tian of his father in his youth.

  “Is that… Father?” Ji Tian’s heart clenched, as if he were witnessing a hallucination born of time and space colliding. He stood frozen, the diary trembling in his hand.

  Xiaoyue suddenly grasped his hand, her fingers cold and weak. The moment their hands touched, the collapse of the Gu realm slowed, and the remnants of the fungal tendrils began to reform in the air, creating a new path that led to a swirling blue vortex. The vortex hovered in midair, its edges rippling like an unknown exit.

  “Is that… the way out?” Ji Tian asked softly, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

  Xiaoyue nodded weakly, a glimmer of resolve in her eyes. “Let’s go… we have to leave…” Her voice was faint but firm, as if she were summoning the last of her strength.

  They stepped onto the fungal path, the faint rustling sound beneath their feet the only noise in the eerie silence. Behind them, the pagoda crumbled into dust, the black heart of the Gu emitting one final, mournful cry before being swallowed by the ruins. As they stepped into the blue vortex, the world seemed to tear apart, time and space losing all meaning. Ji Tian’s ears rang with his father’s voice, distant and faint: “Tian’er… be careful…” It was as if the words had traveled from another world, carrying an endless weight of concern.

  ---

  When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves standing in a desolate wasteland. The ruins of broken walls surrounded them, the air carrying the faint scent of earth. In the distance, the last rays of the setting sun painted the horizon in hues of orange and red, as if everything had been a dream.

  Ji Tian tightened his grip on the baton, murmuring under his breath, “Father… what secrets were you hiding…?” His voice was low and hoarse, heavy with exhaustion.

  Xiaoyue leaned against his shoulder, her breathing faint, almost imperceptible. “Can we… still find the truth?” Her voice was as light as a breeze, on the verge of disappearing.

  Ji Tian didn’t answer, only silently tightened his hold on her hand. Her palm was cool but real, a small comfort in the chaos. He looked up at the distant horizon, where the sun was sinking below the edge of the world, and darkness began to envelop the land once more. He knew this was only the beginning, and the truth still lay hidden in the endless shadows.