Reverend Rizzsanity

A dark grey squirrel pounced through a branch's length, greedily plucking a massive pear walnut off its flowering before shoving it into a deceptively flexible mouth. The left side of the squirrel's cheek inflated to comical proportions as it ran with grace and pace known only to its superior, furry form.

*Chirp*

The threatening cry of a bird paused the squirrel in its tracks, and the rodent shivered. The lush canopy above the squirrel allowed sparse yet brilliant sunlight to pass through, forming a rather scenic mirage involving the actual realities of the world.

The struggle of life despite being surrounded by a beautiful environment incapable of feeding a hungry soul.

And—

*Srsh*

A dark shadow pounced on the squirrel. As furry as the rodent, and if not more attractive to the human eye than the squirrel, the black-spotted cat's paw pressed onto the squirrel's back before the feline hunter bit and dug into the unfortunate animal's neck.

Pale green irides reflected sated blood thirst. The orange-furred, dark-spotted cat was a familiar hunter in this unnamed forest. Like every hunter, it was swift and deadly. It moved with a purpose, preying on animals who believed themselves to be able to live another day.

*Mreow*

The cat's purr muffled as he didn't devour the squirrel but picked it up and ran down the tree's length.

Though a hunter, the cat was domesticated, enjoying its freedom in the wild yet tamed by a master to seek their approval. As intelligent as the cat could have been, no matter the feline rebellion known to every cat owner, he danced on the master's whims.

A beautiful world…

A fruit…

An eager rodent…

And a sudden hunter.

It reflected the Gu World at every level within the civilian, Mortal Gu Master, and Gu Immortal hierarchical structures. There would always be someone to ignore the sights—for it did not sate hunger or nurture the body—only to become someone else's nourishment.

However, the number of sentient beings capable of realizing nature's scheme as they executed their roles perfectly were few and rare.

Cognition and Wisdom granted everyone the ability to blame.

There would always be excuses.

Oh, the Heaven is unfair.

If only I got that inheritance!

I would have gotten that treasure if not for my damned luck!

Why? Why did Heaven snatch my lover?

Or—

Why could I never be enough? What plight did you force me into, O' Heaven?!

There was also something more personal and relatable—

"I swear! My cat nibbled and ruined the parchment, Sir! I did complete all the tasks!"

The boy's earnest words fell on deaf ears, and the ruler's thinner but more hurtful edge fell on the boy's extended and open palms.

*Smack*

"OW!"

"This should teach you a lesson! Hmph, complete your work by tomorrow."

It was a sunny day. The Central Continent's fertile grounds, loamy hills, and verdant plateaus enjoyed ideal temperature and weather conditions, boasting overflowing productivity. Even mortals without the talent of a Gu Master prospered and lived relatively peaceful lives.

They worked hard in the fields, and some aspired to become more than farmers, taking up studies voluntarily or occasionally forced by their well-wishers.

A dark-haired boy, pouting and seemingly aggrieved, walked through the village. His surroundings were unlike the hamlets in the Southern Borders, where the 'proper' villages only belonged to the clans as they ruled upon mortals for delegating menial labor.

The cottages were built from chiseled stones, straw, and wood. Stone fences mapped the settlement, which was further decorated with lush bushes and the sight of chirping sparrows. A gentle stream threaded through the village's southern region, flowing onward to the neighboring towns. The boy cared little for the sights but briefly paused near a group of sleeping or rather passed-out 'vagabonds.'

They were beggars.

The boy's lips twisted with disgust, something he did little to hide. The aversion in his heart grew more intense once he caught sight of the lone woman passed out in the middle of what could be called the stink buffet. Her clothes were loose and enticing despite the dirt and filth covering her.

'Tch,' the boy snorted. 'Why can't the village head just toss these good-for-nothing dead-weights out?'

*Mreow*

A scratchy purr snapped the boy from his thoughts as he looked down, watching the spotted cat drop a squirrel's corpse near his feet.

"Ah! You cheeky fur ball!" The boy crouched and picked up the surprised cat, admonishing him. "Why'd you have to snack on my work? The teacher was so mad, and my hand still hurts!"

The cat yowled and squirmed as the boy snorted.

"Stop being so dramatic. Come, let's go home!"

The cat strained its neck, pinning its game left on the village's sidewalk with longing and hunger.

Oh, how delicious its flesh would have been!

Meanwhile, the boy put the sight of those beggars and the thoughts about the plight the unconscious woman would have suffered away from his mind. As a wise woman with eyes as brilliant as stars once claimed—Out of sight, out of mind.

Every villager ignored the passed-out leeches. By now, they understood that ignoring these vagabonds was the best way to facilitate their departure. The village had experienced too many of their kind to extend further compassion.

On the other hand, the boy and his cat returned to a decent hut built along the village's outskirts. What the residence lacked in size and grandeur, it made it up with a homely feeling the boy tried to maintain after his parent's death.

Well-lit during the day, the hut's interior was a welcoming sight of cat's litter, dusty fixtures, a pile of unwashed garments, some hunter's gear, and a mattress further to the side occupied by a brown-haired girl staring through the window without paying the boy any heed. Around her neck was a noticeable piece of jewelry. It was a jade flower locket boasting a silver color.

"You're awake?!" The boy gasped, attracting the pretty girl's attention.

She turned, fixing her glistening brown orbs onto the boy. And all the youth could feel was…

Disappointment.

'She's so… sad,' the boy's heart clenched with sudden heartache. He was more mature compared to his peers, something well-witnessed among children forced into responsibilities after their elders either died or failed to function as responsible adults.

"Oh, hello," the girl offered a gentle smile, momentarily stealing the youth's breath.

"A- ah," the boy blushed. "Hello, Elder Sister!" he gushed. "I'm glad you woke up! I'm," he stammered, swiftly looking down. Blood rushed to his head as the sheet on the girl slipped down. Crimson-red, the boy snuck a peek and continued. "I'm Yin-Yin! Nice to see, ah, no, I mean, nice to meet you!"

The girl tilted her head before chuckling softly, much to Yin-Yin's embarrassment.

"I'm Bai Shou," she introduced herself. "Thank you for keeping me safe, Yin-Yin. You're a very brave and kind child."

Bai Shou's praise further flustered the boy as he avoided her gaze and pointed elsewhere. "Um, you should wear something, Elder Sister. I'll get some food! And… there are my mother's clothes. You can try anything you like!"

He quickly picked up his cat, the hunter's gear, and ran out without another thought.

Bai Shou saw Yin-Yin out with her gaze as her eyes narrowed before she slipped out of the sheets.

Although naked, Bai Shou did not boast a woman's usual softness. Despite being curvaceous, her skin slightly stuck to the flesh underneath. A sharp inhale would tuck her stomach in, revealing sculpted abdominal muscles and obliques. A clench of the thighs rippled them into a muscular motion, and her lats could spread wide like wings.

What should Bai Shou feel?

Her bottom lip quivered.

She did not give a fuck about turning into a woman or realizing the fact that the complementary Yang Gu was lost alongside her…

Her…

—Her Bai Ning Bing.

'Damn it…'

She lost… so much.

Stirred by Bai Shou's sadness, the silver jade flower locked around her neck flashed, revealing a haunting and pale specter. The specter belonged to a beautiful woman with peerless and elegant features. However, the specter's gaze was blank as she floated around Bai Shou.

It was a Heavenly Specter.

Chen Jiu…

It was like another kick in Bai Shou's non-existent nut sack.

Indeed, she lost too much.

Bai Shou shouldn't have been alive once Mo Wu Tian attacked. However, Chen Jiu's protection saved her at the cost of the former's mind. Although her soul was protected by a mysterious Gu Immortal, it only made the quality of her soul robust and not the mind. Furthermore, the attacks from Shang Mi Zhu caused severe backlash upon Bai Shou's and Chen Jiu's souls! Chen Jiu was the only reason she survived!

Taking a step back, Bai Shou planned everything to learn Chen Jiu's secret of dual cultivation. However, she was currently an amnesiac specter. Additionally, the Soul Oath Gu bound Bai Shou and Chen Jiu still persisted. Even though Chen Jiu had become unresponsive, it did little to resolve Bai Shou's commitment to reviving the Heavenly Specter.

Everything was for naught…

She planned and planned…

But for what?

To suddenly find an Immortal was after her?

To witness Bai Ning Bing's and Chen Jiu's demise?

Sure, Bai Shou could revive Chen Jiu if the Specter was safe. But what about that freak?

What about the asshole who turned her into a woman, kissed her, and enjoyed the most glorious battle of his life?

Bai Shou quietly rummaged through the pile of clothes. Bai Ning Bing wasn't her first loss.

Didn't she experience Shen Cui's demise? She'd come to like the lass later. Didn't she adapt and overcome her sadness?

Wasn't she married to Mo Yan? Though surprised and momentarily distraught, wasn't she already planning and scheming, even using her wife's burial site to gain sympathy points?

Even before all that…

What about Nina? She endured the Sun Priestess' loss.

Bai Shou thought she'd overcome the bottomless, resentful pit in her gut.

SHE DID!

'I need to move on,' Bai Shou repeated. Her hands gripped the nearest trousers, her jaws gritted, and her eyes warm.

So? Despite always being logical… always aloof, and adaptive…

Why did she…

'Damn it…'

Bai Shou shuddered, her head low. Intense hatred for everything that went wrong bloomed in her breasts. The muscles in her arms flexed as she pressed her fist into the floor.

*Sniff*

'The only logical explanation for what I'm feeling is the hormonal shift after transforming into a woman,' Bai Shou touched her eyes and experienced something wet.

"I'm fine," Bai Shou glanced at the quiet specter, knowing it was the first line of defense against the wild animals in the nearby forest when Ba Gui Land Spirit sent her away. So, even though amnesiac, the Specter obeyed Bai Shou due to the locket around her neck. "You should stay inside the locket."

The specter's gaze trailed Bai Shou's naked form before resting on the latter's calm expression. She phased out of existence the next second, entering the locket host.

'It's been 17 days,' Bai Shou found something to wear. Although paralyzed, she could still use Gu Worms.

Her gaze turned a little disappointed again after recalling Bai Ning Bing…

No, Bai Shou did not mourn Hu Mei Er. She was alive, in a way.

Hu Mei Er was Bai Shou's Vital Human. Though killed by Bai Ning Bing's and Wu Ji's self-destruction, her soul hibernated within Bai Shou, waiting for the latter to revive her.

But it still bugged Bai Shou…

'What was that voice?' She mused for the umpteenth time.

A voice was in Bai Shou's mind when Shang Mi Zhu attacked her.

'Why does Heaven dictate the Human?

Why does the Human struggle?

Why must the Human struggle, I wonder?

O' Fickle Consort! Ye' Dreamer! Oppressed by Heaven and its cruel fate! I ask you—will you continue to struggle? Will you continue the desperate path beyond the Doors of Life and Death?

If you will struggle. O' Fickle one. If it is despair, you seek. Beware of the Heaven's Will. It watches you.

Struggle; It's in your blood and right!

Struggle; Lest I loathe you.

Struggle; It's the Human's meaning of life!

STRUGGLE!

When ye despair; When ye mourn; When ye incur Heaven's Just tribulation—

O' Dreamer! O' Fickle Consort! O' Pursuer of Reckless Imagination! Promise ye shall—

RISE!'

If Bai Shou were a betting woman—which she is—she would notice something happening behind the scenes.

There were too many clues to ignore, and Bai Shou had several days to recall everything and analyze Shang Mi Zhu's introduction.

'That voice was cold but passionate… and it wanted something from me. Is that why I'm safe?'

There were too many coincidences to ignore.

It began when he entered the Shang Clan, or even before that… when she took over this body. The more Bai Shou thought, the further it distressed her.

'That voice scorned Heaven. But why? What does Heaven have anything to do with it? It has no eyes or mouth. It cannot scheme someone's downfall. The aspect of Heaven only exists in Tribulations, but that is it. My losses are mine to endure and learn from. It's not like Fate Gu purposely appeared before me and set me up for failure. Fate Gu Worm's beef with Ren Zu ended when he created Humanity.'

Bai Shou was inclined to ignore that voice if not for the ridiculous circumstances during which it appeared.

'Fickle Consort? Dreamer? Pursuer of Reckless Imagination?'

These titles caught her attention.

Bai Shou didn't know anything about what the Fickle Consort meant. But she possessed the Dreamer Gu and inherited Imagination Strength Immortal's inheritance.

'And why am I in Central Continent?' She grew quiet and looked outside the window.

That was always Bai Shou's plan.

But it was too strange for her to appear in the Central Continent, in the middle of a relatively safe forest. Would she not have appeared in a Gu Immortal's Blessed Land, only to be caught and tortured, if Heaven had it in for her?

Bai Shou's instincts struck a fierce hunch that she'd become a part of something grand. However, she had no evidence to support that gut feeling.

Regardless, it didn't hurt for Bai Shou to be wary of what the voice claimed as Heaven's Will.

'Something that is watching me…' She sat on the mattress, allowing a contemplative expression to mask her features.

'If this… Heaven's Will exist…'

Her gaze hardened.

'If it was behind Shang Mi Zhu's sudden arrival… what should I do?'

'The injuries to my soul still aren't healed. I tried using the Heavenly Soul Dew Gu, but it has been largely ineffective compared to natural healing.

Bai Shou's unique constitution reared its beautiful head again. She could always display 'more' from her body, mind, and soul.

However, Shang Mi Zhu's attack was truthfully disastrous!

The shard of the Dao related to healing the soul was nothing compared to the dao marks afflicted on Bai Shou's weakened soul. However, her soul grew unusually robust and refined every day, steadily recovering.

Ordinary Gu Masters would remain paralyzed for months, but Bai Shou healed to the point of movement in 17 days. But that did not mean she could threaten her progress by mentally demanding tasks.

Bai Shou needed copious rest.

'Let's just do it,' she sighed. She'd procrastinated the idea of counting losses until now, thoroughly feeling defeated for days. It was not unusual. It was the first time Bai Shou suffered so immensely in both lifetimes!

The first loss was her name.

Bai Shou refused to acknowledge the name—Gu Yue Lo Jik. It wasn't anything sentimental but a calm decision. First, even though she tried and failed to overcome the sadness pooling in her chest, Lo Jik adopted the surname Bai as a tribute to Bai Ning Bing. The 'Shou' given name was a promise to herself that all these losses would not be in vain as she would heal Chen Jiu.

The second loss was Bai Ning Bing. That…

Bai Shou sighed and moved on, constantly feeling uncertain.

The third loss was Tie Ruo Nan. Though her end was swift, Bai Shou wished the Tie Young Master survived. She'd developed enough foundation with Tie Ruo Nan to cash in her investment later.

The fourth was the opportunity loss of being unable to interact with Hu Mei Er's grandmother even once!

The fifth loss was the demise of Gu Worms, like the Multiply, Death Rotation, Void Soul, Isolated Mother's Love, Golden Bell Shield, Essence Cloud Elephant King, and Griffin Wings Gu Worms.

The sixth loss was the possible exposure of the fact she was behind Doctor Su Shou's disappearance. Bai Shou had previously offended the Wu and Tie Clans. However, Wu Ji displayed surprising boldness by wanting to recruit the former. Now, Bai Shou knew why Wu Ji was so confident. The latter possessed the Great Strength True Martial Physique. That's why Bai Shou refused to use her previous name.

She'd not only offended the Shang Clan—but also their group of mysterious Immortals. Any connection to those Immortals' information would be deadly, including something as useless as a name.

Gu Yue Lo Jik must remain dead…

Ironically, Bai Shou achieved what she intended. The Southern Border would not doubt the Winds of Assimilation's ability to kill an Immortal, much less a mortal. Of course, there was a chance that Shang Mi Zhu survived the blast and had a way to escape. Why else would he choose to stay in a Blessed Land on the verge of annihilation?

The most surprising aspect of events around Bai Shou, including Shang Mi Zhu and his crazed state, was none other than Hu Mei Er!

First, she exceeded Bai Shou's expectations and somehow partially enslaved and reconfigured her mind to be at the former's whims. Secondly, Hu Mei Er proved a thoughtful 'asset' since she did not panic during the last moment of her life and salvaged as much as she could by requesting the Land Spirit to transport a part of her body and all her Gu Worms to Bai Shou before the latter was sent out of the Blessed Land.

So, Bai Shou still possessed the Rank 5 Invisibility, Life Rotation, and other Gu Worms Hu Mei Er used.

Additionally, using the Life Rotation Gu Worm, Bai Shou could effortlessly resurrect Hu Mei Er through the strand of her hair in her Storage Gu.

Not yet.

Smacked with reality and pushed to the realm of thorough defeat, where she almost faced death a THIRD time, Bai Shou wanted to maintain the Life Rotation Gu as a life-saving tool until she found something else.

These were all the losses.

Heaven is fair.

Fortunes mingle with misfortune, and losses open up space for profits.

First, Bai Shou possessed many, MANY Gu and materials. These were the Gu collected and stored by Ba Gui Land Spirit to refine a Gu Worm. Bai Ning Bing and Hu Mei Er had taken a good portion of these Gu Worms, and the rest were stowed into Bai Shou's aperture.

What did that mean?

Even though spiritually challenged, Bai Shou could use the Dreamer Gu or the Particle Viewing Gu on the rare and extinct Gu and materials to eventually manifest their recipes!

Second, Bai Shou was armed with something transcendent.

<<<>>>

'I'm Ba Gui Land Spirit.'

'You fulfill the conditions to accept the test to Inherit the Blessed Land, Young Friend. Alas, it is too late.'

'However, I have a method for you to escape and preserve my hope.'

'So, I shall teach you the Immortal Second Aperture Gu recipe! Its refinement is my only obsession. Although I shall perish today and become one with Heaven, I hope you fulfill that dream and refine this Gu Worm.'

'As the name suggests, this Immortal Second Aperture Gu can manifest a second Aperture within the Gu Master's body!'

'Its recipe is…'

'Remember these passages…'

'My assimilation is nigh! This Gu was supposed to be the most crucial component of the recipe. However, it is also our only hope. This is the Legendary Gu mentioned in Legends of Ren Zu. It was the cause of Verdant Great Sun's demise.'

'But today… it will be the cause of your survival!'

'Immortal Gu Worms are unique. As long as you safeguard this Gu, you will live with the hope of refining the Immortal Second Aperture.'

'There is also one problem. My main body sealed the Immortal Gu since the Immemorial Era, and using it will starve it.'

'Although it can hide and attract no attention—as it once did within Verdant Great Sun—you must feed it without losing sense. I hope you escape to a safe location, Young Friend.'

'I hope…'

'I pray you succeed!'

<<<>>>

An Immortal Gu.

Bai Shou's body, specifically her bloodstream, housed an Immortal Gu!

Not even ordinary Immortal claimed to possess an Immortal Gu, much less an Immortal Gu from the Legends of Ren Zu—the Divine Travel Gu!

In the Legends, Verdant Great Sun unintentionally created this Gu Worm after he drank wine produced by the Four Immemorial Monkey Tribes. However, it caused him to teleport in random locations, and Verdant Great Sun never knew about this Gu Worm until it decided to reveal itself.

Later on, Verdant Great Sun met with his death while trying to refine the Divine Travel Gu into the Fixed Immortal Travel Gu.

To others, acquiring the Divine Travel Immortal Gu was a staggering boon.

'But can it recoup my losses?'

Bai Shou glanced outside the window, her gaze squaring at the beautiful blue sky.

A depthless bitterness swirled in her heart.

Could it?

Could the Immortal Gu recover everything Bai Shou wanted back?

'When did I become such a sappy bitch?'

'I should be happy!'

Bai Shou lay down, covering herself with the sheet.

'Not only did I live and have a chance to revive Chen Jiu, but I also have a fucking IMMORTAL GU!'

'Furthermore, the Immortal Gu will not attract any attention since it can hide within the human body without needing an Immortal's Aperture—the Blessed Land! It is so weak that I can store it within my Second Aperture if I want to!'

She still had the hope of achieving Dual Cultivation.

Bai Shou now had the recipe for a Legendary Immortal Gu that may surprisingly grant her a THIRD Aperture!

She gained an Immortal treasure, which was unique in the Gu World.

There was only ONE Divine Travel Immortal Gu.

But…

Still…

'Damn it…'

Why weren't seventeen days already enough?

***

Alternative Title: The Circle of Life; Felines and Rodents; Cat Really Ate Bro's Homework; Everyone's Fucked Under Heaven's Will; The Boy; Tits and Dick; Who Wouldn't Miss The Paragon of Kindness and Virtue; Bai Ning Bing Really Took Lo Jik's Balls; The Price of Survival; Lo Jik Is The Waifu Now; Bai Ning Bing: Imma Turn You Into a Girl And Lose The Yang Gu in Kamikaze; Kind Heaven's Will?; A Mysterious Force; Lucky Escape; Immense Losses; Devastating Losses; Bai Shou Already Misses Her Cold Prince; Central Continent; Ordinary Village; A Mess; Life Ahead; The Immortal Treasure; Ba Gui's Secret; The Legendary Immortal Gu Pales In Comparison; All For Naught; Set For Failure; Heaven's Will?; Lo Jik Low Key Owns His Losses; Hu Mei Er Continues To Remain The MVP; Divine Travel Immortal Gu; A Unique Profit… and a Unique Loss; Pitiful Tie Ruo Nan

***

A/N: I make this note to address the folks ready with the pitchforks to utilize Slander Gu to ruin my reputation. First, you WOULD expect Bai Ning Bing to pull this vindictive shit before he died. He has constantly tried to get IN Lo Jik, so it was a close second.

Second, I did not suddenly make Lo Jik sentimental just because she transformed into a woman. That would be a rather childish excuse to introduce another flavor to Bai Shou's character.

We have only known Lo Jik to act his ass off and to be able to adapt to physical and emotional pain. However, not everything works out exactly as planned, and as mentioned, this loss was indeed the worst thing Bai Shou suffered. It will shed light on Lo Jik's earlier suppressed emotions, which he used to call 'adaption.' I mean, come on. If he was so emotionally stoic, would he go out of his way to NOT hook up with Xin Ci?

I wouldn't ordinarily state things so openly when I enjoyed developing characters like Bai Ning Bing in such a manner. In a way, Bai Ning Bing's character came full circle since she once claimed to prioritize her life 99% of the time. But we did witness the 1% scenario, too.

Similarly, this arc will be more about the resurfacing of Lo Jik's depths, which he had claimed to master. And again, it's not because she's now a woman… but I won't ruin the surprise.

Also, as the Third Volume's name suggests, it won't be just about Lo Jik's character but about understanding how he will manage to birth something known more to venerable talents—Three Paths, Two Apertures, One Body.

Finally, I'll die on the hill—Divine Travel Gu is a Human Path Gu that can perfectly hide its Immortal Aura, like the Attitude Gu.

***

MEME