The atmosphere within the Ma family's ancestral hall dropped to an icy chill in an instant.
"Grand Aunt..." Ma Deju began.
"Hmph, Elder Xu was the supreme enforcer of the Dragon Country's martial arts world. Without proof, you just kill him... and you want to annihilate the Ninth Office? Chu Tian, are you rebelling against the heavens! What are your intentions?"
Granny Ma let out a cold snort, interrupting Ma Deju. The latter flinched and quickly shut his mouth.
Ye Ling stepped forward, intending to explain. Chu Tian narrowed his eyes and waved her to stop.
"You say I have no proof for calling him guilty? Then you... have evidence to prove his innocence? As for my intentions, hehe... those who provoke Chu Tian shall be killed!"
Chu Tian, being questioned, felt a surge of anger. With the final three words, a murderous intent, as vast as a sea of corpses and blood, spread wildly. In this moment, the entire Ma family's small world seemed to echo with ghostly wails.
"You... *cough*..."
Granny Ma's tense body suddenly swayed. Her aura was actually shattered by Chu Tian's killing intent, causing her some injury.
"Little brother... please... help..."
Just as the Ma family's expressions turned grim, a weak voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to see three people standing there. Ma Deju's mother and Master Huang. They were supporting a man. This man was emaciated, his face sallow, and his lips devoid of any color.
"Father..."
Two voices spoke simultaneously. Ma Deju and Ma Ruolin cried out in surprise and rushed towards the doorway. Their address clarified the man's identity for everyone.
"Father, you're awake, that's great, Father is awake!" Ma Ruolin was overjoyed.
"Ruolin..." The man reached out, stroking Ma Ruolin's head with affection. He was Ma Deju's father, the patient who had been in the thatched hut. Chu Tian had been curious about him since arriving. He knew this person had a strange illness and had thought of using the healing skill from his ancient tree form, but the Ma family had not allowed him to.
He stroked Ma Ruolin's head, then looked up towards Granny Ma. Despite his weakness, his eyes shone brightly.
"Aunt, what this young brother says is correct. Do you know why I fell gravely ill so long ago, before even reaching the age for the curse to take effect?" Father Ma spoke directly to Granny Ma. He asked the question but didn't wait for her reply. He continued, "It's because of this!"
As he spoke, he extended his hand. Master Huang handed him a golden needle. On it was a small insect, more precisely, a beetle-like Gu worm.
"This is what you've been longing for, Elder Xu... the thing he left inside your nephew! It makes me... bite anyone I see, and requires me to drink human blood to survive..." Father Ma's face was grim as he spoke. With a flick of his wrist, the golden needle flew towards Granny Ma. The latter looked incredulous as she caught the needle. She stared blankly...
"For a year, I've been pursuing this little thing with golden needles, trying to expel it. But whenever it senses danger, it burrowed into the heart, leaving me helpless, ashamed... Today... for some reason, it suddenly stopped moving, and I managed to extract it with a needle!" Master Huang explained from the side.
"Ghost Gu... it really is Ghost Gu..." Granny Ma shivered. Her nephew's illness was peculiar. For so many years, she hadn't understood it. According to the curse, the Ma family men, after their children turned eighteen, would gradually lose their cultivation and weaken. But her nephew was like someone who had lost his mind, and he even needed human blood as food. After Master Huang arrived, he identified the illness, stating that he had been afflicted by a Gu worm. The one who cast the spell had extremely high cultivation and peculiar methods, allowing the Gu worm to nest in the person's heart without causing death. Such a technique was inconceivable.
Granny Ma stared at the object in her hand and slumped onto the chair behind her. Everyone exchanged glances. That sentence just now... "you've been longing for, Elder Xu"... carried a lot of information! They never expected that Granny Ma had such a connection with that old man Chu Tian had just crushed in her youth!
Seeing that Granny Ma was no longer causing trouble, Chu Tian didn't pursue the matter further, letting her sit there dumbfounded on the high seat. He turned to the others and said, "Alright, I'll reassign the groups. Little Dragon Girl, you're with Ma Ruolin. Lin Ran, you're with Old Yang. Xiao Yu, you're with Hao... a team. Aunt Ma, I'll trouble you to be with Old Li. Hmm... Senior, you should be fine on your own, right?"
Chu Tian had split up Lin Ran and Chu Xinghe. His gaze now fell on the latter. Chu Tian sensed that this person possessed immense strength, exuding an aura similar to Wei Du's – appearing as an ordinary person, yet not. Thus, he couldn't ascertain the other's cultivation level. However, he presumed they were definitely not weak.
"Senior?" Chu Xinghe was momentarily stunned, then chuckled, "No problem."
"Good, then let's move out. Everyone should know why I've grouped you this way. Brother Kai and your group, you'll be responsible for leading the way as guides. If anything happens, don't be reckless. As for taking action, leave that to them. Everyone remember, this operation must be swift. All targets are to be eliminated without mercy, leaving no survivors. But remember one thing, do not implicate any innocent civilians."
Although Chu Tian had provided detailed information on everyone, the people he brought from the Sea of Death would likely not be able to handle it alone. Therefore, pairing them up and acting separately was the best approach.
"Boss, don't worry, not a single one will escape." Xiao Hei's hands were itching with excitement.
Chu Tian nodded. These people he had brought back, though their cultivation was suppressed by Blue Star, each one was far stronger than Granny Ma. Granny Ma could be considered a ceiling-level existence in the Blue Star martial arts world. Therefore, Chu Tian was confident that even Hao could easily defeat those on the list he had provided.
"Brother... what about me?" Luo Luo asked from the side.
"You... uh..." Chu Tian was taken aback. He hadn't considered letting Luo Luo participate at all. Being asked now, he was naturally speechless. Originally, Little Dragon Girl was supposed to be with her, but now she was assigned to Ma Ruolin's team.
"How about... hmm?" Chu Tian was about to suggest she go with him when suddenly, a figure stepped in front of him.
"I... together..." This person, with a small face and a slightly dazed expression, uttered three words. The person was none other than Yin Yiran.
"You? You can speak now?" Chu Tian was surprised.
"Alright, then I'll be with Yi Ran!" Luo Luo didn't wait for Chu Tian's reply, directly pulled a list from the table, and with that, she pulled Yin Yiran out of the ancestral hall.