Bai Sheng held a pottery jar in one hand and bamboo tweezers in the other, placing twelve seemingly robust and agreeable crawling creatures into the jar.
Lu Ye did the same.
Grandma Wu instructed them to seal the mouths of the pottery jars and place them in the main hall where spirit tablets were displayed, to be revealed the next day.
The crawling creature that survived until the end would be their chosen Gu King.
The other creatures that were not chosen appeared crestfallen and dispirited. After enduring hardships and braving the danger of death to reach this point, they had not been selected. Oh, their lives were so bitter!
Bai Sheng looked at the creatures on the ground, all aspiring to be her Gu King. She couldn't bear to see them die on their journey back.
She asked Lu Ye to help her gather them into a large wooden basin, then pretended to go out to release them. While no one was watching, she collected them all into her spatial dimension.
The crawling creatures entering the spatial dimension immediately became ecstatic, behaving like a group of wild spirits.
Even though they hadn't become their master's Gu King, being part of their master's spatial dimension was still a great fortune!
Heng Heng eyed the crawling creatures on the ground with some disdain. However, their master had said to treat them as a collection of nature's species, and to release them when Tasha County one day became an oasis.
Heng Heng clearly explained the spatial dimension's rules to all the crawling creatures, then told them to crawl away independently and live their lives, trying their best not to appear before their master or disturb her peace.
In a short while, the crawling creatures disappeared before Heng Heng, scampering away.
After one night, the creature that ultimately survived in Bai Sheng's pottery jar was a small red scorpion, while Lu Ye's was a small black snake.
The two looked at each other and smiled. Now they had truly become a "snake and scorpion" couple.
Both snakes and scorpions were considered elites among crawling creatures. Grandma Wu was very satisfied after seeing them and instructed them to find two more jars with large openings and small mouths to house the Gu Kings.
The next step was to raise the Gu Kings.
Grandma Wu instructed Bai Sheng and Lu Ye to bathe and then sincerely kowtow before the spirit tablet of the Gu God. Afterwards, they were to place the Gu Kings in the jars and seal their mouths.
They were to feed their master's fresh blood once every seven days and recite the Gu control incantation three times each night while offering sincere prayers three times, until the Gu King's color transformed into a complete golden yellow. Then, it could be taken out and implanted into the body, achieving unity between human and Gu, and cultivating together.
To foster tacit understanding between the Gu King and the master, the jars should preferably not be too far from the master.
After finishing the matters of raising the Gu, Bai Sheng and Lu Ye, carrying their chili powder and fresh vegetables and fruits, went to the Prince of Yu's manor.
They planned to sell these items and then return to Hongshu Slope. After all, Wen Zhimu had already hired bodyguards from the Yeshengmen sect, and it was rumored that the bodyguard was incredibly powerful, having crippled Jiang Yuxin by a large margin.
The situation in Bai Gu Cang had also calmed down for the time being, and there shouldn't be any major movements for a while.
The guards at the Prince of Yu's manor, upon hearing Bai Sheng's name, couldn't recall who she was. However, they clearly remembered their master's instruction: if a dark-skinned girl with dark spots on her cheeks came to the manor, she was not to be stopped.
The person before them was precisely the dark-skinned girl with large dark spots on her cheeks!
This mark was truly unique and rare, surely the person their master referred to.
Without a second word, the guards let them pass.
However, the Prince of Yu was not at the manor today. The young attendant leading the way directly brought the two to the kitchen.
The cooks were very surprised to see Bai Sheng. Upon seeing the handsome young man beside her, they couldn't help but exclaim.
Lu Ye touched his nose and generously lifted his face, allowing them to look their fill. After all, his wife had indeed brought him to show off her husband today.
The cooks were reluctant to shift their gaze away from Lu Ye.
They hadn't expected Bai Xiaoniangzi's husband to be so handsome, even slightly surpassing their master. Pfft, no… still not as handsome as their master.
Living in the same bed with such a handsome man every day, who could resist? Bai Xiaoniangzi was truly blessed with good fortune, but she had to be careful, lest her health suffer.
Alas, why were some people so lucky?
Lu Ye's appearance caused the cooks' emotions to churn for a while. However, most of them were older women who maintained good composure, being enthusiastic yet polite.
After some pleasantries, Bai Sheng took out ten jars of chili powder from her basket, selling each jar for thirty taels of silver. Additionally, there was a basket of fresh vegetables and fruits, sold at market price.
Seeing these vegetables and fruits, which looked as if they had just been picked from a garden, the cooks were overjoyed. After such a long drought, even they had rarely seen such fresh green food.
The vegetables and fruits sold for a total of twenty taels of silver.
A single trip to the Prince of Yu's manor netted them a profit of three hundred and twenty taels!
Lu Ye felt a little sheepish, his ears turning slightly red as he held the silver.
Bai Sheng's conscience was not troubled at all. Who told that drama queen and arrogant king to mentally abuse her without limits? He deserved to bleed money!
Moreover, this silver was all ill-gotten gains from the common people by their feudal ruling class! If she took it back from them, it was only right and proper.
After Bai Sheng taught the cooks a few home-style dishes, she and Lu Ye prepared to return home.
Originally, besides selling things today, she had also planned to flaunt her husband to the Prince of Yu, wanting to use her husband's stunning beauty to crush that drama queen, ideally making him ashamed to the point of becoming humble and polite on the spot.
Furthermore, her husband, Lu Ye, upon hearing that she intended to show off her husband excessively at the Prince of Yu's manor, had even dressed up specially. Who knew that the drama queen and arrogant king would not be present?
Then, it would be next time. Sooner or later, she would use her husband's looks to defeat that drama queen!
Unexpectedly, just as they reached the manor gate, the imperious figure of the Prince of Yu appeared within their sight.
Their eyes met, and Bai Sheng immediately covered her face with her headscarf.
No matter how much she disliked this drama queen, he was still the Prince of Yu, and she was leaning on his patronage. She had to show some respect.
Lu Ye glanced at Bai Sheng, a bewitching smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Then he raised his hand and gently pulled down the headscarf from her face, softly saying, "It's hot, darling. If you keep your face covered like this, you'll easily get prickly heat."
While Bai Sheng was momentarily stunned, Lu Ye took her hand and stepped forward to pay respects to the Prince of Yu.
"Your subject Lu Ye, with his beloved wife Bai Sheng, pays his respects to the Prince of Yu!"
The Prince of Yu narrowed his eyes and raised his hand, signaling them to rise.
A Qiu immediately stepped forward and said enthusiastically, "How have you been recently, Miss Bai?"
"Quite well," Bai Sheng replied with equal enthusiasm, "How have you been recently, Brother Qiu?"
A Qiu grinned, "Thanks to Miss Bai, Brother Qiu is doing quite well. Is this your husband, Miss Bai?" A Qiu couldn't help but notice the exceptionally handsome man beside Bai Sheng.
Just as Bai Sheng was about to answer, Lu Ye smiled and said, "Greetings, Brother Qiu. I am Bai Sheng's husband, Lu Ye."
A Qiu exclaimed, "Miss Bai indeed did not speak falsely. Young Master Lu is truly a jade tree, with unparalleled grace."
Cough, cough, cough!
A deliberate cough came from behind A Qiu. A Qiu's expression changed drastically, and he immediately shrank back and stood beside the Prince of Yu.