Time seemed to freeze, and the air was heavy and oppressive.
Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on the ground. The Rank Six Second Aperture Gu floated in the air before him.
The refinement of the Immortal Gu was complete, but Fang Yuan's attention did not linger on this Gu for even a moment.
He turned his head with difficulty and looked at Bai Ning Bing behind him, a deep confusion in his gaze.
Bai Ning Bing, having regained his male form, stood behind him expressionlessly, holding the hilt of an ice blade.
Tie Ruo Nan slowly walked over, staring intently at Fang Yuan. Her expression was a mix of sorrow and joy. "Fang Yuan, you never thought it would come to this, did you?"
Fang Yuan acted as if he hadn't heard, his eyes fixed solely on Bai Ning Bing.
Bai Ning Bing looked down at Fang Yuan. Now that he was a man again, he was taller. He wore a long, snow-white robe, his silver hair fluttered in the wind, and his deep blue eyes were cold and clear.
He was like a glacier: aloof and chilling.
"Never expected this, did you, Fang Yuan? In the end, you fall by my hand." Bai Ning Bing looked at Fang Yuan and smiled faintly. "Ever since the moment I revived on Qing Mao Mountain, I've been thinking about how to return to a male body."
"During those days when we lived side by side, you had me under your tight control. I could only be your chess piece, subject to your whims. You weren't the strongest enemy I've ever faced, but I'll admit, you are absolutely the most terrifying one."
"Fang Yuan, you are a born schemer, ruthless and merciless, a true villain of the ages. But I, Bai Ning Bing, am no ordinary person either. How could I become someone else's appendage? Hmph! The more you controlled me, squeezed me, and used me, the more I thought about how to break free, turn the tables, and strike back!"
"But the Yang Gu was in your hands. With a single thought, you could make it self-destruct. So I had to tread carefully, racking my brains for a countermeasure. After wracking my mind, I finally had a flash of inspiration and thought of a way."
"Actually, making you voluntarily hand over the Gu had already succeeded once on Qing Mao Mountain. Hehe, that's right, it was just a repeat of the situation on Qing Mao Mountain. When I self-destructed again, that was when you would use the Yang Gu."
"To that end, I began secretly laying the groundwork." The smile at the corner of Bai Ning Bing's mouth slowly spread. "I was going to self-destruct, but of course not for real. There was still a chance you wouldn't use the Yang Gu. So, I chose…"
"The Ice Crystal Gu." Fang Yuan's face was as grim as water.
At Shang Clan City, Bai Ning Bing had chosen the Ice Path. Among these were three transformation Gu: the Frost Demon Gu, the Snow Woman Gu, and the Ice Crystal Gu. Wei Yang had once strongly urged Bai Ning Bing to choose the Snow Woman Gu.
The Snow Woman Gu was suitable for female Gu Masters. The Ice Crystal Gu, on the other hand, was for males.
Bai Ning Bing, being a woman, chose the Ice Crystal Gu, which had once greatly upset Wei Yang.
"Hehe, you guessed it." Bai Ning Bing laughed out loud. "Correct. I chose the Ice Crystal Gu back then, not out of spite. The thing is, taking the form of the Snow Woman is too obvious, impossible to conceal. But transforming into the Ice Crystal, combined with the Ice Explosion Gu, can create a magnificent spectacle, very similar to the self-destruction of a Beiming Ice Soul Body. As you just saw, didn't it fool you?"
"Hmph. If I hadn't been distracted by refining the Gu, I would have noticed the trick. There's no way you could have succeeded so easily." Fang Yuan sneered.
Bai Ning Bing, however, showed a serious expression and nodded in reply. "You're right. You are meticulous in your actions and an astute observer. When I thought of this method, I also felt it was very flawed, with a high chance of failure. In addition, a turning point appeared, and I even considered abandoning the plan for a time."
The turning point Bai Ning Bing was talking about was none other than the Poison Oath Gu.
"I was thinking at the time that a gentleman knows when to bend and when to stand tall. If I could achieve my goals by relying on the Poison Oath, what did it matter if I was used for a while?" Bai Ning Bing's eyes were hazy with recollection. "But the developments that followed made me realize the Poison Oath Gu was unreliable."
"Your Poison Oath with Shang Yanzi was broken very cleverly, but I always felt you were too confident. I actually investigated the contract with the Bai clan secretly, but word still leaked out afterward, which made me even more uneasy. I learned one thing from you: prepare for the best, but plan for the worst. Therefore, I had to consider one possibility: what if the Poison Oath Gu had no binding power over you? How would I deal with it?"
"I knew: if that was the case, I was already dead. I was bound by the oath, and you were not. That meant I was a chess piece to be used and slaughtered, without a shred of power to resist. On my own, I could not escape this trap. But in Shang Clan City, there was one person who could help me."
"Speaking of this person, I have you to thank for the introduction, Fang Yuan." Bai Ning Bing revealed a sarcastic smile.
He thought back to his first meeting with Plain Lady.
It was at Shang Yan Fei's family banquet. Shang Yan Fei, to thank Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing for escorting Shang Xin Ci back to the clan, had summoned Plain Lady to restore Fang Yuan's disfigured face.
To make Bai Ning Bing give up all hope, Fang Yuan had intentionally brought her along.
After Bai Ning Bing showed her true face to Plain Lady, the latter's attitude immediately changed, becoming exceptionally gentle and kind.
Plain Lady was one of the four great physicians of the Southern Border. She had a peculiar quirk: she was a face-connoisseur. She greatly admired handsome men and beautiful women and would treat them for free. If they were ugly, she would feel disgusted and refuse to treat them even for the highest fee.
When Bai Ning Bing asked about the Yin-Yang Body Change Gu, Plain Lady's answer gave her an even deeper understanding of the importance of the Yang Gu in Fang Yuan's hands.
At the same time, Bai Ning Bing had also gotten to know Plain Lady. When they parted, Plain Lady made a solemn promise to her that no matter what difficulties she encountered, she could come to her without hesitation.
"Cough, cough." Fang Yuan coughed up a mouthful of blood. The ice blade had pierced his heart, but by relying on a healing Gu, he was still barely holding on to life.
However, the cold of the ice blade slowed his blood flow, and an intense numbness from the cold was spreading throughout his body.