Chapter 363 She Could Never Belong to Him Again

“Yes, I am the one who planted the gu worm.”

Jiang Tianze’s gaze was fixed tightly on Jiang Shuning’s face, pale as a sheet. Seeing her on the brink of death, all his mad thoughts were doused with ice water.

He dared not hide anything and spilled everything in a low voice, “I once planted a love gu inside her, but she resisted fiercely, causing her qi and blood to go into reverse, nearly killing her. I wanted to draw the gu out, but when I was inserting the acupuncture needles, you stormed into the palace with your shadow guards, and I had no choice but to take her while she was unconscious and leave…”

Before he could finish his words, a shadow wreathed in thunderous fury lunged in front of him.

“Bang!”

Xiao Lingchuan’s sanity snapped completely in that instant.

He poured all his hatred and murderous intent into his right fist and slammed it heavily into Jiang Tianze’s chest.

A dull thud sounded as if bones had been dislocated. Jiang Tianze, like a kite with a broken string, flew backwards awkwardly, crashing heavily against the wall. Blood surged into his mouth, and he coughed up blood.

Xiao Lingchuan’s eyes were bloodshot, murderous intent blazing.

He drew his longsword from his waist and aimed the tip at Jiang Tianze’s throat. With a flick of his wrist, he was about to thrust!

But at this critical moment, the pitch-black gu worm that had already mostly crawled out seemed to be terrified. It instantly burrowed back into Jiang Shuning’s mouth and disappeared.

“Your Highness, you must not!” Divine Physician Sun was scared witless, his voice cracking, “The mother gu resides in him, and the offspring gu can only be driven by him! If you harm his life, then the princess consort… the princess consort will truly be doomed!”

The love gu is different from ordinary gu worms. The mother and offspring gu are bound by life, inseparable. If the host of the mother gu dies, the host of the offspring gu will also die.

Xiao Lingchuan’s arm froze in midair, veins standing out on the back of his hand, his wrist trembling from extreme restraint.

Finally, as if using all his strength, he suppressed that overwhelming murderous intent and sheathed his longsword inch by inch.

“Quickly,” he turned around, every word squeezed out between gritted teeth, each word like shards of ice, “summon that disgusting thing out of her! Otherwise, I will skin you alive right now!”

Jiang Tianze propped himself against the wall, staggered to his feet, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He looked into Xiao Lingchuan’s eyes, which burned with the desire to devour him alive, and a strange hesitation arose in his heart.

Before, when he had planted the love gu in Jiang Shuning, she was conscious and strongly resisted, causing a qi and blood reversal, ultimately failing.

But now… she was unconscious, having lost all awareness and resistance.

Wasn’t this the best opportunity to completely merge the love gu with her?

As long as the offspring gu took root in her heart meridian, from then on, her heart would hold no room for anyone else, and she would be devoted only to him…

Divine Physician Sun, having practiced medicine for many years and seen all kinds of people, only needed to see the slight shift in Jiang Tianze’s eyes to guess his intention.

His face darkened, and he quickly interrupted to shatter his illusion: “Third Master Jiang! Gu worms feed on human flesh and blood. As it is, the princess consort’s body is a candle flickering in the wind, her reserves are severely depleted! For every extra moment this creature stays inside her, it will suck more of her essence and vitality. If the gu worm does not leave her body soon, even the gods couldn’t save her! Please think twice!”

These words were like a sledgehammer, snapping Jiang Tianze from his morbid fantasy.

He looked at Xiao Lingchuan, his eyes now filled with calculation and caution: “But if I draw out the gu worm, I’ll be of no use anymore. Your Highness, wouldn’t you be able to kill me at any time?”

“I will not kill you.” Xiao Lingchuan suddenly sneered, a laugh devoid of any warmth, only piercing sarcasm and chill, “Because I think you are pathetic. You actually stooped so low as to use such despicable means as planting a gu to keep Shuning by your side. What? Do you want a puppet without a mind or soul?”

Struck at his darkest thoughts, Jiang Tianze’s body trembled uncontrollably. Like a beast whose tail had been trodden on, he roared back, “You trapped A Ning by your side, forced her to bear your children, imprisoned her behind the high walls of your manor. What right do you have to mock me?!”

“That’s why I won’t kill you.”

Xiao Lingchuan looked at him, and a hint of deep self-mockery appeared in his eyes—a sorrow that came from seeing through both himself and his counterpart.

“Because as long as you live, I feel that in this world, there is someone even more pathetic than me!”

His voice was flat, yet it was more devastating than any roar.

Jiang Tianze’s qi and blood churned. His lips moved, but he could not utter a single word.

Xiao Lingchuan looked down at him coldly, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

“Stop wasting time. Hurry up and draw out that gu worm!”

Jiang Tianze’s gaze swept over Jiang Shuning’s face, pale as a sheet, on the bed.

His heart felt like it had been stabbed with a sharp knife, hurting so much he could barely stand.

Once the gu worm was drawn out, Jiang Shuning would remember everything from the past. At that point, he would completely lose the chance to make her fall in love with him again.

But her life was far more precious than making her love him.

“Fine, I’ll draw it out.”

Jiang Tianze didn’t hesitate any longer. He bit his own fingertip, squeezed out a few drops of blood, and let them fall onto Jiang Shuning’s dry, cracked lips.

The air seemed to freeze. The room was so quiet you could hear heartbeats.

Xiao Lingchuan clenched his fists, his gaze locked on that pitch-black gu worm, wishing he could crush it with his own hands.

Suddenly, the gu worm seemed attracted to the scent of blood. It stuck its head out from between Jiang Shuning’s lips, wriggling its slimy body, and slowly crawled out.

“It’s done!” Divine Physician Sun cried out, quickly using silver tweezers to pick up the worm and drop it into a jar of strong liquor that had been set aside earlier.

Xiao Lingchuan’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but his gaze remained dark and fierce.

He glanced at Jiang Tianze, his murderous intent undiminished.

Jiang Tianze stood up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and stared back coldly, showing no fear in his eyes.

“Are you satisfied, Your Highness? The gu worm is removed. Now, you should tell me who exactly injured A Ning?”

“There is no need to rush. The real culprit will soon walk right into our trap.” Xiao Lingchuan’s voice was as cold as ice, but a meaningful smile tugged at his lips, “You might as well think carefully about how to punish the one who harmed Shuning. I think your Gu sorcery is quite impressive. Why not put it to use?”

Jiang Tianze’s gaze involuntarily fell again upon Jiang Shuning’s face.

With the gu worm removed, her complexion seemed to have gained a hint of color. Her pale lips trembled slightly, but she remained deeply unconscious.

Deep down, he knew clearly that she would never belong to him again.

She would be trapped at Xiao Lingchuan’s side, as before, unable to break free.

Thinking of this, a bitter sourness surged in Jiang Tianze’s heart. A piercing pain rose within him, and his handsome face was filled with unconcealed bitterness and helplessness.

A Ning, though I am powerless now, unable to take you from Xiao Lingchuan’s side, at least I will make the one who hurt you pay dearly!