"This Yaoxian Society was truly remarkable, though it's a shame they were eradicated," Daniel Davis mused. While the Gu Queen Child Chen Duo was certainly impressive, Yaoxian Society's real strength lay in their ability to select the forty-nine children with the potential to become Gu Queen Child.
This wasn't something that just anyone could cultivate. It required a special aptitude, and identifying such potential was no easy feat. Often, aptitude can only be determined through trial and error. However, Yaoxian Society managed to identify all forty-nine children without trial, a feat comparable to the Yin-Yang School from the Qin Dynasty, which found prodigies like Shao Siming through similar methods. If such a technique were to be shared, major exorcist sects could easily find talented disciples.
"I originally thought I could let the persona of Gai Nie disappear, but it seems I'll need to reveal myself once more," Daniel thought as he observed Ma Xianhong leading the upper-class exorcists, along with Chen Duo, out of Biyou Village.
Chen Duo was going to meet her superior, Liao Zhong, the head of the company's South China division. Ma Xianhong's words had caused an internal shift within Chen Duo, giving her the sense that she could make her own choices. Even if the outcome was death, it would be her choice, and she would accept it without complaint.
While this seemed beneficial for Chen Duo—signifying that she was slowly becoming more like a normal person—it was also a dangerous development. Chen Duo's growth was far from typical. The choice Ma Xianhong offered her was akin to expecting a newborn who hasn't yet learned to stand to start running. It was too fast, too much.
Chen Duo, still very young, could have gradually returned to a normal life under Liao Zhong's care. In truth, Liao Zhong genuinely cared for Chen Duo, treating her like a daughter. That's why he fought so hard to get her the position of a temporary worker, allowing her to leave the lab and see the world.
On the highway at the foot of Biyou Village, Liao Zhong was anxiously driving toward the location where Chen Duo had agreed to meet him after receiving her message. As he drove, he kept reporting the situation to the higher-ups at the company.
"Damn it," Liao Zhong cursed under his breath as he spotted a figure standing in the middle of the road. He swerved sharply to avoid hitting them, and the car nearly veered off the road. It would have, had Daniel not caught the vehicle from behind and stabilized it.
For Chen Duo, Ma Xianhong wasn't as important as two other people. One was her childhood friend Chen Junyan, whom she valued above almost anyone else. While living in Ma Xianhong's house, she even named Ma Xianhong's dog after Chen Junyan.
In the Exorcist Community, many exorcists are born with innate abilities, but not all are beneficial. Some abilities, like Xu San's telekinesis or Feng Shayan's space-warping abilities, are considered gifts, while others, such as body transformations that turn people into various animals, are seen as curses. These kinds of abilities make exorcists outcasts, even among their own kind.
In truth, part of the ancient War of the Gods had to do with such powers. Those with monstrous transformations were not recognized by traditional exorcists and were considered heretics, akin to mythological "demons."
If Chen Junyan had stayed by Chen Duo's side, her current state would have been completely different. Unfortunately, he left the dark fortress to join a mysterious organization—possibly a research base studying extraterrestrial life.
There may be extraterrestrial life in the Outcast world. Consider the strange gelatinous creature that follows Wang Zhenqiu, for instance.
Other than Chen Junyan, the most important person to Chen Duo was Liao Zhong. Had Ma Xianhong not planted thoughts in her mind, she might have considered Ma a mere passerby. Even in the original story, during the final battle with Ma Xianhong, Chen Duo showed no intention of helping him.
If Liao Zhong had said the right things at the right time, there would never have been an issue with Ma Xianhong.
"You must be Liao Zhong, head of the South China division." Daniel's voice brought Liao Zhong out of his thoughts. Crawling out of his car, Liao Zhong recognized the figure before him.
"You're Gai Nie." Liao Zhong's face showed a mix of surprise and caution. As one of the company's division heads, he was well aware of who Gai Nie was. In fact, all seven regional heads had been briefed on Gai Nie, tasked with locating him within their respective territories.
For a moment, Liao Zhong contemplated making a move, but Chen Duo's situation was more pressing. He turned to get back into his car, planning to leave.
"Are you heading to see Chen Duo?" Daniel's words froze Liao Zhong in his tracks. "If you go as you are now, Chen Duo will never return to the company."
"What did you do to her?" Liao Zhong's qi surged, and he rushed at Daniel, assuming he had something to do with Chen Duo's disappearance.
"Calm down." Daniel easily deflected Liao Zhong's attack with a light push, causing Liao Zhong to stagger back several meters before steadying himself.
Though not as powerful as the temporary workers, the heads of the seven regions were formidable exorcists in their own right, far stronger than the average practitioner.
"I know you care about Chen Duo, but you don't understand what she truly needs right now. Recently, she encountered someone who planted a peculiar thought in her mind. If you don't approach this situation carefully, it will end in tragedy for both of you." Daniel explained Chen Duo's current psychological state, including her knowledge of the bomb in her collar and the company's intentions.
In the original story, Zhang Chulan had quickly deduced the hidden truth behind Chen Duo's situation. As he explained, Liao Zhong could have resolved everything peacefully but instead created a disaster.
As for whether Chen Duo harbored romantic feelings for Liao Zhong, Daniel wasn't sure. He wisely avoided bringing it up to Liao Zhong to prevent making things worse.
"What Chen Duo needs right now is to feel like she's making her own choices. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?" Daniel said. Chen Duo might think she was making her own decisions, but in reality, she was merely choosing from options provided by others. Zhang Chulan had exploited this mentality to push her toward death.
Chen Duo's mental state was akin to that of a confused child, incapable of making genuine decisions. She could only pick from the choices presented to her, such as whether to stay or leave as Ma Xianhong had offered. It seemed like a choice, but Chen Duo wasn't truly capable of making one.
"Think carefully about what you'll say when you meet her," Daniel said as he turned to leave.
"Wait, why are you telling me all this?" Liao Zhong called out.
"I just don't want to see another tragedy unfold before my eyes." With that, Daniel vanished before Liao Zhong could ask any more questions.
Whether Chen Duo's feelings for Liao Zhong were romantic or familial, Daniel didn't concern himself. As long as Chen Duo was happy, it didn't matter that Liao Zhong was older or unattractive.
"Liao Shu." At the entrance of an abandoned warehouse, Chen Duo stood waiting when Liao Zhong finally arrived. Her usually impassive face from Biyou Village now showed a flicker of emotion.
"Chen Duo, I'm so glad you're okay!" Liao Zhong exclaimed, visibly emotional. This time, thanks to Daniel's earlier advice, he didn't try to immediately force Chen Duo to return. In fact, Daniel's words had prompted him to call the company's Zhao Zong and make certain promises to ensure a better outcome.
"Liao Shu, I don't want to go back," Chen Duo said directly.
"Then we won't go back. Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you." Liao Zhong replied without hesitation.
His response stunned Chen Duo, and even Ma Xianhong and the others, who were hiding nearby, were taken aback. None of them had expected a company official to say such a thing.
"Liao Shu, but what about the company?" Chen Duo asked, her concern shifting to Liao Zhong's well-being. Despite her outward indifference, Chen Duo was incredibly intelligent and well aware of her own situation within the company. She knew she was a liability, though her past experiences made her indifferent to it.
"It doesn't matter. I'm just an old man with no ties. The company has no hold over me," Liao Zhong said with a carefree smile.
"Liao Shu, I'll go back with you," Chen Duo said after a long moment of silence.
"You don't have to worry about me anymore. I've been making decisions for you all this time—telling you what to do and what not to do—but I forgot that you're no longer the little girl you once were. You've grown up. You can make your own choices now." As he spoke, Liao Zhong took out the remote for the bomb collar and crushed it in his hand. He then removed the collar from Chen Duo's neck.
"From today onwards, you won't need this anymore. Whatever you want to do, just tell me," he said.
"Liao Shu, I'll go back with you." This time, Chen Duo's voice was firm.
"Alright, let's go back to the company and clear everything
up," Liao Zhong said as he and Chen Duo left together.
"I didn't expect the company to have someone like him," Ma Xianhong remarked, watching the pair disappear into the distance.
"Master Ma, shouldn't we—" one of his followers started to say, but Ma Xianhong raised a hand to silence him.
"This was her choice. Let's go," Ma Xianhong said as he led his group back to Biyou Village.
"Good evening to you both." Sensing Ma Xianhong's departure, Daniel emerged from his hiding spot and approached Chen Duo and Liao Zhong directly.
"Gu Queen Child Chen Duo, would you be willing to give up your powers and become a normal person? I have a way to remove the gu from your body," Daniel said before Liao Zhong could speak.
"What did you say?" Liao Zhong, who had been about to ask something, swallowed his words. Chen Duo's condition was something even the company couldn't fully solve. Their only solution had been to create a protective suit for her. Hearing Daniel's words, Liao Zhong's first reaction was disbelief, followed by overwhelming joy.
"Do you want to become a regular person, someone who can walk freely on the streets?" Daniel asked, emphasizing the word "choice" to remind Liao Zhong of their earlier conversation.
"To walk freely on the streets, to eat whatever I want?" Chen Duo asked in confusion.
"Yes. You'll be able to walk freely among people and eat whatever you like," Daniel confirmed. As the Gu Queen Child, even with her protective suit, Chen Duo couldn't appear in crowded places.
In the original story, when Chen Duo finally walked the streets, it was because she had resolved to die. With the help of other temporary workers, such as Er Zhuang deleting all surveillance footage, the company allowed it to happen. Otherwise, the higher-ups would never have approved.
"Okay, I agree," Chen Duo said without hesitation.
"Then come with me," Daniel said, glancing at Liao Zhong before leading Chen Duo back to the abandoned warehouse and asking Liao Zhong to stand guard outside.
"I need you to gather all the gu within your body in one place," Daniel instructed.
"Alright." Without hesitation, Chen Duo complied, trusting Daniel completely. She didn't even consider the possibility that if Daniel failed, this action would lead to her death—just like in the original story.
"Room. Slaughterhouse." Once Chen Duo had concentrated all the gu in one part of her body, Daniel used the powers of the Ope Ope no Mi fruit to slice her into segments, carefully removing the part of her body that housed the gu. He then took out the Philosopher's Stone and used its power to regenerate the missing section.
Throughout the procedure, Chen Duo's expression remained unchanged. Such was her nature. Anyone else in her situation would likely have panicked at the sight of their body being sliced apart.
"It's done." After confirming that Chen Duo's body was completely free of gu, Daniel smiled. What had seemed like an impossible task was easily solved with the combined powers of the Ope Ope no Mi fruit and the Philosopher's Stone.
"Though you're no longer the Gu Queen Child, becoming an ordinary person isn't as easy as you might think." Chen Duo had exceptional talent. Even without her gu powers, her cultivation would progress rapidly.
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