Reverend Insanity: The Goody Two-Shoes System

Bai Ning Bing's stomach suddenly swelled as something moved from it up towards his throat until finally being ejected from his mouth.

It was a gu worm that took the shape of a delicate pigeon which seemed to be made entirely of glass. Though its intricate features would make it worthy of being a great work of art back on Earth, both Fang Yuan and Qing Shu were instantly on guard. 

Rank 3 Blue Bird Ice Coffin Gu!

Qing Shu and Fang Yuan could not react in time to the attack as Bai Ning Bing had timed it almost flawlessly, and the bird emerged, with the two of them being able to do little more than activate their defensive gu worms in an hurry in anticipation of the blow.

Only it never came, as the bird soared over their heads.

Bai Ning Bing was not targeting either of them- but was instead targeting Qing Mao and Yao Hong. 

"Get out of the way!" Qing Shu screamed, but it was futile. Once the Blue Bird Ice Coffin Gu had locked onto its target, it would follow them like a homing missile. Only a defensive gu worm could save those two now, but neither of them had something on the level of a Rank 3 defensive gu worm.

As the bird found its target, there was a massive explosion of frost and snow. When it cleared, the two of them were incased in a massive black of ice, all signs of life gone from both of their bodies.

"Bai Ning Bing! How dare you strike two of my dearest comrades!" Fang Yuan said, enraged.

However, while he was only mock angry, Qing Shu was genuinely furious.

Which was exactly what Bai Ning Bing had been counting on!

Rank 3 aura erupted from Bai Ning Bing once again. Until now, he had mainly been using Rank 2 gu worms, likely as a way of limiting the progression of the Northern Dark Ice Soul's physique and the slow march to his own death, but he had pulled out all of the stops now. 

"It looks like it's time for me to get serious!" Bai Ning Bing activated one of his trump cards, Rank Three Frost Demon Gu!

He struck at Qing Shu, who had hesitated ever so slightly, and then slowly advanced a blade of ice towards the man's chest. 

A moonblade flew at him, but that was already within Bai Ning Bing's calculations. His Water Shield Gu would stop it and- 

Suddenly, Bai Ning Bing's vital gu began moving in a distressed manner within his aperture.

It was said that in certain occasions, if one's vital gu noticed that their Gu Master was close to death, they would signal out to them. This was rare enough that it was only a legend as far as people like the Gu Yue villagers knew, but Fang Yuan knew that it was a fact. 

Bai Ning Bing barely had time to adjust his body ever so slightly in response to this alert before he was hit. 

"Guh!" Bai Ning Bing screamed in pain and coughed out a mouthful of blood, retreating. 

Whatever strike Fang Yuan had used had completely pierced through Water Shield Gu's defenses, and struck him near his torso.

Bai Ning Bing had suffered backlash from Water Shield Gu failing, and the strike itself would have decapitated him if he had not moved in time.

His vital gu warning him really had saved his life, but even now, he was in a dire situation and needed time to recover.

How had Fang Yuan managed to break through his defenses when he had been unable to earlier?

Bai Ning Bing had caught a flash of the attack out of the corner of his eye, but had not seen it completely. 

It was a strange, golden-yellow moonblade.

Wait... golden-yellow and not crimson?

"Fang Yuan..." Qing Shu said, coughing up blood. Bai Ning Bing's strike had not killed him, but had damaged several of his vital organs. "I... won't be able to last much longer... I..."

"Don't say that," Fang Yuan said, pulling the man closer to himself. In a manner that was quite surreptitious, a hand emerged from Fang Yuan's aperture- the hand of Rank 3 Doctor Gu, which began to work its magic on Qing Shu. 

The effect was instantaneous and greatly effective. Qing Shu's internal organs were nearly completely mended, and the bleeding had stopped. Now, he was left with only an unsightly scar. If Fang Yuan had used Doctor Gu's effect for a longer time, he could've completely patched the man up, but he couldn't, else he'd end up revealing it.

The only reason that Fang Yuan had risked it earlier was because being close to death, both Qing Shu and Bai Ning Bing could 

"I had a single-use healing gu worm," Fang Yuan explained. "Oh... if I had used it on sister Yao Hong... perhaps she would've lived." His voice was filled with regret. "But... because I had hesitated and wanted to use it at the right time, both she and Qing Mao lost their lives. I... don't know how I could ever show my face in the village again. I'm sorry... I let all of you down..."

"No, Fang Yuan, if anything... you should've kept it for yourself and not wasted it on someone like me," Qing Shu said, getting up. "You are an elder of this clan and also likely our future clan head. You made the right call- if you had used it on Yao Hong, she would've fallen to Bai Ning Bing anyway. But, now that you used it on me, I won't let you down. Let's kill this demon together and avenge our fallen comrades!"

Bai Ning Bing was rapidly encasing himself in a layer of ice. On a normal Gu Master, such a move would be equivalent to death. However, Bai Ning Bing had converted his muscles into ice, and was using the Rank 3 Frost Demon Gu. With these two benefits, this was actually shielding him from attacks while he patched himself up. Fang Yuan didn't know what kind of healing gu worms that Bai Ning Bing had, but just chilling the wound would have a great effect in and of itself.

Naturally then, Fang Yuan could not allow Bai Ning Bing to recover. The Blood Moon Gu might've been unable to pierce through the wall of ice, but that didn't mean that Fang Yuan was out of options.

A golden crescent flew from his hands.

Rank 3 Golden Moon Gu!

In order to expand his offensive repertoire, he had recently purchased the materials needed and refined this gu worm.

Earlier, he had not been planning on refining this gu or one of the other advancement branches of the Moonlight Gu, simply because it was difficult to feed them without the clan's Moon Orchid Petals.

However, recently the benfits:cost ratio had changed. He could no longer leave Qing Mao mountain anytime soon, and it was clear that the Blood Moon Gu was not enough for offense if he was going to be up against strong enemies. Not only that, while he had to pay an arm and a leg for the clan's Moon Orchid Petals, he was receiving 300 primeval stones a week as well thanks to his status as an elder. This eased the financial strain of having to nurture this gu worm somewhat. 

A crack appeared in the ice, on top of which Fang Yuan intended to strike again in the same place.