Chapter 130: The Jade House Guard Gift

“Mm~ Xiao-ge? What time is it?”
Xiao Qing mumbled groggily, opening her eyes on the bed.
She saw me sitting beside her, scrolling on my phone.

“It’s ten o’clock. Xiao Qing is such a little sleepyhead.”
I said with a smile.
She’d slept long enough for me to raise the Jade House Guard to fifth grade.

Unfortunately, I’d hoped to push it to sixth grade to see if there’d be some qualitative change.
But starting from fifth grade, the blood requirement surged dramatically.
After yesterday’s ritual, even a small amount of blood left me dizzy and lightheaded.

According to Bai Yue, each grade increase required at least a hundredfold more blood.
This aligned with needing hundreds of venomous creatures to produce one high-grade gu insect.

At higher grades, no gu master could afford to sacrifice so many high-grade insects in fights.
They used various herbs and slow cultivation methods instead.

Moreover, at sixth grade, the Hidden Yin Body’s blood provided negligible improvement.
Bai Yue said it would be hard to reach seventh grade with my blood alone—unless I offered flesh, like a severed hand to feed the gu.
That was obviously impossible.

At seventh grade, Hidden Yin Body blood would lose all effect on gu insects.
Only flesh would work—and even feeding her my entire body might not guarantee eighth grade.

Bai Yue had said this very seriously, even asking if I wanted to test the Jade House Guard’s regeneration by continuously regrowing flesh to feed gu insects.
I firmly rejected the insane idea.

She didn’t insist.
After transferring both the Iron Wire Gu and Jade House Guard to me, she left.
I returned to the still-sleeping Xiao Qing, sat beside her, and waited for her to wake while browsing my phone.

Since getting Xia Yubing’s phone, I’d started trying short videos, anime, and such.
I’d never had the chance before—only envying classmates who played on their phones.

“Ten o’clock?!”
“Wait—Senior Sister Mo and Xiao Yue?”
Xiao Qing bolted upright.
She was usually up before seven—a good girl who never slept until ten.

“They already left.
Xiao Yue stayed for breakfast before going.
I bought breakfast for you too—not sure if you like roujiamo?
There’s also an energy drink.
Hope it helps with recovery.”
I said.

“Ah!?
Thank you… Xiao-ge even went out to buy breakfast for me.
Um, I’ll get up now.
Could you step out for a moment? I need to change.”
Xiao Qing said, blushing.

I thought: We bathed together and slept in the same bed—why so shy now?
But I nodded.
“Okay. Wait—I have a surprise for you.”

“Surprise?”
Xiao Qing asked, puzzled.
But I’d already turned and left the bedroom.

After a while, Xiao Qing emerged, back in her school uniform, hair combed.
She’d washed her face and brushed her teeth in the bedroom bathroom.

“What’s the surprise?”
She asked, looking at me.
I opened my hand, and the pure white gecko crawled from my palm onto the table.

“A gecko? Wait—this is one of Xiao Yue’s gu insects?”
Xiao Qing asked in surprise, then suddenly recognized it.

“Correct.
Xiao Yue gave it to me this morning.
I plan to pass it on to you.
This Jade House Guard will protect you much better.”
I said.

I’d expected her to be thrilled, but she shook her head.
“No, thank you for the thought.
But keep it for yourself, Xiao-ge.
You’re more likely to attract ghosts than I am.”

“Don’t worry.
Xiao Yue gave me two gu insects.
I’ve already picked the one best suited for me.”
I said, raising my right hand.
Three black threads shot out, pulling the microwave oven open and bringing the roujiamo and soy milk to Xiao Qing.

The feeling was exhilarating—like Spider-Man, though the Iron Wire Gu’s range wasn’t as long as webbing.
It had a bit of Venom vibes too.

Xiao Qing stared in shock at the breakfast delivered to her, then at the black threads retracting into my sleeve.
“What is that? Steel wire?”

“Uh… you can think of it that way.
That’s the gu insect Xiao Yue recommended for me.
And this Jade House Guard is specially chosen for you.”
I smiled.
I couldn’t exactly tell her it was an iron wire worm.

“Jade House Guard? What does it do?”
Xiao Qing asked, eyeing the snow-white gecko.
As expected, the cute Jade House Guard appealed more to a girl.

“It’s not that powerful overall—just exceptionally good at survival.
Watch this.”
I pointed my finger at the Jade House Guard.
My body’s color rapidly shifted, blending perfectly with the surroundings—making me look like I’d vanished.

“Eh? Xiao-ge? Where’d you go? Are you still here?”
Xiao Qing looked around in panic, even thinking I’d left the living room.

“I’m right here—just invisible.”
I raised my finger, and my body quickly reappeared.
Xiao Qing watched me materialize, exclaiming, “So magical!”

“It can fool souls.
As long as you carry the Jade House Guard, it will automatically conceal you in danger.”
I said with a smile.

I deliberately didn’t mention its other abilities—like regeneration.
Even without knowing about regeneration, the Jade House Guard would automatically heal her if injured.

If Xiao Qing knew, she might refuse the Jade House Guard.
Or even if she accepted it, she might recklessly injure herself to test regeneration.
So I’d keep that as a hidden safeguard—hopefully never needed.

When attacked by ghosts, a fifth-grade Jade House Guard would automatically warn the master and conceal their aura, rendering them invisible.
I’d tested it—its concealment was so perfect even my aura-seeing couldn’t detect it.
Bai Yue said even thermal imaging and sonar couldn’t pierce a fifth-grade Jade House Guard’s invisibility.

The tail-shedding escape ability also activated automatically.
Its tail could attract resentful souls and curses.
As long as the demon or ghost didn’t harbor killing intent toward the master, it would be drawn to the tail.
After shedding, a new tail would regrow in about a week.

So all the Jade House Guard’s abilities could activate without the master’s command—even if possessed by a ghost or mentally polluted.
It had a high chance of helping the master escape.

Though it had zero offensive power, Bai Yue calling it the top survival gu insect was well-earned.

Unfortunately, tests showed the Jade House Guard’s regeneration didn’t help my vitality loss.
After feeding it to fifth grade, I was already seeing double and dizzy—I couldn’t raise the Iron Wire Gu to fifth grade too.