Cactus Pointer is a rank three consumable Gu that grows from a seed into a cactus whose flower bud opens into a written tip.
Having racked her brains over how Fang Yuan came by the Liquor worm, Tie Ruo Nan asks her father, Tie Xue Leng, to let her borrow the Cactus Pointer. He warns her that its suggestion is based on the information the user has. It only speculates on her behalf and might not be accurate. ch. 179
Appearance
The Cactus Pointer is a seed. Tie Ruo Nan buries it and presses her palm on the soil, passing her white silver primeval essence into it. A translucent green sprout grows, then turns dark green. The plant looks like a cactus, with thick flesh and sharp black thorns. A white flower bud forms on top while the cactus body shrinks, as if its moisture were being squeezed out. ch. 179
When she plucks the bud, the cactus turns grey and dies within seconds. The bud is not wrapped in petals but looks like a ball of paper. Opened, it is a neat square of white paper. ch. 179
Effect
The paper bears a single word: “Aptitude”. The word would mean nothing to others, but to Tie Ruo Nan it is a very important tip. The narration says the Gu gives insights to Gu Masters who have racked their brains and cannot advance. It calls the Cactus Pointer a rank three consumable Gu. Rereading Jia Fu’s intel on Gu Yue Chi Lian buying a Cleansing Water Gu, Tie Ruo Nan says the Cactus Pointer gave her the answer. By her guess, the Cleansing Water Gu cleared the after-effects of Chi Lian pouring his essence into a low-aptitude Chi faction heir. Fang Yuan, she reasons, found that secret and blackmailed Chi faction into giving him the Liquor worm. ch. 179
Reading the word
Tie Ruo Nan says she always took “aptitude” to mean Gu Yue Chi Cheng. She now thinks it most likely refers to Fang Yuan. ch. 181
Tie clan specialty
While Fang Yuan buys a flash of inspiration Gu, the narration names the cactus pointer as a similar Gu. It is a Tie clan specialty grass Gu. It is not sold in the market. ch. 282
Western Desert growth
Flying over Western Desert, Feng Jiu Ge sees cactus pointers among its vegetation, beside arrow shrubs and white teeth flowers. The text calls all three common vegetation there. A cactus pointer is much like a cactus, with pin-like leaves. It has the shape of a human hand. Some are clenched, others point index fingers, and they point in all directions. ch. 1399
The chapter calls them vegetation and does not call them Gu. ch. 1399
Chronicle
Connections(15)
0 later connections are veiled.