Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 117

The first time Xiaoxiao visited the Shennong family, she traveled by water, arriving at the main gate directly after disembarking. This time, however, she traveled by land, specifically choosing a secluded path to evade pursuers. Now, she was atop Shennong's renowned "Hundred Herbs Ridge."

At 3:45 AM, the sun was blazing, and the vegetation on the ridge looked slightly wilted, exuding a sense of desolation.

Xiao Xiao felt something was strange, but couldn't figure out why. She looked around at the hillside covered with herbs. The chirping of birds and cicadas, the light clatter of horses' hooves, and the tinkling of silver bells on the ankles of the women from the South China Sea echoed in her ears.

"Stop the car!" Xiao Xiao suddenly shouted.

The silver owl reined in its horse, puzzled.

Xiao Xiao stood up, becoming alert. Yes, something was wrong. She remembered how often herb gatherers used to flock to Hundred Herbs Ridge. But today, she hadn't seen a single person; it was truly eerie.

Just as Xiao Xiao was about to explain, several bluish-black human hands suddenly emerged from the ground, followed by several zombies crawling out and lunging at the group with strange cries.

Ahhhhh! No way, is this the fulfillment of that old saying, "The Shennong family's Baicaoling, where ghosts wail until dawn every night"? In broad daylight, this is too eerie!

Everyone drew their weapons and prepared to fight.

The little one frantically searched for something that could be used as a weapon, nervously watching the situation before him.

The appearance of walking corpses indicates that someone in the Shennong family uses "corpse-manipulating Gu." Logically, Ling You, a master of Gu poisons, died at Jiyu Manor, and Elder Bajitian and others from the Shennong family seem to look down on the manipulation of corpses. How could such a thing possibly appear here?

Xiao Xiao almost immediately realized the answer. She had also seen walking corpses back in the East Sea. Now, the only person capable of such a feat was the deposed Shennong Sect Master, Shi Mi. In other words, Shi Mi had already returned to the Shennong family?!

Thinking about it this way, the current situation is not good. Leaving aside the fact that Shi Mi colluded with Wei Qi, was loyal to the court, and had even personally pursued her, the fact that she herself had once trampled a "Longevity Gu" is enough to create a grudge. If Shi Mi returns to the Shennong Clan and regains her power as sect leader, things will become very troublesome…

Just as Xiaoxiao was thinking this, she saw several zombies begin to climb onto the carriage. She screamed and immediately lifted her foot, trying her best to stomp the zombies down.

Although the zombies felt no pain and were already dead, Silver Owl and his group had encountered them several times before and were quite adept at dealing with them. In just a short while, they had dealt with the entire group of zombies.

At this moment, a thick white mist rose from the ground, and the fallen zombies rose again, staggering towards the crowd.

"Tch, this is never going to end!" Silver Owl snorted coldly, drew his soft sword from his waist, and leaped forward to attack.

At this moment, a powerful force pierced through the air, and several walking corpses were bounced away. Countless small white insects escaped from the walking corpses and fell to the ground, writhing and struggling.

The person who struck out with his palm spoke up, saying, "Everyone, this place is dangerous. Please leave immediately."

Upon hearing the voice, Xiao Xiao realized what was happening and called out, "Elder Ba!"

That's right, the one who came was Morinda officinalis, one of the Seven Lords of Shennong.

Ba Jitian turned around upon hearing the call. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Xiao Xiao. "So it's Miss Zuo." As he spoke, he struck without hesitation, knocking down several walking corpses. He stepped back to the carriage and asked, "Miss Zuo, why have you come here?"

"I've come seeking medical help. Elder Ba, what exactly happened?" Xiao Xiao asked anxiously.

Bajitian shook his head and said, "Let's leave here first, and then I'll explain to you, young lady..."

Upon hearing this, the group ceased their fighting, shook off the walking corpses, and left Baicaoling with Bajitian.

...

A few miles south of Baicaoling, there is a village.

When Xiao Xiao and his party entered, they discovered that the village was filled with wounded people, their groans and cries filling the air, a truly tragic scene.

Ba Jitian led everyone into a house and settled them in before slowly explaining. Everyone then learned that after the battle of the East Sea, Shi Mi had returned to the Shennong Clan with the Thousand-Year-Old Master Xi Yuan. Shi Mi had been stripped of her position as sect leader and was wanted by the elders. They initially thought she had walked right into their trap, but unexpectedly, she possessed the "Three Corpse Divine Needles" and the "Magnetic Guide," whose power was astonishing. Even the combined efforts of several elders were no match for her. Furthermore, her allegiance to the imperial court, the support of the Divine Firmament Sect, and the assistance of local officials allowed her to regain control of the Shennong Clan within just a few days. Those who refused to submit to her were either injured or killed, or imprisoned. Those who were lucky enough to escape now gathered in this small village, seeking a chance to survive.

Ba Jitian spoke without any sorrow. He stood ramrod straight, his brows furrowed with peace, and the dignity emanating from that peace inspired respect.

"This is a matter concerning Shennong's family, but I did not expect it to involve you all. I apologize to you all." Bajitian clasped his hands in a salute. "By the way, just now, Miss Zuo said she wanted to seek medical treatment?"

She nodded slightly and explained what had happened.

After hearing this, Bajitian walked to the side and took Wen Su's pulse.

After a moment, he looked up and sighed, "The power of the Nether Thunder Palm is chilling and severs tendons and veins; none who are struck by it survive. Your uncle's tendons and veins are all severed, and he has also been poisoned. The only reason he has survived until now is because of the extremely strong true energy within his body. As things stand, I can circulate my qi to prolong his life. But to cure him, someone still needs to reconnect his tendons and veins. In the world today, only our sect's former sect leader possesses such medical skills..."

Xiao Xiao was slightly surprised, "Rock honey?"

“It is indeed Shi Mi,” said Ba Ji Tian. “In terms of medical skills alone, none among Shennong can surpass her. However, to ask her to save lives, I'm afraid…”

A brief silence followed, revealing an increasing sense of helplessness.

Seeing this, Yin Xiao said, "Girl, we've done our best. This is fate, so just accept it..."

Xiao Xiao could only nod.

Bajitian patted the little girl's shoulder and said, "Miss Zuo, I am a physician, and I will do my best to prolong his life. Perhaps there will be a turning point in the future."

Xiao Xiao smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Elder Ba!"

Ba Jitian smiled and said, "Then please go out first, and I will perform Qi circulation for the patient."

No one said a word and they all went to rest.

Xiao Xiao sat on the doorstep, resting her head on her hand, lost in thought.

"Hello……"

Suddenly, someone spoke to her.

She looked up and saw Luo Yuanqing with a gloomy face.

"Miss Luo..."

Luo Yuanqing gazed into the distance. "You..." She hesitated for a long while before continuing, "What exactly do you think of Wen Su?"

Xiao Xiao was a little surprised and replied, "He is my martial uncle..."

"He's not your martial uncle! Didn't you already know that? He's someone who pretended to be your martial uncle to get close to you!" Luo Yuanqing blurted out, then realized he had spoken out of turn.

Xiao Xiao looked at her without saying a word.

Luo Yuanqing said, "...In his heart, you are not his junior disciple..."

Xiao Xiao lowered her head, clutching her clothes. "Miss Luo, what exactly do you want to say?"

Luo Yuanqing grew anxious and said, "I really don't understand. He took the 'Seven Killings' for you, betrayed his sect for you, and is now on the verge of death. Yet you only treat him as your senior uncle?"

Xiao Xiao remained silent.

Luo Yuanqing grew increasingly agitated and said, "Are you really stupid or just pretending to be confused?!"

Xiao Xiao raised her head slightly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something. Suddenly, she smelled a refreshing and pleasant fragrance.

A villager cried out in alarm, "Hold your breath! It's poisonous incense!"

Xiao Xiao immediately covered her mouth and nose. A light white mist had somehow enveloped the village. From within the hazy mist, a girl of about ten years old gracefully walked towards them. She wore a pale yellow Tang Dynasty-style dress with a light green ribbon, looking incredibly beautiful and charming. She carried a palace lantern, from which the white mist emanated, faintly tinged with an eerie quality. And she was none other than Bi Zi, the lantern-carrying girl beside Shi Mi.

Just as Xiao Xiao was surprised, Luo Yuanqing beside her collapsed softly.

"Miss Luo!" Xiao Xiao squatted down, extremely nervous.

At this moment, someone rushed over, sealed several of Luo Yuanqing's acupoints, and handed a porcelain bottle to Xiaoxiao, saying, "This poisonous incense will dissipate your internal energy. Take this medicine and calm your mind!"

Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously. She then realized that perhaps not having internal energy was a good thing. At least, she was completely unaffected right now.

At this moment, Yin Xiao and Li Si also rushed out. Seeing the situation before him, Yin Xiao took out the "Snow-Refined Silver Light" from his pocket and shot it out, attacking Bi Zi.

In the blink of an eye, someone rushed forward, blocked the silver needles, and stood in front of him.

Xiao Xiao recognized the man at a glance. Whether it was a tattoo or a birthmark, it covered most of his face, making him look ferocious and terrifying. Such a feature was hard to forget! This person was Gui Jiu, who had been beside Shi Mi that day.

Yin Xiao didn't care who the newcomer was. He drew his soft sword from his waist and charged forward.

Ghostly Ulva's weapon was a steel claw. Although he wasn't a top-tier master, he never held back when he attacked, his every move ruthless and desperate. Even Silver Owl, a seasoned veteran of the martial world, couldn't help but feel intimidated and hesitated to make a move.

At this moment, countless zombies emerged from the dense white mist, surged into the village, and entangled the villagers.

The fragrance around them grew stronger and stronger, and everyone felt weak and powerless.

Silver Owl felt his internal energy gradually dissipating, his strength waning, and he was increasingly unable to withstand Ghost Mortar's attacks. He watched helplessly as the steel claws drew closer, unable to dodge.

At the critical moment, the door behind Xiaoxiao was suddenly shaken open, and Bajitian struck out with a palm strike out of thin air.

Xiao Xiao felt the surrounding airflow suddenly change, and the sharp and fierce force was invisible and intangible, yet it struck directly, forcing Gui Jiu away.

"Hehe, Shennong's 'Circulation of Qi' is indeed powerful. Unfortunately, it's at its limit and nothing to fear." Bizi laughed and said loudly, "Welcome, Sect Master."

As soon as she finished speaking, several little girls carrying lanterns led the way, respectfully guiding Shi Mi forward. Shi Mi's eyelids were slightly lowered, and her hands were folded on her lower abdomen. The light blue dress she wore exuded the allure of the Tang Dynasty, yet also possessed an indescribable aloofness and nobility.

Shi Mi stopped, raised her eyes, and said, "Ba Jitian, if you're going to hide, you should keep a low profile... Going to Baicaoling to rescue people, is that a provocation against me?"

Bajitian, with his hands behind his back, said, "Baicaoling was originally Shennong's medicine storehouse, benefiting the people. You sealed off the ridge, fine, but you also placed walking corpses there, endangering lives. How can I sit idly by?"

Upon hearing this, Bizi retorted, "Insolence! The sect leader sealed off the mountain to prevent the theft of all herbs. He placed the walking corpses to defend against external enemies! What do you mean by harming people's lives!"

Ba Jitian frowned, "Little girl, you are one of the nine mid-grade envoys, yet you have no compassion for a healer whatsoever. You are a disgrace to the name of Shennong!"

"Hmph!" Bizi stepped forward. "What about the benevolence of a healer? Shennong healed the world and spread benevolence. Five years ago, wasn't he attacked by martial artists who coveted the elixir of immortality, and nearly wiped out?!" She gritted her teeth and said, "It's not that Shennong didn't save people, it's that people deserved to die, and Heaven wouldn't tolerate it!"

Bajitian shook her head and sighed softly, "Shimi... do you think so too?"

Shi Mi's expression remained indifferent. She spoke, saying, "I no longer have such feelings."

"'The Fiery God Awakens Heaven,' without joy or sorrow; the Five Elements are reversed, and divine power is boundless." Morinda officinalis recited this incantation in a mournful tone.

"Flame God Awakening Heaven"... I've heard of this internal energy technique. It's the Daoist sect's solar-flow internal energy, "Flame God Awakening Heaven." Legend has it that the once supreme internal energy of the martial world, "Taiyi Heart Sutra," was split in two: the solar-flow "Flame God Awakening Heaven" and the lunar-flow "Mysterious Moon Heart Sutra." This "Flame God Awakening Heaven" internal energy is intensely fierce and extraordinary. However, those who cultivate it must abstain from the seven emotions to suppress this frenzied internal energy. Over time, one becomes "without joy or sorrow"...

Shi Mi said, "Ba Ji Tian, although you are a first-class master of 'Qi Circulation,' you will not gain an advantage in a fight against my 'Flame God Awakening Heaven.' Out of consideration for our fellow disciples, if you hand over the 'Heavenly Coffin,' I can spare the lives of everyone here."

Bajitian laughed loudly, "'The Heavenly Coffin' is a sacred object of our sect. Even if it costs me my life, I will not hand it over to you! Shimi, you've brought the dead back to life and defied the heavens. Wake up!"

Shi Mi frowned. "I've already said, he's not dead!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the pitch-black magic needles floated around her, hidden in the mist, looking extremely terrifying.

Xiao Xiao felt a sense of fear and a chill in her heart. She looked up at Ba Jitian and saw that his brows were furrowed, his breathing was shallow, and he clearly looked tired.

Could it be…? She glanced at the room behind her. Just now, Bajitian had used up his true energy to help Wen Suxing and prolong his life. Now, how could he be a match for Shi Mi?

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but reach out and tug at Ba Jitian's sleeve.

"Elder..."

Bajitian looked at her, smiled, and stepped forward.

...

Neither joy nor sorrow

Bajitian looked at her, smiled, and stepped forward.

...This is a separator line connecting to the previous chapter = =+...