Апрель

Глава 37

Xiao Xiao was startled, only then noticing that she was tightly clutching the Divine Martial Token in her hand. "No way, is this considered showing the token?"

Wen Su paused for a moment, but immediately continued his attack, "Enough with the nonsense!"

What happened next stunned everyone. The girl, who had previously looked helpless, suddenly lowered her body and rushed towards Wen Su. Her movements were so fast that they couldn't be seen clearly.

Wen Su's hand holding the knife was stopped, and the blade was only an inch away from the old man's throat.

The girl frowned, looked up, and said, "Insolence! Seeing the Divine Martial Decree, why don't you unsheathe your sword?!"

"You're from Taiping City?!" Wen Su exclaimed in astonishment.

Xiao Xiao was also astonished. So it was her... You really can't judge a book by its cover!

The girl's eyes held a chilling, domineering air. "Step back, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Young girl, it's too early for you to talk big!" Wen Su frowned, changed his moves, and attacked the girl.

The girl swiftly dodged, picked up a broom from the side, and prepared to fight.

Although their weapons were vastly different, the girl seemed to be handling the situation with ease, showing no signs of being at a disadvantage.

After a few moves, Wen Su noticed something amiss and stepped back. "The Seventeenth Form of the Lan Sword?! You're from the Yue Lan Sword Sect?!"

The girl steadied herself and chuckled, "How was it?"

Wen Su frowned. The Seventeen Forms of the Storm Sword emphasize movement and speed, with swift and agile moves that are difficult to defend against. Even without internal energy cultivation, one can gain the upper hand through the dexterity of the techniques. This girl, though petite, is incredibly agile, and every move she makes is precise and skillful, showcasing the swordsmanship to its fullest potential. Defeating her will likely be difficult.

"The Yue Lan Sword Sect..." Xiao Xiao, standing to the side, was also incredibly surprised. This girl looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. If she was a disciple of the Yue Lan Sword Sect, could she be related to Xiao Jiang? If she remembered correctly, Yue Huaijiang had a twin sister, Yue Huaixi. Could it be her?

However, Lian Zhao, standing to the side, didn't take these things to heart at all. He walked straight up to the old man and said, "Old man, you should still have realgar on you, right?"

The old man looked up at him, then took out a packet of realgar and handed it to him.

Lian Zhao took the realgar and walked to Xiao Xiao's side. "Xiao Xiao, this place is not safe to stay. I will clear a path for you. You and this old man should leave quickly."

"Huh?" Xiaoxiao was stunned.

Lian Zhao took out an arrow from the quiver and smeared realgar on the arrowhead. "The old man is right, finding a way to break through is the most important thing."

"This young hero is indeed a man of great integrity," the old man said with a smile, praising him.

"No need." Lian Zhao's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction. "The scores that need to be settled still need to be settled."

After he finished speaking, he walked to the window, drew his bow, and prepared to shoot. A single twang of the string was followed by a mournful cry. A zombie fell to the ground, lifeless.

Xiao Xiao stood not far away, watching quietly. Even though he was being used, he didn't complain, just did what he was supposed to do. This feeling made her feel ashamed. She could only think of the most selfish things, trying her best to protect herself. ...If she had told him the truth from the beginning, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way tonight...

Seeing this, Wen Su and the girl stopped fighting.

The old man sighed softly and said, "I had no choice but to do this. In return, I will remove the 'Snow-Refined Silver Light' from this young lady's body..."

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao was taken aback. How did this old man know that she possessed the "Snow-Refined Silver Light"?

The old man said slowly, "I once felt the young lady's pulse on the river. At that time, I sensed a cold energy hidden in her pulse. The cold energy had already penetrated her meridians. I'm afraid that in another year or two, it will be too late to save her."

Xiao Xiao was stunned. No wonder they came from the Shennong family. How could they diagnose a pulse like that?

"I only wish to escape danger safely. If you are willing to help me, I will be eternally grateful," the old man said, his tone extremely sincere.

Wen Su frowned. "Fine, I'll settle the rest with you outside!" He turned around, walked up to Xiao Xiao, and asked reproachfully, "Why didn't you tell me you were hit by 'Snow-Refined Silver Light'?"

Xiao Xiao looked at him innocently, "You didn't give me a chance to speak, Uncle-Master..." Then she remembered something and said, "...You...didn't you even ask my name?"

Wen Su was stunned for a moment, speechless.

"We have a limited supply of arrows, so let's not waste any more time," Lian Zhao said, breaking the silence. Lian Zhao had already fired half a quiver of arrows, and half of the zombies outside the door had been eliminated. Seeing this, the others opened the door.

Outside the door, the bright moonlight spilled across the ground, reflecting off the peach blossoms on the trees, making them shimmer. The walking corpses, blocked outside the peach trees and broken by arrows coated with realgar, were at their weakest. If they wanted to break through, now was the only time.

As soon as they stepped out of the room, the zombies immediately stirred, their roars deafening. Lian Zhao didn't hesitate, firing three arrows simultaneously, felling three of them. Then, upon being touched with realgar, the white worms crawled out from the seven orifices of the corpses, writhing and convulsing on the ground.

Xiao Xiao mustered her courage and took out the short sword, Fei, from her pack, to protect herself. Wen Su walked beside her, still loosely holding his own sword. The old man and the young girl helped support the pale, numb boy, following behind them. Lian Zhao brought up the rear, covering the others.

"As expected of one of the Seven Lords, not only do you know the weaknesses of the zombies, but you've also found such a powerful helper..." A cold and eerie voice suddenly rang out, startling Xiao Xiao.

A figure slowly emerged from the zombies, crossed the realgar barrier, and stood before the group. Judging from the voice and the figure, it was a man. By the moonlight, Xiaoxiao could see a large patch of markings on the man's face, extending from his left cheek to below his right eye, completely obscuring his original features. Given the current situation, he looked even more grotesque and terrifying.

Without hesitation, Lian Zhao shot an arrow. The man spun around to dodge and caught the arrow.

"Realgar... works on zombies, but not on the living. Am I right, Master Lingyou?" the man said to the old man.

The old man's face was grim as he said in a trembling voice, "It really is you... Ghost Usori..."

The three souls are still unsettled [Part 2]

"It really was you... Oniguchi..."

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao began to understand. She had heard her master say that the Shennong family had a strict hierarchy, with only 365 disciples within the lineage, referring to the 365 medicinal herbs listed in the Shennong Materia Medica. The disciples' names were all derived from these herbs. Furthermore, according to the Shennong Materia Medica's classification of medicinal herbs as "superior grade is the sovereign, medium grade is the minister, and inferior grade is the assistant," the disciples were also ranked according to their status.

Among the "superior" disciples, seven hold great power in the Shennong family, collectively known as the "Seven Superior Lords." The one with the best medical skills among the "Seven Superior Lords" is qualified to serve as the head of the Shennong family.

Judging from the conversation between the two, the old man was naturally Lingyou, one of the "Seven Upper Lords" of the Shennong family. And the man manipulating the walking corpses was Guijiu… However, Xiaoxiao really didn't know which herb Guijiu was, or whether it was superior, middle, or inferior. But judging from their demeanor, this Guijiu was no pushover either.

Just as Xiao Xiao was thinking, she saw the boy who had been unconscious by having his acupoints pressed suddenly wake up, push away the people around him, and walk straight towards Gui Jiu.

Upon seeing this, Ling You immediately grabbed the boy.

Kijiru suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with utter sarcasm.

"The male and female Gu attract each other. I thought it was nonsense, but it turns out it's true... Well, that saves me trouble." Gui Jiu laughed. "Come here, young master."

Lingyou desperately pulled his son back, angrily shouting, "You actually raised a female Gu while still alive!"

Oniji smiled faintly, "It's better than that corpse next to you."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was horrified. Xiao Xiao had already thought that this "young master" was too numb and not like a living person, but she never expected that he really was a walking corpse!

"Hmph. You'll be raising a living worm, and you'll die a horrible death someday!" Ling You sneered.

Guijiu didn't take it seriously and turned to the group of people, saying, "Gentlemen, Lingyou is a traitor to my Shennong family. I am ordered to pursue him. Please do not meddle in my affairs. Leave now, and I guarantee that you will not be harmed in the slightest."

Xiao Xiao was overjoyed and was about to nod when Wen Su said, "What a joke! Back on the river, you disregarded the lives of so many people and manipulated zombies to attack. Now you say you'll let us go... Do you think we're three-year-old children?"

"..." Gui Jiu smiled. "As expected of the top disciple of the East Sea. That's right, I never intended for you to return alive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground suddenly cracked open, and several zombies sprang out of the soil.

Xiao Xiao was startled and took a few steps back. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the ground and grabbed her ankle.

"Ah—" Xiao Xiao cried out.

Lian Zhao turned around, drew his waist knife, and instantly severed the hand.

Xiao Xiao jumped aside, hiding behind him, still shaken. So all that nonsense Gui Jiu had been spouting was to give the zombies a chance to sneak in from underground. Was she destined to die here today?

"Looks like you're only good at manipulating zombies!" Wen Su chuckled, then charged forward with his sword.

Oniji dodged Wen Su's blade, secretly exerting force with his right hand. A spring in his sleeve activated, instantly revealing steel claws. Oniji immediately switched from defense to offense, parrying Wen Su's blade. Without hesitation, Wen Su drew back his sword and kicked at Oniji's chest. Oniji protected his heart with his steel claws and countered with a palm strike. Wen Su immediately retracted his leg, his blade shifting to a downward slash.

The change was swift and sharp; Oniu couldn't dodge in time, and the blade sliced into his right shoulder, cutting down to his chest. In an instant, blood gushed out, a horrifying sight.

Wen Su sheathed his sword and laughed, "With such abilities, you dare to come out and hunt down a traitor?"

Gui Jiu clutched his wound and staggered back several steps. At that moment, all the zombies stopped moving.

Wen Su was about to press his advantage when he saw Gui Jiu slowly straighten up. His clothes, torn by the blade, slowly slipped down. The moonlight clearly illuminated his wounds. However, a moment later, everyone was astonished. Under the moonlight, the blood stopped flowing, and his wounds healed at an eerie speed…

"What a pity..." Onius said with a smile, "You can't kill me..."

"The Longevity Gu?!" Xiao Xiao blurted out.

My master once told me a ghost story. There was a doctor, a master of medicine, who had saved countless lives. But he was powerless to save his own young son, watching helplessly as he died. Heartbroken, the doctor searched far and wide for a way to bring the dead back to life. Finally, in the Miao region of the Western Regions, he heard of a type of poison called "Longevity Gu," capable of reviving the dead. He studied it diligently for decades, searching the world, and finally found the Gu worm. He immediately used it on his son, who had turned to skeletal remains. Just as the legend said, his son was resurrected. However, no flesh grew back on the bones. His son became a moving skeleton, and the doctor went mad. And his son, in that state, lives on forever, still wandering the world to this day…

Little Xiaoxiao, still a child at the time, was terrified and cried after hearing this story. For several nights, she dreamt of the moving skeleton. So, her master would come to comfort her every night. Then, he would tell her that the story was a lie. The real "immortality gu" was passed down through the Shennong family; this gu could only accelerate the healing of the living's injuries, not bring the dead back to life… Now it seems that at least half of what her master said was true!

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, until she saw Onijiu staring straight at her. His face was already ugly, and the murderous intent in his eyes made him extremely terrifying.

"Now that we know about the 'Longevity Gu,' we can't let you live in this world!" Gui Jiu said coldly.

Xiao Xiao wanted to cry but couldn't, deeply regretting that she wasn't mute.

“Gui Jiu! Don’t you understand? I’ve painstakingly studied the ‘Longevity Gu,’ but all I’ve managed to create is a walking corpse… Bringing the dead back to life is defying the heavens, it’s simply impossible!” Ling You said.

“That’s because you only have male Gu…” Gui Jiu said slowly.

"Hahaha..." Ling You laughed, "Then do you know that the day the female Gu is fully developed is the day you die!"

"Hmph, even if I were to die, I would first offer the male Gu to the sect leader!" Gui Jiu's eyes shone brightly in the gloom, like stars.

“What a loyal dog…” Wen Su sheathed his sword and sneered.

"Looks like you've surrendered." Oniji laughed as the zombies around him gradually gathered, preparing to attack again.

Wen Su's expression was cold. He took out a bamboo tube from his pocket, opened the cap, and tossed it into the air. The bamboo tube exploded, flashing brightly.

A signal flare?

In an instant, several torches lit up, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime. The East Sea disciples, fully armed, surrounded the house. Rockets were launched in unison, and the zombies fell to the ground. The white "corpse-manipulating gu" were forced out by the heat of the flames, convulsing and struggling on the ground.

Podophyllum dodged the rocket, his face showing utter astonishment.

“Even with the ‘Longevity Gu’ protecting you, you can’t withstand so many rockets, can you?” Wen Su’s tone was calm and composed.

Oniu looked at him, "So, you had this all planned all along..."

Wen Su nodded calmly, without replying.

Xiao Xiao immediately breathed a sigh of relief. This martial uncle of hers really was something; if he was prepared, he should have said so earlier. He'd made her worry for so long…

"I never expected that the mantis would stalk the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind..." Gui Jiu smiled bitterly, "You and that old man were just strangers who met by chance, yet you went to such lengths to plan and save him..."

Wen Su's wrist remained casually resting on the hilt of his sword. He spoke somewhat indifferently, saying, "I didn't save him... I only want to ask one thing." He turned to look at Ling You, "Two months ago, a group of unscrupulous disciples of my East Sea Sect stole our sect's treasure, the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles,' intending to sell it at the 'Rare Goods Fair.' Although I intercepted them in time, the needles have since disappeared. There are rumors that this matter is related to the 'Shennong Family.' I wonder if either of you are aware of this?"

Guijiu and Lingyou remained silent, not uttering a word.

The Three Corpse Divine Needles? ...Wow, what a day! First the "Longevity Gu," then the "Three Corpse Divine Needles"? Xiao Xiao had only heard a distorted version of the "Longevity Gu" ghost story. But she knew the "Three Corpse Divine Needles" all too well—a set of needles made by the Qi family. Corresponding to 720 acupoints on the human body, it contained 720 needles. Legend had it that this set of needles, made of celestial iron, could both heal and kill. But after a hundred years of transmission, the complete set of 720 needles could no longer be found. Could it be that she was lucky enough to see these legendary needles today? ...Uh, she might as well not have that kind of luck.

"Hmph, I finally understand!" Ling You laughed. "What that little bitch Shi Mi wants to do is truly defying the heavens and is utterly overestimating herself!"

"Insolence!" Oniji roared.

"Outrageous?" Ling You retorted, "The outrageous ones are you and that little bitch Shi Mi! Back then, I secretly studied the 'Longevity Gu' and committed a grave offense. As a result, I was stripped of my martial arts and expelled from the Shennong Family by the former sect leader... And now, that little bitch, as the sect leader, knowingly violates the rules and disregards the prohibitions of my Shennong Family!"

"Shut up! If you dare to slander the sect leader again, I'll make sure you die a horrible death!" The murderous intent in Gui Jiu's eyes intensified.