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“I fell asleep…” Shen Caihua said with tears of regret.

"I'm asleep too..." Dudu murmured shyly.

Han Sheng walked to the window and looked around, pondering, "The other party probably came in through the window. To be able to do it so quietly, their martial arts skills must be quite high."

“They went that way…” Shen Caihua sniffed the air and suddenly pointed in the direction of Enmei Kaijiang.

"I...I'll go take a look." Dudu said, flapping its wings and flying out of the window, heading straight for the riverbank.

“Caihua, can you still smell Mo Mo’s scent?” Han Sheng asked anxiously.

"Yes." Shen Caihua nodded.

“Alright, then let’s go after them right away,” Han Sheng said decisively.

After bidding farewell to their father, the group headed straight for the Enmai River, led by Shen Caihua. Amin also accompanied them, carrying a carbine.

In the early morning, the river was shrouded in mist. Shen Cai stopped in his tracks and said disappointedly, "I can't smell it anymore... They've probably left by boat."

Looking at the vast expanse of the river, Amin said, "Going downstream along the Nmai River, it joins the Irrawaddy River at Sanga, and then flows through Myitkyina and Mandalay all the way to Bogor, where it enters the Andaman Sea. After that, you can go around to Bangkok. I think they might be going downstream along the river..."

Jia Shiming shook his head and pondered, "This Elder Song is quite cunning and cannot be judged by common sense. I think he is very likely to use a feint to the east while attacking the west, and instead go against the current to get rid of us."

"Let's go to the dock ahead and ask around to see if anyone has spotted any suspicious boats," Amin said, pointing to the distance.

The group arrived at the small dock and spotted Amin's wooden boat moored on the shore. He hurried over to investigate and returned to say, "Early this morning, someone heard a motorboat heading upstream on the Nmai River. It's definitely not a local boat."

"Are there often boats passing by here in the early morning?" Jia Shiming asked.

“No, the upstream area is all continuous primeval rainforest, and there are no cities or villages, so apart from fishing boats, very few people go there,” Amin explained.

"Then it's highly likely that it's Elder Song and the others," Jia Shiming said with a rather certain tone.

“Then let’s take Ah Ming’s boat and catch up with them,” Han Sheng said finally.

Everyone boarded the wooden boat. Elder Peng helped Elder Anxi into the cabin, and Amin rowed upstream on the Enmei River.

Han Sheng stood at the bow of the boat, gazing at the misty river, thinking that he had finally found Mo Mo and the ancestor, and hoped that nothing else would happen to them.

Shen Caihua sat on the side of the boat, quietly took out the spirit fetus from his pocket, and when no one was paying attention, he hurriedly lowered his head and whispered, "Spirit fetus, tell me quickly, do you know where Momo went?"

Upon hearing this, Lingtai closed her eyes and fell into deep thought. After a while, she opened her eyes and said in a delicate northern Jiangxi accent, "She is on a large boat. The banks of the river are lined with dense forests, and she is heading north." With that, she pointed her little hand towards the upper reaches of the Enmai River.

Dark clouds drifted by, and the cool moonlight spilled across the sky and earth.

Mo Mo floated diagonally to the bow of the boat, and caught a glimpse of her mother being dragged into the cabin by a human head. She was immediately stunned...

"Meow..." Just then, the big black cat "Little Cui'er" darted out of Mo Mo's arms, pounced to the cabin door, and fiercely swung its two sharp claws toward the human head...

Elder Song was shocked. Before his head could return to his body, a ferocious cat suddenly pounced on him. "Kongsa!" he shouted in panic.

With two sharp "swoosh" sounds, the cat's claws tore two bloody marks on his face, almost injuring his eyes. "Meow..." The big black cat opened its blood-red mouth and lunged at his face again...

A black-robed sorcerer inside the cabin rushed over upon hearing the noise. Seeing the situation was dire, he quickly pulled out a small bamboo tube, uncorked it, and saw a flash of golden light in the darkness. Something leaped out and headed straight for the big black cat.

Little Cui'er caught a glimpse of the golden light. Being a clever cat, it immediately sensed the approaching danger. It quickly arched its back and leaped back to Mo Mo's feet, letting out a fearful howl.

Under the moonlight, a silkworm about an inch in size suddenly jumped down onto the deck of the ship. It was an eight-legged, flat oval shape with an unusually large head and two large, bulging eyes. Its entire body was golden yellow. This was the Golden Silkworm Gu.

The sorcerer who concocts the Golden Silkworm Gu (a type of venomous insect) does so by placing more than ten kinds of poisonous insects, including snakes, centipedes, scorpions, lizards, earthworms, and toads, together in a sealed jar, letting them kill and eat each other. After a year, only one remains, its form and color completely changed. It becomes shaped like a silkworm, with golden skin, extremely poisonous, and possesses simple thinking, absolutely obedient to its master, and willingly submitting to their commands.

Elder Song's "flying head" took the opportunity to return to his body. Before he could catch his breath, he hurriedly ordered the helmsman he had hired in the cockpit to go full speed ahead and head upstream on the Enmai River. There was a very secluded cave on a cliff by the river deep in the rainforest. He had hidden there in his early years to practice "Flying Head Descent". Now he was returning to his old haunts to prepare to practice Elder Fang's "Yin Xiang Ren" again.

Under the moonlight, Elder Song was surprised to find a little girl standing motionless on the bow of the boat. It was the same girl who had spat out a giant blood flea during the magical battle in the village. He was overjoyed and cried out urgently, "Kongsa, Kongsa, this elder has had such a great haul tonight..."

Kongsa, a bearded man, rushed over, carrying his underwear; he had just gone to relieve himself.

"Huh, the girl who spits blood fleas?" Kongsa said in surprise, "Is she a little sorcerer too?"

"Hehe..." Elder Song laughed with satisfaction, "Back then, the 'blood curse' of Cha Weng Bing of Mengla made the whole Southeast Asia and the South Seas tremble with fear. Even the Siamese royal family was afraid of it. After he disappeared, the 'blood curse' never appeared again."

“Yes, Elder, all the sorcerers believe that Mengla Chaweng Bing is probably dead, and his ‘blood sorcery’ and ‘yin-xiangren’ secret techniques have been lost.” Kongsa nodded in agreement.

Elder Song pointed at Mo Mo and said smugly, "This little girl is spitting out blood fleas. Isn't she the 'Blood Curse,' the number one sorcerer in Southeast Asia, from Mengla Chaweng Bing? In my opinion, this girl must have a remarkable background..."

Kongsa looked at Momo hesitantly, and asked in confusion, "Could it be that Mengla Chaweng Bing is still alive?"

“It’s possible!” Elder Song nodded. “This little girl might be his successor.”

By this time, Mo Mo had recovered her senses and shouted loudly, "Why did you take my mother away?"

Elder Song and Kongsa looked at each other, none of them understanding Chinese.

"Speak up! Why did you arrest my mother!" Mo Mo was furious, stomping her foot and shouting angrily.

Elder Song scratched his head anxiously, muttering repeatedly, "Oh dear, what on earth is she saying?"

"The little girl said, 'Why did you take her mother away?'" At that moment, a voice answered from inside the cabin...

The speaker was Yan Tong, the Thai boat owner who had hired the motorboat from Elder Song. He was wearing a white collarless shirt and had his head sticking out of the cockpit as he explained.

"You understand Chinese?" Elder Song asked in surprise.

"I am Chinese, and my ancestral home is Mengla, Yunnan," the elderly boat owner replied as he steered his motorboat.

“That’s great! Quickly ask her if she knows Mengla Chaweng Bing!” Elder Song said hastily.

The boat owner repeated it in broken Mandarin with a pleasant expression.

“Mongla Chaweng Bing…that’s my master!” Mo Mo exclaimed in surprise.

“Mongla Chaweng Bing is the little girl’s master,” the boat owner said to Elder Song.

Elder Song felt a surge of excitement and asked impatiently, "Where is Mengla Chaweng Bing now?"

"Where is your master, Mengla Chaweng Bing?" the boat owner translated.

Upon hearing this, Mo Mo immediately became alert. Ignoring him, she glanced at him and ran straight to the cabin, shouting, "Give me back my mother..."

"Meow..." The big black cat immediately issued a warning.

The golden silkworm lay prone on the deck, eagerly awaiting its master's command to attack.

"Quickly put away the Golden Silkworm Gu!" Elder Song ordered urgently, fearing that the ferocious Golden Silkworm might harm the little girl.

The black-robed sorcerer chanted a spell, and the golden silkworm sprang back with a "whoosh," accurately retreating into the bamboo tube. The man casually put the stopper on the tube and then stuffed it into his pocket.

Mo Mo threw herself onto the old ancestor, looked her over carefully, and found no injuries. She then felt relieved, gently picked her up, and retreated to the bow of the boat.

Elder Song said confidently, "Kongsa, go to the cabin and find some food. We need to establish some friendship with this successor of Mengla Chaweng Bing."

"Yes." Kongsa went into the cabin, and soon brought out a plate of fried ant eggs with onions and peppers. This is a traditional Siamese delicacy, which is extremely nutritious.

"Little girl, are you hungry? These ant eggs are fragrant and crispy, they're so delicious..." Elder Song said kindly, casually picking up a pea-sized ant egg and throwing it into his mouth, crunching it down and swallowing it.

"Meow..." the big black cat warned again.

Mo Mo ignored Elder Song and turned her head away, looking at the vast river shrouded in mist with worry. She knew very well that these were bad people, and that she and her mother were trapped on this boat... If they were closer to the shore, they could use the "Five Forms of Bodhidharma" lightness skill to leap up, but they were in the middle of the river, surrounded by white water, and there was no way they could escape.

Seeing that Mo Mo wasn't eating, Elder Song scratched his head and asked Kong Sa, "Is there any way to get her to tell me about Mengla Chaweng Bing?"

Kongsa thought for a moment and said, "Children have simple minds. If you coax and deceive them, they will definitely tell you."

"Hmm, that's well said. Here's what we'll do: you go to the cockpit and start the ship, and replace Yan Tong as my translator," Elder Song instructed.

Old Man Yantong arrived and smiled warmly at Momo.

"Tell her that I am the junior brother of Mengla Chaweng Bing, and that I have not seen my senior brother for many years and miss him very much..." Elder Song instructed.

Iwatsu translated the words truthfully.

Mo Mo looked at Elder Song with suspicion, then shook her head and said, "I don't believe it."

Seeing that Mo Mo didn't believe him, Elder Song suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Wait a minute, I'll show you something and you'll believe me." Then he hurriedly ran into the cabin.

At this moment, the motorboat is running at full speed, heading upstream along the Nmai River.

Chapter 185

Elder Song emerged from the cabin, holding a black-and-white photograph in his hand. He excitedly ran to Mo Mo's side and said to her, "Look who this is!"

Mo Mo's gaze fell on the slightly yellowed old photograph. An old sorcerer with bare feet, a cloth wrapped around his head, an aquiline nose, sunken eyes, and a full beard was sitting cross-legged on a large blue stone, playing a blood flute...

“Master Bing… Father Bing…” Mo Mo’s heart warmed, and her eyes welled up with tears. She recalled a long, long time ago, deep in the rainforest, when she and the ghost baby Xiao Caihua rode on Menglachaweng Bing’s neck and played together…

Elder Song smiled as he looked at the little girl, thinking to himself, "She really is the successor of Meng Lacha Weng Bing, the most evil sorcerer in Southeast Asia back then, and the only successor of the secret arts of Elder Fang during the Ayutthaya Dynasty. The two unparalleled arts, 'Blood Curse' and 'Yin Xiang Ren,' are both on her... Hmm, I never thought that what so many sorcerers have dreamed of for hundreds of years would actually come to me on its own."

"I am the junior brother of Mong La Cha Weng Bing, which means I am your senior uncle, your elder, do you understand?" Elder Song said with unusual kindness, "Poor child, it seems you must have suffered a lot?"

Iwatsu translated Elder Sho's words as before.

Hearing this, Mo Mo felt a pang of sorrow. She didn't know if Master Bing had any fellow disciples, or even anything at all. Back then, Monglachawong Bing used the "Infusion Technique" to forcibly implant two unparalleled secret arts—"Blood Curse" and "Yin Physiognomy"—along with his belief in revenge against Monglachawong Khunpa, into her mind. One day when she grew up, those latent messages would suddenly awaken, and she would remember everything. Then, she would kill her enemy, the Grand Master Khunpa, with the most ruthless means, becoming the greatest sorcerer in Siam since the Thonburi Dynasty.

"Child, what is your name?" Elder Song asked.

"MoMo." MoMo hesitated for a moment, but finally told him.

Elder Song was secretly pleased to see that the little girl was willing to talk to him. Then he said with utmost sincerity, "Little Mo Mo, since you parted ways with Senior Brother Bing several years ago, I have not heard from you at all. I miss you terribly. I wonder how you are now?"

“Master Bing died long ago,” Mo Mo said quietly.

Dead? So Monglachawong Bing is dead... Although Elder Song had some idea, he was still shocked to hear this. He said with a sorrowful expression, "Little Momo, how did Senior Brother Bing die?"

“He was killed by the Grand Master Menglachawong Kunba,” Momo replied.

Elder Song was truly taken aback this time. As far as he knew, there was a Grand Master named Mongrachawong Khunpa in the Siamese Royal Palace more than ten years ago, but he had heard that he had died many years ago...

"Didn't the Grand Master Mong La Cha Wong Kunpa die many years ago?" Elder Song asked with considerable doubt.

"No, he kidnapped my mother and turned her into a 'yin-faced person'," Mo Mo said indignantly.

"So where is Monglachawong Kunpa now?" Elder Song asked cautiously.

“I killed him.” Momo recalled the scene in the rainforest where Kunba was covered in blood and was gnawing on his own limbs with relish, and a cruel smile appeared on her lips.

"You..." Elder Song was shocked upon hearing this. This little girl, only six or seven years old, had actually killed the Grand Preceptor, Mongla Chawang Kunba? It was simply unbelievable. He asked cautiously and nervously, "How did you kill him?"

"Blood curse," Mo Mo answered proudly, then suddenly blurted out, "Father Bing said I am the greatest sorcerer in Siam since the Thonburi Dynasty."

Elder Song remained silent upon hearing this. After a long while, he quietly said, "You've learned Senior Brother Bing's 'Blood Curse' and 'Yin Appearance Man' secret techniques?"

"Yes," Mo Mo replied confidently, looking at him.

"Little Mo Mo, you are my grand-nephew, so I must give you some advice. The art of black magic originated from the Gu magic of the Miao region in Sichuan and Yunnan, China. It spread to Southeast Asia 1,600 years ago and evolved by combining with ancient Siamese witchcraft. It can save people from life and death, and it can also harm people invisibly. Therefore, Siamese black magic and Chinese Xiangxi Gu magic are considered the two great evil arts in the world." Elder Song said slowly.

The ship owner, Yan Tong, translated every single word.

Mo Mo was very curious when she first heard about black magic.