Куры и собаки летают в хаосе и возрождении

Глава 34

"Then let's wait for him here." Xia Chen pulled Luo Shimin to sit down on the grass by the door. "I have to go back to take care of Shui Lan, so I won't stay with you." Hu Rongrong turned and left.

The sunlight felt warm and comforting on him. Xia Chen breathed in the faint fragrance emanating from Luo Shimin, and his mind instantly relaxed. He temporarily cast aside all his problems and worries, enjoying a moment of tranquility, his mind blank, simply staying there quietly. Luo Shimin's heart had never been so peaceful before. Leaning against Xia Chen, she felt as if she had grasped the tail of happiness. A thousand words welled up in her heart, all of which transformed into gentle breezes that blew into Xia Chen's heart.

A muffled engine roared through the street. Xia Chen opened his eyes. Luo Xie was there; he would have fallen asleep in a few minutes. He pulled Luo Shimin up, and a handsome man with long silver hair stood before them. This man was like a blade, exuding an invisible killing intent wherever he went. He was Luo Shimin's brother, Luo Xie, the killing god of the Batian Gang.

"Long time no see," Xia Chen greeted Luo Xie politely. "How have you been lately?"

"Oh no, the plan to acquire the Xia Group has encountered an obstacle. It seems that the major shareholder of the Xia Group received the news and disappeared overnight, hiding somewhere unknown. I'm investigating who leaked the information. Let me find out who it is and I'll deal with them."

"Hey, little Luo, have you missed your sister?" A woman jumped out of Luo Xie's car, her voice almost melting one's bones. An absolutely alluring woman. Xia Chen had never believed in truly stunning beauties. Beauty, in the end, was just a number, the golden ratio. Modern medical technology could create a ton of beauties according to that ratio; after a while, you'd get tired of them, experience aesthetic fatigue—how could they be stunning? But seeing the woman before him, Xia Chen believed. This woman wore a purple, tight-fitting dress that perfectly accentuated her figure, the high slit revealing glimpses of black lace panties. Above, a cascade of jet-black curls flowed down to her slender waist, revealing glimpses of her radiant skin. Her chest was covered in a large expanse of snow-white skin, her breasts high and firm, the design revealing most of her nipples. Her face was even more beautiful, her eyes filled with affection, a shy yet seductive allure, her rosy lips slightly upturned. Xia Chen reacted instinctively. This is terrible! What is Luo Xie doing bringing such a glamorous woman along?

Luo Shimin noticed that Xia Chen was staring blankly at the woman in front of him, his breathing becoming a little rapid. Knowing what he was thinking, she nudged him and said, "This is the Meng Po I told you about. She's a dangerous person. You should stay away from her."

Xia Chen snapped out of his daze, nearly popping his eyes out. He had imagined the "Dream Granny" Luo Shimin spoke of would be an old woman in her fifties or sixties, with a full head of white hair, dressed in a black robe, and exuding a strange odor. Or perhaps a middle-aged woman, plump, with long nails, holding a crystal ball, and accompanied by a black cat. He never imagined the Dream Granny would be the sexy and alluring woman before him, who looked only a few years older than Luo Shimin. She must have come from the mountains of western Hunan; Luo Shimin must have made a mistake.

"Little Luo is jealous? I was just greeting the handsome young man. How could I, a simple-minded woman, be in danger?" Meng Po walked up to Xia Chen, swaying her slender waist, her breasts trembling, almost bumping into him. Xia Chen quickly took two steps back; if Luo Shimin hadn't grabbed him, he would have fallen onto the grass.

Luo Xie said unhappily.

"Meng Xuanxue, stop fooling around. Don't forget why we're here."

"Oh, I understand." Granny Meng stood obediently in place. "Where is the patient? Take me there."

Xia Chen and Luo Shimin led the way, Luo Shimin clinging tightly to Xia Chen's arm in a show of defiance. Xia Chen thought to himself, "So Meng Po's name is Meng Xuanxue. She seems very concerned about Luo Xie, and their relationship is somewhat ambiguous. The truth might not be as Luo Shimin said; Meng Po might have fallen in love with Luo Xie and directly betrayed him. Yes, that must be it."

Luo Shimin whispered in Xia Chen's ear, "What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about that slut behind you? Let me tell you, she's my brother's ex-girlfriend. Rongrong and my brother broke up because of her. Stay away from her, she's a dangerous person." The words reached Meng Po's ears, and Meng Po said coquettishly, "Little Luo, don't spread rumors and hurt her. It will scare the handsome young man. She's as gentle as water, how could she be dangerous?"

From their brief first encounter, Xia Chen sensed that Meng Po was no ordinary person. He thought to himself, "The Overlord Gang is hiding such a powerful figure. With the Xia Group having grown to its current size, could there also be a few such individuals hidden within? If so, why don't they come out to deal with Fly Eye? Is Fly Eye too strong to handle? Or is there another reason?"

“The intensive care unit is just ahead.” Luo Shimin stopped. “But it’s not visiting hours now, the nurses won’t let us in.”

Luo Xie said, "You guys go ahead, I'll take care of them."

“I’ll go,” Meng Po said, pulling Luo Xie back. “You’re too fierce. You’ll scare the young girls. You have to be gentle with women.” Meng Gu swayed her slender waist as she walked toward the nurses’ station. Xia Chen was a little worried about her hips. What if she twisted them into a pretzel? Curious, Xia Chen followed her. He wanted to see what methods Meng Gu would use to deal with the nurses at the nurses’ station.

The nurses at the station had already noticed the glamorous woman; three pairs of eyes were fixed on her. As she approached, one of the nurses asked, "Do you need any help?"

The old woman didn't speak, but flicked her finger at the nurse's face, exhaling a puff of yellow smoke with a sweet fragrance. All three nurses fainted after just one inhalation. "What a powerful sleeping potion!" Xia Chen immediately covered his nose. Even from five or six meters away, a wisp of fragrance still reached his nostrils, making him feel dizzy and about to faint. Luo Shimin pulled him to the window, where he took several deep breaths of fresh air, feeling slightly better. The old woman chuckled, "Little handsome boy, you're too impatient. Let's have a heart-to-heart talk when Little Luo isn't around."

"Stay away from him." Hu Rongrong appeared, and the two women glared at each other. Xia Chen could smell the gunpowder in the air.

Luo Xie didn't know how to handle it, so he could only say,

"Can we save people first?"

Meng Po said sweetly, "Brother Xie, I helped you this time, you have to treat me to a meal." "You sly fox!" Hu Rongrong snorted and walked into the intensive care unit.

"Let's save them first." Luo Xie was a little annoyed. If he didn't let Meng Po help, Hu Rongrong would be very upset if Zheng Yubing got into trouble. If he let Meng Po help, he would have to treat Meng Po to a meal afterward, which would make Hu Rongrong very angry. He would be pleasing neither side. Why bother?

Meng Po walked into the intensive care unit, stared at Zheng Yubing in the sterile room for a long time, her expression changed drastically, and she said in a low voice, "This seems to be miasma, or even the highest level of miasma, 'Thousand-Eyed Miasma,' it's unbelievable."

Xia Chen asked anxiously, "What is miasma magic? I've never heard of it before."

Meng Po walked around the sterile room. "Miasma magic, like other forms of sorcery, originated in the late Song Dynasty. It's a type of magic that utilizes the special power of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements to harm living beings that have triggered certain necessary conditions. Legend has it that the earliest miasma magic evolved from the Maoshan magic of Taoism. A man named Luo Youchang was once a disciple of the Maoshan sect, but later, because he used Maoshan magic for personal gain or revenge, he was expelled from the sect after having his legs broken by the then-leader of the Maoshan sect. After being expelled, Luo Youchang not only didn't..." Instead of repenting, he harbored deep resentment, which he then transferred to everyone else. He abandoned his study of Maoshan magic and began to focus on transforming certain spells into harmful techniques, recruiting many wicked followers. By the early Yuan Dynasty, Luo Youchang had established the "Jiangjiao" (降教, literally "Subjugation Sect"), and the name "Jiangjiao" (降术, literally "Subjugation Technique") originated from this. At this time, miasma magic was still considered a type of Jiangjiao, much less powerful than other forms of Jiangjiao, and few people practiced it. In the mid-Yuan Dynasty, a man named Luo Kexia from the Luojiao sect traveled to western Hunan and saw that the region was full of towering mountains. The ridges and valleys are often shrouded in naturally formed miasma. After years of dedicated research, combining local witchcraft with his own methods, he perfected the miasma magic system, creating a system even more powerful than curses. Compared to curses, miasma magic has advantages such as less backlash, greater difficulty in breaking it, and less noticeability; however, it requires a long and arduous learning process, and few succeed. Even Luo Kexia felt that miasma magic was too insidious, so he only took on five disciples. Miasma magic disappeared from Xiangxi in less than a century. I have only seen related information in secret texts. Introduction. Because the ancient masters have always held miasma in very high regard, this left a particularly deep impression on me. The 'Thousand-Eyed Miasma' used by this girl is an extremely advanced form of miasma magic, appearing only once in historical records. Even a gathering of masters from Buddhism, Taoism, and Witchcraft couldn't break it. It's said that mastering the Thousand-Eyed Miasma requires not only exceptional intelligence but also extraordinary talent, the specifics of which are unknown. Besides the caster dispelling the miasma, the only way to break it is to kill the caster.

Meng Po's words were a bucket of cold water on everyone's enthusiasm. If the caster were willing to let go, they wouldn't need to rush. Killing was easy; Luo Xie had probably killed so many people he couldn't even count them himself. The problem was finding the right person to kill. Only the thick-skinned Luo Shimin spoke up.

"So our Luo family has produced so many remarkable figures. Brother, you still have a long way to go. You need to work harder. Do you think we might be descendants of Luo Youchang or Luo Kexia?" Luo Xie looked at his sister speechlessly.

Xia Chen said, "Don't you have the ability to make people enter other people's dreams? If you let me enter her dream, maybe I can find out who cast the spell."

The old woman said seriously, "I can let you enter her dream, but young man, have you thought it through? This girl is under the influence of miasma magic. The methods of casting miasma magic are extremely strange. If you enter her dream, you may also be affected by miasma magic. You should think carefully, as this concerns your life. If something happens to you, Xiao Luo will be very sad."

Xia Chen said firmly, "This is the only way. Only by finding out who cast the spell can Zheng Yubing have a chance to live. I've always been lucky, I won't be in any trouble."

Luo Shimin gritted her teeth and said, "I want to enter the dream together."

Luo Xie stopped his sister, "Let Xia Chen and I go together. With me here, Xia will be fine. Meng Po, I believe in your abilities. If you sense any danger, pull us both out of her dream immediately."

Meng Gu's entire demeanor suddenly changed, becoming serious. "Alright, I, Meng Po, am also eager to see what makes the renowned miasma technique so unique."

009 Dream of Divine Strategies

"How should we cooperate with you?" Xia Chen was a little nervous. After all, it was his first time entering someone else's dream, or in a sense, entering someone else's mind. This would be an unforgettable experience.

The old woman in the dream had many pretty transparent glass bottles, each only the size of a thumb, filled with colorful liquids. "You don't need to do anything. Just sit quietly in the chair and relax." She then took out a small dish and poured several liquids into it, stirring them well.

He didn't see her carrying a bag, and there were no pockets on her clothes. Where did all this stuff come from? Xia Chen carefully observed Meng Po's every move. Meng Po noticed Xia Chen watching her and deliberately turned around, slowing her movements. She reached her fingers into her cleavage and slowly pulled out a lighter. Xia Chen almost had a nosebleed. In the blink of an eye, he saw Luo Shimin's face was as cold as ice, and the veins on her hands were bulging. She was clearly on the verge of exploding. Xia Chen quickly looked down at the ground, his feelings extremely complicated. Meng Po smiled ambiguously and took out two small white paper packets from her cleavage. Inside were some yellow powders. She poured them into a cup, stirred them well, and placed them in front of Xia Chen and Luo Xie.

The old woman, Meng Po, approached the two with a small dish and heated the bottom of it with a lighter. Xia Chen smelled a strange fragrance, and his mind became even clearer, his energy more abundant. The fatigue from not sleeping last night vanished, and he felt no sleepiness whatsoever. Xia Chen looked at Luo Xie in confusion; he also showed no signs of sleepiness. Was this some kind of dream? How could one dream without sleeping? Had something gone wrong?

Seeing that the liquid in the small dish had evaporated, the old woman said to the two of them, "Drink the water in the cup."

Luo Xie picked it up and drank it all in one gulp without the slightest hesitation. Xia Chen took the cup and smelled it first; the pungent smell assaulted his brain, bringing tears to his eyes. Could this stuff be drunk? In Xia Chen's memory, he couldn't think of anything that could compare to this taste. Meng Po urged, "Drink it quickly." Seeing that Luo Xie seemed to have fallen asleep, Xia Chen pinched his nose and gulped down the yellow liquid in the cup.

A strange feeling welled up inside him; everything before him seemed unreal, as if he were dreaming, a bizarre and absurd dream. The surrounding scenery gradually blurred, a layer of mist veiling his eyes. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, finally closing. In the darkness, his body plummeted rapidly. He frantically waved his arms and legs, trying to grab onto something, but to no avail. He shouted again, "Luo Xie, where are you?" His voice faded into the distance, but no one answered. Xia Chen closed his eyes, and after an unknown amount of time, he opened them again, and a scene unfolded before him.

Before him lay a narrow street, sparsely populated, but strangely dressed. Some men wore old-fashioned suits, others grey robes, while the women all wore cheongsams. The street was lined with mostly single-story houses, with only one or two two-story buildings. Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage would trot past. Xia Chen quickly realized this was a street in the capital city a hundred years ago. He wondered why Zheng Yubing would dream of this; everything around her felt so real, a feeling only someone who had experienced it firsthand could have. Zheng Yubing was barely in her early twenties—where did she get such experiences?

A sudden cry startled Xia Chen. He looked around but couldn't find a child. The crying seemed to be coming from right next to him.

"Little Tian Zi, be good, don't cry! Mommy's holding you." A kind-looking woman picked Xia Chen up. Xia Chen was stunned, not because he had turned into a baby girl, but because of the little girl's name: Tian Zi! A legendary name, the name of a woman who mysteriously disappeared a hundred years ago on the campus of Yishi Academy. Zheng Yubing and Tian Zi had no connection whatsoever, so why was she dreaming of Tian Zi? Could it be that Fly Eye and Thousand-Eyed Miasma were related to Tian Zi? Xia Chen was eager to know the answer, but the dream was beyond his control, and he could only watch helplessly. What followed was not just a little boring, it was utterly boring. Watching little Tian Zi eat and sleep, growing up day by day. He did make a discovery: little Tian Zi was weak and sickly, often had fevers, and would suddenly burst into tears for no reason, as if she had been frightened, but from Xia Chen's perspective, he saw nothing. Tian Zi's parents took her to see many doctors, both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, spending a lot of money, but her illness did not improve at all.

One day, Tian Zi fell ill again, suddenly bursting into tears before developing a low-grade fever. Tian Zi's father hadn't received his salary yet, and the family was out of money. Tian Zi's mother held Tian Zi in her arms as they basked in the sun at the front door.

An old Taoist priest with a white beard appeared!

The old Taoist priest wore a gray robe and had an air of otherworldly elegance. His hair and beard were white, but his face was wrinkle-free, and his skin was even more delicate than Tian Zi's. He held a sword in his hand, which clearly indicated that he was no ordinary person. The old priest stared at little Tian Zi for a long time, which made Tian Zi's mother think that the old priest had ulterior motives. She picked up little Tian Zi and prepared to leave.

“Benefactor, please wait a moment.” The old Taoist priest called out to Tian Zi’s mother, “Does your child often cry for no reason, and is also weak and sickly, and cannot be cured no matter what treatment he receives?”

Tian Zi's mother stopped in her tracks. Seeing that the old Taoist priest didn't seem like a bad person, she hesitated for a moment and asked, "How did you know?"

The old Taoist bowed and introduced himself, "I am Duan Ganyuanzhi, Taoist name Yunchengzi, a disciple of the Maoshan Sect. I am passing through this blessed land and am tired from my journey. May I rest here for a while?"

"Please go ahead, Taoist priest." The name of the Maoshan Sect is renowned, and even a three-year-old child has heard the stories of Maoshan Taoist priests subduing demons.

The old Taoist priest sat down next to Tian Zi's mother and reached out to tease Tian Zi a couple of times. "I wonder if your family has any other children, boys or girls?"

Tian Zi didn't know what the old Taoist was up to, but she told the truth, "We have no other children, only this one girl. The world is too chaotic, and we can't raise too many children. We'll be content as long as we can raise little Tian Zi to adulthood."

The old Taoist priest said regretfully, "This little girl was born with heterochromia. If you look closely, you'll see a faint black ring around her pupils. This eye is quite special; it's called the 'Thousand-Ring Eye.' Those who possess this eye can look down upon all beings in the Three Realms and Six Paths, and their cultivation of magic will be twice as effective. The reason the little girl suddenly cried is because she saw something that others cannot and was frightened. Our Duan family's ancestor possessed such eyes. It's a pity your child is a girl. Girls have heavy yin energy and are easily invaded by evil spirits, which will affect their lifespan. My sect doesn't allow female disciples. If it were a boy, I would definitely take him as my disciple; his future would be limitless."

Tian Zi's mother carefully examined Tian Zi's eyes and indeed found a faint dark circle around her pupils. She immediately realized the old Taoist was a master and knelt before him, pleading, "Living immortal, you are so capable, please find a way to save Tian Zi! She's our only child, she can't be harmed!"

"Get up quickly." The old Taoist helped Tian Zi's mother up. "Meeting is fate, I won't abandon her. The child is too young to control the Thousand-Eyed Eye. I can temporarily seal the Thousand-Eyed Eye. When she gets older and stronger, she may break the seal, or she may not. Even if the seal is broken, she will be fine, and evil spirits will not dare to approach her."

"Thank you, Daoist Master!" Tian Zi's mother was about to kowtow to the Daoist Master, but he helped her up. The old Daoist drew something on Tian Zi's forehead with his finger, then touched it. Xia Chen saw a golden light enter Tian Zi's forehead. The old Daoist seemed to have done something very strenuous, panting heavily. Tian Zi's mother touched Tian Zi's forehead; the fever had subsided, and her temperature was normal. The old Daoist stood up, took only a few steps, and then disappeared from sight.

The following nights were even more boring. Xia Chen wanted to sleep, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what he did. Even when Tian Zi was asleep, he remained awake. He watched Tian Zi grow up little by little with his eyes open. After countless ordinary nights, Xia Chen finally awaited an extraordinary one. Tian Zi was going to nursing school the next day! But on this very night, Xia Chen fell asleep, and when he woke up, the nursing school had transformed into something he had never seen before.

The campus was overgrown with waist-high weeds, none of the windows on the buildings were intact, the snow-white walls were blackened by smoke, the pillars at the entrance were riddled with bullet holes, and there was a dark red liquid on the steps, like dried blood. It seemed this place had just been ravaged by war. It was more like a ghost town than a school. Xia Chen cursed. Damn it, he'd missed so much exciting stuff while sleeping. He hoped Luo Xie hadn't fallen asleep; he'd seen what happened between Tian Zi, Xuan Xiaotong, Ade, the mute woman, and the two infants in a certain room of the academy on that stormy night.

Tian Zi wandered aimlessly through the school, like a walking corpse. She wore a filthy nurse's uniform, reeking of blood and the stench of death, as if she had just crawled out of hell or a pile of dead bodies. Xia Chen couldn't imagine what Tian Zi had gone through; the horror of war could only be known by experiencing it firsthand.

A woman's agonizing scream echoed from the old building. Tian Zi stopped and looked towards it. Xia Chen could sense Tian Zi's pent-up rage was about to explode. The woman's wailing continued from inside the old building. Tian Zi walked to the doorway, and a disheveled woman ran out, her face covered in blood, clearly having just been brutally beaten. The woman slipped and fell at Tian Zi's feet. Tian Zi didn't help her up. Three Japanese soldiers rushed out of the old building, saw Tian Zi, and lewdly said...

"Yaoxi, the flower girl's work."

Things unfolded very quickly, so quickly that Xia Chen didn't even see what happened. In the blink of an eye, three Japanese soldiers were dead, horribly murdered. They had plunged their hands into each other's stomachs, and their warm blood sprayed onto Tian Zi's face. A drop of blood landed on Tian Zi's lips; she stuck out her tongue and licked it. It tasted quite good; she liked it. The woman who had been saved showed no gratitude whatsoever to Tian Zi, who had saved her life. With another high-pitched scream, she ran out of the academy gates.

Tian Zi pushed open the door and entered the old building, stopping at the foot of the stairs. She stared intently at the steps, motionless. Xia Chen was somewhat excited; the secret of the stairs seemed about to be revealed. Unfortunately, another mishap occurred. Xia Chen's vision blurred, the light gradually dimmed, and finally, darkness completely replaced it. Xia Chen cursed, "What the hell!"

The darkness didn't last long. Before Xia Chen could utter his last curse, a new scene appeared before him. He was still in the academy, but not in front of the stairs. Instead, he was in a classroom. Xia Chen looked around; this seemed to be the art studio where Su Youqing's student, Liu Yanting, had been murdered.

Tian Zi stood at the sewer exit, still wearing her filthy, tattered white nurse's uniform, the original white color completely obscured. The front of the uniform was soaked in blood, the dried blood forming a hard shell, like armor. Heaven knows how many people she had killed. The stench of death emanating from her was even stronger than before. Xia Chen suspected she was already dead, transformed into a bloodthirsty and terrifying creature like a zombie.

In front of Tian Zi was an easel, and she was painting. Xia Chen glanced at her and had to admit that she was very talented. Among the people she knew, only the professional art teacher Su Youqing could compare to her. Tian Zi shifted her feet, and Xia Chen felt something sticky under his feet. He looked down and almost vomited. There was a pool of half-dried blood at Tian Zi's feet. She was walking barefoot on the blood without any discomfort, and was even humming a little tune leisurely. In the corner, five or six Japanese soldiers lay dead. When Xia Chen looked over, he saw a huge maggot crawling out of one of their eyes. He found the owner of the blood on the ground.

Suddenly, an old voice, filled with grief and indignation, said, "I never thought that such a scoundrel would emerge from my Duan family. This unfilial son, I must kill him." Xia Chen was startled. There was someone behind Tian Zi. Wait, the voice sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

The person behind Tian Zi said again, "Miss Tian, please tell me the whereabouts of those people. I can't let that evil plan called 'Nuwa' continue any longer. And the whereabouts of my grandson's family, after all, they are my Duan Gan family bloodline. They know nothing, they were just used by that unfilial son Duan Gan Feiguang."

Tian Zi said without any emotion, "Your grandson Duan Ganxiang was dead when I found him. His wife became mute after I saved her. She was also killed that night. Duan Ganxuanbang's brain has been opened and his blood core has been removed. His fate is unknown. Duan Ganxiaosheng is still in their hands. I don't know where he is."

“That beast Duan Ganfei, he even harmed his own family. I shouldn’t have told him the family secret. I should have killed him sooner.” The speaker cried as he spoke.

Tian Zi gently put down her paintbrush, slowly turned around, and said in a soft tone, "Yun Chengzi, teach me the art of miasma. Only when I master the 'Thousand-Eyed Miasma' can we deal with them. You have done me a favor, so I will help you kill Duan Ganfei and take back your great-grandson."

Xia Chen finally saw who was behind him—the old Taoist priest who had appeared at Xiao Tianzi's doorstep and sealed her 'Thousand Wheel Eyes'. More than twenty years had passed, and the old Taoist priest hadn't changed a bit. From their conversation, Xia Chen deduced that the old Taoist priest was at least a hundred years old, but looked to be at most fifty. Could the concept of cultivation really exist? If it weren't for the old man's heartbroken crying, tears and snot streaming down his face, somewhat damaging his image, Xia Chen would have truly believed the old Taoist priest to be a deity.

The old Taoist priest, utterly lacking in decorum, wiped his face with his sleeve, snot and tears staining the sleeve. He twitched a couple more times before saying, "Miss Tian, have you thought this through? Once you begin practicing the miasma technique, there's no turning back. Your life may undergo a major change. I don't know what will happen when the Thousand-Eyed Eyes combine with the Thousand-Eyed Miasma, and I can't predict it."

"Hehe..." Tian Zi chuckled evilly and pointed to a pile of rotting flesh in the corner, saying, "My life has already undergone a major change, hasn't it? I don't believe anything could be worse than this." Tian Zi rubbed her fingers and continued, "I've already killed many, many people, and I don't mind killing a few more."

“But…” the old Taoist priest reached into his robes, “But you killed only those who deserved to die. The Thousand-Eyed Miasma is, after all, an evil spell. I advise you to think it over again.”

Tian Zi stretched out her hand. "No need to think about it anymore, I've already made up my mind. Give it to me."

The old Taoist priest took out a tattered ancient book from his robes and gave it to Tian Zi. “The ancient book is somewhat damaged, and without a master of miasma magic to guide your practice, even though Miss Tian has naturally heterochromatic eyes, it is still extremely dangerous. Miss Tian, please be careful. During the days when you practice miasma magic, I will set up an array outside the house to prevent outsiders from disturbing your cultivation.”

"Thank you." Tian Zi turned around, her back to the old Taoist priest. The old Taoist priest sighed and left.

After a long while, a sentence finally came out of Tian Zi's mouth.

"Xuan Xiaotong, I won't let your plan succeed." With that, she turned to the first page of the ancient scroll. Xia Chen stared wide-eyed, eager to see what was so strange about this nearly thousand-year-old lost art of miasma manipulation. But fate intervened; darkness returned, plunging Xia Chen into darkness once more, where he could see nothing. He gradually realized that Zheng Yubing wasn't dreaming. Tian Zi had implanted fragments of her memories into Zheng Yubing's mind through miasma manipulation or some other means. He could only see what Tian Zi wanted him to see.

Having figured it out, Xia Chen was no longer in a hurry. He plopped down in the darkness, pondering the information he had gathered. The 'Nuwa Project' had started more than sixty years earlier than he had anticipated, seemingly related to some family members of the Duan Gan clan concealing it. Legend has it that the Duan Gan surname originated from Li Zong, the grandson of Laozi (Li Er), who is considered the founder of Taoism. Taoism originated in the State of Chu during the Warring States period. Laozi (Li Er) is said to have lived to be over 160 years old before becoming an immortal, revered as "Taishang Laojun" since the Song Dynasty. His work, the *Tao Te Ching*, is widely recognized as the source of Taoist thought. In the thousands of years of historical evolution that followed, Taoism's influence on Chinese culture has been profound. Although Buddhism almost dominated the development of religions in China after its introduction, Taoism has always maintained an unshakeable position among the people. Most folk rituals and methods for exorcising evil spirits and suppressing ghosts are derived from Taoist theory. Throughout China's thousands of years of history, Buddhism has primarily focused on prayer and sacrifice, while those at the forefront of exorcism and suppression of evil are mostly Taoist practitioners. The old Taoist priest's surname is Duan Gan; could the secrets of the Duan Gan family be related to Taoism?

The harsh reality didn't give Xia Chen much time to think. A dazzling white light appeared in the darkness, and the scene reappeared before his eyes. The image was blurry; even with his eyes wide open, Xia Chen couldn't make out his surroundings. He found himself in a gray, hazy world. Tian Zi gasped, and Xia Chen smelled blood. He couldn't understand what had happened. After a while, he heard Tian Zi's painful groans. She seemed to be injured, and seriously so.

After a while, Tian Zi struggled to sit up, leaning against the wall. Her vision cleared considerably, and Xia Chen could see clearly that Tian Zi was on the steps of the old building, the steps stained red with blood.

A joyful voice came from above the stairs, "Miss Tian, you're alive!"

Tian Zi looked up and saw the old Taoist priest lying on the stairs, his face pale. His lower body was a bloody mess, and most of the blood on the steps was his. He was still clutching half of his sword tightly in his hand. Beside him were several bluish-white insects, cut in half, about ten centimeters long, looking like large caterpillars. But they were definitely not ordinary caterpillars, because Xia Chen felt an inexplicable fear towards them after just one glance, as if they were something more terrifying than lions and tigers.

The old Taoist chuckled, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained his snow-white beard red. He said gleefully, "We finally killed that beast! I never imagined he'd become so powerful in just a few years. Luckily, the 'Nuwa Plan' isn't finished yet. Thank you, Miss Tian Zi, you've rid our Duan Gan family of a great scourge. My grandson Xiangzhen and his family can rest in peace now." Xia Chen then noticed a male corpse lying at the bottom of the stairs, probably in his fifties, with a broken sword protruding from his chest. His left side was naked, covered in grape-sized bumps, a truly disgusting sight. But these bumps were strange; their surface was blackish. Xia Chen looked closer, and his head spun. Cold sweat poured from every pore of his body. Those weren't bumps at all—they were eyes! Mentioning Duan Gan Xiangzhen's wife, the old Taoist's face twitched involuntarily, as if there was more to the story.

Tian Zi struggled to crawl towards the old Taoist priest, tearing a strip of cloth from her clothes to bandage his wounds. The old priest smiled and shook his head, refusing Tian Zi's offer. "Miss Tian, I know my injuries. Even if Bian Que or Hua Tuo were here, I wouldn't survive. You should take care of your own injuries; yours are quite serious too." Tian Zi seemed not to hear the old priest's words and continued bandaging his wounds.

The old Taoist priest shed a tear. His lips were pale from severe blood loss, and he trembled as he said, "Miss Tian, you are truly a good girl. I regret not taking you as my disciple back then. A single wrong thought led to this tragedy. I shouldn't have favored boys over girls. You are far superior to any man. My Duan family line is about to end. In the afterlife, I have no face to face my ancestors."

While bandaging the old Taoist priest, Tian Zi said, "The Duan family line will never be broken. Isn't Duan Gan Xiaosheng still alive? Although he is currently in the hands of that bitch Xuan Xiaotong, I assure you that I will find Xiaosheng, raise him to adulthood, and educate him to become a man of integrity, so that your Duan family line can continue."

Hearing Tian Zi's words, the old Taoist smiled with relief. He could already feel death approaching him step by step, but he still didn't forget to advise her, "Miss Tian, 'Thousand-Eyed Miasma' is still an evil spell. It's best if you use it sparingly. And there's the secret below..." The old Taoist was barely able to speak and could no longer continue.

Tian Zi sobbed twice, "I will listen to you and try to use 'Thousand-Eyed Miasma' as little as possible. As for the secret below, I will protect it with my whole life. No one can get close to it except the dead."

"Tian...Miss...I...want...want...to...have...a...disciple...like...you...so that...my life...would be complete!" The old Taoist priest, in his final moments, still had one wish unfulfilled, and could not breathe his last.

Tears blurred Tian Zi's vision. Although she and the old Taoist priest were not formally master and disciple, they were in fact master and disciple. The old Taoist priest had helped her a lot during her training in miasma techniques, and she had long regarded him as family. "Although you did not teach me, you gave me the ancient scrolls for training in miasma techniques. You are my master. Master, please accept my bow."

"Good...good...disciple..." The old Taoist priest breathed his last with a smile.