Chapter 58 Little Dog, You Are My Little Dog

"What...what's going on?"

Xie Xun frowned, looking at the suddenly distorted scene, and felt a chill run down his spine.

Everything before him was beyond his comprehension. His great-grandfather's notes had not recorded anything similar, but based on his previous experiences, could it be another illusion?

Xie Xun subconsciously gripped the talismans with his fingertips, but several of them flew out without any effect.

"This is a Gu technique used by the Miao people to create illusions and confuse directions, called 'Lost in the Path'."

Fu Qinghuai shielded the person behind him, his body shrouded in black mist. "Stand still and keep your mind focused. Don't let these illusions distract you."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xun immediately held his breath and focused his mind, gripping the exorcism talisman tightly in his hand.

Just as he was concentrating on fighting the illusion before him, a small red Gu worm, taking advantage of the swaying bamboo shadows, silently landed on the back of his neck and quickly bit him.

A slight stinging pain came from the back of Xie Xun's neck. Before he could react, a sweet and cloying fragrance wafted from the bite site and filled his nostrils.

"not good!"

Alarm bells rang in his mind, and he immediately bit his tongue hard, trying to stay awake with the pain. But the fragrance was unusually overpowering, and a scene began to appear before his eyes that he couldn't distinguish from reality.

It was a familiar old street corner. Seven or eight-year-old boy had just finished fighting with several children who called him a "little charlatan" and a "bad luck charm." His face was still bruised, his clothes were torn, but his eyes were as fierce as those of an enraged little wolf.

The mother rushed over from across the street, her face showing no reproach, only deep heartache and anxiety.

"Ah Xun, are you alright? Come home with Mom, and don't fight!"

"I don't want to go home!"

At that time, he was arguing with his father, stubbornly refusing to go home.

The mother was extremely anxious and, without saying a word, hurriedly crossed the road to try and stop him. Just as she was about to reach him...

A screeching sound of brakes and screams rang out, followed by a dull thud. The woman was thrown out like a kite with a broken string, landing heavily in a pool of blood.

Xie Xun stood there, stunned, watching the blinding red spread across the sky. The world instantly lost all sound and color, leaving only the image of his mother lying in a pool of blood.

After a long while, he seemed to finally react, and screamed in a heart-wrenching voice:

"Mother--!"

"It's fake...it's all fake..."

Xie Xun was trembling violently, his face as pale as paper. He almost bit his lips raw, the taste of blood filling his mouth.

Even so, the last image in his mind was of his mother lying in a pool of blood, yet still trying to smile at him.

“Ah Xun…don’t be afraid, Mommy isn’t angry with you…come to Mommy…”

"No...no...it's my fault! It's my fault that you're in trouble!"

The self-blame and pain that had been building up for more than a decade were completely ignited by his mother's gentle smile and words, shattering all his pretense and psychological defenses.

If I had listened and gone home back then, would my mother have survived?

It's all my fault! It's all my fault! I'm such a jinx!

It was my words, "Don't go home," that killed her!

The last glimmer of clarity in his eyes was completely swallowed up by this tsunami of regret.

The mother, lying in a pool of blood, gently reached out her hand, her voice echoing, "Ah-Xun... come... come with Mom... come to Mom..."

These cries, twisted into a form of redemption in his heart consumed by guilt.

His mother came to take him away.

He would give his life to save his mother's life back then.

A life for a life, that's fair.

Once the thought arises, it can never be stopped.

Like a sinner who has finally found a way to atone, he staggered toward his mother, who was lying in a pool of blood, with an almost desperate sense of relief.

"Search!"

Fu Qinghuai turned his head and saw a smile on his face that was a mixture of atonement and relief. He was horrified and immediately realized that something was wrong.

This is simply someone who was misled and then actively sought death!

He suddenly reached out to grab Xie Xun, but the surrounding illusionary power seemed to sense Xie Xun's resolute will to die, and suddenly increased to its peak, with countless bamboo branches wrapping around him like steel shackles.

"court death!"

Fu Qinghuai's eyes were bloodshot, almost dripping with blood, and the raging black mist instantly shredded the bamboo branches that were wrapping around him into dust. But in that instant when the bamboo shavings were flying everywhere, he watched with bloodshot eyes as Xie Xun plunged into the river.

"Search!"

"Thump!"

The ground beneath Xie Xun's feet suddenly vanished, and he plunged headfirst into a pool of icy water!

The river water instantly submerged him, and the huge drop caused him to choke on several mouthfuls of water, feeling a wave of suffocation wash over him.

His mother shattered completely the moment he fell into the water, like a mirage, leaving him only with boundless darkness and biting cold enveloping him.

The icy river water felt like thousands of needles piercing his pores, and the burning pain from choking on the water tore at his trachea. Ironically, this brought a brief moment of clarity to his reason, which had been overwhelmed by the poison and grief.

Yes, Mom died a long time ago.

He died because of me.

In this world, there has never been any forgiveness or embrace waiting for me.

My mom... probably wishes I were dead, so she wouldn't even give me a hug.

I deserve to die.

This realization is colder than river water, striking straight to the depths of the soul.

He instinctively struggled, but the icy river water seemed to wrap around him like countless hands, gripping his hands and feet tightly, heavy and sticky.

Gradually, Xie Xun's consciousness began to blur, and his body gradually sank.

Suddenly, a figure plunged into the water, and a strong arm instantly wrapped around his waist, pulling him upwards.

However, the river suddenly became extremely turbulent, and a powerful undercurrent swept the two of them away, not allowing them to reach the shore, and violently propelled them downstream.

Fu Qinghuai held the person tightly in his arms, using his own ghostly power to withstand the entanglement of the water ghost and the impact of debris in the water.

He tried to steady himself, but the power of the undercurrent was far beyond ordinary, carrying them along a bumpy, drifting journey. Fu Qinghuai protected the person in his arms, the black mist enveloping them both, temporarily preventing the evil power from getting close.

After an unknown amount of time, with a splash, they were swept into a deep cave hidden behind a waterfall.

The cave was dimly lit, with only the faint light reflecting off the water. The two men had fallen onto the pebbles in the shallows, soaking wet and in a sorry state.

Fu Qinghuai immediately checked Xie Xun's condition, only to find that the person in his arms was not in good condition.

Xie Xun curled up, trembling slightly. His originally pale cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and his breathing became rapid and hot.

The icy river water temporarily suppressed the poison, but now that he was out of the cold water, his body temperature rose, and coupled with the emotional ups and downs he had just experienced, his spiritual energy became disordered.

The poison of the Love-Sickness Gu has finally taken full effect.

His eyes were glazed over, and his once clear and cold gaze was now misty. He subconsciously moved closer to the only source of heat beside him, letting out an unconscious moan, filled with an unbearable burning sensation.

Upon seeing this, Fu Qinghuai frowned.

This is a love potion!

Xie Xun was unconsciously snuggling into his arms. Her body temperature was unusually high under her damp clothes. Her usually aloof beauty was flushed, and her intermittent breathing was particularly clear in the cave.

"...It's that Li Nong!"

After a long pause, Fu Qinghuai squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, his eyes surging with murderous intent.

If he weren't by Xie Xun's side, would Li Nong have succeeded?

But what's more troublesome right now is the hot potato in his arms. Xie Xun's hands have already haphazardly torn open his collar, his wet hair sticking to his flushed neck, looking completely at his mercy.

Fu Qinghuai grabbed his fidgeting wrist, his voice hoarse, "Xie Xun, do you realize who I am?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xun raised his eyes dazedly, his misty eyes reflecting the shimmering water, and suddenly smiled, "Little dog, you are my little dog... Fu Qinghuai."