Chapter 43 Tang Clan Ghost: The Curse Master

It seems another heavy rain is on the way in Sichuan.

Tang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately pressed for an answer: "Could the poison they were afflicted with be of the same origin?"

Si Huo withdrew his hand and nodded slowly: "That's right. What they were afflicted with was a Gu poison unique to the Southern Frontier. Once it enters the body, it dissolves into the flesh and meridians, and ordinary methods can only suppress it temporarily. I have also seen the Tang Clan's prescriptions. Although they use the properties of medicine to counteract the various poisons, they are not confident that they can completely eradicate it."

She paused, her gaze shifting to Xie Xingzheng, her voice slightly lowered: "And the poison this General Xie carries is even more potent than Tang Yang's. If it weren't for his strong constitution, he would likely have suffered more than just blindness. Such a severe case, could it be that he was deliberately soaked in poison?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Yu glanced at Xie Xingzheng without saying a word, then subtly looked away, as if an awkward silence had filled the air.

Tang Yu coughed lightly, forcibly steer the conversation back on track: "Young Doctor Si seems to be very familiar with the Gu poison of Southern Xinjiang. I wonder if he has a solution?"

Because Si Huo hadn't slept for days, he hadn't noticed anything strange. Following Tang Yu's question, he explained, "We, the physicians of Great Xia, believe that all poisons in the world have their own counteracting properties. Even the most potent poison has an antidote within seven steps. The same applies to Gu poison. In the Southern Frontier, there is a rare flower that grows near the blood pool that nurtures countless Gu..."

Before she could finish speaking, Tang Yu, her expression complex, raised her hand to interrupt: "What you're talking about, wouldn't it be... Xue Jin, would it?"

"That's right." Si Huo nodded, somewhat surprised that she knew.

Tang Yu was at a loss for whether to be happy or sad. She was happy because, if what Si Huo said was true, then finding the Blood Hibiscus first instead of gathering the medicinal herbs was actually a lucky coincidence; but she was sad because this Blood Hibiscus was very likely a gift from the people of Southern Xinjiang, used as bait to lure her out.

Whether this Blood Hibiscus is real or a carefully orchestrated trap remains to be seen.

Before Tang Yu could voice her thoughts, steady footsteps sounded outside the door. Leading the group was the Tang Clan Master, followed by two elders, all with cold, stern eyes and an air of authority.

The sect leader's gaze first fell on Tang Yu, and he coldly questioned, "You stole the prescription and left Shu without permission. Do you know your mistake?"

Tang Yu had no way to refute, so she immediately knelt down, bowed her head and admitted her mistake: "Tang Yu knows she was wrong."

Seeing her good attitude, the sect leader's expression softened slightly. He glanced around the room and noticed several unfamiliar faces. He raised an eyebrow and cast an inquiring look at his daughter.

Tang Yiqing immediately stepped forward with a smile and introduced them to the elders one by one. When she mentioned Xie Xingzheng, she also mentioned that he was poisoned by the same Gu poison as Tang Yang.

"The Xie family?" The sect leader's gaze sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Could it be the Great Xia general family that has guarded the borders for three generations and repeatedly defeated the barbarians? Then you... are you the Xie family's third son, who conquered Nanyue at the age of sixteen and was hailed as the 'Great Xia's Number One Young General'?"

"Sect Leader Tang is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise." Xie Xingzheng bowed respectfully, his tone calm and his expression indifferent.

Seeing his humility, the sect leader's admiration deepened, but he also felt a pang of regret that he was temporarily unable to use his internal energy due to poisoning.

He put away his serious expression and put on a smile: "Although I am a member of the martial arts world, I am also a citizen of Great Xia. Today, a meritorious official of Great Xia has come to Shu. My Tang Clan should not only fulfill its duty as a host, but also do its best to cure General Xie's poison."

"Thank you." Xie Xingzheng bowed again, still calm, but his gaze seemed to drift towards the direction where Tang Yu was kneeling.

The sect leader caught a glimpse of her gaze, silently curled the corners of his lips, and then waved his sleeve: "Since there is a rare guest here, I will not make things difficult for you. However, a mistake is a mistake, and punishment is inevitable. This matter will be decided by Yi Qing and handled by Tang Yu."

Tang Yiqing nodded in agreement, smiling warmly, and suggested softly, "In that case, from today onwards, Xiaoyu will lead a team to patrol a different mountain forest each day. How about... Yunling Mountain? The fog there is thick, and ordinary people dare not enter the mountain. It would be safest to leave it to her."

Tang Yu was taken aback for a moment, then looked up in surprise. That was the home she had grown up in; she could at least go and inform her parents. How could this be considered a punishment?

Looking at Tang Yiqing again, she saw her smiling sweetly and winking playfully at her.

Once this seemingly punishing but actually rewarding process is over, the matter is considered closed.

The sect leader composed himself and coughed lightly: "Tang Yang needs to rest quietly, so it's not appropriate for everyone to gather here. Please follow Yi Qing back to your rooms to rest."

He then turned to Tang Yu and Si Huo, his expression meaningful: "You and Little Doctor Si, come with me."

As the three entered the side hall, the sect leader got straight to the point: "Tang Yu, did you find the Blood Hibiscus in Zhongjing?"

Tang Yu was taken aback, but only for a moment, before nodding and replying, "Yes. I originally went with Wang Shanyue back to Wangyuan Escort Agency, intending to steal Cistanche deserticola. But I unexpectedly encountered the Southern Frontier envoy presenting Blood Hibiscus as tribute..."

She recounted her experiences after descending the mountain, including how she solved a mystery, uncovered a conspiracy in the southern border region, and obtained the Blood Hibiscus petals; the strange letter she received before returning to Shu; and later, upon entering Shu, she discovered that the Blood Hibiscus would attract black spiders and Gu people.

As she finished speaking, her brow furrowed and her tone became heavy: "I thought that bringing back the Blood Hibiscus would cure Yangyang's poison. But now there are many doubts about this item, and I'm afraid that what I have may not be the real antidote."

The atmosphere in the hall became heavy. Just then, Si Huo, who had been listening quietly and was even so sleepy that he could hardly stay awake, suddenly spoke up: "I can tell."

Tang Yu was slightly taken aback, her gaze falling on her slender body.

Si Huo unconsciously rubbed his cuffs with his fingertips, and said slowly, "It's quite a coincidence. Back then, I risked my life to go to the Southern Frontier to save someone, in order to find this legendary Blood Hibiscus that can cure all poisons. I was lucky to actually find it... but I only took one petal and left the rest to the tomb keeper."

She paused, her eyes darkening slightly as if lost in heavy memories of the past, and her voice softened: "After that, I devoted myself to research for a year and gained considerable insights into the use of Blood Hibiscus as an antidote."

When she looked up again, her gaze was weary but sincere: "If you trust me, hand over the Blood Lotus to me. If it is real, I will be able to concoct an antidote within three days."

Without hesitation, Tang Yu took out a box from her bosom and handed it over with both hands: "Actually, I only asked for two pieces. One for Yangyang, and the other... I think, since they are poisons of the same origin, they should be able to help General Xie, right?"

Si Huo took the box and replied softly, "Of course."

After speaking, Si Huo glanced deeply at Tang Yu, who was smiling with relief, and it was self-evident who the other petal was seeking.

And she seemed to see herself from back then.

At that time, she disregarded everything and ventured into danger to save people, trying every means to find the Blood Hibiscus. The joy after obtaining the petals made her forget all the hardships she had faced, leaving only the simple happiness in her heart that she felt for someone who could get better.

That's great...

The Tang Clan leader breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "In that case, I'll leave the preparation of the antidote to the young physician Si."

After saying that, he paused, his expression becoming more serious, and added, "As you may already know, the ghost that returned to the Tang Clan with Xiao Ge and the others has not yet been captured. To prevent any accidents, I have ordered all disciples to refrain from going out at night. Even the inner disciples are not allowed to leave their rooms at night. You will need to remind those friends about this."

Tang Yu nodded in agreement, but a sense of unease grew within her. This ghost had actually managed to get the sect leader to impose a curfew; it seemed to be no ordinary being.

A moment of silence fell over the side hall, the atmosphere heavy with tension. Suddenly, Si Huo chuckled softly and spoke slowly, "It's alright. I'll brew some more calming medicine for everyone later. You've all been traveling for days; you deserve a good night's sleep."

Tang Yu looked at the dark circles under her eyes and thought: You probably need to get a good night's sleep.

As I stepped out of the room, I noticed that the sky outside was gradually darkening. Dark clouds gathered heavily, completely blocking out the light. The already humid air became even more sticky and heavy, making it hard to breathe.

The sky was eerily gloomy.

It seems that another heavy rain is coming to Sichuan.

*

At night, a muffled thunder rumbled across the sky, followed by a fierce wind that rattled the doors. Lightning ripped through the night, and several flashes of white light disappeared in an instant. In a few breaths, a towering column of water crashed down from the sky, making a loud splashing sound and cracking the roof tiles.

Thunder and rain mingled, yet the Tang Clan members slept soundly. Clearly, the calming tonic brewed by Si Huo was extremely effective.

The torrential rain of late summer and early autumn came quickly and went quickly. Before long, the rain gradually subsided, leaving only the pattering sound of dripping water.

Tang Yu, who hadn't slept in her own bed in a long time, was about to fall into a deep sleep when the noise of the downpour woke her. Just as the rain was subsiding and she was wrapping herself in the blanket to continue sleeping, her nose caught a sharp smell of medicine.

The extremely bitter smell of the medicine filled her nostrils, so strong that she could hardly breathe.

The Tang Clan always adds enough sugar to their medicines to balance the flavor, so how could it have such a purely bitter taste? This immediately snapped Tang Yu, whose sense of smell was very sensitive, back to her senses, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

Outside the window, raindrops dripped down the eaves, blurring into tear-like streaks on the window frame under the moonlight.

Outside, a very faint sound reached her ears, like someone walking through the rain.

But the Tang Clan has a curfew now, so are those people really human at this moment?

Tang Yu had no time to think further and disregarded the rules. She held her breath and quietly left the room, carefully following the medicinal scent that even the rain couldn't wash away.

The bitterness grew stronger, so she quietly climbed into the shadows of the eaves and beams, concealed herself, and looked into the distance by the faint moonlight.

A woman dressed in simple white clothes, her hair loose, stood quietly in front of the door in the distance. Her slightly deformed fingers were slowly stroking the door.

As the night wind blew, the white figure emitted intermittent "whooshing" sounds from its throat, like weeping and lamenting, as if a wronged soul was wailing before its death, but these sounds were interrupted by the wind and rain.

The bizarre scene made Tang Yu's heart tighten, and she almost thought it was her own hallucination.

But in the next instant, the "ghost" seemed to have used some kind of evil magic, and the door, which was originally locked from the inside, opened a crack on its own!

Just as the female ghost was about to enter the room, Tang Yu shouted angrily, and a shuttle from her sleeve shot out, aiming at the white figure. But the figure simply shifted slightly, deftly dodging the attack as if it were invisible.

At that moment, she leaped behind him, her small sword aimed straight for his vitals. But the ghostly figure was indeed incredibly agile; the shadow before her eyes blurred in an instant, and before she could even notice the "ghost" had flashed behind her.

Tang Yu's heart skipped a beat, but her reaction was extremely fast. She twisted her body in mid-air and swept her leg out horizontally. But she only kicked the empty night wind, as if the white shadow had no substance at all.

At this moment, the people inside the house were awakened, and the rest of the Tang Clan members also got up and went out to check. The white figure seemed to sense that something was wrong, and suddenly flew away, trying to escape into the night.

Tang Yu would not let this go. In terms of familiarity with the Tang Clan, she did not believe she could lose to a ghost!

Strangely enough, in the blink of an eye, just around the corner, the white figure vanished into thin air!

Tang Yu stood there, bewildered.

At that moment, Xie Xingzheng, who had come out upon hearing the noise, stood quietly under the eaves.

Though blind, his senses were incredibly sharp. Almost as soon as the white shadow vanished and Tang Yu lost his target, the longsword in his hand flew out and plunged straight into the depths of the bushes!

The white figure suddenly emerged from the darkness just before the sword light arrived. With a strange slash and turn of her fingers, she intercepted the sword light and even used the momentum to propel the blade towards Tang Yu.

"Be careful!" Xie Xingzheng warned urgently.

Tang Yu reacted quickly, flipping backward to narrowly avoid the fierce sword strike. As she landed, she lost her balance and stumbled back several steps, about to fall backward.

But Tang Yiqing and Si Huo, who had just arrived, steadily supported his back.

Tang Yu was still angry and wanted to chase after him. But Si Huo grabbed her hand and shook his head.

When I looked up again, the white figure had vanished without a trace.

[Author's Note]

Si Huo = Truth Sister