Huo Shaoying transformed her ten thousand words of gratitude to Nan Xian into a firm vow, secretly swearing in her heart: No matter what difficulties Nan Xian encounters in the future, as long as she asks, even if it means going through fire and water, I, Huo Shaoying, will never hesitate for half a second!

Saving Ruizhu was the priority at this moment, so she temporarily suppressed these words and carefully studied the methods of removing Gu poison recorded in the book.

When the first leader saw that she was no longer sad, he knew that things had taken a turn for the better, and he was relieved.

One of them was only good at fighting, and the other didn't even have any spiritual power, so there was no point in them staying here. Therefore, they left the room without disturbing Huo Shaoying.

The First Leader was initially somewhat wary of Nan Xian, after all, Nan Xian was simply too strong, and no one knew her true origins. With such a "weapon of mass destruction" hovering around her, it was difficult for her to completely put her mind at ease.

But after this experience, the First Leader was truly and completely dispelled his doubts. Ask yourself, if it were you, would you be willing to tell the essence of your swordsmanship to someone you've only known for less than two days? Or, if you possessed a peerless sword, the only one of its kind in the entire Four Realms, would you be willing to lend it to someone else?

The First Leader asked herself honestly, she couldn't be as carefree as Nan Xian.

Although they could all see that Nan Xian herself seemed unaware of how important the Gu technique book was...

Thinking of this, the first leader couldn't help but be curious.

She pulled Nan Xian to sit in the outer hall and poured her a cup of tea.

"Miss Nan, may I ask, where did you obtain that book on Gu techniques?"

Nan Xian nodded. "It was a gift from a friend."

Upon hearing this, the First Leader clicked his tongue in admiration: As expected of a powerful figure from the God Race, even the friends he knows are extraordinary, and the gifts he casually gives are so remarkable!

She briefly described the importance of the tradition of witchcraft to the Miao region, and then asked, "Aren't you worried that we might steal it or... use it for evil purposes when you lend it to us to read?"

Nan Xian was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then smiled broadly.

She tilted her head and sized up the first leader—

She had a pair of sword-like eyebrows, straight and bold, with eyes as sharp as knives, seemingly capable of cutting through any obstacle in her path. Her posture was proud and reserved, and her heroic spirit commanded respect. Like the sword she wore at her waist, she was calm and resolute, always exuding a sense of power ready to be unleashed.

Nan Xian couldn't read faces, but she had no doubt that the female leader in front of her was a true heroine.

She may be a ruthless killer, readily severing the heads of her own kind, but she is inherently kind and would never harm others for her own selfish gain.

Even if she were to kill, she would only kill enemies on the battlefield.

Huo Shaoying is the same.

Nan Xian smiled and shook her head, saying confidently, "You won't."

The first leader blinked.

She continued, “I can’t understand the words in that book of Gu techniques, so it will only be a decoration in my hands. But if I give it to someone who really knows how to use it, it can play its greatest role—not to harm people, but to save them. When my friend gave it to me, she said, ‘I hope you can take it to a wider world,’ so I think that’s what she wanted to see.”

After hearing these words, the first leader stared blankly at Nan Xian for a long time before he came to his senses.

She stood up, bowed respectfully to Nan Xian, and said sincerely, "Miss Nan, you are truly the most insightful person in the world. I have offended you in the past, and I hope you will forgive me!"

Nan Xian was both amused and exasperated. Why did everyone here like to bow so readily? She had only been here for less than a day, and she had already been bowed to countless times.

"Don't be like that, don't be like that, you're too kind, I was just telling the truth..." She pulled the first leader back to her seat to prevent her from continuing to praise herself, and quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, what exactly is that Heart-Eating Gu?"

The first leader coughed lightly and began to speak in a slow and deliberate manner—

The art of witchcraft is mysterious and complex, but if we distinguish it by its form of expression, it can be roughly divided into two categories: those that are expressed externally and those that are expressed internally.

External manifestations, as the name suggests, are physical signs that are easily observed. Common examples include a sallow complexion, dull skin, lifeless eyes, dark circles under the eyes, chest tightness, coughing, abdominal distension, numbness in the limbs, sunken eye sockets, occasional spasms, physical weakness, and depleted vital energy...

These types of Gu are usually quite easy to identify—a bluish-yellow complexion indicates snake Gu; a reddish-yellow complexion indicates lizard Gu; a bluish-white complexion with swelling and vomiting in the shape of tadpoles indicates toad Gu; and a bluish complexion with vomiting in the shape of dung beetles indicates dung beetle Gu.

Internal manifestations are much more complex. Milder symptoms include anxiety, dizziness, and restlessness, while more severe symptoms may include loss of consciousness, intermittent wakefulness, and bizarre behavior resembling madness...

The Heart-Eating Gu in Ruizhu is a relatively rare type of Gu that manifests both internally and externally.

In the early stages of being poisoned by Gu, there will be no abnormalities. The incubation period can be as long as six months. When the Gu poison takes effect, the person poisoned will start to have a high fever without warning, and no method can bring the fever down until the brain is burned to the point of coma. Then the Gu poison will begin to erode the brain, destroy the nerves of the person poisoned, and make them lose control of their limbs, like a vegetable.

Those afflicted by the Gu poison cannot move or speak. The poison causes them to hallucinate, as if their consciousness is trapped in a dream, and these are extremely realistic and terrifying nightmares.

However, those afflicted by the curse are unaware that they are dreaming; they perceive it as reality, becoming deeply trapped and unable to escape.

Imagine this: one day you open your eyes and find yourself transported to ancient times. Wild beasts hunt you like prey, cannibals want to skin you alive and make soup from your bones, and there are giant poisonous insects, deadly viruses, and terrible natural disasters... all happening one after another. You think you've escaped one disaster, but in reality, something even more terrifying awaits you!

This is no less than a form of mental torture, which can drive a person to the brink of despair and cause them to have thoughts of hopelessness. This is exactly what the Heart-Eating Gu aims to do. It devours the mental power of the person who is infected with the Gu little by little, causing the person to give up their life in their sleep with their consciousness. Then, they will never be able to wake up again.