Chapter 51 The Childhood Betrothal of a Miao Girl (Part 21)

"Xinfang, do you also have the King Gu?" Bai Mei and the others couldn't help but ask. Xinfang shook her head...

"Xinfang, do you also have the King Gu?" Bai Mei and the others couldn't help but ask.

Xin Fang shook his head, seemingly finding it amusing, and a smile appeared on his lips. He said, "It seems the gathering at Daobei Ridge is more interesting than I imagined."

Bai Mei looked up at the sky and said, "It seems a great battle is about to begin. I wonder who will emerge victorious."

Xinfang said, "I came here not to seize the treasure, but only to see it left to the right person. This person must have enough courage and wisdom to shoulder the future of our Miao region."

“…In a world where the strong rule, Xinfang, your ideas are too idealistic.” After saying that, Bai Mei took the lead and stepped onto the road leading up the ridge.

Behind him, Elder Xinfang and his entourage also went up.

Jiang Yiqing placed another entrance to the space next to the pine tree.

After confirming that no one was around, Shui Mingsheng and Jiang Yiqing leaped down to the ground.

Jiang Yiqing was a little frightened. She hadn't expected Shui Mingsheng to jump down from such a height with her. She asked, "Mingsheng, you don't have any light-body skills, do you?"

Shui Mingsheng explained with a smile, "This is also the function of Gu worms. If you obtain the Swallow Gu, you can move like a swallow. If you obtain the Eagle Gu, you can fly like an eagle. It's just that they are not used much in normal times. Now that we are in this place, we naturally have to use all the Gu worms that are available."

"That's amazing," Jiang Yiqing praised.

“There’s something even more powerful. Elder Xinfang helped me break the curse, and my Spirit Serpent Gu can now exert unprecedented strength.” Shui Mingsheng’s silver chain on his left hand seemed to move as if it were sensing something.

Her wrist was connected to Jiang Yiqing's wrist by a silk-stringing Gu, causing Jiang Yiqing's hand to move as well, and the sound-listening Gu emitted a soft sound. The finger chain and jade bracelet complemented each other, making the owners of the two hands seem so well-matched.

"However, breaking the curse is no easy task. I noticed that Elder Xinfang's face was a little pale. She entered Daobei Ridge with those great Gu masters, hoping to escape unscathed."

Jiang Yiqing comforted her, "Elder Xinfang will be alright, and we will definitely leave safely."

Shui Mingsheng smiled, grasped Jiang Yiqing's wrist, and tapped the jade bracelet lightly twice. Suddenly, Elder Xinfang's voice entered their ears.

Jiang Yiqing guessed that this was also a use of the Sound-Listening Gu, which could hear the voices of people it had seen before. However, this way, they could know what was happening ahead and take action, which was indeed a good method.

As they passed the boundary stone at Daobei Ridge, they saw a changing number on it, displaying +2, indicating that there were 15 people inside the boundary.

Jiang Yiqing tried to collect the boundary stones, but found it didn't work.

The system said, "Try again when someone finds the treasure."

The two followed the map drawn by Xia Yi, remaining invisible the entire way. At first, they could encounter one or two figures, but later they were traveling alone.

“If the map is correct, we should have been the first to reach the treasure location,” Shui Mingsheng said.

Jiang Yiqing tried to move the entrance to the space from under the pine tree to inside the boundary, but found it didn't work. Perhaps it was because of the boundary stone?

Everyone else is still exploring Daobei Ridge, but they know the location of the treasure. However, obtaining the treasure is not the most important thing; the most important thing is how to get out of here unscathed.

After a long trek, the two finally arrived at the treasure location marked on the map. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, with towering trees everywhere, and it was so quiet that there wasn't a sound.

"Ming Sheng, is the treasure here?"

"Probably." Shui Mingsheng wasn't sure either. She thought the treasure would at least be in a cave or a maze, but she only saw an ordinary forest.

Jiang Yiqing bought a shovel from the system and said, "Shall we try digging?"

Shui Mingsheng nodded.

Shui Mingsheng attached the power of the Giant Strength Gu to the shovel, and the digging progress was quite gratifying. In just a quarter of an hour, a large pit was dug on the spot.

There was a wooden box lying in the pit.

"Is this the treasure?" Jiang Yiqing asked.

It was a wooden box the size of a brick, but digging it up felt like hitting a rock, leaving both of our arms sore. Saying it contained everyone's coveted treasure felt a bit incongruous, but the location on the map was indeed quite good.

Shui Mingsheng picked up the wooden box and said, "I think anyone who sees this will have questions, but overcoming the fear of the unknown is the first step we need to take. Yi Qing, I'm going to open this wooden box now."

Jiang Yiqing nodded and said, "You need to be careful."

Shui Mingsheng looked very serious as he opened the clasp of the box and lifted the lid. Just then, a dazzling light shot straight into the sky. Startled, Shui Mingsheng immediately closed the lid again.

She looked at Jiang Yiqing nervously. The moment the lid was opened, the bright light almost blocked her vision, but she could see that there was indeed something inside the box. The location on the map was probably correct.

At the same time, surprised and doubtful voices came from the sound-listening Gu.

"Why did such a dazzling white light suddenly appear from that place?"

"Who's there doing what?"

“We should be among the first to enter Daobei Ridge. That location is deep in the mountains. How could anyone have traveled there so quickly?”

"Could it be that someone has already found the treasure?" All sorts of questions arose.

"It's impossible for anyone to be that fast, is treasure really that easy to find?"

"This is the legacy left behind by the former Holy Maiden of Miao territory. Its purpose was to select the person who could truly inherit her treasure. How could it be found so easily? Even if it is found, there must be many hardships before one can obtain the treasure."

"Anyway, I'm going to check it out." A man in black robes said, and quickly leaped towards the direction from which the white light was emanating, his figure soon disappearing into the dense forest.

"I'll go and take a look too," Elder Xinfang said before flying away.

Jiang Yiqing and Shui Mingsheng exchanged a glance. At that speed, those people would arrive here soon, and it seemed too late to cover up the pit. The most urgent task was to leave this place as soon as possible.

However, the teleportation talisman and teleportation Gu were no longer effective on Daobei Ridge. The only way was to return to the pine tree and use it to get back to the safe point.

Jiang Yiqing concealed their figures, and they hurriedly left in another direction marked on the map.

"There must be treasure inside the wooden box, but opening it will expose our location. What should we do?"

“Unless the Nightmare Gu is transformed into the Night Gu, under the control of the Night Gu, the selected area will be completely devoid of light,” Shui Mingsheng said.

"Then how do we turn the Nightmare Gu into the Night Gu? At present, it is possible to redeem the Nightmare Gu."

“We need the Deathly Stillness Gu,” Shui Mingsheng said. “Go back and ask Aunt Xia. She’s very knowledgeable and might know something.”

The two were also quite fast, and soon returned to the location of the boundary stone. However, by this time, the boundary stone was already surrounded by various Gu Masters.

They were all people who came after hearing the news that the path to the top of Daobei Ridge had opened. They were not as strong as the first batch of people to go in, and they were still talking about how to form a team to explore the mystery.

But the light was so intense that they could see it from outside, and they wondered, "Are those powerful Gu masters fighting?"

"They haven't even found the treasure yet, and they're already going to start fighting? I have a feeling something unexpected has happened."

Jiang Yiqing glanced at the number on the boundary stone, which had reached 101. As she and Shui Mingsheng left, although no one saw them, the number had changed to 99.

Jiang Yiqing could only secretly pray that no one would notice this strange situation, but was that even possible? Everyone wasn't stupid.

However, thanks to their thorough preparation, they successfully reached the pine tree. Jiang Yiqing sprinkled a packet of sedative powder, and with a wave of drowsiness, she and Shui Mingsheng entered the dormitory.

Unlike her, who had two sets of time and remained conscious, Shui Mingsheng had completely fallen into a deep sleep at this point in time.

Jiang Yiqing felt a sense of fear, a fear of being the only one who remained awake, but she knew she had to be strong and protect Shui Mingsheng while she slept.

Moreover, Shui Mingsheng seemed to need a good night's sleep. Jiang Yiqing didn't know how long she hadn't slept in Miao territory. Her dark circles were so severe, and so many things had happened since she came to find her. She hadn't even had time to rest.

Jiang Yiqing traced the outline of her eyes with her fingers. Shui Mingsheng, who was fast asleep, did not make a sound, but her body subconsciously shrank into Jiang Yiqing's arms.

Jiang Yiqing settled her in her own bed and covered her with a blanket.

Hiding someone in the dormitory is no easy task. If their unusual behavior is discovered while Shui Mingsheng is asleep, it would be truly disastrous. They must keep this secret no matter what.

She got up, drew back the curtains, and left the window a crack. Although she was terrified of being seen, the more she wanted to keep it a secret, the less she could appear too closed off, as that would only attract more attention.

Jiang Yiqing used the system's tools to temporarily transform Shui Mingsheng into Zhao Xiran's appearance, and silently hoped in her heart that Zhao Xiran would forgive her for doing so.

Zhao Xiran doesn't attend classes during the day, and no one knows where she goes at night. However, this makes Jiang Yiqing's actions even more difficult to detect.

Jiang Yiqing, carrying her schoolbag, went to class as usual. In front of her was an invisible surveillance camera she'd bought from the system, observing everything that happened in the dormitory. If Shui Mingsheng woke up, she would be the first to know.

She was somewhat absent-minded the whole way, constantly thinking about whether there were any oversights in the many things that had happened.

She thought the biggest problem was that Shui Mingsheng had disappeared in Qingfeng Village, and someone still knew she had come here. Of course, she could explain that Shui Mingsheng had gone back, but it was imperative to return to Miao territory with her as soon as Mingsheng woke up and temporarily place one of the entrances to the Gate of Daylight in Qingyu Tower.

"Jiang Yiqing, please answer this question." In class, the teacher smiled at Jiang Yiqing, who was taking notes with her head down.

Jiang Yiqing stood up as usual, her back ramrod straight, drawing the attention of all her classmates. She looked straight ahead, her tone calm, and recited the standard answer fluently, as if it were a familiar treasure.

"In clinical practice, scopolamine is mainly used to relieve smooth muscle spasms, improve microcirculation, and combat mycosis-like symptoms caused by organophosphate poisoning."①

"That's a very good answer. Could you tell us more about the main categories?"

"Regarding digestive system diseases..." Jiang Yiqing continued, speaking for three minutes straight.

The students were all amazed.

"Wow, a top student..."

"How did we memorize this? We're only freshmen, it's only the beginning of the semester..."

The teacher looked at Jiang Yiqing with the eyes of someone admiring a student, silencing the others, and said, "You all should learn from Jiang Yiqing. Since you've chosen the path of medicine, you must work harder than others. Stop partying and drinking at night; you need to learn to study late into the night. Don't even think about going out to have fun or pursuing any exciting activities. Don't even think about it. Studying medicine will involve many all-nighters; it'll be hard not to be excited..."

The students were filled with groans and cries.

[Author's Note]

① This is from Baidu and is cited here for reference only.