Chapter 438 Are they really not dead?

There are three small towns near Xiangshui Village, and outside of those towns is Xiangshan City, which is the most prosperous and bustling place in the area. Wanqi moved to the city with his sister and brother a few years ago, thanks to a large sum of money that Yu Sui had given him back then.

Wanqi's parents died early, and the two brothers were raised by their older sister, Wanfu. Wanfu was lame and often sickly, so she worked as an embroiderer at home to earn money. She got married last year, and her husband's family treated her very well. Wanqi and his brother had observed their brother-in-law's family for more than two years before agreeing to the marriage.

Although his younger brother Wan Shu was a layman, he also studied medicine under Wan Qi and worked as a student assistant in the small clinic that Wan Qi had bought.

Wan Qi is a disciple who returned from Taiyi Academy. Many people in the city are willing to come to him for medical treatment, and his business is very good.

Two years ago, after leaving Taiyi Academy, he lived a peaceful and stable life in Xiangshan City.

Three years ago, a strange fire destroyed the Zhou Kingdom, shocking the entire continent. Everyone thought their end was near, but Shui Zhou appeared and turned the tide, uniting the remaining five kingdoms to implement various policies to stabilize public sentiment.

People also gained a sense of security from the sacred stone given by the water boat and gradually returned to their daily lives.

Even before the Strange Fire consumed Zhou, Wan Qi was already living day by day, so the world-ending fear brought by the Strange Fire had little impact on him. The only thing he cared about was his older sister, Wan Fu.

His peaceful and uneventful days were shattered two days ago when Wan Qi received two injured people, both familiar faces. He originally didn't want to get involved in troublesome matters, but one of them was someone he couldn't ignore.

Wanqi rushed back to the city at Chenshi (7-9 AM), winding through alleys and avoiding his neighbors, before secretly returning to his small clinic.

The clinic had been closed for the past two days. He went around the lobby on the first floor to the backyard, went up to the second floor, and came to a private room. There he saw a man lying on the bed, unconscious, pale, and with a persistent high fever.

When Yu Sui saw Xing Chun on the bed through the Five Elements Light Core, he was stunned for a moment and said to Mei Liangyu, "It's Xing Chun."

Mei Liangyu, standing at the foot of the small building, raised her eyelids and looked toward a room on the second floor.

“And Senior Sister Kong,” Yu Sui added.

A woman in red sat beside Xing Chun's bed. Although she was not as unconscious as Xing Chun, she was also in a state of imbalance, her face was slightly pale, and she was weak.

Seeing Wan Qi return travel-worn, Kong Yiyi asked, "Have you found a way to cure him?"

Wan Qi nodded and walked towards Xing Chun, but Kong Yiyi asked warily, "Did you go with Pu Heng?"

"How could you..." Before he could finish speaking, Kong Yiyi interrupted, "I saw it. Pu Heng was injured and came to you for help. You went out of the city together."

“I just went back to the village with him; Pu Heng’s matter has nothing to do with me,” Wan Qi explained.

Kong Yiyi frowned, her tone soft but her expression serious: "Do you know that Pu Heng and Xuan Kui are related?"

"...I just found out last night," Wan Qi lied.

Kong Yiyi saw through him: "The method you found uses orchid poison?"

Hearing her words, Wan Qi dared not take out the Soul-Returning Incense hidden in her sleeve, and cold sweat involuntarily broke out on her forehead.

He licked his dry lips, trying to persuade Kong Yiyi: "If this drags on any longer, the Heart-Eating Ants will infiltrate his soul core, and then there will really be no way to save him. The Soul-Returning Incense can make the Heart-Eating Ants lose their ability to move and fall into a deep sleep, so at least they won't die immediately."

Kong Yiyi stood up and said, "What's the difference between using Orchid Poison to suppress the Heart-Eating Ants and letting them die? Do you want them to rely on Orchid Poison for the rest of their lives?"

"Don't you know what the side effects of orchid poison are?!"

"I know! But I can't do anything without the Resurrection Incense!" Wan Qi said anxiously. "Are we just going to watch him die like this?"

His conflicting elements can only save himself, not others.

Kong Yiyi glanced at Xing Chun's bloodless face, hardened her heart, and stretched out her hand, saying, "Aren't the Heart-Eating Ants bloodthirsty? Feeding them with my blood will at least prolong their life for a while."

Wan Qi: "Are you crazy? Do you know how much blood it takes to stop the Heart-Eating Ants? Even the two of us combined wouldn't be enough!"

Just as they were arguing, Xing Chun suddenly coughed violently. The two of them looked at the bed at the same time, and the scene suddenly changed. They found themselves in a room on the first floor.

"Who?" Kong Yiyi asked warily.

Wan Qi's heart pounded wildly, and he instantly thought of the person hiding behind Zhao Xiang.

They actually followed us here?!

The two hurriedly ran upstairs, but when they got to the second floor and opened the door, Xing Chun was still nowhere to be seen.

Mei Liangyu sent Wan Qi and Kong Yiyi away, and was about to reach out to Xing Chun to transfer his energy when Yu Sui slapped his hand back. Yu Sui glanced at him sideways, and Mei Liangyu said with a smile, "I don't need the Harmony of Heaven and Earth."

Yu Sui ignored him, placed her hand on Xing Chun's wrist, and used her Qi to urge the Heart-Eating Ants in his body to transfer them into her own body using Yin-Yang Shift, so that the Breath Soil could neutralize them.

Xing Chun vomited a large amount of black blood, and after a fleeting look of extreme pain, he fainted again, but he was much better than before.

Yu Sui discovered that Xing Chun's body also contained insect eyes that devoured the five elements' energy.

Seeing the surprised look on Yu Sui's face, Mei Liangyu asked, "What's wrong?"

“He has worm holes in his body, but they couldn’t have been left by Sister Yuezhen.” Yu Sui looked back at Mei Liangyu. “Did they fight against people from the Abyss of Vipers?”

Mei Liangyu turned to look outside: "Then we'll have to ask those who are still awake."

Wan Qi and Kong Yiyi seemed to be in a maze, constantly opening rooms on the second floor. After opening the room for what felt like the umpteenth time, they finally saw Xing Chun, only to find a pool of black blood on the ground. Terrified, the two rushed over.

"Chun'er!" Kong Yiyi thought Xing Chun was dead, and her eyes immediately reddened.

Wan Qi immediately grabbed Xing Chun's wrist, but then froze: "He's not dead."

Kong Yiyi was still catching her breath: "How is he?"

"...He's healed," Wan Qi said with a strange expression. "The Heart-Eating Ants have disappeared."

"What do you mean the Heart-Eating Ants have disappeared?" Kong Yiyi felt that Wan Qi was speaking in riddles, and she glared at him angrily.

"You stay here and watch over things, I'm going out for a bit!" Wan Qi jumped out of the window to find someone.

Kong Yiyi realized that someone had just moved her and Wan Qi away. She frowned and looked around, but saw nothing unusual.

As more people came and went in the streets, Wan Qi couldn't find any suspicious figures. He looked around at the bustling streets, his back covered in cold sweat.

Who exactly is this person?

The last time I experienced this chilling feeling of being watched every move was back in Taiyi.

Wan Qi suddenly remembered Nangong Sui. After returning to the capital of Qingyang, she disappeared without a trace. Some people said that she died from the cold poison when she killed Madam Su and tried to seize the Breath Soil, while others said that she went into hiding.

Anyway, Wanqi felt that Nangong Sui was not someone who would die so easily, but she hadn't heard any news about her in the past few years.

It couldn't be Nangong Sui or Mei Liangyu, could it?

Is it Nian Qiuyan, who was able to save Xing Chun but didn't show her true face?

Because Kong Yiyi was there, he dared not show his face, fearing that Kong Yiyi would cut him into eight pieces with one sword.

Two years ago, it was revealed that Nian Qiuyan was a member of Xuan Kui. His master, Changsun Zi, the sage of the Fangji family, personally announced it and expelled Nian Qiuyan from the sect. He also declared that any disciple of the Taiyi Fangji family could kill Nian Qiuyan on the spot.

But while Qiu Yan is skilled in divination, she shouldn't be able to cure the Heart-Eating Ants' poison.

Is it the incense of resurrection?

No, the Heart-Eating Ants didn't fall into a deep sleep because of the Orchid Poison; they simply disappeared from Xing Chun's body.

After thinking it over, Wan Qi looked around warily as she walked back, and called out softly, "Nangong Sui?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Liangyu couldn't help but look at Yu Sui.

Yu Sui explained directly, "He was scared by me."

Wan Qi scratched his head and whispered, "Mei Liangyu?"

Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu exchanged a glance: "He's actually a sorcerer from the Fangji family, isn't he?"

They're right every time they guess.

Seeing that there was no movement, Wanqi felt like she had acted like a madwoman. Feeling very embarrassed, she ran back to the small building in the backyard and told Kong Yiyi that she couldn't find anyone.

He told Kong Yiyi about what happened in Xiangshui Village last night, guessing that the person who rescued Xing Chun was the same person who controlled Zhao Xiang.

Kong Yiyi told him to check on Xing Chun first. She only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming Xing Chun was alright. She lightly pinched her brow, looking exhausted, and said, "Whoever it is, as long as they don't have bad intentions towards us, that's fine. I need to follow the clues to find the people from Black Castle. Yuezhen has been captured for almost five days; I'm afraid if we're too late..."

Wan Qi looked up at the weak Kong Yiyi and advised, "You should rest first, otherwise you'll collapse from exhaustion before he even wakes up."

Kong Yiyi also wanted to rest, but time was pressing and she couldn't stop to recuperate in peace.

She turned around and rummaged through the cabinet to find medicine to replenish her qi and nourish her soul, then drank three to five bottles in one go.

Wan Qi: "Don't drink so much! It's expensive... no, it's bad for your health!"

Kong Yiyi casually tossed him several large bills, and Wan Qi instinctively reached out to catch them, speechless.

Yu Sui roughly deduced the current situation from Kong Yiyi's words:

Shi Yuezhen has been held captive by the Black Castle for almost five days. The Black Castle is most likely the mysterious organization that cultivated the Viper Abyss that she encountered when she was a child.

According to Shi Yuezhen, the avalanche of the snow mountain buried the first generation of Black Castle, but the organization did not stop. In recent years, it must have moved to a different location and is still cultivating the Abyss of Vipers.

This organization must have learned from the wanted notice issued by Taiyi that Shi Yuezhen was a child who survived from back then, so they took action against Shi Yuezhen.

Kong Yiyi and Xing Chun may have been acting with Shi Yuezhen. They fought with the people from Black Castle to prevent Shi Yuezhen from being captured and were injured.

Cang Shu isn't here; it seems he was captured along with Shi Yuezhen.

"How do you plan to find her?" Wan Qi got up to prepare medicine for Kong Yiyi, lest she really take the medicine to death. "There are quite a few people in Xiangshan City. You don't know the other person's name, age, appearance, or family situation. If you want to find someone here, it may take three to five months."

Kong Yiyi sat down at the table with the medicine bottle in her hand, recalling the clues Shi Yuezhen had given her: "A man with a red spider mark on his right arm, a survivor of the avalanche in the snow mountain, not from Dan, who falsified his origin and came to Xiangshan City under an assumed name."

Wan Qi said, "We can check by verifying the falsification of place of origin. The people in the Ministry of Household Affairs who helped with the falsification would definitely know."

"There are many, if not many, people who falsify their place of origin. Why would someone who works at Black Castle settle in a remote mountain town under an assumed name?" Kong Yiyi asked.

Wan Qi thought for a moment: "Is Xiangshan City geographically remote enough? It is far away from other urban areas. To the east are all mountain villages, and to the west are all wastelands. It would take at least half a month to travel to the next town using the Wind Riding Technique."

"It doesn't seem to be because it's remote." Kong Yiyi looked up and asked Wan Qi, "Do you know anyone at the Communications Institute in the city?"

Wan Qi shook his head: "No."

If they could directly enter the Communication Institute and search within the Data Mountain, it would be much faster than threatening the Household Affairs Department, since the Household Affairs Department would also store the compiled ancestral information in the Data Mountain.

“But I know someone who does. He often comes to me for acupuncture, and we have a pretty good relationship. I’ll ask him for you.” Wan Qi took out the Listening Wind Ruler to contact the other party.

Upon hearing this, Mei Liangyu asked Yu Sui, "Are you really not going to regret giving away the mountain spirit?"

"Why regret it?" Yu Sui blinked and said, "It's annoying that the mountain spirit kept reminding me when I was carefree."

"Besides, I gave it to Queque, Dean Zou and Xue Mushi respectively. The Mountain Spirit alone is enough for Queque to study for three to five years, so she won't have time to deal with the World Destroyer."

Yu Sui told Zhong Li Que about the identity of the World Destroyer, confident that Zhong Li Que would soften her heart and dare not continue to divine the World Destroyer, fearing that she would be exposed.

If Zhong Lique continues to perform divination, she will be injured by the backlash of the Heavenly Eye or other people's strange fire. Han Ziyang and the others will also discover Zhong Lique's spying sooner or later, and they will definitely make their move against her first. Yu Sui does not want to see such a thing happen.

Zhong Lique is currently the only person who could possibly divine the identity of the World Destroyer. Yu Sui's use of their relationship to stop her from investigating further is for the best for both of them.

If one day in the future Zhongli Que really has to rely on giving Yu Sui's name to save his life, then Yu Sui will gladly accept it.

"With Dean Zou in Taiyi, he will be the first to know about any reforms the Communication Institute makes, and he will also help to cover up any developments that are detrimental to the Mountain Spirit."

"Xue Mushi can rely on the mountain spirit to contact Gongsun Qi and the others, and help each other."

“The two of us… seem to have changed much without the mountain spirit.” Yu Sui looked at Mei Liangyu, “except that you can no longer play your word puzzle game.”

Mei Liangyu: "..."

Wanqi asked someone to help him inquire about checking some things at the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the other party quickly agreed.

After he hung up the telepathic message, he found Kong Yiyi staring at him intently. Wan Qi touched his nose and muttered to himself, "I've managed to build up some connections over the past two years."

Kong Yiyi: "I didn't say anything."

Wan Qi: "You look like you're wondering where this kid got his skills from!"

Kong Yiyi looked at Wan Qi through the window, seemingly observing something, and said softly, "I just suddenly felt that being like you is pretty good too."

"What do you mean by 'like me'?" Wan Qi scratched his head and said, "I'm working hard to earn money to support myself. Even disciples of Taiyi Academy have to spend money to buy food after they graduate."

Kong Yiyi smiled after hearing this, then turned to look at Xing Chun, her smile fading slightly: "He used to think the same way."

Wan Qi looked at the unconscious Xing Chun and fell silent.

Wanqi had heard some things about Xing Chun.

Although Xing Chun had conflicts with his family, it didn't mean he didn't love them, but now he's homeless.

When you have something, you always think of it as a constraint; only after you lose it do you realize that it was also an inseparable part of you.

Kong Yiyi's words silenced everyone.

Yu Sui glanced at Mei Liangyu, reached out and grabbed his sleeve, leading him away. Yu Sui took Mei Liangyu to the city for breakfast, waiting for Wan Qi's helper to reply.

In the late afternoon, the other party said they had contacted people at the Communications Institute to ask if they had any specific information. Kong Yiyi told them the approximate arrival time of the person she was looking for in Xiangshan City, and the other party replied that it might take two or three days.

There's nothing we can do but wait.

Wanqi told her to calm down and take a break to recover.

As night fell, Xing Chun groggily opened his eyes and saw Wan Qi guarding his bedside. He was stunned: "Am I dead?"

Wan Qi stood up and said, "He's not dead, he's still alive."

He reached out and checked Xing Chun's pulse, then sighed: "The recovery is going well, but don't use the Five Elements Qi, lest you send more power to the owner of the Insect Eye and accelerate your own depletion."

Xing Chun sighed, stubbornly propping himself up to sit up: "How come you're not dead again?"

Wan Qi pointed to Kong Yiyi, who was asleep by the table: "Don't let her hear this. She's about to bleed you to suppress the Heart-Eating Ants."

"Not only should her blood be drained, but mine should be drained as well."

"You released them?" Xing Chun asked in shock.

Wan Qi: "Of course not, even if you drain both of our blood, it won't help."

Xing Chun breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Then how did I come back to life?"

Wan Qi told Xing Chun about the mysterious person's appearance. After listening, Xing Chun remained silent, grabbed the blanket again, and lay back down.

Everyone has a name they hope will appear in their heart.

After instructing Xing Chun to remember to take his medicine, Wan Qi left.

That day, Yu Sui picked up the Listening Wind Ruler again, infiltrated several mountains to find the information stored by the Household Registration Department, and screened suspicious targets. However, the falsification of household registration was done by people, and only the person who filled out and reported it knew the truth.

The red spider mark that Kong Yiyi mentioned is easy to deal with; we just need to filter from the suspicious targets.

Yu Sui gave the name and location, and Mei Liangyu went to confirm the mark. The two searched for a day, and in the middle of the night, Mei Liangyu went to another house.

He arrived at the house and found the door ajar. Mei Liangyu disappeared into the darkness and continued forward, stopping at the doorway. The house was pitch black inside, but he heard a cold, deep voice from within: "Where is the new Black Castle?"

Mei Liangyu raised an eyebrow upon hearing the voice.

Inside the room, the person being choked by the man in the black cloak had their feet dangling in the air, their back pressed against the wall, their face turning purple from suffocation.

“…Mountains, snow-capped mountains,” the man’s words were broken as he was being choked. The black cloak loosened its grip slightly, allowing the man to breathe, and he gasped, “In the snow-capped mountains!”

"I only know it's in the snow-capped mountains! I don't know the new location either. I'm only responsible for delivering some daily supplies to the designated places." The man looked terrified and struggled, clutching his neck with both hands.

Where is that place?

"In the reed marshes of the Western Wasteland!"

The cloaked man asked, "Who else have you told about this?"

"No!" The cloaked man released his grip completely as soon as he finished speaking. The man knelt down, thinking he had been reborn, but the next moment his head was severed by the words of the master.

“Let’s go,” the cloaked man said to the person beside him. “That’s all he knows. We need to go to the Western Wilderness now and find Shi Yuezhen before she dies.”

The person also wearing a cloak nodded and followed him outside.

When all was quiet, the moonlight hid behind the clouds, and even the sound of the wind could not be heard. The two people who came out of the house also disappeared into the darkness, but Mei Liangyu saw a familiar face in the darkness.

People thought that the Holy Maiden of Nanjing and Gu Gan had died in the Taiyi Sea, but now they were standing alive and well in front of him.

Mei Liangyu heard Yu Sui's voice through the Fusang Pearl in his ear: "Senior Brother?"

“Did you see the two people who came out of here? It’s Gu Gan and Xun Zhiya,” Mei Liangyu said.

Following Mei Liangyu's Five Elements Light Core, they then caught up with the two people who left the courtyard. However, the two people left too quickly and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"They're really not dead?" Yu Sui asked, somewhat surprised.

Mei Liangyu said, "Now we really have to compete with them to see who lives the longest."