The Mute Girl's Rescue and the Secrets of the Miao Village

The fire in the dilapidated temple gradually burned down to dark red embers. The mountain wind carried the night dew in through the hole in the roof. Lin Shen wrapped the black wooden box containing the Red Sun Gu in his clothes. His fingertips pressed against the box's surface, and he could clearly feel the insect's faint tremors. Ah Ji, tied to a stone pillar with thick ropes, suddenly raised his drooping head, a strange smile curled his lips, and his hoarse voice was particularly piercing in the silence: "You think you can trap me with just this little rope?"

Before he could finish his words, the silver bracelet with Gu patterns on his wrist suddenly became extremely hot. The Gu patterns on the bracelet moved like living things, actually burrowing into his skin along the rope. Li Ye abruptly stood up, pointing the dagger at Aji's throat. "What do you want to do?" Aji just laughed wildly. The skin on his neck began to bulge, as if a swarm of insects were swarming under his skin. "The Miao village's 'Qianji Gu' can break bones and shrink the body. This little rope..."

His words abruptly stopped as a rapid tinkle of copper bells rang out from outside the dilapidated temple. The crisp sound pierced the night air, and Aji's face suddenly changed. The swelling on his neck instantly subsided, and the red glow of the silver bracelet dimmed. "It's the 'Gu-Suppressing Bell'!" Lin Munan's face was solemn. "This bell can suppress the activity of Gu insects. It's a magical instrument used within the Miao village to control Gu-infected people. The person coming must be from the Miao village!"

Lin Shen subconsciously pressed the black wooden box closer to his chest. The warmth of the Guixu water suddenly stirred, and a burning sensation spread across his chest. The Red Sun Gu, as if sensing something, struggled violently within the box. The temple door creaked open, and moonlight poured in, illuminating the figure standing in the doorway: a girl of sixteen or seventeen, wearing an indigo Miao cloth dress embroidered with dark red Gu patterns. Her long, jet-black hair was tied back with a silver hairpin, and in her hand was a small bronze bell, the source of the ringing.

The girl's skin was a healthy honey-colored, and a hint of stubbornness lingered between her brows. Upon seeing the scene inside the temple, she first clenched the copper bell with caution. Her eyes flicked to the bound Aji, her pupils suddenly shrinking, then fixed on the black wooden box in Lin Shen's arms, her expression becoming complicated. "Who are you? What's your relationship with Aji?" Li Ye asked cautiously, his dagger still in hand. The girl simply shook her head and gestured a few times with her mouth—no sound came out, the curve of her lips frozen in mid-air. She was actually mute.

When Aji saw the girl, his face turned ferocious: "Azhu! How dare you betray the Miao village? The tribe leader asked you to come and take me back, not to help these outsiders!" The girl named Azhu's eyes turned cold, she raised the copper bell and shook it. The moment the bell rang, Aji suddenly let out a scream, the silver bracelet on his wrist turned red again, and the poisonous insect under his skin squirmed violently as if it was burned. He twitched all over and cold sweat oozed from his forehead.

A flash of understanding flashed in Lin Munan's eyes. "This copper bell can precisely control your ganking insect. It seems you've committed a serious offense in the Miao village. Even the tribe wants to arrest you." Upon hearing this, Ah Zhu suddenly stepped forward and pulled out a folded piece of linen from her bosom. She unfolded it to reveal words written in charcoal pencil: "Aji stole the Miao village's 'Sun-Devouring Insect Eggs' and intends to embezzle the Source of Guixu. I'm here to stop him."

Lin Shen's heart stirred. He pointed at the sackcloth in Ah Zhu's hand, then at his own chest. "Do you know the Origin of Guixu? And the Red Sun Gu?" Ah Zhu nodded and quickly wrote on the sackcloth, "Chen Ba is my sister. The Red Sun Gu is a sacred object she brought from the Miao village. The Origin of Guixu can break the Miao village's 'blood curse.'"

"Blood Gu Curse?" Lin Munan pressed. "What is that?" Ah Zhu's fingertips paused, and the charcoal pencil scratched deep marks on the linen. The handwriting was trembling. "Every generation of Miao village chiefs would cultivate blood Gu to maintain the inheritance of Gu techniques. But ten years ago, the blood Gu suddenly got out of control, and the tribe members began to fester all over. Only the Yang energy of the Guixu Source can suppress the Gu poison. Sister Chen Ba left the Miao village to find the Guixu Source."

Aji suddenly sneered and interrupted Azhu's writing: "Don't listen to her nonsense! Chen Ba stole the Red Sun Gu and ran away! She has been infected by the Blood Gu curse a long time ago. Staying in the Miao village will only kill everyone. The tribe leader asked me to capture her and take her back, and by the way, take back the Red Sun Gu, find the source of Guixu and save the Miao village!" Azhu looked up suddenly, her eyes full of anger, raised the copper bell and shook it fiercely, Aji's screams rang out again, and she curled up into a ball, unable to speak anymore.

Lin Shen looked at Ah Zhu's determined eyes, then looked at the black wooden box in his arms, and suddenly asked: "Is the backlash of Chen Ba's Gu pattern related to the blood Gu curse?" Ah Zhu's body stiffened for a moment, and she wrote on the linen: "My sister was hit by the blood Gu curse before she left. The Red Yang Gu can temporarily suppress it, but she forcibly used the Gu to exorcise the poison from you, which exhausted your Yang energy. The blood Gu curse took effect, making her..." The handwriting suddenly stopped here, and the charcoal pencil spread a pool of ink on the linen. It was obvious that she remembered Chen Ba's ending and was a little emotional.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves echoed outside the temple, followed by the cacophony of footsteps. Ah Zhu's face suddenly changed, and she quickly wrote on the sackcloth: "The Miao pursuers are here! They want to capture Ah Ji and me, and take the Red Sun Gu. We have to leave quickly!" She walked over to Ah Ji, pulled out a dagger from her waist, cut the ropes that bound him, and pressed a copper bell against his throat: "If you dare to play tricks, I will immediately make your Qianji Gu explode!"

Ah Ji's face was pale, and he dared not resist. He could only be pushed out of the temple by Ah Zhu. Li Ye looked at Lin Shen, asking if he should follow. Lin Shen touched the black wooden box on his chest, and the trembling of the Red Sun Gu gradually subsided, as if acknowledging Ah Zhu's presence. "Let's follow. Ah Zhu knows the clues to the source of Guixu, and we should also get to the bottom of Chen Ba's matter."

Everyone followed Ah Zhu into the forest. The moonlight was fragmented by the leaves, and Ah Zhu walked briskly, avoiding the steep slopes and thorny bushes with familiarity. She was clearly familiar with this area. After walking for about half an hour, she stopped in front of a hidden cave. The entrance was obscured by vines. After pushing aside the vines, she saw the faint light of a candle.

"This is where my sister and I used to hide our things," Ah Zhu wrote on a piece of linen, leading the way into the cave. The cave wasn't large, with a stone table in the center. On it sat an old wooden box, and next to it were several ancient books written in the Miao language. Ah Zhu opened the box, revealing several dried herbs and a faded photograph. The photo showed two young girls. The older one had the exact same features as Chen Ba, while the younger one was Ah Zhu. They stood in front of the stilt houses of the Miao village, their smiles radiant.

Lin Shen picked up the photo, brushing his fingertips across Chen Ba's face, a pang of bitterness welling in his heart. Ah Zhu looked at the photo, her eyes welling up, and wrote on the linen cloth, "This was taken before my sister left the Miao village. She said she'd come back to save me and my people once she found the source of Guixu. But I waited three years, and only for her to come back..." She didn't write any more. Instead, she opened the ancient book on the table, flipped to a page, and pointed to the picture on it—it showed an ancient well with a glowing spring at the bottom. Next to it was the inscription: "The source of Guixu is hidden beneath Qingwu Town. It requires the Chiyang Gu to draw it, and the water of Guixu will flow."

"Underground in Qingwu Town?" Lin Munan leaned over. "We found the water of Guixu in a well in Qingwu Town before. Could that well be the entrance to the source of Guixu?" Ah Zhu nodded and wrote on the linen cloth, "That well is the 'Tongyuan Well'. It can draw out a small amount of yang energy from the source of Guixu. The real source of Guixu is three hundred feet underground, sealed by the Yin Sha. Only the yang energy of the Red Yang Gu can break the seal, and the water of Guixu in your body is the key to opening the seal."

Ah Ji was held in a corner by Ah Zhu with a copper bell. Upon hearing this, he suddenly spoke up, "The clan leader has known all this for a long time. He asked me to capture Chen Ba so he could force her to use the Red Sun Gu to break the seal. But Chen Ba refused because breaking the seal would release the evil spirits beneath the ground. The entire Qingwu Town would become a deadly place, and the disease would even spread to the villages below the mountain!"

Ah Zhu turned around suddenly, looking at Ah Ji in shock, and wrote on the sackcloth, "Is this true? My sister never told me this before!" Ah Ji smiled bitterly and said, "The tribe leader has been hiding this from the tribe. He only wants to save the Miao village and doesn't care about the lives of others. Chen Ba ran away with the Red Sun Gu because she opposed him."

Lin Shen's heart sank as he thought of the Yin Gate in Qingwu Town and the remaining Yin Sha spirits. If the seal of the Guixu Source were broken, the released Yin Sha would likely kill even more people. He looked at Ah Zhu and said, "So what should we do now? The Miao pursuers will be here soon, and Ah Ji's words may not be trustworthy."

Ah Zhu was silent for a moment, then wrote on the linen cloth, "I believe what Ah Ji said is true. The clan leader has become increasingly paranoid in recent years, and he's resorted to any means necessary to save the Miao village. We must first find the source of Guixu and destroy the key to the seal before the clan leader does, preventing him from opening it." She pointed to the black wooden box in Lin Shen's arms, "The Red Sun Gu is one of the keys, along with the Guixu water in your body. Only when you two are together can the seal be opened."

At that moment, a sudden, rapid chime of a copper bell rang out from outside the cave. Unlike the bell in Ah Zhu's hand, this one was sharper and carried a sinister aura. Ah Zhu's face suddenly changed, and she wrote on the sackcloth, "It's the clan leader's 'Gu Killing Bell'! He's here in person! We need to leave quickly. The Gu Killing Bell kills all Gu insects, including the Red Sun Gu!"

Everyone immediately stood up. Ah Zhu was the first to reach the cave entrance, pushing aside the vines to peer outside. Her expression darkened even further. On the hillside outside the cave stood a dozen people in Miao cloth robes. Leading them was a middle-aged man, clutching a black copper bell—the very origin of the Gu-killing Bell. His gaze was sharp, as if it could penetrate the vines. His voice was commanding: "Ah Zhu, Ah Ji, you can't hide. Come out obediently and hand over the Red Sun Gu and the Guixu Water, and I'll spare your lives!"

Ah Zhu clenched the bronze bell in her hand and wrote on the linen: "The clan leader's Gu-killing bell has a suppressing effect on the Gu-suppressing bell in my hand. We will definitely not be able to fight it head-on. There is a secret passage behind the cave that leads to the village at the foot of the mountain. Let's go through the secret passage!" She led everyone to the depths of the cave, moved a huge rock, revealing the passage at the back. The passage was narrow and could only accommodate one person. It was pitch black inside and there was no end in sight.

Li Ye walked into the passage first, lighting the way with a lighter. "You two follow me. Meng Yao, you walk in the middle, and Lin Shen and Ah Zhu will cover the rear." Meng Yao nodded, coughing as she entered the passage, followed closely by Lin Munan. Ah Ji was about to enter when Ah Zhu stopped him. She wrote on a piece of sackcloth, "Come with me first. I have to keep an eye on you to prevent you from doing anything." Ah Ji gave a wry smile and followed Ah Zhu into the passage without objecting.

Lin Shen was the last to enter the passage. Just as he was about to remove the rocks blocking the entrance, a violent tremor erupted from outside. The sound of the Gu-killing Bell grew closer, and the air in the passage suddenly grew scorching hot. The Red Sun Gu struggled frantically within the black wooden box, as if irritated by the sound of the bell. "Hurry! The clan leader is using the bell to activate the Gu, and the passage is about to collapse!" Lin Shen shouted, giving up on removing the rocks and quickly catching up with the others.

Stones in the passage kept falling, hitting the ground with dull thuds. Ah Zhu walked at the end, looking back from time to time, shaking the copper bell in her hand, trying to offset the effect of the Gu-killing Bell. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a light suddenly appeared ahead, and Li Ye's voice rang out, "The exit is ahead!"

They quickened their pace, rushing out of the passageway. They discovered the exit was on a steep hillside, with a brightly lit village below. The tremors outside the cave gradually subsided, and the sound of the Gu-killing Bell faded. Clearly, the patriarch hadn't caught up yet. Ah Zhu leaned against a large tree on the hillside, breathing heavily, and wrote on a piece of sackcloth, "We are safe for now. The patriarch won't leave Qingwu Town easily; he still wants to find the source of Guixu."

Lin Shen looked at the village below and touched the black wooden box in his arms. The Red Sun Gu's struggles had subsided, though its body remained intensely hot. "Where should we go next?" Meng Yao asked, her face still pale. Ah Zhu wrote on the sackcloth, "We'll go to the Miao village and find the elders. They don't know the leader's plan. If we can convince them, we can stop him from opening the seal on the source of Guixu."

Ah Ji's eyes flickered when he heard this. "The Miao village elders have long been sidelined by the clan leader. If we go back, we'll be walking into a trap." Ah Zhu shook her head and wrote on the linen cloth, "My sister previously gave the elders a letter detailing the clan leader's plan. However, the elders have no evidence and are afraid to confront the clan leader. As long as we return with clues to the Red Sun Gu and the source of Guixu, we can convince the elders to trust us."

Lin Shen pondered for a moment and nodded, "Let's do as Ah Zhu said. Chen Ba's wish is to save the Miao village and she doesn't want the Yin Sha to harm the human world. We have to help her fulfill this wish." Li Ye and Lin Munan exchanged a glance and neither objected. Meng Yao also nodded, "Although I can't be of much help, I won't be a hindrance."

The group descended the hillside, heading towards the Miao village. Moonlight cast a long shadow over them, elongating their figures. The road ahead was still filled with uncertainty. The Miao village chief, the uncontrolled blood curse, the source of Guixu hidden underground, and the pursuers who might pursue them at any moment, all hung like swords over their heads. But Lin Shen touched the black wooden box in his arms, feeling the warmth of the Red Sun Gu, and a new level of determination grew in his heart. They must not let the hope that Chen Ba had protected with his life be shattered.

At the foot of the mountain, Ah Zhu suddenly stopped, pulled a small silver ornament from her bosom, and handed it to Lin Shen. It was a silver pendant in the shape of a Gu worm, engraved with patterns similar to those of the Red Sun Gu. "This is from my sister," Ah Zhu wrote on the linen cloth. "Before she left the Miao village, she said that if you meet someone with Guixu Water in their body, give them this silver pendant. It will temporarily suppress the Red Sun Gu's backlash and stabilize the yang energy of the Guixu Source."

Lin Shen took the silver pendant. It felt cold to the touch, but when he placed it against his chest, the warmth of the Guixu water instantly softened, and the trembling of the Red Sun Gu subsided. He looked at Ah Zhu and whispered, "Thank you. Thank Chen Ba for me, too." Ah Zhu shook her head and wrote on the linen cloth, "We are all helping my sister fulfill her wish. No need to thank me."

As the night deepened, the Miao village loomed in the distant mountains and forests, like a star hidden in the darkness, waiting for them to uncover its secrets. Beneath Qingwu Town, the seal of the Guixu Source still flickered, and a sinister evil spirit stirred beneath the seal. A battle that would determine the survival of the Miao village and the safety of the human world had just begun.