Chapter 62

The icy night wind, laced with moisture, whipped against his face like a knife. Chang Wu, desperately maneuvering, maneuvered the sloop like a frightened catfish, weaving frantically through the maze of reeds. The boat's bottom scraped against the dense reeds, making a teeth-grinding crunching sound. Every sharp turn and jolt ripped Gu Linzhi's rib wound like torture. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the groan of pain rising in his throat. The cold sweat on his forehead was instantly chilled by the wind.

Behind him, the shrill, eerie whistle clung to him like a maggot on his tarsal bone, relentlessly pursuing him. The "water ghosts" of the Snow Spider Pavilion were clearly more formidable than the East Factory's thugs. They seemed just as familiar with these waters as Chang Wu, and their methods were even more cunning and unpredictable. From time to time, flying claws and hooks tore through the air, cunningly striking at the small boat. If Mo Ya hadn't accurately parried them with his single-armed spear, the boat would have been dragged over or hooked.

"We can't go on like this!" Chang Wu roared, panting heavily, the bamboo pole dancing so hard it almost left an afterimage. "Their boat is lighter! We can't shake it off!"

Mo Ya's eyes were as cold as steel as he blocked the hidden weapon while quickly observing his surroundings. Although the reeds provided cover, they also greatly limited the boat's speed.

"Push southeast!" Mo Ya suddenly ordered, his voice firm and decisive. "The waterway over there is relatively open, but there are undercurrents and whirlpools! I bet they won't dare to follow too closely!"

Although Chang Wu didn't understand why, he trusted Mo Ya's judgment. He immediately adjusted the direction and pushed the bamboo pole hard. The boat rushed out of the dense reeds like an arrow and sailed into a slightly open river channel.

As expected, the river's current had become noticeably faster, with numerous underwater reefs and even the faint sound of whirlpools pulling in. The whistles of pursuit had indeed slowed down. The light boats, clearly wary of such waters, slowed down slightly, attempting to find a safer route to outflank the enemy.

However, this respite was fleeting. A greater threat emanated from behind—the official ship of the Eastern Depot had also forced its way through some of the reeds, its massive hull emerging into the open waters. Standing at the bow were several soldiers wielding powerful crossbows. Their cold arrows gleamed in the moonlight, firmly locking onto their tiny, isolated boat!

"Fuck!" Chang Wu cursed, his face pale.

Mo Ya pushed Gu Linzhi further into the bow, leaving himself completely exposed at the stern, one-armed, gun in hand. His body steady as a rock, his gaze fixed on the increasingly distinct crossbow bolt from the bow. He calculated the distance, the speed of the arrow, and the maximum possible block.

The breath of death enveloped them like a substance.

Gu Linzhi crouched on the bottom of the boat, the icy water seeping through the cracks in the planks, soaking his clothes, yet it was nowhere near the chill in his heart. Could it be that after enduring such a near-death experience, he was still unable to escape this deadly trap? Ge Ping's clues, the innocence of 70,000 heroes, that heavy chest... Was all his perseverance about to be shattered in this moment?

Just as the official ship entered the optimal range of the powerful crossbow, and the crossbowman's fingers were about to pull the trigger on the hanging knife -

“Ding-ling-ling… Ding-ling-ling…”

An extremely abrupt, crisp and ethereal sound of copper bells came without any warning from the thick and impenetrable night fog on the left side of the river!

The bell sounded not loud, but extremely penetrating, as if it could ring directly in the depths of one's heart. With a strange rhythm, it instantly overwhelmed the sound of the wind, the sound of water, and even the death-threatening whistle!

Everyone was stunned!

Even the well-trained crossbowmen on the official ship couldn't help but pause their fingers as they pulled the strings.

Mo Ya suddenly turned his head and looked in the direction where the bell sound came from. For the first time, a trace of extreme astonishment and disbelief clearly flashed across his dead eyes!

In the thick fog, a light dimly lit up, and then the outline of a small boat slowly appeared.

The boat was even smaller than their wupeng boats, and of a simpler style. Its hull seemed shrouded in a thin mist, making it difficult to discern. A single lantern hung at the bow, its shade surprisingly white, emitting a hazy, soft glow. And just beneath the lamp, a small brass bell dangled, emitting a clear, melodious sound as the water rippled.

The most striking thing was the delicate figure of a woman in a plain white dress standing on the bow. The mist and dim lights blurred her features, and only her slender figure could be vaguely seen, her clothes fluttering in the wind. She looked like a fairy banished to the mortal world, or a spirit from a deep abyss, completely out of place in the solemn and tense atmosphere.

Who is she? !

There was a commotion on the Dongchang official ship, and people were obviously confused by the sudden appearance of this strange ship and woman.

The pursuit whistles of the Snow Spider Pavilion's water ghosts also stopped abruptly, as if under the ethereal bell sound, their strange whistles had lost their effectiveness.

The woman in white seemed to completely ignore the tense situation. She turned slightly sideways, raised a delicate hand, and gently waved in the direction of Gu Linzhi and his boat. The movement was gentle, but it carried an unquestionable meaning.

Then, the little white boat she was on turned silently and headed towards a narrower fork on the left that was almost completely covered by reeds. Her figure was quickly swallowed up by the thick fog, and only the "ding-ling-ling" sound of the copper bell could still be heard clearly, as if guiding her.

"Follow him!" Mo Ya shouted to Chang Wu without any hesitation, his tone carrying an urgency that Chang Wu had never heard before.

"Ah? But that ship..." Chang Wu was still in shock and hesitation.

"Hurry!" Mo Ya's voice suddenly became stern, carrying an unquestionable command, "That's the only way to survive!"

Chang Wuyi gritted his teeth and stopped thinking. He pushed the bamboo pole hard, controlling the black-sailed boat to follow the sound of the bell and plunged into the almost invisible narrow waterway!

"Shoot! Stop them!" The head of the East Factory on the official ship finally reacted and roared loudly!

Several powerful crossbow arrows whizzed out!

But at the moment the crossbow arrow was shot, the bell sound that was originally fading away suddenly became faster and louder!

Something strange happened—the Snow Spider Pavilion's water ghost boats that were chasing them suddenly seemed to lose their target, or perhaps their judgment was disturbed by the ringing of the bells. They actually spun on the water, and two of them almost collided! This happened to block most of the crossbow arrows' firing path!

Only one crossbow arrow passed through the gap and shot towards the black-sailed boat!

The Mo Ya short-bladed spear pointed quickly, and with a crisp "ding" sound, it accurately knocked the arrow away and into the water.

Because of this delay, the sloop was completely submerged in the narrow waterway and thick fog and disappeared.

"Waste! A bunch of waste!" On the official ship, the leader was furious and roared at the chaotic water ghost boats, but he did not dare to easily enter the narrow waters with dense undercurrents and numerous forks. He could only order the ships to detour and try to block them downstream.

…

The narrow waterway, barely wide enough for one boat, was lined with dense reeds taller than a person, almost completely obscuring the sky. Only the dim white light ahead and the constant ringing of a bell provided guidance. The fog was even thicker here, carrying a refreshing, light lotus fragrance that dispelled the previous aura of blood and murder.

Chang Wu paddled the boat desperately, following the looming ship in front of him, his face full of surprise and uncertainty.

Gu Linzhi struggled to sit up, leaning against the awning, panting heavily, his heart also filled with shock and confusion. Who was that woman? How could the ringing of that bell disrupt the Snow Spider Pavilion's pursuit? Why did Mo Ya trust her so decisively?

He looked at Mo Ya, who was still on high alert, paying attention to the movements behind him, but the tense lines on his face seemed to have relaxed a little.

"Who...is she?" Gu Linzhi couldn't help but ask in a hoarse voice.

Mo Ya was silent for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the guiding light ahead. His voice was low and complex, "A person...who shouldn't be around anymore. Someone related to 'The Bell Doctor'."

"Bell Doctor?" Gu Linzhi frowned. He had never heard of this name.

"A long time ago, a lineage of doctors and sorcerers, active on the Jiangnan canal, moved mysteriously. It was said that their disciples possessed extraordinary medical skills, particularly adept at detoxifying and curing difficult and complicated illnesses. However, they acted according to their own whims, with peculiar rules. They signaled their movements by shaking a specially crafted copper bell." Mo Ya's voice was filled with reminiscence and uncertainty. "But this lineage has long since vanished, and the world believed its legacy to be extinguished... I never expected..."

A bell doctor? Specializing in detoxifying strange poisons? Gu Linzhi's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously touched the wound under his ribs that radiated a chill. Could it be...

"Why did she save us?"

"I don't know." Mo Ya shook his head, his eyes returning to their coldness. "Perhaps it's related to the cold poison in your body, or perhaps... it's related to Su Wanwan. The lineage of the Bell Doctor has some unclear connection with the Baicao Gushu, information from the government, and even the secrets of the previous dynasty. Be careful, they may not be saving people without ulterior motives."

As they were talking, the white light of the boat ahead suddenly stopped. The bell also changed its tone, from melodious to short, ringing three times in a row before stopping.

Chang Wu quickly steadied the boat. Suddenly, the view ahead opened up. At the end of the narrow waterway, a tranquil inlet surrounded by a ring of reeds and jagged rocks. In the center of the inlet stood a small, natural stone platform. The small white boat was anchored beside it, the white lantern on its bow burning quietly, and the copper bell had also fallen silent. But the woman in white at the bow had vanished.

There seemed to be something placed on the stone platform.

Mo Ya signaled Chang Wu to move the boat closer carefully.

When I got closer to the stone platform, I could see clearly that there was a small purple bamboo medicine box on it, and a folded plain paper on the lid.

Mo Ya was the first to leap onto the stone platform. He carefully checked his surroundings, confirming there were no ambushes, and then he picked up the plain paper. He unfolded it, revealing only a few lines of elegant yet cold handwriting:

"The cold poison has penetrated the marrow, and no medicine or stone can cure it. To resolve this calamity, one must seek the 'Earth Flame Heart'."

"The bell is a token of trust, and the deadline is three days. If you miss the deadline, it will be ignored."

There was no signature on the note, only a small, ingenious copper bell pattern drawn at the end.

"Earth Flame Heart?" Gu Linzhi muttered to himself. He had never heard of this thing.

Mo Ya's brows furrowed tightly, his expression becoming unusually solemn. "The Earth Flame Heart... Legend has it that this extremely yang object only exists in the miasma-ridden lands of the far south, deep within the volcanic lava... It's practically a thing of legend... And she's actually pointing the way to find it?" He looked at Gu Linzhi with a complicated expression. "Either she really has a clue. Or, she's pointing to a dead end."

The three-day deadline is so tight that it is suffocating.

At that moment, the white light on the small white boat flickered and then went out silently. As if it had never appeared, the boat slipped quietly into another, narrower waterway and disappeared into the thick fog and reeds, leaving only a vast expanse of space and the cold, purple bamboo medicine box.

Chang Wu was stunned and muttered, "It's really... it's really a ghost..."

Gu Linzhi looked at the plain paper in Mo Ya's hand, and felt the lingering cold poison in his body. A bitter but resolute smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Is it a dead end?

Hasn't he been in desperate situations every step of the way?

At least this time, someone pointed in a direction instead of complete darkness.

"Earth Flame Heart..." He repeated the name in a low voice, a faint but stubborn light rekindled in his eyes.

Mo Ya put away the plain paper and opened the purple bamboo medicine box. Inside were several jade bottles and some clean medicine cloths neatly placed. The bottles were labeled with simple labels: "Suppress Cold", "Relieve Pain", and "Strengthen Energy".

He took out the bottle of "cold-suppressing" medicine, poured out a white pill that exuded a cool scent, and handed it to Gu Linzhi.

"Stability first. Three days... time is running out."

The night was thick and foggy. The small inlet temporarily cut off the pursuit, but it also brought a more vague but irresistible guidance.

A bell hangs on a lonely boat, and the Waking of Insects has begun. Whether the road ahead is hope or a deeper hell, only by setting foot on it can we know.