Chapter 41 (Unfinished Gu Worm)
After losing her cultivation, Nangong Ying gradually became depressed.
[When she heard Nangong Wen comforting and encouraging her, she managed a weak smile but couldn't speak. Her heart was numb, and her face looked lifeless.]
As time went on, Nangong Wen stopped indulging her and began to treat Nangong Ying with disdain, constantly uttering sarcastic remarks, which strained the relationship between the two sisters.
Lou Yuqing sighed upon seeing this.
Chen Mujian looked at Nangong Wen with concern. Although the voice implied accusation against Wen'er, he knew that Wen'er was not such a heartless person.
Nangong Wen shook her head slightly at him, her eyes fixed on Nangong Ying's direction, her long hair covering her sister's face and blocking her view completely.
Nangong Wen suddenly felt a little dazed; how long had it been since she had truly seen her sister's face?
...It seems like it's been a long time.
[Nangong Wen's intentions were good; she thought this would stimulate Nangong Ying's emotions and help Nangong Ying overcome the shadow of being unable to cultivate.]
This is Nangong Wen's method.
As long as my sister responds, things will get better.
But no matter how much she argued with Nangong Ying, Nangong Ying's reaction was always indifferent, as if she was immersed in her own world.
Just like now, Nangong Wen looked at her younger sister. She believed that her sister had also heard what the voice said, but her sister remained unmoved.
Nangong Wen immediately became somewhat angry.
He opened his mouth, and the breath vanished instantly, then he closed his mouth again.
She was also very frustrated, as her methods not only failed to work, but over time, they caused the sisters to get along so badly.
Where Nangong Wen couldn't see, Nangong Ying's eyes flickered slightly, a look of struggle flashing across them, before she regained her composure, like a wooden doll.
Chen Mujian patted Nangong Wen on the shoulder, his face showing tenderness. He met Wen'er during that beast tide years ago. The two were assigned to the same squad and dealt with death every day, and feelings gradually developed between them.
After the mission was over, Wen'er said she would introduce him to her sister, and he was really looking forward to it.
As a result, Wen'er's younger sister had an accident, and only then did he realize that the younger sister Wen'er mentioned was Nangong Ying—a rising star disciple in the sect.
For the sake of her younger sister, Wen'er has been traveling around all over the years, searching through various ancient books, trying to find a solution.
Chen Mujian felt sorry for her, but he never advised her to give up. No matter how painful it was, she was still her sister. He was an orphan and had never experienced the taste of family affection. He didn't want her to lose her family as well.
When Nangong Wen was away, he often went to the Spirit Beast Garden to see Nangong Ying, to prevent her from being bullied. When they met, she left him with a preconceived notion that she was a somewhat withdrawn girl.
After spending more time together, Chen Mujian discovered that Nangong Ying wasn't actually unresponsive to the outside world; she was just a little slow to react and seemed to be avoiding people.
Today is the qualifying match before the seven-game league match.
Wen'er called Ying'er out to watch the competition, hoping to stir up Ying'er's emotions with the scene of cultivators fighting, but Ying'er did not react at all.
Wen'er was furious and pulled Ying'er away, scolding Ying'er as they headed towards the Spirit Beast Garden. To be honest, Wen'er's words were rather harsh.
Perhaps because of this, when passing by the Hall of Law Enforcement, Ying'er suddenly broke free from Wen'er's hand and said, "Then don't worry about me."
Chen Mujian remembered it clearly: Ying'er's tone was very flat, as if she were talking to a stranger.
The two sisters then got into an argument.
He couldn't take sides, so the commotion grew louder and louder.
Later... they were taken into the Hall of Law Enforcement.
Chen Mujian surveyed his surroundings, wondering where that voice came from. If he caught someone rubbing salt into someone's wounds like that, he would never let them go.
The next moment, Lou Yuqing's excited inner voice came through.
Let me take a look.
Why did Nangong Ying become like this?
There are no illnesses in the world that occur without a cause; they are simply more difficult to detect.
Chen Mujian looked surprised.
Can this person solve Ying'er's problem?!
Nangong Wen felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and stood there stunned for a long time before looking excitedly into the void.
Regardless of whether the voice was malicious towards her, as long as the other party could explain how to cure her sister's illness, what did it matter if she was said a few words?
Si Nidie: This works too?
However, after thinking about it, she realized it made perfect sense.
My junior sister knows everything. She can find the cause of a disease that even the Medical Sage couldn't find. It's actually normal for her to do this. In the future, if we hand over such matters to my junior sister, she'll have it all under control.
As she held her breath and waited for an answer, Lou Yuqing looked around, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Why is everyone so silent?
Si Nidie suddenly realized: Oh no, I've made a mistake.
She coughed a few times and said, "You must confess what happened immediately. Do not try to resist, or I will convict you of obstructing the official duties of the Enforcement Hall."
Upon hearing that there might be a solution, Nangong Wen was so excited that she couldn't speak. She tugged at Chen Mujian's sleeve, and Chen Mujian, understanding her meaning, said, "This disciple wouldn't dare. The matter is like this..."
Under Chen Mujian's narration, Lou Yuqing's doubts were dispelled. When she saw the two words recorded in the system, she subconsciously exclaimed in surprise.
[Poisoned!]
The reason Nangong Ying lost her cultivation was because she was poisoned by the Spirit-Absorbing Gu from the Southern Frontier!
This type of Gu worm is extremely domineering. After parasitizing a human body, it continuously drains the host's spiritual energy until the host dies!
What? !
Nangong Wen trembled and almost lost her balance. Her younger sister had been cursed with a Gu—a Soul-Sucking Gu—which sounded ominous just from its name.
“Ying’er…” Nangong Wen held his sister’s hand, his cold expression crumbling into heartache and grief.
She couldn't imagine that her proud younger sister had her cultivation so easily stolen by a Gu worm, and that a red birthmark had appeared on her face, forcing her to cover her face with her hair and avoid people for fear of being ridiculed, becoming so timid and hesitant.
Nangong Ying tried to pull her hand back, but Nangong Wen held it tightly. She glanced at Nangong Wen quickly, then immediately lowered her head again.
Seeing this, Nangong Wen was even more heartbroken.
She tried to find a bittersweet moment, thinking that at least her sister was responding to her, instead of remaining completely unresponsive as before, as if she had resigned herself to her fate.
Good heavens, how much does the person who did this hate Nangong Ying? Besides the Spirit-Absorbing Gu, they also used another kind of Gu—the Beauty Gu!
This is not a beautifying worm. As the name suggests, the person afflicted will develop a red birthmark on their face. Over time, the birthmark will grow larger and larger until it covers the entire face.
The Beauty Gu that Nangong Ying was afflicted with was a variant, so its effect on appearance was not as dramatic. Instead, it greatly harmed the personality and temperament of the person afflicted.
Therefore, Nangong Ying's cowering state is actually due to the Red Beauty Gu, not the main reason for her loss of cultivation!
Lou Yuqing's shocked words pulled Nangong Wen back to reality from her grief.
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind.
Yes, my sister isn't the type to give up easily after setbacks. Besides, she has her older sister, and they depend on each other for survival. What difficulties can't they overcome?
It turns out that a villain had cursed my sister, creating her current predicament!
Nangong Wen hugged Nangong Ying tightly with all her might. She had been such a derelict older sister, never noticing anything amiss all these years.
My younger sister used to be so lively and clever...
Nangong Ying's body stiffened, her shoulder was soaked with sweat. She looked at the person through the gap in her hair and wondered dully, "Was she crying?"
Nangong Ying slowly raised her hand, mimicking Nangong Wen's gesture, and hugged her body, gently patting her, thinking to herself, "Don't cry."
Nangong Wen paused in her sobs, then cried even harder, tears streaming down her face like a flood, threatening to overwhelm anyone who saw her.
Ying'er, your sister was wrong!
It's because your older sister didn't take good care of you!
Chen Mujian sighed as he watched this scene. Ying'er's illness had always been a pain in Wen'er's heart, and touching it would cause her pain again, which made her increasingly irritable and indifferent.
In retrospect, this voice actually did a good thing.
If given the chance, he would like to express his gratitude to the owner of the voice.
Lou Yuqing: "..."
If she knew that Chen Mujian had wanted to hit someone earlier, she would be speechless. He changes his expression faster than you.
Looking at the two sisters who were crying in each other's arms, Lou Yuqing looked at Si Nidie in confusion. "Senior sister, you made her cry?"
Si Nidie: "..." I'm innocent.
It was clearly you, junior sister, who made me cry. You can't just shift the blame like that.
Gu Bugai pondered the words "poisoned by Gu." When had the Wendao Sect ever been involved with the Southern Frontier? He wondered if this was done by people from the Southern Frontier, or if someone was framing them.
After thinking about it, I realized I couldn't leave southern Xinjiang.
He didn't know much about Gu worms, and if he wanted to remove the Gu from this girl, he had to go to the Southern Frontier and find a local to handle it.
Thinking about this, he suddenly thought of someone.
—Tan Sheng!
A monk from the sacred mountain in southern Xinjiang.
On the day they confronted the Meng family in Ping'an City, Meng Siyu revealed the existence of the Myriad Gu Scripture in the memory stone, attracting Tan Sheng and his master.
Now, Tan Sheng's master is on his way back to the Holy Mountain with the Myriad Gu Scripture.
Although Tan Sheng is young, he is a Gu Master after all, and he is more proficient in this art than they are. Even if he cannot cure the Gu, he can still take Nangong Ying to the Holy Mountain.
He felt the other party owed him a favor because of the Ten Thousand Gu Scripture, and he thought they had no reason to refuse.
At the same time, Lou Yuqing and he had the same idea.
[A person from Southern Xinjiang; our sect happens to have one.]
How can I subtly persuade Nangong Ying's sister to take her to see Tansheng, or perhaps have Tansheng find an opportunity to approach them and reveal the cause of her illness?
Lou Yuqing's small face scrunched up.
Upon hearing this, Si Nidie's heart stirred. Finding Tan Sheng now would probably not be easy. Ever since she had the idea of playing matchmaker, she had arranged for Tan Sheng and Wu Fengshu to meet.
Judging by the time, it's been about half a month.
If they hadn't gotten along so well, Tan Sheng would have returned long ago. This situation only shows that sparks of love have ignited between them. They are truly destined lovers, and their fate is indeed deep.
Si Nidie didn't want to disturb the young couple's sweet time, but unfortunately, now wasn't the time for her to decide. She sent a telepathic message to Tan Sheng: "Spirit-absorbing Gu, Beauty Gu, what's the solution?"
Minghuang Mountain.
In the octagonal pavilion atop the mountain, a young man and a young woman admired the scenery before them, exchanged a smile, and understood everything without saying a word.
The man was adorned with numerous silver ornaments, simple yet not cumbersome; he was none other than Tan Sheng, deeply in love.
Before coming here, he never thought he would meet such a compatible confidant, who could respond to anything he said.
This feeling is absolutely wonderful.
Tan Sheng had originally planned to return to Wendao Sect in a few days, but his master left him there, and it would be against his master's wishes for him to stay outside.
However, he couldn't help but keep putting it off, and it's finally come to this.
Looking at Wu Fengshu's bright smile, Tan Sheng felt satisfied. He thought, "Master should understand, there's definitely a difference between being single and being in a relationship."
The communication jade slip lit up, and Si Nidie's voice followed.
Tan Sheng had a good impression of the matchmaker, and although he was puzzled as to why she would ask such a question, he did not intend to investigate further.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "The Spirit-Absorbing Gu is a nearly extinct Gu worm that comes from a family on the Holy Mountain. This family was destroyed in a rebellion more than sixty years ago, and since then, the method of cultivating the Spirit-Absorbing Gu has been lost."
"A person infected with the Spirit-Sucking Gu will have all their spiritual energy drained. No matter how much they cultivate afterward, all the spiritual energy they gain will be fed to the Spirit-Sucking Gu, making them do all the work for it. It is an extremely cruel Gu worm."
"Moreover, the poisoning occurs silently and without warning, making it impossible to prevent. Fortunately, the Soul-Absorbing Gu is very difficult to cultivate, and the maximum number produced each year is only three. Since that family fell, the Soul-Absorbing Gu has appeared five times, but has not been seen since."
Si Nidie's heart tightened: "Do you know how to remove the curse?"
Tan Sheng shook his head: "The methods for removing and cultivating the Soul-Absorbing Gu have been lost, and not a single record has been found... Are you asking this because someone has been infected with the Soul-Absorbing Gu?"
After hesitating for a moment, he still asked the question.
Si Nidie said with a troubled expression, "Yes."
"When did you get pregnant?" Tan Sheng asked.
Si Nidie said, "About twenty years ago."
"...This person isn't dead?" Tan Sheng's expression was strange.
Si Nidie said, "It's not good to curse someone to death."
"Are you sure it's a spirit-absorbing gu? People afflicted with this gu will have their spiritual power continuously drained, and they can only last a few years at most. If it's twenty-odd years, how many lives does this person have left?" Tan Sheng retorted.
Now it was Si Nidie's turn to fall silent.
What exactly happened? My junior sister is definitely not wrong. Could it be that Nangong Yingzhong is an imposter using the name of the Soul-Absorbing Gu?
Si Nidie, unaware that she had stumbled upon the truth, asked, "Can the Beauty Gu be cured? She's still under its spell."
"How long has it been?" Tan Sheng asked.
Si Nidie honestly replied, "I was infected around the same time as the Soul-Absorbing Gu."
"..."
Tan Sheng was speechless: "I'll say it again, how many lives does this person have?"
Si Nidie looked at Nangong Ying in the center of the hall and said uncertainly, "Probably one."
“People afflicted with the Beauty Gu will develop red spots on their faces, but this is only the outward manifestation of the Beauty Gu. The core function of this Gu is to absorb the life force of the afflicted person, making it even more ferocious than the Spirit-Absorbing Gu. Even a body cultivator with sufficient blood and energy cannot survive for more than three months,” Tan Sheng explained.
Upon hearing this, Wu Fengshu frowned and unconsciously touched her face.
"Hiss~" Si Nidie gasped. According to Tan Sheng, Nangong Ying's condition was clearly abnormal. Could it be that she had been replaced by another creature!
The more he thought about it, the colder he felt, and his gaze towards Nangong Ying became increasingly wary.
Just then, Nangong Ying seemed to sense something and glanced at her. The girl's eyes were like a clear spring, so clear that one could easily let down their guard.
Si Nidie was taken aback, then looked away shyly. She shouldn't have doubted such a pure and kind girl.
A mutated form of the Beauty Gu...
Suddenly, Lou Yuqing's words echoed in Si Nidie's mind. On a whim, she said to Tan Sheng, "That's right, it's probably because she was infected with a mutated Gu worm, so she still has a chance to live, she's just become a bit dull."
"Mutant Gu worm." Tan Sheng read these four words and suddenly realized that he had always regarded the Gu worm as a complete product. Now it seemed that it was a half-finished product created by someone.
This greatly reduces the difficulty of removing the curse.
There is a way to remove Gu poison from the Holy Mountain—different Gu worms have different life levels, and lower-level Gu worms will be forced to obey their master's commands due to the pressure of higher-level Gu worms.
In this situation, although Tan Sheng does not understand the composition of a semi-finished Gu worm, he can take advantage of its low-level characteristics to take out a high-level Gu worm and command it to come out of the body of the person infected with the Gu.
The success rate is 50%.
Si Nidie frowned: "Half?"
“Of course, there is another method,” Tan Sheng said slowly. “Find the person who cast the Gu and have them remove it themselves. This can increase the success rate by another 20%.”
Si Nidie was taken aback: "Not entirely confident?"
Tan Sheng said, "After all, it's only a semi-finished product."
A semi-finished product implies uncertainty; even if cultivated using the same method, the same Gu worm may not be obtained.
Si Nidie murmured, "That works too."
As he spoke, the light on the communication jade slip went out.
Tan Sheng thought she would ask him to go first, but she didn't expect her to cut off the communication directly. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind: Could she find the person who cast the curse?
impossible.
Tan Sheng shook his head to himself. Why do outsiders dislike going to the Southern Frontier? It's because they're afraid that after being poisoned, even finding the culprit will be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
If Si Nidie can find the murderer, she will write his name backwards.
Si Nidie: Hmph!
You wouldn't believe it, she can cheat codes.
She couldn't find one, but she had a junior sister.
Si Nidie spoke casually, "What a tragedy! Who would do such a terrible thing to Nangong Ying? Could it be that they have some deep-seated grudge against her?"
Nangong Wen was filled with a myriad of thoughts at this moment.
Who is Tan Sheng? Where is he? How can we find him?
Upon hearing Si Nidie's question, she immediately replied in cooperation, "Ying'er is gentle and never makes enemies. I don't know who is so vicious as to turn Ying'er into this."
As she spoke, she couldn't stop crying again.
Chen Mujian put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't worry, Ying'er will get better."
Nangong Wen's eyes were as red as a rabbit's; she had shed too many tears: "I won't be able to have peace of mind until I find that person, and Ying'er won't get better because of it."
Did they know that Nangong Ying had been murdered?
That's true, things wouldn't suddenly turn out like this under normal circumstances.
No one expected that the person who used the Gu poison would be Mu Yunqing, the other one who was known as one of the twin stars of the Wendao Sect along with Nangong Ying!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com