Chapter 163: The Gu Master Who Trained the Young Hero
In the middle of the night, Lin Zhi put blood and a mixture of juice from various poisonous herbs into the jar again.
The jar soaked in blood was pitch black, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Lin Zhi sprinkled medicine powder on his wrist and wrapped it with gauze, and asked 01 to help him watch it.
01: [Okay host, you should take a rest. 】
01 felt very sorry for the host's health and urged him to go back to sleep.
Lin Zhi lay back on the bed, sorted out his thoughts, and gradually fell asleep.
At daybreak, the clay pot placed in the corner trembled slightly and then became quiet.
The movement was inconspicuous, but the other insects in the room became restless for a moment.
At the same time, in the mountains and forests, countless snakes, insects, rats and ants left their nests, startling the birds into flight.
Without waiting for 01 to remind him, Lin Zhi had already opened his eyes as if he had sensed something.
He didn't bother to put on his shoes, he stepped on the ground barefoot and took out the pottery jar.
The bloody smell inside completely disappeared, there was no smell at all, like an empty can.
The light in the room was not bright enough, and Lin Zhi was unable to see the answer. He reached his hand in and slowly took it out.
His palms were white and delicate, with the knuckles a little red due to the low winter temperature. There seemed to be nothing on them, but only if you looked very carefully could you spot the transparent flies crawling on his fingers, like a drop of morning dew.
The corners of Lin Zhi's lips curled up, finally succeeded.
The poisonous insect he had half a year ago was the same as Lin Su's, with a dark red surface, which was not to his liking.
Lin Zhi's personality is not that flamboyant. Rather than showing off his edge in public, he prefers to arrange everything secretly and achieve his goal with as little alert as possible. He is like a poisonous spider that traps its prey until it cannot escape before enjoying it to its heart's content, or like a carnivorous plant that only reveals its fangs the moment its food is swallowed into its stomach.
Therefore, Lin Zhi wanted his poisonous insect to be more inconspicuous, preferably so that no one could notice it. By the time the person he had poisoned noticed it, the outcome would have been decided.
Lin Zhi shook the specially made silver bell on her waist with satisfaction, watching the poisonous insect fly into the depression inside the bell.
After finishing this task, he will have more time to deal with other things.
Raising a cub requires more work than doing things in other worlds, but these are the only things that require concern. As for Qi He, it is not time for him to worry about it yet. Moreover, given the current level of trust and dependence Qi He has on him, it will not be difficult to achieve his goal.
Lin Zhi was no longer sleepy and got up and dressed.
He was not wearing the clothes from the village, but the Central Plains clothes that had been prepared long ago.
It was the middle of the first lunar month, and the snow had not yet melted where they were going. Lin Zhi changed into winter clothes and looked at Qi He who had just woken up.
"It's still early, you can rest for a while."
"I'm not sleepy anymore, let's pack up together."
Before daybreak, the master and disciple had already packed their belongings.
Qi He wrapped the knife and put it on his back.
Before leaving the hut where he had lived for nearly two years, Qi He asked, "Master, what does your Gu look like? Can I touch it?"
Qi He wanted to know what the Gu condensed from Lin Zhi's blood and sweat looked like, but he couldn't see it and could only feel it by touch.
"certainly."
Lin Zhi summoned the insect, held Qi He's fingertips, and let him touch the right place.
"It's small and soft, and it seems to have wings, very thin. What color is it?"
Qi He barely sketched the outline of the insect in his mind, trying to see it more clearly.
"It has no color, it's transparent."
Qi He opened his lips slightly: "Master is so amazing!"
"Does it have a name?"
Lin Zhi's voice rose slightly: "Do you want to give it a name?"
Qi He nodded and said with some anticipation: "Is it okay?"
This poisonous insect, which the master spent a lot of time and energy to refine, is the most powerful poison in the master's hands, and may accompany the master, a poison master, throughout his life.
When the master saw this insect, he must have thought of his disciple who named it.
The insect has no mind and can obey orders but cannot communicate. Lin Zhi had no intention of giving it a name, but he saw through Qi He's little thoughts and followed his will.
After getting the approval, Qi He said happily: "Then it will be called Tianxing."
"When my grandfather taught me how to use a sword, my parents said that when I grow up, they would give me a sword that is unique to me and as sharp and fast as my grandfather's Shenfeng Sword. I thought of many names and finally decided to call it Tianxing."
"But I couldn't wait for this knife. No knife in the world can be as good as Tianxing, so I gave it this name."
"Tianxing, you must protect Master well."
The young boy's fingertips touched the soft poison, showing some childishness rarely seen in him.
He saw Lin Tang always talking to her insects and snakes, and asked them if they could understand. Lin Tang shook her head and said, "What if?"
At this time, Qi He was also thinking, what if, what if Tianxing could understand.
"It will. Tianxing protects me and I protect you."
Lin Zhi's eyes curved and she leaned over to pinch the child's cheek.
There was an intimate smile in his voice, soft but firm.
It was still dark outside and the morning fog was surging in the forest. The cool feeling between breaths seeped into Qi He's lungs and turned into moist and warm water droplets in his chest.
Lin Zhi went to find Lin Su and said goodbye to her.
"How long will it take to be back?"
Lin Su knew this day would come when Lin Zhi brought Qi He back.
This village is too small to contain foreign souls.
"I don't know. I'll write back."
Lin Zhi couldn't tell the exact time. Four or five years were too short, but he didn't know if seven or eight years would be enough.
Even if there was enough time, he probably wouldn't come back, after all, this is not where he belongs.
"You are still young, it's good for you to go out and try your luck. If you need help, remember to ask."
"Got it, sister. I'll show you something good."
Lin Zhi handed Tianxing to Lin Su. With the keenness of a Gu Master, Lin Su saw the Gu worm at first sight. His eyes widened, with undisguised shock and excitement on his face.
Lin Su looked at her brother deeply, took a deep breath and said, "My mother's spirit in heaven would also be proud of you."
"Go tell Xiaotang before you leave, so she won't be sad when she wakes up and doesn't see you."
Lin Zhi nodded and said goodbye to Lin Su.
When Lin Tang was half asleep, he heard his uncle say that he was leaving.
It took Lin Tang a while to react and he climbed up from the bed.
"Uncle, where are you going?"
"Go to Central Plains."
"Then remember to bring me something delicious when you come back!"
Lin Tang thought that his uncle was still the same as he was two years ago, he was just away for a while.
Lin Zhi stroked the girl's messy hair and said, "Tangtang, I don't know how long it will take for me to come back this time. If I come across anything delicious or fun, I will send it back."
Lin Tang suddenly realized something, pursed her lips and felt like crying. She hugged Lin Zhi's thigh and said, "Then you better come back soon!"
Lin Zhi just tidied up her hair and told her to listen to Lin Su at home and not to go too deep into the woods to catch poisonous insects.
The little girl nodded, her face full of sadness at the separation.
Qi He was waiting at the door and heard Lin Tang say goodbye to him.
Qi He responded in a low voice: "Goodbye."
There is always a time to say goodbye, Lin Zhi took Qi He away.
Lin Zhi heard Lin Tang's shout again. Qi He couldn't see it, but he turned his head too.
The little girl, with her hair loose and shoes undone, clenched her fists and shouted, "Uncle, if you don't come back, I will go to the Central Plains to find you when I grow up!"
"You must take me to eat lots of delicious food then!"
Lin Zhi nodded and waved at Lin Tang.
In the dim morning light, mist surrounded the mountain, and the figures of a big and a small person walking together soon disappeared at the end of the mountain road.
Lin Zhi and Qi He set out on the twelfth day of the first lunar month and arrived in Anyang City during the Lantern Festival.
There is no curfew today, so Lin Zhi is not in a hurry to take Qi He to see the second teacher. She takes Qi He to the street.
Qi He couldn't see the lights, but it was good to feel the excitement.
In Anyang city, people in gorgeous clothes can be seen everywhere, and the six streets are lit up with children playing.
Lin Zhi bought two bowls of rice dumpling with dripping powder, and together with Qi He, they drove away the winter chill.
Qi He bit the glutinous rice skin and sucked the slightly hot sesame paste inside with a smile on his face.
"Master, I just heard someone say there is a riddle lantern not far away. Let's go there too."
Qi He has good hearing. He just heard someone in the crowd talking about how beautiful the most difficult riddle lantern was. He is really good at guessing riddles.
Although he practiced martial arts in the past two years, he also read books. Since he could not see, he asked Mr. Wu, who could read, to read to him while he was practicing martial arts.
Although Wu Feng could read, he was not interested in the books his master brought him, and sometimes he would even fall asleep while reading.
But ever since he discovered that he could do two things at once, practicing martial arts while memorizing the content, he rarely fell asleep.
Qi He wrote down the parts he didn't understand and asked his master when he returned home in the evening. His days were very fulfilling, and Qi He thought that his ability in guessing riddles should not have deteriorated much.
It was rare that Qi He wanted to play, so of course Lin Zhi took him along.
Lanterns are lined up and tourists are flocking in.
The vendors in Anyang City are very smart. In addition to the riddles and lanterns on every stall, they also jointly organized a riddle event.
There are ten stalls from the street to the end, each with a moving lantern riddle. If you answer it correctly, you can take away a bamboo stick.
If you have six sticks, you can choose a simple lantern. If you have eight sticks, the lantern will be more exquisite. If you collect ten sticks, you can take away the largest lantern.
Qi He was eager to try. Lin Zhi held his hand and watched him guess the riddles.
Qi He answered seven questions correctly in a row. The eighth one was a bit difficult. Qi He thought for a long time, gave the answer, and successfully got the eighth bamboo stick.
The ninth one was unexpectedly simple, and Qi He quickly arrived at the last stall.
As expected, this question is very difficult.
There were many people who had returned empty-handed nearby, looking at the blind boy with curiosity.
Lin Zhi felt Qi He's grip on his hand gradually tightening, and it was obvious that Qi He was in trouble.
01 couldn’t help asking: [Host, won’t you help? 】
Lin Zhi already had the answer in his mind, and he replied with a smile: [No need. 】
Lin Zhi never said a word, but just held the boy's hand and encouraged him.
Reminded by the lantern owner of the time, Qi He pursed her pale lips and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I can't guess."
"It's okay, it's okay. My dear, you are already very capable. Here are your nine sticks. You can go to the front to choose a lantern."
The boss put a bamboo stick in Lin Zhi's hand and pointed him in the direction.
"Thank you very much."
Lin Zhi held a bamboo stick in one hand and held Qi He's hand in the other, and walked towards the place the boss said.
Qi He felt a little disappointed and didn't say anything.
He suddenly heard his master's voice. After hearing the content clearly, Qi He was stunned for a moment.
Qi He said hurriedly: "This is the answer to the riddle, Master, why..."
He felt that the master had not just thought of this, otherwise he would not have spoken in such a calm tone.
Then why didn't you tell him? Did you want to test him and see his performance? Did he disappoint the master? Would the master think he was not smart enough?
At this time, Lin Zhi had already brought Qi He to the stall where they were selecting lanterns and handed nine bamboo sticks to the vendor.
The vendor counted them and said, "Nine. Congratulations. You can pick from the second column."
There are three rows of display cabinets. The first row contains some simple and cheap lanterns. The second row contains lanterns of various exquisite styles. The largest lantern at the top, which is also the most eye-catching, is placed alone on top, attracting special attention.
Lin Zhi asked excitedly: "Which one should we choose? There are lotus, peach blossom, swallow, rabbit, and fox."
Qi He said without hesitation: "Fox."
Qi He didn't have a special liking for foxes, he just thought that among these options, the fox should be chosen.
Lin Zhi's smile deepened and he pointed at the fox lantern at the vendor.
The lanterns were painted with cute foxes lying or sitting on all four sides, swaying in the candlelight at night.
Lin Zhi held the lantern and led Qi He out of the crowd, then slowly answered Qi He's question.
"The lantern you won for me personally is beautiful no matter what kind it is."
Lin Zhi's voice, along with the night wind and the surrounding noise and joy, flowed into Qi He's heart.
There was no trace of gloom on Qi He's face. The upturned corners of his lips made him look a little silly.
01Silent wailing, foul, the host is so foul!
How can you be so good at coaxing children?
No, the host can not only coax children, but also adults.
The lantern burned all night and was finally put away properly at Qi He's request.
The next day, Lin Zhi took Qi He to a small courtyard in the south of Anyang City.
As soon as he pushed the door open, Lin Zhi smelled a strong smell of alcohol.
His eyebrows did not move, and he was not surprised at all.
An old man with white hair was lying on the stone table in the yard, his cheeks red from drinking.
When he saw Lin Zhi, he burped.
"You're finally here! I've already finished the wine you gave me last time. Give me some more, or tell me where it is and I'll steal it myself... No, take it."
The old man spoke incoherently, as if he was completely drunk.
"How have you thought about what I told you?"
"Yes, yes, the wine you gave me is really strong. I have never tasted the kind of wine that freezes and burns people's bones," the old man agreed immediately, smacked his lips as if savoring the taste, and asked, "Tell me your request quickly, and tell me that you will give me three jars after the good thing is done."
Lin Zhi looked at Qi He beside him and said, "I want you to teach him Qinggong."
The old man almost fell off the stool, his eyes widened and he said, "You want me to teach a blind man Qinggong? Aren't you afraid that he will fall to his death? My Qinggong is not easy to practice, and he can't learn it because he can't see."
The old man is arrogant, but he has the confidence.
When he was young, he was the best in martial arts and a famous thief. He came and went without a trace, and even if he was forced to the edge of a cliff, he could jump off the cliff and escape.
When he got older, he faded out of the world and became elusive, but he never forgot his old profession. His biggest hobby was wine. He would not steal gold, silver or jewelry, but wine to drink.
Half a year ago, Lin Zhi's people got hold of his latest movements. He drank in a landlord's wine cellar for three days, was caught drunk, and was beaten half to death.
When Lin Zhi's men rushed there, they only had time to see his running back and were completely unable to catch up with him.
Lin Zhi had read many books and knew that there were tribes living in the far north. The thief had drunk the best wines in the world, but he might not have tasted this.
Therefore, he spent half a year using this wine to hook him. A few days ago, he gave the old man a small bottle to try, and told him that he had three jars of fine wine and needed him to do something.
"So there's nothing to talk about?"
Lin Zhi was not in a hurry either. There was more than one famous teacher, so there was no need to force it.
"Oh my, young man, why are you in such a hurry? It's not impossible, but you have to give me five jars. No, no, no, if you want to learn my kung fu, you have to buy my wine."
"Can."
"It is said that gold is easy to come by but fine wine is hard to find. I, Bai Wuqiu, agree, but how much he can learn depends on his luck."
Bai Wuqiu said with a smile, raised the empty wine jug and poured it into his mouth, drank the last few drops, and asked shamelessly: "Can I pay for a jar in advance?"
Lin Zhi narrowed her eyes and said softly, "No."
"I will give you as much as you give me."
Merchants value profit, and Lin Zhi never does business at a loss.
Bai Wuqiu yelled: "If you do that, I will run away."
Lin Zhi touched the bell on her waist and flicked it gently.
The crisp ringing of the bell made Bai Wuqiu's face change suddenly.
Qi He lowered his head, and a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Are you a Gu Master?"
Bai Wuqiu's voice was anxious and angry. If he had known that this man was a Gu player, he should not have come.
But who can resist the temptation of fine wine?
"Old man, you have to keep your promise. I have no intention of controlling you."
Lin Zhi knew that Bai Wuqiu was not a gentleman. No matter how nicely he called himself a thief, he was still a thief. The older he got, the more shameless he became. After he agreed, Lin Zhi had already planted the Gu in him.
Bai Wuqiu pulled his white beard and said, "Alright, alright, if you want to learn my Qinggong, you can't do it here. You have to follow me."
Lin Zhi had no objection and set off again with Qi He.
Bai Wuqiu led them deep into the mountains, where the mountains were high and steep, and there were rushing waterfalls.
Bai Wuqiu pointed to the peak covered by clouds and said with some gloating: "When this kid can get up there and come down safely, he will have learned enough of my skills."
There was a hint of warning in his voice: "He can't see, so it's harder than for normal people. I told you he might fall to his death. Do you still want him to learn?"
Lin Zhi's expression slightly restrained, and he said: "He doesn't need all of them..."
"Master, I will learn."
The corner of Lin Zhi's clothes was tugged, and Qi He interrupted him for once.
Lin Zhi didn't respond, and after a pause, he continued, "I'll watch."
Bai Wuqiu took out the wine flask, took a sip and said, "Then let's start with the most basic things."
In the open ground beside the stream, there are dozens of wooden stakes of different sizes, even wooden pillars, with huge height differences.
The wooden stakes looked quite old, with signs of decay on the edges, and some unknown footprints engraved on them like brands.
"This is where I learned Qinggong. My apprentice also practiced here. I taught him for seven years and he learned 90% of it. As for your kid, it all depends on his luck."
The old man felt a little troubled and took another sip of wine: "Can't you see I don't even know how to demonstrate it? I'll have to waste a lot of time and effort. Oh, I'm thirsty, I need to drink."
Lin Zhi glanced at him with a half-smile and said, "You're indispensable."
Bai Wuqiu looked at the beautiful face in front of him, which did not show any hostility, and thought about the unknown bugs in his body, and sighed softly.
He didn't realize that she was actually a femme fatale. She didn't look like one at all, but she was indeed cruel.
Qi He already had a foundation in internal strength and had also learned some simple light skills, but that was far from Bai Wuqiu's Manyun light skills.
He started with the simplest wooden stakes. Since he couldn't see, Bai Wuqiu didn't allow him to familiarize himself with the terrain. Qi He knew very well that he couldn't rely too much on his sense of touch. Swords and knives have no eyes. If the enemy was in front of him, he would not be given time to familiarize himself with the terrain.
Qi He could only rely on his feeling to land, but after a few days, he was covered in bruises, and sprains and dislocations were common. The most serious fall caused him to vomit blood. However, he also learned how to avoid them and find the right landing position more quickly.
The wind in the valley is very strong, and when it blows through pillars of different heights, it encounters different resistances, so the sounds produced will be extremely subtle.
Lin Zhi would rub medicinal wine for Qi He before he went to bed, and feed him medicine when he was injured. He felt a little distressed for a rare time, but Qi He had to endure this pain.
Qi He could endure the pain, but he was never reluctant to show his suffering in front of his master. Sometimes when the pain was severe, he would cry silently.
At this time, the master would always wipe away the tears on his face and tell him some interesting things about the outside world to distract him, and then he would hug the master and fall asleep. He was very fond of such warm time.
In less than a month, Qi He could easily fall from the tallest pillar without getting hurt. Bai Wuqiu began to throw hidden weapons at him, forcing him to dodge on the pillars. Once he fell to the ground, he would be considered a failure.
The hidden weapons Bai Wuqiu used at the beginning were just things he could find everywhere, such as stones, leaves, pine nuts, and even his own melon seed shells. Later, they became arrows and needles.
Qi He kept going through a cycle of getting injured, recovering, and getting injured again, and never showed a trace of dissatisfaction in front of Bai Wuqiu.
After these requirements were met, Bai Wuqiu's tasks became increasingly difficult. He asked Qi He to retrieve something from a hidden cave within a specified time. Qi He had no idea where the cave was and got lost in the mountains for a day, groping his way out by himself. But even so, he asked Lin Zhi not to look for him.
He knew there were wild beasts in the mountains and forests, but if he couldn't deal with these things, how could he deal with his enemies?
On such a day, Qi He soon celebrated his eleventh birthday.
Lin Zhi remembered the agreement with Qi He, so she specially asked someone to send more abundant ingredients.
Qi He practiced martial arts in the deep mountains, while Lin Zhi went out to do things during the day and returned at night when he had free time. He hired a mute servant to take care of their food and daily life in the mountains, and of course took care of the teacher as well.
It's just that Bai Wuqiu is addicted to alcohol and often drinks until he's drunk. Lin Zhi doesn't care much about it and gives him a certain amount of compensation according to how much he teaches.
Lin Zhi made the longevity noodles in the evening.
When Qi He came back, his face was very red, as if he had run hot.
Lin Zhi asked him to take a shower first and then come back to eat noodles.
But when Qi He was eating noodles, Lin Zhi noticed something was wrong.
Qi He chewed mechanically and looked a little confused.
Lin Zhi frowned slightly: "What happened today?"
Qi He answered obediently: "Master knew that today was my birthday, so he tricked me into drinking a little wine. Master, I feel a little dizzy."
"Don't eat if you're drunk. Go lie down on the bed first."
Lin Zhi's voice was still gentle, but his eyes were slightly cold.
I knew that old man Bai Wuqiu was a bit of a crook, but I didn't expect him to trick a child into drinking. It looks like I have to stop him from drinking for a week.
"I finished it quickly."
Qi He was reluctant and ate the noodles faster.
Lin Zhi used a handkerchief to wipe Qi He's mouth. You know, when Qi He was first brought back by him, he never took care of her like this.
Qi He was lying on the bed, moving around restlessly, which was a rare occurrence for him, while he was reporting on his study results.
"Master, am I good enough?"
"sharp."
It's not just amazing, it's even astonishing.
Qi He is only eleven years old now, but his skills are already enough to defeat many people, but he has no experience in fighting against others.
Lin Zhi is already looking for Qi He's next teacher, as well as a sparring partner to teach him moves.
The drunk child, who was getting drunk for the first time, kept talking about various topics, sometimes about the stars, sometimes about the fox lanterns, sometimes he said he envied Lin Tang because he could hold him in his arms at any time but he was a boy and couldn't, and sometimes he talked about his parents and grandpa.
Speaking of Qi Hengduan, Lin Zhi has been looking for his whereabouts but has not found any useful clues.
The boy's cheeks were red from the wine, and he asked in a vague voice, "Master, how long will it take for me to grow up?"
Lin Zhi knew that he was eager for revenge, so she patted him on the back and said, "You will grow up soon."
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