Chapter 160: The Gu Master Who Cultivated the Young Hero
Lin Zhi took Qi He out of the door and led him towards the restaurant.
Qi He walked on an unfamiliar street, having no idea what the long street looked like. He tried to take every step steadily. Even so, he still held Lin Zhi's hand a little tighter.
Lin Zhi lifted the curtain of the restaurant, and the warmth dispelled the spring chill from people's bodies.
The shop owner greeted them warmly: "What would you like to eat?"
Lin Zhi ordered a bowl of noodles and some trendy vegetarian spring pancakes.
The thin spring roll wrappers were filled with fresh tender vegetables. Qi He ate a few more pieces even though he had no appetite at first, and also had the small bowl of noodles that Lin Zhi gave him.
"Have you eaten enough Yihua?"
Listening to his master's question, Qi He thought for a moment of the words he used to threaten others before, but those words quickly flashed through his mind. Qi He nodded and rubbed his stomach.
Lin Zhi paid the bill and took Qi He home.
The next day, Lin Zhi opened his eyes and looked at Qi He, who had originally had her back to him but was now sleeping in his arms. He rubbed the child's cheek, then got up and got dressed.
Qi He lay on the bed, with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.
He didn't expect that he would fall asleep in his master's arms again. This was not his intention.
After washing up, Lin Zhi went out for a while, made some secret arrangements, and came back with hot breakfast. After Qi He washed up and finished eating, she put him on the horse.
"Hold on tight, we're leaving."
Qi He grabbed the reins tightly, and the next moment he felt a warm chest behind him, and a spring breeze with fine raindrops blew on his face.
The horse under him sped up, and while galloping, Qi He heard the sound of Lin Zhi scattered in the wind.
"Take you back to my house."
Qi He responded and leaned into his master's arms.
The raindrops were soft in the willow wind, and he could not see any scenery, but with the sound of horse hooves, he had already sketched out the spring in his mind.
Considering the child's physical strength, Lin Zhi did not travel frequently.
Half a month later, Lin Zhi brought Qi He back to the village.
Qi He, who grew up in the plains, entered the mountain jungle for the first time. The warm air current immediately made him feel hot in his slightly thick spring clothes.
After being tripped by some unknown weeds, Qi He walked more carefully.
"Wait for me in the house first, I'll be back soon."
Lin Zhi brought Qi He into the house and let him sit on a bamboo chair.
Qi He sat properly and did not hear any sound of anyone going out. Instead, he heard the sound of clothes rubbing against each other. He thought it was his master changing clothes.
Lin Zhi changed into short clothes, washed the teapot and teacups in the room and filled them with water, then went to report to the clan leader, Lin Su, who was also the original owner's sister.
After hearing that the insect was missing, the woman's expression flashed with a trace of heartache for losing a treasure.
She took the King Gu back from Lin Zhi, placed the listless insect in a small bowl, cut her hand open and dripped blood into it to soak the insect.
As a breeder, her essence and blood are the blood that Wang Gu favors the most.
Lin Su maintained the posture of blood dripping into the bowl while talking to her brother.
The traitor who committed suicide was named Duoyi. He moved here from another village with his mother when he was a child.
Her father died when she was a child, and her sister was taken away by a wild wolf in the forest. Duoyi's mother was one of the few poison masters in the village. Other people in the village thought that the poisonous insects made by Duoyi's mother were too poisonous, so this retribution happened. They were afraid of being implicated, so they drove them out of the village.
Duoyi's mother brought Duoyi to Wu Village, where there were the most Gu Masters.
"Since she left the village four years ago, she has been coming down the mountain more often. I used to be particularly concerned, fearing that she might be deceived by outsiders. But later I saw that there was nothing unusual about her. She only sold medicinal herbs and wild animals nearby when she went down the mountain. I didn't see any lover. I guess I was negligent. I thought she kept the silver to make jewelry. Now I think she doesn't seem to have many silver jewelry."
Duoyi's talent is as good as her mother's, and Lin Su values her more, so Duoyi knows the location of the mind-controlling Gu in the secret chamber. However, Ye Su did not expect that Duoyi would actually betray the village for outsiders.
Now that the person is dead and the things cannot be recovered, Lin Su is a little upset, but there is nothing she can do but suppress her emotions.
"I just hope that the things happening outside won't affect us." Lin Su lowered his head to treat the wound, touched the insects eating in the bowl with his fingertips, looked at Lin Zhi and said, "I heard that you brought a child back."
"Yes, he is my apprentice," Lin Zhi immediately said after seeing Lin Su's expression change, "But I won't teach him witchcraft. I will let him learn something else."
Lin Su's expression looked a little better. Just as she was about to ask about the child's background, she heard footsteps.
"Uncle is back. Mom said you were out for something. Did you bring me anything delicious when you came back?"
A little girl about six or seven years old ran in from the door. The silver bracelets on her hands shone in the sunlight as she ran.
This is Lin Su’s daughter Lin Tang, who is also the little saint of the village and the future patriarch.
"Little glutton."
Lin Su tapped her daughter's nose and didn't ask Lin Zhi what she wanted to ask, and let Lin Zhi take her daughter to play.
Lin Tang has always had a good relationship with her uncle. Lin Zhi maintained the original owner's attitude, picked up her little niece, and told her about the gift for her.
Qi He heard the footsteps and sat back on the bamboo chair.
He just walked around the room and figured out the layout. He didn't dare touch any bottles and jars and was waiting for Lin Zhi to come back.
However, when the master approached, he heard the coquettish voice of a little girl. Judging from the location of the voice, she should be in the master's arms.
"I like my uncle the most... Hey... who is he?"
Lin Tang saw the stranger in the room and couldn't help but ask curiously.
The strange little brother was wearing clothes she had never seen before, with his eyes covered with a white cloth. He looked pretty and quiet.
"He is my uncle's apprentice."
Lin Zhi put the little girl on the ground and took out the things she bought for Lin Tang from her bag.
There were bright red strings for little girls to tie their hair, embroidered silk puppets, and some cakes.
"Will he play with bugs like me?"
Lin Tang showed her talent as a Gu Master at a young age. When other girls were still weaving straw ropes, Lin Tang had already skillfully caught scorpions and spiders, watched them bite each other, and then fed the winners with their blood.
Lin Tang was puzzled. How could this little brother go into the woods to catch insects without being able to see? It would be easy for him to catch the wrong ones.
"He doesn't need it."
"So what does he study?"
"You'll know later."
Lin Tang nodded, pinned a silk flower on her hair, took Lin Zhi's hand and asked, "Uncle, does it look good?"
The girl's voice was crisp and lively, but Qi He pursed his lips unconsciously.
So noisy.
Qi He's fingers touched the tea bowl on the table. He knew the teapot was nearby, but he touched another location.
Lin Zhi saw that the child was touching nothing, so he held his hand and turned his hand around.
“It’s usually placed here.”
Lin Zhi did not directly help Qi He pour water. The same was true during the journey. Qi He had to learn to take care of herself without him even when he couldn't see her.
"Thank you, Master."
Qi He curled his lips towards Lin Zhi, grasped the handle of the teapot, and poured water into the bowl carefully.
It was exactly eight-tenths full, not more or less. Qi He held the tea bowl and drank the water in small sips.
"Tangtang, can you go and play by yourself first? Your uncle has something else to do."
Lin Zhi wanted to take Qi He to meet his first teacher, who was the person he had already decided on in his mind.
Lin Tang nodded reluctantly and said, "Uncle, you have to take me into the forest to catch snakes tomorrow. I have my eyes on a colorful snake, but my mother won't let me catch it. She said that my resistance to poison is not strong enough and she is afraid that I will get bitten while playing. Uncle, please help me catch it. I am making great progress. The little scorpion I refined the day before yesterday was praised by my mother. She said that I am as good as uncle when he was a child."
Lin Zhi pinched the little girl's hair and praised: "Tangtang is great, we will go tomorrow."
Qi He paused while drinking water and silently put down the tea bowl.
Lin Tang left with a bunch of his things. Lin Zhi was not in a hurry to take Qi He to meet people, but instead took him to learn the layout of the room.
Qi He followed Lin Zhi's introduction and touched the objects, refining the picture he had sketched in his mind.
"Don't touch the things here when I'm not around. If you get bit by an insect, you could get poisoned."
Although Lin Zhi did not plan to let Qi He learn how to make poison, he intended to let Qi He have more contact with it to cultivate his resistance to poison.
Qi He nodded, and after recognizing the layout of the room, Lin Zhi took him out and introduced him to some of the situations in the village and the road conditions.
In the Miao village, the blind child in a long robe was very eye-catching and quickly attracted the attention of the villagers.
Lin Zhi explained that this was the son of an old friend, and that something had happened in his family. Although the villagers were xenophobic, they would not be hostile to the poor disabled child brought back by the Son of Heaven.
Qi He felt the gaze of the stranger coming from the dark world. He followed Lin Zhi quietly, but held Lin Zhi's hand a little tighter.
Lin Zhi felt the child's dependence and reminded him to be careful with his steps.
If nothing else, it’s fun to raise a well-behaved child.
Lin Zhi took Qi He along a winding mountain road and arrived in front of a house.
Like other houses, some insect repellent and ant repellent is placed at the door, but the smell of realgar is stronger.
There was a bearded man sitting on the recliner at the door, resting with his eyes closed.
Hearing the footsteps, he said without opening his eyes: "I haven't been feeling well lately, so I won't try any poisonous Gu."
"I won't try the Gu on you."
Lin Zhi brought Qi He to a shady place and stood in front of the man.
This man's name was Wu Feng. More than ten years ago, he squeezed into the top ten in the martial arts world with his original Haoran Palm. Later, he competed with others, lost, and fell into the miasma forest, where he was picked up by the people in the village.
When he arrived at the village, his meridians had been severed and he was already dying. At that time, the ghost doctor Yan Sangeng was still alive, so he used him to test medicine and saved the man. He even restored his meridians, preventing Wu Feng from becoming a useless person who could only lie in bed.
But Wu Feng could only use his limbs slowly at best, and it was impossible for him to practice martial arts. Moreover, the ghost doctor's medicine had serious side effects. A lot of toxins accumulated in his body, and he could die of the poison at any time.
Wu Feng couldn't find any precious medicine to detoxify and prolong his life, and he could only survive by himself since he had lost all his martial arts skills. So he decided to fight poison with poison and asked someone to try the Gu on him. Unexpectedly, it actually worked.
Gu masters usually test the Gu themselves, because there are not so many traitors to be used as Gu subjects. It is very useful for them if someone volunteers to test the Gu and can cooperate and express their feelings.
So Wu Feng was accepted by the village. People who came to try the Gu usually brought rewards, such as wild mushrooms, vegetables, chickens, ducks, fish and meat. Occasionally, when Wu Feng felt unwell, the witch doctor would treat him for free. The relationship between them was strangely harmonious.
Only a very few people in the village knew about Wu Feng's past. Lin Su, the clan leader, naturally knew about it, so the original owner also knew about it and had worked with Wu Feng.
The bearded man opened his eyes, saw his acquaintance, and greeted him with a smile.
"Son, I haven't seen you for a long time. If you don't come to test the Gu, what can you do for me?"
Wu Feng naturally also noticed the little ghost next to him, who was wearing Central Plains clothes that he had not seen for a long time and had diseased eyes.
"I would like you to teach him martial arts."
Wu Feng paused, scratched his beard, and said with a smile: "Son, are you kidding me? How can a useless person like me teach others martial arts? If you had told me about Gu worms, I would have been able to talk to you about it."
"You have lost all your internal energy, but you have not forgotten your skills and techniques. You can teach him. The martial arts world has long forgotten you. When it comes to palm techniques, people say that the Wuyun School is the best in the martial arts world. No one remembers that you once used your own Haoran Palm to suppress the second person in the Wuyun School and entered the top ten of the Jianghu Baixiaosheng rankings."
If it were according to Lin Zhi's personality, he would definitely set a trap for people to jump into voluntarily, but the original owner's personality was more direct. Wu Feng knew the original owner, so Lin Zhi spoke more bluntly, but still with his own style of speaking.
There was some pity in Lin Zhi's eyes as she looked at Wu Feng's trembling hands unconsciously.
Wu Feng laughed a few times, shook his head and said, "A hero doesn't brag about his past achievements. Haoran Zhang is already dead, and now he is just a useless man trying to survive for the rest of his life."
He said it with relief, but his hands were still shaking.
Lin Zhi said slowly: "Even if the palm technique you created with great effort disappears, it doesn't matter? Yes, it doesn't matter. After all, even if someone uses Haoran Palm to fight the enemy now, they will only be laughed at for their mediocre skills if they reveal their origins."
The anger made the cloudy eyes of this seemingly mediocre and down-and-out middle-aged man sharp for a moment, and he coughed violently a few times.
Wu Feng said with a sigh, "The Holy Son has really learned the mindset of those people during this trip. He even knows how to use provocation."
He snorted and laughed: "My Haoran Palm is not something that anyone can learn. This blind boy may not be able to do it."
Lin Zhi turned around and called out, "Xiao He, come here."
Qi He walked over and his wrist was grabbed by the big man's rough hand, and then his shoulders were pressed down.
After touching one side of the bone, Wu Feng's eyes changed slightly.
"You have seven-strength bones and a lot of internal strength. Holy Son, where did you pick up this treasure from?"
Wu Feng smacked his lips, feeling a little regretful. If the child wasn't blind, he would probably have achieved more.
Lin Zhi: “Can you teach me?”
Wu Feng laughed and said, "I can teach you! If this kid offers me a cup of tea, he will be my last disciple!"
"I already have a master."
Qi He wanted to grab the corner of Lin Zhi's clothes, but touched a smooth and delicate skin. He was stunned for a moment and then grabbed Lin Zhi's hand.
Wu Feng looked at the child, then looked at Lin Zhi who was smiling but saying nothing beside him. This time it was his turn to give some advice.
"You have such a great talent for martial arts, why do you want to learn how to make Gu? Look, the Holy Son asked me to teach you."
Qi He looked calm, but still said stubbornly: "I have a master."
Wu Feng looked at Lin Zhi and asked him to say a few words. What did this mean?
Just as Lin Zhi was about to speak, she heard Qi He say softly, "I will only be the master's last disciple. If you don't mind, I would like to treat you as a teacher and respect you as a master. If I learn something, I will definitely find a successor for you."
Lin Zhi smiled as he watched the kid playing tricks. The last disciple was his last disciple. Although he planned to do so, he didn't seem to tell Qi He.
Qi He did not learn witchcraft, but planned to take the credit, and he still looked like he was only dependent on his master.
Children usually don't have so many schemes, but Qi He might not be the case.
Lin Zhi sighed softly, becoming even cuter.
Wu Feng couldn't help but look sideways after hearing these rather flowery words.
If these words were really said by the child himself, he will have such a bright future when he grows up.
Wu Feng still relaxed for the time being and said, "Then let me see how well you can learn."
Wu Feng started to give instructions immediately. He had been lying in this place that did not belong to him for too long, and his spirit had long been exhausted, but now a small flame was ignited again.
Just for a possibility, a possibility that the hard work can really be passed on.
The small flame kept jumping. If one day this kid could use his martial arts to defeat the opponent who defeated him, just thinking about that scene would make Wu Feng excited.
He had thought that he would die after lingering on for so long, but now he feels that he can live a few more years.
"May I have your name?"
Wu Feng patted the armrest of the bamboo chair and almost forgot about it.
"Lin He," Qi He said, "My name is Lin He."
The 'Qi He' of Chunyi City had died a long time ago, so he couldn't use this name for the time being, so he naturally had to take the same surname as his master.
Lin Zhi rubbed the child's hair and put him here with Wu Feng.
Lin Zhi also had other things to prepare. Tonight he had to remove the remaining poison from the Gu Dan in Qi He's body.
In addition, Lin Zhi also went to Lin Su's study and brought back a pile of books to study.
Once knowledge enters our mind, it will always be useful. Besides, it's not only Qi He who needs to make progress, he also needs it.
At dusk, Lin Zhi went to pick up Qi He and brought him home.
"How do you feel?"
"Well enough."
Qi He untied the cloth from his eyes and washed his face himself.
The starting moves of the Haoran Palm and the Hengduan Sword Technique have something in common, both are extremely fierce and domineering martial arts, and the emphasis is on vigorous and fierce attacks. Although Qi He cannot see with his eyes, he is very adaptable to it.
"That's good. If you feel uncomfortable, be sure to tell me."
"I will, Master."
Lin Zhi asked Qi He to take off his clothes and soak in the medicine barrel.
Qi He walked in gropingly, waited for a while and said doubtfully: "Master, aren't you going to wash?"
During this period, in order to make it easier for the master to take care of him, they took a bath together.
Lin Zhi flicked Qi He's head and said with a smile, "This is a medicinal bath. I won't take a bath with you. Stay still."
Qi He responded, and the tips of his ears felt a little hot, which he thought was probably the effect of the hot medicinal bath.
After helping Qi He deal with the remaining poison, Lin Zhi put his mind at ease. He let Qi He take a bath and dress himself while he went to get some food.
After eating, Qi He lay on the bamboo bed with a red face, waiting for his master to sleep with him, but he smelled blood again.
"Master, are you feeding the Gu?"
During this journey, Qi He already understood that the bloody smell that often appeared on Lin Zhi's body was not caused by injury, but by himself.
"Well, go to sleep first."
Lin Zhi responded and looked at the insects rolling around in the jar.
His blood is poisonous. These poisonous insects drank his blood. If any of them survive tomorrow, they will be considered viable embryos.
Lin Zhi wanted to refine a king Gu of his own.
Qi He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, thinking about what he had seen and heard along the way.
It turns out that the Gu Cult is different from what the legend said. Qi He felt relieved. He knew that his master was taking good care of him and would definitely not kill him at will.
He slept with his face towards the wall out of inertia. When Lin Zhi was lying on the bed, Qi He had fallen asleep due to the exhaustion of practicing martial arts again and getting rid of the remaining poison.
Lin Zhi covered himself with a thin quilt, and soon Qi He, who was fast asleep, lay on top of him, hugging him and sleeping soundly.
Lin Zhi had gotten used to it, and fell asleep while thinking about his future plans.
The next day, before Qi He was fully awake, he felt the warm skin under his palm and opened his eyes in a daze.
But this action was futile for him, as he could not see anything even when he opened his eyes.
Why is Master not wearing any clothes? The eight-year-old was shocked.
Qi He soon realized that he was wrong. When he pulled his hand back, it still touched the fabric. He thought that the master was not wearing underwear but clothes from his hometown. He did not touch the corner of the master's clothes yesterday.
What a strange dress, how could it reveal the belly? Qi He was very confused, this was something beyond his understanding.
Lin Zhi didn't know the child's confusion, so after breakfast, she took Qi He to the home of the witch doctor in the village and asked her to help take a look at Qi He's eyes.
After the examination, Qi He felt a little hopeful, but when the witch doctor said he couldn't figure out the cause, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
Lin Zhi took some medicine given by the witch doctor back and rejected her suggestion to try using poisonous insects.
After Lin Zhi led Qi He out of the house, she said, "You can take your time if you can't see, but you must not take the poisonous insects carelessly."
Qi He listened to what his master said and nodded.
Lin Zhi sent Qi He to Wu Feng and fulfilled her promise to her niece. She took her into the woods to catch the colorful snake that she had her eyes on.
Because of the warm climate and abundant rainfall, there are a lot of insects in the forest, many of which are poisonous. However, the more poisonous insects live deeper in the forest.
Lin Zhi caught the snake that Lin Tang wanted, threw it into Lin Tang's backpack, and asked Lin Tang to go back first.
Lin Tang was somewhat reluctant and watched his uncle go deep into the woods.
A brightly colored butterfly fluttered around and suddenly landed on Lin Zhi's cheek. A linear halo of light filled the entire forest, painting a hazy bright color on the boy's beautiful face. Lin Tang stared blankly until he could no longer see the boy's figure.
Uncle is so handsome, Lin Tang thought, she wants to sleep with uncle tonight.
Lin Zhi came out of the forest before dark and was surprised to find Qi He was already at home. The mountain road was a bit winding, and Wu Feng lived quite far away from other people in the village, but the child actually came back by himself.
"I walked back by myself. Master, you don't have to send me back every day. I already know the way and I won't go wrong."
Qi He took the teapot and poured a glass of water for Lin Zhi who had just entered the room. He raised his head slightly and placed his fingers on his legs uncomfortably.
Qi He pricked up his ears and looked at Lin Zhi with some anticipation.
That little girl was very good at playing with the poisonous snake, but he was also very good at this.
However, before waiting for the master's voice, Qi He heard the little girl's voice first.
"Uncle! I want to sleep with you tonight!"
Qi He's hands on his legs unconsciously tightened a little and he lowered his eyes.
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