Chapter 70 A Dreamlike Nightmare: The Soul-Summoning Bell
That's just because they've lost their minds.
“Reskinning…” Tang Yu raised her head and muttered to herself.
No wonder she bears no resemblance to the image in my memory; it seems she has endured immense suffering to become the Yueying she is today.
Yueying disliked her all-knowing demeanor, a hint of malice flickering in her eyes, yet she was also wary of the Gu poison within her.
"What else are you curious about? Why don't we answer them all today?" Yueying resumed her smiling demeanor, refusing to reveal the slightest bit of fear.
Tang Yu didn't mince words: "I'm curious, even if I merge with Qi Meng, how can you be so sure that I will help Nan Yue?"
This question left everyone speechless for a moment.
She said this not as a provocation or mockery, but simply as a genuine question.
After all, if she were still Tang Yu, with people's joys and sorrows, right and wrong, she would hate them too much to even think about being an accomplice to evil.
Even though the dream within her allows her to analyze the pros and cons clearly and rationally, like an observer, why would a Gu that is indifferent to past loves and hates and has no thoughts of the future help you?
Yuexi's expression was somewhat unnatural, and she stammered, "Because, because of the Holy Maiden's instinct, she should protect Nanyue..."
Tang Yu thought for a moment, then tilted her head: "Hmm? That's just because they've lost their minds."
Yuexi: "...?"
She explained very seriously: "It's just a 'little beast' that's been trapped for too long and is attached to the familiar cage."
Young children grow up in the Gu Pool, enduring suffering and battles, and their worldview is very simple.
The emotions of the surviving "Yue Qimeng" have been dulled; she feels neither hatred nor resentment.
As the strongest among the myriad Gu, they naturally felt that the blood pool they had never stepped out of was their entire world.
Using the mindset of a Gu poison, they instinctively guard their nest.
But she was different.
Logically speaking, having grown up in Yunling Mountain, Nan Yue would never be her first choice if she had to live alone in a secluded place.
She can even go anywhere without any regrets.
Yuexi's expression changed drastically, revealing a rare hint of confusion and fear.
"I told you long ago. Even if I didn't kill her, she wouldn't help you." Seeing this ironic scene, Yueying burst into laughter, a tear welling up in her eye, both mad and pathetic.
Yuexi trembled with anger at her mockery, but her panic lasted only a moment.
Under Yueying's mocking gaze, he gritted his teeth, as if he had finally made up his mind.
The next moment, he took out an ancient, dark gold bell from his wide sleeve. It was covered with intricate and complex runes, as if countless insect shadows were lurking inside.
"bite--"
As the moonlight gently swayed the small bell, its extremely soft hum drifted through the blood pool, like the sobbing of a heartbroken girl, suppressed with grief to the extreme.
The sound boomed in Tang Yu's mind, and her vision instantly spun as if the world were spinning.
Clearly, her meridians and flesh were being reshaped by the Dream Gu, and her lost strength and spirit were being restored.
But now, it feels like all the strength in my body has suddenly been drained. I am conscious, but I cannot control my body.
Tang Yu slowly frowned, sensing the danger, and looked at them coldly.
Elder Yuexi's demeanor completely changed at this moment. He appeared kind but was actually sinister. "Do you really think the Yue clan has no means to deal with Yue Qimeng?"
He held up the bell and gently plucked it with his fingers. The sound spread out, and Tang Yu became even more drowsy.
"You must have seen us use similar soul-summoning bells before. But those can only control ordinary Gu worms," Yuexi sighed softly.
“My Yuezhi shaman realized long ago that although the Holy Maiden can control all kinds of Gu, there is indeed a risk of losing control.”
As he spoke, he slightly raised the bell in his hand, his eyes burning with passion, "For this purpose, we specially crafted a unique soul-summoning bell that is one of a kind in the world."
“You don’t need to worry.” Yueying’s eyes glanced at the bell almost imperceptibly, then looked at Tang Yu, a cold smile curving her lips. “Qimeng is, after all, the Gu King. This bell cannot control you; it can only put you to sleep.”
Yuexi frowned slightly, clearly displeased that she had told the Holy Maiden so many details. She snorted and said, "She has not yet fully become Yue Qimeng. The Soul-Summoning Bell is only more useful than it is used for her."
Yueying didn't care, only staring at Tang Yu in the blood pool, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
Although her mind was still somewhat muddled, Tang Yu was keenly aware that the two were not of one mind and were even wary of each other.
Qi Meng's extreme rationality told her that the bell was dangerous, and she should agree to the other party's conditions first, and then wait for the opportunity to gain her freedom.
But deep down, Tang Yu also harbored her truest desire: to take a more risky approach.
Yuexi asked softly, "Well? Your Excellency, would you be willing to cooperate with us?"
“Okay,” she said softly.
Tang Yu looked at him, unaffected by any emotions, and calmly made the most rational choice between safety and risk.
Yuexi looked very relaxed and extremely satisfied, and put the Soul-Calling Bell back into his sleeve.
Just as Yueying was about to look away, she seemed to see a faint golden light flash in Tang Yu's eyes.
It was just too fast, too bland.
Perhaps she was mistaken...
*
On the other side, Xie Xingzheng, with a few subordinates, found the mountain cabin where Tang Yu had been injured and recuperating without much effort.
Although Yueying and her group tried their best to conceal their tracks, the terrain of Nanyue was treacherous, the forests were dense and the fog was thick, and with a seriously injured person in the group, it was ultimately impossible to be completely foolproof.
Especially when facing veterans like Xie Jiajun, who spend years on marching, reconnaissance, and breaking through enemy lines.
With minimal effort, they can clearly reconstruct the route the other person has taken.
Inside the wooden house, most of the Nanyue people had set off for the holy land yesterday, rendering the defenses ineffective.
This allowed them to take control of the area with almost no effort.
At this moment, Xie Xingzheng was standing beside the couch.
He stared at the unmade bed and the clearly visible bloodstains on the bedding, momentarily stunned, a rare occurrence for him.
I can't quite put my finger on whether I feel more fortunate or more worried.
Just how serious was that injury?
How did she manage to withstand the bumpy mountain roads?
Just as he was lost in thought, a subordinate rushed in and presented two small items with both hands.
"Young General. This is something that wasn't completely burned in the stove. We questioned the maid... and she said it belonged to Miss Tang Yu."
Xie Xingzheng accepted it.
In her palm were a pair of pearl earrings that had been burned and changed color, as well as the silver needles she always carried with her.
His joints tensed slightly. He took a deep breath, carefully wrapped the earring and silver needle in cloth, and put them in his pocket.
He thought: There will always be a chance to repay her.
"Young General," the subordinate spoke again, "the Southern Moon rebels have already gone to the Holy Land. What should we do next?"
Xie Xingzheng raised his head, his gaze calm and steady: "They took a hidden mountain path."
He paused, his gaze falling on the dark, overcast sky.
"But back then, there was a shortcut in the Southern Moon Palace that led directly to the Holy Land."
*
The Nanyue Palace had been abandoned for many years since the war, with weeds and withered branches almost burying the palace roads and the courtyards being dilapidated and covered in dust.
Even so, one can still see the former glory of Nanyue from the gold paint on the broken palace walls and the fine ebony on the collapsed roof ridge.
As for the secret passage leading to the Holy Land, it was sealed off by Xie's army with bricks and stones after the Great Xia conquered Nan Yue.
After that, the garrison troops sent by the Great Xia to the southern border would also come to inspect this place regularly.
Therefore, Yueying and others chose the more rugged mountain road in order to avoid alarming the Great Xia and not give the court a legitimate reason to quell the rebellion.
But Xie Xingzheng had no concerns about this.
The truth behind the Xia Nan plague is enough to make the remnants of Nan Yue roll their heads.
He raised his hand and simply uttered two words: "Smash it open."
Since it was originally the Xie family army that bestowed the title, they naturally knew which area was the weakest.
In less than half an incense stick's time, the sealed bricks and stones were violently broken open, revealing a deep, dark cave entrance.
"Leave some men outside to provide support, the rest will come inside with me."
At Xie Xingzheng's command, they entered the passageway by the faint light of the tinderbox.
This long-sealed secret passage was damp and cramped, with the air filled with the smell of decay and mold.
Fearing that a strong fire would deplete the oxygen, Xie Xingzheng only allowed the leader to light the fire, while the rest groped their way forward in the darkness.
Further in, you gradually enter a strange crevice that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.
A sudden gust of wind blew, and several chilling gusts of air swept in.
Xie Xingzheng reacted swiftly, his sword flashing with cold light, and in a few moves he cut the attacking object in two, which fell to the ground with a dull thud.
But then, a soft, rustling sound came from the ground.
Even without the firelight, he knew this was a common trick used by Nan Yue involving poisonous insects, snakes, and rats.
"Be careful! Get out of here quickly," Xie Xingzheng warned. Then, he used his toes to propel himself forward at lightning speed, slashing through more than ten shadows in the darkness.
Xie's army was well-trained, and not a single soldier fell behind.
Once we left the eerie area of the cliff crevice, the view suddenly opened up to a winding, meandering cave.
Long stalactites hang from the cave ceiling, shimmering in the water.
Xie Xingzheng squatted down and saw that the water in the grotto had gathered into a small stream, and immediately gave the order.
"Go with the flow."
But after walking for an unknown amount of time, Xie Xingzheng suddenly felt something was wrong.
He turned around abruptly, only to find that there was no one behind him.
It was dark, damp, and silent, and not a single person followed.
Xie Xingzheng felt a tightness in his chest, but he had no clue what to do.
Knowing that the layout of this place was strange and that he might not be able to find his companions if he turned back, he had no choice but to continue forward.
But the water flow abruptly stopped at a certain point.
Xie Xingzheng tentatively took another step forward, but almost lost his footing and fell into the pool.
It turns out that the water source didn't disappear, but rather flowed into this strange pool of black water. It seemed to absorb all the light that shone through the water's surface, making it difficult to detect.
Just as he bent down, preparing to examine it closely.
Suddenly, the water surface burst open with a "whoosh".
A dark shadow suddenly leaped out from the bottom of the water and attacked his throat!
Xie Xingzheng immediately dodged backward, raising his sword to slash, forcing the dark figure to temporarily halt his attack.
But the opponent was extremely fast, invisible and shadowless in the darkness, like a vengeful ghost that wouldn't let go.
Xie Xingzheng was forced to fight him in a narrow space.
Just as he stepped to the right to dodge, suddenly, he missed a step—
He plummeted straight down in an instant!
He remained calm and drew his sword, thrusting it into the rock wall for leverage, but the blade seemed to pierce through thin air and could not be secured at all.
In the darkness, he could only wait for the moment he hit the bottom.
At the critical moment, a white figure swooped down, quickly grabbed his wrist, and then wrapped his arm around his waist.
Using the slight protrusion of the rock face, the other person helped him maneuver and shift his position several times.
Finally, the two landed lightly on a soft patch of grass.
Xie Xingzheng steadied himself and, using the faint light filtering through the cracks in the rocks, discovered that the place was filled with vibrant flowers, blooming beautifully and passionately.
Turning around, he saw the person who had saved him, dressed in white, with a gentle smile and a hint of smugness in their eyes.
It was exactly what he had been searching for.
Tang Yu.
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