Chapter 327 Entering the Poisonous Miasma Forest
Nangong Mu looked solemn as she carefully untied the clean gauze with her hands.
An extremely clear, slightly bitter medicinal fragrance instantly spread, miraculously diluting the strong smell of blood and medicine in the room, and making people feel refreshed.
Several medicinal herbs were revealed, and their shapes and colors were all extraordinary.
Nangong Mu carefully identified it, and Nangong Ziyun also came closer to take a closer look.
After a moment, Nangong Mu frowned slightly, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, the gift from Master Xuwu is indeed a rare treasure. But... it is not the antidote or medicine that General Luo needs."
Yan Shixu's heart sank, and he asked, "Then where are these herbs used?"
Nangong Mu picked up one of the leaves that looked like black iron and had a faint blue sheen on the edges and introduced it.
"This is 'Seven-Leafed Kalan Incense.' Grown at the intersection of the spiritual veins of a thousand-year-old temple, and imbued with Buddhist chanting, it's the ultimate in repelling evil spirits and calming the soul. It's incredibly effective in resisting external invasions and stabilizing the mind, especially against hallucinations and mind-altering influences. Its refreshing fragrance cleanses impurities and maintains a clear and lucid mind."
She picked up a few more cinnabar-colored fruits shaped like tiny hearts.
"This is the 'Red Heart Vermillion Fruit.' Although its name implies red heart, it's not an extremely yang fruit. Its nature is gentle and peaceful, and it contains tremendous vitality. It is best at warming the heart meridians and strengthening the body's essence. It can forcibly cling to a glimmer of life when one's Qi and blood are greatly depleted and one's heart and energy are exhausted, protecting the heart meridian from collapse. It is a sacred product for prolonging life and preserving vitality."
Finally, she pointed to a small, inconspicuous rhizome that was dark gold in color and covered with tiny pores.
"This item is extremely precious, called the 'Golden Cicada Shell of Ten Thousand Valleys.' It's not an insect shell, but rather the root of a special spiritual plant found beneath the golden bell of an ancient temple. It possesses a hint of the Zen principle of 'Vajra Indestructibility,' and is specifically designed to counter the most potent poisons in the world, especially those tainted with sorcery and witchcraft. It possesses a powerful purifying and suppressing power."
"'Wanhe Golden Cicada Shell' can be given to General Luo to alleviate his pain and temporarily freeze the spread of the heart-eating and bone-rotting miasma in his body."
It’s a pity that there is no antidote to this poison.
Yan Shixu asked, "How long can it remain frozen?"
"Three months."
Hearing this, Yan Shixu's tense expression finally relaxed a little.
If we can delay it for three months, Yun Zhen’s chances of survival will be greater.
Nangong Mu took away the small piece of 'Wanhe Golden Cicada Shell', carefully rewrapped the remaining two items, and solemnly handed them back to Yan Shixu.
"Your Majesty, the value of these two medicinal herbs is immeasurable. Master Xuwu must have a deep meaning in giving them to Your Majesty."
"I venture to speculate... this item may have been prepared by the Master, foreseeing danger on your journey, specifically for your Majesty... as a protective treasure. Please keep it close to your person, and never leave it."
Yan Shixu nodded seriously and put the brocade bag containing the "Seven-Leaf Jialan Incense" and the "Red Heart Red Fruit" back close to his body.
…
The next day, before dawn, a gloomy grayish-white sky enveloped the entire field.
The air was as thick as solidified blood, carrying with it the pungent odor of rotting vegetation and corpses.
Yan Shixu, dressed in black armor and with a sword hanging from his waist, personally led a hundred of the most elite guards and quietly left Zhennan Pass. Like a sharp blade, he silently pierced into the deathland outside the pass known as the "poisonous miasma forest".
Before entering the forest, everyone took Atractylodes macrocephala pills and plague-repelling pills orally, put on face towels soaked in medicine in advance, and stuffed their noses with cotton wool using a powdered clove, mint, and camphor, leaving only a pair of vigilant eyes like hawks exposed.
The front row of guards burned a mixture of atractylodes, mugwort and sulfur to clear the surrounding miasma and open a path.
The towering ancient trees were twisted and tangled, blocking out the sun. The thick, insoluble dark green miasma slowly flowed and settled in the forest like a living thing.
Under my feet was knee-deep, rotten, blackened mud made of fallen leaves. Every step I took sank very deep, making a heart-pounding sound.
Poisonous insects were crawling under the rotten leaves, and colorful poisonous snakes were coiled on the slippery tree trunks, staring at the uninvited guests with their cold vertical pupils.
The Imperial Guards automatically changed their formation, forming a circle and protecting Yan Shixu in the center.
Everyone held their breath and looked around to prevent any poisonous creature from suddenly appearing and attacking them.
Yan Shixu held the hilt of the sword with one hand, pursed his thin lips, and scanned the surroundings with his eyes, trying to guess where Nong Zhigao might be hiding.
This poisonous forest is connected to the Nanzhao Poisonous Mountain. It is a natural barrier for Nanzhao soldiers and a place where Nong Zhigao can act recklessly.
He can use the sound of his flute to drive any poisonous substance, and control the speed and ferocity of the poison's attack through the ups and downs of the flute sound.
Some of those poisonous creatures grew naturally in the Poisonous Miasma Mountain, while others were raised by Nong Zhigao.
In short, Nong Zhigao was a very difficult person to deal with, and Yan Shixu did not dare to let his guard down at all.
"Spread out! Groups of three, advance in a fan-shaped formation! Watch your feet and the treetops! If you see anything unusual, sound the whistle!"
Yan Shixu's voice was very low, but it was clearly heard by every guard.
The miasma was pervasive, and even with the protection of a medicinal towel, the chilling and biting air seemed to be able to penetrate the skin and flesh and seep into the bone marrow.
From time to time, poison dart frogs would jump away from your feet, spraying out their foul-smelling venom;
The huge, thorny vines are like evil beasts blocking the road.
Before they even entered the depths of the forest, several guards had been bitten by the poisonous creatures that suddenly attacked, which slowed down the team's movement a lot.
Yan Shixu's heart grew heavier.
Suddenly, an extremely slight yet strangely penetrating whimpering sound penetrated into everyone's ears like a gossamer.
That sound wasn't a human voice, it was more like... a whistle?
"Stop!" Yan Shixu suddenly raised his hand, and all the assassins immediately lowered their bodies and held their breath.
This is when Nong Zhigao discovered that they had entered the forest.
The sobbing sound gradually became louder, clearer and more coherent, forming a strange and eerie melody.
This melody seemed to have magical power. The poisonous creatures that were originally lurking and wandering in the forest became agitated in an instant as if they had heard the supreme command.
They no longer wandered aimlessly, but followed the guidance of the flute sound, and emerged like a tide from under the rotten leaves, behind the tree trunks, and in the miasma and thick fog on all sides.
The strange scene was that after all the poisonous creatures appeared, they stood up like humans.
They tilted their heads slightly, as if listening to the meaning conveyed by the flute.
After a while, they gathered rapidly towards the direction where Yan Shixu and the others were with a clear goal.
"Beware! Poison is coming."
Yan Shixu shouted loudly, and the sword in his hand was unsheathed with a clang. The sword reflected the dim light in the forest, and the chill was overwhelming.
The guards drew their weapons and formed a circle with their backs to each other.
However, faced with this overwhelming and pervasive wave of poisonous insects, even the most elite soldiers would feel their scalps tingling.
With the flashing of swords and sabers, poisonous insects were cut off and smashed, and smelly body fluids splashed everywhere.
More poisonous insects swarmed over.
They climbed up the soldiers' legs and feet, trying to get into the gaps in their armor, gnawing at the leather with their sharp mouthparts.
Screams began to be heard, and someone was bitten on the ankle by a poisonous snake, and his face turned black in an instant.
Someone was pounced on by a poisonous spider in the face, scratching it painfully.
"Form a fire formation!" Yan Shixu gave the order.
Several guards quickly lit the kerosene strips they carried with them and waved them to form a short circle of fire.
The crackling flames temporarily drove away the fire-fearing poisonous insects, and the air was filled with a burning stench.
The sound of the flute suddenly rose in pitch, becoming sharp and piercing, full of hostility.
As the tone changed, the poisonous insects outside the fire circle began to attack the flames fearlessly.
What is even more frightening is that deep in the forest, there is a heavy, suffocating crawling sound.
Several huge poisonous pythons, each as thick as a bucket and with scales gleaming with a faint green phosphorescence, were winding their way out from the thickest part of the miasma, their cold vertical pupils fixed on the people in the center of the fire formation.
"Nong Zhigao." Yan Shixu's eyes were like lightning, piercing through the chaotic swarm of insects and the swirling miasma, and fixed on the gnarled branches of a huge ancient tree in the distance.
There, a figure stood quietly.
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