Cave refuge and sleeve weakness
The rain poured down like a stream, sending splashes half a foot high onto the bluestone pavement. Mixed with the black ashes of the burning houses, it formed streams of murky water on the ground. Li Ye ran frantically ahead, holding the old woman in his arms. The rain soaked his hair and trickled down his cheeks, blurring his vision, but he didn't dare slow down. Although the Yuanyang woman's screams faded behind him, the cold, evil aura lingered like a maggot in his bones, still palpable even through the rain.
Lin Shen supported Xiuxiu as they followed behind. Xiuxiu's body grew heavier, her steps unsteady. Rainwater clung to her pale face, her black hair clinging to her pale face. The peach wood sword, once shimmering with red, was now completely dull, clutched tightly in her hand like an ordinary stick. "Brother Lin Shen... I'm so cold..." Xiuxiu's voice was tinged with tears, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. The energy she had expended saving the old lady hadn't yet recovered, and the chill from the rain had invaded her body, leaving her body practically unable to sustain it.
"Hold on a little longer, we'll reach the cave soon." Lin Shen pulled Xiuxiu towards him and used his body to block some of the rain for her. The numbness in his arm was still spreading. Although the black mist was temporarily suppressed by the talisman paper, it was like ice chips hidden in the blood vessels, and every movement brought a piercing pain.
Su Wan and Meng Yao followed at the end. Su Wan tightly grasped the fragment of talisman paper left by Zhou Tang in her hand. The golden light on the fragment was so faint that it was almost invisible, and it could only barely dispel the coldness around her; Meng Yao held the camera in her arms. The camera had long been wet by the rain, and the screen was completely black, but she still refused to let go - this was the only thing she had that could record this disaster, and it was also her thought of Zhou Tang and Chen Mo.
Finally, after passing through a dense bush, they found a hidden cave. The entrance was covered by vines and could not be seen without careful observation. They had stumbled upon this cave while patrolling around the town, and it had unexpectedly become their only refuge.
Li Ye rushed over first, used his trekking pole to push aside the vines, and walked carefully into the cave. After confirming that there was no danger inside, he turned back and shouted to everyone, "Come in! It's dry inside!"
Everyone walked into the cave one after another. Li Ye gently placed the old lady on a pile of hay deep in the cave. Su Wan immediately went over and felt the old lady's pulse, breathing a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, her pulse is weak but stable. She's just frightened and cold. She should wake up after a while of rest."
Meng Yao found a corner near the cave entrance, placed the camera on the hay, and tried to dry the camera with her body temperature, but the rain had already seeped into the camera. No matter how she wiped it, the screen did not respond. She couldn't help but let her tears fall, mixing with the rain on her face, and she couldn't tell whether it was tears or rain.
Lin Shen helped Xiuxiu sit on the haystack. Xiuxiu's face was as pale as paper, her lips a bluish purple. She leaned on Lin Shen's shoulder, breathing weakly. Her dark eyes had lost their former luster, becoming dull and lifeless. "Xiuxiu, how are you?" Lin Shen asked anxiously, reaching out to touch her forehead. It was cold, like ice.
Xiuxiu shook her head and said weakly, "I...my soul seems to be dissipating...the peach wood sword...can't sense any power anymore..." As she spoke, she handed the peach wood sword in her hand to Lin Shen. The runes on the sword had completely lost their luster, leaving only a shallow trace, as if it had been washed away by rain.
Chen Ba walked over and squatted beside Xiu Xiu. She pulled out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom, poured out a black pill, and handed it to Xiu Xiu: "This is the 'Soul Gathering Pill'. It can temporarily stabilize your soul, but..." She paused, her voice filled with helplessness, "This pill can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Your soul has been depleted too much. You need to find the 'Soul Gathering Grass' to fully recover. But the Soul Gathering Grass only grows deep in the mass graves of Qingwu Town. Now that place is definitely shrouded in the evil aura of the Evil Witch God and the Mandarin Duck Girl. There is no way we can get there."
Xiuxiu took the pill and, with difficulty, put it into her mouth. It melted instantly, and a warm current flowed down her throat into her body, making her feel a little better. However, the weakness of her soul remained strong, as if it would be blown away by the wind at any moment. "Soul-Gathering Grass... I know where it is..." Xiuxiu's voice was still weak. "I saw it before when I was searching for the evil witch god in the mass grave... But the evil aura there is too strong, so I dare not go near..."
Everyone was silent. Now they didn't even dare to leave the cave, let alone go to the mass grave in Qingwu Town to find the Soul Gathering Grass. Although Yuanyang Girl and the Evil Witch God were temporarily incapacitated after being struck by lightning, they would definitely not give up. When the rain stopped, they would definitely follow the evil spirit and find this place.
"What should we do now?" Li Ye sat at the cave entrance, staring warily at the rain outside, his trekking pole by his side, ready to respond to any emergency. "Xiuxiu is getting weaker, Lin Shen's arm needs treatment, and the old lady hasn't woken up yet. We have no food or water, so we can't hold out for much longer."
Su Wan dug out the only two bottles of mineral water and a few compressed biscuits left from her backpack and placed them among the group. "These are our last food and water. Eat them sparingly. They should be able to last until tomorrow morning. As for Lin Shen's arm and Xiu Xiu's soul, we can only find a way to temporarily suppress them. When we find an opportunity, we can find the Soul Gathering Grass and other healing herbs."
Meng Yao wiped away her tears and picked up the camera beside her. Although the screen was black, she still held it tightly in her arms: "If... if Yuanyang Girl and the Evil Witch God find this place, what should we do? We can't defeat them at all..."
Lin Shen clenched the dagger in his hand. Although his arm was numb, his eyes remained firm. "Even if we can't defeat them, we must do our best to protect Xiuxiu and the old lady. Although the Evil Witch God and the Mandarin Duck Girl are powerful, they also have weaknesses. As long as we find their weaknesses, we will definitely have a chance to defeat them."
Just then, a rustling sound came from outside the cave, as if someone was pushing back vines. Everyone instantly became alert. Li Ye gripped his hiking stick tightly, Lin Shen raised his dagger, Su Wan protected Xiuxiu and the old lady behind him, and Chen Ba pulled out the last pottery jar from his arms, ready to throw it at any time.
"Who's outside?" Li Ye shouted towards the cave entrance, his voice filled with a hint of vigilance.
The noise outside stopped. After a moment, a familiar voice came in, with a hint of weakness: "It's... it's me... Chen Mo..."
Everyone was stunned. Wasn't Chen Mo already dead? How could he be here? Lin Shen was the first to react. He walked towards the cave entrance and carefully pushed aside the vines. He saw a familiar figure standing outside. It was Chen Mo, but his face was as pale as paper, his eyes were lifeless, and his body was covered with black mist. It was obvious that he had been controlled by the remnant spirit of the evil witch god.
"Chen Mo! Why are you here?" Lin Shen asked in surprise, still holding the dagger in front of him, staring at him vigilantly.
Chen Mo didn't answer, but mechanically walked towards the cave, a strange smile on his face. Black mist emerged from his seven orifices and coiled around his body. "Lord Evil Witch God... let me take you... to see him..." Chen Mo's voice was slightly mechanical, like a puppet being manipulated.
"You've been controlled by the evil witch god!" Su Wan shouted, pulling a shard of talisman paper from his pocket and throwing it at Chen Mo. The shard landed on Chen Mo with a crackling sound, and the black mist instantly thinned out. Chen Mo's body trembled violently, and a moment of clarity flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly covered by the black mist again, and he returned to his previous mechanical appearance.
"Hurry up! He is here to lure us out!" Xiuxiu shouted weakly. She could feel that not far behind Chen Mo, a strong evil spirit was approaching quickly. It was the Yuanyang Girl and the Evil Witch God!
Lin Shen immediately pushed Chen Mo out of the cave and blocked the entrance with vines again, but Chen Mo quickly pushed the vines aside and walked into the cave again. This time, two familiar figures followed him - the head and body of the Yuanyang girl. The black mist connected the two, and the residual soul of the evil witch god was attached to the body of the Yuanyang girl. The black sword condensed in her hand and stabbed towards the cave.
"Hide!" Lin Shen shouted, pushing everyone deeper into the cave. The mandarin duck girl's black sword pierced the cave and landed on the ground with a loud bang. The rubble on the top of the cave fell down, hitting the ground with a thud.
Chen Mo lunged at Lin Shen, a black mist entwining his arm, forming a black dagger that stabbed towards Lin Shen's chest. Lin Shen dodged sideways, and the dagger pierced the stone wall, leaving a deep mark. "Chen Mo! Wake up! You are Chen Mo! Not a puppet of the evil witch god!" Lin Shen shouted, trying to awaken his consciousness.
Chen Mo's body paused, a flicker of clarity in his eyes once again, but it was quickly enveloped by the black mist, and he lunged at Lin Shen once more. At this moment, Xiu Xiu suddenly exerted all her strength and hurled the peach wood sword at Chen Mo. Although the peach wood sword had lost its red glow, it still carried a faint trace of spiritual energy. It pierced the black mist surrounding Chen Mo with a sizzling sound, instantly dissipating much of the black mist. Chen Mo's body trembled violently, and he fell to the ground, temporarily unable to move.
When the Yuanyang girl saw Chen Mo being knocked down, she roared angrily and stabbed the black sword into the cave again. This time the sword was thicker and sharper than before, and it directly pierced through the stone wall of the cave. The broken stones fell one after another, and the cave was in danger of collapsing at any time.
"The cave is about to collapse! Let's get out!" Li Ye shouted, helped the old lady up, and ran towards the other exit of the cave - this cave has two exits, one in the direction of the town and the other in the direction of the deep mountains. When they discovered it before, they deliberately remembered this exit.
Everyone followed Li Ye, running towards the exit deep in the mountains. The mandarin duck girl's black sword chased them relentlessly, and the rubble from the top of the cave kept falling, hitting the ground with a "bang bang" sound, threatening to hit them at any time.
Finally, just before the cave collapsed, everyone escaped the exit and reached the deep mountains. The trees were denser there, and the rain was still heavy, making visibility very low. But at least they had temporarily escaped the pursuit of the mandarin duck woman.
Li Ye placed the old lady under a big tree. Su Wan immediately went over to check on her and breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, she's just a little frightened, not injured."
Lin Shen supported Xiuxiu. Her face was growing paler and her breathing was growing weaker. The Soul Gathering Pill's effects were almost gone, and her soul could dissipate at any moment. "Xiuxiu, hold on! We'll find the Soul Gathering Grass soon!" Lin Shen said anxiously, but he had no confidence at all. They had no idea where the mass grave was, let alone how to find the Soul Gathering Grass under the noses of the Evil Witch God and the Mandarin Duck Girl.
Chen Ba squatted beside Xiu Xiu, pulled out the last bit of herbal medicine from his bosom, and placed it under her nose for her to smell. The fresh fragrance of the herbs sobered Xiu Xiu up a little. "We must find the Soul-Gathering Herb as soon as possible," Chen Ba said with a hint of determination, "otherwise, Xiu Xiu won't be able to hold on for much longer. I remember hearing from the old lady in this town that the entrance to the mass grave is west of Qingwu Town. There's a dead old locust tree there. If we find the old locust tree, we'll find the entrance to the mass grave."
Everyone nodded and decided to head west of Qingwu Town, searching for the dead old locust tree and the entrance to the mass grave. Although they knew the road ahead was fraught with danger and that the Evil Witch God and Yuanyang Girl were likely waiting for them there, for Xiuxiu's sake, they had no choice but to continue forward.
The rain gradually subsided, and the sky began to turn pale, but the deep mountains remained pitch black, broken only by the occasional chirping of birds. Holding the old woman by her sleeves, they trudged through the mountains, taking each step with care, fearing an ambush from the evil witch god and the mandarin duck girl.
After walking for about an hour, they came upon a dead locust tree. Its trunk was covered in cracks, and its branches twisted like an old man's withered fingers. It was clearly the old locust tree Chen Ba had described. Beneath the tree lay a hidden cave entrance, obscured by vines. Black mist rose from the opening, emitting a pungent stench of decay. This was the entrance to the mass grave.
"Found it! The entrance to the mass grave is here!" Chen Ba shouted excitedly, and immediately stepped forward and used his hiking pole to push aside the vines, revealing the cave inside.
Everyone walked towards the cave entrance. The black fog was thicker than before, emitting a strong evil aura. It was obvious that the Evil Witch God and Yuanyang Girl were likely inside. Xiuxiu leaned on Lin Shen's shoulder and said weakly, "The Soul Gathering Grass... is in there... I can sense it..."
Lin Shen clenched the dagger in his hand, his eyes determined: "Everyone, be careful. Let's go in and find the Soul Gathering Grass. Once we find it, leave immediately. Don't confront the Evil Witch God or the Mandarin Duck Girl head-on."
Everyone nodded and walked into the cave entrance, heading deeper into the mass grave. It was pitch black inside, with only the occasional faint glow of the peach wood sword in Xiuxiu's hand illuminating the path ahead. A black mist filled the air, emitting a pungent, decaying odor that made one want to vomit.
After walking for about ten minutes, they saw a bright light ahead, and the scent of the Soul-Gathering Grass grew stronger. They walked towards the light and saw a patch of green grass growing in the open space ahead. The leaves of the grass glowed with a faint red light. It was the Soul-Gathering Grass they were looking for!
"Found it! Soul Gathering Grass!" Meng Yao shouted excitedly and immediately ran towards the Soul Gathering Grass.
But just as she approached the Soul Gathering Grass, the surrounding black mist suddenly swelled, and the head and body of the Mandarin Duck Girl emerged from the mist. The remnant of the Evil Witch God's spirit possessed her body. A black sword gathered in her hand and stabbed at Meng Yao. "You want the Soul Gathering Grass? Not so easy!" The Evil Witch God's voice was filled with sarcasm. "Today, you will all stay here and become my vessels!"
Everyone immediately rushed over and blocked Meng Yao's way. Lin Shen swung his engineer shovel, Li Ye raised his hiking pole, and Su Wan and Chen Ba protected their sleeves as they walked towards the Soul Gathering Grass. A new battle had begun.
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