The Remnant and the Final Reverberation
As the morning light pierced the mist of the Miao village, scorch marks from the Black Demon's burns still lingered on the bluestone slabs at the stone chamber's exit. Lin Shen, supporting the injured Li Ye, walked in front. The Red Sun Gu glowed faintly within its black wooden box, as if dispelling the last traces of chill in the air. Ah Zhu followed closely behind, clutching a copper bell. The linen cloth was still stained with charcoal dust and blood from the previous fight. She glanced back every few steps—ever since Chen Ba's spirit dissipated, she felt a constant sense of eyes watching her from behind.
"Let's go back to the village and treat the wound first. We'll deal with the rest in the morning." The elder's voice was hoarse. His left arm had been corroded by the black evil spirit, and the flesh under his sleeve was still faintly black. "We need to send someone to guard the ruins of the third-floor sealed tower. In case there are any remaining black evil spirits..."
Before she could finish her words, Meng Yao suddenly cried softly from behind. Everyone turned around to see her squatting on the ground, clutching her chest. The anti-Gu paper she'd taped to her chest had crumbled to ash, and black blood foam oozed from the corners of her mouth. "I... I feel like something's entangled..." Lin Munan hurriedly squatted down, only to discover black lines moving beneath her skin, as if something alive was moving within her flesh—the Bone-Eroding Evil lingering in her body from the Bone Master's black Evil fragments.
"It's the remaining evil spirit!" The Second Elder's face suddenly changed. He took out some evil-repelling grass powder from his pocket and sprinkled it on Meng Yao. However, the powder instantly turned black when it touched her skin. "It's devouring her yang energy! We don't have the bone-strengthening grass, so there's no way to stop it!"
Meng Yao's breathing became weaker and weaker. She grabbed Lin Munan's hand, her knuckles turning white: "Grandma said... the anti-gu pattern can protect me... but I still..." Before she could finish her words, her body suddenly twitched violently, and the black lines under her skin instantly spread all over her body. After a moment, her whole body turned into a pool of black ash, leaving only the piece of cloth embroidered with the anti-gu pattern on her cuff, trembling gently in the morning breeze.
Lin Munan froze in place, the last warmth of Meng Yao still lingering in his hand. He suddenly rushed madly towards the ruins of the third-floor sealed tower, screaming for revenge against the Bone Master, but Li Ye held him back tightly: "Are you crazy? Going there now is just courting death!"
"But Meng Yao died! She was only twenty!" Lin Munan's voice was filled with tears, and tears mixed with the dust on her face slid down. "We clearly won, why did someone have to die?"
Lin Shen stepped forward in silence and collected the cloth Meng Yao had left behind. The silver threads on the cloth still glowed faintly, as if expressing unresolved concerns. He looked at the crowd, his eyes filled with fatigue. "The remaining evil has not dissipated. Although the Bone Master has been destroyed, its remnant spirit still hides in the Black Evil fragments. Any of us may be targeted."
Just as he finished speaking, two young members of the tribe who had been guarding the injured chief suddenly stumbled over, their faces as pale as paper. "The… the chief is gone! All that's left in his room is a pool of black ash, and… and this!" They handed over a blood-stained note in Miao script. It read, "The remnant of the Black Evil Spirit hides at the source of Guixu. To completely exorcise it, seven people must offer their blood as bait. Otherwise… the entire Miao village will be eaten by the evil spirit."
"This is the clan leader's handwriting!" The Great Elder's hands began to tremble. "He must have been controlled by the remaining evil spirit and went to the source of Guixu to look for the remaining soul!"
Without a second thought, everyone immediately ran towards the source of Guixu. The entrance to Guixu was hidden in a cave in the mountains behind Gutan. The vines surrounding the cave entrance had been shredded, and eerie roars emanated from within. Lin Shen, holding a torch, entered the cave, only to see the bodies of several tribesmen scattered on the ground. The stone walls beside the bodies were inscribed with dense Miao script, each word seemingly written in blood: "Sacrifice seven people, and the evil spirit will begin to dissipate; if one person is missing, the evil spirit will not be extinguished."
"It's a sacrificial text left by our ancestors!" The Second Elder suddenly understood something, his voice tinged with despair. "Back then, when our ancestors sealed the Bone Master, they used the blood of seven clansmen! Now the Bone Master's spirit remains, and the remaining evil requires a new 'Seven-Man Sacrifice' to appease it!"
Before he finished speaking, a gust of black wind suddenly blew up from the cave, and in the center of the wind emerged the figure of the clan leader. His eyes had turned a dark blue, and he was surrounded by black evil spirits. In his hand, he held a bloody bone knife. "You're here... just in time. I need six of you to complete the seven-person sacrifice!"
"Chief, wake up!" Ah Zhu hurriedly rang the copper bell, but the sound was swallowed by the black wind. "Have you forgotten that you are the chief of the Miao village and cannot be controlled by the remaining evil spirit!"
The clan leader sneered and swung the bone knife at Ah Zhu. Lin Shen, quick-witted and quick-handed, pushed Ah Zhu away, but the knife grazed his arm, causing blood to gush out instantly. As the blood dripped onto the ground, it was instantly absorbed by the black wind, making the black evil in the cave even thicker.
"Blood! It needs blood!" Li Ye gripped the dagger tightly and rushed towards the clan leader, "We can't let it gather seven people for the sacrifice!"
But by this time, the clan leader had been completely controlled by the remaining evil spirit. He swung his bone knife faster and faster, and the black evil within the cave grew thicker. The first and second elders, along with the clan members, tried to trap him with talismans, but they were instantly devoured by the black evil spirit, turning into a pool of black ash. Lin Munan watched those around him fall one by one, and suddenly ran towards the depths of the source of Guixu: "I'll distract the remaining evil spirit! You guys run!"
"No!" Lin Shen tried to pull him back, but was blocked by the black wind. Lin Munan pulled out the Gu-repelling cloth left by Meng Yao from his bosom, wrapped it around his dagger, and rushed toward the thickest point of the Black Evil. "Meng Yao, I'm here to accompany you!" The silver threads on the cloth instantly emitted a dazzling blue light, colliding with the Black Evil with a sizzling sound. Lin Munan's figure gradually turned to ash amid the intertwining blue light and Black Evil.
Only Lin Shen, Ah Zhu, and Li Ye were left in the cave. Li Ye's injuries were getting worse, the bones on his shoulder starting to turn black. He leaned against the stone wall, his dagger stuck in the ground to support himself. "Lin Shen... Ah Zhu... you guys run away... I'll stop it..."
"Let's go together!" Ah Zhu tried to help Li Ye up, but he pushed her away. Li Ye suddenly rushed towards the clan leader, piercing his chest with his dagger, but he was instantly enveloped by the black evil spirit: "Let's go! Don't let our deaths be in vain!"
Lin Shen and Ah Zhu watched Li Ye's figure turn to black ash, tears welling in their eyes. They knew now was not the time to grieve; they had to leave as soon as possible and find a way to completely exorcise the evil spirit. But just as they were about to run out of the cave, a strange laugh suddenly rang out from within. Amidst the laughter, Meng Yao's figure slowly emerged—her eyes had turned a dark blue, and she was surrounded by a black evil spirit. In her hand, she held the piece of anti-gu patterned cloth: "Where are you going? The seven-person sacrifice hasn't even been completed yet..."
"Meng Yao, wake up!" Lin Shen tried to get closer, but was held back by Ah Zhu. Ah Zhu wrote on the linen cloth, "She's not Meng Yao, she's a demon controlled by Yu Sha!"
Meng Yao (the evil spirit) sneered and swung the cloth at Lin Shen. The silver thread on the cloth had turned black, carrying the power of the black evil spirit, instantly slashing Lin Shen's arm. Ah Zhu hurriedly rang the copper bell, and the ringing finally took effect, causing Meng Yao (the evil spirit) to pause. Lin Shen took the opportunity to pull out the black wooden box and opened the lid. Suddenly, the Red Sun Gu emitted a dazzling red light and flew towards Meng Yao (the evil spirit).
“Red Sun Gu…” A trace of pain flashed in Meng Yao’s (Sha Ling’s) eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you… but I can’t control myself…” She suddenly pounced towards the Red Sun Gu. The red light and the black evil spirit collided with each other, making a loud noise. Meng Yao’s (Sha Ling’s) figure gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint voice: “Help me… protect Qingwu Town…”
The dark evil within the cave gradually dissipated, and a faint tremor emanated from the depths of Guixu's source. Lin Shen and Ah Zhu watched those around them fall, one by one, their hearts filled with despair. When they emerged from the cave, the Miao village was engulfed in the dark evil. Most of the villagers had been reduced to black ash, leaving only a few children hiding in their stilt houses, their eyes filled with fear.
"We failed..." Ah Zhu's voice was filled with tears, and the copper bell slipped from her hand. "The seven-person sacrifice was not complete, the remaining evil is still there, and the Miao village is gone..."
Lin Shen gripped the black wooden box tightly, the red glow of the Red Sun Gu growing fainter and fainter. "No, we haven't failed. Meng Yao, Li Ye, the elders... they used their lives to delay the remaining evil. We must survive and find a way to completely eliminate the evil, so that their sacrifice will not be in vain."
But at this moment, Lin Shen suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw black lines running beneath his skin. When the tribe leader's bone knife had cut him, the remaining evil had invaded his body. He smiled at Ah Zhu and said, "Looks like I'll have to stay here too."
"No!" Ah Zhu tried to hold him back, but Lin Shen pushed her away. Lin Shen handed the black wooden box to Ah Zhu: "Red Sun Gu... I'm leaving it to you... Find the next group of people... Complete what we haven't completed..." His body gradually turned into black ash, leaving only his last words: "Live well..."
Ah Zhu clutched the black wooden box tightly, gazing at the ruins of the Miao village, her eyes filled with determination. She knew this wasn't the end, but the beginning—the remaining evil hadn't dissipated, the secrets of the Guixu source hadn't been solved. In the future, seven new people, armed with the Red Sun Gu, would continue this unfinished adventure.
Chapter 37: New Exploration of Qingwu and the Demon Pill Imp
Twenty years later, Qingwu Town.
A torrential rain had just passed, leaving the ancient stone statue at the town entrance remarkably clear. Its face was engraved with distorted Miao characters, and black liquid seemed to flow from its eye sockets. Seven young figures stood before the statue, led by a girl in a cyan coat. In her hands, she held a black wooden box—the Chiyang Gu box Ah Zhu had left behind.
"This is it," said Su Xiao, Ah Zhu's apprentice. She opened the wooden box, and the Red Sun Gu emitted a faint red glow. "Master Ah Zhu said that twenty years ago, Senior Lin Shen discovered clues to the source of Guixu right here."
"But there's nothing here except the stone statue." A boy in a white T-shirt stepped forward. His name was Chen Mo, a descendant of Chen Ba. In his hand was a bronze compass—the same one Lin Shen had used back then. "The compass isn't responding either. Could it be that the clue is wrong?"
"Don't worry," a girl in a red dress walked forward with a smile. Her name was Lin Xi, Lin Shen's niece, holding a copper bell in her hand. "Master Azhu said that the entrance to the source of Guixu needs a specific time to open. Today is the night of the full moon, which is the perfect time for the entrance to open."
Everyone nodded and waited beside the statue for the full moon. As night fell and the moon rose overhead, black liquid suddenly seeped from the statue's eye sockets. The liquid gathered on the ground, forming the shape of a door—the entrance to the source of Guixu had finally opened.
"Go in," Su Xiao said, holding the Chiyang Gu box tightly. "Remember, Master Zhu said there are many evil spirits in there, so be careful."
They walked into the entrance, which led to a pitch-black passage. The stone walls on either side of the passage were densely engraved with Miao characters, each word seeming to recount the tragedy of the past. Chen Mo raised the compass, and the needle began to spin wildly, pointing deeper into the passage. "There are evil spirits ahead! And... there's more than one!"
Before he finished speaking, a strange laugh suddenly came from the passage. Amid the laughter, a little girl in a white dress ran out. Her hair was very long, covering half of her face. In her hand, she was holding a rag doll whose eyes were made of black crystals.
"It's an evil spirit!" Lin Xi hurriedly rang the copper bell, and the ringing echoed in the passage. "Everyone be careful!"
But the little girl was not afraid of the bell. Instead, she ran towards the crowd with a smile: "Are you here to play with me? I'm so bored here!" She was very fast and ran to a boy in a yellow T-shirt in an instant - the boy's name was Zhao Yu, a descendant of Li Ye, holding a dagger in his hand.
"Don't come over here!" Zhao Yu raised the dagger, but the little girl grabbed his wrist and the dagger instantly turned into black ash. "You...what are you?"
"My name is Xiaowan," the little girl said with a smile, her eyes suddenly turned dark blue, "Can you play hide-and-seek with me? Whoever finds me will get a reward!" After she said that, she suddenly disappeared into the passage. Countless pairs of eyes suddenly appeared on the stone walls on both sides of the passage, and each pair of eyes was staring at everyone, as if waiting for prey.
"It's the 'Demon Pill' imp!" Su Xiao's face turned pale. "Master Azhu said that twenty years ago, after Senior Meng Yao turned into an evil spirit, her residual soul merged with the remaining evil spirits to form this imp. It's very naughty and likes to play tricks on people. Moreover... it's very powerful and can control other evil spirits!"
"Then what should we do?" a girl in a pink dress said fearfully. Her name was Meng Meng, and she was Meng Yao's cousin. In her hand, she held a piece of cloth embroidered with a Gu-repelling pattern—the very piece Meng Yao had left behind. "It seems like it's targeting us!"
Before everyone could react, a black wind suddenly blew up in the passage, and countless evil spirits appeared in the center of the black wind - there were clansmen from that time, villagers from the Miao village, and... Lin Shen, Li Ye, Meng Yao and others who died twenty years ago.
"It's Yusha!" Chen Mo raised the compass, and the compass needle began to vibrate violently. "They are controlled by Xiaowan! We are surrounded!"
Lin Xi hurriedly rang the copper bell. While the sound temporarily blocked the evil spirits, it couldn't dispel them. Su Xiao opened the Red Sun Gu box, and the Red Sun Gu emitted a dazzling red light, flying towards the evil spirits. Wherever the red light passed, the evil spirits retreated, but did not dissipate. Xiao Wan's power was even greater than they had imagined.
"This isn't a solution!" Meng Meng suddenly thought of something. She held up the Gu-repelling patterned fabric, and the silver threads on it instantly glowed blue. "Master Azhu said that Gu-repelling patterns can restrain evil spirits. Perhaps they can be used against Xiaowan!"
She ran towards the depths of the passage with the cloth in hand. Suddenly, Xiaowan's laughter echoed from the depths: "I found you!" Meng Meng's figure was instantly surrounded by black wind. The blue light on the cloth gradually faded. Her voice was filled with fear: "Save me..."
Everyone wanted to rush over, but they were blocked by the evil spirit. Su Xiao watched Meng Meng's figure gradually disappear, his eyes filled with despair: "Are we...are we going to lose another partner?"
Chen Mo gripped the compass tightly, and suddenly thought of something: "Master Azhu said that Xiaowan's power comes from the remnant soul of Senior Meng Yao. As long as we find the core of the remnant soul, we can temporarily suppress it!" He raised the compass, and the compass needle pointed to a stone chamber deep in the passage. "The core of the remnant soul is there!"
Everyone ran towards the stone chamber. In its center stood a stone platform, upon which rested a black crystal—the very fragment of the crystal left by the Bone Master. Meng Yao's silhouette could be vaguely seen within the fragment. Xiaowan suddenly appeared beside the platform, clutching Meng Meng's Gu-repelling cloth, which had turned black. "You've found this place! Let's play 'One Last Game'—whoever gets the crystal will survive!"
As she finished speaking, countless evil spirits suddenly appeared on the walls of the stone chamber and rushed towards everyone. Su Xiao opened the Red Sun Gu box, and the red light of the Red Sun Gu became stronger and stronger, colliding with the evil spirits. Chen Mo took the opportunity to run towards the stone platform, trying to get the crystal, but was blocked by Xiao Wan: "Do you think you can get it?"
A bone knife suddenly appeared in Xiaowan's hand, and she slashed at Chen Mo. Chen Mo hurriedly raised the compass, and its golden light blocked the knife, but Xiaowan kicked him to the ground. Lin Xi took the opportunity to shake the copper bell, and the ringing made Xiaowan pause. Su Xiao immediately ran to the stone platform and placed the Red Sun Gu on the crystal. The red light of the Red Sun Gu instantly enveloped the crystal, and Meng Yao's figure in the crystal gradually became clear. Her eyes were filled with pain: "Xiaowan, stop making trouble..."
Xiaowan's body suddenly began to tremble, her eyes returned to normal, and the bone knife in her hand turned into black ash: "Sister Meng Yao... I didn't mean it... I just wanted someone to play with me..."
"I know," Meng Yao's figure stretched out her hand and gently stroked Xiaowan's head, "but you can't hurt them, they are here to help us." After she finished speaking, her figure gradually dissipated, and the crystal stone turned into a white light and disappeared into the air.
The evil spirits in the stone chamber gradually dissipated, and Xiaowan's figure became transparent: "I will wait for you... Come and play with me next time!" After she said that, she disappeared in the stone chamber.
Everyone looked at the empty stone chamber, their hearts filled with emotion. Su Xiao gripped the Chiyang Gu box tightly, his eyes filled with determination: "We haven't completed the mission yet, the secret of the source of Guixu has not been solved, and Xiaowan is still here. In the future, we still have a long way to go."
Chen Mo nodded and raised the compass: "The next stop is the ruins of the Miao village. Master Azhu said that there are clues to completely exorcise the evil spirit there."
The group walked towards the stone chamber's exit, moonlight filtering through the cracks, illuminating their figures. They knew this was just the beginning; in the future, more evil spirits and more challenges awaited them—but they would not retreat, for they were the new descendants of the "Seven Night Explorations of Ghost Town" and the hope of those who had sacrificed so long ago.
Do you need me to continue writing about the new seven people's adventure in the ruins of the Miao village, or adjust the details of Xiaowan's personality to make her "naughty" and "rebellious" more concrete?
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