The ruined temple raises Gu and tracks down the stranger
The road out of Qingwu Town was harder than expected. Although the morning light had pierced through the mist, the mountain path beneath his feet was still slippery. Lin Shen pressed the black wooden box containing the Red Sun Gu against his chest. The warmth of the Guixu water seeped into the box through his clothes. He could clearly feel the faint vibrations in his palm—the Red Sun Gu absorbing the warmth. The dark red color of its body seemed to have faded a little, with a faint hint of light red.
"There seems to be a dilapidated temple up ahead!" Li Ye, walking in front, pushed aside the bushes blocking the road and pointed to the outline on the hillside not far away. Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw a blue-tiled temple half-hidden in the trees. Although half of the roof had collapsed and the painted walls were mottled and peeling, it could at least provide shelter from the wind and rain, making it the most suitable place to settle down.
Meng Yao was still coughing softly when Lin Munan put her down. She was still pale from the cold, sinister energy that had invaded her body the previous night. As she rested against the stone pillar at the temple gate, her eyes couldn't help but linger on the black wooden box in Lin Shen's arms. With a hint of fear, she asked, "Is that poisonous insect...really not going to hurt anyone again?"
Just as Lin Shen was about to speak, Lin Munan pulled out some dried mugwort from his backpack and spread them on the only intact stone table in the temple. "Chen Ba said the Red Sun Gu recognized its master. Now that its master is gone, it hasn't attacked you. Instead, it relies on your Guixu Water to survive. This shows that it has regarded you as its new sustenance." As he spoke, he reached out and touched the edge of the black wooden box. A hint of warmth immediately came from his fingertips. "And it doesn't have any murderous aura. It's much gentler than the southern border Gu worms recorded in ancient books."
Lin Shen nodded and carefully opened the black wooden box. The Red Sun Gu was now lying on the mugwort, its body more stretched than before, its six thin legs gently wriggling. Seeing him looking, it even moved to crawl towards his fingertips. His heart softened, remembering the look in Chen Ba's eyes when he'd last thrown the Gu. He dipped his fingertips in his own blood and gently tapped them on the insect's head—just as Chen Ba had done before.
The Red Sun Gu froze instantly, then began to tremble violently. The light red color of its body deepened at a visible rate, even emitting a hint of warmth from the mugwort on the stone table. But just as Lin Shen was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest. It was as if a strand of the warmth from the Guixu Water had been forcibly drained away, flowing through his fingertips into the Red Sun Gu's body.
"Don't feed too much!" Lin Munan immediately held his hand. "The Guixu Water in your body is the nemesis of Yin Sha, but it is also nourishment for the Gu worm. The Chiyang Gu is weak now. If it absorbs too much at once, it will die of overeating, and it will also backfire and eat away at your Yang Qi."
Lin Shen quickly withdrew his hand, watching the Red Sun Gu slowly calm down, its red color stabilizing at a pale crimson. He breathed a sigh of relief, closed the black wooden box again, and placed it in the center of the mugwort. The wind from outside the temple blew in through the hole, carrying the dampness of the mountain forest. Li Ye found some dry branches and built a fire in the corner of the temple. The crackling flames finally dispelled some of the chill.
Just as they were sitting around the fire to rest, Meng Yao suddenly pricked up her ears and looked towards the temple gate with a vigilant look: "Listen, there seem to be footsteps."
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Sure enough, they heard hurried footsteps in the distance, accompanied by the crisp sound of branches being crushed, approaching the ruined temple. Li Ye immediately grabbed his dagger, stood up, and hid behind the temple door. He peeked out through the crack in the doorway—he saw a man in a gray cloth gown approaching quickly, carrying a half-man-high bamboo basket on his back. The basket was covered with black cloth, making it impossible to see what was inside. On his wrist, he wore a silver bracelet with a Gu pattern similar to the one on Chen Ba's black wooden box.
"He's a Gu cultivator from Southern Xinjiang." Lin Munan lowered his voice, his face solemn. "The silver bracelet on his wrist is a magical tool used by Gu cultivators to suppress the ferocity of Gu insects. Judging from its design, it seems to be from the same lineage as Chen Ba's black wooden box."
Lin Shen subconsciously tucked the black wooden box closer to his chest. The Guixu Water in his heart suddenly stirred, as if giving him a warning. The man quickly walked to the temple entrance, paused, and glanced through the crack in the door. His voice was a little hoarse, "Friends inside, can you lend me a light?"
Li Ye didn't respond. He turned around and glanced at Lin Shen. Seeing him nod, he slowly opened the temple door, the dagger still hidden behind him. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The man smiled, revealing a mouthful of slightly yellowed teeth, but his gaze flickered towards the stone table inside the temple, landing precisely on the black wooden box. "My name is Aji, and I'm a wandering Gu doctor. I stopped by here to take shelter from the elements." As he spoke, he deliberately raised the silver bracelet on his wrist. "You all look like you just came from Qingwu Town?"
Lin Shen's heart trembled. Qingwu Town was an abandoned ghost town, and ordinary people didn't dare approach it. Ah Ji mentioned Qingwu Town right away, clearly coming prepared. He was about to speak to test the waters when Ah Ji suddenly took a step toward the stone table. The contents of the bamboo basket suddenly stirred, emitting a subtle insect-like chirp.
"Don't move!" Lin Shen immediately stood up, holding the black wooden box in front of him. The warmth of the Guixu water instantly spread throughout his body. "Are you here looking for the Red Sun Gu?"
The smile on Aji's face disappeared instantly, his eyes became sharp, and the silver bracelet on his wrist suddenly glowed red: "Chen Ba's Chiyang Gu is indeed with you. The debt she owes to our Miao village should be repaid with this Gu." As he spoke, he suddenly lifted the black cloth on the bamboo basket - the basket was full of pitch-black Gu worms, each of which was glowing with a faint light and was wriggling towards the black wooden box.
Li Ye immediately shielded Meng Yao behind him and stabbed at Aji with his dagger, but he dodged sideways. Aji pulled out a copper bell from his bosom and gently shook it. The black Gu in the bamboo basket suddenly flew out and pounced on Lin Shen. Lin Munan quickly pulled out several pieces of talisman paper, lit them, and threw them at the black Gu. The green smoke from the burning talismans instantly trapped the black Gu, but the smoke was quickly consumed by the black Gu. The few black Gu that escaped had already flown in front of Lin Shen.
At that moment, the black wooden box in Lin Shen's arms suddenly vibrated violently, and the hissing of the Red Sun Gu emanated from the box. He immediately opened the box, and the Red Sun Gu instantly flew out, its pale crimson color transforming into a dazzling crimson as it charged towards the Black Gu. The two insects engaged in a mid-air battle. Though weak, the Red Sun Gu seemed to be the Black Gu's nemesis. With each bite, the Black Gu disintegrated into a pool of black water, which fell to the ground with a sizzling sound.
Upon seeing this, Aji's face changed suddenly, and he suddenly took out a black insect as big as a fist from the bamboo basket. The insect's body was covered with spikes, like a giant centipede: "This is the Yang-Eating Gu. I wonder how long your Red Sun Gu can last!" As he said, he threw the Yang-Eating Gu towards the Red Sun Gu. As soon as the insect landed on the ground, it crawled towards the Red Sun Gu. Wherever it passed, a layer of white frost formed on the ground.
Lin Shen's heart raced with anxiety, and the warmth of the Guixu water surged toward the Red Sun Gu once again. As if empowered, the Red Sun Gu suddenly let out a sharp hiss, its body expanding to double its size as it lunged toward the Sun Devouring Gu. The two insects collided, emitting a blinding red glow. Immediately afterwards, the Sun Devouring Gu's body began to melt, while the Red Sun Gu shrank back to a mere inch in length and fell to the ground. The crimson hue faded even further, leaving only a faint tremor.
"Impossible!" Aji looked at the melting Yang-eating Gu on the ground with disbelief in his eyes. He suddenly looked at Lin Shen, "You have the Water of Guixu in your body? No wonder Chen Ba gave you the Red Sun Gu!" As he spoke, he suddenly took out a dagger from his arms and stabbed towards Lin Shen - what he wanted was not only the Red Sun Gu, but also the Water of Guixu that could nourish the Gu worm.
Lin Shen dodged sideways, and Li Ye took the opportunity to knock Aji down from behind, holding a dagger to his neck: "Behave!"
Ah Ji struggled to resist, but was held down by Li Ye. He could only stare at Lin Shen fiercely: "Do you think you'll be alright if you capture me? The people from the Miao village will be here soon. The Red Sun Gu is a sacred object in the village, you can't take it away!"
Lin Shen picked up the Red Sun Gu from the ground and placed it back in the black wooden box. He walked over to Ah Ji with a cold look in his eyes. "Chen Ba is dead. She protected the Gu with her life and will never return it to you, who only use Gu as tools." He paused, remembering the Gu tattoo on Chen Ba's forearm. "Also, what debt does Chen Ba owe you?"
Ah Ji sneered, but remained silent, his mouth tightly shut. Lin Mu Nan checked his bamboo basket and found, besides the remaining black Gu, a yellowed map with the location of Qingwu Town marked in cinnabar, as well as a route leading underground. At the end of the route, the words "Source of Guixu" were inscribed.
"The Source of Guixu?" Lin Shen glanced at the markings on the map, a thought stirring in his mind. The Guixu water in his body had been accidentally obtained from a well in Qingwu Town. Could that well be connected to the Source of Guixu? And what Aji and the Miao village behind him truly wanted was the Source of Guixu?
The flames of the fire gradually dwindled, and the sky outside the temple began to darken. Lin Shen folded the map and tucked it into his arms. He looked at Aji, who was tied to the stone pillar by Li Ye, his eyes full of confusion. Chen Ba's identity, the Miao village's purpose, the secret of the source of Guixu, and the Yin Gate of Qingwu Town—these clues were like a tangled mess, intertwined, and it seemed that they still had a long way to go.
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