The Secret Words on the Broken Stele and the Omens of the Return Journey (Supplement)
When Li Ye pulled Lin Shen up to the well platform, Chen Ba was clutching her chest and coughing bitterly. Blood dripped from between her fingers onto the bluestone slab, but instead of seeping immediately into the cracks, it formed tiny beads of blood on the ground, trembling slightly. She caught a glimpse of the faint black energy behind Lin Shen's neck, her pupils suddenly constricted, and her coughing stopped abruptly. It was the lingering poison of the Black Mist Evil, a poison that ordinary talismans could not eradicate. If not treated promptly, it would penetrate the heart meridians within three days, turning a person into a walking corpse.
"Don't just stand there! Let's go!" Li Ye grabbed Lin Shen's arm and tried to rush forward, but Chen Ba reached out to stop him. She pulled a palm-sized black wooden box from her bosom. The box was intricately carved with intricate Gu patterns, and a faded silver nail was embedded in the corner. The moment she opened it, a faint herbal fragrance mixed with a fishy odor wafted out. The bottom of the box was covered with dried mugwort, and in the center lay a small, crimson insect, its body shimmering like pearls, curled up quietly.
"Chen Ba, what are you doing with this thing?" Lin Munan stopped with Meng Yao on his back, his eyes full of vigilance - he had heard from his elders at home that the witchcraft in southern Xinjiang was strange and unpredictable, and it would backfire on oneself if one was not careful. Chen Ba had never mentioned that he could use witchcraft, and now he suddenly took out the insect, which made him feel nervous.
Chen Ba didn't have time to explain. He dipped his fingertips in the blood from his palm and gently tapped the red worm's head. The worm instantly woke up, its body stretching to an inch long. Its six thin legs squirmed rapidly as it crawled towards Lin Shen. Lin Shen instinctively tried to hide, but Chen Ba held his shoulders. "This is the 'Red Sun Gu,' capable of swallowing poison. The black energy behind your neck is the source of the Black Mist Evil. Only this can remove it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Red Sun Gu had crawled to the side of Lin Shen's neck and burrowed into it along the scar. Lin Shen felt a subtle tingling sensation in his neck, followed by a warm current spreading through his veins. The stiffness from the black mist's frostbite gradually subsided, and even the warmth of the Guixu water within his body became clearer. But Chen Ba's face grew paler and paler. Her hand, clutching the black wooden box, began to tremble. The Gu pattern on the box glowed faintly red, as if absorbing her yang energy.
"How are you?" Lin Shen sensed something was wrong and reached out to help her, but Chen Ba pushed him away. She pulled a yellow talisman from her bosom, bit her tongue, and sprayed blood onto the paper. The talisman instantly ignited, and the ashes fell into the black wooden box. The movement of the Red Sun Gu within Lin Shen's body suddenly intensified. He could clearly feel the insect chasing the black energy. With each swallow, the warmth within him grew stronger, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of Chen Ba's mouth.
"Don't worry about me!" Chen Ba's voice was panting, "The Red Sun Gu has recognized its master. I have used my Yang energy to feed it for three years. Now I will lend it to you to detoxify you. It will take at most half an hour to get rid of all the Yin Sha. But it is afraid of being disturbed. You..." Before she finished her words, a shrill roar suddenly came from the distance. It was the residual souls of the Yin Sha that had been dispersed before. They actually followed the breath of the Guixu water and chased over. The light blue ghost fire connected into one in the night, winding towards the few people like a poisonous snake.
Li Ye immediately protected Meng Yao behind him, took out his dagger, and stared ahead vigilantly: "Chen Ba, how long can you hold on? We can't just wait here to be surrounded by Yin Sha!"
Chen Ba took a deep breath, tucked the black wooden box tightly into her arms, formed a complex hand seal with her fingertips, and pointed it in the direction of the will-o'-the-wisp fire. A red light shone from her palm, and the Red Sun Gu within Lin Shen's body suddenly became agitated. A fine red light emanated from the side of Lin Shen's neck and flew towards the will-o'-the-wisp fire. As if they had met their nemesis, the will-o'-the-wisp fire instantly retreated. Wherever the red light passed, the pale blue flames extinguished, leaving only wisps of black smoke.
"Let's go! The Red Sun Gu's aura can repel the Yin Sha. Let's rush out now!" Chen Ba said, stumbling forward. Lin Shen hurried to support her, only to find her arm was already cold. He looked down at his neck. The scar had faded almost to invisibility, leaving only a faint red mark. The red glow of the Gu pattern on the black wooden box in Chen Ba's arms gradually dimmed, and along with it, the Red Sun Gu's aura grew fainter.
Everyone didn't dare delay, supporting Chen Ba and running wildly towards the town entrance. In the darkness, the Yin Sha's roar grew farther and farther away, but Chen Ba's footsteps grew heavier. She leaned on Lin Shen's arm and said weakly, "The Red Sun Gu will be weak after the poison is expelled. I need to find a place to feed it... Otherwise, it will backfire and kill you and me."
Lin Shen's heart tightened. Just as he was about to speak, Meng Yao suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Town entrance! We're almost there!"
Several people looked in the direction she pointed, only to see the entrance to Qingwu Town faintly visible in the morning mist. The wooden archway, though dilapidated, hinted at a hope of escaping danger. But no one noticed that within the black wooden box in Chen Ba's arms, the body of the Chiyang Gu was slowly darkening. A red Gu pattern had appeared on her wrist, spreading along her veins toward her heart.
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