"Thank goodness, the poison has been temporarily suppressed." The Ghost Doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tone revealing exhaustion yet also relief.
“We can’t just give up on Yan Qing like this,” Xu Yuehuai struggled to sit up. “He was in danger to save us, and we must find him.”
Lu Li's eyes reddened slightly: "That's right, Brother Yan is our brother, we can't abandon him."
General Liu looked around: "But the problem is that we don't even know his exact location, and those poisonous insects are still lurking around, ready to attack at any moment."
The Ghost Doctor pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "I might have a way. These poisonous insects can find us because they can smell our scent. But if we can conceal this scent, we might be able to evade their tracking, and even use them to find Yan Qing's whereabouts."
As he spoke, the Ghost Doctor took out several rare medicinal herbs from his medicine pouch and quickly lit them. A strange fragrance instantly spread out, and the fragrance seemed to contain some mysterious power, causing the surrounding air to distort.
Sure enough, soon after, the poisonous insects that had been lingering at the cave entrance seemed to lose their way, becoming dizzy and disoriented, and eventually scattered in all directions.
“Now is the time,” the Ghost Doctor stood up. “If we follow these poisonous insects, we might find clues about Yan Qing.”
The group cautiously followed the tracks left by the poisonous insects, traversing one intricate passage after another. Each step forward felt like a descent into a dark abyss. However, their unwavering determination to rescue Yan Qing sustained them, preventing them from stopping!
Half an hour later, in a dim and cold nest, they witnessed a chilling scene—Yan Qing was now tightly enveloped by countless insect eggs, only his pale and pained face was visible. The life force contained within those eggs was stirring restlessly, as if it would devour Yan Qing at any moment.
"Brother Yan!" Lu Li exclaimed, almost attracting the attention of the poisonous insects. Fortunately, Xu Yuehuai and the Ghost Doctor pulled him away to hide.
The Ghost Doctor frowned. "Do you want to die? Stop yelling and screaming."
Lu Li lowered his head: "I'm sorry."
“This is the lair of poisonous insects, and there are tens of thousands of them inside,” Xu Yuehuai sighed.
Lu Li stared at her intently: "Then how do we rescue Brother Yan?"
"That depends on the Ghost Doctor. Since you have a way to drive away poisonous insects, you should also have a way to attract them, right?" Xu Yuehuai turned to look at the Ghost Doctor.
"Senior Ghost Doctor, can you really save Brother Yan?" Lu Li also stared at the Ghost Doctor.
The Ghost Doctor said meaningfully, "There is indeed a way. But if we want to lure them to a farther place, we'll need someone to act as bait."
Lu Li immediately puffed out his chest: "I'll do it!"
General Liu stepped forward and said, "Let me do it. I'm used to military training, so I'm most suited for this kind of thing."
The Ghost Doctor then took out a pill that glowed with an eerie light from his sleeve and handed it to General Liu, who was about to act as bait.
General Liu accepted the pills, his expression solemn but without the slightest fear. "For the sake of the country and the people, such a trivial matter is nothing to worry about. I only hope that you can successfully rescue Brother Yan Qing."
The Ghost Doctor explained carefully, "Later, run far away and then take this pill. Your scent will become stronger, drawing them away. Once you're far away, burn this incense stick to disorient them, and you can leave."
General Liu accepted the incense with both hands, holding it tightly as if it represented the hope of all of them.
"Alright!" General Liu quickly ran to the distance, swallowed the pill in one gulp, his body trembled slightly, and a strange fragrance emanated from his body, quickly spreading throughout the entire space. The servant sensed this strange scent and immediately flew towards his location.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuehuai and the Ghost Doctor carefully cleared the obstacles leading to where Yan Qing was trapped, using the tools they carried with them.
"Brother Yan!" Lu Li couldn't help but call out again, but this time, he tried his best to control his voice, his eyes were red, and he stared intently ahead.
The Ghost Doctor quickly stepped forward, took out a specially made medicine, and gently sprayed it on the insect eggs around Yan Qing.
Those life forms that were originally restless began to lose their vitality the moment they came into contact with the medicine, and eventually turned into pieces of dry shells.
As the insect eggs disappeared, the restraints on Yan Qing's body were finally released. He weakly opened his eyes, saw the familiar face in front of him, and managed a weak smile.
"Thank you..." His voice was hoarse and weak, yet filled with gratitude. At that moment, everyone felt an indescribable surge of emotion and relief.
Just as everyone decided to evacuate and find a safe haven where Yan Qing could rest, the poisonous insects that General Liu had cleverly lured away seemed to be suddenly summoned back by an invisible force, surging back like a tidal wave. Their sheer force was enough to shock and terrify anyone who saw them.
Lu Li stared wide-eyed in disbelief and exclaimed, "Didn't General Liu already lure all those poisonous insects away? How could this be? Did something happen to him?" His words revealed deep worry and unease.
The Ghost Doctor's eyes flashed like lightning as he quickly scanned his surroundings, trying to find a clue in the chaos. However, he could only shake his head helplessly in the end. "We have to take Yan Qing away from here." Although he tried his best to keep his voice calm, he could not hide the anxiety and urgency buried deep in his heart.
The group struggled to support the injured Yan Qing, staggering as they fled out of the nest.
However, fate seemed unwilling to let them off easily. Just as they had escaped, a heartbreaking scene unfolded before them.
General Liu's clothes were scattered all over the ground, covered with shocking holes. Bright red blood flowed slowly across the ground like a winding river. General Liu himself was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a desolate and lifeless scene.
“General Liu! He…” Lu Li’s voice trembled, barely able to form a sentence, tears welling in his eyes. He couldn’t accept that this loyal and brave general had died so inexplicably in this gloomy and terrifying cave, his heart filled with endless grief and anger.
The Ghost Doctor crouched down, carefully examining the pieces of clothing and bloodstains on the ground, his expression growing increasingly grave.
"The incense I gave him couldn't possibly be wrong; there must be something fishy going on here," he muttered to himself, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
“It’s possible that a creature even more terrifying than those poisonous insects has appeared,” Xu Yuehuai calmly analyzed. He then bent down and picked up General Liu’s tattered clothes, as if to preserve the last bit of dignity and honor for his brave comrade.
Just as they were about to leave, a series of fierce footsteps, like ancient war drums, boomed and echoed in the deep cave. Each step seemed to strike at their heartstrings, and a suffocating tension quickly spread.
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