Chapter 116 Deep into the Blackwater Swamp
Arno looked at him: "General Ye's courage is commendable, but forcing his way in is tantamount to suicide. We need guides and medicine to resist the miasma."
“Guides are no problem,” Lou Jin interjected. “I’ve already instructed the guards at the front to contact reliable local mountain people. As for medicine…”
He looked at Arno, "Mr. Yu has prepared a variety of antidotes, but does Miss Arno have a good remedy for the unique miasma of Blackwater Marsh?"
Arno took out a small jade bottle from his bag: "This is the Nanzhao royal family's Cleansing Pill, made from seven rare herbs, which can resist most miasma poisons. However, the miasma deep in the Blackwater Marsh is unpredictable, and this pill is not omnipotent, so we still need to be very careful."
She handed the jade bottle to Lou Jin, saying, "Your Highness can have it examined."
Lou Jin took it, but did not take it immediately. Instead, he handed it to one of the Dragon Shadow Guards who was skilled in medicine to examine it.
After confirming that it was non-toxic and of superior medicinal properties, he solemnly accepted it, saying, "Thank you."
Two days later, the team met up with the guards who had arrived earlier in a secluded mountain village near Blackwater Marsh.
The guards brought bad news: they had found an old hunter familiar with the outskirts of Blackwater Marsh, but no one dared to venture into the core area.
"They say that things have been unsettled in Blackwater Marsh lately, with the miasma thicker than in previous years, and that some people have seen ghostly figures inside," the guard reported in a low voice.
"A ghostly figure?" Ye Xunyang frowned.
“It’s probably someone from Shadow Serpent, or something they’re controlling,” Arno calmly analyzed. “Candle Dragon likely knows General Ye is trapped inside and has strengthened the blockade and patrols.”
Just as everyone was discussing countermeasures, a commotion and exclamations suddenly came from outside the village.
A blood-covered man staggered into the village, screaming, "Monster! There's a man-eating monster in the swamp!"
Lou Jin and the others rushed there immediately.
The man was clearly terrified and spoke incoherently; it took a lot of effort to get his information out of him.
A group of daring hunters tried their luck by going in when the miasma subsided, but they were attacked at the edge of the marsh.
They were attacked not by wild beasts, but by several stiff, ulcerated, and fearless men with immense strength who bit anyone they saw.
“It’s a corpse puppet!” Arno’s expression changed slightly. “The Shadow Serpent manipulates corpses to create evil objects. They have indeed taken control of the outer perimeter of the Blackwater Swamp.”
The situation is more serious than expected.
Lou Jin made a decisive decision: "We can't wait any longer! We must go in immediately! Without a guide, we'll have to make our way in on our own!"
He looked at Arno: "Miss Arno, since you know about the Corpse Puppet, do you know its weaknesses?"
“The corpse puppet fears fire, especially the fire of extreme yang. The head is the core and must be completely destroyed,” Arno said quickly. “In addition, the person controlling the corpse puppet must be nearby. Once the person controlling the puppet is found and eliminated, the corpse puppet will become ineffective.”
"Alright!" Lou Jin ordered, "Everyone check your equipment, and prepare plenty of oil and rockets! Wushan, you lead a team to scout ahead. If you find anything unusual, send a signal immediately! Shanlan, protect Miss Nuo!"
"yes!"
After a night's rest, the team resolutely entered the territory of Blackwater Marsh the next morning.
Upon entering, a stench of decay mixed with a strange, sweet aroma assaulted the senses, making one want to vomit.
The surrounding area was shrouded in mist, visibility was extremely low, the ground beneath our feet had become soft and muddy, and the branches of the tall trees were twisted and covered with wet moss, like menacing ghosts.
A deathly silence filled the air; not even the chirping of insects or the calls of birds could be heard.
The group took the herbal pills to clear the miasma, covered their mouths and noses with a damp towel, and carefully pushed deeper into the miasma.
Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang walked side by side, warily watching their surroundings. Arno was protected in the middle of the group, holding a strangely shaped compass in her hand, but the needle was shaking constantly, clearly disturbed.
"Stay close to me and watch your step in the swamp," Lou Jin whispered.
With his exceptional eyesight and intuition, he identified a relatively safe path.
After traveling for about an hour, a strange rustling sound suddenly came from the fog ahead.
"Be on guard!" Lou Jin shouted in a low voice.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than several dark figures suddenly burst out of the thick fog!
Their skin was bluish-black and festering, their eyes were vacant, they made strange hoarse noises, and they charged towards the group, brandishing their sharp claws.
"Light it!" Lou Jin gave the order, and the guards in the front row immediately lit the strips of cloth soaked in oil and charged forward, brandishing their weapons.
The rocket roared out and struck the corpse puppet, igniting flames.
The corpse puppets indeed paused in their movements, letting out painful howls, but they seemed to feel no pain and continued to attack frantically.
Ye Xunyang thrust his spear forward, accurately piercing the head of a corpse puppet, which immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Attack the head!" Ye Xunyang shouted.
Everyone followed suit, focusing their attacks on the corpse puppet's head.
The battle was extremely fierce. These corpse puppets possessed immense strength and were impervious to ordinary swords, causing considerable trouble for the team.
As Lou Jin swung his sword and severed the arm of a corpse puppet, his sharp eyes scanned the surrounding thick fog.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, locking onto a vague figure behind a strange tree to his left!
"There!" Lou Jin gave Ye Xunyang a wink, and the two of them exerted their strength at the same time, forcing aside the corpse puppets in front of them, and rushed towards the strange tree like arrows released from a bow.
The person behind the tree clearly hadn't expected the other party to discover him so quickly, and hastily threw out several poisoned darts.
Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang dodged the darts with lightning speed and were instantly in front of the man.
It was a man dressed in black with strange tattoos on his face. When he realized that his whereabouts had been exposed, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he took out a bone whistle to blow it.
Lou Jin was not about to let him succeed. With a flick of his wrist, a black iron caltrop shot out and precisely shattered the bone whistle.
At the same time, a long sword was already at his neck.
"Speak! Where is Zhulong? Where is General Ye Xunqin?" Lou Jin's voice was as cold as a knife.
Black blood spilled from the tattooed man's mouth as he sneered, "Those who trespass on the sacred swamp... die..." Before he could finish speaking, his head lolled to the side, and he was already dead, having taken the deadly poison beforehand.
With his death, the corpse puppets that were engaged in fierce combat instantly froze, fell to the ground, and stopped moving.
The battle ended, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but their hearts were even heavier.
The Shadow Serpent's madness and meticulousness are beyond imagination.
Arno stepped forward and examined the tattooed man's body, finding a snake-shaped brand on the back of his neck that resembled the previous token.
“They are low-ranking members of the Shadow Guard.” She stood up, her expression grave. “It seems that Zhulong truly values this place. Our journey ahead will likely be even more difficult.”
Lou Jin stared at the thicker, seemingly all-consuming fog ahead, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.
"No matter how difficult it is, we must keep going." He grasped Ye Xunyang's hand and said in a deep voice, "Keep moving forward!"
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