Chapter 79

The sound of the suona was loud and piercing, with immense power, capable of shattering stones and flowing through clouds—truly nothing less than that.

Lin Du, trying to maintain her composure, subtly wanted to move back, but under her Second Senior Brother’s disapproving gaze, she suppressed the urge.

She forced herself to listen to the entire tune. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped, she saw Cang Li pick up his tea, take a sip to soothe his throat, and then lift the suona again.

Lin Du closed her eyes in despair. The soul-shaking effects were one thing, but her eardrums were definitely suffering too.

The tone was indeed extraordinarily powerful and invigorating, carrying the commanding aura of a vast army. It forced the shadows of resentment within her soul to retreat and shrink, becoming increasingly faint.

One song ended, followed by a cup of tea, and then another cup…and another song.

When Cang Li’s two disciples, Yan Qing and Yuan Ye, returned, Lin Du looked at them as if they were her saviors.

However, it was clear that Cang Li had no intention of stopping to greet his returning disciples.

The three children had gone to see Sect Master Feng Chao, which was why they returned to their territory a bit late.

Upon seeing their master and uncle under the tree, they showed no surprise, as if their master often did this and their Junior Uncle was just an extra person.

Yan Qing casually walked over to a large rock and began practicing his sword. Yuan Ye, catching his master’s gaze, had a sudden realization, pulled out his own erhu, and sat cross-legged under the tree.

After a brief glance from his master, Yuan Ye silently adjusted his position to sit symmetrically opposite Yan Qing, then furrowed his brows and began playing his instrument with serious concentration.

For a brief moment, amidst the sound of the erhu and suona, Lin Du truly felt like she was being sent off.

The resentment in her soul was almost completely shattered by the rousing music, and after about half an hour, the shadows in her spiritual realm had nearly dissipated, leaving only the faintest traces of lingering resentment.

Yuan Ye, feeling fatigued, noted that playing music with effects on the soul was quite draining on his spiritual energy.

Cang Li approached and examined her soul. “Come find me again tonight. Two more sessions should do the trick.”

Lin Du rubbed her ears upon hearing there were two more sessions. “Senior Brother, can we take a few days off? I’m afraid I’m going deaf.”

“You won’t,” Cang Li reassured her kindly. “Eat an orange. It’s good for ringing in the ears.”

So that’s what he’d been waiting for. Lin Du silently accepted the orange, stuffing it into her mouth in frustration, to the point where she could barely chew.

Cang Li hesitated for a moment, then handed her a napkin.

Struggling to swallow the orange, Lin Du had no choice but to politely thank her senior brother. “Senior Brother, after playing for so long, you must be tired. I have some tea leaves from the Tea King Tree. Since you’ve worked so hard, how about some good tea?”

Cang Li’s eyes lit up. “Oh, how could I possibly accept that?”

“Is it from the Tea King Mother Tree that grows near Luo Ze? You’ll need spring water from a cold mountain stream to brew it properly,” Cang Li said.

Lin Du quickly understood. “I’ll bring fresh spiritual water from Luo Ze’s Hanging Waterfall tonight.”

From afar, Yuan Ye shouted, “Junior Master! I want some too! I want some too!”

Without turning his head, Cang Li responded, “No need to prepare any for him. He’s too young to appreciate such fine tea.”

That tea was extremely rare, and if a high-level cultivator, struggling with bottlenecks in their understanding of the Rules, could get even a small amount, it might help them break through and advance to the next level. However, low-level cultivators who hadn’t yet started comprehending the Rules would only waste it if they drank it.

Lin Du hesitated. Should she mention that she often brewed this tea just to unwind in the afternoons after overthinking her formation studies? Oh well, she thought. She’d let Yuan Ye come to the library later to share a pot.

Yan Ye had never been stingy with material things. Of course, that was partly because he was quite wealthy.

When Lin Du arrived at the main peak, Feng Chao was already sitting upright, waiting for her.

“You’re here?” Feng Chao, as the sect leader, always wore a dark purple robe. However, unlike Lin Tuan, Feng Chao exuded a completely different elegance—majestic and regal, her presence unmatched.

Suddenly, Lin Du felt like she had just escaped the dragon’s lair only to fall into the tiger’s den. It reminded her of when she was called to the principal’s office in the fifth grade, nervously standing at the door, heart pounding, before knocking.

“Senior Sister.”

Of all the people in Wu Shang Sect, Feng Chao was the only one who made Lin Du feel a bit meek.

“Sit,” Feng Chao said, but instead of receiving her at the desk, she invited her to the guest room next door.

By her arm rested a redwood stand with a bronze incense burner shaped like a beast’s head. A thin thread of blue smoke rose from the intricately carved lid, filling the air with a faint, cleansing fragrance. It was freshly lit, the scent still subtle until Lin Du stepped inside and caught a whiff.

Feng Chao didn’t immediately bring up the matter Yan Ye had asked her to help with, but instead, she started talking about the situation in Jun Ding City.

“Shao Fei has woken up. She’s indeed an outer disciple of the Fei Xing Sect. We’ll need to send a message to them via flying sword to discuss her exact punishment, but for now, she’ll be held in the Eighteen Faces Dungeon.”

“She was born with blocked meridians and used Gu worms to cultivate spiritual energy. However, she still has the subordinate Gu worm of that demonic cultivator inside her. Right before the demonic cultivator died, he activated it. Although she suppressed the Gu at the cost of her vital energy, she’s badly damaged. I suspect she doesn’t have much time left.”

“The outer disciples of Fei Xing Sect have become quite chaotic in recent years. I’ve always suspected that something’s rotten at the core, or else a Gu master wouldn’t have infiltrated the sect.”

“Shao Fei said that demonic cultivator Qi Zhun came from a black Gu village. His Gu techniques are insidious and hard to detect. You might think he plants the Gu when he strikes, but in fact, he leaves a curse with his final breath, using his corpse to transfer the Gu without needing contact or wind. Even with spiritual protection, the closest person could still be affected.”

Lin Du frowned. “Is this Gu technique really that powerful? Doesn’t that mean anyone could fall victim to it?”

“If the cultivator’s level is higher than the Gu master’s, the Gu can’t penetrate their spiritual defenses. Also, if you carry something that repels the Gu, you won’t be affected. But we’re not Gu masters, and without knowing what type of Gu they’ve cultivated, it’s impossible to defend against.”

Feng Chao added, “We’re in the northern lands and know very little about the Gu masters of southern Yunnan.”

She looked at Lin Du calmly and said, “Junior Sister, I’m telling you all this just to share what we’ve uncovered, nothing more.”

Lin Du nodded, understanding the subtext. It was like when a teacher would say, “I’m just stating the facts,” without offering any guidance, leaving you to figure things out on your own—and if you didn’t, you’d probably be scolded later. Essentially, she was being told not to blame herself.

“Now that we’ve identified the Gu—it’s called the Nine Cold Yin Snake Gu—your Fifth Senior Brother is looking for a cure, but we may need to head to Yunnan to find more clues.”

Lin Du suddenly couldn’t sit still, but Feng Chao placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her in her seat.

“What I mean is, if you want to go, you can go check it out with them.”

Lin Du quickly reviewed all the information she had read on Yunnan and Fei Xing Sect in her mind and mentally planned to search the library for records on Gu techniques. Surprised, she looked up at Feng Chao.

Feng Chao withdrew her hand, smiling as she looked at her with bright, gentle eyes. “I knew it. With your personality, I figured you’d want to go.”

“And that’s not a bad thing. Go boldly, but make sure you’re well-prepared.”

“Mo Lin’s poison is currently being suppressed by Tian Wu through dual cultivation, but although Shao Fei had her reasons for survival, she’s far too calculating.”

Lin Du, distracted by the mention of “dual cultivation,” blurted out, “Dual cultivation? Is it the legitimate kind?”

Feng Chao couldn’t help but laugh. “For someone so young, your mind sure goes to interesting places. You’ve been reading too many random books, haven’t you?”

Lin Du: …It’s from playing on my phone too much.

“Tian Wu is simply using her spiritual energy to help Mo Lin suppress the Gu poison. It’s like how dual cultivation allows energy to circulate through another’s meridians as part of regular cultivation.”

Lin Du let out an “Oh,” rubbing her nose to hide her embarrassment.