Chapter 85

From north to south, the weather gradually warmed up.

Lin Du felt unusually warm, but not because of the southern spring. It was because Jiang Liang had forced her to drink three bowls of bitter medicine.

The effects of the medicine could last for at least ten days to half a month.

This was a rare experience for her because she had an ice spirit root. After entering the path of cultivation, except for the brief warmth after taking medicine or eating, she mostly felt like a walking ice machine whenever she used her spiritual energy.

After a night of intense mental exertion, Lin Du nonchalantly lay on the deck of the spiritual boat and slept.

Although the boat had a canopy for shade and shelter from rain, as well as for drinking tea and resting, she didn’t go inside. She simply lay on the broad deck, using a book to cover her face while taking a short nap.

Xia Tianwu stood at the bow of the boat, with a pot of hot tea simmering beside him. Mo Lin was curled up inside the canopy. Without his own spiritual protection, he only had Xia Tianwu’s spiritual shield, so it was better for him to stay hidden to avoid any accidents.

At the stern of the boat were the two members of the Fei Xing Sect. Although Tao Xian had not done anything wrong, among the three of them, two were victims and one looked cold and unapproachable. He didn’t have the face to approach and make small talk.

What if they had to ask for more money while talking?

The disciples of the Supreme Sect, as long as they kept silent, still had a strong deterrent effect due to their presence and aura.

Lin Du had indeed fallen into a deep sleep. The spiritual boat wasn’t as steady as a spiritual ship, but it was agile. Floating in the sea of clouds, it wasn’t easy to sleep, but it was enough to restore some energy.

From the northeast of Zhongzhou to the southwest, there was still quite a distance, nearly two hours of travel, but the boat remained silent the whole way.

When Lin Du groggily woke up, she pulled down the book from her face, slowly sat up, and glanced at the world below the sea of clouds.

Today’s journey was unusually smooth, without wind or rain. The weather changed from cloudy to clear, and when Lin Du opened her eyes, it was a beautifully clear day.

She suddenly felt a bit disoriented, unsure if the Jiangnan region existed in this world.

Lin Du heard a faint clattering sound. At first, she didn’t react, just felt it was familiar, but soon recalled the rattling sound of Qi Zhun’s teeth when he was convulsing due to the Gu poison during their confrontation. She turned around, “Is it very cold?”

Mo Lin, holding his sword staff, sat upright with his back straight. His hands were clasped over his arms, the unusually long sword staff tucked under his arm. If it weren’t for the high-pitched clacking sound made by the staff hitting the deck, one would not notice anything unusual.

He cleared his throat, “It’s okay.”

When a member of the Supreme Sect says “okay,” it usually means they’re not dead.

Lin Du stood up, “Tian Wu.”

She held the book spine, taking over Xia Tianwu’s position.

Mo Lin looked helplessly at the back of his junior martial uncle, feeling a twinge of discomfort as his second junior sister approached with a disapproving gaze.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was cold?”

“It’s okay, I can handle it.”

They avoided mentioning the Gu poison outbreak directly, as there were outsiders on the boat. It was best for them not to fully understand Mo Lin’s condition.

Xia Tianwu frowned slightly, seeing that every inch of Mo Lin’s body was trembling. He sighed and sat across from him, “Please trouble the junior martial uncle to check the boat.”

“Certainly.”

Lin Du left a trace of divine sense at the boat’s control panel, then activated a small protective formation disk, tossing it into the boat’s cabin as she passed by the awning, leaving no glance back at the two inside.

The prohibition and barriers required some understanding of spatial rules. Mo Lin knew a bit, but Xia Tianwu did not. Currently, Mo Lin was unable to cast spells, so Lin Du had to handle it.

Without even pausing her steps, she carried the book around to the back of the boat’s awning, meeting the confused looks of the two people there. She set down the stool in her hand, sat down with a grand manner, facing them, and gave a friendly smile.

Tao Xian didn’t know why, but upon seeing that smile, he reflexively wanted to clutch his storage bag tightly.

The fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones he had were given as an IOU; he didn’t actually have that many spirit stones. Even the fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones he had seen in his life were a first, let alone five hundred thousand.

He didn’t understand why the elder made such an unconditional concession. It seemed like they’d need to empty a small spirit stone mine.

“Lin… Taoist Lin, what’s this about?”

Lin Du nodded slightly, “I’ve woken up and have a few questions to ask.”

Tao Xian glanced at the book cover she was holding, which read “Customs of Southern Yunnan.” He straightened his back, “Please ask.”

“At this time of year, in Southern Yunnan, is there no fungus to eat?”

Tao Xian: ?

He thought it was something serious, but instead, she asked this?

He answered honestly, “It’s almost the season for spiritual fungus. There is still some; during this season, you can still find it in the western mountain villages of Southern Yunnan.”

Lin Du then shifted the topic to the differences in crafting and flower-making practices in Southern Yunnan compared to other places, with a curious tone as if she were a child who had never been to Southern Yunnan.

Tao Xian spoke with a bit of a smile and was less cautious.

“Actually, there are distinctions in Southern Yunnan. Special crafting methods in those villages are not passed on, some are taught only to women, some only to men…”

While listening, Lin Du glanced at Shao Fei, who seemed a bit dazed, her gaze fixed on the bamboo curtain of the boat’s awning behind Lin Du.

Because of the formation disk’s barrier, it was impossible to see what was happening inside.

Portable small formation disks are mostly used for sensing and surveying, and also for gathering spiritual energy and barriers, but they cover a smaller range. Large-scale formations related to spatial rules still need to be arranged according to the terrain. The barrier Lin Du set up covered only a small area, just right for the inside of the boat’s awning.

“By the way, what are Taoist Mo Lin and that person doing?” Tao Xian couldn’t help but ask.

The Gu poison outbreak progresses over time. Despite the bright morning sun, Mo Lin felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, with a cold that came from his bones and a hollow pain as if his marrow was being extracted.

Initially, Xia Tianwu’s spiritual power could suppress the poison with a single round, but now it required repeated circulation over many great cycles.

Lin Du didn’t answer directly, “Taoist Tao, do you have a partner?”

Tao Xian shook his head.

“Well, matters of adults should not be questioned by singles,” Lin Du replied with a smile, her gaze focused on Shao Fei, her demeanor like a mischievous child protecting family secrets.

Tao Xian: … What’s with the term “single dog”? It somehow made him feel a pang in his heart.

The spirit boat began to slow down, passing through the clouds. Southern Yunnan was high in elevation, and the continuous green mountains were seen along the way, more lush compared to the northern regions.

“Little Taoist, did Taoist Mo Lin say whether we should first go to the sect to get the spirit stones or head to the city where the famous Gu doctor is located?”

Tao Xian looked at Lin Du.

Lin Du glanced at Shao Fei. She had a feeling it was better to keep an eye on her.

According to what she had learned from Feng Chao, after the meeting, among the three sects, six factions, and ten schools, only thirty-nine people were found to be possessed by demons. Of the two who entered the Supreme Sect years ago, one was still in seclusion and the other had died many years ago.

The Feixing Sect had not discovered any demons, but Qi Zhun was also an outer disciple of the Feixing Sect, and he had successfully taken the task. Now he was willing to spend five hundred fifty thousand to bring Shao Fei, an outer disciple, back, which must be suspicious.

“Go to Fenghuang City,” Lin Du replied.

Fenghuang City in Southern Yunnan was home to a highly respected Gu doctor. No one knew when she arrived or how long she had been there. Ordinary Gu Masters lived in groups, with family traditions maintained through generations, and did not marry outsiders. She, however, had moved to the city alone, only treating foreigners afflicted by Gu poison under extremely stringent conditions. Any slight deviation from her conditions meant no treatment.

The records say that this Gu doctor is called “Grandma Ma” by others, and there were cases where people kneeled for a hundred days without receiving her treatment.

Their best option now is to consult this Grandma Ma, while their fallback plan is to directly find the Gu village where Qi Zhun originated.