MOF Chapter 88
by VolareAlthough Xie Yiling and the others didn’t delay at all on the road, they were still a step late.
Shuisheng led them back to where he lived, a commoner’s large courtyard.
In the past, the courtyard was always noisy. Children who had been planted with Gu curses would gradually become malicious, and their methods of playing dirty tricks were no more merciful than adults.
Infighting, exclusion, and bullying happened every day. Darkness filled the courtyard, and the sunlight overhead couldn’t penetrate their hearts, which were almost moldy from being covered by Gu curses.
But today, the courtyard was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. A thick smell of blood permeated the air.
Xie Yiling was at the back of the group. He watched Mo Wuchou forcefully push open the heavy wooden door, and the smell of blood in his nose immediately intensified by a third.
He squeezed to the front, jumped into the doorway, and was immediately shocked.
The ground was covered in cold corpses, the blood congealed into puddles, reflecting shadows. In the middle of the courtyard grew an old and dry wutong tree. The weeds around the well had been pulled clean, leaving a circle of open space.
Thin corpses were piled together in twos and threes. Rows of children were hanging on the tree trunk, and three or four heads were squeezed together in the well, their faces twisted in terror.
There were also the corpses of some strong men lying horizontally on the steps, their eyes staring at the sky. Some dragged half their bodies and rolled into the weeds, their expressions pained. The middle-aged man who claimed to be Shuisheng’s relative was also among them.
Clearly, the Autumn Water Hall had abandoned this batch of people, killing them all.
The scene was terrifying, and the heart fearful.
Xie Yiling couldn’t help but take a step back, bumping into Shuisheng behind him.
He suppressed his discomfort and looked down, seeing Shuisheng’s face full of tears, his pupils dilated, revealing deep fear and despair.
Just as he was about to comfort him, Shuisheng suddenly shouted “Help!” and like a wild horse, violently pushed away the others, running out of control.
Fortunately, Si Wumian was right by the door and managed to intercept him in time, hugging him tightly.
Shuisheng kicked his legs wildly, struggling non-stop, crying and shouting, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
“No one will kill you. No one can kill you,” Si Wumian’s tone was calm, but each word clearly fell into Shuisheng’s ears. “Don’t be afraid. No matter how powerful the bad guys are, we will defeat them and protect you.”
Shuisheng covered his eyes with his hands, but couldn’t help peeking through his fingers at the corpses of those who used to eat and live with him.
Xie Yiling and the others used their spiritual power to place the corpses from the tree and the well on the ground, and then carefully examined them again.
“Master, they all died from the outbreak of the sub-Gu curse.”
After verifying the cause of death, Xie Yiling stood up and looked around the courtyard. “Although this place looks gloomy and strange, I have used my spiritual power to explore inside and out. Apart from these corpses, there is really nothing else in the courtyard.”
The clues to the Autumn Water Hall ended here.
The group dealt with the corpses, comforted the unwilling spirits, walked out of the courtyard, and closed the door.
Shen Wangu said, “This matter happened in Cang Ling Du. I have already sent a message back to report to the Sect Leader, strengthening the patrols in Shuo Cheng. Once any suspicious person is discovered, they will be thoroughly investigated.”
Xie Yiling frowned, trying to organize his thoughts. The Autumn Water Hall first appeared in his memory in Yuquan Town, Ghost City.
However, he had told Nangong Ci about these things long ago. Nangong Ci had specifically gone there several times to exorcise evil, but had not found any useful clues.
Seeing Xie Yiling staring blankly at another place with an impatient expression, Shen Wangu pursed his lips and asked, “This Southern Return disciple, do you have any opinions on what I said?”
Xie Yiling was nudged by Si Wumian’s arm before he realized that Shen Wangu was talking to him. So he turned his head blankly, not understanding, and said, “No, why would Young Master Shen say that?”
Shen Wangu, for some reason, suddenly fell silent and turned his head away.
Gu Huanzhi said, “What should we do with this child?”
Gui Wenxin bent down and asked, “Do you remember where you are from, what your parents look like?”
Shuisheng shook his head.
The group was momentarily stumped.
“How about,” Gu Huanzhi looked at the others and tentatively said, “I’ll take him back to the Sun and Moon Spirit Platform.”
“Or I’ll take him back to Cang Ling Du and raise him well. After all, this happened in Shuo Cheng, so we should be responsible.” After Shen Wangu finished speaking, he took Shuisheng’s hand. Seeing that there was no resistance on his face, he felt relieved. “Then I’ll leave first, goodbye.”
Seeing that he had mentioned parting first, Mo Wuchou and the others took the opportunity to say goodbye to Nangong Ci and left one after another.
Xie Yiling looked at Shen Wangu walking away in a daze, then turned his face to Si Wumian: “What’s going on? Where did I offend him?”
Although Si Wumian didn’t understand, he still tried his best to cooperate with his answer: “Maybe, every Immortal Sect has a self-willed disciple.”
Xie Yiling narrowed his eyes: “Then tell me, who is the self-willed disciple of Southern Return?”
Si Wumian’s expression froze, and he quickly turned his head to Nangong Ci and said, “Daoist Master Fufeng, shouldn’t we go back?”
Xie Yiling deliberately snorted coldly.
Nangong Ci nodded: “The matter of the Autumn Water Hall can only be temporarily suspended. If there is news in the future, then we will investigate again.”
The three of them returned. Si Wumian opened his umbrella, and halfway there, it suddenly started snowing, splashing Xie Yiling in the face.
“Si Wumian!” Xie Yiling shook his head, grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, and made a snowball to throw over.
Si Wumian tilted his umbrella and dodged the snowball. However, the snowball was not as strong as the umbrella surface. After being subjected to force, it cracked from the middle, splashing around the umbrella surface, and boldly hung on Nangong Ci’s temples.
It’s over. Si Wumian thought expressionlessly.
Xie Yiling raised the corner of his lips, with a bit of pampered arrogance, glanced at Si Wumian, and then calmly walked to Nangong Ci’s side, naturally raising his hand: “Master, there is snow on your hair, let me help you take it off.”
The two stood face to face, one with his head slightly lowered, and the other with his eyes slightly raised. Pinching the snowflakes, Xie Yiling gently took them off along the strands of hair.
No matter how small the snowball was, it was heavier than snowflakes when it fell on the hair. Nangong Ci couldn’t possibly not know what happened, but he just smiled slightly, letting Xie Yiling pretend to rummage through his hair.
Si Wumian looked at the sky, inexplicably wanting to sigh.
“Okay, let’s go, Master.” Xie Yiling clapped his hands, and changed his tone to his junior brother, “Wumian, walk properly, don’t mess around anymore.”
Si Wumian nodded: “Yes, yes, yes.”
In the wind and snow, the group of three gradually became blurred snowflakes.
*
Nie Xiangsi blew the cold wind for most of the night, and then was frightened and suffered a Gu curse. When she arrived at the inn, she quickly developed a fever. Wen Ruman guarded her for three full days before she recovered.
When she woke up, there was only Nie Xiangsi in the room. A set of clean clothes was placed by the pillow. She put on the clothes, her head still a little dizzy. She raised her eyes and saw a note pressed on the table with a teacup.
She moved the teacup and saw a neat line of handwriting.
“Miss Nie, Wen has matters at home, will return in three days.”
Nie Xiangsi stared at the note with an unclear expression, a trace of tenderness flashed in her eyes. She carefully folded the note and placed it over her heart.
Southern Return has been very peaceful recently. No quarrels, no fights, no wielding swords. In short, Lu Jinnian and Xie Yiling are not in Southern Return.
Lu Jinnian, under the order of Nangong Yue, followed him to exorcise evil everywhere. Xie Yiling went to Diancang Mountain to find medicine.
It was not in vain that he read medical books day and night to find good prescriptions. He had indeed found a medicine that could allow Nangong Ci to regain his sight.
Before leaving, he vowed: “There is only one last herb left, and I can refine it. Master, when I come back from Diancang Mountain, you will be able to see again!”
After speaking, he snorted, still brooding over the previous matter, “There is no need to ask some Qingyi Sanren for help, I can cure you too!”
Nangong Ci smiled without saying a word, and gave him a fan. Xie Yiling opened it and exclaimed in surprise: “Yuqing Fan?”
Nangong Ci said: “Keep you safe.”
Xie Yiling looked at the fan, and then at Nangong Ci, his heart was so soft.
This fan was a high-quality Immortal Clan magic weapon given to Nangong Ci by the Sect Leader. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a treasure of the sect.
“Nangong Ci, you are so good to me.” Xie Yiling was moved in his heart, and took out a drooping plum blossom from his sleeve, “This is for—hey, how did it become like this? The fragrance is almost gone, I’ll pick a new one for you…”
Nangong Ci couldn’t help but laugh, and in order to preserve the beauty of Southern Return, he reached out to stop his “flower-destroying” behavior: “The plum trees in Southern Return are almost bald from your picking.”
“No way.” Xie Yiling was a little embarrassed, “I didn’t pick them from the same tree, how could they be bald?”
He wanted to say a few more words to Nangong Ci, but he didn’t know what to say, so Xie Yiling had to say: “Then, I’m leaving?”
Nangong Ci said: “Okay. If you encounter danger, remember not to act impulsively.”
Xie Yiling agreed one by one, pursed his lips, turned and left.
*
It’s hard to survive the three months of winter snow, but easy to pass the nine months of autumn.
After winter passed, Xie Yiling returned to Southern Return in the welcoming of Si Wumian and A Si.
He handed over the medicine he had painstakingly searched for to the Sect Leader, and guarded the furnace day and night until the elixir was refined. Then he took it to Nangong Ci as soon as possible.
Nangong Ci took the pill, and a clear, cold air was born from his body, gradually flowing in his eye sockets.
Severe pain burst from his eyeballs, but his face remained unchanged, with a slight smile that reassured Xie Yiling: “Your hand.”
Xie Yiling looked down and saw that Nangong Ci’s wrist had been pinched red by him.
“I, I didn’t do it on purpose.” Xie Yiling rarely stuttered, “You, how are you? What does it feel like in your eyes?”
Pain, it hurts a lot.
The cold air turned into needles and knives, and it was bound to scrape out the remaining evil poison in Nangong Ci’s eyes little by little.
“It doesn’t feel like anything.” Nangong Ci heard Xie Yiling’s voice trembling, not wanting him to worry too much. “Maybe it will be better after a sleep.”
“A sleep?” Xie Yiling felt something was wrong, “Why do you need to sleep? I’ll take off the white silk, and you open your eyes to see, okay?”
“Okay.” Nangong Ci agreed.
Xie Yiling gently untied the white silk, revealing Nangong Ci’s slightly closed eyes.
He instructed: “It may be a little uncomfortable at first, Nangong Ci, remember to open them slowly.”
He placed his palm on Nangong Ci’s eyebrows, blocking the light from outside for him.
Nangong Ci slowly opened his eyes, and the pain in his eyes suddenly diminished a lot.
There were many white spots of light in front of him. He couldn’t see Xie Yiling clearly, but he could tell that his face was right in front of him.
But soon, that face became clear and familiar.
“How is it?” Xie Yiling stared at him nervously, “Nangong Ci, can you recognize me?”
Nangong Ci didn’t speak, his eyes looked a little strange.
“Nangong Ci.” Xie Yiling called again, his heart suddenly lifted, “Can you see?”
He raised his hand and waved it in front of Nangong Ci’s eyes twice, and seeing that he didn’t react, his heart sank little by little.
“Nan…”
The hand frozen in mid-air was grasped. Nangong Ci leaned forward, and with a chuckle, touched his warm lips.