Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 129

In front of the old man was a bamboo basket. His dry fingers kneaded and washed some unknown herbs, then put them into a stone mortar and pestle to crush them. He then scooped out a clump of thick, colorful liquid and put it into a wooden bowl on the table.

Then came a rustling sound, like countless insects crawling by. Soon after, two silver tentacles emerged from the wooden bowl, exploring the surroundings. The old man reached out and gently placed his hand on the bowl. As soon as the silver tentacles touched it, a centipede, its body entirely red, its eyes eerie green, and its silver tentacles crawling up his arm and disappearing into his sleeve.

"Flaming Golden Centipede! The old man's Gu technique is truly amazing," Yun Feiyang exclaimed in admiration.

Upon hearing this, the old man, who had been ignoring the two, finally raised his head, revealing a face painted with countless camouflage patterns, with a huge scar running from his forehead to his chin, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

"Han Chinese, you are quite remarkable, to actually recognize the Flaming Centipede Gu." The old man's voice was as hard as metal as metal as he spoke, and then he pointed to the opposite side and said, "Please sit down."

"I never expected that there would be a Gu master like you among the wild Miao people." Yun Feiyang smiled and sat down opposite the old man.

The old man didn't seem to mind. He pulled out a pipe from his waist, stuffed it with tobacco, and said, "When I was young, I traveled around. I've been to the Central Plains."

Then, he pointed to the scar on his face and laughed, "This is the gift the people of the Central Plains left me. After that, I came back and never went out again."

Yun Fei raised an eyebrow and said, "With your Gu techniques, very few people can hurt you anymore."

The old man nodded, not mentioning the past. After a long while, he shook his head and said, "I didn't want to see you originally. The clansmen don't know about the clan leader's situation, but I do. Originally, I just wanted to find an excuse to drive you all out, but now, I hope you can bring me a surprise."

The High Priest was quite surprised that you recognized the larvae of the Flaming Golden Centipede. He thought that since you knew about Gu worms, you might be able to help.

Yun Feiyang said, "I can't guarantee anything to you. Perhaps you could tell me about his illness first?"

The old man took a puff of his tobacco, concealing himself in the smoke and darkness. After a long while, he asked, "Han man, what do you need?"

Your appearance was too sudden. He doesn't know you, and he assumes that someone as skilled as you must have something to ask for. He needs to test you first.

The narration system will pop up again to corroborate this.

Yun Feiyang smiled and said, "I just want to know some information from the past, if you still have it. If you don't have the information I want, we can exchange it for medicinal herbs."

"It seems you're very confident!" the old man said, looking up in surprise.

Yun Feiyang smiled and said, "I rarely lack confidence."

Seeing the confidence in Yun Feiyang's words, the old man finally became serious. Yun Feiyang met his gaze for a moment without changing his expression, and the old man stood up and said, "Please come with me."

As the three walked out of the house, the Miao people outside all breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly much more relaxed. Yun Feiyang patted Zhu San on the shoulder and said, "Zhu San, you can just wait here. Perhaps you can do some business with them first."

Zhu San thought for a moment and realized that he really couldn't be of much help, so he nodded and Yun Feiyang turned around and followed the old man into the depths of the village.

Deep within the village, ancient trees formed a forest, and wild grasses grew in abundance. After a moment, an even larger ancient tree appeared in front of them. Yun Feiyang's pupils shrank, because the entire tree was red, as if it had been watered with countless drops of blood.

"This is our totem, and also the guardian deity of our village. We are able to survive deep in the mountains entirely thanks to our guardian deity, which drives away the ferocious beasts and poisonous creatures in the vicinity," the old man explained as he walked.

Reaching the large tree, the old man finally stopped. Yun Feiyang couldn't help but ask, "Is your clan leader here?"

The old man nodded and sighed, "I have no other choice but to entrust him to the guardian spirit, hoping he can hold on until I come up with a solution."

As he spoke, the old man stretched out his right hand, and the Fiery Centipede Gu crawled out, gently biting the old man's finger and sucking out a little blood from his fingertip, before climbing up the tree trunk.

The old man under the tree recited complex and difficult-to-express ancient words, seemingly in prayer and blessing.

You stand before a gigantic Gu creature forged from ancient trees and human blood. It is alive, and it is awakening...

Yun Feiyang's eyes widened. This was the first time he had encountered an incomprehensible creature. After all, this was not a world of cultivation.

“This…” Yun Feiyang hesitated as he looked at the old man who had stopped chanting.

The old man's brow furrowed with weariness as he said, "You know about Gu cultivation. I know what you want to ask. I can tell you, I don't know either. It existed when I was born. No one can explain its origins, but it has always protected this place."

"Of course, the price to be paid is beyond your imagination." The old man winked slyly.

The next moment, eight blood-red vines wrapped around the treetops and fell down in front of the two people. Then the vines slowly withdrew, revealing the old man wrapped in the center.

Once everything had calmed down, the old man withdrew the Gu worm and said, "You can take a look. If... if there's no way to resolve it, then it can only be said that this is fate."

Yun Feiyang nodded, waved his right hand, and countless invisible threads shot out, entering the body of the person on the ground.

The silk threads meandered freely through the man's meridians. After a long while, Yun Feiyang revealed a hint of surprise: "He's been poisoned by a Gu!"

The old man's eyes lit up, and he said, "That's true, but I can't find the Gu worms. Ah Lie has also tried, but he can't find the Gu worms in the clan leader's body at all!"

As they were talking, the fiery golden centipede crawled out again, emitting a hissing sound, and the old man quickly tried to calm it down.

Yun Feiyang made a grabbing motion with his right hand, and the person on the ground convulsed. After a moment, countless tiny black dots rose into the air, each only a third the size of a flea, and gradually gathered into a ball, hovering between the two.

"No wonder, no wonder Ah Lie can't be found," the old man said blankly.

"This is a wild Gu creature, not one that has been raised by humans," Yun Feiyang said. As he spoke, a wisp of sword energy appeared, and the invisible threads transformed into sharp sword threads, cutting the Gu creature back and forth. In an instant, countless swords slashed through it, turning it into a black, muddy, dead Gu.

The Fiery Golden Centipede let out a joyful hiss and tried to crawl over, but Yun Feiyang waved his hand, and black mud and sand fell to the ground. The Fiery Golden Centipede leaped over and landed beside him, then began to devour the mud and sand.

"Alright, he's fine now, but he lost too much energy and blood, so he needs to replenish it," Yun Feiyang said.

The old man smiled, not minding at all. As he spoke in his melodious Miao language, the ancient tree lowered its vines again, wrapping the man up once more.

"The guardian spirit will provide him with enough vital energy," the old man said, looking at the blood-red tree.

Chapter 263 Learning about the sacred land of the Miao people

After the Fiery Golden Centipede finished eating the pile of black Gu corpses, its body had turned into a mixture of red, black, and green, resembling a colorful mushroom, curled up in a ball and motionless.

The old man frowned, a hint of surprise in his eyes, then carefully tucked him into his arms, and the two walked toward the front of the village.

Upon seeing the two return, all the wild Miao people in the village looked over. The old man said something loudly, and the wild Miao people immediately started discussing excitedly. Several of them took turns patting Zhu San on the shoulder.

Zhu San was also extremely happy. He hadn't expected Yun Feiyang to actually solve the problem, which would be even better for him in the future.

Ignoring the gossip outside, the old man led Yun Feiyang back into the bamboo house, then pulled out a piece of black velvet cloth from the corner of the wall and placed it in front of Yun Feiyang.

At the old man's prompting, Yun Feiyang opened the velvet cloth, revealing a ginseng root as thick as a baby's arm, which was almost shaped like a human.

Yun Feiyang shook his head and said, "This is too precious; it's beyond what I deserve."

The old man shook his head and said...

“You saved the clan chief, which prevented us from being swallowed up by other villages. It’s like you saved our entire village.”

"Moreover, that black Gu creature gave Ah Lie the possibility of evolution. I originally thought I would never see that day in my life, but now, although there is only a sliver of hope, I have seen it."

"I don't have much use for this treasure, but I think you will find it useful. So, Han man, you can state your request now. What do you want to know?"

Yun Feiyang smiled and did not refuse. He put the ginseng away and then asked, "I want to know, many years ago, a group of Han people migrated to the southern border. They should all know martial arts."

The old man frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "You mean... the Demonic Sect?"

Yun Feiyang nodded, and the old man said, "Wait a moment."

After saying that, the old man went to the box in the corner of the room, rummaged through it for a while, and came to Yun Feiyang with a book woven from animal hide.

He opened the book and flipped through it for a moment, then pointed to a passage of crooked, worm-like handwriting and said…

“About eight hundred years ago, the Han Chinese from the Demonic Sect you mentioned did indeed come to Miao territory. At that time, the Miao people were still a unified group, led by the High Priest. One of them married the High Priest.”

"Later, the high priest and that person did something that caused a huge disaster. Gu worms ravaged the largest Miao village, and the Miao people had to flee and die."

"After that, some of the Miao people who came down from the mountain never came back up. They gradually merged with the Han people who came to southern Xinjiang and became what you now call the Miao people."

"Disaster?" Yun Feiyang frowned and asked, "Then where did those people from the Demonic Sect go afterward?"

The old man flipped through the pages for a moment and said, "It seems that some of them followed the barbarians from beyond the borders to the uncivilized lands, some went out to sea by boat, and the rest stayed in the Miao village and have not been heard from since."

"What is a disaster?" Yun Feiyang asked.

The two shook their heads and said...

"That happened many years ago, and nobody remembers it anymore. But..."

"However, there is an ancient legend that says that death descended upon the land beside the Blackwater Abyss, bringing with it an indelible fear."

"The Demon King and his wife were swallowed by the abyss, leaving only their people to flee in all directions. The survivors established a new place to live."

"This is an old story, no one takes it seriously, but perhaps it has something to do with what you're looking for."

Yun Feiyang thought for a moment. The Chongzhen Sect had obtained the Heavenly Silkworm Divine Skill no more than two hundred years ago. In other words, if this story points to a destination, then someone must have been to the so-called Blackwater Abyss.

"Has anyone searched for the Blackwater Abyss before me?"

The old man paused, then shook his head and said, "That's just a legend among the Miao people. The Blackwater Abyss was once a sacred place for the Miao people, but now, no one would even approach it."

He lied. The chieftain of Blood Centipede Village was afflicted with a Gu poison while exploring the Blackwater Abyss. Unfortunately, they only lingered around the outer perimeter. That place is a sacred land for the Miao people, inhabited by countless strange Gu poisons.

Yun Feiyang: ...

"As far as I know, within the last two hundred years, there should have been a Han Chinese who went to the Blackwater Abyss and left alive," Yun Feiyang said, not wanting to beat around the bush.

The old man took long drags on his cigarette before finally speaking…

“I have heard this story. Indeed, a Han Chinese went to the Blackwater Abyss a long time ago.”

"It is said that a long time ago, a Han man went to the Blackwater Abyss to find the legendary Dragon-Seeking Grass for a Miao girl, and came out alive. However, after that, the Han man suddenly left Miao territory and never appeared again."

"It is said that he obtained an extraordinary treasure in the holy land. All the Miao people criticized him, saying that outsiders should not be allowed to enter the holy land, otherwise the treasure would remain in the southern border region."

………………

"Do you believe in such a treasure?" Yun Feiyang asked.

The old man glanced at him and said noncommittally, "The Holy Land is still a Holy Land, but it's very dangerous. No Miao people have set foot there for a long time. It's more like a monster that devours all flesh and blood. Are you sure you want to go there?"

Yun Feiyang smiled and said, "Many years ago, the group of Han people from the Demonic Sect who came to Miao territory brought martial arts from the Central Plains; that Han person once brought this martial art back to the Central Plains. My purpose in coming here is to see the text engraved in the sacred land."

The old man raised an eyebrow, having never heard this before, and then frowned and said...

"Is that so?"

"We are now close to the depths of the mountains, and the holy land is even deeper. It will take about seven days to walk from here towards the direction of sunrise."

“There are poisonous insects everywhere, and strange beasts and poisonous creatures all over the place. Basically, very few people can come out alive. Ah Lie is someone I picked up from the outskirts.”

Yun Feiyang smiled and said, "I still want to go and see."

The old man nodded and said, "If you come back alive, whatever you gain, leave Southern Xinjiang as soon as possible. This place is not friendly to Han people."

Because you saved the clan chief, the old man, not being greedy, has decided to keep your information a secret.

"Thank you. Well then, we'll meet again someday." Yun Feiyang slung his basket over his shoulder and left the bamboo house.

There were still two hours until sunset. Zhu San and Yun Feiyang left the Miao village. Zhu San was going to continue to the next Miao village and spend the night there before heading down the mountain.

"Then we'll say goodbye here." Yun Feiyang patted his shoulder, turned and headed in the opposite direction of the sun in the jungle, quickly disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.

Once out of Zhu San's sight, Yun Feiyang used his lightness skill, transforming into a wisp of smoke and darting into the depths of the dense forest. At his speed, he had already covered the distance that would take the Miao people several days before sunset.

Chapter 264 Arrival at the Holy Land, the Golden Silkworm Gu Appears

Under the cover of night, Yun Feiyang lit a campfire under an ancient tree. As the aroma of roasting meat wafted out, even though Yun Feiyang had sprinkled medicinal powder around the area beforehand, he still couldn't stop the rustling sounds. Who knew how many poisonous insects and ferocious beasts were lurking in the grass and woods.

Fu Yushu arrived at Chongzhen with Qingsong and attempted to go to the forbidden area tonight, but was discovered by Yan Chongtian.

[Yan Chongtian, having received your tip, discreetly issued a warning. The Chongzhen Sect disciples launched a massive search of the entire mountain. Fu Yushu was discovered by Lun Wan'er, but he lied and claimed to be lost.]

Yan Chongtian told Qingsong about this, but it only aroused Qingsong's suspicion.

Just as Yun Feiyang frowned, the narrator suddenly appeared. He only glanced at it before paying no more attention. Whether the Chongzhen Sect would be annihilated was no longer up to him, but up to Yan Chongtian and Qingsong themselves.

After the meal, Yun Feiyang closed his eyes and sat in meditation. As his true energy circulated, countless invisible threads emerged, wrapping him up like a silkworm cocoon.

The invisible threads gleamed with sharp sword light, and the immense danger caused some of the most instinctive beasts to flee.

………………

The next morning, the sun shone down on the tree. Yun Feiyang's inner energy dissipated, and a dense swarm of poisonous insects circled around him.

He frowned, and after a careful inspection, he discovered that the medicinal powder he had sprinkled had long been dampened by the dew and rendered ineffective. The poisonous insects and ferocious beasts that had swarmed up had all been killed by the sword energy, resulting in the scene he had witnessed that morning.

“No wonder the Miao people consider this place forbidden. If your martial arts skills aren’t up to par, very few will be able to get out alive.” Yun Feiyang shook his head.

After checking the position of the sun, Yun Feiyang no longer hesitated, shouldered his basket and continued on his way. Soon, as he ventured deeper into the area, he saw the strange beast the old man had described.

Everywhere you look, there are crumbling ancient walls and bamboo houses covered in vines. Amidst the ruins, you can occasionally see skeletons inside the bamboo houses, and from time to time, insects crawl by: a toad covered in green bumps and bubbling with green venom; a black moth the size of a palm with a human face imprinted on its wings; and a giant, motionless spider with a silvery-gray body that looks like a metallic lump...

Yun Feiyang saw several of the Fiery Golden Centipede larvae in the old man's hand.

Passing through the ruins, as we approached the center of the forbidden area, the scenery changed dramatically. A vast meadow stretched out from the depths of the dense forest, with a rushing stream cutting through its center, dividing the meadow in two. At the edge of the meadow, the stream converged, where a low, white hill shone brilliantly in the sunlight, its dazzling color turning the lake where the stream had gathered into a black pool of water.

"No wonder it's called the Blackwater Abyss." Upon seeing this, Yun Feiyang understood immediately; it was simply that the light was too dazzling, making everything appear black to the naked eye.

The beautiful scenery, far from making one lower their guard, actually concealed a great danger. Yun Feiyang lowered his head and saw countless Gu worms pierced by invisible threads, lying prostrate on the grass. The blood flowing out instantly corroded the surrounding grass, causing the grass leaves to wither and turn yellow in patches around Yun Feiyang's feet.

With just a glance, he spotted several flaming golden centipede larvae, and countless other unfamiliar Gu worms. Shaking his head, Yun Feiyang leaped into the air, turned, and headed towards the white mountain.

Under the Golden Goose Technique, Yun Feiyang's feet never touched the ground as he leaped through the air above the grass. Occasionally, some unwilling Gu worms would leap up to attack, but they would inevitably be pierced by the silk threads.