Twilight Boundary-Chapter 389 - 386: Eating Black Tai Sui (Part 3)
As the Wugong Clan Chief approached, the insect chirping grew louder, as if it were ringing in everyone’s ears. There was an inexplicable feeling; listening to this chirping, one’s gaze would involuntarily be drawn to the Gu Bowl. Gradually, one’s gaze could not be diverted, and all attention was on that Gu Bowl; even one’s thoughts seemed to be tied to it.
Among this crowd of people, who stood as still as wooden statues, the Wugong Clan Chief took a deep breath. His expression gradually calmed. He had already considered everything, from initial preparations and probing the situation to choosing his words, even down to the horse that could withstand the bites of the gu insects.
Reaching this step, when had it ever been easy?
He only felt that as he held the Gu Bowl and got closer to the ore vein, his heart grew more excited. It was as if he felt the gu insects’ delight, as if he were about to approach a great secret.
"Old Wu, what you’re doing... it’s not right, is it?" But in this oppressive silence, a voice suddenly emerged, tinged with a helpless sigh. "Wasn’t it agreed that you’d come to help us, besides dealing with that crazy kid of yours?"
As this voice rang out, even the Wugong Clan Chief, who was walking forward, suddenly slowed his steps. He turned his head and saw Zhuang Erchang, the Mine Chief, holding a knife and standing not far away, approaching little by little. The others were immobilized, unable to resist the insect chirping. Only he, with his Shousui man abilities, was still inching forward. It was clear that even he was struggling; his hand holding the knife trembled slightly, and dark blood faintly oozed from his mouth and nose, making him appear weak.
"I am helping."
The Wugong Clan Chief raised his head, his gaze cold as he glanced at Zhuang Erchang. His eyes noted the dark blood seeping from Zhuang Erchang’s mouth and nose, but he dismissed it, saying indifferently, "When the Witch God descends to this world, He will naturally kill Wu Song and help our clan eliminate all threats."
"That includes you!"
...
"Old Wu, your words are truly hurtful..." Zhuang Erchang seemed to be forcing himself closer, a bitter smile on his face as he said, "I’ve always treated you Witch people well, trading grain, meat, salt, and iron pots. When have I ever let you go without?"
"And even when you needed Black Tai Sui for gu refining, I cut it and sent it to you."
"When artisans at the mine had conflicts with you Witch people, I always scolded them first, never letting you Witch people suffer losses..."
"This time, after I was afflicted by the gu, I first thought of asking you, Old Wu, to cure me. Who would have thought that the moment you received my letter, you’d be thinking of harming me, planning to kill everyone in my mine, is that it?"
...
Surprisingly, the Wugong Clan Chief didn’t refute but rather chuckled softly, saying, "You Han people have occupied quite enough good things."
"Sadly, you only know how to pick the best—the green, the red, those with golden threads—paying no mind to the white ones. We Witch people also seek our share of fortune’s blessings, so we can only glean what little slips through your fingers, taking the unwanted Black Tai Sui for gu refining."
"But who would have thought?"
"The gu insects and we are one, and when the gu insects ate the Black Tai Sui, it was as if we did too..."
"The very thing you disregard the most, by coming into contact with it so often, we, in turn, were able to hear the call of the gu god from within it..."
...
As he spoke, he took steps again, slowly walking forward, speaking slowly, "The Witch God has been longing to come to this world to save All People..."
"Now I have helped the gu god refine an incarnation, all to welcome His arrival..."
...
"You..."
Zhuang Erchang, the Mine Chief, listened to his words, a flicker of anxiety crossing his face. But before he could speak, a wave of foul-smelling black blood surged to his lips. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand and mumbled, "Old Wu, you consumed Black Tai Sui?"
"Black Tai Sui is not edible. Consuming it makes one go insane; even an evil spirit would become bizarre..."
"You... you are just..."
...
He looked as if he were imploring him earnestly, seemingly exerting all his strength as he stumbled forward, attempting to stop the Wugong Clan Chief with his last ounce of energy.
No one expected that when he was only about thirty feet from the Wugong Clan Chief, his eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce light. He whipped away the hand covering his mouth and, with a flick of his wrist, sent a dark gleam flying.
Those were three iron bullets, shot out with the strength of a Shousui man, carrying the force to shatter rocks and pierce armor, instantly aimed at the Wugong Clan Chief’s face. At the same moment, he charged forward, the knife in his hand sweeping a bright arc, aiming directly at the Gu Bowl in the Wugong Clan Chief’s hands.
Just from this moment’s movement, there was no sign of weakness, as if his earlier state was all a façade.
This sudden turn of events even stunned the Wugong Clan Chief. He knew Zhuang Erchang, the Mine Chief, was afflicted by the gu, and his previous injuries were not faked. In fact, he had been confident he could gauge the extent of those injuries, believing he had Zhuang Erchang completely under his control. Only now did he realize he had underestimated the resilience of a Shousui man. Even with severe injuries to his Five Organs, Zhuang Erchang could suppress the pain with a single breath and unleash such formidable power.
A Shousui man up close was perilous indeed.
Wuya and Nengneng, who were flanking him, were too slow to react to the Shousui man’s desperate, all-out slash; they couldn’t stop it in time.
Yet, at that very moment, facing the incoming iron bullets and the knife aimed at the Gu Bowl in his hands, the Wugong Clan Chief neither moved nor flinched. He suddenly lowered his head and whispered something softly to the Gu Bowl.
In the next instant, from within the Gu Bowl, the insect chirping intensified, resonating with some ominous aura throughout the valley. Those three iron bullets, upon reaching his face, were suddenly deflected, flying off to unknown whereabouts. And the descending blade, aimed at the Gu Bowl, suddenly trembled violently. It stopped about a finger’s breadth away, held by some invisible force. No matter how much strength Zhuang Erchang exerted, the knife would not move further.
"Did you think I came to your mine to refine gu just for a few pieces of Tai Sui Blood and Flesh?"
The Wugong Clan Chief slowly turned his head to glance at Zhuang Erchang, whispering, "Don’t you know that insects are territorial? By refining the gu here, this entire valley has essentially become my gu-casting domain."
The expression on Zhuang Erchang’s face seemed extremely shocked, even terrified. He widened his eyes at the Wugong Clan Chief, but then his frightened expression suddenly vanished.
It turned into a cold smile as he retorted, "Well then, Old Wu, didn’t you know that this blood food mine is *my* territory?"
"I’m not like that young manager, naive enough to let you waltz in here just because you asked."
...
"Hmm?"
Seeing his expression, the Wugong Clan Chief suddenly panicked, realizing there was a problem. He hurriedly prepared to whisper something to the Gu Bowl, but suddenly, a sound of metallic vibration resonated around them.
The sound was peculiar. Previously, only the buzzing of the gu insects had filled the valley, drowning out all other sounds. But this metallic ringing suddenly disrupted their chorus.
And at the same moment the metallic ringing occurred, Zhuang Erchang suddenly stepped forward, his previously controlled body exploding with astonishing force. He grabbed the Gu Bowl, trying to wrest it back with effort.
SIZZLE!
However, as soon as his palm touched the Gu Bowl, white smoke billowed, and the flesh on his hand began to melt rapidly, leaving only bone in an instant.
Zhuang Erchang’s expression changed. With a sharp cry, he switched his grip from pressing down to flicking upwards, sending the Gu Bowl flying into the air. Simultaneously, he retreated rapidly. Seeing the corrosion quickly spreading up his arm from his hand, he decisively swung his knife.
SLICE!
His right arm was severed. The fallen piece instantly turned into black bone on the ground.
"Heh heh, your gu insects are formidable, but did you really think we Shousui men are defenseless?"
Zhuang Erchang, having severed his arm to stop the gu’s corruption from spreading, immediately retreated. With a mere thought, he staunched the bleeding from the stump.
"You..."
Even the Wugong Clan Chief hadn’t anticipated this move. Seeing the treasured Gu Bowl knocked into the air, out of his grasp, he was both shocked and furious, his eyes turning blood-red.
Ignoring everything else, he leaped up, stretching out both hands, desperate to catch the Gu Bowl.
Beside him, Wuya and the pale-faced youth also recognized the urgency and rushed forward, apparently to help. Zhuang Erchang now had no allies nearby, and the others had yet to recover from their stupor; he was clearly no match for the Witch people.
WHOOSH!
But at that moment, an unexpected scene unfolded. From outside the valley, the sound of something slicing through the air suddenly echoed. A black shadow flashed, and the Wugong Clan Chief’s outstretched hands grabbed nothing but air. The Gu Bowl had disappeared.
Everyone in the valley was startled by this development. Turning their heads, they saw the Gu Bowl pierced by an arrow, pinning it to the ground. The arrow’s fletching still quivered.
The Gu Refining Bowl, worshiped by the Witch people for over a hundred years and revered as a Holy Object, was destroyed just like that, with no warning.
The chirping of gu insects within it also suddenly ceased, leaving no trace of sound or movement.
As for Zhuang Erchang, the Mine Chief, all worry vanished from his face the moment he saw the arrow. He turned towards the valley entrance and smiled, saying, "Master, I held out as long as I could. You’ve finally made it..."
Everyone followed his gaze and saw several horses approaching from outside the valley.
Leading them was an old man in a brocade robe and a round hat, his white beard flowing. He appeared robust and was followed by several others: some in practical black clothes, some in long robes with thin mustaches, and one carrying a large saber on his back.
Most critically, their horses also carried three figures dressed as Witch people, bound hand and foot with their mouths gagged. They struggled on horseback, making muffled sounds.
"These are the Witch people who sealed off your mine and released gu to harm people."
The group rode directly into the valley. They tossed the captive Witch people from their horses to the ground, and one of them announced, "We arrived and went into the forest to find them first. Found seven, killed four, and captured these three alive."
"But where is the Stone Corpse you mentioned?"
