Chapter 119: The Whereabouts and the Venomous Curse

"Let me see."

Zhang Shouzhen reached out to touch Nie Shisan, hoping to investigate the matter, but Jiu'er pulled his hand back. Her expression was solemn as she said, "Do not go near the two of them. Rest assured, although their blood smells intoxicating, I can still control myself. They have likely been poisoned by a Gu."

"A Gu poison? You know about this stuff?"

Zhang Shouzhen shivered, stepped back, and stared at Jiu'er in astonishment. Gu poison did not originate in their region but rather in the remote Miao Wilderness—a foreign land where the inhabitants were fond of cultivating parasitic insects, making their methods unpredictable. He had only heard brief mentions of it from Qingxu and knew very little.

"I know a little. I have spent years traveling the world with my master and have visited many places, including the Miao Wilderness, where I saw a thing or two. Let me check if they have been afflicted by the 'Itching Bug Gu'."

Jiu'er walked over to Nie Shisan and held her breath. The scent of blood on them was enticing, so she tried her best not to inhale it. She pulled out a yellow talisman and began to chant under her breath. A moment later, the talisman flickered with a faint red glow. "Raise your arms!"

Nie Shisan stared at the glowing talisman with a look of reverence and obediently raised his arms. Jiu'er scraped the talisman gently across his skin and examined it closely. The pale red surface of the paper was covered in tiny, milky-white insects, barely visible to the naked eye. Zhang Shouzhen had to use his Azure Dragon Spiritual Eyes to see them clearly, wriggling and trying to crawl toward Jiu'er's hand.

"It is exactly as I thought!"

Jiu'er gave a cold smile and flicked her wrist. The talisman immediately ignited, burning the insects into ash.

"I already knew that Qingya was a woman from foreign lands and was well-versed in Gu sorcery. It was my oversight that allowed these two brothers to suffer such physical torment." Zhang Shouzhen looked at the two brothers with sincere regret. It seemed likely that Qingya hailed from the ancient and mysterious Miao Wilderness; he had certainly never heard of the Itching Bug Gu before.

"Young Master, you are too kind. Please, we must trouble Miss Jiu'er to remove the rest of these Gu."

Nie Shisan gritted his teeth, scratching his body incessantly. His brow was furrowed in extreme agony, and he could only look at Jiu'er with pleading eyes.

"Very well, I will drive these Gu away. These Itching Bug Gu are crafted through evil, secret arts; they are nefarious entities, not truly living beings. They fear talisman fire above all else. I will burn you with it now. Do not worry, the fire only consumes evil spirits and will not harm you. Once the fire burns out, the Gu will naturally be removed. They only linger on the surface for a short time, but if left too long, they will burrow into your organs. If that happens, even I will be powerless."

Jiu'er finished speaking and pulled out two more yellow talismans, tossing them at the brothers without a change in expression. The talismans transformed into spheres of blue flame, completely engulfing the two men from head to toe.

In just a few breaths, the flames vanished. Nie Shisan touched his body, finding no injury, while the maddening itch had completely disappeared. His eyes grew even more respectful.

Zhang Shouzhen’s eyes suddenly widened, glowing with a faint azure light. He scanned the courtyard and realized that the potted plants were covered in these insects—dense and swarming. A slight breeze would be enough to scatter them. The Nie brothers must have been infected after brushing against these plants. If he had been careless and walked in, he would have suffered the same fate; without Jiu'er's warning, he would have scratched himself until he was covered in bloody wounds.

He frowned and tossed several yellow talismans onto the plants. The surrounding area erupted in fire, and the insects crackled and hissed as they burned. Just as the flames died down, the front door suddenly swung open. A woman in a gray checkered gown stood in the doorway, her hair disheveled and radiating a ghostly aura. Upon seeing Zhang Shouzhen, her face contorted into a snarl.

"So, it’s you, you little brat!"

"Long time no see. Now, let's see where you can run! Leave Sister Tingting's body immediately, or don't blame me for shattering your soul!" Zhang Shouzhen held a yellow talisman between his fingers, glaring coldly at Qingya.

"You have quite the nerve! You actually destroyed my Itching Bug Gu. But do you think that’s enough to deal with me? Dream on! If you have the guts, come on in."

Qingya let out a sneer and retreated into the house. Jiu'er pulled Zhang Shouzhen back and said, "Let me handle this. I will unleash my zombie strength; these Gu pose no threat to me. Stay behind me and use your Azure Dragon Spiritual Eyes to observe."

"Shisan, Shisan, you two block the back door. Qingya is possessing Sister Tingting; if she tries to escape through the back, try your best to stall her, but do not harm Sister Tingting." Zhang Shouzhen instructed. He would have hesitated if it were a normal person, given that the possessed Tingting had shown terrifying strength, easily throwing Er Niu aside, but he felt confident in the Nie brothers.

Jiu'er pushed the door open and stepped inside. Zhang Shouzhen’s eyes flickered with a faint azure glow. The main room was cluttered with junk and covered in cobwebs, clearly long neglected. There were two side rooms, one for living and one for storage. After a quick sweep, they found no one. They exchanged glances, their eyes settling on a small, partially open door in the back of the hall, from which a dim orange light flickered.

No sooner had Jiu'er pushed that door open than a thick, indescribable smell of blood hit them. She frowned and stepped inside.

This room was also a storage area. Suddenly, they heard the sound of iron chains dragging across the floor, coming from behind a large cardboard box. Hearing the noise, they both froze. Zhang Shouzhen put a finger to his lips, then crept cautiously toward the box. Jiu'er watched him, tense and confused.

Zhang Shouzhen grabbed the box and pulled it aside. He was stunned by what he saw.

A ragged young man was curled up in the corner, his hands and feet shackled with heavy iron chains. He was covered in filth, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Brother Er Niu!"

No sooner had he cried out than a cold glint flashed from his side. A kitchen knife swung toward his neck. His expression changed, and he raised his broken sword to parry. Sparks flew, and both he and the knife-wielder stumbled back.

Just as Jiu'er prepared to intervene, a hemp rope dropped from above, wrapping around her neck without warning and hoisting her into the air.

Zhang Shouzhen's face turned pale. As he moved to slash the rope, the Tingting-possessed Qingya let out a wicked laugh and lunged at him again with the kitchen knife.

Sitting on the rafters was a ragdoll, emanating black mist and letting out a bizarre, cackling laugh. It was this doll that had manipulated the rope, hanging Jiu'er in mid-air where she had no leverage. Zhang Shouzhen remembered this doll vividly; it had once tried to devour his vital energy before Jiang Litian threw it into the ancestral graveyard.

However, they had underestimated Jiu'er. Even as she hung from the rope, she showed no panic. Instead, she tilted her head back and shot a strange, knowing smile at the ghost doll on the rafters.