CHAPTER 377: CHAPTER 374 THE WILL OF THE GU GOD

The girl named Wuya was crouching beside Master Ma, who seemed to have lost the will to live. She stroked its large head, groomed its mane, and placed a bowl of clear water beside it, which only earned her a cold sidelong glance from Master Ma.

Upon hearing the call of the Wugong Clan Chief, she stood up and skipped to the main hall. The first person she noticed was Hu Ma sitting nearby. She tilted her head and smiled, "Careful?"

Hu Ma nodded at her and smiled, "Hello."

"Come quickly."

The way the girl greeted Hu Ma caught the eye of Clan Chief Wu, but he ignored it and simply said, "Wuya, come and help save him."

Seeing the filthy blood spat out on the ground, along with the insects in it, the girl seemed to have guessed what was happening. She blinked and obediently sat down at the table, extending her arm.

Her arm was smooth and white, betraying no sign that she often climbed trees. Yet, there were several conspicuous, crimson dots on it, like points of rouge.

Are they letting her help remove the gu from me?

Mine Chief Zhuang had been tormented by gu poison for some time, and he had long been hoping for the Wugong Clan Chief to come and dispel the gu. A glimmer of hope rose in his heart, but he hadn’t expected the Clan Chief to call in this girl named Wuya.

The blood food mine had rules that generally unwelcome women. Moreover, while Mine Chief Zhuang and his men sometimes interacted with the Wugong Clan Chief, their relationship wasn’t particularly close. Therefore, he didn’t know much about Wuya and cast a worried glance at her.

"No."

The Wugong Clan Chief shook his head and said in a low voice, "Wu Song’s gu is very powerful, and no one in our clan is confident in removing his gu."

Mine Chief Zhuang was taken aback. "Then this..."

The Wugong Clan Chief shook his head again and pulled out a strange black thread from his sleeve. It appeared to be woven from glossy silk, faintly resembling hair. Each end of the thread was attached to a gray Bone Needle, intricately patterned.

He inserted one of the Bone Needles into Mine Chief Zhuang’s arm and, surprisingly, the other into Wuya’s arm.

After doing this, he took a small drum from his basket and gently tapped it by Mine Chief Zhuang’s ear. The more he tapped, the more urgent and loud the sound became.

Gradually, the black thread started to tremble uncontrollably.

Neither Wuya nor Mine Chief Zhuang exerted any force. The thread, though still loose, seemed to be under an invisible pressure and trembled incessantly.

As this process continued, Wuya’s complexion grew increasingly ashen. In contrast, Mine Chief Zhuang’s face showed surprise; he took a deep breath, clearly feeling his condition rapidly improving.

"HISS!"

After a while of tapping, Clan Chief Wu, quick of eye and hand, suddenly yanked the gray Bone Needle out of Mine Chief Zhuang’s body. His pale-faced disciple was already nearby, holding a brazier burning with fire.

He threw the segment of thread and the two Bone Needles together into the brazier, which sizzled and crackled as they burned.

Mine Chief Zhuang had already stood up. He pressed his chest, his expression a mixture of surprise and joy. He turned hurriedly toward Clan Chief Wu and bowed deeply in gratitude. "Thank you for saving me."

The clan chief responded politely, "It’s what I should do. We’re good friends, after all."

But amid the courteous exchange, Hu Ma suddenly furrowed his brow and looked at the girl Wuya, adorned with silver ornaments. Her once translucent and tender face had turned ashen and black, especially her left arm, which had just been pierced by the Bone Needle. It had become swollen and pitch-black.

Faintly, traces of insects wriggling beneath the skin could still be seen. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but first, a mouthful of filthy blood spurted out.

This isn’t saving someone; it’s exchanging a life...

Hu Ma had been watching silently from the side. The current situation was unclear, and he was dealing with the Witches, whose customs differed vastly from those of the Han people. Therefore, he refrained from speaking or acting rashly.

But seeing the girl enduring pain so stoically, he was somewhat shocked. He could see what the Witchman Clan Chief’s so-called "gu cure" was based on, yet he found it hard to comprehend.

The Shousui man’s physique was so formidable; how could they even consider using a little girl to bear such potent gu for him?

As he contemplated this, the two disciples of Mine Chief Zhuang, who were nearby, also saw the girl in distress and seemed unsure whether to help her up. However, the Wugong Clan Chief turned around and sternly said, "Leave her alone. Don’t touch her."

"She can’t suppress it with cultivation like your Shousui. Now she’s full of gu poison."

"Anyone who touches her will become infected with gu insects..."

"..."

The two disciples retracted their hands hurriedly, even stepping back further, letting the girl sit on the ground, clutching the front of her clothes tightly.

Hu Ma frowned slightly and then asked, "If that’s the case, why make her take on this gu?"

If a Shousui man couldn’t suppress these gu insects, how could a little girl?

Upon hearing Hu Ma’s question, Clan Chief Wu glanced at him and then said softly, "I have no choice. I can’t break Wu Song’s gu. My only option is to transfer it, moving a portion of the gu to someone else."

"..."

Nearby, Mine Chief Zhuang was trying to move his limbs, feeling the lightness in his body. But upon hearing this, he turned his head abruptly, his voice hoarse, "You mean, the gu in my body... isn’t completely removed?"

"..."

"Not yet. It’s only alleviating your condition..."

Clan Chief Wu slowly shook his head and said in a low voice, "Even transferring the gu out of your body for someone else to bear isn’t something just anyone can endure."

"If an ordinary person took it, they would die instantly. It would be like using one life after another just to reduce the gu poison in your body. But only Wuya can survive bearing the gu poison transferred from you."

"After all, she’s Wu Song’s sister."

"Wu Song is a madman driven by gu refining, devoid of human emotions. Even now, he’d likely kill me without hesitation."

"But he still cares somewhat for this sister."

"And the gu insects he refines—Heart Gu—are linked to him. Since Wu Song wouldn’t want to harm his sister, his gu insects won’t either. Once Wu Qing realizes it is Wu Song’s sister who is bearing the consumption of the gu insects, Wu Song himself will naturally stop."

"..."

Is that even possible?

The bystanders looked at this Clan Chief. His face was cold and resolute; he seemed unwilling yet compelled to save the man. Then they looked at the girl, Wuya. Her face was shadowed with a black aura, and she was clutching her mouth tightly to stifle any painful groans. Witnessing this, everyone present couldn’t help but feel a chill. Hu Ma’s frown deepened; he couldn’t shake the feeling that this entire family was suffused with a sinister aura.

He had heard the truth from Monkey Wine earlier. But looking at this Clan Chief now, it seemed... could he also be telling the truth?

He felt a surge of uncertainty and fell silent, content to observe without making any rash comments.

"Then this..."

Mine Chief Zhuang also grew anxious. "But this has no end in sight, does it?"

"Now, Miss Wuya has helped me transfer this portion of the gu poison. But I’ll only be well for a few days, and then it will flare up again, won’t it?"

"Big Brother Wu, he is your son, after all. Can’t you... mediate for us with him?"

"..."

Listening to Mine Chief Zhuang’s words, Clan Chief Wu’s face turned grim. After a long moment, he finally said softly, "I can’t talk sense into him. Wu Song has been stubborn since childhood, never listening to anyone."

"But don’t be anxious, Mine Chief. I came today to talk to you about this. Ultimately, Wu Song is from our village. It was fine when he stayed in the Black Bone Forest, but now that he’s actively causing trouble at the blood food mine..."

He shook his head as he spoke, saying in a low voice, "He’s bringing calamity to our village..."

"Our branch of the clan migrated south generations ago. We have worshipped the Witch God ever since and received His decrees. Anyone who violates the Three Prohibitions and Ten Non-Refinements must be eliminated, regardless of who they are."

"And him causing trouble at the blood food mine makes it even worse..."

He paused and sighed heavily. "His audacity is growing boundless; he respects no one. But how could we Witches not understand? The Han people have many Paths and many experts whom we cannot afford to provoke..."

"If we don’t deal with him now, are we really going to wait for the Red Lantern Lady of Mingzhou to send Incense Burners to find us?"

"..."

Listening to him speak, everyone present was momentarily startled, yet a peculiar sense of reassurance settled in. Previously, they had only felt the unease of the Witches sealing the roads and the omnipresent gu poison that frayed their nerves.

So, these Witches actually feared us too.

"Then, what does Clan Chief Wu mean..."

"..."

"I came this time intending to fight Wu Song once more!"

Clan Chief Wu said in a deep voice, "When I kill him, it will not only relieve you but also rid our village of this menace!"

"Ah?"

No one expected him to say such words. He showed great determination, not the attitude one would have towards a son but rather towards a mortal enemy.

Hu Ma watched him, his mind racing, struggling to discern the truth.

Mine Chief Zhuang was equally shocked, his voice trembling, "But you... Big Brother, you just said you couldn’t defeat him..."

"Yes!" Clan Chief Wu nodded gravely. "None of the gu I have ever refined are a match for his."

"It’s not just me. Within our branch of Witches—across the seven villages and twelve towers—I fear no one has refined a gu that could be Wu Song’s opponent."

"If he weren’t so insane and devoid of human decency, he would actually be the smartest and most powerful Gu Master in our clan. He should be the one to protect our branch of people. But now, I have no other choice. While I can still perform gu refining, I must eliminate him."

"To ensure success, this time, I plan to refine the most ancient type of Ghost Moth Gu within our clan. Once it’s refined, I’m confident it will kill Wu Song!"