Chapter 113: The Gu Poison of the Heavenly Absolute Ice Silkworm

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“No, no, no.” The old man hurriedly waved his hands and explained, “The dried corpse you saw outside the forest today was one of the young men from our tribe. He was cruelly harmed by evildoers, and his wounds proved fatal, leaving him reduced to a dried corpse.”

“What sort of villain could be so vicious as to take a man’s life in broad daylight?” Bai Mu clenched his teeth and demanded indignantly.

“Alas...” The village chief gave a bitter smile and sighed. Then he hunched his slightly stooped shoulders and shook his head. “I do not know exactly who they are. I only know that, some days ago, a man and a woman arrived outside the village and attempted to seize our Fuxi Village. The villagers refused to submit, even unto death, and so the tragedy before your eyes came to pass.”

“Your village is called Fuxi Village?”

Bai Mu asked in surprise, then muttered to himself, “No wonder the village is shaped like the Eight Trigrams. So its people are descendants of the Sage Fuxi, who once found the River Chart beside the Luo River and derived the Eight Trigrams from it. That explains everything.”

Hearing this, the old man smiled mildly. “We are indeed connected to Fuxi in some way, but we are not his descendants. We are merely his guardians.”

“Guardians?”

At those words, Bai Mu’s thoughts stirred, and his curiosity immediately flared anew.

When he had lived on Eastwatch Mountain, he had once heard his master, Bai Ze, mention that many of the ancient gods and demons throughout the myriad realms of the Wilderness had guardians of their own.

Even Bai Ze had his own guardians. These people usually concealed themselves among ordinary folk and would not appear without good reason.

Only after the person they protected had transcended mortality or ascended to Heaven would the guardians emerge to protect their master’s remains and whatever inheritance had been left behind.

The most famous example was probably that of the Ancestral God. After he passed away and returned to Heaven, his physical body remained in the Kunlun Secret Realm, guarded by the Glazed Fairy. This was an open secret throughout the myriad realms of the Wilderness.

Who would have thought that, on this borderland between the Eastern and Southern Wastelands, he would encounter a group of guardians of Fuxi, the supreme sage of humanity? It was truly beyond belief.

“Young man, what are you thinking about?” the old man asked softly when Bai Mu remained silent.

“Oh, nothing.” Bai Mu hastily shook himself from his thoughts and answered perfunctorily, “It is nothing.”

Then he asked curiously, “A moment ago, I heard you mention the Fuxi Fang. Could it be that the sacred artifact left behind by Fuxi is what your tribe protects?”

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“No.”

The old man furrowed his thick brows and replied solemnly, “Although we are Fuxi’s guardians, we have never seen the Fuxi Fang. If you are thinking of making an attempt on it, you can forget it!”

“Elder, you misunderstand!”

Seeing the old man’s expression change, Bai Mu hurriedly explained, “I have no interest whatsoever in the Fuxi Fang. The only reason I entered the village without permission was to find out what happened to the dried corpse. But since you are wary of me, I shall take my leave. The mountains remain green, the waters flow on, and we shall never meet again!”

With that, Bai Mu raised his feet and slowly walked back along the street by which he had come.

As he passed the old man, he suddenly detected a faint scent emanating from him. It carried both a delicate fragrance and the subtle aroma of medicinal herbs, an exceedingly strange combination.

Though curious, Bai Mu continued firmly toward the village exit without pausing in the slightest.

After he had gone some ten meters, the old man’s voice sounded once more behind him.

“Wait, young man!”

Bai Mu’s heart leaped with delight. The old man had clearly come to trust him. If he could persuade the old man to let him stay, he would be able to investigate the murder in the village thoroughly—and perhaps even reap an unexpected reward, such as discovering the Fuxi Fang.

Even so, he maintained an unconcerned expression as he turned around and asked calmly, “May I know what else you require of me, Elder?”

“It is nothing of great importance.”

The old man smiled faintly. “Young man, I noticed earlier that you carry a long sword and possess an extraordinary bearing. Spiritual energy seems to flicker within the blade, and judging from your vigorous stride, you must be a cultivator of the human race, am I right?”

“More or less, I suppose.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Bai Mu answered modestly, “I once spent several years cultivating in the mountains under my master’s guidance. My abilities are nothing remarkable. What advice do you have for me, Elder?”

“Heh heh.”

The old man smiled mysteriously and pleaded with him on the spot. “Since you were able to reach our village and even break through the Eight-Trigram Maze Formation, fate must have brought you here. At present, our village is being besieged by two evildoers. Might the Immortal Master be willing to free us from our predicament?”

“Of course.”

Bai Mu responded with righteous conviction. “It is said that when one prospers, one should bring benefit to the world, and when one is poor, one should preserve one’s own integrity. Though my abilities are limited, I will never fear evil forces. Take me at once to meet the villains outside the village!”

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“Do not be hasty, do not be hasty.”

The old man hurried forward with trembling steps and reminded him, “Immortal Master, those two villains outside the village appear only at night. We are safe for the moment, so there is no need to rush out and confront them!”

“Must we really wait until nightfall?” Bai Mu asked somewhat urgently. He recalled his task of gathering fire lotuses and felt that time was growing short.

“Hmm.”

The corners of the old man’s mouth lifted slightly as he replied with perfect composure, “Immortal Master, why not come to this old man’s home first? We can sit down and discuss matters at leisure.”

Bai Mu’s eyes shifted. Since he had already come, it would be best to remain calm and observe the situation from the old man’s house for the time being.

Having made up his mind, the two of them walked together toward the residence from which the old man had emerged.

It was a somewhat archaic-looking house, built entirely of timber. The two principal beams before the entrance had even been fashioned from a pair of extraordinarily massive ancient trees.

At the entrance stood a statue about the height of an ordinary man. Its features seemed unfamiliar, yet an unmistakable air of righteousness emanated from it. Considering the circumstances of the village, the statue was most likely a likeness of Fuxi himself.

Above the gate hung a plaque engraved with several large characters in ancient bone script. At a rough glance, they appeared to read, “The Ancient Clan Residence.”

“Elder, is your surname Ancient?” Bai Mu stopped beneath the gate and asked.

“Yes.”

The old man answered in a distant, desolate voice, “Everyone in our village bears the surname Ancient. Our ancestors migrated here several thousand years ago.”

With that, he once again moved his trembling feet and entered the courtyard, while Bai Mu followed closely behind.

Once inside, it became immediately apparent that the courtyard occupied a vast area. Several clusters of slender bamboo grew within it, while winding streams, flowing-cup channels, ancient waterside pavilions, and terraces blended together in perfect harmony. The entire arrangement was remarkably elegant.

In a pavilion not far ahead, more than a dozen people were seated. Though they were still some distance away, Bai Mu could clearly sense the constraint and unease radiating from them.

“Elder, your residence is truly magnificent!” Bai Mu exclaimed.

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