The Mystery of His Origins

The Mystery of His Origins

I froze, asking in confusion, "What do you mean? The child the man in black wants to capture is me? You can't have made a mistake, can you?"

A few days ago, Ma Huoxin had met with the man in black. The man had wanted to use Xiao Tianxing to find a child, and according to the Grudge Infant, that child was me.

This was far too unbelievable.

"There is no mistake. That child carries the Innate Insect. I sensed it within you."

The Grudge Spirit stared at me with its scarlet eyes, leaving no room for doubt.

I sucked in a cold breath. My mind was a complete mess.

Everything had come from the Grudge Infant. It could not be taken as the truth. What if he had lied to me, using the Innate Insect to deceive me?

But if it was true, if the child the man in black sought really was me,

then there had to be countless earth-shattering secrets behind it.

Perhaps it was connected to my origins.

After hesitating for a moment, I said, "What you said may not be true. Once I verify it, I'll decide whether to agree to your request."

The Grudge Spirit said, "You will agree."

My heart churned as I asked, "Why are you so certain?"

The Grudge Spirit said, "Once the man in black finds you, he will use your life to refine Gu for some unspeakable purpose. If you want to live, you must work with me."

I became even more confused and could not speak for a long while.

The Grudge Spirit added, "Do not tell anyone about the Innate Insect inside you for now. After leaving the Gu insect, my body is extremely weak. I will rest inside your Three-Corpse Snake Gu for a few days."

Its body swayed and shrank into a ball of red shadow before slipping into the black jar. The cave immediately darkened.

For a long time, I could not gather my wits.

What the Grudge Spirit had said was not entirely baseless.

When I had encountered Big Zombie Xiao Tianxing before, he had also recognized the Innate Insect inside me.

If I truly was the child the man in black sought, then I needed to consider whether to cooperate with the Grudge Spirit.

It had first hidden inside the Blood Mantis, and now it had entered the Three-Corpse Snake Gu jar. It seemed capable of hiding within the bodies of Gu insects.

I racked my brains for a long time, but found no answers.

I could only wait until tomorrow and ask Ma Huoxin about the man in black's identity, as well as whether the child he sought was really me.

After being disturbed by the Grudge Spirit, I had no desire to sleep. I added some firewood to the fire, rekindled it, and quietly waited for dawn.

Later, I fell asleep again and had a terrifying nightmare.

I dreamed that a huge black hole appeared in my master's chest, and countless black insects poured out of it. The sight was horrifying beyond words.

"Xiao Kunlun, get out here!" A piercing shout rang out.

I jolted awake from the nightmare, my forehead covered in cold sweat.

I tied up the two jars and staggered outside.

The sun was already shining brightly. Across from me stood densely packed houses of all kinds, each with its own distinctive style. The entire Camellia Village lay spread out before my eyes.

The skinny boy stood there with a grim face and roared furiously, "Xiao Kunlun, you were the one who blinded my father, weren't you?"

A large black village dog stood beside him.

Completely baffled, I scratched my head and asked, "I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm your father's lifesaver."

The skinny boy shouted harshly, "When you bled him to detoxify him, you let the poisoned blood flow into my father's eyes. His eyeballs soaked in it all night, and now they can never be cured. Did you do it on purpose?"

Fury surged through me, but I forcibly held it back. "Damn it, it was pitch-black that night. How could I have noticed all that? If I hadn't let his blood, your father would have died."

The skinny boy shouted again, "What does Mantis Gu amount to? My father has a strong resistance to poison. He never needed you to bleed him. You Dong People are all up to no good. Your master was probably hoping something would happen to my father too."

He could insult me, but dragging my master into it was another matter entirely.

I sneered. "Watch your filthy mouth."

"Bite him!" the skinny boy shouted. The Black Village Dog sprang forward and charged straight at me.

"Lunatic!" I turned and scrambled onto a large rock by the cave entrance, swinging my coat at it. "Didn't your father tell you that if I hadn't drawn the Blood Mantis over, he would have turned into a puddle of blood by now? You're being completely unreasonable."

The skinny boy glared, raging, "You're the lunatic!"

The Black Village Dog barked madly beside the rock, growing even more agitated than before.

I shouted, "Kid, don't think I'm easy to bully. Want to test the power of the Three-Corpse Snake Gu? Can your dog handle it?"

I pulled the yellow jar forward. A baleful aura poured from around its mouth, and the Black Village Dog, which had been barking furiously, instantly became obedient.

The skinny boy's gaze grew even more hostile. He sneered, "Fine, fine! You little Dong brat really are using the Three-Corpse Snake Gu to bully us Miao People. Just you wait. The Dong People have the Three-Corpse Snake Gu, but we Miao People have the Golden Silkworm."

He called out and ran off with the Black Village Dog.

I let out a long sigh. That kid simply could not tell right from wrong. Once he had gone far away, I began to feel somewhat guilty. If I had been a little more careful, Ma Huoxin's eyes could have been saved.

So be it. I would apologize to Uncle Ma and ask about a few things while I was at it. I headed toward Camellia Village, waded across Clearwater Creek, and stopped at the entrance to the village.

I was still somewhat hesitant. Would bringing the Three-Corpse Snake Gu into a Miao village violate one of their taboos?

Then I thought again. I was only going to ask Uncle Ma a few questions. Once I had my answers, I would leave immediately and would not delay for long.

I clasped my hands toward the Miao village and murmured, "Golden Silkworm Deity, I am entering this Miao village with no ill intentions whatsoever. I will come back out shortly."

I strode into Camellia Village.

From several low houses, countless cold gazes shot toward me.

I asked around for Uncle Ma's home, but no one paid me any attention. In the end, I found it by following the scent of medicinal herbs. He had taken medicine to dispel the Gu, so there was bound to be the smell of herbs.

"You dare come all the way to my house." The skinny boy stood at the doorway, watching me nervously.

I said, "I came to see your father. There are some things I want to ask him."

The skinny boy was just about to fly into a rage when Ma Huoxin's voice came from inside. "Is that Kunlun? Come in quickly."

A flash of panic crossed the skinny boy's face, and I instantly understood. He had gone after me behind Uncle Ma's back.

As I entered, I glanced at the black dog. It sheepishly backed away several steps.

Several black jars were piled in a corner of the room. I had no idea whether there were Gu insects inside them.

On the shrine in the center of the living room stood a memorial tablet covered with black cloth, making the writing on it impossible to see.

Uncle Ma lay on the bed, his eyes wrapped in gauze. The entire room was filled with the strong scent of medicinal herbs, and decoctions were still simmering over two braziers.

I said, "Uncle Ma, I'm sorry. If I had paid more attention, your eyes would not have been harmed."

Uncle Ma smiled and said, "Kunlun, my eyes may be blind, but my mind is still clear. If not for you, I would have become a lonely ghost long ago."

I turned to look at the skinny boy. His eyes had rolled white with contempt.

After hesitating for a moment, I asked, "Uncle Ma, what exactly is the background of that mysterious man in black?"

Uncle Ma seemed slightly surprised. "I cannot tell you about that. The less you know, the better."

I bit my lip and continued, "Then who is the child he is looking for? What characteristics does that child have?"

Uncle Ma shook his head. "I don't know that. Do not ask about the man in black again. In short, he is a very frightening person. The less you know, the safer you will be."

I felt faintly disappointed, but then I realized Uncle Ma was withholding the truth to protect me.

It seemed I would have to wait until I met Xiao Tianxing again to find the answer to this mystery.

I rose to my feet and said, "Uncle Ma, my master never came to Camellia Village. There is no reason for me to stay here any longer. I'll leave now and search for my master outside."

Ma Huoxin shouted, "Nonsense! Where do you think you're going to find your master?"

I stood there blankly. "I don't know either. I'll wander through the Shiwan Mountains first. If I don't find him, I'll go elsewhere."

Ma Huoxin said, "You fool, the seven herbs your master needs may take half a year to gather. What if he comes to Camellia Village then and asks me where you are? Stay obediently in Camellia Village and wait for your master. You are not allowed to go anywhere!"

The skinny boy shouted resolutely, "No... he's Dong People. He can't stay here. My mother was killed by Dong People."