Sun-Drying the Earth Egg

Before the Golden Silkworm Deity had even finished speaking, he chased into the woods, following the Eight-Handed Gu Spirit's aura.

That terrifying aura of death vanished with him.

A wave of lingering fear swept through me. If the Golden Silkworm Deity had made a move, it would have been very hard for me to survive his hands. A cold wind blew over, and I could not help shivering; my whole mind cleared a great deal.

I thought, He's collecting the Gu Spirits of all the Great Gu Masters so he can become the greatest evil god in all the Miao Borderlands. That black umbrella of his is terrifyingly powerful. The Eight-Handed Gu Spirit is no match for it at all.

His goal was very likely to come true.

According to the agreement, three years from now, Xiao Yudao would have to marry Golden Silkworm. The Golden Silkworm Deity would become even more terrifying, and I did not have much time left. I had to grow stronger as quickly as possible, so that the next time I encountered the Golden Silkworm Deity, I would have enough strength and enough methods to deal with him.

I glanced into the depths of the forest and suddenly sensed a corpse aura utterly different from the rest. When I looked again, that corpse aura disappeared in an instant. It might have been the corpse aura carried by the Nine-Colored Divine Gu. After all, it had stayed in Corpse-Raising Cave for a long time, and when the night wind blew over, it scattered the corpse aura away.

I did not think too much about it. I came out of the woods. The walking corpse stood on a rock, staring foolishly at the sky. Behind the clouds, the moon appeared and vanished by turns. I asked curiously, "Walking corpse big brother, what are you looking at? Could this moon have made you remember something?"

Naturally, the walking corpse could not speak. Hearing me talk, it only turned its head and looked at me.

I laughed and said, "You're nothing but a walking corpse. You can't understand human speech. Why am I talking to you? How ridiculous."

I brought the walking corpse back to the cave, then added more firewood to the bonfire. The temperature inside the cave rose a little again.

"Kunlun, is everything taken care of?" Ma Huoxin asked.

"Mm, it's done," I answered. It seemed Ma Huoxin knew I had not gone out to relieve myself, but had had other business. Though Ma Huoxin's eyes could not see, the eye of his heart was still very bright.

I suddenly thought of Zhu Xian'er, whom I had met in Chiyou Valley. She was a Jade Corpse, and Ma Huoxin was a corpse-driver, so he was definitely very familiar with zombies. I asked, "Uncle Ma, what kind of zombie is a Jade Corpse?"

Ma Huoxin leaned a little closer toward me and said in a low voice, "A Jade Corpse is the most special kind among corpses and zombies. Female corpses are the most common among them. Their skin color is the same as an ordinary person's, and their intelligence is the same as an ordinary person's too. They don't drink fresh blood. They survive on moonlight."

There were actually such wondrous zombies in this world. I sighed inwardly. No wonder when I saw Zhu Xian'er, I felt she was like a fairy from the heavens. So it turned out she did not drink fresh blood, but relied on moonlight to maintain her zombie state.

I pressed on and asked, "Uncle, then what about Xiao Tianxing, whom we saw some time ago? What kind of zombie is he? Is he very powerful? Last time, that person wanted to capture him, didn't he?" When I asked this question, Chen Junfeng, who was leaning on the other side, shifted his body.

Ma Huoxin said, "Xiao Tianxing? When I caught up to him, he was badly injured. More than ninety percent of the corpse aura on his body had been lost. With such severe loss of corpse aura, it was very difficult to determine what kind of zombie he was. But I estimate he should be a Silver Zombie."

A zombie without corpse aura was like a person without yang energy. Losing more than ninety percent of it was definitely a grave injury to his vital essence. No wonder he needed to stay in Corpse-Raising Cave for three years.

"Silver Zombie? What kind of zombie is that? Why does Jade Corpse end with 'corpse,' while Silver Zombie ends with 'zombie'? Why are these two names different?" Once Ma Huoxin said this, my interest was aroused, and I was not sleepy at all.

Ma Huoxin laughed and said, "Then I'll explain it to you. The term 'zombie' is actually a combined way of saying it. To be precise, zombies are zombies, and corpses are corpses. Among zombies, the most powerful is the Purple-Haired Divine Zombie, followed by Gold Zombie, Silver Zombie, Blood Zombie, Black-Haired Zombie, White-Haired Zombie, and Green-Haired Zombie. Among corpses, the strongest are Golden Armored Corpse, Silver Armored Corpse, Bronze Armored Corpse, Jade Corpse, walking corpse..."

Ma Huoxin spoke as if counting the treasures of his own household, relating it all in a steady flow.

It was the first time I learned zombies and corpses could be divided like this, with so many varieties. It seemed the vast world was filled with mysteries, and had its strange and dazzling side.

I sighed and said, "So there are actually this many kinds of zombies and corpses!"

Ma Huoxin said, "That's right. In my secret corpse-driving arts, there are methods to deal with every kind of zombie and corpse. Spend ten years learning them, and when you encounter zombies and corpses again, you won't be afraid. Kunlun, what do you think? Do you want to learn my secret corpse-driving arts?"

I thought, Ma Huoxin is trying to drag someone in to inherit his mantle again. I hurriedly yawned and said, "Uncle, I'm a little sleepy. We can talk later about whether I'll learn corpse-driving arts or not."

Ma Huoxin shook his head helplessly and said, "Just what kind of soul-bewitching drug did Hei Moyun feed you? My secret arts for driving and suppressing corpses—you don't even want to listen to them."

I hurriedly leaned against a stone and deliberately made snoring sounds. Slowly, I fell asleep. In the latter half of the night, the temperature grew even colder, and I could not help wrapping the quilt tightly around myself.

Early the next morning, cold wind poured backward in through the cave entrance. I woke up from the cold, started the fire again, then kicked Ma Erlei awake and shouted, "Erlei, stop sleeping. Let's go hunt a rabbit to eat. If nothing else, we'll catch two mountain rats."

Ma Erlei and I left the cave. When the cold wind blew over, a layer of frost had actually formed. Autumn had gone and winter had come; winter in the great mountains had finally arrived. We wandered around near the cave for half the day and gained nothing. In the end, we found a wild persimmon tree and picked some to bring back.

Everyone shared the wild persimmons. After the sun came out, we decided to set off. Ma Huoxin pasted a Chenzhou Talisman onto the walking corpse's forehead, then tied on a red thread and said, "After dark, you return to Camellia Village. Be careful on the road. Don't let anyone discover you."

We walked through the mountains for an entire day, crossing countless peaks. Just after the sky darkened, we finally returned to Camellia Village.

Xiao Yudao had been jolted all along the way and caught a chill. She began coughing again, her face pale, and said with concern, "Da Xiao, the cave is cold. Come back to the stockade with us tonight and spend the night there."

I waved my hand and said, "No need. I have many poisonous Gu insects on me, so it isn't good for me to enter the stockade. If I leave them outside, I won't feel at ease either. When the time comes, just have Erlei bring me a quilt."

Xiao Yudao did not force me any further.

When we crossed Clearwater Creek, Ma Huoxin spoke to Chen Junfeng and Guo Ni as usual. "You two wait here for a moment. We'll go in and report first, then come back and welcome you into the stockade."

Chen Junfeng cupped his hands in a bow and said gratefully, "Mr. Ma, we'll wait for you outside. The weather is getting colder and colder. For you to take us in for one night, we are already deeply grateful."

Ma Huoxin, Ma Erlei, and Xiao Yudao returned to Camellia Village first. Chen Junfeng, Guo Ni, and I stopped by Clearwater Creek.

Chen Junfeng asked, "Brother Xiao, have you seen Camellia Village's Golden Silkworm?"

I shook my head and said, "I haven't seen it, but I was poisoned by Golden Silkworm venom and nearly died." After a pause, I said, "If you're getting ideas about the Golden Silkworm Gu, I advise you not to even think about it. If the Golden Silkworm bites you once, you won't live through tonight."

Chen Junfeng's face darkened, and he said unhappily, "Brother Xiao, what kind of person do you take me for? How could I be a thief?"

I gave a cold laugh and said softly to Guo Ni, "Guo Ni, the Golden Silkworm Gu is hidden within Camellia Village. It's just that no one knows its whereabouts. But it is extremely alert. Don't try to listen to its sound or sense its aura, so you don't stir up unnecessary trouble."

Guo Ni could sense Gu insects, but the Golden Silkworm Gu had a bad temper, so I specially reminded her.

"I'll remember," Guo Ni nodded and said. "Right, Xiao Kunlun, why do you have to live outside the cave alone? Isn't Ma Huoxin your uncle? That little junior sister of yours treats you pretty well too."

I shook my head and said, "It's my own choice. I'm the sort of person who likes being free and unfettered. I don't like owing others. If I owe too much, I'm afraid I won't be able to repay it later. This life of mine still isn't held in my own hands."

Guo Ni glanced at Chen Junfeng and said softly, "Xiao Kunlun, hatch the insect inside the Earth Egg as soon as possible. Use it to suppress the poisonous insects inside your body. With the Earth Egg, your life won't be in danger."

I nodded and kept it in mind.

After a little while, Ma Erlei came out holding a thick quilt. He handed it to me, then said to Chen Junfeng and Guo Ni, "The clan chief has already agreed. Come into the stockade with me."

Chen Junfeng repeatedly spoke words of thanks.

I took the quilt and pulled Ma Erlei aside. "Erlei, has the Five-Colored Gu inside you acted up?"

Ma Erlei shook his head. "It's been all right. Nothing happened the whole way here, and it hasn't felt as awful as it did that first night."

I said, "Good. Come find me tomorrow. I'll think of a way to draw the Five-Colored Gu out for you. Tell Uncle Ma to be careful of Chen Junfeng."

Ma Erlei led Chen Junfeng and Guo Ni toward Camellia Village. I carried the quilt back to the cave, spread it out, made a fire, and cooked rice. The air was growing colder and colder. In just a few days, there was already a taste of deep winter in the air. It seemed the long winter was still waiting ahead.

After I ate the rice, I built up the fire and examined the cave, deciding that tomorrow, during the day, I would make a wooden door to block the wind, and also put together some simple furniture inside the cave.

Once my whole body had warmed up, I waited for a long time before I finally saw moonlight pass through the clouds and fall over the mountain forest. I took out Green Nest-Head, the Black and White Twin Insects, and the Earth Egg, and placed them in the quiet, clear moonlight.

I checked the Three-Corpse Snake Gu again and found that its aura was very calm. When it had fought with the Nine-Colored Divine Gu, the Nine-Colored Divine Gu had not used its full strength, so the Three-Corpse Snake Gu had not been injured.

Finally, my gaze fell on that Earth Egg. According to what Xiao Tianxing had said, to hatch the Earth Egg, one needed to use something spiritual like moonlight. Once the Earth Egg absorbed the moonlight and the time was ripe, it would break out of its shell.

I watched for more than ten minutes, but there was no change at all on the surface of the Earth Egg. I could not help laughing. "You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Without ten days or half a month, I'm afraid the Earth Egg insect won't hatch. Earth Egg, oh Earth Egg, you'd better give me a surprise."

Though that was what I thought, I was still so excited I could not sleep. I simply made a fire at the cave entrance and kept watch over the Earth Egg, glancing at it every few minutes, hoping it would crack open like a chicken egg, splitting a line, opening its shell...

Buzz, buzz, buzz. The sound of a moth beating its wings rang beside my ear.