Beside a stream.
The grassland was open, and flecks of sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves onto the stream.
A young girl's fair, bare feet dipped into the water, patting lightly at its surface.
They sent up little splashes.
She held a small, exquisitely crafted insect flute of unusual design in both hands. Her red lips parted slightly, gently enclosing one end as she slowly played.
The flute's melody rose and fell, lingering in the air. The girl's eyes curved with a smile, and a Yang Talisman circled her.
What an innocent, carefree girl.
The three people hiding in the woods, watching her, thought so too.
The three bore a Yang Talisman, a Yin Talisman, and a blank talisman respectively.
"Let's give this Yang Talisman to Brother Chen first."
One of them spoke, looking calmly at the cultivator surnamed Chen.
"I hope you'll keep our agreement, Brother Chen."
"Of course."
The three were about to act when the lilting insect flute suddenly changed its tune.
A strange, barely audible melody drifted leisurely into their ears.
It was fine and unbroken, like countless tiny wings vibrating at tremendous speed.
"Hm?"
The three looked around warily but found nothing unusual.
Until someone lowered his head and noticed the dense mass of tiny black insects on his robes.
"Ah-"
From the stream, the woodland, the cracks in rock and earth...
Countless tiny Gu insects of every shape emerged out of nowhere.
They gathered into three streams of insects, instantly attaching themselves to the three talismans.
They began frantically sucking up the faint spiritual Qi emanating from the talismans themselves.
The three were overcome with terror, feeling the marks linking the talismans to their minds being eaten away and stripped off.
The talismans blazed with spiritual light. As though drawn by an