Chapter 393: Is This Real?
Chapter 393: Is This Real?
"We can hear the voice of the Celestial Viper because, during our curse crafting, we are inevitably exposed to and even consume more of the Dark Empyrean. It is the blessing of the Shaman God that allows us to know what is being nurtured within this mineral vein..."
"It's the Sacred Puppet, waiting for us to release it. It is the incarnation of the Shaman God."
Facing Wu Ya, whose expression had already become extremely strange, the Wu Clan Leader spoke with an unusually solemn tone, "But these Han people are also formidable. They have learned from other sources what is truly within this mineral vein."
"They can afford to lose, but we cannot. Therefore, we must seize this opportunity to help the Shaman God descend. He will grant us all the Blood Meat Mine, and he will protect us Sorcerers, becoming the emperor of these Han people..."
"And you, no matter the cost, must retrieve the toxin your brother crafted and become the Venom Handler of the Shaman God..."
"..."
Wu Ya was stared at by him for a long time, and only after a while did she show some reaction. Her empty eyes seemed to flicker slightly, and then, under his gaze, she nodded.
"This is our only chance, the only way to return to the Ancestral Hall!"
The Wu Clan Leader finally felt relieved and took a deep breath. Then, he looked at the Venom Basin in Wu Ya's hand, slowly picked up a small silver knife, and slowly inserted it into his chest. He then began to cut himself, bit by bit.
As he moved, something inside his body seemed to sense it and began to move rapidly, occasionally forming a bump on his skin. The Wu Clan Leader endured the pain, allowing the knife to move across his body, gradually cutting into a strange pattern.
As the pattern formed, the Wu Clan Leader's face contorted in extreme pain. Suddenly, a bloody head emerged from the center of the pattern, looking like an infant.
The next moment, he quickly opened the lid of the Venom Basin, and the bloody infant worm quickly crawled into it.
This was the true Venom Bug, and the Wu Clan Leader had kept one move in reserve.
Zhuang Erchang was indeed clever. As soon as the reinforcements arrived, he immediately destroyed the Venom Basin, which was originally the most vicious method. Sorcerers all have a common weakness: once their Venom Basin is destroyed, it is equivalent to losing all their skills, just like a Year-End Guardian without cultivation.
However, Zhuang Erchang had also underestimated the Wu Clan Leader's determination in this matter. This time, he was not using the Venom Basin for his curse crafting but his own body as the vessel.
This was no longer the ordinary method of crafting Venom Bugs but offering his own body to them.
First, it was to guard against any changes, and second, it could also craft a stronger Venom Bug incarnation, better guiding the Shaman God to descend upon this mortal realm...
"Swoosh!"
Similarly, as the Wu Clan Leader spat out the Venom Bug, it fought with the one in the basin. There was also a winged bug in the basin, already on the verge of death, which was instantly devoured by the new bug. The Venom Bug's body kept changing, and the face of the Wu Clan Leader faintly appeared.
This face suddenly let out a silent roar, and the sound reverberated throughout the entire valley.
Wu Ya also slowly reached out, holding the Venom Basin, and her body twisted in an uncomfortable posture, inching her way towards the mineral vein.
"Huff..."
The Venom Bees that were swirling in the air all moved aside as she crawled on the ground, scattering to both sides.
It was as if an invisible sword had split the swarm of Venom Bees.
At this moment, Zhuang Erchang, the Chief of the Blood Meat Mine, his disciples, several managers from the Meat Carver's Guild, and those Meat Carvers who hadn't had time to escape, along with those who had followed Elder Sun but were not taken away by him, were all stung by the Venom Bugs and had swollen, unconscious bodies.
Even the most skilled Zhuang Erchang could only sit by the nearby pillar, allowing the Venom Bugs to sting him without moving a muscle.
"This is bad..."
At the same time, amidst the chaotic valley, Old Abacus was hiding with Zhou Datong and others, wearing a bamboo hat on his head, while several others huddled together.
Old Abacus had wanted to squeeze into the middle of Zhou Datong, Zhou Liang, Zhao Zhu, and the other Year-End Guardians, as the Year-End Guardians had thicker flesh and could withstand more stings from the Corpse Nurturing Bees. But because he was not as strong as the Year-End Guardians, he was pushed to the outside. However, this allowed him to clearly see what the Sorcerers were doing, especially Wu Ya being forced to consume the Dark Empyrean and the Wu Clan Leader cutting open his chest to retrieve the Venom Bug.
Connecting all the circumstances, he had already thought of something terrifying, and he muttered in shock, "These Sorcerers have gone mad. Are they trying to summon the Shaman God they worship to the mortal realm?"
"But... but this branch of Sorcerers was expelled..."
"Would the Shaman God, who was bestowed by the previous dynasty, care about them?"
However, no matter how anxious and confused he felt, he couldn't manage all these things now. He turned to look at the wooden house, where the Little Shopkeeper was still inside, doing something unknown, perhaps even dead.
What could he do? He could only pray silently in his heart, "Grandmaster, please don't deceive me. You said I would become rich on this trip, so I came. If I lose my life..."
"I'll really burn your spirit tablet!"
"..."
"..."
Amidst their panic, Wu Ya had already held the Venom Basin and was slowly crawling towards the mineral vein covered by the crimson cloth. The Venom Bees in the valley dared not approach, Elder Sun had fled, the Meat Carvers had all hidden, and no one could stop her path.
A low sigh suddenly echoed, and in front of Wu Ya, a swarm of venomous bees appeared, like a black mist drifting past them. Behind the mist, a row of figures gradually emerged.
These people, all with their heads wrapped in black cloth and dressed in black, barefoot, and holding bamboo flutes to their mouths, played in unison.
They sat in front of Wu Ya, blocking the mineral vein, and simultaneously, they raised their heads in a daze, their dry and hollow eyes staring blankly at Wu Ya, who held the Venom Basin, as if they could sense her deep confusion.
"Get out of my way!"
Blocked by this row of sorcerers, Wu Ya halted. After killing her elder brother, she was supposed to send the venomous bugs into the mineral vein, but now, blocked by these sorcerers, she stood there, perplexed and unable to move.
However, inside the Venom Basin, a sudden buzz of bug cries erupted. It was visible that on the backs of the bugs, the face of the Wu Gong Clan Leader was angrily shouting.
But his cries had transformed into bug sounds, and although the intonation was off, one could still vaguely discern human speech, and even hear surprise and anger within those sounds.
"Why are you blocking the way instead of pursuing those people?"
"..."
"Why?"
The sound of the bamboo flutes suddenly ceased, and the eight sorcerers in front lowered their flutes.
At this moment, the valley fell into an eerie silence, as if even the buzzing of the venomous bees had diminished.
Simultaneously, the eight sorcerers raised their heads in a daze, their lips moving as venomous bees crawled in and out of their mouths, noses, eyes, and ears, emitting a sound at the same frequency: "Father, why has Wu Ya become like this?"
"This is not for you to ask. You just need to do what you're supposed to do..."
On the back of the venomous bug, the face of the Wu Gong Clan Leader contorted in anger, yelling, "It's all because of you! I told you to guard the valley entrance, but then you suddenly disappeared!"
"These One Coin Sect Han people suddenly broke in, destroyed our holy artifact, and almost killed the Sacred Puppet. Why didn't you stop them? But I won't ask you first; just get out of the way."
"..."
The eight sorcerers opened and closed their mouths woodenly, the buzzing sounds rising and falling, forming a response: "Why can't I ask?"
"Shouldn't everyone have a purpose in what they do? Why can't sorcerers have one?"
"You've always believed in the Shaman God. Whatever the Shaman God says, you believe. Whatever the Shaman God tells you to do, you do it, including making me craft toxins, banishing me, cutting off my food supply, planting venomous bugs on me, and taking my heart blood to treat me..."
"..."
On the back of the venomous bug, the face of the Wu Gong Clan Leader had already twisted, seemingly filled with immense anger.
With the opportunity right before him, he was blocked, and his patience had reached its limit. The venomous bug trembled and hissed, "Because you're a malevolent spirit! You're not even my son..."
This sentence seemed to silence the buzzing of the bees around them.
Now attached to the back of the venomous bug, the Wu Gong Clan Leader couldn't speak, but his mouth shape was recognizable.
This sentence carried an indescribable power.
However, Wu Song, who "heard" this, or rather, the eight sorcerers who had become Wu Song's embodiment, showed no signs of being moved.
They spoke in unison, their voices still indifferent: "I know, I know he guessed, and I know he would tell you, and I know you would believe him. So, whatever he does to me doesn't surprise me, but..."
"What about Wu Ya?"
"..."
As he spoke, one of the sorcerers slightly raised his head, making a gesture different from the others.
He looked at Wu Ya, who held the Venom Basin, and in his dry eyes, there seemed to be a different emotion. Together with the other sorcerers, he sighed softly, "You sent her to ask for my Golden Silkworm Toxin, and I gave it. You sent her to ask for my Vengeful Spirit Toxin, and I gave it too."
"You sent her to steal my hair, and I gave it..."
"I've given her so many toxins; she's already the most powerful Toxin Master in the village. Why did you have to turn her into what she is now?"
"..."
Hearing his words, even the Wu Gong Clan Leader fell silent for a moment before replying coldly, "The Shaman God's chosen Toxin Handler was supposed to be you, but since you disagreed, it could only be Wu Ya..."
"Isn't it still your fault?"
"..."
The row of sorcerers all fell silent, and after a long while, they sighed, "So, I've always wondered, what is real, and what is fake?"
"If I'm truly fake, then Wu Ya and I shouldn't have any relation. You should be her real father."
"But why is it that I, the fake one, feel heartache for my sister, while you, the real one, are so heartless?"
(End of Chapter)
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