Chapter 576: Out of Bitterness, Into Sweetness

After Guo Tian finished speaking, everyone present fell into a silence. At this moment, silence was tacit agreement.

Jiang Hanyan had undoubtedly become an extremely dangerous hot potato; not only was she herself afflicted with the Ghost Infant's Kiss, carrying the risk of turning into an Evil Spirit, but for some reason, she had also drawn that "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit to follow them the entire way.

If it were merely the Ghost Infant's Kiss, the group would not have abandoned her so soon; they would have wanted to observe her changes further. But in the current situation, she was clearly causing that "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit to strike repeatedly, and since that Evil Spirit had been tailing them through the dark night, they had no choice but to abandon her.

In truth, the group felt quite impressed by Guo Tian for suddenly saying this. At a time like this, decisiveness was required. If they kept Jiang Hanyan in the team out of a bit of pity, with the Evil Spirit repeatedly striking at her, it would be impossible for everyone to save her every single time.

Although Duan Rong's Soul Piercing Needle could suppress Evil Spirits, it was limited after all; if they were to clash with the Evil Spirit repeatedly, it was impossible to predict what would eventually happen!

At this moment, the group's eyes drifted from time to time toward Jiang Hanyan, who was standing there blankly.

Guo Tian said he wanted to abandon her, but Jiang Hanyan acted as if she hadn't heard, showing no reaction at all, just standing there with hollow eyes, as wooden as a chicken.

The group couldn't help but shake their heads, secretly thinking that Guo Tian was right; the current Jiang Hanyan was no longer herself, as she seemed to have already had her soul snatched away by the Evil Spirit.

Just then, Xu Hui suddenly said with a hint of sorrow in his voice: "Look! Hanyan, she is crying!"

Hearing this, the group abruptly turned their heads and looked again by the light of the torches.

They saw that Jiang Hanyan's expression was stiff and her eyes were still staring blankly ahead, yet two lines of clear tears were falling silently down her cheeks...

The hearts of everyone present were pricked. Even the grim-faced Guo Tian's lips trembled slightly.

Jiang Hanyan could clearly hear what they were saying; she was merely controlled by the Evil Spirit and unable to react. But she knew she was about to be abandoned by her teammates and would likely fall into the hands of the Evil Spirit. Perhaps she would die, or even turn into an Evil Spirit!

The immense terror caused her to shed tears even while under the control of the Evil Spirit...

Those two lines of silent, clear tears were the soul within her stiff body experiencing immense agony!

"Hanyan..." Su Xinjue called out with some heartache; in this instant, she seemed to have forgotten her fear of the Ghost Infant's Kiss and couldn't help but pull on Jiang Hanyan's already cold hand.

The expressions of everyone present changed somewhat.

A look of struggle appeared on Guo Tian's face, but his gaze then hardened and his expression turned grim again. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Duan Rong suddenly say: "Actually, the Ghost Bride Evil Spirit is looking for the Ghost Infant, not Jiang Hanyan. The reason it has been relentlessly chasing Jiang Hanyan is because Jiang Hanyan is afflicted with the Ghost Infant's Kiss, and her body carries a dense aura of the Ghost Infant."

Upon hearing this, a look of bewilderment flashed across everyone's faces.

They could naturally guess that the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit kept striking at Jiang Hanyan because of the Ghost Infant's Kiss on her. But what Duan Rong said—that the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit was tracking the Ghost Infant, and that it kept hounding Jiang Hanyan because she carried the dense aura of the Ghost Infant—was something they were not aware of.

Seeing Duan Rong explain the matter so clearly, the group stared at him blankly.

Xu Hui said: "Duan Rong, do you have a way to save her?"

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, noncommittal. In truth, he didn't know if this method would work.

Guo Tian looked at Duan Rong with a strange expression and asked: "You aren't thinking of using the Soul Piercing Needle, are you?"

Duan Rong said: "No."

In Jiang Hanyan's condition, the Soul Piercing Needle could not be used!

Because that Ghost Infant's Kiss was located right in the center of the back of her neck; if the Soul Piercing Needle destroyed that Ghost Infant's Kiss, it would inevitably pierce through her body!

More importantly, within this Soul Relic, Duan Rong could not control the accuracy of his Soul Piercing Needle.

In the Jiuzhou World, the firing of the Soul Piercing Needle was not only instantaneous upon release, but it was also unerringly accurate, hitting exactly where one pointed.

But this had a prerequisite: it required the coordination of Divine Sense probing.

Only with the precise lock-on of Divine Sense probing could there be the precise kill of the Soul Piercing Needle!

But within the God-Demon Relic, Divine Sense probing could not be used at all; Duan Rong relied entirely on the feel of his naked eyes when firing the Soul Piercing Needle.

But in Jiang Hanyan's situation, with the Ghost Infant's Kiss right on the back of her neck, the slightest deviation of the Soul Piercing Needle would be equivalent to Duan Rong killing her with his own hands.

Doing such a thing would give others leverage; once he returned and someone reported it to the Sect, he wouldn't even be able to explain himself clearly.

That Lin Youjian was no pushover!?

Just as the group looked on with puzzled eyes, Duan Rong flipped his hand, and that blood-red Red Bridal Veil from before was already gripped in his hand.

"This... isn't this the Red Bridal Veil of that Ghost Bride Evil Spirit?"

As the group spoke, they couldn't help but glance into the deep darkness behind them, where the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit stood, its blood-red body coated in a layer of eerie green light.

Just one glance made their scalps tingle.

Duan Rong said: "Correct! Back in that enclosed space where the rocks collapsed, it was this thing that scared the Ghost Infant Evil Spirit away. I was able to safely obtain the Green Flame Grass also because of this item. Since that Ghost Infant fears this Red Bridal Veil so much, this thing must be able to restrain it!"

Upon hearing this, the group's eyes shifted; what Duan Rong said clearly made a lot of sense, and at the very least, it was worth a try.

Guo Tian said: "Duan Rong, if this thing is useful, it would be best if it can save Jiang Hanyan. If this thing is useless, we can only leave her here!"

Duan Rong held the Red Bridal Veil and looked at Jiang Hanyan, saying: "If it is useless, then that is her fate!"

Jiang Hanyan's eyes remained hollow, but the clear tears flowing on her face had stopped; she seemed to have understood Duan Rong's words.

Duan Rong turned his head and glanced at the "Ghost Bride" standing in the deep darkness; that Evil Spirit was only afraid of his Soul Piercing Needle, which was why it had not dared to approach.

"You all keep an eye on that Evil Spirit!"

Duan Rong gave the instruction, then grabbed the Red Bridal Veil, bunched it into a ball, and slowly moved it toward the Ghost Infant's Kiss on the center of the back of Jiang Hanyan's neck.

As soon as the Red Bridal Veil drew near, the lip print of the Ghost Infant's Kiss began to twist and squirm eerily, just like a venomous snake or a loach.

"It's reacting!?"

Duan Rong's eyes lit up. A reaction meant there was a chance! He suddenly took the bunched-up Red Bridal Veil in his hand and pressed it firmly onto the Ghost Infant's Kiss!

Instantly, white smoke billowed up!

Jiang Hanyan, who had been stiff and as wooden as a chicken, suddenly let out a shrill, miserable scream, her expression turning ferocious, her body trembling like a sieve.

As Jiang Hanyan trembled and struggled, the Red Bridal Veil gripped in Duan Rong's hand could no longer hold down the lip print on the back of her neck.

Jiang Hanyan had also collapsed to the ground, her body convulsing, foaming at the mouth, nearly unconscious.

Duan Rong's eyes jumped, noticing that everyone was staring at Jiang Hanyan. His heart tightened, and he immediately turned his head; he saw that in the deep darkness, the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit was still standing there, making no moves.

A flash of anger crossed Duan Rong's face. He glared at Guo Tian and said: "Guo Tian, watch that Evil Spirit! If there is any unusual movement, call me immediately!"

"Oh..." Guo Tian replied.

In truth, he had originally been staring at the Evil Spirit, but the commotion here was too great; the moment Duan Rong pressed the Red Bridal Veil on, not only did white smoke billow up, but Jiang Hanyan let out a shrill, miserable scream, followed by convulsing and collapsing to the ground, foaming at the mouth...

Seeing Guo Tian staring at the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit, Duan Rong then looked at the Red Bridal Veil in his hand, only to see that a large hole had been burned through it, as if scorched by fire.

Jiang Hanyan was still lying on the ground, convulsing slightly, though not as severely as before. Duan Rong squatted down, and by the torchlight, he pulled back the collar on the back of her neck; upon looking, his expression sank. The color of the Ghost Infant's Kiss lip print had clearly faded somewhat.

Lu Chu and Du Wan, standing at Duan Rong's side, also saw it and said joyfully, "It's working, that thing seems to be fading!"

Duan Rong said, "Lu Chu, Du Wan, you two pin Jiang Hanyan to the ground and don't let her move around. Su Xinjue, hold her head."

Su Xinjue was a bit afraid. Jiang Hanyan's reaction just now had been truly too intense.

Duan Rong glared at her and said coldly, "Hurry up!"

Seeing that Lu Chu and Du Wan were already holding one of Jiang Hanyan's arms each to pin her there, Su Xinjue walked over somewhat reluctantly and held Jiang Hanyan's head.

Seeing the three of them had steadied Jiang Hanyan, Duan Rong then once again pressed the Red Bridal Veil in his hand fiercely onto that Ghost Infant Kiss on the back of her neck.

Jiang Hanyan let out a shrill, miserable scream again! Her body twisted, struggled, and trembled, but she was firmly pinned down by Lu Chu and Du Wan!

White smoke rose in wisps from the back of Jiang Hanyan's neck, and it was becoming increasingly thick...

Su Xinjue held her head for dear life, but she still struggled and swayed; however, Duan Rong's hand kept moving nimbly, and no matter how her head swayed, that Red Bridal Veil remained pressed tightly there.

After a few breaths, that white smoke began to turn from thick to thin...

At this moment, Jiang Hanyan's struggling had already become weaker and weaker.

Duan Rong lifted the Red Bridal Veil in his hand and looked closely, only to see that the lip print of the Ghost Infant Kiss had largely disappeared, with only a few scattered remnants left.

And the Red Bridal Veil he was clutching in his hand had already been pierced through with several large holes.

Duan Rong squeezed the Red Bridal Veil again, wadding it into a small ball once more, and suddenly began to press, rub, and wipe at those few remaining marks as if using a rag to clean something, while Jiang Hanyan no longer struggled violently.

After a few breaths, as the wisps of thin smoke dissipated, the lip print of the Ghost Infant Kiss on the back of Jiang Hanyan's neck had completely vanished.

It was also at this moment that Jiang Hanyan suddenly let out an "ah" sound and spat out a large amount of black fluid, and there were maggots wriggling within that black fluid...

Su Xinjue had been holding Jiang Hanyan's head the whole time; caught off guard, she was sprayed all over by the black fluid. She jumped away in disgust, a look of loathing on her face.

At this time, the Red Bridal Veil in Duan Rong's hand was already tattered and full of holes, looking like rags. He tossed the thing aside and turned his head to look for the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit, only to suddenly discover that the "Ghost Bride" Evil Spirit was no longer there.

Duan Rong felt a shock in his heart, looked at Guo Tian, and asked, "Where is that Evil Spirit?"

Guo Tian scanned the surrounding darkness with a vigilant gaze and said nervously, "I don't know, it just disappeared a moment ago!"

Duan Rong said, "Everyone stay alert, that Evil Spirit is gone!"

The group immediately formed a circle, watching the surrounding darkness, with only Jiang Hanyan left in the middle, lying beside a pool of black fluid, her body moving slightly...

They were all looking panicked; seeing the Evil Spirit in the darkness was hair-raising, but knowing the Evil Spirit was nearby without knowing where it was was even more terrifying.

Duan Rong gazed into the surrounding darkness for a good while, then suddenly let out a long, turbid breath and said, "That thing seems to have left!?"

"Left!?"

At this time, Duan Rong turned his head to look at Jiang Hanyan, who was surrounded by them in the middle.

He could feel that the Evil Spirit was no longer nearby. That Evil Spirit had been following them only because of the Ghost Infant's aura; since it had left, it meant the Ghost Infant's aura on Jiang Hanyan no longer existed.

Just as Duan Rong turned his head, Jiang Hanyan had already struggled to stand up. Her complexion was very pale, but the spirit had returned to her eyes, and her gaze was fluid.

She looked at Duan Rong, her eyes clear, and said in a soft, delicate voice, "Duan Rong, thank you for saving me!"

It seemed that although she had been controlled by the Evil Spirit, she had been aware of everything that happened.

Hearing Jiang Hanyan speak, a heavy stone fell from everyone's hearts. Duan Rong said, "This is your fate! To be able to save one is one."

Guo Tian said, "Let's go, let's leave here quickly. This place is not suitable for a long stay!"

Everyone understood what Guo Tian meant, and while remaining on guard, they quickly left the place.

Along the way, they all kept an eye on the surrounding darkness, fearing that the Evil Spirit might pounce out again.

They were on edge the whole way until the darkness faded and the sky grew bright, and only then did they let out a long breath.

Ever since Jiang Hanyan regained consciousness, they had not encountered any attacks from Evil Spirits during the several hours of the second half of the night.

For these past few days, the Evil Spirit had been clinging to them like a ghost. At this moment, everyone was mentally exhausted; they sat down on their haunches, looking at the pale yellow sky with listless expressions.

After daybreak, they took turns keeping watch and slept to recover some strength.

Several hours later, the group set off again.

As it was nearing dark, they had already seen from afar a glowing stone mountain ahead.

Only when they walked closer did they realize they had reached the back of the God-Demon's corpse.

That back of the head was round and smooth like a hairless stone mountain, glowing faintly in the twilight.

The group lit torches and turned from here toward the right arm of the God-Demon's corpse; walking down the right arm was the main road they were heading to.

The God-Demon's right arm was enormous, and the group felt as if they were walking down a long, gentle slope, their steps feeling lighter as they went.

When the sky grew bright, they had already seen that main road in the distance, winding and coiling amidst the standing rocks.

After walking a bit further, the group had reached the right hand of the God-Demon's corpse, and they walked down along the little finger.

That little finger was like a steep mountain peak, sloping downward.

After sliding down the fingernail, they saw a main road with many weeds sprouting between the bluestone slabs. The main road inside the God-Demon Relic was far larger than those in the outside Jiuzhou, like a plaza.

Du Wan licked her somewhat dry lips, looked at Guo Tian, and asked, "Walking along this main road, how much further is the next water source?"

Guo Tian said, "About a day's journey."

"Then let's go!" Du Wan said, "I have a feeling that once we step onto this main road, the bad luck we've had all along will be left behind us!"

Everyone knew what Du Wan meant; as soon as they entered the God-Demon Relic, they encountered two Evil Spirits, the Ghost Bride and the Ghost Infant. It could be said they were down on their luck!?

For these past few days, they had been harassed by Evil Spirits and had hardly had a moment of peace.

But at the same time, Lin Youjian and Liu Su had also taught them that because the God-Demon Relic was only so big, it could produce at most two Evil Spirits.

This meant that once they got rid of those two Evil Spirits, they would no longer be harassed by Evil Spirits from then on. This could be considered a case of bitterness ending and sweetness beginning!

(End of this chapter)