Chapter 493

"Āyàn got into trouble—I wish I could just charge straight into the Nether Realm, dig three feet deep and drag him out." Xiaoye endured, saying, "But they're all pressing down on me, not letting me go, saying I'm acting on impulse, that I can't save people and would only harm Āyàn, younger siblings—I'm sorry to you all."

I can understand his feelings, and I can understand everyone's intentions: "Xiaoye, you are now the true candidate for Linghai Dragon King; your every move could stir up a huge uproar, you need to look after the bigger picture, as for Āyàn... I believe in him."

Besides trust, I can't do anything else.

Xiaoye said, "I will keep an eye on your movements; if it really comes to that point, no one will think they can bind me again!"

His eyes flickered with the light of slaughter.

He once dared to single-handedly challenge the entire East Sea Dragon Palace!

I also believe he will do what he says.

……

After seeing off Xiaoye and Zhong Shushu, another day passed, still at night, we again experienced a grand scene of mass bird sacrifice.

This time, however, we remained much calmer.

Throughout, we merely observed.

Only after the bird's beak collected the souls of the flock did my body react.

That burning, painful feeling almost drowned me.

Without Feng Wu helping me absorb it, I could only endure it head-on.

As I lay curled up in pain on the bed, feeling somewhat dazed, a graceful twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl suddenly appeared before my eyes.

The girl called out to me: "Xiao Jiu."

I: "Huh?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, and after a while I tentatively asked, "Feng Wu? Can you speak?"

"It's me, sister." Feng Wu looked at my eyes, which had tears, "Sister, I don't have much time left; after absorbing the power of this part of the sacrificial essence, I must enter the transformation period, unable to communicate with you, and I have many things I want to say to you."

I exclaimed eagerly, "Yes, go on—I'm listening."

"First and most importantly, it's about Nirvana." Feng Wu said, "Following their wave after wave of offensives, you will eventually be forced to return to Nirvana, but Nirvana is not a good thing for you."

Rumor has it that what remains in the Nirvana fire is the divine essence of the Fire Witch God, which is true, but the Fire Witch God originally left her divine essence in the Nirvana fire because she could not control her memories, nearly causing her to go berserk and fall into the demonic path.

Feng Wu's words were unexpected yet seemed quite reasonable.

"Has the Fire Witch God's memory also been tampered with?"

"It's caused by the Dream-Weaving witchcraft." Feng Wu said, "During their spellcasting, they used black mandrake pollen that only grows at the border between the Nether Realm and the Feng Clan; it has strong hallucinogenic effects, and once the spell succeeds, it causes extensive irreversible damage to the victim's nervous system, leaving severe aftereffects."

These aftereffects cause the victim to constantly produce delusions, or the memories implanted by the other party in the victim's mind, continually tormenting the victim until they succumb to demonic influence or die.

It turns out that the final chapter of the Five Chapters of Dream-Weaving, "Dream-Weaving Becomes Reality," is actually such a sinister existence!

Fortunately, this realm is hard to reach; otherwise, wouldn't this world be in chaos?

Even the Fire Witch God cannot withstand the aftereffects of Dream-Weaving Becomes Reality—how many people in this world could endure it?

No wonder the condition of the Seven Halls Yama keeps worsening—he… he won't really fall into demonic influence, will he?

I hurriedly asked, "Is all this what the Fire Witch God told you? Did she tell you how to counter it?"

Feng Wu nodded: "She said there is a method of drinking poison to quench thirst that can be tried, but even if it succeeds, there will be a terrible consequence—the mind will be washed clean, forgetting all past events, like a blank slate."

I sucked in a breath of cold air—this means the victim's life is reset to zero.

Doing this, for the victim themselves, is not yet the most cruel.

The most cruel part is for those who deeply love the victim.

Deep love, yet forever forgotten…

I steadied my mind, yet still couldn't help asking, "What is this method? Feng Wu, tell me."

Feng Wu said, "First you must find the black mandrake, then dig deep to uncover its roots, split the rootstock, locate the worm parasitizing its roots, nourish it with the victim's own fresh blood for forty-nine days, then dry it, grind it into powder, and take it with water—this will dispel the Dream-Weaving Becomes Reality witchcraft."

Indeed, witchcraft and gu poison used to be inseparable.

This method is very similar to raising gu.

I noted them all down.

"Xiao Jiu, I want to tell you the second thing, which is also what the Fire Witch God wants to say to you." Feng Wu said, "The divine essence of the Fire Witch God sealed within the Nirvana fire contains the mana of Dream-Weaving Becomes Reality; once you achieve Nirvana successfully, everything will return to before the Fire Witch God's Nirvana, and she fears you will follow in her footsteps."

"But I am her—except I lack that trace of divine essence." I said, "Her in the Nirvana fire is merely a trace of divine essence, Feng Wu; the world outside has already changed, and if I cannot bravely take this step, we may forever be at the mercy of others."

Feng Wu looked at me worriedly and said, "She anticipated you would say this, so she finally only entrusted me to tell you: if you insist on undergoing Nirvana, first find the worm parasitizing the roots of the black mandrake, refine it, and then act."

Forty-nine days… I can't wait that long.

But if we really can find such a worm, we could first give it to the Seven Halls Yama.

His condition is inherently much worse than mine.

"Right." Feng Wu recalled something and reminded, "When you find the worm and split open the plant's roots, be sure not to get any of the plant's sap on you—it's toxic and hallucinogenic."

I answered all, then hurriedly asked, "Right, Feng Wu, how much do you know about the Feng Clan's former Right Guardian? Did he have a twin brother or something? His skin was peeled off, and in the flesh beneath his skin I seemed to see the mark of a companion curse."

Feng Wu thought carefully, then shook her head: "I've never seen any companion curse mark on the Right Guardian's face, nor do I recall him having a twin brother."

All right, perhaps I was overthinking.

During the conversation, my temperature kept dropping, and by now it has basically returned to normal.

Feng Wu's whole body turned red, her expression pained, she shrank again to a tiny state, entering the transformation period, and no longer communicates with me.

Although after transforming these external forces her Xiūwéi has made a great breakthrough, this is actually like pulling up seedlings to help them grow— the process is very painful.

I leaned against the bedhead, drenched in sweat, just about to rest a moment before getting up to wash up and change into clean clothes, when Li Qingying rushed in from outside in a flurry.

She walked to the bedside, squatted down, and first checked my condition.

Seeing that I had recovered, she then said, "Xiao Jiu, someone left this at the door."

It was a square, square red-lacquered wooden box, carved all over with various birds, on the front hung a small bronze lock, on which was prominently carved a 'luan' totem…