Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 606 Gu Disaster
"High-level water magic, powerful magical energy, and proficiency in Gu techniques are required, along with sufficient resources to cultivate corpse Gu."

Qin Huai's eyes narrowed slightly, but he continued to ask calmly, "Fairy Shenluo, I wonder if the True God of Xuanshui, Zhulong, is proficient in Gu arts, or if he has any experts under his command who specialize in Gu poison?"

"I have never heard of the Candle Demon having such methods, but as the head of the Ten Gods, he has a wide range of knowledge and it is not surprising that he has some research on Gu poison. However, among the thousands of water monsters, there is indeed a Gu master who is the third best in the world, Fang Ning Sha, the city lord of Zhugou City. But he was executed along with his entire family for opposing the Candle Demon's oppressive rule in his early years. This snow disaster and Gu calamity should not be his doing."

When the topic turned to Fang Ningsha, the city lord of Zhugou City, Shenluo Fairy hesitated slightly, but still stuck to her own judgment.

"I see."

Qin Huai nodded, silently memorizing the name Fang Ning Sha, and then asked, "Regarding the origins of these corpse slaves, the time and place of their imprisonment, has Fairy Shenluo kept a record? I'd like to take a look; perhaps I can find some patterns or clues."

"Of course there are. These are records of barbarian soldiers encountering corpse slaves while on patrol, as well as information on people afflicted by Gu poison who were received by various places in the city."

The Fairy of Divine Luo pulled a stack of parchment from her sleeve and handed it to Qin Huai.

"Zero, using statistical methods and this sample data as a reference, identify the times and locations where zombie slaves frequently appear."

As Qin Huai scanned the records, he silently resolved to use Zero's powerful computing capabilities to find the key to breaking the deadlock.

Calculation in progress.
"My Lord, the places where corpse slaves frequently appear are as follows: Songmu Village, Jinghu Village, Lahaizi, and Heifeng Cliff. These are mostly villages around Zhongshou Mountain, and the number of patients with Fine Snow Syndrome is gradually increasing over time. It is expected that the number will soon reach a critical point. It is recommended that you take preventive measures and isolate yourself in accordance with the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Law."

Along with the conclusion, several red dots that Zero had thoughtfully marked on the map of the Frozen Wasteland also emerged.

Looking at the mountain of beasts surrounded by red dots in the center, Qin Huai made a plan in his mind.

“Fairy Shenluo, have you noticed that, apart from the migrants who are a high-risk group for the Snow Disease, many barbarians living in the villages around the Beast Mountain have also been poisoned by the Corpse Gu?”

Qin Huai released a wisp of Qi from his fingertip, creating a drawing in the air that replicated the map and markings of the desolate wasteland on his iris into the air.

"Perhaps it's because there's no geothermal heat around Beast Mountain to protect it, causing the snow to accumulate and not melt, which is why the barbarians have fallen ill?"

Seeing Qin Huai's profound skill in condensing his power into a painting, the Fairy of Divine Luo was astonished, knowing that this demon's cultivation was even above her own, and immediately replied.

"No, look, Tiandu Mountain is farther and colder than the North Sea, yet there are fewer barbarians suffering from the Fine Snow Disease. There must be something influencing these Corpse Gu, which is why the area near the Beast Mountain has become a high-risk area where Corpse Slaves frequently appear."

Qin Huai shook his head, but had a different opinion. After telling Fairy Shenluo his thoughts, he looked at the giant man beside him who seemed to understand but not quite, and said, "Axi, I need to go to the Mountain of Beasts and I need a guide. Would you like to come with me?"

"Once Api returns the elder's token, he will go with you, sir."

Api came to his senses and said in a muffled voice.

"Okay, let's go together."

Qin Huai nodded, then immediately bid farewell to Fairy Shenluo. After returning the secret cave token to Api, he left the city and headed north towards the Mountain of Beasts.

A biting wind howled, and gazing into the distance from a great height, towering cliffs and snow-capped peaks stretched endlessly, their jagged forms creating a desolate and lonely landscape. Only the moonlight in the western sky added a touch of brightness to the dark night of this desolate northern land.

Qin Huai, carrying the heavy bear weighing hundreds of pounds with one hand, cut through the wind and snow. His golden eyes swept across the scene, and in a fleeting glance, the black ripples in his vision gathered into countless shapes, which were carefully screened by Zero and eliminated one by one.

Looking around, the landscape was desolate and barren, with all the mountains covered in snow. But soon, guided by the bear, Qin Huai traversed hundreds of miles of mountains and came to see several villages nestled in a desolate valley.

Songmu Village was the first ethnic minority village, besides Juyan City, to discover a large number of patients with aeruginosa.

Qin Huai suppressed his momentum and was about to descend when he noticed a dark, swirling cloud approaching from the north through the snowstorm at an extremely fast speed.

"Lolo! It's those stubborn, ferocious birds again!"

A bear growled, and with their eyesight, the two could clearly see that the black cloud was actually composed of hundreds of huge black birds. At the front were several particularly large black birds with crests like blood tumors, hooked beaks, red eyes, and wings like knives. They were the Blood-Eyed Falcons that Qin Huai had encountered earlier.

Judging from the momentum of these fierce birds, they were heading straight for the village.

"Oh no! Many people in the village fell ill a few days ago, and now the defenses are weak. Lord Taotie, please save us!"

"It's nothing, let's go."

Qin Huai nodded slightly, flames erupting from beneath his feet, his speed far exceeding that of the black bird by ten times.

Cliffs jutted out and valleys loomed ahead. In the blink of an eye, they arrived above the village. The night was dark and chaotic, but the two could still see people drawing bows and nocking arrows between the houses, preparing for the enemy.

"Fire arrows!"

Before the words were finished, a loud whooshing sound rang out, and countless arrows rained down like a storm, colliding with the ferocious black tide of birds. Sparks and drops of blood fell from the sky, and a stench immediately filled the air.

Qin Huai raised an eyebrow, and his True Qi burst forth, swirling and dancing like rainbow light, deflecting the incoming attack. Countless arrows shot into the sky in disarray.

snort~
Suddenly, a tearing sound was heard, and a three-foot-long arrow struck the protective qi directly. The intense heat generated by the friction and collision melted the arrowhead, turning it into drops of molten iron that fell downwards.

"Good archery!"

Qin Huai exclaimed in admiration, his fingers flashing like lightning as he suddenly clamped the latter half of the arrow. However, the arrow was coming with great force, and even with his physique, he felt his fingers burning slightly, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He then looked down and saw that the long arrow had a copper shaft and iron fletching, with the words "Heavenly Arrow" engraved on it. He glanced at it and saw that it was made of mixed gold from the cold wilderness, and was extremely sharp, but it was quite heavy, so the user had to have extraordinary strength.

"Brother Ba Si, stop! Do you still remember your brother A Pi from Ju Yan City?!"

Just then, the bear roared, its enormous cry shaking the heavens and earth, even causing the snow on the cliffs of the rift valley to fall.

"What? It's Brother Bear!"

A cry of alarm rang out from the village, and the rain of arrows aimed at the two immediately thinned out. Seeing that Api knew the person who fired the arrows, Qin Huai didn't bother with it. He transformed his left hand into a palm blade and aimed it at the Black Tide Ferocious Bird, slashing down with lightning speed. A giant palm that swept across the sky swept through the heavens and earth, wiping out all the ferocious birds whose wings could withstand iron arrows.

Return to the True Martial Record, Break the Eight Divisions of the Sea, Divide the Waves Palm.

A burst of air erupted, a dragon's roar echoed, and countless bird carcasses, torn to shreds and rotten bones, fell to the ground like watermelons, causing countless arrows in the air to lose their target.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Huai's casually swung palm displayed a power far surpassing that of arrows and swords, annihilating the entire flock of Blood-Eyed Falcons that the village's barbarians would have had to fight to defeat.

Qin Huai, carrying Api, plunged into the ravine and landed on the bluestone square in the center of the village. Looking around, he saw stone houses scattered around and alleys crisscrossing the area. Hundreds of men dressed in fur-lined outfits, carrying bronze shields, long knives at their waists, and bows with nocked arrows, were staring at them with suspicion.

A burly man wearing a tiger-skin coat and carrying two swords saw Api and immediately stepped forward, laughing loudly, "Brother Api!"

Qin Huai looked up, but his gaze was fixed on the slender boy standing proudly to the right of the man in the tiger-skin coat, who was wearing a leopard-skin long coat with a diagonal opening.

He carried a bow and a crossbow across his shoulder, with an amber-colored bison horn hanging from his waist. His five fingers gripped the oddly shaped bow tightly, both ends of which were sharp and incomparably sharp. The words "Heavenly Arrow" were engraved on the quiver at his waist.

Clearly, the one who just fired that thunderous arrow was the thin young man in front of Qin Huai.

"Brother Ba Si, come here, let me introduce you. This is Lord Taotie. He came here specifically to solve the Snow Disease. If you make any new discoveries, please don't keep them to yourselves."

After giving the tiger-clad man a tight hug, Api introduced him to Qin Huai: "Lord Taotie, this is Basihan, the son of Basimeng, the elder of the sixth village of Songmu Village. That young man is named Tianjian, the son of the elder of Xunwu Village, which is 600 miles away. Xunwu Village is skilled in riding and archery, and Tianjian is the best among them. Both of them are the top warriors of our barbarian tribe."

Qin Huai nodded. Just as the group was talking, torches and lanterns lit up the village streets and houses. The heroes and warriors who had previously drawn their bows and arrows gathered up the stinking bird carcass, but instead of dismembering it, they piled it up, added firewood, and seemed to intend to burn it to ashes.

“Ba Si, Songmu Village is located north of Juyan City, and the living environment is harsh. Even if it is close to the Beast Mountain, the prey should be limited. How could these Blood-Eyed Falcons be burned like this?”

Qin Huai watched the barbarians' actions with some confusion.

"As the totem of the Yan clan, Lord Taotie must know that Mount Zhongshou is a gathering place for all kinds of ferocious beasts in the cold wilderness. For several months, ominous signs have been appearing in Mount Zhongshou, with countless ferocious beasts and demonic birds that had long been extinct reappearing and wreaking havoc. This man-eating ferocious bird, the Blood-Eyed Falcon, was originally hunted down to less than a hundred people decades ago, but for some reason, it has recently gathered several thousand and is causing trouble everywhere. Originally, we did intend to capture and kill it for food, but the old, young, women and children in the village developed high fevers and became delirious after eating bird meat for only a few meals. They contracted the 'Fine Snow Disease' that Brother Api mentioned, and subsequently their limbs became deformed, turning them into horribly grotesque corpse slaves."

When Ba Sihan heard Api say that Qin Huai's true form was a Taotie, he was quite surprised. Given his status, he naturally knew that the last Cold Wilderness Taotie and the other Cold Wilderness Ferocious Beasts had long been sealed in the Mountain of Beasts by the eight barbarian clans and should not be revealed to the public casually.

Now that Ba Sihan has seen Qin Huai, a genuine Taotie whose intelligence far surpasses that of the fierce and ruthless Han Huang, he is inevitably somewhat puzzled. However, considering A Pi's guarantee, he does not say much.

"Oh? Is there such a thing?"

Qin Huai's eyes flashed, and with a wave of his hand, he summoned several Blood-Eyed Falcons from afar, placing them together with the bird carcasses previously stored in the Kunlun Space, dividing them into two piles.

The next instant, a clear, crystalline light enveloped it, and its extraordinary, micrometer-level vision helped [A Glimpse of Beauty] observe more details it had not noticed before.

"Interesting. The Blood-Eyed Falcons of Beast Mountain are indeed different from those of Taotie Mountain."

Looking at the pile of rotten flesh in front of him, Qin Huai reached out and gestured. A tiny, pale gray bead, hidden deep within the corpse of the ferocious bird that had attacked Songmu Village, floated out from the body and appeared in the center of the group.

Qin Huai thought for a moment, then exhaled a wisp of Returning to Truth Qi, and the pale gray bead immediately shone brightly, stretching out its insect body and emitting a faint green light, like a floating lamp flame.

"These are... Western Sea Azure Light Worms! How did these strange worms end up in this Mountain of Beasts?"

Ba Sihan's expression changed, clearly recognizing the strange insect that would light up to scare away enemies and protect itself when it sensed danger.

"No, this is not the Azure Light Worm, but a new worm created by a master of Gu techniques. It combines the advantages of both the Azure Light Worm and the Corpse Gu, which is why it is easy for people to mistake it for the real thing."

Qin Huai shook his head, the information from that fleeting glance clearly appearing on his iris.

【Corpse Demon Worm】: An amphibious monster cultivated by combining the Azure Light Worm of the Western Sea and the Fine Snow Corpse Gu. It can live on seaweed and plankton in the deepest parts of the ocean, as well as on islands and land. It can even parasitize the bodies of giant sea fish and monsters, surviving on their food scraps. It is extremely secretive. Once accidentally ingested or inhaled by a demon, it will become the fuse that detonates the Fine Snow Corpse Gu, prematurely inducing the Fine Snow Syndrome.

"Basi, are there any people in the village who have been infected with the corpse worm? If the symptoms are not severe, perhaps I can save them."

Qin Huai took out a small jade bottle from his pocket, put the corpse demon worm inside and sealed it, then turned to ask Ba Sihan.

"Yes, yes, my father and several elders in the village also mistakenly ate this bird meat. If they hadn't used their Taoist skills to delay the onset of their illness, they would probably have had to be sent to Juyan for treatment by now. Please come with me, sir."

Upon hearing that Qin Huai had a way to treat the snow disease, Ba Sihan was overjoyed and immediately led the two men deeper into the village.

At the end of the bluestone path stood an unusually large stone house. After greeting the two burly guards at the gate, Ba Sihan pushed open the stone door and saw more than a dozen elderly men, each with hundreds of years of cultivation, lying haphazardly on the stone beds and the ground. Their faces were all dark purple, their eyes were wide open and their mouths were agape, and their limbs and bodies were covered with abnormal swelling and bulges. Under their firm skin, it looked as if small mice were scurrying around everywhere, which was quite terrifying.

"Well, Lord Taotie, is it possible to cure him?"

Ba Sihan was quite anxious when he saw that Qin Huai remained silent.

“Sure. As long as they haven’t developed any mutations, I have a way to eliminate the corpse worms in their bodies.”

Qin Huai nodded, flicked his finger, and a dozen strands of True Qi precisely entered the hearts of these patients. Instantly, intensely hot rainbow flames surged from their seven orifices, burning them into fireballs.

"This"

"Don't worry, this is for medical treatment, not cremation."

Ba Sihan watched as his father suddenly transformed into a torch. Just as he was about to make a move, Qin Huai stopped him. The four of them watched together as the colorful flames leaped and crackled.

Thick black smoke billowed and yellow liquid flowed everywhere. Suddenly, a large swarm of grayish-white beetles flew out of the flames, turning to ashes as soon as they left the patient's body and completely dissipating.

Several patients lying on the stone bed suddenly let out a mournful scream, their bodies trembled violently, they were in madness from the pain, their faces were twisted and contorted, and a large number of gray-white beetles burst out of their bodies and were burned to nothingness.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Qin Huai saw that everyone had returned to normal, so he immediately raised his hand and pressed down to extinguish the rainbow flames in the distance.

(End of this chapter)