Chapter 26: Solidifying Spirit Grass (XI)

Sui Ning’s expression suddenly changed. She clenched her thin, white hands tightly, and her heart was pounding.

Suddenly, a sound from inside the house brought her back to consciousness.

It was Su Kou!

Sui Ning immediately rushed forward and pounded on her door, calling out anxiously, “Su Kou! Su Kou!”

No one answered from inside the room, and there was no sound at all.

Sui Ning’s heart sank. She didn’t care about anything else and used her spiritual energy to blast open the tightly closed door.

The door frame hit the wall with a dull thud, and not far away, Su Kou lay quietly on the ground.

“Su Kou!”

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Fwk Lkdt iwknjzu rknjle bla wr. Fw Isw’p qynl oyp ryzl, bla zkrp olal pzktbvzu rwarzl, yde bla qynl oyp pxlyale okvb psxl eyaj czsse.

Eblal pbl qlzz, vblal oyp y zyatl ryvnb sq psxlobyv czynjldle czsse.

Fwk Lkdt oyp ydmkswp yde oyp ycswv vs ts nyzz Dkl Ubydtgbsw obld y qyxkzkya, nsze qaytaydnl oyqvle shla.

G pzldela yde qyka byde alynble swv qasx clpkel bla yde alpvle sd Fw Isw’p oakpv. Fwk Lkdt iwknjzu vwadle bla blye vs zssj.

Dkl Ubydtgbsw’p lmralppksd oyp pszlxd; bkp pzldela lulcasop olal pzktbvzu qwaasole, yde bkp vbkd zkrp olal vktbvzu rwaple.

Fwk Lkdt zssjle yv bkx ydmkswpzu yde ypjle, “Ebyv’p oasdt okvb Fw Isw?”

Dkl Ubydtgbsw okvbealo bkp byde yde zssjle yv Fw Isw okvb y blyhu lmralppksd. Tkp wpwyzzu nzlya hsknl oyp y ckv zso yp bl pyke, “Fbl’p clld rskpsdle.”

Fwk Lkdt oyp pvwddle; bla pnyzr oyp vkdtzkdt. “Ebyv?”

“She’s been poisoned. It’s a seven-day death sentence. The poison started to take effect on the fifteenth day after the insects entered her body, and she will die after seven days. It’s incurable.”

Xie Changzhou’s warm and gentle face was heavy, and Sui Ning’s throat was choked as she looked at Su Kou in her arms, almost unable to believe it.

Fifteen days.

Su Kou was poisoned when she was at the Su family’s house.

According to custom, a ghost wedding is when the bride and groom are sealed in a coffin on the seventh day after their marriage. If they hadn’t saved Su Kou earlier, today would be the seventh day of her ghost wedding.

Does Su’s family really fear that Su Kou won’t die?

Not only did they send her off for a ghost wedding, but they also used sorcery on her at an auspicious time.

Sui Ning’s voice trembled as she asked, “Isn’t there any way to save her?”

Xie Changzhou looked at her with his glassy eyes and shook his head after a long while.

This kind of curse had long been eliminated, yet the Su family was willing to spend a large sum of money to obtain it, truly intending to put Su Kou to death.

Sui Ning’s heart sank suddenly, and her nose felt slightly sour as she looked down at Su Kou in her arms.

Her beautiful face was pale; her eyebrows relaxed as if she were asleep, but her chest rose and fell weakly, looking like she was breathing very little.

She was still so young, and they had just had breakfast together in the morning.

“I have a way.”

A clear and gentle voice sounded, and Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou turned to look behind them at the same time.

Liao Wu was standing at the door, wearing a white robe that dragged on the ground, with a Wugang pearl hanging from his hand, and his merciful eyes were fixed on Su Kou in Sui Ning’s arms.

His face was calm, but the hand holding the Wugang pearl was slightly trembling.

Liao Wu looked up and met the eyes of Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou and repeated, “I have a way.”

He was full of determination, as if he were absolutely confident in saving Su Kou.

Xie Changzhou was puzzled. There had never been a solution to the seven-day curse. The worms were deeply embedded in the meridians of the human body and could not be extracted. They were banned later due to their horrific nature and were almost impossible to find on the market.

He had never heard of anyone surviving the seven-day curse.

Liao Wu walked over, bringing a scent of sandalwood. His gentle eyes fell on Su Kou, and he said lightly, “I can save Miss Su. Please let me take care of her.”

Sui Ning looked at Xie Changzhou, who nodded slightly in return.

The door closed in front of the two of them, and Sui Ning felt worried: “I hope Liao Wu has a way to revive Su Kou.”

Su Kou has suffered too much in the first half of her life. It was not until she got rid of the Su family and met Liao Wu that she could finally live in peace. It would be heartbreaking if she were to die now.

Xie Changzhou looked at Sui Ning and said, “Ningning, all we can do now is trust Liao Wu.”

“Okay.” Sui Ning nodded and glanced at the corridor, remembering what had just happened.

Her expression suddenly became heavy. “Jianzun, something strange is going on at the inn.”

Xie Changzhou looked at Sui Ning in silence, his face calm and unsurprised.

Sui Ning whispered, “Last night, I met Qi niang in the backyard. She said something that I found very strange.”

“Even if she’s wrong, she doesn’t want to wake up.” Sui Ning paused for a moment and looked conflicted.

“What did she do wrong, and what does she mean by waking up?”

“More importantly…” Sui Ning looked up at Xie Changzhou, her deep black eyes full of gravity. “I saw another timeline just now.”

The corridor was quiet, with only Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou.

Xie Changzhou looked down at Sui Ning, who gazed intently into his clear eyes, her face serious.

After a moment of silence, Xie Changzhou spoke softly, “Ningning is wise. Let’s try to see if our guesses are the same.”

Their eyes met, and Sui Ning couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, Jianzun, let’s try.”

***

Liao Wu and Su Kou have been in the room for three days without coming out. What’s strange is that Sui Ning hasn’t seen Qi niang in the past three days.

Qi niang used to be at the counter every day, but she hasn’t been seen for three whole days.

Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou were meditating in the room when they felt a familiar aura. They both opened their eyes at the same time.

The crack in the void was getting bigger and bigger, and a dim and gloomy scene could be vaguely seen inside. The air that flowed through carried a putrid smell.

The crack slowly closed, and Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou looked at each other with plain expressions.

Sui Ning said, “This time it lasted longer.”

Xie Changzhou nodded and praised her without hesitation: “Ningning observes carefully.”

This was the fourth time in three days, and there were even two times today alone. Moreover, today’s lasted the longest.

Sui Ning asked again: “Also, why haven’t Liao Wu and Su Kou left the house for three days? Didn’t Liao Wu say he had a way to save Su Kou?”

It had been three days already, and Sui Ning had thought about knocking on the door more than once but ultimately chose to trust Liao Wu. But until now, neither of them had made a sound.

Sui Ning couldn’t help but worry. Could something have gone wrong? Didn’t Xie Changzhou say that seven days was an extremely ominous time for curse? Could it be that Liao Wu couldn’t handle it?

Sensing Sui Ning’s anxiety, Xie Changzhou’s clear voice rang out with a hint of reassurance: “Ningning, just wait a little longer; don’t panic.”

Compared to Sui Ning’s anxious thoughts, Xie Changzhou remained calm, his blue eyes showing no emotion.

Sui Ning was a little surprised. Why did Xie Changzhou look like he didn’t care about Su Kou and Liao Wu at all? Wasn’t he always compassionate and caring towards everyone in the world?

No matter who they were, as long as they were members of the world, he always cared. But now he seemed indifferent.

Sui Ning hesitated and asked, “Jianzun, did you sense something?”

Xie Changzhou smiled gently and said, “Ningning will know soon.”

After speaking, he half-closed his eyes and appeared as if he wanted to continue meditating with his eyes closed.

Sui Ning could only calm down, realizing that thinking too much now was useless. Besides, judging by Xie Changzhou’s expression, he seemed to have already sensed something. and Sui Ning believed him.

The days went by quietly and smoothly. On the sixth night, it was almost the seventh day, and Sui Ning couldn’t sit still anymore. She stood outside the door and whispered, “Daoist Liao? Are you okay? Is everything alright?”

There was still no response from inside the room, and Suining’s heart sank. “Daoist Liao? If you don’t respond soon, I’m coming in.” She waited for a while, but there was still no sound from inside.

Sui Ning’s eyebrows furrowed, and her lips tightened. She reached out to push the door open. As soon as her hand touched the doorknob, the door opened from the inside. Sui Ning looked up in surprise.

Liao Wu’s face was still gentle and compassionate, but his complexion was somewhat pale, and his fatigue couldn’t be concealed. “Daosit Liao?”

“Miss Ningning’s worries are unnecessary.” Liao Wu clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to Sui Ning. Sui Ning looked inside the room and saw Su Kou lying quietly on the bed; her complexion had already regained some color.

“Liao Wu has already helped Su Kou break the curse. Now I’ll trouble Miss Sui Ning to take care of her.”

After finishing speaking, before Sui Ning had time to reply,he had already turned and left. His tall and slender figure emitted an inexplicable aura that made Sui Ning feel a sense of sadness.

Liao Wu left quickly, disappearing at the end of the corridor in just a few moments. Sui Ning felt that she had overlooked something, but with Su Kou still unconscious, she couldn’t dwell on it for long.

She withdrew her gaze and closed the door behind her as she entered the room. Su Kou lay quietly on the bed, her beautiful face now restored to a healthy color, and her lips, which had been bruised and swollen, had returned to their original rosy shade.

Sui Ning breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the curse had indeed been lifted. She gently pulled the covers over Su Kou and held her hand, tucking it under the covers.

Suddenly, she noticed something and froze in place. Su Kou’s slender wrist was adorned with a string of Buddhist prayer beads, exquisitely crafted with lifelike patterns, emitting a pure and warm energy that seemed to contain tremendous power.

That was… the Wugang pearl?

Sui Ning was taken aback, her pupils shrinking. The Wugang pearl was Liao Wu’s life-saving treasure, and it was impossible to give it to others or even for it to leave its owner without a reaction. Yet it hung quietly on Su Kou’s wrist, as if it had recognized her as its master.

Why did Liao Wu let the Wugang Bead recognize Su Kou as its master? A cultivator can only have one life-saving treasure, and unless they die, they will never let another person become its master.

Could it be…

Sui Ning widened her eyes suddenly. Without thinking too much, she quickly got up and went out. In the lobby, Liao Wu was nowhere to be seen, and Sui Ning felt anxious. She hurriedly ran to Xie Changzhou’s door and went straight in.

Xie Changzhou was sitting quietly, practicing his martial arts. When he heard the sound, he opened his eyes slightly and looked at Sui Ning calmly, as if he had expected her to come to him.

Sui Ning anxiously said, “Jianzun, Liao Wu is missing! He gave the Wugang pearl to Sukou!”

Xie Changzhou was not surprised, and his face remained gentle and calm. He got up from the bed, picked up his sword, and looked at Sui Ning, saying lightly, “Let’s go find him, but…I hope we’re not too late.”

A light fragrance brushed past Sui Ning, and Xie Changzhou’s last sentence was spoken in a low voice, which Sui Ning could barely hear. But she didn’t have time to think about it. Her inner anxiety urged her to quickly catch up with Xie Changzhou’s hurried steps.

Just as they were about to fly their swords, following Liao Wu’s aura, a weak voice suddenly sounded. “Ningning, I want to go too!”

Sui Ning turned around and saw that it was Su Kou standing at the entrance of the inn. She was supporting herself on the doorframe and looked anxious. Her eyes were slightly red and filled with tears.

Su Kou rushed up and grabbed Sui Ning’s sleeve, her beautiful eyes pleading. “Ningning, I want to go too.”

Her heart was in turmoil.

Su Kou felt as though she had just had a big dream. In the dream, she relived her childhood memories with Yan Zhang and was very happy.

In the dream, Yan Zhang never left her side, and they grew up together.

After Su Kou reached the age of 20, they held their engagement ceremony.

With red candles dripping wax, Su Kou’s face, hidden under a veil, blushed with joy and happiness.

A pair of distinctively jointed hands reached under the veil, lifting it and revealing Yan Zhang’s clear and handsome features. Su Kou blushed and raised her head to meet Yan Zhang’s gentle gaze.

Yan Zhang said, “My lady, I am very happy.”

Su Kou smiled brightly.

Yan Zhang’s warm and handsome face drew closer, and Su Kou’s heart raced with anticipation, waiting for his kiss.

But the long-awaited kiss never came. A bloody spray splashed onto her face, making her heart tremble with heat.

Su Kou opened her eyes, and the reflection of her lover falling to the ground appeared in her beautiful eyes.

“Yan Zhang–“

She jumped out of bed in shock, but the room was empty, and her panic threatened to overwhelm her.

Just as she was about to go find him, she caught sight of the Wugang pearl on her wrist.

She could faintly feel a subtle sensation in her untrained body; her dantian was slightly hot, and a familiar energy filled her entire dantian.

Su Kou’s heart was in turmoil, and she rushed out of the door to find him, but she saw the anxious figures of Sui Ning and Xie Changzhou.

Her intuition told her that they were looking for Yan Zhang.

Su Kou looked at Sui Ning, tears streaming down her face, and begged, “Ningning, take me to him. I need to find him!”

As Sui Ning turned, Xie Changzhou nodded ever so slightly. She held Su Kou close as they flew together on their swords towards the place where Liao Wu disappeared.

Approaching midnight, the city of Nanjing was shrouded in silence.

To their surprise, Liao Wu’s breath had already reached outside the city. Su Kou wept softly, while Sui Ning had to console her.

As they arrived at a dense forest, Xie Changzhou suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Here,” he said gravely, his dark eyelashes lowering as he gazed down at the densely packed woods below.

Sui Ning quickly landed with Su Kou in tow, and a white figure in the distance caught their eye.

“Yan Zhang!” Su Kou’s voice was full of despair and panic.

She rushed forward to embrace Liao Wu, who had already fallen unconscious. Tears streamed down her beautiful face, falling in big droplets onto Liao Wu’s face. Her hand trembled as she caressed his motionless features.

“Yan Zhang, don’t scare me, Yan Zhang…”

Sui Ning looked at Liao Wu in Su Kou’s arms, and her heart sank. Liao Wu’s warm and gentle face was now gray and lifeless, devoid of color. His eyes were tightly shut, and his lips were purplish-black, giving him the appearance of someone on the brink of death.

Something seemed to be wriggling under the skin on his neck, but Liao Wu gave no reaction. Sui Ning couldn’t even feel his breath.

Liao Wu… was about to die.