Chapter 80: Gu Worms, Poison Corpses, Ten Thousand Gu Sect

“Ta-da! Here is the Spirit Bird Garden!”

As soon as Yun Huaiyue entered, a spirit bird gracefully flapped its wings and lowered its head to nuzzle her.

Its feathers were pure white, and its body was surrounded by a faint halo of light.

“So beautiful!”

Ning Shengsheng exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes to touch the spirit bird.

“You like it too, An’an? Then I’ll give you one. Pick any spirit bird in the garden.”

Yun Huaiyue waved her hand generously.

Ning Shengsheng wanted to hug the rich lady and kiss her. As soon as she entered, she had set her eyes on one with pale pink edges on its wings.

“I want that one!” She wasn’t polite about it either; after all, the favors she owed would be paid back by Ning Xuan.

“Okay…” Yun Huaiyue reached out. “Qiqi, bring me the token for the pink spirit bird.”

Not far away.

A disciple who was feeding the spirit birds paused in her movements, then slowly walked towards the wooden hut at the back.

After a while.

She came over holding the token with both hands.

“Senior Sister Yun, the token.”

“Qiqi, are you feeling unwell?” Yun Huaiyue took the token, noticing her pale face.

“Yes, a little, heatstroke.”

The disciple named Qiqi bowed and withdrew.

Ning Shengsheng’s sharp eyes noticed that with every set of movements, the other party would pause for a split second.

It was like…

The puppets in the Qingling Sect’s secret realm.

Things were getting more and more suspicious.

“Junior Sister, it will be your spirit bird from now on. Give it a name!”

Yun Huaiyue stuffed the token into her hand.

Her thoughts were pulled back.

Ning Shengsheng gently stroked the spirit bird’s feathers, her eyes and brows overflowing with joy.

“How about we call it Mao Tao (Fuzzy Peach)?”

“Look, it’s round and has a bit of pink, like an unripe little fuzzy peach. So cute~”

Yun Huaiyue hesitated for a moment. “Just call it Mao Tao then.”

Although their spirit birds were usually called Qingyu (Clear Feather), Wuling (Mist Feather), Shanmei (Mountain Eyebrow), or something similar, as long as Junior Sister Ning liked it.

Ning Shengsheng buried her face in Mao Tao’s chest.

It was soft.

So comfortable!

Each riding a spirit bird, they hurried to the alchemy rooms.

The Hundred Herb Valley placed the utmost importance on alchemy. Countless alchemy rooms were built on the flat land halfway up the mountain.

Every alchemy room was fully equipped.

There was even tea, pastries, and spirit-gathering formations.

“Mother said alchemy consumes mental energy, so she prepared everything for the disciples to make them more comfortable.”

“The Valley Master is brilliant~”

Ning Shengsheng gave a thumbs up.

“Senior Brother Shen, I want a key to an alchemy room.”

Yun Huaiyue walked forward. Shen Qinghe was behind the counter looking through the alchemy records for the day.

“Junior Sister, why have you come to the alchemy rooms?”

He asked with a normal expression.

But Ning Shengsheng’s sixth sense screamed that something was wrong.

“Alchemy is so boring. Why don’t you take Her Highness the Princess to play at the Peach Blossom Waterfall?”

“Eh? Senior Brother reminds me.” Yun Huaiyue turned back and asked, “An’an, shall I take you to play in the water?”

“Senior Sister, I’m actually quite interested in alchemy. Can we look around before going to play in the water?” Ning Shengsheng’s eyes were sincere.

“Alright then. Senior Brother, give me the key!”

Shen Qinghe glanced at Ning Shengsheng and took a key marked “Jia” (First). “That’s fine too. Go ahead.”

Yun Huaiyue took her hand and left.

Ning Shengsheng felt a chill run down her spine, the cold seeping into her bones.

She looked back.

Shen Qinghe wasn’t looking at them; he was looking down at the records.

Click—

Alchemy Room Jia was opened.

It was clean and bright inside. The surrounding walls were made of Mystic Iron Stone, probably for fear of disciples blowing up their furnaces.

Yun Huaiyue proudly introduced the layout.

Ning Shengsheng examined the room carefully and found black powder in the cracks of the soft cushion.

She dipped her index finger in it.

She brought it to her nose and sniffed; it was pungent and foul.

“The alchemy room not only has spiritual herbs readily available so disciples can focus, but there are also notes from seniors over here…”

“Smell this.”

Ning Shengsheng extended her index finger to Yun Huaiyue’s nose.

“So smelly, what is this?”

“Found it here.” Ning Shengsheng pointed her toe at the remaining powder next to the soft cushion.

Yun Huaiyue looked puzzled. She squatted down and put the black powder into a sealed bag.

“I’ll take it back to examine.”

The female lead was indeed the female lead. As long as she wasn’t being a love-brain, her ability was strong and her reactions were super fast.

“Senior Sister Yun, let’s pretend we didn’t find anything and go play at the Peach Blossom Waterfall for a while.”

She meant something by this; she wanted to test Yun Huaiyue’s attitude towards Shen Qinghe.

If the other party blindly trusted the people of her own sect, she wouldn’t meddle.

Yun Huaiyue’s long eyelashes trembled, and she pressed her lips together. “An’an, I understand what you mean. Don’t worry.”

Her attitude reassured Ning Shengsheng.

The two left the alchemy room talking and laughing. As they left, they even asked Shen Qinghe if he wanted to join them.

Shen Qinghe smiled and refused.

He watched their retreating figures in contemplation.

On the way to the peach forest.

Ning Shengsheng: “Senior Sister Yun, do you know about puppets?”

“Of course I know.”

“Then do you know about Poison Corpses?”

“Poison Corpses? What are those?” Yun Huaiyue asked in confusion.

Ning Shengsheng remembered that when “Chains of Clouded Joy” was being serialized, videos of Miao frontier youths were trending on Douyin (TikTok).

The author suddenly added the Ten Thousand Gu Sect to the later part of the novel.

The sect members were skilled in using Gu worms.

They caused a lot of trouble for the male and female leads.

“Using Gu worms to control the human brain so they can be used. Just now, I saw a green mark on the back of the medicine field disciple’s neck. Later, when we went to the Spirit Bird Garden, Qiqi’s movements were stiff, very much like she was being controlled, not reacting subconsciously on her own.”

Yun Huaiyue’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

“I sensed something was wrong too. I was thinking about puppetry techniques or something, but puppetry requires refining corpses.”

“It does fit the description of Poison Corpses controlled by Gu worms that you mentioned. do you think it’s related to Second Senior Brother?”

“Whether it’s related is unknown for now.” Ning Shengsheng pondered for a moment. “Shall we go out and investigate tonight?”

“Mm!”

Yun Huaiyue’s eyes were firm.

“Mother is in seclusion; I must protect the Hundred Herb Valley!”

The two flew to the peach forest, played in the water, caught fish, and frolicked heartlessly. It was all an act for Shen Qinghe.

Only when the rosy clouds dyed the sky did they ride the spirit birds back.

Shen Qinghe, deep in the peach forest, looked thoughtfully in the direction they left. He raised his finger slightly, and a centipede crawled out of his sleeve. “Good baby, follow them.”

The centipede raised half its body and burrowed into the grass.

At night.

After dinner, Ning Shengsheng changed into her night-prowling outfit.

And stubbornly put on the facekini she had sewn herself.

System: …

The Mirror Demon couldn’t bear it anymore and drilled out to complain: “Master, must you wear this ugly thing?”

“Oh.” Ning Shengsheng calmly pulled it over her head. “Yes.”

“Fine… then…”

He glanced at the mask that only revealed Ning Shengsheng’s two eyes and couldn’t help asking, “Can you breathe?”

“…”

Ning Shengsheng: “Don’t worry about it.”

Creak—

Yun Huaiyue opened the door furtively, looked up, and saw a person wearing an ugly mask.

“Ah~!~!”

She screamed in fright.

“Junior Sister Ning?” Her tone was hesitant.

“Yeah~” The voice inside the mask was muffled.

It was indeed Junior Sister Ning.

She patted her chest with lingering fear. “You…”

Before she could say the word ‘ugly’.

A similar mask was pulled over her own head.

Yun Huaiyue: “……”