TGPSAC – Chapter 172

Danger was everywhere.

The group passed by many human skulls, and Chi Wan felt that something was amiss. She heard a buzzing sound, unsure if it was flies or bees.

Something was wrong. After the venomous snakes, poisonous ants, and swamp gas, the sudden silence felt like the calm before a storm. The buzzing in her ears, in particular, made her feel that something was about to happen.

She observed her surroundings, trying to locate the source of the buzzing. She discovered it was coming from inside the skulls. Staring intently at them, she saw a small red insect fly out. It wasn’t a bee, nor was it a fly, but an insect that looked very similar to a bee.

Chi Wan stopped abruptly, signaling for the others to stay still. The insect flew into the dense foliage. Their eyes followed it, only to see a corpse covered in the small insects. The flesh on the body was rapidly diminishing, and soon, only a skeleton remained.

A chill ran down their spines. They recalled the arm of Honglin that the ants had just carried away. They had watched as the ant colony dragged her arm into their nest; their intentions were obvious.

Chi Wan gestured for them to tread more lightly, preparing to slowly make their way up.

Crack. The sound of a twig snapping. She followed the sound with her eyes and saw that it was Honglin who had broken it. She seriously suspected the woman had done it on purpose. Such a noise was more than enough to startle these flying insects.

In the next second, the buzzing grew much louder. The insects began to fly toward the sound, swirling into a tornado. If they were caught in it, they would likely be reduced to bones.

The sound of the insects’ vibrating wings made one’s scalp tingle, like a continuous roll of muffled thunder exploding by their ears.

Chi Wan grabbed Yu Jiuzhou’s hand and ran. “Keep up.”

“If we can’t escape, use the torches to burn them.”

She slung her backpack to her front and rummaged through it, finding a spray bottle. Back when she was trying to make perfume, she had even created spray bottles. This one was filled with a pesticide she had prepared specifically for this trip.

She aimed the bottle at the insects and sprayed forcefully. It was a heavy dose, enough to kill a bull. The insects fell from the air in droves.

“It’s working! Get out your sprays!”

She stood in front of Yu Jiuzhou, trying to think of a solution as she watched the ever-increasing swarm.

“Honglin, are you trying to die here?”

Honglin glanced at her with a smile. “Don’t worry. We have the ghost pearls on us, so we won’t die. At worst, we’ll suffer the pain of being gnawed on for a bit. Once these Glimmerwing insects taste the ghost pearls, they’ll naturally fly away.”

She had already lost an arm, so why should they get away with nothing? This Chi Jinzhao was truly a nuisance, even having medicine to deal with these creatures.

It wasn’t that simple. With so many Glimmerwing insects, a single bite from each would leave them as nothing but bones.

Chi Wan pulled her mask higher up her nose and continued spraying the pesticide at the insects. Countless Glimmerwing insects fell, but their numbers didn’t seem to decrease. At this rate, their pesticide would run out. Moreover, after spraying so much of it, even with the antidote pills they had taken beforehand, it might not be enough.

“Glimmerwing insects are carnivorous but not venomous. They are known as the locusts of the dense forest,” Yu Jiuzhou said calmly.

Wherever locusts passed, no vegetation was left. If these Glimmerwing insects landed on a person, all the flesh on their body would be devoured.

“Do you have a plan?” Chi Wan asked without turning her head.

“Since they fear the ghost pearls, we’ll use water soaked with them.”

Yu Jiuzhou took out her waterskin and poured the water over Chi Wan.

Chi Wan quickly did the same for her, and Xia Qu and Yu Xingchen followed suit.

Sure enough, the Glimmerwing insects circled them for a moment before flying far away, abandoning even the nearby skulls.

“You’re amazing, Your Highness.”

Chi Wan looked up and smiled, then shot a soft snort at Honglin. So you wouldn’t tell us, huh? We have our own ways even if you don’t.

Honglin remained silent. She glanced behind her, a growing anxiety in her heart. If her people didn’t show up soon, according to the records, the elixir of immortality was supposed to be found right after encountering the Glimmerwing insects.

After driving away the insects, they continued forward. No one mentioned Honglin’s actions, but they had reached a tacit understanding.

After walking a short while, a white jade coffin came into view. Chi Wan walked over to take a look and could faintly see the figure of a person inside, seemingly a woman.

She looked up at the tree and murmured, “To bury is to hide, to ride the breath of life.”

“Wings are carved on both sides of the coffin to help the deceased ascend.”

“Life and death are of yin and yang. The tree is a thing of vibrant life, returning to nature, following the heavens and earth. The person and the tree become one, heaven and humanity become one.”

“The ancient tree is full of life, its branches and leaves lush, nourishing the master’s body with the power of nature.”

Chi Wan had some knowledge of the Dao. Seeing the position of the white jade coffin, she knew they had reached their destination. Tree burials were particular, and this confirmed they were at the top of the ancient tree.

If the ancient tree were divided into three levels, the first would be the poisonous ants, the second the Glimmerwing insects, and the third the white jade coffin.

She stood with her hands behind her back, observing the coffin. She guessed the antidote was inside, but they couldn’t open it rashly, or they might face consequences they couldn’t bear.

Thinking of the snakes in the misty forest, the poisonous ants on the ancient tree, and the venomous insects, they had to be cautious.

Xia Qu and Yu Xingchen were clever. Remembering what had just happened, they moved to block Honglin, preventing her from touching the white jade coffin.

Chi Wan frowned. “The soul returns to nature, the spirit merges with the tree.”

“Yin and yang alternate, yin and yang alternate…”

“The mist is water, the snakes are yin, the swamp is earth.”

Recalling the scene of the poisonous ants rushing desperately toward the fire, and the metallic buzzing of the Glimmerwing insects’ wings, she could barely rationalize it as, “The ants are fire, the insects are metal, the tree is wood.”

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth. There was yin but a lack of yang. No, fire could also represent yang, but while the poisonous ants could, at a stretch, be considered fire, they couldn’t represent yang.

Seeing Chi Wan lost in thought, Yu Jiuzhou illuminated the white jade coffin with her torch. “Fire is yang.”

Chi Wan also lit her torch and began heating the white jade coffin with the flame. Slowly, a bit of mist rose from within the coffin. They didn’t move, just heated one spot.

After about a quarter of an hour, the white jade coffin suddenly cracked. Chi Wan sent a jolt of internal energy, and the coffin lid flew to the side, revealing its contents.

So much for yin, yang, and the five elements. It was just thermal expansion and contraction, uneven heating, and the properties of jade.

Although jade was very hard, its structure could change under high temperatures, making it brittle. With factors like internal pressure and so on, a little push with her internal energy was all it took to open it.

It was such a simple matter, yet she had nearly confused herself with all that talk of yin and yang and the five elements. Her Majesty the Empress was the clever one, suggesting they just heat it with fire. No wonder people said that if you mastered science, you could conquer any world you transmigrated to.

Seeing the white jade coffin open, Honglin anxiously tried to step forward, but Xia Qu immediately drew her saber. Honglin had been uncooperative and troublesome the entire way; there was no way she would let her get close.

Honglin knew her own combat prowess. Without her nine-eyed snake, she was no match for Xia Qu, let alone Chi Wan.

“I advise you not to take it,” Honglin said coldly.

Chi Wan ignored her, her attention on the female corpse inside the coffin. She was so beautiful she hardly seemed human. It was astonishing that she hadn’t decomposed after being here for who knew how many years.

She saw a jade tablet on the corpse’s chest. The characters written on it… she couldn’t recognize them.

Chi Wan looked to Yu Jiuzhou for help. Receiving her glance, Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved slightly. “It records her identity. She was from the Ancient Xia, a general. She came to the Void back then in search of the elixir of immortality for the King of Xia. She obtained the medicine inside, but she died in Mugu. One of her servants stole the elixir of immortality. Her remaining subordinates found this misty forest, placed her white jade coffin in the ancient tree, and the person who carved this tablet said that if any descendants opened the coffin, they could take all the treasures, but they must not damage the general’s body, or they would face the curse of the Ancient Xia people.”

Ancient Xia… Chi Wan knew of this dynasty. It was four thousand years before the Great Zhou. To think that people from the Ancient Xia had reached Mugu so long ago. With the ships of that era and without even maps, she had no idea how they had managed it. For this general to have made it here spoke not only of her loyalty to her sovereign but also of her own wisdom.

“What is this general’s name?”

“Nü Zhu.”

Nü Zhu? Chi Wan was surprised. “The Grand General of Ancient Xia? The first known Kun Ze Grand General in history?”

“Yes.”

A truly admirable woman. Chi Wan stood straight and gave a military salute. “We are all her descendants. I am proud to have such an ancestor.”

Yu Jiuzhou nodded. See? From the Ancient Xia to the present, as long as a Kun Ze was given a chance, they could excel. She reached out and flipped the jade tablet over. “This side is inscribed with matters concerning the Void.”

“The carver of the tablet knew that anyone who found this place would be seeking either the elixir of immortality or treasure. If it is for treasure, they can go to the place where the treasure is hidden; there is much wealth there. If it is for the elixir of immortality, one can only go to the Void.”

“What’s this?”

Chi Wan noticed that Nü Zhu was clutching something in her hand. Wearing a glove, she gently pried it open to look. It was Gan Huang! It was actually Gan Huang. As a physician, one might not know what Gan Huang was, but those who studied metaphysics likely would.

After consuming Gan Huang, one would be immune to all poisons, and their blood would have insect-repelling properties. It could even improve one’s constitution. For someone like Yu Jiuzhou, who had started cultivating internal energy late, consuming Gan Huang could improve her constitution and allow her to advance her internal energy at the fastest possible rate, rather than getting stuck because she started too late.

Chi Wan took the Gan Huang in her hand and saluted again. “This junior has disturbed you. I swear in the name of the Great Zhou, a successor state to the Ancient Xia, that if you do not object, we, your descendants, are willing to bring you, General, back to your homeland and bury you with the rites of a king.”

She clenched her fist. “I will lift you onto my back, Senior. If nothing happens, I will take it as your consent. Otherwise, I will lay you back down.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Qu immediately stepped forward. “Your Highness, let this subordinate carry her.”

“Your Highness?” Honglin’s eyes widened. “You are a king of the Great Zhou? Chi Jinzhao, surname Chi! You are the Prince of Qin Yu, Chi Wan!”

“Insolence! Her Highness is now the Prince of Qin, a prince of the first rank,” Xia Qu glared at her. Her identity had been exposed. This person could not be allowed to live.

Chi Wan paid Honglin no mind for the moment. She untied her sash, used it to lift General Nü Zhu without touching her body, and then secured the general to Xia Qu’s back.

Then, she saw more characters at the bottom of the white jade coffin. Yu Jiuzhou continued to read: “One who can understand this jade tablet must be from the lands of Xia. If Your Excellency wishes to bring the general’s body back to Xia, you may kowtow three times to the general every morning and evening, and you shall receive what you desire.”

What did that mean? How could they know what she wanted?

Chi Wan frowned and rummaged around in the coffin again, but there was nothing else. She put away the two jade tablets and walked over to Honglin. “Honglin, of the snake people. You came to the misty forest for the elixir of immortality and the jade tablets. It seems the tablets you want aren’t here, and neither is the elixir. A wasted trip.”

The problem was, after all these dangers, there was no elixir of immortality, nor were there any jade tablets to enter the Void.

“You’ve never been to this place before, have you?”

At most, it was recorded in her clan’s history. Perhaps Honglin had reached the base of the ancient tree, but she had likely never been to the top. If she had, she wouldn’t have dared to snap the twig and attract the Glimmerwing insects. With so many of them, even with the ghost pearls, it might not have been enough.

Honglin leaned over the white jade coffin in disbelief, searching it thoroughly but finding nothing. “Give me everything.”

She held out her hand, demanding, without a shred of courtesy.

Honglin had just heard it: kowtow three times to the general every morning and evening, and you will receive what you desire.

Chi Wan laughed. “You want to take it by force?”

She had tolerated Honglin all this way, but if this person tried to make a move, she would certainly not show any mercy.

Honglin froze. Without her nine-eyed snake, she couldn’t beat any of them. She was good at escaping, but she couldn’t outrun Chi Wan.

Chi Wan sneered, tied two ropes together, and secured them to the tree. This way, they wouldn’t have to retrace their steps and could descend directly from the side. She just didn’t know if the rope was long enough.

The two ropes combined were about several dozen meters long. A fall from that height would be disastrous.

“You go down first.”

Chi Wan needed to keep an eye on Honglin to prevent any tricks.

Xia Qu and Yu Xingchen descended first. When they tugged the rope from below, Yu Jiuzhou looked at Chi Wan.

“I’ll be down soon,” Chi Wan said.

Yu Jiuzhou nodded, grabbed the rope, and quickly descended. After seeing the rope twitch a few times, Chi Wan turned to Honglin. “You know full well what you’ve done on this journey. I’ll leave the rope here, but we won’t wait for you once we’re down.”

She was leaving Honglin a way to live. The next time they met, it would be a fight to the death.

Chi Wan grabbed the rope and descended rapidly, her feet tapping lightly on the branches. In a matter of seconds, she was beside Yu Jiuzhou and the others.

From this position, they could already see the ground. The sky had brightened, and the swamp gas was not as thick as it had been at night. Chi Wan still had five ghost pearls on her. If they moved at top speed, they should be able to last until they were out.

They used the same trick as before and finally landed on the ground. Chi Wan untied the rope and put it in her backpack. She leaped down the remaining dozens of meters, her toes tapping continuously on branches, and landed steadily on the ground.

Xia Qu looked at her with envy. “That’s amazing.”

With internal energy at the grand completion stage, as long as there were a few points to push off from, even a height of a hundred meters was nothing. So what Chi Wan had said about leaving the rope for Honglin was true.

“What about Honglin?” Xia Qu asked, puzzled, seeing that the rope wasn’t being pulled back up.

“Don’t worry about her. Life and death are decided by fate.”

Honglin’s clan members were all in the misty forest. Chi Wan didn’t know if they had climbed the ancient tree. Not returning the way they came was precisely to avoid encountering those people on the way back. Who knew what tricks they had up their sleeves?

The contrast between the grave robbers who suffered heavy casualties when they encountered the snake swarm and Honglin’s clan who escaped with ease was stark. Honglin’s clan had been studying the misty forest and the Void for over a thousand years; they didn’t need her concern.

Their entry had been slow, but their exit was much faster. They just had to watch their step to avoid snakes and swamps.

It had taken them from dawn till dusk to get from the entrance of the misty forest to the ancient tree. To get out, it only took them half a day.

By the time they emerged, the ghost pearls of all four people and the one corpse were completely depleted.

Nü Zhu was a general, a respectable person. The swamp gas would damage her body, and since they had exactly five ghost pearls left, it was perfect for one each.

Seeing them emerge, the people waiting outside hurried to greet them.

Chi Wan immediately gave an order: “Purchase a crystal or jade coffin and have it sent back to the ship.”

Nü Zhu’s body had to be preserved. Since she had promised a burial with the rites of a king, she would certainly follow through. She would protect the general’s body on the journey back.

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Once they were finally back on the ship, Chi Wan took out the Gan Huang. This should be the antidote for the poison affecting Yu Jiuzhou and Yu Xingchen. As for the jade tablet to enter the Void, she truly hadn’t seen it. And the elixir of immortality? The tablet recorded that it existed and was stolen by a servant, but there was no record of who that servant was.

Fortunately, what they wanted was an antidote, and the effects of Gan Huang were very potent. Chi Wan felt it should be enough.

She examined the Gan Huang and confirmed it was the substance she recognized. But a problem arose: there was only one. She would certainly save Yu Jiuzhou, but she couldn’t just watch Yu Xingchen die.

Yu Xingchen, however, did not see it that way. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Majesty’s safety is more important than this subject’s. My death is of no consequence, but nothing must happen to Your Majesty.”

Xia Qu also knelt. “Please, Your Majesty, take the medicine!”

Her lover could die, and she could die with her, but nothing could happen to their sovereign. She would gladly give her own life to ensure Her Majesty’s health and well-being. Besides, she had been blaming herself this whole time. If she hadn’t chased after the thief, they wouldn’t have gone looking for her and gotten poisoned.

And the person who had lured her away and fought with her was none other than Honglin. She desperately wanted to kill Honglin, but it was clear that Her Majesty and Her Highness had other plans.

Upon seeing there was only one Gan Huang, Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had already reached a consensus: they had to enter the Void.

The Gan Huang had been brought out of the Void by Nü Zhu, so it was highly likely there was more inside. However, after exposure to the swamp gas in the misty forest and with their ghost pearls depleted, the poison in both of them could no longer be suppressed.

Chi Wan looked at the Gan Huang on the table and made a difficult decision. “I can use the Gan Huang combined with other medicinal herbs. It’s hard to say if it can completely cure the poison, but it can suppress it in your bodies for ten years. But only ten years. There is another option. After taking the medicine, we prepare to go to the Void and search for more Gan Huang. With just one more, I can cure you both.”

Even a deity would find it difficult to make one Gan Huang have the effect of two.

Yu Xingchen shook her head. “No, we cannot endanger Your Majesty for the sake of my ten years.”

Just as Xia Qu was about to speak, Yu Jiuzhou finally spoke. “Knock them both out.”

Chi Wan moved swiftly, delivering a single chop to the back of each of their necks. They were out cold.

“I’ll go prepare the medicine.”

“I’ll go read,” Yu Jiuzhou replied.

They had people gather many books about the Southern Continent, and some of them did indeed mention the Void, as well as various legends.

Yu Jiuzhou needed to sort through the information and find anything useful to prepare for their journey to the Void.

The two of them worked separately. Three days later, Chi Wan had finished making the medicine. To save time, she had made a potion, not pills.

Yu Jiuzhou drank the potion without hesitation. Yu Xingchen had it poured down her throat.

In comparison, Yu Jiuzhou’s internal energy was profound, so even as the poison spread, it wasn’t very apparent on the surface.

Yu Xingchen was different. Her internal energy was only at the minor completion stage. The skin under her eyes was dark, and her lips had turned purple. If they had delayed any longer, she would have surely died.

After drinking the medicine, they both began to circulate their energy. Chi Wan sat behind them, performing acupuncture through their clothes.

At this point, Xia Qu could only stand guard at the door.

A day and a night passed. The darkness under Yu Xingchen’s eyes vanished, and her purple lips returned to their normal color.

Yu Jiuzhou circulated her internal energy for a moment, then immediately went to embrace Chi Wan. A full day and night of performing acupuncture while using her internal energy would have been unbearable for an ordinary person. Chi Wan had only managed it because she was supported by her own internal energy.

“Chi Wan!”

Yu Jiuzhou swept Chi Wan up in a princess carry and strode toward their room.

Chi Wan shook her head with an amused smile. She never thought she’d one day experience being carried like a princess by Yu Jiuzhou. “I’m fine.”

She was just a little exhausted; she would be fine after some rest.

Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes were red. It had been many years since she had lost her composure like this. For her sake, Chi Wan had endured too much.

With their years of affection, some things didn’t need to be said. She was also not one for sentimental displays.

“I made you worry.”

“Then give me a kiss, Your Highness,” Chi Wan said playfully.

She didn’t want Yu Jiuzhou to fall into self-blame. Recently, Xia Qu had been blaming herself, feeling she shouldn’t have chased the thief. But the thief had stolen their things; what was wrong with chasing them? It was just that they had been schemed against, leading to this result.

Yu Xingchen also blamed herself, thinking that if she hadn’t been poisoned, they wouldn’t have had to take such risks for her.

Yu Jiuzhou didn’t show it, but after so many years together, Chi Wan could clearly sense the changes in her emotions.

She just silently hid it in her heart, not letting it show, so as not to worry others.

Yu Jiuzhou leaned down and kissed Chi Wan on the lips, then said, “I’ve found the location of the Void. After entering the Ice Continent, we must keep heading inland until we reach a vast ice plain where the sea is no longer visible. That is the entrance to the Void.”

It sounded incredibly dangerous. To go deep into the Ice Continent, where there was only one color as far as the eye could see, no food, no people, nothing but ice.

With their internal energy, they might not need to wear extremely heavy clothing, but an ordinary person would freeze to death if not bundled up, especially at night. Without a tent, death would be the only outcome.

Chi Wan thought for a moment. “Have Honglin and her people come out of the misty forest?”

“Yes. Our people are following them, but to avoid being discovered, they haven’t entered their camp.”

This was why they had let Honglin go. If she couldn’t make it out, so be it. But if she did, she would definitely go to the Void, and might even come looking for them first.

After all, they had Nü Zhu’s body.

Thinking of Nü Zhu’s body, Chi Wan was still puzzled. After Chun Gui and the others learned what had happened on the ancient tree, they had been kowtowing three times every day, hoping for some kind of miracle.

After all, their poison had yet to be completely cured.

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