Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 128 Gu Technique
"Hey, didn't you guys do any preparation before coming? This is Gu magic, Gu magic, which is known as one of the three great evil arts of southern Yunnan, along with Gu poison and black magic."

"It is said that the unique technique uses the spirits of the dead as a medium, and the more wronged spirits there are, the greater the power of this unique technique."

“A pill called ‘Gu Yin’ is swallowed by a living person, sealing their seven orifices, and then it will parasitize and lay eggs in the living person’s body.”

"In about three to five days, more and more eggs are laid, and the flesh and internal organs of the human body become nutrients for the larvae, and the body will be emptied out in a short time."

"Because it loses moisture rapidly in a short period of time, human skin will dry out quickly and become as hard as tree bark or stone shell."

"According to ancient records, this King Xian was exceptionally skilled in this kind of Gu technique," Hu Ming replied, shaking his head helplessly.

"Hu Ming, what do you mean?" Yang Xueli asked.

"If nothing unexpected happens, we have indeed found the right location. This place is definitely related to the tomb of King Xian."

"Moreover, look at Zhelong Mountain, surrounded by the She River, a tributary of the Lanjiang River. It is indeed a rare and auspicious place!"

Looking at the distant, faintly visible Zhelong Mountain, Hu Ming nodded.

"Mingzi, according to your logic, how cruel must the Prince Xian be?"

"This human pupa was actually made from a living person. How much pain must that person have been in before they died?"

Hu Bayi and Fatty felt their hair stand on end as they listened; they couldn't bear to even think about the kind of pain it entailed.

"Hmph, do you think human life was worth much in ancient feudal dynasties?"

"For high-ranking nobles and emperors, human lives are really just numbers. Just think about our two little ancestors at Niuxin Mountain."

"However, considering public outrage and the issue of control, the people used to make these human pupae were probably prisoners of war, criminals, or slaves."

"So, Fatty, you should be grateful. With your size, if you lived in the Xianwang Dynasty, you'd be excellent material for a Gu technique!"

As he spoke, Hu Ming couldn't help but tease the fat man.

"Mingzi, don't scare me!" The fat man's lips twitched, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

"By the way, let's not talk about this after we get on the bus."

"The ethnic minorities on this bus all know a little bit of Mandarin."

"Especially you, Fatty, don't assume that just because people don't understand Mandarin, you can't let anything slip." Seeing that the driver was already calling people to get in and about to drive off again, Hu Ming, thinking about how unreliable Fatty was, gave him some words of advice with some concern.

"No, Mingzi, how did you know about this?" Hu Bayi and Fatty exchanged a glance and asked curiously.

"You think I really just enjoyed the scenery like you guys the whole way?"

“I had a brief conversation with the tea farmer sitting next to me and learned some information about the area. I also looked up some ancient stories about this place before I came.”

"We'll get off the bus with those two tea farmers later; they're also going to Zhelong Mountain."

"This bus doesn't go directly to Zhelong Mountain. Following them will save you from taking a longer route." As they spoke, the group had already returned to the bus.

However, after this incident, the driver's speed was noticeably slower.

On the rest of the journey, Hu Ming chatted with the tea farmer sitting next to him who spoke Mandarin.

Before long, the group got off the bus with the tea farmers. The area was full of high mountains, deep valleys, and dense forests, with few people around. There were only small paths in the forest where people could be seen walking out.

After about two hours, the group finally arrived at Zhelong Mountain. "Mingzi, we really owe you a lot for getting information from the tea farmers this time."

"Otherwise, we would really have to take a lot of detours and might not even be able to find this place."

"If you weren't a local, you really wouldn't have discovered that forest path, let alone found this place to stay."

“Otherwise, we might have had to sleep in the wilderness for several nights,” the fat man said, looking at the “Colorful Clouds Inn” in front of him.

There are no villages nearby, only this inn that provides food and lodging for merchants who come here to buy tea.

Apart from Hu Ming and his group, and a few tea farmers, there were no other guests.

The innkeeper was a Bai woman, and she had a girl of about fifteen or sixteen named Kongque with her, who was her husband's sister.

After the group settled in, it was getting late.

"Boss lady, we're from Beijing. We're going to Insect Valley to catch butterflies for the museum."

"Do you know if there's a shortcut to the Insect Valley?" Yang Xueli asked the landlady after dinner.

Zhelong Mountain is towering into the clouds, with steep and majestic terrain, making it a major challenge to cross over and reach the Insect Valley.

“I know, I know. There’s a tunnel at the foot of Zhelong Mountain. You can take a bamboo raft downstream and pass through the mountain without having to climb over it.”

"But there are many dead people over there, and it's often haunted," Little Peacock said, looking at Hu Ming and the others with a strange expression.

Hu Ming and Hu Bayi exchanged a glance, and then, apart from the fat man who stayed to chat, the rest of them went back to their rooms upstairs.

"Mingzi, I heard that those tea merchants are going to buy tea tomorrow. Should we continue to follow them?" Hu Bayi said, looking at Hu Ming.

Hearing Hu Bayi's words, Hu Ming shook his head: "I'm not going with them. They're going to pick tea, and their path will be completely different from ours."

"What should we do?"

"Mingzi, I just heard the landlady say that the road here is very difficult to walk on. Is this our first time here? Will we be able to manage?"

At that moment, Hu Ming glanced at the fat man chatting animatedly with the landlady downstairs and smiled, saying, "At this point, the fat man knows what he should do."

"Let him come up after he's finished talking."

Soon, Fatty finally came upstairs, still feeling a bit unsatisfied. As soon as Hu Bayi saw him enter the room, he immediately teased, "How was it, Fatty? You chatted all afternoon, didn't you just say sweet nothings?"

"Get lost! We're talking about serious business!"

"Besides, they're all in their forties or fifties. Do you think I, Fatty, have such bad taste?"

"Alright, I asked. If you want to go to the valley inside Zhelong Mountain, you can only go through the tunnel at the foot of the mountain, which is a waterway."

"Let's get a bamboo raft and cross the river. That's the fastest way, and we won't have to climb over one mountain after another!"

"However, I just heard that it's haunted there and people often die there, so she told us not to go."

At this moment, the fat man recounted all the information he had gathered...

(End of this chapter)