noffsinger Chapter 53 The Gale Defeats the Mother of Malaria
Chapter 53 The Gale Defeats the Mother of Malaria
Before he could finish speaking, the bloated human skin closest to him suddenly lunged at him. The skin, with its indistinguishable features, opened up with countless holes at the same time, emitting a mournful wail.
The square-faced man raised his axe and brought it down, splitting the human skin in two.
But the two halves of human skin did not die after they landed; instead, they swelled up and in the blink of an eye, they turned into two complete human skins, and their cries became even more mournful.
"Damn it, the more I cut, the more there are!" The square-faced man hurriedly retreated.
The skeletal hand that crawled out of the blood pool had already reached us, its five fingers like hooks, gripping the stone surface with a creaking sound.
The first group of human skins also surrounded them, swaying back and forth like a group of tattered clothes being blown by the wind. They seemed clumsy, but they pressed closer and closer, shrinking the four people's area of movement.
There were many human skins, and one of the smaller ones somehow ended up behind the four of them.
The human skin that had circled around behind him picked through the pieces for a while, then took a liking to the square-faced man and pounced on him with all its might.
Suddenly, the square-faced man let out a miserable scream, and the human skin was stuck to his back.
The dense holes on his skin acted like suction cups, gripping his flesh tightly and making gurgling sounds, like a cow drinking water.
"Damn it."
The square-faced man tried to struggle and tear it off, but the human skin was stuck too firmly.
"Big brother!" The female bandit's eyes turned red, and she swiftly swung her short knife, slicing the human skin off her brother's back.
The human skin, once on the ground, appeared even more oily.
The square-faced man's clothes had several holes in the back, through which one could see the withered flesh beneath.
He let out a muffled groan, his face as pale as paper, weak and powerless, but his fourth sister held him up tightly so he didn't fall.
Song Quyou looked at the people surrounding him, their skin and bones growing larger and larger.
With his sleeves wide open, he gently blew on the cuffs, and paper cranes folded from purification talismans flew into the air, transforming into a sky full of crimson firebirds that darted between his skin and bones.
In an instant.
Firebirds darted and danced, their crimson flames engulfing the entire ghost temple. Wherever they passed, human skin was charred and bones turned to ash, and a foul, burnt smell permeated the air.
Although the human skin and bone hand were burned to pieces, the miasma surging from the depths of the corpse forest grew even thicker, carrying countless flies and insects, their buzzing sound making one's brain throb.
Song Quyou looked into the deep miasma, his brows furrowed, and his hand that wasn't holding the sword turned into a palm and pressed down.
The lingering firebirds darted into the forest of corpses, setting the bone trees ablaze. The human skins hanging from the branches were pierced by the firebirds, burned and riddled with holes, before falling to the ground.
Upon reaching the miasma-filled area, the flock of firebirds circled and swooped down, heading straight for the flies and insects deep within the miasma.
The crimson flames collided with the pale yellow miasma, producing a loud bang like oil being poured into water.
Dead flies fell like dark clouds, in swarms.
The buzzing of flies gradually subsided, but the miasma was not burned away. Instead, it surged up like living things, growing thicker and thicker.
Song Quyou frowned as he looked at the miasma and murmured, "That miasma seems to resemble the 'Mother of Miasma' recorded in the Miscellaneous Records of the Temple."
The mountains and rivers are dense and congested, making it difficult for the miasma to dissipate. They are often shrouded in mist and fog, which can become spiritual entities and act as the "mother of miasma." Contact with these miasmas can cause illness, even abdominal bloating and the development of a "poisonous insect" (a type of parasitic infection).
The miasma, already thick and muddy, seemed to have been provoked by the purification talisman.
Covered in miasma resembling yellow mud, it transformed into a towering pillar of sky, whipping up a massive plume of insect smoke that roared and surged forth.
The smoke from the insects, like a torrent covered in yellow mud, crushed everything in its path—trees, ruins—and roared as it surged forward.
The square-faced man and the female thief stood in the Zen temple, watching the torrent of smoke, like a hundred-foot cliff, surge and overflow over the temple, filling the courtyard. A sense of powerlessness arose in their hearts.
"Damn it, we're really facing death this time. How can we possibly defeat something that's as big as a mountain? What a waste of all this wealth; we couldn't even exchange it for a good drink."
"Brother, there's no regret. It's already wonderful that we siblings can die together. When we get to the underworld, we'll steal some underworld treasures and exchange them for wine and food."
Upon hearing his fourth sister's words, the square-faced man's pale complexion regained some color, his tiger-like eyes glistened with moisture, and he grinned憨憨地, clearly in a very good mood.
……
As the flood peak drew closer, the skins of tens of thousands of people swept along with it tumbled at the bottom, crawling with plump, swaying maggots and covered in glistening pustules. When they touched the surrounding gravel and pebbles, the pustules burst open, releasing wisps of yellow mist that merged into the miasma.
In the blink of an eye, the sky-covering, towering yellow smoke and mist reached the four people. The square-faced man and the female bandit looked dejected, powerless to resist, and had already resigned themselves to their fate. Standing behind Song Quyou, his senior sister Su Tang, her fair hands crackling with electricity, stepped forward and stuffed the charcoal into Song Quyou's hand, her brows furrowed and her face resolute.
Song Quyou immediately stepped forward and pressed down on his senior sister's shoulder.
But then I heard a loud shout.
"The wind is blowing!"
suddenly.
A sharp whistling sound suddenly arose, followed by a gale that swept across the ground, carrying ashes upwards. When the two collided, they produced a deafening roar.
For a time, the raging wind and the collapsing, towering waves were locked in a fierce struggle, neither gaining the upper hand.
Su Tang was momentarily stunned. She turned to look behind her at Song Quyou, whose hair was flowing and whose robes were fluttering. She stared blankly into space, seemingly lost in thought.
The wind howled, and eventually the yellow smoke insects lost their momentum, being swept back by the rising gale.
The square-faced man and the woman with the thief's hair huddled together, looking at Song Quyou in shock.
Song Quyou appeared calm, but his face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that the gust of wind had drained much of his strength.
"Brother, you've got impressive skills!" The square-faced man struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with admiration. "I am Xiong Hai, and this is my fourth sister, Fang Li. May I ask if you are married?"
Song Quyou cupped his hands in greeting to the square-faced man without answering. He then took out neatly stacked paper cranes from his bosom, blew on them gently, and the paper cranes fluttered in the air, transforming into firebirds that flew towards the Malarial Mother with the help of the strong wind.
The miasma mother was swept away by the gale and shrouded in insect smoke, retreating into the depths of the corpse forest. The yellow mist surged endlessly, concealing its resentment.
The sky full of firebirds pursued them, their crimson flames penetrating the miasma, causing the yellow mist to sizzle and fly insects to fall like clouds.
Song Quyou's face grew increasingly pale as he controlled the remaining firebirds, sending them hurtling towards the area where the miasma was thickest.
In an instant, the miasma contracted sharply, and the yellow fog collapsed inward, revealing a crystal-clear yellow jade bead.
Song Quyou looked at Su Tang: "Senior Sister's jade bead is the real body."
Su Tang had been holding a bolt of lightning in her palm. Upon hearing this, she raised her hand, and the lightning that had been accumulating in her palm transformed into a dazzling electric snake, tearing through the dim yellow mist, swimming over the broken walls and ruins, and striking the yellow jade bead with precision.
With a crisp "crack," the jade bead shattered. The remaining miasma dissipated with the lingering wind.
At this moment, the black charcoal in Song Quyou's arms suddenly sprang out, transforming into a beam of mysterious light that rushed straight towards the shattered remains of the Miasma Mother.
With a "whoosh," he swallowed the broken, crystalline yellow jade bead, letting out a satisfied burp that emitted a wisp of yellow smoke.
……
The ghost temple collapsed, and everything around it began to distort, like a crumpled rag being crumpled into a ball by a tremendous force.
The four of them were suddenly faced with a blur, and when they came to their senses, they were already standing on the bluestone bricks of that secluded Zen temple, surrounded by withered branches and leaves, exuding desolation.
The cold winter wind rushed into my collar, making me shiver, but it also brought a strange sense of joy and comfort.
In the middle of the courtyard stood the handsome monk Huiming, holding a faceless bronze mirror in one hand and clutching dark gold fragments in the other, staring in shock at the four people who had emerged.