ned and pulled me to his side.“The school wants to do a short interview with you and hype it up on new media. If you don't give them face, they'll come to me to talk you into it, hoping you can spare...Xuegu is like the bloodline recognition of a witch tribe, passed down through generations. It is said that this allows them to be less affected by curses and poisons in special environments. Although it sounds a bit scary, it is actually an amulet in their bloodline.

The strength of a gu depends on the magical power of the person who raises it and the characteristics of the person being afflicted. Blood gu must be passed down through generations. As the witch had previously said, after three generations, its effect is almost gone.

Ms. Xue is still in effect, but exactly how long her effectiveness lasts, she probably can't even say herself.

But she could live with all sorts of strange ghosts in an isolated place, even "suppressing" those things that ordinary people considered "weird and evil". Her abilities and mental fortitude are truly impressive.

If you were to look at the village with ordinary eyes, it would appear as a collection of mentally ill people who are unmanaged, violent, and self-destructive.

These people's families were burdened beyond measure, and they couldn't even distinguish between right and wrong. After all, mages who walked the line between yin and yang were a rare breed, and not everyone had the opportunity to encounter them.

Even if encountered, whether family members have the willingness to fully treat it is a big problem.

Most people choose to stay far away from such strange and eerie things.

A long-term illness may not bring out filial piety from one's children, let alone a situation like this: difficult to explain, with no hope of recovery, and causing the whole family and their surroundings chaos and even endangering lives.

In their view, sending those deemed "mentally ill" to psychiatric hospitals, paying individuals to manage them, and thus keeping these strange and erratic people from disrupting the normal life of society was already a compassionate act.

It's understandable to feel this way. Those who live in the deserted village where Ms. Xue resides, as long as they are still alive, their families must still pay a certain fee.

These families still dared not default, fearing they would be implicated and haunted by ghosts for retribution, until these people "naturally" died, when relevant departments issued a certificate to settle the matter, did the family members breathe a sigh of relief.

From the time my great-grandmother fled the war, her generation has been engaged in this kind of "survival." My great-grandmother is still alive, while my grandmother has passed away. I imagine it's the blood gu (蠱) on my great-grandmother that allows her to live a long life in such a special environment, and she even possesses the magical ability to ward off external threats.

"Without blood gu, living in a special environment will always have an effect on oneself, and witchcraft curses also affect the caster. Have you ever seen a witch who walks in darkness in this world" Mu Wanchen said in a soft voice.

I nodded, acknowledging the greeting.

"How many of these witches lived ordinary lives, with children and grandchildren around them, peaceful and content, from beginning to end" he asked.

I shook my head, I've never seen that before.

Yin and yang follow each other, cause and effect cycle. If you want to become an extraordinary person, you must naturally experience extraordinary events, endure extraordinary hardships, and suffer extraordinary pains.

"So…" Mu Wanchen extended two fingers to pinch Mrs. Xue's wrist, his peripheral vision glancing at me, his voice barely audible —

“So she left you two sisters here, growing up safely and comfortably, untouched by any shadows or grievances. Perhaps there was some thoughtfulness in her doing so…”

He hesitated, not knowing who to address: "Everyone has their own burdens to bear. There's no escape, no hiding from them, until death."

I swallowed hard, this topic was a bit heavy. Why would Mu Wanchen suddenly express such feelings

He saw the look of distress on my face and smiled slightly. He bit his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto Mrs. Xue's wrist.

It was too dark for me to see clearly. I could vaguely feel the drop of blood moving, so I quickly moved my phone's light over it.

That drop of blood resembled a half-moon shaped pearl, vibrating faintly. Mu Wanchen held a sword gesture in one hand and pinched Madam Xue's wrist with two fingers of the other.

His lips moved slightly, as if whispering to something unseen, muttering words I couldn't understand.

Blood drops slowly seeped into Ms. Xue's pale skin on her wrist, leaving a dark blue trace that moved beneath her skin, "sliding" to the inside of her wrist and pausing slightly at the Shenmen and Yinxi points.

“All my people, whose veins run with the blood of the Gu worm, shall live forever.” Mu Wanchen recited softly in a hushed voice.

That streak of hair-thin, dark blue left a trail as if it understood Mu Wanchen's command, flowing upwards.

I stared in astonishment as this commotion unfolded, as if a half-moon pearl beneath my skin were swelling slightly, traveling upwards along the channels and meridians, all the way to the Shaohuai and Qingling points...

"The Heart Sutra" I blurted out suddenly.

This is the pathway of the Heart-Yin Meridian, also known as the "Pulse of the Heart." The heart is the “master organ,” responsible for controlling all life activities. This pathway on your hand is the primary meridian.

Mu Wanchen didn't answer me. Instead, a cold voice suddenly came from outside the window: "Who is in here"

I jumped in fright and quickly covered my mouth. Serves me right for forgetting to whisper!

My father was fast asleep at the table, so soundly that I suspected Mu Wanchen had given Ling Zhe a barely perceptible poke.

But the sounds outside were calm yet sharp, along with the scraping of a chair — it must be the Ninth Senior Brother from the front page hearing the noise and coming to see.

Mu Wanchen frowned and glanced at me: "Go stop him, I can't let outsiders see my spell..."

"Oh, great!" I didn't care about the volume anymore at this point.

The practice of witchcraft has always been shrouded in mystery. If someone in my household saw Mu Wanchen practicing, even with good intentions, they would likely become wary and might even blame him for any future misfortune.

My dad hasn't woken up yet. Maybe he's just too tired, or maybe Mu Wanchen did something. I went around the screen and ran to... Just as I pushed open the door, I almost ran into someone face-to-face.

"You! ... What are you doing! Don't you know—" He gripped my arm, his voice a low growl of astonishment and anger.

"Shh, shh..." I hastily raised my finger to signal him to be quiet.

Junior Brother took a couple of deep breaths, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to control his anger. I quickly bowed my head and stood straight, putting on a meek and contrite expression as if I was willing to do anything to appease him.

"Why are you in the room" Senior Brother Jun asked me in a low voice, trying to calm his anger.

"My older sister stopped me from watching today... I could only sneak a peek... My father is so tired he hasn't even woken up..." I answered honestly.

Junior Brother's eyebrows jumped, and he whispered, "With such a loud commotion, Master hasn't woken up yet"

"Hmm..." I nodded.

My fellow disciple immediately went around me and raised his foot to enter the door.

"Whoa, hold on—" I reached out and pulled his arm back.

"Don't be ridiculous," he growled softly at me.

Oh my gosh, I'm not kidding! I can't let you in. Waking up the blood leech will cause trouble for Mu Wanchen, and if something happens to her... it'll all be blamed on him! What am I supposed to do!host paused. Without her lower half, she looked even more bloated; it was grotesquely plump... Her arms were as thick as my thighs."Get out of here... I hate women like you the most! Men all find me f...