The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 231: A Battle on Dragon Mountain Between the Medicine Sect

Chu Wanning was unscathed. At the last possible moment, Mo Ran had reacted swiftly, stepping in front of the figure in the dark green cloak. The person's dagger was already buried in his shoulder, leaving only the hilt with its coiling silver snake pattern visible. Mo Ran's clothes instantly turned red with blood. He lowered his eyebrows, gritted his teeth, and a cold glint shone in his eyes.

It was the fierce gaze of an eagle hunting down a rabbit.

"Grandmaster Hua," he suddenly tightened his grip on Hua Binan's hand that still held the dagger, enduring the pain as he pulled the blade out of his flesh with a plop. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and taunted, "Did you think my master was dead when you ambushed him from behind?"

The night wind blew, rustling the green veil that Hua Binan had put back on to conceal his disfigured face. Hua Binan fell silent for a moment before saying, "How long has Grandmaster Mo suspected me?"

"Ever since you were poisoned by the snake and stayed at the mountain's waist."

Hua Binan chuckled softly. "Hmm... there wasn't much I could do. After all, I was originally counting on taking down a few people inside the main hall."

Mo Ran gritted his teeth. "Then why did you stop Xu Shuanglin earlier?"

"What else? If I hadn't, wouldn't he have realized that the resurrection formation he had painstakingly set up was fake due to the changes in the array? That would've caused quite a headache."

By then, Chu Wanning had already knocked down Tianwen and slashed straight towards the center of this mysterious formation. However, upon landing, he realized that the formation's spiritual energy was so strong that it couldn't be easily suppressed. Turning back, he saw Mo Ran standing behind him, wounded by Hua Binan's dagger. Panic surged in his heart. "Mo Ran—"

"Leave me be," Mo Ran said. "The destruction of the formation takes precedence. I'll guard this area."

Chu Wanning had no choice. The secret array pulsed with a malevolent spiritual current he'd never encountered before, something even his former Heaven Splitting Butterfly couldn't match. He poured his own spiritual energy relentlessly into Heaven's Inquiry, able only to halt the array's progression but powerless to shatter it completely.

On the other side, Jiang Xi suddenly understood the situation but found it hard to believe that his top disciple would plot behind his back. His face paled, and after a long moment, he managed, "Hua Binan, you...?"

At that moment, Hua Binan's hand was firmly clasped in Mo Ran's grip. Without turning around, he heard Jiang Xi's voice and smiled slightly. "Sect Leader, don't act rashly. Solitary Moon Night has a doctrine – always be wary. I've kept that lesson close to my heart, so along the way, I took the opportunity to plant a meticulously nurtured Heart Devouring Worm on many individuals."

"!"

Everyone paled in shock, falling silent for an instant before chaos erupted.

The Cold Scale Sage had placed worms on them?

Though they felt neither pain nor itch, they suddenly became acutely aware of an intense crawling sensation all over their bodies, as if deadly Heart Devouring Worms lurked in every crevice.

"Hua Binan, you madman!"

"What a sinister mind you have!"

Some were so panicked they wept uncontrollably, frantically searching themselves. "Where is it? Where? Did I get contaminated? I didn't even touch him... there shouldn't be anything on me, right?"

Others, with more integrity, couldn't tolerate Hua Binan's despicable tactics and lashed out, "Hua! Don't spread your deceitful lies here! With all these cultivators from the top sects present, do you really think your threats will scare us?!"

As he spoke, Hua Binan casually waved his hand.

Suddenly, the man who had provoked him stumbled, his eyes bulging as he clutched his throat and fell to the ground, writhing in agony. He cried out, "Ah! Ahhh—!"

Foul-smelling pus and blood gushed from his nostrils and eyes. His body convulsed violently, feces and urine spilling down his legs. In a short while, he lay motionless, his skin shriveled and dry. His mouth was grotesquely agape, and from within crawled a blood-sucking red insect resembling a spider, with ten thin legs on each side.

This sudden turn of events struck fear into the hearts of many who had previously been indignant and ready to denounce Hua Binan. Their faces paled, and they watched in stunned silence.

"Harmless as they may seem," Hua Binan spoke softly yet sternly, "these insects can end a life in an instant. If you wish to avoid a repeat of Confucian Wind Sect's tragic downfall, I suggest you stay where you are, refrain from panicking or causing trouble, and simply listen to my instructions. That goes especially for those from Solitary Moon Night."

His gaze fell upon Jiang Xi, then swept across the group of Medicine Sect cultivators dressed in light green attire behind him. He smiled, saying, "Considering our shared heritage, I assure you, I have no intention of harming any of you."

Jiang Xi's face contorted with anger. "Hua Binan! You have such sinister intentions?"

"I wouldn't call it sinister," Hua Binan replied, as if remembering something. Addressing Jiang Xi, he continued, "Oh, by the way, Sect Leader, you also have one of these heart-eating insects on you. For others with lower cultivation, death comes swiftly, but with your profound cultivation, I imagine you might survive for a good ten to fifteen days."

Jiang Xi's teeth chattered with disdain. "Solitary Moon Night has treated you well for over a decade. What is your true motive behind this plot?"

"I do have my reasons, but I'm not obligated to share them with all of you."

He glanced back at Chu Wanning and then at Mo Ran, who was facing off against him, before turning his face away again.

"Well, now that none of you can tell who's infested with the worms and who isn't, it's a matter of life or death. If you're clever enough, you'll know which side to stand on."

Silence blanketed the area.

Then, a gentle yet crisp voice rang out from the crowd.

Shi Mo stood beside Xue Meng and spoke, "The Heart-Devouring Worms are drawn to fire. If anyone ignites a fire spell or talisman in their hands and sees a bump moving beneath their skin, they've been cursed by the worms. The rest of you are safe."

"..." The Ice Scale Sage's eyes narrowed abruptly. "Shi Mingjing, did you steal knowledge from my scriptures?"

Shi Mo's cheeks seemed to flush slightly, but the blush was subtle. He was not accustomed to being the center of attention, and with so many eyes on him, his expression had turned stiff.

"I sought knowledge from Master during his five-year retreat, studying under Solitary Moon Night. I didn't read Senior's scriptures, but I accidentally discovered these worms, so... so I conducted some research on them..."

Hua Binan exclaimed furiously, "How shameless to steal from others!"

Xue Meng frowned and immediately supported Shi Mo, "What honor is there to talk about with someone as two-faced as you?" He then mimicked Shi Mo's actions and, upon discovering no abnormalities beneath his skin, beamed with joy. Pulling Shi Mo aside, he exclaimed, "That's great! Thanks to you, there are no bugs on me!"

Seeing this, the others followed suit, and soon the Soul Summoning Platform was filled with cries of "I don't have any!" or "Oh no, what do I do? There are bugs on me!"

Hua Binan narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Even if you can tell who has them and who doesn't, so what? Listen up, all of you who have been infested by the heart-eating worms! Come to my side and help me capture Chu Wanning, defeat Mo Weiyu. Of course, I won't treat you poorly. Otherwise..."

He pointed at the sorcerer on the ground, who had died from the worm's bite.

"That will be your fate."

Intimidated, the first to defect was a female cultivator from Solitary Moon Night. She swept over to Hua Binan in full view of everyone, raising her head slightly with an air of arrogance.

Mo Ran was amazed. Even traitors could still act so proudly?

"I apologize, Sect Leader Jiang," she said, "but my support for the Saintly Hand isn't just for self-preservation. I've always admired his wisdom and talent, which is why I studied under him at Solitary Moon Night. Regardless of whether or not I'm infested by the worms, I am willing to be a mere pawn for the Saintly Hand."

As she spoke, she glanced at Hua Binan's expression. Despite being engaged in combat with Mo Ran, Hua Binan wore a delighted smile, clearly pleased with her words. This greatly reassured her, and she urged on, "Senior Saintly Hand has already stated that, considering our shared background, he won't make things difficult for us. All of you should know how to choose."

She waited for a moment, but Solitary Moon Night only sent three cultivators to stand beside her.

The others glared at them furiously, their brows knitted in disdain.

The three cultivators each had their say: "In recent years, Sect Leader Jiang Xi has been running Solitary Moon Night into the ground. It's declining day by day. If it weren't for Cold Scale Sacred Hand, I would have left long ago."

"The Sacred Hand has the skills, and we follow those with abilities."

Someone from Solitary Moon Night couldn't tolerate this anymore and retorted angrily, "Traitors! How dare you say that!"

"Exactly! Traitors!"

"Without honor, get out of Solitary Moon Night!"

Not expecting so many to refuse even under the influence of the Heart-Piercing Beetles, the woman's face turned extremely awkward for a moment. Nonetheless, she flushed red and forced herself to remain composed. "We had no intention of staying in this wretched sect even before you said anything. By following Jiang Xi, you're just ghosts tagging along with a devil!"

She then turned to glare at her former sect leader.

"I, Ling Bi Ran, sever ties with Solitary Moon Night, with Jiang Xi, in one stroke of my—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Xi interrupted him.

Jiang Xi's face was expressionless, his gaze icy cold as he looked down at her. "No need for that sword. Who the hell are you?"

"I—I'm Ling Biran—"

"I wouldn't remember your name even if you said it a hundred times a day," Jiang Xi said coldly. "Scram."

The female Medicine Sect disciple felt both ashamed and furious. She bit her lower lip for a moment before retaliating angrily, "Hah, I didn't expect a sect leader to have such poor manners."

"Is this the first time you've seen me?" Jiang Xi sneered. "But speaking of which, I've never seen you among Solitary Moon Night's thousands of disciples before. To be honest, if not for today's situation, you might never have had the chance to speak with me in your entire life."

With that, his sleeves fluttered, and a fragrant mist rose up as Jiang Xi suddenly attacked Hua Binan's side.

Hua Binan already had the extremely troublesome Mo Ran to deal with, and now Jiang Xi was added to the mix. Clearly, he couldn't handle them both. In desperation, he summoned a wave of heart-piercing insects. Instantly, everyone in the area who harbored parasites felt a million ants gnawing at their hearts, causing excruciating pain.

"Ahh—!"

"Help, s-someone help!"

Jiang Xi paused in his tracks, but as the leader of Solitary Moon Night, he promptly pressed upon several vital points on his body to alleviate the excruciating pain. Still pale, he joined Mo Ran in battling Hua Binan.

Hua Binan was no fool; he crooked his finger, relieving the three traitors from Solitary Moon Night of the agony inflicted by the piercing heart insects. He bellowed fiercely, "Accept the challenge."

Under the pain, some of those with weak resolve saw that surrendering to Hua Binan could save them from this torment. In a blink, nearly half of the crowd knelt before him, crying out, "Please, Altruistic Hand! Remove the curse! We are willing to serve you!"

"I can't bear it anymore... It hurts too much... Please, Senior Hua..."

In the midst of the fierce battle, Hua Binan smiled slightly and said to Mo Ran, whose eyes were fierce as they clashed with his, "So, Grandmaster Mo, you see. In the end, the most powerful is still the Medicine Sect."

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Xi had already drawn his Snow Phoenix. He shouted, "How dare someone like you, who uses despicable means, speak the name of the Medicine Sect?" Then, he addressed Mo Ran, "Go to the formation and assist your master. I'll hold them off here."

Hua Binan sneered. "Is the Sect Leader planning to make an enemy of me today?"

"Enough nonsense."

"You're fighting me even with your body infested by the insects. Sect Leader Jiang Yi Chen, do you really think you have a long life to live?"

Jiang Xi's face darkened. "Who decides the length of my life? If I don't stop you today, the Medicine Sect's reputation might be ruined forever!"

As they spoke, the two experts in poison and medicine began their fierce exchange, their blades clashing amidst a cloud of toxic powder and countering hallucinogens. Seeing that Jiang Xi was not powerless to resist, Mo Ran immediately turned to assist Chu Wanning. However, halfway there, a dozen dark yellow figures pounced at him.

Mo Ran gritted his teeth. "Huang Xiaoyue!"

These were indeed Huang Xiaoyue and over ten high-ranking disciples from the Jiangdong Sect. Standing in the wind with his wide sleeves billowing, Huang Xiaoyue stroked his beard and said, "Grandmaster Mo, the Heart-Piercing Worms are no joke. When our lives hang by a thread, we have no choice but to oppose you. Please forgive us."

Not just he, but other martial arts masters from different sects, unable to endure such agony, also converged on this spot.

The Soul Summoning Platform had now become a chaotic battleground. Sects fought amongst themselves, those infected with the parasitic worms against those uninfected, traitors against loyalists. Everyone was locked in mortal combat.

At this moment, Jiang Xi and Hua Binan fought with all their might, while Mo Ran, the last line of defense before Chu Wanning, faced enemies from all sides, engaging Huang Xiaoyue and waves of cultivators in battle. Chu Wanning, for his part, poured his spiritual energy into countering the mysterious array.

On the other side, Xue Zhengyong and the rest of the Death and Life Peak held their ground at the front line, preventing more rebels from approaching Chu Wanning, who was sealing the enigmatic array. Shi Mo darted among the cultivators inflicted with the Heart-Piercing Worms, attempting to lift the curse from them.

"Burns so much... Kill me, please kill me!" Kneeling down, Shi Mo scooped up a young man writhing on the ground. The youth grabbed Shi Mo's hand, weeping bitterly. "It hurts too much, I don't want to surrender, I don't want to surrender! Please kill me! Kill me! Kill me!"

"Endure it for a little longer," Shi Mo consoled him, placing his fingertips on the young man's pulse point.

"I can't take it anymore—"

"Look at me, look straight into my eyes."

But the young man was oblivious to Shi Mo's words. His fingers clenched tightly, his body thrashing like a fish out of water, gasping for breath. "I can't endure it anymore..."

Shi Mo had no choice but to forcefully turn his cheeks towards him and lift his hand to pry open his tightly shut eyelids. It was no easy task, as the youth kept thrashing, scratching red marks on Shi Mo's arm and wrist.

"Look at me, look at me!"

The man barely regained some sense of clarity, struggling to catch his breath as he turned his eyes, tears streaming down his face to meet Shi Mo's gaze. Shi Mo muttered an incantation under his breath, staring intently into the youth's eyes. Suddenly, the young man shuddered, feeling something rapidly climbing up from his waist and ribs, reaching his chest, then his throat.

"Ugh—!"

He rolled over, vomiting a large puddle of bile with a nauseating stench. Within it wriggled a crimson worm, convulsing violently.

With a swift gesture in mid-air, Shi Mo instantly reduced the worm to dust.

He rose abruptly, declaring loudly, "The Heart-Drilling Worm can be controlled by the Pupil Therapy Technique – it can be removed! I can help you get rid of it!"

Amidst the chaotic battle, he dashed around, frantically shouting, "Stop fighting! It can be undone! Stop killing each other! It—It can be undone!"

However, in the midst of the melee, not many paid attention to him, and his voice wasn't loud enough to be heard above the cries, wails, explosions, and collisions.

Jiang Xi, however, caught Shi Mo's cry. A chill ran down his spine. Could it be... Pupil Healing Technique?

Just like insects drawn to light or fire, once certain venomous creatures infiltrated the body, they could be lured out with the corresponding Pupil Healing Technique, similar to moths to a flame, thus neutralizing the poison from the parasitic insects.

Hua Binan clearly heard it too, muttering a curse under his breath. A fierce glint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

"On this journey, I've slain all the cultivators from Solitary Moon Night who knew the Eye Healing Art. Yet, I never expected that someone from this dilapidated Life and Death Peak would still possess such an advanced technique of the Medicine Sect. Truly—"

His blade clashed fiercely against Jiang Xi's Snow Phoenix, sparks flying like stardust between them.

Hua Binan gritted his teeth and said through clenched jaws, "The youth...are formidable!"

Suddenly, he withdrew his sword and, like a bat, swooped backward before leaping into the midst of the fierce battle.

"Trouble!" Jiang Xi was startled, having perceived Hua Binan's intention. Just as he was about to gather his strength to follow, the piercing worms struck, causing his chest to constrict. He vomited a mouthful of blood, plunging his sword halfway into the ground while kneeling.

His bloodstained lips moved, attempting to warn the others as he gazed in the direction Hua Binan had disappeared, but all that emerged was a feeble whisper, "B... e... careful..."

Shi Mo was in the midst of detoxifying an injured cultivator from Treading Snow Palace who had been infested with parasites. After vomiting out the heart-piercing insects, the cultivator was indeed relieved of his excruciating pain and promptly cried out to Shi Mo.

"Stop fighting! Come here for the antidote, it works!"

Xue Meng was also busy mediating the conflict. He pulled about a dozen people towards Shi Mo, continually urging, "Alright, alright, hold on just a bit longer. No need to cry out in pain, I'll free you all right away, right away. What kind of person is my junior brother? His skills are top-notch, not inferior to any disciple of Solitary Moon Night. I—"

As Xue Meng called out to Shi Mo, he lifted his head, and his words were abruptly cut short.

"Shi Mo!! Behind you—!!!"