The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"Once the Crimson Dust Gu dissolves in water, only extremely high temperatures can kill it. Boiling the water makes it safe to drink."

Qi Si's voice was hoarse and deep, and when he talked about Gu techniques, there was a bright light in the depths of his eyes.

He forgot love, but he didn't forget the art of Gu poison.

In matters concerning the Crimson Dust Gu, he was the most authoritative person in the Nine Provinces.

"Um."

Tang Xixue nodded slightly.

"This matter is indeed important."

A person can go without food, but cannot go a day without water.

If the drink can be consumed after boiling, it means that people can still save themselves and are not caught between poison and thirst.

This has already been confirmed by the Beichen Wenhua Hall.

Grand Tutor Yan Xun, presiding over the Wenhua Hall, mobilized the best doctors and alchemists in the land, trying several treatments day and night. The final conclusion was exactly the same as what Qi Si had said.

The army had already ordered that boiling water be used for drinking. The cooks set up large pots and boiled water day and night. The boiled water was then divided into leather bags and sent to each camp.

But things are different in the military and in civilian life.

Official notices were posted all over the city, and yamen runners banged gongs and shouted along the streets that water had to be boiled before it could be drunk.

But when the people heard this, some did as instructed, while others found it troublesome and felt that the government was just spreading alarmist rumors.

Those who didn't care continued to draw a ladle of cold water from the well and pour it down their throats, then collapsed one after another.

Natural disasters are easy to prevent, but people's hearts are hard to guard against.

"What is this 'Crimson Nest' that Your Highness just mentioned?"

Tang Xixue raised her eyes and her gaze fell on Qi Si's face.

"The source of this Gu is called Jiangchao."

Qi Si explained slowly.

"In every area where the Gu scourge has broken out, there is a Crimson Nest. It is the place where the offspring Gu hatch and gather, hidden in the shadows, constantly spreading the Gu eggs outwards."

"Birds fly by, and the Gu eggs are caught on their feathers; streams flow by, and the Gu eggs are caught in their waves. One spreads to ten, ten to a hundred, and it never ends."

His gaze was deep and somber.

"Only by finding the Crimson Nest and burning it to the ground can we completely stop the Gu plague in that area. Otherwise, killing more Gu practitioners will only be cutting the weeds without eradicating the root of the problem."

The snow in Tangxi is silent.

She has been keeping a close eye on the situation regarding the resolution of the Crimson Dust Gu.

The elite forces dispatched by various countries to track down the perpetrators of the poison all shared the same thought.

The poison is released by a person; by eliminating the person who released the poison, the source of the poison is cut off.

The henchmen of Guixu Palace were found and killed in various places. With each one eliminated, a city was temporarily spared.

But the curse continues to spread.

Now that she heard Qi Si say this, she finally understood that those who used Gu poison were just the ones who distributed the Gu eggs.

The hand is broken, but the root remains.

As long as the Red Nest remains intact, the plague of Gu will never end.

It seems that rescuing Regent Qi Si is indeed the key to resolving this calamity.

No wonder Guixu Palace acted against Qi Si before anyone else.

It wasn't because he wielded immense power, but because he knew too much.

He knew where the Crimson Dust Gu's Achilles' heel was, how to find the Crimson Nest, and how to kill the Gu Mother.

As long as he lives, he is an indelible thorn in the heart of the Pavilion Master Fengxiao.

But to their surprise, Qi Si, who was deemed certain to be dead, was actually saved.

"Is there anything special about the location of that Crimson Nest?"

Tang Xixue asked directly.

Regent Qi Si was a man of sinister nature and ruthless methods, and was feared by everyone in the court and the public.

But there is one thing about him—he values ​​gratitude and loyalty.

If someone gives him one point, he will repay them ten points in return.

If someone owes him a sum of money, he will demand it back a hundredfold.

His likes and dislikes were so distinct that they bordered on obsession.

"You've come to the right person."

"Besides myself, perhaps only the one who raises Gu poison knows the location of the Crimson Nest."

He closed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something from a very distant past.

"I only heard my grandfather mention it once when I was young. At that time, I was too young to take it seriously, and I just listened to it as a story."

He opened his eyes, his voice deep and slow.

"The Crimson Nest prefers shade, cold, and wind. It dislikes water and light. It usually hides in the depths of caves where mountain winds blow through. The wind enters from one end of the mountain and exits from the other, never ceasing. When the Crimson Nest reaches maturity, the Gu eggs are carried away by the mountain winds and drift in all directions."

"I was only seven or eight years old at that time. I never expected that after so many years, I would actually see the Crimson Dust Gu."

A conversation that Qi Si heard in his youth became the key to breaking the world-destroying curse decades later.

Fate is a fickle force, capable of turning the world upside down and never acting in accordance with reason.

Tangxi Xue seemed lost in thought.

It prefers shade, cold, and wind, but dislikes water. A cave through which mountain winds pass.

She silently repeated those words in her mind, as if piecing together an invisible map.

"So, Xueying is also in the mountains."

Where there is a crimson nest, there will surely be snow fireflies within a radius of several miles.

The stronger the Gu energy, the brighter the firefly light.

Conversely, if we find a place where snowflakes gather, we are not far from the Crimson Nest.

"right."

Qi Si nodded slightly, then changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

"All the Crimson Dust Gu in this world originate from the same Gu Mother. As long as the Gu Mother lives, no matter how many Crimson Nests you destroy, it can regenerate just as many."

Tang Xixue remained silent.

Gu Mother.

The Ghost Doctor also mentioned these two words in his letter.

The crimson nest is the branches and leaves, while the Gu mother is the root.

Chopping the grass does not remove the roots, but the spring breeze blows and regenerates.

"That's all I know."

Qi Si's voice was even lower than before, carrying a hint of weariness that was hard to hide.

He had only recently regained consciousness and was still weak. After saying so much, he already looked tired.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his lips were a little paler than before.

Tang Xixue stood up.

She solemnly cupped her hands in greeting to Qi Si, her snow-white robes fluttering slightly in the candlelight. Her silver mask concealed her expression, but it could not hide the solemnity revealed in her gesture.

"Thank you for informing me, Regent."

Her voice was clear and crisp.

"In that case, I will not disturb you any longer. Your Highness, please rest well. Farewell."

She turned and left without hesitation.

With light and steady steps, and her clothes fluttering, she had already reached the door.

That figure blended into the moonlight.

Mo Jian stepped forward and gently closed the door of the warm pavilion, shutting out the night breeze and moonlight.

That's straightforward.

He uttered something under his breath, whether in praise or in admiration, it was unclear.

"Uncle, the situation outside is critical, and we must do something."

Qi Wang had a private conversation with the Regent in the warm pavilion.

The snow in Tangxi left very decisively.

The corridor winds and turns, and moonlight filters through the branches of the jacaranda trees, creating dappled patterns.

Tang Xixue returned to her residence and took out a communication jade talisman.

The first message was sent back to Beichen.

Record Qi Si's words in the spirit runes for their reference.

The second message was sent to the Kingdom of Zhiyue.

The Moonlit Sea Kingdom, the Celestial Star Palace.

The night wind blew in from the sea, carrying a salty, damp scent and the low murmur of the waves.

The hall was sparsely lit, and the blue crystal lamps illuminated the entire hall with a dazzling light, making it feel like being underwater.

Xingyu leaned against the window, holding a communication jade talisman in her hand.

He specially went to the Seven Generations Pavilion to buy it, choosing the most expensive pair, with the most stable spirit patterns and the farthest transmission range.

It is said that this talisman can cross the nine continents, and can be transmitted word for word even across mountains and seas.

So he bought it.

Things for my younger sister should naturally be the best.

The moment the talisman lit up, his expression softened.

A faint warm light rose in his eyes, like a warm current rising from the ice.

"Little Pearl".

He spoke, his ethereal voice traveling thousands of miles through the spiritual patterns.

"As for Zhiyue, everything is still under my brother's control. You don't need to worry."

His tone was calm and unhurried, carrying a sense of composure and reassuring power.

"Father and Mother are both well."

"Little Pearl, did the search for your soul go smoothly?"

The rune surface lit up briefly.

Tang Xixue's voice came from the talisman, clear and melodious.

"Yes, I have found a wisp of celestial soul."

"Thank you for your help with Zhiyue, brother."