Wuxia Across the Heavens: I Collect Side Effects

Upon entering Yunnan, the surrounding scenery changes abruptly.

The mountains stretch endlessly, ancient trees reach for the sky, and the humid wind carries the fragrance of grass and trees, along with a faint, fishy smell, as it brushes against your shoulders. It is completely different from the magnificence of the Central Plains and the desolation of the Western Regions, and everywhere you look, you can feel the unique mystery and eeriness of southern Yunnan.

Su Xin composed himself, his sharp gaze sweeping over his surroundings, his goal for this trip already clear in his mind.

Ghost face spider, golden thread spider, red-banded spider.

These three types of poisonous spiders correspond to the illusion poison, nerve poison, and fire poison required for the Five Poisons Mixture, respectively, and are the key to his breakthrough.

He secretly recalled the clues he knew: the Ghost Face Spider, which was mentioned in "The Sword Stained with Royal Blood", was one of the Five Saints of the Five Poisons Sect. The Soft Red Spider Rope, which later became famous in the sect, was made mainly from the silk of this poisonous spider.

Golden thread spiders are more common and are often used by disciples of the Five Poisons Sect to set traps. Their silk is tough and highly venomous, and touching it will paralyze the nerves.

As for the Crimson Spider, it should be closely related to Li Mochou's Crimson Palm of the Ancient Tomb Sect. Its venom is extremely hot, comparable to burning fire.

Although we know their general origins, the Yunnan region is vast and full of poisonous creatures, so finding these three types of venomous spiders accurately will still require considerable effort.

Su Xin dared not delay and followed the trail of the ghost-faced spider recorded in the ancient book, heading straight towards a secluded valley.

As you approach the valley, a village built against the mountainside suddenly comes into view.

The village is small, and the houses are all made of wood, scattered at the foot of the mountain in a well-organized manner. In addition to the smell of grass and wood, there is also a faint smell of incense in the air.

Su Xin noticed that most of the villagers in the village were surnamed He, Qi, and Pan. At this moment, the whole village was gathered in the open space in the center of the village, with solemn expressions, as if they were holding a special ceremony.

Driven by curiosity, Su Xin quietly hid behind an ancient tree and watched intently.

On the open ground stood a simple wooden platform, on which a woman was bound tightly in a sack. The sack was not completely sealed, and the woman's eyebrows and eyes could be vaguely seen. Her expression was unusually calm, without the slightest fear.

Immediately afterwards, several villagers dressed in coarse linen clothes and with dark complexions carried several bamboo baskets up to the platform and poured the poison from the baskets into sacks.

There were black, thumb-sized venomous spiders, scorpions waving their pincers, and snakes flicking their tongues and glowing green.

For a moment, a rustling sound came from inside the sack, which sent chills down one's spine.

Su Xin raised an eyebrow, secretly wondering: What's going on?

Judging from this display, it doesn't seem like an ordinary sacrificial ceremony, but rather some kind of special cultivation method.

However, placing living people and poisonous creatures together in this way is rather bizarre.

Before he could think further, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly came from inside the sack, piercing the tranquility of the village and making people's hearts tighten.

Below the platform, the elders remained indifferent, unmoved. One white-haired old man stepped forward and addressed the villagers loudly: "Fellow villagers, see clearly! This is the fate of those who lose their chastity! No matter where you flee, we will find you. From now on, you must keep your eyes open, uphold the virtues of womanhood, and not be deceived by outsiders, lest you suffer such a tragic end!"

Upon hearing this, Su Xin immediately understood and his expression turned serious.

It turns out that this was not a cultivation method, but a cruel ritual used in the village to punish women who had lost their virginity.

This practice is quite similar to some of the evil rituals of the Five Poisons Sect in later generations. However, while the Five Poisons Sect in later generations mostly used poisonous snakes, this practice involved a mixture of various poisonous creatures, making it even more cruel.

After the ceremony, several villagers stepped forward, tied the sack tightly, and hung it on the crossbeam of the high platform with ropes. Then they dispersed with the other villagers, leaving only the sack hanging on the platform. Occasionally, a few faint groans could be heard before it gradually fell silent.

Su Xin stood behind the ancient tree, listening to the gradually fading sound, a complex feeling passing through his heart.

He didn't want to meddle, as the world is a dangerous place and the customs of such remote villages often have far-reaching implications. But hearing the woman's desperate groans, he couldn't help but intervene.

He flashed and quietly darted to the foot of the platform, gathering strength in his fingertips, and gently pointed out.

With a "rip," the rope binding the sack snapped, and the sack fell heavily to the ground, tearing open to reveal a woman covered in injuries inside.

Her body was covered with dense bite marks, red, swollen and black, the venom had already entered her body, her breath was weak, and she only had one last breath left.

The woman struggled to open her eyes. Seeing Su Xin before her, a faint light flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced by despair. She murmured, her voice hoarse and broken: "Kill me...please kill me...I'll give you anything...On the mountainside in the middle of Ghost Face Gorge, there's another...green camellia. Behind the camellia, there's...a cave. Inside are my treasures, all of them yours...please, give me a quick death..."

Su Xin sighed softly as he looked at her pained expression.

Although he cultivated poison skills, he was not heartless. The woman was already deeply poisoned, and all her meridians were broken. Even if Hu Qingniu were here, he probably wouldn't be able to save her. Rather than letting her suffer like this, it would be better to give her a way out.

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Xin condensed a wisp of gentle internal energy at his fingertips and lightly touched the woman's brow. The pain in the woman's eyes instantly faded, and a look of relief appeared on her face. Then, her head tilted to the side, and she completely lost her life.

Su Xin stood up, glanced at the traces of poison remaining on the platform, and without lingering, turned and quietly left the village. He had never wanted to get involved in the village's conflict, and his intervention this time was already more than enough.

However, the "Ghost Face Gorge" that the woman mentioned before her death stirred something in his heart.

The Ghost Face Spider he was looking for was rumored to be found in the Ghost Face Gorge area, and he never expected such a coincidence.

It seems that while searching for spiders, we can also take a look at the mountain in the middle of Ghost Face Gorge; perhaps we will find something unexpected.

He found a place to rest, since this was Yunnan, and there was no way he would encounter snakes, insects, rodents, or ants in the wild. It would be safer to stay near a village.

"Poor Ah Xiu!"

"Don't pity her. It's her own fault for being tricked into having her body taken by outsiders. The Golden Cicada Gu poison has been stolen, no wonder the village chief and the others are so angry. That's what we rely on for our livelihood. It takes about ten years to cultivate two pairs, and now all those ten years have been wasted."

"Therefore, outsiders cannot be trusted. You can know a person's face but not their heart. Xianyu Tong of the Huashan Sect is also extremely shameless."

"Yes! If that kind of person were to appear in Yunnan again, he would be made to wish he were dead."

Hearing this, others around him echoed, and Su Xin finally realized who this Ah Xiu was.

It turned out to be Axiu, the Miao girl that Xianyu Tong met in Yunnan!

She hid for several years before being found by the clan and subjected to clan rituals.

Thinking of Hu Qingyang, Xianyu Tong is indeed shameless!

However, one has to admire this person's smooth talk.