The mysterious girl nodded with a smile.
"Mm, thank you, Lin Shuai... ah, brother."
The mysterious girl was clearly still unaccustomed to the shift in her relationship with Lin Shuai Nan.
Hearing the word "brother," Lin Shuai Nan felt a warmth in his heart, accompanied by a surge of responsibility.
He immediately patted his chest, "A small matter! Don't worry, with Father Bai gone, I, your sworn brother, will protect you. I'll give my life to ensure those demons and malevolent spirits can't harm you any further!"
Although Lin Shuai Nan was often informal and his words could be erratic, even now he seemed to be playing around.
However, everyone, including the mysterious girl, knew that Lin Shuai Nan was a reliable person. What he said, he would definitely do.
"Mm, thank you, brother."
Touched by Lin Shuai Nan's sincerity, the mysterious girl grew more accustomed to the address.
Suddenly, she seemed to recall something and quickly said to Lin Shuai Nan, "Brother, you must keep the item Uncle gave you safe. Never take it out again."
Upon hearing this, everyone became even more curious about what Lin Shuai Nan had on his chest.
Clearly, the mysterious girl knew a great deal about it.
For her to be so solemn about it, the item must have a significant origin and considerable value.
Seeing the gazes cast upon him, the mysterious girl chuckled and brushed it off.
Seeing her reaction, the others didn't press further.
Lin Shuai Nan nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, I will definitely keep it safe!"
"You should be able to show your true face now, shouldn't you?"
Ling Feng suddenly spoke in a low voice.
The others were startled. The mysterious girl gently bit her lip, her gaze flickering.
"You already know my origins?"
The mysterious girl asked tentatively.
The surrounding people watched the two exchange cryptic words, only able to worry in their hearts.
Couldn't they just say it directly!
Ling Feng shook his head.
"I don't know your origins, but based on the methods you used to resist the corpse poison earlier, and your prior knowledge of corpse蛊 techniques, I can basically conclude that you... must have studied corpse蛊 techniques."
Everyone was even more astonished!
She knew such mysterious and unfathomable corpse蛊 techniques?
Feeling the intense gazes of everyone, the mysterious girl felt immense pressure. Finally, she shook her head.
"I vaguely heard that you are on a quest to find the successor of the Corpse Gu family. What do you want with the people from the Corpse Gu family?"
She paused, and seeing Ling Feng's unwavering composure, continued, "You seem to harbor hostility towards them."
Ling Feng shook his head, "If that's the case, you are from the Corpse Gu family."
His tone was very certain.
The expressions of those around them changed. They looked at the mysterious girl with vigilance, and even Lin Shuai Nan couldn't help but gasp.
The villagers of these three villages had all been victims of corpse蛊 techniques, and they had personally experienced the power of these arts.
Therefore, upon learning that the mysterious girl was from the Corpse Gu family, everyone couldn't help but be surprised.
"Is this matter related to you?"
Ji Yunyue's face turned cold as she stared at the mysterious girl and questioned her directly.
The mysterious girl quickly shook her head, "No! How could it be related to me? These are ancient corpse蛊 arts, and our Ba family..."
The mysterious girl realized she had let slip a word and hurriedly covered her mouth. But seeing the serious and suspicious expressions of everyone, she finally gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and said, "Alright, I admit I am a descendant of the Corpse Gu family. My name is Ba Yilan! Furthermore, these ancient corpse蛊 arts have long been lost. Our Ba family only has a very small portion recorded. Moreover, by the time it reached my generation, we rarely used corpses to cultivate Gu and practice witchcraft!"
Ba Yilan's expression was solemn, and she explained urgently.
Ji Yunyue and the others exchanged glances. They believed some of what the mysterious girl said but still had doubts.
Only Ling Feng nodded.
"This matter has nothing to do with you! The Ba family... can be ruled out!"
Ling Feng's definitive conclusion further weakened the suspicions in everyone's hearts.
Now, Ling Feng was their backbone.
"Oh dear, it's good that it's nothing!"
Lin Shuai Nan, sensing the tense atmosphere between the two parties, quickly said with a smile.
Then he grinned at Ba Yilan and said, "Little sister Yilan, let me formally introduce you. This is your sister-in-law. You can call her Sister-in-law Xiuxiu."
Ba Yilan knew Lin Shuai Nan was trying to ease the tension and immediately nodded obediently, "Mm, hello, Sister-in-law Xiuxiu."
Xiuxiu's pretty face blushed at Lin Shuai Nan's sudden action. She repeatedly waved her hands at Ba Yilan, "Hey, hey, don't listen to his nonsense! I have nothing to do with him."
After saying that, she reached out and gave Lin Shuai Nan's waist a 360-degree twist.
"Let's see if you dare to talk nonsense again!"
"Ouch, Xiuxiu, in front of little sister, can you give me a little face?"
"What face do you want? Do you have any face?"
Facing Xiuxiu, Lin Shuai Nan could only shrink his neck back pitifully.
With the playful scuffle between the two, the previously tense and silent atmosphere instantly lightened.
The others no longer dwelled on Ba Yilan's identity as a descendant of the Corpse Gu family.
As everyone was chatting and laughing, Ling Feng quietly got up and walked out of the Mountain God Temple.
"Tianzun, have the people been treated?" Yang Fei asked with concern.
"They have been."
Ling Feng stared at the undulating mountain range ahead, his gaze sharp, and said indifferently, "I've gained some insights. The Ba family, among the three major Corpse Gu families, can basically be ruled out of suspicion!"
"Oh? Then, according to Elder Su, besides the Zu family whose lineage has been broken, there seems to only be the Shi family left."
Yang Fei had naturally overheard the conversation inside and then suggested, "Tianzun, perhaps we can start with Ba Yilan. We might be able to get some clues!"
"Judging by her demeanor, she likely doesn't know much about the Corpse Gu lineage. It's useless to say more. Perhaps, I didn't learn enough from the Medicine King back then. The Medicine King is Ba Yilan's uncle, and he must have some Corpse Gu heritage. He must know more than Ba Yilan!"
Ling Feng's tone carried regret.
"Oh? Could it be that the Medicine King deliberately concealed some things?"
Yang Fei speculated.
Ling Feng's expression remained unchanged. He looked at the distant mountains, and his pupils suddenly dilated.
Yang Fei sensed something unusual and suddenly turned his head. He saw a figure clearly visible on the mountaintop illuminated by the sunset, seemingly looking in their direction.
"Tianzun, that's... a person!"