Chapter Thirty: Crimson Netherworld

Everything seemed too coincidental. Why were Lianmu and Luyin unscathed when the disaster struck, while it only afflicted their other family members?

With this doubt in mind, I asked, "Lady Luyin, before the calamity struck, was there anything unusual at home? Or perhaps, do you know if your family had any enemies?"

Luyin shook her head. "Our parents were always traveling, kind to everyone, and never offended anyone. Lianmu and I rarely left the house, so we never had conflicts with outsiders."

"What about during the years after your parents returned home because of Lianmu's illness, or even before you were old enough to remember? Could your parents have made any enemies?" Senior Brother Luo Xi tilted his head, scrutinizing Luyin.

It wasn't an unreasonable suggestion.

"Yes, Lady Luyin, could there be anything you overlooked? Perhaps the key to the disaster lies in some small detail." Noticing her wandering expression, it seemed she was still hiding something, so I pressed further.

Luyin furrowed her brows, holding her head in her hands in distress. "I really can't remember. I'm very sorry." Her voice was tinged with urgent breaths, as if struggling with some unpleasant memory.

"Young lady, do you know what business your family was involved in?" Master Lingyun seemed to have noticed something.

Luyin clutched at her clothing, eyes shut tightly. After a long pause, she whispered, "Spiritual medicines…"

Spiritual medicines? That's not something ordinary families would be involved in. I had heard from a great sage that spiritual medicines have various effects and uses, making them very special. Some can grant longevity and immunity to all illnesses, while others can significantly enhance the cultivation of practitioners. They are rare and highly sought after. If Luyin's family dealt with such medicines, it could explain a lot. Perhaps her family had a conflict with a practitioner of dark arts over these medicines, leading to this disaster.

Thinking along these lines sent chills down my spine.

"May I ask, did the young man in your family ever come into contact with or consume any spiritual medicines?" Master Lingyun's question seemed puzzling.

Sensing that something was wrong, I stepped forward and asked Master Lingyun, "What do you mean by that?"

Master Lingyun shook his head at me, flicking his horsetail whisk with a slightly displeased expression. "If this young lady continues to withhold the truth, there is nothing more I can do. You all should leave."

The master's temper was indeed peculiar. Luyin wrung her sleeves repeatedly, struggling for a long time before finally speaking. "Lianmu... Lianmu did take some spiritual medicine, but I just wanted to cure his illness, to make him like an ordinary person. I truly didn't know that the medicine was nourished by malevolent energy. I thought... I thought all spiritual medicines were good for healing."

"Some spiritual medicines are indeed very special, either malevolent or benevolent. While some can cure illnesses and save lives, others, born from resentment and evil energy, can also become extraordinary. However, such medicines usually need to be purified before consumption," Senior Brother Luo Xi explained. Then, he lightly scoffed at Luyin, teasingly saying, "You're so ignorant about spiritual medicines, why didn't you ask your parents before giving such medicine to your brother?"

Luyin lowered her head in guilt and murmured, "I... I stole the medicine without telling my parents. I didn't consider all the consequences."

"Even if you had explained it to your parents, things wouldn't have ended up like this."

Strangely, Senior Brother Luo Xi's words were unusually harsh today. I couldn't let him continue speaking like this.

I grabbed his arm and shook my head vigorously. Only then did he fall silent, turning away in displeasure.

"At the time, my parents regarded the medicine as extremely precious and wouldn't let anyone touch it. In a moment of desperation... If it weren't for me, Lianmu wouldn't be like this! It's all my fault!" As she spoke, Luyin started crying again. I quickly went over to comfort her, gently patting her back.

"Now I understand. If I'm not mistaken, when you gave this medicine to the young man, a strange red light enveloped the entire room. Black energy gathered in his lower abdomen, followed by a bloody glow and then complete chaos. After that, young Lianmu's temperament became violent and ruthless. It was this malevolent energy that led to the premature death of your younger siblings, unable to withstand the invasion. Truly, a disaster had descended," Master Lingyun said, looking at the unconscious Lianmu with a sigh. "The Crimson Netherworld is formed in extremely dark places, nurtured by hundreds of resentful souls through a single plant. This malevolent force is formidable, sustained only by the aura of corpses from mountains of bodies and seas of blood."

Mountains of bodies... seas of blood... just hearing these terms made me break out in a cold sweat. It was no wonder Lianmu ended up like this after being treated with such a malevolent medicine.

"Master Lingyun, is there a way to remove it?" I asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"The Crimson Netherworld has now fused with young Lianmu's vital channels. To forcibly remove this malevolent energy, you would need to use extremely pure and clean spiritual medicine to purify it."

"So, we need to find another spiritual medicine to counteract his current malevolent energy?" I clicked my tongue in confusion. "But where can we find such a pure and clean spiritual medicine?"

Master Lingyun smiled and waved his hand, sending a young disciple to the back room. Shortly after, the disciple returned, carrying a red wooden box and gestured for me to open it.

I carefully lifted the lid, revealing a ginseng-like plant about two fingers wide, translucent and glowing, with a faint aura of mystical energy.

I stared in shock for a while before stammering, "This... this is...?"

Master Lingyun smiled and said, "I was fortunate enough to obtain this spiritual medicine many years ago. Today, I offer it as a gift."