Chapter Eleven: The Bait Draws the Ferocious Swarm

Through his connection with the "Pill Infant," Xia Ye had already grasped the movements of the man, even sharing the infant's field of vision. He only needed to wait for the bait to reach the school of fish before making his move.

The reason he hadn't taken that guy down immediately was his awareness of these Gu masters' methods. While peripheral figures like the old man didn't possess such things, those within the inner circle invariably carried Gu insects used for communication. Such insects typically shared similar functions: they served as long-distance transmitters, and if their host died, the "mother Gu" at headquarters would surely react, much like a "Life-Death Tablet" or a "Longevity Lamp."

Acting rashly would only startle the snake. It was better to let the courier bring the bait back to the lair, then storm in and wipe them out with absolute certainty.

"Let's wait a little longer..."

Xia Ye smiled faintly. He walked back to the old man, reached into his robes, and retrieved the "Gu Pill" the courier had given him.

"Hmm..."

In the next instant, his gaze sharpened, and a flash of brilliance crossed his eyes. Under his scrutiny, the Gu pill began to unravel, peeled away layer by layer until it broke down into its most fundamental "metaphysical elements."

After observing for a moment...

"Heh, these guys are truly ruthless. They kept this old man for over a decade, only to eliminate him like this." He chuckled, then spoke.

He had already realized that this so-called "Black Gu" was actually a lethal poison. Once the egg hatched, it would consume the host, devouring their flesh and soul until nothing remained. This reminded Xia Ye of the old man's earlier confession: he hadn't participated in the previous kidnapping incident because he had only just begun his training and lacked the ability to judge people.

"So, that means everyone involved in the last incident was already silenced, which is why the Company couldn't track them and let them get away with it?" He understood immediately.

To the Medicine Immortal Society, these peripheral Gu masters were merely consumables—puppets for their bidding. As long as they were brought into the fold and offered a few favors, they would naturally be filled with gratitude.

"A clever tactic. Even if the Company discovers them, they can just cut off the gecko's tail. And if the Company follows the trail to their superiors, they just discard those superiors as well!" Xia Ye scoffed.

He knew well that the Medicine Immortal Society was a cult. Its members were brainwashed, suicidal pawns; once the Gu in their bodies detonated, not even their souls would be left behind. Even calling in the Lu family would be of no use.

"At this rate, these guys will likely act with high frequency in the coming period to kidnap a new batch of infants as quickly as possible, only to silence them and vanish once again, just like last time."

With that, Xia Ye analyzed the situation. As a transmigrator, he knew this was the exact point in time when the Company would move to eradicate the Medicine Immortal Society and rescue Chen Duo. This meant their current operation was doomed to fail, and furthermore...

"The Company will soon be getting involved!"

At this thought, Xia Ye narrowed his eyes and turned to Xiao Zizhai.

"Old Xiao, we need to adjust our plan. We have to move quickly. Following the Medicine Immortal Society's current pattern, they will soon attract the Company's attention."

His experiments were just beginning, and he had no desire for any entanglement with the Company.

"The Company's influence and surveillance capabilities today are far beyond what they were twelve years ago. The Medicine Immortal Society might not be able to evade the Company's investigation this time. Let's finish this quickly and give them a 'surprise' before the Company arrives!"

"Very well, I have no objections."

Hearing this, Xiao Zizhai adjusted his glasses. A red glint flashed in his eyes, revealing his excitement. For him, the sooner he could start the slaughter, the better. He could feel his blood boiling, his fingers twitching involuntarily.

"Good. Let me see..."

The next second, Xia Ye closed his eyes, shifting his perspective to the "Pill Infant." He began to map the route in his mind, recording the "nodes" the courier passed through. It was clear that the Medicine Immortal Society's lair was indeed deep in the mountains, protected by numerous sentries. Each person who passed the "Pill Infant" would swap it at the next post, a relay system that ensured both efficiency and secrecy.

"No wonder... without the right methods, finding their lair would be nearly impossible." Xia Ye thought as he mapped the path.

To avoid any further encounters, they quickly left the cave and found a hideout in the woods to rest. With that done, the old man was no longer of any use. After a word from Xiao Zizhai, he was taken to a secluded spot and torn in half at the waist.

Watching the twitching, blood-dripping spine, Xiao Zizhai felt a sense of relief and physical ease. The hunger for slaughter in his heart was slightly sated, making the wait ahead much more bearable.

After about seven or eight hours, just as dawn was breaking, Xia Ye finally saw a cave entrance through the "Pill Infant's" vision. The sentry at the entrance took the "Pill Infant" and headed straight into the depths.

"Looks like this is the place..."

He remembered that in the original story, Chen Duo and her fellow Gu children were gathered in a cave to be refined. As expected, upon penetrating deep into the belly of the mountain, a massive cavern was revealed.

"Found it!"

Swish!

In that instant, Xia Ye snapped his eyes open, a gleam of light flashing through them as a smile appeared on his face.

"Old Xiao, the route is clear. There are twelve sentries along the way, spaced roughly ten kilometers apart. I've marked them for you; just follow this path."

*Snap!*

Xia Ye stood up and tapped Xiao Zizhai's forehead. A stream of Qi flowed into him, and a mental map appeared in Xiao Zizhai's mind.

"Once you're inside, do as you please, just ensure your own safety. Oh, and if there are any surviving children, bring them back. Even if they've become Gu children, I can help them."

He then pulled out two bottles of pills and pressed them into Xiao Zizhai's hand. "Take these. One bottle will help you resist the Gu insects, and the other contains several pills—feed those to any surviving Gu children..."

"Don't underestimate those little things. Even though your body is incredibly strong, they are insidious. If they get inside you, even if they don't kill you, they'll make you suffer."

"Understood."

Xiao Zizhai nodded, taking the pills. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "So... you're not coming?"

"This is your fun, and a trial for you. What would be the point of me tagging along? I'll wait here for you. Come find me once you're done." Xia Ye shook his head.

"Fair enough..."

Xiao Zizhai smiled. This suited him perfectly; he didn't need a "nanny" hovering over him, which would only hold him back.

With that, he put away the pills, turned, and vanished into the mountain forest.