Princess Tantai had not expected that the National Preceptor would refuse to participate in developing the antidote. He claimed to be in seclusion praying for the people — yet with the nation in crisis and his level of cultivation, why would he not take concrete action? Could prayers alone dispel a corpse plague?

The corpse poison was a toxin — and not just any toxin, but a yin-sinister corpse miasma that defied ordinary cure. If it remained without resolution, Dapan would become a living hell. What could possibly be called stability under such conditions?

The stability he spoke of — surely it meant a nation at peace and its people thriving? Yet with the nation in plain crisis before him, what exactly was he doing?

Princess Tantai felt profoundly disillusioned, and deeply grieved for those suffering under the plague. They had revered him as a god, yet when true catastrophe descended, the National Preceptor failed to step forward.

And the mystical decree he issued — all the more laughable for it. Without leading the effort himself, he retreated to his corner and kept to himself, passing the burden to those of the same Dao — yet he had no fear of people’s contempt?

Princess Tantai recalled what he had once said — when Dapan is stable, the nation is at peace. Tasting those words again now, she found them nothing but bitter irony.

“Holy Maiden, Fellow Daoist Lang has sent over a medicinal decoction — one that can protect living people from being bitten and infected by the living dead who have contracted the corpse poison. It will serve as a protective measure for the common people. As for the Righteous Yang Miasma-Dispelling Talisman — we can have our fellow Daoist practitioners paint them, but there is concern that officials who receive the talismans may hoard them or profit from them. You will need to issue an order: any official found exploiting their position for personal gain will face the execution of nine familial relations, to make an example and restore proper order.” Gong Si said. “In particular, these Miasma-Dispelling Talismans are extremely difficult to paint — even among our peers, it is impossible to produce large quantities all at once.”

Painting spiritual talismans required not only cultivation, but also vital yang energy.

Princess Tantai examined the Righteous Yang Miasma-Dispelling Talisman that had been sent over as reference — it was Lang Jiuchuan’s work. The talisman script was intricate and complex, yet for Princess Tantai, with her innate gift of producing talismans with a single flash of insight, it was straightforward enough.

For the National Preceptor, it would be equally effortless.

But would he be willing to paint them for this cause?

Princess Tantai said: “I will pass word to His Majesty — with the nation in crisis, any official found exploiting their position for personal gain will be executed on the spot.”

Gong Si nodded. Then all at once, a great commotion erupted from the direction of the detention prison. They rushed over at once — only to find Luo Ruitin retching violently, black blood mixed with viscera spilling across the floor. And among it — insect eggs?

Both of them went pale at once.

They looked again at the detention prison — yin energy growing denser and heavier with every moment — and an inexplicable sense came over them: a time of absolute darkness was fast approaching.

Meanwhile, back with Lang Jiuchuan — unable to spare any attention for the corpse phantom still roaming outside, she returned to the medical tent at Guanjiang Village with the Ghost Orchids in hand, and immediately began processing the medicinal ingredients.

She had to race against the corpse phantom for time.

She first drew a large bucket of mountain spring water, had the water spirit refine it further, then took a jade basin to wash the Ghost Orchids. Soaked in the spring water, the Ghost Orchids became even more crystalline and translucent — strange and sacred.

This flower was yin-natured to begin with. She had no clear plan for how to best process it to maximize its medicinal properties, so she simply started fresh with a new formula — adding black bean husks to slightly moderate its yin nature, then placing the entire stalk of spring-washed Ghost Orchid into the decoction just before it finished simmering, and cooking it on a low flame.

With the Ghost Orchid added to the pot, a strange and unsettling smell emerged — like something that had been stored away for a very long time, giving off a sour, foul, and rotting odor that made one feel instantly nauseous.

Lang Jiuchuan channeled a stream of Supreme Yin Profound Darkness True Qi into the pot, thoroughly catalyzing the flower’s medicinal potency. Once the decoction was ready, she finally added the Righteous Yang Miasma-Dispelling Talisman.

The medicine was done. The liquid was a strange and striking shade of crimson.

Lang Jiuchuan tasted a small mouthful. It was sour, bitter, foul-smelling, and repulsive — every feature of her face scrunched together, and she nearly spat it out. Yet she could feel within the liquid a tiny spark of vital life force, warming and enlivening the meridians throughout her body.

On instinct she formed finger-locks and guided that vital force through every channel — nourishing the eight extraordinary meridians — until it had fully settled. Her pulse became deep and strong and steady.

“How is it?” Daoist Zhishang asked her, his face pale.

He had attempted to paint two of the Righteous Yang Miasma-Dispelling Talismans — only two, and the effort had already drained more than half of his vital energy. His complexion was ashen.

Lang Jiuchuan handed him a bowl of the decoction. “The Ghost Orchid contains vital life force — this medicine is inherently balanced, not a harsh or violent remedy. Those of us who drink it: if there is poison, it will purge poison; if there is none, it will strengthen the body. After drinking it, you can run two full circulation cycles to catalyze the medicine’s effects. You have worked hard these past days.”

Daoist Zhishang accepted the bowl. The smell was repellent, but he tilted his head back and drank it all the same. The indescribable taste surged straight to the top of his head — giving him the feeling of having eaten rotting flesh.

Lang Jiuchuan had people carry the full bucket of antidote over to the living dead. She swept her gaze across them — in the time she had been up the mountain dealing with the bone pit, two more faces had vanished completely.

And this was only the surface. In all the places she couldn’t see — how many more lives had already been lost?

“I cannot say whether this antidote will work. It may even irritate the corpse poison, and the internal organs might suffer an adverse reaction. This is the best formula I have been able to devise. If you are willing to try—”

“Whether we live or die, is it not all fate? We’ve already managed a few more days — everything beyond that is a gift.” Little Jade stepped forward first, accepting the bowl of decoction poured out by a soldier, and drank it in one swallow. Right behind her was her husband, Liu Quan.

Both drank. Everyone fell silent, watching — as the two shifted from white to red, and then from red to bluish-grey, their complexions cycling through every hue.

Within the span of a few breaths, both felt something like a fire-serpent blazing through their meridians — coursing through every part of their bodies. That scorching, searing righteous yang energy drove the yin chill out from within them.

A dark, shadowy aura rose from them both — then scattered with the wind. Immediately after, the two collapsed forward onto their hands and knees and began retching — mouthful after mouthful of black blood, until the blood gradually shifted to a vivid, healthy red. Only then did the two slump to the ground, utterly drained, complexions stark white, eyes vacant and glassy.

Lang Jiuchuan went to them, pulling up their sleeves. The dark corpse-discoloration that had earlier been deepened by the miasma-dispelling decoction had faded to near-invisibility. Their pulses, too, were evening out toward stability.

Her heart surged with elation. She immediately extended her divine consciousness to examine Little Jade’s eight extraordinary meridians — and found that the black corpse poison had already vanished. Only a faint trace of yin energy remained, while within the core energy center, a fragile flicker of vital life force was gently nourishing the organs.

It worked.

Seeing the expression on Lang Jiuchuan’s face, everyone understood at once. The crowd surged forward toward the soldier distributing the medicine — a frantic, jostling scramble.

“Stay calm and wait. There is enough of this antidote for everyone.” Lang Jiuchuan gave the Dizhong a single shake. Its toll rang out like thunder, and the commotion quieted at once.

Eunuch Wang hurriedly dispatched more people to distribute and boil additional medicine. Lang Jiuchuan watched as they drank it, paying close attention to those in the most severe condition — they had been afflicted longest. Compared to those with milder symptoms, their detoxification was far more agonizing, and their bodies far more frail. Lang Jiuchuan felt her pulse and her heart grew heavy.

“The poison has been cleared — but your internal organs have already sustained damage. Your remaining years are limited. I am sorry — this is beyond my power to save.” Lang Jiuchuan looked at the woman who had first pleaded with her, then reached out and touched her child’s forehead. “Fortunately, he has not worsened. He has many years ahead of him still.”

The woman broke into sobs, clutching her child, and bowed her head to the ground again and again. “This is already more than we could ever hope for in our darkest hour. Thank you, Immortal Lang. You are a living bodhisattva — a savior of the suffering. Thank you.”

“Thank you, Immortal Lang!”

Every last person from Guanjiang Village bowed down to her.

Faith and devotional power flowed ceaselessly into her spirit platform. Lang Jiuchuan rose to her feet, looked to Daoist Zhishang, and said: “The antidote is ready. Let us begin saving the world.”