They Won't Die

Chapter 82 They Won't Die

Li Yuan stood there quietly.

He looked at these panicked people, at the desire to survive on their faces, and at the obsession with "living" in their eyes.

That longing was so real, so intense, like a fire burning in the abyss—even if it were to be extinguished in the next moment, it would desperately shine in this moment.

He stood there, like an ancient pine tree perched atop a cliff, unmoved by the churning sea of ​​clouds below.

That gaze was as calm as the water in an ancient well, without a ripple.

But beneath that tranquility lies a compassion that words cannot describe—

It wasn't a condescending look down, nor was it empathetic compassion; rather, it was an indescribable understanding that comes from looking back on the path traveled at the end of time.

Like a traveler standing atop a high mountain, looking down at the beings struggling in the mist below.

He knows the end of every road, but he can't walk that step for anyone.

He didn't speak.

He merely raised his eyelids and glanced indifferently at the crowd.

That glance held no pressure, no imposing manner, not even a trace of deliberate emotion. It was so faint, as faint as the morning mist in the mountains, as faint as the afterglow of the setting sun.

It was so subtle that it seemed not to be a glance, but a gaze that existed between heaven and earth—like the bright moon hanging in the mid-sky, simply shining, without saying a word.

Like a spring breeze sweeping across the fields, it simply blows, without striving or competing.

But it was just that one glance—

All sound in the carriage came to an abrupt halt.

Those who were desperately pushing forward suddenly felt as if their feet had taken root, and they could no longer move an inch.

Either someone was holding them back, or something was blocking their way, they just couldn't move—

It felt as if thousands of invisible roots had suddenly sprouted from the ground beneath my feet, deeply penetrating the floor, the very marrow of the train, and the very foundation of something deeper than reality.

Those who were crying out loud suddenly felt something stuck in their throats and couldn't utter a single word.

Either someone covered their mouths, or something was stuck in their throats, they just couldn't shout—

It was as if the sound was gently caught, like catching a fallen leaf and gently placing it back in its place, back into the silence before it was uttered.

Those who were arguing and pushing suddenly felt a chill run through them and involuntarily let go.

It wasn't that someone was scolding them, or that something was intimidating them; it was as if an invisible hand reached out from the depths of their own hearts, gently pressing down on their restless hearts and the nature that had been lost in fear.

Everyone fell silent.

They stared blankly at the figure in the moon-white Taoist robe, at those gentle, watery eyes.

Whoever's gaze falls upon suddenly feels a sense of peace.

It was as if a hand was gently pressing down on their wildly beating hearts.

That hand had no weight, no temperature, yet it was more real than anything tangible in the world because it was not pressing on the heart, but on that very heart.

It was as if a clear spring was slowly flowing into their chaotic minds.

The spring water has no source and no destination, yet it is clearer than anything else in the world that flows, because it washes away not dust, but the confusion that comes with being in the world.

That wasn't coercion, intimidation, or anything imposed on anyone.

That is a deeper kind of vision.

Like an ancient mirror reflecting one's image, it appears when something comes and disappears when it goes.

He simply stood there, simply watched, and yet everyone saw themselves—their fear, their panic, their desire to live, and what lay deeper behind that desire.

Upon seeing it, the fear faded, the panic dissipated, and only the longing remained.

Clean and tidy, like the first cry of a newborn baby, like the first morning bell of an ancient temple deep in the mountains.

They suddenly realized something—

It turns out that what I was afraid of was never death itself.

What they fear is the unknown, the darkness, and the loneliness of falling alone.

And now, someone is standing there.

Someone was watching them.

Someone saw them.

Therefore, the fall is no longer a solitary one.

The carriage finally fell silent.

Only a few suppressed sobs and the mess on the ground remained, still telling the story of the nightmare that had just occurred.

But the sobbing was no longer the sobbing of fear, but something indescribable, welling up from the depths, as if the grievances had been seen, as if the fear had been caught, as if in the most desperate moment, one suddenly realized that one was not alone.

Li Yuan then spoke.

The voice remained as gentle and peaceful as ever, neither too loud nor too soft, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

The sound had a strange penetrating power, not the kind that pierces the eardrums, but the kind that reaches straight to the heart, like the sound of a bell in a deep mountain, which silences all sound once it rings out.

Like the chanting of ancient temples, in the blink of an eye, the entire world falls into silence.

"Stay in your places and don't move around."

Li Yuan paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of those people.

Wherever his gaze falls, everyone feels that he is looking at them, yet everyone also feels that he is looking at a whole.

It was a strange feeling—I was being seen, but not being stared at.

Although I was being watched, I didn't feel pressured.

It's as if the moonlight shines on everyone, yet no single ray shines for any one person. It is simply as it is; it is simply there, illuminating everything that is meant to be illuminated.

"With us here, none of you will die."

This sentence was spoken very softly.

It was so light that it seemed to be stating the simplest of facts.

It was so light it was as if saying, "The weather is nice today" or "This tea is delicious."

But to those people, it was like a reassuring pill.

A very important reassurance.

Suddenly they were no longer afraid.

I don't know if it was the golden light that was too mystical, or the way this person spoke that was too confident, or perhaps it was the calm light in those eyes—

The light was not the brightness of lamplight, but the natural clarity of the world after the morning mist had dissipated.

It doesn't need to illuminate anything, because it is light itself.

In short, they were no longer afraid.

Although their bodies were still trembling, although there might still be something moving inside their stomachs, and although the mess and stench on the ground reminded them of what had just happened.

But they were no longer afraid.

Because this person said they wouldn't die.

Then you definitely won't die.

Nobody asked why.

No one dared to question it.

They simply returned to their seats obediently, sitting quietly without daring to move.

Those who were just pushing and shoving forward now lowered their heads, blushed, and quietly walked back.

Those who were arguing and shoving just moments before exchanged glances, then turned away, pretending nothing had happened.

There was shame in that pretense, but also a certain inexplicable sense of relief—

In that instant, it was as if they all saw clearly how they had lost themselves in fear, and in that single glance, they rediscovered themselves.

Even those who were most seriously injured and vomited the most gritted their teeth and managed to crawl back to their seats.

They lay slumped over their seats, panting heavily, their faces ashen, yet they remained silent.

In that silence, something was growing—

That's trust, that indescribable trepidation and peace when you entrust your life to another person.

The carriage finally quieted down.

Only a few suppressed sobs and the mess on the ground remained, still telling the story of the nightmare that had just occurred.

But the sobbing was no longer the sobbing of fear, but something indescribable, welling up from the depths—

It felt like my grievances had been seen, my fears had been caught, and in my most desperate moment, I suddenly realized that I wasn't alone.

Li Yuan withdrew his gaze.

He turned around and looked at the Miao girl who was still standing there.

Wei Shufen was looking at him.

Those bright black eyes were now filled with complex emotions that were hard to describe.

Shocking—

It was shock at the golden light, shock at the thunderous methods, and even more shock at the existence that "could calm people down just by looking at it."

She grew up in Miao territory and had seen countless Gu masters and powerful figures, but she had never seen anyone like him. He did nothing, just stood there and watched, and everything became quiet.

The doubts are about his identity and about everything.

Who is he?

How did he end up here?

How could he know about the Gu poison of Miao territory?

Curious—

It was curiosity about him personally, and curiosity about why he was here.

Shouldn't such a person be in seclusion in a remote mountain temple, meditating and seeking enlightenment?

How did I end up on this utterly ordinary train?

There was also a hint of awe that she herself was unaware of.

That reverence is not fear, but something deeper—like the heartfelt, spontaneous admiration one feels when standing at the foot of a mountain and looking up at its summit.

Like the first time I looked up at the starry sky, I felt that indescribable, vast, and empty sense of awe.

It's not fear, but rather a sense of humility that arises automatically from the depths of one's heart when encountering something that is broader and more profound than oneself.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something.

But then I found myself at a loss for words.

Looking at her like this, Li Yuan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a very faint smile.

That smile was as faint as a distant mountain, yet it seemed to melt away the distance of thousands of miles.

"You one "6

He spoke slowly, his voice still gentle and calm: "A Gu Master from Miao territory?"

Wei Shufen nodded subconsciously.

The nodding motion was so fast that she didn't even realize it herself.

By the time she realized what was happening, she had already ordered.

That subconscious reaction startled even herself—

She has never been that kind of person; she has never been so submissive to anyone.

But when facing this person, the obedience came so naturally, so naturally, as if it were the only right thing to do.

"Then these people one..."

Li Yuan's gaze swept over the passengers who were sitting obediently in their seats: "Can you save them?"

Wei Shufen then came to her senses.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent thoughts in her heart.

He took a very deep breath, all the way down to the depths of his dantian.

It was as if they wanted to suppress all the shock, doubt, curiosity, and awe, to put them in a corner and ignore them for the time being.

She needs to focus, she needs to do what she has to do—those people are waiting for her to save them.

She looked at the passengers.

Immediately afterwards, Wei Shufen's gaze became focused.

That focus wasn't ordinary focus; it was the instinctive focus of an expert doing what they do best.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, her pupils contracted, and her gaze slowly swept over the faces, bodies, and stomachs of those people.

At that moment, she was no longer the shocked, confused, and curious girl, but a true Gu Master—someone who grew up in Miao territory and learned Gu techniques from a young age, and who had an unwavering certainty when facing the things she knew best.

"able."

When Wei Shufen spoke, she still spoke in her authentic Sichuan dialect, but this time, her soft and gentle tone carried a hint of certainty.

That certainty wasn't feigned; it came from the very core of his being.

He is someone who grew up in Miao territory and learned Gu magic from a young age. When facing something he is most familiar with, he has an unwavering certainty that requires no thought.

Just as a fisherman sees water and a woodcutter sees mountains, she knew how to save these people who had been bewitched.

"They were subjected to a type of Gu poison from our Miao region."

As she spoke, she took a step forward, her gaze never leaving the passengers.

"The eggs of the Gu worms are placed in the tea. After a person drinks it, the eggs hatch in their stomach. The larvae feed on the host's flesh and blood and emerge from their cocoons after they grow up."

Her voice carried a professional calmness.

That calmness wasn't indifference, but rather a natural tranquility when talking about something familiar.

It's as if they're talking about something unrelated to life and death—

Although she knew that this was precisely a matter of life and death.

"In this kind of Gu technique, once the person who casts the Gu dies, the Gu worms will go out of control."

"But with timely treatment, the person can still be saved."

As Wei Shufen spoke, she walked toward the nearest passenger.

It was a young man, in his early twenties, with a pale face and bluish lips, clutching his stomach and curled up in his seat.

Hearing Wei Shufen's words, he raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes—a light so bright, so burning, as if a drowning person had seen the shore, as if a lost person had seen a light.

After taking two steps, she suddenly stopped.

He turned to look at Li Yuan.

A faint light flickered in those bright black eyes.

In that light, there was curiosity, scrutiny, and something indescribable that seemed to be asking:

Who are you? Where do you come from? How do you possess such abilities?

How do you know about the Gu poison of Miao territory? How can you see through all of this at a glance?

But she didn't ask any of those questions.

Because she knew that now was not the time to ask.

Someone is waiting for her to save them.

But she also knew that she would definitely ask this question.

After rescuing these people.

After everything calmed down.

"Oh, right—"

'

Wei Shufen paused for a moment, then said, "My name is Wei Shufen, and I'm from Qinghe Miao Village."

"And you?"