From the moment Junior Martial Brother Sha reminded me not to let Senior Martial Brother notice anything, I felt like they were hiding something from him.

But I also don't know the significance of hiding it from him and its connection to this Western Liang Kingdom born from a ghost embryo.

With these questions in mind, I finally waited for Senior Martial Brother and Junior Martial Brother to return with the Fetal Fountain water.

Senior Martial Brother walked towards our hut while loudly saying,

"Master, I have retrieved the spring water."

Upon hearing the sound, several old women also came out, looking surprised.

"It's truly miraculous. You really retrieved it. It's rare, rare."

Senior Martial Brother happily instructed,

"Quickly bring a bowl and fetch water for Master to drink."

The old woman took a small bowl and filled it halfway with water, then said to Master,

"Elder, drink slowly. Just a small sip is enough to dispel this fetal qi."

While Master was being served, Second Martial Brother had already been calling incessantly.

"Don't just focus on Master, take care of me too."

"Elder, I'm coming, I'm coming."

The old woman was about to fetch water with the bowl, but Second Martial Brother shouted,

"Don't use the bowl, bring that ceramic bowl instead. I'll finish it in one gulp."

After hearing this, the old woman was shocked and quickly held Second Martial Brother's hand, saying,

"Elder, you can't. If you drink that whole bowl, I'm afraid your intestines and stomach will dissolve."

Can it dissolve intestines and stomach? Isn't this exactly the "Demon-Transforming Water" of Taoism?

This Demon-Transforming Water is of no use to ordinary people, but it is extremely effective against those tainted with Yin and evil spirits. When used properly, it can drive away evil and exorcise demons, but if used improperly, one's spirit and form will scatter, turning into a puddle of pus.

In that case, Jieyang Mountain is the territory of Taoism, and this "Fetal Fountain" is the hand that grips the throat of the Western Liang women's country.

While I was pondering, the old woman dug a hole and buried the remaining spring water, saying it was enough for her own coffin.

At this moment, I heard screams coming from the hut.

This is the unique ability of being in the "Animal Realm" that I possess, capable of discerning the sounds of ghosts and spirits.

Looking through the window of the hut, I saw Master and Second Martial Brother sitting on the wooden barrel brought by the old woman, clutching their stomachs.

In their bellies, two black shadows seemed to be torn apart by invisible hands, emitting desperate screams.

As a piercing cry rang out, followed by a crashing sound.

Master and Senior Brother simultaneously expelled masses of things with a strong stench.

With a comfortable groan from Second Martial Brother, I knew we had overcome another hardship on our journey west.

But those few questions still troubled me. Coincidentally, Junior Martial Brother Sha came over to feed the animals, so I immediately asked him.

"Junior Martial Brother Sha, who brought the water from the Lethe River to this Western Liang Kingdom?"

Junior Martial Brother Sha, seemingly relieved, only spoke quietly.

"In this world, there is a bias against girls. Countless female infants are drowned shortly after birth. These resentful spirits cannot cross the Naihe Bridge and cannot be reincarnated, so they can only throw themselves into the Lethe River, enduring the suffering of soaking for hundreds of lifetimes."

"Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, with compassion in mind, in order to save these lost souls, brought them into this Mother-Child River from the Lethe River, allowing them to exist in this world in a different form, thus creating the Western Liang women's country."

After listening, I felt as if I had just awakened from a dream and immediately asked a question that had been bothering me for a long time.

"Has Second Martial Brother..."

Before I could finish my question, Junior Martial Brother Sha immediately interrupted me.

"Remember, the heavenly secrets must not be revealed. Don't speak, don't ask, don't look."

Just as I was about to ask further,we heard a loud commotion coming from the direction of the hut. We hurried back to see what was happening.

Inside the hut, we found Master and Second Martial Brother lying on the floor, their bodies convulsing. The old woman who had served them the Fetal Fountain water was frantically trying to revive them.

"What happened?" I asked Junior Martial Brother Sha, my voice filled with concern.

"I don't know," he replied, his face pale. "Something must have gone wrong with the Fetal Fountain water."

As we watched, the two figures on the floor continued to convulse, their faces contorted in pain. It was a horrifying sight.

Without thinking, I rushed forward to help, but Junior Martial Brother Sha grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Don't touch them!" he warned. "It's dangerous. We need to find someone who can help."

We quickly decided to seek assistance from the nearby Taoist temple. We carried Master and Second Martial Brother out of the hut and made our way through the dense forest towards the temple.

When we arrived, we were met by a senior Taoist priest who recognized Master and Second Martial Brother.

"What happened to them?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Junior Martial Brother Sha explained the situation, recounting the events that had transpired with the Fetal Fountain water.

The senior Taoist priest nodded gravely. "It seems they have been affected by the dark energy of the Lethe River. We must perform a purification ritual immediately."

With that, the senior Taoist priest led us to a sacred chamber within the temple. He began chanting incantations and performing intricate rituals to cleanse the negative energy from Master and Second Martial Brother's bodies.

Hours passed, and finally, the convulsions ceased. Master and Second Martial Brother lay unconscious but appeared to be at peace.

The senior Taoist priest turned to us and said, "They are stable for now, but it will take time for them to fully recover. We must keep a close eye on them and continue the purification process."

We nodded, grateful for the priest's help.

As the days went by, Master and Second Martial Brother gradually regained their strength. They had survived the ordeal, but the incident had left its mark on them.

Master, in particular, seemed different. He was quieter, more contemplative. It was as if he had glimpsed something profound during his near-death experience.

Junior Martial Brother Sha and I resumed our duties, but the questions that had been lingering in my mind remained unanswered. I wondered if we would ever uncover the truth behind the Western Liang Kingdom and the Lethe River.

For now, all we could do was focus on supporting Master and Second Martial Brother on their path to recovery and hope that one day, the mysteries of this world would be revealed.