Chapter 61 Plague: Fluorescent Lamp

But the doors and windows inside the house are tightly closed, so how can there be any wind?

"Not inside the body?" Wang Shanyue exclaimed in surprise, then asked, "Then where could it be?"

"I don't know." Tang Yu shook her head, her calm tone revealing a hint of coldness: "Because of the first method of death, and because we are trapped by the idea that Gu worms are always with their hosts, we always think that if infected people bleed to death, they must have Gu in their bodies. But the truth is, they don't have Gu in their bodies at all."

“…Gu?” Hearing the conversation, the lady’s face turned even paler, her lips trembled slightly, and her voice shook.

Her hands gripped the hem of her dress tightly, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. Suddenly, she pushed her husband away, staggered forward, and knelt heavily before the group of people.

"Madam!" Tang Yu was startled and her eyes widened.

Both she and Wang Shanyue rushed to help, but the woman dodged their hands. Tears welling in her eyes, she choked out, "I can see you are all capable; please, I beg you, save my child!"

Tang Yu's fingertips trembled slightly, and her eyelashes drooped gently.

After a moment of silence, she withdrew her hand. She had only grasped a few vague clues; how could she make any promises now?

Her gaze fell on the child's pale face on the bed, then moved to the small hand that had been pulled out from under the covers to take his pulse, and then gently put it back.

"I will stay here tonight," she finally spoke, helping the woman to her feet, her voice gentle. "Perhaps we can find some clues. But... I cannot promise that I can save this child."

The woman thanked him gratefully, but Wang Shanyue, who was standing beside her, was a little worried and was about to speak up to dissuade him.

Tang Yu turned around first and said, "It's alright, I have my own way to avoid the Gu. It's just that the situation is still unclear and there's a lot of unrest, so you should go back tonight."

Living with someone who is infected with the virus is indeed a bold decision.

But she is immune to all poisons and her blood can control all kinds of poisons, so she is naturally not afraid. What she fears is not being able to guarantee the safety of others.

She stroked the silver needle in her hand, the woman's soft sobs ringing in her ears. Blood seeped from her pricked fingertip, causing a slight pain.

She did this intentionally, leaving a trace of blood on both the old man's and the child's wrists. If there really were venomous insects at work, perhaps this blood could save their lives.

Night deepened. The wind howled, as if trying to dim the moonlight.

The entire city of Xia Nan was plunged into a deathly silence, with only the rustling of branches and leaves and the mournful cry of the wind.

Tang Yu sat in a corner of the room, feigning sleep with her eyes closed. Time, meanwhile, slowly passed in this silent vigil.

She lifted her eyelids several times, but saw nothing except the shadows cast by the leaves on the windowpanes and the faint breathing of the child on the couch.

The moonlight tonight is filled with a deathly grayness.

As dawn broke and the pale light crept across the sky, a faint ray of sunlight streamed through the window. Only then did the oppressive atmosphere inside finally dissipate somewhat.

Tang Yu got up and walked to the window. Just as she was about to push the window open to let in some fresh air, she suddenly heard the boy on the bed cough softly.

She immediately stopped, turned around, knelt down in front of the bed, and carefully checked the pulse.

As the night passed, not only was everything calm, but even the deathly pallor on the boy's face had faded somewhat.

His mother received the news and rushed over. She threw herself at the bedside, held her child's hand which was regaining some warmth, and wept uncontrollably.

However, before this joy could last even a moment, the woman suddenly felt her vision go black, dizziness struck, and her body went limp as she fell to the side.

Tang Yu rushed forward to help her, only to see that the other woman's complexion was even worse than yesterday, her lips were pale, as if all the blood had been drained from her.

"Madam, are you alright?"

"I guess it's because I've been too worried these past few days and haven't been sleeping well, so I'm feeling a bit dizzy..." she breathed weakly.

Tang Yu frowned and stared at her, then quickly pulled her wrist to take her pulse.

A weak, floating, scattered, and slow pulse is a typical sign of qi and blood deficiency.

Although I did see her heartbroken and overworked yesterday, to the point that her steps were unsteady, her complexion was still acceptable. How could she suddenly become so weak and unable to nourish her pulse overnight?

A chill ran down her spine. She already had a guess.

Indeed, the "beings" that feed on human blood do not live inside the body. They are like invisible hunters, roaming at night, choosing their prey to devour.

Last night, their own blood protected the boy, preventing them from obtaining more blood. So, they turned their attacks on another living person in the mansion.

With a heavy heart, Tang Yu returned to the Xia Nan Prince's Mansion.

Last night, Wang Shanyue and Xiao Fangliang obviously couldn't sleep either. They sat in the hall early, discussing when to go and fetch her, but unexpectedly she had already returned on her own.

"You mean, the child is fine, but his mother was infected?" Xiao Fangliang gently stroked the teacup, his brows slightly furrowed.

Tang Yu nodded.

Wang Shanyue frowned: "But... they don't have any wounds on their bodies."

Tang Yu lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "Perhaps, the wound is just invisible to the naked eye."

After saying that, she took out two simple sachets from her bosom and handed them to the two men.

She said earnestly, "This is a sachet I made specially. It can protect you from the Gu worms. Please be sure to carry it with you at all times."

He then turned to Wang Shanyue and said, "There's something I need your help with."

“Speak,” Wang Shanyue immediately stood up. After listening attentively, his expression turned serious, and he immediately got up and went out.

Finally, Tang Yu looked at Xiao Fangliang with burning eyes: "Fangliang, please ask King Xia Nan to prepare some things. Tonight, perhaps we can try to catch those insects."

*

In the evening, the three returned to the mansion.

Because the child did indeed improve overnight under Tang Yu's care, the head of the family and his wife were naturally moved to tears. They not only personally welcomed them but also immediately agreed to Tang Yu and his companions' request to stay another night.

"Tonight, I would like to ask that you, Madam, stay with the child and sleep in the same bed," Tang Yu said solemnly.

Although the couple found it strange, they were eager to save their son and readily agreed.

It was late at night.

The lights in the room were off, and all was quiet. Only the faint moonlight shone through the window paper, outlining the shape of the bed.

The boy's room was slightly crowded. Behind the white gauze curtains, the mother and son, sleeping in each other's arms, were partially obscured. Tang Yu and Xiao Fangliang were hidden in the shadows of a corner, while Wang Shanyue stood guard outside the door.

The entire room was like a cage swallowed by darkness, the air so stagnant that one almost forgot to breathe.

Tang Yu stared intently at the snow-white curtain, her breathing growing heavier, and she gripped the object in her hand tightly.

Time passed slowly in silence.

She waited for a while, but there was no movement. Just as she was about to relax and check her surroundings again, she suddenly noticed that the curtain swayed without warning, as if it had been "blown" by the wind.

But the doors and windows inside the house are tightly closed, so how can there be any wind?

Tang Yu's eyes lit up suddenly, and she quickly exchanged glances with Xiao Fangliang.

Without hesitation, the two rushed forward, each flashing to either side of the bed curtains. In perfect unison, they grabbed the top and bottom corners of the white curtains and folded them sharply towards the middle.

The white curtains, like an encirclement, instantly covered the space in front of the bed.

Simply closing the curtain wasn't enough. The two dared not stop. Each held one end of the white curtain, and with a sudden burst of strength, they twisted the fabric in one direction, instantly tightening the edges.

With a swift and skillful move, the originally flat and drooping white tent was instantly twisted into a "bag" with tightly bound ends and a bulging middle by the two.

Got him!

Although subtle, Tang Yu could sense that beneath the hundred-cloth wrapping, there seemed to be countless tiny, restless things rubbing and colliding within.

Without making a sound, she pricked her fingertip and quickly smeared the blood on the trembling mother and child on the bed.

Then, he took the knot from Xiao Fangliang, intertwined it with the knot in his own hand, tightened it, and tied it securely.

Just then, a cold snort suddenly rang out from outside the house.

He pushed open the door from the outside, and without hesitation, raised the firefly lamp that Tang Yu had specially made. The cool, pale blue light pierced through the air, instantly illuminating the darkness in front of the door.

Several people couldn't help but gasp.

Where the light shone, countless tiny insects, as fine as dust particles, appeared in places that should have been empty!

They are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye in the dark.

Under fluorescent light, they swirled wildly in the air like startled dust. It was utterly eerie and sent chills down one's spine.

"Quickly!" Wang Shanyue shouted in a low voice, blowing on the tinderbox in his hand.

Almost simultaneously, Tang Yu flashed to the door, squinted, and locked her sharp gaze on the "insect mist".

She raised her hand and suddenly released what she was holding tightly.

The specially made phosphorus powder precisely enveloped the swarm of insects, and then with a "poof," the tiny spark from the fire starter instantly ignited the entire air.

In an instant, a strange and dazzling blue-white flame exploded, flickering like a ghostly flower that bloomed for a moment and then withered away just as quickly.

A series of rapid, chilling crackling sounds, accompanied by a burnt smell, emanated from the flames and spread through the night.

The fire came quickly and went away quickly.

Like an illusion, only scattered specks of charred powder on the ground remain as proof that it once existed. Sadly, they too vanished without a trace with a gust of wind.

Not daring to be careless, the group used fireflies as a guide to carefully search the house, both inside and outside, and under the eaves and walls. Only after confirming that they could no longer find any trace of the insects did their tense nerves relax slightly.

The commotion had already alerted the head of the family, who rushed over without even having time to straighten his clothes.

At the door, Tang Yu and the other two stood side by side. She still clutched the white cloth bag that was trembling slightly in her hand; while inside the house, the woman was curled up on the bed, holding her child, her face filled with panic, almost crying out loud.

"My husband..."

"Gentlemen... this, this is?" The patriarch's voice trembled, unsure whether to retreat or step forward.

Tang Yu raised her eyes, her expression calm and composed, and said simply, "We have caught the culprit. Tonight, your wife and children will be safe."

After he finished speaking, everyone was taken aback. Then their gazes all fell on the seemingly ordinary white cloth that concealed an unknown evil object.

Wang Shanyue, the most impatient of all, stepped forward and asked, "What exactly are those things in here... those of us who were burned to death?"

Tang Yu lowered her head and replied softly, "Probably midges."

"Midges?" Xiao Fangliang was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing across his eyes before turning into understanding.

He had heard of this creature before and was puzzled. "I remember that midges, though they suck blood, mostly feed on nectar and tree sap, right?"

Wang Shanyue interjected, looking puzzled: "Wait a minute, what exactly is a midge?"

"People often call it 'minnow' or 'sesame mosquito,'" Tang Yu explained patiently, softening her tone.

“Similar to midges, but much smaller, almost invisible to the naked eye. Fang Liang is right, ordinary midges don’t suck human blood. So… this must be a very special kind, a blood midge.” She paused slightly, her tone turning chilling.

Looking down at the mountains and the charred remains beneath the embers of the flames, I recalled those countless tiny dots and felt a chill run down my spine.

"It's so small, can it really drain a person dry?" she asked incredulously.

"Besides those we burned to death, and those trapped under the white tents, there are at least several hundred. How many times can the blood of one adult be enough for them to feast on?"

Tang Yu's eyes were cold and sharp, and the corners of her lips curled into a smile that was hardly a smile.

"A person cannot survive if they absorb less than half of the blood from a body. Even after becoming a corpse, these blood midges can continue to feed, which is why we see those bloodless mummies."

“I see…” Xiao Fangliang murmured softly.

He couldn't help but admire the method's thoroughness, almost flawless. His curiosity piqued, he asked, "So, how did you guess it?"

Tang Yu didn't answer directly, but instead looked up at the night sky. Although the clouds obscured most of it, the moonlight was still quite clear.

Her voice was very soft, as if she were sighing: "Because it's too dark in this room."

[Author's Note]

Author's rambling: The principle behind using fluorescent lights to detect midges is inspired by the "Tyndall effect".