Chapter 123: Doctor Xia: This is not a Gu worm

In Kuaiji County, Liu Ji, who had been full of vigor and vitality for the past two months, was now lying on the bed, breathing heavily.

"Doctor, how is my master's illness?" the official asked anxiously, stretching his neck.

It is a busy time now, and many people are counting on their elders to take charge.

The old doctor stammered and was unable to speak.

The officials were so anxious that they grabbed his collar and asked him questions repeatedly.

Liu Ji recovered from his coughing fit and waved his hand to stop him. "Let him go." He turned to the old doctor and said, "Doctor, just tell me straight. How long do I have left to live?"

The old doctor lowered his head and whispered, "The county magistrate has contracted a Gu disease. Generally, those who contract this disease only have one or two years left to live."

Liu Ji's expression didn't change at all. He looked very calm, not at all like someone who knew he was dying. "Luo Qing, send the doctor out."

"Yes." The subordinate Luo Qing swallowed what he wanted to say and respectfully led the man out.

As soon as the person left, Liu Ji could no longer maintain his calm expression and started shouting with his teeth bared.

He took out a palm-sized stone from his pocket and struck it in a regular rhythm. When the stone lit up and revealed the clear and moist luster of jade, he immediately shouted at the stone,

"Master, help me! I've been bewitched by the Baiyue barbarians! I'm only two breaths away from death!"

…

"Liu Ji's message for help?"

Wei Shengxue took the note handed to her by Meng Yi, opened it and scanned it.

"Poison?"

Wei Shengxue's eyes lit up, curiosity and eagerness to try were concentrated on her face.

Her expression was truly understandable. Seeing this, Meng Yi confirmed with her, "When will the Immortal Master depart? I have ordered the Minister of War to prepare the carriage."

Wei Shengxue waved her hand and rejected his suggestion.

"Saving lives is like putting out a fire. By the time the carriage passes, the seventh day will have passed."

She raised her voice and called out, "Yangzi!"

Princess Yangzi came as requested, bringing with her her favorite chestnut cake.

"Master, what are your instructions?"

Wei Shengxue accepted her feeding as usual, saying, "I'm going to Kuaiji County. You stay home and guard the gate. Contact me if anything happens."

Princess Yangzi tactfully didn't question her purpose, but simply reminded her, "Can Lidong come back? You promised Shaolan that you would attend her engagement party."

Wei Shengxue felt that if they were only going to rescue someone, at most they would spend some time exploring the Gu worms. Even if they had to find time at the last minute, they could still make it back and forth. They would definitely not miss it, so they nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've remembered the time and I won't miss it."

She didn't have many friends here, and even fewer who she needed to say goodbye to in person. An hour later, she left Xianyang.

…

"This belly seems to be getting a little bigger." Liu Ji rubbed the belly that looked like she was four or five months pregnant. The hard feeling under his hands made him feel uneasy.

"Damn barbarians, you stole my pearl oysters and even gave me worms!"

The thought of bugs crawling inside his body made him feel uncomfortable all over, for he was afraid that one day when he opened his mouth, a centipede as big as a thumb would crawl out.

"Sir, it's time to take your medicine." Luo Qing held the medicine and looked at him expressionlessly.

Liu Ji leaned back, his face full of rejection. "What the hell is this? It's expensive, tastes bad, and is useless. I've wasted all that money. I'm not drinking it!"

He grabbed a document and pretended to look at it seriously.

As long as he can avoid drinking the medicine, he can read not only official documents but even the crappy words of those pedantic writers!

"Sir, the doctor said that although this medicine cannot cure the disease, it can make your death less painful." Luo Qing repeated the doctor's advice seriously, without even a flicker in his eyes.

Although it was not the first time he heard it, Liu Ji would be speechless every time it was repeated.

This quack doctor can't cure diseases, but he has a strong brainwashing ability. Look at what his subordinates said. He used to be a lively person, but now he has become a wooden stake, a wooden stake that can make people angry to death.

Half an hour later, Luo Qing came back and put a bowl of steaming black medicine juice under Liu Ji's nose.

"Sir, take the medicine. I've reheated it."

Liu Ji: “…”

He looked up at his capable subordinate who had been standing here waiting for him to drink the medicine without taking it, and sighed deeply, "Leave it here, I'll drink it later."

You can't just keep your good and capable subordinates here just because he doesn't take his medicine. Otherwise, the work will pile up and he will have to clean up the mess.

Thinking back to the last time Luo Qing was on sick leave and how he was so busy that he was exhausted, Liu Ji decisively surrendered, "Okay, okay, I'll drink it, I'll drink it." He picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The unique and strange smell of Chinese medicine made his eyes go straight, and he chewed two malt candies before he came to his senses.

After finishing his drink, he leaned back in his chair and started to talk dirty again, "Qing, if I can't make it through this, where will I be buried?"

"I got into trouble because I was doing something for an immortal, so I deserve a lavish burial. As for the location, shall I be buried in the imperial mausoleum?" Liu Ji stroked his chin and began to imagine the honors he would receive after his death. "But our emperor is so domineering, he might not want me to squeeze in with him. Look at the palaces around his Zhangtai Palace, they're all closed to inhabitants. I'm sure he'll need a similar amount of space after his death."

The veins on Luo Qing's forehead were throbbing, "Just shut up!" Even His Majesty was involved in the plot.

"Why don't you want the immortals to appreciate your hard work and take you up to heaven directly?"

Liu Ji spread his hands and said, "How do you know I haven't thought about it?" He sighed softly, "Isn't this possibility too small?"

It would be better to hope that he can be resurrected after he ascends to heaven. Then he will not have to suffer the pain of struggle and can enjoy happiness directly.

Luo Qing rolled his eyes and turned away.

There are so many things going on in Kuaiji County every day. He must be crazy to be wasting time here with the county governor.

The courtyard was temporarily quiet, leaving only the sound of pen tips rubbing against paper.

After finally dealing with the urgent matter, Liu Ji rubbed his growing belly and coughed softly a few times. He curled his fingers, a hint of worry on his face.

My hands are getting weaker and weaker.

According to the doctor's description, this Gu disease will initially cause a mild cough, weakness and a big belly, but when it becomes serious, the patient will cough up blood, lose the ability to eat, and lie down waiting to die.

His official career had just begun, and the legendary immortality was right before his eyes, but he died just like that. Even if he was open-minded, he couldn't help feeling depressed.

"Alas, I don't know when the Immortal Master will arrive. If I wait any longer, I'll have to go to the delivery room and lie down."

"You can try it."

A vague and distant voice was heard from the clouds, bringing with it the scent of old friends.

Liu Ji jumped up in surprise, "Master, you are finally here!"

He looked up and saw a green shadow appear among the blue sky and white clouds, and in an instant it turned into a green light and fell to the ground.

The man in the misty green robe and with jingling jewelry on his wrists was the immortal whom I hadn't seen for several months.

At this moment, the other party was looking at his bulging belly in surprise, "Your belly can be used as a shield."

"What kind of insect is this? It can actually make a man pregnant."

Liu Ji was not angry at all when he heard this. Instead, he enthusiastically shared his feelings with her.

He patted his belly, making a muffled thumping sound. "When you pat your belly, it's a bit like patting a drum, except the sound is crisper and doesn't have the elasticity of a drum. It's a bit like a stone covered with sheepskin."

This optimistic performance, whether genuine or feigned, made Wei Shengxue's favorability soar.

I thought I would see someone sighing and complaining about his illness, but I didn't expect there would be an interesting "activity".

Wei Shengxue couldn't do it directly, so he could only use his spiritual power to tap it twice in the air to satisfy his curiosity.

However, these two moves also allowed her to sense what was happening inside his body.

“There really are bugs.”

Wei Shengxue opened her eyes wide and sent a trace of spiritual power into his body.

She flexed the grass in the courtyard, and the flexible leaves formed a comfortable recliner. "Just lie down. I'm going to use my spiritual power to investigate your internal condition. If you feel any discomfort, please tell me immediately."

Liu Ji touched the chair made entirely of grass leaves with curiosity. Under his hands, he felt the unique smooth yet rough touch of the leaves. He lay on it and moved around to adjust the position. It fit the lines of his body perfectly and was more comfortable than a bed with ten soft pillows.

It is worthy of being produced by gods.

When he becomes an immortal, he will enjoy himself like this.

Just as he was adjusting his posture, he felt a warmth on his wrist. Looking down, he saw a faint light of light green disappearing between his left wrists, but he did not feel any discomfort caused by the invasion of foreign objects.

Wei Shengxue concentrated her mind and let her consciousness follow the spiritual power into his inner palace. Her meridians were unobstructed along the way, which made her sigh inwardly: What a good seedling for cultivation.

Spiritual energy quickly traveled through the internal organs and limbs...

hiss--!

The spiritual power was frightened and withdrew from the body at the speed of light. Wei Shengxue looked up at him and saw that his belly, which was only four or five months old, had grown bigger.

She looked away awkwardly, not daring to look at Liu Ji who was twitching in pain.

"I'm sorry, it seems my spiritual power just now fed the bugs in your body to grow bigger."

Liu Ji pinched his palms, enduring the pain. A faint smile appeared on his pale face. "Immortal power is a great tonic. It's a pity that the bug took advantage of it. Otherwise, I, Liu Lao San, would be the one who is stronger now."

Seeing that he was in great pain, Wei Shengxue subconsciously wanted to pinch his fingers and cast a pain-relieving spell on him, but thinking of the spiritual power that had just been used to bless the "insect", the ray of spiritual light stopped at the tip of his finger.

She took out a bottle of pills made from ordinary herbs, poured one out and handed it to him, "Painkillers."

"There's more than one bug in your body," Wei Shengxue said, looking grim as she recalled the scene she saw in her spiritual consciousness. "It's a whole nest."

"It's so small, almost invisible to the naked eye. Where did you get this bug from?"

Liu Ji took a pill and the pain stopped after a while. He tilted his head back and recalled the past.

"It should be in the pearl-farming lake."

He gnashed his teeth in hatred. "Those barbarians, unable to steal the pearls, poisoned the water! They want to poison us all!"

"Bah! Don't even think about it! I want to live longer than them! Better than them!"

"It was the rainy season, and our food reserves were almost depleted. Furthermore, the continuous heavy rain forced all the prey in the mountains to hide."

Liu Ji wasn't blinded by anger. He had already thoroughly analyzed the other party's motives. "They're running low on food, and they heard we have a lot of clams here, so they want to steal some. The lake is shallow, not as dangerous as the sea, and there aren't many guards... Humph, they're taking advantage of me!"

After failing to succeed, he put a curse in the water, trying to kill them!

"You just said the Gu worms were so small they were invisible. No wonder we didn't notice anything was wrong when we were in and out of the water every day. We only realized it when the disease broke out. What a vicious mind!"

Wei Shengxue recalled the scene she had just seen, and always felt that it seemed to be quite different from the poisonous insect she had imagined.

Why does that insect look like a parasite?

But she put the thought aside after a while. She had never seen a real poisonous insect, so maybe they looked like this.

Wei Shengxue shook off the doubts in her heart and comforted Liu Ji, "I will refine the elixir for you to expel it immediately. The remaining elixir will be left to you as compensation for my mistake."

Liu Ji's pale face instantly turned red, and a huge grin spread across his lips. "That's great! With the help of the immortal, it will be easy to catch the poisonous insect. Then I, Liu Ji, will be waiting for your good news."

…

Hundreds of miles away in Lujiang County, a white-haired old man withdrew his hand from taking a patient's pulse. Opposite him was a group of people with big bellies.

If there weren't old people, children and men mixed in, they would definitely be mistaken for a group of pregnant women.

The originally heartwarming scene became a bit more eerie with the addition of men, young and old.

"Divine Doctor Xia, can you get rid of the poisonous insects in our stomachs?"

Divine Doctor Xia's face was gloomy, and his rosy complexion seemed to be covered with a layer of gray. "This is not a Gu insect."

He remembered a disease mentioned in the immortal book "Barefoot Doctor's Manual", and the symptoms were very similar to those of the people before him.

It felt like a huge stone had fallen in his heart...

If it really is that kind of disease, it will be troublesome.