Chapter 26 Your father is my father

Leaving the county government office and walking along the bustling road, Song Jin's mood suddenly calmed down.

Although Niu Tielan's physical condition cannot be resolved for the time being, at least the cause of her illness is now known, so she won't be like a headless fly blindly trying to cure herself by simply taking supplements and lying down.

Gu

Similar insects existed during the apocalypse, but these were naturally formed flying insects with special abilities. Individually, their lethality wasn't much greater than ordinary insects, but once they swarmed and entered the human body, they became extremely difficult to control.

Many people, after being penetrated by insects, would rather lose a hand or foot than go back to wait for treatment. That process is extremely painful and agonizing, but ultimately, it can be saved.

Song Jin refused to believe that in a place where supernatural abilities were generally so low, insects more terrifying than those from her previous life could exist. Thinking this, she felt a little better. Taking a deep breath, she pulled Xiao Hei towards Huichun Hall.

Thinking of Song Xingzhi, the culprit, she still felt a burning hatred in her teeth.

She should have hit harder, that bastard!

...

As the best clinic in the county, Huichuntang was always bustling with patients, never quiet. Old Liu, as the head of the clinic, spent almost every day there unless there were special circumstances. He would treat difficult or serious cases, and when not, he would sit in the inner room compiling medical books and testing new medicines.

He was born into the imperial family as a physician and possessed a strong sense of pride. He would never visit a patient unless they were on the verge of death, not even a county magistrate could change his mind, let alone an unknown 'official' from the capital.

Song Xingzhi lay on the cramped hospital bed, stripped naked and covered in acupuncture needles, rendering him completely immobile. He moved his lips listlessly, "Doctor, I won't die, will I?"

Old Liu scoffed, "It'll only take two injections. This man is acting all effeminate. Don't move your head, I need the injection."

Song Xingzhi stared at the finger-length silver needle, instinctively closing his eyes and scrunching his face. "Do they have to stick it in my face too? Could it be that my head is injured as well? Oh no, am I going to go crazy? Doctor, my head hurts so much. Oh no, am I really going to go crazy? I haven't even had a son to carry on the Song family line yet..."

In all his years of medical practice, Old Liu had never seen anyone more talkative than Song Xingzhi. So annoying was he that he deliberately misdirected his needle, silencing the entire inner room.

Old Liu was satisfied. He quietly finished inserting the remaining needles, then said to Song Xingzhi, who was unable to move or speak, "Alright, I'll remove the needles in fifteen minutes."

Song Xingzhi tried hard to turn his eyes: "Speak, speak! Why can't he speak?"

"You're being too noisy, it's hindering the treatment. You'll be fine after the needles are removed, don't worry. Your internal injuries aren't serious, just a slight shock to your internal organs. I'll prescribe some medicine, take it for half a month and you'll be fine. Your headache is from when you fell and hit your head, there's some bruising, it'll dissipate after a couple of days of massage, you won't become mentally impaired."

Old Liu stroked his chin, clicking his tongue in amazement: "These external injuries, although they are all skin and flesh, show that the person who did this used skillful force and knew the acupoints. Each move is not fatal, but they are painful. You have to endure it for a while. Who did you offend?"

Song Xingzhi opened his eyes wide: What do you mean he offended someone? It was clearly that shrew who was being unreasonable.

Seeing him like this, Old Liu thought to himself that it was no wonder he had been beaten. He shook his head and said, "You should take good care of yourself. Although these external injuries won't affect your health, I can see that you are lacking in vitality and have a deficiency of kidney yang. It's probably because you've been indulging in a lot of indulgence lately. If you don't take good care of yourself, it's hard to say how you'll be able to carry on the family line in the future."

Song Xingzhi blinked frantically, trying to convey his meaning: "Slander! Slander! He's been so busy lately he barely gets two hours of sleep a night. Where would he find the time for romance? He's exhausted, completely exhausted."

Old Liu couldn't understand it; he'd only found the man's voice annoying before, and now it was just an eyesore. He rubbed his aging eyes, looking slightly disgusted.

"Just lie there and rest. I'll come back in a bit."

To be honest, aside from that brat, he had a prejudice against everyone with the surname Song.

Song Xingzhi lay there, watching the old man about to leave, frantically gesturing to his companion, begging him not to go. Although the old man seemed unreliable, lying there covered in needles without a doctor made them even more uneasy.

He's a person who values ​​his life very much.

Li Qingshan, his 'comrade', holding his longsword, silently looked away, took out some silver coins from Old Liu, and handed them to him, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Liu."

Old Liu greatly appreciated his tact and accepted the money without hesitation, saying, "I'll put this money into the relief fund. I thank you both on behalf of the poor and sick."

After hearing this, Li Qingshan opened his wallet again, took out two taels of silver, and handed it over, praising, "Dr. Liu is kind and righteous; since he is helping poor patients, please accept this."

Old Liu: "I'm just doing what little I can."

...

The two of them stood there and started praising each other.

Lying there, utterly deprived of his rights, Song Xingzhi stared at his wallet, tears welling in his eyes. That was his money!

But no one paid him any attention.

Old Liu was chatting with Li Qingshan, and as he looked at the silent Li Qingshan, a guess formed in his mind.

These are royal guards.

Having served as a royal physician for many years, he possessed a certain level of discernment. He simply didn't know which branch of the royal family this person belonged to—though none of them were related to him, it was always best to show some respect.

After exchanging pleasantries, Old Liu felt that was enough and was about to end the conversation when the ward door was kicked open with a bang.

"...You brat!" Old Liu didn't even need to turn around; just from the noise, he knew who it was. He turned around irritably and was startled by Song Jin's current appearance. "What's wrong?"

Song Jin, usually so carefree and easygoing, was now drenched in sweat. Her long, black hair was disheveled and mostly soaked with perspiration. Her face was tense, her lips pursed, and she looked menacing, clearly looking for trouble.

She didn't even answer him, walking straight towards the bedside, her expression radiating murderous intent.

Unable to move or speak, Song Xingzhi's eyes widened: Help, help me!

Li Qingshan silently stepped forward, picked up a piece of clothing from the side, and covered the girl's crotch to protect her eyes. He then stepped back, showing no concern whatsoever for Song Xingzhi's life or death.

Song Xingzhi: ...

Having crawled out of a pile of corpses, Song Jin didn't care whether Song Xingzhi was naked or not. She walked straight up to him and, under his terrified gaze, reached out and pulled the silver needles from his acupuncture point.

"Cough cough cough you, you"

Once the silver needles were removed, Song Xingzhi was freed, though his voice was hoarse and he couldn't speak. He coughed a few times, and just as he was about to speak, his neck was grabbed tightly again. He met Song Jin's vicious gaze.

Song Xingzhi, ever the flexible one, forced a smile and said, "You, what brings you here? My injuries aren't serious, so there's no need for you to visit me."

Song Jin had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with him. Her face was grim. "I'll ask you a question, you answer it. Don't try anything funny, or I'll strangle you."

Even a clay figure like Song Xingzhi would have some anger, let alone someone who wasn't clay to begin with. He sneered, "Kill me? Do you know who I am? You're just a commoner, and you've injured me like this. I should be grateful I'm not even bothering with you. And you dare threaten me? If I were to make even one move against you, it would be enough to put you in jail for the rest of your life."

Song Jin tightened her grip, her face expressionless: "If you've got the guts, then go ahead and give it to me. To be honest, I only just confirmed that your father is indeed my father."

It was a bit convoluted. Song Xingzhi sorted it out, his expression stiffening for a moment before changing instantly. His face, covered in needle marks and bruises, immediately hardened: "Little sister, just ask whatever you want. Brother will answer everything he knows."

What kind of intentional injury is it to put a sack over someone's head? Can a playful fight between siblings be considered an injury?

Song Jin unconsciously increased the pressure in her hand: "Do you know about the Red Thread Gu?"

Song Xingzhi was a little out of breath: "I know, I know, but, but, be gentle."

Song Jin was disgusted by his behavior, and withdrew her hand to wipe it aside: "Speak."

Song Xingzhi wanted to ask her how she knew this, but seeing her gloomy face, he wisely kept quiet and got straight to the point, replying...

"The Red Thread Gu is one of the Seven Gu of Lingnan. It is said to be a lover Gu, but it is actually a killing Gu. Every mother Gu requires thousands of red worms to kill each other to form. Each mother Gu can give birth to ten pairs of Gu in its lifetime, controlling five pairs of lovers. This Gu was originally created to punish clansmen who ran away from their clans, making them kill each other unknowingly when they were in love, watching their beautiful faces wither and die. It is extremely cruel and insidious."

Song Jin's expression grew increasingly troubled: "How do we solve this?"

Song Xingzhi sized up Song Jin's appearance, a vague suspicion forming in his mind. His heart sank, and he shook his head: "There's no solution. This Gu was created for punishment; there's no way to resolve it, at least I've never heard of one."

Song Jin suppressed her anger: "Can't we lure that bug out?"

"That's a Gu, not an insect. Once implanted, it quickly burrows into the heart and lungs, and within a hundred days, it and its counterpart Gu mutually bewitch the host. Finally, the one that loves the other most kills it. At this point, the pair of Gu becomes a single Gu, which then transforms into countless smaller Gu, gnawing at flesh and blood until only skin and bones remain. The most terrifying thing is that the person who has been poisoned remains conscious throughout the entire process."

"The Seven Gu Poisons of Lingnan, Each with No Curse"

As he spoke, Song Xingzhi, who had been unable to move, sat up halfway. Under the astonished gazes of everyone, he reached out and pulled out the silver needles from his acupoints, asking with a wry smile, "Is the person afflicted by the Gu poison your mother?"

Song Jin pursed her lips tightly, her face extremely pale.

Without her answer, Song Xingzhi already knew the answer, and his mood became heavy.

Actually, when Song Xingzhi first came to her door, he didn't really consider Song Jin to be his father's child, nor did he care much about this country girl.

However, Song Jin and Song Shang looked too alike. For his father's reputation, and to prevent this unfortunate child from having such bad luck in the future, he had to bring the person back no matter what.

Of course, it would be even more necessary to find out the details and make sure that this wasn't a conspiracy specifically targeting his father.

Before hearing about the Red Thread Gu, Song Xingzhi always thought this way; but with the Red Thread Gu involved, things weren't so simple anymore.

Gu, it's Gu again.

Song Shang has had no biological children all these years for two reasons: firstly, he distrusts everyone and doesn't allow any woman to get close to him; secondly, he was cursed with a fertility-inducing curse years ago.

To be more precise, he was frightened by a whole bunch of strange and bizarre curses back then, and only this one actually worked—at least that's what Song Xingzhi thought, but there was no way to verify it, since his father had no children, so it's really hard to say which explanation it was.

But regardless of the specific type, the connotations of parenthood are still different.

The usual carefree demeanor was gone from Song Xingzhi's face. He straightened his expression and asked, "The most distinctive feature of the Red Thread Gu is the appearance of red threads on the body of the person infected."

Song Jin: "She had it on her body, and I always thought it was a birthmark. But now that it has suddenly grown an inch, I realize something is wrong."

Song Xingzhi pondered: "Two inches now?"

Song Jin nodded

Song Xingzhi said, "Logically speaking, regardless of whether the Gu poisoning is successful or not, the person infected with the Gu should die within a hundred days. Hers is a bit too long. Does she have any special symptoms on weekdays?"

Song Jin frowned: "She's weak and gets sick every now and then. When she's sick, her pulse is sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but she doesn't show any other special symptoms. But as soon as you came this time, she collapsed, and the Gu worm in her heart became active."

"..."

Song Xingzhi really wanted to protest his innocence. How could this be blamed on him? He wasn't the one who cast the spell. But he couldn't really explain it. He thought about it carefully, his eyelids twitching, feeling embarrassed.

"It might be the scent of the bees on me that awakened it; the Red Thread Gu likes to eat bees."

The Red-Threaded Bone is an extremely insidious Gu worm that feeds on other Gu worms, preferring the most precious ones. Coincidentally, his Thousand-Mile Bees were its favorite snack.

The cultivation of Thousand-Mile Bees requires various precious medicinal herbs, and they are not aggressive, making them a favorite food for almost all types of Gu worms.

Hearing this, Song Jin sneered and glared fiercely at Song Xingzhi.

Song Xingzhi touched his nose: "You can't blame me for this. How was I supposed to know beforehand? Besides, this Gu worm would wake up sooner or later."

Song Jin didn't care whether he was awake or not; it was all his fault anyway. She fiercely stretched out her hand: "Give it to me."

Song Xingzhi was bewildered: "Take what?"

Song Jin: "Thousand-Mile Bee"

Song Xingzhi immediately became alert: "What are you doing? You've already killed one of my little Jins. Do you know how difficult it was for me to raise one of my little Jins?"

Very well, that makes the crime even more serious.

Song Jin reached out and grabbed his hair hard, grinding her teeth and saying fiercely, "Are you going to take it or not? And change that lousy name of yours, who are you calling Little Jin?"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Seeing that he was about to have his hair pulled out if he didn't give in, Song Xingzhi's eyelids twitched. "Stop, stop, stop! Okay, I'll give it to you, just stop right now!"

Song Jin then let go, continuing to hold out her hands to him, her long black hair standing out prominently between her fair fingers.

Song Xingzhi felt even more distressed. With a pained expression, he opened his clothes, pulled out a bamboo tube about the length of a finger, and handed it over: "This is a thousand-mile bee that I've raised for many years!"

Song Jin didn't care. She took the bamboo tube, opened it, and saw two plump bees inside. She felt a little better, but it still wasn't enough.

"That's all?"

Song Xingzhi gasped, "Do you think this is a cabbage? And this is all? You have no idea how much effort it takes to raise these things. Don't let their small size fool you, the cost of cultivating a pair is several hundred taels of silver. Not only are those secret herbs hard to find, but I also have to use my blood to nourish them!"

As he spoke, his face stiffened, and he looked up in pain, only to meet Song Jin's thoughtful gaze. He gasped again, taking a step back; this time, he was truly terrified.

"What are you trying to do? This is a family secret recipe, a pure secret recipe, it's not a problem with my blood! Help, help..."

There were only four people in the ward: Song Xingzhi, Song Jin, Li Qingshan, and Old Liu.

Li Qingshan was the type of person who wouldn't cause trouble as long as Song Xingzhi was alive. Old Liu was definitely on Song Jin's side, especially after listening for a while and gaining a general understanding. Seeing that Song Jin had the person restrained, he grabbed his bamboo-tube knife and went to help without her having to say a word.

Song Xingzhi gritted his teeth: "A black shop! You guys are absolutely a black shop! You're utterly in cahoots, colluding with each other..."

Song Jin pretended not to hear, and only released the person after the blood sample was taken: "Alright, stop howling."

As she spoke, she unusually "thoughtfully" reinserted the silver needles into him.

Song Xingzhi slumped back onto the bed, his face filled with utter despair: "I'm certain now, you are definitely my father's daughter, there's absolutely no mistake."

That inhuman appearance is exactly the same.

Song Jin glanced at him: "You flatter me. I'm far inferior to him."

Even with her notorious reputation, she could only act arrogantly in the town and have some fame in the county. Unlike Song Shang, whose reputation as a treacherous official was infamous, enough to be recorded in history and leave a lasting stain on his name.

Compared to others, she's definitely a moon-landing scammer.

Song Xingzhi understood her deeper meaning. His lips twitched, and he pinched his nose, saying sincerely, "You're still young."

Who can predict what will happen in the future? She definitely has the potential.

Song Jin rolled her eyes at him and walked over to Old Liu: "Did you figure it out?"

Old Liu shook his head: "The world is full of wonders. I guess I've just been too ignorant. I haven't been able to figure out your mother's real problem all these years."

Song Jin patted his shoulder and comforted him, "It's okay, you're so old, it's normal that you can't tell."

"...You brat!" Old Liu couldn't hold back any longer and cursed under his breath, "What's wrong with your mother right now?"

Song Jin sighed, "I can't get out of bed, I have no strength, and I feel terrible."

Old Bullhead frowned: "Sounds about the same as before."

Song Jin gave a wry smile: "But this thing was the culprit before."

Old Liu remained silent.

That's true. This damned thing is a constant worry; it keeps them on their toes until it's gone. Right now, they only know what it is from others, let alone how to deal with it.

Old Liu frowned deeply, recalling the people he knew. Suddenly, he remembered: "When I was a royal physician, I knew someone who really liked these strange and unusual things. He was later kicked out for proposing to use insects to treat illnesses."

Song Xingzhi lay to one side, murmuring, "So you really are the old imperial physician."

As for why a royal physician would be reduced to this state, just look at their service mentality—Song Xingzhi has personally verified it. He has never seen a doctor worse than this old man; if he were even slightly unwell, they would have killed him.

Old Liu glared: "If it's not real, how could it be fake? I'm a genuine first-rank imperial physician!"

Song Xingzhi: "Then why did you end up here? Weren't you comfortable staying in the capital?"

Old Liu's brows furrowed, and he said fiercely, "Isn't it all that treacherous minister Song Shang's fault? If it weren't for him, would I have been able to leave the capital?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Song Xingzhi and Song Jin exchanged a glance, then silently looked away, casually changing the subject.

Song Xingzhi: "I know the person you're talking about, Doctor Liu. He later opened a clinic in the capital."

Song Jin: "Look, look! We both came from the palace, but one of them opens a shop in the capital, while you're stuck in this shabby little place."

Song Xingzhi added: "...it was vandalized."

Song Jin's expression immediately changed: "Old Liu, it's still you. Leaving that awful place was a wise choice."

The two sang in unison

Old Liu looked at Song Jin suspiciously: "Why are you acting so strangely? What are you doing that you're guilty of?"

Song Jin immediately lowered her eyes, hiding the guilt in them, and pretended to wipe the corner of her eye: "No, I'm just worried about my mother's health."

Of course I'm worried, but her mother's illness has just flared up. If she starts acting like she's going to die, then life will truly be unbearable.

At least now we know what the cause of the illness is.

The Seven Gu of Lingnan, right?

There's no solution, right?

Once she's turned that so-called clan territory upside down, she refuses to believe she can't solve this problem.

Old Liu believed her and comforted her, "Everything will be alright. I'll write to that former colleague in a bit and ask. He knows a lot of people in this field, so your mother will definitely be fine."

Song Jin forced a smile: "No need, Old Liu. I'll take my mother to the capital to see her in a while."

She didn't care about Song Shang being her father, but he was currently the most knowledgeable person she knew in this field, arguably the most resourceful, and she needed his help.

Not going to help?

Sorry, she didn't have that choice.

Song Jin was determined to succeed in this mission.

Seeing her like this, Old Liu recalled their conversation and realized what was happening: "Wait, don't tell me you went with this kid? Did he trick you? You're your mother's only child, your father died early, you don't have any brothers. This guy doesn't look like a good person..."

Song Xingzhi lay there, sighing deeply.

He, a dignified third-place scholar in the imperial examination and Vice Minister of Revenue, was showered with flattery wherever he went in the capital, but here he was universally disliked.

He was frustrated: "How am I not a good person? I'm her brother, would I harm her?"

Old Liu sneered, "Who said that? Just because you say you're her brother doesn't mean you are. I watched her grow up, do you think I don't know whether she has a brother or not? Besides, even if this is true or not, how many of you aristocratic families have sold your daughters and sisters?"

Although he always called her "little brat," Song Jin was someone he had watched grow up and was practically his apprentice. How could he just let her leave so easily?

This girl is straightforward, but not very bright; she might easily be fooled by these people. He has to be careful in vetting them.

"You look quite respectable, which family in the capital are you from? If you don't give me a clear answer today, I'll be reporting you to Magistrate Xiao!" Old Liu stood protectively in front of Song Jin, his old age evident as he tried to straighten his back and widen his wrinkled eyes, staring at Song Xingzhi with sharp, wary eyes, his voice firm and forceful.

"Abduction of innocent young girls"

Everyone present: ...