Silkworm
The sun was rising higher, and the time agreed by Xuan Ji had long passed, but there was not a single person in front of the gate of Wen Mansion.
"I told you that woman is unreliable."
Shen Yunzhou lay on the sycamore tree with his arms and legs spread out, crunching an apple, feeling very comfortable.
Ruan Yunsheng squinted at the empty street corner. It seemed that the little princess had been discovered by the prince. She stretched lazily, turned around and walked out.
As her future husband, Song Tinghe immediately stuck to her like a little tail.
"Tsk, it's too disgusting to watch." Shen Yunzhou commented scathingly.
However, upon hearing that Ruan Yunsheng was going to the Yunlai Inn, he immediately jumped down from the tree, and the apple core accurately dropped into the pond: "Isn't this where the Southern Kingdom's envoys are staying? Take one with me, take one with me!"
Originally, Mo Yu also wanted to follow, but was sent away by Shen Yunzhou on the grounds that there were too many people and it would attract attention. He did not consider at all that he was also a light bulb.
Song Tinghe glanced at him coldly, his eyes almost condensed into ice.
Shen Yunzhou pretended not to notice and squeezed into the carriage with a playful smile: "Hey, don't be so stingy, squeeze in, I can't fit in anymore."
He has seen a lot of strange things with Ruan Yunsheng in the past two days. This trip must be very interesting, and he can't miss such an opportunity.
The carriage stopped silently in the alley behind the Yunlai Inn. Shen Yunzhou excitedly rubbed his hands together and looked out: "What's the plan this time? Smoke or just direct action?"
Ruan Yunsheng casually threw him a thin invisibility cloak: "Put it on and be quiet."
Shen Yunzhou's eyes lit up. He had heard about this treasure from Mo Yu a long time ago! He hurriedly wrapped the invisibility cloak around himself, twisting his waist and posing like a golden rooster. He winked and asked Song Tinghe, "How about it, brother? Do I look handsome like this?"
Song Tinghe expressionlessly grabbed Ruan Yunsheng's hand and jumped off the carriage: "Stay away from idiots, they're contagious."
Shen Yunzhou chased after him with his translucent head, "I call this tactical confusion."
Before he could finish his words, he tripped over the invisibility cloak and almost fell into the rotten water bucket.
The three of them used invisibility cloaks to sneak into the inn, only to find that the corridor was eerily empty. The nanmu wood floor was shiny enough to reflect light, but there was not even a footprint, as if it was an abandoned, empty building.
Shen Yunzhou lowered his voice and asked, "Is it possible that people in this southern country have the habit of sleeping at noon?"
They pushed open a half-open door, and the air was filled with the aroma of incense. Xuan Ji was lying quietly on the rosewood couch, her breathing steady as if she was asleep.
Shen Yunzhou moved closer and called her "Princess" three times, then fearlessly poked her cheek, but she didn't respond at all.
He took the pulse for a moment, his brows knitted into knots. "Strange! The pulse is strong and powerful, not like poisoning or drugged..."
Suddenly thinking of something, he retracted his hand abruptly, "Could it be that I've been poisoned by some evil spirit?"
Ruan Yunsheng was speechless: "You only learned the phrase 'could it be' in Medicine King Valley?"
"I'm a doctor who saves lives!"
Shen Yunzhou jumped up and down, "She's not one of those bug-playing charlatans from southern Xinjiang!" He suddenly pulled out a handful of silver needles, "How about I try piercing her Baihui acupoint? Maybe she'll wake up."
"Stop!" Song Tinghe grabbed his wrist and said, "If this is really a witchcraft, forcing it will only alert the person who cast the witchcraft."
The three were about to leave the corridor when Song Tinghe suddenly grabbed Ruan Yunsheng's hand and silently pointed his fingertips at a carved wooden door beside them.
The three of them held their breath and pressed against the door, only to hear a cold voice coming from inside the room.
"How's it going?"
Ruan Yunsheng's pupils shrank. It was the voice of the Crown Prince of the Southern Kingdom!
Another male voice, hoarse as a millstone, rang out: "Liu Ruyan is a waste. She needs to find another way out."
He coughed a few times. "Why not use the spies we have planted around Wen Ciyuan?"
The three of them were secretly surprised. How could the Wen Mansion, which was so heavily guarded, have been infiltrated? Yet, no outsiders had been coming in or out recently.
The prince sneered: "It's not time to reveal your cards yet."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly shouted: "It seems that a few mice have sneaked in."
Ruan Yunsheng was just wondering if she had been exposed when Song Tinghe suddenly dragged her away from the door! With a flash of cold light from his fingertips, he grabbed a twisted and deformed poisonous insect from her collar. Its body was as black as door lacquer, and its compound eyes flashed with a strange light.
Just as she was wondering where the insect came from, she suddenly looked up and saw that the entire door panel was densely packed with the same poisonous insects, their limbs integrated with the wood grain, and were rising and falling slightly with their breathing!
"Ugh..." Shen Yunzhou leaned against the wall and retched. "These people from the Southern Country are truly disgusting. No wonder this inn is unattended."
Although the poisonous insects could not see the invisibility cloak, they gathered together by the hissing smell. The swarm of insects surged like a black wave, trapping the three people in a dead corner of the corridor in an instant!
Seeing that the swarm of insects was about to completely surround them, Song Tinghe decisively took off his coat and set it on fire. The moment the flames rose, the poisonous insects screamed and retreated. He protected Ruan Yunsheng and broke through the fire, and the hem of his coat was scorched and smoked.
Poor Shen Yunzhou followed behind with a sad face, frantically swatting the bugs that crawled onto the corners of his clothes: "Wait for me!"
It was not until Ruan Yunsheng took out an ancient bronze bell from his arms and shook it quickly that the clear sound spread and the swarm of insects seemed to be stimulated and retreated like a tide.
The prince frowned and stared at the empty corridor. There were only a few clumps of ashes and a crushed Gu corpse on the ground.
"You are here with bad intentions. You actually managed to break through my Hundred Gu Formation." He waved his hand grimly, "That's all for today. You can go back first."
The man bowed and took his leave. He raised his face hidden under the brim of his hat. If Ruan Yunsheng saw him again, he would definitely recognize him. He was the man who was out of tune with the Southern Kingdom envoys that night at the palace banquet.
Song Tinghe stared at the shadows at the corner of the corridor, and only after confirming that there were no more poisonous insects surging around did he whisper, "It's okay."
Shen Yunzhou collapsed to the ground with a thud, wiping his sweat without any dignity: "Miss Ruan, next time you have a treasure like this, please bring it out sooner! I was almost gnawed to the bone!"
Ruan Yunsheng fumbled with the bell in her hand. She had never expected that this bell for exorcising evil spirits would have such a wonderful use. It was just that the situation was critical at the time, so she just took it out from the space.
Song Tinghe stepped forward and carefully examined her body. His fingertips brushed against the insect fluid on her sleeves. "Are you injured?"
Seeing Ruan Yunsheng shaking his head, he immediately said, "Since the prince is suspicious, we should not stay here for long."
Shen Yunzhou was so anxious that he grabbed his hair: "But there is still no clue about the King of Ten Thousand Gu..."
"That thing is the most precious treasure of the Southern Kingdom, how could it be easily obtained?" Ruan Yunsheng raised an eyebrow. "Besides... I have already thought of a way."
Song Tinghe's eyes met hers, and he understood instantly. He raised the corners of his lips and blinked.
Shen Yunzhou looked at this and that, quite speechless. It was a pity that a single guy like him had to get involved in this matter. Instead of getting any good things, he was chased by a group of disgusting bugs.
After returning to the Wen Mansion, Song Tinghe went straight to the study, and Mo Yu was already waiting at the steps.
"We've been thoroughly investigating everyone in the mansion since six months ago." Song Tinghe's voice was as cold as ice. "Since the Southern Kingdom's spies have infiltrated, they must have left traces. Within three days, I want to see a list of all the suspicious people."
Mo Yu's heart trembled - at this moment, Song Tinghe's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and the pressure around him was no different from Wen Ciyuan before he was poisoned!
He knew that his master had recovered his memory and knelt on one knee: "I have failed in my duty. I will personally investigate thoroughly!"
After the order was given, Song Tinghe turned around and met Ruan Yunsheng's bright gaze. She leaned on the window frame, holding her chin and staring intently.
"What's wrong?" His brows softened instantly, and even his voice was filled with warmth.
Ruan Yunsheng jumped closer and poked his heart with his fingertips: "Ah He, you were so cool just now!"
Although Song Tinghe didn't understand what "cool" meant, he knew it was a compliment when he saw the sparkling eyes in her eyes. He couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips. If he really had a tail at this moment, it would have already risen to the top of the clouds.
Shen Yunzhou, who was standing by, rubbed his eyes which were almost blinded by the light. Was it time for him to find a wife?
While Mo Yu was thoroughly investigating the spy, Ruan Yunsheng quietly summoned the little ghosts hiding in the Ruan Mansion. Several gray little souls crawled out from the ground and reported in a flurry of voices.
"Liu Ruyan broke a tea set when she returned from the Wen Mansion that day!"
"I said a lot of bad words, all directed at adults!"
"I also went to the Yunlai Inn to meet a masked man!"
Ruan Yunsheng raised an eyebrow: "Tell me about the inn in detail."
A clever kid spoke up first, "The man slipped a red pill to Liu Ruyan and said, 'Since Wen Ciyuan isn't living at the Ruan Mansion, I'll poison him during the wedding ceremony!' Liu Ruyan asked what the pill was, and the man scoffed, 'Something to make her go crazy and lose face in public!'"
Ruan Yunsheng sneered: "Do you believe that?"
The little ghosts all shook their heads. "That man rolled his eyes at Ruyan Liu! He even muttered about 'stupid women doing bad things' before leaving. He must have been lying to her!"
Another imp added: "The pills smell like rotten meat, they must be something bad!"
Ruan Yunsheng tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.
The people of the Southern Country really didn't expect Liu Ruyan to accomplish anything. It was obvious that they wanted to kill someone with a borrowed knife. However, the other party was definitely not that stupid. The effect of the pill might be more than that.
After Ruan Yunsheng sent the little ghost to steal the pills, he waited patiently for Nan Guo to take action. He would not move unless the enemy took action.
As the wedding date approached, the brocade and jewelry sent from the palace filled up the side hall. The nanny sent by the queen watched her practice etiquette every day, and she was so tired that her back and waist ached.
"Madam, you've worked hard." Song Tinghe rubbed her shoulders with concern. "Don't take these formalities too seriously."
Ruan Yunsheng collapsed on the couch and lamented, "I really envy you. You can avoid all troubles by pretending to be unconscious."
She poked his chest and asked, "Isn't it very relaxing to be a living dead?"
At this time, Mo Yu walked quickly into the hall and knelt on one knee: "Forgive me, my lord! I have thoroughly searched the mansion three times and found no suspicious people. Could it be..."
Shen Yunzhou immediately jumped up and denied it: "Impossible! We heard it with our own ears that day."
"Perhaps they used a face-changing technique?" Ruan Yunsheng mused. "Since there's witchcraft in Southern Xinjiang, changing one's appearance isn't uncommon."
Song Tinghe's eyes shone: "Mo Yu, bring all the old men who followed me to Chuzhou half a year ago."
This spy was probably not planted in the past few days. He must have been prepared in advance, but was just being kept in the dark. The only time he was there that matched the timing was when he accompanied him to Chuzhou.
A moment later, eight dusty guards knelt in front of the hall. Mo Yu carefully examined each of their faces. Their skin texture was natural, with no signs of disguise.
Shen Yunzhou felt their pulses one by one and shook his head, saying, "The meridians are unobstructed, and no one has poisoned them."
Did I guess wrong?
Eight guards knelt in a daze in the hall, completely unaware of what was happening. They had honest faces and open eyes, without any trace of being a spy.
Ruan Yunsheng suddenly remembered the insect swarm in the inn that day. The poisonous insects were afraid of the bell, and if they parasitized the human body...
She suddenly took out the bronze bell and shook it hard!
"clang--!"
The moment the clear sound spread, the eight people's faces suddenly changed drastically!
Countless wriggling lines bulged beneath their skin, as if living creatures were madly moving within their flesh and blood! They instantly curled up on the ground in agony, emitting inhuman groans from their throats.
"Hold them down!"
Shen Yunzhou shouted quickly, and the silver needles pierced into the blood vessels like raindrops, and the dagger accurately cut open the swollen skin and flesh.
Dozens of blood-red poisonous insects twisted and crawled out, each with a tentacle as thin as a hair on its tail!
Shen Yunzhou took out a porcelain bottle and collected them one by one, his eyes shining with gold. These were excellent experimental materials.
After the poisonous insects left the body, the guards collapsed in exhaustion, looking at the scene in horror: "Master Mo, Master Mo, we really don't know when these things entered the body!"
Mo Yu examined their pale faces, and the fear on their faces did not seem fake, so he had them taken away.
Shen Yunzhou held the porcelain bottle with shining eyes. Several blood-red poisonous insects inside were frantically banging against the bottle wall. He shook it and observed it against the candlelight, muttering to himself, "Three pairs of tail tentacles, and purple compound eyes. Could this be the 'pulling silk poison' mentioned in the book?"
He suddenly took out a knife, cut his fingertip, and dripped blood into the bottle.
The poisonous insects swarmed over the food instantly, and the tentacles at their tails grew by an inch!
"Great! It's true!"
Shen Yunzhou was so excited that he danced with joy. "This insect is the silkworm. It uses human blood as a lure and can control the host's mind, turning people into puppets that do whatever they want."
Isn't this the poisonous insect that appeared in Ye Mansion? They all match!
Just looking at Shen Yunzhou's crazy scientific look, Ruan Yunsheng silently took a half step back and whispered to Song Tinghe: "Your friend... has quite unique tastes."
Song Tinghe held his forehead helplessly: "People in Medicine King Valley are a bit crazy."
He suddenly raised an eyebrow, "But his technique is really not very good, and he often makes mistakes."
As if to confirm his words, Shen Yunzhou suddenly sprinkled medicine powder into the porcelain bottle.
"boom!"
A cloud of purple smoke exploded from the bottle, killing all the poisonous insects. He choked and coughed repeatedly, and half of his eyebrows were singed.
"My experimental specimen!" he cried bitterly.
Ruan Yunsheng: “…”
Song Tinghe: "Just get used to it."
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