Chapter 483: Living People Trained into Ghosts, Too Cruel
The dungeon was dark and damp, and the air was filled with a mixed smell of rust and mildew.
The tied-up "ghost soldier" was fixed to a special iron frame.
Even so, he continued to twist his body restlessly, letting out a low, bestial roar from his throat.
His eyes were red and bloodshot, veins on his face were bulging, and his skin had an abnormal grayish color, which was very different from that of ordinary people.
Doctor Qian walked closer and observed carefully.
He first checked the pupils of the "ghost soldier" and then opened his eyelids. Then, he put on silk gloves as thin as a cicada's wings and gently pressed several large acupoints of the "ghost soldier".
The "ghost soldier" didn't react at all, but struggled even more violently, causing the iron chain to creak under his strain.
"The pain seems to be extremely dull, even... disappeared." Doctor Qian pondered, frowning.
He took out a thin silver needle and carefully pierced a blood spot on the "ghost soldier's" arm.
The "ghost soldier" still felt no pain, but became even more manic because of being restrained.
"General, Madam, look here." Doctor Qian pointed to an inconspicuous patch of skin on the back of the "ghost soldier's" neck. "There are several extremely tiny needle holes here, arranged in a strange pattern. They don't look like they would be left by ordinary medical treatment."
Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan took a closer look and found that it was just as Doctor Qian said.
"And the smell on him," Doctor Qian sniffed gently, "Besides the smell of blood and sweat, there's also a... a very faint smell, similar to rotting grass and wood."
"Doctor Qian, do you have any preliminary judgment?" Gu Junze asked.
Doctor Qian shook his head solemnly. "I've never heard of this before! It doesn't seem like poisoning, but rather... some mysterious method has forcibly boosted his physical strength while simultaneously blocking his five senses and mind."
He paused and continued, "If we want to thoroughly investigate, we can take some of his blood. However... this beast is ferocious, so taking a sample is difficult."
"I'll do it." Ying Yi appeared behind them at some point.
He pulled out a specially made small dagger from his waist and took out a porcelain bottle, obviously preparing to cooperate with Doctor Qian.
Just as Yingyi was about to take action, the "ghost soldier" suddenly became quiet, and his red eyes stared straight at the dagger in Yingyi's hand.
What came out of his throat was no longer a roar, but a... whimper?
Everyone was stunned.
Chu Ruohan was observant. She noticed that the "ghost soldier"'s gaze did not seem to be completely focused on the dagger, but on a peace amulet hanging on Yingyi's waist below the dagger.
The amulet was commonly worn by soldiers in the army and had nothing special about it.
"Could it be..." Chu Ruohan's heart moved, and she said softly to Yingyi, "Yingyi, show him the amulet on your waist."
Although Yingyi was puzzled, he still took the amulet as he was told and slowly reached out to the "ghost soldier".
A strange scene happened.
When the "ghost soldier" saw the amulet, the redness in his eyes faded a little, and his manic mood calmed down a lot.
He stretched out his bound hands, as if wanting to touch the amulet...
"He... he seems to still have some consciousness?" Deputy General Wang was stunned watching from the side.
Doctor Qian was also surprised: "This... this is incredible!"
Gu Junze's eyes were deep. As he looked at the reaction of the "ghost soldier", a guess gradually formed in his mind.
These "ghost soldiers" may not be born monsters, but... they were once living people.
"Doctor Qian, please take the blood." Gu Junze said in a deep voice, "Be careful."
With the "comfort" of the amulet, the "ghost soldiers" cooperated much better, and Dr. Qian successfully obtained the required blood.
Back in the meeting room, the atmosphere was still depressing.
Chu Ruohan spoke first, her tone filled with worry: "Jun Ze, the invitation from the Princess of Beiyan is clearly a Hongmen Banquet. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."
"Yes, General!" Deputy General Wang also hurriedly agreed, "I am willing to lead a team of elite soldiers to accompany you so that we can take care of you!"
Duan Qingye slammed the teacup onto the table, making a loud "bang".
"Look after him? Are you going to die? Since that witch specifically asked him to go alone, what are you going to do with him? Are you going to be a target?"
Gu Junze sighed softly, "Since Princess Beiyan dared to make this invitation, she must have something to rely on. She may think that I will definitely go, or perhaps she has other motives.
"Her target is you!" Duan Qingye snorted coldly, "There's something wrong with the way that witch looks at you! She either wants to kill you, or... turn you into one of her 'creatures'!"
These words chilled everyone present.
"I've made up my mind." Gu Junze said slowly, "I will be there on time in three days."
He looked at Chu Ruohan and slowed down his voice: "Han'er, weren't you studying that bone whistle before?"
"Perhaps, we can find some breakthroughs from there. If we can disrupt the actions of those 'ghost soldiers', my chances of winning will be better."
Chu Ruohan felt a little refreshed after hearing this.
She pulled out the black bone whistle from her sleeve. "I've always thought that there must be a pattern to playing this bone whistle, with different syllables representing different commands."
“It’s just that there’s no reference, so it’s hard to decipher.”
"Have the people sent to search for Beiyan's music scores returned?" Gu Junze asked a deputy general.
The deputy general bowed and said, "General, we have searched the entire city and found several volumes of folk music from Northern Yan, but most of them are romantic songs and seem to have nothing to do with military orders."
As he spoke, he presented several yellowed scrolls.
Everyone couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment on their faces.
At this moment, Doctor Qian walked in from outside holding a small tray. He looked a little tired, but also a little excited about the discovery.
"General, we have discovered..."
He placed a tray on the table, on which were placed several small porcelain bowls filled with liquids of different colors.
"The blood of that 'ghost soldier' appears to be a mixture of dozens of rare poisonous herbs. This drug can greatly stimulate a person's potential, making them extremely strong and tireless, and can also temporarily block the sense of pain."
"But," Doctor Qian said, his tone becoming grave, "this drug has extremely severe side effects. It can severely damage a person's mind, causing them to gradually lose their self-awareness and eventually become a walking corpse, obsessed with killing."
"Moreover, long-term use will cause irreversible damage to the body, and even if you stop taking the drug, it will be difficult to recover as before."
"Those pinholes," he continued, "are probably the pathways for administering the drug."
"Is there any way to save him?" Chu Ruohan asked anxiously.
Doctor Qian sighed, "It's very difficult. Even if we knew what kind of medicine Beiyan used, it would be impossible to prepare an antidote in such a short time."
The meeting room fell silent again.
Beiyan's methods were more vicious and cruel than they had imagined.
Time passed by little by little, and the three-day appointment was getting closer and closer.
Beiyan has not taken any action!
Only Chu Ruohan has been studying the bone whistle without sleep...
After arranging everything, Gu Junze stood alone on the top of the city wall, looking into the distance in the direction of the Northern Yan military camp.
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