Chapter 344: The Chaos in the Northwest (Part 7) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"How hateful! Utterly hateful!"
Lu Jue was enraged by the two men's self-righteous and unrepentant words, his anger rising as if every word he uttered was trailing a tail of fire. He gripped the handle of his wood-chopping knife tightly, suppressing the urge to chop off their heads.
"Even beasts wouldn't stoop to such a despicable act!" A burning rage nearly consumed Lü Jue's reason. "Do you think the lives of commoners aren't human lives too?"
The half-baked scholar looked ashen-faced.
He hated Shen Tang, calling her a thief, and Gu Chi and the others dogs. He also hated the commoners of Fu Gu for kicking him when he was down, but that didn't mean he was completely ignorant. At least he knew the consequences of telling the truth—no way out, certain death!
Since he was going to die anyway, he was willing to risk it all.
He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, accidentally aggravating the wound at the corner of his mouth. More warm, sweet-smelling blood seeped from his loose teeth, spreading throughout his mouth along his tongue. His expression was one of contempt and disdain. He retorted, "How can the lowly lives of commoners be considered human lives?"
Lü Jue was thoroughly enraged by these words.
He then used his backhand to vertically stab the man's thigh with the machete.
Most of the blade was embedded in the flesh, creating a hole.
The half-baked scholar let out a shrill scream. Lü Jue gripped the hilt of his knife and churned it through the man's flesh a few times, his expression ferocious like a demon, his hot breath sizzling on the man's face: "You can't even handle this little bit of pain?"
As he spoke, he swiped down again.
Blood gushed from the wound.
Lu Jue pulled out the wood-chopping knife with a little force and said coldly, "You only feel a little pain, but the others will lose their lives!"
The wound was extremely large.
Wild grass, pressed down by thighs, peeked through.
The other person was stunned by the bloody and brutal scene.
The thought of suffering the same wounds on himself made him tremble uncontrollably. He begged Lü Jue for mercy, "Brave warrior, I... I'm innocent! I was forced by the thieves to do such a heinous thing..."
"Brave warrior, I will never dare to do it again..."
"Please, brave warrior, spare my life..."
As Lü Jue brandished his sword in anger, Gu Chi remained silent, gazing into the distance as if admiring the scenery. Only when he heard that spineless pleas for mercy did he let out a short, disdainful laugh: "Begging for mercy? You're a real coward."
If these two persist in their folly, Gu Chi might, in a good mood, spare their corpses.
But I never expected this person to be so spineless.
They start begging for mercy after being scared a little.
Upon further reflection, Gu Chi understood.
Their lives are far more precious than those of ordinary people.
A true man can bend and stretch; it would be a pity to die so easily. Besides, a gentleman's revenge is never too late!
The half-baked scholar also looked at his companion with a mocking gaze. Although his expression was contorted with pain, it did not diminish the contempt and disdain that shone through his eyes and brows. Ha, a spineless dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy from its enemy, a disgrace!
Lü Jue raised his head to seek Gu Chi's opinion.
"Sir, should we kill these two?"
“Killing them like this is too lenient.” Gu Chi’s expression was indifferent. He had plenty of ways to make people wish they were dead, especially effective against these so-called tough nuts to crack. “Take them back to the lord for punishment…” The score can be settled slowly!
Despite his displeasure, Lü Jue still clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"
Although the culprit who spread the epidemic has been successfully caught, the matter is far from over, and many questions remain.
"Where are you going, sir?"
This is not the way back to Fugu City.
Gu Chi: "Let's go take a look at that mass grave."
This epidemic was caused by humans; dead rats carrying disease were thrown into the well water and then spread to humans. But how did the epidemics in Zhou Village and Xia Village two or three years ago come about? According to the records of the local government, this epidemic was severe and had a very high mortality rate.
The spread was limited to only two villages.
It seems that the previous prefect made a decisive decision, sending troops to seal off the village and successfully stopping the spread of the epidemic, but is this really the truth?
Gu Chi was knowledgeable and experienced. He knew that epidemics were not so easy to control, and the previous prefect did not have that ability either.
Lü Jue asked, puzzled, "What's so interesting about a corpse pit?"
He said that, but his actions were anything but hesitant.
He carried one in each hand and quickly caught up with Gu Chi.
Lu Jue's actions were far from gentle, causing the half-baked scholar to scream in agony and faint from blood loss several times.
The mass grave is located at the border between Zhou Shang Village and Xia Zhou Village.
The location is desolate and secluded, with weeds already waist-high.
Even before getting very close, a pungent stench filled the air. Near the mass grave lay numerous highly decomposed bird carcasses. Most of the corpses lay scattered haphazardly in the pit, while a dozen or so had been dug out and were strewn about.
Lü Jue's face turned black from the stench.
He said, "Sir, let me go."
Gu Chi shook his head: "It's nothing."
The bodies inside and outside the pit were crawling with countless wriggling maggots. He approached one of them, stared at it closely, and then took out a pair of gloves from his pocket. He then took out a pair of bamboo items that looked like chopsticks and a delicate little plate.
Lü Jue: "???"
Just as strange images were forming in his mind, Gu Chi said without turning his head, "Shousheng, stay away and be careful to protect yourself with martial energy. Don't get hit by the poisonous qi."
"Yes!" Lu Jue was worried about Gu Chi and couldn't help but crane his neck, watching his master's movements intently while keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, afraid that the two men in his hands might have other accomplices. After a long while, he asked, "Master, what are you doing?"
Gu Chi used his right hand, with its distinct knuckles, to hold chopsticks, poking and prodding the corpse with the tips, brushing aside the dense swarms of maggots that sent shivers down one's spine. He seemed to be searching for something on the corpse, and after a while, he picked something out.
Lu Jue couldn't see what it was.
All I saw was Gu Chi carefully placing the item on the plate; at first glance, it looked like he was dipping it in sauce, preparing to do *that*.
Gu Chi: "..."
He could have kept his composure.
But the content of Lü Jue's inner thoughts disgusted him.
To prevent Lü Jue from imagining more disgusting things, Gu Chi stood up with the plate in his hand and handed it to Lü Jue so he could take a closer look.
"Look."
Lü Jue leaned back in disgust to avoid it.
"Sir, what's so interesting about these maggots?"
It smelled terrible and was disgusting, covered in sticky, yellowish bodily fluids. I don't know how the man managed not to vomit.
Gu Chi countered, "You think these are maggots?"
"What else could it be but maggots?"
Lu Jue pinched his nose, suppressed his nausea, and leaned closer to take a closer look. After a moment, he noticed something was wrong—compared to ordinary maggots, the worm in the dish was significantly larger, and its body was covered with countless tiny dots, which looked like miniature white sesame seeds.
Its head and tail are also different from those of maggots.
It also has dozens of curled-up legs on both sides of its body.
The back features intricate black patterns.
It's more like a grub than a maggot.
"What is this thing?"
Or rather, what kind of insect?
Gu Chi fiddled with the dead insects, his eyes growing cold. He said, "Insects? To be precise, these are Gu worms! Look at these white spots on its body, they are all eggs. Gu worm eggs can only hatch by absorbing essence and blood, and after hatching, they need a lot of essence and blood to continue laying eggs. An ordinary person would die in ten days or half a month!"
Although Lü Jue didn't know what kind of Gu worm it was, just hearing those two words made his hair stand on end, and he wished he could retreat a step. He looked at the corpse pit, and then at the Gu worm corpse that Gu Chi had pulled out of the corpse, and said, "If this is a Gu worm... then, were the plagues in last week's village and next week's village also man-made?"
If it were a real epidemic, a city could easily be wiped out.
The epidemic two or three years ago was indeed strange.
"Most likely."
Gu Chi found several more dead Gu worms among the other corpses... There was no doubt that this thing was the culprit behind the plague. He directed Lü Jue to find firewood and licorice, clearing a large area for burning the corpses.
Not only were there human corpses, but also bird corpses from the nearby area.
The two worked until dusk before returning to Fugu City with two half-dead "escaped fish," a dish of Gu worm corpses, and worm eggs. To be on the safe side, he wrapped the worm eggs tightly in paper and cloth, and Shen Tang waited for a long time.
"Has the tide-watching yielded any results?"
Fugu City remains under martial law, and Shen Tang has not slept for two days and one night. She, who is usually full of energy, looks somewhat listless.
Gu Chi breathed a sigh of relief: "I have successfully completed my mission."
These words sounded like heavenly music to Shen Tang and the others.
"Have you found the source of the epidemic?"
"To be precise, this is not an epidemic."
Dr. Dong disagreed upon hearing this.
"What is this if not an epidemic?"
Gu Chi carefully opened the dish.
Instantly, the stench of the corpse filled the air, and Dr. Dong, who was not prepared, was almost overwhelmed by the stench. It took him a long time to recover.
Everyone looked at Gu Chi with suspicion, wondering what he meant by bringing back several maggots. Was this the source of the epidemic?
Gu Chi: "These are Gu worms, Gu worm eggs."
"insanity?"
This word triggered certain memories for Shen Tang. Last year, she met Gong Xi Chou outside the Allied Army camp, and the latter mentioned the Gu worms—Shao Chong had been infected by Gu, and a "plague" caused by Gu worms had broken out in He Yin territory—was this really a coincidence?
Gu worms don't just appear out of thin air.
Who cast the curse?
A series of questions raced through Shen Tang's mind.
However, none of these are the most important things.
Most importantly—
How do we cure this kind of Gu worm?
Dr. Dong stroked his gray beard and said, "If it really is a Gu worm, we just need to lure it out before it absorbs a large amount of blood and qi to lay eggs... No wonder ordinary medicines are ineffective."
After all, he studied medicine, not witchcraft.
He only had a superficial understanding of witchcraft.
Shen Tang asked, "Lure them out? How do we do that?"
The old physician Dong said, "I don't know about that. I only heard my master mention that Gu worms each have their own preferences. To lure them out, you need to use their favorite things, such as vigorous blood and qi, a certain scent, martial energy, literary energy, or even flowers..."
There are thousands of types of Gu worms, each with its own unique temperament.
Who knows what this thing likes?
Shen Tang: "..."
Doctor Dong added, "You must act quickly. These are just ordinary people; their vital energy and blood cannot compare to that of scholars or martial artists. Once the Gu worms prepare to lay their eggs, even a celestial being would be powerless to save them..."
Shen Tang asked, "How long?"
After assessing the patients' conditions, Dr. Dong estimated a rough timeframe: "At most two more days."
Judging from the situation, this Gu worm is impatient.
"Two days... Okay, I understand. Bring me the bowl!"
"Why are you taking the bowl?"
Shen Tang conjured a long-unseen sword in his right hand.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the sword with his left hand.
Before anyone could react, a trail of blood appeared.
"bloodletting!"
Last year, she could hold her own against Gongxi Chou, and the brave warriors under her command were no match for her. Her group of refined scholars were all exceptionally cultured, forming a veritable ensemble of the old, weak, sick, and disabled. After much thought, it must be her blood that is most attractive to the Gu worms.
What are you all standing there for?
"Bring me a bowl to catch this!"
Watching the blood drip onto the ground and be absorbed by the soil, Shen Tang felt a pang of heartache. She stretched her hand forward, hovering it above the table—the blood on the table could be collected later. Only then did the old doctor Dong realize what was happening and cried out.
"Shen Jun, why are you doing this—" Drawing blood without any restraint, not even caring about the long-term health problems, is just too reckless!
Shen Tang's blood flowed out, filling almost half a bowl.
As Dr. Dong muttered something, he bandaged her up. Just as he tied the knot, Qi Shan walked in from outside with an unfriendly expression. She held up her bleeding left hand, the wound with the skin turned inside out. As soon as she came in, she asked, "Is the lord injured?"
Before I received an answer, I received a bowl.
Qi Shan: "???"
Shen Tang looked at Qi Shan with remorse: "It was my carelessness."
She didn't really think that much at that moment.
Qi Shan: "???"
Completely confused and clueless.
Fortunately, the matter was not complicated to explain, and Qi Shan quickly understood what had happened to the wound in just a few words.
He said helplessly, "If blood is needed, either Shanlai or Banbu and a few others should come. How can we let our lord harm his noble body?"
It's still uncertain whether this blood will have any effect. My lord, if you release so much blood at once and it turns out to be useless, wouldn't that be a waste?
Dr. Dong carried two bowls of blood to the ward.
Researching how to use blood to force out the Gu worms.
Shen Tang didn't stop either.
Now that it's known someone threw a dead rat into the well, the rat's carcass must be retrieved, and the contaminated well water must be sealed off to prevent a recurrence. Currently, it appears someone unintentionally drank the untreated water and ingested insect eggs.
Shen Tang sighed helplessly: "Do we really need to repeat ourselves about such a simple principle as drinking more hot water and avoiding raw water?"
She was such a nagging mother hen.
She had to supervise the bathing of the common people under her jurisdiction.
She even watches over him when he drinks hot water.
Verbal instructions are not enough; they must be stamped and officially issued!
Fortunately, it was discovered in time and brought under control before it spread widely, minimizing casualties. Once these Gu worms are drawn out, the crisis should be resolved. However, Shen Tang clearly relaxed a little too soon.
Good fortune never comes in pairs, but misfortunes never come singly.
Bad things tend to happen in clusters.
While waiting for news, she heard hurried footsteps approaching outside and immediately recognized who it was.
“Notes”.
The visitor was none other than Xu Jie.
At this moment, Xu Jie's face was as if covered with a thick layer of soot, almost blending into the pitch-black night sky. Shen Tang gestured to his injured left hand: "I have good news."
Xu Jie smiled grimly, his breath sounding much weaker: "Coincidentally, I have some bad news."
"Bad news?"
"The exact same disease has appeared in Tianhai!"
Shen Tang was so startled that she almost knocked over the teacup on the table.
"Tenkai has also appeared?"
Good heavens—
Is this an attempt to wipe them all out in one fell swoop?
乛乛
Hehe, going to bed now (3 [▓▓])
P.S.: Hehe, I recommend my good friend Yunji's "Hidden Pearl." It's a platinum-level work, guaranteed to be a masterpiece. Don't miss it! I've already added a link; just click to see it.
(End of this chapter)
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