Chapter 40 is full of bugs.
The capital of the Dayan Dynasty was called Yong'an City. Yong'an City was laid out in a grid pattern, resembling the Chinese character "中" (zhong).
At the northernmost point stands the imperial palace, solemn and magnificent, heavily guarded with constant patrols by soldiers. Those who reside here are not only wealthy but also of high status, mostly members of the royal family and dukes.
In contrast, the south, situated at a higher elevation than the north, reflects this difference even in its population. This area boasts the largest population of Yong'an, primarily composed of impoverished people. Small courtyards stand side-by-side, the roads narrow and contiguous, reflecting their extreme poverty.
In stark contrast to the south lies the west, separated only by a bridge. Here, Yong'an's most bustling commercial street stretches out, lined with shops and bustling with vendors. By day, melodious tunes fill the air, and by night, red lanterns hang high, creating a scene of vibrant extravagance.
To put it simply, the North is noble, the South is poor, and the West is rich.
Dongza
Wuma Street is located in the most chaotic eastern district, and it is also the most typical street there.
This place boasts Yong'an City's largest horse market, the capital's largest medical clinic, the capital's largest Taoist academy, and the most renowned martial arts academy. Every year, numerous martial arts practitioners come here—it's ideal to sneak in, obtain a qualification, and secure a position; even if you can't get in, just joining in the fun has become the norm.
Therefore, here you can find a horse every two steps, two江湖人士 (jianghu figures) every five steps, and a charlatan every ten steps.
It was like a cat leaping on the wall and a dog barking in the alley.
It should be described as a mixed bag.
Song Jin sat in the carriage, taking in the bustling scene outside through the curtain. Although it was her first time here, she had a general idea of the situation.
Life is pretty good, we're not poor.
But there probably aren't any important figures here, otherwise there wouldn't be such a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) atmosphere.
Longsword, rapier, broadsword, longbow...
In areas inhabited by high-ranking officials and wealthy people, very few people would dare to so openly display such items.
Song Jin's gaze swept over the charlatan sitting on the roadside ahead, holding a fortune-telling flag. Seeing how passersby stopped after he casually muttered a few words, Song Jin knew that Taoism was thriving in Yong'an City, and the people were very enthusiastic about fortune-telling.
But generally speaking, people still believe in the good rather than the bad—just a few meters away, at another fortune-telling stall, an angry middle-aged woman stormed off, and the fortune teller seemed unfazed.
Song Jin shook his head, then looked at the approaching horse team. Each horse held its head high, its body sleek and graceful, clearly carefully selected.
North of Yong'an City lies the Chimo Plain.
The Chimo Plain belongs to the Dayan Dynasty. Its people have exotic bloodlines and are skilled at training horses. In recent years, they have continuously sent a large number of fine horses over, which has also sparked a horse racing craze. Every September is horse racing month, when the best horses and trainers are selected.
In general, the Dayan Dynasty was a powerful nation with abundant food and horses, a prosperous country and a thriving people, and countless events, large and small, took place every year.
What about New Year's Day, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Winter Solstice, Laba Festival...
This is a national holiday, a major festival celebrated throughout the country. In addition, there are special activity days, such as kite flying, pitch-pot, cuju (ancient Chinese football) and cockfighting, horse racing and wrestling, incense burning and poetry gatherings...
Every year, we have to choose the top three.
There are only those who don't have time to participate, not those who are bored and have nothing better to do. After all, besides the grand competitions led by the government, there are also private gatherings organized by small groups, such as poetry contests for scholars, embroidery competitions for young ladies, horse riding contests, and grain competitions for farmers...
If North Korea were even slightly weaker, it wouldn't be able to pull off these things.
Qi Zheng's father does have some skills.
Song Jin inwardly praised the old emperor, then continued to observe the streets outside until the carriage gradually slowed down and came to a complete stop in front of the small building.
Song Shunzhi, who had been as quiet as a chicken the whole way, stirred and said, "We've arrived."
Song Jin looked up and saw a bright and spacious clinic with an open first floor and an elegant second floor. A constant stream of patients came and went, indicating the clinic's exceptional medical skills and the resulting business success.
She turned her head expressionlessly, grabbed Song Shunzhi by the collar without hesitation, pulled him over, and pointed to the plaque hanging high above the entrance of the clinic—"Beast Taming Hall."
Song Jin laughed angrily, grinding her teeth: "Are you kidding me?"
Seeing the hand that had smashed the car frame about to grab his neck, Song Shunzhi quickly said, "Old Chong is right here. He was rescued by my father from Lingnan. I heard him mention him before; he definitely knows something."
Song Shunzhi loved horses and kept quite a few at home. Whenever something happened, he would come to see Chong Lao for advice and they often chatted, so he knew more about people than his brothers.
He said confidently, "Although I don't know if he can cure the Red Thread Gu, he has cured ordinary Gu worms before. Besides my father, he's the only one I know in the capital who can do that."
Song Jin narrowed her eyes slightly, and seeing that he wasn't joking, she released her grip and tossed him behind her: "It had better be that way. I don't care about anything else, but if you dare to try to fool me about my mother's affairs..."
As she spoke, she coldly reached out and snapped the wooden frame of the car window; the threat was palpable.
Song Shun subconsciously touched his arm and said heavily, "Don't worry, Father isn't here now, I'll take good care of you all."
Song Jin chuckled and rolled her eyes at him. She stepped aside and carefully helped the weak-looking Niu Tielan to her feet. Her expression changed faster than an opera singer, and her voice became incredibly gentle: "Mother, please bear with it, I'll help you down."
Niu Tielan had been listless the whole way, but seeing Song Shunzhi shivering beside her, she couldn't help but whisper to her daughter, "Don't bully people too much. We're just here for medical treatment; they don't owe us anything."
Song Shunzhi had many bruises on his face and was limping; he looked like he was in a terrible predicament, and now he'd been both choked and dumped...
They had no relation to the Song family, and the Song family owed them nothing. Niu Tielan felt unwell all over, but her conscience still ached terribly.
Song Jin, however, was unconvinced. While things weren't quite like the apocalypse these days, the strong still held sway. Having money, power, and strength made all the difference. She already had so many people she couldn't afford to offend; why would she be so subservient to those she could?
She's being unreasonable, so who's being affected?
Song Jin subtly glared at Song Shunzhi, who was 'deliberately' feigning pitifulness towards her mother, and reluctantly said, "...Okay, Mother, let's go downstairs first."
Well, her mother isn't well, let's just appease her for now and talk about other things later.
Niu Tielan didn't expect that a few words from her daughter would change her ways, at least superficially, and make her conscience feel better. Thinking this, she forced a smile at Song Shunzhi, clutched her uncomfortable chest, and carefully dismounted, her back hunched.
As soon as I dismounted, a warm evening breeze blew in my face, but it was still much cooler than inside the carriage.
Song Jin helped the person up: "Wouldn't it be more comfortable getting out of the car?"
Niu Tielan exclaimed, "He's alive!"
The wheels rolled and rolled, the car swayed and wobbled, and she felt as if she were being rolled inside a large wooden crate, dizzy but unable to vomit, feeling a tightness in her chest that she didn't know what was pressing on.
Throughout the journey, she felt that even if her illness was cured, she couldn't rush to leave; the experience was just too unbearable.
Seeing her mother's miraculous recovery, Song Jin teased, "Now you'll listen to me, right? Do you still want that carriage when you leave?"
She was referring to the same carriage that Song Shang used, the same model as Qi Zheng's, which boasted excellent stability and comfort.
Niu Tielan initially refused, but now he said sullenly, "You should talk to them nicely, we'll pay for it."
Song Jin couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Buy it, I have money!"
Faced with her teasing, Niu Tielan playfully poked her forehead, then took her hand, gently squeezed it, her almond-shaped eyes curving into a smile full of tenderness, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Mother will be alright."
Song Jin's laughter abruptly stopped. She fell silent, reached back and squeezed her mother's hand, only managing a weak "hmm" in response.
Despite her arrogant and domineering demeanor throughout, she hesitated somewhat when she actually arrived at the clinic.
What if this quack doctor can't cure her mother?
What if no one in Yong'an City can solve this problem?
Will things go smoothly in Lingnan?
...
Niu Tielan looked at Song Jin with loving eyes, watching her hesitate and struggle, watching her suppress her worry and tension. Niu Tielan gently raised her hand, then tapped it heavily, her voice soft and gentle.
"Turn your face up, your mother isn't dead yet."
Song Jin rubbed her throbbing head and muttered softly, "I should have prepared in advance."
Niu Tielan raised his hand and glared at her: "Still being naughty?"
Song Jin rubbed her slightly stiff face, then linked arms with Niu Tielan, grinned at her, and turned to look at Song Shunzhi, her phoenix eyes narrowing, filled with murderous intent: "Lead the way."
Song Shunzhi originally wanted to say that they were there for medical treatment, not for illness, and that it would be best to be more discreet, since the old insect inside wasn't exactly a good-tempered person. However, under Song Jin's murderous gaze, he silently changed his words.
"...Follow me."
Forget it, at worst we'll just demolish this clinic.
Their family can afford the compensation.
Song Shunzhi walked towards the Beast-Raising Hall. He was about the same height as Song Xingzhi, but much more muscular, with broad shoulders, powerful arms, thick hands, and prominent knuckles—all evidence of long-term martial arts training. Logically, someone like him should have a very stable gait, but at this moment he was limping, even after slowing his pace.
Song Jin asked, "How did you hurt your leg?"
Song Shunzhi paused for a moment, then continued walking, saying, "It was from the day Father had the accident, but it's not serious. He'll be almost fully recovered in a few days."
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "I meant buttocks."
Song Shunzhi stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face, embarrassed: "...I deserved to be punished for offending Prince Jin last time."
Song Jin said "Oh": "Is it the one who stopped me today?"
Of the several princes standing there, that one looked the most brainless and arrogant.
“It’s him. Be careful in the future. Prince Jin…” Song Shunzhi paused, then added tactfully, “He respects the rules.”
Song Jin pouted, "You're just petty and like to make trouble for people, right?"
Tsk, the evil royal family
She added, "Besides him, who else should we be paying attention to?"
Song Shunzhi was silent for a moment, then said tactfully again, "We can all be a little more careful."
After he finished speaking, no one responded for a long time. Song Shunzhi turned around and saw Song Jin and her daughter standing a few meters behind, casually pointing and gesturing in front of the sheep.
Song Shunzhi: ...
There's no need to be so deliberate.
A look of helplessness flashed across his face, then he turned back and asked, "Aren't we in a hurry now?"
Song Jinzhen argued, "No, it's just that this sheep looks a bit strange."
Niu Tielan coughed twice and then replied, "It's quite beautiful."
Looking at it, Song Shunzhi had to admit that the lamb was indeed beautiful, with silvery-white curly wool, clean skin, and clear eyes. Standing in the cage munching on grass, it was very endearing.
He looked at Song Jin, who seemed interested, and asked, "You like it?"
Song Jin turned to look at him: "What, just because I say I like you doesn't mean you're mine?"
Song Shunzhi remained silent, neither angry nor flustered, and simply nodded: "It's yours."
Song Jin raised her eyebrows: "Oh, you've got quite the nerve. Do you think what you're saying still counts?"
This person has been bullied to this extent, how can the Song family still be the same Song family as before?
Song Shunzhi nodded: "The clinic belongs to the third brother."
Song Jin's lips twitched, and she straightened up: "What would I do with this thing? It's skinny and won't make a good soup. I just think its tail is a bit strange, don't you think?"
She pointed to the lamb's tail; it was chubby and at first glance seemed fine, but upon closer inspection, the tail's color and curl were slightly different, and the way it swayed was a little strange, immediately catching her attention—although she stopped mainly because she didn't want to respond. It was one thing to get attention from one or two people, but to get attention from everyone? She figured she might as well offend them all equally.
As long as she offends a lot of people, no one will really be offended.
Niu Tielan thought that since they were already at the clinic, if they could see the lambs, they could leave afterward; if not, they could leave anyway. There was no point in thinking about it too much. She was happy to let her daughter stand by the cage, flicked the lambs' short tails, and then laughed.
"It's quite soft."
As she spoke, the smile on her face froze.
Song Jin immediately sensed something was wrong and helped her up: "Mother, what's wrong?"
Niu Tielan wanted to say that she was fine, but several times she tried to speak, but she couldn't utter a single word. Her face gradually contorted with pain, and she clutched her chest.
The suppressed Gu worms began to throb wildly; even a casual touch was enough to feel their pulsation.
Song Jin's expression changed drastically. She bent down and scooped the person up in her arms, her face grim: "Go find that person."
Song Shunzhi didn't ask any further questions and immediately led his men inside, walking briskly without showing any sign of limping.
The clinic was very large, with many small animals outside, and in the backyard, there were cows, horses, and even camels and elephants...
Normally, Song Jin would have been curious, but this time she showed no interest whatsoever, ignoring even Song Shunzhi's unusual behavior. With a cold face, she carried Niu Tielan and strode forward, from the front hall to the backyard, around the corridor, and up a small staircase.
We arrived at the third floor
This is a small, stand-alone building, not very large, but it's completely sealed off—white gauze, black gauze, frames, cages, bags…
It was full of bugs.
Niu Tielan was trembling all over.
Ignoring the strangeness in the room, Song Jin picked her up and placed her on the small couch inside, then knelt beside her and channeled his internal energy to suppress the disturbance.
If she didn't understand why the Red Thread Gu had suddenly activated when she was in the front hall, now, looking at all this stuff in the room, it would be foolish if she still didn't understand.
These things are all poisons.
Song Jin trembled with rage, shouting, "You old bastard, get out here right now! If anything happens to my mother, I'll burn all these worthless bugs of yours and feed them to the chickens, and then feed you to the dogs!"
"Where did this crazy girl come from? Be careful, or this old man will feed you to the bugs!" A hoarse and irritable voice came from the small house next door. With the sound of heavy footsteps, an old man wearing a gray robe and with white hair like a bird's nest walked out barefoot.
He was described as an old man, yet he was only the height of a ten-year-old child. His face was smooth without a single wrinkle, making him appear young, but his eyes were full of vicissitudes. With his white hair and youthful face, he was quite eerie.
However, Song Jin only had her mother at the moment, so she couldn't care less about the man's strange behavior. She stood up, took a big step, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and placed him beside the small couch, coldly saying, "Quickly show her what's going on."
She moved so fast that the old man didn't even get a clear look at her face before he was hanging in mid-air, his eyes meeting Niu Tielan's on the hospital bed.
It was an utter disgrace. Old Chong was so angry that his face turned black, a real black. His weathered eyes gradually widened, with dark shadows flickering within them, before he stopped.
He was puzzled. He looked down at the strange woman on the hospital bed, then looked again, his expression changed drastically. He slumped to the ground, knelt beside the small couch, pulled open her collar, and gasped at the severed red thread.
"Red Thread Gu? Impossible, how is she still alive?"
As he spoke, he felt another sharp pain in the back of his neck, and was once again suspended in mid-air. Behind him came the woman's urgent and angry voice.
"Stop talking nonsense and show her right now. She was perfectly fine before she came here, but she's like this now that she's here. What exactly did you do, you old geezer?"
"You brat, show some respect! You don't want your mother to die, do you?" The old insect was also enraged. He turned around, his anger frozen on his face. His slightly green face gradually turned green, and in his fear, his voice stammered.
"Song, Song, Song Song Song Shang, little girl? How did you turn into a little girl?"
Song Jin felt a lump in her throat. She impatiently put the person down and pressed them against the bedside: "I'm not Song Shang. You'd better see my mother quickly. If you can't cure her, I'll send you down to see him."
The old man, still dazed, saw Song Shunzhi behind him and stammered, "You...you...your father...father...father...father...father...she...she...she..."
Song Shunzhi said helplessly, "...She's my father's daughter, we just found her. Elder Chong, let's not talk about this now, let's go see Madam."
The old man turned around in a daze, looked at Niu Tielan, then at Song Jin, then at Niu Tielan again.
Song Jin was furious: "Do you even know how to read a book?"
The old insect shuddered and stammered, "Yes, yes, yes, I want to lift it up, lift it up, the clothes, the clothes, are they... are they... are they not good?"
With a sullen face, Song Jin stepped forward and pulled open Niu Tielan's collar, exposing a large expanse of skin.
Her snow-white, delicate skin swelled and sagged, like water allowing the venomous insects within to swim, leaving a red line wherever they went. In the blink of an eye, her chest was covered in blood.
The old insect's expression changed: "One, two, five, how can there be so many?"
Song Jin, with a grim face, quickly said while channeling his internal energy to suppress it, "It's been sixteen or seventeen years. There's been no reaction all these years. Last time, the Thousand-Mile Bee on Song Xingzhi's body revived it. Before, I could suppress it with herbs and internal energy, but now it's suddenly become serious. You have too many Gu worms here."
Elder Insect: "That shouldn't be the case. How could the Red Thread Gu have lived for so long? How many days has it been since it woke up?"
Without hesitation, Song Jin replied, "The 19th, tomorrow is the 20th."
The old man's face flushed again, and the dark shadows in his eyes became even more pronounced. He muttered, "This shouldn't be happening, this shouldn't be! How could this be? The Red Thread Gu, the Red Thread..."
Song Jin gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Stop reading! Is there any way? If not, I'll take her out first. You have too many Gu worms here."
In just a short while, Niu Tielan's chest was covered in blood, and worms emerged and disappeared beneath his skin, as if trying to leap out of the flesh, a truly gruesome sight.
Song Jin's intuition told her that she absolutely could not let these Gu worms come out.
Absolutely not
Faced with the furious Song Jin, the old man's face turned green again, and he stammered, "No, no, don't rush, I...I...I..."
Suppressing her anger, Song Jin gritted her teeth and said, "Stop talking, just attack."
Old Insect nodded, then trotted into the house like a bouncing little gray dog, rummaging around inside for a while, followed by a series of clanging and banging sounds as things were thrown around.
"They're here! They're here!"
Song Jin really wanted to curse, but she suppressed it for the moment. She gritted her teeth and tried to be as gentle as possible: "You'd better watch out."
The old insect, who had just come out, tripped and fell again. He gave Song Jin an awkward, sheepish smile, carefully took the wooden box in his hand, and placed it on Niu Tielan's chest.
Strangely enough, as soon as the box was placed on it, the Gu worms stopped moving instantly, like mice seeing a cat.
If it weren't for the still bright red stain on her skin, the earlier disturbance would have seemed just as they had imagined.
Song Jin couldn't speak, but the beads of sweat on her forehead and her rapid breathing betrayed her unease. She stared at Niu Tielan for a long while before finally managing to speak in a hoarse voice.
Is that all?
Old Insect stood awkwardly to one side, looking at Song Jin's face, which was remarkably similar to Song Shang's, then turned away from her and said...
"No, no, this is the mother worm of the Red Thread Gu. Although it has a certain suppressive effect on the offspring Gu, it's not the mother worm of the Gu worms on her body. It can only stabilize her temporarily. We still need to see how she is doing. I've never heard of a Red Thread Gu that can last this long, and besides, it's inherently incurable. I can't be sure. I can only say let's see first. We need to find the person who cast the Gu, and the mother worm."
So much time has passed, the mother worm might not even still be around. Although some Gu worms can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, the Red Thread Gu is designed to torment people. Generally speaking, once the offspring Gu have completed their mission and died, the mother Gu will also die, and the lineage cannot continue.
Song Jin didn't know much about Gu worms. Before her mother, she didn't even think such things existed in this era. Now, hearing the Elder Insect's uncertain words, her breathing became heavier, but she suppressed it.
She lowered her eyes and asked, "If we find the mother worm, will that solve the problem?"
The old insect stammered, "I... I can only say, it's possible."
Song Jin took a deep breath and continued, "How long can my mother hold on given her condition?"
The old insect worm leaned closer to examine it, watching the color gradually fade. After checking her pulse, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Her internal organs are intact. Although I don't know why, she was fine before. I'll try to suppress the Gu. If she takes good care of herself, she should be able to return to normal, but her body will be weak, and she won't live as long as the average person..."
Song Jin couldn't laugh. She quietly looked at the bloodless Niu Tielan on the small couch.
In less than twenty days, her mother had lost all the weight she had painstakingly built up over the years; she was skin and bones, just a shell of a woman. Moreover, even if she returned to her previous state, it would only be a minor illness lasting ten days and a major illness lasting three months.
She took a deep breath, turned to look at the old man with white hair, a youthful face, and a small stature, and said solemnly, "Please, doctor, treat my mother. If there's anything you need, just tell me, and I'll do everything I can to get it for you."
Song Shunzhi, who had been facing away from them, quickly said, "Elder Chong, please just say what you need. The Song family's priority right now is Madam's health."
The old insect shuddered again, his face turning green once more, and he stammered, "No, no, no, please don't do this. I, I'll try my best to think. You, you should go back first..."
Looking at Song Jin's face, his mind went completely blank; he couldn't think of anything.
Song Jin wasn't angry about being kicked out, but she was worried about her mother. She frowned and asked, "Won't something happen to my mother if she goes back now?"
Insect Elder: "For now, everything's fine. There are too many insects and it's a mess here. You, you take the mother insect back, be careful, put her in the room..."
The Red Thread Gu, having escaped the control of its mother Gu for many years, felt insecure upon being awakened. The presence of its mother Gu provided some reassurance. At this moment, Elder Insect was extremely grateful to have this thing here; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
With his words, Song Jin felt temporarily relieved. She looked again at Niu Tielan, who had already fainted.
Her face remained pale and bloodless, her forehead and collar damp with fine sweat. She lay there like that, and if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of her chest, one would doubt that she was still alive.
Song Jin reached out to wipe Niu Tielan's sweat, then carefully picked him up. He was so light, it felt as if he could break if someone wasn't careful.
She stared at the people with a heavy heart. After a long while, she took a deep breath, looking at Niu Tielan and Song Shunzhi.
Let's go home.
...
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