Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 164 Sudden Injury

Wuzhan's heart trembled and he quickly lowered his head and knelt back to his original position. The woman in green walked up to Wuzhan and said with a giggle: "In order to ensure that everything is safe, we need to put the insect into Zhu Baichuan's body. Sister Hua, you won't mind, right?" She took out a small black bottle from the sachet on her waist and presented it in her jade palm.

Wuzhan was horrified when he heard this, and thought to himself: "Could it be the 'Nine Yin Brain-Eating Worm'?" Even though he was calm and composed, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. If the worm got into the brain, even a god would not be able to survive.

Hua Qingyue said: "Since Sister Yu doesn't believe in my disguise technique, why not just use it on Wuzhan? Why bother making me spend so much effort!"

"Sister, you misunderstood. How can I not trust you? This is a serious matter and we have to be on guard. Don't worry, this is a 'marrow-eating worm'. I will let it attach to the bone marrow and hibernate. As long as everything goes well, I will naturally drive it away and it will not harm him at all."

"Then leave it to you!" Hua Qingyue said with a little displeasure.

The woman in green smiled and said, "Thank you, sister, for your patience!" She opened the bottle cap, and suddenly a small white insect emerged from the bottle. It was shaped like a leech, and it looked left and right. Its mouth was as sharp as a needle. It said to Wuzhan, "You have to listen carefully. If you don't do as we tell you tomorrow, I will wake it up and separate it. In less than an hour, your bone marrow will become their meal!" Without waiting for Wuzhan to answer, the tiny insect moved its red lips, and suddenly bent its body, and with a "swish", it shot onto Wuzhan's cervical vertebrae.

The tiny worm quickly penetrated the skin and burrowed into the bone gaps. Wuzhai felt an immediate stinging pain and screamed in pain, covering the back of his neck with his hands. Sweat beads dripped to the ground. After a while, the pain gradually subsided.

The woman in green smiled and said, "It's dormant. Remember, don't try to force it out. Once it wakes up, it won't obey you. 'Master Censor', go back to the mansion and wait!"

Wuzhan uttered an "ah" and actually dragged his heavy body, stood up and walked out of the hall.

……

The sky was clear and blue, the red leaves on the distant mountains were like fire, the autumn wind was getting cooler, the sun was setting in the west, the official road was deserted, the wheat was surging, Wuzhan's clothes were stained with red, and he was riding on his horse in a daze. This was Du County outside Xianyang City, about an hour's journey away from Weishui. He suppressed the burning feeling in his chest and met the group of people, but as soon as he walked out of the remote village, he could no longer control himself and coughed up large amounts of blood. Wuzhan had a premonition that his time was running out, and he thought he could escape, but he didn't expect something unexpected to happen. He was infected with a poisonous insect. If he didn't get rid of it, he would be controlled by others.

Although the purpose of this group of people is similar to his own, it would be great if they could succeed, and it would save Wuzhan from having to spend all his efforts to deal with the Qin Dynasty. However, Wuzhan did not look favorably on this group of rabble. First, Yao Jia and others used them to get rid of Xiandaoyuan, so how could he not be on guard? If Xiandaoyuan was eliminated, they would definitely be abandoned. Second, Xiandaoyuan's actions were all in accordance with the will of Ying Zheng. If the court officials wanted to overthrow Xiandaoyuan, it would be like breaking Ying Zheng's wrist. Third, Xu Shi was a person Wuzhan had never seen before. Since he could get together with Huo Biao, his magical powers must be extraordinary. Fourth, destroying Qin was only one of Wuzhan's goals. He could not shirk his responsibility to fulfill his master's last wish and reborn as Senior Xingtian. How could Wuzhan do it on his own? Taking advantage of this opportunity, he could get close to Xiandaoyuan and perhaps find a way out. Therefore, Wuzhan did not tell his life experience and cooperate with that group of people.

Looking at my own slanted shadow, I felt an inexplicable feeling of loneliness that I had not felt for a long time, just like when I was a child looking at the withered yellow leaves outside the window, I felt helpless and sad. Is this how life will end?

……

After returning to the mansion, Miaoxin, who had been waiting anxiously, was shocked when she saw Wuzhan coming back, and hurried forward to support him. Suqi and Suyan followed suit and became flustered, not knowing what to do.

Meng Yi had been waiting in the mansion. Seeing Wuzhan covered in blood and looking pale, he was heartbroken and wanted to send someone to invite the imperial physician.

Wuzhan shook his head and said reluctantly: "This matter is not likely to cause any complications. I will just need a night's rest. The important thing is, I have found the eldest prince. He is now trapped in Yazuiling of Du County. With Jin Xingzi by his side, he will not be in danger. After we set off tomorrow, my second brother can send someone to pick him up and then rush to Mount Li..." Then he narrated what he had heard and seen intermittently.

Meng Yi clenched his fists and hammered on the table, saying, "Just as you expected, this group of traitors dared to collude with the remnants of the restoration to murder Your Majesty. They are really tired of living." Then he said, "My dear brother, you are poisoned by the Gu. Is there any way to remove it?"

"Don't worry, second brother. Although the poisonous insect is powerful, it is afraid of several kinds of toxins. My physique is special. After taking those toxins, if I can withstand the toxicity, the poisonous insect will drill out by itself." He ordered Suqi to bring pen and ink, and wrote several kinds of medicinal materials on the bamboo slips.

Miao Xin looked at the names of the medicines on the bamboo slips, all of which were highly toxic, and asked in surprise, "Sir, is this feasible?"

"Will it work? Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to give it a try!" After Wuzhan finished writing, he gave it to Suqi and ordered someone to go to the pharmacy secretly to get the medicine.

'Marrow-eating worms' live in the warm and humid areas of southern Xinjiang and attach themselves to the grass in the swamps. Once an animal passes by, it will drill into the spine and suck the bone marrow. It spreads rapidly. Every year, hundreds of people in southern Xinjiang die from this worm and are severely harmed by it. However, this worm is most afraid of nearby plants such as poison arrow trees and thunder god vines. Therefore, local people use these plants to fumigate and bake clothes to prevent the invasion of poisonous insects. But in this way, people in southern Xinjiang are often corroded by poisons and their bodies are poisoned. People with poor physical constitutions die before they reach adulthood. Some people are accompanied by poisons all day long, refining poisons and cultivating a body that is immune to all poisons, or they are masters of poisons. There was a proverb that said, "Most of the strange poisons in the world come from southern Xinjiang." Xia Wuqi's "Compendium of Materia Medica" only mentioned methods of prevention, but there was no solution. Wuzhai combined his own unique physique and had a sudden idea to prescribe this bold prescription, but in fact he was not sure at all.

Meng Yi had Wuzhan risked his life to save him in Jiuyuan, so he knew that his medical skills were not bad. Wuzhan's words relieved his worries. After thinking for a long time, he asked, "Now that we know their intentions, you and I can go to the palace and report to His Majesty to first arrest Yao Jia, Yang Ruihe and other traitors, and then find out the remnants of the restoration!"

Wuzhan said: "Although we know they are up to something, we don't have enough evidence, let alone how they would do it. If we rashly report it, not only will we alert them, but we won't be able to convict them. They might even turn against us, saying that I couldn't find the culprit, so they framed us, putting us in a difficult situation, and we won't be able to save Prince Fusu."

"But if we don't take down the rebels, it would be tantamount to sitting there and waiting for death, allowing them to succeed in their evil plot?"

"This is not sitting still and waiting to die, but playing hard to get. The goal of Yao Jia and others is to get rid of Xiandaoyuan, and the intention of the remnants of the restoration is to murder Your Majesty. Therefore, with the protection of Your Majesty as the axis, we sit on the mountain and watch the tigers. When they are both injured and their true colors are revealed, we will attack them in time and catch them off guard. In this way, we can annihilate the remnants of the rebellion and severely damage the vitality of Xiandaoyuan. Perhaps Your Majesty will wake up and give up the idea of ​​immortality and release the Lishan corvée. Isn't this what Second Brother wants to see?"

"If that's the case, it will indeed make people happy, but if it is missed, it will lead to a disaster, and you and I will become eternal sinners!" Meng Yi lamented.

Wuzhan said: "As long as we make good precautions, conduct strict inspections, and arrange for experts to protect the emperor, so that the rebels cannot enter, no matter how they fight, it will not cause too much trouble to the Qin Dynasty. Second brother can discuss this matter with the prime minister. Don't tell this matter yet, just say it is to prevent the remnants from taking the opportunity to cause chaos."

"This is the only way. I will go to the Prime Minister's Mansion now. Have a good rest, my dear brother. Tomorrow I will need your help in strategizing and dealing with sudden changes." After saying goodbye, he rushed out of the mansion and rode a fast horse to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

……

The full moon was like a wheel, the night wind was howling, the autumn cicadas were crying, the shadows of the trees were swaying, Miaoxin frowned in front of Wuzhan's bed, and saw that Wuzhan's face was dark gray and he was unconscious. She was extremely anxious, but she was helpless. Wuzhan's body was already weak, and now he was poisoned. Although the poison was driven out, it was undoubtedly worse for such a body.
After these few days of contact, Miaoxin has developed a sense of admiration for Wuzhan. She listens to him and does what he says. She watches his every move, but can never guess what he is thinking. His occasional smile is always mysterious, which makes her involuntarily develop a vague affection for him.

I remembered Master's words, "A mind without worries is like a clear mirror and still water. When things are gone, they become empty. Only when one is untainted by the mundane world can one achieve eternal life." But ever since I met him, my heart has been in constant pain and confusion and it can no longer calm down.

……

At some point, Wuzhan's complexion recovered a lot. He coughed lightly, and his clear eyes slowly opened. Miaoxin suddenly realized what was going on and said in surprise and joy, "Sir, you're actually awake!" She hurriedly woke up Suyan, who was sleeping soundly on the bedside, and asked him to bring some water.

After Wuzhan was helped up, he drank a mouthful of water, took a break, and said reluctantly, "I know my body best. Medicine has little effect on me, and the same goes for poison. Otherwise, how could there be no cure!"

When Miaoxin heard this, her heart sank. Her surprise was immediately swept away by the word "incurable", and sadness filled her heart again.

Wuzhan saw Miaoxin was silent and guessed what was going on. He continued, "But after taking the poison, I slept soundly. I feel much better now. It's just that Miss Miao was worried about me all night!"

"Master ordered Miaoxin to protect you, but I failed to do so and caused you to be infected with the poisonous insect. It's Miaoxin's fault!"

"You can't be blamed for this. It's my fault for not thinking it through. Miss Miao should go and rest first. Jin Xingzi is not here. I need you to accompany me to Mount Li today. There may be a fight. I hope you are mentally prepared."

"It is Miaoxin's duty to protect you, sir. You don't have to be polite. You can continue to rest. I will take my leave now!" After Miaoxin finished speaking, she took another closer look and saw that Wuzhan's complexion had recovered a lot. She put most of the worry that had been weighing on her mind all night at ease and got up to leave.

(End of this chapter)