Chapter 531: Both eyes are dark and bright

Fresh blood fell onto the layer of brown powder spread at the bottom of the jar.

The Gu worm stiffened violently, its previously frantic writhing body instantly coming to a halt.

Immediately, it crawled swiftly to the spot where the blood had seeped, its two heads frenziedly pushing, shoving all the surrounding powder aside.

Then it curled its whole body into a ball, tightly encircling the blood-soaked patch in the center.

Xue Tong widened his eyes.

The Gu worm opened its two mouths, as if starving for hundreds of years, gulping down the brown powder soaked with fresh blood in big mouthfuls.

Its whole body swelled slightly from eating, yet it showed no sign of stopping at all.

Until the last bit of powder was rolled into its mouth.

Only then did the Gu worm slowly stop, curling up in place, motionless.

Xue Tong gaped, unable to utter a word for a long while.

Tuan Tuan also stared intently: "Master, why isn't it eating anymore?"

"Is it still eating?" Xue Tong swallowed, "Do you know how much it ate?"

"That brown powder is blood food I cultivated from corpses; normally, a few bites would be enough for it."

"Just now, it ate an amount equal to three to five days' worth!"

Tuan Tuan blinked her eyes: "Wow! It really likes my blood!"

"Not necessarily." Xue Tong snorted, lifted the jar to eye level, and examined it carefully in the light.

Indeed! The Gu worm ate only the patch that had been stained with Tuan Tuan's blood.

It ate it spotlessly clean—not a speck remained.

It didn't even touch the surrounding powder that had no blood on it.

Could it be that Tuan Tuan's blood is really that fragrant and sweet to this Gu worm?

Xue Tong bit his own finger and dropped a drop of blood into the jar as well.

The fresh blood fell into the jar, bright red and striking.

The Gu worm didn't move a muscle.

It didn't even glance at it.

Tuan Tuan leaned over to look, then said seriously: "Master, your blood isn't as fragrant as mine—it doesn't like to eat it."

Xue Tong's mouth twitched: "Hmph! It's because it's already eaten too much, so it refuses to eat more!"

"Oh—" Tuan Tuan suddenly understood: "Master, that makes sense!"

She stood up: "Master, I'm going to go play with Xiao Yueyue and the others! I'll come back tomorrow to check on the worm!"

"Wait a moment."

Xue Tong grabbed her, pulling the little hand she had bitten up to his face, his brows furrowing.

He bent over, opened the medicine box, took out a small porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, and sprinkled some medicine powder onto the tiny wound that was almost too small to see.

"Does it hurt?"

Tuan Tuan shrugged: "No, it doesn't hurt! It's just a tiny bit, not painful at all!"

"Go on, don't touch dirty water!"

As she ran out, she shouted back loudly: "Got it!"

Xue Tong continued shouting from behind her: "And don't play in the dirt either!"

"All right! Master, I'll come back tomorrow to look at the worm!"

Xue Tong watched her hop away and disappear outside the tent, then lowered his gaze to the dried bloodstain on his own finger.

He murmured: "This child is born to be a doctor."

"Who would have thought she'd dare to feed the worm with her own flesh—even at my age, I've never seen anyone dare to do that."

The next afternoon, Tuan Tuan lifted the tent flap, her little head poking in first: "Master? How's the worm doing?"

Xue Tong was staring blankly at the small jar on the table; hearing her, he lifted his head: "Come see for yourself."

Tuan Tuan bounced in, hopping onto the chair.

Xue Tong glanced at her, his expression odd, and reached out to lift the lid.

Tuan Tuan brought her little head close, her eyes widening instantly: "Wow!"

Inside the jar, the Gu worm had actually grown an entire circle larger, now curled up quietly in the corner, a plump ball.

Tuan Tuan exclaimed delightedly: "It's grown so fast!"

Xue Tong smacked his lips: "Disciple, do you know how long it takes for a Gu worm to grow this big?"

Tuan Tuan shook her head.

"At the very least, a month!"

Xue Tong stared at the plump worm, his eyes complex: "I, as Master, have lived this long and never before seen one grow this quickly."

Tuan Tuan tilted her head at the worm: "Master, is it still hungry?"

Xue Tong blinked: "This… I don't know either; why don't I try?"

Without a word, he raised his hand, bit his finger, and dropped a drop of blood into the jar.

The Gu worm twitched, both heads turning in unison to the other side.

That look, however you see it, seems like disdain.

Xue Tong's mouth twitched: "Looks like it's not hungry."

"Really? Then I'll try!"

Tuan Tuan put her finger into her mouth, gently bit it, and also dropped a drop of blood into the jar.

The crimson blood bead fell onto the brown powder spread at the bottom of the jar.

In the next instant, the Gu Worm that had just been motionless darted over, gulping the blood‑stained powder in large bites.

Xue Tong's eyes widened, round as saucers: "This…".

Tuan Tuan stared intently: "Master, it's eating so deliciously!"

A moment later, the powder had been eaten clean, and the Gu Worm, satisfied, curled back into the corner.

Xue Tong exhaled slowly: "From this, it truly only loves to eat your blood."

He paused, then hummed: "And it eats so well!"

A moment later, his brows knit together: "At this eating rate, in just a few days it could grow larger than the mother Gu Worm."

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "Then will it obey me?"

Xue Tong opened his mouth again, and after a long pause managed only a few words: "I… don't know."

Tuan Tuan frowned: "Master, why do you know nothing at all?"

Xue Tong's old face flushed: "Who could know such a thing! Not to mention that I've never seen it; I don't believe any doctor in this world has ever seen it!"

Tuan Tuan nodded earnestly: "Alright, Master, then continue teaching me that little needle‑pricking technique."

Xue Tong: "……"

That isn't a little needle‑pricking trick! That's my unique medical art!

Fine, since the disciple wants to learn, I'll teach it.

In the following days, Tuan Tuan came every day, dripping a drop of blood into the jar.

The Gu Worm each day ate all the blood‑stained powder, then curled up peacefully.

The powder in the jar dwindled, while the Gu Worm's body grew larger.

Day five.

The jar could no longer contain its plump body.

Xue Tong fetched a deep, large wooden box and carefully transferred the Gu Worm into it.

The Gu Worm crawled a few circles inside the box, then suddenly stopped.

In the next instant, "Ying—".

A faint chirp sounded, emanating from the box.

Xue Tong's hand trembled, nearly dropping the box: "How can a Gu Worm make a sound?"

He had raised Gu Worms all his life, never having heard one call out.

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head: "Master, it says it wants to come out."

Xue Tong hurriedly pressed the lid shut.

Then he realized, wait!

He widened his eyes: "What did you just say? Did you understand its call?"

Tuan Tuan replied matter‑of‑factly: "Yes."

Xue Tong stared at her, no longer knowing what expression could convey his astonishment.

At that moment, a violent thrashing sound erupted from inside the box.

"Dong— Dong— Dong—"

The sound was deep and forceful, causing the whole wooden box to bounce on the table.

Xue Tong scooped Tuan Tuan into his arms, stepped back a few paces, and stared at the wooden box in stunned silence.

What is this Gu Worm doing?

Tuan Tuan watched with curiosity, excitement flushing a slight pink on her little face.

After a while, the sound ceased.

The chamber was silent.

Xue Tong shielded Tuan Tuan behind him, swallowed, then slowly reached out, carefully prying a slit open in the wooden box.

A plump, white bug lay on the bottom of the box.

Its once segmented, ugly shell had shed beside it.

Now the Gu Worm was entirely snow‑white, with a single head, two eyes black and bright, tilting its head upward, gazing outward through the gap.