Chapter 412

Trouble?

What's wrong?

Li Qingluo felt a heavy thud in her chest.

"Could it be that the poison in my body has gotten worse?"

Ajing: "No!"

"It's that I overlooked this crucial point!"

"It's too late; let's hurry to Ten Thousand Families Village!"

However, by the time everyone rushed to the well at the village entrance of Ten Thousand Families Village, it was already too late.

Zhui Yu and the others had already, under the cover of night, secretly poured the antidote into the well.

Because it was summer and the villagers were restless from the heat, every household was lining up to fetch water.

Some planned to take the water back, boil it, steep mint leaves, and wait until midnight to rise and enjoy a cool, thirst-quenching drink.

Others simply held a ladle, scooped water, and stood there drinking it straight with 'glug-glug' sounds.

Still others carried water back to rinse and bathe their families, to cool down and relieve the heat.

"I don't know what's going on this year; these days are really hard to endure."

"Exactly, when I get home and see my wife, my whole body feels uncomfortably hot. But it's not that kind of heat; damn it, I feel like I've been possessed."

"What? Could you be feeling this too? I thought it was just me."

"Right, even in past years it wasn't like this no matter how hot; it's really eerie."

"Hey... I'm asking you... do you have this feeling?"

"That is... could it be that you notice your own mother... wife... and daughter... paying special attention to the throbbing of their necks?"

"Or perhaps you smell a strange fragrance on them?"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment under the moonlight.

Because those who came to fetch water at the village entrance were almost all the men of the households.

So when someone voiced this strange abnormality, nearly all the men present focused their gaze on the speaker.

The atmosphere suddenly turned eerily strange.

The trees at the village entrance swayed in the wind, making a 'rustling' sound.

However, in the silent night, a low growling howl suddenly came from somewhere.

Someone suddenly turned into a beast in the silence.

And let out a roar, lunging at the crowd.

It was the person who had just been drinking water at the well.

He, unprepared, lunged directly at the person beside him and opened his mouth to bite.

However, the bitter taste made his face change instantly; he turned his head and spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The others who hadn't drunk the water were terrified by this sight.

"Monster... monster... a monster!"

Everyone screamed and scattered in flight, yet among the crowd were four or five people who had just drunk the water.

Now each of them began to show the poison's effects first.

With long fangs and five claws, they went mad and out of control, charging at the crowd.

Seeing this, Duan Rongshi and Li Qingluo and the others quickly gestured for Zhui Yu and the others to tie up those people first.

But it was already too late.

The village also echoed with chaotic noise.

There were also people in the village who had already drunk tonight's well water...

Everyone rushed together into the village.

Every household was already in complete chaos.

Everyone rushed out of their homes, shouting: 'Chaos, chaos — they're biting people, they're biting people!!'

Waaah, save me, save me——

Why is everyone going mad?! What's happening?

Mother——

Father——

Everywhere were terrified cries.

Duan Rongshi: 'Everyone, tie up the mad people first. Lock those who aren't mad inside the houses!'

Everyone, be careful to stay safe and try not to harm any villager.

All the assassins of the Slay Night Sect and the guards of Prince Su's mansion: 'Yes!'

Rows of black shadows rushed into the village.

Fortunately, the number of people guarding outside Ten Thousand Families Village these past two days was not small.

Prince Su's mansion guards seized the mad people.

The assassins of the Slay Night Sect then confined all those who had not yet shown symptoms into each household's courtyard.

Although there was some chaos, with everyone acting separately, everything gradually became orderly.

Li Qingluo and the others also couldn't stand directly on the road, so they went to the hill behind Ten Thousand Families Village and looked down.

How could this happen?

Wasn't the poison supposed to take effect only after a day?

Could it be a problem with the antidote?

Li Qingluo's face turned deathly pale as she looked at A Jin, and everyone's gaze shifted to her.

A Jin remained silent and said, "Do you know how I made this poison?"

Li Qingluo shook her head.

"Its main medicinal guide is the flesh and blood of that Miss Hudie."

Li Qingluo's eyes widened instantly, and unable to hold back, she rushed forward to block A Jin, demanding, "What did you do to her?"

"I wanted you to save her life! Not——"

Dong Shiyuan quickly stepped between them, extending his hand to stop them: "County Master, please stay calm. Miss Hudie's life is not in danger."

"We only took a bit of flesh from her leg, and we have already bandaged and treated the wound for her."

Duan Rongshi also reached out and pulled Li Qingluo back.

"Don't rush; first listen to what they have to say."

Li Qingluo took a deep breath: "Sorry, my junior attitude was just poor; please, senior, don't blame me."

A Jin naturally did not blame her.

On the contrary, she felt that Li Qingluo was affectionate and righteous.

Raising such a monster counts as being very conscientious.

"No problem."

"However, it seems my deduction was wrong, so I placed the medicinal guide incorrectly."

"Now not only have I failed to detoxify these villagers, but I have also accelerated the onset of their bloodlust disease."

Li Qingluo looked at the mosquitoes crawling on the ground in the darkness, her face grim: "Is it because I just said that ever since being poisoned, those mosquitoes can't approach me?"

A Jin: "Yes."

"The poison on Hudie's body is dozens of times stronger than yours; one could say she has become a poisonous person worthy of being called the King of Ten Thousand Poisons."

"In our MiaoJiang, she is a priceless treasure."

"Her hair, teeth, and even her skin can be used to refine our Witchcraft Technique."

"But strangely, I have not found any gu on her……"

"Earlier Dong Shiyuan said that when Hudie falls ill, it feels as if tens of thousands of gu worms are erupting inside her, devouring her, but I have indeed not detected her gu poison."

"Unless……"

Li Qingluo: "Unless what?"

A Jin looked at her, her expression icy and solemn: "Unless she herself is that mother gu."

"So she would devour and coexist with all the gu worms, making it impossible for me to detect them."

Li Qingluo staggered backward heavily.

She now has some understanding of MiaoJiang gu poison and also knows what a mother-child gu mother is.

Last time she personally killed that blood gu worm, she also came to know how evil this thing is.

If Hudie is the mother gu……

Li Qingluo's heart instantly felt heavy.

A Jin: "So I originally thought that the poison affecting you all was merely made from her toxic blood or other body parts."

"But looking at it now, it seems I made a mistake."

"No, I still need to go back to Qingsong Guan once more!"

Saying that, she immediately turned and left.

Li Qingluo: "I'll go with you!"

As she was leaving, Duan Rongshi naturally would not stay behind either.

"Take control of Wanjia Village, defend it strictly, and allow no outsiders to set foot inside!"

"Anyone who defies will be killed without mercy!"

Zhui Yu: "Yes."

"But…… do those poisoned people perhaps need……?"

Duan Rongshi thought that they were all innocent commoners, and the Miao women might very well develop a new antidote.

After a moment's contemplation, he then ordered: "Go capture two death-row inmates and feed each of them two mouthfuls."

That very night, Wanjia Village was completely brought under control.

The whole village was shrouded in an eerie gloom, uncertain whether tomorrow's sun would still shine upon this poor village……

Qingsong Guan.

A Jin returned and headed straight for Hudie's room.

Li Qingluo also followed behind her.

Hudie happened to wake up, saw Dong Shiyuan entering together with them, and immediately went mad, wanting to lunge at him.

Fortunately, Ying'er and the others immediately held her down firmly, while Dong Shiyuan hurriedly retreated.

Hudie's breathing gradually steadied.

Upon seeing Li Qingluo, she gradually revealed a smile.

Li Qingluo quickly walked over: "Do you recognize me?"

Last time Hudie woke up, seeing Li Qingluo made her go mad as if she were seeing an enemy.

Li Qingluo knew it was likely due to the poisonous smell on her own body, so she merely felt a bit disappointed.

Hudie: "Luo, Luo'er?"

Li Qingluo was overjoyed: "You can still call my name? Hudie, wonderful!"

Li Qingluo sat down beside the bed and tightly embraced Hudie, while Ying'er and the others stood nervously, not daring to move a step.

A Jin: "Time is short, Princess of Yaoguang, please step aside so I can confirm one thing."

Li Qingluo, eyes red, soothed Hudie: "Don't be afraid, I'm right here and won't leave."

Hudie nervously gazed at the unfamiliar A Jin.

A Jin: "My name is Jin Ying."

"I heard you are Zhaina's daughter?"

"Do you still remember your mother?"

Hudie shook her head: "Mother, mother?"

She didn't understand what a mother was, yet she looked toward Li Qingluo and pointed at her.

Li Qingluo: "I am not your mother. On the contrary, I should call you aunt."

Hudie: "Aunt... aunt?"

Her language seemed to open up in an instant; she could imitate a few words of what Li Qingluo said.

Moreover, she seemed to be able to understand some of what they said.

Ying'er: "Miss Hudie, auntie means you are the elder of our young lady."

Hudie, feeling somewhat dazed, began to ponder.

A Jin then took out a parasitic worm, and while Hudie wasn't paying attention, she cut open her wrist.

As the blood flowed freely, she quickly placed a blood-red worm onto the wound on Hudie's wrist.

Only to see that blood-red worm instantly burrow into the flesh at Hudie's wound.

Then, in the blink of an eye, before everyone's shocked gaze, it moved forward from beneath the skin.

A Lan entered carrying a bowl of reddish soup medicine.

"Master, this is what you requested."

Jin Ying looked at Li Qingluo: "Please, Princess of Yaoguang, drop a drop of blood into this bowl."

Li Qingluo, without suspicion, immediately pricked her finger and dropped the blood into the soup.

Hudie was still struggling, but the bowl of soup medicine was already brought before her.

Seeing the bowl of soup medicine, she seemed terrified, continually shrinking back.

"No..."

Jin Ying: "Please, everyone, hold her down!"

Ying'er and the others could only harden their hearts and rush forward, firmly pressing Hudie onto the bed.

Hudie cried out in anguish: "Luo'er... Luo, Luo'er——"

"Gurulu——"

"Cough, cough cough——"

After the bowl of soup medicine was poured down, in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the blood-red worm first crawled out of Hudie's mouth.