Chapter 2296: Chapter 2296: Extremely Dexterous
"Ah! It hurts so damn much, you lunatics, what gives you the right to beat Laozi? Let me go, or I’ll have The Emperor kill you all!"
After being given a savage beating by the crowd, Zhao Yin let out wails like ghosts and wolves. His originally gaunt face swelled up like a steamed bun in an instant, and his eyes were reduced to narrow slits.
"Oh, wow, you’re at death’s door and you still dare threaten us here?" The crowd was enraged and started laying into him again with a crackle and pop of blows.
In the end, they only stopped when Zhao Yin was on his last breath.
The Old Shopkeeper, afraid they’d beat him to death, had long wanted to step in and stop them. But he was old and frail; several times, just as he got close, the furious commoners shoved him back out, leaving him no choice but to watch Zhao Yin get beaten with his eyes wide open.
Now that they finally stopped, the Old Shopkeeper let out a sigh of relief. As long as they hadn’t killed him. His junior brother had gone far too far this time, causing the deaths of so many Little Kids. He really did deserve a beating; giving him a harsh lesson was a good thing too.
The Old Shopkeeper said, "Enough, enough, stop making a fuss here. This old man still has to save these Little Kids!"
A dozen or so Little Kids had mouths full of worms. Everyone was terrified and worried, and said, "Old Shopkeeper, we won’t make a sound, we’ll just stand by and watch. Is that okay?"
The Old Shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said sternly, "You can stay, but you have to promise this old man you won’t make a sound. Otherwise, if the Gu Insects get startled and refuse to come out, then all our efforts will be wasted. Next time, it’ll be even harder to lure them out."
Hearing this, the commoners nodded repeatedly, agreeing to the Old Shopkeeper’s demand to keep quiet.
Zhao Yin was curled up on the ground, still howling in pain.
After everyone exchanged looks, one Master didn’t hesitate at all. He generously pulled off the rancid sock from his own foot, handed it to two young men beside him, and said, "Tie him up, then stuff this sock into his mouth so he can’t disturb the Old Shopkeeper saving people."
Everyone immediately nodded in agreement. They quickly found a rope, tied Zhao Yin up, and stuffed the stinky sock into his mouth so he couldn’t make a sound.
The Old Shopkeeper began saving the second Little Kid. Just like last time, he laid the child on the table, pricked a few holes in her fingertips with a needle, and placed that piece of flesh cut from Zhao Yin’s body beneath the wounds.
The instant the blood gushed out, countless tiny Gu Insects poured out along with it. Wah-la-la... a dense, black mass of Gu Insects, terrifying to behold. In the blink of an eye, they filled that big bowl to the brim!
The sight made everyone’s scalps tingle. Oh my mother! This was too horrifying. These Little Kids were really pitiful—having so many Gu Insects in their bellies yet still managing to stay alive; it was truly not easy.
The Old Shopkeeper’s hands were extremely nimble. He picked up the bowl full of Gu Insects and dumped it straight into the charcoal brazier on the ground...
"Zzzt zzzt...!"
The Gu Insects let out shrill screams in the fire, but their bodies were quickly burned to ash.
The Little Kid on the table had her belly flatten in an instant, and her mouth closed up. Everyone stared, dumbfounded, all thinking: this old man is really something; he actually knows how to do Gu Solving.
Just like that, one, then two, then three... In the blink of an eye, ten Insect Persons had their Gu Solved, leaving five remaining. The human flesh on the table used for Gu Solving was gone; all of that meat had been cut from Zhao Yin’s thigh.
Staring at the now-empty bowl, the Old Shopkeeper turned his head to glance at Zhao Yin on the ground, his expression somewhat hesitant.
The two trusted aides Xuexue had left behind took one look at the Old Shopkeeper’s face and instantly understood his intent. Without a word, they drew their daggers with a swish and strode toward Zhao Yin.
