Chapter 173: Chapter 170: Spirit Gu Poison
Nangong Yan, Zhu Fan, and Zhao Zijun all covered their ears at the same time.
The sound coming from inside Qian Duoduo sent a chill down their spines, and they couldn’t help but feel an agitated sense of unease.
"CHITTER CHITTER CHITTER!"
The insect-like chirping grew more frantic and piercing.
Blood trickled from between Qian Duoduo’s teeth. His throat bobbed up and down as he let out a pained roar.
Just then, sesame-seed-sized bumps appeared all over his skin. They were densely packed, a horrifying and deeply unsettling sight.
Not only that, but the bumps pulsed up and down like tiny hearts, as if they were alive.
Nangong Yan and the others retreated again and again. The scene was too bizarre; they couldn’t bear to watch.
"Kill!"
Mo Qi barked the command, controlling the Yang Fire of his Nether Soul Flame to exterminate and purify whatever was inside the bumps.
POP! POP! POP!
A series of soft pops echoed as all the bumps burst open at once.
Wisps of black energy mixed with blood flew out and gathered above Qian Duoduo’s head, forming a misty, spider-like shape that was menacing and terrifying.
"GRRAAA!"
The spider trembled, let out a strange cry, and lunged at Mo Qi.
"You’re courting death!"
Mo Qi snorted coldly, remaining as still as a mountain.
Just as the spider was about to pounce on Mo Qi’s face, a two-colored lotus the size of a washbasin flew out from between his eyebrows.
The overwhelming flames instantly dyed the sky a brilliant red.
The misty spider was like snow under a scorching sun, melting away at a visible rate.
A shrill scream erupted from it, accompanied by thick black smoke. It waved its eight legs and tried to burrow back into Qian Duoduo’s body without a second thought.
"Thinking of going back now? Too late!"
All the pores on Qian Duoduo’s face—around his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose—were covered by Yang Fire. The spider had no way in.
Just as it was about to be burned to ash by the Yang Fire, the spider suddenly split in two.
One half disintegrated into a misty Shield, enveloping the other half as it dove straight for Qian Duoduo’s heart.
TSSSSSS!
A violent reaction occurred between the Yang Fire and the Shield. The Shield instantly dissolved, and more than half of the spider’s body was incinerated.
To Mo Qi’s surprise, the remaining small part actually managed to burrow into Qian Duoduo’s body and entrench itself on his heart, using its tentacles as roots to forcibly take hold.
"You want to kill me? Not unless you kill him too!"
A faint consciousness emanated from the spider, reaching Mo Qi’s ears.
Mo Qi frowned slightly. ’So close.’
’This weakened state is truly awful!’
The power of the Nether Soul Flame was greatly diminished. Otherwise, this misty spider wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Now, this spider was rooted to Qian Duoduo’s heart. The two had become one, making them difficult to separate.
With Mo Qi’s current level of control over the Nether Soul Flame, he couldn’t destroy the spider without harming Qian Duoduo.
That level of control was too difficult to achieve. He couldn’t have managed it even at his Peak.
"Sigh..."
Mo Qi sighed softly. He separated a wisp of Yang Fire and formed a barrier around Qian Duoduo’s heart, sealing the spider inside.
’Since I can’t eliminate it for now, I can’t let it get out and continue to torment Qian Duoduo either.’
This was the most Mo Qi could do at the moment.
At this point, Qian Duoduo was completely drained. His face was deathly pale, devoid of all color.
But a smile hung on his face, because he realized the pressure that had tormented him for eleven years was gone!
Not only that, a long-lost sense of vigorous vitality began in his Dantian and spread through his Meridians to every corner of his body.
The relief, as if a great weight had been lifted, made him unable to stop the tears from flowing.
’I’m better!’
He felt like his old self had finally returned!
"Don’t celebrate too soon. That thing is still inside you, I’ve just sealed it away for now."
Mo Qi poured a bucket of cold water on his excitement.
Qian Duoduo couldn’t care less. If he weren’t so exhausted, he would be jumping for joy.
Just having it sealed was already the best news he could have hoped for.
"Bro, no matter what, you are my great benefactor! It doesn’t matter if it can’t be cured. I’m already so happy with this."
Mo Qi shook his head. "Don’t be so naive. If that thing isn’t completely destroyed, it will come back with a vengeance sooner or later. The seal can hold it for a while, but not forever. When that time comes, you’re a dead man."
Qian Duoduo froze, then asked, "Then how much time do I have?"
Mo Qi thought for a moment. "A little over two months."
Huh?
Qian Duoduo was dumbfounded. "No way, I only have two months to live? I haven’t even gotten married, had kids, and reached the peak of my life yet!"
Qian Duoduo panicked. Mustering strength from who knows where, he once again hugged Mo Qi’s thigh, crying and wailing.
"Bro, save me! If I die a virgin, my ancestors will definitely laugh at me in the afterlife!"
Mo Qi was speechless. ’Are you afraid of dying, or are you afraid of not losing your virginity?’
’Your priorities are completely messed up!’
’Besides, when did I say you only have two months to live?’
"You moron, let go!"
Seeing his pants stained with blood from Qian Duoduo’s body, Mo Qi wished he could just kick him away.
"I meant that in a little over two months, I’ll be able to help you get rid of that thing for good!"
Qian Duoduo’s wailing came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a grin the very next second.
"What? It can be cured? Hahaha, I knew it! Bro, you’re the best!"
Mo Qi suddenly felt mentally exhausted. ’If I really had a younger brother like this, he would have driven me insane by now.’
"Bro, what exactly is that thing inside me?" Qian Duoduo asked, letting go of Mo Qi’s leg.
Nangong Yan and the other two also moved closer, looking at Mo Qi with curiosity.
When the misty spider appeared, they had felt an incredibly dense malevolence and chilling aura from it. It was clearly no ordinary creature.
"It’s a type of poison called a ’Spirit Gu’."
"Spirit Gu? Is it a Gu Insect?" Nangong Yan asked.
"No!" Mo Qi shook his head. "In essence, it’s a poison that was refined using a Secret Technique, which allowed it to gain Spiritual Energy and even take physical form. It looks very similar to a Gu Insect, but it’s actually far more terrifying, which is why it’s called a Spirit Gu."
"Because it’s extremely difficult to refine, this type of poison is very rare. Furthermore, it’s hard to detect and even harder to remove, making it quite valuable. An ordinary person could never get their hands on it."
As soon as he said this, the expressions of all four, including Qian Duoduo, turned grim.
Mo Qi had made it very clear. The thing that had plagued Qian Duoduo for eleven years wasn’t an illness, but a poison!
Since the Spirit Gu required a Secret Technique to refine, was extremely rare, and priceless, it ruled out any possibility of accident. This meant someone had deliberately poisoned Qian Duoduo back then.
As a member of the Direct Lineage of the Qian Family, one of the three great clans, the number of people in the Mountain and Sea Empire who would dare to harm him could be counted on one hand.
Moreover, the young Qian Duoduo had received great attention from the Empire and was protected by powerful Guards from the Qian Family. Who could have possibly gotten past everyone to strike at him?
The answer was unknown.
