Chapter 41: Are You Here to Joke Around?

"The centipede moves as swiftly as lightning and strikes as fiercely as a storm. Its venom is so potent that if you don't amputate the bitten area immediately, the toxin will spread through your entire body. You have only fifteen minutes to live." The man in the black robe let out a sinister cackle, waved his hand nonchalantly, and the venomous creature that had completed its task fell from my arm and crawled back toward him with an almost intelligent grace.

"Brother Jian!" Er Gou rushed over, visibly worried about my safety. However, as he inspected my arm, he noticed that the dark greenish hue was fading, eventually turning into a single drop of black blood that oozed out from the plum blossom-shaped wound on my wrist.

I was equally baffled, patting Er Gou on the shoulder. "Relax. Getting bitten by that bug doesn't even hurt. In fact, I feel somewhat refreshed."

Turning back to the man in the black robe, my perception of him shifted entirely. In my eyes, he no longer resembled a ruthless and venomous Gu Master but rather a benevolent Miao healer dedicated to saving lives.

"Stop bluffing. Once the venom kicks in, I'll see if you can still keep that smile on your face!" The black-robed man was visibly irritated to see me alive and kicking, even taking time to console someone else. With a wave of his hand, he pulled out another red-and-black ceramic jar from within his robe.

"A Miao tribesman can raise only nine Gu insects in a lifetime. The first one, nurtured with their own blood essence, becomes their life Gu—the pinnacle of all Gu! Boy, you should consider it an honor to die at the hands of mine."

As soon as the red-black jar appeared, the man's aura turned more sinister and intense, an ominous energy swirling around him.

The jar's contents were clearly no ordinary insect. Judging by his demeanor, I became cautious and refrained from acting rashly.

Under the gaze of a dozen pairs of eyes, the man didn't disappoint. After chanting an incantation, the jar's blood-red hue deepened. Suddenly, a massive moth burst through the lid, soaring into the air.

This wasn't an ordinary moth. It was the size of a palm, with six wings flapping rapidly and a human-like face, grinning eerily, etched on its back.

"My life Gu—The Human-Faced Moth!"

I couldn't tell if it was just my imagination, but as soon as the insect appeared, the dimly lit alleyway seemed to grow even more sinister. The neon lights outside became distorted, and tiny flake-like particles floated down from the air like drifting willow seeds.

"Hold your breath! The air is poisoned!" I quickly covered my mouth and nose, but it was too late. Something had entered my nose, making my throat itch.

Turning around, I saw that Er Gou and even the more distant Shi Youfu were clutching their throats, their faces pale as goose liver, struggling to breathe as they collapsed to the ground.

"The Human-Faced Moth is one of the Three Yin and Five Plagues. Its phosphorous powder is highly toxic. Without my antidote, you'll all suffocate to death within an hour," the man gloated, laughing maniacally as everyone in the alley either collapsed or lay incapacitated—everyone except me.

"Er Gou!" Er Gou clawed at his throat and dug his fingers into the dirt in agony. Yet, despite inhaling the same toxic powder, I felt only a mild itch in my throat.

Yes, just that—nothing more.

"Am I immune to all poisons? Or have I consumed so much gutter oil that I've become resistant to Miao Gu toxins?" Dismissing logic entirely, I picked up a brick and walked toward the man in the black robe.

Whatever tricks he had up his sleeve, I figured it was best to deal with him directly.

"You can still move? Such resilience—it's almost admirable," the man remarked, clasping his hands behind his back with a rare hint of appreciation. "Fine. If you manage to take five steps unscathed, I'll consider granting you a painless death."

He then began counting the steps I took. "You've been poisoned by multiple Gu. Forcing yourself to move will only accelerate your demise. As your blood circulates, the toxins and insect eggs will root themselves deeper into your body. The faster you move, the greater your eventual suffering."

"Five steps," he said, shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "Venom coursing through your veins, insects devouring your organs, blood streaming from your seven orifices—I can already picture your gruesome end."

His words sent a chill down my spine, but my body remained unaffected. Summoning my courage, I took five steps without any adverse effects. In fact, my throat no longer itched. If not for the situation, I might have burst into song.

"Something's not right. Er Gou and the others are clearly in pain—so why isn't the poison affecting me?" I stared blankly at the plum blossom wound on my wrist. "Could it be the plum blossom Gu from the Hell Show?"

Judging purely by its appearance, the plum blossom Gu resembled a dragon with strange horns, clearly of a much higher grade than the man's insects. "Could it be that the plum blossom Gu is so dominant that my body can't accommodate other Gu?"

Lost in thought, I unknowingly closed the gap between us, now standing just a meter or two away.

Hearing my footsteps, the man's eyes snapped open. "What?! How are you not dead?!"

His voice, tinged with frustration, sounded oddly down-to-earth to me. "Brother, I'm just as curious. Why is it that after your Gu bit me, not only do I feel fine, but I can also walk briskly and swing this brick with such vigor?"

"You're no ordinary person! Are you a Gu Master as well?!" The man exclaimed, stepping back in alarm. "I didn't expect to encounter a fellow practitioner here. Very well, according to the rules of our craft, I challenge you to a Gu duel!"

With a dramatic flourish, he produced three ceramic jars, arranging them in a triangular formation before him. "Show your Gu!"

"Huh?" Honestly, if Er Gou and the others weren't on the brink of death, I'd have assumed this guy was a heavy-duty role-playing enthusiast, cosplaying as someone from a fantasy world.

"'Gu' is formed by combining the characters for 'insect' and 'vessel.' By harnessing Yin energy to cultivate insects within a vessel, they become Gu! The Three Yin and Five Plagues—" He chanted endlessly, but by the time I reached him, he was still going.

"Buddy, maybe streamline your incantation next time? I've walked right up to you, and you're not even done yet. Isn't that a bit awkward?"

The man's composed demeanor faltered. Just as he raised a finger to let his blood drip into the jars, I swung the brick at him.

Thud! Clutching his bleeding head, the stubborn Gu Master fell to the ground, still muttering incantations. Trembling, his bony hand reached for the jars.

"You and your stubbornness are truly beyond me." Pinning him down with a grappling move, I pulled off his robe to reveal a scrawny, middle-aged man with a somewhat sleazy appearance.

"Impossible! You've been poisoned by my Gu—how can you be perfectly fine? It's inconceivable!"

"Quit pretending to be a big shot. Go cure my brothers, or else." Tossing the brick playfully, I couldn't help but marvel at how easily I had subdued a Gu Master capable of incapacitating over ten people.

"You're doomed! The poison has already reached your vitals! You'll be dead within fifteen minutes! Miao Gu arts are unparalleled in this world, and you don't even realize your impending death—"

Before he could finish, I silenced him with two swift blows to the head. "Unparalleled Miao Gu arts? How about you go cure them right now, or I'll torch your precious insects."

A few more strikes did the trick. The man obediently cured Er Gou and the others of their poison.

"Brother Jian, you're incredible. I really thought I was done for just now." The black-robed man was indeed skilled. If it weren't for my plum blossom Gu immunity, he would have been unstoppable.

After curing everyone, the security guards crouched in a corner, too scared to utter a word.

Their leader, Shi Youfu, wore a fawning smile, his earlier aggression completely gone. Now, he resembled a different person entirely. "It's all a misunderstanding, brothers, just a misunderstanding!"

He emptied his pockets and handed everything to Er Gou. When he saw me light a cigarette, he rushed over to offer a light, his ingratiating manner reminding me of a certain historical figure—Heshen.

"Brother, smashing your shop was an order from above. I'm just a lackey without power or status. We're all trying to make a living here. If there's any damage, let me know, and I'll compensate you immediately."

The forty-something Shi Youfu kept calling himself a clueless underling, pleading for mercy. After he handed over most of his savings, Er Gou and I decided not to push further.

We let them go but surrounded the disheveled Gu Master, who now looked like a cornered animal.

"They can leave, but you're staying." I ordered Er Gou to strip him down to his underwear, leaving only his black shorts.

"My God," gasped one of the men as they searched him. From his belongings, they unearthed over a dozen cloth pouches and seven ceramic jars of various sizes. It was baffling how he managed to carry all of that.

The once-mighty Gu Master now sat hunched in a corner, clutching a newspaper to cover his chest, looking as pitiful as a bullied schoolgirl.

"If I've fallen into your hands, do as you will—kill me or spare me."

"Listen, man, don't give me that dead-inside-but-won't-die look. We're not going to hurt you. We just have a few questions to ask." We threw him into a van and drove back to Ting Tang Road.