Chapter 8: A Maggot in the Bone

The man in black felt a slight warmth on the face hidden beneath his human-skin mask; he turned his head away, avoiding her eyes, which were as clear as water.

Did he fear her? He asked himself.

It seemed... there was indeed a little bit.

He feared her ability to see through him with such ease!

For some reason, even though this young girl was frail and delicate—that he could crush her to death with a single pinky finger—he knew that as long as she died, his secret would remain a secret.

Yet, facing her open and honest gaze, he found himself unable to strike her, unable to even conjure a shred of killing intent.

"There is no need to fear me. I harbor no ill will toward you."

"Ridiculous! You are but a mere girl, why would I fear you?" His brow furrowed. This little girl had actually seen through him again, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation as he spoke coldly.

"Since you aren't afraid of me, then sit down and let me check your pulse properly." Ruoshui spoke softly, attempting to soothe this difficult man.

The man gave a cold snort and sat down with a commanding, wide-legged posture, extending his right hand.

Since the man in black had taken the only chair in the room, Ruoshui had no choice but to stand while checking his pulse.

Ruoshui closed her eyes and focused her senses, feeling his pulse on his right hand before switching to his left. The diagnosis lasted for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The man in black stared intently at Ruoshui's face. He felt as if his heart were being suspended by a tight rope, and the plain-faced girl before him was the one pulling it.

When her expression relaxed, his heart slowly eased; when her expression tightened, his heart gave a violent throb.

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the girl before him possessed such extraordinary skills. With a mere touch, she could sense that he had been poisoned by a potent toxin. What peerless medical skill was this!

Perhaps this girl, whose medical skills were like those of a god, truly had a way to resolve this toxin that had tormented him for twenty whole years? A flicker of hope secretly stirred in his heart.

Having finished the diagnosis, Ruoshui let out a long breath and opened her eyes.

The man in black watched her expression unblinkingly, his heart filled with trepidation. His lips moved slightly as if he wanted to ask something, but then he pressed them tightly shut.

He wanted to hear her answer, yet he was afraid to hear it.

"This poison... can be treated," Ruoshui said, flashing him a bright smile.

The man's eyes did not show the burst of wild joy she had expected. Instead, his dark eyes remained calm, and he grew even more suspicious.

A strange poison that even the world's greatest divine physician was powerless to treat, yet this young girl spoke of it so casually... as if it could be cured? How could he possibly believe her?

"This poison has been in your body for... twenty years, I assume. It was likely administered to you right around the time you were born." Ignoring the man's suspicious gaze, Ruoshui tilted her head and pondered for a moment. "Strange. Twenty years ago, you should have still been in swaddling clothes. How could someone be so heartless as to use such a poison on an infant?"

What she said... was indeed perfectly accurate!

The corners of the man's mouth twitched. This poison had become like maggots in his bones, causing him agonizing pain every single day, making life feel worse than death.

"The poison has been in your body for too long; its toxicity has completely permeated your internal organs. If it were only within your lungs and viscera, it wouldn't be difficult to expel. The problem is that the toxic essence has seeped deep into your bone marrow. To completely extract the toxicity from the marrow is a bit tricky." Ruoshui's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"Do you know... what poison it is?"

"A type of Gu poison," Ruoshui said without a second thought. "The Miao people are most skilled at using Gu. This Gu poison likely originated from the Miao regions. Gu poison is actually a type of bacteria. Oh, right, you won't understand what 'bacteria' means. To put it simply, bacteria are a type of microorganism. Right, you won't understand 'microorganism' either. Let's put it even more simply: microorganisms are tiny bugs that you cannot see with your eyes. If I say it like this, do you understand?"

Ruoshui felt like a patient teacher giving an introductory lesson to a kindergartner. She felt quite helpless; sigh, this truly was a generational gap spanning ten thousand years.

The more the man listened, the more confused he became, and his frown deepened. He had heard of Gu, but "bacteria," "microorganisms," and "tiny bugs you can't see with your eyes"... these strange terms were all entirely unheard of.

Even though he understood nothing at all, his confidence in Ruoshui suddenly increased a few notches.

Looking at the man's bewildered eyes, Ruoshui felt a sense of frustration. She had tried her best to explain it in simple terms, but... a generational gap was a generational gap!

"Forget it, forget it. You don't need to understand this medical knowledge." Ruoshui waved her hand as if shaking off a great trouble. "All you need to know is that this Gu poison is a massive swarm of tiny bugs that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are in your internal organs, in your blood, and in your bone marrow—they are everywhere. And the key point is, these invisible little bugs are all alive!"

Having finished her explanation in one breath, Ruoshui felt parched. She picked up the teapot on the table, poured a bowl of cold tea, and drank it in one gulp.

The man grew more alarmed the more he listened. He no longer had any doubt regarding Ruoshui's words. At the thought of a massive swarm of invisible tiny bugs living inside his body, goosebumps erupted across his spine.

"And what I am going to do is find these invisible little bugs one by one and kill them all! Leaving none behind!" Ruoshui clenched her fist with full confidence and swung it forcefully.