Chapter 12: Human-Face Gu Poison

Cui Wangshu glanced at Jiang Chenbi, a smile tugging at her lips as she said, “Although I’m well-versed in medicine, I still can’t compare to Miss Jiang’s knowledge of various insects.”

After Cui Wangshu spoke, Aunt Liu turned her expectant gaze toward Jiang Chenbi. Though Jiang Chenbi wanted to tease Cui Wangshu a bit more, Aunt Liu’s earnest maternal love was truly moving, and she couldn’t bear to refuse any longer.

Jiang Chenbi rose and stepped forward, removing Xiao Yi’s veil. The moment she saw the condition on her face, Jiang Chenbi’s brows furrowed tightly.

Xiao Yi’s situation was indeed dire. A red, swollen lump bulged beneath her skin, with no visible wound— a shocking sight.

Back when Jiang Chenbi had apprenticed in the Southern Frontier, she had seen this kind of gu insect before. It was called the Human-Face Gu. But this insect was extremely difficult to raise; even in the Southern Frontier, fewer than a hundred could be found.

Here on the outskirts of the Capital City, unless someone had deliberately brought it, the Human-Face Gu couldn’t have survived such a long journey.

Jiang Chenbi asked, “When did you first notice something wrong with your face?”

Aunt Liu’s face filled with worry. “Half a month ago. Does my daughter still have a chance of being cured?”

Jiang Chenbi looked at Aunt Liu seriously. “Have you or your daughter offended anyone? This is a gu insect. To cure Xiao Yi completely, we need to find the person who cast it on her.”

The Human-Face Gu was different from ordinary gu poisons. The insect itself was a toxin. The Mother Gu resided in the body of the one who cast it, and once the Human-Face Gu entered a person’s body, it left eggs in their bloodstream.

If the initial Human-Face Gu was removed, the Mother Gu in the caster’s body would hatch the eggs into new Human-Face Gu worms—each generation stronger than the last, with numbers multiplying exponentially at first.

Once the Mother Gu issued the command, the numbers would explode, devouring the host’s entire body in an instant, leaving no bones behind.

Aunt Liu thought for a moment, her expression turning grave. “Could it be that bastard Zhang Sanshui?”

Jiang Chenbi raised an eyebrow. “Zhang Sanshui?”

Aunt Liu explained, “This Zhang Sanshui is a scoundrel from our village. He took a fancy to my Xiao Yi before and kept trying to make her marry him. His father is our village chief, but I’d never let Xiao Yi marry a man like that.”

Cui Wangshu narrowed her eyes. “That could be one possibility, but the motive seems insufficient.”

Aunt Liu hurriedly added, “This guy spends all day carousing and whoring. He’s completely wasted. Ever since Xiao Yi’s incident, he’s been coming to me, saying no one else would marry her now and that he’s willing to take her as a concubine.”

At the mention of “concubine,” Aunt Liu recalled how her daughter had been insulted, her face growing even more unsightly. Even Xiao Yi’s eyes reddened.

From her description, the image of that disrespectful man from earlier flashed in Jiang Chenbi’s mind. She asked, “Was Zhang Sanshui among that group of people just now?”

Aunt Liu thought for a moment. “Yes, he was right behind me at the time.”

Jiang Chenbi let out a cold laugh. It seemed he was a “repeat offender.”

Seeing her expression darken, Cui Wangshu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chenbi forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “When Aunt Liu pulled you away earlier, he said some filthy things behind your back, and I caught him red-handed.”

After hearing this, Cui Wangshu’s face also turned cold. She sneered, “Is that so?”

Cui Wangshu and Jiang Chenbi had previously concealed the oppressive aura of their long-held high positions, but their refined demeanors were hard to ignore. Now that Cui Wangshu harbored killing intent, her presence grew even more intense.

Aunt Liu sensed something and hesitated. “You two… aren’t ordinary people, are you? Who exactly are you?”

Jiang Chenbi smiled. “Don’t worry, Auntie. Could you quietly find us a carrier pigeon? We’ll handle this matter for you as thanks for your hospitality.”

Cui Wangshu bit her lip, inwardly annoyed at her earlier slip, and added, “Two, if possible?”

Jiang Chenbi looked at Cui Wangshu. “Is Miss Cui angry?”

Cui Wangshu didn’t reply, but her expression wasn’t good.

Though Aunt Liu didn’t know why they were hiding their identities, she knew some things were better left unknown.

Finding two carrier pigeons wasn’t easy, but as a widow raising a child alone in the village, Aunt Liu had her own ways of getting by. She agreed.

Jiang Chenbi said, “I have a way to treat the gu insect on Xiao Yi’s face, but it will take some time. Could we impose on you for a night’s stay?”

Seeing they had a plan, Aunt Liu nodded eagerly. “Xiao Yi, hurry and prepare a room for the two young ladies. Are you hungry? I’ll go make you some food.”

Cui Wangshu and Jiang Chenbi expressed their thanks. After they left, Jiang Chenbi asked, “What do you need the letter for?”

Cui Wangshu curved her lips. “And what is Miss Jiang planning to do?”

Jiang Chenbi rolled her eyes, knowing she wouldn’t say first, so she relented. “The gu on her and the injuries on us require some rare medicines that aren’t available here. I can only have someone bring them.”

Changing the subject, Jiang Chenbi teased, “Plus, Little Cui-Daren has been missing for over ten days. You need some explanation for that, right?”

Cui Wangshu smiled. “It seems I really don’t understand you at all.”

Jiang Chenbi sighed dramatically, feigning heartbreak. “I’ve told you everything, but Little Cui-Daren is still hiding things from me. So much for being friends through life and death.”

Cui Wangshu’s breath hitched, and she looked away. “Our whereabouts this time can’t be exposed. These years, I’ve been more than just the Cui Family’s daughter. You might be able to arrange many things on your end, but I still need to add a couple of strokes to make your story perfect.”

Before Jiang Chenbi could say more, Xiao Yi entered, her eyes downcast as she said softly, “This way, please.”

Jiang Chenbi blinked. So the girl wasn’t mute after all. She’d been silent earlier, and Jiang Chenbi had thought she couldn’t speak, even wondering if she could check her throat.

Seeing Jiang Chenbi’s expression, Cui Wangshu knew what she was thinking. She stepped forward. “Thank you, miss.”

Then she grabbed Jiang Chenbi’s wrist and pulled her along, sparing her from standing there dumbfounded.

Once inside the room and Xiao Yi had left, Cui Wangshu glanced at Jiang Chenbi. “Stop overthinking. She just doesn’t talk much.”

Jiang Chenbi let out an “oh” and stared straight at Cui Wangshu, making her uneasy. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chenbi smiled. “Nothing. Does Little Cui-Daren have any ideas? This gu insect is the Human-Face Gu from the distant Southern Frontier. It couldn’t have come here without human intervention.”

After explaining some details about the Human-Face Gu, Cui Wangshu frowned. She hadn’t expected someone to be so despicable, bullying a widow and her orphan daughter.

Cui Wangshu asked, “Do you have a way to confirm if the Mother Gu is in someone?”

Jiang Chenbi pondered. “If Little Cui-Daren can knock the person out, I might be able to try.”

Cui Wangshu looked outside. “Tonight, after dark, we’ll pay a visit to Zhang Sanshui’s house.”

An hour later, after dinner, Cui Wangshu and Jiang Chenbi released the carrier pigeons. Seeing Aunt Liu wasn’t heading to the fields, they went over to ask a few questions.

“Auntie, what does Zhang Sanshui usually do?” Jiang Chenbi asked.

Aunt Liu replied, “He drinks at the tavern every day and doesn’t handle any family matters. Without his father, he’d be a beggar by now.”

Cui Wangshu asked, “Does he drink all day like that?”

Aunt Liu shook her head. “This kid is strange. He starts drinking at noon and heads home at sunset. Most drunks go till evening, but he’s never seen out at night.”

Hearing this, Jiang Chenbi’s suspicions grew stronger. The Mother Gu indeed couldn’t withstand sunlight or moonlight. Though it didn’t harm the host directly, it weakened their body over time.

Cui Wangshu seemed to think of something. “What about his father?”

At the mention of Zhang Yong, Aunt Liu sighed. “Zhang Yong was a good man in his youth—hardworking. He saved several people from mountain perils, building his prestige in the village bit by bit.”

“When disputes arose that no one could settle, they’d turn to him, and he gradually became the village chief. But the older he got, the more muddled. Not only does he indulge his son’s nonsense, but after his wife died, he started drinking too, squandering their savings.”

Jiang Chenbi sensed something off. “He also drinks at noon and vanishes before sunset?”

Aunt Liu was surprised. “How did you know?”

Jiang Chenbi’s face darkened further. “Have you noticed how many people around here drink at noon and disappear before sunset?”

Aunt Liu thought long and hard. “I’m not sure. We get wild boars raiding at night sometimes, so many stay in after dark.”

Staying in at night wasn’t odd, but heading home precisely before sunset was suspicious. Even without expertise, Cui Wangshu picked up on it.

Cui Wangshu smiled. “Auntie, I’ll pawn this Onyx Iron Fan to you. Could I borrow ten coppers?”

She placed the Onyx Iron Fan on the table. Though Aunt Liu didn’t know what an Onyx Iron Fan was, she felt its menacing aura—it had to be something valuable.

She’d never seen one, but she knew weapons weren’t cheap. Even a basic saber cost at least a thousand coppers, and this young lady wanted only ten.

Aunt Liu shook her head. “I may not have much, but ten coppers I have. No need for this, Miss Cui. And I haven’t paid you for treating Xiao Yi yet.”

Jiang Chenbi winked playfully and smiled. “Auntie, if you won’t take the Onyx Iron Fan, fine—but we’ll repay the ten coppers. And you don’t need to pay for Xiao Yi’s treatment either.”

Aunt Liu was at a loss. “That wouldn’t be proper.”

They didn’t look like they lacked money, but…

Seeing her hesitate, Cui Wangshu said, “Alright then, no pawning the Onyx Iron Fan. I’ll charge you ten coppers for Xiao Yi’s treatment—that covers the loan. How’s that?”

Aunt Liu still wavered, but after much persuasion, she finally gave them twenty coppers, settling the matter.

Watching their departing figures, Aunt Liu felt a pang of bitterness. Logically, she shouldn’t trust these strangers so easily, but for some reason, she felt an inexplicable trust in these two young women.

Jiang Chenbi jingled the twenty coppers in her hand and teased, “Little Cui-Daren, where are you taking me?”

Cui Wangshu curved her lips. “To drink.”

Jiang Chenbi laughed. “Looks like Little Cui-Daren plans to get me drunk. Twenty coppers buys a lot of wine.”

Cui Wangshu smiled. “What, scared?”

Jiang Chenbi put on a serious face. “I can’t hold my liquor, so of course I’m scared. Little Cui-Daren has to protect me.”

Cui Wangshu glanced at Jiang Chenbi. “Protect?”

In the Imperial Mausoleum, they had supported each other. Though Jiang Chenbi’s martial arts were weaker, it wasn’t as if Cui Wangshu protected her—often, it was Jiang Chenbi protecting Cui Wangshu.

Thinking of this, Cui Wangshu’s gaze toward Jiang Chenbi softened.