217: Chapter 212 The Invisible Corpse Gu

Seeing Cao Xiao step out of the police car with a small piece of gauze wrapped around his head and a look of constipation on his face, even the anxious Chen siblings couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Thanks, everyone!" Cao Xiao waved his thanks as he bid farewell to the traffic police. Only then did he speak up and ask, "What exactly is going on? How could Teacher suddenly fall critically ill? Was it an accident or an injury?"

"It was an accident, not an injury. He followed an archaeological team to Jiangnan Province to excavate a Qing Dynasty general's tomb. Something happened, and he ended up like this. They can't even find the cause of the illness. We brought you here to see if you have any way to figure it out and solve it. Take a look first," Chen Huaiming said, grabbing Cao Xiao's arm and pulling him inside.

Arriving at a room on the second floor, they saw the old man on the bed with his eyes tightly closed. His face was as pale as paper, his lips were dark blue, and his body was trembling slightly. It was clear that even in a coma, the old man was enduring immense pain.

"Teacher!" Cao Xiao's face paled in shock at the sight. He lunged to the bedside and gripped the old man's hand, finding it somewhat icy. Overwhelmed by grief, his expression changed drastically as he growled at Chen Huaiyu and the others, "How could you let Teacher take such risks? Do those people in the archaeological team have no brains? Teacher is so old, yet they dared to let him enter the tomb! Are all those doctors useless? It's been so long and they can't even find the cause? This clearly shows signs of poisoning! Where are the blood test reports? The CT scans? Can't a Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis even find a general result? Huh?"

Chen Huaiyu didn't get angry, knowing that Cao Xiao cared deeply for his father and had lost his composure in the heat of the moment. He sighed, "Xiao Xiao, don't get excited. We've done full-body examinations, and aside from clear signs of poisoning, everything is abnormal. But it's not as simple as just poisoning; that toxin is too bizarre. We can't even analyze its chemical structure, as if it appeared out of thin air. We've tried many types of detoxifying Chinese and Western medicines, but they can't cure it or even suppress it. We've tried every method available, even two blood transfusions, but the toxin continues to be produced incessantly. Without finding the source, there's no way to cure it. The doctors have done their best; we can't blame them. If it weren't for those wild mountain ginsangs you provided keeping him alive, he wouldn't have lasted until now. I suspect this is something from your level!"

At this moment, an old man over seventy with white hair and beard spoke up: "As a doctor, I don't believe in those mysterious and occult things. However, there have been legends of witchcraft, Gu, and zombies in Xiangxi since ancient times. I have practiced medicine for most of my life and handled all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases. I flatter myself that I have some skill, yet I can only see that Old Chen's condition is a manifestation of external evil invasion. If it really is that kind of thing, you might as well start from that angle."

Cao Xiao frowned and glanced at the old man, remaining silent. Internally, however, he was secretly shocked. He naturally knew that witchcraft, Gu, and zombies truly existed. He hadn't expected his teacher to have gone to Xiangxi. In the cultivation world, Xiangxi was considered a wilderness, adjacent to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Most cultivators there were of the unorthodox sort who raised Gu or refined corpses, having very little communication with the outside world. Even today, it remained shrouded in a layer of mystery. Outside cultivators were unwilling to deal with those people for no other reason than they all made themselves look neither human nor ghost, were extremely difficult to deal with, and occasionally caused trouble.

Those who raised Gu were manageable; at most, they caused temporary havoc. But those who refined corpses left behind endless trouble, mysteriously burying 'zombies' everywhere—and the growing kind, at that. Every few years, a big one would unexpectedly jump out and cause a ruckus, and it was never-ending. Half a century ago, a Drought Demon crawled out of a pit dug by some wicked fellow hundreds or thousands of years prior, leaving the entire southwest region in misery. The consequences were a disaster of the century. Thus, during the Great Storm back then, Xiangxi was also a core strike zone. Now, facing these things, he was also uncertain. He was just a Mingjin Martial Artist; his spatial ability might not necessarily be effective against such things.

Witchcraft Gu was not just about poisonous insects. The Gu refined by sorcerers were divided into Tangible Gu and Invisible Gu. Tangible Gu was easy to understand; it involved cultivating poisonous insects, exotic beasts, or even humans through various strange methods. Insect Gu was the most common, such as Snake Gu, Golden Cicada Gu, and Corpse Gu. Exotic Beast Gu was rarer, as exotic beasts were hard to find and possessed their own intelligence and abilities, making them difficult to capture. However, once refined into Gu and endowed with evil abilities under a sorcerer's control, they were enough to kill enemies of a higher level. This was one reason why sorcerers were so difficult to deal with. Human Gu was similar to a puppet, but while one was a dead object, the other was a living person whose intelligence had been wiped out. Human Gu was incredibly evil because the medium a sorcerer used to control it was bloodline. The closer the blood relation, the easier the Human Gu was to control. Thus, Human Gu were often the sorcerer's direct blood relatives—parents, children, siblings. Any sorcerer who refined Human Gu was someone who had abandoned all humanity and was a taboo existence hunted by everyone in the cultivation world and even among other sorcerers.

To pursue lethality, Invisible Gu were refined using negative energy or energy bodies. Corpse Qi, Yin Qi, killing intent, baleful Qi, and souls could all be refined into Gu. Those refined from negative energies like Corpse Qi, Yin Qi, and killing intent were called Spirit Gu. Those refined from the souls of primates or humans were called Soul Gu. There were two ways to refine Soul Gu. One was using the souls of the deceased, but refining Gu was not the work of a single day; souls would dissipate over time, so the resulting Soul Gu was mediocre. The other was to begin refining while the human or animal was still alive. The process was exceptionally bloody and cruel, but it was much more powerful than those refined from deceased souls. Since human souls were stronger than animal souls, many sorcerers chose living humans for Soul Gu. Consequently, the more powerful a sorcerer was, the less they were tolerated by other cultivators. Once a high-level sorcerer was discovered in the cultivation world, all cultivators would set aside their differences and attack them at any cost, regardless of the reason.

In fact, the Supervision Department's records divided sorcerers into White Witches and Black Witches. Contrary to Black Witches, White Witches refined Gu to heal people and combat Black Witches. However, it was said that the White Witch heritage had been severed by now; at least, no White Witch tribes existed in Xiangxi. Corpse poison and Corpse Qi were manageable; he had experience fighting a zombie last time. But if Teacher was afflicted by Witchcraft Gu, it would be a bit tricky. For a moment, Cao Xiao's thoughts wandered, and he actually spaced out for quite a while.

Chen Huaiming grabbed Cao Xiao's shoulder and shook him, asking urgently, "Xiao Xiao, how is it? Have you found anything?"

"Uh, I'm checking now."

Coming back to his senses, he pretended to take Old Chen's pulse. After a long silence, his expression fluctuated before finally turning into joy. He exhaled heavily, a confident smile on his face as he spoke slowly, "It's an invasion of Yin and evil. The source is in the bone marrow, which is why you couldn't find it. It really is that kind of thing! Although it would be extremely difficult for others, I can solve it. You all wait outside for a moment; it won't take much effort!"

"Good, good! If you need anything, just call out, and we'll prepare it immediately." Chen Huaiyu was overjoyed. He understood Cao Xiao's character; if Cao Xiao said so, it meant he had great confidence. There was no need to wait for others, and his father wouldn't have to suffer anymore. He hadn't originally expected much from Cao Xiao, so this unexpected pleasant surprise made him excitedly take the lead in ushering everyone out.

With only himself and his teacher left in the room, Cao Xiao felt relieved and secretly lucky. Fortunately, he had returned to Huanghe City in time today. Otherwise, given his teacher's physical condition, his organs would have started to fail within a few hours. Even if he were cured then, it would have left permanent damage. His teacher wasn't simply poisoned; he was afflicted by an Invisible Corpse Gu, a type of Spirit Gu. Every profession has its specialty; facing such a supernatural evil, let alone normal Chinese or Western medical methods, even the many Ability Users in the Supervision Department probably wouldn't dare guarantee a cure. Fortunately, as he suspected, the industrial mother machine could detect that kind of negative energy. The reason Gu poison made people blanch at its mention was its viciousness and unpredictability, not that it was incurable. As long as the root cause was found and the right remedy applied, it could be easily resolved.

Having experience against Corpse Qi—which was also an invisible substance—the Corpse Gu just had a bit more spirituality. Facing the masculine energy of the Baji Devouring Array, which was like a massive torrent, the Corpse Gu tried to resist with all its might in panic, but within moments, the Corpse Qi it contained was annihilated. That bit of spirituality couldn't even manage to escape before being wrapped and dissolved by the Yang energy. However, the corpse poison released in its final death throes took Cao Xiao some effort. He used Yuan Energy to thoroughly cleanse Old Chen's body inside and out before it was all cleared. Finally, he spent some time using Yuan Energy to strengthen Old Chen's body. He didn't dare go too far, only strengthening the internal organs, muscle tissue, and nervous system. He didn't touch the skin, which had only been washed by a small amount of Yuan Energy during the detoxification process. He looked slightly better than before, but there were no obvious changes in his appearance.

Doing this didn't feel safe enough, so he took a golden alloy hollowed-out exquisite ball from his space. He opened it and placed a piece of Evil-Dispelling Incense in its self-balancing base. After lighting it, a faint, colorless medicinal fragrance lingered in the room. Seeing his teacher's breathing stabilize and his complexion begin to redden, with the expression of pain gone from his face, he finally stood up and opened the door to let Chen Huaiyu and the others in.

"Xiao Xiao, how is it? Is he better?" As soon as the door opened, Chen Huaiming rushed in and shouted.

"He's fine now," Cao Xiao replied.

"Move aside, let me see!" The old doctor seemed more excited than anyone. While shouting, he pushed aside the people in front of him, stepped forward, and grabbed Old Chen's hand to start taking his pulse.

The old man checked the pulse several times. His face was full of a strange expression, and his eyes were filled with confusion. He looked up at Cao Xiao from time to time, hesitating to speak.

"Old Zhang, how is it?" Chen Huaiyu asked.

"Uh, the pulse is steady, his complexion is normal, and his breathing is long and powerful. He is out of danger and will wake up after sleeping for a while," the old doctor said after a moment of daze. Finally, he looked at Cao Xiao with interest and said, "Young friend, how did you do it? Not only did you completely remove the toxins, but his physical functions are also much stronger. Are there really miraculous medicines in this world that can bring back the dead? Also, this incense is no ordinary item, is it? The scent is thick and strangely stimulating, unlike common incense. The materials include Chinese herbs, minerals, and animal bones, which seems like the style of Daoist alchemy. I suspect it has some special effects. I hope you can tell me, so this old man can broaden his horizons."

"Old Zhang, this is the Evil-Dispelling Incense I refined. It can remove evil Qi from the air and has a restraining effect on Gu and vermin. it's also beneficial for the recovery of those who have been ill for a long time. Other matters involve secrets, so it's not convenient to disclose them." Cao Xiao was also surprised. This old doctor's sense of smell and ability to identify medicinal components were indeed stunning. With this skill alone, he was worthy of being called a national master and was not a fraud. Even though the other party asked about sensitive matters, he would show respect to those with true ability. So, while he avoided the topic of his teacher's physical improvement, he told the truth about the rest.

Old Zhang listened and said in surprise, "Oh? If understood that way, 'illness Qi' can also be considered a type of evil Qi, which would be useful for us doctors. I just don't know the specific effects. Ah! I forgot, since it comes from the hands of people like you, it surely won't be bad. I have practiced medicine for many years and have encountered similar strange diseases of Yin-evil invasion, often being helpless and hating my lack of skill, leaving behind many regrets. Since it is Evil-Dispelling Incense, it should have some effect on similar symptoms. I have an impudent request: I would like to shamelessly ask for a little from you, so that in the future, I won't have to watch patients fall into despair."

These words moved Cao Xiao somewhat. Anyone can say high-sounding words, but sincerity cannot be guaranteed. This old doctor had the demeanor of a benevolent physician, a type rarely seen in today's impetuous society. Since the other party tactfully stopped asking about other things, a bit of Evil-Dispelling Incense was insignificant to him. Giving some to Old Zhang might save many people, which could be considered accumulating merit for himself. It was a win-win situation. So he said, "This is a small matter. Since you need it and it's for treating patients, I will contribute a little. However, I need to leave what I have today for my teacher. You might as well leave an address, and I will have someone deliver it tomorrow. But since it's a gift, I hope you won't charge patients separately for it when you use it, nor should you give or sell it to others for profit or research. Otherwise, both you and I will have trouble. Furthermore, I will not be responsible for any accidents caused by improper use in the future."

Old Zhang looked at Cao Xiao with satisfaction and smiled, "It's rare for you to have such a heart. I naturally understand what you've said. My children are successful, and I don't lack money. Even in my daily practice, I only charge for the cost of the herbs. It will certainly not fall into the hands of unscrupulous merchants with ulterior motives. How to use the medicine is my business; you can rest assured it won't implicate you."

At this moment, a middle-aged man in a white coat in the room interrupted, "Mr. Cao, hello. I am Liu Dageng, the Vice President of the Provincial College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I would like to represent the medical college in ordering a batch of this Evil-Dispelling Incense from you. The more, the better. The price is negotiable. What do you think?"

Cao Xiao knew a bit about the pharmaceutical industry's tricks. His family had suffered from high-priced medicines when they were sick. Anyone who knew the huge gap between the cost of production and the terminal retail price would just scoff at it. He had no good feelings toward profit-oriented institutions like hospitals. With the effects of Evil-Dispelling Incense, selling it to a hospital would definitely make it a sky-high priced medicine. Not only did he not plan to sell it, but even if he did, he would rather spend more money to establish his own retail channels and sell it at a low price to avoid being cursed by countless patients in pain. Besides, his teacher was still in bed, so he had no mood to deal with this. He decisively refused, "Sorry, this is for my own use. It's not for sale. I'm not short of money!"