Chapter 108: A Bug in the Stomach |
"But no matter what, it's still stronger than before."
After putting down the old bat's wind bone, Chu Xun stretched out his palm again.
More than a dozen deep blue water drops floated in his palm.
Previously, one Heavenly One Divine Water Drop contained twelve wisps of Essence of Ren Water.
Now, one drop could contain a full eighteen wisps of Essence of Ren Water.
If truly struck out, even the City God's seal wouldn't be able to withstand it.
But to Chu Xun, these were all by-products of feeding the green and white python.
Several years had passed, and the green and white python's body length had grown from seven zhang to nearly twenty zhang.
Its growth speed was more than three times that of the green python and the white python.
The green and white python, however, directly ate the Essence of Ren Water, so naturally, they couldn't be mentioned in the same breath.
A book Chu Xun found, "Biographies of Rural Immortal Tales," recorded a few brief strokes.
"About a zhang is a python, a hundred zhang transforms into a flood dragon, a thousand zhang transforms into a dragon, all stirring up wind and waves..."
If according to what was said here, the green and white python had to grow to a hundred zhang to have the possibility of transforming into a flood dragon.
At its current growth rate, it would still take twenty-five years.
In Chu Xun's view, twenty-five years wasn't considered long, even somewhat short.
Although the forging speed of that piece of extraterrestrial meteorite iron had increased in recent years, there were still many deficiencies.
Most importantly, how to survive the lightning tribulation still had no clue.
Glancing at his own information, the incense value had grown slightly over these years, reaching just over a thousand.
It was still very far from the next divine office advancement.
Fortunately, after seven years of burning, the karmic fire had dissipated, so he temporarily didn't have to worry about the consumption of incense value.
Of course, Chu Xun had never worried; he had already found a way to "balance income and expenditure."
Moreover, karmic fire was a disadvantage to others, but a great help to himself.
Just relying on the karmic fire to remove physical impurities, Chu Xun's spells had increased by more than seventy percent in these few years.
Now that the karmic fire was gone, he was actually somewhat unaccustomed to it.
"Have to find someone with karma and draw some more karmic fire."
The benefits were simply too great, making one addicted.
Playing with fire to this extent, besides Chu Xun, no one could understand.
A few days later, Yushui Town.
Chu Xun, wearing a bamboo hat, walked on the street.
Wanting to find a karma that could draw karmic fire was very easy.
Wait until someone was about to die, forcefully save them, extend their life, and naturally, it would draw karmic fire.
But he couldn't just save anyone. Encountering a wicked person who committed crimes and deserved to die, why save him?
Not long after walking, at a restaurant ahead, the shopkeeper saw a young man out.
"Shopkeeper Guo, rest assured, tomorrow's dishes are guaranteed to suit your taste. They are all neighbors in the town, if not done well, wouldn't it smash my signboard."
The young man chuckled, cupped his hands, and said, "Then I'll trouble Shopkeeper Liu."
Subsequently, this young man named Guo Shouyi hummed a little tune, greeting familiar townsfolk all the way.
Not walking far, he opened a courtyard door and went in.
Chu Xun seemed to sense something and looked up.
He saw an Underworld Emissary holding a black chain and hook coming from the direction of the City God Temple, stopping outside that courtyard.
Chu Xun pondered slightly, then stepped forward.
In the courtyard, Guo Shouyi's face was glowing with health.
This year, the business in his shop was good, and his wife, after ten months of pregnancy, gave birth to a big fat boy, which could be described as a double blessing.
Tomorrow they were going to hold a full-month banquet, so the family had prepared many jars of good wine in advance.
They were all bought from the best wine shop in Yushui Town, one tael and five mace a jar.
Just now, he went to the restaurant to confirm tomorrow's chef and dishes with the shopkeeper.
His nose was full of the aroma of wine, and Guo Shouyi couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
He was led to love drinking by the elders in his family when he was very young, but on his wedding night, he drank so much he slept for three days and three nights, almost not waking up.
The physician came several times and all said he probably wouldn't make it.
Finally, under his wife's pleading, they used silver needles to pierce his toes to let out blood, saying if he still didn't wake up, even immortals couldn't save him.
It was close, but he finally opened his eyes.
Since then, his family never let him drink again.
Holding it in for over a year, now that he was in high spirits from happy events, the thought of wanting to drink reached its peak.
Glancing at the room where his wife and child were sleeping, he tiptoed out and squatted beside the wine jars.
Carefully untying the thin string wrapping the yellow paper with his hands, he gently lifted the yellow paper.
His movements were gentle, trying not to make the slightest sound.
When the yellow paper was lifted, the aroma of wine assailed his nostrils.
Guo Shouyi swallowed his saliva as he smelled it, only feeling his heart scratching like a cat, his whole body uncomfortable.
He glanced at the room again, seeing no movement inside, then thought to himself, "Just a taste, just to satisfy the craving."
Thinking so, he stuck out a finger, dipped it into the wine jar, and soaked it in the liquor.
Taking it out, he put it in his mouth and sucked.
That strong mellow fragrance made him feel his whole body go numb.
This is the taste!
This is the feeling!
Stealing glances inside the room from the corner of his eye, Guo Shouyi thought again, "Just a small sip, a small sip is fine."
He went to the kitchen to get a small spoon and a small bowl, not forgetting to conveniently bring a green onion.
Squatting beside the wine jar, swallowing his saliva, he was about to scoop the wine.
Just then, the courtyard door was knocked.
Guo Shouyi was startled, almost throwing the bowl.
The faint sound of a child crying and a woman patting and coaxing came from the room.
Guo Shouyi cursed inwardly, huffing and puffing as he went to open the door.
Seeing a man wearing a bamboo hat, whose face couldn't be seen clearly, standing there, he frowned and asked, "Who are you, why are you knocking on my courtyard door?"
Chu Xun glanced at the Underworld Emissary not far away and said, "Let me taste the wine in the courtyard, and I will save your life."
Guo Shouyi laughed out of anger. He wanted to drink but couldn't, yet this stranger came to the door asking for wine.
At another time, he might have reprimanded the other party a few words and closed the door to end the matter.
But thinking about the child's full-month banquet tomorrow, an outsider wanting to ask for a sip of wine could also be considered seeking good luck for the child.
"Fine, wait here."
Saying that, Guo Shouyi entered the courtyard, scooped a bowl of wine with the spoon, and brought it over.
Chu Xun took it in his hand and drank it in one gulp.
The taste was not bad, only slightly inferior to the Remaining Years Brew from the Bai family's old shop.
Guo Shouyi took back the wine bowl and said, "You've drunk the wine, now leave. Don't knock on doors randomly in the future, if you meet someone with a bad temper, you'll get beaten."
Chu Xun called out to him and said, "Didn't I say, drink your wine, and I will save your life."
Guo Shouyi frowned and said, "You don't look like a wandering charlatan either, why are you playing this deceptive trick? Could it be that after drinking the wine, you still want to ask me for silver?"
Chu Xun didn't mind and asked, "Do you feel uncomfortable in your stomach, like a cat scratching in your heart, and only feel better when you smell the aroma of wine?"
Guo Shouyi raised his eyebrows and said, "So what if I do."
"Then that's bad. Something has grown in your stomach, it must be taken out, otherwise you will die a violent death today," Chu Xun said.
Guo Shouyi's raised eyebrows knitted tightly together, full of displeasure, "Why do you speak like this? I gave you wine to drink, and you curse me, truly not knowing good from bad!"
Saying that, he was about to turn and close the door.
The continuous crying of the child from the room made him somewhat flustered.
For some reason, he turned back again and asked, "Then tell me, what has grown in my stomach?"
Chu Xun said, "Just open your mouth."
"Let's see what you're going to do!" Guo Shouyi said, opening his mouth.
Chu Xun stretched out his finger and hooked it towards his throat.
"Bug, bug, come out quickly."
Guo Shouyi only felt as if something was crawling in his stomach, and couldn't help but feel startled.
Before he could react, that thing had already crawled to his throat.
Subsequently, following his mouth, it crawled onto Chu Xun's hand.
Looking at the white and chubby bug emitting the smell of alcohol, Guo Shouyi was so shocked his scalp went numb, "This, what is this thing!"
Chu Xun smiled and said, "This is called an alcohol bug, it only grows in the stomachs of people who love to drink. With an alcohol bug, the more you drink, the more you want, and it's hard to get drunk. When you do get drunk, you will die."
Guo Shouyi's face turned pale, suddenly remembering the incident on his wedding night where he almost drank himself to death.
So it wasn't that he loved to drink, but an alcohol bug had grown in his stomach!
He turned pale with fright and hurriedly wanted to kneel and kowtow to Chu Xun, "Benefactor saved my life, please enter the courtyard and allow my whole family to thank you!"
Chu Xun supported him and said, "Agreed to drink your wine and save your life, we owe each other nothing."
"And remember, wine is a poison that pierces the intestines. If you can avoid drinking, it's better not to drink."
Guo Shouyi watched with his own eyes as the "alcohol bug" crawled out of his stomach, how could he not believe it.
He nodded repeatedly, "I won't drink, I won't drink, I won't drink anymore in the future!"
Chu Xun said no more. After Guo Shouyi went in, looking through the wall, he indeed saw him cover the wine jar, not even taking another look, and went straight into the house.
The Underworld Emissary came over holding the black chain and hook, bowed and saluted, "Immortal Elder, this person's lifespan has ended, he should have died from drinking. But now he was persuaded by you to stop drinking, what should be done about this?"
Chu Xun smiled, "Don't worry about it. If there is karmic fire burning the body, it will naturally fall on me, it has nothing to do with the Underworld."
Chu Xun controlled the authority of the Zhangnan County City God Temple, so the Underworld Emissary naturally wouldn't say anything more.
He only said he would report this matter to the City God, and then left.
After the Underworld Emissary left, Chu Xun glanced at the alcohol bug in his hand.
With a light chuckle, the alcohol bug immediately turned into water vapor and dissipated.
The so-called alcohol bug was nothing more than a "prop" he made using the Water Element spell.
Inside the house, Guo Shouyi had already told his wife about meeting a strange person just now, who hooked out the alcohol bug in his stomach and saved his life.
The woman, who was gently rocking the cradle, listened with a face full of amazement, "There really is such a strange person? Then why didn't you invite him into the house as a guest?"
"I did invite him, but that strange person said having drunk my wine, we owe each other nothing."
"You fool! If people say they won't come, you just don't invite them again and again?" The woman said, hating iron for not becoming steel, "Haven't you heard that there are Immortal Elders who like to play in the human world and scatter opportunities. Maybe this is one!"
"People tested you with a few words to see if you have this blessing, how could you really not invite him!"
Guo Shouyi was stunned upon hearing this, then hurriedly jumped out of bed, not even caring to put on his shoes.
But when he opened the courtyard door and went out, where could he find the person.
He immediately beat his chest and stamped his feet, extremely annoyed.
A few hours later, Chu Xun, who was still on the street looking for the next lucky person, sensed something familiar.
The karmic fire had come.
It still burned through the barrier between the physical body and the soul, and then hung on the account of the Songliu Water God.
Feeling the subtle changes in his body again, Chu Xun couldn't help but sigh, "Karmic fire is really a good thing..."
Whether incense gods or people cultivating immortality, they all feared karmic fire like snakes and scorpions.
Only Chu Xun had a special liking for this thing.
Thus it reached the nineteenth year of Chongming.
The spring of this year was exceptionally warm.
Just at the beginning of spring, thumb-long tender buds had already grown on the trees.
The Southwest battlefield.
The former Jing Kingdom General Ma Huaian established himself as king.
He also colluded with the Wu Kingdom to invade the border.
Liao Shouyi led the Jing Kingdom army, setting up lines of defense, resisting with all his might.
However, the Wu Kingdom was already famous for forging weapons, and having rested and built up strength these years, it could be described as having strong soldiers and sturdy horses.
The Jing Kingdom had fought several major battles in succession, damaging its vitality.
Now, internally, the refugee army was still roaming everywhere, and externally, the Ma tribe was invading.
On Liao Shouyi's side, there were only forty thousand troops, yet they had to defend a border hundreds of miles long.
What he had to face was the Wu Kingdom army, which had gathered a hundred and ten thousand troops.
Undoubtedly, this was a war with almost no possibility of victory.
But what surprised everyone was that Liao Shouyi fought desperately, often taking the lead.
Driven by him, the morale of the Jing Kingdom army was high, and they actually managed to hold on for three whole years.
But by this year, it was really somewhat unbearable.
The army of forty thousand people now had less than eight thousand left.
The Wu Kingdom's army, however, still had a multitude of eighty thousand.
Although the losses on both sides were roughly maintained at a one-to-one ratio.
But don't forget, the Wu Kingdom invaded with several times the military strength.
And losing the Southwest barbarian mountain forests as a buffer, the Jing Kingdom had almost no natural defenses to hold. Relying only on two or three cities to hold on until now was simply a miracle.
Even Emperor Chongming, who had returned to the Capital City for several years, was full of praise for Liao Shouyi.
From thousands of miles away, he had someone deliver a golden token arrow.
Holding this token arrow, all military affairs here could be decided independently.
In addition, Liao Shouyi was conferred the title of General of the Southwest, an official rank of the first grade.
There was also the title of Marquis of Yongan. If he could repel the Wu Kingdom, he would be further conferred the title of Duke of Anguo.
But anyone with a discerning eye knew this was just drawing a cake to satisfy hunger.
These honorary rewards would not be of any help to the war situation.
But Emperor Chongming had no other choice. The Ma tribe had rested and built up strength for over twenty years, invading the border again, fully prepared.
The Ministry of War really had no extra troops and horses to send here. The only thing they could do was to conscript as many soldiers as possible.
But the national policy implemented by Zhang Jingheng incorporated corvée labor into the fields.
Many commoners had no land property in their hands, so they didn't need to serve.
Conscription encountered difficulties because of this, but the national policy couldn't be stopped.
The only hope was pinned on the spontaneous defense of the country by the children of the commoners.
The Ministry of War's conscription order stated that serving in the military, even just as a lowly soldier, would have a fixed monthly salary to take.
After serving for three full years, one could get three mu of military household land, and taxes would be halved.
Five years gets eight mu!
If killed in battle, fifteen mu would be given, plus thirty taels of pension.
Such conditions were considered generous for many poor families.
Having no land to farm, they might as well run off to be soldiers.
If lucky enough not to die, muddling through for three years, they could get three mu of land.
Couldn't make a fortune, but at least wouldn't easily starve to death.
But new recruits enlisting needed time to train to form combat effectiveness, otherwise sending them to the frontline was purely cannon fodder.
Liao Shouyi was unwilling to want such cannon fodder new recruits. In his words, the sons of the Jing Kingdom shouldn't die so easily.
But the Wu Kingdom had already plotted the next general offensive. If nothing unexpected happened, it would determine the outcome of this war.
At the same time, Pinecone Village.
Chu Xun, who was forging the extraterrestrial meteorite iron, struck with a hammer, sending sparks flying everywhere.
Putting the meteorite iron back into the furnace, he seemed to sense something in his heart.
Looking up at the crows on the eaves, he said, "Take some swords and deliver them to the Southwest, hand them over to Shitou."
[End of Chapter]