Chapter 134
Chapter 134
“What did you do to my gu insects?” Wujinzi demanded, pointing a trembling finger at Liu Ye.
“They tasted pretty good. Daoist Master, do you have any more? I’d like to take some home for my family.”
Seeing Wujinzi shake, Liu Ye hurriedly added, “I won’t take them for free! I used your insects to make Five Poisons Wine. You can have it. It’s very nourishing.”
He held out a jar. Several venomous creatures floated inside alongside the “precious medicinal herbs” he had gathered during the journey.
One glance was enough to horrify the onlookers. Even the wine had turned black.
Wujinzi did not accept the jar. He backed away instead, unable to believe that anyone could devour his gu insects without suffering the slightest harm.
“Y-you’re not human!”
Liu Ye stared at him. If the man did not want the gift, fine. Why insult him?
Wujinzi swallowed and started down from the arena. He no longer wanted to compete.
“Imperial Preceptor Wujinzi!” the empress called.
She smiled at him. “Where are you going? It is almost your turn.”
“I… I need to visit the latrine.” He forced an awkward smile.
“That can wait until after the contest. Wouldn’t you agree, Your Majesty?”
The emperor looked at Wujinzi with open displeasure. There was nothing dignified about his behavior now.
“Quite right. Imperial Preceptor, finish the contest first.”
Wujinzi glanced down. His eldest senior brother gave him a vicious look. He had no choice but to continue.
Perhaps Liu Ye merely possessed an unusually powerful body and carried nothing dangerous of his own. Wujinzi clung to that hope and forced himself to recover his lofty bearing.
“Infinite blessings. Fellow Daoist Liu, it is your turn. Present your gu.”
Liu Ye blinked and searched his clothes. Where would he get a gu insect? If he had anything that delicious, he would have eaten it already.
Then inspiration struck. He opened his little bundle and pulled out a box.
The emperor found it oddly familiar. When Liu Ye lifted the lid, the half-dead pill worm lay inside.
“This is my gu!”
Liu Ye tossed it into the chamber.
Wujinzi was overjoyed. He recognized the creature as a Fortune-Stealing Worm. As long as it was not swallowed, it could not harm anyone.
“Good! Then it is settled. No changing your mind!”
He leaped into the chamber.
Physician Zhou watched anxiously from below. “Why would Lord Liu choose that worm? It has no offensive power.”
“Don’t worry, Old Zhou.” Eunuch Wu covered his mouth with his handkerchief and lowered his voice. “Even if Lord Liu hadn’t placed anything inside, that man wouldn’t be coming out.”
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as he looked at the young eunuch operating the mechanism.
The boy nodded and secretly moved a lever.
Eunuch Wu stared at the chamber with a sneer.
Wujinzi was far too inexperienced to play dirty in the imperial harem.
Thud!
Wujinzi landed inside. The chamber was not deep. The emperor had used it to hide weapons when he was still a prince.
After hearing the Daoists’ plan, the emperor had lent them the chamber as a venue for the contest.
Wujinzi inspected it beforehand and even discovered a secret door leading outside. No matter how dangerous Liu Ye’s gu might be, he could slip through the hidden passage, wait in safety, and return by another route.
That precaution now seemed unnecessary. All he had to do was sit quietly until an incense stick burned out.
Wujinzi settled down with absolute confidence. He did not see the pill worm begin to glow white behind him. Its body twisted and expanded.
“Waaah… waaah…”
After an unknown amount of time, a baby’s cries interrupted his meditation.
Wujinzi frowned. Why would a child be crying inside this chamber? And why was his chest becoming so tight?
He opened his eyes and found a gigantic infant’s head directly before him.
“Aaaah!”
Wujinzi leaped into the air and scrambled backward.
An enormous insect filled the chamber. It had a human face and a caterpillar’s body as tall as a five- or six-story building. A huge baby’s head protruded from one end, with two chubby little hands growing from its cheeks.
It gazed excitedly at Wujinzi. Drool spilled from its smiling mouth, corroding deep pits into the floor.
Horrified, Wujinzi pulled out the insect-repelling powder he had prepared and scattered it around himself. Made from substances that insects hated above all else, even the smallest quantity could repel ten thousand bugs.
Disgust appeared on the creature’s face.
Then it opened its mouth.
“Waaah!”
The cry became a physical shock wave that smashed Wujinzi into the wall and scattered all the powder.
He coughed up blood. The impact seemed to have displaced every organ in his body.
Ignoring the pain, he rushed to the secret door and twisted its mechanism.
Click!
Nothing happened.
“Impossible!”
The door had opened perfectly during his inspection. He wrenched the mechanism again and again, but it did not budge.
Despair engulfed him.
He looked at the insect and prepared to run. It was slow. If he could evade it until the incense stick burned out, then-
Thud!
Wujinzi collapsed. Each breath became more difficult than the last, and realization struck him.
“That damned eunuch lied to me!” he screamed.
The insect crawled over. Under Wujinzi’s terrified gaze, it opened its enormous mouth and swallowed him whole.
When time expired, the chamber reopened. Both Wujinzi and the insect had vanished.
“The winner of the second contest is Immortal Master Liu!”
Liu Ye stared at the empty room.
Winning pleased him, but was this contest rigged? The manipulation was far too obvious. If they were going to cheat, they should at least do it professionally. It was embarrassing when everyone could tell.