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墨書 Inktalez
"What's wrong with you?!" I asked cautiously, worried that the old woman in front of me might suddenly transform into a terrifying figure and lash out.
"It's nothing, just a cold," she smiled at me and continued, "But your friend is indeed afflicted by the Worm King, and over time, the Worm King has gradually taken shape. He is no longer the same as before."
"What do you mean by that?"
Seeing my insistence, the old woman thought for a moment and glanced at Jiang Ling in my backpack. "I guess you are not practitioners of sorcery, so you probably don't know what the Worm King is. But rest assured, the so-called Worm King is the king of all sorcery; it is not merely a harmful entity."
"So you're saying this Worm King could be beneficial to us?"
"Every person has their good and evil sides; why should sorcery be any different? Everything in this world is a double-edged sword. You are a swordsman; you should know this well. It's just that the time has not yet come. When the time arrives, you will naturally understand..."
With that, the old woman turned to pick up the empty bowl on the table, intending to leave. "I'll go check on your friend..." she said without looking back as she exited the room. Just as she left, I faintly heard a few urgent coughs from outside; it seemed that the old woman was quite ill...
"People have good and evil; sorcery has its black and white sides. Who would have thought that the Worm King also has its distinctions..." I mused as I lay back on the stone bed, my eyes fixed on the old wooden beams above me. I couldn't help but fall into deep thought and soon drifted off to sleep.
When I awoke, it was already evening. Since I had taken medicine in the morning, I found that my body no longer felt much pain. After a long sleep, my spirits had improved significantly.
"Strange, why didn't I dream about those damned bugs last night? Could it have something to do with Yao Long?" I muttered to myself as I got out of bed, preparing to check on Yao Long's condition.
Just then, the old woman walked back in from outside. Seeing that I was able to get up, she approached me and asked, "How are you feeling? Do you notice anything unusual with your body?"
I moved my arms around and marveled, "Much better! Granny, your medicine is truly remarkable! What kind of magical formula can make someone recover so quickly?"
"Do you really want to hear?" The Old Woman chuckled. "Alright, then I'll tell you. What I gave you is not some miraculous remedy for healing, but a poison made from three insects and seven herbs. This poison is extremely potent and can turn a person's internal organs into pus and blood within a day..."
Upon hearing this, I hurriedly stepped back a few paces, clutching my stomach. "W-What?!"
"Don't worry..." The Old Woman noticed my anxiety and waved her hand to reassure me. "This method is not meant to harm you, but rather to use poison to counteract poison. Because you have been cursed by that witch, without this dangerous method, even Hua Tuo himself would be unable to cure you."
After hearing this, I finally relaxed, feeling not only normal but also invigorated. "Thank you so much..." I clasped my hands in gratitude. "But may I ask how my friend is doing right now?"
When I mentioned Yao Long, the Old Woman's kind expression shifted slightly. She furrowed her brow and pondered for a moment. "I have done everything I can to save him, but he still has not regained consciousness. Whether he lives or dies, whether it is fortune or misfortune, it all depends on his own fate..." With that, the Old Woman sighed.
"Where is he now?! Take me to see him!" I urged anxiously. After all, Yao Long had saved my life twice during this journey; I could not just stand by and watch him die.
"Follow me..." The Old Woman said as she turned and led me to another room nearby. She gently pushed open the wooden door and pointed at the person lying on the bed. "He is right there; you can see for yourself."
Without hesitation, I rushed into the room. Upon reaching the bedside, I was taken aback and stumbled back a few steps at what I saw. Yao Long was lying on a stone bed similar to the one I had been on before, but his body was completely blackened, glimmering with a dark sheen under the setting sun that streamed in from outside, as if he were draped in a layer of black armor. Moreover, that "armor" bore lines resembling the shell of an insect.
"What... what is happening?" I asked in astonishment as I turned back to the Old Woman still standing at the door.
Seeing my shock, she walked slowly toward me, glanced at Yao Long, and softly said, "This is what they call the Worm King..."
"Is this dark substance on him the Worm King?" I asked in confusion.
"Exactly. The Worm King is not merely what you think it is—a harmful entity. To those who are unaware, the Worm King symbolizes disaster and death. However, that is not the case; the reason people believe the Worm King represents calamity is that it takes a long time to fully merge with its host before it can unleash its true power. Until then, the Worm King will protect itself and its host in its own way."
Hearing the Old Woman's explanation, I finally understood why we would experience hallucinations whenever we mentioned the Worm King. It turned out to be a self-protection mechanism of the Worm King. However, seeing Yao Long lying motionless on the bed in such a state, I couldn't shake off my worries.
"How did Yao Long end up like this? When will he recover? What does true recovery even mean?" I poured out all my questions in one breath.
"So his name is Yao Long? What a nice name..." the Old Woman murmured to herself. "He became like this entirely because he was affected by that Old Woman's Gu Poison. The poison was too deep, which caused the Worm King within him to activate its self-protection ability before it had fully formed, leading to his current condition."
As she spoke, the Old Woman looked up in contemplation, her fingers moving as if she were calculating something. After a moment, she said, "Counting the days, it should be around now. If he can hold on, then the Worm King within him will become its final form. However, if his will is not strong enough, he will be devoured by the Worm King within these few days and ultimately become its sacrifice."
Upon hearing this, I gritted my teeth in anger at the Witch I had slain earlier, wishing I could dig up her remains and feed them to the dogs.
But then I realized that now was not the time to think about revenge. I immediately asked, "Is there anything we can do to help him?!"
The Old Woman looked solemnly at Yao Long and shook her head slightly. "The only thing we can do now is pray for him..."
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