After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 336: Chapter 335: Divine Art?

Helian Chen’s medical skills were unmatched in Panlong City; he had cured many terminal illnesses. Wen Daolun valued him because, in truth, the man was also adept at Witchcraft.

The insidious attack on Wen Xing was clearly not the work of a simple, potent poison.

Helian Chen fell silent in contemplation. He took a small Jade Bottle from his robes and released several leech-like creatures onto Wen Xing’s wound.

Unlike ordinary leeches, they were pitch-black, with a single, vivid red stripe down their backs.

Yet, when the creatures touched Wen Xing’s wound, they seemed hesitant, at a loss for what to do.

They only drank blood and showed no interest in the green pus oozing from Wen Xing’s wound.

Helian Chen had no choice but to make another incision on Wen Xing’s body and let the leeches burrow inside.

Before long, the creatures burrowed back out.

But as soon as they emerged, their bodies slowly went rigid, becoming stiff as wood within ten breaths.

Helian Chen picked one up for a closer look, his expression changing in astonishment:

The leech had actually turned into a small wood chip. Tapping it against the headboard even produced a sound.

Wen Daolun, frantic with worry, demanded from the side, ”Is this a poison or a Divine Technique?”

”I’m afraid... it’s neither,” Helian Chen said with a wry smile. ”Wen Xing’s pulse is quite stable. Aside from significant blood loss, I can’t find a single trace of poison, nor are there any signs of a Curse at work.”

”What does that mean?”

”If I weren’t looking at the wound, I’d think he had only suffered a flesh wound,” Helian Chen said, looking at him. ”You couldn’t detect any Divine Techniques affecting him either, could you?”

With a grim expression, Wen Daolun nodded.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside, as if a dozen people had arrived in a hurry. An announcement immediately followed:

”Commander Zhong has arrived!”

Hee Lingchuan’s gaze sharpened.

The supreme Helmsman of this Legendary City, the owner of the Grand Square Pot, Zhong Shengguang, was finally about to appear!

After more than twenty dreams, he still had yet to meet Zhong Shengguang. He never expected that Wen Daolun being ambushed and Wen Xing being injured would be enough to draw Zhong Shengguang out personally.

The wooden door creaked open, and a man in civilian attire entered.

He was alone, and he shut the door behind him.

Hee Lingchuan studied him closely. Zhong Shengguang didn’t have three heads and six arms; he was just a little taller than the average man, with handsome features and eyes full of spirit. He looked more weathered than Hee Chunhua, with graying temples, but Hee Lingchuan knew Zhong Shengguang was only about thirty-seven or thirty-eight at this time and possessed a high Cultivation. Clearly, governing Panlong City and defending it from outside aggression was an exhausting task that taxed both mind and spirit.

He ignored Hee Lingchuan and the others, striding directly to the bedside. ”How is he?”

Wen Daolun kept his eyes fixed on his son. ”The monster was targeting me. Wen Xing took the blow in my place.”

Helian Chen looked ashamed. ”It’s not poison, not a Divine Technique, and not a Gu Curse. I can’t identify the symptoms.”

Without symptoms, there was no way to prescribe a targeted treatment. Facing Zhong Shengguang, he could only be forthright to avoid wasting precious time.

Zhong Shengguang carefully examined Wen Xing’s wound. ”I was also ambushed on my way here,” he said. ”Three Jindu Boys attacked me at once.”

Everyone’s expression flickered, but seeing Zhong Shengguang standing there perfectly unharmed, they knew he hadn’t been the one to get the short end of the stick.

Helian Chen scanned his body for injuries. ”Are you unharmed?”

”I came prepared after hearing Wen Xing was injured. I just didn’t expect their target to be you.” Zhong Shengguang’s brow was tightly furrowed. ”Of those three monsters, two are dead and one is injured. I brought them all for you.”

In the decade or so he had been defending Panlong City, he had evaded countless assassination attempts. He was nothing if not experienced.

Helian Chen looked at the unconscious Wen Xing, then said with some hesitation, ”I suspect... this is a... Divine Art.”

Zhong Shengguang whipped his head around. ”Wen Xing was wounded by the ninth child of the Jindu Ghost Mother?”

’No way.’

Hee Lingchuan couldn’t help but glance at the tray. Was it possible that this inconspicuous, cricket-like monster was the Jindu Ghost Mother’s most powerful cub?

The one he had encountered on Red Peak Mountain had turned an entire Mine Cave into its lair, giving it an overwhelming home-field advantage. If the Red General hadn’t intervened, the Patrol Guards would have likely been annihilated on the spot.

”Only the last-born child could possibly wield a Divine Art,” Wen Daolun said, looking at his son. ”The large one that ambushed us under the bridge was just a decoy.”

He rested his forehead in his hand. ”We were careless. We thought the battle at Red Peak Mountain had wiped out the rest of them, so we lowered our guard. Who knew a second brood of Jindu Ghosts had infiltrated the city.”

A Jindu Mother has nine cubs per brood at most. Since they had already killed nine, they lifted the curfew and stopped sending the Three Corpses Insects out on nightly patrols.

After all, the Three Corpses Insects were nasty things themselves. Releasing them too often courted new and different kinds of trouble.

But now, new monsters had appeared. There was only one explanation:

There was more than one brood of Jindu Cubs causing havoc!

The Jindu Ghost Mother births nine children at a time, with the last-born being the most powerful. But this ”ninth child” is not necessarily a Sadist.

In fact, the chances of a Sadist appearing are pitifully small. A Jindu Ghost Mother could give birth a hundred times and still not produce one.

Besides, under the current circumstances, it wasn’t easy for a Jindu Ghost Mother to reproduce at all.

But even if they weren’t Sadists, these youngest Jindu Cubs each possessed their own unique abilities.

Zhong Shengguang nodded. ”A city-wide search is underway. We’ll have results soon.” He turned to Helian Chen. ”Are you certain this is a Divine Art?”

”I’m seventy percent sure,” Helian Chen said. ”When we use the Water and Fire Technique, the damage is inflicted from the outside in. These three spikes, however, are like three seeds. Once planted in Wen Xing’s body, they began to transform his flesh and blood into wood. This is completely different from ordinary Divine Techniques. Only a Divine Art could explain it.”

He glanced at Wen Daolun and lowered his voice. ”The wounds on his arms and legs are bad enough, but the one on his abdomen is the real problem. If his internal organs begin to turn to wood, his life will be in danger.”

If his organs stop working, how far from death can he be?

A muscle in Wen Daolun’s face twitched.

Zhong Shengguang asked, ”How much time does he have?”

’Judging by the speed the wood transformation is spreading...’ ”Seven double-hours, at most.”

Zhong Shengguang nodded and tossed a crescent-shaped whistle to Hee Lingchuan. ”Have the Sparrowhawk relay this order: The Red General is to return to the city immediately.”

Hee Lingchuan was startled. ’The front line is locked in a fierce battle, and Zhong Shengguang is recalling his top general?’

Wen Daolun’s head snapped up. ”You can’t! You absolutely must not! If we lose White Crane Ridge, even Wei City will be in danger...”

”What’s lost can be reclaimed,” Zhong Shengguang said dismissively. ”Besides, there are other generals at the front. The Red General isn’t the only one who can get the job done.” He glared at Hee Lingchuan. ”What are you standing around for? Relay the order!”

Every second counted. Hee Lingchuan broke into a run to carry out the order.

He went behind Yuewu Hall, away from prying eyes, and blew the whistle.

The whistle’s call wasn’t the sharp, piercing sound one might expect. It was low and raspy, as if made from the horn of some unknown animal.

Before long, a small black dot appeared in the sky. It didn’t grow much larger as it descended.

It landed in front of Hee Lingchuan and tilted its head. ”Why are you the one blowing the whistle?”

This rascal was an old acquaintance of Hee Lingchuan’s. The last time they met, it had been injured by a Jindu Boy and had recuperated in his room. He had nursed it back to partial health with fine meat, and it had even developed a daily taste for wine before flying off.

It hadn’t shown its face since flying off that day.

Hee Lingchuan offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. ”You wouldn’t have shown up if I hadn’t blown the whistle.” ’Freeloading hawk,’ he thought, ’eats and drinks its fill then just takes off!’ ”Relay Commander Zhong’s verbal order: The Red General is to return to the city immediately!”

”Got it!” The Sparrowhawk beat its wings and took flight, heading west.

...

Due to the attack on Wen Daolun, all public gatherings, including the lectures at Wenxian Hall, were immediately canceled. The entire city was placed under martial law. Zhong Shengguang dispatched dozens of teams to conduct a house-to-house search of the city.

In any other city, this would have sparked public outrage or widespread panic. But the people of Panlong City were highly disciplined. Coupled with timely announcements, everyone was mentally prepared and generally cooperative when the Patrol Guards came knocking.

The Patrol Guards and the City Guard Army focused their search on vacant houses, sheds, and ponds. Sure enough, they rooted out another Jindu Cub, which they killed on the spot after a fierce fight.

Chillingly, the hiding places of these Ghost Children were all located near the residences of Panlong City’s senior officials.

There was another discovery:

When Helian Chen, Aluo, and the other doctors dissected the Jindu Boys’ corpses, they found that all of them had ash in their stomachs.

These monsters were at least two or three days old. But unlike the previous batch that had plagued Panlong City, they hadn’t consumed a single bite of human flesh since birth. At most, they found chicken feathers and dog bones in the stomachs of two of them.

In other words, they were stealing chickens and snatching dogs, but not eating people.

Eating is instinctual. For them to suppress this basic drive, it certainly wasn’t out of the goodness of their hearts.

The Pharmacists naturally studied this fine ash and quickly reached a conclusion:

It was the powder of a Nether Pearl.

Accomplished Mages or Great Demons might form a Nether Pearl upon cremation after death, and these pearls contained Spiritual Qi.

The ash before them now was likely from some kind of Demon. It had been quite large in life and probably lived in a lake or sea, as there were traces of unburnt algae mixed in.

By feeding on this Nether Pearl, the Jindu Boys could survive for a short period without needing to eat living flesh, thereby reducing their chances of being exposed.

The enemy’s plan, now revealed to this extent, was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

Clearly, the brood of Jindu Boys that Aunt Yun had birthed was a diversion, meant to attract all of Panlong City’s attention. Meanwhile, this second brood—which fed on Nether Pearls and left commoners alone—was lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to assassinate key figures.

Just then, Xiao Maoliang returned with his team. In addition to the corpse of the Jindu Boy that had escaped, they had brought back an old woman.

When Hee Lingchuan saw her, he couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.

”It really is her!”

Skinny, who was beside him, asked, ”Who’s this? You know her?”

”Do you remember that shop I own on Panlong Main Street?”

”Yeah, I remember. Why?” A single shop could support three generations; it was a Golden Chicken that laid golden eggs. Skinny was practically dying of envy.

”When I was closing up the shop and clearing things out, an old woman came by—her.” Hee Lingchuan pointed to Xiao Maoliang’s captive. ”She asked for a jar from my shop, saying she wanted to use it for pickling. I had no use for it, so I let her have it. I remember other people called her Eldest Sister-in-law Ji. She was in her early forties.”

Skinny looked at her disheveled hair, haggard face, and gaunt frame, and jumped in surprise. ”Forty? She looks sixty, if not older!”

”Both her children died on the battlefield,” Hee Lingchuan said, recalling the scene. ”Aluo happened to take her pulse and said she was four or five months pregnant—with more than one child.”