Chapter Nine, Ice Spider
"Alright, you all continue your work, we shall take our leave," Director Zhao cast a glance at Old Yi, as it would be rather inconvenient for the elder to be present when it was time for Yi Gu to undergo the surgery.
The ice spider missed its target again, and upon turning around, the golden silkworm was nowhere to be seen. It spun around repeatedly, searching for the golden silkworm, yet it did not look up at all.
The old man lowered his voice and said, "This is the second time I have seen this creature, the Ice Spider originates from the Flame Mountain in the Western Regions." He glanced at Yishiqi's astonished expression and continued, "There is nothing strange about this; the five elements generate and restrain each other, where there is extreme heat, there must be cold entities to counter it. The silk spun by this spider is crystal clear and exceptionally tough, capable of capturing all kinds of poisonous insects in the world. However, it is quite rare in the Central Plains, making it an extremely precious item. Therefore, we do not have this Ice Spider Gu in the Miaojiang Gu technique, as it is not easily obtained."
Yishiqi assisted the elderly man out of the town hospital and onto the open street, where he took a deep breath, expelling the impurities from his lungs. How wonderful it is to be alive.
The forensic expert seems to have doubts, but he indeed did not perform a cranial examination during the autopsy, as that falls outside of normal procedures
Alright, we are ready to set off. The old man suddenly stood up, his gaze intense.
At this moment, just at the critical juncture, golden light surged into the sky. Before the vast icy net was about to descend, the golden silkworm slipped through the gap, leaping beyond the boundary and landing on the leaves hanging down from a ginkgo tree in the courtyard
Their brains are all gone, the old man said
The forensic expert eliminated the troublesome procedure of shaving the head and directly incised the forehead of the first deceased, Elder Yang, forcefully lifting the calvaria.
She cannot escape; she has already been afflicted by the golden silkworm poison, and the venom has directly entered her bloodstream. She will not survive until dawn," the old man said coldly
That person looked at Yishiqi with a sense of difference
Yishiqi was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Where are you going, Dad?"
Yishiqi gazed in that direction, where there stood a house that appeared somewhat eerie under the obscure moonlight. That was the residence of Li Xihua, the seventh member of the Broken Army, part of the Seven Fiends Formation of Xuanwu.
During the meal, the elderly person silently sipped some soup, without uttering a word
Show me the other dead bodies," the old man said with an unusually solemn tone
Father, what are you doing?" Yi Shiqi exclaimed urgently
Here, Officer Wang and the forensic expert also felt uneasy in their hearts and turned their faces away
In a flash of golden light, the golden silkworm dodged to the left, moving about two meters away, and the ice web missed its target. At this moment, the ice spider turned its head to accurately locate the position of the golden silkworm, slightly adjusted its angle, and swiftly shot out a web that enveloped the air. Following that, another web was cast, and in an instant, the ice spider shot out several ice webs, enveloping the area around the golden silkworm in a chilling mist, sealing off its escape routes.
Igu, completely naked and with a pale gray complexion exuding a chill, lay quietly inside. Due to the insufficient length of the ice coffin, his legs were bent.
The mother silkworm first moved slowly in circles at the original spot, then suddenly stopped, facing the direction of the mixed forest in Shanyin Village, as if sensing something.
"It is gone," the old man replied coldly
The elderly man approached unsteadily, extending his withered hand to gently pat his son's cheek, warm tears falling onto Yigu's smiling face
Dark clouds drifted across the horizon, obscuring the moon, and the night sky dimmed. Yi Shiqi picked up the lifeless Old Yi, his heart heavy as he walked towards the town.
The old man grasped Yishiqi's arm firmly
Officer Wang furrowed his brow, but ultimately dialed the phone number of the investigation team
At the moment the bamboo pole struck the branch, a flash of golden light appeared, and the golden silkworm unexpectedly leaped onto the bamboo pole and slid down, heading straight for the old witch. The old witch was greatly startled and hurriedly withdrew her hand to throw away the pole, but it was too late; the sharp beak of the golden silkworm gently grazed and pierced the back of the old witch's hand
Yishiqi looked at the old man, who hesitated and leaned on his bamboo staff, slowly walking towards the mixed woods with Yishiqi's assistance
Before long, Director Zhao arrived in a hurry with his team. Officer Wang immediately reported the strange discovery made by Old Man Yi
The elderly person could not respond, their anxious gaze fixed on the courtyard
The moonlight gradually became clearer, a gentle cool breeze swept by, and in the hazy night of Shanyin Village, there was a penetrating chill that touched the heart.
"Yes, I am very sorry, I never expected this..." said Yishiqi apologetically
"Old Witch!" Yi Shiqi exclaimed
Ice Spider? This was the first time Yishiqi had heard of such a creature
"Is the ancient capital going to die here?" the old man said
"What? Father," Officer Wang asked in surprise
Director Zhao invited the elderly and Yi Shiqi to a restaurant for dinner
The old man walked over and patted each corpse on the cheek.
The old man glared fiercely, enunciating each word clearly: "Cast a spell."
Officer Wang interjected, "Teacher Yi, the old man is the only relative of Yigu, and he is already ninety years old. The police from Hunan sent him directly by vehicle, and he has just arrived. After introducing the situation, we were about to go identify the body and would like to invite you to accompany us for convenience in care.
Yishiqi tightly supported the sorrowful old man, feeling an immense sense of guilt for having caused this septuagenarian to lose his only relative
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The old man set down his bamboo staff and took out a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle from his bosom, which was similar in size to the porcelain bottle of Yiguduo.
Under the moonlight, the ice spider suddenly launched an attack. It executed a sudden backflip, and from the tip of its rear, a bright, translucent web was ejected, accompanied by a puff of white mist, heading straight towards the golden silkworm.
Ah, that is an ice spider!" the old man's trembling voice.
No!" Old Man Yi shouted as he rushed out, followed closely by Yi Shiqi
***
Yishiqi exclaimed, "We will be at the hospital soon, Dad, just hold on a little longer"
This is the old witch I mentioned, but unfortunately, I was unable to catch her said Yi Shiqi with regret
Officer Wang stepped forward, smiled slightly at Yi Shiqi, and said: "This is not Yigudu, but his father, Old Man Yi." He then introduced Yi Shiqi to the elder
About ten feet away, there crawled a fist-sized spider, entirely snow-white, with two red eyes that glistened like two rubies under the moonlight. The ground within a two-foot radius around it was covered in white frost
Old man Yi was arranged to live with Yi Shiqi, and Director Zhao specifically instructed Yi Shiqi to take good care of the elderly man
At that moment, angry shouts came from inside the house: "After raising you for so many years, you are still this foolish!" Before the words had even faded, an old woman emerged, holding a bamboo pole, her face flushed with anger. Before reaching the tree, she swung the bamboo pole horizontally, striking towards the branch where the golden silkworm was hiding.
Yishiqi and the old man stealthily approached the front of the house, hiding behind a large camphor tree, and gazed out.
I and Yigu can be buried right behind my house. In this world, I have no relatives or friends, my home is bare, and I have never saved any money. Feel free to take anything useful you see, and in the end, just set that house on fire. After saying this, the old man let out a long sigh, lowered his head, and tremblingly took out the blue and white porcelain vase in his hand. With tears in his eyes, he watched as the golden silkworm, which had regained its vitality, slowly crawled into the vase. He gently covered the opening with the stopper and then solemnly handed the vase to Yishiqi.
That old woman is too malicious, " Old Man Yi complained.
"Alright, please speak, Dad," Yi Shiqi nodded and said
The town hospital's morgue was brightly lit, and the renowned forensic expert from the province was also present. Officer Wang signaled to Yi Shiqi to assist Old Man Yi, while he himself stepped forward to open the eighth ice coffin.
She is the mother of that golden silkworm, and she has been in this bottle for decades. Tonight is the time to make her move, the old man muttered to himself as he pulled out the cork with his withered hand
Yishi nodded in agreement, as it should be
"Let us hurry to the hospital," urged Yi Shiqi anxiously
The old witch let out a loud cry, her expression changing dramatically
"Go, go to the place you wish to go." The old man mumbled a few more incantations indistinctly.
The sharp beak of the golden silkworm was deeply embedded in the neck of the ice spider, frozen in place. White frost had already infiltrated the body of the golden silkworm, and its golden skin was covered with a layer of white frost, trembling all over.
The old man said with a bitter smile: "This mother silkworm has also encountered an ice spider for the first time, and I do not know its power. How can such a cold creature be fed upon? In the end, I can only use my blood to save it, as there is no time for anything else."
The old man gave a苦笑 and said, "I am a doctor myself, I know that time is short, I must ask you to grant an old man's final request."
The golden silkworm turned in mid-air, then swooped down, landing on the bewildered ice spider's back, while its sharp beak pierced the ice spider's nape.
"That's not right, where is the mind of the ancient capital?" The old man stopped clapping and muttered to himself, his expression very serious
Everyone was stunned
A flash of golden light, and the mother gold silkworm headed straight for that house
He thought that his fate might change in the future
The old man leaned on a bamboo cane, his eye sockets slightly red and swollen. His sharp gaze shot towards Yishiqi as he slowly spoke: "So, it is you who brought the ancient capital to this place?"
But I don't know how to raise it, " Yi Shiqi exclaimed, yet deep down he was quite fond of this golden little creature, despite its deadly poison
As Yishiqi helped the elderly man turn around the foot of the mountain, he sensed that something was amiss with the old man. The elderly man trembled all over, his teeth chattering incessantly. He gestured for Yishiqi to stop, and Yishiqi assisted him in leaning against the stone wall.
Under the dimly scattered moonlight, a small golden head appeared at the mouth of the bottle. It first cautiously surveyed its surroundings, then let out a long sigh, and with a "whoosh," it jumped out, its agile figure landing steadily on the ground. At that moment, the originally noisy croaking of frogs and chirping of insects by the water's edge suddenly fell silent, and all was quiet.
"Craniotomy." Director Zhao pondered for a moment and then commanded
The old man, using his last bit of strength, said: "Child, you are the only one in this world who understands and possesses the golden silkworm. Remember, you must have the heart to help the world and not be greedy for wealth and money. The golden silkworm can harm people as well as save them, be mindful of this."
At this moment, Yishiqi carefully observed Old Man Yi, who indeed bore a striking resemblance to Yigu, in terms of stature, facial features, and eyes; even the purple bumps on their skin were identical.
The old witch, upon seeing someone lying in ambush, stomped her foot and fled, darting to the edge of the mountain and burrowing into the thicket.
Listen to me, do not interrupt for now, time is of the essence. Our Miao family can conduct burial in the ground, so please transport both me and Yigu back to the Miao village in Xiangxi for burial. This time, everyone from the local police station has come along and can take you to the Miao village. My home is located at the top of the mountain behind the village, in an independent stilt house. You can find an ancient medical book passed down in my family beneath the mat of my bed; the book is titled "The Golden Silkworm Gu Technique." It contains methods for raising golden silkworms, performing Gu techniques, and antidotes for Gu poison. This may be the only existing copy, so I will give it to you.
This is the place. "Yishiqi replied cautiously.
Yishiqi took the porcelain bottle and said with deep emotion: "Father, please rest assured, I will definitely accomplish the task you entrusted to me"
The old man, unable to care for his frostbite, reached out to grasp the golden silkworm and forcefully pulled it down. With his other hand, he brought it to his mouth, biting down on the prominent vein on the back of his hand, tearing it with force. Blood gushed forth, splattering onto the frozen golden silkworm, while he simultaneously inserted the cold, sharp beak into the severed blood vessel on his hand.
The moonlight was enchanting, appearing both clear and elusive, as Yishi Qi supported Old Man Yi to the edge of the pond in Shanyin Village
The old man said: "This golden silkworm has been with me for over fifty years, just like my own children. I now entrust it to you, please take care of it."
In the open space of the courtyard, the golden female silkworm crouched motionless on the ground, its body arched, watching intently and poised to spring into action
Everyone was stunned, as the cranial cavity was completely empty; the brain tissue of Old Man Yang had vanished without a trace
Officer Wang and the forensic expert exchanged glances, and in the end, they still opened the remaining seven drawers according to the old man's wishes
"Can this thing compete with the golden silkworm?" Yi Shiqi asked with some concern
A chill suddenly arose in Yishiqi's heart
The old man entered the room, remaining silent as before. Yi Shiqi understood that he was feeling sad, so he did not disturb the old man. The two of them stayed quietly together for a long time, with neither of them speaking.
"Let us go." Yishiqi assisted the elderly man as they walked towards the town
The old man gasped for breath, glanced at Mr. Yi, and said with difficulty: "Mr. Yi, I am too old to withstand this cold poison. I would like to entrust you with a matter before I die"
The second Aunt Huo, below Uncle Li, are all identical; they have all lost their minds
The ice spider could not withstand the deadly sting of the golden silkworm. The poison injected from the silkworm's beak had already begun to decompose the internal organs and tissues of the ice spider. As the waves of white cold mist dissipated, the ice spider gradually changed color, transforming from its original crystalline transparency to a grayish-white. Its pair of gem-like red eyes also faded to a yellow-brown. The rare ice spider in the world had perished.
The forensic expert's trembling voice said: "Are you saying that these people's brains are all gone?"