Chapter 7, poison can kill, but it can also save

The black uncle chuckled and said: "The noodles shop owner raises a spirit worm, using a hungry ghost as the spirit for the worm. It poses no harm to people, but one must eat more to nurture the worm. The shop owner himself has a hungry ghost within him; the hungry ghost needs to eat, and the owner, being reluctant to part with food, naturally becomes as thin as a dog. I blow on the leaves to provoke the hungry ghost, to make it suffer. When the hungry ghost suffers, the owner will naturally suffer too"

The big uncle walked very quickly, turning back several times to mock me: "Is it that your legs are too short to walk fast?"

I am a bit confused and cannot understand

I instinctively covered my heart and stuck out my tongue

As soon as the voice fell, a venomous snake flew in from the shadows

I looked around the noodle shop and found that the business was particularly good. A young man was carrying a bowl full of noodles, along with four side dishes: cold beef, fried peanuts, pig's head meat, and cold Shunfeng, which far exceeded a single person's portion.

I cursed inwardly: "To hell with you, I want to run freely on the mountain, even a tiger couldn't catch up with me." I gritted my teeth and followed closely.

This is the second person to pat my head besides my master. Although the big black uncle seems very fierce, I find him quite endearing

I shook my head and clenched my fists: "I have no parents, I am an orphan, raised by my master. My master is gone, and now I must go find him... My home was destroyed by a red car..."

But... how can poison save a person? I am still somewhat confused

This powerful aura tells me that the person before me is a strong individual, precisely the kind of person I aspire to be, after all, I am too weak

I nodded and followed the black uncle, and soon we found a noodle shop

The black uncle furrowed his brow, took out a pair of chopsticks, and then pulled out a white sock, using the sock to cradle the chopsticks and placing them on the table. The boss, observing this action, suppressed his laughter, discarded the two cups of water that had been poured out, and replaced them with two new cups of water, bringing them out again

After finishing a bowl of noodles and leaving the noodle shop, the black uncle told me as he walked: "Wrapping the white socks and chopsticks together is a signal to inform the noodle shop owner not to put bugs on the dining table. Here, at the foot of Mount Lushan, unscrupulous owners, in order to encourage customers to order more dishes, will secretly add small food-eating bugs to the tea, which, when ingested, will make the customers feel hungry, thus naturally leading them to order more food"

We soon climbed to the peaks of Mount Lushan. In the middle of the night, we felt the swirling mist, which was exceptionally beautiful. Not far away, we could still hear the sound of a waterfall, said to be the Wulao Peak Waterfall, where the poet Li Bai composed "The sun shines on the incense burner, producing purple smoke..."

I groggily got up, put on my backpack, and felt the square jar inside it

At midnight, the big black uncle kicked me and shouted, "Xiao Guan, let's go up the mountain, I will show you something good"

The aura emanating from the black uncle also underwent a transformation; this aura is something I have experienced in my master.

The two individuals found a small inn, as the money obtained from the fat man and the thin man was not substantial, they could only make do with staying for one night

This poison insect is truly toxic

Perhaps poison can kill, but it can also save; it is precisely this duality that defines it

The black uncle, upon hearing this, was even more astonished. His blue eyes seemed to be somewhat moved, as if tears were welling up. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "What about your parents, your home?"

I uttered these words, and the black uncle shook his head again: "Wrong, wrong. Although the gu worm is venomous, it can also save lives. In Xiangxi, there is an extremely skilled gu doctor who can use gu worms to save people"

A powerful momentum pressed down upon me, and I found myself unable to evade it

After walking for more than ten meters outside the noodle shop, the black uncle stopped and plucked a camphor leaf, saying: "Those who exploit the gu worms to earn ill-gotten gains should be punished"

As I spoke, I found myself on the verge of tears. I do not know why, but in front of this dark-skinned uncle, I felt very safe, and despite usually holding back my tears, they were about to flow.

In the rocks, we caught a small and black cricket

This world is truly marvelous, I couldn't help but think

I looked at the black uncle and the shop owner with some confusion

The black uncle nodded with satisfaction, extending his hand to touch my head, but I dodged away. The black uncle, with a stern expression, said, "Come here, don't run away." He was about to get angry again, and I thought that it was no big deal to let him touch my head, so I leaned closer. ... A pair of broad hands rested on my head ...

How did you manage to do that? I asked

As soon as the conversation began, I saw the tall black man placing a leaf in his mouth. The leaf, held in his mouth, suddenly emitted a very sharp sound

I understand. I said, "This means that everything is a double-edged sword; it all depends on how it is utilized"

I was very surprised by the actions of the black uncle, as I did not expect him to ask me to speak the local dialect. Subsequently, all my conversations with the black uncle were in the dialect.

I silently marveled, having encountered many extraordinary things in a single day, such as the tracking green beetle and the hunger-inducing ghost bug. Even though I had seen quite a few venomous insects, I could not help but be astonished.

The black uncle shook his head and said: "The Gu worms of Xiangxi are renowned throughout the world, but there are also Gu worms in other places. It is worth mentioning that there are countless people raising Gu worms across the vast land of Huaxia, including Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, Northeast China, and Northwest China, with an even greater number in the plateaus. Their habits vary, and so do the methods to deal with them. In comparison, the Gu worms of Xiangxi are the most famous. The most powerful Gu worm in Xiangxi is called the Golden Silkworm Gu, followed by the Seven-Color Gu worm, and there is also the Heart-Union Gu worm, which is used between lovers. Once a lover betrays, the betrayer suffers torment for forty-nine days, wishing for death... It is said that a large hole is bitten out of the heart, leading to death from bleeding from the seven orifices."

Listening to the words of the black uncle, I recalled the words of my master, who also said that everything is a double-edged sword

The black uncle said with a smile, "It's not that artistic. I am here to find something for this bug to eat." After speaking, the black uncle shook his left hand, indicating that there was something inside for the bug to eat

Under the overwhelming pressure of a powerful aura, my mouth involuntarily opened: "I am Xiao Guan, the Xiao of the falling leaves!"

I thought to myself, just as people need to eat, insects naturally need to eat as well. I just didn't know what this insect would consume. Soon, we discovered a brightly colored venomous snake among some rocks. Uncle Black did not capture the snake; instead, he found a branch and drove the snake away.

"Your surname is Xiao, where are you from?" the black uncle continued to ask, his tone carrying a hint of surprise

I know that only by becoming strong can one possess such momentum

For example, the golden ringed snake can inflict harm with its venom, which can quickly lead to death. However, in modern medicine, snake venom is used for hemostasis and pain relief. I read in a medical report that scientists are researching a component of snake venom to treat malignant tumors and cancer, the black uncle patiently explained.

I answered honestly, "I came from Xiaojia Village on the border of Hubei."

I have heard from my master that the area of Xiangxi is the treasure land for raising poison insects

After taking two steps, the black uncle suddenly stopped and said: "Xiao Guan, you don't need to speak Mandarin to me, just speak your hometown dialect, which is your local and literary language, I can understand it."

I nodded and said, "Yes, I understand."

"Do you understand?" the black uncle asked, somewhat incredulously.

The owner of the noodle shop is frighteningly thin. Generally speaking, restaurant owners tend to be overweight, but this owner is truly peculiar, as thin as a stick, with a pair of eyes that unnaturally reveal a greedy gaze.

I hurriedly asked, "Sir, what are you going to do? Are you planning to watch the sunrise?"

The light is dim, one in front and one behind, and I follow closely.

The black uncle discarded the leaves and said: "Xiao Guan, let's go"

This cricket, when combined with a venomous snake, possesses a very strong toxicity, which is why it is called a snake cricket, Uncle Hei introduced to me

The sound of the leaves spread, and the customers in the noodle shop began to complain of stomach pains, shouting that there was a problem with the food and demanding compensation. The face of the noodle shop owner also began to change; he collapsed on the ground, foaming at the mouth, making sounds akin to that of a slaughtered pig

My mouth is open wide enough to fit almost an egg: "But isn't it true that there are more of these small poisonous insects in Hunan?" The implication is that this is Lushan in Jiangxi, so how could there be such small poisonous insects here?

The black uncle's tone softened considerably as he smiled and said, "Alright, child, I will take you to find your master. Before we set off, let's go have a meal, rest well for the night, and then attend to a matter. Once the matter is settled, we will be on our way."

The big black uncle placed one hand on my shoulder and pulled me along, saying, "Alright, little brat, don't overthink it. You've only seen one magical side of the world; tonight there will be even more wondrous things."