Chapter 10, Lower Fastening

However, Xue stated that this is feasible, as many experienced individuals can reutilize the stone figurines.

His motives leave me utterly perplexed, and the fact that these events occurred just as we were about to search for the city of Wei Daliang raises the question: could this stone figurine also have a significant connection to Wei Daliang?

He extinguished his cigarette when he saw me come out and said, "I know that Xue wants to join your group, but I didn't expect him to approach you so soon. He is very dangerous; keep your distance from him in the future, or you won't even know how you died"

Fourth Uncle is an exceptionally strong man, yet he has now uttered such words. I can detect a hint of fear in his voice. To be honest, human hearts are made of flesh, and if I am not moved, that would be a lie. It is just that after so many years in the profession of tomb raiding, I have become accustomed to concealing my emotions, whether in anger or joy. Therefore, in the face of such a Fourth Uncle, I still appear very calm, but this is only limited to my facial expressions.

I have heard of Gu, which is particularly prevalent in the southern border regions. I have also seen it in some tombs, but none of them are authentic Gu, as Gu is not a good thing. Therefore, the deceased would not place such items in their own tombs, as it would diminish their posthumous blessings.

At that moment, my fourth uncle suddenly looked up at me, appearing exceptionally surprised, and then asked, "What is that smell on you?"

I nodded in agreement with my fourth uncle's viewpoint, and then I asked, "What kind of corpse oil is so domineering that it can accompany a person for a lifetime?"

However, the expression on my fourth uncle's face did not soften due to my explanation; instead, I noticed his brows furrowing even deeper, his expression becoming increasingly unpleasant. Moreover, his gaze suddenly turned sharp and profound. Yet, after a long while, he only uttered this one sentence: "You come inside the room first before we talk"

Then Uncle Si stared at me for a few seconds and said, "Indeed, this is not ordinary corpse oil. Once it gets on you, it can never be washed off. This smell will likely accompany you for a lifetime"

However, Uncle Si seemed quite frightened, and he said, "If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to your father? I promised him that I would take good care of you!"

I sniffed my body, but I couldn't detect even a hint of scent; instead, I smelled the fragrant aroma of the shower gel. So, I asked my uncle, "Why can't I smell anything?"

Xue nodded and said that the leech we had just seen was different from the one originally found in the stone figurine. The leech in the original stone figurine had grown by parasitizing within the human body, whereas the one we had just seen had grown within a snake's body, and it was a highly venomous snake.

The unusual behavior of my fourth uncle made my heart skip a beat for no apparent reason. I was unsure how much he knew about Xue, and his expression, to be more precise, indicated surprise at the smell of the corpse oil

It was only when I was with the books that I remembered I had smeared corpse oil on myself, and in the rush to get out, I completely forgot to wipe it off. My fourth uncle is in the business of dealing with the dead; he would certainly be able to smell it.

Those who raise snake maggots kill the original maggots inside the stone figurines and then place captured venomous young snakes inside the figurines for rearing. As the snakes grow, they gradually become unable to escape through the holes of the figurines, thus living inside them until their caretakers deem them large enough for use. On an auspicious day, they are fed until full; generally, a snake will fall into a deep sleep after eating. In this instance, they have been fed maggot eggs, which hatch inside the snake's body while it is asleep, leading to growth and reproduction. Thus, they continue to live inside the stone figurines until their caretakers believe they are sufficiently large for use, at which point they are again fed on an auspicious day, and the cycle repeats.

I said: "So this stone figurine was used to rejuvenate the silkworms, wasn't it?"

However, in order to prevent the snake from waking up in pain and struggling violently, which could damage the stone figurine, the caretaker usually sprays a substance that can render the snake unconscious after it has fallen asleep. This ensures that the snake is completely unaware while being consumed by the parasitic worms. After completing these steps, the caretaker seals the hole on the top of the stone figurine's head with plaster made from the same materials as the figurine, and then preserves the worms inside using the same method employed for creating the stone figurine.

I find it difficult to understand what Xue is saying. The person who stole the stone figurine killed the original larvae, merely to nurture new larvae? The stone figurine already contains existing larvae, so there is no need to raise new ones; isn't this redundant? Moreover, it requires such significant effort, so it is likely not as simple as just raising new larvae.

As soon as I entered the room, my fourth uncle immediately handed me a towel and pointed to the bathroom, saying: "Hurry up and wash off the corpse oil from your body, leaving no trace of any odor"

Uncle Si countered my question: "Such a simple principle, you should understand it best when you are in the field; one generally cannot smell their own scent."

After he finished speaking, he stood up and left, without specifying the reason. I glanced at the stone figure lying in the pit, wondering if it was inappropriate to leave it here. However, at that moment, Xue had already reached the door. I felt that he seemed to know something but chose not to say it. So, I hurried after him. When I arrived at the door, he said he had urgent matters to attend to and advised me to go to my fourth uncle's place to take refuge. After saying this, he disappeared into the night without looking back. I felt that he seemed to know something but chose not to say it. So, I hurried after him. When I arrived at the door, he said he had urgent matters to attend to and advised me to go to my fourth uncle's place to take refuge. After saying this, he disappeared into the night without looking back.

However, because this newly cultivated worm grows within the body of a highly toxic snake, it possesses an extraordinary level of toxicity, far surpassing that of ordinary worms. In other words, the worm we just observed has a venom that greatly exceeds that of typical worms. Yet, I do not yet know the reason why this stone figurine is buried here. Furthermore, the person who came to my room searching for something—was it this stone figurine that he was looking for? If so, why did he then proceed to smash it after finding it, and why did he tear up my diary? I remain uncertain about the details surrounding this matter.

Xue stated that these stone figurines are the best containers for raising poison insects, and the effort these individuals go through is generally for the purpose of nurturing poison insects

During my shower, I vaguely heard that my fourth uncle seemed to have made a phone call to someone. I could only hear his voice, but I couldn't catch what he was specifically saying. When I finished my shower and came out, he was sitting on the sofa smoking a cigarette

Xue Ze had been squatting on the ground, seemingly lost in thought, but he quickly stood up again and said: "It is not suitable to stay here for long; we must leave at once"

I cast a suspicious glance at my fourth uncle, but I said nothing and entered the bathroom, taking a shower filled with questions.

They carefully extracted the stone figurine from the tomb, ensuring it was not chipped or damaged. Then, they evenly applied corpse oil to its head and used tools to carefully create a hole the size of a finger on the crown of the figurine, applying corpse oil as they worked. The larvae feared the corpse oil, preventing them from emerging through the hole. Once the hole was completed, they simply needed to pour water into it. However, to thoroughly eliminate the larvae inside, they generally poured boiling water, although some opted for mercury. Yet, mercury was too expensive, and its effect was similar to that of boiling water. Additionally, mercury is toxic, so it was customary to use boiling water.

When my fourth uncle saw me, he let out a long sigh of relief. I knew he was worried about me, so I comforted him by saying, "Fourth uncle, I am fine"

Fourth Uncle explained: "Although you have been in the field for a long time, you have mostly encountered relatively simple types, so it is quite normal that you have not seen this kind of corpse oil. This corpse oil is very difficult to find and extract, making it extremely precious. Of course, as the name suggests, corpse oil is the oil that flows from a corpse, which is inherently linked to the body. However, typical corpse oil is released when a body is in a state of advanced decay, whereas this type of corpse oil is different; it seeps from a living dead person. To collect even a small bottle like the one you see, it requires at least a thousand-year-old corpse of a living dead person."

After pouring boiling water in, block this hole and wait for a period of time until all the maggots inside are dead. Then, pour out the water and remove the corpses of the maggots. The white powder on Xue's hand is the remains of the maggots that adhered to the inner wall of the stone figurine after death.

I said: "Fourth Uncle, I really have nothing going on..."

Uncle Si has always been very perceptive about people. Since he has said this, it is indeed true that he knows some of Xue's misdeeds. I nodded and said, "I understand."

I watched his departing figure until he transformed into a question mark lingering in my mind, at which point I hailed a taxi and headed to my uncle's place.

I explained that "Just now at the residence, in order to prevent the leeches from biting, Xue applied corpse oil on me"