Chapter 2, the onset of poison, requires seeking a good remedy

Then I felt something moving between the organs in my abdomen

The pain lasted a full ten minutes, during which my mind was exceptionally clear. Every twinge of pain was vivid and unforgettable, and then the world became distorted, as if countless malevolent spirits were crawling out from the ground

This golden silkworm poison, isolated from the world for decades and living in the realm of the dead, possesses a very violent temperament. It becomes extremely agitated during the yin and yang phases, and only those born on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, who have undergone the opening of the ghost gate and the cleansing of yin energy, are suitable to handle it without immediately succumbing to death. Of course, this is merely the first step; to completely suppress the ferocity of the innate golden silkworm poison, one must consume a specific herb.

Agen sighed on the other end of the phone, and I recalled that Agen seemed to have a bit of an interest in that younger sister

After returning home, I began to carefully study "The Twelve Methods of Suppressing the Mountains" and then, half an hour later, I found the record of the golden silkworm poison that my grandmother had mentioned to me.

My grandmother's name is Long Laolan

She questioned me why I did not listen to her and did not stay at home properly. I noticed her face was pale and her lips were tightly pressed together, thinking she was ill; it was already eleven o'clock at night. My mother said no, she and my father were both sitting in the living room, their expressions serious as they accompanied me in waiting for the arrival of midnight

I told Argen that I have matters to attend to and cannot return. I asked him to tell that girl that either I will help her find a decent man to live well with, or she should get lost and never appear before me again—I am too lazy to see such a wretched person.

Ah ... ... Ah ... ... it hurts, it really hurts!

The Miao people are skilled in raising poison, especially those from the area of the Wuling Mountains. In the early years, the mountains were undeveloped and rarely visited by people, with poisonous creatures such as snakes, centipedes, lizards, earthworms, and toads scattered throughout the hills. Over time, one becomes familiar with their toxic properties. My grandmother's master was an expert in raising poison, and before the liberation, he was quite renowned throughout the Xiangxi region. However, later on, he died in a secluded valley, unattended. His body was found with intestines dragged out by wild dogs, extending five meters long, covered entirely in white maggots. My grandmother's master was an expert in raising poison, and before the liberation, he was quite renowned throughout the Xiangxi region. However, later on, he died in a secluded valley, unattended. His body was found with intestines dragged out by wild dogs, extending five meters long, covered entirely in white maggots

The "Twelve Methods of Suppressing Mountains" consists of twelve parts: altar dipping, preaching, shamanism, nurturing poison, talismans, prohibitive spells, divination, rain invocation, dream fulfillment, body pestilence, deity worship, and solidity. The entire book is transcribed in traditional Chinese characters, interspersed with numerous hasty notes, illustrations, and personal reflections, with a thickness of about half an inch. The final chapters also record various observations and sentiments.

Why? I asked her, and my mother told me that tomorrow is the first day of the month, to see if what my grandmother said is true.

I was filled with confusion as I turned my gaze towards the glass decoration beside the altar in the main room. In the mirror, I saw my face looking haggard like gold leaf, frighteningly yellow, with dark lines wandering across my forehead. I stared wide-eyed as a violent cramping pain surged from the left side of my abdomen, coming in wave after wave, relentless and overwhelming like a tide. I looked at my mother, as if she were saying something to me, but I could hear nothing at all, and then I felt as if the world had come to an end—yet I did not faint. I stared wide-eyed as a violent cramping pain surged from the left side of my abdomen, coming in wave after wave, relentless and overwhelming like a tide. I looked at my mother, as if she were saying something to me, but I could hear nothing at all, and then I felt as if the world had come to an end—yet I did not faint

The next day, I returned from a gathering at a childhood friend's house. It was late at night, yet my mother was still awake

My mother suddenly stopped speaking and looked at me in fear alongside my father

That night, I spent half the night studying the books my grandmother left me. However, due to their hasty handwriting and my complicated emotions, coupled with a persistent fear of the unknown, I did not make many discoveries.

Within three days of the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, venomous snakes, eels, centipedes, frogs, scorpions, earthworms, large green caterpillars, mantises, cockroaches, four-legged lizards, spiders, and black-headed iron ants were captured and sealed in a large earthenware jar made of brown stone. They were left to kill each other and devour one another, with the more venomous consuming the less venomous, the strong preying on the weak. Each night before sleep and each morning upon waking, a prayer was offered. This continued for a year, until only one remained. This remaining creature had changed in shape and color, and was thus named the Golden Silkworm Gu. They were left to kill each other and devour one another, with the more venomous consuming the less venomous, the strong preying on the weak. Each night before sleep and each morning upon waking, a prayer was offered. This continued for a year, until only one remained. This remaining creature had changed in shape and color, and was thus named the Golden Silkworm Gu

In 1950, there was a bandit uprising in Xiangxi. A bandit leader from Xiangxi passed through Dunzhai and took a liking to a girl in the village, intending to abduct her. However, he soon realized that there were too many fierce men in the Miao village, all of whom were fearless. Consequently, he took some grain and left. My grandmother only muttered a few words at them and said nothing more. Later, a liaison officer from the People's Liberation Army in the town informed the villagers that all eighteen members of the bandit group, including their leader, had perished, succumbing to a terrible disease. Hundreds of worms emerged from their corpses, and after cremation, their hearts and livers remained intact, appearing honeycombed. Later, the liaison officer from the town reiterated to the villagers that all eighteen members of the bandit group, including their leader, had perished, succumbing to a terrible disease. Hundreds of worms emerged from their corpses, and after cremation, their hearts and livers remained intact, appearing honeycombed.

Our area has always been inhabited by ethnic minorities, and the current administrative units are no longer called cities, but rather Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefectures. The old physician has been here for decades, so he naturally knows some things, but perhaps due to hospital regulations, he is quite reticent and does not dare to say much about it, only urging me to seek information elsewhere. I was unwilling to leave without connections, and after much persistence, he finally told me that in the Miao village under Jinping County, there is a shamaness named Long Laolan, who is said to be very effective. Upon hearing this, my face turned pale.

The poison of the Gu is vicious, yet it is inherently afraid of short mules

Later, my grandmother became the shaman of the Miao village

"When you went to work, we all tried to stop you, but your grandmother took a look at the incense and said that you, like jade, need to be polished through hardship. She encouraged you to experience some difficulties in the outside world, as it would be beneficial for your future life. So, in this regard, you should still be grateful to your grandmother," my mother said. I smiled and did not respond. Over the years, I have learned a bit about fortune-telling; it involves a blend of the real and the illusory, relying on observation, inquiry, and diagnosis, and it essentially falls within the realm of psychology.

Later, I heard from hetushu.com that someone quantified pain levels, stating that if the pain value of a person breaking a rib is calculated, the pain of childbirth is approximately ten times that. I have always believed that the pain I experienced at that time was twice that of childbirth—because I have also broken a few ribs since then

Her curses were very harsh; this is a custom in our hometown. If an elder passes away and returns to seek their relatives, one must curse them back. I, however, felt a chill in my limbs and took a long time to believe that this was not a dream, trembling as I got up.

My mother said with a frown, "She has never told lies to the family. Sigh, she had originally planned for me to take over, but I was afraid of bugs and refused. After that, she never brought it up again. How did it end up being you? Sigh, if I had known, I wouldn't have called you back." I laughed at my mother for making a fuss, but I didn't take it to heart and agreed to stay at home for a few days to hang out with friends.

On my way home, my partner A-gen, who runs a jewelry store in Dongguan, called me to ask when I would return, as there was a minor issue at the store. A young woman who was in charge of the counter had decided to leave, and she usually had the most trust in me. He suggested that if I had the time, I should come back and persuade her to stay. A-gen and I only had a little over ten employees in total, and at that time, Guangdong was not experiencing a labor shortage. However, he mentioned that the girl was very skilled in her work, and it would indeed be a pity if she left. Yet, I was not in the mood to deal with these matters and simply asked him why she had resigned.

The term "shaman" in the Miao village is merely a title, applicable to both males and females, and the shaman that my grandmother follows is a male.

... ...

This type of grass is called dragon fern, and it is the dragon fern that has been woven by the short mule.

I suddenly thought of a question; today should be the seventh day after my grandmother's passing

When my consciousness began to return, I found myself lying on the ground, drenched in sweat, as if I had just been pulled out of water. My mother and father were trembling in fear, not daring to come over to help me. There was a puddle on the ground, containing sweat as well as my involuntary excretions, filling the main room with a terrible stench. My mother was scolding my spirit: "You old wretch, even harming your own grandson, you deserve to die a miserable death. You old wretch, do not come to disturb my family anymore..."

I candidly described my situation to the elderly physician who received me. He remained silent for a long time before presenting two possibilities: First, the pain could be a hallucination induced by psychological or mental factors, which often occurs in individuals with substance dependence, mental illnesses, or those using stimulants, neurotoxic plant pollens, etc.; Second, there are many phenomena in mysticism that science cannot explain, such as the situation I encountered. The concept of nurturing poison has a long history and is prevalent in many regions of southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. This phenomenon often appears in individuals with substance dependence, mental illnesses, or those using stimulants, neurotoxic plant pollens, etc.; Second, there are many phenomena in mysticism that science cannot explain, such as the situation I encountered. The concept of nurturing poison has a long history and is prevalent in many regions of southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Some have suggested that the poison is actually a virus nourished by a toxic insect, but this remains uncertain. If that is the case, seeking medical treatment would be futile, and one would need to consult relevant individuals for resolution.

Agen said that this girl's boyfriend is a good-for-nothing, relying on her for support without doing any work. Her salary is simply insufficient to cover the extravagant expenses of two people, so her boyfriend suggested that she enter the trade. Agen explained that entering the trade means becoming a prostitute, and that most of the sex workers in Dongguan are former factory girls who have turned to this line of work—this situation has become even more severe after the 2008 financial crisis. I pursed my lips, and my mind involuntarily recalled that girl with big eyes, bright like two wells overflowing with water.

I discovered that there were two bundles of red cloth and several sprigs of mugwort on the beam of the main room door at home, and beside the wooden threshold, there were some scattered grains of millet, in clumps here and there, without any pattern. Seeing their heavy mood, I also felt somewhat uncomfortable. My mother, noticing my disbelief, began to recount some past events: the Miao people are divided into 'raw' and 'cooked' Miao. The 'raw' Miao are isolated from the world, while the 'cooked' Miao have been sinicized, living in mixed communities, not residing in villages, not performing sacrifices, not celebrating Miao festivals, and even unable to speak the Miao language. My grandmother lived her entire life in the *Tu* *Shu* Dun village, which was a 'raw' Miao village in its early years. At that time, the authority of the clan leader was greater than that of heaven. The only person the clan leader feared was my grandmother. When she was young, my grandmother was a beauty known throughout the ten-mile radius, attracting many admirers. Later, for reasons unknown, she followed a shaman in a deep mountain Miao village to learn witchcraft.

Due to the use of traditional characters, the handwritten nature, the mixture of classical and vernacular styles, and the missing pages, it is quite difficult to read

Early the next morning, I took a bus from the county town to a tertiary hospital in the city. After registering, I underwent a full-body examination, which cost nearly 6,000 yuan. However, in the afternoon, the doctor informed me that I was in excellent health, completely free of any sub-health conditions that are common among the general population, and that my bodily functions were gradually improving in a positive direction. The X-ray images I had taken did not reveal any abnormalities within my body.

During the arrangements for my grandmother's funeral, my mother was deeply worried, while I did not pay much attention to these matters. Aside from occasionally flipping through that thick book out of boredom, I was so overwhelmed with the funeral preparations that I almost forgot about the matter of swallowing the insect poison. On the third day after the funeral, I packed my bag in preparation to return to Dongguan, but my mother asked me to stay at home for another two days.

And this is just the first step; the one I have swallowed, refined by my grandmother over decades, is meant for creating the life-binding curse.

At that moment, the electronic clock in the main hall suddenly struck twelve, ringing "ding ding ding".

My mother intermittently recounted many old stories about my grandmother. Some of these were told by my honest grandfather, while others were shared by the elders in the village. It was only then that I realized that my grandmother, whom I had always regarded as a figure of feudal superstition, had such a glorious past in her youth. It was not until the 1970s and 1980s, when administrative measures were implemented in rural areas and the village began to connect more with the outside world, that my grandmother gradually faded from the public eye, engaging in rituals, worship, seeking medical treatment, fortune-telling, and reminiscing about her remaining years in the Miao village.