Chapter 24

Yue Wuhuan’s condition deteriorated too rapidly, rendering the situation uncontrollable.

Song Qingshi had no choice but to use golden needles to induce a coma, allowing for further treatment.

Watching helplessly as the patient he’d painstakingly treated for over half a year suddenly took a turn for the worse, undoing all his efforts in an instant, Song Qingshi felt as though he had returned to the days in the lab when all his test subjects perished. Though heartbroken and wanting to cry, now was not the time for tears.

On the path of medical research, failure was the norm, while success was merely a rare stroke of luck.

Song Qingshi had experienced enough failures to face any setback. What he needed to do now was stand up, clean up the mess, identify the mistakes, and start anew with a fresh treatment plan.

He carefully examined Yue Wuhuan’s body and extracted a satiated Illusion Gu from within, confirming the culprit behind the tragedy. Yet, this only led to new confusion. While Gu techniques had many applications in medicine and poison-making, Song Qingshi had known An Long for centuries, their deep friendship allowing frequent exchanges of academic knowledge and resources. Thus, he was well-versed in the effects and capabilities of most Gu insects in Xilin.

Not all Gu insects were harmful—the Illusion Gu was one such example. It could conjure beautiful illusions, fulfilling any desire within them. Its only flaw was its addictive nature, earning it the nickname "the drug of Gu insects." For this reason, the Ten Thousand Gu Sect had established a strict rule forbidding its disciples from implanting this Gu in themselves, for fear they’d lose themselves in illusions and neglect their real cultivation.

An Long had once given the original host an Illusion Gu for experimentation. In the illusion, the original host found himself in a Medicine King Valley where rare herbs were inexhaustible, legendary medicines filled the treasury, and every cauldron was a divine artifact. The attendants were all clever and diligent, allowing him to happily immerse himself in research for ten years. Unfortunately, the Illusion Gu always left a flaw in its illusions—once discovered, the illusion would unravel. At the time, he had noticed discrepancies in the properties of some herbs, yielding bizarre concoctions...

Even so, the world within the illusion was pure bliss, fulfilling every desire and making him reluctant to wake.

After waking, he excitedly recounted his joy to An Long and expressed his desire to try it again.

For some reason, An Long’s face darkened, and he remained angry for a long time, refusing to give him another Illusion Gu to play with...

Shaking off his reminiscence, Song Qingshi confirmed once more that the Illusion Gu had not mutated. Then, looking at Yue Wuhuan’s pale face on the bed, his heart sank, but he couldn’t imagine what Yue Wuhuan had experienced in the illusion to end up like this. He lit some Soulsoothing incense, administered a sedative, removed his belt and outer robe, inserted a few golden needles, and used spiritual energy to massage Yue Wuhuan’s tense body, easing it into relaxation.

His phoenix eyes were tightly shut, the tear mole as red as blood. The beautiful man finally fell into slumber.

Song Qingshi couldn’t resist touching that strangely beautiful tear mole with his finger—he’d always found it disturbingly alluring.

Yue Wuhuan seemed to sense the touch, flinching slightly.

Song Qingshi quickly withdrew his hand and continued dutifully with the acupuncture and massage.

The fragrance of the Soulsoothing incense gradually filled the room, calming the atmosphere. The sound of breathing in the darkness grew steadier.

Once he retrieved the golden needles, Song Qingshi finally had time to mourn and reflect on his failures.

He was an incompetent psychologist, overlooking the fact that many patients would force smiles and hide their conditions to avoid worrying those around them, appearing completely normal in daily life.

Yue Wuhuan was extremely intelligent and a skilled actor, capable of convincingly feigning recovery.

Now that he thought about it carefully, there had been many small signs in their daily interactions, such as:

Yue Wuhuan was terrified of disappointing him, never argued, and compromised to the point of having almost no boundaries.

Yue Wuhuan rarely expressed his own preferences, always conforming to Song Qingshi’s wishes.

Yue Wuhuan had never refused any of his requests, as though he lived solely for him.

None of this was right.

No healthy person would degrade themselves so completely before another, to the point of abandoning everything of their own.

The more Song Qingshi thought about it, the more distressed he became. He realized he didn’t even know Yue Wuhuan’s food preferences, favorite colors, or personal tastes... He had healed Yue Wuhuan’s body but never truly understood his heart. He had even avoided confronting Yue Wuhuan’s past out of fear, hoping it would heal on its own like an ostrich with its head in the sand.

Yet, hidden wounds never healed on their own—they only festered deeper, rotting to the bone.

Taking a deep breath, Song Qingshi resolved to change his approach to treatment.

The most urgent matter now was... to properly discipline that troublemaking Alaskan Malamute!

......

Flames of Inner Fire and poisonous energy erupted wildly, turning several buildings to ash. Hao Long hid behind a rockery while the medicine attendants swiftly evacuated.

An Long yelped as he dodged the flames. He had been gleefully discussing investment terms with Song Qingshi earlier, deliberately being difficult to extract more concessions. Never did he expect Song Qingshi to suddenly turn on him, dropping all negotiations and research to nearly beat him to death. Only after much effort did he learn the reason, leaving him stunned and begging for mercy.

“I didn’t know he was truly so fragile! Even an Illusion Gu was too much for him!”

“Didn’t I warn you?!”

“I was just joking!”

“Article Twelve! No joking with him! Did you forget?!”

“Aren’t we partners?! I’ll send word to deliver spirit stones immediately!”

“Partnership revoked! Keep your spirit stones!”

“......”

Badly burned and humiliated, An Long was forced to make numerous concessions before Song Qingshi’s fury finally subsided. Reluctantly spared, he was ordered to submit detailed reports on the Illusion Gu to determine what had gone wrong.

“I swear by the Ancestral Gods, the Illusion Gu only amplifies desires—it doesn’t induce nightmares! Otherwise, would I dare give it to you?” An Long grumbled as he treated his burns with Gu insects and medicine. “In all my years of working with Gu, I’ve never seen one drive someone to collapse. Your prized disciple is the first in history. I’d like to know why too. He seemed perfectly fine—how could he be so ill? Hmph...”

Song Qingshi sat beside him on the steps, cutting him off before he could digress further. “Focus!”

An Long scoffed and continued, “If you want to know what he saw in the illusion, it’s not hard. The Gu should retain fragments of the illusion—not much, just the most emotionally intense parts. You can implant it in yourself to see directly.” This was a hidden function of the Illusion Gu. He had originally planned to transfer the Gu from Yue Wuhuan to Song Qingshi, forcing the obsessive healer to witness his disciple’s true nature and perhaps learn something about relationships.

Now, however, he didn’t dare. It wasn’t the threat of being made to kneel on a washboard that scared him—it was being blacklisted by Medicine King Valley.

An Long was desperately brainstorming ways to avoid that fate...

Song Qingshi found the suggestion tempting but ultimately shook his head. “The illusion contains Yue Wuhuan’s secrets. I’d need his permission before viewing them. I’ll ask him when he wakes...”

An Long was baffled. “You’re doing this for his sake—just look! Why overcomplicate it?”

Song Qingshi countered righteously, “If I did this ‘for your sake,’ would you let me pry into your secrets?”

An Long stiffened, his face darkening as he fell silent.

The conversation stalled, and neither spoke further.

Song Qingshi repeatedly sent out his Divine Sense to monitor Yue Wuhuan’s vitals in the room. As he agonized over treatment plans, a thought struck him—was his inexperience hindering his understanding? How could someone who had never even masturbated in two lifetimes comprehend the horror of being forced by a man? Without understanding, how could he pinpoint the root of the trauma?

Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, suffering countless poisons to master medicine.

Should he follow that example?

“It must hurt terribly...” Song Qingshi murmured, surreptitiously touching his backside. His knowledge of such matters came entirely from health class, which only covered male-female relations. Male-male intimacy was extra-curricular study—something Song Xueba had never included in his curriculum. But surely tearing would be agonizing.

An Long pricked up his ears at the motion. “What hurts?”

Though the Xilin Gu King specialized in killing, his medical expertise was also masterful—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been allowed into Medicine King Valley.

Song Qingshi decided an academic exchange might be worthwhile. “Do you understand the mechanics of sex between men?”

An Long struggled to suppress a smirk, replied solemnly, “I know a thing or two.”

Song Qingshi eyed the Alaskan Malamute skeptically.

An Long exuded righteousness, like a reformed convict ready to lecture on socialist values and dedicate himself to charitable causes.

Perhaps he truly had reflected.