Chapter 204: Qin Zilang Also Corrupted by Malignant Qi

Chapter 204: Qin Zilang Also Gets Corrupted by Malignant Qi

Biting back the pain, Zhong Yang cut himself and filled half a bowl with blood. The blood in the bowl was pitch black and stank to high heaven.

"Zi Lang, this is your destiny." He took the bowl and poured every last drop into Qin Zilang's mouth.

As he did, Qin Zilang opened his eyes for barely two seconds before shutting them again.

Once he was done, Zhong Yang collapsed onto the bed, exhausted, as Mother Zhong came in to clean up.

She wiped a tiny bit of blood from the corner of Qin Zilang's mouth, then, with Father Zhong's help, dragged him back to the living room, propped him up in the same position he was in before he passed out, and threw a blanket over him.

The blood corrupted by malignant qi took effect fast; within two minutes of him drinking it, Qin Zilang's skin color started to change.

"Zi Lang, wake up." Watching the clock, Mother Zhong patted Qin Zilang's shoulder to wake him up.

Qin Zilang slowly opened his eyes. "Auntie, did I fall asleep? How did I just fall asleep like that?"

Mother Zhong said, "You must be really tired. Go on home and get some rest."

Qin Zilang wasn't totally buying it, but he felt dead tired. He said, "Is Zhong Yang awake? I'll go check on him." As he talked, he noticed a nasty taste in his mouth and no energy, like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep.

"Not yet. You head home first. Come back tomorrow when he's awake." Mother Zhong turned away and wiped her tears. Tomorrow, she wouldn't have a son anymore, but Qin Zilang would be joining him soon enough. She hoped they'd keep up their brotherly bond in the afterlife.

Qin Zilang picked up on her dismissive tone and, eager to go home and brush his teeth and crash, he left without waiting for Zhong Yang to wake up.

After Qin Zilang left, Mother Zhong went to Zhong Yang's room and asked if there was anything else he wanted.

Zhong Yang said, "I want Xiao Rou to stay with me."

Mother Zhong remembered the name "Xiao Rou" well—it was that waitress her son had hit on.

Tears in her eyes, she nodded. S City was almost two thousand kilometers from J City; even if she left now, she wouldn't get there in time. If her son were meant to live a long life, she'd never have agreed to a waitress, but since he was already like this, she wasn't about to be picky. Besides, that waitress being with her son would be her lucky break.

That night, Zhong Yang died, and the Zhong family was crushed with grief.

Xiao Jingyuan didn't get paid what he was owed. Over the years, clients stiffing him wasn't uncommon. He never let it slide, but taking lives went against the heavens, so he didn't go that far. Instead, he made clients lose money to ward off bad luck, using a little spell to make them lose ten times the fee.

When Qin Zilang got home, he knew something was seriously wrong. The taste in his mouth and the dark skin he saw in the mirror nearly gave him a heart attack. That night, his family rushed him to the ER. Tests showed multiple organs were failing for no known reason—the damage was mild but getting worse.

Moreover, a patient with the same condition had been admitted shortly before, but that patient had already gone home.

After some inquiries, the Qin family learned that the patient with the same condition was Zhong Yang, but he had already died, throwing the Qin household into panic.

Qin Zilang regained consciousness the next afternoon. When he learned of Zhong Yang's death, he was shocked.

"How is that possible? Auntie said he was getting better. How could it be so sudden?"

"How did he die? Dad, Mom, Big Brother, just tell me the truth."

Mother Qin, looking at her son's abnormal skin color, couldn't stop crying. She ran out without speaking—her son's symptoms were identical to Zhong Yang's early stage.

Zhong Yang was already dead. Though her son's symptoms were mild, his skin was darkening over time. Her heart ached as if it were being cut, and she wished she could bear this suffering in his place.

She had heard that Mother Zhong had invited some Taoist priests to perform rituals a few days ago, but Zhong Yang had still died. Yet, as long as there was even a glimmer of hope, Mother Qin wouldn't give up.

Seeing his son lying weakly in the hospital bed, Father Qin felt deeply distressed. After hesitating for a long while, he decided to tell him the apparent cause of Zhong Yang's death.

"Multiple organ failure. Have you two come into contact with anything strange lately? Think carefully."

"No," Qin Zilang said to his elder brother, Qin Zixun. "Brother, help me get my phone."

Qin Zixun said, "Your phone is at home; you didn't bring it. Don't worry about work. Just focus on resting these few days."

In reality, Qin Zilang's phone was in Qin Zixun's pocket, but since Qin Zilang's face and skin had changed significantly, and the phone had a camera and could serve as a mirror, Qin Zixun didn't plan to give it to him. All the mirrors in their house had already been removed.

During his coma, Qin Zilang had a dream where he was chased by a black skull that sucked his blood. The most terrifying part was when the skull turned around, revealing Zhong Yang's face.

Thinking about how he had inexplicably fallen unconscious after visiting the Zhong family and the foul smell in his mouth, he said, "Did Zhong Yang turn black?"

Qin Zixun was surprised. "How do you know? Did you see him?" Zhong Yang had been hastily buried, and rumors said his body was pitch black. Though unconfirmed, it might be true.

Qin Zilang shook his head and closed his eyes. "No, I didn't see him. Dad, Big Brother, I'm tired. I need to rest."

"Alright, rest then."

Now, whenever Qin Zilang closed his eyes, all he could see was Zhong Yang's evil face as a black skull.

Outside the hospital room, Mother Qin had made inquiries in her social circle and obtained the contact information of Master Huang Gengzhang. Afraid the master might not come, she even paid the fee in advance.

On the other side, Huang Gengzhang was planning to hitch a ride with Xiao Jingyuan on his golden gourd flying artifact to J City, but then another case involving malignant qi came up, changing his plans.

He wanted to refuse, but Xiao Jingyuan took an interest in this malignant qi and suggested they go together to observe.

Xiao Jingyuan had collected some of Zhong Yang's malignant qi for study but hadn't reached any conclusions. Now, with a new case, it was worth checking out to gain more experience.

Xiao Jingyuan and Huang Gengzhang arrived at the door of Qin Zilang's hospital room, where a nurse was giving him an injection.

When Mother Qin saw the Taoist-robed figures outside, her eyes lit up. However, there were three Taoists, and she couldn't tell which one was the Master Huang she had hired. "Excuse me, which one is Master Huang?"

Huang Gengzhang stood up and said, "I am Master Huang. This is Master Xiao Jingyuan."

"Master Xiao!" Xiao Jingyuan was even more renowned in the Taoist community than Huang Gengzhang. Upon hearing that Xiao Jingyuan was also there, Mother Qin's eyes brightened.

"Master Xiao, Master Huang, please come in." She invited all three into the room, asked the nurse to leave, and locked the door.

"Master Huang, Master Xiao, this is my son. He was fine yesterday afternoon, but when he came back, he had changed. Please, save my child."

Father Qin pulled Mother Qin aside and whispered reproachfully, "What are you doing? This is nonsense!"

Mother Qin said, "I'm not being foolish. I'm trying to save our child."