Chapter 50: Heart-Devouring Gu Insect

Translator: Sparrow Translations  Editor: Sparrow Translations

Miracle Doctor Xue and Xue Meining looked at each other. Both faces were shaken and they were at a loss for words!

Miracle Doctor Xue regained his composure before tilting his head and asking Ling Yun, “Then…do you know the reason why my heart fire is so strong?”

Miracle Doctor Xue’s mind was already set. If Ling Yun was able to provide him with the correct reason, he would let him carry out acupuncture on him!

As for Xue Meining, she had already forgotten about the scorn and disappointment she had felt towards Ling Yun. Now, she had hopped all the way in front of Ling Yun, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

The reason was simple. It was that what Ling Yun had said just a moment ago was all correct!

“Hehe, like what I said before, the most I can do for you is stop your coughing temporarily. With my current ability, I am incapable of treating the cause. Your condition is too severe.” Ling Yun replied in a calm manner after taking a sip of tea.

Xue Meining was already completely convinced about Ling Yun’s abilities. Seeing that he had drunk from the teacup, without waiting for him to put it down, she was already helping him to refill it.

Miracle Doctor Xue’s face flushed as he hesitated, looking awkwardly at her granddaughter before reluctantly exclaiming, “Please explain!”

In a similar fashion, Ling Yun raised his head to look at Xue Meining who was holding the teapot at the side. With a firm expression, he turned to Miracle Doctor Xue and asked, “Are you sure?”

Now, Miracle Doctor Xue’s expression became even more embarrassed as he gave a slow sigh before answering, “Yes, go ahead…”

“The reason for your overly strong heart fire lies in the various expensive heart and pancreas strengthening medication that you have consumed. Not only have they increased your heart fire, they have also increased the heatiness of your pancreas!”

Finishing his explanation, Ling Yun raised his head and looked around the place. His gaze then landed on the large courtyard which was half covered by expensive herbal and medicinal plants. Seeing that his inference was correct, a grin formed on his face. Ling Yun had now earned Xue Meining utter respect, so much so that she could only nod her head in agreement. Xue Meining did not even notice her grandfather and Ling Yun exchanging looks.

“Do you need further explanations?” Ling Yun further inquired.

*Cough cough* “Enough. It’s late, let’s proceed with the acupuncture then. This old illness of mine has gone on for long enough. The faster I stop coughing, the better I will feel…” Miracle Doctor Xue answered as he pulled Ling Yun along.

Ling Yun had already earned his trust and he was convinced that Ling Yun was a man of his word. Thus, he was sure that Ling Yun would be able to put an end to his coughing fits, albeit temporarily.

As for the spoiled Xue Meining, she was listening intently to their conversation. Seeing how anxious her grandfather was to get to the acupuncture, she could not help but blurt out a question.

“Ling Yun, then do you know why grandpa has been consuming so many of those medicinal herbs?”

Even though Xue Meining was young, she was already well verse in Chinese medicinal knowledge. Thus, when she saw how her grandfather had to make numerous types of medicine to consume daily, she could not help but worry. After all, even herbs with beneficial effects should only be consumed in moderation. In fact, this was a question that she had asked her grandfather countless times before but each time, he would try to avoid the topic.

In response, Ling Yun merely smiled, staying silent as he drank his tea.

Doctor Xue’s face was getting redder as another coughing fit hit him while he hinted Ling Yun with his eyes. Ling Yun naturally understood what the doctor wanted. Putting down his cup and ignoring the lady’s pressing question, he spoke to the doctor.

“Now, Elder, shall we proceed with the acupuncture?”

“No! You have to tell me why grandpa has been taking all those medications!”

The young missy’s bad temper and unruly attitude were back again. She was determined to get an answer out of Ling Yun.

“Er…I don’t know…I was just making all those things up before… Now, let’s start the acupuncture…” Ling Yun replied in an attempt to feign ignorance as he ‘confessed’ that he had been lying.

“No, you were not! All that you said just now was correct and on point! I’m not letting you touch a single needle if you don’t answer me!” Xue Meining exclaimed.

This was a question she had held in her heart for a long time. Now that there was finally a person that knew the answer, there was no way she was going to let him leave without answering!

That was because Xue Meining and her grandfather’s relationship went far beyond an ordinary relationship. They were exceptionally close. Hence, when Miracle Doctor Xue fell sick, though she would appear normal, her head would always be full of anxiety. She wanted badly to suffer in her grandfather’s place. Yet, her grandfather was still unwilling to give her an explanation. Thus, she was set on getting an answer this time.

“Oh well. Guess I’ll have to visit you another time, Elder. See you, I’ll be going now.” Ling Yun said with a grin as he stood up, knowing what Xue Meining was up to.

In an instant, the unruly lady had both of her arms wrapped tightly around Ling Yun’s arm. Xue Meining then proceeded to carry out her plan. Going all out, she acted as coquettish as she could, pestering Ling Yun non stop.

“If you don’t answer me, don’t even think about leaving. Let’s see who will give in !”

As if she was drowning, Xue Meining grabbed hold of Ling Yun’s arm like he was a life buoy. With tearful eyes, she held onto Ling Yun’s arm for dear life, refusing to budge an inch.

“Have you forgotten the bet between us?” Ling Yun asked in an attempt to scare her.

“As long as you cure my grandpa, I will give you whatever you want!” Xue Meining replied. She was so worried and anxious about her grandfather that she had lost her fear.

Ling Yun was left helpless as he looked at Miracle Doctor Xue for help.

Miracle Doctor Xue looked perplexed as he gazed at his precious granddaughter. After much hesitation, he finally let out a long sigh of defeat.

“Fine, just tell her everything.” *Cough cough*

Ling Yun looked down at the filial yet spoiled Xue Meining. With a smile, he asked, “So can you release me now?”

A smile finally appeared on Xue Meining’s face. As she looked at Ling Yun’s arm, she finally noticed how hard she had been squeezing his arm against her chest. It was so tight that not a single gap could be seen. Ling Yun’s arm was almost covered by her chest. Realizing this, Xue Meining immediately retracted away from Ling Yun, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Ling Yun then sat down again. Now, he was looking at Miracle Doctor Xue with a hint of pity in his eyes.

“It’s been going on for quite some time already, right?” Ling Yun asked straightforwardly.

Miracle Doctor Xue remained silent as he looked up into the sky. It was as if he was reminiscing about the past. Then with a bitter smile, he answered, “It’s been almost forty years!”

Xue Meining, who was pouring tea for Ling Yun, was confused. Unable to resist her anxiety, she asked, “What are you guys saying? What forty years?”

Ling Yun let out a soft laugh before replying, “What we’re saying is that your grandpa has an organism living inside his body.”

*Clang!*

In a blink of an eye, the ceramic teapot slipped from Xue Meining’s hand and smashed straight against the cobblestone below, shattering into a million pieces. She remained unreactive even when the hot water splashed on her soft and beautiful legs.

“What…what did you just say?!” Xue Meining shouted in disbelief, her face full of shock and uncertainty. Unable to believe what she heard, she turned to her grandfather.

“Grandpa, he…he said there’s something in your body…”

Miracle Doctor Xue’s brows furrowed as he gave her a bitter smile. At the same time, he glanced at Ling Yun, giving him a look that expressed his gratefulness. Having kept this matter a secret for forty years, Ling Yun had revealed it with just a single sentence. However, all Miracle Doctor Xue felt now was a sense of release and freedom. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

“There really is a living thing in your body? Oh my god, and for forty years?!” Xue Meining exclaimed. She felt like the sky was falling.

“So what is it?”

” A Gu Insect!” her grandfather replied without hesitation. With a perplexed face as he looked into the distance.

“Forty years ago, in my quest to reach the pinnacle of medicinal technique and knowledge, I traveled deep into the southwest part of China, Miaojiang. In a twist of fate, I rescued a lady from the Miao tribe. Her name was Miao Fenghuang. I only realized later that she was the Miaojiang’s saint…”

“I was surprised when I saw how well versed in medicine and venom research she was. She was at a level of a master. Thus, acknowledging each other, we started interacting. That was one of the happiest periods of my life…”

Reaching this moment, the elder’s gaze softened. He then continued in a gentle tone.

“When I finally felt that my medical skills could no longer improve with my stay, I sought to leave the place. Yet, unbeknownst to me, Miao Fenghuang had long developed a strong feeling of love towards me…”

“Being such a bold lady, she actually confessed her feelings for me when I mentioned about leaving…”

“However, at that moment in time, your grandmother and I were already married. We even had your father. Thus, it was impossible for me to accept her love.”

Xue Meining was now totally engrossed in this story of forgotten romance. She was so excited that she interrupted and asked, “So in the end, how were you able to leave?”

Miracle Doctor Xue gave a melancholy smile as he replied, “Leave? A Miaojiang saint only loves a single man in her entire life, to escape that place was no easy feat. Yet, she pretended to accept my decision before putting drugs into my dinner on the day of my departure…”

Hearing this much, Ling Yun could already guess the rest of the story.

Xue Meining, being exceptionally smart, realized what would follow next. With a flushed face, she bit her lower lips before asking, “So the two of you…”

Understanding her question, Miracle Doctor Xue’s face turn beet red as well as he gave a low sigh before answering.

“Yes, it was all part of their scheme. It was unavoidable.”

Ling Yun felt a hint of disdain towards the doctor as he thought inwardly, I bet you were dying for something to happen. Unavoidable? What a joke.

“But who would have known that after everything was over, she actually planted a Gu Insect in me?”

At that instant, Miracle Doctor Xue’s face was a mixture of rage and helplessness as he continued his explanation.

“This type of Gu Insect is called Heart-Devouring Gu Insect. Since young, it would implant itself within the body of a Miao woman of high status. Once this woman finds loves and sleeps with the guy, the Gu Insect would travel from the woman into the man’s body. This would prevent both sides from forgetting about one another for the rest of their lives. If one is to remain indifferent towards the other, he or she would suffer excruciating pain equivalent to the devouring of one’s heart !”

Hearing that Xue Meining could not help but ask a weird question softly, “Then I bet she must have been a beauty?”

Miracle Doctor Xue recalled fondly before nodding his head and saying, “Indeed, Miao Fenghuang was an exceptional beauty rare in our world…”

“Then why did you reject her? You should have just brought her home…”

Such valiance! Such audacity! I approve! I definitely approve! Hearing Xue Meining’s suggestion, Ling Yun could not help but totally change his opinion of this young spoiled lady.

*Cough cough* Miracle Doctor Xue was shocked by his granddaughter’s bold suggestion, causing him to have a coughing fit again. After a great while, it finally subsided. He then glared at her and replied in a reproachful tone, “Stop talking nonsense, if I brought her back home, what would happen to your grandmother?”

But your heart says otherwise… Of course, that was what the young lady wanted to say in return but she would never have the guts to say it verbally. Having this thought in her mind was the best she could do.

“So what happened next?”

Having revealed so much, Miracle Doctor Xue no longer saw the need to hold back anymore secrets. Hence, he smiled as he answered, “After that, I refused to stay with her and with confidence in my medical knowledge, I sought a way to leave Miaojiang…”

“And in order to expel the Gu Insect from my body, I went to find my master. Who would have expected that even my master had no means of expelling the worm? All he was able to do was offer a way for me to suppress it…so…”

Ling Yun continued his sentence.

“So you started eating various medications made from these plants. In an attempt to strengthen your heart and pancreas. Increasing the heart fire to suppress the poison of the Gu Insect, right?”

Miracle Doctor Xue nodded his head in agreement before continuing.

“That’s right, after all, fire overwhelms metal and creates earth. Earth then further produces metal. Thus, as I continued consuming those medications to suppress the Gu Insect, I had to carefully maintain the equilibrium between the three great organs; the heart, the pancreas and the lungs.

Ling Yun understood exactly what he meant. Earth concentrates within the lungs. With fire prospering, earth would follow. Thus, with the harm caused by an overly powerful heart fire, significant nourishment would be provided to the body as well.

The only downside was that this process was the same as kneading dough. With more flour, more water would be needed and vice versa. Therefore, with both sides accumulating, the bowl that sustains the dough would eventually overflow. For Miracle Doctor Xue to have been able to endure this process for forty years, it was an extraordinary feat!

Yet, obviously, this was not of utmost concern for Xue Meining as she was focused solely on the knowing the story’s ending.

“So grandpa, did she ever come looking for you again?”

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