Chapter 334: Godly Art?

Helian Chen's medical skills were unrivaled in Panlong City; he had cured many incurable diseases. Wen Daolun valued him not just for his medical prowess, but because he was also skilled in the art of sorcery and voodoo.

The injuries Wen Xing sustained from the ambush were clearly not from simple poison.

Helian Chen remained silent, deep in thought, then took a small jade bottle from his robe and released several leech-like creatures into Wen Xing's wound.

Unlike ordinary leeches, they were entirely black, with only a vivid red stripe down their backs.

When these creatures touched Wen Xing's wound, however, they seemed bewildered.

They only sucked blood and showed no interest in the green pus oozing from Wen Xing's wound.

Helian Chen had no choice but to make another incision on Wen Xing's body, allowing the leeches to burrow in.

Not long after, these creatures crawled out.

But as soon as they emerged, their bodies slowly stiffened, becoming rigid within ten breaths.

Helian Chen picked them up for a closer look, visibly startled.

The leeches had incredibly turned into small wooden chips; when tapped against the headboard, they even made a sound.

Wen Daolun, standing by, was terribly anxious. "Is this a toxin, or some kind of supernatural ability?"

"Neither, I'm afraid," Helian Chen said with a bitter smile. "Wen Xing's pulse is relatively stable. Aside from excessive blood loss, there's no trace of any toxin, nor any sign of witchcraft or curses taking effect."

"What do you mean?"

"If I didn't see the wound, I would think he just suffered some minor superficial injuries," Helian Chen said, looking at him. "And you haven't found any supernatural abilities at play, have you?"

Wen Daolun's face was grim as he nodded.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside, as if more than a dozen people were hurrying over. Immediately, an announcement followed:

"Commander Zhong has arrived!"

He Lingchuan's gaze sharpened.

Zhong Shengguang, the supreme leader of this legendary city and owner of the Great Square Flask, was finally about to appear!

After more than twenty dream entries, he had yet to see Zhong Shengguang. He hadn't expected that Wen Daolun's ambush and Wen Xing's injury would actually bring Zhong Shengguang out.

The wooden door creaked open. Someone entered, dressed in casual clothes.

Only one person, and they closed the door behind them.

He Lingchuan observed carefully. Zhong Shengguang was no extraordinary being; he was just a little taller than average, with handsome features and eyes gleaming with vitality. He looked more weathered than He Chunhua, with graying temples. But He Lingchuan knew that Zhong Shengguang was only around thirty-seven or thirty-eight at this time, and he possessed cultivation. Clearly, overseeing Panlong City and defending against external threats was a mentally and physically exhausting task.

He ignored He Lingchuan and the others present, striding to the bedside. "How is he?"

Wen Daolun simply stared at his son. "That monster's target was me; Xing'er took the blow for me."

Helian Chen also looked sheepish. "He's not poisoned, it's not a supernatural ability, and it's not a voodoo curse. We can't find any symptoms."

Without symptoms, there was naturally no way to treat him. Facing Zhong Shengguang, he could only be forthright to avoid delaying treatment.

Zhong Shengguang carefully examined Wen Xing's wound. As he did so, he said, "I also encountered an ambush on my way here. This time, three Jinduzai attacked together."

Everyone's expressions changed slightly, but seeing Zhong Shengguang perfectly fine, they knew he wasn't the one who had suffered.

Helian Chen scanned his entire body, looking for wounds. "Are you alright?"

"I was prepared when I heard Wen Xing was injured. I didn't expect their target to be you." Zhong Shengguang's brow furrowed deeply. "Of those three monsters, two are dead and one is injured. I've had them all brought here for you."

Having defended Panlong City for over a decade, he had evaded countless assassination attempts. He was truly experienced.

Helian Chen looked at the unconscious Wen Xing. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "I suspect this is... a divine art."

Zhong Shengguang turned sharply. "Wen Xing was injured by the Ninth Son of the Jindu Mother?"

No way?

He Lingchuan couldn't help but look at the tray. Could such an unassuming cricket-like monster be the Jindu Mother's most powerful offspring?

The one he encountered in Chifeng Mountain had turned the entire mine tunnel into its nest, giving it a complete home-field advantage. If General Hong hadn't intervened, the patrol guards would likely have been wiped out on the spot.

"Only the last offspring could possibly wield divine arts," Wen Daolun said, looking at his son. "The large one that ambushed us under the bridge was just a decoy."

He propped his head with his hand. "We were careless. We thought the remnants of the Chifeng Mountain battle had been cleared, so we let down our guard. Who would have thought a second nest of Jindu demons had infiltrated the city?"

The Jindu Mother could only bear a maximum of nine offspring per litter. They had previously killed nine, so they had lifted the martial law and stopped sending the Three-Corpse Worms on night patrols.

After all, the Three-Corpse Worms themselves weren't entirely benevolent. If released too often, they might inadvertently cause new problems.

But now new monsters had appeared. There was only one explanation:

There was more than one nest of troublesome Jindu offspring!

The Jindu Ghost Mother bears nine offspring per litter, and the last one born is the most powerful. However, the "Ninth Son" isn't necessarily the Abuser.

In fact, the chances of an Abuser appearing were pitifully small. Even if the Jindu Ghost Mother gave birth a hundred times, there might not be a single litter with such a creature.

Moreover, under current conditions, it wasn't easy for the Jindu Ghost Mother to give birth.

But even if they weren't Abusers, these youngest Jindu offspring each possessed unique abilities.

Zhong Shengguang nodded. "A city-wide search will yield results soon." Then he asked Helian Chen, "Are you certain this is a divine art?"

"Seventy percent certain," Helian Chen replied. "When we use water or fire spells, they injure people from the outside in. These three spikes, however, are like three seeds that, once planted in Wen Xing's body, begin a transformation, turning flesh and blood into wood. This is completely different from ordinary supernatural abilities; only divine arts can explain it."

He glanced at Wen Daolun and whispered, "The injuries to his limbs are manageable, but the abdominal area is more troublesome. If his internal organs also turn to wood, it will be life-threatening."

If his internal organs stop functioning, how far is he from death?

A muscle twitched on Wen Daolun's face.

Zhong Shengguang asked, "How much time do we have?"

Judging by the rate at which the wood transformation was spreading through Wen Xing's body... "At most, seven hours."

Zhong Shengguang nodded and tossed a crescent-shaped whistle to He Lingchuan. "Have the Sparrowhawk deliver this order: General Hong is to return to the city immediately."

He Lingchuan was startled. With the front lines locked in fierce battle, Zhong Shengguang was recalling a leading general?

Wen Daolun also looked up abruptly and exclaimed, "No! Absolutely not! If we lose White Crane Ridge, even Prestige City will be in danger..."

"If it's lost, we can always take it back," Zhong Shengguang said dismissively. "Besides, there are other generals on the front line; General Hong isn't the only capable one." He glared at He Lingchuan. "What are you standing around for? Deliver the order!"

Time was truly of the essence. He Lingchuan jogged out to carry out the task.

He went to the back of the drill hall and, out of sight, blew the whistle.

The whistle's sound wasn't as sharp as one might imagine. Instead, it was somewhat low and muted. He didn't know what animal's horn it was made from.

Soon after, a small black dot appeared in the sky, which didn't grow much larger as it descended.

It landed in front of He Lingchuan and cocked its head. "Why are you blowing the whistle?"

This fellow was an old acquaintance of He Lingchuan. The last time it was injured by a Jinduzai, it had stayed in his room until it was halfway recovered before flying off. During that time, it was fed good meat and couldn't go a day without alcohol.

Ever since it flew away that day, it hadn't reappeared.

He Lingchuan gave a strained smile. "You wouldn't show up without the whistle. A scoundrel hawk that eats and drinks its fill then just packs up and leaves! Deliver Commander Zhong's order: General Hong is to return to the city immediately!"

"Got it!" The Sparrowhawk flapped its wings and soared into the sky, flying westward.

Due to Wen Daolun's ambush, all gatherings, including the Ask-the-Immortals Hall lecture, were immediately canceled, and the entire city was placed under martial law. Zhong Shengguang dispatched dozens of teams to search the entire city, house by house.

In any other place, this would have caused widespread public outrage or at least panic. But the people of Panlong City were highly aware, and with timely announcements made throughout the city, everyone was mentally prepared. Most would cooperate when patrol guards came knocking.

The patrol guards and city defense army focused their search on empty houses, sheds, ponds, and similar locations. Sure enough, another Jindu offspring was found, and killed on the spot after a fierce struggle.

What was chilling was that the hiding places of these demon cubs were all very close to the residences of high-ranking officials in Panlong City.

Another point:

When Helian Chen, A Luo, and other doctors dissected the corpses of the Jinduzai, they all found ash in their stomachs.

These monsters had been born at least two or three days ago. But compared to their predecessors who had plagued Panlong City, they hadn't eaten a single mouthful of human flesh since birth. At most, chicken feathers and dog bones were found in the stomachs of two of them.

In other words, they would steal chickens and dogs, but they didn't eat humans.

Eating was an instinct. The fact that they suppressed even this instinct certainly wasn't due to their kind nature.

The pharmacists, of course, conducted research on this fine ash and quickly reached a conclusion:

It was the powder of Nether Beads.

Powerful practitioners or great demons who had achieved success in cultivation might form Nether Beads after cremation. These beads contained spiritual energy.

As for the ash found now, it was likely the cremated remains of some kind of demon. It must have been quite large in life and probably lived in lakes or seas, as there were still traces of unburnt algae mixed in.

By feeding on these Nether Beads, the Jinduzai could survive for a short period without consuming live flesh. This significantly reduced their chances of exposure.

The revelation of the opponent's plan up to this point was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Clearly, the batch of Jinduzai born from Aunt Yun were operating openly, drawing everyone's attention in Panlong City, while this batch, which consumed Nether Beads and didn't eat ordinary people, operated in secret, waiting for an opportunity to assassinate important figures in Panlong City.

Just then, Xiao Maoliang returned with his team. Besides the escaped Jinduzai, which was now a corpse, they also brought back an old woman.

He Lingchuan saw her and couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

"It truly is her!"

The Thin Man was nearby. "Who is this? Do you know her?"

"Do you remember that I had a shop on Panlong Main Street?"

"Of course, I remember. Why?" A shop that could support three generations, it was a golden goose, and the Thin Man had coveted it terribly.

"When I was closing up the shop and clearing things out, an old woman came – this very woman," He Lingchuan pointed at Xiao Maoliang's captive. "She asked for a jar from my shop, saying she wanted to take it back to pickle vegetables. The jar was useless to me, so I gave it to her. I also remember others calling her Sister Ji; she was in her early forties."

The Thin Man looked at her disheveled hair, aged face, and emaciated body, and was startled. "Forty? She looks sixty to me!"

"Her two children both died on the battlefield," He Lingchuan recalled the scene. "A Luo inadvertently checked her pulse and said she was four or five months pregnant, and carrying more than one."