Chapter 141: The Bug

The group of men who entered were at least a level stronger in combat ability than those who had been brandishing knives earlier. All of them stood with rigid posture, and among them were a few blond foreigners, their ears fitted with earpieces typically used by special agents.

I thought this group was backup called in by the Black Boss, so I hoisted him up and shouted, “None of you move! Or I’ll cripple him!” Uncle Jianguo stood guard in front of the five students, making sure no one could hurt them.

Jiese, however, remained utterly calm.

After the men in suits entered, the last to come in was a thin, withered old man with a gaunt face. He walked lightly and respectfully up to Jiese. “Young Master, are you alright?” he asked.

Jiese replied unhappily, “Why did you come? Nothing’s wrong. Are you here to break their arms and legs again?”

“Young Master, we knew the moment you arrived in Xi’an. These fools had the audacity to harm your friends,” the old man said, half-bowed as he spoke to Jiese.

Seeing the situation had reversed, I released the Black Boss with the gold chain and dropped the triangular spike on the ground. The Black Boss was drenched in sweat from pain, and the two black footprints on his shoulders stood out starkly.

“Are you with Stupid Dog?” The old man glanced at the Black Boss and never looked at him again—probably finding him too insignificant.

“Who the hell are you?” the Black Boss cursed. “You think you can call our Dog Brother by name?”

The old man remained unperturbed. Instead, he noticed the slap mark on Jiese’s face. “Young Master, did someone hit you?”

Jiese waved it off. “Forget it. Let them go. I need to go back and see my father.”

The old man said, “I’ll wait for Stupid Dog to get here.”

Within ten minutes, Stupid Dog arrived and immediately dropped to his knees at the old man’s feet. “Uncle Hammer, I failed to discipline my men. Please spare me, old master.”

Only then did the Black Boss’s face pale. I, meanwhile, got a free show. Uncle Hammer ordered, “Take these students out and make sure they’re well taken care of.”

The five college students were completely petrified. Two men in suits politely escorted them out.

“Fortune-teller, what do you think will happen next?” I asked.

Uncle Jianguo replied, “Just wait and see. No point guessing—it’s too much effort.” Uncle Hammer took a seat in a chair, while Jiese remained visibly displeased. He never wanted anyone to get hurt.

Stupid Dog kicked the Black Boss in the stomach. “Black Fur, you motherfucker! You brought trouble to my doorstep!”

So his name was Black Fur.

Uncle Hammer tossed a sharp dagger onto the ground. “Stupid Dog, don’t put on a show for me. I’m not heartless. Just one finger per person will do.”

Gritting his teeth, Stupid Dog grabbed Black Fur’s left hand and, with a single slash, severed the ring finger. A prolonged scream filled the air.

Jiese sighed, unwilling to watch any longer, and motioned for Uncle Jianguo and me to leave with him.

Susu’s face was still pale from fright, and she kept muttering about how she’d caused trouble. Uncle Jianguo shook his head. “No, you didn’t. Everything’s settled now.”

In less than five minutes, Uncle Hammer emerged, a dish of fingers resting in an ashtray.

“Young Master, come with me,” Uncle Hammer said. “Your father is in trouble. He’s been wanting you back for a while.”

Just as I was about to leave, Black Fur caught up and asked if I had a way to deal with the double-faced ghost.

I chuckled. “It just stood on you for a while without harming you. That means it wasn’t interested in you.”

Uncle Hammer asked, “You’re the Young Master’s friends. Why don’t you come along?” Uncle Jianguo declined, “I’ll take them back first.” He got Jiese’s address, saying he’d come over later after handling things. The five students were still shaken, so Uncle Jianguo escorted them back.

Jiese and I returned to the hotel to gather our things, bringing Xie Xiaoyu and Little Jian with us before heading to Jiese’s home. Along the way, Little Jian seemed to sleep peacefully in the car, while several black vehicles followed us from front and back.

I looked at Jiese, waiting for him to explain what was really going on. Instead, Uncle Hammer spoke up, “What brings you to Xi’an?” I smiled. “Just here for sightseeing.” He didn’t press further, though he probably didn’t believe me.

At an isolated villa in the Xi’an outskirts, the large iron gates swung open, and the cars filed in. Xie Xiaoyu carried Little Jian as we stepped out. The house was grand, with a small garden in the courtyard and an unknown expanse in the backyard. I glanced around—it was clear the place was designed with feng shui in mind, undoubtedly the work of a well-paid master.

I never expected Jiese to be an outright tycoon.

I must’ve been blind.

As soon as we got out, Uncle Hammer led me to the living room to rest while taking Jiese upstairs. The wooden figurine Mo Bai whispered to me, “This household isn’t simple.”

Not wanting to pry, I ignored Mo Bai and sat quietly. Soon, Uncle Hammer returned and invited me upstairs to meet Jiese’s father. I left Xie Xiaoyu and Little Jian in the living room and ascended the spiral staircase to the second floor.

The dimly lit corridor was adorned with several Tibetan thangka paintings, exquisitely crafted and undoubtedly expensive. Clearly, Jiese’s father was a Buddhist devotee—hence why he’d sent Jiese to the temple. The hallway was suffused with sandalwood incense, and the wooden decor radiated opulence.

Uncle Hammer stopped at the study door and ushered me inside.

The study was softly lit, its walls covered with portraits of figures whose identities I couldn’t discern, though their clothing suggested they were Manchu nobility, some even princes or dukes.

I scanned the room quickly before stepping forward to see Jiese and, presumably, his father—a man in his early fifties, sitting upright in a chair, dressed in a black Zhongshan suit, the very image of a successful man.

Yet, his face bore an eerie golden glow, as if poisoned.

The man stood, and Jiese quickly supported him.

Extending a hand, he said, “I’m Hua Mancheng. You must be Jiese’s friend. How old is your father?” His grip was firm and powerful. As we shook hands, I sensed something strange.

There was a worm inside Hua Mancheng.

And it felt… like one from the Guo family?

“My name is Xiao Qi. My father has already passed sixty,” I replied. Hua Mancheng studied the scar on my face before gesturing for me to sit.

“Then call me Uncle Hua,” he said, seating himself after I did.

I asked, “Uncle Hua, have you been poisoned? Why is your face glowing gold?” He shook his head. “Sharp eyes, but no, it’s not poison.”

I asked him to extend both hands. “Let me check again.”

Hesitation flickered across his face.

“Xiao Qi isn’t a bad person,” Jiese reassured. Hua Mancheng’s distrust was understandable—his son was too naive for his words to dispel doubts.

Hua Mancheng said, “It’s not that I don’t trust Xiao Qi. It’s just… this matter is too bizarre.” He stretched out his hands and continued, “An old beggar, reeking of filth, looked at me once, and my heart raced. Something bit my waist. Then my face started glowing gold. It’s been nearly a month now, and I’m always exhausted.”

Placing my hand on his palm, I sensed something strange in his liver.

Something like a parasite.

Jiese looked at me. “Did you figure it out?”

Instead of answering directly, I asked Hua Mancheng if he had any lab reports—specifically, a venous blood test—that I could review. He got up and retrieved two unnamed reports from a drawer, likely done in secret.

One value stood out: abnormally high ALT levels.

“There’s a worm in your liver. Like jaundice patients, prolonged infestation turns the face and body yellow,” I explained. “But this worm in you emits a golden glow. It’s stressing your liver, raising enzyme levels, making you tired.”

Hua Mancheng coughed a few times before saying thoughtfully, “You’re right. The Guo family is behind this. They’ve been after me for a while and finally found a way.”

“The Guo family? The insect clan?” I couldn’t help asking.

Hua Mancheng narrowed his eyes. “Xiao Qi, who are you? How do you know so much?”

“I have a deep grudge against the Guo family. My grandfather was injured saving me from them and later passed away,” I said through gritted teeth.

Hua Mancheng made a sound of acknowledgment before asking, “Who was your grandfather?” Then, without waiting for an answer, he called out, “Uncle Hammer, go check downstairs.” A voice replied from outside, “Understood, Master.”

I couldn’t read the depths of Hua Mancheng’s thoughts. “My grandfather was Long Youshui. Just an unknown feng shui master from our town.”

“Long Youshui?” Hua Mancheng frowned, as if the name meant nothing to him. I smiled. “Like I said, just a small-town feng shui master.”

Worried for his father, Jiese pressed, “Is there any way to fix this?”

“Don’t rush,” I said. “I don’t know what forcing it out would do. I stumbled into becoming a Five Elements Worm Master, but my knowledge is limited.”

If the Guo family targeted Hua Mancheng due to some feud, they’d have accounted for his resources in finding experts to expel the worm. It wouldn’t be just any ordinary parasite.

Clearly, the worm in Hua Mancheng’s liver was formidable—even surgery might not remove it. And the liver was a vital organ.

So when Jiese asked for a solution, though I was confident I could force the worm out, I wasn’t sure Hua Mancheng would survive the process.

Jiese bit his lip, distressed.

Hua Mancheng looked at his son. “Son, don’t be sad. Life and death aren’t that big a deal.”

A man of extraordinary presence, Hua Mancheng seemed to regard mortality with indifference.

As father and son spoke, I pondered the worm in the liver.

Previous encounters with worm users—like Worm Fifth and Fake Wang Han—involved worms aligned with one of the Five Elements. The Guo family’s worms likely followed the same system: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. Everything in the world could be classified under these elements, governed by their cycles of generation and destruction:

Wood fuels Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, Water nourishes Wood.

Metal cuts Wood, Wood breaks Earth, Earth dams Water, Water extinguishes Fire, Fire melts Metal.

This was the fundamental principle of their interactions.

I reassured Jiese, “I just thought of something. The liver corresponds to Wood, so the worm inside must be Metal. According to the Five Elements, we can counteract it. There’s always a way.”

“Everything depends on you now.”