Yue Wuhuan's condition worsened abruptly, spiraling out of control.
Left with no other choice, Song Qingshi had to knock him out with acupuncture needles before taking further measures.
Watching a patient he'd been treating diligently for over half a year suddenly deteriorate, negating all his efforts, Song Qingshi felt like he was back in the lab where all his lab rats had died. Despite the sorrow welling up in his heart, he knew he couldn't afford to cry.
In the field of medical research, failures far outnumber successes, which are but strokes of luck.
With his extensive history of failures, Song Qingshi was well-equipped to handle any setbacks. What he needed to do now was to pick himself up, salvage what he could, identify the mistakes, and develop a new treatment plan.
Upon a meticulous examination of Yue Wuhuan's body, he extracted a satiated illusion bug, identifying the culprit behind the tragedy but also plunging himself into new confusion. Song Qingshi and An Long had been acquainted for centuries, frequently exchanging academic insights and resources. As a result, he was quite knowledgeable about the gu worms of the Western Forest, understanding most of their effects and abilities.
Not all gu worms are harmful; illusion bugs are among those that aren't. They can create beautiful illusions, satisfying any desire, but are highly addictive, making them the narcotics of the gu worm world. For this reason, the Gu Sect strictly forbids disciples from planting such bugs in themselves, fearing it would weaken their willpower and deter their real-world cultivation.
An Long had once given an illusion bug to Song Qingshi for experimentation. In the illusion, Song Qingshi found an inexhaustible Medicine King Valley filled with rare herbs and legendary elixirs. But illusions always contain a flaw, and realizing that some properties of the herbs didn't add up, he broke free from the illusion.
Nevertheless, the world within the illusion was like paradise on earth, fulfilling all his desires and making it hard for him to pull away.
Upon awakening, he enthusiastically shared his delightful experience with An Long, expressing his desire to try it again.
An Long's face darkened for some reason, and he stayed angry for a long time, refusing to give him another illusion bug to play with.
Snapping back from his disappointment, Song Qingshi re-confirmed that the illusion bug had not mutated. He looked at the pale-faced Yue Wuhuan on the bed, his heart sinking, unable to fathom what horrors he must have faced in the illusion. He lit a soul-soothing incense, administered sedatives to Yue Wuhuan, then loosened his belt and took off his robe. He inserted a few golden needles and channeled his spiritual energy through them, gently massaging to relax Yue Wuhuan's tense body.
With closed phoenix eyes and a tear mole as red as blood, the beauty finally drifted into slumber.
Song Qingshi couldn't help but touch that alluringly beautiful tear mole. He felt it was unfairly seductive.
Yue Wuhuan seemed to feel the touch and trembled in pain.
Song Qingshi swiftly withdrew his hand, focusing on the acupuncture and massage.
The fragrance of the soul-soothing incense gradually filled the room, calming the atmosphere. The sound of breathing in the dark became increasingly steady.
Withdrawing the golden acupuncture needles, Song Qingshi finally had a moment to feel sorrow and reflect upon his own mistakes.
He was an unreliable psychologist who had overlooked the fact that many patients wear a brave face to spare their loved ones from worry, appearing as functional as anyone else in daily life.
Yue Wuhuan was an exceptionally clever individual, possessing acting skills refined enough to feign improvement convincingly.
Upon reflection, numerous small details in their daily interactions could have served as telltale signs; for instance:
Yue Wuhuan was particularly fearful of disappointing him, never initiating arguments, and compromising to an almost bottomless extent.
Yue Wuhuan rarely expressed his own preferences, molding his likes and dislikes to align with Song Qingshi's whims.
Yue Wuhuan had never refused any of his requests, as if living solely for him.
All of this was wrong.
No healthy person would demean themselves to such an extent in front of another, relinquishing their very essence.
The more Song Qingshi pondered, the more distressed he became. He realized that he knew nothing about Yue Wuhuan's favorite foods, colors, or interests. While he had cured Yue Wuhuan's physical ailments, he had never genuinely explored his heart. He had even refrained from delving into Yue Wuhuan's painful past out of fear, hoping for spontaneous healing like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Yet, concealed wounds never heal themselves; they only fester deeper until they rot to the bone.
Taking a deep breath, Song Qingshi set the course for future treatment.
The most pressing matter now was to give that trouble-making Alaskan a thorough lesson.
...
Flames of cinnabar and poison fire flew erratically, reducing several structures to ashes. Haolong took refuge behind a rockery, while the apothecary assistants scattered in avoidance.
An Long scrambled frantically, burned and agitated. He had been merrily discussing investment opportunities with Song Qingshi, deliberately being difficult in hopes of securing additional perks. He was flabbergasted when Song Qingshi abruptly turned hostile, forgoing the investment and research. He was on the verge of beating An Long to a pulp. It took quite an effort for An Long to understand the reason, and he began to plead for mercy in astonishment.
"I didn't know he was made of crystal! Even the illusion bugs couldn't withstand him!"
"Didn't I warn you?!"
"I was just joking!"
"Rule twelve! No jokes at his expense! Have you forgotten?!"
"Aren't we partners? I'll send you the spirit stones right away!"
"The partnership is over! Keep your spirit stones!"
"..."
An Long was severely burned and humiliated. Only after he made numerous humiliating concessions did Song Qing Shi finally let go of his anger. He begrudgingly spared An Long but ordered him to provide detailed information about the Illusion Gu, aiming to find out what exactly had happened.
"By the ancestral gods, I swear the Illusion Gu only provokes desires and would never induce nightmares. Why else would I dare to let you use it?" An Long complained as he sat on the steps, treating his burns with Gu worms and medicinal herbs. "I've played with Gu for many years and never have I seen the Illusion Gu make someone break down. Your senior disciple is an unprecedented case; I want to know why too. He seemed perfectly normal, but he's severely afflicted."
Song Qing Shi sat down on the steps too. Interrupting An Long as he began to digress, he ordered, "Stick to the point!"
Rolling his eyes, An Long continued, "If you want to know what he encountered in the illusion, it's not hard. The Illusion Gu should contain some residual fragments of the illusory world—probably those associated with the most intense emotions. You could insert the Illusion Gu into yourself to view them directly." This was a hidden use of the Illusion Gu that he had planned to use on Song Qing Shi in order to show him what his senior disciple was really like, while hopefully enlightening him about some matters of love and lust.
Now he dare not take such actions. He fears not only being punished by Song Qing Shi but also being blacklisted by the Valley of Medicine King.
An Long was desperately trying to avoid being blacklisted...
Song Qing Shi was tempted by the idea but shook his head, "The illusory world contains many of Yue Wu Huan's secrets. I would need his permission to view them. I'll ask him when he wakes up."
An Long was bewildered, "You're doing it for his own good. Just look, why think so much about it?"
Song Qing Shi retorted righteously, "Would it be alright if I pry into your secrets for your own good?"
An Long stiffened, and went silent with a dark expression.
The discussion reached a deadlock, and neither spoke further.
Song Qing Shi kept probing Yue Wu Huan's vital signs with his spiritual senses, racking his brains for a treatment plan. When he felt at a loss, he wondered whether he lacked empathy for the whole situation. As someone who hasn't even flown on an airplane in two lifetimes, how could he understand the disgust one feels from being sexually assaulted by a man? Without understanding, how could he identify the root cause of the affliction?
The legendary Shennong tasted all kinds of herbs and endured various poisons to understand their medicinal properties.
Should he try to follow that example?
"It must hurt a lot, right?" Song Qing Shi muttered to himself as he touched his backside. His knowledge about such matters came exclusively from sex education courses, which only dealt with male-female interactions. Male-male relations were not on his academic radar, but he suspected that the tearing would be painful.
An Long, catching his movement, perked up his ears, "What's supposed to hurt?"
Although Xi Lin Gu King specializes in assassination, he is also a master in the field of healing. Otherwise, he would never have been admitted to the Valley of Medicine King.
Song Qing Shi felt that a scholarly discussion might be worthwhile: "Do you know anything about intimate relations between men?"
An Long struggled to suppress a smirk, answering solemnly, "I know a thing or two."
Song Qing Shi cast a skeptical glance at this Alaskan Malamute of a man.
An Long radiated an aura of righteousness and virtue, as if he were a successfully reformed convict, ready to ascend the podium and preach about the Eight Honors and Eight Shames at any moment—eager to contribute to the socialist cause.
It seemed he had genuinely reflected on his actions.