Chapter 165: Afflicted with Gu Poison

He rushed all the way to the hospital at top speed.

After entering the ward to check on Gao Xiaolan and asking about her condition, Xiaolan replied, "The doctor said it might be due to some fatigue, which caused her to faint. There's nothing serious."

Hearing this, Han Dongxue nodded with relief.

Qin Yang, however, furrowed his brow. Qi Mengwei's daily routine was extremely regular, her work was not demanding, and she was in very good physical health. How could she possibly have fainted from fatigue? Walking up to the hospital bed, he saw Qi Mengwei lying there with a rosy complexion—did she look fatigued at all? Resting his fingers on her wrist to check her pulse, Dong Feng and Yuwen Rouenu both successively stated that there was nothing wrong. Just as Qin Yang was feeling puzzled, the housekeeper reminded him to activate his Yin-Yang eyes to examine Qi Mengwei's brain.

Not looking would have been fine, but one look almost made Qin Yang grab a knife and start slashing people.

Inside Qi Mengwei's head, amidst the complex networks of nerves and other tissues, a kind of pinkish gas had appeared. It adhered to her brain and seemed to be constantly spreading, albeit rather slowly. However, Qin Yang estimated that within just a few days, this stuff would cover her entire brain. Who knew what kind of problems might occur in the future? He placed his hand on Qi Mengwei's head, wanting to use his dark Qi to destroy it, but it had no effect whatsoever; the dark Qi reacted to it in no way at all.

"This is neither Yin Qi nor怨气 (grievance Qi)," the housekeeper pondered. "I rather feel it looks like some kind of hypnosis."

"Damn it, what kind of trouble can this thing stir up inside her head?" Qin Yang gritted his teeth.

"Don't be impatient," Dong Feng said. "This strange aura doesn't seem to harbor any malicious intent. In fact, it almost feels as though her physical condition has improved somewhat. Let me study it thoroughly; you mustn't rush."

Under the circumstances, Qin Yang had no choice but to nod in agreement.

First, he sent Gao Xiaolan and Han Dongxue back. Then, Qin Yang instructed Ji Liehu to start investigating everyone Qi Mengwei had been in contact with recently, dragging out anyone even slightly suspicious. As for himself, he kept a careful watch by Qi Mengwei's side. Early the next morning, Qi Mengwei's eyelids fluttered. Filled with a surge of joy, Qin Yang quickly stepped closer.

"Qin Yang," Qi Mengwei opened her eyes and blinked, "Why am I lying in a hospital?"

"You suddenly fainted yesterday and were brought to the hospital. How are you feeling now?" Qin Yang asked in a low voice.

"My head just feels a little dizzy," Qi Mengwei smiled reluctantly, letting Qin Yang help her into a half-reclined position. Seeing the time, she said with some surprise, "I've actually slept for this long?"

"Indeed," Qin Yang handed her a cup of water.

Qi Mengwei nodded, but the moment she took the water, her expression changed drastically, turning pale in an instant. Clutching her head, she collapsed onto the bed, trembling in agony. Seeing this, Qin Yang felt a sharp pang in his heart and hastily took her pulse once more. Yet neither Dong Feng nor Yuwen Rouenu could discern any clues. Qin Yang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in circles. Activating his Yin-Yang eyes again, he discovered that the ball of pinkish aura in her brain seemed to be suppressing certain neurological responses in Qi Mengwei's mind.

"Qin Yang, my head hurts so much," Qi Mengwei gritted her teeth, cold sweat streaming all over her body.

"Relax, just relax," Qin Yang repeatedly patted her shoulders. Gradually, Qi Mengwei's tension eased, and her complexion slowly grew rosy again. This left Qin Yang utterly baffled—what on earth was going on?

Qi Mengwei wanted to hold Qin Yang's hand, but before her fingers could touch him, another wave of severe pain struck. Startled, Qin Yang signaled her to relax. Clutching her head in agony, Qi Mengwei cried out, "Why does it hurt whenever I think of you? Why is this happening? Qin Yang, the deeper I think of you, the more my head hurts."

"What?" Qin Yang was utterly shocked.

He hurriedly signaled Qi Mengwei to calm down. At that moment, Gao Xiaolan and Han Dongxue also arrived. Seeing this scene, they rushed to call the doctor, but a thorough examination by the physician revealed nothing amiss.

"It must be some kind of willpower playing tricks in her brain. As long as she thinks of you, it will hurt. Who could be so vicious?" the housekeeper remarked.

Qin Yang motioned for Gao Xiaolan and Han Dongxue to take care of her, while he himself walked out of the ward. It was better not to stay by her side for now; seeing her in agony broke his heart. Yet, thinking about this matter filled Qin Yang with boundless rage. Rushing all the way to the Golden Pavilion in a furious blaze, he found that the renovations there had already begun, with numerous workers coming and going. Qin Yang grabbed Ji Liehu, who was inspecting the construction, pulled him aside, and demanded, "How's the investigation going?"

"No suspicious characters," Ji Liehu replied with a bitter smile. "My men have checked everywhere, but nothing suspicious has turned up."

Furious, Qin Yang kicked a nearby chair.

Just then, Cao Long walked over and said, "Boss Qin, I've got some news on my end. There's a guy named Dong Hongjin who used to pursue Qi Mengwei. He chased after her relentlessly but was always rejected. The day before Qi Mengwei fainted, this guy vanished. Nobody knows where he went. I ran a background check on him, but there isn't a single record of him anywhere. Now all the boys have been mobilized, but the kid has practically evaporated—he's nowhere to be found."

"Keep looking. Root this bastard out," Qin Yang ordered.

Ji Liehu and Cao Long certainly understood how much Qin Yang cared about Qi Mengwei, and inwardly they were burning with fury as well. They had given their solemn guarantee that Qi Mengwei wouldn't come to any harm, and now this incident happened—wasn't this a blatant slap in the face? Burning with anxiety, they went off to investigate further. Qin Yang squatted by the roadside, smoking a cigarette while discussing the situation with Dong Feng and Yuwen Rouenu.

Suddenly, a laugh rang out. "Brother Qin, why are you out here smoking in low spirits all by yourself? Come to think of it, I have to thank you, haha, for introducing a few clients to me. You really didn't forget about my business, brother."

Zhang Ming walked over leisurely, dressed in a casual loose-fitting robe. Qin Yang managed a forced smile.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Ming immediately turned serious and asked, "Did you run into trouble?"

"Not much of a problem," Qin Yang nodded bitterly.

Zhang Ming said, "I told you before that you might run into a bit of minor trouble recently. I called it minor because it poses no threat to your life and can be resolved, but trouble is trouble after all, and it might be quite tricky for you. Didn't I tell you to come find me? Tell me quickly, what on earth happened?"

Only then did Qin Yang recall what Zhang Ming had said earlier. He hurriedly explained Qi Mengwei's condition to him. Upon hearing it, Zhang Ming's expression changed drastically. He hastily pulled Qin Yang along and hurried toward the hospital, instructing Qin Yang not to enter the ward while he went in to examine Qi Mengwei himself. Han Dongxue and Gao Xiaolan watched him muttering incantations, wondering where on earth Qin Yang had managed to dig up such a charlatan.

After about ten minutes or so, Zhang Ming walked out of the ward with an extremely solemn expression. He asked first, "Brother Qin, did she lose consciousness the day before yesterday?"

"That's right," Qin Yang nodded quickly.

"There's still time," Zhang Ming said. "If I'm not mistaken, she must have been cursed with a Gu poison."

"What?" Qin Yang blurted out upon hearing this. "Gu poison? Was this done by the Miao people of Xiangxi?"

"No, not the Miao," Zhang Ming pulled Qin Yang into a corner and explained. "People turn pale at the mere mention of Gu among the Miao, but that's just because some people frame them by force. The ones who truly use Gu are an extremely ancient tribe. They might share some origins with the Miao people; rumor has it that the Miao are a branch that split off from their tribe. This tribe is called the Jiuli Tribe—the very same Jiuli tribe of Chiyou from legend. I don't know the origins of the Jiuli Tribe; I only know that they operate with extreme secrecy, almost never stepping out into the world and remaining completely isolated. They only resort to Gu poison to punish those who disturb them. Once word gets out, everyone assumes it was the Miao people's doing, but in reality, that's not the case at all. This Jiuli Tribe is profoundly mysterious. I suspect they are just some bastards who don't know where they came from, simply borrowing the name Jiuli from Chiyou's mythology. I know a few Miao village chieftains, and they've always held the Jiuli Tribe in utter contempt. It's just that the Jiuli are indeed freakish and eerie, so the Miao have gritted their teeth and swallowed their anger without settling accounts with them for daring to usurp their ancestors' name."

"Damn it, I didn't even go looking for trouble with them," Qin Yang gritted his teeth. "Why resort to such a vicious attack on Qi girl?"

Zhang Ming hurriedly consoled him with a few words, saying, "This Gu poison is exceptionally formidable. If the victim of the poison thinks of a lover other than the person who administered it, their head will inevitably split with agonizing pain. The deeper they think of it, the more severe the pain becomes. If within forty-nine days they do not consummate their relationship with the one who placed the Gu, they are bound to die of a splitting headache. The only way to save her is to find the person who administered the Gu and have them lift the curse. However, there is a sequela: the victim will never be able to marry in her life and cannot harbor a deep romantic love for anyone, otherwise the headaches will accompany her forever."

"What?" Qin Yang's fury flared to the heavens.

Zhang Ming quickly added, "Listen to me till the end. Fortunately, this Gu practitioner lacks deep cultivation; as long as we find him within seven days to lift the poison, there won't be any problem."

"What if he refuses to lift it?" Qin Yang asked coldly.

"There is a way: kill the Gu practitioner," Zhang Ming said in a low voice. "Two days have already passed, leaving five days. If the Gu hasn't been lifted by noon five days from now, we'll be in deep trouble. Brother, if you trust me, you and I will make a trip to Xiangxi right now. Given my friendship with several old village chieftains, they can point us to where the Jiuli Tribe lives."

"What I'm worried about is that the Gu practitioner might not be there," Qin Yang said bitterly.

"That shouldn't be the case. The Gu practitioner lacks sufficient cultivation and would need someone with higher spiritual power to complete the ritual for him, otherwise he's a dead man for sure. I'd guess the chances of him returning to his main base are quite high," Zhang Ming deliberated.

"Then let's leave right now," Qin Yang narrowed his eyes. "Damn it, if they push me too far, I'll wipe out the entire Jiuli Tribe."