ATPnovel Chapter 54, look carefully.
Chapter 54, look carefully.
"Can't I take this medicine?"
The urgent shouts that suddenly came from beside him made He Kongming stop in his tracks, as he was about to put the medicine in his mouth.
My gaze shot towards the source of the sound like lightning, and I saw a figure being helped along, walking unsteadily in the distance.
"Who are you, and why do you say this medicine shouldn't be taken?"
"Sect Leader He, I am Feng Yi. We've met once before!"
"Feng Yi? You are Feng Yi?" The upright figure in his mind overlapped with the hunched old man in front of him, who could barely walk.
It's only been a few years since the last time they met. How can a person age so much in just a few years?
Upon learning that the person walking shakily was Feng Yi, not only He Kongming, but also the martial arts practitioners who recognized him instantly erupted in excitement.
"Is that Feng Yi from Baicaogu? What's wrong with him?"
"Traitor!" Before Feng Yi could even step forward, Feng Yi's brother, Feng Shi, shouted angrily, his face filled with hatred for his son's incompetence.
"You betrayed your brothers, caused the deaths of so many fellow disciples, and now you're slandering my Hundred Herbs Valley in front of so many heroes! Feng Yi, what are your true intentions?"
He stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the martial arts masters around him, as well as the ten people sitting in the main seat. Then Feng Shicai spoke loudly.
"Sect Leader He, everyone, although Feng Yi is my second brother, I have no choice but to put aside my own family for the greater good. He is a traitor to my Hundred Herbs Valley."
"The young master is benevolent. Even though he has done so many wrong things, he still spared his life out of consideration for our past relationship."
"Unexpectedly, not only was he ungrateful, but he also held a grudge and slandered my Hundred Herbs Valley in front of these fellow martial artists."
"This is intolerable!"
A hand slammed down on the stone table in front of him, shattering it instantly. Feng Shiyou, still seething with hatred, roared coldly, "Traitor! Today I'll finish you off with my own hands!"
"Wait!" Just as Feng Shi was about to rush forward and kill, someone in the crowd suddenly spoke up to stop him.
"Since you all say he's a traitor, that everything he says is false and slanderous, then what's wrong with letting him prove it? Why rush to kill him to silence him?"
"If he can't prove it, then he's lying, and how your Hundred Herbs Valley handles it is your business. But if he can prove it..."
"That's right, we also want to know who's right between Feng Yi and Baicaogu. What if there really is a problem with this medicine?"
Two voices of doubt followed in quick succession, prompting the surrounding martial arts practitioners to nod in agreement.
Feng Yi's tense expression relaxed a little. Fortunately, he found a few trustworthy old friends; otherwise, as a nobody, he probably wouldn't even have had a chance to defend himself.
"Alright, since that's the case, Elder Feng, what exactly is the problem with this medicine?"
"Sect Leader He, he's a traitor!"
"What, you have a problem with that?" He turned his head and glanced at Feng Shi, his eyes flashing with a cold light as sharp as a sword.
The moment He Kongming, the leader of the Piaoyu Sword Sect, spoke, the tone was set.
Everyone else turned to look at Feng Yi, and no one raised any further objections.
"Sect Leader He, everyone!" Feng Yi walked forward shakily and stood not far in front of He Kongming before speaking.
"This medicine must not be taken, because it contains worms. These worms will not only devour a person's flesh and blood, and their internal energy, but also their life force!"
"Once you start taking this medication, the consequences are unimaginable; I'm the best example. The reason I'm like this is because of this drug!"
"Absurd!" Upon hearing Feng Yi reveal the truth, the muscles on Feng Shi's face began to twitch involuntarily.
"You are despised because you betrayed your fellow disciples. The people in the valley hold a grudge, which is why you were tortured and suffered while in custody. You deserve what you got for your crimes."
"Gentlemen, he was clearly tortured, which is why he is in this state. It wasn't caused by insects sucking his blood!"
"That's utter nonsense, pure fabrication!"
"There are bugs?" This question startled everyone, and many people's expressions changed.
He Kongming, who was holding the Hundred Herbs Pill, had an uncertain expression on his face, and his gaze couldn't help but look towards the group from Hundred Herbs Valley.
"Valley Master Lu, is what he said true?"
"Of course it's fake." With a light laugh, Lu Zhao's expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't care about such an absurd thing.
He remained calm and unhurried, which reassured everyone somewhat.
"Then how can you prove he's lying?"
At this moment, a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd, causing Lu Zhao's expression to change slightly, but he quickly recovered.
"Very well, my Baicaogu has done nothing wrong. Since no one believes us, let's see for ourselves to prove our innocence!"
"Sect Leader He, please forgive me!" He walked up to He Kongming, took the Hundred Herbs Pill from He Kongming's hand, and then, in front of everyone, used his index and middle fingers to grind the Hundred Herbs Pill into powder little by little.
Black powder kept falling from between my fingers, but there wasn't a single insect, not even a single hair, inside, let alone any worms.
"Did everyone see clearly? There's nothing inside!"
"Impossible, how could this be?" Feng Yi walked forward in a panic, looking at the powder all over the ground, and couldn't help but tremble.
How could there be nothing? This shouldn't be happening!
"Come on, hurry up and seize the traitor!"
"Wait, I know why!" Bai Xiyu, who had been supporting Feng Yi, suddenly spoke up and strode forward to take another Hundred Herbs Pill.
Seeing Bai Xiyu's actions, Lu Zhao's eyes narrowed slightly, and a flash of killing intent disappeared.
"Time and time again? Do you really think my Hundred Herbs Valley is made of clay? Take it all!"
Before they could step forward, someone quickly stepped forward, grabbed a Hundred Herbs Pill, and handed it to Bai Xiyu.
His movements were so incredibly fast that no one could react at all.
"A master!" In just a moment, the ten people who had been sitting calmly and motionless on the high seat were now on high alert.
Just as Bai Xiyu got her hands on the Hundred Herbs Pill, she suddenly pulled out a dagger, cut her hand, and dripped the blood from her hand onto it.
Upon seeing this, Lu Zhao's expression changed drastically. Before he could speak to stop it, the original Hundred Herbs Pill had already undergone rapid changes after being stained with blood.
Inside the herbal pill, a thin, transparent layer of cicada wings began to rapidly expand and deform, growing to the size of a bee in the blink of an eye.
"There really were bugs!"
In an instant, everyone's expression changed drastically, especially the ten people, whose faces almost all turned ashen.
"Look, everyone, this is the insect inside. When it is dehydrated and shriveled, it is as light and transparent as a cicada's wing, and it breaks at the slightest touch, unable to withstand the slightest force."
"With just a slight squeeze, it will crumble like dust, completely invisible when mixed with the black medicinal powder."
"But if it gets stained with blood, it will quickly revert to its original form, able to suck blood and flesh, and also absorb life force!"
"Nonsense!" Faced with this unexpected turn of events, even Feng Shi panicked. "He's lying! This is fake!"
"Enough!" Lu Zhao waved his hand to interrupt Feng Shi, took a deep breath, and said somewhat dejectedly.
"I admit that the insects do exist, but they don't suck people's blood and flesh; instead, they release life force. This is the true secret of my Hundred Herbs Pill."
"These carefully cultivated exotic insects are the secret to boosting one's power and prolonging life. Now, the greatest secret of my Hundred Herbs Valley can no longer be kept."
"However, my Baicao Valley has absolutely no intention of harming you. If you don't believe me, I can prove it; I can eat you to prove it."
"I'll do it!" Taking advantage of Bai Xiyu's momentary lapse in attention, Feng Yi snatched the Red Cicada and swallowed it whole.
"Uncle Feng, what are you doing?"
"Young Valley Master, only in this way can people see clearly and understand!"
With bloodshot eyes, Feng Yi's gaze swept over everyone.
"Gentlemen, she has the means to control the alien insects, so there will be no harm from eating them."
"I'm different. What will happen after I eat it is the real thing. Open your eyes and see what will happen after you swallow it."
Before he could finish speaking, Feng Yi's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He had almost gone through a cicada molting process before, but it was abruptly stopped by the use of insect repellent and sedative drugs.
Cicadas in the human body instinctively devour each other, choosing the best one.
Now, the new cicada entering his body and the cicada inside him that has not yet molted are devouring each other, just like cold water being poured into a pot of oil, causing his body to boil instantly.
Feng Yi quickly inserted several needles into the acupoints on his body that aggravated his pain, which finally allowed him to regain consciousness.
"Everyone, take a good look!" He pulled open his clothes, revealing his chest.
The intense, tearing pain, amplified by the sensation of pain, seemed to instantly spread throughout the entire body.
The pain, which was intertwined with mental and physical suffering, made him scream out loud.
"Uncle Feng, I'll save you right now, I'll save you!" Bai Xiyu hurriedly took out the deworming medicine, but Feng Yi stopped her firmly.
"Young Valley Master, no need. Only by seeing it with their own eyes will they fully believe it. Otherwise, the scam of increasing merit and prolonging life will eventually be believed by some, and they will keep hoping for the best."
"I already don't have much time left to live. Rather than die in bed, I'd rather serve you one last time before I die!"
His voice was low and filled with suppressed pain, and at the same time, Feng Yi's body was undergoing rapid changes.
In the blink of an eye, his life force seemed to be rapidly absorbed, his flesh and blood withered, his hair turned white, and his whole body became like a dead tree.
Inside its belly, a blood cicada, its body stained with blood, burst forth, its crimson color seemingly exuding endless stench of blood.
That cicada was clearly the same one Feng Yi had just swallowed, only it looked more energetic and vibrant.
In his final moments, Feng Yi felt excruciating pain and a sense of lightness overwhelmed him. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and never wake up again.
"Old Valley Master, I have repaid your kindness!"