Chapter 31: The Withered... Young Master
The carriage procession led by the City Lord's guards arrived at the manor swiftly. The atmosphere this time was completely different from the visit to the Li Family.
The moment Wang Cheng stepped down from the carriage, he was met by "City Lord Guan," a middle-aged man who looked formidable and filled with authority, waiting to welcome him personally, accompanied by the manor's butler and servants! News of the miracle he had performed on the street had reached this place even before he arrived!
"Master Wang!" City Lord Guan rushed forward to greet him. His demeanor was filled with respect and urgency. "I have heard of your divine abilities! Please... Please save my son's life!"
Wang Cheng hurriedly bowed with humility. "City Lord, please do not call me that. What I did was merely the duty of a doctor... Just call me Uncle Wang."
His humility only deepened the City Lord's admiration. Without delay, he led Wang Cheng and Liu Yuexin straight to his son's residence.
The Eldest Young Master's residence was grand and luxurious, befitting his status, but the atmosphere inside was oppressive and gloomy. The air was heavy and thick with the dizzying scent of expensive medicinal decoctions mixed together. Sacred talismans from famous temples were plastered in every corner of the room, showing that they had already tried every possible method.
Upon entering the bedroom, the sight that greeted them caused Liu Yuexin to cover her mouth in shock.
On the wide bed... lay the body of a handsome young man, utterly devoid of strength. He was "Guan Yun," the Eldest Young Master of the City Lord's Manor, only 19 years old. But in his current state, he looked no different from an old man on the verge of death!
His body was emaciated, reduced to mere skin and bones. His skin, once vibrant, was now withered and grey, like a plant that had been deprived of water for months. He was still conscious, but so weak that even opening his eyes seemed a struggle... He was "withering" and slowly dying.
The famous Royal Doctors already seated there shook their heads in helplessness.
Wang Cheng walked calmly to the bedside. He didn't check the pulse immediately but instead activated his [Divine Diagnostic Eye] to inspect the patient thoroughly.
[Target: Guan Yun, Age 19]
[Status: Critical! Life force is being drained by an unknown parasitic organism.]
[Analyzing Parasite... Analysis Complete!]
[Parasite: Love Poison Gu - A special type of Gu worm transmitted through bodily fluids (saliva, blood, semen). It burrows into the spirit essence and slowly drains the life force and the 'Essence of Love' of the host to grow. Cannot be removed by normal methods.]
[Cause: Contracted the Gu through intimate relations with a woman.]
Wang Cheng frowned deeply... This was no ordinary illness! It was a vicious and incredibly complex piece of dark sorcery!
His expression turned visibly solemn, causing the City Lord's heart to drop to his stomach.
"You... Uncle Wang... Is there a way...?"
Wang Cheng turned to face everyone in the room. "This is not a sickness... and it is not ordinary sorcery."
He explained the concept of "Gu," parasitic creatures raised through dark arts, before uttering its terrifying name. "The Young Master has been afflicted by the 'Love Poison Gu'... It is slowly devouring his life force from the inside."
"Love Poison Gu!?" Everyone in the room exclaimed in shock!
"City Lord... forgive my rudeness," Wang Cheng said calmly. "In the past few months... has the Young Master had intimate relations with a woman of unusual background... or a woman whose origins are unknown?"
The question made the City Lord's face change color! He stammered for a moment before resignedly admitting that three months ago, his son had become infatuated with a mysterious "dancer" from a foreign land and had a relationship with her for a while... before she vanished without a trace!
Everything became clear instantly!
"Master Wang! Is there a cure!?" the City Lord asked hopefully.
Wang Cheng put on a deeply troubled expression. "The Love Poison Gu is vicious... Once it fuses with the host's spirit essence, trying to pull it out by force will only cause the Young Master's body to shatter along with it."
He paused, letting despair take hold of everyone... before continuing.
"However... there is... one way... It is a method that is dangerous and deviates greatly from traditional medical practices."
"What method!? As long as it saves my son, I will do anything!"
Wang Cheng stared deep into the City Lord's eyes.
"This type of Gu feeds on the 'Essence of Love' and life force... To lure it to loosen its grip and weaken, we must feed it a 'Purer and More Concentrated Life Essence' into the Young Master's body... which is the 'Essence of Pure Yin Energy'."
He glanced at Liu Yuexin, who stood blushing beside him, before turning back to the City Lord.
"The treatment... requires that only myself, my disciple, and the Young Master... remain in this room alone. It will be a long process that consumes a vast amount of energy... Are you... ready to entrust your son's life entirely into our hands?"
City Lord Guan stood stunned by this bizarre treatment method... But looking at the steady face of the old man who had just performed a miracle for the whole city to see... he realized he had no other choice.
"...I... agree!"