Chapter 139: The Flea Tarantula

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Zhou Yi was trapped inside a sack, naturally unable to see the outside world, but his ears were keenly alert, faintly hearing the click of a trigger being pulled.

“Bang!” The gunshot rang out. At the instant the shot fired, Zhou Yi rolled to the side. He could hear the bullet striking the earth nearby.

He felt the bullet narrowly miss his head, and only after confirming he was unharmed did he silently exhale in relief. Had it struck his head, it would have meant instant death.

The shooter sneered coldly upon seeing Zhou Yi evade the bullet and was about to pull the trigger again. Zhou Yi’s hands and feet were bound with rope; while he could dodge the first bullet, escaping the second was nearly impossible. He could already hear the spring mechanism inside the pistol moving.

In a split second, he tensed his body, prepared to roll aside the moment the gun fired again. Whether he could evade the next shot was left to fate.

“Wait! Shuang Yu said this is the child the grandmother wants!” Someone nearby stopped the shooter just in time. The words struck a deep chord within Zhou Yi.

‘Grandmother? Shuang Yu?’ At that moment, he recalled the leader who had captured him in Shenyang—so familiar, it was Shuang Yu!

This child abduction was orchestrated by the Miao people! What did they want with the infant in swaddling clothes?

“You four, take him to Blood Spring and hand him over to Grandmother. Quick in, quick out!” The tall, slender Miao man interrupted Zhou Yi’s thoughts and revealed crucial information.

Blood Spring was the name of that mass grave site; Grandmother was naturally the nameless old Miao woman.

Though details were sparse, this was enough for Zhou Yi. At least he now knew where he was headed, and it was a place he was familiar with—the mass grave.

The Miao people spoke little on the journey, especially never mentioning the child. Zhou Yi’s hope to learn more about the infant from them was dashed.

The sack was woven from thin hemp ropes, allowing air to pass through. At two in the afternoon, the wind rose—the west wind typical of autumn. Zhou Yi calculated the direction; they were traveling eastward.

An hour later, they arrived at Blood Spring. The Miao threw Zhou Yi onto the ground, gave brief instructions, and left. Shortly after, the elderly Miao woman entered the tent and removed the sack from Zhou Yi’s head. Only then did he see light again.

“Little one, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon!” The old woman smiled coldly at Zhou Yi, then stepped forward and asked again.

“Where is the body of my precious child?”

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Zhou Yi gestured toward the ropes binding his hands, signaling for the old woman to loosen them. She nodded slightly to one of the Miao men nearby, who approached and untied the bindings.

Zhou Yi requested this because Baozi had told him there were at least fifty or sixty Miao people here. Even if he were free, escape was impossible.

Once freed, Zhou Yi stretched his numb, sore hands, then walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of water.

“Little one, don’t play tricks. Tell Grandmother quickly where my precious child’s body is!” The elderly Miao woman cut to the chase.

Zhou Yi sipped the water thoughtfully. The Golden Silkworm Gu King was dead—why did this old lady want the corpse of that insect? Even after finishing the water, he had no answer. Setting the glass down, he grinned wryly at the old woman.

“Last time I told you, that little bug was my appetizer!” Zhou Yi’s words nearly infuriated the Miao woman.

The Golden Silkworm Gu King was lethally poisonous. Not only was it unfit for consumption, even minor contact was fatal. And yet Zhou Yi claimed he had eaten it.

The old woman’s brow furrowed deeply as she barked, “Little one, Grandmother is not patient. Don’t try to deceive me. Tell me now, and I’ll let you go!”

Zhou Yi shrugged innocently. “Grandmother, I really ate it. The taste wasn’t pleasant at all!”

The Miao woman ground her teeth, the sound sharp as bone cracking, realizing that no matter what, Zhou Yi wouldn’t speak without coercion. She turned to the nearby Miao men. “Tie him up again. I want to see just how stubborn this little one’s mouth is!”

With that, two men stepped forward and bound Zhou Yi tightly once more.

The old woman reached into her robe and produced a sandalwood box. Opening it revealed an enormous flea.

A sinister smile crept across her wrinkled face as she placed the flea onto Zhou Yi.

The flea hopped directly onto his shoulder and immediately bit into his neck.

“This flea has been nourished with the blood of eighty-one kinds of deadly poisons. Once the venom enters your body, you will itch uncontrollably. Enjoy the sensation. If you tell me where my precious child’s body is, I’ll give you the antidote!” The old woman spoke as she watched the flea suck Zhou Yi’s blood.

The venom soon coursed through Zhou Yi’s bloodstream, first causing numbness and tingling in his limbs, then spreading to an aching numbness all over his body.

Zhou Yi tried to scratch the unbearable itch, but his hands and feet were tightly bound. He rubbed his back hard against the chair, yet the agonizing sensation persisted without relief.

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This numb ache was unlike pain. Pain could be endured, but this unbearable itch was impossible to tolerate. Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yi held on momentarily before finally shouting out loud.

“Ahhh~~!”

“Scratching won’t help. Once, someone in my Miao village insulted Grandmother. I used just one drop of this flea’s venom, and he ended up banging his head against the wall to death, just like you now. I tied you up to prevent you from doing the same. Otherwise, I’d never find my precious child’s body!” The old woman spoke, her smile cold and sinister.

Zhou Yi felt as if countless insects were tearing at his flesh. Struggling, he turned his head to watch the flea’s belly swell continuously. He had no idea how much more blood the fist-sized flea could consume.

Every hardship must come to an end. After a while, the flea, surely satiated, rolled down from Zhou Yi’s shoulder.

Its translucent belly, thin as a membrane, was filled with bright red—Zhou Yi’s own blood.

What surprised everyone was what happened next: the flea fell to the ground, and with a sharp crack, its belly burst open, spraying its blood all over Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi carefully observed the sensation—the maddening itch had vanished. “Ha! You greedy flea, you overate and burst! Ha ha!”

The old woman’s eyes, narrowed moments before, suddenly widened, and she ground her teeth. “Worthless creature!”

She then retrieved another creature from the box—a spider covered in multicolored hairs—and placed it before Zhou Yi with a cold sneer.

“This is the Western Region’s Heavenly Wolf Pearl! Far more potent than that useless flea. Little one, if you want to talk now, it’s not too late.” Seeing Zhou Yi’s resolute expression, she knew his choice without asking.

With a cold snort, she placed the venomous spider on Zhou Yi’s left hand. The spider bit down on his fingertip...