Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Nine – Surrounded by Poison

We looked down and saw that under Li Kun’s foot was a white fleshy sphere, about as thick as a child’s arm, more than ten centimeters in diameter. Its lower half had already been crushed under Li Kun’s heavy boot, splattering juices everywhere, its innards strewn messily across the ground.

At the sight, Li Kun shuddered violently, quickly lifting his foot and rubbing it back and forth on the ground. “Old Liu, what the hell is this thing? Is it a maggot? Why is it so big? This is disgusting.”

I glanced at the fleshy sphere on the ground and shivered myself. It truly was revolting—milky white, covered with a dense web of lines, its inner organs clearly visible, and at the head, two blood-red antennae tapped restlessly on the ground.

Once Li Kun felt his shoe was clean, he looked down again. Even though the thing’s lower half was crushed, it was still writhing. Li Kun’s brow furrowed. “How is it still alive after looking like that? What on earth is this?”

I frowned as well. I was certain I’d heard of something like this before. “Pure white, two blood-red antennae on the head, and such tenacious vitality… Could it be a Phosphor-Blood Worm?”

Li Kun asked, “What’s a Phosphor-Blood Worm?”

I quickly stood up, blocking Li Kun with an outstretched arm and pulling him back. “Damn it, this thing attracts venomous insects and snakes! Old Li, run!”

Li Kun realized at once, but just as we turned to flee, our steps froze and we instinctively backed up further.

“Old Liu, what do we do?” Li Kun cursed. “Are we really going to die in this godforsaken place?”

We had to stop, because on all sides we were surrounded by swarms of poisonous creatures.

Along the earthen walls, jet-black scorpions crawled out of small holes, while from the cracks of the doors, bright green centipedes emerged, the largest nearly forty centimeters long.

I glanced back toward the direction of the Hall of a Thousand Poisons, and saw the entire street behind us blanketed with blood-red ants.

Back to back, Li Kun and I stood our ground. I said in a low voice, “This is bad. My side is full of corpse-eating ants—there must be tens of thousands of them. The whole street’s covered.”

Li Kun said, “On my side it’s all giant scorpions and centipedes. Damn, one of these scorpions is bigger than my fist by several times. If we got stung, we’d be dead in three seconds. Old Liu, what now?”

I gritted my teeth. The venomous creatures were getting closer. Suddenly, it struck me—their attention was all on the Phosphor-Blood Worm at our feet. Maybe if we threw it away, we could escape.

I quickly told Li Kun, “Old Li, kick that Phosphor-Blood Worm out in front of you! They’re all after it.”

Li Kun immediately lunged forward and kicked the worm straight into the swarm of centipedes.

The instant it landed, centipedes and scorpions surged over and began devouring the worm’s ruined body.

“Old Liu, your idea worked!” Li Kun exclaimed.

But I cursed. “Worked, my ass! Look at my side!”

Li Kun turned to look. The corpse-eating ants in front of me were countless, swarming across the ground and up the walls, forming a blood-red path inching ever closer.

We were desperate. There was no way forward or back—we couldn’t even run.

Just then, Li Kun burst out cursing, “Damn it, Old Liu, this is the end.”

I looked toward Li Kun’s side. The Phosphor-Blood Worm had been picked clean by the centipedes and scorpions, and now the creatures were turning in our direction.

It dawned on me: the worm had burst under Li Kun’s foot, its blood and guts splattered right beside us—worse, Li Kun’s shoe was now soaked in the worm’s blood.

I silently cursed. Li Kun said, “Hell, I’d rather bash my head in than be eaten alive by these things. Old Liu, I’m going first.” With that, he made to hurl himself at a wooden post.

I grabbed Li Kun. “Hold on! We’re not out of options yet. Quickly, take off your coat! These things fear fire. If we light our clothes, I don’t believe we can’t break through!”

Li Kun gritted his teeth. “Why didn’t I think of that?” He stripped off his heavy coat and urged me. “Old Liu, hurry! Set it on fire!”

My hands trembled as I tried to strike a match—the first one snapped. I grabbed another and struck it again.

The match flared to life with a hiss. Li Kun lifted his coat and I set it alight.

As the coat caught fire, Li Kun swung it wildly across the ground. The centipedes and scorpions recoiled from the flames, and some that didn’t escape in time went up in flames themselves.

Seeing this, we were overjoyed—it worked.

I glanced back at the entrance to the Hall of a Thousand Poisons. The doors were still tightly closed. I thought to myself, “No wonder this place is called the Hall of a Thousand Poisons—now I know why not a soul dares walk this street.”

Just then, we heard an old man’s voice behind us: “That’s enough, you two. Stop burning my treasures and put it down.”

We spun around. The wooden doors of the Hall of a Thousand Poisons creaked open. An emaciated old man, leaning on a cane carved from a human skull, slowly stepped out.

As he appeared, he raised a hand and placed a small segment of bamboo hanging from his chest into his mouth.

Moments later, clear, melodious notes sounded from the bamboo in the old man’s mouth.