PCJ – Chapter 509 Exorcising the Gu Worm

Chen Hongyi waved his hand, and everyone left the hospital ward.

“Zhang… Zhang classmate, please,” Chen Hongyi suddenly didn’t know how to address Zhang Jiaohua.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t respond, just looked toward the doorway.

Chen Hongyi quickly stepped out of the ward and pulled the door shut behind him.

At the military hospital, Dr. Zhang Guowen had been closely monitoring Lu Cunyang, this special patient. He would check on him from time to time. From a distance, he noticed several people standing at the ward’s entrance in an unusual manner. He recognized Chen Hongyi—after all, he had been guarding this place for days.

“Captain Chen, why are you all standing outside instead of going in?” Zhang Guowen asked curiously.

“Just getting some fresh air. Dr. Zhang, I have some questions about Xiao Lu’s condition that I’d like to consult you on,” Chen Hongyi said.

“Captain Chen, feel free to ask. Comrade Lu Cunyang’s condition hasn’t been fully diagnosed yet, and I wouldn’t want to make any premature conclusions…”

Chen Hongyi interrupted him, “Dr. Zhang, let’s talk in your office instead. This isn’t the right place. I can also give you a detailed account of how Xiao Lu was injured—it might help with your diagnosis.”

Zhang Guowen glanced at the ward, hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. Something felt off today, but he was still eager to learn more about Lu Cunyang’s injuries. He nodded again. “Alright. Captain Chen, come with me.”

As Zhang Guowen led Chen Hongyi to his office, Chen Hongyi discreetly turned back and signaled to Li Chuyi and the others, instructing them to prevent anyone from entering the ward.

Li Chuyi nodded and instinctively positioned herself in front of the door.

However, not long after Chen Hongyi left, nurse Peng Xiaojing arrived to administer an IV to Lu Cunyang.

“Step aside, I need to give the patient his IV,” Peng Xiaojing signaled for Li Chuyi to move.

“Wait a moment. Our captain said no one is allowed to enter the ward for now. If you want to go in, you need his permission,” Li Chuyi had no excuse, so she used the captain as a shield.

“I need to administer the IV now. Why should I need your captain’s permission? Step aside!” Peng Xiaojing found this woman unreasonable, and her tone lost its previous patience.

“Our captain said no one can enter, and that’s final! If you want in, you need his permission!” Li Chuyi had no other choice but to fully unleash her stubborn side.

“Are you people doing something to the patient?” Peng Xiaojing grew suspicious and, in her panic, tried to push past Li Chuyi to rush inside.

But how could she overpower Li Chuyi? She shoved Li Chuyi, yet Li Chuyi didn’t budge an inch. Instead, with a casual shift of her body, she sent Peng Xiaojing tumbling to the ground. The enamel tray she was holding crashed onto the floor, scattering medical instruments everywhere.

Now even more convinced that something was wrong, Peng Xiaojing ignored the fallen instruments and scrambled to her feet, running straight toward the office. “Dr. Zhang! Dr. Zhang! Something’s wrong!”

Zhang Guowen, still puzzled by the strange questions from Chen Hongyi, had already felt something was off. When he heard Peng Xiaojing’s shout, he thought something had happened to the patient.

“What’s going on?” Zhang Guowen asked.

“Someone’s blocking Lu Cunyang’s ward door and won’t let me in to administer the IV!” Peng Xiaojing said.

In an instant, Zhang Guowen realized why Chen Hongyi had been asking him all those strange questions—it was just to distract him.

“Captain Chen! I need an explanation!” Zhang Guowen glared at Chen Hongyi, furious.

“Dr. Zhang, I’m sorry. I had no other choice,” Chen Hongyi said apologetically.

“This isn’t about having no choice, Captain Chen! You’re gambling with the patient’s life! Are you planning to use some folk remedy on him? Or did you bring in some back-alley doctor?” Zhang Guowen didn’t even need to ask—he already knew.

“Dr. Zhang, after all this time, have you found any clues about Xiao Lu’s condition?” Chen Hongyi asked, leaving Zhang Guowen speechless.

“But you can’t just recklessly experiment! We’re doing everything possible. We will find the cause of Lu Cunyang’s illness!” Zhang Guowen’s words lacked confidence.

“How long? Do you think Lu Cunyang can afford to wait? The expert I brought has already identified the problem—he says Lu Cunyang won’t survive the month. How much longer do you need?” Chen Hongyi retorted.

Zhang Guowen’s face turned red. “Even if we haven’t found the cause yet, Lu Cunyang’s vitals are stable. He’s not in immediate danger. You must not trust some street quack’s nonsense!”

“If anything happens, I take full responsibility. I won’t just stand by and watch my brother die in that hospital bed! The Wolf God Special Forces don’t fear death, but we won’t just sit around waiting for it!” Chen Hongyi said sternly.

In the hospital ward, Zhang Jiaohua took firm steps according to a mystical pattern and chanted an incantation:

“Five Thunder’s three thousand generals, eighty thousand soldiers of thunder, a great fire burns the world, evil spirits turn to dust. If there is great power, let it sweep away all evils and malevolent spirits. The Jade Emperor grants me a name under the heavens, grants me bronze and iron armor to slay demons. If there are those who do not submit, I request five hundred barbarian thunderbolts to burn them. If any former master deceives me, they shall be cast into the abyss of a ten-thousand-foot golden well. If they attempt to escape from me, they shall never succeed. By the decree of the Supreme Lord Lao, swiftly, by divine command!”

His hands continuously formed mystical seals before he pointed at the Gu parasite inside Lu Cunyang’s head. A beam of spiritual light shot from Zhang Jiaohua’s hand, targeting the parasite. The parasite recoiled in panic as Zhang Jiaohua controlled the beam, relentlessly pursuing it.

At this moment, the situation was extremely dire. Any interruption could provoke the parasite into a frenzied retaliation, placing Lu Cunyang’s life in immediate danger. Zhang Jiaohua heard the commotion outside and grew anxious—he could not afford to be distracted now. Everything depended on Chen Hongyi and the others.

The parasite initially attempted to burrow deeper into Lu Cunyang’s brain, but the spiritual light pressed it relentlessly, gradually forcing it out. It traveled through his bloodstream and reached his heart, a stage where utmost caution was still necessary. Zhang Jiaohua was expending an enormous amount of energy—not in releasing a single spell, but in maintaining and precisely controlling it over time, which was vastly more draining.

Sweat covered Zhang Jiaohua’s forehead, but he did not relent, still driving the parasite out with the spiritual light. He refrained from killing the parasite immediately. Its vitality was too strong—if killed abruptly, it might explode like a miniature bomb inside Lu Cunyang’s body, causing severe internal damage. Thus, Zhang Jiaohua carefully modulated his power, forcing the parasite out step by step.

Finally, the parasite was driven into the femoral vein and pushed all the way to the foot. Zhang Jiaohua swiftly pulled out a sharp dagger and stabbed it into Lu Cunyang’s instep.

A spurt of fresh blood burst forth from Lu Cunyang’s foot—just as the hospital room door swung open. The scene of Zhang Jiaohua stabbing Lu Cunyang’s foot with a dagger met everyone’s eyes.

“What are you doing?!” Li Chuyi shrieked, rushing forward in a frenzy to attack Zhang Jiaohua. Without even turning around, Zhang Jiaohua casually struck her with a palm, sending her flying backward.

“Stop!” Zhang Guowen, the hospital doctor, bellowed.

“Chen Hongyi, stop them immediately, or I can’t guarantee Lu Cunyang’s survival!” Zhang Jiaohua warned sharply.

Chen Hongyi hesitated. The former leader of the Wolf God Special Forces had invited an imperial physician to treat Lu Cunyang. Otherwise, Chen Hongyi would never have agreed to open the door. But Zhang Jiaohua did not seem to be lying.

“Do not interfere!” an elderly man following Chen Hongyi commanded.

Everyone turned to the old man in surprise.

“I cannot cure this illness, but he can. Everyone, step out.”

The speaker was Hou Yongyuan, the imperial physician invited by the Wolf God Special Forces. His sharp eyes had immediately spotted the squirming parasites in the blood. There were not just one or two, but countless wriggling parasites. If even a single one remained, all of Zhang Jiaohua’s efforts would be wasted.

Hou Yongyuan had seen much in his lifetime. While he did not know how to treat Gu poison, he had once witnessed a folk expert dealing with a similar affliction. A single glance was enough for him to recognize the parasites.

“Quickly! Everyone out! This is the most critical moment. He must not be disturbed!” Hou Yongyuan quickly retreated, knowing that people with such skills had their own temperament and disliked being interrupted.

Chen Hongyi deeply regretted his actions. He had gone through great lengths to bring Zhang Jiaohua here, only to nearly ruin everything at the last moment. Though his intent was to save his comrade, he had still broken his word.

Inside the room, Zhang Jiaohua successfully drove all the parasites out of Lu Cunyang’s body. A fireball shot from his hand, instantly reducing the parasites to ashes. His internal energy was almost completely drained.

Zhang Jiaohua was visibly irritated. That moment of disturbance had nearly prevented him from eradicating all the parasites. Had that happened, Lu Cunyang could have lost his life—or at best, a limb.

After recovering slightly, Zhang Jiaohua stood up, opened the hospital room door, and walked out without a word.

“Dr. Zhang, how is Lu Cunyang?” Chen Hongyi asked anxiously.

Zhang Jiaohua shot him a cold glance and ignored him, heading straight for the exit.

“Dr. Zhang, I apologize. I was too reckless today and nearly delayed your treatment,” Hou Yongyuan quickly offered his apologies.

“Old sir, you recognize Gu poison?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“I have seen it before, but I cannot treat it. Thankfully, you stepped in. Otherwise, the patient would have been in grave danger,” Hou Yongyuan praised.

“The patient should be fine now, but he has not yet regained consciousness. Normally, I could wake him immediately, but thanks to your interference, my spiritual energy was wasted. I can’t wake him up right away now,” Zhang Jiaohua said impatiently.