"Don't worry; go on," Yue Wuhuan said.
Yue Wuhuan, mentally more robust than most newcomers, placed the dinner down after walking through a room filled with flesh and blood. He frowned and wiped away the residue from Song Qingshi's mouth corner. Lately, he had grown accustomed to dining with his Lord and found that the clean aura made his appetite much better.
After observing him for a while and seeing no signs of emotional breakdown, Song Qingshi discreetly put the basin back. He confirmed that Yue Wuhuan was an excellent medical prospect—smart, rational, calm, skillful, and not squeamish about blood. He had all the qualities of an outstanding surgeon; if this were Earth, medical professors would fight over him as a Ph.D. student.
Song Qingshi then improvised a lecture on anatomy, discussing its importance to medicine and the significant contributions anatomists had made to humanity.
Yue Wuhuan studied attentively and even took the initiative to examine the bodies and internal organs.
He found Song Qingshi's concerns somewhat amusing. In the Golden Phoenix Estate, there were cultivators with sadistic tendencies who would occasionally bring out slaves they had killed. He had been close to death many times at their hands, his body battered and bruised. If not for his strong recuperative abilities due to his wood-element constitution, he would have found his release long ago.
What was a corpse to him? Just a piece of flesh.
Ever since he had started this kind of life, the only thing he feared was living people.
Yue Wuhuan studied the corpses one by one. Suddenly, he paused, his eyes fixed on a large male body in the corner. Memories he didn't wish to recall flashed across his mind. After a moment of panic, realization dawned, and a subtle malicious grin slowly formed on his lips.
He turned around, his expression calming, and gently requested, "Honorable Master, may I attempt to dissect this corpse?"
Song Qingshi, who was eating a love-shaped dinner prepared by the little angel, looked up in surprise.
He thought about it. This wasn't like a medical school in his previous world; there were fewer regulations concerning dissections. If Yue Wuhuan showed a willingness to learn, he should be supportive.
Song then fetched a new hooded robe for Yue Wuhuan to wear, instructing him to wash his hands, put on a mask and gloves.
Yue Wuhuan touched the gloves nervously, puzzled, "Why do we have to wear all this?"
"To prevent bacterial infection," Song Qingshi cautioned. "We don't have formalin here, nor do we have entirely reliable disinfectants. The corpses are preserved using spiritual stone formations. Some have unknown causes of death, and others were even placed here without being cleaned. I can't take risks; you must make disinfecting a habit before and after experiments and dissections."
This was a medical student's meticulousness for cleanliness. Song Qingshi couldn't fully trust magical spells for sanitation; he would only feel secure after proper disinfection.
Yue Wu Huan glanced at the corpse beside him, set his mind at ease, and laughed, "Yes, it is quite dirty."
After dressing him up, Song Qing Shi handed over a scalpel and introduced, "This corpse was a gift from An Long, the Gu King of Xi Lin. He's an incredible physician and entomologist, a very good man with whom I frequently exchange resources. He sent over this body a few days ago, posing a riddle about the intriguing manner of its death, asking me to guess how it came about."
An Long was the original body's only good friend. They used to exchange professional insights through letters, but for some unknown reason, they had lost contact in recent years.
While organizing his predecessor's belongings, Song Qing Shi reread those letters, becoming newly impressed by An Long's expertise. He then proactively wrote a letter, using modern medical methods to resolve a long-standing issue An Long had with insect fungi. Overjoyed by the solution, An Long sent many gifts, including several corpses that had died in various ways, saying he would come to express his gratitude personally soon.
Song Qing Shi greatly appreciated the gift and welcomed this entomology enthusiast.
Yue Wu Huan accepted the scalpel with a smile and, without hesitation, made a deep incision into the corpse's chest cavity.
"Slow down! Slow down!" Song Qing Shi was taken aback and quickly intervened for instructional purposes, "You need to observe the muscular structure before cutting. Be mindful of the direction of the blood vessels and meridians. Cut layer by layer; your cut is too deep. You almost severed the bone, and the organs! Pay attention to the organs!"
"Yes," Yue Wu Huan looked down at the motionless heart beneath the blade and grinned even more delightedly. He then asked Song Qing Shi, "Noble Lord, do you know the identity of this corpse?"
Song Qing Shi pondered for a moment: "It seems to be some righteous hero, Yu something..."
"Everyone praises Hero Yu Qing for his upright and noble character, yet here he is, left unclaimed in death," Yue Wu Huan said softly, his tone saturated with unspoken mockery. "Truly lamentable."
"There are too many unclaimed corpses in the Celestial Realm. Regardless of their former status, in death, they all end up the same," Song Qing Shi said, his eyes fixed on Yue Wu Huan's movements. He suddenly exclaimed, "Be careful; you've cut into the heart!"
Yue Wu Huan raised his eyes, murmuring in mild astonishment, "So it's not black after all?"
Smiling, he made one cut after another, reducing the vile body and all its organs to minced fragments. He was overjoyed, treating it as he once had treated himself.
That year, he had just arrived at the Golden Phoenix Estate and was a forbidden servant to Jin Feiran. Naive and unfamiliar with his own status, he harbored a faint hope that someone kind-hearted might rescue him from his hellish existence.
Golden Phoenix Estate hosted a banquet to entertain the immortal leaders of Qinghong Gate, an esteemed and righteous sect within the immortal realm. They gathered to exchange sword techniques. Yu Qing was a promising young disciple from Qinghong Gate, highly regarded for his righteousness. He displayed no interest in the beautiful attendants who served him, seeming indifferent to sensual pleasures and not engaging in any untoward acts.
Yue Wuhuan thought that Yu Qing might be a good person and mustered the courage to seek his help.
Yu Qing looked at him for a long time without saying anything.
Yue Wuhuan knew the odds were against him and dared not press the issue.
However, what he never expected was that Yu Qing would force himself upon him.
"I noticed during the banquet that your eyes are truly captivating. You were born to seduce," Yu Qing said.
Although Yu Qing did not possess the spiritual bead to control the pleasure mark on him, Yue Wuhuan was powerless against a cultivator at the Golden Core stage. He was soon tightly bound by a magical artifact, helpless and vulnerable.
...
The next morning, he was finally freed from his ordeal, only for the incident to reach both Jin Feiran and the leaders of Qinghong Gate.
There he was, covered in wounds, kneeling in front of everyone.
Yu Qing was a highly valued disciple of Qinghong Gate with an excellent reputation. His actions were utterly inappropriate, especially concerning a forbidden servant owned by the estate's master.
Qinghong Gate lost face and repeatedly apologized to Jin Feiran, stating they would severely punish Yu Qing. It was an awkward situation for all.
Jin Feiran gracefully defused the tension with a laugh, "It's my little servant here who couldn't bear the loneliness. How could Master Yu be at fault?"
Yue Wuhuan was taken aback and was about to clarify when he caught a warning glance from Jin Feiran. His sleeve moved subtly, and the pleasure mark on his back started to heat up. Despite his struggle, his mouth began uttering degrading phrases against his will:
"I was the one who couldn't behave myself. I was seduced by Master Yu's magnificent presence and allure…"
"I'm not injured, just a little weak in the legs…"
"I was wrong. Please, Master, punish my unworthiness appropriately."
"..."
He had indeed been violated, but was coerced into admitting faults he didn't commit. Thus, the matter was conveniently resolved.
At the banquet, host and guests alike were cheerful. Jin Fei Ruo saw that Yu Qing took a liking to Yue Wu Huan and thus lent him, along with his Mind Bead, to Yu Qing for several days, getting to know this righteous hero's various distasteful proclivities.
Though severely wounded, he never cried out in pain nor begged for mercy.
He had come to fully understand his status as a slave and harbored no illusions.
...
"The cause of death is in the brain; insects ate most of it." Yue Wu Huan sawed open the skull and concluded softly, "He must have died in excruciating pain... quite miserable." He felt fortunate that his mask hid his gleeful and malicious grin; otherwise, his expression would be demonically unsettling.
Song Qing Shi examined the corpse seriously and nodded, "Yes, such a death is indeed tragic, truly a pity."
Yue Wuhuan smiled wistfully: "Indeed, it's a shame."
He stared at the knife in his hand, the lingering joy gradually fading, as waves of regret washed over him.
How wonderful would it be to perform the cut while still alive?