For a nation, the greatest danger is its destruction. For an individual, the greatest danger is death. Lying on the cold, hard bed where Su Tugou rested at noon in the inner room of the dog meat shop, Fang Jie slept soundly. Whether it was the potent pear blossom wine with three extremely precious ingredients, or simply his cowardice, he was simply too drunk to feel anything. His face was rosy, and he occasionally let out a lewd grin, seemingly dreaming of some erotic dream.
The man in the blue robe looked at Fang Jie's lower abdomen, raised his hand, and pressed it. Seemingly unremarkable, Fang Jie's body sprang up like a shrimp in his sleep. He bounced up and then slammed heavily onto the bed, making the bed creak. But for some reason, he still didn't wake up.
"Huh?"
The man in the blue robe frowned slightly, a hint of disgust in his eyes. "Compared to the previous methods, this is more varied and more vicious. If this thing isn't broken open today, it'll probably drain him into a dried-up corpse before midnight. It seems they had a backup plan, but I don't know why no one has given him the medicine. That thing inside him is about to break free; it'll be in his brain within moments. Once it takes over his brain, he'll become a walking corpse."
Su Tu Gou, squatting to the side, puffing on his pipe, nodded. "I can see some of the tricks, but I don't know whose vicious method this is. Such tactics often originate from the Southern Frontier… I really can't understand how powerful this kid's enemy is. I saw him once ten years ago… Thinking about it now still sends shivers down my spine. Too many people died in that battle."
The man in the blue robe hummed in agreement, his expression unchanged. "I can only save his life, but I'm afraid his body will be even weaker than before. Without suitable medicine, we'll ultimately have to shatter the poisonous Gu with brute force."
"That's already a blessing he's accumulated over many lifetimes."
The proprietress, Du Hongxian, said softly, "This child is always laughing and joking like a spoiled brat, but he probably knows something. There's always a sadness behind his eyes that breaks our hearts. Meeting you is his good fortune. However, Tu Gou and I have investigated him in our spare time. He doesn't seem to have any background. Three years ago, he came to Fangu City alone, begging for food, with no relatives or friends. But he's extremely intelligent; in three years, he's become the most sought-after figure in Fangu."
"Actually, if you two worked together, you could also save his life,"
the man in the blue robe said calmly.
Su Tugou paused, then shook his head. "I don't want to meddle anymore. We've lived in seclusion in Fangu City for ten years, a simple but peaceful life. Breaking this poison might attract the attention of the person behind it. Fighting and killing are really pointless."
"Ten years ago, you lost a finger."
The man in the blue robe looked at Su Tugou's right hand. "Without a thumb, you can't hold a knife."
"It's not that I can't hold a knife, nor that I'll cause trouble, but that I won't be able to wait for you again."
Su Tugou tapped his pipe on the ground, slowly stood up, and solemnly said, "I'll keep this life so you can still command me."
The man in the blue robe took out a porcelain bottle from his robes. A fragrant aroma wafted out as he uncorked it. He poured out a bright green pill from the bottle, pried open Fang Jie's mouth, and put it inside. The pill looked like a pearl, its crystalline surface shimmering with a faint golden luster.
"A Little Golden Pill!"
Su Tugou's expression changed, his eyes widening in shock. "This thing can be exchanged for three thousand taels of gold."
"Ten years ago, the master gave me some, but I haven't taken a single one."
The man in the blue robe tossed the porcelain bottle to Su Tugou. "Keep it; you'll find it useful."
"You've always disliked relying on external medicine or other means."
Su Tugou didn't refuse, handing the bottle to his wife. "Keep it safe; you'll definitely need it. One Little Golden Pill can save a life. The more lives we have, the more times we can serve our benefactor. Cats have nine lives; with this Little Golden Pill, as long as your Qi Sea and Dantian aren't shattered, you can extend your life."
Du Hongxian carefully put it away, without uttering a single polite word.
"I don't need your help; just take me to my destination."
The man in the blue robe glanced at Fang Jie again, then lowered his rolled-up sleeves and slowly walked to the door. It was completely dark outside; a bright moon could be seen hanging in the eastern sky. Before reaching the door, he picked up the half-empty flask of pear blossom wine and took a sip, using the bright moon as a side dish.
"This wine shouldn't be drunk like a tumbler, but savored slowly. Keep it and drink it gradually."
He tied the flask to his waist and looked at Su Tugou, saying, "No one in the world is better at horsemanship than you. After you drop me off, come back immediately. You and your husband should find a new place to live in seclusion. I've left a good connection with you at Qing Le Mountain. Once you're there, Xiao Yijiu will make arrangements for you. No matter how far those people's reach extends, there are two places they'll find extremely difficult to penetrate: Chang'an City and Qing Le Mountain."
"I need to conserve my strength, especially..." "Entering the outer realms is fraught with danger, and reaching that place will undoubtedly be incredibly taxing. My chances of winning against that person are slim to none, and I can't afford to waste a single ounce of energy. Therefore, Tu Gou, I need you to escort me there. Eliminate anyone we encounter along the way."
"No!"
Su Tu Gou said urgently, "Ten years ago, you had both of us by your side in that battle. How can you be without us in this one? I fear death, but what I fear most is not dying beside you."
"If the Great Sui Dynasty loses both of you, its power in the martial world will be even weaker." "The external enemy is powerful; we need a few people who can keep things in check. We can't rely on those high-ranking officials from Qingyue Mountain. Once they're connected to the court, they become too cautious and vulgar. Vulgarity diminishes courage… Once I arrive, I'll kill as many as I can, easing the pressure on you. No need to argue anymore… If we argue any further, I'll go alone; you can't keep up with me anyway."
"Yes!"
Du Hongxian pulled Su Tugou, who was still arguing, and nodded, saying, "We'll take you there and then return."
"It's not you two, it's Tu Gou himself. You wait here for his return, and then we'll go to Qing Le Mountain together."
The man in the blue robe smiled slightly. "The two of you have never been apart. Today, I'll make an exception and have Tu Gou escort me. If you both come, you will surely stay by my side through thick and thin. If there's anything else that can bring Tu Gou back, it's only you. Your deep affection as a couple is truly enviable."
"I told you, no more arguing… I didn't die ten years ago, but I might not die ten years later."
He smiled faintly, standing proudly.
Just then, Fang Jie, lying on the bed, turned over and suddenly cried out in alarm, his voice so shrill it probably echoed throughout half of Fan Gu City. He sat up abruptly, then gasped in pain. His vision was blurry, and he could barely see anything. He shook his head and vaguely saw the dog meat shop owner squatting on the ground, weeping, while Su Tu Gou shouldered his bag and left without looking back.
He was horrified, looking down to see himself completely naked.
"Oh my god!"
He exclaimed, looking at Du Hongxian with a sorrowful expression, "What did you do to me? Why didn't you know how to be discreet... Even if Tu Gou is honest, he won't tolerate this! Go after him!"
...
A burning pain shot through his lower abdomen, making it almost impossible for Fang Jie to move. He asked many questions and said many things, but Du Hongxian just squatted on the ground crying, completely ignoring him. Frustrated, Fang Jie painstakingly dressed himself, then slowly got off the bed. The moment his feet touched the ground, the pain in his lower abdomen intensified. His legs trembled, and he knelt down.
"D*mn it!"
Fang Jie glanced at Du Hongxian, thinking, "No wonder Su Tu Gou was so obedient after being dealt with. This woman is really something... I can understand a woman having difficulty moving after her first time, but I'm a man, how come this time it's like I've been forcibly r*p*d and rendered obliterated?" "How much strenuous exercise must it have taken to get me into this state? And I didn't feel any pleasure at all after getting drunk, what a waste of my size!"
"You have to take responsibility for me."
He sat on the ground, panting heavily. "Although you're getting on in years, you're still quite pretty. If I'm paralyzed in bed for the rest of my life, you can't abandon me. If I really can't walk anymore, you have to get someone to make me a self-propelled wheelchair, and install 1328 hidden weapons in it. Also, get me a sedan chair, also with 1328 hidden weapons inside. The sedan chair has wheels and can move on its own. If we ever run into Gao Jixue or Wei Yamao, I can just point to the sky and the ground and take them down!"
"What nonsense!"
His incoherent ramblings stopped Du Hongxian's crying. She looked at this shameless scoundrel in bewilderment. "It's like a heartless sedan chair."
Fang Jie, still panting, continued, "Speaking of which, Sheng Yayu is a cripple, has no internal energy, and is as frail as a woman, yet he's the best in the world at lightness skill and hidden weapons. Even though I can't cultivate, with my intelligence, I might be able to become one of the Four Great Constables of Fan Gu City."
"Get lost!"
Du Hongxian didn't understand, and was even more annoyed, cursing viciously. She stood up, turned, and walked into the inner room, ignoring Fang Jie.
Fang Jie shook his head and smiled bitterly. He thought to himself, "I've seen too many bullies who harass young girls and then leave without a trace. D*mn it, I'm so unlucky to have encountered a female bully. Luckily, I'm not the kind of chaste woman who would commit suicide after being r*p*d. Since I can't leave, I'll crawl back. At least I still have Da Quan and Mu Xiaoyao. That's life; who knows when sorrow will come, when joy will come, or when death will strike?"
Having experienced death and rebirth, he no longer found any strange events unacceptable. He trudged forward a few steps with difficulty, then suddenly realized something and shuddered. He quickly looked down, spread his legs, and let out a mournful cry.
"D*mn it, that's too cruel!"
His manhood was swollen like a club, standing erect, a deep purplish-red, a bluish-purple tinged with black.
On the main street of Fan Gu City, Su Tu Gou, carrying a large bundle, followed closely behind the man in the blue robe. As they approached the city gate, he couldn't help but glance back.
"Reluctant to part?"
The man in the blue robe asked. Su Tugou shook his head, recalling the scene he had witnessed earlier, and couldn't help but sigh, "When you broke that kid's poison curse, how come that thing got so hard and erect after you struck him with your palm... Is it some kind of innate talent? It looks quite arrogant and domineering..."
Hearing that his question was about this, the man in the blue robe couldn't help but laugh, "The poison in his lower abdomen was too strong. I wanted to force it out, but I couldn't completely because I lacked the medicinal catalyst. So I simply dispersed the remaining poison throughout his limbs and bones. It will be slowly expelled from his body after his blood circulation returns to normal. That area is the closest, so it inevitably absorbed more poison... What you call hard... is actually swelling."
"Can it recover?"
Su Tugou continued to ask.
"It depends on his fate."
The man in the blue robe smiled and strode forward. Su Tugou looked down at his crotch, shaking his head enviously. "A blessing in disguise...a blessing in disguise...this kid got so much incredible luck for nothing, it's infuriating! Even if the poison can't be cured, it won't harm his body; instead, he'll have a deadly weapon to dominate the bedroom. How many women will be head over heels for him...Um...benefactor, could you use this method again?"
"Use what?"
Su Tugou said earnestly, "I want to try swelling it up myself. It's rare for Hongxian to leave my side. This journey west is long and arduous; there will definitely be plenty of brothels and taverns along the way. What if I have a romantic encounter...hehe."
The man in the blue robe said calmly, "You can swell it up yourself."
Su Tugou looked down. "I can't bring myself to do it..."
The man in the blue robe said, "At least for a month, urinating will be excruciatingly painful. Want to try?"
"Then...I'd better not."