The driver cursed as he got out of the vehicle.
Wang Pangzi and Shirley Yang leaned against the window, both craning their heads out to see what the bus had run over.
The next second—
Both of them recoiled instantly, their faces turning pale.
"Old Hu, go take a look—what the hell did the bus hit?" Wang Pangzi said, patting his chest, clearly shaken.
Xu Lang and Hu Ba Yi quickly got off the bus.
A foul, fishy stench hung thick in the air outside.
Behind the vehicle, two long streaks of green slime stretched across the ground.
Following the trail, Xu Lang quickly found what had been struck.
A passenger who had also gotten off to check took one look—
—and immediately vomited.
What the vehicle had hit…
was not a person.
But a stone human figurine.
The figurine was roughly the size of a real person, its craftsmanship extremely lifelike and realistic.
At the point of impact, a large hole had been smashed open.
Only then did it become clear—
The outer layer was merely a shell.
The inside was hollow.
And from the broken cavity, countless wriggling creatures began to crawl out.
Too many to count.
These maggot-like creatures were plump and pale white—
Each one the size of a palm.
Many had been crushed by the wheels, their bodies bursting open, releasing green fluid that emitted an indescribably nauseating stench.
The driver spat twice in disgust, cursing his bad luck.
Behind them, Shirley Yang frowned.
"Old Hu, this stone figurine looks like it imitates Han Dynasty style… Do you think it could be something made during the King Xian period?"
As she spoke, she bent down, intending to pick up a fragment of the figurine for closer inspection.
Xu Lang immediately stopped her.
"Careful. These are Shong worms—they're poisonous."
The moment Xu Lang spoke, Shirley Yang froze and didn't dare move any further.
At that moment, Wang Pangzi also got off the bus. Hearing Xu Lang's warning, he waved it off casually.
"Shong worms? Looks like nothing more than fat maggots to me. Watch me crush them one by one!"
He didn't use his foot—probably out of disgust—but instead picked up a stone from the roadside and smashed it down onto one of the worms.
Squish!
The creature burst apart, green fluid splattering everywhere.
A wave of stench spread instantly.
Xu Lang saw clearly—
A faint strand of black aura clung to each of these worms.
These were definitely no ordinary creatures.
Some of the green fluid splashed onto Wang Pangzi's arm.
Xu Lang noticed that the faint black aura was already creeping up along Wang Pangzi's arm—
Moving past his shoulder—
Heading straight toward his heart.
Xu Lang immediately grabbed Wang Pangzi.
"It's fine, just a bit of worm juice—back when I used to cut in line—"
Before Wang Pangzi could finish speaking, his expression changed.
A sharp, searing pain erupted.
His entire arm became heavy, completely immobile.
"My arm! Old Hu! Shirley Yang! Come take a look—what's wrong with my arm?!"
Hu Ba Yi and Shirley Yang rushed over at once.
But Xu Lang had already pressed firmly onto Wang Pangzi's shoulder.
The black aura was blocked by Xu Lang's palm, unable to advance any further.
"I already told you. These are Shong worms. Highly toxic."
Xu Lang grinned, revealing a bright and sincere smile.
"Brother Fatty, how about this—if I cure you, from now on you stop calling me Xiao Xu and call me Brother Lang. Deal?"
Wang Pangzi tried to keep up a tough front—
But very quickly, he noticed his arm had already started turning black.
Even Shirley Yang grew anxious.
"Xiao Xu, if you have a way, help him quickly. Otherwise… we might have to amputate."
The moment Wang Pangzi heard the word amputate, his face went completely dark.
"Xu Lang! If you can save my arm, forget 'Brother Lang'—I'll call you Lord Lang from now on!"
Xu Lang nodded.
Shirley Yang's assist had worked perfectly.
"You all step back. And make sure the other passengers don't touch these worms. Leave this to me."
Hu Ba Yi and Shirley Yang immediately moved to maintain order, following Xu Lang's instructions.
Xu Lang pulled Wang Pangzi closer and placed his left hand on his shoulder.
The Golden Silkworm Gu tattoo on his arm began to writhe.
Soon—
A semi-transparent, plump golden worm emerged from his arm.
The moment the Golden Silkworm Gu appeared, it seemed extremely excited.
Opening its tiny mouth, it bit directly onto Wang Pangzi's shoulder.
Wang Pangzi let out a muffled groan, beads of sweat pouring down his forehead.
Very quickly—
That strand of black aura on his shoulder was completely sucked into the Gu.
Xu Lang checked carefully. Seeing no trace of black aura left in Wang Pangzi's body, he finally released his grip.
Wang Pangzi was still clenching his teeth, eyes shut tight.
Xu Lang patted him.
"All done. You're cured."
Only then did Wang Pangzi open his eyes, his face filled with shock.
"Huh? My arm… it really doesn't hurt anymore! I can move it! It's fine? No amputation?!"
Xu Lang smiled and nodded.
"That's right. No amputation."
Wang Pangzi was overjoyed.
"Then many thanks, Xiao Xu—no, many thanks, Lord Lang!"
"You're too polite." Xu Lang grinned at the title, clearly pleased. "Go get some rest on the bus."
Wang Pangzi glanced at the hundreds of wriggling fat worms still squirming on the ground nearby and frowned.
"What about these freaky bugs?"
Xu Lang also looked over—
But unlike Wang Pangzi, his eyes were filled with anticipation.
"I'll take care of them."
After Wang Pangzi returned to the bus, the other passengers were also ushered back inside by Hu Ba Yi and Shirley Yang.
Only then did Xu Lang focus fully on the Shong worms.
To him—
These worms were treasures.
Just now, when the Golden Silkworm Gu absorbed the black aura from Wang Pangzi's arm—
Xu Lang had already heard the system notification.
[System Notification]
[Golden Silkworm Gu absorbed Shong worm]
[Energy +1]
The Golden Silkworm Gu could absorb energy from these Shong worms!
Then what was there to hesitate about?
Facing these sluggish, crawling creatures, Xu Lang showed no mercy.
He picked up a stone and smashed them one by one.
Each time a worm was crushed—
The black aura within it would be absorbed by the Golden Silkworm Gu on his left arm.
And in Xu Lang's mind, the system notifications rang out repeatedly—
[System Notification]
[Golden Silkworm Gu Energy +1]
[System Notification]
[Golden Silkworm Gu Energy +1]