Volume Eight: Judgment of the Underworld Chapter Three: Venomous Insects Gnaw the Bone

The Ghost Sect case carried the stench of conspiracy, and Yaoguang could sense it keenly. Yet, the clues at hand were so scattered that they could not be strung together, not even into a feeble thread. Restless, she paced back and forth along the shoreline, her gaze fixed on the horizon where sea and sky merged, the setting sun casting long shadows. All she could do was sigh—over and over.

“Yaoyao, I haven’t seen you this serious in a long while.” A male immortal appeared quietly behind her.

“Yes,” Yaoguang replied, “these two cases are completely unconnected. The only thing they have in common is that both victims were members of the Ghost Sect. What is the sect planning? I just can’t make sense of it. How’s the investigation going on your end?”

“Not well. This time, the Ghost Sect is being exceptionally cautious. They’ve left almost no information behind, and any trail we manage to follow abruptly ends. Even the investigators at the Temple are at a loss,” he answered.

“Ugh, it’s maddening.” Yaoguang lit a cigarette as she stared at the coastline.

“Yaoyao, look—what’s that floating out there?” The immortal suddenly pointed toward the water.

“Where?” Yaoguang followed his gaze.

“There, look closely.” He indicated a glint bobbing with the waves, rising and falling.

“Doesn’t that look like a suitcase?” Yaoguang squinted, then continued, “Such a large suitcase. Stay here, I’ll fetch it.” She glanced around, saw no one nearby, and with a flash of her figure, leapt toward the light. As she drew near, she realized it really was a large black suitcase. With a wave of her hand, a surge of waves pushed the suitcase toward shore, and Yaoguang swept back onto land.

“What a massive case. Wonder what’s inside,” the immortal mused.

“We’ll know soon enough.” Yaoguang dragged the heavy suitcase up the sand. “It’s so heavy.” She reached for the zipper.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” Suddenly, the Golden Silkworm King appeared, landing on her hand, its black bead eyes fixed on her. “Chirp, chirp, chirp!” It hopped anxiously on her skin.

“What’s Xue’er saying?” the immortal asked.

“It says there’s danger—don’t touch it directly.” Yaoguang glanced at her companion, then stared in surprise at the Silkworm King.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” The little creature flew around the suitcase, circled once, then returned to Yaoguang. “Chirp, chirp, chirp!”

“I understand you now.” Yaoguang stood, raised her hand, and with a wave, split the zipper open, infusing a surge of spiritual power. Instantly, the lid of the suitcase flipped open.

What happened next made Yaoguang start in shock. Inside, curled tightly in a vacuum-sealed bag, was a person dressed in black. His body was crawling with all manner of venomous snakes, scorpions, spiders, and other poisonous creatures. Through the plastic, one could see his skin was a ghastly shade of blackish purple.

Yaoguang pressed her palm forward, sending a wave of spiritual perception. “No soul, no spirit, no spiritual core. There are still living poisonous insects inside him, and baleful energy surges within—definitely a member of the Ghost Sect.” She picked up her phone. “Xuanchen, we’ve found a Ghost Sect corpse at Jinlang Bay.”

“I’ll be right there,” came the reply before the line went dead.

Xuanchen arrived swiftly. “Phoenix, what’s the situation?”

“See for yourself.” Yaoguang nodded toward the suitcase.

“Heavens, was he killed by poisonous insects?” Xuanchen peered at the suitcase.

“Phoenix, we searched the area—found nothing. It looks like the suitcase was tossed from the water, then washed ashore. The beach is covered in footprints, impossible to distinguish. Vehicles aren’t allowed on this beach; all cars are parked up in the lot, so there are no tire tracks. I also checked the boats nearby. The manager told me that, due to recent bad weather and tourist safety, all boats are docked and accounted for. We checked—no locks had been tampered with, and there’s 24-hour security. The likelihood of someone stealing a boat to dump a body is low. The boat must have come from elsewhere.” Tianyou walked over, reporting.

“Phoenix, this is just… ugh.” Forensic examiner Lele was at a loss, scissors in hand, about to cut open the bag when Yaoguang stopped her.

“Don’t open it. I checked—there are still living Gu insects inside. Let’s transport it back first. Xue’er, you’ll escort it,” Yaoguang said to the Silkworm King.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” The Silkworm King flapped its wings at her.

“Oh, this little bug is adorable,” Lele cooed, drawn to the fat, white creature. “And it smells nice!”

“That’s Phoenix’s Silkworm King. Let’s go—time to head back,” Huo Mingkun said.

“Why does Phoenix want the bug to escort the body?” Lele asked.

“These poisonous insects are the elite among toxic creatures. The Golden Silkworm King specializes in subduing them. For safety,” Mingkun replied, climbing into the car.

In the morgue, Yaoguang gazed at the curled-up body, then at the Silkworm King. “Xue’er, it’s your turn.”

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!” The Silkworm King was beside itself with excitement.

“I told you to kill the poison insects inside, not eat them. You’ll get steak later—this is disgusting,” Yaoguang reprimanded.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp, chirp!” The Silkworm King showed its displeasure, but cheered up at the mention of steak. It darted straight for the bag, bit through it, and sank its teeth into the corpse. In moments, it vanished into the body, only to emerge a while later, scampering to the faucet. Huo Mingkun turned on the water, and the Silkworm King rolled about before shaking off the droplets and flying back to perch on Yaoguang’s shoulder.

“Lele, you direct, I’ll handle the rest. These are Five Poisons Gu from the Black Miao. They’re not ordinary venomous insects, but Gu poison. A single touch is fatal.” Yaoguang donned protective gear and gloves, summoned spiritual energy to her hands, and began to open the bag. As she exposed the corpse, a putrid stench filled the air, sending Huo Mingkun and Jiang Yun running outside to vomit.

“Ugh. In all my years as a forensic doctor, this is the first time I’ve been so nauseated,” Lele muttered. Yaoguang laid the corpse flat, placing the insects in separate dishes before examining the victim. His face was black and purple, but Yaoguang recognized him.

“Ghost Mirror?! He was one of the few who escaped back then, but he was only a child. The evidence showed he never did anything wrong. How did he end up like this, killed by Gu—such a cruel death? The Ghost Sect has no conscience, not even sparing a child.” As she spoke, Yaoguang cut open Ghost Mirror’s clothing.

The next moment, everyone nearly retched—the corpse was covered in a dense mass of venomous insects: spiders, centipedes, scorpions, in all colors. Gritting her teeth, Yaoguang cleared away the dead creatures, and saw the young body was riddled with wounds, every one a bite mark.

Yaoguang opened the abdominal cavity.

“Ugh!” Xuanchen, Tianyou, and Lele all doubled over, vomiting—inside, the organs were mangled, the remains of insects everywhere.

“Are you all right?” Yaoguang asked, glancing at them. They waved her away weakly.

“Phoenix, to make a forensic doctor retch—that’s a feat. Why aren’t you bothered at all?” Lele rinsed her mouth, looking at Yaoguang’s calm face with admiration.

“I’ve seen worse in Miaojiang. No need to examine this body further—seal it in a vacuum and freeze it. He was used as a vessel for these poisonous insects,” Yaoguang explained, seeing Lele’s confusion. “That means, he was trapped with the insects and eaten alive. The killer didn’t intend to refine anything with his body—just wanted him devoured. There’s a special scent on him—Hundred Insect Powder. The bugs love it. After he was bitten to death, he was packed up; the insects died from lack of air in the vacuum.”

Yaoguang placed the dead insects in the sink, peeled off her gloves, and tossed them in as well. With a sweep of spiritual power, she incinerated the remains to ash, then washed it all down the drain.

The next day, the vacuum bag was brought in. Yaoguang placed a binding spell on the corpse, packed it, vacuum-sealed it, and locked it in a corner of the freezing cabinet before leaving with the others.

“Phoenix, what do we do next? This is the third body. What’s going on?” Xuanchen stared at the data on the big screen, at a loss.

“The third body… I’m starting to think the Ghost Sect is conducting some kind of ritual. But I still can’t find the link. I suspect there’ll be another body,” Yaoguang replied, eyes on the screen.

The immortals hadn’t returned, which meant—there was nothing new to report.