Chapter 98: The Most Fierce Hungry Ghost

Hearing my question, Old Man Jiang let out a cold snort and said, “Hungry ghost worms have a very obvious trait. They fear complete enclosure, because they are constantly suffering from hunger. Their temperament is generally irritable, and a fully sealed environment will ignite that irritability. That is why holes were left on top. Those holes were coated with a special wax. This is a kind of insect wax that is extremely hard to collect. Hungry ghost worms are very afraid of it. With this layer of wax, it prevents newly hatched hungry ghost worms from accidentally crawling out through those small holes.”

“Such small holes, they can really get out?” I asked in shock.

“Of course they can. Seven orifices, they can get into those, let alone such a small hole. Their bodies can stretch. They can elongate until they are as thin as a strand of hair, no problem at all. Unfortunately, that insect wax is very special. It cannot be exposed to any light. The moment it sees light, it melts. And it is the same for the hungry ghost worm eggs. In a completely silent and dead environment, only the strongest life force can hatch. The moment they sense even a trace of vitality, they will rush to hatch. Without the wax seal to block them… sigh…” Old Man Jiang sighed.

I roughly understood the sequence of events. No wonder Old Du bringing that jar out of the tomb made my master so furious.

“Master, these worms are too terrifying. They cannot be smashed, cannot be cut, can stretch, and are not even afraid of dog blood.” I could not imagine what else these hungry ghost worms were afraid of. If I met them again, what would I do? Would I really have to bite my tongue tip every time? My master would not even let me use the tiger claw amulet. Besides, the last time tongue tip blood worked was only due to luck.

“Not every worm is like that. The one inside Guo Er’s stomach was different. It was at least the king of that gu chamber. That is why it was so powerful. Ordinary worms, if you use full force, can still have their physical bodies destroyed and their life force cut off.”

“And besides, Guo Er and the others had already poured so much dog blood onto that worm. It practically got a massive tonic,” Hui Jue said unhappily.

“What is going on? Is not dog blood supposed to ward off evil?” This was exactly what I could not understand.

“Ward off evil? Dog blood is only effective against certain spells, illusions, and things without a physical body. What use is it against things with physical bodies? And that worm was not using any spell or illusion. It was just the overwhelming pressure of a powerful hungry ghost soul. Can dog blood break that? Do you know about jiangshi?” Old Man Jiang said irritably.

At this point, Hui Jue also chimed in. “Hungry ghosts come in many types. This one in particular feeds on blood energy. Anything with blood vitality is a great tonic for them. Think about it, a worm that has been starving for who knows how many years. When it suddenly encounters so much dog blood, how could it not become energized?”

I sighed inwardly. This was the difference between amateurs like Jiang Yaomaoer and professionals like my master and Hui Jue. Things that are said to ward off evil cannot be used blindly. Sometimes what is a remedy for one thing becomes poison for another.

“Master, why do you say the worm inside Guo Er was a worm king?”

“Let us start with that gu chamber. Those pipes were deliberately designed so that the lucky and strongest worms could crawl up into the gu container at the top. Inside those pipes was a special liquid. I do not know the exact formula, but I can be sure the main ingredient was the blood of the gu breeder. You know how sealed ceramics can preserve wine for thousands of years. That kind of liquid is even more stable than wine, or how should I put it, it lasts even longer. After the worms are born, they are attracted by the liquid in the pipes and will do everything they can to crawl in. The pipe connects to the jar, and in between there is an extremely tiny hole, almost invisible to the naked eye. The worms can stretch, so after that, you understand, right?” Old Man Jiang could not quite find the words and directly turned to ask me.

I of course understood. I could only sigh at how difficult it was for those hungry ghost worms to crawl through such a tiny opening, probably thinner than a hair.

“Of course. Even if the hole is extremely small, the liquid inside will gradually drain. The liquid that flows into the jar will be absorbed by the worm eggs. But that liquid does not help them hatch at all. It is more like a kind of fragrance. Once the liquid is gone, any worms that have not hatched are eliminated, because taking so long to hatch only proves they are not strong enough.”

“That is the principle. The worms that successfully hatch all crawl to the gu container at the top. The clay of that gu container is different from the lower part. The sealing formula is even more intense. Once the worms enter, they lose all courage to escape. Then they wait for the next worm to arrive. Hungry ghosts have a trait. Because of their hunger, they often lose reason and devour each other as siblings. The ones that survive are the strongest. That is the survival law of hungry ghosts. Do you understand now?” Hui Jue added.

“I understand. The person who designed this gu chamber put in so much effort just to cultivate the strongest hungry ghost worm in each chamber.” But what was the purpose of all this?

I asked, but only Hui Jue answered, “Not just one in each gu chamber. He is trying to cultivate the strongest hungry ghost worm in the entire tomb.”

That one sentence left no one answering me about what the purpose was.

But regardless, I still had one concern. “Master, what about the two worms that escaped?”

“I suspect they entered the bodies of livestock. There are so many animals in the market town. Domestic animals, wild animals, how could we possibly check them all? Human blood essence contains spiritual energy and is far superior to livestock blood, but those worms were too hungry. When they saw animals, they could not resist and went in. A single human body can only contain at most two hungry ghost worms,” Old Man Jiang said.

“Master, what do we do then?” I asked anxiously.

“What can we do? Closely monitor any livestock in the market town that die under strange circumstances. The real worry is if they entered wild animals. That would be even harder to trace. If they grow into mature forms, it will truly be a disaster,” Old Man Jiang sighed.

“Yes. That is why your master and I do not dare to easily go to the hungry ghost tomb now. We must stay here and wait for those two worms to reveal themselves,” Hui Jue said with a worried expression.

“What is a mature form?” I suddenly thought of the worm inside Guo Er’s stomach. It was so unusual, with two branching limbs like hands and even a split tail. I felt a rising fear.

“A mature form? A mature form is no different from the hungry ghosts of the hungry ghost path. Just look at the relief carvings. That is what they become. At that point, they will start eating human flesh,” Old Man Jiang said without any hint of joking.

Eating human flesh. My stomach twisted violently. It was not disgust, but fear.

I suddenly remembered some very old stories. Things like small goblin ghosts, ghosts eating human flesh. No wonder my father once told me that my late grandfather said his grandfather once saw, while walking a mountain road at night, a small ferocious creature eating rotten meat off a dead horse. He ran away the moment he saw it from afar.

I could not help but tell them this story. Old Man Jiang said, “That was good. That was a hungry ghost that eats rotten flesh. Its harm is much lower. Hungry ghosts that eat blood are more than a hundred times more vicious. Your ancestor was fortunate. If he had encountered one that eats blood, he would not have been able to run. There would not be you here today.”

“So hungry ghosts even eat different things?” I felt humans all eat food. Did hungry ghosts really have categories too? How strange.

Hui Jue looked at me with clear contempt in his eyes, as if mocking my lack of knowledge. “Of course they are different. Some eat incense offerings, some eat filth such as feces or thick phlegm, some eat rotten flesh. And the suffering of hunger also varies among them.”

“But no matter how different they are, there is one thing we cannot avoid,” Old Man Jiang sighed. I had already lost count of how many times he had sighed tonight.

“What thing?” I asked.