Chapter 109: Nemesis?

Even Xuanxuan, who suffered from rhinitis, caught a whiff this time... The fragrance had intensified greatly; it was no longer a faint, elusive scent, but as if someone had sprayed perfume directly in front of them.

“Not good! It’s this smell—cover your mouth and nose quickly!” Qi Yan shouted, pulling Xuanxuan back hurriedly. The scent seemed to drift from an unknown direction, instantly enveloping them, leaving no chance to guard against it.

Because of the strange symptoms appearing on Ding Lingzi, Xuanxuan realized this mysterious, intoxicating fragrance was undoubtedly the source of the anomaly.

“Let’s go... retreat first! We’ll deal with this after leaving here...” She made a swift decision, ignoring everything else. The enemy operated in the shadows while they were exposed; without understanding the situation, any resistance was unwise. Above all, they had to get away from this scent.

Without hesitation, Qi Yan and Xuanxuan sprinted back toward where they had come from.

At the same time, inside the village inn, Ding Lingzi’s condition worsened again.

“Ah!” She curled up on the bed, twisting and turning in pain. Yan Bo stayed by her side without leaving, trying to steady her and gently lifting the collar of her back.

How long had it been? Minutes? The web-like raised patch on Ding Lingzi’s back had spread further. Initially, it was only about the size of a woman’s palm, but now it had expanded to roughly twenty centimeters in diameter.

Her entire back was increasingly red and swollen, resembling a rash.

This was bad—the situation was dire.

After discovering the strange growth on her back, everyone wanted to immediately find transportation back to the city. But who would have thought that Haolong had another accident, and now Xuanxuan and Qi Yan had gone out too—the five-person team was scattered.

Even though they knew this was some kind of bizarre plant root, Yan Bo dared not act carelessly under such primitive conditions, especially with such a large affected area.

This cursed thing wasn’t just growing beneath the skin; it seemed to torment Ding Lingzi’s body like a parasitic creature. Her anguished expression was so intense that tears welled from her blind eyes. Though Yan Bo couldn’t comprehend the exact sensation, he fully realized the gravity of the matter.

At this rate, in an hour or two, it might spread across her entire back, even her whole body...

Moreover, it was definitely not confined to just beneath the skin. Judging by the difficulty in removing a small section earlier, it must be growing deeper, or else Ding Lingzi wouldn’t be suffering so intensely.

---

“My... chest... feels... so... uncomfortable!” After a broken cry, Yan Bo’s anxiety surged. It seemed his suspicion was correct: the growth was not only spreading under the skin but possibly extending into her heart vessels and other internal organs.

Ding Lingzi’s increasing agony suggested that some internal nerves had already been affected.

Yan Bo glanced at his watch; it was barely past 1 a.m. They couldn’t delay any longer—something had to be done.

“Uh... ah!”

Ding Lingzi’s cries grew more desperate. The innkeeper, having heard the commotion outside, knocked anxiously. Unaware of the situation and with the guests locking their doors, he called out, “Hey! What’s going on? Is everything alright? Has something happened?”

The innkeeper was frightened by such dreadful screams and even suspected Yan Bo might be mistreating the girl. Judging by the tone, who knew what had happened?

The poor soundproofing in these rural houses had even awakened neighboring villagers.

Yan Bo hesitated, then gritted his teeth and opened the door. Before the innkeeper could peer inside, Yan Bo urgently shouted, “My... niece is gravely ill! It’s an emergency! Please help us find transportation to the county hospital immediately! We’ll pay whatever it costs!”

The innkeeper and his wife exchanged surprised looks but then glanced at Ding Lingzi on the bed. The girl looked truly miserable. Earlier, Haolong had asked them to find a vehicle, but they hadn’t taken it seriously. Now, seeing things firsthand, they understood the severity and dared not delay.

Even villagers running a small inn knew the law: if a guest were harmed and the innkeeper failed to assist promptly, they could be held liable.

The innkeeper nodded and hurried downstairs.

His wife, a somewhat stout middle-aged woman, remained anxiously at the doorway. Speaking in a thick local accent, she asked with concern, “What’s wrong with her? What kind of illness?”

Yan Bo was reluctant to explain but thought that since she was a local, perhaps she might know something, even a slight clue. If this affliction had come from the village, maybe she’d be familiar.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you come inside and take a look?”

Since she was a woman, there was no need for strict modesty. Before revealing the affected area, Yan Bo solemnly warned, “Don’t be too scared...”

He lifted Ding Lingzi’s clothing again, exposing the eerie, unsettling rash covering her back.

---

The innkeeper’s wife glanced once and screamed, “Oh my God!” Then she stood dumbfounded.

Yan Bo noticed her expression: though shocked and fearful, she didn’t react with the usual disgust or horror. Instead, she leaned closer for a better look.

“This is... ‘tree bark’?” she murmured.

“Tree bark”... the innkeeper’s wife could even name this local affliction?

Yan Bo suddenly felt as if he had grasped a lifeline. “You know it?”

The innkeeper stared intently at Ding Lingzi’s back and nodded cautiously. He explained with trepidation, “Some kids have come back from the mountain with these strange growths before... like insect bites, and they’d get high fevers. It’s been a long time since anyone caught it.”

“We’re so poor here, barely able to see a doctor when sick. When girls got ‘tree bark,’ we’d just rub some herbs on it.”

“Girls? Only females get it?” Yan Bo’s eyes lit up. “Herbs? Can rubbing herbs really cure it?”

The innkeeper’s wife frowned, thinking carefully before confirming, “Yes! When I was young, many girls in the village got it. It only affects young women nowadays; it hardly happens anymore. Don’t worry, it’s okay...”

She tried to comfort Yan Bo, “You just need to crush some ‘juancai seedlings’ and apply them for a few days, and it’ll get better. But you have to act quickly; this thing spreads fast.”

Yan Bo, seeing her shock gradually ease, believed she was telling the truth. She was just a simple innkeeper’s wife; there was no reason for deceit.

“Juancai seedlings? Oh! You mean that smelly wild vegetable we had as a cold dish at dinner?”

“Yes! I’ll get some for you now. Apply it to her, and the pain should ease within minutes. You should’ve called me sooner—if you’d found it earlier, it wouldn’t have gotten this bad.”