Chapter 8

Faber in Sachundanga-9 (8/187)

Reverse Interview 4

A bolt from the blue.

Or, a red bean in the middle of the night.

For the first time in a long while, I was sleeping sweetly on a bed, not on the street.

I was clearly dozing off in a chair, but a martial artist from the Tang family had moved me to my room.

To be honest, I woke up during the move, but I just pretended to be asleep.

I was tired.

But perhaps he was jealous of how sweetly I was sleeping despite his hard work?

I was woken up by a slap from Old Iron Mountain.

In front of my drowsy eyes, a creature appeared, resembling a praying mantis, and its name was Jie Wen Chong (接吻蟲).

If we interpret the meaning, it's a bug that kisses.

The name might evoke some lewd and sticky thoughts, but in my previous life, this bug was called a Kissing Bug, and it was indeed a Jie Wen Chong.

‘Why are these things here?’

Kissing Bugs come in various species and are found in many parts of the world, but the one that bit me and was caught had a pattern of orange and black on the edges of its body.

It was the most dangerous and cautious one.

The bad mood from being slapped was short-lived.

If this bug had bitten me, the slap would have been a minor inconvenience.

This bug was one of the top ten most venomous in the world in my previous life.

‘Wait!? Eyelid swelling, mild fever, localized lesions, arrhythmia!? Why didn’t I think of this before!?’

And at the moment I confirmed the Kissing Bug, I realized it was the cause of the strange illness affecting the villagers.

Kissing Bugs, which belong to the Reduviidae family, feed on the blood around the eyes or lips of sleeping people, hence their name.

However, the bugs themselves are not a major problem.

They are so stealthy that they approach people more quietly than mosquitoes and feed on their blood without the person even realizing it.

Most of the time, the bite site doesn’t cause significant issues.

That’s why they are also called Vampire Bugs or Assassin Bugs, due to their stealth.

However, the problem lies in the pathogens and toxins they carry.

Specifically, the Trypanosoma Cruzi parasite that lives inside them is the issue.

In my previous life, it was known that about fifty percent of the population was infected with this parasite, which causes Chagas disease, a condition we are not familiar with.

These bugs defecate while feeding, and the parasites in their feces cause the infection.

Sometimes, the bite itself can cause infection, but the feces are the primary cause.

“Elder, quickly get some white liquor (白酒) for the village chief!”

“White liquor? No, even if I’m angry... You’re still too young to drink...”

When I suddenly asked for white liquor, Old Iron Mountain was taken aback, but I needed it not to drink but to disinfect.

I thought distilled white liquor might work for disinfection, but it’s better than doing nothing.

Kissing Bugs should not be squashed by hand when caught, as the parasites inside will be released, which is why they warn against it.

They advise using a container to catch them and then putting them in the refrigerator to kill them.

“No, the bug is venomous, and I need to wash it off with white liquor!”

“What!? This bug is venomous?”

“Yes, quickly get the village chief some white liquor!”

“I’ll be fine, but you might have a problem. Gupae! Quickly ask the village chief for some white liquor.”

“Yes, Master!”

One of the Tang family’s martial artists quickly ran off, and a moment later, he returned with the village chief and the white liquor.

“Young Hero, here it is!”

“Thank you!”

I quickly soaked a cloth in the white liquor and wiped my still numb cheek, and I also wiped Old Iron Mountain’s hand, which was fine.

Then, I used a stick to pick up the Kissing Bug and placed it on a bowl.

“This is the first time I’ve seen such a venomous bug. Is it really that venomous? From what I can see, you seem fine, so it shouldn’t be that bad, right?”

Old Iron Mountain and the martial artist looked at me curiously, and even the village chief, who had been dragged out of bed, was blinking.

“Indeed, but I need to confirm. I believe this bug is the cause of the villagers’ strange illness.”

“What!? The strange illness?”

“Young Hero, is that true!?”

“Is it true, Young Hero!? Is our Meizhen suffering because of this bug!?”

When I said this, Old Iron Mountain, the Tang family’s martial artist, and the village chief looked at me in disbelief.

Since the Jie Wen Chong was confirmed, the first thing to check was the animals.

I asked the village chief about the village’s dogs.

If it was indeed Chagas disease caused by the Jie Wen Chong, the disease would affect both animals and humans.

As a parasitic disease, it can spread to both animals and humans.

“Village Chief, have the village dogs shown any signs of shortness of breath or symptoms similar to humans? Have they been sick and died?”

“Yes! How did you know!?”

Sure enough, the village chief confirmed that the dogs had shown similar symptoms.

This was definitely Chagas disease.

‘But, this bug should only appear in South America, and the disease should only manifest there. Why is it here?’

In my previous life, Chagas disease started in South America and spread to North America.

While Kissing Bugs are found worldwide, the ones carrying Trypanosoma Cruzi are only found in that region.

In an era of frequent global travel, they might be found elsewhere, but this is not such an era.

“Then, can we save our Meizhen!?”

Chagas disease is indeed dangerous, but the initial treatment is simple.

Just take antiparasitic medication.

If it progresses to severe stages, affecting the heart or other organs, it becomes difficult to treat, but the initial symptoms can be easily treated with antiparasitic medication.

It requires long-term use, over two months, but it is effective.

In my previous life, once the symptoms were identified, treatment was not a major issue.

The problem is that I know about the information on poisons, venomous bugs, and snakes, and how to treat them, but I don’t know how to make the medication.

I know the drug is called benznidazole, but I don’t know how to make it.

Therefore, I couldn’t answer the village chief’s question with a guilty expression.

“That...”

Old Iron Mountain asked with a puzzled look.

“Why, Young Hero? You know it’s because of this bug, so why do you look like that?”

I thought he might understand that the bug carries parasites inside its body, which cause the disease, but I decided to explain anyway.

If I could make Old Iron Mountain understand, he could explain to others why it can’t be treated.

It would be good if others understood as well.

“Actually, this Jie Wen Chong is not venomous.”

“What? You clearly said it was venomous and even wiped it off with white liquor?”

People looked confused by my contradictory statements.

I nodded and continued.

“Yes, it’s not venom, but something else.”

“Something else?”

“What is it?”

“Actually, this bug’s body is full of tiny, invisible bugs. When they bite people and defecate nearby, the feces mix with the bugs and enter the person’s body. These bugs then reproduce inside the body and settle in the intestines.”

“Bugs!? Invisible?”

“Think of them like roundworms.”

“Oh! Roundworms!”

Roundworms are a term in Chinese.

Old Iron Mountain nodded at my explanation.

“Yes, like roundworms, they grow inside the body and settle in the intestines. They interfere with the intestines’ function, eventually leading to death. However, I don’t know the medication...”

As I said this with a regretful expression, the village chief burst into tears and wailed.

He was desperately crying because he didn’t know how to cure his granddaughter.

“Then, you can’t save our Meizhen!? Elder, is it really true!? Sniff... Meizhen!”

But in contrast, Old Iron Mountain’s tone was different, full of self-assurance.

“Gupae, did you see? This is the true value of a Young Hero. I told you so, didn’t I?”

“Indeed. I momentarily had a foolish thought. I will gladly accept the punishment for doubting Master’s judgment.”

They exchanged some cryptic dialogue, and then Old Iron Mountain patted my shoulder.

“Young Hero, what are you worried about? We are the Sachundanga family.”

“Pardon?”

“We are the Sachundanga family.”

‘What do you want me to do! No, why are you always talking about the Sachundanga family! It’s just a family stuck in a corner of Sichuan! What’s the point!’

Whether it’s the Sachundanga family or the Samchundanga family, it doesn’t matter if they can’t save people, and Old Iron Mountain is just boasting about his family.

I was about to give him the worst score in the reverse interview due to his personality issues when he asked with a smile.

“Young Hero, have you heard of Gū (蠱)?”

‘Not the Gū from the movie “The Host”?’

The sudden mention of ‘Gū’.

I blinked, not knowing what it was, and Old Iron Mountain continued.

“Gū, also known as Wugū (巫蠱) or Gūdú (蠱毒), is a parasite raised by evil people in China. They come in various sizes and can be fed to people, parasitizing their bodies and causing periodic pain or even controlling them.”

“Controlling people? That’s impressive.”

Raising and feeding parasites that can control people—definitely not something from my world, but it seemed like all sorts of insects existed.

The presence of Kissing Bugs here made sense.

Old Iron Mountain looked regretful and answered.

“Yes, it’s impressive, but many martial artists have lost their lives to Gū. Some have killed their own children and committed suicide, while others have betrayed their families and become slaves to evil people.”

“Oh...”

“Meizhen! Sob...”

Old Iron Mountain continued his explanation calmly, despite the village chief’s wailing.

“So, martial artists have tried to create antidotes to escape from Gūdú. They have developed drugs that make the Gū burst out of the body or dissolve them.”

“That makes sense, given the damage they cause.”

“Indeed.”

‘Is it like an antiparasitic drug? Despite the different era and world, people think similarly.’

As I thought this, Old Iron Mountain asked another question.

“However, if martial artists can create such drugs, where do you think they would create them?”

“I don’t know.”

Since I didn’t know about the martial arts world, I couldn’t answer, but Old Iron Mountain smiled and pulled out a small vial from his chest.

“Of course, from our Great Sichuan Tang Family (大四川唐門). We have a drug that can dissolve a fist-sized Gū in the body. A tiny, invisible creature would be no problem.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Our Sichuan Tang Family has created many drugs to combat Gūdú. A small dose can dissolve all the roundworm-like creatures in the body. While it doesn’t work on all Gū, it should be sufficient for such tiny, invisible creatures.”

“Wugū Ronghua Dan (巫蠱熔化團)!”

Ultimately, it’s an antiparasitic drug with an impressive name.

The name of the pill, which dissolves all parasites, made my whole body shiver.

Why do men, no matter how foolish, always have their own romantic ideals?

Playing soccer in the rain with a crazy grin, wanting to be the strongest, no matter how old they are.

Following Old Iron Mountain, we arrived at the room where the young girl was lying. Old Iron Mountain gently placed a small pill in her mouth.

The pill melted like water and flowed into the girl’s mouth.

A moment later, the girl’s chest, which had been irregular and restless, slowly calmed down, and her eyes began to flutter.

“Meizhen!”

“...Grandfather?”

“Meizhen! You’re alive!”

The village chief, sobbing, made my nose tingle.

I was starting to think that joining the Sichuan Tang Family as a regular member wouldn’t be so bad.

‘It was a bit cool, wasn’t it?’