Chapter 47

(Listen, listen, listen (Thank you to the generous donations and encouragement from Jiu Nan Shen Shui, Xue Zi Nie, the psychiatric experts of the Twilight Dawn Hospital, Hua Luo Pian Xian, Hong Chen Heng, and the great Hua Luo Pian Xian for the support of Long!))

Zhao Zhu's physical condition is really very bad right now, and God can vouch for it. Zhao Zhu feels that if he could have a full meal before falling into a coma or get an IV drip of saline and glucose while he's unconscious, he could definitely sleep for a full two days and two nights. However, things that are guaranteed by God usually don't have a high success rate.

At this moment, he has probably only been unconscious for two or three hours. Zhao Zhu opened his eyes again. His lips were cracked, his skin pale, his eyes lifeless, and his stomach ached from hunger. His limbs were weak and powerless.

As a doctor, Zhao Zhu knew that his body was approaching its limit, like a car on the verge of falling apart.

For several days, he had been continuously enduring various injuries, facing all kinds of enemies, and suffering terrible physical and mental damage.

First, in that small town in the forest, his soul almost got trapped there forever. Then he encountered the ghost bride, who made him bleed from all seven orifices. After that, the illusion of the Eight Banners cavalry almost turned him into a vegetable if not for the jade hairpin that heated up and brought his consciousness back. If that hadn't happened, Zhao Zhu might have already become cannon fodder for Yan Xing and others, lying on the ground as a vegetable while his consciousness followed a group of Eight Banners soldiers into battle.

Then, on the altar, he met that thing. Although he hypnotized himself into thinking he was a eunuch and managed to "escape," the self-hypnosis caused significant mental harm. Zhao Zhu also knew that things weren't that simple; otherwise, why would the sachet have ended up in his backpack?

Of course, the most severe injuries came from facing the monster underwater. The depths of the water are a no-go zone for normal humans. Unless one is a long-term resident near water or has undergone systematic special training, a person who is completely submerged in water is essentially starting a countdown to their death. Zhao Zhu not only struggled with the monster underwater but was also on the brink of drowning. By a twist of fate, the monster dragged him into the next tomb chamber, and he then endured a powerful strike from the monster's tail. Despite all these injuries, the fact that Zhao Zhu is now awake and still conscious is a remarkable feat.

He feels very tired, very painful, and very hungry. The first two issues are unsolvable, and the last one is also very difficult to resolve because his backpack, which contained his supplies, was lost underwater. It's now at the bottom of the water, and there's no way to retrieve it. The only equipment Zhao Zhu has left is a pair of silk gloves on his hands, a military knife on his boot, and a lighter on his belt.

There's nothing to eat, nothing to drink, and no medicine.

Struggling to get up from the ground, Zhao Zhu saw the monster that had been impaled and was now riddled with wounds. Blood had almost soaked the floor tiles of the tomb chamber, making the scene look extremely tragic.

"F*ck, it's really ugly and disgusting."

Zhao Zhu spat on the ground, then staggered to his feet. He looked at the monster's corpse and touched his abdomen. Normally, Zhao Zhu wouldn't do something as childish as this, but it was inevitable. Anyone who is so hungry that they are about to eat a monster would feel some psychological aversion. Under normal circumstances, people wouldn't have the desire to eat such a thing unless it was a last resort.

"Whatever, let's eat first."

No matter what, Zhao Zhu couldn't let himself starve. He was already covered in injuries, and although none of them were bone-deep, the numerous cuts and bruises were still taking a toll on his body. Combined with his physical and mental exhaustion, Zhao Zhu urgently needed to replenish his body. Eating is always the best and most direct way to restore energy and physical condition. At this point, having something to eat is already a good thing, and being picky is not the time.

Carefully avoiding the dense spikes on the ground, Zhao Zhu walked to the monster's corpse. Although the monster was dead, its large fish eyes were still wide open, as if it couldn't rest in peace, which was quite frightening.

Zhao Zhu chose the abdominal area of the monster, stabbed it with his knife, and then cut a bloody piece of meat.

Without salt or a pot, Zhao Zhu clearly wouldn't use his only lighter to cook the meat, so he had to eat it raw. Actually, eating raw food isn't just about the poor texture; the more important issue is the potential for various bacteria in raw meat and blood, which can make people sick if consumed in large quantities. Of course, this doesn't apply to those who are accustomed to a raw diet. However, even if he were to contract some infectious disease, Zhao Zhu didn't care. After all, if he completed his mission, all his injuries would heal upon his return. If he failed the mission, he wouldn't even have the luxury of waiting for the disease to take effect.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Zhu cut a smaller piece of meat and put it in his mouth to chew. To his surprise, the meat, though not very tasty, was not as bad as he expected. It had no fishy smell and felt almost like chewing gum, leaving a sweet aftertaste. In short, it wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

"This monster was originally locked in that underground river by the Manchus. Four hundred years have passed, and when I went down there, I didn't see a single fish. The monster must have survived by eating plankton in the water, so its teeth have degenerated and disappeared because it didn't need them. Because it hasn't eaten meat for four hundred years and has been on a vegetarian diet, it's almost like some of the high-level cultivators who practice fasting. The flesh and blood have no fishy smell and are much better than compressed biscuits."

"Let's see if there's anything else to eat." After eating a piece of meat, Zhao Zhu cut another piece and put it in his mouth. After swallowing the first piece, he felt a warm sensation in his stomach, as if a warm current was flowing through him. This made him realize that the monster's meat was highly nourishing, probably unique in the world.

Zhao Zhu reached into the monster's belly and found no intestines or other organs, just soft flesh.

"What's going on?"

Zhao Zhu cut the monster's belly open wider to examine it more closely. He discovered that the monster's internal structure was very simple, even simpler than that of some straight-intestine animals. Inside, there was something that resembled a stomach but wasn't quite the same. Zhao Zhu, being a doctor, had some basic medical knowledge.

"Hmm?"

Zhao Zhu frowned and touched the "stomach." Indeed, he felt a slight vibration in his palm.

"Still moving after death? Do you have reflex nerves in your stomach?"

Zhao Zhu, not believing it, took out his military knife to cut open the "stomach." It wasn't a snake, which could still move even after being decapitated, skinned, and gutted. This monster didn't seem to have any relation to snakes.

"Crack"

The military knife pierced the "stomach" and cut it open, and a rich, fragrant aroma filled the air. Zhao Zhu felt as if he had opened a jar of 400-year-old daughter red wine. The enticing aroma almost intoxicated him, and he had to take a few steps back to steady himself.

"Glug glug..."

A golden, mango-like sphere rolled out of the "stomach" and landed at Zhao Zhu's feet. The intense fragrance was coming from this sphere.