Chapter 22: The Boy's Urine Calms the Pulse

To be fair, considering how tight the schedule was, one could not entirely blame Shi Ji. Wu Xian could clearly feel that the daylight hours were becoming shorter than before. As their survival time extended, the difficulty of the Blessed Land increased accordingly; he feared it would not be long before they were forced into a desperate situation where they would have to face the evil spirits head-on.

"Want a bite? To build up your strength?" Shi Ji handed Wu Xian a piece of air-dried large intestine.

Wu Xian rolled his eyes. This damned Shi Ji was truly lucky. To ensure he wouldn't drag them down tonight, Wu Xian had given up his only chance to worship the gods today, and Shi Ji had actually managed to pray for something good. The god he prayed to was the "Water Official Guangde Dragon King," and in return, he received a katana named "Urchin-Urine Yasutsuna." Originally an exotic blade capable of slaying great demons, it had been lost in a primary school boys' restroom urinal for various reasons. Soaking in children's urine day and night had caused its nature to undergo a strange transformation. With this treasure, even Shi Ji could exert considerable combat power.

After a brief rest, the two sat back-to-back on the floor. Because the days had grown shorter, they didn't feel sleepy at all. Given the critical nature of the night, they intended to power through it.

Time ticked away. The clock hands moved slowly, and nights without the internet were agonizing. Outside, it was deathly quiet. For some reason, there was no movement tonight; Yu Yinghua hadn't come to knock, and the minor child spirits hadn't launched a night raid. This waiting was soul-crushing. Whether from nerves or actual sweltering heat, Wu Xian and Shi Ji began to feel weary. They were sweating profusely; the sweat made their skin look greasy and filthy, as if they hadn't bathed in days. They were forced to drink vast amounts of water to stay hydrated and constantly wipe themselves down to keep clean.

Before long, their stomachs began to revolt. Gurgle, gurgle. Wu Xian felt as if he had been infected by Shi Ji—otherwise, why were his own bowel movements becoming so frequent? When nature called, it was hard to ignore, so the two had to take turns fighting over the toilet.

That wasn't all. Suddenly, Wu Xian started running a nose, the thick, yellow kind associated with a severe cold. It left him dizzy and lightheaded. He used wad after wad of tissues. Perhaps because of the nasal congestion, he felt his breathing becoming restricted, as if filthy mucus were coating his lungs. The wave after wave of physical anomalies made Wu Xian incredibly irritable. He was still young; why did he suddenly feel like an elderly man? The physical distress was driving him to the brink of madness.

He became so preoccupied that he forgot the dangers lurking tonight. He needed to wash away the filth and be a clean person.

"Ah, ah, I can't take it anymore!"
"Better to die than to live like this."

Just as he finished that thought, Wu Xian froze and nearly vomited. "It stinks!" His mouth emitted a foul stench. He had brushed his teeth only hours ago, yet now it smelled like rotten eggs that had been left in a warm, damp environment for forty-nine days. Bad breath. It required brushing.

Wu Xian rushed into the bathroom, grabbed his toothbrush, squeezed half a tube of toothpaste onto it, and brushed over and over again. He didn't stop even when the bristles curled. The delicate skin in his mouth tore, and blood stained the foam. Suddenly, in his vigorous brushing, his arm bumped into Shi Ji.

Shi Ji patted him enthusiastically. "What a coincidence, you're brushing your teeth too! Take a look and see if my toothbrush is clean. Why do I always feel like my teeth are yellow?"

"Don't get in my way!" Wu Xian barked. He turned his head impatiently, his pupils dilating in horror.

Shi Ji's toothbrush was half-bald. His mouth was filled with bloody froth and broken bristles. His gums had been brushed raw, with some tooth roots exposed. Every time he jabbed inside, he pulled out shreds of flesh. Yet, even so, he pulled back his lips to show Wu Xian his blood-red mouth. "How is it? Is it clean? Tell me quickly, if it's not, I have to keep brushing!"

Wu Xian felt a chill run down his spine. Shi Ji's grotesque appearance made Wu Xian's brain seize. His hair stood on end as if an electric current had surged through his body. His heart felt as though it were being gripped by an icy hand, and cold sweat poured down.

They had been compromised! Both he and Shi Ji had been compromised without even realizing it! But when had it started? What kind of evil spirit was bewitching him? Was it a dream? A hallucination?

As he pondered, Wu Xian felt his nose become unbearably blocked again, as if a massive glob of snot was about to burst out. He felt an urge to shove his copper coin sword into his nostril just to clear his airway. Danger didn't matter; this mucus was the top priority.

"No, that's not right! Focus on survival!"

Wu Xian slapped himself hard. He realized this wasn't the time to analyze why; escaping the crisis was the only thing that mattered. Otherwise, in the next moment, he might succumb completely. He might brush his teeth until he died, or, to stop his skin from sweating, he might peel it off alive!

Shi Ji was no longer reliable. He hadn't woken up even with his mouth in that state, meaning pain was ineffective against the current anomaly. There was no point in self-mutilation. The copper coin sword was tucked at his waist, but Wu Xian felt no heat from it, which meant the sword couldn't break the current crisis either.

"What, what can break this cycle?"
"There must be something! Look! Think!"

Wu Xian's brain raced. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto one thing. Urchin-Urine Yasutsuna! He remembered that after dark, Shi Ji had been holding the long sword, but later, to drink water, he had set it aside and never picked it up again. That sword—that was the breakthrough! That was the only way out!

Wu Xian lunged for the Urchin-Urine Yasutsuna with all his might. His movements felt sluggish, as if he were crashing through invisible spiderwebs, but before his consciousness faded, he touched it!

The moment he made contact with the katana, a sharp pain surged through him. His entire body felt as if it were falling apart; his skin, mouth, nasal cavity, abdomen, and lungs were all burning with intense pain. But the most excruciating sensation was at his lower back—the copper coin sword had scorched his flesh. It had tried its best to warn him, but his senses had been blocked, and he hadn't even felt the piercing agony.

Wu Xian pulled out the copper coin sword and looked around. Room 402 was covered in reddish-brown filth, resembling a hell of flesh and blood. Yellowish-white skin covered the floor, walls, and ceiling, with giant mouths and noses growing randomly, twitching and opening. All the furniture was stitched together from what looked like human lungs, and intestines of varying thickness hung around like spiderwebs. A suffocating, foul stench filled the air.