Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

Chapter 26: The Diagnosis of Du Bailei

At that moment, Du Bailei’s raspy voice emerged from beneath his black robe, "Young friend Jiang Chen and two distinguished alchemists, I am Du Bailei, the head of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce."

"Please forgive me for not revealing my true appearance; I am indisposed and not in the best of health," he explained, his words tinged with a faint note of suffering.

"We completely understand," Jiang Chen replied with empathy, showing his concern. He then had a short conversation with the President of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce.

Shortly afterwards, Jiang Chen suggested that Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian should examine him. After thinking it over, Du Bailei agreed to their proposal.

"Please excuse me, I hope my appearance doesn’t startle you," Du Bailei said as he raised his hand to remove his black hood.

Suddenly, they were confronted with a ghastly face. It was a network of muscle strands, twisting like vines, with a color resembling severe burns.@@@@

Jiang Chen, however, remained unphased, having seen worse during his time on Earth. Qiu Liaoxi, knowledgeable and composed, also showed no reaction. It was only Ning Xian, due to her limited life experience and never having seen such a terrifying sight before, who briefly showed a flicker of shock in her eyes before regaining her composure.

Jiang Chen carefully observed Du Bailei and then earnestly addressed Qiu Liaoxi. "Alchemist Qiu, please diagnose President Du Bailei!"

"I will give it my all!" Qiu Liaoxi nodded affirmatively and moved forward to examine Du Bailei.

In truth, when Qiu Liaoxi first saw Du Bailei, she experienced a sense of déjà vu. After a brief moment of contemplation, she connected the dots using her knowledge from the Thousand Green Pill Heart Records. Du Bailei’s affliction was due to an entity within his body that was sapping not just his Origin Power, but also his qi and blood, even a portion of his soul essence.

After her thorough examination of Du Bailei, Qiu Liaoxi looked up solemnly. "President Du Bailei, this wasn’t just an accident, was it? You were deliberately targeted!"

"The entity inside President Du Bailei’s body is known as the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass. Planting this grass requires an alchemist of great skill, using a specific method. It leeches the host’s qi and blood as well as their soul essence to grow stronger. Without intervention, it can completely drain the host in a single moment!"

"However," she continued, "under the influence of a particular medicine, its absorption can be moderated to only take a fraction of the host’s qi and blood, along with their soul essence, ensuring the host remains alive."

"President Du Bailei, it’s clear that you’re in the latter situation; someone is using this method to manipulate you!" Qiu Liaoxi concluded confidently, her tone showing the gravity of the situation.

Upon hearing these words, Du Bailei’s face registered surprise. "So, it’s called the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass!" he exclaimed in realization.

Just when everyone thought Jiang Chen would offer words of comfort to Du Bailei, they noticed him rubbing his chin, a contemplative expression on his face, murmuring something indistinct.

Then, he turned to Qiu Liaoxi, his voice tinged with a hint of expectant curiosity, "Alchemist Qiu, this Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss, could it possibly be a dense, purple-red spiritual plant that looks like moss?"

Upon hearing Jiang Chen’s description, Qiu Liaoxi’s eyes widened in disbelief. She exclaimed, "Yes! That’s exactly how the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss looks. It’s a dense, purplish-red moss, almost like flesh!"

"Young Master Jiang Chen, have you actually come across this plant before?" she asked, her expression showing a mixture of anticipation and incredulity. She had never seen the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss in person throughout her entire career!

At the same time, Ning Xian’s eyes filled with surprise as she too looked at Jiang Chen, unable to hide her amazement.

Naturally, the most emotionally affected person in the room was Du Bailei. He suddenly stood up and hurried towards Jiang Chen, his eyes wide with uncontainable excitement, almost popping out of their sockets. "Young friend Jiang Chen, have you really seen the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss? Where is it located!?" he asked, his voice quivering with eagerness and hope.

"Hahaha!" Jiang Chen laughed heartily, his tone brimming with confidence and a touch of mystery, "Don’t worry, President Du. The Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss you’re searching for may seem elusive, but it’s actually closer than you think!" He then reached for his storage bracelet and pulled out an object...

...

In a separate room on the second floor of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce’s building, Lin Feng was walking back and forth, visibly growing more restless by the minute. He turned to Lai Peng, who looked somewhat embarrassed, and asked, "Brother Lai, have you heard anything back yet?"

"Well... My superior is tied up with some issues, so it might be a while before I get an answer," Lai Peng confessed, feeling somewhat at a loss. He had realized where the senior members of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce were: they were all busy with discussions related to the Jiang Clan and their leader.

"Alright, I can wait a bit more," Lin Feng replied, sitting down at the table and pouring himself a cup of tea. His sense of urgency had faded somewhat. After all, the patient, Du Bailei, was right in the building and couldn’t just leave. Sooner or later, he would have the chance to meet him.

...

Elsewhere, at the summit of the famous Wind Observation Pagoda in Autumn Glory City, the leader of the Jiang Clan was entertaining a group of elite cultivators from the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce.

"Let’s keep the drinks flowing! We won’t head back until we’re all thoroughly merry, hahaha!" exclaimed a middle-aged man, his hair touched with grey at the temples, as he enthusiastically lifted his wine glass and emptied it in one go.

Just then, a transmission jade token held by one of the attendees started buzzing. He quickly moved to see what the message was.