Volume Two: The Secret Burial in the Canyon Chapter 141: The Insect Enslavement Technique

Perhaps back in school, Masu was Zhou Zheng’s mentor, and Zhou Zheng had always been respectful and deferential to Masu. Suddenly speaking to Masu in such a tone made him feel very uncomfortable.

An awkward expression appeared on Masu’s face as he nodded and said, “Very well, Zhou Zheng. Since we have a teacher-student relationship, let’s just be frank today. As a teacher, I have always considered myself a model of integrity and never thought I did anything unbefitting of my role. But since you say so, I truly want to know—where did I go wrong?”

Zhou Zheng waved his hand dismissively. “Teacher, you misunderstand me. I’m not saying you violated the principles of being a teacher; everything you did came from your genuine heart, with no right or wrong. I’m only expressing my personal opinion that some of your methods are inappropriate. If I’m not mistaken, you currently mentor seventeen students who haven’t yet graduated, right?”

Masu nodded. “That’s right. Among these seventeen students, you are the one I value most.”

Zhou Zheng forced a bitter smile. “I know that. It shows that besides your academic insight, your judgment in other matters is quite poor. Among your seventeen students, I’m actually the one who has the most complaints about you.”

“Why is that?” Masu asked.

Zhou Zheng shook his head. “It’s a pity no one came forward to tell you this before me. Most of them harbor grievances in their hearts but still pretend to agree with you on the surface, probably because they care more about your evaluations of them. But I have no such reservations, because you probably won’t be giving them evaluations anymore. Do you know your status in the academic world? You’re not exactly a Mount Tai or Polaris figure, but you’re certainly influential. Look at professors at other schools—their fame and knowledge aren’t comparable to yours, but they all privately make money from their research achievements. Their papers, their research conclusions, even their names can fetch high prices. They drive luxury cars, live in villas, and enjoy elite lifestyles. And you? You just bury your head in your academic research. Many people have offered you large sums to buy what you have, but you’ve sent them away with scorn. Maybe you disdain such dealings, but have you considered us, your students? Take Wen Youyou and me—we’ve traveled all over the country with you, ventured into deep mountains and wilds, and several times nearly lost our lives. In the end, all we get is a meager subsidy from the school. So I want a better life. I want Youyou to have a better life. That’s why I must rely on myself. I want to seize my fate with my own hands, not yours...”

As Zhou Zheng spoke, his emotions grew more intense. No one present interrupted him. Masu’s face grew increasingly dark as he listened.

Zhou Zheng’s meaning was clear, and I understood well what kind of person Masu was. He was called the eccentric professor precisely because he devoted himself entirely to academia. All other conditions—food, clothing, housing—were reduced to the bare minimum. That was why, at his age, he still lived in the school dormitory, ate in the cafeteria, and wore the oldest clothes imaginable. His meager salary was spent entirely on books and lab supplies.

But he neglected the feelings of the students he mentored. As Zhou Zheng said, every student had complaints. Following other professors could bring some extra money; following Masu meant hardship. Only Zhou Zheng dared to speak out.

After hearing Zhou Zheng’s words, Masu seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. He probably had never known that the students he cherished held such judgments of him.

—

I looked at Masu with some pity. His actions were not fundamentally wrong; they simply did not fit the times.

I stepped forward and patted Masu on the shoulder to comfort him. Masu remained unmoved, lost in thought.

Zhou Zheng, still unsatisfied, continued. “Since I was little, I began studying the secret manual left by Zou Baizu, which contains many techniques for commanding insects and reveals numerous secrets about them. Taking advantage of trips to the mountains with the teacher, I collected many poisonous insects. After returning, I practiced in isolation until my insect-commanding skills began to improve two years ago. Over the years, I have been searching for that cliff valley, not to find Zou Baizu’s corpse, but because the book records a secret there. I have gone to such lengths to unlock that secret.”

As he spoke, Zhou Zheng suddenly started gasping for breath, as if struggling for air.

Under our watchful eyes, Zhou Zheng bent down and picked two jade-green insects from among the poisonous bugs. These two insects looked somewhat like spiders, with round, swollen abdomens, but were larger in size.

He held them up and squeezed them hard between his fingers.

The two poisonous insects writhed and released two streams of pale green liquid. Zhou Zheng tilted back his head, opened his mouth, and caught the two streams, swallowing them all.

We all felt disgusted watching this, but Zhou Zheng looked satisfied, discarding the two dead insects with green slime still clinging to the corners of his mouth.

He gave us a wry smile. “Apologies, everyone. I have no choice; practicing this insect-commanding technique is very damaging to the body. But using insects to heal insects is a good method.”

Seeing Zhou Zheng’s actions, I began to understand the difference between the bird-commanding technique and the insect-commanding technique.

Both are ways to control creatures of nature, but they differ greatly. The bird-commanding technique treats birds as friends, communicating through telepathic connection to achieve control. In essence, it is a communication of soul to soul.

In contrast, the insect-commanding technique relies entirely on potions and incantations to control insects. Most of these potions are extracted from poisonous insects, and mastering the technique likely requires sacrificing many live insects.

—

Upon realizing this, an idea struck me.

Could the symptoms of semi-zombification seen in Chuliuyan with the bamboo rod and Uncle San have been caused by poisonous insect bites? If so, Zhou Zheng would surely have a way to cure it.

I knew that Chuliuyan’s condition was linked to the disappearance of two couriers, an event that happened two or three years ago.

I guessed that if Zhou Zheng continued, he would soon reach that part of the story, perhaps revealing important clues.

Sure enough, after drinking the fluids from the two poisonous insects, Zhou Zheng’s condition greatly improved.

He stuck out his tongue, licking the green slime from the corners of his mouth with a satisfied expression, and resumed his story.

(End of chapter)