One more catty, one more attribute point-Chapter 581 - 478: Mortal Purgatory, Solo Dance of Blood

Linjiang, Zouhu City;

Gao Ming cradled a black porcelain bowl in his arms, scanning his surroundings before cautiously entering a low and narrow alley.

A heavy rain had fallen just last night, leaving the uneven ground covered in mud. The alley was tight, and from a foul-smelling ditch on the left emanated a nauseating stench of decay.

Gao Ming looked down to see a boy, about seven or eight years old, lying in the sewage.

His gaze was vacant, staring up at the sky, as several stray dogs clawed at the flesh on his body. Half of his ribcage was exposed from his torn abdomen, under a sky still overcast with clouds that loitered scavenger birds.

"Woof woof woof!"

The sound made stepping into a puddle startled the feeding stray dogs.

The dogs were thin as rails, their ribs clearly defined under filthy fur, but their blood-red eyes were vicious, stained with blood on their yellowed teeth.

Gao Ming was startled and instinctively stepped back.

His back pressed against the cold, damp earthen wall, he carefully shielded the talisman water he had sought.

Fortunately, the dogs were wholly fixated on the boy’s corpse.

Holding his breath, he moved forward.

The deeper into the alley he went, the dimmer the light became.

As the plague spread throughout the city, every household’s door bore white mourning banners. The rare homes without activity did not mean there were no dead, but rather... as Gao Ming walked past these houses, he thought he heard, perhaps it was an illusion, the sound of flesh being torn – indistinguishable from the dogs gnawing at the corpse – even though the doors and windows seemed intact.

A chill ran down his spine; he dared not continue to ponder deeper and subconsciously hastened his steps.

He stopped in front of a house with blackened walls and knocked carefully – three times, a pause, then three more.

After a wait.

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Footsteps sounded from inside, followed by a crisp click.

The door unlocked, and a grimy girl appeared before Gao Ming, gazing up at him with wide eyes.

The girl seemed to be about seven or eight years old. Due to chronic malnutrition, her head seemed too large for her small body, and with her vacant expression, she looked a little dull.

This girl was Gao Ming’s sister, simply named Yuan.

Seeing that Yuan was safe and unharmed, Gao Ming stroked her messy hair and let out a sigh of relief. He shut the room’s door to the outside world and asked, "Did anything happen to you at home? How is mother’s condition now?"

"Sssss..."

Yuan tilted her head back, miming the movement of a snake slithering with her arm.

Perhaps due to malnutrition or some other reason, Yuan barely spoke.

She could only use gestures and sounds to express her feelings. Gao Ming sometimes understood, but most of the time he was confounded. He didn’t really expect to get any useful information from her, just wanting to exchange a few words – that made her happy and seemed to make her less dull.

"You mean a snake came into the house?" Gao Ming’s heart, which had just settled, tensed again as he carefully looked down.

No trace of any snake.

There were two beds placed on either side of the small room separated by a curtain.

On the bed to the left lay a woman, her body emitting a pungent smell, covered with a thin quilt full of patches.

"I went to the plaza in the Inner City and asked the Taoist for a bowl of talisman water. People say it can cure all maladies. Mom, that Taoist truly has powers. I didn’t believe it when others told me, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes – he restored a shattered porcelain bowl right in front of me. Surely, a divine immortal in the flesh! As long as you drink his medicine, you will definitely get better!"

Gao Ming rambled on, his voice rising with excitement as he recounted the events at the plaza.

Pulling up his mother’s quilt, he turned her body.

"Sss—"

Gao Ming was startled as some of the talisman water spilled from the bowl.

Upon seeing his mother’s face, Gao Ming finally understood what Yuan meant by ’snake’.

Before him lay a gaunt-faced, dark-skinned woman with arms as thin as kindling and eyes deeply sunken. Her lips were purplish-black, emanating an elderly stench as her furrowed brow was marred with unshakable pain. She barely breathed, but her cheeks bore strange patterns resembling snake scales.

These patterns spread downward to her chin, throat, and on to her withered chest...

Gao Ming’s pupils quivered.

He reached out to touch – those marks were not merely patterns.

He could feel the cold temperature and the same smooth texture as a snake’s.

His mother was undoubtedly transforming into a monster. Realizing this didn’t necessarily mean acceptance. Yuan stood by Gao Ming’s side, tilting her head, nibbling on her fingers, looking innocently dull. Gao Ming gasped for air, gently pushing his sister to the side, and Yuan obediently stepped away.

"Thank goodness I found the talisman water, otherwise..." Gao Ming picked up the spoon, his heart pounding.

Could the talisman water truly be effective?

That old Taoist had such skills, his offering had to be useful!