Xu Yanmiao quickly finished his business in the restroom using the half-sized paper Gao He had given him. When he returned to the table, the group had grown to three.
As the direct victim of the earlier “incident,” Gao He was vividly recounting the scene:
“That old guy is truly not a man! He wrapped his face in the bedsheet and tried to run, leaving the young lady with nothing to cover herself! I couldn’t stand it, so I grabbed him and made him pay compensation! I even threw my pillowcase to the girl—mind you, it was brand new. I hadn’t even used it yet! Sigh, I hope she rembers to return it. Actually, if she buys a new one, that’d be even better.”
Gao He continued, “And the money that old guy gave was nothing compared to what the God of Weal—cough, I an, he only gave …”
Before Gao He could finish, a man walked through the door and sat at the table next to them. As soon as he arrived, he ordered a large jar of wine and started drinking heavily.
Xu Yanmiao recognized the man—it was Yang ngyu, a lecturer from the Hanlin Academy. It was unclear what had happened to him, but he was clearly drowning his sorrows.
Regardless of his troubles…
Xu Yanmiao quickly interrupted Gao He and whispered, “Trust , we need to change locations to talk.”
At the sa ti, his inner voice scread: [Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!]
[Why did we run into Lecturer Yang?! I rember reading that humans can catch diseases from mating with animals. Aren’t so of those diseases infectious? Even if the sheep is healthy, it’s better to steer clear of him.]
[I respect people with normal illnesses, but for soone who can’t control their lower half, no thank you.]
Yang ngyu, who was mid-drink, choked on his wine. “Cough, cough, cough—”
He froze, utterly bewildered.
…Diseases?
…What diseases?!
Weren’t human-animal relations just an ethical issue? How did diseases co into this?!
[Co to think of it, what kind of diseases could result from this? Damn it, my biology knowledge isn’t great.]
Xu Yanmiao seed to be racking his brain for answers.
[Hmm… maybe schistosomiasis? Transferred from the sheep to a human through close contact?]
“Hiss—”
Lian Hang glanced sympathetically at Yang ngyu.
Schistosomiasis. Even the na sounded terrifying. Would it suck all the blood out of him?
Yang ngyu, on the other hand, felt like the world was spinning. His body swayed violently, and the wine in his cup spilled all over the table.
[Wait, wasn’t there another type of parasitic disease? What was it called? Sothing-sothing worm? Doesn’t matter. I rember it reproduces inside the body and spreads everywhere.]
Yang ngyu had barely regained his composure when Xu Yanmiao’s next thought hit him like a hamr. He stared at Xu Yanmiao with a horrified expression, no longer caring if anyone noticed.
Worms… reproducing inside his body?!
That phrase echoed endlessly in his mind. A chill ran down his spine as goosebumps covered his entire body. He suddenly felt an unbearable itch everywhere, and tears stread down his face.
“Smack—”
He slapped himself hard across the face.
How dare you?!
How could you be so shaless?!
With your rank and position, you could have any man or woman you wanted. Why did you have to pick a fight with a sheep?!
[I vaguely recall there was also so bacterial disease. Didn’t it cause hearing loss… brain swelling… brain necrosis—wait, does that an he could develop dentia?]
Yang ngyu’s hands trembled uncontrollably as his imagination spiraled out of control.
Yang ngyu’s body trembled.
[Hmm, it could also cause festering sores on the skin, abdominal pain, bloody stools, and then rapid poisoning leading to death.]
His mind went blank.
Suddenly, he felt like he was struggling to breathe.
On top of that, his stomach seed to start aching, his ears were buzzing, and it felt like his brain was about to split open.
Doctor!
He needed a doctor!!!
There was no doctor.
But the Jinyiwei had arrived.
Taking a closer look, they saw Yang ngyu’s neck drenched in cold sweat. One of them sneered, “So now you’re afraid, Lecturer Yang?”
Yang ngyu instinctively reached out, trying to grab onto the Jinyiwei officer, but the man swiftly stepped back—who knew if there were parasites in his body? What if they crawled onto his hand?
His cold, piercing gaze locked onto Yang ngyu. “Lecturer Yang, His Majesty has summoned you. Co with us.”
The old emperor was extrely cautious about his health.
Even though Xu Yanmiao hadn’t explicitly said that Yang ngyu was diseased, nor that the disease was contagious through close contact, the emperor still refused to et him face-to-face.
Instead, a eunuch stood in front of Yang ngyu, with another eunuch stationed outside the room to relay ssages. The doors and windows were tightly sealed, reinforced with wooden planks to ensure that even if a fire broke out, Yang ngyu wouldn’t be able to escape.
The eunuch in front of him spoke in a loud, commanding voice. “Lecturer Yang, His Majesty has a ssage for you.”
Yang ngyu could only watch as the tall, muscular eunuch approached him. In the blink of an eye, a massive fist struck his face. Pain exploded in his nose, sending him stumbling backward until he crashed hard against the wall.
A warm liquid seed to flow from his nostrils. He wiped it with the back of his hand—leaving behind a horrifying sar of red.
The burly eunuch, voice deep and authoritative, relayed the emperor’s words in the exact sa tone:
“Yang Fei!”
(ngyu was his courtesy na; Fei was his given na. Being addressed by his full na by the emperor ant serious trouble. Yang ngyu didn’t dare take a single deep breath.)
“Was it just one hole you were missing?! If you can’t control that cursed thing, I’ll handle it for you!”
A cold sweat ran down Yang ngyu’s back. He asked weakly, “H-How would you… handle it?”
The eunuch gave him a slow, deliberate look and smiled.
“The castration chamber.”
“Thud—”
Yang ngyu collapsed onto the floor.
The eunuch continued, his voice carrying an eerie calmness. “Whether Lecturer Yang is sick or not, this official position of yours… is gone. You may now focus on resting at ho. Consider it a special favor from His Majesty.”
Outside the room, the old emperor’s gaze was dark and solemn.
“Issue my decree—”
The chief eunuch imdiately bowed in readiness to receive the imperial edict.
“Order the Ministry of Justice to add bestiality to the Sumr Laws. Assign heavy punishnts!”
Who knew if those parasites, which bred inside human bodies, could be transmitted through sexual relations? What if they entered won’s bodies and, through childbirth, passed into future generations?
It might not be noticeable in one or two generations, but if left unchecked, the entire empire could turn into a nation of diseased, parasite-ridden people!
This must be banned!
At the inn, despite Xu Yanmiao’s ntal storm, his actions remained swift—he quickly led Lian Hang and Gao He far away from Yang ngyu.
Lian Hang understood what was going on, but the still-confused Gao He asked in bewildernt, “What just happened?”
Xu Yanmiao patted his shoulder, his expression difficult to describe. “Listen to —if you ever co across soone who engages in… intimate relations with animals, stay as far away as possible.”
Gao He’s eyes widened in shock. “There are actually people like that?!”
Xu Yanmiao nodded. “The world is vast, and full of strange things.”
Gao He pondered for a mont before speaking with full confidence, “Once I pass the provincial and imperial exams and beco an official, I’ll naturally be able to distance myself from such things. Court officials and common folk rarely interact.”
“Rather than living in constant fear, it’s better to climb to a high position. Only then can one insulate themselves from the chaos of the world.”
Ah… well.
This ti, it was Lian Hang’s turn to pat Gao He’s shoulder.
“Gao… Lord Gao…”
His tone was complicated. “Then… I wish you success in the imperial examinations.”
—Once you beco an official, you’ll receive a governnt seal. And then, you’ll truly understand what it ans to live in constant fear.
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