As Snar looked out at the mudflats before him, he suddenly remembered something.

"Sir, a dog died in this very spot about a year ago."

"Oh? What happened?"

Li Xu’s interest was piqued, and he immediately pressed for details.

Snar swallowed and began to recount the story. "A year ago, our village chief had a particularly vicious wolfhound. That dog was ferocious; it would bite anyone on sight. One day, for reasons unknown, the dog ran out here all by itself. It faced this patch of mud and just started digging frantically, barking its head off. We all thought it was strange, but no one dared to get close. And then... as it was digging, the dog suddenly let out a terrible yelp, collapsed, twitched a few times, and... went still."

He spoke with a lingering fear in his voice. "At the time, it just so happened that the river was flooding. The water rose so high that it completely submerged the dog’s body. By the time the floodwaters receded, the corpse was gone. Everyone said that some ’unclean’ thing here had claimed the vicious beast. If it weren’t for all the loaches here, I wouldn’t have come back yesterday."

After hearing Snar’s story,

a question that had been nagging Li Xu was suddenly answered.

This was a piece of information the report hadn’t mentioned.

The report only stated that the Yabulu here had already matured and its medicinal properties were fully developed.

’So that’s how it is. To think there was such a coincidence behind it all.’

The report contained a detailed, and rather sinister, account of the Yabulu.

*Yabulu grows exclusively in dark, putrid soil... Though called a plant, it can extend its roots to strangle humans and livestock, devouring them for sustenance, much like a giant carnivorous plant...*

*The method of harvesting it is also peculiar. Typically, after confirming its location, one must dig four trenches around it, each deep enough to hold a large village water vat. From the bottom of these trenches, grave bricks are used to build up a structure in the shape of a kiln, which is then completely sealed at the top. Before the final sealing, several vicious dogs are locked inside. The opening is then completely blocked with more grave bricks, forming a sealed chamber.*

*The vicious dogs, trapped in the brick chamber, will begin to suffocate. After a frenzy of roaring, instinct drives them to dig at the earth with their claws, trying to claw their way out. The moment they unearth the highly toxic Yabulu, the dogs are instantly killed by the poisonous gas it releases.*

*Once unearthed, the Yabulu loses its connection to the soil, and the toxic gas it emits gradually dissipates. At this point, the poisoned dog carcasses are buried back in the pit along with the Yabulu. After waiting one year, it is dug up again. By then, the dog carcasses will have fused with the Yabulu’s roots, becoming one. Though the remains are putrid and decayed, they can still writhe as if alive when kept out of the sun. Sliced open and dried in the sun, it becomes a precious medicine for treating chronic and stubborn illnesses like tuberculosis and asthma...*

’So that’s how it was.’

Li Xu connected all the clues in his mind.

A year ago, by a stroke of pure chance, the village chief’s vicious dog had found the Yabulu’s growing spot on its own.

Acting on animal instinct, it had dug into the earth.

In doing so, it had unfortunately unearthed the bizarre, highly toxic plant and was ultimately killed by its poisonous fumes.

Then, as luck would have it, the river flooded. The rising water buried both the dog’s carcass and the Yabulu together under a thick layer of silt.

This had unintentionally replicated the special method for preparing Yabulu with a dog carcass, just as described in the ancient texts.

And so, after a full year of "symbiosis" and "preparation" beneath the silt, the vicious dog’s remains had completely fused with the Yabulu’s roots.

This process not only neutralized the Yabulu’s potent toxins but also brought its medicinal properties to their absolute peak.

’Is this Yabulu dead or alive now?’

Li Xu wondered.

’It must still be ’alive,’’ he reasoned.

’Snar fell into a state of suspended animation yesterday because he got too close and inhaled the gas it was emitting.’

’But at the same time, it’s also ready to be used as medicine. There’s no need to wait another year, as the ancient texts prescribe.’

With this realization, Li Xu felt completely assured.

He walked up to the mudflats and carefully observed the subtle marks on the ground.

Soon, by examining the color of the soil and recalling where Snar had been digging for loaches the day before, he pinpointed the core location—the very spot where the chief’s dog had dug, and where the Yabulu now lay.

"Snar," Li Xu said, turning his head. "The two of us can’t dig this thing up alone. Go back to the village and gather some strong, brave men. Tell them I’m digging up a medicinal herb here today. I’ll pay wages to anyone who comes to help."

There were no excavators or other heavy machinery here; it would all have to be done by hand.

"Alright."

Snar nodded and ran back toward the village.

...

A little over ten minutes later,

Snar returned with a large contingent of more than twenty villagers armed with shovels and hoes.

Even Ye Mushen, his curiosity piqued, had tagged along.

The villagers were still a bit frightened, but the memory of Li Xu’s miraculous ability to revive the dead, combined with the lure of paid work, bolstered their courage.

Li Xu wasted no time. He took a stick and drew a square on the ground, about five meters to a side.

"Everyone, listen to my commands!" he shouted. "Dig along the line I’ve drawn! I want four trenches! Make them half a meter wide and a meter deep!"

Though the villagers didn’t understand why, they immediately brandished their tools and got to work.

An hour later, four deep trenches completely encircled the core area.

"Good!" Li Xu nodded and issued his second command. "Now, go to the river and fetch water! I want all four of these trenches filled to the brim!"

Another flurry of activity followed as everyone fetched the murky river water, bucket by bucket, and filled the trenches.

Li Xu explained, "This thing thrives in damp, dark places, but it fears running water. By filling the trenches, we’ll trap its roots and cut off its ’escape route.’ This will also cause the poisonous gas it releases to dissolve in the water."

Only after all this was done did Li Xu point to the central area surrounded by the trenches. "Now, start digging inward!" he said in a low, serious voice. "Remember, dig slowly and carefully, bit by bit! If you smell anything strange, or if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous, retreat immediately."

"But don’t worry. Normally, the gas is released from the roots. Since we’ve flooded the trenches, the gas will be neutralized by the water before it can even spread."

Despite his assurances,

the villagers were still worried.

They began to dig gingerly, working their way from the outer edges of the trenches toward the center.

As they scraped away the surface layer of silt, shovel by shovel, a pocket of gas suddenly hissed out, only to be immediately drowned by the seeping river water.

The dense gas was so thick,

it even formed bubbling, gurgling pockets on the water’s surface.

Many of the villagers’ faces turned pale with fright.

"Everyone, be careful! Back away for now."

Li Xu ordered immediately.

’There’s no rush. Safety is the top priority.’

The crowd hastily retreated.

After about ten minutes, the surface of the water in the trenches grew calm, the bubbles disappearing completely.