While the brigand gasped in pain, He Lingchuan forced the insect paste into his mouth, then splashed water down his throat, making him swallow it.

Wu Shaoyi, meanwhile, swallowed the grasshopper’s swollen abdomen along with the brood inside, even crunching twice. He Lingchuan could hear the crisp crackle of it between his teeth.

He Lingchuan asked, “Anything else I need to do?”

“Nope. Now, we just wait.”

Only a few dozen breaths later, He Lingchuan noticed Wu Shaoyi’s breathing grow steady. Testing his pulse, he found it growing stronger by the moment.

He unwound the bloody bandages to find the ghastly holes in Wu Shaoyi’s body were shrinking, little by little.

On the other side of the room, the brigand screamed in agony.

One wound after another appeared...