Chapter 9 – Reverse Interview (4)

A bolt from the blue.

No, rather, a surprise in the dead of night.

For the first time in a while, I was not sleeping on the ground but sweetly in a bed.

I must have dozed off while sitting, but a warrior of the Tang family had moved me to a room.

Honestly, I woke up in the middle of being moved, but I just pretended to be asleep.

Because I was tired.

But was it jealousy of me sleeping so soundly while he was working hard?

I had no choice but to wake up after getting slapped on the cheek by Tang Cheol-san’s palm.

What appeared before my eyes as I woke up was a bug that looked like a stink bug, and its name was the Kissing Bug.

If translated, it means a bug that kisses.

The name might bring up sleazy and flirty thoughts due to its erotic connotation, but in my past life, this bug was also called the Kissing Bug.

“Why the hell are these things here?”

Kissing Bugs come in various species and are found in different parts of the world, but the one caught biting me had a repeating pattern of orange and black on the edges of its abdomen.

It was the most dangerous and one to be wary of.

The annoyance of being slapped faded quickly.

If that slap saved me from being bitten by this bug, then it was a blessing.

This creature was considered one of the world’s top 10 poisonous insects in my past life.

“Wait a minute!? Eyelid swelling, mild fever, localized lesions, cardiac syndrome. Arrhythmia!? Why didn’t I think of that!?”

And the moment I recognized the Kissing Bug, I realized the cause of the strange disease the villagers were suffering from.

The Kissing Bug, a type of bedbug from the Reduviidae family, gets its name from sucking blood from around a sleeping person’s eyes or lips.

But these bugs themselves aren’t a big problem.

They’re so stealthy, quieter than mosquitoes when approaching a person to suck blood, people don’t even realize they’re being bitten.

Moreover, in most cases, the bite site doesn’t cause much trouble.

That’s why they are also called vampire bugs, and sometimes even assassin bugs.

Because they approach so secretly.

However, the problem lies in the pathogen and poison these creatures carry.

To be precise, it’s the Trypanosoma Cruzi, a parasite that lives inside them.

In my past life, it was known that about fifty percent of these creatures were infected with this parasite, which causes a disease called Chagas disease that we are not familiar with.

These creatures defecate while sucking blood, and the parasite in their feces causes the infection.

It’s sometimes said that just the act of sucking blood can cause infection, but it’s actually their feces that are the culprit.

“Ajussi., please quickly get some White liquor from the village chief!”

“White liquor? But, even if you’re angry… You’re still too young to drink…”

When I suddenly asked for White liquor, Tang Cheol-san looked perplexed, but my intention was not to drink it but to use it for disinfection.

It might be questionable if distilled liquor like White liquor could disinfect, but it’s better than doing nothing at all.

That’s because when you squash a Kissing Bug, parasites come out from inside, so overseas warnings advise never to squash them with your hands when catching them.

When catching them, it’s advised to use a container and then kill them by placing them in a refrigerator.

“No, it’s because there’s poison in this bug, and we need to wash it off with White liquor!”

“What!? There’s poison in this bug?”

“Yes, quickly get some Chinese White liquor for the village chief!”

“I might be fine, but you’re the concern. Gu Pae! Please quickly ask the village chief for some White liquor.”

“Yes, Family Head!”

One of the Tang family’s warriors quickly ran out, and shortly after, he returned with the village chief and White liquor.

“Young Hero, here it is!”

“Thank you!”

I quickly soaked a cloth in Chinese White liquor and wiped off my still tingling cheek, and also wiped Tang Cheol-san’s hand that had slapped me.

Then I caught the fallen Kissing Bug with a twig and placed it on a dish.

“A poisonous insect I’ve never seen before. Is it really that venomous? It seems to me that if you’re okay, it might not be that dangerous.”

Tang Cheol-san and the warrior, watching my actions, wore curious expressions.

The village chief, who had been dragged along, was blinking his eyes too.

After all, he had rushed over in the middle of the night with liquor.

“Yes, but we need to check to be sure. However, it’s likely that this bug is the cause of the strange illness affecting the villagers.”

“What!? The girl’s strange illness?”

“Young Hero, is that really true!?”

“Is that really true, Young Hero!? Did our Maejin get sick because of this bug?”

At my words, Tang Cheol-san, the Tang family warrior, and the village chief looked at me in disbelief.

Having confirmed the presence of the Kissing Bug, the first thing to check was the animals.

I asked the village chief about the village dogs, as Chagas disease caused by the Kissing Bug doesn’t discriminate between animals and humans.

As a parasitic disease, it can be transmitted to both animals and humans.

“Village chief, have any of the village dogs shown symptoms like difficulty breathing or similar to what the people are experiencing? Or have they been sickly and then died?”

“That’s right! How did you know!?”

The village chief’s response confirmed that the dogs too showed the same symptoms.

This was definitely Chagas disease.

‘But how? This bug and the disease it carries should be more common in South America.’

In my previous life, Chagas disease started in South America and spread to North America.

There are various types of Kissing Bugs worldwide, but those carrying the T. cruzi parasite were mainly found in that region.

In a time of extensive global travel, they could be found anywhere, but not in this era.

“Then, can we save our Maejin?”

Honestly, Chagas disease is dangerous, but the initial treatment is simple.

Just take anti-parasitic medication.

Severe cases leading to cardiac or organ complications are hard to treat, but early symptoms can be easily managed with medication.

It requires long-term treatment for over two months, but it does cure the disease effectively.

In my previous life, diagnosis was not a big issue once symptoms were identified.

The problem is, while I know about poisons, venomous insects, and snakes, and how to treat their toxins, I don’t know how to make the medicine.

I know that benznidazole is a drug, but I don’t know how to make it.

So, I couldn’t answer the village chief’s question with anything but a sorry expression.

“That, that is…”

Tang Cheol-san asked me, puzzled.

“Why so, Young Hero? You know it’s because of this bug, so why such an expression?”

I wondered if he would understand the fact that the bug harbored parasites causing the disease, but I decided to explain anyway.

If I could make Tang Cheol-san understand, then he could explain to others why it can’t be treated.

It would be good if the others understood too.

“Actually, it’s not the poison in this Kissing Bug.”

“Eh? Didn’t you say earlier it had poison? Even wiped it off with White liquor?”

The people looked confused at my answer.

It was a natural reaction since I first mentioned poison and now was denying it. I continued speaking, nodding my head.

“Yes, it’s not poison but something else.”

“Something else?”

“What is that something else?”

“Actually, inside the stomach of this bug are tiny, invisible worms. When these bugs bite people and defecate nearby, the worms in their feces enter the human body. Then they multiply inside and settle in the heart.”

“Worms? Invisible ones?”

“Think of them like roundworms.”

“Ah! Roundworms!”

At my explanation, Tang Cheol-san nodded his head.

“Yes, like roundworms, they multiply inside the body and settle in the heart, and then they interfere with the heart’s function, leading ultimately to death. But I don’t know the medicine for it…”

It was at this moment, as I ended my explanation with a look of regret, that the village chief’s tears and wails began to pour out.

He started to sob despairingly, realizing that there was no known cure to save his granddaughter.

“Then, does this mean we can’t save our Maejin!? Is it really true, elder!? Huuuh… Maejin!”

However, in contrast to this, a voice from Tang Cheol-san seemed oblivious to the mood.

It was a voice full of pride.

“Gu Pae, did you see? This is the true worth of the Young Hero. Didn’t I tell you?”

“Indeed. It seems I, Gu Pae, was foolish for a moment. I doubted the Family Head’s judgment. I will accept any punishment later.”

As the two exchanged this cryptic dialogue, Tang Cheol-san patted my shoulder and said,

“Young Hero, why worry? We have the Sachuan’s Tang Family.”

“Excuse me?”

“The Sachuan’s Tang Family.”

‘What about it! Seriously, what’s with this Sachuan’s Tang Family thing! A family hidden away in some corner of Sichuan, what about it!’

Whether it’s the Sachuan’s Tang Family or any other, it doesn’t change the fact that we can’t save the people right now. Tang Cheol-san seemed to be just bragging about his family.

I was thinking that this might be an issue of character, and he might deserve the worst score in the reverse interview when Tang Cheol-san asked me with a smile.

“Young Hero, do you know about ‘Gu’?”

‘It’s not the Gu from playing cards, is it?’

The sudden mention of ‘Gu’.

As I blinked in confusion, Tang Cheol-san continued to explain.

“Gu is what we call ‘Wugu’ or ‘Gudok’. It’s a type of insect bred by the vile ones in the Central Plains. They come in various sizes, and when fed to a person, they parasitize the human body, causing periodic pain or even controlling the person.”

“Controlling people? That’s remarkable.”

The idea of breeding parasites to control humans was certainly beyond what I knew. It made the presence of Kissing Bugs here somewhat understandable.

Tang Cheol-san responded to my comment with a look of regret.

“Yes, it’s remarkable, if you can call it that. But many in the martial world have lost their lives to Gu. Some were controlled by Gu to kill their own children and then commit suicide, or betray their parents and clan to become slaves of evil men.”

“How terrible…”

“Maejin! Waaaah!”

Even as the village chief continued to wail, Tang Cheol-san calmly continued his explanation.

“So, the martial artists strived to find a cure to free themselves from Gudok. They sought medicines to either force the Gu out of the body or dissolve it.”

“It’s a natural response given the extent of the damage, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

‘It sounds like a kind of anti-parasitic medication. No matter the era or world, human thoughts are quite similar.’

I was reflecting on how human thoughts are similar regardless of the era or situation when Tang Cheol-san asked another question.

“But, if martial artists were to make such a medicine, where do you think they would make it?”

“I wonder?”

As I was unfamiliar with the martial world, I couldn’t answer his last question. But then, Tang Cheol-san, responding to my uncertainty, pulled out something from his chest pocket with a smile.

“Of course, it would be our great Sachuan’s Tang Family. We have a medicine that can dissolve even a fist-sized Gu that enters the body. Wouldn’t such an invisible tiny creature pose no problem at all?”

“Really?”

“Yes, indeed. Our Sachuan’s Tang Family has developed many medicines to combat Gudok, including one that can dissolve anything inside the body, even something as small as roundworms, with just a little dose. Of course, it’s not effective against all types of Gu, but for such invisible creatures, a small amount of our Wugu Melting Pill should suffice.”

“Wugu Melting Pill!”

Ultimately, it’s a kind of anti-parasitic medication, but with a remarkable name.

I was thrilled at the name of the pill said to dissolve all kinds of Gu.

Isn’t there a sort of romanticism for men, no matter how foolish they may sometimes be?

Like laughing madly while playing soccer in the rain, or always wanting to be the strong one regardless of age. It’s that kind of sentiment.

Following Tang Cheol-san to the room where the young girl was lying, he carefully placed a small pill into the girl’s mouth.

The pill dissolved like water and flowed into the girl’s mouth.

After a short while, the girl’s irregular and anxious breathing began to slow down, and her eyes started to flutter.

“Maejin!”

“…Grandpa?”

“Maejin! You’re alive!”

The village chief was on the verge of tears.

The sight touched my heart.

And I began to think that deciding to work full-time with the Sachuan’s Tang Family wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

‘It was kind of cool, wasn’t it?’

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – 에르훗]

[Translator – Roshi]