The Soul Devouring Worm is a special Gu worm creature, similar to a spirit.
It has no physical form, yet it truly exists.
It primarily parasitizes the bodies of ghostly creatures.
As for its abilities and functions, it is currently known only that it feeds on souls.
Now, after I killed this Soul Devouring Worm, it exploded into a cloud of smoke.
As the Soul Devouring Worm exploded, the three of us present felt a momentary dizziness.
In the haze, we experienced hallucinations.
Unfamiliar scenes appeared before our eyes.
Through the haze, I opened my eyes.
But the surroundings were so strange.
This was a thatched cottage. A farmer's wife, holding a little girl of seven or eight, stood at the doorway.
Looking closely, I realized this farmer's wife was the female ghost king, Madam Li.
Suddenly, a voice called out, "My dear, I'm back!"
A man's voice echoed.
Immediately after, a man with dark skin but a gaunt build, carrying a hoe, rushed back from outside.
In his hand, he carried a large wild rabbit.
"Husband!"
"Daddy!"
Madam Li and the little girl ran forward happily.
The man smiled, raising the wild rabbit in his hand: "My wife, Xiao Xiao. Look, our family has meat to eat tonight."
Seeing this, Madam Li smiled sweetly. "Daddy, that's wonderful! Xiao Xiao hasn't eaten meat in almost a year."
The three of them embraced, a picture of perfect happiness.
However, this scene vanished in an instant.
Soon, another scene appeared.
In the scene, a wealthy old man, accompanied by a group of retainers, arrived at Madam Li's home.
The retainers kicked open the door to Madam Li's house.
Madam Li's entire family was terrified.
Madam Li's husband shielded them.
The old man at the head of the group snorted, "When do you plan to pay the land rent?"
Madam Li's husband hurried forward, bowed, and said, "Master Wang, there was a locust plague this year. The bark on the trees outside has all been eaten. Could you grant us a few months' grace?"
"Grace? So, you have nothing? If you have nothing, then you can use the child as payment!"
With that, a retainer standing nearby lunged forward to snatch the child.
Madam Li and her husband naturally refused.
As a result, they were beaten severely.
Madam Li's husband coughed up blood and fell to the ground, unable to get up.
Madam Li cried, and the little girl wailed, constantly calling for her daddy, her mommy...
Amidst those tender cries, Madam Li and her husband could only watch helplessly as their child was carried away.
The scene shifted again.
Faster and faster.
It became blurry.
But the general content was that Madam Li's home lost its laughter.
The couple worked day and night.
Madam Li raised silkworms and wove cloth at home, while her husband plowed fields for others, carried manure, and chopped wood.
Suddenly, the scene froze.
A place called "Red Flower Tower."
It was filled with the scent of rouge, clearly a brothel.
The next second, Madam Li's husband was thrown out by several burly men.
Master Wang, the leader, sneered, "Pah! You think this little bit of money can redeem her? Get lost!"
Immediately after, Madam Li also ran out from inside.
She helped up her beaten husband.
Both of them appeared much older.
Madam Li choked back tears, "Can, can we see Xiao Xiao, just see Xiao Xiao, woo woo woo..."
The leading Master Wang snorted coldly, "See who? Give up that idea. Your daughter will be ready to receive guests in a while. If you can't scrape together the money and repay my debt, you'll never see her again! Of course, if you want to be a guest yourselves, this small amount of money you have is enough. Heh heh heh..."
With that, the burly thugs beside him burst into raucous laughter, their laughter piercingly harsh.
Madam Li's husband's eyes suddenly reddened.
He charged forward like a madman. "You animals, I'll fight you!"
But the man was just an ordinary farmer, and he was gaunt. How could he be a match for them?
Master Wang waved his hand, and the thugs swarmed him.
Within moments, they had beaten Madam Li's husband to the ground, where he continued to cough up blood.
Many people gathered around, but they watched with cold eyes.
Madam Li cried, and finally helped her husband back home.
However, her husband took to his sickbed from then on.
Every day, he mumbled Xiao Xiao's name.
Madam Li wept every day...
Until another scene appeared.
Madam Li arrived in a very dark environment.
She spoke to a figure standing in the darkness, "Please, Immortal Master, grant me a divine worm. As long as it can cure my husband's illness and save my daughter, I am willing to do anything."
Immediately, the figure in the darkness moved, stepping forward a few paces.
But just as the figure emerged from the darkness and appeared in the frame, my heart sank. I was completely stunned because this person looked exactly like the Southern Xinjiang demon Taoist, Miao Nanzi.
No, this person was Miao Nanzi. There was no mistake.
In my shock, I heard Miao Nanzi speak, "Very well! I can give you the item. But from now on, you must be my slave. Periodically, you must offer the ear of a human turned pig..."
Madam Li didn't hesitate. She immediately knelt down and kowtowed her agreement.
Miao Nanzi smiled coldly. A Soul Devouring Worm appeared in his hand. He threw it at Madam Li.
The Soul Devouring Worm crawled through Madam Li's ear and into her head.
Madam Li clutched her head, screaming in agony. It was a long time before it stopped.
Then, Miao Nanzi handed her a bottle. It was the same porcelain bottle I had previously smashed, the one engraved with a pig's face.
At the same time, I heard Miao Nanzi say, "Each of the Gu worms inside this bottle can turn a person into a pig. Take it! Let those who wronged you all turn into pigs..."