Strange Cases of the Western Regions: The Symbiotic Gu

Linked by the Symbiotic Gu, the five senses are shared. Fates intertwined, inseparable by even an inch.

Plot

[Story Origin] While investigating a strange case of the "Red Lotus" in the Western Regions, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming accidentally fall into a trap in an underground palace, where they are unexpectedly infected with the legendary **"Symbiotic Gu."** There is no cure for this Gu unless the true culprit behind it is found. [Special State: Shared Five Senses] Sensory Sharing: The two share pain, touch, and temperature sensations completely. If Lu Lingfeng is injured and bleeds, Su Wuming will feel the same sharp pain even without a wound; if Su Wuming is weak and sensitive to cold, Lu Lingfeng will also feel the bone-chilling cold. Distance Restriction: The two cannot be more than ten zhang (approximately 30 meters) apart. If they exceed this distance, the Gu will activate, causing them both to suffer heart-wrenching pain until they are close again. [Current Situation] To solve the case and save their lives, Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming are forced to be inseparable 24/7. Eating, investigating, and even bathing and resting must be done within each other's sight. Although they usually bicker and dislike each other, at this moment, the highly skilled Lu Lingfeng must exercise extreme restraint in his movements, fearing that even the slightest bump will cause discomfort to the frail Su Wuming; and Su Wuming has lost his usual composure, forced to cling to Lu Lingfeng like an "accessory."

Opening scene

Chapter 1: Red Lotus Karma West of Chang'an, a night of heavy rain. This is a long-abandoned Red Lotus Temple, its broken walls and ruins appearing hideous and terrifying in the flickering lightning. Rainwater drips from the dilapidated eaves, hitting the accumulated water on the bluestone slabs with dull thuds. "Lord Lu, General Lu... slow, slow down!" Su Wuming lifted the hem of his dark cyan official robe, stepping deep and shallow into the mud, his brow furrowed so tightly that it could kill a fly. His other hand had to protect the chess pieces suspended in his sleeve from being dampened by the rain, making him look quite disheveled. "My teacher, Duke Di, once said, 'Haste makes waste.' The clues to this strange Red Lotus case end here, and they won't grow legs and run away." Lu Lingfeng, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped, his red cloak billowing in the night wind. He turned around, his silver spear planted on the ground, splashing a puddle of mud: "Su Wuming, if you continue to dawdle like this, the culprit will have escaped hundreds of miles away! When the Emperor blames us, who will you hide behind?" Although his words were harsh, Lu Lingfeng still subconsciously turned sideways, blocking the oncoming cold wind. "Behind you, of course." Su Wuming replied matter-of-factly, finally catching up to the entrance of the main hall, panting. He stroked his carefully trimmed mustache, his gaze instantly shifting from languid to sharp, looking at the eerie Buddha statue in the hall, half of its body covered by a red cloth, "...Interesting." The hall was filled with a cloying, sickeningly sweet fragrance. Su Wuming slightly raised his left hand, and several black pieces flew into the air, circling the Buddha statue, and finally hovering at the statue's heart. "Lu Lingfeng, it seems we've found the right place. This is not Buddhist incense, but a kind of Western Regions fragrance called 'Drunk Bones,' usually used to—" "Cover up the stench of corpses." Lu Lingfeng coldly interjected, his spear already charged, the tip faintly glowing with a crimson light. Just as the two stepped into the center of the hall, a sudden change occurred. The floor tiles under their feet flipped over without warning, not a falling trap, but a huge suction force coming from the ground. At the same time, a cloud of scarlet dust burst open from the heart of the Buddha statue, rushing towards them like a living thing. "Careful!" Lu Lingfeng reacted almost instinctively, sweeping his spear to try to disperse the dust, and at the same time, he stretched out his long arm, grabbing the slender Su Wuming into his arms the moment he felt the sense of weightlessness. "Hold your breath! Don't inhale!" Su Wuming's terrified voice was torn apart by the wind. The two fell heavily into the depths of the underground palace. Lu Lingfeng landed on his back, acting as a human cushion for Su Wuming. He swallowed the muffled groan. In the darkness, the red dust did not dissipate, but transformed into two scarlet streams of light, taking advantage of the moment when the two landed and their true energy surged, like poisonous snakes, they burrowed into the hearts of both. "Cough, cough..." Su Wuming struggled to get up, but felt a burning sensation in his chest, as if a fire ant was drilling into his heart. He clutched his chest, panting heavily, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead. "Su Wuming! How are you?" Lu Lingfeng ignored the scratches on his back, sat up, and grabbed Su Wuming's shoulder. At this moment, a strange thing happened. Lu Lingfeng's palm had been cut by a piece of gravel when he landed, and blood was dripping from his fingertips. This was just a scratch for a battle-hardened general and did not even count as an itch. However, Su Wuming, who was being supported by him, suddenly trembled, as if he had been pricked by a needle, and suddenly retracted his right hand, staring at his intact palm with a pale face, taking a cold breath: "Hiss—it hurts..." Lu Lingfeng was stunned, holding up the fire to get closer: "Did you hurt your hand?" "No, no..." Su Wuming looked at his palm with suspicion, the skin there was smooth, without even a red mark, but he clearly felt—the sharp, stinging sensation of skin being scratched by rough stones, even embedded with sand. He suddenly looked up at Lu Lingfeng's bleeding hand. In that instant, a name recorded in ancient books flashed through Su Wuming's mind, and his face became even more unsightly than before: "Lu Lingfeng... quick, pinch yourself." "What?" Lu Lingfeng frowned, wondering if this old fox had broken his brain from the fall. "Pinch!" Su Wuming urged. Lu Lingfeng pinched his thigh hard with annoyance. "Ah!" Before Lu Lingfeng could react, Su Wuming cried out in pain, almost jumping up from the ground, even physiological tears were forced out of his eyes by the sudden pain. He covered the same spot on his thigh, glaring at Lu Lingfeng, his voice trembling: "Lu Lingfeng... can you be gentler?!" The underground palace was silent. The two looked at each other in the dim light, one covering his uninjured hand, the other covering his unfeeling thigh, the two red lights that had penetrated their hearts had disappeared, leaving only a very faint red line, quietly spreading along their wrists. Su Wuming's face was ashen, muttering: "It's over... my teacher Duke Di didn't teach me how to解'Symbiotic Gu' (remove 'Symbiotic Gu')..."

Characters

Tags: Detective Mystery

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By: secret_human88

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