CHAPTER 234: CHAPTER 234: MUTATION (1)_1

"First, send Commander Liu down the mountain and take him directly to the medical station."

"Yes, Commander."

Liu Dabao was carried down the mountain while Gui Yongjun remained on the mountaintop to deal with the groups of stiffened snakes. People on the mountain received the news, and a steady stream of individuals quickly made their way uphill towards the snakes, military medics among them. Shangguan You and her group of seven were, of course, escorted down the mountain as well.

The appearance of a massive snake infestation within the training area of a certain military unit alarmed not only Shangguan Hao but also those in higher positions. As soon as the news spread, countless individuals flocked towards the unit, including veteran leaders like Shangguan Zhi.

Early spring is when snakes typically hibernate. Moreover, this mountain was military territory and had always been incident-free. There wasn’t even a rabbit to be seen. So, the sudden appearance of a large-scale snake swarm, which had already injured many soldiers, naturally stirred up a significant buzz. Rumors even began to circulate that some treasure had emerged on the mountain, causing the snakes to mobilize.

All sorts of rumors spread, making the unit once again the center of attention.

These events, naturally, had nothing to do with Shangguan You and her companions; their only concerns were when they could fill their stomachs and get a good night’s sleep. The seven of them had just descended the mountain, cleaned themselves up, and made a beeline for the canteen. They devoured their meals like a whirlwind before returning to their dormitory to sleep soundly under their covers.

"Youyou, wake up, wake up!" Shangguan You had just dozed off when Yang Qian began to shake her vigorously, only stopping when she finally woke up.

"Youyou, get up quickly!" Seeing that Shangguan You was rousing, Yang Qian grew more anxious, pulling her straight out of bed and helping her get dressed.

"Sister Qian, what’s the matter? Why the rush?" Shangguan You yawned and asked reluctantly. She had just fallen asleep and hadn’t even managed three hours. Why do I have to get up? Shangguan You glanced at Yu Zijin, who was still sleeping soundly, and spoke with some reluctance.

"Commander Liu’s condition has worsened. You must go see him immediately," Liu Qian said urgently, even helping Shangguan You into her clothes.

"Oh, then you should call for a doctor. What’s the use of finding me? I’m not a doctor. I’d rather continue sleeping." Shangguan You yawned, ready to fall back into bed. Liu Dabao isn’t going to die from this. What’s the rush? She would be even happier if Liu Dabao suffered a bit.

"Oh my, Miss Youyou, please go save him! Commander Liu’s breathing is very weak. If you don’t go now, he might breathe his last! Besides, his appearance has completely changed. If you don’t go soon, no one will recognize Commander Liu Dabao anymore!" Liu Qian hurriedly grabbed Shangguan You and urged her on.

"It’s fine, he won’t die."

"How could it be fine? You haven’t seen him! His entire body has turned black and purple, and he’s swollen all over—more than twice his original size! They’ve already injected him with various antivenoms, but not only has it not worked, the poison in his body is actually increasing! Go and see for yourself. The doctors here are helpless. If we wait for the specialists from the military region hospital to arrive, I’m afraid Commander Liu won’t last that long!"

How is that possible? Shangguan You raised an eyebrow, a strange feeling arising in her heart. Although the poison in Liu Dabao is spreading, it couldn’t possibly cause him to turn black and purple, nor could it make his whole body swell up like that. He should be stiff, right? Could it be some kind of mutation?

"It’s true, let’s go and see! The way Commander Liu looks now... it’s truly distressing and frightening to see."

"Sister Qian, you haven’t fallen for Commander Liu, have you? Otherwise, why are you in such a hurry?" Shangguan You asked as Liu Qian was hastily dragging her out the door.

As Yang Qian was also hastily pulling her out, Shangguan You had a flash of insight. No wonder Yang Dabao had brought their group to Yang Qian’s place! So there was something going on between Yang Dabao and Yang Qian! That’s why Yang Qian was also so anxious.

Liu Qian’s face, including her neck, turned completely red in an instant. She quickly denied it, "Don’t talk nonsense; there’s nothing between us! Hurry up, quickly!" Then she pulled Shangguan You along, breaking into a trot.

Shangguan You chuckled knowingly to herself. She never would have expected that dense Liu Dabao could actually have someone like him.

In the ward, Shangguan You was startled when she saw Liu Dabao lying on the hospital bed. How could this be? In just a few short hours, Liu Dabao had turned into a black and purple, poisoned figure. Being black and purple was one thing, but why had his body swollen to twice its original size? His entire body was bloated, and even his usually sun-darkened face had become a large, puffy one! Is this pig-like person really Liu Dabao?

"Young lady, come quickly and take a look at Commander Liu! Why is the poison in his body increasing? His body is deforming too!" Deputy Commander Qian said, sighing in relief when he saw her. He quickly made space for Shangguan You. Military medics were all rushing here, but he feared Commander Liu Dabao wouldn’t last until they arrived. The poison in his body was terrifying. While the others who were poisoned had been cured, only Commander Liu’s condition had worsened to the point where he was unrecognizable.

Shangguan You’s brow furrowed lightly as her small hand quickly took Liu Dabao’s pulse. Her frown then relaxed. So, he didn’t mutate. It turns out the antivenom they injected him with had expired, which was what caused his body to swell and bloat.

"The antivenom you injected had expired. That’s why there’s this pathological change. Commander Liu turned black and purple and bloated because the antivenom not only expired but must have also been contaminated with something else..." Shangguan You murmured, but Yang Qian interrupted her before she could finish.

"Expired? That’s impossible!" Yang Qian exclaimed in shock. "These antivenoms were delivered just a month ago. Although they’re almost never used, how could they have expired?" She herself had injected the antivenom and had also personally received the delivery last month. How could it have expired?

This mountain was considered the safest; there were usually no snakes. Despite that, they always kept some antivenom in stock just in case. Though it was rarely used, any doses nearing expiration were supposed to be sent back for disposal. The last batch of nearly expired ones was returned. How could this current batch be expired?

"Sister Qian, you should go and confirm it," Shangguan You said calmly. Then, with a wave of her hand, the Plum Blossom Divine Needle appeared once more. She swiftly inserted the needles into several major acupoints on Liu Dabao’s head and chest, slowly infusing a trace of Spiritual Energy into the Golden Needles.