After receiving permission from Feng Jinglong, Ling Tian brought his medicine box, opened it, and took out a scalpel.
"Um, Ling Tian, this agarwood is very hard on the outside. Even if you use a utility knife to carve it, it's difficult to leave a scratch. Your scalpel is thin and brittle, so it will be hard to cut through..."
Ling Tian didn't reply, he just smiled. Indeed, for ordinary people, trying to cut through beads made of agarwood with a scalpel would be sheer wishful thinking. The surface of the beads was hard and smooth; one would either break the blade or slip and cut their finger.
But what kind of person was Ling Tian? He was a martial artist! Ling Tian directly condensed his true essence into his hand. The true essence flowed along his palm to the blade, instantly increasing the blade's hardness by several times.
Then, Ling Tian aimed at a prayer bead on the string and cut steadily.
With a crisp sound, the prayer bead was split in half!
Ling Tian casually split another prayer bead and then placed the two beads on the tray.
"Mr. Feng, please come and take a look. The anomaly lies right here!"
The Feng father and son quickly leaned their heads over, and as soon as they saw it, they were stunned.
Two prayer beads were cut open. One of them had a uniform texture inside, showing it was agarwood throughout.
But the first bead Ling Tian cut had a big problem. This prayer bead was only less than two millimeters thick on the outside, made of agarwood. The hollow inside was filled with a yellow oily substance that emitted a strange odor.
"What, what is this? How could this happen..."
"Old sir, I believe this is what attracts the蛊虫 (gǔ chóng - a type of parasitic worm)!"
"This oil can permeate through the outer agarwood and the gaps in the string, (allowing some of the scent to seep out. To the蛊虫, this scent is a pheromone. The失心蛊 (shī xīn gǔ - a specific type of蛊虫) will actively attack the person carrying this substance upon smelling it. This is why only Mr. Feng was poisoned while the gardener and servants were unharmed..."
"But how were those things sealed inside the beads?" Feng Jifei asked, somewhat confused.
"There are many ways, for example, using a miniature drill to hollow out a space inside, and then injecting this substance with a syringe. Finally, the hole is sealed with something like glue. The craftsmanship for this isn't complicated; it just requires tools..."
"But how can you prove that these substances are related to that worm?" Feng Jifei continued to ask.
"Haha, that's easy. As long as these substances evaporate, the worm will walk right into the trap. Alright, let's begin! Please find me an empty glass or plastic bottle with a lid!"
Soon, a servant brought the glass bottle Ling Tian needed. It was a wide-mouthed glass jar with a wooden stopper, typically used for storing tea leaves.
Ling Tian took out a lighter, ignited it, and slowly brought the flame close to the oil inside the split bead.
As the oil passed the flame, it quickly began to boil, first turning into liquid, then evaporating. a slightly pungent smell immediately wafted out.
At this moment, Ling Tian put down the lighter, holding the glass bottle in his left hand and the stopper in his right. He closed his eyes, activating his Heavenly Eye divine ability to its fullest. In an instant, the entire garden appeared in Ling Tian's mind, every detail laid bare.
Several minutes passed. The scent from the oil inside the prayer beads spread throughout the garden. Just then, Ling Tian noticed a mosquito-sized insect on the trunk of a Brazilian wood tree at the edge of the garden, flying rapidly towards the tray.
As quick as lightning, Ling Tian raised his hand and swiftly sealed the glass bottle with the wooden stopper!
"Haha, the culprit has been caught!"
The Feng father and son quickly looked at Ling Tian's hand. Inside the glass bottle, a small insect, about the size of a mosquito, was flying around frantically, bumping against the bottle.
Ling Tian raised his hand and quickly shook the bottle. The small insect inside was instantly stunned and fell to the bottom of the bottle, motionless.
Feng Jinglong squinted, looking into the bottle for a long time. As a 70-year-old man, his eyesight had long since deteriorated, making it difficult to see the creature.
Let alone him, Feng Jifei, who was in his forties, also had serious presbyopia. However, at this moment, a very observant servant handed him a magnifying glass.
The father and son took the magnifying glass and carefully observed the insect in the bottle. They were shocked by what they saw, their hair standing on end.
Under the magnifying glass, the insect's appearance was clearly visible. It somewhat resembled a beetle, or perhaps a rice weevil, but it was twice the size. Its dark shell was densely covered with red and yellow spots, a color combination that was utterly disgusting. The insect had two fangs on its mouth, and in the center of the fangs was a pair of folded mouthparts, similar to a mosquito's. Further down its legs, there were numerous serrations, which effectively helped the insect cling to human skin.
Ling Tian introduced the 失心蛊 to the Feng father and son. He explained that this insect flew very fast, similar to a fly, and would silently land on a person. Then, it would use its serrated legs to grip the human skin and insert its mouthparts into the body. Since this insect only injected venom into the body and did not feed on blood, the venom also had a paralyzing effect on the wound, making it impossible for people to realize they had been bitten by such an insect. After the insect flew away, the bite mark would not swell like a mosquito bite.
Next, Ling Tian picked up the lighter again and ignited the remaining yellow oil to let it evaporate. He waited for a while longer, observing carefully with his Heavenly Eye. Seeing that no other insects flew over, Ling Tian clapped his hands.
"Alright, the problem is solved. It's this thing! Kill this thing, and the hidden danger in your home is temporarily gone. As for the rest, that's your family matter, and I won't interfere!"
Ling Tian knew well that one must know their boundaries. Although the identity of the culprit was as clear as a louse on a bald man's head. The person who sent the prayer beads was naturally the prime suspect! What's more, this person also had a motive for the crime. If this were presented in court, a conviction would be almost certain. Ling Tian knew he couldn't get involved in this mess. As the saying goes, even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs. As a doctor, he couldn't get too deeply entangled with patients and their families!