Sludge suction system

Meanwhile, Xia Mu's investigation has reached a stalemate.

Before Xia Mu set off to investigate the cause of the illness in the city, Bai Pingping solemnly handed him an exquisite wooden box and said earnestly, "Xia Mu, this is the Ghost Needle, a treasure passed down to me by my master. It can accurately detect the location of poisons. Now the entire city is in imminent danger, and the cause of the illness is hard to find. This needle may be able to help you. Take it and carefully search all parts of the city, especially water sources, grain warehouses, and densely populated public areas. Do not overlook any suspicious places."

Xia Mu took the wooden box with both hands and gently opened it. Inside, he saw a needle, jet black and as thin as a cow's hair, lying quietly, shimmering with a mysterious luster in the dim light. He carefully took out the Ghost Needle, examined it closely, and secretly resolved not to betray Bai Pingping's trust.

Xia Mu first arrived at the water source. It was early morning, and people were flocking to fetch water. He found a relatively quiet corner, took a deep breath, concentrated, and gently placed the Ghost Needle into the water. The needle trembled slightly in the water, its tip slowly pointing upstream. A thought struck Xia Mu, and he quickly followed the direction of the needle, carefully checking every branch and ditch connected to the water source. However, after careful examination, the needle showed no obvious violent reaction, only a slight tremor. This puzzled Xia Mu, but he didn't give up and continued to the next location.

Next, he arrived at the city's grain warehouse. The warehouse was filled with the aroma of grain. Xia Mu, holding his Ghost Needle, moved among the mountains of grain sacks. As he approached a newly arrived sack, the needle suddenly trembled violently, its tip pointing straight into the sack. Xia Mu's eyes sharpened instantly. He quickly opened the sack and carefully examined the grain inside. At the bottom of the grain, he saw some small, oddly colored particles emitting a faint, strange odor. Xia Mu's heart tightened; he realized this might be a significant discovery. He quickly collected the suspicious grains, intending to take them back to the clinic for Bai Pingping to examine further.

After leaving the grain warehouse, Xia Mu headed to crowded public areas such as the market and bathhouse. In the market, the bustling crowds and various stalls offered a dazzling array of goods. Holding the Ghost Needle, Xia Mu carefully moved among the people and stalls, stopping occasionally to bring the needle close to various foods, drinks, and miscellaneous items. However, apart from occasional slight tremors, the Ghost Needle did not provide a clear indication of poison. In the bathhouse, Xia Mu similarly carefully examined the water in the pool and the surrounding facilities with the Ghost Needle, but still found no obvious traces of poison.

Carrying the suspicious grain samples he had collected, Xia Mu hurried through the winding alleyways, heading back to the clinic. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of something moving in a dark corner. He stopped alertly and looked closely; there lay several dead rats scattered haphazardly.

The rats looked bizarre. Their eyes were wide open, empty and eerie, their bodies stiff and contorted unnaturally. Their fur was dull and lifeless, and white foam clung to their mouths. A nauseating stench of decay emanated from them. Xia Mu felt a chill. In the midst of this rampant epidemic, any unusual phenomenon could be closely related to the cause of the disease. He crouched down and carefully examined the dead rats. Relying on the medical knowledge he had learned from Bai Pingping and his own keen observation skills, he realized that the rats' deaths were no accident; they were most likely caused by poisoning.

Xia Mu carefully wrapped the dead rats in a cloth, stood up, and looked around, trying to find the possible source of the rats. He noticed a series of blurry footprints behind the dead rats, seemingly the marks left by their struggle before they died. Following the direction of the footprints, Xia Mu explored step by step, his heart filled with both tension and anticipation. He knew he might be getting closer to the truth.

The footprints stretched on and eventually disappeared beside an old, hidden well. Located at the end of the alley, the well was surrounded by overgrown weeds. The bricks around the well were worn and dilapidated, emanating a musty, damp smell. Xia Mu cautiously approached the well. He noticed some damp marks on the rim, their color slightly dark, emitting a faint, unpleasant odor somewhat similar to the suspicious smell he had previously detected in the grain warehouse.

Xia Mu took a deep breath to calm himself. He took out the Ghost Needle from his robes and slowly approached the well. As soon as the needle neared the well's edge, it began to tremble violently, its tip pointing straight into the well, as if urgently proclaiming the evil hidden there. Xia Mu's eyes instantly turned cold and resolute. He knew he had finally found the source of the poisoning.

He quickly outlined his next steps in his mind. On one hand, he needed to get back to the clinic as soon as possible to inform Bai Pingping of this important discovery and discuss antidote strategies together. On the other hand, he had to find a way to seal the well to prevent more people from being poisoned. Xia Mu looked around, searching for items that could be used to temporarily seal the well. He saw a broken wooden plank and several large stones nearby, so he hurriedly covered the well opening with the plank and weighed it down with the stones to ensure that no one could approach the dangerous well for the time being.

After doing all this, Xia Mu, filled with tension and hope, rushed towards the clinic without stopping.

Looking at Xia Mu in the picture, Bai Pingping seemed to realize something. "Xiao Zha, this incident must be related to Doctor Qian. I guess Doctor Qian is trying to frame me by poisoning me. How can I find the source of this disease?"

“Host, from what I understand, there’s a rather mysterious black market on the outskirts of White Bird City! That place is truly a den of thieves, where all sorts of strange and wonderful treasures are sold—rare gems, precious medicinal herbs, and so on. Not only that, but you can also find traces of many kinds of shady poisons there. Why don’t you go and investigate? You might discover some useful clues!” Little Scum said, his body shimmering with a faint yet captivating light.

Just then, a shout suddenly came from afar: "Sister Pingping, Sister Pingping, I've found the cause of the illness, I've found the cause of the illness..." The shout grew closer and closer, and soon Xia Mu was seen running towards them, his face full of excitement, as if he was holding something important in his hand.

Upon hearing Xia Mu's shout, Bai Pingping didn't have time to think. She grabbed Xia Mu's hand and hurriedly ran towards the outskirts of White Bird City. Along the way, they kept asking passersby for directions to the black market. After much trouble, they finally found this mysterious place hidden in the suburbs.

Upon entering the black market, they found it bustling with activity and noise. Stalls were overflowing with a dazzling array of goods. Bai Pingping and Xia Mu searched frantically for information about poisons, eventually spending a large sum of money to glean a crucial piece of information from a stall owner—a mysterious, elusive person had recently purchased a bottle of colorless and odorless poison here, and this poison was identical to the one that had afflicted the city's inhabitants!

Having obtained this crucial clue, Bai Pingping dared not delay and immediately rushed back to the clinic. Using her superb medical skills and in-depth research on poisons, she quickly concocted the antidote and organized people to distribute it to every resident of the city. Through everyone's concerted efforts, the poisoning incident, which could have caused a major disaster, was successfully resolved, and the city returned to its former peace and tranquility.

Confined in the courtyard, Dr. Qian was completely unaware of everything happening outside, and he was about to face a terrifying disaster.