Wandering Gods of Day and Night
Chapter 191 - 159 Human Stomach

Chapter 191: Chapter 159 Human Stomach

Zhou Xuan walked into the inner chamber. Three Jingyi Beds were laid out, one of which was already occupied.

The bed on the far left was currently hosting a "guest." Lv Mingkun, with a lit cigarette pinched between his fingers, was pacing back and forth from the head of the bed to its foot and back again. His eyes, filled with a kind of wistful preoccupation, remained fixated on the guest’s body.

Zhou Xuan, curious, asked, "Fifth Senior Brother, why haven’t you started?"

During work, it was rare to see Lv Mingkun with such a lost expression.

Years of performing the art of sewing corpse purification—endless days and nights of labor—had already transformed him into a master of human anatomy, an emotionless Jingyi machine capable of completing even the most complex rituals with his eyes closed.

Even Yun Ziliang, well-versed and worldly, would often set aside his cards, delicacies, and newspapers to indulge in his favorite pastime: watching Lv Mingkun perform Jingyi on corpses.

As Yun Ziliang put it—labor turned into art. Every time Fifth Senior Brother made an incision, it was swift and decisive, without the slightest trace of hesitation.

And though his movements appeared simple, they grasped the essence of precision, evoking a sense of profound craftsmanship disguised as simplicity. Watching the blade glide along the corpse’s body, it no longer resembled mere cutting; it was akin to a stream flowing naturally, adhering to the very principles of the cosmos.

Lao Yun would often say, "The more natural it is, the closer it is to the beauty of art."

But now, Lv Mingkun was paralyzed, unable to wield the blade, leaving Zhou Xuan puzzled.

"It’s not that I can’t make the cut—I just haven’t figured out how to approach purifying this corpse."

Lv Mingkun flipped the guest’s body over on the bed. The corpse changed from lying face down to lying on its back.

Zhou Xuan leaned closer for a look. It was the body of a young man, somewhat handsome, with delicate skin and flesh on his face and hands. There were no visible wounds, indicating he had not come from a poor family in life.

In Mingjiang Prefecture, the poor bore the marks of hardship, their faces weathered by the elements, their hands scarred from rough labor, with large, coarse knuckles to show for it.

The guest’s body, however, apart from the face and hands, had soft and smooth skin across the legs, back, and neck. Yet his abdomen was peculiar—the skin there was remarkably loose, covered in folds upon folds like the face of a Shar-Pei dog, only much thicker and stacked in even more layers.

"The family has made a specific request—they want these folds completely removed, so he looks presentable in burial robes. It’s giving me a bit of trouble."

Lv Mingkun pinched the loose skin at the tip of the guest’s belly, giving it a sharp tug. The belly stretched upward nearly a meter before the many layers of folds were pulled taut and flattened.

"What did this man do in life to end up with skin like this on his belly?"

"They say he went mad suddenly," Lv Mingkun explained. "According to the family, three nights ago, he started gnawing on the wooden doors of his house for no apparent reason, swallowing stones from the courtyard, and eating until his belly was round and taut—more swollen than a woman in her final month of pregnancy.

Even then, he wouldn’t stop. He went on to devour the family’s live chickens and dogs, ultimately gorging himself to death. After his passing, the family sought out a Jingyi service. Several shops tried but barely managed to remove the assortment of items from his belly. But because he died from overextension, his skin lost its elasticity and couldn’t snap back, leaving it in these layered folds.

Those shops couldn’t meet the family’s demands, so they sent him to me after some searching. I’ve recently gained a little renown in East Market."

Lv Mingkun had indeed taken fewer jobs since arriving at East Market, but as a Jingyi Master of the Da Ming Opera Troupe, his work was unparalleled in detail and artistry, outshining the skills of other Jingyi shops by several orders of magnitude. His reputation had started to spread.

In Mingjiang Prefecture, where wealth was abundant, as long as the craftsmanship was excellent, people were willing to pay handsomely.

"But I feel like this guest is a stumbling block in the path of my rising career." Lv Mingkun had the surreal sensation that this massive-bellied man might ruin his fledgling reputation just as his signboard went up.

"What’s so difficult about this?"

Zhou Xuan felt Lv Mingkun wasn’t thinking creatively and offered, "The skin on his belly is stretched out, right? If it’s all these overlapping layers, why not cut away the excess? Leave just enough skin for a normal belly, then stitch the wound closed—problem solved."

"But that would still look unsightly!" Lv Mingkun held his craft to exacting standards.

"Just try it and see." Zhou Xuan urged Lv Mingkun.

"Alright, let’s give it a shot."

Lv Mingkun calculated the necessary measurements and began cutting. A massive "human stomach" was sliced away and then sewn back together.

He worked quickly, finishing in less than half an hour.

But a new problem arose.

The belly had been stitched closed, but due to the stretched nature of the skin, its texture was completely different from the rest of the body.

The surrounding skin remained tight and delicate, but the belly appeared puffy and distended.

"Junior Brother, look—the belly doesn’t match the rest at all."

"Fifth Senior Brother, let me teach you a trick today."

Zhou Xuan pointed to the center of the belly. "Here, pierce a hole with a needle, then make a cut up at the chest."

Lv Mingkun grabbed a needle and pierced a hole in the guest’s belly, then made a small incision at the chest.

Zhou Xuan found a length of thread used for stitching corpses, measuring about a meter. Doubling it over twice, he twisted it into a single strand and tied a firm knot at one end.

He re-threaded the needle, passing the thread through the hole in the belly. The knotted end got caught against the opening, while the other end of the thread extended out through the incision in the chest.

Zhou Xuan pulled the thread taut with all his strength. The knot anchored the belly’s loose skin, drawing it upward with a fierce tension. Around the pierced hole, the skin, stretched to the limit, transformed—becoming unexpectedly tight and smooth.