"However, a few months later, Shang Dalin's body began to change." Ye Jiu continued. He did not look through the thick stack of documents, as though he had committed all the information to memory. "According to Shang Hongxiu's recollections, Shang Dalin's weight plummeted. He became as thin as a skeleton, started coughing incessantly, and often coughed up blood."
"Sounds like tuberculosis," Sun Hang remarked.
"The symptoms were indeed similar to tuberculosis, but according to the experts' analysis, Shang Dalin developed them because he had already become an infected. Moreover, his infection process had most likely entered an accelerated phase. His organs had begun mutating and losing their normal physiological functions..." Ye Jiu explained at length. "Aside from that, Shang Dalin also became increasingly neurotic, suspicious, and violent during that period. He would often beat the women imprisoned in the underground palace for no reason at all."
"Do all infected become like that after entering the accelerated phase?" Sun Hang asked.
"You'd have to ask Yang Qi and the others about that. I'm not a researcher." Ye Jiu said, "After that, Shang Dalin often muttered things like 'tomb,' 'resurrection,' and 'rebirth.' Shang Hongxiu and the others didn't understand, nor did they dare ask—because during that time, several women had already been beaten to death by Shang Dalin."
"Was this Shang Dalin trying to imitate those ancient Egyptian pharaohs? Turn himself into a mummy, sleep in a tomb for thousands of years, then come back to life?" Sun Hang quipped. "Have to say, the guy really dared to dream."
"Don't interrupt me. Where was I? Oh, right, several women were beaten to death by Shang Dalin." Ye Jiu continued, "Though Shang Dalin looked half-dead himself, his strength had become abnormally great. Shang Hongxiu personally saw a woman he had beaten try to