Corpse poisoning (尸毒, Shī dú) is an illness that results in the death and transformation of its victim into Hopping Corpses if left untreated.[1]
Transmission[]
Corpse poisoning occurs when a person is infected with a walking corpse's necrotic blood, either through a direct wound or contamination of one's wounds with corpse blood. Transmission can also occur via inhalation or ingestion of the toxic powder emitted by walking corpses. Of these methods, inhalation is most dangerous way of contracting corpse poisoning, due to the speed at which the disease can enter the bloodstream.[1]
Progression[]
A person with corpse poisoning will develop a fever, among other symptoms, one of which seems to involve a visible change on their tongue. When the infection reaches the heart, the person will either rot away and die or become a turned corpse. Before this certain point, however, it is still possible to cure the poisoning and save the infected person.[1]
Wei Wuxian mentions that people who transform can become Jiangshi, a type of 'hopping corpse' common in Chinese folklore.[1]
Treatment[]
Corpse poisoning has two known cures: elixirs and glutinous rice. While elixirs are not commonly carried by cultivators, [1] glutinous rice is a folk cure often employed by non-cultivators. The glutinous rice can be either applied directly to the infected wound or consumed as congee if the corpse toxin is inhaled.[2]
Events[]
In the years that Xue Yang lives with Xiao Xingchen, he employs corpse poisoning as a means of revenge against the blind Xiao Xingchen. After infecting villagers with corpse poisoning and cutting out their tongues, Xiao Xingchen's sword Shuanghua is not all to distinguish between living people and corpses, leading him to slaughter villagers in the erroneous belief that they were not alive. Xue Yang later uses this trick to deceive Xiao Xingchen into killing his dearest friend, Song Lan.[3][4]
A group of junior disciples who enter Yi City are soon infected with corpse poisoning, including Lan Jingyi. This prompts Wei Wuxian to seek out a kitchen suitable for preparing rice congee to cure them.[1][2]
To speak with Wei Wuxian, Xue Yang deliberately gives himself corpse poisoning before curing himself with a red elixir he had specifically designed with a sweet taste.[5]
Trivia[]
In an interview, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu explained that the use of glutinous rice as a cure for corpse poisoning was inspired by the Hong Kong film Mr. Vampire.[6]
References[]
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