The stench was emanating from the pool of pus that was once the village chief's wife.
The apprentice hurried to the bed where his master lay, and in the process, he could feel the dampness beneath his feet.
He dared not speculate further and continued walking, but when he saw the scene on the bed, it was as if he had been struck by lightning, rooted to the spot.
There on the bed where the physician once lay, was only a blackened skeleton, missing its left leg.
The truth lay before him. Even though he didn't want to believe it, he had no choice but to accept this reality.
His master had been killed by the poisonous snake.
The villagers who had just settled the injured rushed to the entrance upon hearing the sound from inside, asking, "What happened?"
As soon as they asked, they too caught a whiff of the stench, which triggered memories and informed them that the physician was dead.
"The physician is dead!!"
