6kv Chapter 33 Plague
Chapter 33 Plague
In the desolate Menglong Mountain, there is a remote village called Taoyuan Village. The mountain is shrouded in miasma all year round, like a divine dragon whose head is seen but not its tail.
Taoyuan Village thus enjoys a peaceful and prosperous life in its secluded corner.
A local rumor, its veracity unknown, circulates that a dragon lurks within the spring atop Menglong Mountain.
This dragon has cultivated for five hundred years and is only a hair's breadth away from transforming into a dragon. Whenever there is a thunderstorm, it rushes straight down the river from the Heavenly Spring. Once it has survived the perilous journey of the dragon, it will be able to fulfill its wish and transform into a true dragon.
However, Menglong Mountain has never seen lightning or rain in a hundred years. No one has ever seen the legendary dragon, and Taoyuan Village has never seen it either.
Therefore, locals only use it as a topic of conversation during their leisure time, and no one ever takes it seriously.
...
Under the bright sunshine, a young child rushed through the fence in a panic.
"Young scholar, what's the matter that you're in such a panic?"
An elegant old man held a book in his hand, examining it carefully. He did not turn his gaze to the child, but stroked his beard and quietly turned the pages of the book.
Although his tone was stern, the kindness on his face was undeniable.
"Something's happened in Shenmu Village!"
"Every household transformed into a demon, tearing and biting at anyone they encountered, devouring them as they pleased. Like the legendary starving ghosts, they felt no fullness even when their bellies were bulging."
"Even the sacred tree in the center of the village that suppresses the three-clawed poisonous toad is gradually withering, and it will probably cause a great disaster in a few days."
Upon hearing this, the old man's expression changed drastically. He dropped his book and gripped the boy's hands tightly. The force was so great that the boy's wrists swelled up.
"How did you learn of this? Tell me quickly!"
The young scholar, already terrified, was further frightened by the old man, causing his knees to buckle as if his soul had been drained, and he knelt down in a flash.
"It's true, everything I'm saying is true, I saw it with my own eyes."
Seemingly frightened by the old man's urgent and fierce gaze, the student burst into tears.
"You must know that Shenmu Village is only a few miles away from our Guanjiang Village! If this matter is not handled properly, then my Guanjiang Village will likely suffer a devastating loss of life."
"This matter is of utmost importance. You must come with me to find the village chief."
The old man was about to help the boy up when he found that the boy remained kneeling motionless on the bluestone. A sense of foreboding crept into the white-bearded old man's heart.
The boy's eyes were bloodshot, his face was contorted, a few tufts of red hair had appeared on his face, and salty saliva was dripping from between his teeth.
...
Meanwhile, Fang Hongxuan had been riding out of the Bewitching Forest for half a day.
However, the harsh environment and dense undergrowth inevitably tore the clothes that had been painstakingly repaired.
"It's time to get a new outfit," he muttered to himself.
Fang Hongxuan used a branch to clear the thorns in front of him, but his stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment.
The provisions in their baggage had long been eaten up. Their only option now was to find a few wild rabbits to fill their stomachs.
A rustling sound came from the bushes ahead. Fang Hongxuan listened carefully, and then his face lit up with joy.
He casually picked up a pebble from the roadside and threw it forward. A large rabbit fell to the ground in the grass, limp and powerless in the ditch.
A pebble the size of a thumb was inlaid on its face.
Fang Hongxuan skillfully picked up the rabbit and walked to the nearby stream, plucking its fur, skinning it, and washing it in one smooth motion.
Before long, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Fang Hongxuan ate heartily, his stomach working at full capacity.
A man was swimming in the stream in the distance; his lips were pale, and his face was bloodless. Even the rise and fall of his abdomen was gradually weakening.
He was exhaling more than he was inhaling, and it looked like he was about to die.
Fang Hongxuan, who was enjoying his meal, saw this and quickly scooped up the rabbit leg.
The man coughed up cold water repeatedly, repeating this dozens of times before finally waking up. He barely managed to open his eyelids, and Fang Hongxuan then stopped.
"Thank you, my benefactor. My name is Jian Shiqing."
Jian Shiqing stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and his gratitude was evident in his expression.
"It was nothing, no need to thank me."
Fang Hongxuan returned the greeting, then picked up a rabbit leg, rinsed it in the stream, and continued tearing it apart: "First, warm your clothes by the fire, then eat a few bites of rabbit meat, and your body will feel warm."
Jian Shiqing was a straightforward person. Without any hesitation or shame, he took off his already soaked clothes and placed them next to the fire.
He tore off another rabbit leg and began to devour it.
Fang Hongxuan couldn't help but smile at the sight, nodding repeatedly as he held up the rabbit leg.
"Eat...eat..."
"My benefactor, where are you headed this time?"
Jian Shiqing scrutinized Fang Hongxuan, as if trying to get a clear look at him.
Fang Hongxuan casually tossed the bones into the fast-flowing stream, and only after swallowing all the meat inside his cavity did he slowly and deliberately reveal what he had done.
"It's nothing more than wandering the world with a sword, making the four seas my home."
Jian Shiqing hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke up to offer advice.
"Ahead lies Shenmu Village, which is currently plagued by an epidemic. If you are not in a hurry, you may bypass this place to avoid being tainted by the bad luck."
Fang Hongxuan's heart stirred slightly as he thought of the plague demon that was rampant in Sishui County.
"I wonder how the director and the others are doing now..."
"Plague? I haven't heard of it lately. Could you elaborate?"
Jian Shiqing slowly rose, gazing into the depths of the water source, a hint of indignation in his eyes: "Nothing more than the chaos of war, with bandits and robbers causing havoc in the mountains."
"First, the rebel army fled here and forcibly requisitioned food. Then, bandits attacked the village, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities."
"Shenmu Village, which was already nearly deserted, was further weakened by this disaster. There was nowhere to bury the dead and wounded. Although it was freezing cold, the plague eventually spread."
"Now, everyone in the village has been infected with that strange disease of not being able to eat, and their bodies are covered with pustules. You can't even get infected by touching them, let alone getting close to them."
Fang Hongxuan unconsciously distanced himself from Jian Shiqing. He remained outwardly gentle, but inwardly he became wary.
Seeing this, Jian Shiqing couldn't help but smile wryly. He cupped his hands to indicate that he posed no threat: "My benefactor, I am Jian Shiqing, the Demon Suppression Captain of the Demon Suppression Division of Fumo County."
"We were ordered by the Prefect of Lintao to go to Sishui Town to provide support. Originally, there were five of us, but we encountered the plague in Shenmu Village."
"If it weren't for the desperate struggle of my colleagues, I doubt I would have even met my benefactor."
"You're from the Demon Suppression Division!?"
This was the first time Fang Hongxuan had encountered a demon-slaying captain other than his colleagues from Mixian County.
He first scanned Jian Shiqing up and down, then frowned slightly:
"How can you prove it?"
Jian Shiqing took out half of a black, jade-like token from his pocket. Just as he opened his mouth, he saw that Fang Hongxuan had taken out an identical token at some point.
"you..."
"I am the Demon-Slaying Captain of Seeking Immortals County, which confirms my identity. What kind of ferocious plague could have claimed the lives of four of my colleagues?"
Only by passing through this place can one bypass Mixian County and reach Sishui County. Coincidentally, this is also a place Fang Hongxuan is patrolling. Therefore, it is necessary to find out what exactly happened.
Jian Shiqing said with a bitter expression, "To my shame, I fell into the trap of that walking corpse, and my martial arts skills are hard to use."
Now that I've managed to wake up, I'm just about to go back and get some reinforcements to quell that disaster.