Chapter 394: Undercurrents Begin to Surge

The disaster's waves continued to violently batter Great Chen, this huge ship.

The new emperor Chen Hong practically threw himself into disaster relief as if giving his life for politics; his young face could not hide fatigue, but the will in his eyes grew ever more resolute.

He knew he was not fighting alone; this belief sustained him.

Through his efforts and the cooperation of the court officials, the chaotic situation finally showed a sign of being under control.

The relief grain and supplies began to overcome numerous difficulties, slowly and arduously flowing toward the disaster areas;

The military's intervention effectively curbed large-scale unrest;

The rescue teams organized by the Ministry of Works also proceeded one after another to various critical sections.

But the cost was enormous.

The national treasury was being depleted at an astonishing speed, and the people's accumulated vitality suffered severe damage in this catastrophe.

The entire dynasty's operation exuded a weakness after having its tendons and bones injured.

Upon this backdrop permeated with sorrow and fatigue, something more hidden and more sinister began to quietly grow.

The first to notice something amiss was Qian Gui, who was responsible for internal surveillance.

His subordinates' Jing'an Agency agents repeatedly returned scattered yet unsettling reports from several of the hardest-hit prefectures.

It was not riot or foreign invasion, but rather a kind of… eerie "dead silence."

In some villages, the survivors of the disaster did not show the expected grief or desperate will to survive; instead, they became abnormally numb.

Their eyes were empty, their movements sluggish, and they responded indifferently to the relief distributed by the government and organized self-help, as if they had lost all emotion and vitality.

As if their souls had been sucked out.

At the same time, these areas began to sporadically show phenomena of livestock dying for no reason and the withering of plants spreading outward.

This bears a striking resemblance to the "Bone-Corroding" omen that appeared several years ago!

"It's Bone-Corroding!"

Qian Gui slammed the secret report heavily onto the wooden table in the secret room, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Those scumbags of the Iron Crow Army! Taking advantage of the post-disaster chaos and the decline of the nation's fortune, they've unleashed this toxic thing again! Moreover, this time's spread speed and stealth seem even stronger than before!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, and the others' faces instantly turned extremely grim.

The heavenly disaster hasn't subsided, yet man-made calamity arises again!

And it's happening at the very moment when the empire is at its weakest!

"We must immediately inform His Majesty and strengthen control and inspection of these areas!"

Wang Ru exclaimed anxiously.

"I'm afraid the effect will be limited."

Zhang Cheng shook his head, his face solemn.

"The court's energy has been utterly drained by the heavenly disaster, and local officials are likewise overwhelmed. The Iron Crow Army choosing to stir trouble now is precisely because they see we are unable to attend to anything else!"

Chen Wen, who had been silently listening, slowly opened his eyes at this moment.

His mental power, under the boost of Level 1 (2x), though unable to sense far away, had its analysis and intuition for nearby information sharpened a bit.

He walked to the table, his gaze sweeping over the information, and lightly tapped a finger on the description about 'the boundary of plant withering being blurred, seemingly spreading.'

"It's not just Bone-Corroding."

Chen Wen's voice was low.

"The master of the Iron Crow Army… its strength has recovered considerably."

He could feel that familiar, loathsome icy gaze, although still far away, was noticeably clearer than during Zhao Guangyi's era change.

Obviously, the massive consumption of the dynasty's fortune momentum has given it a tangible 'benefit'.

It seemed to confirm his conjecture.

In that dim dimension.

The master of the Iron Crow Army felt the continuous nourishment flowing from the direction of the Chen Dynasty, brought about by the decline of fortune momentum, and its icy core flickered with a hint of successful calculation.

【Target faction's fortune momentum continues to decline…… meets the 'correction' condition…… permission recovery rate increased 12.7%……】

【"Bone-Corroding" agreement: energy intake limit increased…… diffusion pattern optimized…… stealth enhanced……】

It "gazed" at the point of light that, in its perception, should have perished but now exists as another vigorous life form—the "variable"—a mingling of defiant resentment and deeper scheming.

"The 'outlast' strategy has already failed."

"So then, before you regrow, exhaust every means to weaken your foundation, distort your history, and let everything you protect collapse from within!"

"Bone-Corroding" is merely the beginning.

"It will use this restored power to continually cause trouble for this off-course dynasty, until it becomes too entrenched to reverse, until that 'variable' is isolated and helpless, or…… forced to reveal itself prematurely!"

Inside the secret room, the atmosphere was oppressive.

"Can we deploy the stockpile of the previous Heart-Guarding Talismans? Or have the Ministry of Works rush production?"

Shi Dun looked toward Zhao Lao Nian.

Zhao Lao Nian shook his head with a grim expression.

"The Heart-Guarding Talisman is difficult to make; most of the stockpile has been allocated to border garrisons and key departments. The Ministry of Works is currently busy with disaster relief equipment and repairs, making large-scale production difficult in the short term. Moreover……"

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"This 'Bone-Corroding' feels somewhat different; whether the Heart-Guarding Talisman can fully resist it still needs testing."

Chen Wen listened to their discussion and once again tried to mobilize the faint power within his body.

He imagined as before, even if just imparting a trace of weak double effect to Zhao Lao Nian's analytical ability, perhaps he could find a countermeasure more quickly.

At the movement of his intent, that familiar warm current that acts only on himself surfaced again, making his thoughts a bit clearer.

But when he tried to separate this effect and direct it toward Zhao Lao Nian, he felt an invisible yet tenacious barrier.

That feeling was like trying to push open an exceedingly heavy stone door that had not yet reached its opening time with one's hand—it remained utterly unmoved.

He immediately understood.

This is the limitation of the rules.

Before reaching Lv. 4 (16x) again, the permission for Ability Granting remains firmly locked.

All of his "multiplier effects" can only be used on himself.

Whether it's strength, speed, thinking, or... learning and comprehension.

He cannot directly help others; he can only accelerate his own growth.

And this growth, after losing the massive "administrative labor" triggered by his imperial identity, has become unusually slow.

A sense of urgency welled up.

He must quickly find a way suitable for his current state that effectively boosts his "growth progress".

"We cannot stand by and let the Bone-corroding spread."

Chen Wen spoke up, interrupting everyone's discussion.

"The Imperial Court lacks the capacity to handle everything fully, so we'll do it."

His gaze turned sharp, sweeping over the five senior officials.

"Qian Gui, pinpoint the few core areas most affected by Bone-corroding, and clarify its spread pattern and possible source."

"Zhao Lao nian, lead a team to, at the fastest speed, develop a lower-cost, quicker-to-produce protective or purification method against this new type of Bone-corroding."

"Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru, find a way to steer the Imperial Court's disaster relief resources toward these areas without raising suspicion, at least stabilizing the situation and preventing panic from spreading."

"Shi Dun, have your old troops in the northern borders raise vigilance; the False Song and the Khitan will certainly not let this opportunity pass."

The five were invigorated and replied in unison: "Yes!"

Chen Wen walked to the wall of the secret room, where a rough map of Great Chen's territory hung.

His finger pointed at the areas marked as Bone-corroding-affected, his eyes icy.

"The master of the Iron Crow Army thought, taking advantage of my illness, to take my life."

"It forgot that even a wounded tiger still has its fangs."

"It also forgot that I, Chen Wen, am best at rising again from humble beginnings."

He withdrew his finger, feeling the weak yet extraordinarily steadfast seed of power within his body.

"It wants to slow my steps, using these sneaky tricks to wear us down."

"Then let it see how we... advance against the tide in its shadow!"

A new round of confrontation, in the darkness unnoticed by the world, once again drew back the curtain.

But this time, the balance of offense and defense has already changed.