Chapter 174: Qi of Merit

Lin Jue gripped his sword and sprinted a few steps. Though he lacked much technique, his speed and strength were both formidable. He pushed off a mottled wall where the plaster had peeled away, then flipped his hand and vaulted onto the roof.

Standing under the moonlight and looking around, he could see a continuous, well-ordered expanse of tiled eaves and corners.

In a trance, he saw the figures of various divine beings rushing through the city. Some, like him, had climbed onto the rooftops, while others stood guard on the city walls or dashed through the streets and alleys, as if searching for something.

At the very least, they had begun to move.

If searching for demons and ghosts within the city, these local deities were clearly more adept.

However, the streets were gradually becoming chaotic—

No one knew who had started it, but more and more people were opening their doors, carrying the sick on their backs, and ignoring the curfew as they rushed toward the medical clinics.

The city's physicians had also donned their robes and risen in the night.

If Lin Jue were to walk back to the inn now, he certainly wouldn't need to worry about being discovered by the night watchmen and charged with breaking the curfew. But if there truly were demons or ghosts, he would likely be providing them with cover.

Just seeing this scene, Lin Jue already realized that the possibility of the city's deities finding the Plague Ghost was already very low.

Seeing the shop assistant vomiting eggs and worms, it was clear he hadn't contracted the plague just tonight. Unless that Plague Ghost could stuff worms and eggs into his stomach, wouldn't the hatching of the eggs take time?

And if that were the case, how could one explain why so many people in the greater part of Cuiwei City had fallen ill on the same night?

It stood to reason that even if the plague were spread by a Plague Ghost, there would still have to be time for transmission, incubation, and onset, right?

Nevertheless, Lin Jue still held onto a sliver of possibility. He did not return to the inn, but instead sat on this very rooftop, holding his sword in his arms, a Divine Shen Xing Dan pinched between his fingers at all times.

Right here, he watched the city's deities rush about, watched the people coming and going in the streets, vomiting and wailing. A peaceful city gradually became noisy; in just a single night, the hearts of the people were already filled with panic.

A red sun gradually appeared on the horizon.

The deities searched incessantly, but all in vain.

Cuiwei had become a plague city.

……

The boundary between the green mountains and the morning mist was blurred, like ink wash and negative space on a painting. A mountain path wound through it at will, and several Daoist priests were already on their way.

"Third Shixiong, how much further is it to Central Province?"

"Central Province? Still several hundred li away!"

"Is there any plague in that direction?"

"Why does the Daoist ask such a question? We have walked all the way here and haven't seen any plague!"

"Just asking."

The early-rising Daoist and the traveling merchant passed each other, exchanging a few words.

The junior sister held a vegetable bun in her hand, nibbling on it as she walked along the road in silence and boredom.

This had been bought at a tea stall on the road; it was just coarse powder ground from coarse grains, wrapped with wild vegetables and steamed. It crumbled in the mouth, scratched the throat when swallowed, and felt like a mouthful of chaff when chewed. Thus, one couldn't breathe too heavily while eating, as exhaling easily blew the powder out, and inhaling easily caused choking. One had to drink a mouthful of water with every bite.

Chaff mixed with water became even stranger.

But the boredom wasn't just because the vegetable bun tasted bad; it was also because her senior brother had walked ahead, and there was no one to talk to her.

Come to think of it, it was quite strange—

Even when her senior brother was by her side, he didn't talk to her every single moment. Most of the time, she was the one pushing the twig cart, walking with her head down. But once her senior brother left and she was the only one left behind, even pushing the twig cart felt unenthusiastic. Within the first few dozen li, it had bumped her stomach several times due to potholes and rocks, so she had to abandon it in pain.

It wasn't just her; the colored fox was the same.

The junior sister glanced at the handcart.

She saw the colored fox lying lazily on a bundle, as if accustomed to being alone, yet it would lift its head from time to time to glance at the forest obscured by the thick fog or at the road ahead.

The junior sister then lifted her head to look forward as well.

Just at that glance, she saw a slender, elegant white shadow coming on the wind, like an ancient deity or a mountain spirit, passing through the thick fog and arriving before the group.

It still landed lightly, bending its body to absorb the impact.

But the fox couldn't help but keep its mouth open, panting:

"Ha~ ha~"

It seemed very tired.

At the same time, its fur was soaked with dew; it shook its body, sending water droplets splashing everywhere.

The junior sister couldn't help but be a bit dazed.

Because ever since her senior brother's fox had grown up, it had always seemed to have infinite energy. Whether climbing mountains or wading through water, no matter how it ran or jumped, it always moved with light grace, just like the wind, so much so that she had always assumed Fuyao would never get tired.

This was the first time she had seen it this exhausted.

The numerous Daoist priests in the mountains stopped immediately, looking at each other. They already knew the result, yet they still harbored a sliver of hope.

"How is it?"

"Did the junior brother have you bring a message?"

"Where is the letter?"

The fox listened to their questions, slowed down slightly, then lifted its head and spoke to them:

"Plague!"

"Plague? Where?"

"Cuiwei!"

"Cuiwei County? Is it urgent?"

"Urgent?" The fox froze in place, feeling as though it had run all night. At this moment, it was not only out of breath but its mind was also a blank slate. It thought seriously for a moment before speaking again, "Hurry and come!"

"How many people are ill?"

"Vomiting worms!"

"The symptom is vomiting worms? Are there any deaths?"

"The matter is of great importance!"

"Have you caught the Plague Ghost?"

"Staying at the inn!"

The numerous Daoist priests looked at each other again.

"There are still several hundred li of road left. With so many of us, it's impossible for everyone to rush over at once. Only the fifth junior brother can go first." The second senior brother spoke first.

"The fifth junior brother probably can't handle taking several Divine Travel Pills in a row; he'd better ride a horse." The third senior brother unhitched the horse pulling the cart and tied a saddle to it. "When there are two hundred li left, feed the horse a Divine Shen Xing Dan, and feed it something good after arriving in the city."

"Good!"

Not long after, the fifth senior brother slung his bundle over his shoulder, mounted the horse, and quickly dashed into the thick fog ahead.

The others had no choice but to let the donkey pull the cart and quicken their pace once more.

The fox was already lying on the handcart, eyes open and motionless, as if life held no meaning. A colored fox stood beside it, trying its best to lick its fur.

"Fuyao, eat something."

The junior sister handed a vegetable bun to it.

The fox climbed up again and began to eat.

"When did you set off?"

"Night!"

"How late at night?"

"Moon!"

"Ran several hundred li in one night? No wonder you're so tired! Rest a while more on the cart after you finish eating!"

"While!"

The fox answered casually and continued to lower its head and eat voraciously.

It hadn't even tasted the two vegetable buns before they were quickly in its stomach. After eating its fill, it didn't hesitate, jumping off the handcart in one go. It turned its head to look at the Daoist priests once more, as if saying goodbye.

"You……"

Just as the crowd wanted to say something, it was already gone.

It didn't seem to use any force in its feet, immediately jumping several zhang forward. It was truly like a spirit, disappearing into the depths of the fog in a few bounds.

……

By dusk, Cuiwei seemed to have become a purgatory.

At this time, the city was full of people infected with the disease.

Dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, followed by incessant cramping in the abdomen. Someone who might have been a strong laborer yesterday could be lying in bed within a day and a night, almost unable to walk.

The whole city was filled with an air of grief and mourning.

This was something the city's deities could see with the naked eye.

"What should we do?"

Inside the official residence, the City God was anxious as if burning.

After all, having been a deity for over a hundred years, he still had some experience.

This kind of plague was not only something he had never heard of before, but just looking at how fierce it was and how widely it had spread in such a short time, he knew it was definitely not a natural transmission; there must be human factors involved.

If it were a human matter, it should naturally be managed by humans. For him, the City God, to send dreams to offer advice and assist from the sidelines was already a merit; doing nothing wouldn't be considered a fault. But if there truly were a Plague Ghost, he, the City God, would be hard-pressed to shirk the blame.

It would have been fine if there hadn't been that matter with the Daoist earlier; dereliction of duty would still have been within limits. After all, even the City God of the capital couldn't guarantee that there wasn't a single demon or ghost in the city. In fact, everyone knew that the demons and ghosts hidden in the capital were just like the capital's prosperity—they were the best in the world.

The City God could only say he avoided demons and ghosts from causing trouble in the city and blocked those heinous demons and ghosts whose malevolent energy, death energy, and baleful energy could be smelled from far away.

But when someone had already come to warn you and you didn't take it seriously, instead going off to drink, that became a major fault.

If this matter wasn't handled well and many people died, the divine officials guarding the city gates would be primarily responsible, especially the two divine officials at the South Gate, whose crimes would be the heaviest; they would likely be unable to escape the fate of being reduced to ashes.

He himself would likely be dismissed from his post by the heavens and have his statue smashed on earth.

It seemed better than them, but in reality, how much better could it be?

He wasn't one of those True Men who had attained the Dao and ascended to become immortals and gods in ancient times. Once those great gods shed their official robes and lost their positions and incense, they at least still had their Daoist cultivation to rely on, which could sustain them for some years. But he was someone who had already died once; if he lost his divine position and incense, he would just be a ghost. How much longer would it be before he was reduced to ashes?

"Report to the City God! The Plague Ghost has not been found!"

"A day and a night! And still haven't found it?"

"It is feared it is no longer in the city!"

"This……"

The City God flicked his sleeves in a rage.

"What to do, what to do?" The City God paced anxiously and asked his assistant official, "I told you to send a dream to invite that Dragon-Touching Master; have you invited him?"

"Returning to the City God, that Dragon-Touching Master is not in our Cuiwei and is not within our divine power's jurisdiction. This subordinate had no choice but to ask the wild geese to help carry the dream over, but when the wild geese arrived at his home, they didn't find him either."

"Useless! What use are you to the people who offer incense?"

"This……"

The assistant official stopped speaking.

The City God paced a few times and looked at the fat and thin divine officials at the door.

In his heart, these two were already dead.

But they seemed to have something to say.

The City God frowned and asked:

"Do you have a way?"

The two divine officials were already pale. Upon hearing this, they acted as if they had found a savior and hurriedly said, "City God! We do indeed have something to say!"

"What time is it! Speak plainly, quickly!"

"Yes……"

Before the two spoke, they first looked at each other.

"What we wish to report to the City God is that the Daoist is likely strange!" The fat divine official spoke first. "City God, think about it: why didn't the plague come early or late, but came just as this Daoist arrived? And it started from the very area where the Daoist was staying!"

"That's right!" The thin divine official hurriedly added, "Last night, he walked around the city, and after he finished walking, the plague in the city became rampant!"

"Hmm?"

The City God was stunned for a moment, turned around, and stared straight at them.

"City God, please observe clearly. For the past few days, we have been guarding the city gates day and night and have not let even a single demon or ghost enter. The only one was the fox following that Daoist; that is a demon fox. And since last night, that demon fox has disappeared."

"That's right. It's not that we are slandering the Daoist, but this matter is truly suspicious. Moreover, for him, a Daoist from Mount Yishan in Huizhou, to run all the way to our Cuiwei County is truly not right. Reasonably and logically, the City God should invite a martial officer to arrest him and interrogate him thoroughly. This would be considered fulfilling one's duty and giving the people an explanation." The thin divine official said, "Even if, even if this matter has nothing to do with him, perhaps, perhaps we can persuade him not to report us for dereliction of duty to those above."

"……"

The City God stood with his hands behind his back, looking at them one by one.

How could he not know their thoughts?

These two divine officials were just as anxious as he was at this moment.

But this was indeed a way.

The City God pondered for a moment, turned around, and looked at the assistant official.

The assistant official also saw his thoughts. He wanted to advise against it but didn't dare to disobey, so he could only say helplessly, "What the two divine officials said is indeed reasonable. That Daoist practices spiritual arts. Since he has stepped onto the great path of cultivation, he can't be considered an ordinary mortal in an emergency. It's just that a Daoist of the Dharma Sect might have some abilities……"

"It's just inviting him to ask a few questions. Give him some benefits first. He's just a Daoist of the Lingfa Sect; perhaps his words last night were just to ask us for these."

The City God had made his decision and immediately summoned the martial officer.

……

By the time the sky was dim, the two martial officers of the Chenghuangmiao, plus four foot soldiers, had already arrived at the entrance of the inn. Although it didn't look like many, it was already all the martial officers and foot soldiers of the Chenghuangmiao.

However, at this time, a long line had already formed at the entrance of the inn.

From far away, they could see a wave of energy emanating from the inn's main hall that made them feel awe.

Before they even got close, they began to feel terrified. ===== CHAPTER 175 =====