Chapter 114

Half a month has passed since Sun Qian's last report.

In this half month, everything in Xuanwu City has gotten on track, brimming with vigorous vitality.

The over five hundred newly arrived survivors have also been shining in their respective posts, and now they have thoroughly integrated into life in Xuanwu City.

That afternoon, warm sunlight poured through the huge glass dome onto the central square of Xuanwu City.

A group of residents who had just finished half a day's labor gathered in twos and threes, enjoying the rare afternoon leisure while eagerly discussing the beautiful future life of Xuanwu City.

"Did you hear? Minister Wang said our breeding farm will be completed next month! Then we'll have endless eggs and pork!"

"Really? That's great! I haven't tasted meat in over half a year!"

"If you ask me, it's our City Lord who's amazing! Following the City Lord, better days are still ahead!"

Just as everyone was full of hope for the future, a young man who had been chatting and laughing with his companions suddenly froze his smile.

"Uh..."

He suddenly let out a painful groan, clutching his throat tightly with both hands, his face twisting from extreme pain.

"Ah... Ah Hui? What's wrong with you?"

His companion beside him was startled by the sudden change and rushed forward to support him.

But the next second, the young man named Ah Hui shuddered violently, and a mouthful of dark red, foul-smelling thick blood spurted from his mouth!

"Pff—!"

The fresh blood splattered onto the ground and also onto his companion's horrified face.

"Ah—!!!"

A piercing scream instantly shattered the previously peaceful atmosphere of the square.

Everyone's gaze snapped over in unison.

All that could be seen was that the young man named Ah Hui, after spitting out that mouthful of black blood, went limp and collapsed to the ground.

Moreover, after falling he began to convulse violently; his skin rapidly turned dark red at a visible speed, a palm-sized patch of epidermis peeled off his arm, exposing the bloody, mangled tissue underneath.

Even more horrifying, his breathing grew increasingly ragged, his throat emitting a hoarse 'heh-heh' sound!

"Quick... quick, call a doctor!"

"Good heavens! What... what is happening?!"

"Stay away from him! Get away from him quickly!"

Panic spread through the crowd like a plague in an instant!

Within less than ten minutes, the medical department's stretcher team rushed over.

Sun Qian, wearing a white coat, pushed through the crowd with a solemn expression; upon seeing the patient's gruesome state on the ground, even though she had mentally prepared herself, her pupils uncontracted slightly.

"Quick! Immediately lift him to the isolation zone! Everyone who had contact with him, isolate them on the spot for medical observation!"

She issued the orders calmly, but her voice betrayed a barely suppressed tremor.

These symptoms... are exactly the same as the thirty-five patients she previously reported to the City Lord!

No, they are even more severe than those!

However, this is merely the beginning.

Within the hour after Ah Hui was carried away, Xuanwu City saw another fifty patients with the same symptoms appear one after another!

Vomiting blood, skin ulceration, respiratory failure...

Panic completely exploded!

"It's an infectious disease! This must be an infectious disease!"

"What are we to do? I don't want to die!"

"It's all the fault of those newcomers! They must have brought the virus in!"

Nobody knows who, but someone hysterically shouted that sentence.

In an instant, everyone's gaze turned as one to the newcomers who had joined Xuanwu City just a month ago!

The survivors from Suchen Refuge, who had basically already integrated into Xuanwu City, were now all singled out.

"Exactly! It's them! Before they arrived, Xuanwu City never had this strange disease!"

"Drive them out! Drive them all out!"

"Get out of Xuanwu City! You lot, bringers of disaster, jinxes!"

The "old residents" who had earliest followed Lin Yue, in fear of the unknown and death, completely lost their reason.

Even some extremists among them had already picked up nearby tools, their faces contorted with malice as they advanced on the newcomers!

Meanwhile, those newcomers, seeing these people who just days ago were calling each other brothers, now approaching like demons, turned deathly pale and kept retreating.

"No... it's not us..."

"We also don't know what's going on..."

Their explanations seemed feeble and pale before the furious crowd.

Just as the two sides were about to clash!

"Everyone, stop!"

A clear, cold female shout rang out like a thunderclap in everyone's ears!

Han Ya, holding a short blade, led dozens of fully armed Black Tortoise Guard members and firmly blocked herself between the two groups.

Her eyes, usually calm as water, were now filled with uncontainable anger.

"Anyone who dares to take another step forward will be killed without mercy!"

Her icy voice, paired with the Black Tortoise Guard's dark muzzles, finally caused those irrational "old residents" to calm down a little.

"Director Han! We didn't want to cause trouble; it's this group..."

A ringleader of the disturbance pointed at the newcomers opposite and roared unwillingly.

Shut up!

Han Ya shouted to interrupt him,

Before the City Lord's order arrives, no one may act on their own! Anyone showing symptoms, and anyone who has had close contact with them, must go to the West District temporary isolation point! Everyone else, go home; without orders, do not go out!

This is an order! Violators will be punished as traitors to the city!

Under Han Ya's firm hand and the Black Tortoise Guard's show of force, the rioting crowd was finally forcibly dispersed.

But everyone knows this is only temporary; if we can't quickly find a cure for this strange illness, next time no one can guarantee we'll still be able to control the situation.

In the medical area, inside the temporary isolation ward.

The atmosphere was oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

Lin Yue stood outside an observation room, his face as still as water, watching everything inside.

Inside the ward, over eighty beds were neatly arranged.

On each bed lay a patient groaning in pain.

Their skin was extensively ulcerated, oozing yellow pus; only the ventilator's 'beep-beep' reminded him that these people were still alive.

The air was filled with a strong stench of decay that even disinfectant could not mask.

City Lord...

Sun Qian's weary voice came from behind him.

Lin Yue didn't turn around, merely asking lightly:

How's the situation?

Not good.

Sun Qian shook her head,

In just one day, the number of infections has already exceeded a hundred. Moreover, that number is still growing. I suspect… this virus has begun to spread through the air.

Airborne transmission!

Those four words made Lin Yue's heart sink once again.