Chapter 1456: Leaving the Mountains (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Lin Su was almost angered by the other party's shameless words.

What does it mean to say "it's better for both sides to suffer losses than for her to win and me to lose"?

The word "outrageous" is insufficient to describe this; it is utterly depraved and a calamity against humanity! Being struck by lightning would be the least of their worries.

He clenched his right hand tightly in his sleeve, suppressing the raging fire and murderous intent within him: "This is not a matter of the victor taking all! Ordinary plagues can cause devastation, let alone ancient diseases? Are you really going to disregard the countless innocent lives lost for your own selfish desires?"

Lin Su had been searching for a way to resurrect the dead for years, and had heard of the ancient diseases preserved by the Inner Society. It was rumored that these diseases were all super-diseases that had spawned catastrophic disasters, far more deadly than plagues. Those afflicted were almost certain to die!

In the end, it wasn't because the doctor found the prescription, but because everyone died so cleanly! I don't even want to think about what would happen if these things were released! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it hell on earth!

Lin Su's question did not elicit agreement from the others.

Most of their gazes even carried a hint of mockery.

The middle-aged man who proposed releasing the ancient diseases said coldly, "Lin Anzhi, why are you worrying about this? No matter how powerful these diseases are, they can't kill scholars and warriors. They'll only kill some ants. Shen Youli is very foolish to think she has the mandate of heaven. If a large-scale strange disease plague breaks out in the army or the country, where will she have the energy to attack the central region? The crisis of the central countries will be resolved."

Having said that, he clapped his hands and said, "It's merely a strategy of relieving the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao."

Even Lin Su felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this.

He said gruffly, "Ants?"

"How can a commoner who is not ranked not be considered an ant?"

The highest ranks have no poor families, the lowest ranks have no noble families, and ordinary people who don't even have the literary talent rank are naturally the lowest of ants. The greatest ability of ants is their ability to reproduce and their large numbers. Millions or tens of millions may die in this war, but they will flourish again in thirty or fifty years.

Seeing Lin Su's grief and indignation, the middle-aged man couldn't help but sneer.

"Furthermore, I only said to release the ancient disease into the Kang Kingdom's camp or within Kang Kingdom's territory, not that it would be used indiscriminately against friend or foe. The ancient disease is extremely virulent; from onset to death, it can take only a few days. There are large uninhabited areas along the border between Kang Kingdom and the central kingdoms. The lowly people of Kang Kingdom who are infected with the disease will not be able to spread the disease to the central kingdoms in time before they die on the way and turn into bones."

These ancient diseases, no matter how severe, cannot spread on a large scale.

Even if it can spread on a large scale, so what?

It's okay to let a lot of ants die.

The middle-aged man straightened his sleeves, his gaze sweeping over his colleagues in the tent. Seeing their interest, he smiled inwardly. He then looked at the alliance leader seated at the head of the table and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "What is the alliance leader's opinion?"

Lin Su stood up angrily: "Absolutely not!"

Before it could provoke public outrage, someone pressed down on his shoulder and subtly signaled to Lin Su not to openly oppose him. The group in the tent represented the interests of the central aristocratic families; anyone who threatened their interests would be killed. Since the start of the war, Shen Youli had adopted a hardline stance, consistently aiming to exterminate the central aristocratic families. These people, driven by their own interests and lives, were unlikely to act rationally.

at the same time--

They fundamentally believe they are a different species from ordinary people, a difference akin to that between humans and monkeys. Would a human consider a monkey their own kind? If Lin Su continues to publicly oppose them, it will be dangerous.

The middle-aged man's eyes gleamed with smugness.

Seeing that the leader of the alliance was slow to express his opinion, he then used public opinion to exert pressure.

What do you all think of this plan?

The others thought it over and agreed it was a good idea.

The ancient disease is indeed formidable, spreading only within the Kang Kingdom's main camp or its territory, and is unlikely to affect us—even if those people all die, turning the northwest and southwest into desolate wastelands, they won't care. We can also clear out uninhabited areas in advance as buffer zones to stop the spread of the disease. Even if the disease does reach the central region, so what?

Only the lowest-class people died.

After weighing the pros and cons, the number of people in favor far outweighed those against.

Finally, even the alliance leader nodded in agreement.

At this point, there was no room for maneuver.

As Lin Su stepped out of the suffocating main tent, a throbbing pain in his forehead made him clutch his head and grit his teeth, silencing any cries of pain. It took him a long while to recover. Then, a pair of wooden clogs and the hem of a magnificent robe came into view—it was the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man sneered, "Lin Jun has accomplished nothing and made no contributions lately. Should I recommend you to the Alliance Leader so that you can facilitate this matter? I heard that Lin Jun has been to Kang State. You should know where the people are most numerous in Kang State and where Shen Youli feels the most heartache?"

The countries in the central region vary in size.

The population in China is relatively dispersed, but Kangguo is different.

As the country with the largest land area on the mainland, Shen Youli consciously concentrated and relocated its population for easier management. This was ingenious for middle-aged people, as the denser and more concentrated the population, the easier it was for ancient diseases to spread.

It can kill tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people in one go.

I don't believe Shen Youli can sit still and not withdraw her troops.

He knew Lin Su was unwilling to do it, but he just wanted to annoy the other party.

It's infuriating that a young man who barely makes it into a poor family becomes arrogant and disdainful of others just because he's had a bit of luck.

Middle-aged people should tear Lin Su's face off and stomp on it!

Lin Su's eyes were bloodshot: "You dare?"

The middle-aged man ignored his threat and walked straight past him, leaving only a cold, indifferent back view. Lin Su stared intently in the direction the middle-aged man had left, his killing intent impossible to suppress. He returned to his tent and had just sat down when he noticed unusual activity outside.

With more patrols, there's also someone watching me.

He asked, "What does this mean?"

The phantom of a Taoist robe and lotus crown floating inside the tent sighed, "What else could it mean? They're just monitoring you, they don't trust you, and they're worried that you might act impulsively and ruin their plans. These people are really despicable; they're capable of such beastly things. Although it's common for poisoning and causing plagues during wartime, they never target ordinary people."

He had just listened to the whole thing with Lin Su.

The Allied forces were debating whether to distribute the disease to the Kangguo camp or to the common people of Kangguo; they chose the latter.

First, you should pick the softest persimmons to squeeze;

Secondly, with Kangguo's elite troops in the main camp, they are very likely to discover the problem before the disease takes effect, which could easily alert the enemy.

Thirdly, the Kangguo camp is too close to the central countries. Once they leave the mountains, it's hard to say where the disease will spread.

The most important one is the third one.

These bastards say they don't care how many ants die, but deep down they're afraid of being affected—they all come from large, powerful clans in the central region, with vast populations. Most of their clansmen are ordinary people unable to cultivate, and they too could be affected.

Therefore, it was unanimously decided to introduce the ancient disease to the rear areas of Kangguo.

As for which region of Kangguo should receive the disease?

Those bastards didn't let Lin Su know.

The phantom figure advised, "Anzhi, why not just let it go?"

Lin Su pursed her lips tightly.

The illusory figure whispered again, "Those bastards in the central region are so immoral. Standing close to them might get you struck by lightning."

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

The Allied forces in the central region made new progress, and Shen Tang's forces were almost fully integrated, leading his troops out of the mountains. The mountains were rugged, and they had to be wary of possible sneak attacks, so their marching speed was not fast. After riding horses for several days in a row, Kang Shi had blisters on the inside of his thighs.

"Sir Deng, I have something to discuss with you!"

Previously, Kang Shi was so busy that he couldn't find an opportunity to interpret dreams with others.

Finally, when both of them had some free time, he grabbed Jiang Sheng's sleeve, and his warhorse almost pushed Jiang Sheng off the mountain path.

Jiang Shengqing said with a stern face, "Kang Jishou!"

Kang Shi, his face covered in cold sweat, looked at the narrow path that had suddenly collapsed halfway and sheepishly let go of his hand. Once the two had passed, the soldiers immediately stepped forward to repair the mountain path, setting up a temporary wooden plank road, and even reinforcing it several times in case of problems. Jiang Sheng sighed, "Speak your mind!"

Having a colleague who's a plague is just bad luck for him.

Kang Shi said softly and timidly, "I've been having frequent nightmares lately."

"If you have frequent nightmares, go see a military doctor and get some calming herbal medicine!"

Jiang Sheng didn't give him a friendly look; he wasn't a doctor!

Kang Shi shook his head: "I dreamt of Yuan Liang."

Jiang Sheng: "...Knowing that you brothers have a good relationship, you don't need to meet in your dreams. With Qi Yuanliang's personality, it's good enough that he hasn't brought disaster to others. You might suffer if you worry about him?"

Kang Shi hurriedly explained, "It's not this Yuanliang."

Jiang Sheng then put on a serious face: "Tell me what happened!"

Kang Shi simply dismounted and rode alongside him, leading his horse: "It started a few days ago. I've been having the same nightmare over and over again these past few days. I dream that Yuan Liang is standing in the middle of a pile of dead people, wearing only a thin burial shroud. I call out to him, and Le Zheng calls out to him too, but he doesn't respond..."

Jiang Sheng pressed further, "Besides that, what else?"

Kang Shi said, "The dead bodies on the ground are crawling up and biting everywhere."

He carefully recalled the increasingly vivid nightmare: "The living people who were bitten would quickly die and come back to life, then go and bite the next one... Le Zheng and I were separated by these strange undead... I kept searching for them in the dream, and when I finally found them..."

Kang Shi recalled the horrifying scene, his eyes turning serious.

"Yuanliang is gnawing on and sucking Lezheng's flesh and blood."

Jiang Sheng asked, "Is he dead?"

"No, that's not true. Le Zheng is still alive, but I always feel that he's not far from death." In the dream, Le Zheng was too crazy. He not only took a dagger and cut off his own arms and legs, but also grabbed Yuan Liang's chin with one hand and poured flesh and blood into his mouth with the other.

Open your mouth!

Swallow it!

The voice carried a chilling pleasure.

The abnormality index is somewhat excessive.

Kang Shi was so shocked by the bloody images that he would wake up quickly, and this happened every time. He worried that it was a precognitive dream.

It foreshadows what is about to happen in the future.

Jiang Sheng did some calculations with his fingers, but all he saw was a fog.

Kang Shi probed, "Is it just a regular nightmare?"

“No, it should be a glimpse into the heavens… I just don’t know if it’s yours or Tan Lezheng’s…” Jiang Sheng pondered for a while and suggested, “Tonight we’ll rest and ask Gu Wangchao to come and help us enter the dream. I need to see it more carefully.”

Although Gu Chi's path as a scholar could not be perfected, his abilities grew stronger as his cultivation deepened. He could not only hear the sounds of people nearby in their dreams, but he could also enter their dreams to spy on them.

Kang Shi breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay."

Hopefully, we'll get a good result tonight.

Before the results were announced, Kang Shi didn't want to disturb Qi Shan, so he secretly asked someone to call Gu Chi over. The three of them huddled together and whispered for a long time. Gu Chi was reluctant—Kang Shi's scholarly way was already perfected, and his mental strength was far greater than Gu Chi's own.

If the dream is too dangerous, the person who enters the dream will also suffer.

Not to mention, she was guiding Jiang Sheng into the dream.

"Should we ask the Lord to come and help?"

Kang Shi was taken aback: "How can this be?"

It wasn't that he was afraid his lord wouldn't help, but rather that having his lord around would have the opposite effect. Besides, the continuous marching had exhausted his lord's mind, and disturbing her rest for this matter wouldn't be good.

Gu Chi said, "Why not?"

It concerns the Lord's precious eyes; even if it's not possible, it's still worth doing good.

Shen Tang was also shaken over.

She said, "Is this true? You actually tried to keep it from me?"

Fifteen minutes later—

"Ji Shou, are you going to sleep or not?"

Kang Shi: "...I want to sleep too."

How can I sleep with three people staring at me like that?

Jiang Sheng suggested giving him a bowl of calming soup.

"Why go through all that trouble?"

Shen Tang raised her hand and delivered a sharp chop to Kang Shi's neck, hitting him precisely and putting him into a deep, baby-like sleep in an instant.

Shen Tang waited and waited, until her patience was about to run out.

"Wangchao, can't you even enter my dreams yet?"

Gu Chi helplessly shrugged: "He wasn't dreaming."

He was completely stunned by the attack.

Shen Tang: "..."

He hurriedly grabbed Kang Shi's shoulder and shook him awake.

At this moment, Kang Shi, clutching his neck, was speechless.

After some effort, she finally fell asleep, but soon woke up and grabbed Kang Shi's shoulders, shaking him frantically: "Wake up!"

Kang Shi had just dominated the gambling den in his dream, the dice were flying everywhere, and a group of gamblers surrounded the gambling table.

Shen Tang and the others waited patiently for a while, but instead of the dream unfolding as Kang Shi had predicted, they watched as this guy won home even the gambling den owner's trousers. On his way to work, Kang Shi was even hailed as the "Gambling Saint," which made Shen Tang and the other two furious.

In the second dream, Kang Shi made a bet at the Ministry of Justice.

In his third dream, he was playing hide-and-seek with a group of beautiful women.

Shen Tang: "...Kang Jishou, be serious about your dreams!"

Kang Shi: "..."

He was driven crazy after being forcibly shaken awake from deep sleep several times.

When I don't want to dream about something, I have nightmares every day; when I want to dream about it, I have all sorts of weird dreams! Is God playing a trick on me?

Just as he was about to try giving him another bowl of medicine, hurried footsteps approached from afar. In the moonlight, Chu Yao's face was almost the same color as his gray hair: "My lord!"

Shen Tang released her grip on Kang Shi's collar: "Wu Hui?"

Upon closer inspection, Chu Yao's forehead was covered in fine beads of cold sweat.

"Just now—" His breathing was a little unsteady, and the palm of the hand that was gripping Shen Tang's wrist was also wet, "My Scholar's Way was activated, foreshadowing a great disaster in the capital and other places! It's a plague... no, it's a strange disease! Millions upon millions of people, not a single one survived!"

Shen Tang's eyes widened even more: "What?"

Chu Yao repeated it again.

In the most populous areas within Kang State, not a single person survived.

He didn't know where the strange illness began, only that it was extremely ferocious! In his dream, Chu Yao returned to the capital city of Fengluo. As soon as he entered the city, he sensed something was wrong. The streets and alleys were deserted, and every household was draped in mourning. There were countless coffins inside the city, and outside the city, corpses wrapped in straw mats were piled up like mountains... Afterwards, he floated over several other cities, and the scenes he saw were exactly the same as those in Fengluo.

He returned to the royal court on a whim.

The civil and military officials are holding a court meeting.

Chu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step forward to ask his colleagues what had happened. He had barely spoken when all the civil and military officials turned to look at him, revealing faces with blue faces and fangs, which startled him awake. He was drenched in sweat and still shaken.

What worried him even more was that there was no one on the throne.

Only the coffin remained.

The Ji Mo Qiu brothers said to him, "We must keep our promise and bring the sacred object back to our clan! The creatures here should take care of themselves..."

(*▽*)

I hate that I'm not rich!