Not only Military Advisor You, but everyone else present also looked at Xie Guangbai with blank expressions.

However, they soon understood what the so-called benevolent deity's intervention meant.

"The brothers who went to the western suburbs to collect the corpses reported that they couldn't get into the western suburbs for some reason, and judging from the sounds, the people inside seemed unable to get out either. It's really like seeing a ghost."

After everyone returned to the county government office, a yamen runner reported to Military Advisor You.

Those present exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise.

"Doesn't that mean that the western suburbs are now covered by something unseen, just like the city gates?"

"So, it turns out that the reason we couldn't get out back then was because the benevolent god intervened?"

"But now that people from outside can't get into the western suburbs, how can we set up the venue as the divine doctor instructed?"

Xie Guangbai quickly answered everyone's questions.

He led the county yamen runners to the slums in the western suburbs. There he bowed to the invisible barrier and then said something respectfully.

"Good morning, Lord Good God."

After saying that, he walked straight into the place that the yamen runners couldn't enter.

The constables stared wide-eyed at Xie Guangbai, who had indeed gone inside. Some even rubbed their eyes hard, trying to make sure they weren't seeing things.

"Why don't we give it a try?" one of the constables said excitedly.

The others immediately chimed in, "Alright, Xiao Liu, you go first and set an example for us old fogies."

After giving a simple, honest smile, the constable Xiao Liu straightened his back and strode quickly to the entrance of the slum.

He imitated Xie Guangbai, first bowing to the invisible barrier, and then shouting loudly.

"Good morning, Lord Good God!"

Having done all this, the constable Xiao Liu strode confidently into the slum.

He turned to look at his companions with a surprised expression and shouted, "Yes, it's possible! Come on in!"

"The Benevolent God is indeed powerful!"

"Today, brother, I've truly witnessed what a miracle looks like!"

The constables exclaimed in admiration as they entered the slum.

Xie Guangbai took out a small medicine bottle from his sleeve and handed it to the oldest yamen runner.

"Take this pill first. It's a preventative medicine I prepared beforehand. While I can't say it completely prevents infection, it at least prevents you from getting infected easily."

I need to check the infection situation here first. After you finish your medication, you can clean up the area.

After saying that, Xie Guangbai walked towards a low thatched hut not far away.

"The miracle doctor is indeed a miracle doctor. He can even make preventative medicine and share it with us for free."

"Thank goodness the benevolent god sent him to our Heyu County, otherwise I don't even want to imagine what a terrible place our county would have become."

The older yamen runner sighed as he distributed pills to his men. They had just finished taking their medicine and tied the turbans issued by the county government around their heads. They were about to discuss what to do next.

Looking up, they saw a woman and a man walk through the protective barrier and into the room.

"Hey, who are you? How did you get in? Don't you know something happened in the western suburbs? Get out of here, get out of here!" a constable shouted anxiously.

The man and woman were Xu Jinhuan and Ma Wencai. Ma Wencai smiled and cupped his hands to the yamen runner as he explained.

"Brother yamen runner, you may not know this, but we came with Doctor Xie. You can see we're all wearing the same masks."

The constables then noticed that both men were wearing the same masks as Xie Guangbai, and their serious expressions faded, replaced by respect.

"So you are the divine healer's companions. You two must also be believers of the benevolent god. We apologize for our rudeness just now."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jinhuan shook his head. "You are all thinking of the people, so how can it be considered impolite? Let's first tidy up the venue and prepare to treat the sick and save lives."

The constables immediately nodded, first clearing away the debris in the open space at the exit, and then arranging the items brought by the various shopkeepers.

Soon, a makeshift medical facility was set up.

"Search every household thoroughly, gather all the dead together, and burn them all," Xu Jinhuan instructed.

Upon hearing this, the constables looked at each other, and finally the old constable stepped forward. He saw the long sword behind Xu Jinhuan, hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"This heroine, are you really going to burn it? Wouldn't that mean all these people would be reduced to ashes?"

Cremation was not common in the Daqian Dynasty; there was only one form of burial: earth burial.

Whenever someone dies, a coffin is prepared, the body is placed inside, and then buried in a chosen auspicious burial site.

They believe that one's body and hair are given to one's parents, and even after death, one should retain a complete body.

In their eyes, cremation would make the dead unable to hold their heads high even in the underworld.

Seeing the constables' expressions, Xu Jinhuan was reminded of the custom of working hard, but given the special circumstances, she had to handle it specially. So she asked in return.

"These corpses contain a large amount of plague virus. If they are only buried, the corpses will be eaten by starving animals, and the animals will then spread the virus from one to another."

"I'm afraid that in a few years, Heyu County will face a second plague. Can you withstand it?"

The constables were all surprised when they heard this.

"What? There's a second round?"

"So many people have died this time. If it happens again, won't our city and Yu County become ghost towns?"

"Burn, it must be burned, and it must be burned quickly."

Xu Jinhuan nodded in satisfaction, and she led Ma Wencai and the constables to search for the body.

"Mother, Mother, wake up! I've managed to borrow some grain. Please have a bite before you go!"

"Grandpa, grandpa!"

"Good girl, let Mommy hold you and let you bask in the sun today."

The deeper Xu Jinhuan went into the slum, the more she could hear the wailing. Some people were crying for their parents, some were crying for their children, each with their own grief.

Xu Jinhuan saw the young woman holding a child in the sun. She was pale and thin, and dressed in rags, but the child in her arms was wearing cotton clothes with very few patches.

It seems the woman gave her child the best of everything.

Just as Xu Jinhuan was about to turn her head, her pupils suddenly contracted.

It wasn't for any other reason than that the child in the woman's arms had revealed its face; that dry, peeling little face had turned pale, and its chest was no longer moving.

It's obvious that the child is dead.

Xu Jinhuan then looked into the woman's eyes and found that although she seemed to be conscious, she was actually mentally unstable.

“Miss Xu, this woman has lost her child, but if we take the child away now, I’m afraid she won’t be able to hold on for much longer. What should we do?”

Xu Jinhuan did not answer his question, but walked to the woman's side and spoke gently.

"Manager Yang has shown great kindness today by distributing grain in the east and has also sent a doctor to provide free medical care. You can bring your child with you."