Chapter 80: Black Death: The Dragon Emperor's Provocation [VIP]
"The Black Death?!"
Upon receiving the news, Xiao Yun's face changed drastically. He demanded sharply, "Are you sure it's the Black Death? Have all those who came into contact with the corpse been sent into quarantine for observation?"
"Anyone who came into contact with the corpses has been placed in Meilin Village for quarantine and observation. The Black Death bodies recovered from the water are being temporarily placed in a small temple awaiting autopsies. Lime and salt have been sprinkled around them as per regulations."
"Um."
Xiao Yun nodded and instructed, "Have the patrol team wear full bird-beak protective gear and inspect the village sanitation along the riverbank. Tell the villagers that the Black Death has appeared and no one can drink raw water. Water drawn directly from the Kas River must be placed in large jars, filled with alum, and left to stand for a day and a night. Only after the impurities in the water have settled can it be used to wash vegetables and clothes! Don't think this is a hassle. If someone in the village contracts the Black Death, everyone in the village could lose their lives!"
"Also, to encourage cat ownership, families with adult cats can enjoy a one-month tax reduction each year."
"Let's implement these regulations first... I'll add the rest when I think of it..."
"yes."
…
After the attendant left, Xiao Yun rubbed his eyebrows in annoyance.
(In the past, the Black Death was generally considered an acute form of plague. Symptoms included the appearance of lymph nodes in the groin or armpits, followed by bluish-black blisters on the arms, thighs, and other parts of the body. Sufferers typically died within three days without experiencing a fever. Fleas and rats were important vectors of the Black Death.)
(During the Middle Ages in Europe, cats were believed to be messengers of the devil, leading to the mass killing of domestic cats. Rats became rampant. Add to this the widespread filthy and crowded living conditions, backward hygiene and disease prevention concepts, and poor medical care and mobilization capabilities. Every outbreak of the Black Death resulted in widespread death.)
(According to the descriptions of the Black Death in medical books of this world, their Black Death isn't exactly the same as the Black Death of medieval Europe, but it's also a highly contagious plague-like disease, and can be handled using plague prevention and control methods... It just so happens that I'm also planning to promote a public health campaign in my territory, encouraging everyone to drink hot water and get rid of fleas...)
(By the way, were the plague-infected corpses that suddenly appeared in the Kazakhstan River truly an accident?)
Xiao Yun felt deeply uneasy.
You know, although most of the civilians in this world are illiterate, they also know that the Black Death is a highly contagious disease. When they find a body suspected of having died of the Black Death, they usually collect firewood nearby and cremate the body to prevent the plague from spreading and harming the entire village.
Because of the fear of the Black Death, some villages would even gather villagers and drive the suspected source of infection into a hut full of firewood and burn them alive when they found a living person with symptoms similar to the Black Death.
Although burning patients suspected of having the Black Death to death was cruel and inhumane, in an era when an outbreak of the Black Death could wipe out an entire village—
In this light, the sudden appearance of Black Death corpses in the Cass River becomes even more suspicious.
(Either the entire ship was infected with the Black Death, and there were no survivors on board, and their bodies fell into the river after the ship sank, or...)
Someone maliciously poisoned!
A creepy thought flashed through Xiao Yun's mind like lightning in the dark night.
(If someone really poisoned...who did it?)
Xiao Yun felt nauseous.
In this era, everyone knew that once a plague like the Black Death broke out, it would spread without distinction between friend and foe, killing everyone infected. Therefore, even the most shameless lunatic would not dare to do something as inhumane as throwing Black Death corpses at the enemy. However—
(The Dragon Emperor isn't human. Edmund has been under his mental control for so long that his self-awareness can hardly be called human... Naturally, he wouldn't think that unleashing a plague like the Black Death on civilians is insane and inhumane...)
The more Xiao Yun thought about it, the more upset he became.
In order to prevent the land of Gaola from being shrouded in curse and sorrow, he wrote down everything he could think of regarding infectious disease prevention and control on paper overnight, formulated corresponding policies one by one, and required his subordinates to implement them without fail.
Fortunately, the people already had a political and religious admiration for him, a prince from a sacred family, and the horror and cruelty of the Black Death were common knowledge known to everyone, including women and children. Although they completely did not understand the policies and regulations formulated by the prince, they still implemented them all out of trust in him and fear of the Black Death.
…
…
In the villages on the east bank of the Kass River, smoke rose from the burning of items that might spread the Black Death.
——Compared to the losses caused by burning dirty and old items, people were more afraid of hearing the dying moans of people infected with the Black Death with their swollen and blackened lips, and seeing themselves and those around them continue to develop unknown redness, swelling, and ulcers, and eventually die in despair.
However, looking at the smoke outside the window, Xiao Yun's mood was still more gloomy and depressing than the sky in Gaola.
During this period, in addition to mobilizing the entire population to burn and carry out a cleaning campaign, he also summoned all the literate young and middle-aged people in the territory and asked John Deere to arrange crash medical training for them so that they could complete daily disinfection work and serve as medical staff.
(My time as the High Lord is still too short. All kinds of basic training have just begun. When encountering a severe emergency like the Black Death, personnel must undergo temporary training...)
"What are you worried about, sir?"
"I'm worried..."
Xiao Yun turned around and was about to confide his troubles to mentor John Deere, but everyone's eyes were filled with anxiety and confusion.
(The child also has a naive, timid and childish side, but always shows it in front of everyone except me.
(The more urgent the situation, the more the superior must appear elegant, calm, and composed to stabilize people's hearts...)
Realizing this, Xiao Yun smiled calmly and said, "—I'm worried that this year's harvest will be affected by this incident. I'm thinking about how to speed up the resolution of the Black Death crisis."
"So this Black Death thing will be over soon?"
"Um."
Xiao Yun nodded slightly.
This seemingly casual gesture made everyone else in the hall feel relieved, and the atmosphere became relaxed and bright.
…
…
At midnight, Xiao Yun returned to his bedroom after finishing his official duties. He was about to drink his nightcap and lie down to rest when he suddenly felt some unnatural movement in the air.
"You go down first. I'll ring the bell to summon you if I need anything."
"Yes, sir."
The servants politely left the room.
Xiao Yun looked towards the corner of the room: "Now that you're here, don't hide!"
"... As expected, Master, you missed me~"
A pale, lustful and sticky body slowly emerged from the darkness. The succubus Romila smiled nonchalantly, licking her fleshy red lips with her tongue, and curling her hair with her fingers: "Master, tonight we-"
Swish——
Xiao Yun didn't want to listen to Romila's flirting, so he pressed the "Golden Blade" directly against the succubus's chin.
"Why did the 'Dark Night Mentor' send you here?"
Romila was stunned for a moment, then her eyes rolled around, and she pouted, sounding aggrieved. "Kairusha's condition isn't good. He's on the verge of death from the high-intensity 'radiation' in his body. Although he's survived for now, his body is getting thinner day by day... The former Black Eagle of the Steppes is now a dying skeleton, awaiting death at an unknown time. Wang Ren and I both want to help him, but we don't know if we're really helping him by doing so—"
"What do you want to say?"
"The old man found a way to cure him, but the side effects of this method will make him become less and less human..."
"What method?"
"The old man discovered through his research that the Jungle Barbarians and the Ghouls possess the same mutant gene—it's this particular mutant gene that allows them to survive around the Gola Ruins, where a large amount of radiation remains... He plans to inject this gene into Kairusha's body to neutralize the 'radiation source' within him."
"this……"
"Karusha accepted the old man's advice. He said that although he had lost his memory, there was always a voice in his heart shouting - you still have unfinished business. Whether you become a zombie or a ghost, you must live! Go and fulfill the promise you made to the most important person!"
"Promise..."
Xiao Yun's tongue stagnated.
He remembered what Kairusha said to Yaris before he left.
(Four years ago, I couldn’t save you… Now, I still can’t save you… But I hope… I sincerely hope that you can be saved… No matter what means are used…)
(This man, who is more like a knight than a knight, even though he has lost his memory, still remembers his promise to Yaris in his subconscious...)
"...After the mutant gene is injected, he will soon recover... well, if people in between zombie and ghost states can be considered human."
Romila muttered, "I don't know why. Although I can't understand him, I envy him. I envy that he can transcend death for a promise whose details he can't remember..."
(Because he is a true E hero, once he makes a promise, he will keep it no matter what happens in the future, even if it means turning against the world.)
Xiao Yun thought sadly and asked Romila coldly, "Is there anything else?"
"Well……"
Romila twisted her body like a snake, trying to wrap herself around Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun grabbed him and prepared to throw him out.
"If not, you can get out!"
"No! I have something else to do! Something very important!"
"What?"
“The Black Death.”
"I knew a few days ago that there were corpses of the Black Death in the Kazi River."
"No! You don't know!"
Romila yelled, "It's not Gaura that's about to have a major outbreak of the Black Death! It's Dalavia! The Black Death has also appeared in the Duke of Dalavia's territory!"
"What did you say!"
Xiao Yun was shocked: "What happened to Dalavia!"
"There was a Black Death in Dalavia, a Black Death unprecedented in history."
Xiao Yun's shocked expression made Romila very proud. She said with a beaming face, "The old man and I are both convinced that the sudden outbreak of the Black Death in Dalavia was not an accident, but someone's conspiracy. In fact, the old man once considered using the Black Death to push the country to the brink of destruction, and then appear as the savior king..."
"Of course, he ultimately failed to do so. It wasn't because he still had a conscience, but rather because he had calculated and discovered that only when the Black Death epidemic was completely out of control could the person who eliminated the epidemic and saved the country become the savior. But he didn't have the ability to extinguish an out-of-control epidemic."
"So, the mastermind behind the Black Death epidemic is..."
"Don't say that name. I'm not you. I can't withstand His power, even the slightest tingling in my brain."
Romila touched her face.
"In short, shortly after Adrian, as Viscount Dalavia, led the Dalavian Knights into the capital as per custom, a great disaster befell the Dalavian people, as if the beast lurking in the darkness had finally found the perfect opportunity to pounce on its prey."
"As of yesterday, over 20% of the population in the Dalavian territory had contracted the Black Death, especially the elderly, the frail, and the young children. They were too vulnerable to resist the disease."
"I can imagine the heartbreaking scene..."
Xiao Yun sighed softly: "What is the attitude of Denos and Wangdu towards this matter? Did my brother send anyone——"
"Duke Adlon of Dalavia has yet to report this incident to the capital, nor has he sought assistance from Denos. He has also strictly forbidden anyone from informing His Royal Highness the Duke, or Adrian, who is currently leading the Dalavian Knights in the defense of the capital as a Viscount."
"Why! Doesn't he know that by doing this... the Black Death is a plague! A terrible and highly contagious disease!"
"He knew the horrors of the Black Death, so he closed Dalavia's borders and prohibited all non-essential personnel from entering or leaving. Now, no matter what emergency situation, people living in Dalavia cannot leave Dalavia. Vehicles transporting goods from outside are also strictly restricted and can only park at designated trading locations, waiting for Dalavian border officials to send personnel to collect them."
"As the epidemic becomes more and more serious, the number of trading locations that are normally open is decreasing. Currently, only nine trading locations can still operate."
"Then within Dalavia... wouldn't famine and shortages be imminent before the plague problem is resolved?!"
Xiao Yun subconsciously looked at the map on the wall and calculated the shortest passage between Dalavia and Gora.
"Well, the people of Dalavia are now terrified and afraid. They're trying to flee Dalavia, which is gradually becoming a kingdom of death. However, because of their docility and the education they received since childhood, they worry that they've unknowingly contracted the Black Death and, if they escape Dalavia, will become sinners who spread plague and death to healthy people..."
"However, morality and faith alone cannot keep desperate people rational forever. As more and more carts carrying the dead appear on the streets, and basic supplies become increasingly difficult to obtain... the remaining kindness in people's hearts will disappear, and it will eventually turn into an uncontrolled riot!"
"Although he was conservative, short-tempered, stubborn, and arrogant, and refused to seek aid from Yaris and Denos for the sake of ridiculous pride, Adlon was a king who was responsible to his people. To prevent the spread of the epidemic, he closed the border of Dalavia and distributed all the food and supplies in the territory free of charge to the civilians. He organized personnel to patrol the entire territory. Anyone with unexplained swelling or ulcers, regardless of status, was to be sent to the nearest isolation facility for treatment... He had done everything he could, but unfortunately his enemy was the nearly invincible Black Death... hehehe..."
When she spoke of her pride, "Romila" laughed loudly, and her black eyes flashed with a creepy decay.
"Poor Adrian... He was so focused on his duties in the capital that he didn't even realize his hometown was going through a life-or-death ordeal..."
"—Why did He do this?"
Xiao Yun roared angrily: "Adlon has always been on his and Edmund's side, why does he still..."
"Because Adrian likes you and your brother. When he becomes the Duke of Dalavia, Dalavia will stand by you brothers without hesitation."
"Adrien is only the heir at the moment—"
"The status of an heir is enough to accomplish many things."
The Dark Night Mentor grimly analyzed, "Dalavia is not only the largest territory on the Empire's borders, but also its most important source of troops. For millennia, the people of Dalavia have shouldered the Empire's blood tax. The attitudes of each generation of Dalavian dukes have indirectly influenced the fate of the throne."
"Even if Adrian hadn't become the Duke of Dalavia when the civil war broke out, he could have used his status as the heir to persuade the Dalavian officers in the imperial army not to participate in the frontal attack on Gola and Maga, and not to wield the butcher's knife against his compatriots after entering the city..."
"But to do this—"
"I know what you want to say."
The Dark Night Mentor interrupted Xiao Yun discontentedly, "You have such thoughts because you still regard Edmund as a human. However, for Edmund, now completely fused with Him, civil war will not only greatly increase His chances of obtaining His Majesty, but will also cause massive deaths, allowing Them to gain an endless supply of dark power."
"When every inch of the Western Continent is covered in pain, distortion, and despair, and when the last glimmer of light in His Royal Highness's eyes is extinguished by your death, the world will completely fall into eternal darkness, and He will be officially crowned, becoming the sole and eternal emperor who rules this planet."
"—you want me to stop this, right?"
Xiao Yun said calmly.
He knew that the person speaking to him at this moment was not just the "Dark Night Mentor", but also Him who was far away in the East Continent.
He laid out his dark plan in front of him through the "Dark Night Mentor" Wang Dong, and invited him to go to Dalavia, which was gradually becoming a hell on earth.
"No one can stop this disaster except you."
The Dark Night Mentor said vaguely, "His Highness, who has a special relationship with the gods, might be able to save Dalavia from the Black Death, but his body is too weak, and his relationship with Adlon is terrible... Neither Adlon nor the Priests of Denos will allow him to approach Dalavia, which is under the rule of the Black Death..."
"I won't allow my brother to enter the current Dalavia either." Xiao Yun bit his lip and said, "He should stay in the safe city of Maga and command remotely through the crystal mirror—"
"It's impossible to eradicate a plague of this magnitude through remote command! Dalavia is in need of everything: clean water and food, doctors to care for the sick, and firewood to burn the bodies... The people of the entire territory are suffering. The only thing Adlon can do is close the border and prevent the spread of the epidemic..."
"--I see!"
Xiao Yun interrupted the "Dark Night Mentor" directly.
"I will rescue Dalaviya. I will never allow my country and people to fall into misfortune!"
"So noble and great?"
The expression of the "Dark Night Mentor" was both strange and subtle.
"After all, you are still too young to realize your own insignificance and the vastness of the universe. Only when you reach my height will you understand what a magical and terrifying world this is... The more you know, the more you don't know... Perhaps, precisely because you are still young... you can energetically pursue the justice and light you believe in..."
When he said the last sentence, his eyes were fixed on the Goddess of Justice ring on Xiao Yun's ring finger, and his tongue licked his lips greedily.
"—Are you done? You can leave now!"
Xiao Yun said bluntly.
"The Kairusha thing—"
The "Dark Night Mentor" attempted to bargain.
"I understand! Once the Black Death issue is completely resolved, I will go to your lair to pick him up. Now, I want you to return to Maga immediately to prevent any loopholes in the barrier protection of the Little Love Palace from allowing Him to exploit the opportunity."
"All right!"
The "Dark Night Mentor" pinched his brows, then controlled the succubus's body and left the bedroom.
…
…
After the Black Magician left, Xiao Yun stood in front of the windowsill, looking at the moon that was cut into pieces by the branches, and carefully reviewed the information he told him through the mouth of the "Dark Night Mentor".
(Spreading the Black Death to Dalavia and weakening Dalavia, who might turn to my brother and me in the future, was His conspiracy. Telling me about the suffering the Dalavians were enduring was His covert conspiracy. Because He knew that my brother and I would not stand by and watch our compatriots suffer from the Black Death. After receiving news from Dalavia, He would definitely find a way to rescue them.)
(…Even if it’s purely for self-interest, rescuing Dalavia is necessary—Dalavian civilians could be tormented by fear and despair at any moment. Fleeing Dalavia would spread the deadly Black Death throughout the empire and even the entire Western Continent, and everyone would suffer…)
(The Black Death corpse in the Kas River is undoubtedly His work. He is forcing me, torturing me... If I divert forces to support Dalavia, causing a shortage of manpower for epidemic prevention in Gora, He will allow the Black Death to take advantage of the opportunity to invade Gora. If I ignore the epidemic in Dalavia and focus on protecting Gora, Dalavia, which has no chance of overcoming the difficulties on its own, will completely lose control, and the Black Death will spread across the country and even the entire Western Continent with the fleeing refugees...)
How can I rescue Dalavia without putting Gaura in danger?
(If the public literacy rate in the Western Continent could be higher, and if more people had the medical and epidemic prevention knowledge and dedication, and were willing to enter the epidemic area during the most difficult times... perhaps this crisis could be... Wait!)
A flash of inspiration came to Xiao Yun, and he thought of a solution.
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