The man was a tall man, running like crazy. He knocked down several pedestrians on the street, who complained, "What are you doing?" "Why are you running so fast in this hot weather..." "This is the first time I've seen someone walk without a face."
As they talked, several people started laughing, but no one was really angry. Unexpectedly, the man rushed forward and crashed headfirst into a tall and magnificent carriage, causing blood to splatter everywhere!
He fell flat on his back, and the passersby who had been joking around screamed. The carriage owner was also startled and leaned out, asking, "Who hit him? Who hit him?"
The incident happened so suddenly that Xie Lian had no choice but to put the young man aside and quickly step forward, asking, "What happened?"
The man slammed his head against the hard carriage and seemed to faint, his messy hair obscuring his face. Many people were watching cautiously. Before Xie Lian could approach, he suddenly leaped to his feet, screaming in agony, "I can't take it anymore! Kill, kill! Someone, come and kill me! Come quickly!"
A few big men among the passersby couldn't stand it any longer. They shouted, "Whose lunatic is this? He's been locked up and escaped! Take him back! Take him back!" They wanted to grab him, but as soon as they surrounded him and saw his face clearly, they screamed and quickly backed away, "What kind of monster is this!!!"
The madman rushed towards them, shouting, "Kill me now!!!"
The men were utterly horrified. Just then, Xie Lian came up. Seeing it was the Crown Prince, they rushed behind him as if they had been pardoned. Without a second thought, Xie Lian raised his leg and launched a powerful kick, sending the madman somersaulting through the air and landing on his back. Pointing at the ground, they exclaimed, "Your Highness! This man... this man... he has... he has!!!"
Xie Lian saw it without them having to tell him—this person actually had two faces!
To be more precise, it was a face that had grown another face. This second face was squeezed onto half of the madman's cheek, the size of an adult's palm. The madman was a young man, but this face looked like a wrinkled old man, extremely ugly!
Xie Lian was extremely shocked, and all he could think of was one sentence:
What kind of monster is this?!
He immediately grasped the sword at his waist and drew it. This sword was the Red Mirror, a rare gift from the Divine Martial Emperor. Ever since meeting the strange man in white, he had always carried it with him, ready for any emergency. Perhaps one day he would be able to see the true face of that thing. Right now, it was just in time for use. Unsheathing the sword, its gleam gleamed like snow. However, looking down, the image reflected on the blade hadn't changed in the slightest. It was the same man, the same two terrifying faces. In other words, this madman wasn't some kind of demon or monster; he was a human!
But could anyone really look like this? If they were born with this appearance, how could it have remained hidden in Xianle Imperial City for so many years? Xie Lian was just beginning to wonder when someone beside him trembled and said, "He...how did he become like this?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Lian sheathed his red mirror blade and turned to ask, "Do you know this guy? Wasn't he like this before?"
Several people said, "He knows me. We worked with him. Of course it's not like that. He used to have... no such thing on his face!"
Seeing the crowd of onlookers gathering, nearly blocking the street, Xie Lian's expression was solemn. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Everyone, don't come near. It's all right. Disperse!" The bandaged boy helped him separate the crowd, but Xie Lian didn't notice. He was busy communicating with Feng Xin and Mu Qing: "Hurry to the Imperial City's Shenwu Street!"
Putting his hand down, he noticed someone hesitantly stammering nearby. Xie Lian took the initiative and said, "Is there something you want to say?"
Seeing the prince asking, the man finally mustered up the courage and said, "Your Highness, there is something I don't know whether I should say or not..."
Xie Lian didn't have time for small talk, so he said simply, "Just say it!"
The man said, "A few days ago, I developed a few small dimples on my chest—three large and two small. They don't hurt, not itchy or painful, but they feel quite comfortable when I scratch them. I didn't think much of them, but after seeing this guy, I feel a little... a little bit of something, haha." He laughed dryly, unbuttoned his clothes, and bared his chest. "Do you think I'm okay?"
As soon as he took off his clothes, everyone fell silent. Those little dimples on his chest weren't just a few dimples. They were clearly full-fledged features, a vaguely feminine face!
The man looked down and was horrified. "How could this happen?! It wasn't so... so..." Lifelike? Exquisitely lifelike? No matter which word you used, it was completely terrifying!
Everyone was horrified. This person couldn't help but grab Xie Lian's clothes and shouted, "Your Highness, save me!"
At that moment, Feng Xin and Mu Qing received a telepathic call and rushed over from the city wall. Seeing this, both of them frowned, and Feng Xin shouted, "Get out of here! What's going on?"
Without time to explain, Xie Lian patted the man's shoulder and soothed him, "It's okay. Calm down." His tone was gentle, firm, serious, and composed. The man assumed he had it all figured out, and was even more convinced that this little matter would be a piece of cake for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so he felt at ease. However, Xie Lian's heart was in turmoil.
This "human face" actually develops gradually! And since there are more than one person with this symptom—let's call it a symptom—isn't it fair to assume there are even more?
He immediately gave Feng Xin and Mu Qing a brief summary and said, "Inform the palace and pass the order on to search the entire city to see if anyone else has something similar on them. We must leave no one behind!"
Because this object was so terrifying, the king took the news extremely seriously and dispatched a large number of personnel to conduct a search and investigation with remarkable efficiency. By late that night, it was confirmed that throughout the entire Xianle Imperial City, five people had clearly visible human faces emerging from their bodies. These five people either saw it but ignored it, or the "human faces" were in inconspicuous areas and were not painful, so they had not noticed. Furthermore, more than a dozen people had shallow pits and bumps on their bodies, which seemed to be "human faces" that had not yet formed.
The twenty-odd people were mostly women and teenagers. After being brought to Xie Lian, they were all nervous and apprehensive. They greeted each other and casually offered each other a few words of comfort. Xie Lian had been explaining something to someone else when he noticed something was amiss and asked, "Do you all know each other?"
The official, who had been busy all night, glanced at the book and said, "Your Highness, many of these people live in the suburbs of the imperial city, so they live relatively close to each other. Perhaps they have some interactions with their neighbors on a daily basis."
Many of them live in the same place? Mu Qing was shocked and said, "People who live close to each other all have human faces growing on their bodies? Is this thing contagious???"
Xie Lian thought of it faster than he did, but couldn’t speak as quickly as he said. He immediately said, “Separate them! Disband the crowd, and no one should hang around here. Find a place and isolate everyone here!”
"There's a strange disease, it's contagious." Once these six words were leaked, they were more effective than any evacuation or military contingency plan. Not only did the crowd disperse, but most of the houses on the street were empty. Xie Lian ordered the officials and soldiers who had come to obey his orders to fully arm themselves and take precautions. He led these twenty-odd people to the desolate outskirts of the imperial city, where some of them lived.
Near the residential area in the suburbs lay a vast expanse of woods known as the Buyou Forest. The ministers had intended to establish an area there to temporarily house the "patients." However, as they entered the woods, while others busied themselves setting up camp, Xie Lian felt a growing sense of foreboding. Feng Xin and Mu Qing naturally noticed as well. Feng Xin was the first to speak, "Your Highness, could this be that Lang Ying..."
Xie Lian put his hands behind his back, frowning as he said, “Yes. It’s right here.”
Could it be that this dark forest is the place where Lang Ying dug a pit with his own hands and buried his son's body?
The three of them noticed this and looked at each other in bewilderment. Though they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was, a vague suspicion compelled them to search for the spot where Lang Ying had buried his body. However, months had passed since that day, and with so many trees in the forest, how could they remember exactly under which tree?
Just at this moment, an indescribable stench wafted over.
The stench was somewhat like the smell of a rotting corpse, but even more suffocating. One breath and you'd feel like you were about to pass out. The others also smelled it and stepped back, covering their noses and fanning themselves. "What's that over there?" "What's going on?! It stinks worse than being marinated in a jar for ten years..."
Xie Lian rushed forward, following the horrible smell. Sure enough, he found a familiar, crooked tree. Beneath the tree, the ground bulged slightly, forming a gentle mound. Soldiers gathered, swords drawn, to protect him. Xie Lian raised his hand to stop them, saying gravely, "Be careful. No ordinary people should come near."
Feng Xinze, no ordinary man, casually grabbed a shovel and stepped forward. After a few shovelfuls, the mound of earth became a pit. The stench grew stronger, and he shoveled more carefully. After a few more shovelfuls, a small black substance emerged from the soil, which seemed to be wriggling slightly.
He slowed down his movements, and the soldiers were on edge. Suddenly, the earth arched up, and a huge, swollen, and distended figure broke out of the ground, revealing itself to the torch-bearing crowd.
The stench instantly surged, and many people vomited on the spot. Xie Lian's pupils also shrank.
That thing couldn't even be described as "human" anymore. Nothing else looked more human than it. No one could tell that this corpse, which could almost be described as "huge," was once just a skinny child!
A wave of nausea surged up his throat, and Xie Lian looked away. Feng Xin and Mu Qing were also stunned, blurting out, "What the hell is this?!" "Is this a curse or just the decay of the corpse?"
Whatever it was, Xie Lian knew what to do. He said, “Everyone, get out of the way! The farther away, the better! Burn this thing to ashes!”
After saying this, he raised his hand, and a flame burst out. The flames shot up into the sky, and thick smoke billowed. At this moment, a shrill horn sounded from the distant city wall, wailing for death!
The three of them looked up at the same time. This was a sign that the enemy was approaching. Feng Xin cursed, "Damn it! They've come knocking at our door at this very moment!"
Mu Qing's face was gloomy, and under the firelight, he looked uncertain. He said, "Maybe they did it on purpose?"
Xie Lian said decisively, “Mu Qing, stay here and handle this. Feng Xin, come with me. Fight them off first. Remember, don’t let them see any flaws!”
That night, the two men hurried out of the city and had a quick fight.
Although they were caught off guard in this battle, they still won; although they won again, all the Xianle people, including Xie Lian, did not feel the joy of victory at all.
This sudden "strange disease" was called "human face plague" and spread rapidly in the Imperial City of Xianle, causing panic among the people.
The king considered suppressing the news, but the first patient had rushed out on the street, with countless witnesses present, so concealing the truth from the outset was impossible. Furthermore, the human face plague spread and erupted extremely quickly. Within just six days, suspected symptoms were found in over fifty people.
At the same time, Yong'an's attacks intensified. Under attack from all sides, Xie Lian had little time to spare to bring rain to Yong'an. Most of the mana and energy he had originally reserved for such activities was now consumed in the Imperial City's quarantine zone.
In the cool, dark forest, large tracts of tents and huts were set up. Xie Lian walked among the patients. This quarantine area had grown from a dozen people at the beginning to nearly a hundred people now, and it was getting bigger and bigger. Xie Lian came here every day whenever he had time, using his magic power to alleviate the terrible symptoms of the patients. But alleviation is not a cure after all. What people hoped was that he could cure himself. As Xie Lian walked, a young man lying on the ground suddenly raised his hand, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and said, "Your Highness, I won't die, right?"
Xie Lian was about to speak when he felt that this person looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized that this was the same passerby who had given him an umbrella the day he learned that Xianle was short of water and that it was raining in the Imperial City.
Thinking of that day, that rain, and that umbrella, Xie Lian felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He squatted down, patted the man's hand, and said earnestly, "I will definitely give it my all."
The man seemed to have found hope of survival, his eyes gleaming with joy. He repeatedly said "OK" and lay down again. From the eager looks in these people's eyes, it was clear that they deeply believed he could do it. Therefore, every time he met their gazes, Xie Lian would feel a little guilty and want to find a solution faster.
After walking around the quarantine area, Xie Lian found a place to sit. Mu Qing lit a bonfire, and he sat there lost in thought. In the distance, several servants carried a stretcher away, whispering to each other, unaware that Xie Lian had heard everything:
"Which number is this?"
"The fourth or fifth one, maybe."
The stretchers carried the victims who had died within the Undead Forest. In reality, the Human Face Plague was rare. However, the scariest thing was not dying. To survive meant living with it for the rest of their lives, a thought that made one lose the courage to live. This was especially true for young women, who cherished their looks. If the plague struck a vital part like their face, they would most likely choose to die.
One person sighed, "Alas! When will this end?"
Another person said, "With His Royal Highness the Crown Prince here, we won't lose the battle, don't worry."
The man complained a bit, "I'm not worried about losing the war, but given the current situation, what's the point of just not losing the war? People like us still have a hard time making a living. Sigh... Forget it, forget it. I'm not complaining. Just ignore me, ignore me."
If Feng Xin were here, he would have immediately gone over and cursed. Mu Qing glanced at Xie Lian and continued to build the fire without saying anything. After the two men had completely left, he said calmly, "What a humble opinion! All you can do is blame others. Do you really want a Martial God to take charge of everything?"
Xie Lian shook his head. What the man said had a point. He was the God of War, and with him in his army, they were invincible. However, at this moment, what good was simply winning battles? The army was originally established to protect the people, but now the people in the rear were suffering from the plague. Wouldn't that original advantage become a joke?
At this moment, the campfire flickered slightly, and a man sat down next to Xie Lian. It was Feng Xin who had returned. Xie Lian immediately asked, "How is it?"
Feng Xin shook his head and said, "It's the same result as your previous investigation. Lang Ying is nowhere to be found on Beizipo, nor are there any strange people in white clothes. I don't know where they are hiding, and there's no way to verify whether they are causing trouble. Also, the people of Yong'an are indeed very well. Not a single one has contracted the human-faced plague."
Mu Qing poked his fire and said, "The Imperial City and Beizipo are so close to each other, there's no way that no one is infected. It's obvious that they must be the ones behind this."
Many people secretly thought so, and it made sense. However, even if they knew it was the Yongan people, or more specifically, Lang Ying, who was behind the conspiracy, the other party was so well hidden that they could not find any evidence.
They suspected the Human-Faced Plague was caused by a curse, and that Lang Ying's son's corpse was the source. However, if it was a curse, it was a truly beautiful curse, leaving no traces that could lead them back to the source. What could prove this suspicion? Nothing. Who knew if the Human-Faced Plague was simply a new, naturally occurring plague? Unless they captured the object of their suspicion, Xie Lian would have no way of determining what the Human-Faced Plague truly was.
He also hurriedly reported his suspicions to the Heavenly Court. However, as had been said long ago, Xie Lian had been sent down to the mortal realm in violation of a forbidden law. Things were different now. In the past, to report something, one simply walked into the Divine Martial Hall and shouted it into Jun Wu's ear. Now, however, they had to follow the usual procedures. It's important to remember that with luck, a good accumulation of merit could get the matter passed and passed to the priests. With bad luck, one might be forced to go through an extremely tedious and complex process, which would drag on indefinitely. Even then, the matter would simply be handled by a priest, and Xie Lian himself was a priest. Besides Jun Wu, no one in the Heavenly Court could match his power. Any priest sent down wouldn't necessarily be as powerful as Xie Lian. Jun Wu carried a heavy burden—to use a humanist saying, "he was overwhelmed"—and it was impossible for him to come down personally to help him. Therefore, this report was merely symbolic, and he held no real hope.
However, Xie Lian wasn't thinking about these things right now. He was thinking about another question. He said, "If the Yong'an side unleashed the curse in order to bring down the Imperial City, then the most effective attack would be against the army. If the army were defeated, wouldn't that be like throwing the city gates wide open? But in reality, the Human Face Plague hasn't spread to the army at all."
It's not like there weren't people infected with the virus within the military, but relatively speaking, their numbers were extremely small, only three or four. After being sent to quarantine, the situation was immediately brought under control and prevented from spreading. Feng Xin, always speaking his mind, said, "Perhaps they felt that even if they defeated the army, they would still be defeated with you there. So, they simply ignored the army and went straight to the civilians."
Hearing this, Mu Qing chuckled. Feng Xin said, "What are you laughing at?" Mu Qing replied, "Nothing. You always come up with very reasonable opinions. I have no objection."
Feng Xin was most annoyed by his behavior of pretending to be polite even though he meant to hurt people. He simply ignored him and said, "If they really did it, I'd look down on you. If you have the guts, show your worth on the battlefield. What's the point of using these insidious tactics to harm innocent people?"
Hearing this, Xie Lian agreed deeply. He sighed and said, "These past few days, I've been wondering how someone could be infected. First, we need to understand how it's transmitted so we can control it."
Feng Xindao said, "Isn't it clear? If you get close to each other, have more contact, drink water, eat, sleep together, etc., then it will be contagious."
Xie Lian rubbed his brow and said, “On the surface, that’s true. But, take the military for example. Soldiers in the military all drink, eat, and sleep together. Their contact should be closer and more frequent than that of ordinary people. So why are there so few soldiers infected?”
Mu Qing frowned and said, "You mean, under the same conditions, some people will be infected while others won't, depending on their constitution. What you want to know is what kind of person can resist the Human Face Plague, right?"
Xie Lian looked up and said, "Mu Qing understands me. That's exactly it. If we can find this, we'll be able to stop the spread of the Human Face Plague."
Mu Qing nodded and said, "Okay. Let's look at it the other way around. What kind of people are more likely to get the human face plague? Among all the patients in Buyoulin, who are the most common?"
Xie Lian had walked through the isolated area of the Buyou Forest countless times in the past few days, so he could answer the question even with his eyes closed. He immediately said, "Women, children, teenagers, the elderly, and young men who are not very tall."
Feng Xin wondered, "Could it be that only the weak are infected? Should we ask the King to issue an order, calling on all citizens of the Imperial City to exercise diligently?"
“…”
“…”
Xie Lian and Mu Qing both glanced at him, neither seeming to want to respond. After a pause, Feng Xin said to himself, "That's not right."
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