Chapter 198 The Demon Cult Witch 27
When Yao Rong heard the news of the outbreak of plague in Mocheng, many days had passed since the outbreak.
Ah Xi was not the first person to discover the plague, but she was one of the first to know the news.
At the end of March this year, she followed the caravan to the northern frontier.
The wind blew the grass, and the yellow sand filled the sky. The northern frontier was different from the beautiful south of the Yangtze River. It was rough and primitive. The people drank raw water on weekdays and drank magic water when they were sick. They did not rely on themselves or ask for help from others when they encountered problems, but only knelt down and prayed for the mercy of gods and Buddhas.
Ah Xi saw a five-year-old boy who opened the window because he was greedy for coolness at night, and woke up with a high fever.
In fact, it only takes a few injections and a few dozen coins to get a dose of medicine to cure the disease, but the boy's mother rejected Axi's proposal and spent most of the family's savings to buy a bowl of magic water that "can cure all diseases."
The magic water failed to save the boy, but made him miss the best time for treatment.
Looking at the mother holding the boy and crying heartbreakingly, Axi didn't know how to react.
What made Axi even more sad was that this situation was not an isolated case.
This place seemed to be sick.
This disease is not only in the body, but also in the mind and cognition.
Axi didn't know what she could do, but when the caravan leader asked her if she wanted to leave, she chose to stay.
In July, the sandstorms in the northern frontier were more severe than in previous years, and the temperature changes between day and night were getting bigger and bigger. It was so hot during the day that people wanted to lie on the ice, and it was so cold at night that people wanted to put on one or two jackets.
Even more difficult than people were the livestock on the grassland.
Axi was located in the center of the northern frontier, and the grassland for livestock was located in the deepest part of the northern frontier. When Axi realized that the large-scale death of livestock would lead to an outbreak of plague, the signs of plague had already appeared in Mocheng, and even with the flow of people, there was a tendency to spread to the surrounding areas.
When the caravan leader hurried over, Axi was sitting in the yard with a plate of chestnut cake in front of him.
"Young Master, pack your luggage quickly. I will arrange a team to escort you out of Saibei."
A Xi raised his head: "Withdraw now?"
"Yes, if we don't withdraw, Saibei will be in chaos." The caravan leader was very anxious.
"Let me think about it."
The caravan leader did not dare to urge too hastily, but the anxiety in his eyes clearly showed his disapproval.
A Xi knew that the caravan leader must have a lot of things to do, so he said considerately: "You go and arrange other things first. Leave someone who is familiar with the situation in Saibei with me. I want to ask him some questions. After asking, I will let him take me to find you."
The caravan leader thought about it and left an old man with a blind left eye.
The old man was skinny and looked ordinary, but he knew the situation in Saibei like the back of his hand.
Ah Xi asked, "Has there ever been an outbreak of plague in the northern frontier before?"
"Young Master, yes."
"How did people deal with it at that time?"
"Those with connections either ran away or stockpiled herbs to protect themselves. Those without connections could only figure out a way themselves, either escape from the northern frontier or stay where they were and wait to die."
Ah Xi frowned, "How did this plague finally subside?"
The old man's tone was calm, as if he was indifferent to life and death: "Enough people died, and the weather was getting colder, so it slowly subsided."
Ah Xi personally brought the old man a glass of mint water. The old man was flattered and carefully held the cup and took a sip.
As the icy cold water went into his mouth, the old man sighed, "Actually, this is not the worst. Young Master, do you know what it means that misfortunes never come singly?"
The living habits of the people in the northern part of the Great Wall combine the habits of some people in the Central Plains and some nomadic peoples.
They not only graze on the grasslands, but also grow food.
But that year, a large number of their livestock died, and they missed the autumn harvest.
It was equivalent to that for the whole year, they neither harvested food nor had any economic income.
After surviving the plague, what about surviving the plague?
The cold winter months with lack of food and clothing are also pressing the people in the northern part of the Great Wall.
What is the difference between everything now and thirty years ago?
The old man can already see the future.
...
The house was silent for a long time, with only half a mint leaf rising and falling on the water. The old man wiped his face with his hand, reminding Ah Xi that it was time to find the leader of the caravan.
Ah Xi followed the old man through the streets and alleys, her eyes always looking at the people around her.
The lively and noisy voices penetrated her ears.
"Steamed buns, hot and delicious meat buns."
"Mom, when you sell these ropes, buy me a hair flower."
"Bao'er, run slower, be careful not to fall..."
At the same time, Ah Xi also saw carriages driving towards the city gate.
A child was surprised and asked, "Dad, Mom, why are there so many adults riding carriages out of the city today?"
The child's father looked at the carriages and then looked away numbly, "Whether those adults go out of the city or not, what does it have to do with us?"
The child said innocently, "But it's really strange. Do they have something urgent to do?"
The child's father lifted the child up high and let the child sit on his shoulders, "Come, Dad will let you ride a horse."
Ah Xi watched the father and son go away until their backs disappeared from her sight. She turned her head to look at the carriages one after another, as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart.
The stone was very heavy, so heavy that she couldn't breathe.
If she wanted to move the stone away to breathe, she had to do something.
The caravan leader was organizing people to load goods onto the carriage. When he saw Axi coming, he happily went to greet him: "Young Master, we can set off in half an hour."
Axi shook his head: "I don't plan to leave Saibei."
The caravan leader was stunned: "Young... Young Master... don't talk nonsense."
Axi asked the caravan leader a question: "If the powerful people flee, what should the powerless people do?"
"This..."
"How desperate they must be, no one can save them. No, no one even tries to save them. They were abandoned the first time they encountered danger."
Ah Xi figured out a lot of things.
Why don't the people of Saibei rely on themselves or ask for help from others?
Because they can't save themselves, and they know that no one will come to save them, so they can only rely on the illusory gods and Buddhas, and pray for their care.
She wants to cure the physical diseases of the people of Saibei, and also wants to cure the diseases of their thoughts and cognition.
The setting sun falls from the sky in the afternoon.
Ah Xi turned her head and looked at the people walking in the narrow corridor behind her. Suddenly, she remembered the first volume of "Prescriptions for Emergencies" "The Great Doctor's Sincerity" which she had read word by word when she was young:
When a great doctor treats a disease, he must calm his mind and be free of desires and demands. He must first have a heart of great compassion and pity, and vow to save all living beings from suffering.
If someone comes to ask for help due to illness, he must not ask whether he is rich or poor, old or young, beautiful or ugly, enemies or friends, Chinese or foreign, stupid or wise, but treat them all equally, as if they were his closest relatives. He
must not look ahead or behind, worry about good or bad luck, and protect his life.
...
It is human nature to be timid and cherish life.
Ah Xi was afraid that something would happen to her. She was still very young, had relatives, lovers, and friends, and a bright future. She had too many attachments in the world.
So Ah Xi did not reject the caravan leader's proposal at the first time.
But saving the world and the people is the original intention of a doctor.
"If even a doctor like me is indifferent to the plague, how desperate the people in the northern part of the Great Wall will be."
"Prepare the horses, I will rush to Mocheng early tomorrow morning."
***
A Xi is not a very impulsive person. After deciding to go to Mocheng, she used her identity to mobilize a large number of herbs and persuaded two old doctors to go to Mocheng with her.
The road to Mocheng is not easy to go.
Because everyone is fleeing Mocheng non-stop, they are the only ones going against the flow in the yellow sand desert.
An old doctor named Zhao was sitting in the carriage, and he said worriedly: "We can't go on like this. If we let them run around, it won't just be Mocheng that will suffer, but the entire northern part of the country."
This is different from the situation when the caravan leader escaped from the northern part of the country.
The caravan leader and his men were just taking precautions and avoiding danger in advance.
Now these people who are fleeing are fleeing from Mocheng and its vicinity.
Maybe some of them have been infected with the plague.
Another middle-aged doctor named Qian also sighed: "That's true, but who can stop them?"
Doctor Zhao nodded: "You are right. They have already left the town and ran into the desert. It is impossible to drive them back."
A Xi listened quietly for a long time, and suddenly said: "Let's speed up and try to get to the desert city before dark. We can't control those who have already run out. But we can't let more people run out."
Doctor Zhao and Doctor Qian just thought she was joking and didn't care too much.
Can they control this kind of thing if they want to?
***
The city without a care in the law does not mean that there is no power to control this city. On the contrary, the power in the city without a care in the law
is intertwined, no one side is dominant, and no one side is weak.
As a lawless city, Mocheng is jointly controlled by five forces.
These five forces divide the five regions of east, south, west, north and center.
The junctions of two regions are often the most dangerous and chaotic places in Mocheng.
Among them, the strongest force is the Iron Blood Gate in the east, followed by the Ximen family in the west.
After entering Mocheng, Axi and his group went to the Iron Blood Gate and Ximen family first, but they were all empty-handed.
Doctor Zhao complained, "They are running too fast."
Doctor Qian said, "I see the other three families have either already run or are about to run. What should we do now?"
Ah Xi hesitated for a moment and said, "Let's go north."
Doctor Zhao asked, "Can we find people in the north?"
Ah Xi nodded, "We should be able to. When I entered the city, I saw people from the northern forces still maintaining order in the city. If the Lord of the North City gave up Mocheng, there would be no need to send people to patrol." The
Lord of the North City was named Zhuoma, a woman with a scar on her face and wearing ethnic minority costumes.
She wore heavy silver jewelry on her ears, and her facial features were beautiful, and the scar did not detract from her charm.
After she heard the purpose of Axi's group's visit, she welcomed their arrival very much, but when Doctor Zhao asked her to stop others from leaving the city, Zhuoma's face changed.
"I was born and raised in Mocheng, and I will not leave Mocheng at this time. But I can't stop others."
Doctor Zhao said anxiously: "How can there be no way?"
Zhuoma sneered: "The power I control is only one of the five major powers in Mocheng."
"The people of the other four forces are fleeing. If I dare to stand up and stop them at this time, they will definitely not mind uniting to kill my people first, and then flee after dividing my power."
Doctor Zhao opened his mouth, but could no longer speak.
Doctor Qian couldn't help but ask, "Are you just going to do nothing?"
Zhuoma asked back, "What do you think I can do?"
Doctor Qian was also speechless.
Doctor Zhao and Doctor Qian both came to Mocheng to help with herbs, and Zhuoma didn't want to embarrass them, so she quickly softened her tone: "I will take out most of the herbs I have, and I will also let my people cooperate with your actions. During this period, if you don't have a place to stay, you can live in my mansion."
"But for more, please forgive me for being unable to do anything."
After saying this, Zhuoma rubbed her temples and stood up from the chair.
Mocheng was in a mess, and she had been so busy these days that it was not easy for her to find time to see Doctor Zhao and the others.
"Wait——"
At this moment, Axi, who was standing in the corner, spoke.
"If you are willing to help my people seal off the city, after the plague in Mo City is over, I can help you unify the forces and become the lord of Mo City."
Ah Xi's position was slightly lower than that of Doctor Zhao and Doctor Qian. Zhuoma had always thought that she was the follower of the two doctors. Until now, Zhuoma realized that she had made a mistake.
Zhuoma asked with interest: "What do you have the basis to make such a promise?"
Ah Xi raised her eyes and said calmly: "Because I am the daughter of Yao Rong, the master of Juexian Pavilion."