Chapter 32 Reunion

Shen Qingqiu sat up straight abruptly.

Floating corpse!

I just said "the water is so clear" and you threw a floating corpse over to me and slapped me in the face. Can't you please be so harsh?

Liu Qingge hooked the floating corpse with the oar and turned it over. It turned out to be another skeleton. Because the whole body, including the head, was wrapped in black cloth and the face was facing down, he didn't notice it just now.

Shen Qingqiu asked: "Junior Brother Mu, do you know what kind of plague in this world can turn a person's entire body into bones in an instant?"

Mu Qingfang shook her head slowly and said, "I've never heard of this before."

Sailing against the current, if you don't move forward, you will move backward. After a long while, the boat had retreated a distance. Liu Qingge held up the oar again and said after a moment: "There are more ahead."

Sure enough, five or six corpses floated over from the front one after another. They were all white skeletons wrapped in black cloth, exactly the same as the first one.

Shen Qingqiu was concentrating on thinking carefully, when suddenly, Liu Qingge thrust the pole into the stone wall beside him. The thin and brittle bamboo pole actually penetrated the hard and seamless stone. The boat was fixed and stopped in place. Shen Qingqiu also noticed something was wrong and stood up suddenly: "Who?"

In the darkness ahead, there was a sound of rapid breathing, and the light from the bow of the boat dimly illuminated the outline of a person. Then a young man's voice said, "Who are you? What are you trying to do by sneaking into the city from the underground river?"

Shen Qingqiu said: "I would also like to ask you who is here with me."

Although he was standing on a small broken boat, he looked pleasant, with black hair and green clothes, a long sword hanging from his waist, and he was calm and relaxed in his gestures, looking quite like an immortal. In addition, Shen Qingqiu was now experienced in pretending to be cool, and had his own style, so this image was still very intimidating.

The young man was stunned for a moment, and seemed to be shocked by his appearance. After a while, he shouted, "You guys go! You are not allowed to enter the city now!"

Liu Qingge snorted, "Only you? Who can you stop?"

The young man said, "There is a plague in the city. Get out if you don't want to die!"

Mu Qingfang said gently: "Little brother, this is why we are here..."

Seeing that he would not leave, the young man angrily said, "You don't understand what I'm saying, do you? Get out of here! Otherwise I won't be polite!" Before he finished speaking, a spear stabbed at him, and it was quite scary. Liu Qingge sneered.

After 5 seconds, the boy was defeated and his body sank and struggled in the water.

Liu Qingge used one finger to throw him into the water. Shen Qingqiu heard the young man still cursing in the water and asked, "Do you want to pick him up or not?"

Liu Qingge: "What are you fishing for with all your strength? Let's go into the city." He pulled out the bamboo pole and continued rowing.

The three of them came out of the dark river, but they didn't tie the illegal boat to the shore, so it floated back into the darkness. The exit was in the most desolate shallow marsh in the city, and there was no one there. The three of them walked towards the center of the city for a while, and suddenly someone caught up with them with the sound of footsteps.

The young man rushed forward like a chicken in the water, angrily saying: "I told you not to enter the city! What's the point of entering? There were so many people who said they would come to rescue the plague. What big monk, what big nose, what flower palace, but no one can get out! You are looking for death, alas!"

It turned out that this young man ambushed them in the dark because he was thinking about them. Shen Qingqiu couldn't help laughing and said, "Now that we are all here, what do you say we should do?"

The young man said, "What else can we do? Follow me and don't run around! I will take you to find the monk and the others."

Shen Qingqiu saw that the other two had no objection. They were all unfamiliar with Jinlan City, and it would be best if they could guide them along the way. He lowered his head and asked, "Little brother, what's your name?"

The young man puffed out his chest and said, "My name is Yang Yixuan, and I'm the son of the Golden Weapon Shop in the city."

Could it be that he was the arms shop merchant who risked his life to go to Zhaohua Temple to report the news and seek help?

Seeing Shen Qingqiu staring at the young man, Liu Qingge asked, "What are you looking at?"

Shen Qingqiu whispered: "I think this kid can do a few tricks under your hands, and he has a good character. Both are rare. He is a talented person with great potential."

As we walked into the main city, we saw more and more pedestrians.

But this "many" is only relative to the emptiness just now. There are at most three or four figures on the street, and they are all covered in black cloth from head to toe, walking in a hurry, like a frightened bird or a fish that has escaped the net. Yang Yixuan took the three of them to his home. This weapon shop is not small in scale. It occupies four storefronts on the widest main road, and they are connected to form a family. There is also an inner courtyard, an inner hall, and a cellar.

Master Wuchen was in the cellar. He was lying on the bed with the quilt covering his lower body. When he saw the reinforcements from the Cangqiong Mountain Sect, he said "Amitabha".

Shen Qingqiu said: "Master, the situation is critical, I won't say anything else. What kind of plague is raging in Jinlan City? Why did Master enter the city and not leave, and why is there no news at all? And why does everyone have to wrap themselves in black cloth?"

Wu Chen smiled bitterly and said, "What Master Shen asked is actually the same question."

As he spoke, he lifted the quilt covering his lower body. Shen Qingqiu froze.

Under the quilt, there was only a pair of thighs, and below the knees, there was nothing. The place where the calves should have been was completely gone.

Liu Qingge asked coldly: "Who did it?"

Wu Chen shook his head: "No one did it."

Shen Qingqiu was puzzled: "Who did it? Could it be that it just disappeared on its own?"

Who knows Wu Chen nodded and said: "It is these legs that I don't have."

His legs above the knees were still wrapped in black cloth. Wu Chen stretched out his hand and tried hard to untie it. Mu Qingfang hurried to help. Wu Chen said, "This thing may make you Taoist friends feel a little uncomfortable."

After untying the black cloth layer by layer and seeing clearly what was wrapped inside, Shen Qingqiu's breathing paused.

Master, you call this "feeling slightly uncomfortable"?! ?!

The area that was originally his thigh was completely rotten, with necrotized skin and rotting flesh. When the black cloth was loosened, a foul odor filled the air.

Shen Qingqiu: "...Is this the plague of Jinlan City?"

Wu Chen said, "That's right. When the disease first occurs, red spots will appear on a small area. After three to five days or half a month, the spots will expand and rot. After another month, they will rot to the point where the bones are visible. You must wrap yourself in black cloth and avoid seeing the sun to delay the onset of the disease."

No wonder everyone in the city wraps themselves up like black mummies.

Shen Qingqiu said: "The outbreak lasted for a month, but why did Mr. Yang, who went to Zhaohua Temple to report the news, turn into bones in an instant?"

Wu Chen said with a look of grief on his face, "I am ashamed to say that I only learned about this later. If a person is infected with this disease and is in Jinlan City, he can survive for about a month. But if he is too far away from Jinlan City after being infected, the disease will accelerate. My two junior brothers left the city and returned to the temple, and they had an attack on the spot."

No wonder I can neither go in nor go out!

Liu Qingge asked: "What is the source of the disease? How did you get infected?"

Wu Chen could only sigh and say, "I am so ashamed. I have been hesitating for many days since entering the city, and I still have no idea about the root cause of this plague. I don't know where the disease comes from, nor how it spreads. I don't even know if it is contagious."

Mu Qingfang was stunned and asked, "How do you understand this?"

Shen Qingqiu seemed to have realized something and said, "Look at the son of the weapon shop. He has been taking care of Master Wuchen closely for such a long time, but he is not wrapped in a piece of black cloth. His skin is intact and he is very healthy. If this is indeed a plague, Master Wuchen did not infect him. It is indeed strange."

Wu Chen said, "That's exactly what I meant. I failed in my mission and instead caused trouble for everyone. I feel really bad about it."

Shen Qingqiu said: "Master's original intention is to save people from danger, don't say that." He saw Mu Qingfang concentrating on studying the rotten part of Wuchen's leg, as if he could not smell a trace of rotten stench, and asked: "Junior Brother Mu, what did you find? Can you make a prescription for treatment?"

Mu Qingfang shook his head: "This doesn't seem... like a plague." He looked at a few people and said: "I need to see more patients before I can make a conclusion."

Shen Qingqiu came out of the cellar and saw the son of the weapon shop walking back angrily with a long sword on his shoulder. He smiled and asked, "Young Master, what's the matter?"

Yang Yixuan said angrily: "Someone else has come into the city. They are all rushing to die!"

It was probably someone from another sect coming to offer help. Shen Qingqiu saw that his face was puffed up like a bun, and wanted to tease him: "Little brother, I see that you are good at Kung Fu, is there anyone who can teach you?"

Yang Yixuan ignored him. Shen Qingqiu continued, "I tell you, go find the brother who got you into trouble today. He's very powerful. If you fight him a few more times, it will be more useful than learning from anyone else."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yixuan's eyes lit up with eagerness, and he left Shen Qingqiu behind and ran away. Shen Qingqiu was very happy that he had found a troublesome thing for Liu Qingge, and he walked a few steps and turned the corner, then stopped when he saw the scene ahead.

The city was dead silent, with every household door closed. Many people who were originally homeless had nowhere to go and gathered on the streets. In the past, the streets were crowded with people and cars, but they dared not show their faces. Now that it was empty, they became reckless. They set up a big iron pot, piled firewood underneath, and boiled water. Some people were plucking chickens that they had stolen from somewhere. Everyone was wrapped in airtight black cloth. They were not surprised at all when they saw Shen Qingqiu, whose style was incompatible with theirs. They looked at him as if he were a dead person. After all, they had seen many monks who came to the city in a majestic manner to rescue them these days. They died faster than them!

The chef knocked on the iron pot and said, "The soup is ready! Come and serve it!" Immediately, many homeless people who were lying nearby catching lice got up and rushed over with their bowls. The scene was like a disaster relief for the hungry people.

This plague has disrupted the rhythm of life in the entire city, and this spontaneously organized big pot meal can actually save lives.

We must quickly find out the source of the disease and restore Jinlan City to its former glory. Shen Qingqiu made this decision secretly and turned to leave. A person came towards him. She was leaning on a cane, her body was hunched, and her hands were shaking so much that she almost dropped the bowl. She seemed to be an old lady.

Seeing this, he wanted to make way for her, but she slipped, either because she was old and weak or because she was too hungry, and bumped into Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu helped her up, and the old lady said in a slurred voice: "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm getting old and confused..." Then she hurriedly walked past him, probably because she was afraid that the soup would be gone.

Shen Qingqiu took two steps forward and suddenly stopped, feeling that something was wrong.

Not true.

This old lady looked like a candle in the wind that would fall down at the slightest gust of wind. Why did her body feel so heavy when I bumped into her just now?!

He turned around suddenly, and did not see the figure of the "old lady" among the crowd scrambling for hot soup.

There was an entrance to a flower alley on the left, Shen Qingqiu chased after it and just happened to see a curved shadow flash past at the end of the alley.

This speed of Mist Grass is not much worse than the 100-meter sprint hurdles, right? ! And "old lady"! I was really blind just now!

Shen Qingqiu ran after her. Although now thinking about it, the image of this old lady was indeed suspicious, could he be blamed for not discovering the abnormality earlier? Now in the entire Jinlan City, everyone had this suspicious image of walking with black cloth all over their bodies and huddled up!

While chasing, he suddenly felt an itch on the back of his hand and raised it to take a look.

...This hand has been through so much trouble. It was this hand that was pierced with holes by the Elder Tian Hammer, and it is also the hand that has started to develop red spots now!

Speaking of which, it was this hand that originally poked open the strange book "The Path of the Proud Immortal and the Devil". Ahhhh I really want to chop off this hand!!!

Being distracted like this, Shen Qingqiu slowed down his pace, and suddenly realized that someone was attacking him with a sword. He opened his folding fan, ready to throw a wind blade at any time, and shouted, "Who?!"

The man suddenly landed from the eaves nearby. The two of them met, and Shen Qingqiu blurted out: "Gong Yi Xiao?"

The young man immediately drew his sword, surprised and delighted: "Senior Shen?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "It's me. Why are you here too?" He suddenly remembered that Yang Yixuan had just said that someone else had entered the city from the dark river. He must have been Gong Yixiao's group of people, so he asked, "Did Huanhua Palace send you to lead people into the city to investigate?"

Gong Yi Xiao said: "I was indeed ordered to go into the city to investigate, but... I was not the leader."

Shen Qingqiu was surprised. Gong Yixiao was the most favored young disciple of the old palace master of Huanhua Palace. Before Luo Binghe appeared, he was basically recognized as the leader of the next generation. The old palace master's only daughter was also infatuated with him. Whenever there was something wrong with the disciples, he had to lead the team. Apart from Luo Binghe who could beat him with the male protagonist's halo, who else could take his place?

But there was no time to think about it, various thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and Shen Qingqiu said: "Let's chase him together!"

Gong Yi gave a resounding response, and the two of them jumped out at the same time.

The hunched figure flashed into a five-story platform. Standing outside this building, one could smell the scent of powder. The platform was decorated with flowers and looked like a place for prostitution in the past. But now there was no laughter or singing, only the door was open and the lobby on the first floor was gloomy.

The two of them held their breath and stepped over the threshold.

The tables and chairs in the hall were overturned, and the place was in a mess. Shen Qingqiu glanced at Gong Yi Xiao and whispered, "Separately check. You look at the private room on the left, and I'll be in charge of the right side."

He used his folding fan to push open the door of the nearest room. He could vaguely see a person lying on the bed. He was startled at first, then quickly calmed down.

It was just a skeleton, wearing a colorful shirt, with pearls and jade all over her head, lying in a very peaceful posture. Perhaps the woman in the building knew that her death was coming, so she dressed up, put on her best clothes, and slept to die. Even death must be in the most beautiful posture, probably it is the nature of women. Shen Qingqiu sighed for a second, then left the room, still closing the door.

There were corpses of women in formal attire in several rooms. It looked like this room was almost completely wiped out. Shen Qingqiu was about to push open the sixth room when he heard noises and voices coming from the second floor.

The two flew upstairs. Shen Qingqiu was ahead, still on the stairs. Suddenly, a young man's gentle voice came: "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me."

Upon hearing this voice, Shen Qingqiu was struck by lightning, and the folding fan in his hand made a crackling sound when he pinched it.

In that instant, even my breathing seemed to stop.

He was stuck on the stairs, but he could already see the elegant pavilion at the end of the long corridor on the second floor. A group of disciples dressed in the uniforms of the Huanhua Palace were surrounding a person in the center.

He was a handsome young man in black clothes. His hairband fluttered with his black hair, and he carried an ancient long sword on his back. His face was as handsome as a jade crown, and his eyes were like two cold stars in the deep pool, looking over here inadvertently.

Although he has grown up a lot and his temperament is very different from before, this face can be chosen as the cover boy of a romance novel from any angle. Shen Qingqiu will never mistake it even if he is beaten to death!

At the same time, a familiar voice that had been sealed away for a long time, with a stereotyped tone like Google Translate, and a series of prompt messages exploded in his mind one after another like a machine gun:

【Hello. The system has been successfully activated. 】

【Universal activation code: Luo Binghe.】

【Self-test: The overall energy is running normally and in good condition.】

【Sleep mode disabled. Standard mode enabled.】

【Update package download and installation completed】

Wait a minute, holy shit, you really updated it?!

【Thank you for using us again. 】

Can I return the product?