After Qin Yuesheng reported the events of Jingci Town to Bai Hao, he instructed the constables to go to Jingci Town and transport the decorative wall back with a carriage.
Although it is unknown who created the decorative wall, its capability to house a small world inside is a divine feat worthy of the Seven Stars Office’s attention.
Since Qin Yuesheng did not retrieve any conclusive evidence of malice within the wall, Bai Hao generously rewarded him with three hundred units of malice, as compensation for his efforts on this journey.
However, Qin Yuesheng was not particularly concerned with malice now.
After all, once he breaks through the Youjing Acupoint to beco a master of the First Layer of the Inner Power Realm, he would be an equal to Bai Hao, making the task of vanquishing ghosts and monsters to accumulate malice as easy as a flick of the wrist.
After bidding farewell to Bai Hao, Qin Yuesheng returned to the Qin Mansion, preparing to stay at ho diligently and focus on cultivating for a while, so he could break through the Youjing Acupoint sooner.
...
Two days later.
Recently, an outbreak of Fenghan swept through Cyan Yang City, causing local clinics and pharmacies to be bustling all day with family mbers of the sick buying dicines, to the point where the demand for dicine exceeded the supply.
Walking down the street, one could see pedestrians coughing after taking only a few steps.
Fortunately, Xun Sheng had already issued a decree that those afflicted with Fenghan must cover their mouths with a cloth when going outdoors, which sowhat controlled the mutual infection of Fenghan, although not significantly.
The entire Cyan Yang City suffered, and naturally, the Qin Mansion was not spared.
From those who returned from leisure at Cold Mountain Temple like Qin Feng and Duan Hongjin, down to the household servants, they were all more or less infected with Fenghan, coughing incessantly all day.
The opposite was true for Qin Yuesheng, who stayed at ho without venturing out, remaining untouched by the epidemic.
"Do not spit anywhere! Dispose of bodily fluids collectively! Everyone must wear masks to prevent infection, those with Fenghan are not allowed to participate in laundry, cooking, or any activity involving contact with others’ bodily fluids!"
"Every item in the mansion must be wiped with salt water mixed with strong alcohol, using quickli and water to clean the entire Qin Mansion, without leaving any corner untouched!"
Qin Yuesheng, with a red cloth over his face, shouted at the servants gathered together by him.
Throughout history, diseases have always been population killers, no matter where.
An ordinary cold was manageable; with so effort, a doctor could still control it.
But a city-wide outbreak of Fenghan made Qin Yuesheng secretly anxious.
Could this be a precursor to a plague outbreak?
As a Martial Artist of the Inner Power Realm, with the assistance of health cultivation techniques, he possessed strong immunity, rendering him indifferent.
However, the ordinary people in the Qin Mansion were not so fortunate.
In such circumstances, Qin Yuesheng could only utilize the disinfection and prevention thods he knew, urging the servants to act, aiming to eradicate viruses and bacteria within the mansion and reduce the occurrence of further infections.
"Housekeeper Qin, do we still have enough dicinal supplies in our mansion’s reserves? How long can it last?" Qin Yuesheng asked Qin Zheng.
"Young Master need not worry, Doctor Hua has a hobby of hoarding supplies, and the dicines in the pharmacy will last for at least a month or two with daily use before running out." Housekeeper Qin smiled.
Qin Yuesheng nodded: "Good, then don’t be frugal. If anyone in the mansion falls ill, let Doctor Hua treat them with the most effective prescriptions, we must not delay to prevent spreading to others."
"Understood."
...
Cyan Yang City Magistrate Office.
Xun Sheng hurried into the room where Bai Hao resided and addressed, "Lord Bai, the city’s illness seems to be worsening, with three citizens already deceased from this Fenghan outbreak, cough, cough, cough."
As he spoke, Xun Sheng couldn’t help but cover his mouth and cough.
Bai Hao raised his head from behind the desk, stood, and walked over, grabbing Xun Sheng’s shoulder to transfer a surge of Inner Strength.
Imdiately, Xun Sheng’s coughing was suppressed, and his breathing cald down.
"Such a sudden wave of Fenghan surely has an underlying cause. The officials from Chang’an should arrive in Cyan Yang City within the next two days. You must tightly control the city, sending people to strictly patrol various places. I strongly suspect this matter might involve mysterious visitors."
"Mysterious visitors?!" Xun Sheng exclaid: "Can mysterious visitors cause such harm?"
"Mysterious visitors are enigmatic. In history, wherever mysterious visitors appeared, disasters and misfortunes followed — thirty-six years ago in the southwest, droughts and locust plagues starved and dehydrated seventy to eighty thousand people; eleven years ago, the middle section of Hai-Xing Canal’s dam burst, flooding a thousand acres of farmland and destroying dozens of governnt granaries—all because of mysterious visitors."
"Such things!" Xun Sheng was shocked; this was the first ti he heard such claims despite his many years in office. But given Bai Hao’s status, he certainly wouldn’t fabricate lies to deceive him.
"Do not panic publicly; wait until the arrival of the Lord from Tongshe in Cyan Yang City, then we will let him determine the situation." Bai Hao said.
"I understand, my lord."
...
"Cough, cough, it’s cold!" Qin Feng lay in bed, covered with several thick blankets, his face pale and frail.
Qin Yuesheng stood nearby with a serious expression, watching Doctor Hua Shique taking Qin Feng’s pulse.
Qin Feng had caught a cold during his visit to Cold Mountain Temple, and after returning to the Qin Mansion, his condition worsened. Now, he only complained about feeling cold, with chills in his hands and feet, and an inexplicable heaviness in his chest.
Keep in mind, the weather in Cyan Yang City was scorching hot at that ti. If not for the Snow Cold Crystal pendant, Qin Yuesheng would’ve been sweating profusely from the heat.
Yet, Qin Feng was under layers of blankets and still yelling cold; clearly, this wasn’t an ordinary cold.
"Doctor Hua, how is my father really? You say he caught a cold, but his symptoms seem quite different from others," Qin Yuesheng asked.
Doctor Hua Shique sighed, "Although I also think the sa, from the pulse and symptoms, it indeed appears to be a cold."
Qin Yuesheng turned to Duan Hongjin standing nearby and asked, "Second Mother, during your trip to Cold Mountain Temple, did you encounter anything unusual?"
"No such incidents," Duan Hongjin shook her head. "I went wherever the master went these past few days."
Having experienced so many strange and supernatural events, Qin Yuesheng had a perspective different from ordinary people. He discreetly took the Exorcism Toad from the Celestial Demon waist pouch and approached Qin Feng.
The Exorcism Toad, which initially showed no reaction, subtly changed on its glassy back upon touching Qin Feng’s skin.
There’s malevolent energy!
Qin Yuesheng’s expression changed imdiately.
He then swiftly went to Duan Hongjin and pressed the Exorcism Toad against her hand.
Fortunately, Duan Hongjin was normal.
"Seems like they might have co into contact with sothing unclean during their outing," Qin Yuesheng thought silently.
Seeing Qin Yuesheng’s strange actions, Duan Hongjin asked, "Yuesheng, is there sothing wrong?"
"No, nothing," Qin Yuesheng replied, putting the Exorcism Toad back into his pouch, smiling calmly.
Lord Bai had once said that such eerie and supernatural matters should not be disclosed to ordinary people. If civilians witness it, it’s unavoidable and purely accidental.
But mbers of the Seven Stars Bureau must never voluntarily disclose it to unrelated individuals, even relatives, to prevent the spread of panic.
"I gave Father a Soul-Swaying Bell. He should be safe from evil spirits as long as he carries it, but given the current situation," Qin Yuesheng thought, taking out the Spirit Fox’s Heart Eye. "Unless it’s sothing more powerful than ordinary eerie phenona."
Thinking of this, Qin Yuesheng put the Spirit Fox’s Heart Eye before his eyes to examine Qin Feng’s body.
There he saw, at the center of Qin Feng’s chest, sothing like a light blue spider web clinging on, enveloping his entire chest.
This thing emitted a faint blue mist, likely the reason Qin Feng kept feeling cold.
Just as Qin Yuesheng was about to put away the Spirit Fox’s Heart Eye, he inadvertently saw a young maid standing at the foot of the bed.
This maid had always served Qin Feng closely, in a role similar to the four won around Qin Yuesheng, like Chunfeng.
The maid appeared honest and earnest, respectfully watching Qin Feng’s discomfort, her face displayed a genuine worry and concern.
But this is the view seen by ordinary people.
Through the Spirit Fox’s Heart Eye, Qin Yuesheng saw a faint black mist emanating from the maid’s body, and on her head, a faintly discernible pale, ugly face.
"Hiss!" Qin Yuesheng’s eyes changed. There was such a thing infiltrating the Qin Mansion, and he hadn’t noticed it before.
The maid had also accompanied Qin Feng and Duan Hongjin on the outing. It’s possible that the worsening of Qin Feng’s cold after returning was related to the entity attached to her.
After thinking for a mont, Qin Yuesheng suddenly said, "Co here a mont, take to get sothing from Father’s study."
Others looked curiously at the maid Qin Yuesheng pointed to, puzzled.
Duan Hongjin said, "Yuesheng, what do you need? I’ll accompany you instead."
"No need, Second Mother. Father needs care now, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else. You stay with him. She’s Father’s close maid and knows his habits. She can help find what I need in the study."
Duan Hongjin nodded, "Alright then."
Since the young master of the Qin family requested it, the maid had no reason to refuse and had to follow Qin Yuesheng out of the room, heading to the study.
Along the way, maids and household servants passed by, all greeting Qin Yuesheng.
Soon, under Qin Yuesheng’s guidance, the two arrived at a secluded garden rarely visited.
The maid following Qin Yuesheng couldn’t help but ask puzzled, "Young Master, weren’t we going to the study to find sothing?"
Qin Yuesheng turned back with a cold smile, "I already changed direction halfway. You’ve served by my father’s side for years; didn’t you notice anything? Or... are you actually an imposter?"
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