Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 524 - 474 Plague Demon_2

"Drinking unboiled water can easily lead to diarrhea and dysentery, just as eating pork infested with worms will cause worms to grow in the stomach."

"...Bo Fan."

Another clan elder took a deep breath and said solemnly, "We know your eldest son has also been infected with the plague and is bedridden. But this is not the solution. Jun Qianzi, Situ Zhi, Ghost Shovel, and Yuan Sou from Zhao Ming are notorious criminals wanted by many nations, including Taihao Mountain. To be connected with them is already on the brink of treason."

"I know. I am fully aware and have not disregarded the Wang Family because of Jie’er’s situation."

Upon mentioning his eldest son, Wang Bo Fan paused, exhaled deeply, and slowly said, "The reason I’m bringing out this letter is, firstly, Situ Zhi is indeed the most skilled Gu Master in the world. His disciple, after exerting so much effort to stealthily deliver this letter into the Prince Manor, would not have done so merely to mock us.

Secondly, we can conduct private experiments to verify if this so-called Plague Demon Talisman is truly effective.

If it is effective, then our Wang Family will have room to maneuver."

"You mean..."

The clan elder hesitated.

"We will disseminate the Plague Demon Talisman and its method of use secretly among the common people, allowing them to draw the talismans themselves and affix them to the doors of other people’s homes."

Wang Bo Fan’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. "By doing this, Taiyuan Prefecture will surely descend into chaos."

The faces of the clan elders displayed disbelief. Some gasped, while others, after their initial shock, quickly began to think critically.

The Plague Demon Talisman cannot fend off the Plague Demon; it only shifts the risk of infection to others.

This means that once the Plague Demon Talisman spreads among the common people, they, in an attempt to prevent their own families from contracting the plague, will frantically draw talismans to post on their neighbors’ and enemies’ doors.

The Plague Demon Talisman will rapidly spread throughout various parts of the city. Even if the garrison mobilizes to confiscate the talismans and repeatedly clarifies in newspapers that the talismans are ineffective, they can’t possibly curb the human instinct for survival or stop the common people from drawing these talismans.

The common people always harbor doubts. No matter how eloquently the officials speak, they won’t fully believe them, especially regarding something that concerns the lives of their entire family.

Thus, the Plague Demon Talisman will spread like a true plague into every corner of the city.

The result is that every household will have a talisman on its door.

"The spread of the plague depends on people. When common people scatter throughout the workshops affixing talismans, the plague will inevitably spread as well. Regardless of the effectiveness of the Plague Demon Talisman, it will disseminate chaos and disease throughout the city."

Wang Bo Fan continued, "And if the Plague Demon Talisman is effective, it’s even more advantageous for the Wang Family—our household has guards, preventing anyone from affixing a talisman to our doors, allowing us to shift the risk to others.

At that point, with countless common people dead or injured in the city, we can then predict Li Ang’s reaction.

He’ll either be discredited and forced to step down from his position as Observer, replaced by someone our Wang Family can influence. This will provide us an opportunity to withdraw from Taiyuan Prefecture and safeguard ourselves.

Or, the Emperor and the Academic Palace will, no matter what, have to protect Li Ang, leaving him in his position as Observer.

But to confiscate the talismans from the common people, or at least prevent Taiyuan Prefecture’s Plague Demon Talismans from spreading to other State Mansions, he would have to rely on our Wang Family’s power.

The Wang Family would still be able to take this opportunity to pressure Li Ang into agreeing to let us leave Taiyuan Prefecture.

Either way, it benefits our Wang Family."

"...Even if it costs the lives of the city’s common people?"

"Not a cost."

Wang Bo Fan said calmly, "All these years, our Wang Family’s contributions to Taiyuan have been plentiful.

Which road, which bridge, wasn’t built with Wang Family funds?

Even the Taiyuan sick house, where Li Ang’s students now reside, was constructed by our Wang Family.

Everything should prioritize the family."

Wang Bo Fan’s final words were the last straw. Most of the clan elders silently nodded in agreement.

"..."

The eldest clan elder looked around the dark room, his gaze refocusing on Wang Bo Fan. He said gravely, "Bo Fan, I only have two questions.

First, if this comes to light, could the garrison or the Academic Palace trace the spread of the Plague Demon Talisman back to our Wang Family?

Second, what exactly does Zhao Ming want?"

"We will find a rural Daoist to be the scapegoat, pinning all incidents involving the spread of the Plague Demon Talisman on him." Wang Bo Fan, his strategy long decided, continued, "And we will ensure he dies quickly from the plague, leaving the garrison with no evidence. No matter what, they won’t be able to trace it back to our Wang Family."

He then added, "As for why Yu Shi sent me this letter, it’s also because he hopes to use this plague to demand the release of his imprisoned master, Situ Zhi, from the Yu Country garrison."

"The garrison won’t agree to such terms," that clan elder stated resolutely. "The Yu Country never negotiates with Gu Masters. Besides, how can they release an even more powerful Gu Master just to resolve a plague?"

"That’s for Zhao Ming to consider, not our concern," Wang Bo Fan said gravely. "These days, the mortality rate among our Wang Family is more than double the city’s average.

Since the Emperor regards our Wang Family as no better than pigs and dogs, why should we consider the Yu Country’s interests any longer? Our Wang Family only desires to survive, and that is all we seek."

「」

Situ Zhi...

In the laboratory at the Governor Mansion, Li Ang stood before a table, silently observing the bacterial culture dish. He once again thought of that Gu Master from the Zhao Ming Organization.

Strictly speaking, Li Ang had only seen Situ Zhi once, at the bottom of Taihu Lake.

That meeting, with Situ Zhi’s small black insects and the enormous Zhu Gu Demon he released, left a deep impression on Li Ang.

It was Li Ang himself who had used an alarm created by transforming Mo Si to attract Shen Tuyu from Suzhou City, leading to Situ Zhi’s capture.

Since then, Situ Zhi had been imprisoned in the Chang’an garrison’s jail until the Qixi Incident, when Zhao Ming’s Ghost Shovel and Yuan Sou breached the jail. Situ Zhi’s whereabouts became unknown; he was likely abducted by Zhao Ming.

This information was known to only a very few within the Yu Country; even the four Masters of the Academic Palace were unaware.

A few days ago, when reporting to the Great Ming Palace via the Nearby Worm, Emperor Yu had indirectly asked him if this plague was related to Situ Zhi.

Li Ang could only answer that he didn’t know.

If back then, after Situ Zhi was imprisoned by the garrison, I hadn’t completely set my mind at ease but had frequently visited to study Situ Zhi and his Gu Technique, would things have turned out differently?

Li Ang pondered silently, his fingertips trailing threads of Mo Si across the bacterial culture dish.

On one hand, I truly did not wish to be connected with Situ Zhi at that time. I was still carrying Zhao Ming’s Communication Iron Plate, worried that if I went to study Situ Zhi at the garrison, Zhao Ming might discover me. This could have possibly resulted in a command for me to devise a plan to rescue Situ Zhi, which is why I declined the garrison’s invitation to interrogate Situ Zhi together.

On the other hand, I might have been too confident back then, believing that with a memory repository from an Otherworld, I could find solutions to any epidemic disease, not requiring a return to studying Gu Technique.

The Mo Si shattered the patches in the bacterial culture dish.

In an even more microscopic world, countless bacteria latched onto the Mo Si, poised to multiply on its surface.

Yet, as the dark threads of Mo Si continually reshaped, all bacteria were eradicated.

He was impervious to all poisons.

Li Ang, in his current state, could truly ignore all diseases. He and Mo Si were now indistinguishable; wherever a part of him was afflicted, Mo Si could directly lock onto the pathogen and exterminate it with precision.

If only this ability could be used on others...

Li Ang sighed softly, his gaze becoming more resolute.

No more deaths, he thought. Galuo’s letter mentioned that plague cases have appeared on the grasslands too. If this evolves into an epidemic sweeping across the nations of the continent, it will inevitably return to the Yu Country from other directions, causing untold deaths and injuries.

He focused his mind, summoning the dispersed Mo Si Clones scattered in various locations.

Awakening so many distant clones at once triggered a backlash from the Mo Si within his body.

Countless threads of Mo Si spread and extended inside his body, vying for control.

Pain pierced his mind. Li Ang’s body trembled slightly, and he instinctively reached out to grasp the table, crushing a corner of the metal long table.

While strenuously suppressing the Mo Si, he steadily and slowly manipulated all the clones, analyzing and separating the soil samples.