CHAPTER 178: CHAPTER 168: INCITEMENT

The patients were stopped at the city gate, gradually unable to suppress their growing dissatisfaction.

"Why are you stopping us from entering the city? We just want to see a good doctor!"

"Yeah! We just want to seek medical help!"

"Please, let us in! If we don’t find a doctor soon, my father won’t hold on!"

Listening to these voices full of sorrow, the gate guards sternly said, "We will naturally report this to our superiors, but until the order comes, no one can enter the city!"

Then one of them instructed the others to continue guarding the city gate while he quickly left to inform Feng Qiwu.

The situation in Qingyun Town was too strange.

How did suddenly so many patients appear?

Moreover, everyone is coughing, and many even show symptoms of coughing up blood!

Some even have their faces covered with frightening red spots, looking... exactly like the plague that the Crown Prince warned might break out before he left!

If they truly have the plague, then the matter is grave.

A plague can destroy a village, or worse, a city, or even several cities’ people, and cannot be easily ignored.

...

As for the two old men who poisoned, although discovered by Lin Changqing and had to reveal their true identity, they had not left Qingyun Town.

After all, they were still waiting to see how the plague they created would rapidly spread to other towns in Da Qin.

But what they didn’t expect was that although the plague quickly spread within Qingyun Town, the road to further spreading outward was firmly blocked at the city gate!

For a moment, the two looked at each other in shock and uncertainty.

"What’s going on? Did Da Qin anticipate our methods in advance?" One who had resumed the appearance of a middle-aged man felt inexplicable unease.

Otherwise, why on earth would people suddenly not be allowed to enter the city?

Something’s wrong!

Something’s terribly wrong!

"Whatever, if they don’t let us in, we won’t go in. Let’s go, we must stir things up quickly and send those infected people elsewhere!" The other decisively said.

If the plague is confined to the remote Qingyun Town, it wouldn’t achieve their desired effect at all.

Feng Qingyang is ruthless, and Feng Qiwu treats human lives like ants. If they know the plague in Qingyun Town can’t be resolved, they would likely abandon the entire town and burn all the townsfolk to death!

By then, their plans would fail completely.

Therefore, they absolutely cannot watch as these sources of infection are controlled within Qingyun Town unable to get out.

So soon, the two mingled into the crowd, starting to stir things up.

"We haven’t broken any laws, how can you not let us into the city to seek help? Do you want us to wait here to die?"

"Right, we just want to survive!"

"Whoever dares to stop us today is taking our lives! Brothers, charge! What’s wrong with wanting to live?"

"The law won’t punish everyone, let’s all rush through, nothing to fear!"

Originally, many people were panicking because they couldn’t go out to seek help.

Now, being stirred by the two, they immediately shouted with red eyes, "Right! What’s wrong with wanting to live? Why won’t you let us go seek help?"

Then, they rushed towards the city gate.

Seeing this scene, the two instigators hidden in the crowd showed a twisted smile, then quickly retreated and watched from a distance as the plague-infected patients charged ahead.

Even if only three or five people succeeded in leaving, it would cause unimaginable trouble for Da Qin.

But no one expected that as they charged towards the city gate, waiting for them would be sharp long knives.

Swish, swish!

The two middle-aged men at the front were immediately cut down by the guards, each losing an arm.

This instantly intimidated the other townsfolk.

"We said, before the new order arrives, no one is allowed to enter the city! Defy the order again, and next time it will be your heads!"

Hearing this, the previously aggressive townsfolk instantly withered.

Then, pale-faced and trembling, they backed away.

Because no one dared to joke with their lives at this moment.

After all, the gate guards really dared to kill them!

...

Seeing the hard-won public anger being cut down with two swings, the two hidden in the shadows turned dark-faced.

Useless lot!

No wonder they’ve been bullied by the bandits in Gorges Pass for so long and didn’t dare to resist.

They’re just a bunch of cowardly and timid fools.

Now, it seems they can’t rely on them anymore.

After exchanging a quick glance, the two vanished into the crowd immediately.

Relying on the people of Qingyun Town as a source of infection seems impossible.

For now, they have to continue to other towns to find suitable sources of infection.

Just a waste of the toxic plague bestowed upon them by their master.

...

The abrupt change in Qingyun Town quickly reached Feng Qiwu.

Upon learning that the pneumonia patients in Qingyun Town had suddenly worsened, with many fatalities, Feng Qiwu’s face darkened.

"Susu prescribed medicine for them, and there’s also free medicine and food available, and yet the illness still worsens?" Feng Qiwu asked coldly.

Upon hearing this, his subordinate replied cautiously, "Reporting to Your Highness, we still haven’t figured out what’s happening. We only know that the medicine prescribed by the Crown Princess Consort was initially effective, but three days ago, many people suddenly appeared who coughed up blood and died, followed by more coughing up blood. Even some originally robust individuals have been afflicted with this problem."

"Has the city been sealed?" Feng Qiwu immediately asked.

With this question, his subordinate quickly nodded and said, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Thanks to your reminder before you left, we have been extremely careful with guarding the city gate, and it’s now completely sealed."

Feng Qiwu nodded at this.

But then his subordinate continued, "However... General Lin Changqing and the hundred-thousand-strong army he leads are still within Qingyun Town."

If there really is a severe plague outbreak in Qingyun Town, then Lin Changqing and that hundred-thousand-strong army staying within would be extremely dangerous.

Upon hearing this, Feng Qiwu narrowed his eyes, then lightly tapped his fingers on the table.

He then said, "Send a message to Lin Changqing, asking him to thoroughly investigate what’s going on with the plague in Qingyun Town."

Lin Changqing is a smart person.

Though the credit for defeating the bandits might not be his, if he can successfully control the mysterious plague in Qingyun Town, he will still receive accolades when he returns to the Capital City.

And who knows, this sudden plague outbreak in Qingyun Town might have been caused by some intentional mischief-making?