CHAPTER 184: CHAPTER 182: ILLNESS

Just like Li Cong thought, after they left the official road, the journey to Qi State was smooth.

The further they went, the farther they were from Zhenzhou.

Li Cong could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He was different from Xiao Chi, who was ruthless and never weighed his options. If it weren’t for their godfather scheming behind the scenes, Xiao Chi would have fallen into the hands of the Daqi people long ago.

Li Cong smiled inwardly. Being cautious by nature, after avenging Xiao Chi this time, he would be the most reliable among the Thirteen Grand Protectors in their godfather’s hands.

They passed two checkpoints, and as it gradually grew dark, looking ahead, there were fewer and fewer travelers on the official road, likely finding their own places to rest.

Li Cong waved his hand, thinking that after a bit more walking, he should meet the people from Qi State who were coming to meet him.

Li Cong instructed his men, "Get water, eat." They needed to eat something as they had to make their way overnight.

Eating the hard flatbread in his hand, Li Cong slightly frowned. He wondered why Geng San hadn’t arrived yet; could it be that something had happened to him?

His manpower was genuinely limited; otherwise, Li Cong would have instructed Geng Er to look for Geng San.

Geng Er fetched water from a nearby farmhouse, and once everyone drank some, Li Cong stood up and called everyone to move forward.

Li Cong walked quickly, watching the setting sun take away the last glow, feeling a sudden inexplicable chill surround him.

"Third Young Master."

Li Cong stopped in his tracks, just about to inquire what was happening when he heard the sound of vomiting.

Geng Er was bent over, vomiting, and everything he had just eaten rushed out, causing him to cough violently.

"Third Young Master, Geng Er doesn’t know what’s wrong."

After vomiting, Geng Er suddenly clutched his stomach tightly, unable to report to Li Cong, turned, and walked into the woods by the official road.

People do fall ill, but it shouldn’t be happening now...

Geng Er’s condition sent chills down everyone’s spine.

"Third Young Master," Geng Si spoke skeptically, "could it be that Geng Er has..." caught the epidemic?

After all, Geng Er had been investigating everywhere, who knows when he might have come into contact with those patients.

Li Cong did not speak, his gaze fixed on the direction where Geng Er had left.

A moment later, Li Cong instructed Geng Si, "Go take a look."

Geng Si hesitated for a moment, tore a piece of cloth from his clothes and covered his face with it, then walked into the woods.

Geng Si stepped on the unmelted snow, making a faint sound. He walked further and further until at last, he found Geng Er squatting on the ground.

Geng Er’s face was pale; he struggled to pull up his pants, still shivering uncontrollably. When he saw Geng Si, he seemed to find a lifesaving straw and reached out to Geng Si: "I...I..."

Geng Si took a step back.

Seeing this, Geng Er widened his eyes, a pleading expression on his face: "Help me...I must have eaten something unclean, it’s definitely not an epidemic...I didn’t...I didn’t encounter anyone with the epidemic."

Geng Si didn’t know what to do: "Wait here, I’ll go ask the Third Young Master."

Geng Si fled the woods, finally returning to the official road, about to report to Li Cong when Li Cong, without waiting for him to speak, pointed to a place not far away: "There is a river over there. Take Geng Er to wash, and then find a doctor for him up ahead."

Hearing this, Geng Er, who had followed Geng Si, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked Li Cong: "Thank you...Third Young Master...I am...incompetent...delayed everyone..."

Geng Si dared not support Geng Er. They were all too familiar with what the epidemic looked like; it claimed so many lives in Yuezhou and was the same in Zhenzhou, and those who got infected had little chance of survival.

Rather than worrying about Geng Er, Geng Si was now more concerned about himself, wondering if unknowingly, they too might have been infected by Geng Er...

Finally reaching the river, Geng Er bent down, scooped up the icy river water, ready to wash as Li Cong instructed.

Moonlight fell on Geng Er’s hands.

With a "whoosh," a breaking sound filled the air; Geng Er felt a chill on his neck, and followed by a hot spray splattered, landing on his face, body, and into the river before him.

A dagger was lodged in Geng Er’s neck. He widened his eyes, shock and fear etched on his face. His hands still "held" the river water, but the river water had already turned into blood.

With a "thud," Geng Er fell into the river headfirst.

Geng Si watched all this in astonishment and turned to see Li Cong not far away.

The one who threw the dagger was Li Cong.

Li Cong spoke calmly, "If he caught the disease, it’s inevitable he’d infect us. This way is best, saving him from further suffering."

Geng Si took a long time to respond, glancing once more at Geng Er’s corpse. Killing Geng Er here, the Third Young Master had his calculations. The two villages nearby used the water from this river. If Geng Er was infected with the epidemic, the villagers would soon be infected as well.

Geng Si shuddered, not knowing if Geng Er’s death had terrified him. His stomach churned, and he almost vomited on the spot.

Geng Si took a deep breath, trying to suppress the nausea, but it was useless. Geng Er’s tragic condition kept replaying in his mind.

If he contracted the epidemic, he would meet the same fate as Geng Er.

He didn’t want to die.

A wave of cramping pain came from his abdomen. Geng Si gritted his teeth, cold sweat streaming down his forehead. He had to pass it off and then find an excuse to go into town and see a doctor.

While pondering this, he heard the sound of vomiting coming from the official road.

It was from the men they had brought.

Three or four of them, all showing the same symptoms as Geng Er earlier.

The epidemic was spreading among them.

Li Cong could no longer maintain his usual composure. He looked at his men with a grim expression.

"Dispose of them all," Li Cong instructed Geng Si.

Geng Si drew the long knife from his waist in response, but to Li Cong’s surprise, at the moment of approach, Geng Si suddenly fled in the other direction.

"Geng Si." Li Cong gritted his teeth.

Panic spread instantly; Geng Si’s escape made the rest realize, and they too began to flee in all directions.

Li Cong never expected the situation would turn out this way.

He drew the Soft Sword from his waist, striking a fleeing subordinate, whose blood stained his robe red.

Chasing for who knows how long, Li Cong suddenly stopped, a searing heat rising from his abdomen. He opened his mouth to vomit uncontrollably.

Li Cong widened his eyes.

The epidemic, he too had caught the epidemic.

In one night, it seemed Li Cong’s strength was drained away. He clutched his stomach and trudged forward step by step. He didn’t want to die, not in this epidemic.

For that would become a monumental joke.

As the sky gradually brightened, the sound of hooves approached. Li Cong raised his head with difficulty, seeing a rider before him, the one in front clad in imposing armor.

Song Xian.

Li Cong suddenly laughed aloud, Song Xian.

Li Cong charged forward; since he could not escape, he intended to spread the epidemic to Song Xian’s soldiers.

Song Xian dismounted, standing still like a towering mountain, just waiting for Li Cong.