The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 553 - 317: Out with the Old, In with the New_2
The lady in red flicked her hand twice, but Senior Brother Chen, despite his gentle grip, caught her hand and did not let go. She only pretended to struggle briefly and, upon failing to free herself, huffed softly twice before heading upstairs to the private rooms. Senior Brother Chen followed behind her, a slight smile secretly forming on the corner of his mouth as he briskly walked after her. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
The degree of intimacy between a man and a woman can actually be gauged by the distance between them. For instance, the space between Ning Xiaoxian and Changtian is often just enough to fit a few thick leaves... ahem, Senior Brother Chen remained only a fist’s distance away from the lady in red, indicating that their relationship was at least more intimate than holding hands.
Having heard his words and seen his subtle actions, Ning Xiaoxian grew even more suspicious. This guy had quite the knack for dealing with girls. Even Junior Sister Cen continued to defend him after realizing she had been meddled with. Such a naive girl would eventually fall into his hands, both body and soul. He did not seem to be in a rush, so why did he choose to drug her? There had to be an anomaly.
Now, where has Junior Sister Cen gone while he stays beside this lady in red?
Regardless, his fickleness was none of her business. Ning Xiaoxian watched the pair ascend the stairs and enter the private room, then turned her attention back to the small dishes in front of her. She appeared relaxed, but her ears caught every noise in the main hall below. Amid the various gossips, bargains and trifles, the most discussed topic was the plague currently ravaging the Central and Southern Regions. In any other small city on the Northwest Border, news would not have spread so quickly, but this was Kashna, the hub of all rumors and hearsay.
Ning Xiaoxian listened attentively for a moment before frowning. All the news she heard subtly pointed to one fact: the plague was spreading widely to the surrounding areas. If an outbreak in a village was not taken seriously, within three days, everyone in the manor would contract the disease. It was as if a healthy person would fall ill merely by touching the clothing of the sick. Even after subtracting the exaggeration, the ferocity and rapid spread of the plague were enough to change people’s complexions when spoken of.
Most guests on this floor were mortals, not as immune to diseases as cultivators and demons. Hence, they discussed the impending dread they would have to face. Even though the plague had not yet enveloped Kashna City, it had already brought a foreboding atmosphere here.
The spread of such a disease never halts halfway. The Black Death that swept through Europe in the 14th century claimed around 25 million lives, or a third of Europe’s total population. To put that into perspective, even the 20th century’s Second World War, one of the most brutal events in human history, saw only 5 percent of Europe’s population perish due to the conflict.
The source of the Black Death was rats and the fleas they carried, but what about the plague now rampant across this continent?
After a long contemplation, Changtian uttered three words: "Yin Jiu You."
She agreed with his view. The Southern Continent had never been a peaceful or fair Human Sacred Land, but it was rare for epidemics to break out. Under the overpowering presence of Immortal Demons, mortals lived meagerly and without security, but seldom were they tormented to death by disease. Now, the plague seemed to have simultaneously erupted in several major cities across the Continent, and the traces of human intervention were all too clear. She would not believe that Yin Jiu You was uninvolved; otherwise, why would the plague break out at such time, just over ten days after his escape, and bloom everywhere?
Most importantly, anyone imprisoned for ten thousand years would be drained of soul energy, including Yin Jiu You. As a Soul Cultivator, if he wanted to replenish his energy after being released, he couldn’t afford to be discreet because he needed a significant amount of Life Souls. Tu Jin had dug into Yin Jiu You’s domain in the Extremely Yin Land, accruing only several million in the Power of Living Souls, which might sound like a lot, but even after digesting the recently acquired three hundred thousand Life Souls, his cultivation would hardly reach Middle Mahayana. The difficulty of advancing in the realm of Soul Cultivation was evident.
Though Yin Jiu You did not have to painstakingly progress to the next stage, he was now like a car running on an empty tank, still needing to be filled up to a reasonable level before starting. In his prime, he was on the same level as Changtian. Ning Xiaoxian did not want to imagine how many Life Souls he would need to devour to be even half satiated.
"This guy became a common enemy of the Pan-continent not without reason. If he wants to exist and grow, it’s destined he has to stand against everyone," she sighed. The good news was that she would have many allies, with almost everyone in the Southern Continent, including cultivators and demons, unwilling to accommodate Yin Jiu You.
The current question was, what method had he employed to spread the plague so widely? He was from the Ancient Clan and possessed too many secret techniques unknown to others.
The two were secretly communicating through transmissions when Tu Jin and Qi Zai came out of the Hot Spring Pavilion, glancing around before hurriedly making their way here. Tu Jin’s poker face showed no expression, but the corners of his mouth slightly soared, exuding vitality. Qi Zai, on the other hand, was visibly excited. Still a naïve Little Chongming Bird, he was red-faced, seemingly in shock from what he saw in the Hot Spring Pavilion, and even after sitting down, he seemed absent-minded. (To be continued. If you like this story, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets, Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com.)
