Chapter 85: From the Earth of BuYou Forest, Human Face Disease Emerges (Part 2)
Obviously it wasn't right, because the first victim that rampaged the Martial Deity Avenue was a healthy and strong burly man, so the theory didn't hold up.
Just how were the soldiers infected with the Human Face Disease different than other soldiers, Xie Lian thought of many possibilities and had tried testing his guesses. But no matter from which angle, there wasn't anything overly obvious that differentiated them from the others. Every infected victim, no matter their looks, their body type, their status, their temperament, everything was all over the place, impossible to draw a conclusion on the defining criteria. Could it be that whoever got infected really was a matter of chance?
Xie Lian mumbled to himself, "Just what had those soldiers done in order to stop the spreading of the Human Face Disease? In other words, just what did they do that was more often done than civilians..."
When he came to this thought, his eyes suddenly widened, and his face paled. Hearing that his voice stopped abruptly, Feng Xin asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness? Have you thought of something?"
Xie Lian had indeed thought of something. He thought of a logical theory, but at the same time, it was a terrifying one.
He stood up in a flash and blurted, "No way! No, no, it shouldn't be like this. It can't be."
Feng Xing and Mu Qing immediate rose too, "What is it?"
Xie Lian held his forehead and paced back and forth, raising his hand, "Hold on. I... have an absurd guess. It shouldn't be true, but I need to test this out."
"What guess?" Mu Qing asked, "How will you test it? Do you need me to find you someone?"
Xie Lian immediately rejected the idea, "No. We can't use a live person for testing. What if I'm wrong?" It was more like he hoped he was wrong, even better if he was way off the mark. Mu Qing frowned, "Your Highness, if you need to ascertain whether if you're right or wrong, you'll need a live person for testing. That's the best way. Just standing here brooding won't do any good."
Feng Xin frowned too, "Can't you see he's troubled? Stop saying things that annoy people."
Mu Qing turned to him, "Weird. And what exactly did I say? Didn't I speak the truth? At this point what's the use in being all indecisive and hesitant?"
Feng Xin was disgusted, "Do you have to judge everything based on how useful something is? We're talking about a live person here. Not even a bit of hesitation, aren't you a little too collected?"
"Collected?" Mu Qing countered, "You actually want to say 'cold blooded', right?"
Xie Lian hadn't the patience to ease up the fight between the two like he usually did, and said, "The two of you can start arguing over a single word, what a disgrace! Stand here for an incense time. No one's allowed to move within that time. Same old rules."
"..."
"..."
Hearing the words "same old rules", both Feng Xin and Mu Qing's faces changed colours. Xie Lian waved, "Heaven Official's Blessings. Start."
A moment later, Feng Xin said, gritting his teeth, "...Blessings Shine From Up High."
Mu Qing gritted his teeth too, "...High Imitation No Thought."
Feng Xin was in trouble, "Thought... Thought..."
He was deep in strenuous thought trying to think of a way to continue, and Xie Lian turned to enter the BuYou Forest to find those three infected soldiers for questioning."
By "Same Old Rules" it was an idea Xie Lian had come up with to distract the other two. Feng Xin and Mu Qing would snipe at each other at every chance, starting disputes from nothing. At first Xie Lian would make them stand in silence for an incense time without speaking to one another until they've calmed down, but it wasn't very effective.
Afterwards, Xie Lian decided to change it to Idiom Trains, and once there was an established winner and loser, they'd have no time to worry about their original conflict and would instead do their best to crush the other in training idioms. After discovering this effective method, Xie Lian felt the world became more peaceful, and was quite satisfied. Forcing them to train idioms now was also somewhat of a way to have everyone ease up a little.
Yet this ease didn't last for long. After an incense time, Xie Lian returned. His face was grim and he instructed, "Bring me all the soldiers who lived in the same quarters as those infected soldiers, I need to question them."
Those two were already stumped many times, and seized their own proper little victories, so when they didn't need to train idioms anymore, they both sighed in relief. "That's fine too. But using such a roundabout way to find proof it might not guarantee the accuracy of your find." Mu Qing said.
Feng Xin had already turned to heed his orders. Xie Lian called him back, "Wait! It's already deep into the night. Questioning them now would be too much of a stir, and we can't call forth too many at a time either, it'd be too conspicuous. The things I want to ask must not be known or leaked. If you go now we won't be able to hide anything."
Feng Xin turned his head, "Then what should I do? Bring them over to you one by one to have you interrogate them privately?"
"There's no other way." Xie Lian said, "Tomorrow, bring the soldiers who are close to the victims to me one by one to my chambers, and don't let them know that others have been questioned. Remember to order them not to tell anyone, otherwise..."
He breathed in deeply and sighed, "Nevermind, just threaten them. Just say if word got out they shall be executed without mercy. The more savage the better."
"Questioning them one by one, how long would that even take?" Mu Qing commented.
"It doesn't matter how long it takes," Xie Lian said, "The more I ask the more I can be sure. I... absolutely need to get to the bottom of this and there mustn't be any mistakes."
Thus, the next day, Xie Lian sat in the chamber that was temporarily assigned to him atop the towers, and personally interrogated over three hundred soldiers.
As for the questions he posed, all three hundred of them all gave the same answers. After questioning each other, Xie Lian's face would grow a shade darker. After it was done, when Feng Xin and Mu Qing entered the room they saw Xie Lian sat by the table, a hand holding up his forehead, unspeaking. It was a while before he slowly spoke up, "You two stay and guard the city gates. I'm going to make a trip to Mount Taicang."
Feng Xin asked hesitantly, "Your Highness, did you find something out from all the questioning? Is it a curse or...?"
Xie Lian nodded. "It's come to light. It's a curse."
Mu Qing was solemn, "For real?"
"Without a doubt." Xie Lian said, "And I also found out just what type of people would get infected and what type wouldn't."
Even if those were the words spoken, on his face there was not a trace of joy from solving a mystery, and so Feng Xin and Mu Qing felt things might not be that simple. However if Xie Lian didn't take the initiative to tell them, then as his subordinates it wasn't their place to ask, and so their hearts sank silently.
Mount Taicang, the Huang Ji Pavilion, the highest peak, the Great Martial Hall. Guoshi was paying his respects within clouds of incense smoke. Xie Lian crossed the threshold of the hall and immediately went straight to the point, "Guoshi, I need to see the Heavenly Emperor."
Guoshi finished paying his respects and turned his head, "Your Highness, the gates of the heavenly realm no longer open to you."
"I know." Xie Lian said, "But right now I've just ascertained that the Kingdom of Xian Le is currently under the attack of a malicious wave of curses never seen before. This isn't a natural disaster, it's the workings of inhuman creatures. Please give me a hand and request for the Heavenly Emperor to descend and possess your spirit so I can report this information to him directly. Maybe he'd know what the source of all this was, and perhaps find a turning point."
Ever since he'd returned to the mortal realm, he had reported to the Great Martial Hall thrice. Yet the first two times weren't sincere and were only done out of habitual courtesy. Only this time, he really wanted to seek help.
Guoshi sat down on a chair and said, "It's not that I don't want to help you, Your Highness, but there's no longer a need for it. Even if I give you a hand now, and the Heavenly Emperor descends and possesses my body, the answer you will receive from him will only disappoint you."
Xie Lian's face dropped slightly, "Do you know something? Do you know just what that cry smile mask wearing white-clothed being is?"
"Your Highness, do you still remember what I told you?" Guoshi said, "That in this world, fortune, good or bad, is predetermined."
Xie Lian was startled and didn't speak. The Guoshi added, "Originally, many of those from Yong'an were destined to die, but you transferred water and created rain, and gave them a breath of relief. Yet, you cannot save them completely from the drought, settle their future, and so now, they are in the Yong'an army upon BeiZi Hill fighting for their futures."
"Originally, the royal capital was destined to be in a state of decline, but you personally descended, and used your own powers to turn things around, and gave the royal capital a breath of relief. Yet, you didn't steel your heart to annihilate the Yong'an rebel army and root them out. Instead you allowed them to survive until now. Like roaches they only get stronger with each battle."
Guoshi asked him in wonder, "Your Highness, may I ask what you are doing? Are you perhaps waiting for both sides to realize their mistakes? To repent and renew? To reunite as one country once more?"
An odd sense of shame budded within Xie Lian's heart, yet, it soon turned into confusion as he thought to himself, 'That's strange. Whether if I save or protect people, it was all because they were innocent and didn't deserve death. Everything I've done were done after serious consideration and every choice was made after much struggle. Yet, why does it sound so laughable coming from another's mouth? Why does it sound like I've achieved nothing, that everything is such a... failure?'
That word appeared in his mind and he immediately blocked it out. Guoshi added, "You used your divinity to interfere in mortal matters. The predetermined fate of the Kingdom of Xian Le has been turned completely upside down by you, a complete and utter mess. For the sake of balance, nature will breed other things to bring everything you've deranged back on track. I don't know what that creature was, but, I am certain, it was born because of you."
"..."
Xie Lian's form faltered. Guoshi continued, "I am also certain that should the Heavenly Martial Emperor see you, he will also tell you the same thing, because this was the reason why he didn't want you to descend in the first place. But I felt that even if he told you then, you would've more than likely come down anyway. Young people are like this, unheeding of advice. They won't believe they can't walk until they've fallen."
Xie Lian was in disbelief, "So you mean to say that the cause of this Human Face Disease was me?! So by that so-called predetermined fate logic, everything that uncrying, unlaughing creature does is my fault? So, the Heavenly Court wouldn't even bother with this whole thing?"
"You can think of it that way," Guoshi said, "But that's not altogether right either. After all, if you must read fortune all the way, you can also blame your father and your mother, because if they didn't give birth to you, then you wouldn't have ascended, and thus you wouldn't have descended. Reading like this, you can blame your entire Xian Le ancestry. So, discussing who is at fault for the cause is meaningless."
"As for your last question, that's right, they won't. Because the Kingdom of Xian Le was destined to fall. Since you've extended your hand and messed up this game of chess, then, there will for sure be another hand that returns all the messed up pieces back in place."
Xie Lian took a deep breath, not wanting to discuss whether if the Kingdom of Xian Le was destined to fall. He closed his eyes for a minute then said, "Then answer me, Guoshi. If I disappear now, will that creature also disappear?"
"I'm afraid not." Guoshi replied. "Easy come, hard to leave. That's the same for gods, and ghosts and demons are no different."
Xie Lian knew any more talk would be pointless. The only one who could keep fighting was only himself. He bowed to Guoshi, bidding farewell, and prepared to leave. Behind him the Guoshi called, "Your Highness! How do you plan on walking your path from now on?"
Xie Lian had his head down, "If nothing changes even if I disappear, then I will fight it to the end. This is my only path."
After a pause, he raised his head high and enunciated every word, "I don't care if it's a hand or what, but the people I protect will never become its pawn."
Half a month later, Lang Ying lead the Yong'an army and attacked once again.
After months of countless battles big and small, the Yong'an troops could now finally be called an army. They were no longer those forlorn refugees, but a proper army with considerable strength!
It was like Lang Ying had evaporated from the mortal realm for a long time, and this time, when Xie Lian saw this man again on the battlefield, having waited for so long he didn't waste his breath and dashed straight past the troops, facing him, and struck with his sword, shouting, "WHERE'S THAT WHITE-CLOTHED MAN?"
Lang Ying blocked his sword and didn't answer, fighting back with vigour. Xie Lian pressed onto him with each step, "You know who I'm talking about. My patience is limited!"
Unexpectedly, Lang Ying stared at him and asked, "Your Highness, didn't you say that Yong'an would continue to rain?"
Xie Lian hadn't expected for him to ask that question. Startled, words got stuck in his throat, "I..."
He did indeed promise Lang Ying that Yong'an would rain. However, in the past many days, the number of infected by the Human Face Disease within the royal capital had been increasing exponentially, and they were reaching almost five hundred at this point. Those five hundred victims couldn't all be settled in the BuYou Forest, and that quarantine camp was running out of space.
The government officials were debating over moving to a farther, bigger place. Most of Xie Lian's powers had been used to relieve the symptoms of those five hundred people, and had none left to create rain in Yong'an. Since he couldn't make use of the Rain Master Hat, he felt bad keeping someone else's spiritual device in hand, and so with no other way, he sent Feng Xin to the Kingdom of Yushi to return the Rain Master Hat to the Rain Master and gave thanks.
Xie Lian struck again, yelling angrily, "I created that rain! Don't you have any clue why it's stopped?!"
The angrier he became, the more calm Lang Ying was. "That has nothing to do with me, I only know that even without the Human Face Disease your powers won't last for long; just like how even with your rain, not many will survive in Yong'an. It's all pointless. Your Highness, why do you think you can achieve anything you want to do? Rather than putting my fate in your hands, I choose to put it in my own."
Something from that speech had provoked Xie Lian, and the intent to kill flared.
His blade turned slightly, and his left hand raised. A voice screamed inside his head: Kill this man, and the remnant Yong'an army will be nothing to be afraid of!
Since the first time they met, this was the very first time Xie Lian had steeled his heart to kill Lang Ying. However, unexpectedly, when he sent a blow from his palm and blasted Lang Ying's heart, he spewed blood from the blow but the blast did not penetrate his heart, and instead was repelled.
Astonished, Xie Lian couldn't believe it, and backed away a few steps, "YOU?!"
Xie Lian knew very well what it was that repelled his attack.
Those who were destined for greatness in the mortal realm, like kings, geniuses, and vigilantes, whenever they come to a dire situation, their bodies would naturally radiate a protective aura, shielding them against harm. Most of them have the potential for ascension. Lang Ying was no more than a boor yet he radiated that very protection spiritual aura, and it was even one that was exceedingly rare – the aura of a king!
Xie Lian didn't dare to think what it meant, and suddenly he felt his heart go cold. It was Lang Ying's sword that thrusted and impaled his chest.
In that battle, there was no victory or defeat on either side.
There were still many who perished from Yong'an's side, but this time Xian Le wasn't any better. If it was anyone else, they could say it was a hard-won battle, but to Xie Lian, this was definitely defeat.
This was the first time he was at a disadvantage, moreover, although Lang Ying was still no match for Xie Lian and retreated with injuries in the end, many saw the scene where Lang Ying had stabbed him. Xie Lian could probably guess that there were many soldiers talking behind his back: His Highness is a martial god, how could he be stabbed? Aren't we the army of god? How come we didn't achieve an overwhelming victory like before?
However, Xie Lian had absolutely no time for such noise, because Mu Qing had informed him, today, another hundred some Human Face Disease patients had been sent to the BuYou Forest.
One short day and over a hundred!
Now, the first group of Human Face Disease victims had worsened severely, not a single spot on their bodies could be seen and had to be covered in thick covers, lest they scare people. However, even through the covers those bumps could still be seen on the body's contours.
Xie Lian walked around to alleviate the symptoms, and when he finally finished a round, Feng Xin pulled him aside and asked him in a low voice, "Your Highness, what happened on the battlefield today? How could you get stabbed by that boor? You also struck him so many times why don't you just kill him?"
Xie Lian didn't want to tell him that there was now a layer of a king's aura on Lang Ying that not even heavenly officials could touch, and could only grimace. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill him, it was that he could no longer kill him. All the spiritual powers in his attacks were dissolved by that king's aura, and nothing worked against Lang Ying. When he realized this, he instantly changed to fistfighting, but that Lang Ying was thick skinned and could withstand quite the beating!
Just then, a distance away there was suddenly a loud wail, "YOUR HIGHNESS SAVE ME!"
Xie Lian was just accepting a bowl of water that Feng Xin passed to him and that wail came just as he was taking his first sip. Xie Lian choked, and didn't have the time to stop before he rushed over. The one who wailed was that young man who gave him that umbrella, and because Xie Lian was extra warm towards him, his screaming for help was also extra frequent. At first the part of this man that grew a face was his knee, Xie Lian casted his power to control the disease from spreading, and so only his left leg had the face and nowhere else. Right then, he was kicking that leg madly, going hysterical. Xie Lian held him down and comforted, "Don't move. I'm here!"
That young man was frightened to the core and grabbed onto him, "YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR HIGHNESS, SAVE ME! I felt an itch on my leg just now like some weed was scratching me, but when I, when I looked down, I saw those things... their mouths were opening and closing, moving, they're moving! THEY'RE EATING GRASS!!! THEY'RE ALIVE!!!"
Hair on Xie Lian's back raised instantly. He looked down and sure enough, on that young man's left leg, there were over ten faces tightly pressed together, many of their mouths had grass, some were even chewing like they were starving!
Many of the patients started screaming, the crowd blew up in uproar, and Feng Xin and the soldiers had to use force to subjugate them to prevent a riot. Xie Lian used a hand to hold that young man down, and turned to another beside him to ask, "Can this leg still work?"
All the nursing staff at BuYou Forest had to be in full gear, and were dressed in bandages and capes, wrapping themselves tight, their faces unrecognizable. One of the workers on the side answered, his voice sounded like a boy, "No, Your Highness! His leg is already forfeit. We don't know what else is festering, the leg is heavy like a block of lead, and we could hardly move it. The infection is also climbing, soon it'll grow beyond the leg and reach the waist."
Xie Lian had done his utmost to use his powers for healing, yet, that young man's leg could be said to be beyond saving, having lost almost all normal functions. Just then, one of the doctors whispered, "Your Highness, in my opinion, the only thing we haven't tried is cutting off the part with the faces, and see if that'd slow down the fester..."
The only way Xie Lian could think of was also this, "Then cut it off!"
That young man immediately cried, "NO!" He was terrified of having his limbs cut off, but at the same time he didn't dare to hug his deformed leg, and cried in pain, "MY LEG IS NOT FORFEIT! Maybe it'll get better... YOUR HIGHNESS! Don't... don't you have any other way to save me?"
Xie Lian didn't want to answer with "I'll do my best", or "I'll try" anymore. His sight was going dark, and he replied, "Sorry, I don't."
That His Highness the Crown Prince would say such a thing, it was the first time, shocking everyone present. There were some who lost it right then and there and screamed, "NO? YOU'RE HIS HIGHNESS, YOU'RE A GOD, HOW DO YOU HAVE NO WAYS? WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING FOR DAYS, HOW CAN YOU HAVE NOTHING?!!"
The one who spoke was immediately held down by someone, yet it wasn't Feng Xin or Mu Qing. Mu Qing was silent and frowning, seeming to have thought Xie Lian's answer was too blunt and couldn't comfort the masses. Feng Xin on the other hand was further away yelling at the particularly rowdy patients. Xie Lian was battered and exhausted recently, his sword never sheathed and hung on his waist. When the blade came close to that leg, one of the 'faces' felt the chill of the blade's aura, and suddenly stopped chewing. It opened its mouth and let out a shrill scream.
That thing actually screamed!!!
Although the sound was soft, but it most definitely came from that leg. That young man screamed, almost fainting from fright, and he clung onto Xie Lian crying, "YOUR HIGHNESS SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" At the same time, where on his waist close to his thigh, three shallow sores appeared. That doctor shouted in alarm, "Your Highness, it's spreading! It's spreading! The infection is spreading out of the leg!"
No matter how much spiritual power was spent, Xie Lian still could not control that young man's condition in the end. Seeing that those horrifying things were about to spread over his entire body, and once that happened there would be no going back. Could they really do naught but sit back and watch?
Xie Lian gritted his teeth, "Let me ask you one thing. Do you or do you not want this leg? I can't guarantee what would happen once it's gone. If you don't want it just nod and we'll operate immediately, if you want it then don't nod, and we'll figure it out!"
That young man was breathing heavily, his eyes blank from terror, his mind lost, and it was like he was nodding but also shaking his head. Those faces on his left leg started screaming one by one as if welcoming their new 'companions'. In between all the "YEEEE"s and "AAAAHHH"s, the delight on their faces was apparent, and their little red tongues were quivering. It was hard to imagine just what the insides of that young man's left leg looked like, just what it harboured.
This couldn't be delayed any further. Xie Lian instructed that doctor, "Cut it off."
That doctor, however, waved his hand rapidly, "Your Highness, forgive me! I'm not very sure either, and I don't dare operate in a place like this. If cutting doesn't do anything, then we shouldn't take this risk!" He cursed himself for speaking up, the nail that stuck out got hammered down, what was he doing fighting for such a terrifying job? He escaped back to the crowd and stopped talking.
That young man was mumbling repeatedly, "Your Highness save me, Your Highness save me!" Yet Xie Lian's mind was completely blank, a voice full of hopelessness also rumbling inside him: "—who can come and save me...!"
It was noisy and rowdy all around, screaming and crying everywhere. Those twisted little human faces squished below were also wailing, and in that moment, Xie Lian thought he saw hell.
It was like he was peering at this hell but at the same time unseeing, and with cold sweat rolling, he widened his eyes, raised his arm –
The sword slashed down, and blood splattered.