Chapter 168 Into The Phoenix Chamber Part 48

The noise of participants rushing away from where the water holes sent other participants running for the hills. Those who escaped from Scattered Forest knew what the dead could do, quickly picked up the necessities needed for the long road to Stone Valley. Many people are in no hurry to leave, either because they were participants who were unable to locate the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber, or they had just arrived. 

"Hurry up and pack your things, let's leave now," Abrafo said, putting the sword on his back and starting to roll up the blanket. 

"U-ri come on," Michio said as he started to pack his things. 

"Tell me what happened?" U-ri asked. 

Meng said, "I'm not sure, but I saw many participants turned into dead men, and I believe they were bitten." 

U-ri looked at Bong who was standing beside Abrafo. "Are you sure those who turned were bitten?" He asked Meng. 

Meng said, "I don't know, but the one I killed was bitten. It seemed to be an old wound." 

Abrafo stood up and stared at Bong, who was only an arm's length away from him. Bong quickly distanced himself from Abrafo. 

"Stay away from me," Bong shouted. "Don't come close." 

Meng looked at Bong who suddenly moved away from Abrafo. Meng asked in horror, "That participant, was he also bitten?" 

Meng's voice was so loud that all the participants who wanted to escape heard it. The participants stopped suddenly because they found that they were now surrounded by people who had been poisoned by the poison of Scattered Forest. The participants began to draw swords to defend themselves. 

"That guy got bitten too," one participant said, pointing a sword at Bong. 

"Everyone, listen, those who are bitten will turn, so it is better to kill them now." 

"Yes, that person will soon turn." 

"Let's kill him." 

Michio said, "You can't kill him." 

"Why not?" 

Lixin walked through the surrounding participants and stared at Bong. He asked, "Were you bitten?" 

"Yes," Bong said. 

"Lord Lixin, although he is your friend, if he is bitten, we cannot let him go back with us," said one participant. 

Shik and Gang were also among the participants. Shik approached Gang and whispered, "Your Highness, you don't have to worry about Prince Bong anymore." 

Gang looked at Bong with a smile and murmured, "Although I didn't achieve what I originally planned, this trip was not in vain. One of my two obstacles has been eliminated with no effort from me." 

Lixin looked at Bong and then at the people muttering around him. He knew that the people who might be bitten might not just be the twenty people who had turned and caught by the other participants, but there might be more people who have not yet shown symptoms. 

Lixin sighed and said, "No body leaves." 

Gang stepped forward and said, "I agreed with Lord Lixin, no one can leave here before everyone has checked and cleared of bite marks." 

One of the bitten participants pushed the others away and asked, "What are you going to do with those who were bitten? Kill us?" 

Lixin sighed with a heavy heart and said, "You can commit suicide, we can help you, or you can walk back to Scattered Forest yourself. We can't let this matter spread beyond Scattered Forest." 

At this time, Hajime and Yul had approached the group of people. 

Yul said, "Inhalation of poisonous mist is what causes people to get sick and eventually die and turn after death, so if we address the problem and treat it, there's a good chance that the person who was bitten won't turn." 

"We had all inhaled it, does this mean we going to turn as well?" asked one of the participants. 

U-ri said, "No because we didn't inhale a lethal dose, so our bodies would naturally eliminate it." 

Gang said, "Inhaling poisonous mist is not as deadly as the poison traveling in the blood vessels. These people cannot be saved anyway. We need to make sure they are put down." 

U-ri said, "That's not always the case." 

The standing participants immediately looked at U-ri. Gang asked, "Sir U-ri, do you have a better solution?" 

U-ri said, "I can't say anything about others, except in the case of Prince Bong." 

"Prince Bong." The people gasped in disbelieve that the person they agreed to kill just now was the third prince of Misnex. 

U-ri said, "Prince Bong's wound is fresh and he received treatment before the three hours mark after being bitten, so there is a high chance that Prince Bong will not turn." 

"How are you so sure that Prince Bong will not turn?" Asked a young man. 

U-ri said, "I don't know, I only have my hypothesis. Let me explain my theory of treatment and then you decide." 

Lixin said, "Please explain." 

U-ri said, "Well, first, Prince Bong was given a drug to slow down the entry of poison into his body. Second, I cut off all the flesh around the bite wounds on his right forearm and shoulder. This is to ensure that the affected area is removed. Then I applied my special wound healing medicine. We'll just have to wait and see what happens after that, but so far, His Highness is doing well. His Highness has no fever, sweating, fatigue or hallucinations." 

"But that doesn't mean your theory is correct," one participant said, approaching Bong. 

Abrafo quickly stepped forward and drew his sword, which was only an inch away from the participant's neck. "Touch him and you will be dead," Abrafo said, gritted his teeth and looked at the young man coldly. 

Bong looked at Abrafo's angry expression. He was not angry at the young man who wanted to end his life but smiled at Abrafo, because this was the first time in his life that someone blocked the sword for him and supported him. 

Shi was afraid that the situation would escalate and said, "My Lord, can I make a suggestion?" 

Lixin didn't look at Shi, his eyes were still locked on Bong who was only a few feet away from him, and secretly smiled at Abrafo. "Speak," he said. 

Shi said, "Let's not be biased and give others the opportunity to accuse us that we are cold-hearted people. Let's have Sir U-ri examine each of us. Those who are bitten can be treated with Sir U-ri's treatment method. What does everyone think?" 

Gang said, "Let's take your suggestion." 

Shi said, "I have some medical training, so I will volunteer to be the first to be examined by Sir U-ri, so that I can help treat others who are affected." 

Participants began to line up and were examined one by one by U-ri, Shi and ten other medically trained people. Those affected and receiving treatment sat at a distance from those who were not affected. 

U-ri looked at the medicines he had prepared for the trip, he was about to run out, but he looked over and saw that people with wounds removed were still waiting for his medicines. He sighed, knowing that sooner or later he would have to break the bad news to those still waiting. 

"What's wrong?" Shi asked. 

U-ri sighed and said, "I'm almost out of medicine." 

Shi asked, "How much medicine do you have left?" 

U-ri said, "If I'm careful, I only have enough medicine left for ten more people. I'll tell them." He stood up. 

Shi quickly stood up and grabbed U-ri's hand. "You can't do that." 

U-ri said, "They deserve to know." 

Shi said quietly, "I know they deserve to know, but if you spread this news, those people will start killing the infected. There will be a bloody battle here." 

U-ri looked at the people in line in front of him, then looked down at the water bag hanging on his waist. "I'll be right back," he said. 

"Sir U-ri..." Shi said, but he saw that U-ri was already walking towards his group of people. Afraid that U-ri would break the bad news to the waiting affected participants, he rushed to Lixin to formulate a contingency plan. 

U-ri walked over to Hajime, who was sitting next to Michio. "Michio...go prepare lunch for us." 

"Alright," Michio said and left quickly. 

Hajime looked at U-ri and asked, "Is there any secret that you don't want Michio to know?" 

U-ri said, "The water from that pond is almost running out, and my wound medicine will soon be used up." 

Hajime asked, "Why are you telling me this?" 

U-ri said, "The secret medicine I gave to Prince Bong was the leaf I picked from the entrance of the Phoenix Chamber." 

Hajime asked, "How do you know this is the antidote?" 

U-ri said, "I don't know if this will work. At that time, I just thought that among all the vegetation inside Scattered Forest were dead vegetation, but that tree was the only one that was still alive and green. If she could co-exist with the poison mist of Scattered Forest, then she can also detoxify." He looked at Prince Bong, who sat alone away from the others. "Prince Bong is living proof that my theory is correct." U-ri paused for a moment then continued. "I predict that since we are out of Scattered Forest, the poison they inhale may have a slower effect than when they were in Scattered Forest. If I have more leaves and more water from the true Phoenix Chamber Pond, these people can be saved." 

Hajime asked, "Why are you telling me this?" 

U-ri sighed and stood up. He looked at Hajime, smiled and said, "Now is a good opportunity for you to understand why Yul will not hurt others for his own happiness." He sighed. "I thought you should know." He walked towards Michio. 

Hajime took out the black wooden hawk figure. He kissed it and said, "Find me a path that is not too foggy." 

The wooden carving in Hajime's hand rose into the sky, transformed into a black hawk and flew towards Scattered Forest.