Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 532 - 478 Hour

Chapter 532: Chapter 478 Hour
Seeing Li Leqing’s troubled expression, Qiu Feng remained silent.
It seemed that not only Emperor Yu and the court but also the Academic Palace had tacitly approved this decision. At this moment, Yu Country was plagued by a rat epidemic from within and threatened by war from without, all while facing the looming presence of the high and mighty Haotian Taoist Sect. Any slight misstep could lead to the nation’s downfall. In such a situation, the safety of Taiyuan Prefecture seemed trivial. Rather than continuing to invest meaningless manpower and resources here, it would be better to have the existing soldiers continue to encircle the city, forbidding anyone to leave. This would seal the rat plague and the even more dangerous Plague Demon Talismans within the city walls. But this also meant that many people would die.
"Everyone, pack up the things in the laboratory." Li Leqing bowed her head slightly, not daring to meet the expressions of Qiu Feng, Li Ang, and Ouyang Shi. She said softly, "We will retreat in one hour."
Retreating at this time was almost tantamount to "never coming back."
Qiu Feng silently put down the test tube she was holding, and Ouyang Shi despondently sat back down.
They were just a few steps away from developing the medication, yet they had to stop because of external factors.
The atmosphere in the laboratory was oppressively still. Li Ang, who had been silent, suddenly looked up and said, "Give me three days."
"Hm?"
The other three looked at him in puzzled astonishment. Li Ang slowly took off his mask and repeated calmly, "I need three days to develop the new medicine. Let’s try one last time."
"Risheng, don’t be willful." Li Hui’s voice came from the doorway. He and Xi Yangyu walked in, and Li Hui said gravely, "This is the Emperor’s decree. Rumors are already circulating in the city, claiming that a single undiluted drop of your blood can cure the rat plague. The common people outside have been incited. Soon, in their desperation for a cure, they might come to the Governor Mansion to cause trouble."
"One drop of blood can cure all diseases?" Li Ang raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Do they think I am the holy monk Xuanzang?"
"Golden Cicada was the reincarnated second disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. You don’t have such a profound background," Xi Yangyu said. He continued slowly, "People die when they are killed. If you want to die, I won’t stop you, but don’t drag Shi along."
Li Ang’s voice was even. "Just leave me alone in the laboratory."
"It’s not that simple," Li Hui said helplessly. "This rumor was spread by *those people*."
Those people?
Ouyang Shi, who was unaware, blinked in confusion, initially thinking it was the Wang Family.
Li Ang, who knew the inside story, and Qiu Feng, who knew a little, exchanged changed expressions. They instantly understood that Li Hui was referring to Zhao Ming.
"They sent someone to the Chang’an Town Guard Office with a message, threatening Yu Country. If the detained Situ is not released, they will spread more types of Plague Demon Talismans, for things like tuberculosis, leprosy, and typhoid." Li Hui gave a bitter smile. "Never mind whether they’re bluffing, or the fact that Yu Country will never negotiate with Gu Masters. The Situ is indeed not in our hands."
"..."
Li Ang frowned deeply. During the Qixi disturbance in Chang’an, Zhao Ming’s Ghost Shovel and Yuan Sou had breached the garrison prison. Although those two were also expelled by Mountain Master Lian Xuanxiao, Situ Zhi himself had disappeared under the cover of Chaotic Wind. At that time, all insiders in Yu Country thought Zhao Ming had abducted Situ Zhi. Recently, Emperor Yu had even inquired in a communication if Situ Zhi had also orchestrated the Hedong Road rat plague. Now it appeared that Zhao Ming hadn’t taken Situ Zhi; they still thought Situ Zhi was detained at the garrison.
So, who did it? Who had the capability and audacity to deceive Zhao Ming?
Seeing Li Ang’s solemn expression, Li Hui pressed his advantage. "That is to say, there is a third party involved. We can’t take this risk anymore."
What risk? Naturally, it was the risk of Li Ang’s death. He was now the authority on plagues in Yu Country and the most likely candidate to solve the rat plague. Currently, Yu Country faced the threat of war. An unspoken agreement existed among nations to avoid using malicious magic like Gu Techniques, which could cause endless calamities. However, if the war intensified to a certain degree, all parties might still break this understanding. Li Ang could not afford to be harmed in any way.
"Even if not for your own sake, you should consider the people who care about you," Xi Yangyu said.
"..."
Li Ang was silent for a long time. He thought of the great fire in Shuo Province where bodies were burned, the patients who died in their sickbeds, and the medical staff from all corners of the land.
"Give me twelve hours. Do not disturb me. I can develop a new medicine." He suddenly looked up, his voice deep. "No one else will die."
Li Hui frowned deeply. "...Are you sure?"
"I am sure." Li Ang nodded earnestly.
"Alright, then we will wait another twelve hours." Li Hui turned and left, summoning his Prince Manor’s Assistant Officer to issue the order to delay the evacuation.
"Will you be alright alone?" Qiu Feng asked in a low voice. "The medicine that can treat the rat plague, like penicillin, is an antibiotic extracted from a bacterial culture fluid, right? It requires cultivating bacteria, fermenting them, then extracting and refining the result, and so on. Can you really complete it in one day?"
Qiu Feng, who had developed penicillin with Li Ang in the laboratory, knew better than anyone the complexity of the task. They hadn’t even finished cultivating the bacterial strains yet; how could they possibly be ready in one day?
Unless they used some unconventional methods. Such as... Mutated Objects.
Li Ang saw the worry in Qiu Feng’s eyes. He smiled and patted her shoulder, saying, "Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing."
Qiu Feng stood still, quietly staring into his eyes. Gradually, Li Ang’s smile faded, and he returned her gaze with a calm and determined look.
DANG DANG DANG—
The Haotian Bell tolled.
Qiu Feng took a deep breath, put on a smile, and after saying, "Take care of yourself," she pulled Li Leqing and Ouyang Shi along and left the laboratory.
In the vast room, Li Ang was once again alone.
He walked to the window, locked the latch, drew the curtains, and turned on the talisman lamp. The bright light shone on Li Ang’s face. For a moment, he seemed to be back in the medical classroom of the Otherworld. He heard the professor’s Mandarin, tinged with a dialect, and the echoes of his classmates repeating the words.
A doctor treats illnesses and saves lives. Health is their domain, lives their trust. Then, let’s begin.
He opened his eyes and raised his hand.
Far away, the Mo Si Clone in the East Mountain Cave in Chang’an City made the same motion.
Li Ang pressed down with his hand. The Mo Si Clone also extended numerous tentacles, stabbing into the Fine Gold that had been piled in the corner of the cave for a whole year, untouched.
Absorb, evolve, transform.
The long-suppressed Mo Si frantically devoured the metal. Its clones, lying dormant all over the world, shuddered in unison, emitting a silent scream beyond the range of human hearing.
Li Ang’s face turned extremely pale as the balance between the Spiritual Energy in his body and the Mo Si was broken in an instant.
SHLIK—
Numerous filaments pierced through his spine and internal organs, erupting from his skin and suspending him in mid-air.