Chapter Two: The Plague

The year had drawn to a close, and as spring arrived, the weather began to turn mild.

It was already a certainty that Chen Bushi would be promoted and return to the capital. He had summoned Wang Zhenling today to arrange various matters before his departure.

Before they could reach the heart of the matter, a person rushed in with hurried steps and whispered something into Chen Bushi’s ear.

In an instant, Chen Bushi’s complexion shifted violently; he was so shocked he nearly stumbled to his feet.

After a long while, he managed to compose himself. Forgetting whatever instructions he had meant to give Wang Zhenling, he simply said, "Return to Jiaode directly. It would be best if you do not step outside for the time being..."

As Wang Zhenling stood there in bewilderment, he heard Chen Bushi say with great difficulty, "Another plague has broken out!"

"What?"

Wang Zhenling’s heart jolted.

Over the past twenty years, plagues had occurred with increasing frequency, breaking out in major waves every few years. Some claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, while others swept across the entire realm, leaving a death toll that defied calculation.

Worst of all, during floods or droughts, the wealthy and powerful could at least flee or find ways to mitigate their losses and hoard resources. But when a plague struck, it was different. It did not distinguish between the rich and the poor, the noble and the base; often, everyone perished alike.

Even a scion of the Hezhong Chen clan like Chen Bushi would turn pale at the mere mention of a plague.

Chen Bushi sighed softly and said, "The plague has broken out in Shenluo itself. I imagine it will spread here to Lizhou before long..."

The Great Cheng dynasty comprised thirteen provinces and seventy-six commanderies. Danling County was located in the Mi Commandery of Liangzhou. Although it was not part of the imperial capital region, it was a central commandery located within a thousand miles of Shenluo. If a plague had broken out in Shenluo, it was indeed highly probable that it would soon reach Danling.

However, this was not what shocked Wang Zhenling the most. What stunned him was the occurrence of the plague in Shenluo itself.

He blurted out, "What?" his expression one of utter disbelief.

In his mind, several thoughts churned: *The virtue of the Emperor is fading; the age of chaos is at hand...*

In his previous life, the concept of "Heaven-Human Correlation" was merely a theory, and since mystical arts did not manifest, it had become a joke. But in this Dongchen world, mystical arts were tangible realities; the so-called "Heaven-Human Correlation" was a grave and serious matter, not something to be trifled with.

The Emperor, as a descendant of the Heavenly Emperor, was the steward of the mountains, rivers, and the people. He held the highest status on earth, protected by all spirits.

In this world, the Emperor did not merely possess a sacred title; he held genuine, sacred power. For instance, in the face of natural disasters, whenever the Emperor intervened to avert them, spirits—and even the Heavenly Court itself—would assist in resolving the crisis. This was the very source of the Emperor's sanctity and legitimacy.

Yet, with the repeated outbreaks of plague in recent years, the Emperor’s attempts to avert them had failed, fueling widespread turmoil and rumors that the Emperor had lost his virtue.

Shenluo, home to the Ziwei star and the residence of the Emperor, was a place of sacred majesty. Under normal circumstances, no disaster should ever touch it. The fact that a disaster had struck such a place carried an unimaginable impact. One might even say that such events only occurred when a dynasty was nearing its end.

Anyone who understood the significance of this, upon hearing the news, would react much like Wang Zhenling: "The Great Cheng is finished!"

However, surely Chen Bushi shouldn't be so shocked by this news? Would a top-tier noble family like the Hezhong Chens really fear the fall of a dynasty? There was a saying that no dynasty lasted a thousand years, but in the Dongchen world, there were many families that had survived for a millennium, outlasting several dynasties.

But these were not matters for Wang Zhenling to ponder.

He watched as Chen Bushi issued a few more hurried commands, followed by the arrival of the nervous Mr. Feng. An atmosphere of panic began to permeate the entire residence.

He faintly heard Mr. Feng exclaiming, "...It is dangerous here; we cannot stay long. We must hurry back to Shenluo..."

Chen Bushi also appeared flustered, having lost all composure. Before long, the entire household began packing up, and to everyone's surprise, they departed from Danling County ahead of schedule.

From start to finish, Wang Zhenling watched the chaos unfold in the County Commandant’s office. Whether it was the usually resourceful Mr. Feng or the typically composed and magnanimous Chen Bushi, both were in a state of frantic agitation.

Wang Zhenling could only help pack their belongings and arrange for their departure. In his heart, he couldn't help but sneer: *These noble scions, so many of them are unworthy!*

Usually, his boss, Chen Bushi, seemed like a talented man of a noble house, and although he could be indecisive, he was generally a decent person. He had been particularly kind to Wang Zhenling. But when faced with a real crisis, his panic was so profound that one couldn't help but look down upon him.

The plague had not even reached Danling County, yet they were already in such a state of terror, concerned only with saving their own lives. Perhaps one could dismiss this as a minor matter, but if they behaved this way over trifles, how would they act in the face of life and death?

*He is not a man destined for great things,* Wang Zhenling concluded in his heart.

As a low-level official of the imperial court, Wang Zhenling had his own responsibilities to fulfill. Although Commandant Chen Bushi had kindly advised him to hide away in Jiaode to escape the plague, how could Wang Zhenling be such a man?

Besides, even if he hid in Jiaode, there was no guarantee he would escape the plague. Often, when a plague struck, countless wealthy families, clad in silks and satins and holding gold and jewelry, would die to the last person. Thus, under the shadow of a plague, there was no truly safe place. Moreover, if Wang Zhenling fled now, how could he ever have the face to succeed the position of County Commandant in the future?

Almost as Wang Zhenling left the city, a messenger sent from the Commandery galloped past him. The horse was drenched in sweat—it seemed the poor creature had been ridden to the point of collapse.

*That was a report via the private channels of the Hezhong Chen clan, but could this be a dispatch from the Commandery?* Wang Zhenling speculated.

Unless it was an emergency of the highest order, no one would dare drive a horse so mercilessly. A fine steed like that was worth over a hundred thousand, like a luxury car in his past life; who would willingly drive it to its destruction?

While Danling County was in a state of chaos upon receiving the news, in a deep mountain range on the border between Yuzhou and Lizhou, several Daoists of the Chengtian Sect, each carrying a rattan staff, were making their way through the wilderness.

The mountain path was perilous; in most places, there was no path at all, not even one that hunters or woodcutters would dare to tread. Yet these Chengtian Daoists moved with agility, traversing the rugged slopes as if they were walking on flat ground.

The group ventured deep into a high, secluded valley.

"According to the records, it should be here!" one of the Daoists, holding a three-knotted rattan staff, said with a touch of uncertainty.