A Rat Infestation is Also an Opportunity

The Dao Fruit had gained an imperceptible hint of acceleration, lifting Xu Qian's spirits for several days, to the point that even the prisoners in Block E seemed a bit more tolerable. Occasionally, a faint, elusive smile would tug at the corners of his mouth while delivering meals, making a few old inmates mutter uneasily among themselves, suspecting the young jailer might be brewing some mischief.

Yet, the Celestial Prison seemed to begrudge anyone a stretch of peace for too long.

Unbeknownst from which day it began, the lower levels of the prison—especially the older, damper areas like Zone D and Block E—fell prey to a rat infestation.

At first, it was just the occasional shadow of a rat darting along the walls or the faint sound of gnawing in the night, and no one paid it much mind. Rats were all too normal in a place like this.

But soon, things took a troubling turn.

These rats seemed unusually bold, larger than common house rats by a full size, their eyes glowing red in the dark, exuding a fierce, savage air. They were no longer content with gnawing on trash and scraps; they began swarming to attack the prisoners' meager personal belongings—straw bedding, broken bowls, even the dried rations or keepsakes sent by family that some inmates had hidden away.

Worse still, they started attacking people.

First, a few weak, defenseless prisoners had their toes or ears bitten while asleep. Though the wounds were small, in such unsanitary conditions, they were prone to festering and infection. Then, even the stronger inmates fell victim; these rats had sharp teeth and vicious bites, leaving bloody gashes with every strike.

Block E was soon filled with complaints. The prisoners were listless by day and terrified by night, the cells echoing with curses and the commotion of chasing off rats. The jailers' work suffered too—cleaning up shredded debris, treating wounds (though it was just a crude sprinkling of cheap medicinal powder), and managing the escalating conflicts among prisoners driven by fear and irritation.

Zhou Kang was at his wit's end, his face growing darker by the day. He organized several large-scale rat-catching operations, with jailers wielding clubs and beating about, killing quite a few. But rats bred too quickly and seemed to grow craftier; clearing one area today only meant more would emerge from some hidden corner tomorrow.

"Damn it! Have these beasts turned into spirits?!" Zhou Kang slammed the table in the Guard Room, making the teapot jump. The higher-ups had already inquired once, and though not a direct reprimand, their displeasure was clear. If he couldn't get this under control, his position as warden might be in jeopardy.

The other jailers were at a loss, hanging their heads in defeat. Zhang Meng, however, was full of vigor, wielding a thick club to poke into every hole and smash at every shadow, working up a sweat and killing the most rats, but it was still a drop in the bucket.

Xu Qian watched the chaos from the sidelines, a chill running through him. He wasn't afraid of rats—with his current physical condition, they couldn't even get close. But he worried about the risk of disease they brought. The Celestial Prison's environment was already harsh; if a plague broke out, even immortals would struggle to save it. He didn't want his carefully laid plans for "steady development" to be ruined by a bunch of rats.

[It seems I have no choice but to act.] Xu Qian mused. He didn't want to reveal his strength, but he wanted even less to be caught up in the rat plague and a possible epidemic. Besides, this might be... an opportunity to show some value in a reasonable way?

He recalled miscellaneous books from his past life and the fragments of texts on natural history, herbs, and even obscure folk remedies he'd skimmed while "stealing knowledge" in the library. Though he'd only gained "trace amounts" of knowledge, pieced together, they seemed... enough to cobble together a way to deal with the rats?

For instance, the smoke from burning a certain common weed could repel rats? Mixing some mineral powder into food could poison them effectively? Even the rats' movement patterns and nest distributions seemed to follow some logic?

This knowledge was crude and not necessarily accurate, but it might suffice for the current situation. Crucially, its source could be attributed to "rustic folk remedies" or "something read in a random book," arousing no suspicion.

Having made up his mind, Xu Qian cautiously raised his hand during one of Zhou Kang's meetings to discuss countermeasures, amid sighs and groans, wearing an uncertain and timid expression.

"Captain Zhou... I... I might have a way."

The Guard Room fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on Xu Qian.

Zhou Kang, already irritated, shot him a glare. "What way could you have? Can you reason with the rats?"

A few old jailers let out low snickers.

But Zhang Meng's eyes lit up, and he gave Xu Qian a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Xu Qian, you have a way? Spill it!"