The Dao Fruit had gained an imperceptible boost in its growth, leaving Xu Qian in a good mood for several days. He even found the prisoners in Block E much more agreeable than before. When he brought them their meals, the corners of his mouth would occasionally lift into the faintest smile, making a few old prisoners mutter to themselves. They wondered if the young guard was plotting something nasty.
However, the Heavenly Prison seemed to have a way of ensuring no one enjoyed peace for too long.
At some point, a rat plague broke out in the lower levels of the Heavenly Prison, especially in the older, damper areas like Zone D and Block E.
At first, people only occasionally spotted a rat darting past in the corner of a cell, or heard the faint scurrying and gnawing at night. No one paid much attention. Rats were perfectly normal in a place like the Heavenly Prison.
But before long, things began to take a turn for the worse.
The rats seemed unusually bold, and they were a size larger than ordinary house rats. Their eyes glowed red in the dark, and they had a ferocious air about them. They were no longer content with chewing on garbage and leftover food; they began attacking the prisoners' pitiful personal belongings in packs—their straw bedding, chipped bowls, and even the dry rations and keepsakes some prisoners had hidden away, sent by their families.
Worse still, they began attacking people.
First, a few frail prisoners who were too weak to fight back had their toes or ears bitten while they slept. The wounds weren't large, but in conditions like these, they were highly prone to festering and infection. Then even some of the stronger prisoners fell victim. The rats had sharp teeth and a vicious bite, leaving a bloody gash with every nip.
Block E was soon filled with complaints. The prisoners were listless by day and on edge at night, and their cells rang with curses and the racket of people trying to drive the rats away. The guards' work suffered too: they had to clear away gnawed belongings, treat prisoners' wounds (though that just meant roughly sprinkling on some cheap medicinal powder), and deal with the increased fighting sparked by the prisoners' fear and frustration.
Zhou Kang was at his wits' end, his face growing darker by the day. He had organized several large-scale rat hunts, with guards wielding clubs and beating at every corner. They had indeed killed plenty, but rats bred too quickly and seemed to grow ever more cunning. They would clear one area today, only for even more rats to appear tomorrow from who knew what nook or cranny.
"Damn it! Have these beasts grown spirits or something?!" Zhou Kang slammed the table in the Guard Room, making the teapot jump. The higher-ups had already made inquiries once. They hadn't directly reprimanded him, but their displeasure was obvious. If he couldn't get this under control, his position as prison chief might be in jeopardy.
The guards were at a loss too, all of them downcast. Zhang Meng, on the other hand, was full of energy. He carried a thick club, jabbing it into every hole and smashing at every shadow. He worked up a sweat and killed more rats than anyone, but it was still a drop in the bucket.
Xu Qian watched the chaos with a cool eye, though he felt a little uneasy inside. He wasn't afraid of rats; with his current physique, they'd struggle to get close. But he was worried about the risk of disease they brought. The Heavenly Prison was already a filthy place. If a plague broke out, even the gods couldn't save them. He didn't want his hard-won plan for "steady growth" ruined by a bunch of rats.
Looks like I'll have to step in. 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 the possible epidemic. Besides, this might be a... reasonable chance to show that he had some value?
He recalled the assorted books he'd read in his previous life, along with a few incomplete scrolls on natural history, medicinal herbs, and even some obscure prescriptions that he'd happened to skim while "learning by stealth" in the library these past few days. Though he'd only acquired a "tiny amount" of knowledge, perhaps, pieced together, it was enough to come up with something to deal with the rats?
For instance, could the smell of burning a common wild herb drive rats away? Could a certain mineral powder mixed with food kill them effectively? And might there be patterns to the rats' routes and the locations of their nests?
The knowledge was rudimentary, and might not even be entirely accurate, but perhaps it was enough to deal with the situation at hand. Most importantly, he could explain where it came from by claiming it was a "folk remedy from the countryside" or something he'd "read in a miscellaneous book." No one would suspect a thing.
Once he'd made up his mind, Xu Qian waited until Zhou Kang had gathered everyone to discuss countermeasures. As they sat there sighing, he cautiously raised a hand, wearing an uncertain, timid expression.
"Captain Zhou... I... I might have an idea."
The Guard Room fell silent in an instant, and every eye turned to Xu Qian.
Zhou Kang was already in a foul mood. He glared at him and snapped, "What could you possibly do? Are you going to reason with the rats?"
A few old guards snickered under their breath.
But Zhang Meng's eyes lit up, and he clapped Xu Qian on the shoulder. "Xu Qian, you have an idea? Let's hear it!"
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