Terrifying Plague

Watching the woman struggling on the stone bed, spewing out foul language, Xu Yuan suddenly felt that the world could be quite small at times.

There are hundreds of millions of people in the world, yet he always seems to encounter these familiar faces.

However, Xu Yuan quickly dismissed the thought.

His ability to meet these actresses who were once the main characters in "Cangyuan" is likely a case of survivorship bias, given the limited circle he has access to and the small number of people he interacts with.

If it were a female protagonist from a humble background, without the interference of the main character Qin Mo, she might have been exceptionally talented, but she would most likely have wasted her life in the countryside or city.

Xu Yuan let out a soft breath and said:

"Jing Xuelan?"

"You know her?"

Accompanied by wisps of fragrance, Lou Ji approached Xu Yuan's side:

"Hmm, Changtian, you seem to know a lot about these women?"

Xu Yuan shook his head noncommittally and explained softly:

"It's not just women. Because of Qin Mo from Jingjiang Prefecture, after he came to the Imperial Capital, I saw a lot of information about the Burial Village in my father's study."

Lou Ji blinked upon hearing this, smiled, and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, tilting her beautiful eyes in slight surprise.

"You're interested in the Burial Village?"

Xu Yuan chuckled lightly:

"After all, there are so many old monsters in that village. If we kill their brat, we should at least find out something about them."

"Old monster?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Lou Ji's eyes:

"Changtian, you have a pretty high opinion of them. They're just a bunch of stray dogs. Their kennel was smashed, so what are they going to do, bite people?"

As he spoke,

Lou Ji seemed to find Jing Xuelan's foul language a bit noisy, and slightly raised her hand towards her.

Splash--

As Lou Ji moved, it seemed to trigger some kind of mechanism or array. An iron chain suddenly emerged from under the stone bed and completely blocked Jing Xuelan's open mouth.

The curses that had originally echoed through the space instantly turned into the clanging of iron chains and the muffled "whooshing" sounds.

Seeing this, Lou Ji turned to look at Xu Yuan with satisfaction and asked in a low voice:

"But sister, I seem to remember that there was no information about Jing Xuelan and the Burial Village in the Prime Minister's Mansion's intelligence reports, was there?"

Xu Yuan didn't seem to care at all, and as he walked towards the stone bed, he said softly:

"The village chief of Burial Village is surnamed Jing, and he happens to have a daughter who is being raised by a friend away from home."

Lou Ji followed slowly beside him:

"Just based on that?"

"Of course not."

Xu Yuan shook his head, then smiled at her, his eyes crinkling. "But if you want to know the reason, then you'll have to beg me~"

Lou Ji blinked twice with her crystal-clear eyes, then let out a soft, feigned groan:

"Hmph, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it."

Xu Yuan chuckled softly and explained casually with a smile:

"A surname alone is certainly not enough, but the intelligence also mentioned that the Burial Village, Jing Tingxi, has a lover named Jiang Lingchen, who happens to be an elder at the Northern Border Spirit Water Palace, and..."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan walked up to the stone bed, gently raised his hand to brush aside the other person's disheveled long hair, revealing their face beneath:

"Given that this person's appearance and Cultivation Method are similar to Jing Tingxi's, it shouldn't be difficult to deduce this."

The destruction of the Burial Village was the only time in recent years that the father personally Li Capital to take action.

Many things were planned before they were done. The networks of powerful demons and thieves hidden in the Burial Village within the Great Yan territory were basically all investigated and wiped out.

"Waaaaaah!!!!"

suddenly,

As Xu Yuan's fingertips gently stroked Jing Xuelan's hair, the woman seemed to go mad and tried to leap up and bite him, but unfortunately, these chains all seemed to be specially made, and Jing Xuelan couldn't break free at all.

Although Jing Xuelan's struggles did not affect the chains in the slightest, they caused streaks of blood to seep from her wrists and ankles, which were bound by the chains, and even her mouth, which had been blocked, was now bleeding.

She was biting the iron chain, biting relentlessly despite the pain, her beautiful, bloodshot eyes filled with madness.

Xu Yuan frowned and took a slight step back.

He remembered that in "Cangyuan", Jing Xuelan was a true lady of a prominent family, gentle and refined.

Such a delicate and refined person has now turned into a mad dog.

Xu Yuan glanced subconsciously at Lou Ji to the side, frowned, and asked softly:

"Is this... the blood-red slime causing this?"

"Um."

Lou Ji had already slowly approached, lowered her eyes to look at the woman's jade-like body bound by ropes on the stone bed, and said in a clear voice:

"Sir, we have arrived at the place. Please come out for a chat."

"."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept by, and Luo Xiran's slender figure instantly materialized beside Xu Yuan.

Presumably because of the need to conduct drug trials or injections, Jing Xuelan's curvaceous body was only covered by a tattered cloth garment and a breast wrap and underpants.

The dim light from the Inscription Lamp cast a shadow over Jing Xuelan's body, highlighting her beautiful face and shapely upper body.

Jing Xuelan's slender waist and snow-white legs twisted and struggled under the gaze of the three.

"."

Silence fell upon them.

Amidst the silence of the two women beside him, Xu Yuan suddenly began to quietly circulate the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique to suppress the evil fire.

The game has come to life; every female protagonist in Cangyuan is an absolute beauty.

Jing Xuelan's constantly twisting and turning movements, even while wearing battle-damaged gear, were really making it hard for him to handle.

Noticing something amiss, Lou Ji glanced at him with a smile.

Xu Yuan remained unfazed upon seeing this, continuing to read while circulating his internal Cultivation Method.

Silence for several breaths,

Xu Yuan suddenly asked in a serious tone:

"Jing Xuelan's cultivation level should be at the Grandmaster, right?"

"Right."

As Luo Xiran replied softly, she raised one hand and placed it on Jing Xuelan's exposed lower abdomen.

The Black Death Fungal Mat, transformed into silken fabric, seeped into Jing Xuelan's body along her wound.

With this action, the foreign object entered her body, Xu Yuan saw that Jing Xuelan, who was lying flat on the stone bed, seemed to have been stimulated. Her exposed fair skin flushed red, her jade feet were tightly clenched, and her slender waist was curved like a crescent moon.

Subconsciously increasing the speed of his Cultivation Method, Xu Yuan continued to ask in a low voice:

"Even Grandmaster can't escape this drug?"

"Aren't there already ready-made examples?"

Lou Ji's eyes swept over him from head to toe, and she gave a light, flirtatious smile:

"Also, Changtian, don't get any funny ideas and have sex with her. With your cultivation level, you'll definitely contract this disease."

"Vulgar and dissolute."

Before Lou Ji could finish speaking, Luo Xiran's cold gaze swept over her, her voice clear and bright. "The situation here is so serious, yet Chief Lou still has the mind to utter such disgraceful words?"

"Oh?"

Lou Ji raised an eyebrow and curled her lips into a smile.

Xu Yuan sighed inwardly upon seeing his older sister's expression.

It's starting again.

He should have thought of that sooner.

Luo Xiran and Lou Ji have almost completely opposite personalities.

A conservative old man from ten thousand years ago, and a maverick entertainer.

It would be strange if they didn't fight.

As Xu Yuan was thinking this, Lou Ji suddenly suppressed the frivolous smile on her face:

"Your Excellency, it seems you have made a discovery?"

Although she enjoys watching others have fun, she is very clear about what is important and urgent.

Rather than arguing with the other party, Jing Xuelan was under the influence of that strange drug, was definitely more important right now.

Luo Xiran stopped condemning Lou Ji's promiscuity and said softly:

"This bloody viscous fluid is somewhat different from what I originally thought. It does not directly affect the cultivator's Will Soul. The previous barrier between the Will Soul and the physical body was merely a secondary symptom."

As he spoke,

Luo Xiran calmly extended a finger and gently lifted the cloth garment that was half-hanging on Jing Xuelan's shoulder, revealing her fair and smooth shoulder underneath.

What caught Xu Yuan's eye was a burning red spot.

It is round, not large, with a diameter of only about half an inch.

Xu Yuan's narrow eyes narrowed slightly:

"Jing Xuelan, is this the medicine that was forcibly planted?"

"If it was truly planted intentionally, then I don't need to worry about it so much."

Lou Ji shook her head, but her eyes were filled with solemnity. "She only became so insane after accidentally getting her hands on that person's blood while slaying the plague."

"."

Silence fell after he finished speaking, and Xu Yuan subconsciously licked the corner of his lips.

The "Ten Thousand People Cave" instance in "Cangyuan" has a similar description, but most of those infected by this strange drug are low-level cultivators.

After all, the level of the Ten Thousand People Cave dungeon isn't very high; it's just a level 40 or so novelty dungeon.

And now, it can even directly corrupt Grandmaster experts.

This matter,

It seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

Lou Ji continued speaking, gazing at the reclining jade-like body before her, and whispered:

"From the moment she was stained with blood to the moment she was completely contaminated, only half a month had passed."

"And Changtian,"

"This woman could actually use her internal energy to resist the spread of this epidemic, but she is unwilling to do so."

Xu Yuan was taken aback.

The lighting was dim, and the warehouse was deserted.

Lou Ji narrowed her eyes and slowly uttered four words:

"Enjoying it."

Xu Yuan fell silent.

After a long pause, Xu Yuan asked softly:

How did you learn of this?

Lou Ji pointed to Jing Xuelan, who had stopped struggling on the stone bed:

"She said it herself."

Is it believable?

"Based on the messages relayed by Zong Qingsheng and Yuan Hao, as well as the symptoms of several other people suffering from the plague, Jing Xuelan's words should be credible."

"."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan's expression became slightly strange. "But why would she tell you about this?"

Lou Ji hesitated for a moment, somewhat uncertain, then said, "Well, it's probably because she found it interesting."

"." Xu Yuan.

Is it interesting?

Upon hearing this deduction, Luo Xiran remained calm and composed.

After a moment's thought, she used the fungal carpet to discern the differences between Jing Xuelan's and ordinary people's constitutions, while murmuring softly:

"If, as Chief Lou said, these people suffering from the plague are all still conscious, but their desires and emotions have overwhelmed their reason?"

Lou Ji nodded slightly.

"You could say that."

Luo Xiran removed her hand from Jing Xuelan's lower abdomen and glanced at Lou Ji:

"I think I know."

"From my investigation, this strange medicine is not too complicated. It should only cause physical illness in the recipient, leading to a change in consciousness and resulting in Will Soul disorder."

"."

Xu Yuan stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then roughly understood what his sworn sister meant.

Altering bodily mechanisms to cause changes in consciousness and cognition.

Beforehand, he was as lustful as a demon; afterward, he was as holy as a Buddha.

A person's physical condition can completely influence their cognitive judgment.

He subconsciously glanced at Lou Ji beside him, only to notice something strange in her older sister's eyes.

Lou Ji never expected that the result she had painstakingly determined through various means could be discovered by this old woman from ten thousand years ago so easily.

With her eyes slightly narrowed, Lou Ji could clearly sense, beneath her Dao Domain, the fine, brownish-red gauze belonging to Luo Xiran moving rhythmically within Jing Xuelan's body.

Upon realizing this, Lou Ji instantly understood.

This is something she can't do.

This is because this strange medicine, originating from the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines, is highly contagious.

Although she could forcibly inject her vast Source Qi into the other person's body for investigation, this Source Qi would be contaminated afterward.

If she were to retract it into her body, she herself would also be affected.

Carefully sensing Luo Xiran's methods, Lou Ji suddenly chuckled and asked:

"Your methods are truly extraordinary, but would you be willing to make a deal with me?"

"Chief Lou wishes to learn my method of controlling objects?"

Luo Xiran saw through the wanton woman's thoughts at a glance, but did not refuse. She simply said, "It's very simple to learn this method. First, Chief Lou must voluntarily become Strange Ghost. Second, like me, become a spirit monster."

Strange Ghost

Lou Ji gazed intently at the crimson silk, sensing the red gauze fabrics, her tone serious:

"This is... the Black Death Fungal Mat?"

Luo Xiran made no attempt to deny the other party's guess:

"Yes."

"."

Lou Ji's bright eyes flickered for a moment, then she sighed softly.

The Black Death Fungal Mat, something that grows alongside the Strange Ghost, would naturally be unaffected by its poison.

What a pity.

She was well aware of how helpful this fungal mat was to pharmacology.

Not only can it precisely control pharmacological variables, but it can also ignore almost all drug effects; such a tool is incomparable to any other object.

Thinking about it, a hint of disappointment still unconsciously flashed in Lou Ji's charming eyes.

At this time,

Xu Yuan suddenly interjected:

"Sister, ordinary people can also refine this fungal carpet, but it requires a long-term supply of Source Qi as nutrients for it to devour."

Upon hearing this, Lou Ji glanced at Luo Xiran.

Luo Xiran did not hide anything at all:

"What this brat said is true, but such a rudimentary refining technique should not meet Chief Lou's needs."

As he spoke,

She looked at the scantily clad, alluring woman before her, and spoke earnestly:

"We both know how demanding the precision is required in the research and development of medicines."

Xu Yuan pondered the process of refining the Black Death Fungal Mat, and the feeling of the Fungus Creep entering his body and becoming as responsive as his own limbs after he transformed into Strange Ghost. He said softly:

"The method of sacrificial refining should be able to be improved."

"Changtian."

Lou Ji suddenly raised a jade-like finger and poked the cheek of the man beside her. Her slender finger was adorned with rings of parrots and phoenixes, and she smiled radiantly.

"I appreciate your kindness, but let's leave it at that for now. You go and take care of those two girls upstairs; leave the rest to me and your adopted sister."

"."

Xu Yuan glanced at Lou Ji, then at Luo Xiran, and then at Jing Xuelan, who was barely clothed.

A moment of silence,

Knowing that staying wouldn't be of much help, Xu Yuan turned and walked towards the door.

However, he did make a mental note of the fungal carpet.

Having undergone a complete transformation into Strange Ghost, perhaps he can give his older sister a surprise someday.