Great Sneeze

Messages flowed through Zhou Zhi's mind.

The full view of [Great Sneeze Space] appeared before him.

The whole space wasn't very large. Three or four meters above the ground, twisted human figures hung everywhere.

They wore all kinds of clothes. They were clearly residents of Blue Stone Town.

There were at least several hundred of them.

It looked utterly horrifying and nauseating.

Beneath the suspended residents sat a strange, circular machine.

It looked like a necrotic [lung].

Yellowish mucus kept oozing from its exterior.

"Hang them up."

Qiu Ti had changed into a white lab coat and was recording something. He casually pointed ahead.

Wu Ji didn't hesitate or say a word. He hung Yu Jinhai, Zhou Zhi, and the others in the air.

"That's strange."

Qiu Ti's brows knitted together, making his face look like a sheet of deeply creased paper. "According to the rumors, if you deliberately contract a Pestilence and reach complete pathogenization, you can uncover the power hidden in the [Pestilence]'s Deep Layer."

"That woman said so."

"Why... why can't I find it?"

Qiu Ti frowned, but soon relaxed.

Even setting aside the power of the Deep Layer,

the pathogenization power he'd gained by deliberately introducing the Influenza Plague and turning Blue Stone Town into a Pestilence Zone was already enough.

If he hadn't done this, how long would it have taken to fully understand the knowledge of the [Influenza]?

Suspended in the air, Zhou Zhi narrowed his eyes.

Qiu Ti clearly didn't care whether he was really unconscious.

In a place like this, pathogenization was all too easy.

Zhou Zhi had already seen that quite a few of the Mucus Men hanging in midair had clearly still been human before they were hung up.

The mucus trickling down gathered inside the lung-shaped mechanical device.

"It really does look like alchemy."

That was what Zhou Zhi thought.

Messages surged forth.

[Mucus Collection Device].

[Qiu Ti's ultimate purpose in creating the Qingshi Pestilence Zone].

[Collect life mucus and extract its essence].

[The device is currently running].

[Perhaps it really can refine something].

For now, though, Zhou Zhi couldn't do anything.

Qiu Ti was incredibly strong.

Yu Jinhai hadn't even lasted a single exchange with him.

That said it all.

Zhou Zhi's gaze fell on Xia Yu, who had lost consciousness nearby.

He lowered his head slightly and continued observing.

"Where is that woman?"

Qiu Ti looked down at Wu Ji from on high.

Wu Ji's expression was grave. "She's locked in the inner room of the [Great Sneeze Operating Room]."

Qiu Ti looked pleased, his little mustache bobbing slightly. "Good."

"That little brat is from the [Chen Family]. She has plenty of valuable things on her. Without her, my [Plague Advent] plan might not have been put into motion so soon."

Wu Ji looked toward the depths, then hunched his back slightly. "Sir..."

His expression turned cautious. "There isn't much time left."

"Chen Yao is that person's younger sister. Even if the Pingchang Epidemic War Corps hasn't caught on, it's been a week. That person will surely realize something's wrong."

"If we make enemies of them... there'll be nowhere for us to stand in Xuanyuan..."

Qiu Ti's expression turned cold. He slapped Wu Ji to the ground.

A vivid red handprint appeared on Wu Ji's handsome face.

"What a useless piece of trash."

Qiu Ti looked up. "Introducing a Pestilence into a human nation is already a capital crime punishable by the Medical Department."

"And you're still worrying about this sort of thing?"

"Once you have power, who cares about Xuanyuan? You can go anywhere, even [Chengyun] or [Ultimate Bliss]!"

Wu Ji lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound.

The celebrated figure at school. The one Lin Rui had admired.

Now he was like this.

Zhou Zhi could understand it perfectly.

School was an ivory tower.

The darlings of heaven within its walls

could seem especially fragile when faced with the cruel reality of the world.

Zhou Zhi didn't know exactly what had happened.

But there was nothing new under the sun.

Enticement was only part of it.

Zhou Zhi was more certain that Wu Ji had submitted because of Qiu Ti's strength.

He'd willingly become this Great Sneeze Doctor's accomplice.

Perhaps Wu Ji himself had killed the companion whose body lay on the first floor.

Steadying his mind, Zhou Zhi confirmed that neither Qiu Ti nor Wu Ji was paying attention to him.

He took out the scalpel.

Bai Xiu's Scalpel had shattered under the strain.

Zhou Zhi had only kept the blade, hidden on his person.

"These two have mastered the power to eradicate Pestilences. There's no way I can beat them head-on."

Thinking this, Zhou Zhi cut through the rope.

Using the swaying Mucus Men to hide his movement,

Zhou Zhi dropped to the floor. The mucus coating the ground muffled the sound until it was almost inaudible.

"Phew."

He kept his breathing steady.

Zhou Zhi's gaze was calm.

Qiu Ti was in the middle, absorbed in his research.

Wu Ji was helping him like a servant, so Zhou Zhi relaxed a little.

His gaze turned toward the depths of [Great Sneeze Space].

A woman was locked in the inner room of the operating room.

Zhou Zhi recalled the earlier messages.

"Wu Ji's group of five brought along an extra member with a bad temper."

"This extra member came from a prominent family and had an older brother who was extremely difficult to mess with."

"She seemed to be one of the members of some idol group."

Zhou Zhi crept forward.

Twisted Mucus Men hung all around him.

The cloying sensation made anyone want to throw up.

But Zhou Zhi's expression didn't change.

He put on a mask and slowly moved ahead.

His Pathogenization Index continued to rise.

His gaze, however, remained fixed on one thing.

[Disinfection Room].

Messages surged forth.

[Safe zone. Entering it will greatly reduce the likelihood of pathogenization].

[It seems someone is being held here].

The door was tightly locked.

Zhou Zhi studied the pitch-black iron door and listened to the sounds from within.

There seemed to be some movement.

"Who's there?"

A girl's voice came from inside.

It was as if she'd found a glimmer of hope in despair.

But there was something sharp and spiteful in her voice.

"You're not Wu Ji?"

"Or that monster of a doctor?"

"Who are you?!"

Zhou Zhi didn't speak. He simply paused for a moment.

She must have recognized him from his footsteps.

After waiting a little,

and making sure there weren't any other traps, Zhou Zhi asked in return:

"Who are you?"

Inside,

the girl answered curtly. "I'm Chen Yao."

"You're not one of that monster's people?"

"I'm Chen Yao of the Pingchang Chen Family."

"My brother is [Chen Chaosheng]. Help me... help me contact him..."

"As long as you get me out, I can give you lots and lots of money."

Her voice was young. She couldn't have been much older than Zhou Zhi.

Zhou Zhi fell silent.

It seemed this woman wasn't all that clever.

"My name is Zhou Zhi."

"I'm a resident of Blue Stone Town," Zhou Zhi said.

"Of course, that doesn't matter. What matters is how I can contact your brother."

The woman's curt voice sounded again.

"That damned beast took everything I had."

"I had a... [Communicator]."

"There's a heart-shaped sticker on it."

"The password is three, five, six, seven."

"My brother is the first contact."

The woman's voice grew shrill and vicious. "That beast took it into the operating room... I saw it!"

"It's right nearby!"

Perhaps she was afraid of alerting Qiu Ti and Wu Ji. The woman who called herself Chen Yao kept her voice very low.