To Changdu

Zhou Zhi had been pondering a question.

What, exactly, is life?

He had no desire to recall certain memories from his past life.

The unpleasant past before he stood at the pinnacle of world medicine in his thirties.

In this Qiu Ti Epidemic Incident, over ten thousand people died in Blue Stone Town.

The ground was littered with the corpses of Mucus Men and the pathogenized monsters that had participated in the slaughter.

Anyone would frown at such a brutal scene.

Yet, Zhou Zhi had few thoughts on the matter; he did not care in the slightest.

When people contract a disease, they die.

It is simply the cycle of life.

In the hospital corridors, outside the operating rooms, the lights flickered on and off.

It was either a new birth or a death.

Bai Xiu, a mediocre man without talent.

Those brilliant medical students.

And Qiu Ti, who had been clever his entire life.

All turned to ash in the wake of the epidemic.

What is the meaning of life?

Zhou Zhi thought to himself.

The roaring carriage was filled with a cacophony of sounds.

Zhou Zhi walked into the carriage, lost in thought, and was met by a group of people who looked as if they were mourning their own parents.

Including himself, there were exactly twelve ordinary people dressed in standard uniforms, unarmed, their faces deathly pale.

Come to think of it, these were all the survivors of Blue Stone Town.

Unlike Zhou Zhi, these people had been on the very outskirts of Blue Stone Town, holding out until the limit of their pathogenization before being rescued by the Plague Exterminators from Changdu.

Zhou Zhi said nothing; he closed his eyes and began to think slowly.

Individual Plague Exterminators do not possess the ability to detect the Pathogenization Index; they must rely on specialized machines.

Zhou Zhi recalled the scene from earlier.

The Pathology Radiation Machine—that pitch-black device—could estimate the Pathogenization Index, though there was a minor discrepancy compared to what Zhou Zhi himself could see.

Second, pathogenization is not irreversible; as long as it does not reach one hundred percent or transform into a monster, there is still a chance for salvation.

The index required to reach full pathogenization varied from person to person, generally hovering around sixty percent, with fluctuations depending on an individual's inherent tolerance to the disease.

Third, the configuration of the Epidemic War Corps.

The Epidemic War Corps responsible for clearing and suppressing Blue Stone Town was from the Third Branch of the Changdu Disease Control Center.

From the interrogations, he learned that the Third Branch had dispatched over fifteen Plague Exterminators this time, plus their leader, Ni Jie, making it sixteen in total.

Along with a large number of Apprentice Plague Exterminators, exceeding two hundred.

Zhou Zhi could roughly estimate the scale of the entire Third Branch.

And the strength of the capital of the Pingchang Circuit, one of the Sixteen Xuanyuan Circuits.

Then, he formulated his plan.

Go to Changdu.

Unlike Blue Stone Town, it was the capital of the Pingchang Circuit and the largest city; there, he might have the opportunity to learn more about this world.

If he remained huddled in small towns like this, should he encounter another incident like the one with Qiu Ti, his life would scatter like grains of sand.

To that end, he needed to make some preparations.

Ni Jie, the deputy captain of the Third Branch, thought highly of him, which was only natural.

He Qi, who had been there before, was a member sent out by the Third Branch and had been wiped out by Qiu Ti; under normal circumstances, they would need to replenish their personnel.

Furthermore, he possessed spiritual power, his background was relatively transparent, and he had demonstrated excellent qualities when the epidemic struck.

Mr. Bai Xiu, a life without talent is not entirely without meaning.

Zhou Zhi muttered in his heart.

He looked out the window.

The strangely shaped transport train let out a thunderous roar.

It sounded like a giant beast beginning to howl.

Blue Stone Town, a nightmare-like place, was receding from them.

At first, he could see the Epidemic War Corps personnel conducting the post-incident cleanup, then only the silhouettes of the buildings, and finally, nothing at all.

The mechanical industry in this world did not seem to be very well developed.

According to Zhou Zhi's assessment, the Epidemic War Corps' mechanical train had a top speed of no more than eighty kilometers per hour.

At this speed, the train had traveled for at least five hours before the silhouette of Changdu finally came into view.

This answered Zhou Zhi's lingering question as to why Changdu's response to the pestilence in Blue Stone Town had been so sluggish.

Blue Stone Town really was quite remote.

A gargantuan beast lay prone upon the earth.

Countless buildings rose abruptly from the ground.

The flag at the highest point among them was enough to draw one's gaze.

[Continent of the Golden Wheat Ear].

Everyone's eyes were fixed upon that banner.

"The flag of the Medical Department, the organization rumored to span all six nations of the continent and govern every Plague Exterminator in the world."

Zhou Zhi had actually seen it once before, hanging beside Qiu Ti's desk.

At this moment, he was more interested in Changdu itself.

This was the premier city of Pingchang Circuit, said to have a population of several tens of millions.

The powerful Medical Academy was located here.

The strongest epidemic prevention organization in Pingchang was also here.

This included the actual rulers of Pingchang.

"So many people."

Zhou Zhi sat in the carriage, now left to himself, and observed the world outside the window.

It seemed that a great number of people were coming and going outside Changdu, creating a scene of bustling activity.

The other survivors had long since been arranged to enter the town, leaving Zhou Zhi as the only one remaining.

"Zhou Zhi, we've arrived."

The carriage door was pushed open, and the young Plague Exterminator in white spoke.

[Li Xun], an Official-level Plague Exterminator and deputy to Vice-Captain Ni Jie.

Based on Zhou Zhi's judgment, this fellow couldn't have graduated from the Medical Academy more than a few years ago; he did things with a certain clumsiness that reminded him of the interns he used to have at his own hospital.

"Everyone entering the city must undergo pathological testing, including screening for Pathogenized Objects. If you are returning from a Pestilence Zone, even deeper testing is required... Although you are not a Plague Exterminator, you are still included in this protocol."

Li Xun spoke by the book, as if reciting specific regulations: "Our Third Detachment has special channels, so we don't need to wait in line, but testing is still mandatory, even for us."

Zhou Zhi nodded: "My thanks, Plague Exterminator Li."

His own Pathogenization Index was currently very low; the only potential issue was the [Howling Lung].

It contained the power of the high-level pestilence [Pneumonia], a fact he pondered briefly.

He stepped out of the carriage.

The spacious passageway stood in stark contrast to the crowded area on the other side.

Yet, the public did not express dissatisfaction at this display of privilege.

Because they recognized that train as belonging to the Changdu Epidemic Prevention Center.

Seeing this, a sense of pride welled up in Li Xun, which promptly manifested on his face.

The returning members of the Epidemic War Corps disembarked in unison.

They removed their Epidemic Prevention Suits and weapons.

They entered the interior of the building.

Outside.

Zhou Zhi narrowed his eyes for a short nap.

"Zhou Zhi, it's your turn."

Li Xun said.

Zhou Zhi nodded slightly and took off his outer coat.

Intricate machinery, flowing with a sophistication far beyond the crude equipment he had seen before.

[Pathogenization Imaging Device].

[Precision medical instrument produced by Shenwu Pharmaceuticals].

[An imaging machine capable of detecting physiological Pathogenization Index, with a precision reaching up to two decimal places].

[Perhaps there is a possibility of evading its pathogenization detection, er, I mean, perhaps].