To Changdu

Zhou Zhi had been thinking about a question.

What, exactly, was life?

There were certain memories from his Past Life that Zhou Zhi did not want to recall.

That not-so-beautiful past, before he had reached the pinnacle of medicine in the world in his thirties.

In this [Qiu Ti Epidemic Incident], more than ten thousand people had died in Blue Stone Town.

Mucus Man corpses had littered the ground, along with the Pathogenized monsters involved.

The brutal scene would have made anyone frown.

But Zhou Zhi didn't feel much of anything. He didn't even care.

People fell ill, and they died.

It was simply the cycle of life.

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

Some were born anew; others died.

Bai Xiu, an ordinary man with no talent.

Those clever Medical Students.

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

They had all turned to ashes in the wake of an epidemic.

"What is the meaning of life?"

Zhou Zhi wondered.

All sorts of voices rang through the roaring carriage.

Lost in thought, Zhou Zhi stepped inside and saw a crowd of people looking as though they had lost everything.

They wore matching uniforms, carried no weapons, and had ashen faces. Including him, there were exactly twelve ordinary people.

Come to think of it, these must have been all the survivors from Blue Stone Town.

Unlike Zhou Zhi, they had all been at the very outskirts of Blue Stone Town. They'd held on until they reached the limit of their pathogenization, then been rescued by Plague Exterminators from Changdu.

Zhou Zhi said nothing. He closed his eyes and thought quietly.

"Plague Exterminators can't detect their own Pathogenization Index. They can only rely on special machines."

Zhou Zhi recalled what he had seen earlier.

The [Pathology Radiation Machine] had shone its light. That pitch-black machine could estimate the Pathogenization Index, but its readings were slightly off from what Zhou Zhi could see for himself.

"Second, pathogenization isn't irreversible. As long as it hasn't reached one hundred percent or turned someone into a monster, there's still hope."

The threshold for pathogenization varied from person to person, usually around sixty percent, with some fluctuation depending on how much pathogenization the individual could withstand.

"Third, there's the Epidemic War Corps' strength."

The Epidemic War Corps sent to clear and suppress Blue Stone Town had come from the Third Branch of the Disease Prevention Center in Changdu.

From the interrogation, Zhou Zhi learned that the Third Branch had sent out more than fifteen Plague Exterminators this time. With Ni Jie, the one leading them, that made sixteen.

They had also brought a large number of Apprentice Plague Exterminators—more than two hundred.

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

And the strength of Pingchang Circuit's capital within the Sixteen Xuanyuan Circuits.

Then he made a plan.

Go to Changdu.

Unlike Blue Stone Town, Changdu was the capital of Pingchang Circuit and its largest city. There, he might find more opportunities to learn about this world.

If he stayed cooped up in a small town like that, then the next time something like Qiu Ti happened, his life might scatter like sand.

So he needed to make some preparations.

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

He Qi had been a member of the Third Branch, dispatched elsewhere, before Qiu Ti wiped out the entire team. Under normal circumstances, they would need to replenish their numbers.

Besides, Zhou Zhi had mastered spiritual energy, his background was relatively transparent, and he had shown admirable qualities when the epidemic struck.

"Mr. Bai Xiu, a man without talent doesn't live a life devoid of meaning."

Zhou Zhi murmured to himself.

He looked out the window.

The oddly shaped transport train roared.

It sounded like a giant beast beginning to howl.

Blue Stone Town, like a nightmare, receded into the distance.

At first, he could see the Epidemic War Corps personnel working there to clean up after the disaster. Later, only the outlines of buildings remained. After that, there was nothing to see.

The mechanical industry in this world didn't seem to be very advanced.

By Zhou Zhi's estimate, the Epidemic War Corps' train could reach a top speed of only eighty kilometers per hour.

At that speed, the train had been traveling for at least five hours before the outline of [Changdu] came into view.

That answered Zhou Zhi's question: why had Changdu responded so slowly when the epidemic struck Blue Stone Town?

Blue Stone Town really was remote.

A colossal beast lay sprawled across the earth.

Countless buildings rose from the ground.

The highest flag among them drew everyone's attention.

[Continent of the Golden Wheat Ear].

Everyone's gaze gathered on that flag.

"The Medical Department's flag. They say it's an organization that spans the Six Nations across the entire continent, commanding all Plague Exterminators in the world."

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

Now, what mattered more to him was Changdu.

It was said to be the largest city in Pingchang, with tens of millions of people.

A powerful Medical Academy was located there.

Pingchang's strongest epidemic prevention institution was there, too.

And so was its actual ruler.

"So many people."

Zhou Zhi sat alone in the carriage and watched through the window.

There seemed to be a great many people coming and going outside Changdu, filling the roads with bustling traffic.

The other survivors had already been taken to the town. Naturally, Zhou Zhi was the only one left.

"Zhou Zhi, we've arrived."

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

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

Judging by Zhou Zhi's assessment, the man seemed to have graduated from the Medical Academy only a few years ago. He always gave the impression of being clumsy and careless, like a former intern at Zhou Zhi's hospital.

"Everyone entering the city has to undergo medical testing, including screening for Pathogenized Objects. If you're returning from a Pestilence Zone, you'll need even more thorough testing... You're not a Plague Exterminator, but you're still subject to the same rules."

Li Xun recited the regulations mechanically, as if repeating something he had memorized. "Our Third Branch has a special channel, so we don't have to queue. But we still have to be tested, ourselves included."

Zhou Zhi nodded. "Thank you, Plague Exterminator Li."

His Pathogenization Index was very low now. The only thing that might pose a problem was his [Howling Lung].

It contained the power of the superior Pestilence [Pneumonia]. He considered it briefly.

Then he stepped out of the carriage.

The spacious passage stood in stark contrast to the crowded one on the other side.

But the people didn't resent them for receiving special treatment.

They recognized the train as belonging to the Changdu Epidemic Prevention Center.

Li Xun saw the scene, and a sense of pride rose within him, showing on his face as well.

The returning members of the Epidemic War Corps disembarked together.

They took off their Epidemic Prevention Suits and laid down their weapons.

Then they entered the room.

Outside,

Zhou Zhi squinted and rested.

"Zhou Zhi, it's your turn."

Li Xun spoke.

Zhou Zhi nodded slightly and took off his outer garment.

The precise machinery was far more sophisticated than the crude device from before.

[Pathogenization Imaging Device].

[A precision medical instrument manufactured by Shenwu Pharmaceuticals].

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

[There may be ways to evade its pathogenization screening. Uh, I mean, there might be.]