The Plague-Slaying Blade

By the time Zhou Zhi left the Suhui District Epidemic Prevention Center, the sky had grown a little dim.

He raised his head and watched the crowds coming and going. He felt no particular emotion.

Compared with his past life, this pestilence-fighting world wasn't far behind in technology, but neither was it much more advanced.

The metal difference engine had recorded Zhou Zhi's information and found his original resident file.

But the streets and television walls weren't especially advanced, either.

"You've just arrived in Changdu and need a place to stay, so I suggest you head to the market first... They have everything there."

Li Xun was rather young, but he had treated Zhou Zhi quite well.

Zhou Zhi carried the Black Box and wore ordinary clothes.

It was late spring, and the air had grown a little warm.

"I have five hundred Xuanyuan Coins. If I don't work, I can last at least a month... Add in the Epidemic Prevention Center's contract work, which pays about eight hundred Xuanyuan Coins a month, and it looks like I've suddenly reached the point where I only need to feed myself."

The sense of stability made Zhou Zhi feel a little out of place.

But now wasn't the time.

Beneath the lights, the television wall displayed the time.

Seven in the evening.

The timing... should be just right.

Zhou Zhi stood calmly at the gate, as if waiting for someone.

Just then, the roar of an engine rose, drawing sidelong glances from passersby.

"A car from Tianjun Brand... That's a high-end marque from Ultimate Bliss!"

"The import tariffs alone for bringing one from Ultimate Bliss into Xuanyuan must be astronomical... They might even cost as much as the car itself."

A man in black stepped out of the car and bowed slightly.

"Are you Mr. Zhou Zhi?"

"Please get in. The master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhou Zhi nodded and lifted the Black Box slightly.

Then he got into the car.

Inside the car.

The interior was elegant.

Zhou Zhi closed his eyes to rest.

Having come back from the dead, if he wanted to live a little more easily in this world, there were many things he needed to prepare in advance.

His thoughts returned to Blue Stone Town, one day earlier.

"Five Medical Students died, along with Chen Yao of the Chen Family..."

"I just didn't expect that even one of those five Medical Students would have such a prominent background...[Yu Jinhai]. The Yu Family is a medical equipment distributor in Changdu's central district, and they say they have a few connections to Shenwu Pharmaceuticals. Their social standing isn't high, but they're rich... What a shame."

Ni Jie read through the information, smoking.

Zhou Zhi's gaze fell on the file.

As a doctor, carefully examining a patient's medical history was extremely important.

After nearly an hour spent navigating the crowded roads, the bustling scenery came into view.

The car stopped beside a large estate.

"Mr. Zhou Zhi, we're here."

Zhou Zhi nodded, opened the door, and got out.

He looked up slightly, taking in his surroundings and judging the size of the house.

It must have cost a fortune. The owners seemed quite wealthy.

The door opened, and Zhou Zhi stepped inside.

The man in black ahead watched Zhou Zhi, but saw no change in his expression.

"Master, Madam, Mr. Zhou Zhi has arrived."

The man in black bowed.

Zhou Zhi nodded slightly and looked ahead.

A middle-aged man and woman stood there.

They were dressed elegantly, but the man's face was wooden, while the woman had clearly just been crying.

"Mr. Zhou Zhi..."

The middle-aged man walked forward.

"You must be Mr. Yu Xianzong."

Zhou Zhi looked at the man before him. If he hadn't lost his beloved son, perhaps he would have seemed more like a businessman and less like the frail, dispirited figure he was now.

Zhou Zhi had always found such emotions difficult to understand, but considering that Yu Jinhai was this man's only son, he could understand.

"These are the belongings of Yu Jinhai, a Plague Exterminator."

"His Plague Armor was torn apart. This Plague-Slaying Blade was the last thing he gave me."

Zhou Zhi's eyes flickered as if he were recalling what had happened. Then he lowered his head.

"By the end, he was on the verge of becoming infected... He could barely control his reason. In his final moments, he gave me the blade and said that if I managed to leave alive, I should give it to his family."

Zhou Zhi's voice was soft.

Beside him, the middle-aged woman still spoke through sobs. "Then... how did Ahai die?"

Zhou Zhi fell silent for a moment. "By rights, I shouldn't tell you, because Deputy Captain Ni Jie said we had to keep it confidential until the official notice came out."

"I happened to join the Epidemic Prevention Center as a contract worker this afternoon..."

At this, Yu Xianzong's eyes flickered, as though he were weighing something, but his expression remained unchanged. "Mr. Zhou Zhi, please forgive a father and mother who have lost their child."

He waved his hand, and the man in black took a card from his pocket.

"Please don't misunderstand. This is only a token of our gratitude."

"It's an Xuanyuan Central Bank Card, with fifty thousand Xuanyuan Coins on it."

"I heard you've just arrived in Changdu and have many expenses. It's only a small gesture. Nothing could bring us more comfort than having Jinhai's belongings returned to their rightful home."

Zhou Zhi calmly shook his head. "I won't take this."

"But I'll still tell you what happened."

"The official Plague Exterminator in Blue Stone Town embraced the Pestilence of his own accord to gain power. Your Plague Exterminator Yu... was infected and became a Mucus Man."

"But..."

Zhou Zhi paused. "Compared with the cowardice of some people, he showed enough courage."

After a long silence, Zhou Zhi left the bank card untouched.

"I'll pass on dinner. The belongings have been delivered, and I'd appreciate it if you could have someone take me back to Suhui District... I plan to rent a place tonight."

Zhou Zhi looked to the side and shook his head. "Fifty thousand Xuanyuan Coins is too much. Money can't bear the weight of a life."

The middle-aged woman clutched the Plague-Slaying Blade and began to weep. Zhou Zhi could only sigh, a strange sadness on his face.

Yu Xianzong studied Zhou Zhi's face for a long time.

"I'm sorry."

The man before him was unlike anyone he had met before.

The detachment in those eyes couldn't be faked.

Perhaps it was because he had survived the Pestilence Zone.

As a medical equipment distributor, Yu Xianzong naturally had his own information channels.

The Pestilence Zone—what a terrifying place!

In that world of infection, only a handful had survived. Perhaps that was why this man had made it out alive.

After hesitating for a moment, he gestured to the man in black again.

This time, the man in black brought over a Blade Case.

"If that's how it is, I won't insist. But at least, you can accept this."

"I had prepared it as a gift for Jinhai after he finished his Plague Exterminator training. It seems he won't be needing it now."

It was almost ten at night.

Zhou Zhi carried the Black Box along the road through Suhui District.

The expression he had worn earlier had gradually turned indifferent.