Plague-Slaying Blade

The sky had already begun to dim by the time Zhou Zhi stepped out of the Suhui District Epidemic Prevention Center.

Zhou Zhi looked up at the bustling crowd outside, his expression remaining largely indifferent.

In this world plagued by epidemics, technology was neither significantly behind nor ahead of his previous life.

The metal difference engine had processed Zhou Zhi's information and successfully located the original Zhou Zhi's resident file.

Yet, the streets and the television walls did not appear particularly advanced.

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

Although Li Xun was quite young, he had been decent enough to him.

Zhou Zhi carried his black case, dressed in ordinary casual clothes.

It was late spring, and the air had already begun to hold a hint of warmth.

"With five hundred Xuanyuan Coins in hand, if I don't work, I can survive for at least a month... plus the stipend from the Epidemic Prevention Center as an external staff member, that's about eight hundred Xuanyuan Coins a month. It seems I've reached the point where if one person is fed, the whole family is full."

This sense of stability felt somewhat unfamiliar to Zhou Zhi.

However, now was not the time for that.

On the television wall, beneath the lights, the time was displayed.

Seven o'clock in the evening.

The timing... should be just right.

Zhou Zhi stood calmly at the main entrance, seemingly waiting for something.

Simultaneously, the roar of an engine echoed, drawing side-glances from the surrounding pedestrians.

"A Tianjun Brand car... that's a high-end brand from Ultimate Bliss."

"The tariffs alone just to bring it from Ultimate Bliss into Xuanyuan must be substantial... the cost might even rival the price of the car itself."

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

"Are you Mr. Zhou Zhi?"

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

Zhou Zhi nodded and lifted his black case slightly.

He stepped into the car.

Inside the car.

The interior was exquisitely decorated.

Zhou Zhi closed his eyes to rest.

Having returned from the dead, if he wanted to live a slightly easier life in this world, many things needed to be prepared in advance.

He recalled the events of a day ago in Blue Stone Town.

"Five medical students died, along with Chen Yao of the Chen Family..."

"I just didn't expect that even among those five medical students, there were people with significant status... Yu Jinhai. The Yu family are medical equipment distributors in the central district of Changdu. It is said they have a very small connection to Shenwu Pharmaceuticals. Although their social status isn't high, they are very wealthy... what a pity."

Ni Jie looked at the information while smoking a cigarette.

Zhou Zhi's gaze fell upon the documents.

As a doctor, carefully observing a patient's medical history was a matter of great importance.

After navigating the congested roads for nearly an hour, the bustling scenery came into Zhou Zhi's view.

The car pulled up beside a large estate.

"Mr. Zhou Zhi, we have arrived."

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

He looked up slightly, assessing the surroundings and the scale of the house.

It was quite expensive; the owners were clearly very wealthy.

The door opened, and Zhou Zhi stepped inside.

The man in black ahead observed Zhou Zhi, noting that there was not a single ripple of emotion on his face.

"Master, Madam, Mr. Zhou Zhi is here."

The man in black bowed.

Zhou Zhi nodded slightly and looked ahead.

A man and a woman, both middle-aged.

They were dressed quite exquisitely, though the man's expression was somewhat wooden, and the woman had clearly been crying.

"Mr. Zhou Zhi..."

The middle-aged man stepped forward.

"You must be Mr. Yu Xianzong."

Zhou Zhi looked at the man before him. Had the tragedy of losing his beloved son not occurred, this man might have appeared more like a merchant, rather than the frail and decadent figure he was now.

Zhou Zhi had always found such emotions difficult to comprehend, but considering that Yu Jinhai was this man's only son, it was understandable.

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

"His Plague Armor was torn to shreds, and this Plague-Slaying Blade is what he handed to me in his final moments."

Zhou Zhi's eyes flickered as if recalling the events of that day, and he lowered his head.

"By the end, he was on the verge of succumbing to the pestilence... barely able to maintain his sanity. In his final breaths, he gave me the blade and said that if I could make it out alive, I should return it to his family."

Zhou Zhi's voice was very soft.

To the side, the middle-aged woman's voice remained choked with sobs: "Then... how did Ah-Hai die..."

Zhou Zhi fell silent for a moment: "By protocol, I am not permitted to say, as Deputy Captain Ni Jie stated that everything must remain confidential until the official announcement is released."

"I just joined the Epidemic Prevention Center as an auxiliary member this afternoon..."

Hearing this, Yu Xianzong's eyes flashed, as if he were calculating something, though he showed nothing on the surface: "Mr. Zhou Zhi, please forgive a father and mother who have lost their child."

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

"Please do not misunderstand; this is merely a token of our gratitude."

"It is a Xuanyuan Central Bank Card, containing fifty thousand Xuanyuan Coins."

"I heard you have just arrived in Changdu and have many expenses. It is just a small gesture; nothing brings us more comfort than having Jinhai's belongings returned to his home."

Zhou Zhi calmly shook his head: "I will not take this."

"However, I will tell you."

"To gain power, the official Plague Exterminator of Blue Stone Town willingly embraced the pestilence. Plague Exterminator Yu... was infected and transformed into a Mucus Man."

"However..."

Zhou Zhi paused: "Compared to the cowardice of others, he displayed sufficient courage."

After a long silence, Zhou Zhi still did not take the bank card.

"I will skip dinner. The items have been delivered, and I would appreciate it if you could have someone drive me back to Suhui District... In fact, I intend to rent a place tonight."

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

The middle-aged woman wept while clutching the Plague-Slaying Blade, and Zhou Zhi merely sighed, a strange expression of sorrow on his face.

Yu Xianzong's gaze lingered on Zhou Zhi's face for a long time.

"My apologies."

The person before him was different from anyone he had met before.

The indifference in those eyes could not be feigned.

Perhaps it was because he had survived the Pestilence Zone.

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

The Pestilence Zone—what a terrifying place that was!

In a world consumed by disease, only a handful of people survived. Perhaps that was the reason this man had managed to live.

After a moment of hesitation, he signaled the man in black once more.

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

"Since that is the case, I will not force it, but at least, you can accept this."

"This was a gift I had prepared for Jinhai to celebrate the end of his internship as a Plague Exterminator. It seems it will not be needed now."

It was nearly ten o'clock at night.

Zhou Zhi carried the black case as he walked along the streets of Suhui District.

The expression on his face had gradually returned to one of indifference.