Strange Incidents

"Brother Zhou..."

"Lately, there've been quite a few outsiders on the streets... A lot of them have moved here from the towns around Changdu."

Aunt Mei rubbed her hands together, smiling. She was clearly pleased that her inn was fully booked.

She was even happier about the government employees staying there.

They often patrolled the area, and having them stay at her inn gave her quite a bit of prestige.

Zhou Zhi adjusted his Plague Armor, lowering his head slightly. He wasn't holding the Plague-Slaying Blade as he slowly straightened his cuffs.

The Plague-Slaying Blade Yu Jinhai's father had given him was clearly very valuable. As the saying went, a man's wealth was his own undoing. Under normal circumstances, Zhou Zhi didn't think an apprentice Plague Exterminator could carry a blade like that.

"Probably nothing's wrong... I haven't heard anything, but..."

Zhou Zhi seemed to recall something. "A few towns outside have apparently been hit by Pestilence lately. It's only natural that refugees would migrate here."

For ordinary people like Aunt Mei, the Longevity Path was too far removed from their lives.

But the current situation probably wasn't very good.

Clearly, the Official-level Plague Exterminators in the Epidemic Prevention Center each had their own assignments.

At least, that was how things were for low-ranking Plague Exterminators like him.

"So the Strange Incidents across all of Suhui are basically the Official-level Plague Exterminators washing their hands of the matter?"

Zhou Zhi frowned.

Strange Incidents.

After joining the Epidemic Prevention Center, Zhou Zhi had learned what a Strange Incident was.

Pestilence could arrive in many forms.

It didn't just make people sick. Based on the principle that all things could become pathogenized, some Pestilence spread in unusual ways, even creating specific spectacles.

These spectacles, whether magnificent or bizarre, eventually formed Strange Incidents.

"The pathogenization in Blue Stone Town was classified as a Strange Incident—a high-level one that could only be suppressed by a two-digit Plague Exterminator."

Zhou Zhi raised a hand and walked out of the inn.

The street was bustling with traffic, and it was clear that quite a few plainly dressed outsiders had appeared along the roadside.

People fell ill, but not everyone who got sick received treatment.

The Epidemic Prevention Center regularly used various preventive Plague Extermination Arts to reduce pathogenization. But some cases always slipped through, or the disease foci were unusual. Generally, these foci healed on their own, like Aunt Mei's had.

But many cases of Pestilence that spread deep into the body could only be treated at Changdu Hospital.

And the cost of treatment...

Zhou Zhi recalled some things Su Rongrong had told him before.

Hospitals and clinics in Xuanyuan charged high fees because they had to pay heavy taxes to the Medical Department.

Actually, it wasn't just Xuanyuan. All Six Nations on the continent had to pay taxes. Anyone registered with the Medical Department as a qualified practitioner had to pay, or else they would be labeled as practicing medicine illegally.

As for what consequences came with that label, Su Rongrong didn't know. Her father had never told her.

She only knew that, aside from taxes, her family's clinic hardly charged any extra fees. Sometimes, they even paid out of pocket to examine patients.

That was precisely why the number of Strange Incidents across Suhui District had remained very low.

Zhou Zhi looked toward the Su Family Clinic. Su Xing seemed to already be treating a patient with an abnormality in their bones. Zhou Zhi rather liked him, even though Su Xing didn't seem to like him much.

The day after the meeting.

A message came from the Epidemic Prevention Center in the Inner City.

In half a month, Professor Jin Pingyang would hold a promotion banquet at the Changdu Guest House on Vermilion Bird Long Street in Tiandu District.

Guests would come from all across Pingchang Circuit and even the neighboring circuits. The higher-ups' order was to clear all Strange Incidents from the entire Outer City.

Ring, ring.

The Communicator rang.

As a standard-issue Communicator from the Epidemic Prevention Center, it was rare for anyone to contact Zhou Zhi.

"Hello... Hello..."

"Hi, is... is this Zhou Zhi?"

An only vaguely familiar voice came through the Communicator, but Zhou Zhi recognized the caller immediately.

"Sun Shun, what is it?"

As he remembered, the young man was somewhat arrogant. They patrolled different areas, so Zhou Zhi rarely saw him.

"Yeah, there is. Le Wei's here too."

Sun Shun sounded hesitant through the Communicator, then continued, "Are you busy right now? If not, Le Wei and I are waiting across the street from the Epidemic Prevention Center."

In fact, there were only three apprentice Plague Exterminators assigned to this area of Suhui.

Le Wei was one of them.

After crossing the street, Zhou Zhi soon spotted the two of them.

Le Wei was a little chubby and seemed shy. She didn't dare look directly at Zhou Zhi.

"Zhou Zhi, you've seen the notice from earlier, right?"

Sun Shun got straight to the point. "The order to suppress Strange Incidents."

Zhou Zhi nodded.

"I saw it. According to Brother Li, if a Strange Incident appears, we just need to report it."

"It shouldn't have anything to do with us, right?"

Sun Shun gave a cold laugh, as if he'd thought of something. Lowering his voice, he said, "Zhou Zhi, I know what you're capable of."

"That's why I called you and Le Wei here... I have some connections. I can tell you that right now, all the Official-level Plague Exterminators in Changdu's Outer City are too busy looking after themselves."

"Even if a Strange Incident appears and we report it, there won't be enough people to suppress it."

Suhui District was enormous. There were dozens of Epidemic Prevention Center staff in Zhou Zhi's area, but only three apprentice Plague Exterminators—Zhou Zhi, Le Wei, and Sun Shun.

"Is the Longevity Path really that terrifying?"

Zhou Zhi said nothing, but Le Wei asked the question he'd wanted to ask.

Xuanyuan was such a vast polity. From the outside, it didn't look as though it were on the brink of collapse.

So why did everything down at the foundation seem so precarious?

"I don't know how terrifying it is. But among those from the Longevity Path who struck this time, quite a few are experts who've mastered Plague Extermination Arts to a profound level. As a result, our Third Branch's captain and vice-captains were sent out to suppress them half a month ago. That's why we've never seen the captain or any of the other vice-captains."

"So what do you want to do?"

Zhou Zhi watched Sun Shun calmly.

This arrogant man seemed to have some grand plan.

Sun Shun lowered his voice. "This time, it's not just danger."

"It's an opportunity."

"There are plenty of powerful figures inside Changdu. Its foundations absolutely can't be shaken. With that as our base, maybe we can do something. For example..."

Sun Shun looked past Le Wei at Zhou Zhi.

"Strange Incidents are an opportunity."

"Pathogenized Objects, Plague Extermination Arts, even Disease Cores... Under normal circumstances, it'd be very hard for us to get our hands on those things."