Decision

When the words "Plague Exterminator" left Zhou Zhi's lips, the expressions of those inside the dilapidated Clinic shifted in various ways.

Lei Heng observed the man before him with sinister eyes.

There was nothing special about him, save for a face that remained incredibly calm and unruffled, as if nothing could ever shake his will.

Could a person like this really be a Plague Exterminator?

What kind of people were Plague Exterminators?

In Xuanyuan, not to mention thugs like Lei Heng, even a three-year-old child knew that Plague Exterminators were beyond reach!

Faced with the plague, ordinary humans could only wait for death, utterly unable to resist.

Unable to understand it, unable to touch it, Lei Heng had seen with his own eyes those infected by the plague turn into monsters.

That sense of despair was simply impossible to describe in words.

But Plague Exterminators were different.

They could distinguish between types of plagues, possessed various [Plague Extermination Arts], and were capable of eradicating the plague independently.

Lei Heng admitted that he had been startled by Zhou Zhi's move just a moment ago, but now, the sinister man remained silent.

"Plague Exterminator..."

Xia Yu looked at Zhou Zhi.

The young girl remembered that this man had just said the corpses were all infected with the [Influenza Plague].

To the common folk, a plague was just a plague.

There was no distinction between types; either way, encountering one meant certain death.

However, if Zhou Zhi were truly a Plague Exterminator, why did he seem to know nothing about all of this?

"Mr. Zhou Zhi, you..."

Xia Yu began, only to be interrupted by Zhou Zhi.

"When facing the plague, there are many low-cost and simple methods of epidemic prevention."

Zhou Zhi's voice now sounded confident and gentle.

His slender frame stood tall as his right hand picked up a glass of cold water from the table that had been sitting there for who knows how long.

<strong>[Spiritual energy consumption in progress]</strong>.

<strong>[Spiritual energy consumption in progress]</strong>.

The message chimed in his mind.

At the same time, the water in Zhou Zhi's glass gradually grew warm.

Xia Yu's beautiful eyes widened slightly.

That was...

Lei Heng seemed to have realized something.

The lackeys behind him instinctively took two steps back.

Steam rose up.

A bubbling sound emerged.

It was the sound of clear water coming to a boil.

"[High-Temperature Boiling Disinfection]... actually, it really could be called a Plague Extermination Art."

Zhou Zhi poured the water onto the floor.

A faint mist rose from the floor tiles.

Re... really?

Lei Heng swallowed hard.

He remembered that Bai Xiu could also perform this trick, but he could only heat the water to a barely lukewarm temperature at best.

Yet this man before him... clearly, the water had already boiled.

This was a completely different concept!

"A Plague Extermination Art!"

"He really is a Plague Exterminator!"

"Sister Xia Yu, he's even more powerful than Doctor Bai Xiu!"

Xiao Nan clenched her small fists, an expression of excitement appearing on her face.

Zhou Zhi placed the empty glass onto the table to the side.

The information he had gathered so far was that the status of a [Plague Exterminator] in this world was transcendent.

Consequently, all information regarding Plague Exterminators, including the so-called Plague Extermination Arts, held a very high status.

Zhou Zhi had never imagined that this technique of boiling water with his bare hands could elicit such expressions from these people.

And then...

"Second, it is true that I acquired the Plague Extermination Art because I transplanted Bai Xiu's lungs, but I am capable of strengthening this Plague Extermination Art based on my own abilities."

Bai Xiu could only heat water until it was lukewarm, but I am able to bring it to a complete boil.

"Third."

Zhou Zhi looked at the water stains on the ground.

The Plague Extermination Art is, indeed, real.

It is different from the world I once knew.

The boiling just now was not merely boiling.

[A cup of water that has been sitting for a long time].

[After High-Temperature Boiling, the pestilence growth rate has been reduced to thirteen percent].

This was the message Zhou Zhi saw before he poured the water out.

This world possesses a special power.

Zhou Zhi's mind fluctuated.

At this very moment, Zhou Zhi could feel something flowing within his body.

Something the message referred to as...

[Spirit Power].

The [High-Temperature Boiling] from just now, for such a small cup of water, had consumed one-third of the Spirit Power Zhou Zhi could perceive.

Zhou Zhi couldn't help but want to complain.

So, that means I can only boil three cups of water right now, is that it?

Zhou Zhi composed himself.

To the side, Xia Yu suddenly seemed to recall something.

"I know!"

The young girl reminisced, "Not long ago, a few [Medical Students] came to town for an internship."

"I think I saw them; they were about the same age, and they also knew the Plague Extermination Art..."

So that was it!

Lei Heng's expression shifted.

Everything made sense now.

Similar age.

Composed expressions.

They must have been accustomed to seeing big things.

It was the kind of demeanor only those high-and-mighty Medical Students from the big cities, or perhaps even the capital, could possess.

A nameless jealousy began to spread.

"The pestilence spread, and I got separated from them."

Zhou Zhi adopted this identity quite naturally.

He had been worrying about not having a suitable identity, after all.

Medical Student!

To Xia Yu and the others, these three words were essentially synonymous with Plague Exterminator.

Both meant a bright future and limitless potential.

The only Plague Exterminator in all of Qingshi was a graduate of a legitimate medical school!

"The time is..."

Zhou Zhi looked up.

Above, the clock ticked.

Night, 21:58.

Outside, beyond the reinforced windows, the surging darkness of the night was vaguely visible.

"It is not suitable to travel at night."

"Prepare yourselves."

Zhou Zhi's voice brooked no argument: "We depart at daybreak."

"Bring all the supplies."

"We are leaving this place."

Lei Heng was stunned; he had not expected it to happen so soon: "My... My... My Lord."

"Where are we going?"

Zhou Zhi didn't look back. "Where else could we go?"

"According to what you've said, the area outside the town is currently shrouded in thick fog, making it impossible to leave. We have no choice but to head toward the center of town."

"Even if the Pestilence is more severe in the central district, we must go."

"Because..."

Xia Yu took over, looking at Lei Heng. "Blue Stone Town Central Hospital is there."

That night.

Zhou Zhi sat by the clinic window.

The reinforcement work on the window was poorly done, like someone who had never performed surgery attempting a delicate operation.

I'm talking about you, Bai Xiu.

Zhou Zhi toyed with the scalpel in his hand.

Bai Xiu's true intention in the end was not to excise his own lung, but to treat the [Influenza] on his body through surgery.

It was only because he failed that he chose to excise it to prevent further pathological changes.

Outside, strange sounds drifted in faintly.

Zhou Zhi's eyes flickered.

It sounded as if something was slithering through slime.

The lamplight was dim, barely existent.

Xia Yu and Lei Heng kept their distance, holding their breath.

"[Pestilence]."

Zhou Zhi silently recited in his heart.

The reason he brought everyone along was simple.

He needed guides.

Enough guides.

For anyone, this world didn't sound very pleasant, and Zhou Zhi wanted to ensure he had enough room for error.

Zhou Zhi did not want to dwell on his past life; since he had been resurrected, he had to make the most of this second chance at life.

He only had seventy-two hours to live now, and in the center of Blue Stone Town, there must be a way to extend his life.