Wuyin, Spring of the 14th Year of Daye in the Kingdom of Dasi.
When Alchemy God Li Zhuanming and Alchemy Immortal Huang Dahuo rushed into the Royal Palace to seek an audience with Emperor Jing, the sound of coughing coming from the man before them made their expressions stiffen.
“Why have you two come to see me so urgently?” Emperor Jing asked, sounding perplexed.
Li Zhuanming and Huang Dahuo exchanged a glance, momentarily unsure of how to begin.
Li Zhuanming steeled himself and spoke. “Recently, a strange poison has suddenly appeared in Shenzhou…”
“Report!!!”
“Report!!!”
Before Li Zhuanming could finish, several piercing, terrified cries echoed from outside the palace.
“What is this panic? Do you not see that I am speaking with these two immortal doctors? Get out!” Emperor Jing roared in anger.
The messenger seemed not to hear the Emperor’s threat.
Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “A mysterious poison has broken out in Jiangdu City! Countless people have collapsed into comas! Sword Cultivators are falling from the sky, and the ground is covered in corpses!”
Immediately after, another messenger shrieked breathlessly, “A mysterious poison has broken out in Tianzhou City! From Honored Ones down to Five Elements Realm Cultivators, one in every three people has fallen unconscious! Their bodies are covered in pus and blood, and they cannot stop vomiting blood…”
“An outbreak in the border city of Liang City…”
“An outbreak in the border city of Yi City…”
“An outbreak in the border city of Jing City…”
Emperor Jing’s face grew paler with every word.
This early morning was indeed full of “surprises.” In the blink of an eye, he had heard the names of almost every city in the Kingdom of Dasi.
In other words, no part of the entire Kingdom of Dasi had been spared!
“Stop!” Emperor Jing’s legs suddenly felt weak. “I understand. Do not panic. Tell me, what is the situation in the military?”
“In the military…”
The messengers who had rushed from all over the country shared a look of bitterness.
“The situation in the Liang City army is even worse. One out of every two soldiers has collapsed, and those at the Seven Luminaries Realm or above have not been spared.”
“It is the same in Jing City…”
“And Yi City…”
Emperor Jing felt a buzzing in his head.
The names of every city in the Kingdom of Dasi rolled past his ears once more.
This meant that the entire military system of the nation was completely paralyzed.
Even the political system and the government’s ability to execute orders were likely in no better shape.
If the Demon Race attacked at this critical moment, the entire nation would be defenseless.
Fortunately, he still had his reliable Alchemists. Looking at Li Zhuanming and Huang Dahuo, Emperor Jing breathed a sigh of relief.
“Since it is a poison, you Grandmasters of alchemy should be able to handle it easily. The Kingdom of Dasi is in danger; everything depends on you.”
Li Zhuanming and Huang Dahuo felt their scalps tingle as they lowered their heads in embarrassment.
Li Zhuanming whispered, “We came here precisely for this matter. This poison has unique properties; currently, there is no known Antidote…”
Emperor Jing frowned slightly. “How long will it take to develop an Antidote?”
“This… dealing with new diseases is a task that Medical Cultivators excel at. Although we can do it, we will be slower…” Li Zhuanming said with a troubled expression.
“It does not matter. Roughly how long?”
“It is impossible to say for sure. We need a vast amount of time to test the effects of every kind of Dan medicine.”
“It does not matter!” Emperor Jing said decisively.
“I will immediately announce to the world that all Alchemists must cooperate with you two to hasten the development of a cure. You only need to focus entirely on your research.”
“Uh…” Li Zhuanming hesitated for a moment before saying, “It is not three of us, but two. The Alchemist Saint has already fallen ill.”
“…The poison is that powerful?” Emperor Jing’s eyes widened.
“It is indeed unique. It can spread between Cultivators and does not dilute. Its total amount does not decrease over time; instead, it increases. It is as if… it can self-replicate,” Li Zhuanming replied.
‘Self-replicate?’
Emperor Jing felt as though he had heard that word somewhere before. He searched his memory, and when he found the source, his heart skipped a beat.
Yiqin had said it.
He still remembered her making such a fuss back then, and the contemptuous gaze she had used to look down upon him, her sovereign.
At that thought, a nameless fire rose in Emperor Jing’s heart. “I do not care if it replicates or not! The situation is urgent! I shall issue an Imperial Edict calling for all Alchemists to assist you! I hereby appoint you two as the Supreme Commanders of the Shenzhou Poison Resistance Effort! Within the limits of my power, I will provide every resource to help you develop a cure! If you have any needs, simply ask!”
“Contagion,” Huang Dahuo suddenly spoke up.
“Your Majesty, this poison is contagious. Aside from the edict calling Alchemists to research a cure, you must issue another decree to prevent people from gathering and causing cross-infection!”
Emperor Jing’s hand trembled almost imperceptibly.
“Although it might already be too late, we can at least stop this strange poison from spreading further!” Huang Dahuo said urgently.
“The Kingdom of Dasi must immediately close all markets, Auction Houses, and any other venues that cause crowds to gather. Every Sect must lock their gates and isolate their disciples into separate quarters! That way, even if we have not developed a medicine yet, we can at least save those Cultivators who have not been infected!”
It was all exactly as Yiqin had predicted. He was just a day late.
“And tomorrow’s Shenzhou Cup,” Li Tieming added hastily.
“The Shenzhou Cup must be halted immediately! The stadium will be densely packed, and the spectators come from all over the world. If cross-infection occurs there, the consequences will be unthinkable!”
“Impossible!” Emperor Jing said firmly. “The Shenzhou Cup must be held as scheduled!”
This was his bottom line! Otherwise, would he not be slapping his own face?
“Your Majesty, the situation is critical,” Li Tieming said, desperate. “The severity of the problem far exceeds your imagination! You cannot take this lightly!”
Emperor Jing shook his head resolutely.
“The measures you mentioned, including the lockdown of the Sects, must be implemented step by step. Otherwise, it will surely cause excessive panic among the populace. At that time, panic will lead to the collapse of national order. People will act recklessly for their own interests and refuse to follow orders—that would be the true disaster. At a time like this, we must ensure the Kingdom of Dasi maintains its executive power from top to bottom and guard against those with ill intentions.”
Li Tieming agreed with half of what Emperor Jing said.
“But you may not realize that the panic can no longer be hidden… At a time like this, you must use decisive methods to show the citizens the determination and capability of the Kingdom of Dasi. Only then will we truly unite our strength and maintain order!”
“If it cannot be hidden, then hide it harder!” Emperor Jing snapped.
“Every news outlet under heaven belongs to me. They can only see what I allow them to see! What is there that cannot be hidden? From the time they are children, they have only ever seen my words. If I say it is black, it is black. If I say it is white, it is white. Rest assured, they are very obedient.”
“But I still think—”
“Say no more. I do not trust them. I know those commoners; they all act with a sense of Great Righteous Cause, but in reality, they only care about themselves,” Emperor Jing interrupted.
“If we rely on their moral awareness to overcome this crisis, then we are truly fools. Panic must not break out. I will handle the maintenance of order. You two only need to put all your effort into creating an Antidote.”
“Very well…” Li Tieming sighed. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke tentatively.
“Regarding the matter of the Medical Cultivators…”
“Do not mention Medical Cultivators again!” Emperor Jing slammed his hand on the table, looking like an enraged beast.
However, he quickly realized he had lost his composure. His tensed muscles relaxed, and he said softly, “Because I believe in you.”