It was obvious that something was wrong. Because the first person to rush onto the Divine Martial Street was a strong man with a strong physique,
It was untenable.
Compared to the other soldiers, the few soldiers who suffered from the human face plague..,
As for what exactly was different, Xie Lian had thought of many possibilities and tested many of them. In all aspects, they were not much different from others. Among all the infected, appearance..,
Physique..,
Even identity..,
Personality, were all varied..,
Unable to come up with a fixed pattern. Could it be..,
Who was infected and who was not, was it really just a matter of luck?
Xie Lian muttered to himself, "What exactly did the soldiers do..,
How could they resist the spread of the human face plague? In other words..,
What exactly was there that the commoners did less..,
The soldiers did more... "
At this point, his eyes suddenly widened,
His face turned pale. Hearing his voice stop abruptly, Feng Xin said, "What's Wrong, Your Highness? What did you think of? "
Xie Lian had indeed thought of something. He thought of a reasonable speculation..,
At the same time..,
It was also a terrifying speculation.
He suddenly stood up and blurted out, "No! No, no, it shouldn't be like that..,
It's impossible for such a thing to happen. "
Feng Xin and Mu Qing also stood up and said, "What is it?"
Xie Lian covered his forehead and paced back and forth a few steps. He raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I have a very absurd guess. It shouldn't be true, but I need to test it. "
Mu Qing said, "What exactly is your guess? How do you want to test it? Do you want me to find someone to test it for you? "
Xie Lian immediately rejected, "No, I can't find a living person to test it. What if I guess wrong?" It was better to say that he hoped in his heart that he guessed wrong. It would be better if he was very wrong. Mu Qing frowned and said, "Your Highness, if you want to know if your guess is right, you have to use a living person to test it. This is the best way. It's useless for you to worry here. "
Feng Xin also frowned, "Don't you see that he's annoyed? Don't say such things at this time."
Mu Qing turned his head and said, "Strange, what did I say? Am I not telling the truth? At this point, what's the use of hesitating and struggling? "
Feng Xin said in disgust, "Do you have to measure everything by whether there is a use or not? That's a living person. You didn't even hesitate. Aren't you being too calm? "
Mu Qing said, "Calm down? Are you trying to say that I'm cold-blooded? "
Xie Lian also didn't have the patience to gently mediate between the two of them in the past. He said, "The two of you can start fighting over a single sentence. How improper! Stand here for the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, and no one is allowed to move during that time. Old rules. "
"…"
"…"
Upon hearing the three words "old rules", Feng Xin and Mu Qing's expressions changed slightly. Xie Lian waved his hand and said, "The Heavenly Official blesses me. Begin. "
After a long while, Feng Xin gritted his teeth and said, "… The Star of Fortune shines upon us."
Mu Qing also gritted his teeth and said, "… Just follow the script."
Feng Xin said with difficulty, "Ke … Ke …"
He was still thinking hard about how to answer when Xie Lian turned around and entered the Bu You Forest to find the three sick soldiers for questioning.
The so-called old rules was a method that Xie Lian thought of to divert their attention. Feng Xin and Mu Qing had nothing better to do than to stab each other with a few words. The starting point was neither big nor small. At the beginning, Xie Lian would make them stand silently for the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, and not speak to each other until they had calmed down. However, the results were minimal. Hence, Xie Lian decided to change it to having them play the dragon with idioms, to have a battle of victory and defeat. This way, their minds wouldn't have the time to think about the quarrel just now, and would have to rack their brains to think of a way to win the other party. After discovering this good method, Xie Lian felt that the world had become much more peaceful, and was very satisfied. Now that they had to follow the old rules again, it could be considered as letting everyone relax a little.
However, this relaxation didn't last for long. After the time it took for an incense to burn, Xie Lian returned. His expression was extremely unsightly as he ordered, "Gather all the soldiers in the camp who live and eat with the soldiers who are sick. I have something to ask them."
The two of them had already been stuck several times, and each had their own victories and defeats. Finally, they didn't have to play the dragon anymore, and they both heaved a sigh of relief. Mu Qing said, "That's fine. However, this kind of roundabout way of seeking confirmation might not necessarily guarantee that the results will be completely accurate. "
Feng Xin turned around and was about to carry out his orders when Xie Lian spoke up again, "Wait! It's already late at night. Going to ask them now would make too much of a commotion, and we can't gather too many people at once, lest we attract attention. The things I want to ask can't leak out even the slightest bit of information. This way, we won't be able to hide it from others. "
Feng Xin turned around and asked, "Then what should we do? Should we bring them one by one to your place and ask them in private? "
Xie Lian replied, "That's the only way. Tomorrow, first bring the soldiers who are close to those people to my room one by one. We can't let them know that they've all been interrogated. Remember to order them to absolutely not tell anyone else. Otherwise … … "
He sucked in a breath, then sighed and said, "Forget it. It's better if you threaten them. Just say that if this gets out, they will be killed without question. The more ruthless, the better. "
Mu Qing said, "If we ask them one by one, how long will that take?"
Xie Lian replied, "No matter how long it takes, we still have to ask them. The more we ask, the more we can confirm. This matter … … I have to get to the bottom of it. I absolutely cannot make the slightest mistake. "
Thus, on the second day, Xie Lian sat in a room that had been temporarily set aside for him on the city gate tower. He personally interrogated over three hundred soldiers.
Faced with the questions he asked, these three hundred people all gave the same answer. With every question asked, Xie Lian's expression sank a little. After he finished, Feng Xin and Mu Qing walked into the room. They saw Xie Lian sitting at the table with one hand on his forehead. He didn't say anything, and after a long time, he slowly said, "You guys guard the city gate. I'm going to Mount Taicang."
Feng Xin hesitated before asking, "Your Highness, did you manage to ask anything? In the end, was it a curse or … …? "
Xie Lian nodded his head and said, "I got it. It was a curse."
Mu Qing solemnly asked, "Are you sure?"
Xie Lian replied, "I'm sure without a doubt. I also know what kind of people will be infected, and what kind of people won't be infected. "
Although he said this, his face didn't have the slightest bit of joy from finally unraveling the mystery. Feng Xin and Mu Qing felt that the matter wasn't that simple. However, since Xie Lian didn't take the initiative to say anything, as his subordinates, they naturally couldn't ask too much. Their hearts also sank.
Mount Taicang, Huang Ji Monastery, the highest peak, Divine Martial Hall. The State Preceptor offered incense amidst the rising smoke. Xie Lian stepped into the hall and got straight to the point. "State Preceptor, I want to see the Emperor."
After the State Preceptor finished offering incense, he turned his head and said, "Your Highness, the gate to Heaven is no longer open for you."
Xie Lian replied, "I know. However, I have already investigated and found out that Xian Le Country is currently suffering from an unprecedented evil cursed tide. This isn't a natural disaster, it's caused by something that isn't human. Please lend me a hand and invite the Emperor to descend and possess my body. Then, I can directly inform him of this news. Perhaps he will know what the source of all this is. Perhaps he can find a way to turn things around. "
Ever since he returned to the human world, he had come to the Divine Martial Hall to report three times. However, the first two times, he didn't intend to ask for help. He was just going through the motions. Only this time, he sincerely wanted to seek help. The State Preceptor sat on the chair and said, "It's not that I don't want to help you, Your Highness. It's just that there's no need. Even if I lend you a helping hand, the Emperor will descend and possess my body. When you talk to him, the answer you receive will only disappoint you. "
Xie Lian's expression slightly changed as he said, "Do you know something? Do you know what that white clothed man wearing the smile-crying mask is? "
The State Preceptor said, "Your Highness, do you still remember the words I told you before? The fate of this world, good or bad, is fixed. "
Xie Lian stared blankly and immediately fell silent. The State Preceptor continued, "Originally, many of the people of Yong An were about to die. You transported water and rain, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief. However, you weren't able to completely rescue them from the drought and arrange for their future. Therefore, right now, they have to fight for a future for themselves in the Yong An Army.
"Originally, the Imperial City had already fallen into decline. However, you personally descended to the human world. With your strength alone, you instantly reversed the situation and allowed the Imperial City to breathe a sigh of relief. However, you didn't resolutely exterminate the Yong An rebel army and exterminate the roots. Instead, you allowed them to survive until today. Like a group of cockroaches, the more you fought, the stronger they became. "
The State Preceptor strangely asked, "Your Highness, can I ask what you're doing? Could it be that you're still waiting for both sides to repent, turn over a new leaf, reconcile, and return to the same country? "
Xie Lian's heart inexplicably gave birth to a feeling of shame. However, it quickly turned into confusion as he thought, "It's really strange. Regardless of whether I save people or protect them, it's all because those people are innocent commoners. Their crimes don't warrant death. Every single thing I've done is clearly something I've seriously thought about and made after struggling with myself. Why is it that when someone else says it, it sounds so laughable? Why does it sound like I haven't accomplished anything at all? I'm such a … failure? "
Just as this word emerged in his mind, he immediately erased it with thick ink. The State Preceptor continued, "With your deity's body, you interfered with the affairs of the human world. The destiny of Xian Le Country has been turned upside down by you, turning it into a complete mess. In order to achieve balance, some other things will naturally be born, bringing back the tracks that were deviated by you. I don't know what that thing is, but I can confirm that it was born for you. "
"… …"
Xie Lian's figure swayed. The State Preceptor continued, "I can also confirm that when the Divine Martial Emperor saw you, he would certainly tell you the same thing. Because, this is the reason why he didn't let you come down. But I feel that even if he told you at that time, you would most likely still come down. Teenagers are like this. If they don't listen to advice, if they don't fall, they won't believe that they can't walk. "
Xie Lian said in disbelief, "You mean, the cause of this Human Face Plague is actually me? So, according to the so-called theory of fixed numbers, whatever that thing that doesn't laugh or cry does, I deserve it? So, the Heavenly Court simply won't care about this matter? "
The State Preceptor said, "You can say that, but you can also not say that. After all, if you really want to calculate it this way, you can still blame your Imperial Father and Imperial Mother. Because if they didn't give birth to you, you wouldn't have ascended, and you wouldn't have descended to the mortal world. So on and so forth, you can blame the ancestors of your Xian Le Country. Therefore, it was meaningless to discuss who created the cause.
"As for the last question you asked, yes, it won't. Because, the destruction of Xian Le Country was originally inevitable. Since you reached out and messed up this chess game, then, there must be another hand to put the chess pieces back in place. "
Xie Lian took a deep breath. He didn't want to discuss with him whether or not the destruction of Xian Le Country was inevitable. Closing his eyes for a moment, he said, "Then, may I ask the State Preceptor, if I disappear now, will this thing also disappear with me?"
The State Preceptor said, "I'm afraid it won't. It's easy to invite a god in, but it's hard to send him away. There's no difference between demons and ghosts. "
Xie Lian nodded and stiffly said, "Good. Thank you for your guidance, State Preceptor. "
He knew that it was useless to say more. The only thing he could rely on was himself. After paying his respects to the State Preceptor, he said goodbye and prepared to leave. Behind him, the State Preceptor said, "Your Highness! From now on, what do you plan to do? "
Xie Lian lowered his head and said, "Since it's useless for me to disappear now, then I will fight it to the end. This is my only path."
Pausing for a moment, he raised his head and said word by word, "I don't care if it's a hand or something else. However, the people I'm protecting are definitely not its chess pieces."
Half a month later, Lang Ying led the Yong An Army to attack again.
After going through several months of countless battles, the current Yong An Army could finally be called an army. They were no longer a group of bandits and refugees, but a regular and powerful army!
It was as if Lang Ying had disappeared from the world for a long time. This time, Xie Lian once again saw this man on the battlefield. He, who had been waiting for a long time, directly flew over the crowd and pressed forward. Slashing down with his sword, he shouted, "Where is that man in white?"
Lang Ying blocked his sword. He didn't reply and seriously counterattacked. Xie Lian pressed forward step by step and said, "You know who I'm talking about. My patience is limited! "
Suddenly, Lang Ying stared at him and said, "Your Highness, didn't you say that it would continue to rain in Yong An?"
Xie Lian didn't expect him to ask such a question. His heart trembled and he was at a loss for words, "I … …"
He did promise Lang Ying that it would rain in Yong An. However, during this period of time, the number of people infected with the Human Face Plague in the imperial city had multiplied several times. Currently, there were almost five hundred people infected. These five hundred people were all squeezed into the You Lin. Seeing that this quarantine area was about to be insufficient, the officials discussed moving to a further, larger place. Most of Xie Lian's mana was used to alleviate the illnesses of these five hundred people, so he couldn't go to Yong An to rain anymore. Since he had no use for the Rain Master's hat, he was too embarrassed to keep someone else's talisman. With no other choice, he sent Feng Xin to the Rain Master's Country to return the hat to the Rain Master and express his thanks.
Xie Lian stabbed out with his sword and angrily said, "I was the one who made the rain. Why did it stop? Don't you guys know?!"
The angrier he got, the calmer Lang Ying became. "It's none of my business. I only know that even without this Human Face Plague, your mana won't last long. Just like how even with your rain, not many people in Yong An can survive. It's all useless. Your Highness, why do you think you can do whatever you want? Rather than handing my fate to you, I choose to hand it to myself. "
Xie Lian didn't know which sentence stabbed him, but his killing intent rose.
He slightly turned the blade of his sword and secretly raised his left palm. There was a voice in his heart that clamored, 'Kill this person. The remnants of Yong An are nothing to be afraid of!'
Since they met, this was the first time he was truly determined to kill Lang Ying. Unexpectedly, he sent out his palm and hit Lang Ying's chest, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. However, it didn't pierce through his heart. Instead, he was shaken away.
With this shock, Xie Lian couldn't believe it. He retreated a few steps and said, "You?!"
Xie Lian couldn't be more clear about what had shaken him away.
There were powerful people in the world, such as monarchs, geniuses, and righteous people. Whenever they encountered a critical moment, they would naturally produce a protective aura to protect them from harm. Most of these people had the potential to ascend to immortality. Lang Ying was nothing more than a wild person, yet he actually produced this kind of protective spiritual aura. Moreover, it was an extremely rare kind — — the aura of a monarch!
Xie Lian didn't dare to think about what this meant. Suddenly, he felt a chill in his chest. It was Lang Ying's sword stabbing over, piercing through his chest.
In this battle, the two sides didn't have a winner or loser.
The invading Yong An side still lost many people, but this time, the Xian Le Imperial City's side didn't fare much better. If it was someone else, it could be said to be a pyrrhic victory. However, for Xie Lian, this was definitely a defeat.
This was his first defeat. Moreover, although Lang Ying still couldn't beat Xie Lian and was eventually injured and retreated, many people saw the scene of Lang Ying stabbing him. Xie Lian could roughly guess how many officers and soldiers in the army were discussing behind his back. His Highness is a martial god, how could he be stabbed? Aren't we the soldiers of the gods? Why didn't we achieve a complete victory like in the past? However, he was already unable to pay attention to these small voices. That was because Mu Qing told him that today, Bu You Lin had sent over a hundred more patients with the Human Face Plague.
In a short day, there were another hundred!
Now, the first batch of patients with the Human Face Plague had already reached an extremely serious stage. From top to bottom, there wasn't a single spot that could be seen. Everything had to be covered with thick white cloth, otherwise, just looking at it would be horrifying. However, through the white cloth, one could faintly see the uneven contours of the body.
Xie Lian walked around to treat the patients. With great difficulty, he finished a round. Only then did Feng Xin pull him to the side and whisper, "Your Highness, what happened on the battlefield today? How could you be stabbed by that barbarian? Later on, you clearly hit him several times. Why didn't you kill him? "
Xie Lian didn't want to tell him that Lang Ying's body had an additional layer of the aura of a monarch that even a Heavenly Official couldn't offend. He could only helplessly smile bitterly. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill him, it was that he couldn't. The magic power contained in his attacks had all been absorbed by this layer of king's aura. Thus, it was completely ineffective against Lang Ying. After he discovered this, he immediately switched to using real swords and spears, fighting with his fists and feet. However, this Lang Ying's skin was coarse and thick, so he could take a beating!
Right at this moment, a person in the distance suddenly howled, "Your Highness, save me!"
Xie Lian had just received a bowl of water from Feng Xin. He had just taken a sip when he heard the howl and immediately choked. Without even taking a breath to rest, he rushed over. The one who had howled was the youth who had delivered him the umbrella that day. Because Xie Lian had been especially gentle towards him, this youth had been especially diligent in shouting for him to save him. The first part of this person's face was his knee. Xie Lian had cast a spell to control it, preventing the plague poison from spreading. Thus, from his entire body, only his left leg had a human face. Right now, he was madly kicking that leg, hovering between life and death. Xie Lian held him down and comforted him, "Don't move! I'm coming! "
That youth was extremely terrified. He grabbed him and said, "Your Highness! Your Highness, save me! Just now, I felt my leg itch, as if there was some kind of grass pricking it. Then I, I looked down and saw those things … … their mouths were opening and closing. They were moving, moving! They're eating grass!!! They're alive!!! "
Xie Lian immediately felt his blood run cold. He looked down and sure enough, the youth's left leg was packed with dozens of human faces. Quite a few of their mouths had blades of grass in them, and some were even chewing them hungrily!
Many of the patients began to scream, and the crowd became restless. It was only thanks to Feng Xin Mu Qing and the soldiers that they managed to suppress the riot. Xie Lian held the youth down with one hand and asked the person beside him, "Can he still move this leg?"
No, the guards of the You Forest were all fully armed. Their entire bodies were tightly wrapped in bandages and cloaks, so it was impossible to see how they looked. The person working on the side answered. Judging from the voice, it seemed to be a youth. He said, "Your Highness, he can't! His leg has already been crippled. I don't know what else is growing inside, but it's as heavy as lead. I can't even move it. Moreover, the plague poison has been climbing up, and it's about to climb out of his leg and spread to his waist. "
Xie Lian had already tried his best to save him, but the youth's leg could be said to be terminally ill. He had almost lost the feeling of a normal person. At this moment, a doctor whispered, "Your Highness, in my opinion, the only thing we haven't tried yet is to cut off the part of the human face and see if we can stop the spread of the plague …"
Xie Lian could only think of this method. He said, "Then cut it off for him!"
The youth hurriedly said, "No!" He was afraid that his leg would really be amputated, but he didn't dare to hug his deformed leg. He said in extreme pain, "My leg is not crippled yet! Maybe it can still be healed … Your Highness! You … Don't you have any other way to save me? "
Xie Lian didn't want to reply with words like "I'll try my best" or "I'll try my best" anymore. His vision darkened as he said, "I'm sorry, I don't have any."
This was the first time the Crown Prince had said such a thing. Countless people present were extremely shocked. Some even lost control and shouted, "You don't have any? You're the Crown Prince, you're a god, how can you not have any way? We've been waiting here for you to think of a way for so many days, how can you not have any way?! "
The person who said this was immediately silenced by an unknown person. However, it wasn't Feng Xin or Mu Qing who stopped him. Mu Qing seemed to feel that Xie Lian's words were too frank and didn't appease the crowd. He frowned and didn't say anything. Feng Xin, on the other hand, was shouting at a few patients who were jumping up and down. Xie Lian had been badly battered for the past few days. He didn't return his sword to its sheath. It hung at his waist, the blade of the sword a little closer to the leg. A "human face" felt the cold sword energy and suddenly stopped chewing. It opened its mouth and screamed.
This thing, it actually screamed!!!
Although the sound was weak, it was undoubtedly coming from this leg. The youth screamed and almost fainted from fright. He hugged Xie Lian tightly and repeatedly said, "Your Highness, save me! Save me! " At the same time, three slightly sunken pits appeared on his leg near his waist. The doctor said in shock, "Your Highness, it's spreading, it's spreading! The plague is about to crawl out of the leg! "
No matter how much magic power he used, Xie Lian still wasn't able to control the youth's illness. He watched as these terrifying things were about to spread to the youth's entire body. Once they spread, they could no longer be taken back. Could it be that he was just going to sit and wait for death?
Xie Lian clenched his teeth and said, "I'll ask you one thing. This leg, do you want it or not? I can't guarantee what will happen if you don't have it. If you don't want it, then nod and we'll act immediately. If you don't want it, then don't nod and we'll see! "
The youth gasped for breath. He was actually so scared that his eyes were empty and he was on the verge of losing his mind. He seemed to be nodding, but also seemed to be shaking his head. The faces on his left leg began to scream one after another, as if they were welcoming a new "companion". Amidst their squeaking, one could even see their joyful expressions and their tiny, bright red tongues that were currently trembling. It was hard to imagine what kind of scene the inside of this youth's left leg was like. What kind of thing had it become?
He couldn't drag it out any longer! Xie Lian said to the doctor, "Cut it off for him."
However, the doctor repeatedly waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me! I also don't have the assurance. I don't dare to cut it in this place! Even if I cut it off, it won't work … … It's better not to take the risk! " He inwardly scolded himself for talking too much. The bird that poked its head out would be shot, and he almost got himself into a frightening situation. He fled back into the crowd and didn't say anything. The youth muttered, "Your Highness, save me, Your Highness, save me!" Xie Lian's mind was a blank. In his heart, a voice of despair was also muttering, "— — Who will save me … …!"
All around him, there was a clamor of all sorts of things. Those distorted little faces also squeezed together below and screamed. In an instant, Xie Lian felt as if he was looking at hell.
It was as if he was rigidly staring at this hell, but at the same time, it was as if he was staring at nothing. Amidst the cold sweat, he opened his eyes wide and raised his arms — —