novelraw Chapter 216
Chapter 216
Ye Chutang immediately looked toward the source of the squeaking sounds.
At the town entrance, a swarm of large black rats quickly surged into the town.
The sight was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle with dread.
The commoners on the street screamed. Some ran into shops, while others fled further inside, creating a highly chaotic scene.
Qi Yanzhou was just about to step forward and slaughter the rats when Ye Chutang pulled him back.
"These rats are very likely carrying the plague; they cannot be killed."
For swarms of rats to appear in broad daylight, it had to be man-made!
The plague spread through fleas. If the rats died, the fleas would frantically search for new hosts—humans.
What they needed to do now was repel the insects, then capture the rats alive and burn them in an enclosed space.
Qi Yanzhou knew the severity of the plague, and anger flared on his handsome face.
He never expected that the dog emperor would do something so deranged just to wipe out the Qi family.
The plague combined with a pestilence—if not controlled well, it would be enough to destroy the country!
"Atang, you take father and mother and leave the town first. Leave these rats to me."
Before he could finish his words, the people of the Zhao family were already running toward the outside of the town.
Han Chong was just about to order his subordinates to stop them when the Zhao family was forced back by the next wave of rats.
"Rats, so many rats! Help!"
Ye Chutang immediately took out insect-repelling powder and sprinkled it over the members of the Qi family.
After doing so, she sprinkled some on the ground as well.
"Father, mother, stand where you are and do not move. The powder will protect you."
With that, she threw the remaining powder to Han Chong.
"Give this medicine to the subordinates with good martial arts skills. Have them catch the rats. Once caught, wrap them in clothes and take them to be burned."
Han Chong nodded with a solemn expression, "Yes, Madam Qi."
Ye Chutang looked at Qi Yanzhou, "Go check the pharmacy. If they have insect-repelling medicine, buy as much as they have."
Qi Yanzhou was about to head to the pharmacy diagonally across the street when the Town Commander, his face deathly pale, stopped him.
"Do not go, the pharmacy is empty. There is no medicine."
After saying that, he slapped his thigh and wailed, "Heaven wants to destroy Dayang Town! There are thousands of people here!"
Ye Chutang had no time to ask for the reason. Leaving behind a quick "I will go out and take a look," she tapped her toes on the ground and used her lightness skill to exit Dayang Town.
As soon as she reached the entrance, she saw a small squad of soldiers holding bows and arrows, aiming right at her.
The leader looked at Ye Chutang coming out of the town with a face full of murderous intent.
"Get back inside, or you will be killed without mercy!"
As soon as the words fell, he fired a warning arrow.
Instead of retreating, Ye Chutang advanced. She grabbed the arrow and threw it back backhandedly, aiming straight for the leader's heart.
The leader's eyes widened as he watched the arrow flying rapidly back at him.
His body instinctively dodged, but he was a step too slow and was shot in the arm.
As severe pain washed over him, he roared, "Fire!"
Ye Chutang quickly hid under a large tree at the town entrance.
Arrows rained down, piercing the tree trunk and falling at the town gate.
This blocked Qi Yanzhou, who had chased after her.
Seeing her plan succeed, she placed her hand on the ground and buried all the rats running on the soil deep underground.
As for the rats fleeing across the bluestone slabs and shop floors, they could only be caught by hand.
Just as she finished, Qi Yanzhou braved the rain of arrows to reach her side.
Obvious panic surfaced in the man's eyes.
"Atang, are you alright?"
While asking, he pulled the crouching Ye Chutang up and looked her up and down to see if she was injured.
Ye Chutang shook her head, "I am fine. I injured their leader. He is poisoned and it won't be long before the poison takes effect."
Seeing that Ye Chutang was unhurt, Qi Yanzhou's dangling heart finally settled.
"Dayang Town must be surrounded. Let's go back inside the town first."
"Alright. Before the news of the plague or pestilence spreads, the town is still relatively safe."
Ye Chutang went ahead, and Qi Yanzhou brought up the rear.
The two entered the town one after the other.
The entrance to the town had no gates.
The soldiers could clearly see the panicked commoners on the street and hear their terrified wails.
Someone asked the leader, "Captain, with the pestilence and the plague combined, will something go wrong?"
In the past, no matter which epidemic broke out, many people would die.
This time, with two epidemics hitting at once, he was truly worried that it would become uncontrollable and he would get infected too.
The leader's name was Peng Bin.
He glared at the talkative soldier, "As long as we surround Dayang Town and turn it into a dead city, and then burn it to the ground once the news of the epidemic spreads, nothing will go wrong!"
With that, he said to his uneasy subordinates, "As long as this is done, you will all be promoted from soldiers to officials and get a raise in your salary. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The bold die of gluttony, the timid die of starvation. Let's do it!
Seeing that he had steadied his soldiers, Peng Bin ordered, "Pass down the notification: if anyone from inside Dayang Town tries to come out, shoot them dead on the spot."
"Yes, Captain."
As the order was passed down, the soldier who had raised the question earlier had another one.
"Captain, can the insect-repelling powder scattered on the ground trap the rats?"
He was worried that over time, the medicine's effectiveness would diminish.
Peng Bin looked at the powder on the ground that had blended with the dirt and said affirmatively, "Of course it can. This is from the palace... Pfft!"
Before he could finish his sentence, he spat out a mouthful of black blood and his entire body slumped downward weakly.
The subordinate beside him was quick to catch Peng Bin.
"Captain, what is wrong with you?"
Peng Bin's face had turned a sickly green; it was obvious at a glance that he was poisoned.
He felt as if the blood in his entire body had frozen, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
"The arrow was poisoned! Quickly, go find a doctor!"
"Captain, the doctor is inside the town."
The further north one went, the sparser the population became. The neighboring town was thirty miles away.
Even if they rode horses along the official road, a round trip would take nearly half a day.
Given Peng Bin's current condition, he might not last until his subordinates brought back a doctor.
He looked toward the town and said with an ashen face, "Go bring the doctor out!"
As soon as these words came out, the subordinate supporting him immediately changed his expression.
"Cap... Captain, there is a pestilence and the plague in the town. The doctor has likely already been infected. If we bring him out, not only will we die, but it will also cause the epidemic to spread."
Peng Bin certainly knew how dangerous it was to bring someone out of the town, but he wanted to live!
"Go quickly!"
Everyone was afraid of dying, and they were also afraid of the epidemic spreading out. No one moved.
"Captain, I will take you to the neighboring town to find a doctor."
Although two people riding one horse would be a bit slower.
It would still take much less time than bringing a doctor over from the neighboring town.
Peng Bin knew that if he did not agree, he could only wait for death.
Just as he was about to agree, Ye Chutang appeared at the town entrance.
"Other than me, no one can cure this poison."
Peng Bin struggled to lift his head and looked at the stunningly beautiful woman with a smile on her lips.
"Give me the antidote, or else..."
Ye Chutang interrupted Peng Bin's threat, "Roll yourself in here, or you will die."
With that, she turned around and walked away.
"Stop right there!"
"I said stop right there!"
"I order you to roll out here!"
Peng Bin roared angrily, but his voice grew fainter and fainter. His vision darkened in waves, as if he would pass out at any moment.
He knew that Ye Chutang's medical skills were exceptionally high.
If she said no one could cure his poison, then absolutely no one could!
Thinking of this, he pushed away the subordinate who was supporting him and stumbled into Dayang Town.
Only by listening to Ye Chutang's words could he fight for a sliver of a chance to survive.