activa-t Chapter 338 Smallpox Epidemic
Chapter 338 Smallpox Epidemic
In the winter of the 356th year of the Nanzhao calendar, before the first snow had even fallen, the alarm bell of the Epidemic Prevention Department rang shrilly. Xiao Mingche's knuckles turned white as he gripped the urgent secret report, the handwriting on the paper scrawled like blood: "A sudden outbreak of high fever and rash patients has appeared in Lin'an Prefecture, with more than 30 people dying suddenly in three days. The symptoms are exactly the same as those of smallpox a hundred years ago!" Suddenly, the Star Wish Bead on the desk burst out with a blinding red light, projecting a distorted ghost face totem onto the wall.
Nine-tailed fox Xiaorong, its nine tails bristling into fluffy balls, leaped onto the windowsill, knocking over a medicine jar: "Impossible! The smallpox inoculation method that Empress Shen Mingyue painstakingly improved back then has long since eradicated smallpox!" Qingxuan rushed in, microscope in hand, her eyes bloodshot behind the lenses: "Your Majesty, the smallpox virus extracted from the patients' pustules is more aggressive than described in ancient texts, and..." She paused, "...it contains fluctuations of chaotic energy."
Within Lin'an Prefecture, the once bustling streets had become a living hell. Patients huddled on their doorsteps, their faces contorted with pustules like ripe, oozing foul-smelling pus. A child clutched his mother's clothes, his voice hoarse: "Mother, it hurts..." Before he could finish, he collapsed to the ground, black blood spilling from his mouth. The soldiers responsible for the quarantine wore protective masks, yet some still contracted the disease, red spots gradually appearing on their skin beneath the protective fabric.
Inside the council hall of Xianyang Palace, the atmosphere was heavy as lead. Xiao Mingche slammed the black iron token heavily onto the map: "Activate Level One Epidemic Prevention Order! Close all city gates; entry is permitted, but exit is not!" He looked at Gu Liuli's holographic projection, "Senior, are there any new drugs to combat smallpox in modern times?"
Gu Liuli's voice came through the communicator, tinged with obvious anxiety: "Antibiotics are ineffective against the virus; we can only rely on vaccines. But this virus is mutating too quickly; we need time to analyze its gene sequence!" On the screen she displayed, the structural diagram of the smallpox virus was changing at a visible speed, its surface spikes resembling greedy tentacles.
The epidemic spread at an alarming rate. Five days later, half of the cities of Nanzhao had fallen. The streets were piled high with corpses, and funeral processions snaked like long snakes. At the makeshift crematorium, thick smoke from burning pyres blotted out the sky, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell of burning flesh. An old physician knelt before Xiao Mingche, tears streaming down his face: "Your Majesty, the smallpox vaccination method has completely failed; those who were vaccinated..."
The conspiracy of the Netherworld Pavilion is gradually coming to light. A secret letter intercepted by their agents reveals that they found the "Plague God Cauldron," left behind by the first Netherworld Pavilion Master, in an ancient tomb flooded by torrential rain. They used chaotic energy to regenerate a mutated smallpox virus. Even more terrifying, they deliberately released infected refugees into unsealed villages, sowing seeds of death.
Standing atop the city wall, Xiao Mingche watched the flames of the plague spreading beyond the city walls, a surge of rage rising within him. He gripped the golden silk whip left behind by Shen Mingyue, the pendant at its tip suddenly emitting a warm vibration. Suddenly, the nine-aperture cat Xiao Rong leaped onto his shoulder: "Your Majesty! The Empress's medical texts mention that the bloodline of the Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart can purify the source of the virus!"
However, Shen Nianli had already wandered the world, her whereabouts unknown. Xiao Mingche gritted his teeth and unbuttoned his shirt—the scar from childhood smallpox vaccination was clearly visible on his chest: "I am also of the Xiao family bloodline, let me try!" Qingxuan was horrified: "Your Majesty, you mustn't! If anything happens to you..."
"There's no time!" Xiao Mingche interrupted her. "Issue a decree to extract the immune factors from my blood and fuse them with the power of the Star Wish Pearl!" He gazed resolutely towards the direction ravaged by the plague. "Our ancestors were able to defeat smallpox, and so can I!"
In the laboratory of the Nine Apertures Academy, a race against death quietly unfolds. Gu Liuli transmits modern gene-editing technology via the Star Network, while Qingxuan leads the medical officers to fuse Xiao Mingche's blood with the energy of the Star Wish Bead. When the first improved vaccine is injected into the patient, everyone holds their breath.
At the same time, the Netherworld Pavilion launched a full-scale attack. They controlled "Plague Demons" infected by the virus; these beings had festering skin but possessed immense strength, surging towards the city gates like a tidal wave. Xiao Mingche, clad in armor, swung his sword at the Plague Demons. Wherever his golden whip struck, the black mist dissipated, and the infected temporarily regained their clarity.
Just as the battle was raging, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the direction of Lin'an Prefecture. The leader of the Netherworld Pavilion stood amidst the towering flames, the Plague God Cauldron in his hand emitting an eerie green light: "Xiao Mingche, this is only the beginning! When the virus engulfs the entire Nanzhao Kingdom, the resurgence of the evil god will be unstoppable!"
Xiao Mingche roared and poured all his spiritual power into the Xuan Tie Sword, the sword energy shooting towards the Plague God Cauldron like a rainbow. At the critical moment, a familiar figure swept across the sky—Shen Nianli arrived just in time, riding her mechanical kite. The nine-aperture mark between her eyebrows shone brightly, and she lashed out a golden silk whip to entangle the Plague God Cauldron.
"Your Majesty, I have found a solution in the Western Regions!" Shen Nianli tossed an ancient scroll to Xiao Mingche. "By resonating the Nine Apertures Bloodline with the Star Wish Bead, and then purifying it with modern technology, we can create the ultimate vaccine!"
The three joined forces and finally destroyed the Plague God Cauldron. The leader of the Netherworld Pavilion was reduced to ashes in the explosion, but his maniacal laughter still echoed in the air: "You thought you could win? The virus has already penetrated every inch of Nanzhao's land!"
Xiao Mingche and Shen Nianli immediately devoted themselves to vaccine development. They perfectly combined the power of their Nine Apertures Bloodline with modern genetic technology to create the "Holy Healing Vaccine," which could fight against mutated smallpox. Under the light of the Star Wish Bead, the vaccine was quickly distributed throughout Nanzhao.
When the last patient recovered, the Nanzhao Kingdom saw a long-awaited glimmer of hope. Looking upon his homeland, now recovered from the catastrophe, Xiao Mingche knew this victory was only temporary. He ordered the expansion of the Disease Prevention and Control Department, created the "Tian Shu Yi" (Heavenly Pivot Instrument) using mechanical arts to provide early warnings of epidemics, and established closer medical cooperation with modern Earth.
At the end of the 356th year of the Nanzhao calendar, the streets and alleys, which should have been decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, were still shrouded in gloom. Although the newly developed "Holy Healing Vaccine" had curbed the smallpox epidemic, a new fear rose among the ruins—mixed infections of cholera and smallpox began to appear. These patients suffered from high fever and rash, accompanied by severe diarrhea and dehydration, and the ancient books in the hands of the medical officers no longer had a solution.
The observatory of Xianyang Palace had been converted into a temporary laboratory, with the Star Wish Bead floating in the center, projecting its eerie blue light onto the microscope array. Xiao Mingche stared at the tangled viral chains on the slide, his brows furrowed in a deep frown: "The gene fragments of the two viruses have actually recombinated in the patient's body, forming a completely new strain!" Qingxuan's protective suit was already soaked with sweat. She pointed at the analyzer and screamed: "The virulence has increased tenfold, but the incubation period has been shortened to three hours!"
Suddenly, the nine-tailed cat Xiaorong burst open the airtight door, its nine tails covered in mud: "Your Majesty! There's something strange happening at the mass grave in the south of the city! Those corpses that should have been cremated... are moving!" When everyone arrived, the graveyard under the moonlight resembled a scene from hell—rotten arms burst from the ground, zombies covered in pustules dragged their intestines as they crawled, and the black mist spewed from their mouths caused the weeds to wither instantly.
"It's the Corpse Plague Technique of the Netherworld Pavilion!" Gu Liuli's holographic projection appeared amidst the chaos, and the laboratory alarms behind her blared. "They activated the virus in the corpses with chaotic energy, we must immediately..." Before she could finish speaking, the projection suddenly distorted and disappeared, and communication was completely cut off. Xiao Mingche gripped the Xuan Tie Sword tightly, the Taotie pattern on the blade glowing hot with rage: "Pass down the order, all soldiers and civilians, wear masks soaked in mugwort juice, and burn all suspicious corpses!"
Under the dual threat of plague and zombies, the defenses of the Nanzhao Kingdom are on the verge of collapse. Soldiers must guard the city gates against sneak attacks from the Netherworld Pavilion while also venturing into the plague-stricken areas to clear out the zombies. Many collapse from exhaustion in the streets, becoming infected and transforming into new threats. Before turning into a zombie, a young general tearfully begged his comrades to execute him on the spot, his splattered blood blooming a glaring red on the snow.
After three days of seclusion in the underground chamber of the Nine Apertures Academy, Shen Nianli finally found a clue in the tattered pages of her mother Shen Mingyue's medical text. When she rushed into the laboratory, her silver hair was disheveled: "Ancient texts record that the blood of the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart can decompose chaotic energy, but it requires..." She held up a test tube containing purple liquid, "...it requires nanomaterials from modern medicine!"
At this moment, the Netherworld Pavilion launched its all-out attack. Thousands of zombies, driven by the black-robed man, rushed towards the city walls. In the sky, a giant python formed from plague miasma appeared, its breath corroding the steel armor of the mechanical city with each exhale. Xiao Mingche personally climbed to the top of the city wall and loaded the vaccine cannonballs, infused with spiritual power, into the giant crossbow, only to find that the cannonballs were swallowed by the miasma when they touched the giant python.
"Let me handle this!" Shen Nianli leaped onto the arrow tower, the nine-aperture mark between her brows shining brightly. She lashed out with a golden silk whip, which ensnared the giant python. Blood flowed from the whip's tip into the python's body, triggering a violent explosion within it. However, more black-robed figures emerged from the ground, their Xuanming Tokens resonating with the zombies, and the situation on the battlefield spiraled further out of control.
In the moment of crisis, a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the spacetime rift. Xiao Jingchuan piloted his modified spacetime shuttle, which tore through the air and was equipped with the ultimate weapon of modern technology—the quantum sterilization cannon. "Mingche, aim at the energy core of the zombie horde!" His voice resounded across the battlefield through the loudspeaker. "Nianli, use your nine orifices power to guide the beam!"
Shen Nianli and Xiao Mingche exchanged a glance, simultaneously channeling their spiritual power into the Star Wish Bead. A dazzling golden beam of light clashed with the blue light of the quantum cannon, exploding into a magnificent energy storm in the center of the zombie horde. The black-robed figures let out a shrill scream, and before turning to ashes, they detonated plague bombs buried throughout the city.
Amidst the violent tremors, an ominous hum echoed from the depths of the Nanzhao Kingdom. A massive black sphere slowly rose, its surface covered in pustules and tentacles—the "Source of Plague," cultivated by the Netherworld Pavilion using viruses and chaotic energy. With each pulsation, it released new mutated viruses, causing even the air to rot wherever it went.
"This is a sign of the descent of an evil god!" The Nine-Tails Xiao Rong's voice was filled with despair. "We must destroy the core, but our power..." It was interrupted by Shen Nianli: "Do you remember the true power of the Qiankun Mirror?" She looked at Xiao Mingche, "Using the Nine Apertures Bloodline as a guide, and the faith of the entire Nanzhao Kingdom as fuel!"
Xiao Mingche immediately gave the order, and all soldiers and civilians placed their hands on the giant array of Star Wish Beads. As the beliefs of millions of people converged into a golden torrent, the Qiankun Mirror Monument suddenly rose from the ground, its surface reflecting the phantom images of guardians from past generations—Xiao Jingchuan, Gu Liuli, Shen Mingyue, Shen Nianli... Their power merged into the torrent and shot towards the source of the plague.
Amidst deafening explosions, the source of the plague dissipated into a shower of light. But the battle was not over—the leader of the Netherworld Pavilion suddenly appeared, sacrificing himself to the chaotic energy, transforming into a colossal monster composed of viruses and resentment. He opened his massive maw, filled with fangs, devouring all life energy around him.
"It's time to end this!" Xiao Mingche and Shen Nianli leaped up simultaneously, fusing their respective Star Wish Beads with the Xuan Tie Sword and Golden Silk Whip. As their weapons pierced the monster's core, the entire sky of the Nanzhao Kingdom was dyed gold. The monster let out a resentful roar before finally dissipating in the light.
Inside the Imperial Medical Academy of Xianyang Palace, the smoke from the bronze incense burner mingled with the pungent smell of medicine. Chief Physician Lin Henian stared at the mountain of medical records piled on his desk, his knuckles unconsciously tracing the yellowed pages of the "Compendium of Plague Prevention and Control." In the flickering candlelight, he suddenly noticed a half-line of insect-eaten writing in Shen Mingyue's annotations—"Fighting poison with poison, it needs to be tempered by the spiritual fire of the Star Wish Pearl."
"Guards! Retrieve the messenger from the Netherworld Pavilion captured three days ago!" Lin Henian's voice carried a desperate resolve. As the guards brought in the dying man in black, he trembled as he took out a silver needle and pierced the man's pustules, placing the extracted smallpox venom under the Star Wish Bead. In the eerie blue light, the smallpox venom strangely curled into the shape of a Tai Chi symbol, with the Xuanming totem appearing prominently in its center.
"Found it!" Lin Henian grabbed his wolf-hair brush and scribbled furiously. "The core of this mutated smallpox is an ancient virus strain infiltrated by chaotic energy. Ordinary inoculation methods will only activate it! We must use the Star Wish Bead to purify the virus's origin, supplemented by the Five Poisons Nourishing Essence Formula secretly passed down by the Nine Apertures Academy!" He turned to his apprentices and shouted, "Immediately prepare nine kinds of poisonous insects and inform His Majesty that the first-generation vaccine can be produced within three days!"
Meanwhile, within the quarantine camp in Lin'an Prefecture, desperate cries of agony echoed throughout. Pregnant woman Li Shi huddled on a straw mat, her swollen belly covered in horrifying smallpox rashes. Trembling, she grasped the physician's hand: "Doctor, my child..." Before she could finish, she fell into a coma. Bai Zhi, a disciple of the Nine Apertures Academy responsible for patrolling the camp, her eyes reddening, quietly slipped the Star Wish Bead she always wore into Li Shi's palm.
Three days later, the martial arts arena of Xianyang Palace transformed into a giant pharmaceutical workshop. Xiao Mingche personally oversaw the process, watching Lin Henian mix the purified smallpox virus with powdered medicine made from the five poisons, and then repeatedly burn it with the light of the Star Wish Bead. When the first vaccine, gleaming with golden light, was completed, suppressed cheers erupted throughout the square.
“I’ll test the medicine first,” Xiao Mingche said, rolling up his sleeves. Lin Henian knelt down with a thud: “Your Majesty, your body is of utmost importance… A hundred years ago, Consort Shen Mingyue tested the smallpox inoculation method on herself, and today I shall do the same.” As the silver needle pierced his flesh, Xiao Mingche felt a chill spread through his veins, and the eerie altar of the Netherworld Pavilion flashed before his eyes. Three days later, he only had a slight fever, and the smallpox rash had subsided before it even appeared.
After vaccinations began, the entire Nanzhao Kingdom was on high alert. Soldiers carried specially made mechanical medicine chests through the streets and alleys, the whirring of gears mingling with the sobs of the people. In the hardest-hit areas, medical officers discovered that some patients, out of fear, resisted vaccination and even secretly discarded the vaccines. Bai Zhi appeared with Li Shi's one-month-old baby, the infant's rosy face flawless: "Look, this child was born amidst the plague, yet is unharmed thanks to the vaccine!"
However, the Netherworld Pavilion did not sit idly by. They disguised themselves as itinerant doctors and infiltrated the village, replacing the vaccines with counterfeit medicine laced with corpse poison. When the recipients developed severe poisoning symptoms, rumors spread like wildfire: "The emperor is using sorcery to harm the people!" Xiao Mingche summoned his secret guards overnight, and during the investigation, they discovered that the packaging of the counterfeit medicine was printed with a fragmented Xuanming totem.
"Activate StarNet Tracking!" Xiao Mingche's command caused all the mechanism towers of the Nine Apertures Academy to light up. Gu Liuli's holographic projection appeared at the top of the tower, displaying a modern satellite cloud map: "The virus transmission path matches the layout of the ancient evil array. They are using the epidemic as a sacrifice to recast the Xuanming Token!" In the image, the outbreak points on the Nanzhao map gradually connected to form a strange talisman shape.
Inside an abandoned Taoist temple, an elder of the Netherworld Pavilion was injecting the blood of a diseased child into a bronze cauldron. The Xuanming Token, emerging from the cauldron, was beginning to take shape, while the faces of the piled-up corpses around him were covered in horrific rashes. "Once the last array eye is completed, the evil god will be reborn through the plague!" His maniacal laughter was suddenly punctuated by the roar of a mechanical kite.
Xiao Mingche led his elite troops down from the sky. The moment the Xuan Tie Sword cleaved through the palace gate, he saw the elder sacrifice himself to the Xuanming Token. Amidst the blazing black light, a giant golem composed of viruses and resentment burst forth from the ground. With each step it took, decaying vines sprouted from the ground, instantly infecting anyone who came into contact with it.
"Use vaccine shells!" Lin Henian arrived with his medical officers and loaded the specially made vaccine into the crossbow. When the golden shells struck the golem, they were absorbed by its skin, making the golem even stronger. At the critical moment, Shen Nianli appeared, piloting an upgraded mechanical kite. The nine-aperture mark between her brows resonated with the Star Wish Bead, and the golden silk whip she lashed out wrapped around the golem's throat.
"Nine Apertures Power, Purify!" With Shen Nianli's shout, Xiao Mingche channeled all his spiritual power into the Xuan Tie Sword. The two swords combined and pierced the core of the demonic golem. The purifying power of the vaccine intertwined with the light of the Nine Apertures Exquisite Heart, transforming into a dazzling golden vortex. The demonic golem let out a deafening roar, finally dissipating in the light, leaving only pure vaccine liquid seeping into the earth.