Chapter 37
Chapter 37
The rhythmic clatter of hooves splashed through loose dust and mud.
Han Lie and his men galloped toward Yunwu City, leaving a billowing trail of dust in their wake.
Qin Ying hadn’t left. By following Han Lie’s cavalry troop, it was as if she were revealing a fog-of-war map, taking in the scenery along the way.
Her gaze swept over a certain spot, and she suddenly frowned. “Han Lie, there’s something in the woods to your front-right. A lot of them.”
A dense, black mass was huddled in the forest, looking like some kind of flying insects or aerial Monstrous Beasts.
“At your current speed…” Qin Ying closed one eye and used her hand to gauge the distance. “You’ll encounter them in two minutes… sixty breaths. 59, 58…”
Her countdown invisibly ratcheted up the tension.
Han Lie, gripping the reins as he galloped, suddenly gave a sharp whistle.
The troop’s pace dropped abruptly.
“Ready the flints and oil! Prepare for combat!”
Aside from Wang Chang, most of those accompanying Han Lie were the subordinates who had helped him escort the Danghu. Their coordination was seamless.
Even Wang Chang, that scarred-faced oaf, had skills that were beyond question.
As soon as Han Lie’s order was given, the riders shrouded in dust let out a low, collective shout of acknowledgement.
While controlling their horses, they pulled oil pouches from the sides of their saddles.
The oil stored in these specialized leather skins was rendered from the fat of Monstrous Beasts and mixed with certain toxins; it wouldn’t solidify and was extremely resistant to being extinguished.
They drizzled the yellowish grease along the spines of their blades.
Then, they struck flints against the backs of the swords. Sparks flew, causing the standard-issue Ring-Pommel Sabers to erupt into flames.
Firelight danced in the eyes of Han Lie and his men.
After rounding a patch of desolate woods, a surging black mist came into view ahead.
This mist was composed of individual black insects, each about the size of a thumb-tip.
These Midges weren’t considered Monstrous Beasts on their own, but when they gathered in such vast numbers, they could suck the life out of any cattle, horses, or humans they encountered, leaving them as dry husks.
Wang Chang kept his horse under control as he whispered, “The way these bugs are moving is strange.”
Generally speaking, swarms drifted aimlessly. However, the swarm blocking the path ahead seemed to have a clear objective.
Han Lie’s clean-shaven face was sharp-contoured, his eyes cold and resolute. He didn’t swerve or dodge, leading the cavalry troop in a direct charge into the swarm of Midges.
As the sharpest point of the spearhead, the muscles on Han Lie’s sturdy arms rolled like parts of a machine.
The burning Ring-Pommel Saber danced in his hand.
From Qin Ying’s perspective, she could only see flashes of flaming blade-light erupting like fireworks within the dark, murky swarm.
The air was filled with the sound of vibrating wings, the crackle of burning insects, and the whistling of the wind cut by the blades.
The moment Han Lie led the team through to scatter the swarm, everything suddenly went silent.
Qin Ying couldn’t help but rub her ears.
“Good job!” she praised instinctively. “That was actually quite cool.”
Han Lie, who had just flicked the remaining embers off his blade, felt his ears beneath his helmet burn like fire.
“It was nothing,” he replied softly, with uncharacteristic humility.
“Han-Squad Leader Han!” Wang Chang paused, addressing him by his official title. “Who are you talking to?”
Before Han Lie could answer, Wang Chang continued on his own, “The swarm is wrong!”
When Midges gathered in such large numbers, their lethality far exceeded that of an ordinary Monstrous Beast. They left nothing but withered, stick-like corpses in their path.
“Individually, these Midges are very weak. They almost never get the chance to form a swarm of this magnitude, unless…”
Han Lie knew what he was going to say. He looked back at the dense layer of insect carcasses carpeting the road behind them.
“Unless a large-scale Corpse-type Calamity has appeared.”
And in Yunwu County, the only known Corpse-type Calamity was the Hanba.
Han Lie finished Wang Chang’s thought for him and kicked his heels into his horse’s flanks. “Let’s get back first!”
The cavalry troop, which had slowed down moments ago, accelerated once more toward Yunwu County City.
On the way, they encountered several more waves of attacks.
They were all Fei Yi snakes.
These strange serpents were brazenly coiled across the main road.
From her high vantage point outside the box, Qin Ying could see anomalies in the woods, though she couldn’t tell if they were more Fei Yi or something else.
By the time they reached the walls of Yunwu County City, half the sky had turned dark.
Wang Chang let out a long breath. “Thank goodness we made it back in time!”
“Those things in the wild aren’t to be trifled with. I need to eat well first.”
Wang Chang’s mind jumped from one thing to another.
He asked Han Lie to lend him a waterskin for a drink. As he tilted his head back to gulp it down, he suddenly saw a light flare up from the direction of the city wall, dozens of yards away.
This emerald light refracted into beams, looking quite peculiar.
Wang Chang let out a huff. “Yunwu County sure has plenty of lamp oil…”
The rest of the sentence caught in his throat. His neck trembled as he pointed a finger at the glowing, massive city wall!
“By his grandfather’s beard! Is Yunwu using a Jade Wall to build their city walls?”
It was a single, flawless piece of emerald Jade Wall as high as a mountain!
“Damn! Think of how much that’s worth!”
He stared up at it, drool nearly leaking from the corner of his mouth.
Han Lie had no interest in dealing with this clown. He reached out to grab the man’s reins and pulled his horse along.
“That is divine grace.”
As for why it was glowing, it was because Chief Clerk Li had arranged to have the Migu Trees from the Commandery Governor’s Mansion transplanted to the base of the wall.
The Migu Flowers shone with a brilliance that illuminated the surroundings at night.
Chief Clerk Li had declared that only such magnificent light was worthy of the totem bestowed by the Supreme Deity.
In short-it was man-made light pollution.
Wang Chang wiped the corner of his mouth and tried to discuss with Han Lie whether the Supreme Deity might give him a gemstone if he started believing in Him.
But he was interrupted by wave after wave of groaning.
A foul, putrid stench drifted out from the gap in the city gates.
The silly look vanished from Wang Chang’s face.
Once they passed through the gates, they saw people lying in the tunnel of the gatehouse.
Dressed as commoners, their faces were all a bruised purple, just like Commandant Lin’s.
However, the poison Commandant Lin had suffered was much more potent and lethal.
Xu Tan walked quickly down from the top of the wall.
“Squad Leader Han, after you left today, the number of people bitten by the Fei Yi increased significantly.”
“They’ve all come to the county seat to try their luck.”
By the light of the torches, Han Lie saw many people prostrating themselves beside the wounded, praying with deep devotion.
They were praying for the Supreme Deity to appear once more and save the world.
Han Lie said, “Rest easy.”
Xu Tan was briefly stunned, then let out a long breath. “If you say so, then all is well.”
He bowed his head and whispered, “Thank the divine grace.”
Qin Ying had been listening to their conversation the whole time.
She had also heard those devout prayers.
No, it would be more accurate to say she heard them even more clearly.
It was like tiny insects clinging to her earlobes, their wings vibrating in a fragmented, rustling sound.
If she listened closely, she could hear countless voices of prayer.
A thought stirred in Qin Ying’s mind as she listened to these prayers and cries.
A sudden hypothesis formed.
Perhaps her influence over the World in the Box would deepen because of the faith she received?
Qin Ying’s expression shifted slightly. Watching Han Lie enter the Commandery Governor’s Mansion, she picked up a pharmacy flyer she had used earlier to drop in the Toad Venom.
She mused that she needed to find an opportunity to buy some proper tools. Every time she put something in the box, she was either rolling up flyers or using BBQ tongs; it was a bit lacking in dignity.
Inside the box, Han Lie and the others returned to the Commandery Governor’s Mansion and went first to see Commandant Lin.
Half a day had passed, and Commandant Lin’s condition had worsened. A faint, ghostly chill emanated from beneath his nose.
If it weren’t for the exceptional constitutions of the Jade Balance Army, he likely would have died already.
But the situation remained dire.
The Old Physician had not yet rested, flipping through medical texts under the light of a Migu Flower.
He showed little joy when he saw Han Lie and the others enter.
Even if the Duan Family were willing to give them an Ear Rat, the thirty or so people in the city also bitten by the Fei Yi would still be without medicine-a certain death sentence.
Furthermore, with Monstrous Beasts rampaging through Yunwu County, there was no telling how many more were injured.
Han Lie stepped forward, took a Migu Flower, and walked to the small courtyard where they brewed medicine.
He placed the Migu Flower, which emitted a cold white light, in the center of the yard.
Then he shouted, “Unbind Swords, Remove Armor, Full Ceremony Kneeling Welcome for the Supreme Deity!”
Those who had been confused earlier all knelt down. Wang Chang, in particular, knelt with the utmost devotion.
Wu Er and the others also knelt, though with a hint of doubt.
A wind blew through the courtyard, and the surroundings fell into a dead silence.
Just as Wang Chang was about to shift his weight, he suddenly realized that something new had appeared in the sky.