Chapter 677: Insect Plague

Ji Yuan shook the accumulated snow off his body, then reached out and pinched the tiny, strange insect, holding it up before his eyes. In his vision, the small creature appeared quite clear, seemingly in a state of unconsciousness. An unpleasant odor emanated from it.

Ji Yuan shifted his gaze from the insect to the small paper crane beside him.

"Where did you catch this?"

The little paper crane flew up and landed on Ji Yuan's shoulder, pointing a wing towards the distant county town.

"Nandao County?"

"Chirp..."

Ji Yuan's brows furrowed. After quickly performing a divination with his fingers, he slowly stood up. At the same moment, Jin Jia, who had been under a large rock, also rose.

"This is utterly depraved!"

Ji Yuan muttered under his breath, then looked at the little paper crane on his shoulder again.

"In the future, it's best not to eat anything that seems unclear or suspicious."

With a light step, Ji Yuan floated swiftly away. With another slight push off the ground, he sped towards Nandao County. Jin Jia followed closely behind. The scenery around them blurred as if shifting, and in mere moments, Ji Yuan, with the small paper crane on his shoulder, and the red-faced Jin Jia, stood atop the south gate tower of Nandao County.

The light snow that had been falling for half the night had stopped, and some of the overcast clouds in the sky had dispersed, revealing a bright moon that significantly improved visibility within the city.

Ji Yuan opened his divine eyes. After a quick scan of the city, he and Jin Jia transformed into a wispy wisp of smoke and landed directly at the end of a street in the city's northern reaches.

Before Ji Yuan stood a group of men dressed in dark, night-cloaked attire, armed with weapons. Two of them were supporting an unconscious man, each holding one of his arms. The man was covered in filth and festering sores. They were in the process of a rapid escape, their nerves on edge.

The black-clothed man, who was responsible for keeping watch ahead, hadn't lost focus, but in the blink of an eye, he noticed two extra figures blocking their path. One stood gracefully in a long gown, one hand in front, the other behind his back, while the other was a burly man, as straight and imposing as an iron tower.

"Pursuers!"

In fact, the man at the front didn't need to speak; many others had already noticed the appearance of Ji Yuan and Jin Jia. The group halted their steps, each grabbing their weapons, gazing nervously ahead, and cautiously observing their surroundings.

"Only two people?" "Don't underestimate them; these two clearly look like masters!"

"What should we do?"

"What else can we do? Their lightness skill must be considerable; we can't escape without killing them. You two, take care of our boss. Everyone else, attack together!"

"Alright!" "Charge!"

*Clang... Clang... Clang... Clang...*

The group wasted no words and showed no hesitation. In just a few brief exchanges, they simultaneously drew their blades and charged towards Ji Yuan and Jin Jia at the front. The entire sequence took only a few breaths.

"Hold your hands."

Ji Yuan raised his hand and pushed forward. The group of men, who had already drawn their blades and charged close, instinctively paused their movements. However, almost none of them actually stopped; instead, they maintained their forward-slashing postures.

Ji Yuan stepped to the side, causing three sabers and two swords to miss their targets entirely. Their slashes and thrusts narrowly passed within an inch or two of Ji Yuan's body. Finally, a large saber descended, and a muscular arm reached out at the same instant.

*Thump...*

The great saber was gently grasped by Jin Jia. The man wielding it tried with all his might to chop down or pull the blade free, but it was useless. The saber seemed to be welded to an iron tower, unmoving no matter how hard he struggled.

"Gentlemen, please calm down. I am not here to pursue you."

Ji Yuan's calm voice rang out again as he explained to the group. He then nodded to Jin Jia, who released his grip on the saber. The man holding the weapon stumbled back a few steps.

"Then who are you? Why are you blocking us?"

Ji Yuan looked at the man in prison robes, who was being supported by two others, and spoke softly.

"I am here for him."

"And you say you're not pursuers?"

The black-clad men grew slightly agitated again, but they did not immediately act. Their hesitation was primarily due to wariness of the scholarly-looking man and the giant, who was far more robust than any ordinary strong man.

"The sores on this man are not an ordinary illness. He has been afflicted by an evil spell. Someone is using his body to breed insects, transforming him into an 'insect man.' He is currently being gnawed by thousands of insects, suffering unbearable pain. The two who are supporting him have also contracted the insect plague."

"Ah?" "What?"

"What, what are you talking about?"

Ji Yuan took a few steps closer to the man in prison robes. The black-clad men nearby merely pointed their weapons at him but did not act. The two supporting the prisoner looked extremely tense, their eyes involuntarily darting between Ji Yuan and the sores on the prisoner's body, yet they still chose not to let go.

"Let him awaken and tell us himself. And you two, please put him down."

The two men looked at their companions. The leader, the man with the great saber, recalled his boss's words from prison, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Do as he says."

The man in prison robes was carefully placed leaning against the wall. Ji Yuan nodded to those beside him, then approached the almost putrid-smelling prisoner. It was evident that the man was covered in festering sores on every exposed part of his body—ankles, wrists, chest, and neck. Many had already burst. His face was somewhat better, but sores had also appeared on his chin.

Ji Yuan reached out and gently touched the prisoner's forehead, allowing a wisp of spiritual energy to penetrate his brow.

During this process, Ji Yuan heard the two men beside him incessantly scratching their shoulders and upper arms, but he didn't turn around. The man before him had already woken up.

"Ugh, h-huh... Is this... wind? Where am I...?"

The man's voice was hoarse. When he opened his eyes, they were cloudy, unable to perceive anything. His hands fumbled in the empty space before him. He could feel the cold wind of early spring and breathe air far fresher than that in the prison cell.

"Boss!" "Boss is awake!"

A black-clad man instinctively crouched down, wanting to help the prisoner, but Ji Yuan casually waved him away.

Hearing the voices of his brothers nearby, the man suddenly shuddered, his face twisting in terror.

"You? It's you? That wasn't a dream just now? Didn't I tell you to burn down the prison and burn me with it? Why didn't you do as I said? Why? Didn't you promise to obey my every word? Why didn't you do it?"

The man was agitated for a moment, then his tone suddenly changed as he asked urgently.

"How did you get me out? Did anyone touch me?"

"Boss, Little Ba and I carried you out. Don't worry, we didn't slow down at all, and there are no government pursuers!"

The speaker instinctively glanced at Ji Yuan and Jin Jia. These two certainly didn't look like government officials.

"What? You touched me? How do you feel now?"

"Huh? Boss, what's wrong?"

"Answer me!"

The man in prison robes roared, his face contorted in a ferocious expression, startling the black-clad men around him. After a while, the person who had spoken earlier cautiously replied.

"Other than... other than being a bit itchy, there's nothing else."

Ji Yuan had remained silent. At this moment, he formed a hand seal with his left hand, then made a sweeping motion as if stirring water. Immediately, faint wisps of black smoke rose from the two men beside him, continuously converging towards his palm. A moment later, they formed a grape-sized black mass that seemed to be constantly writhing.

*So many!*

Ji Yuan was startled, a chill running down his spine. The number of insects on these two men far exceeded his imagination, and extracting them had proven more complex than he anticipated. The insects had burrowed extremely deep, affecting even their bodies and souls.

"What is your name? Do you know where the insects on your body came from? Don't worry, your two brothers will be fine; I've already expelled the insects from them."

Insects? The black-clad men listened in surprise, then all noticed the black mass hovering above Ji Yuan's left hand.

Someone peered closer. Thanks to the martial artists' excellent vision, they could discern that the black mass was, in fact, a tangled, writhing ball of insects in the moonlight. Such a mass of wriggling creatures was both nauseating and horrifying to behold.

"What is that?" "It's really insects!" "How terrifying!"

"Does our boss have these too?"

The black-clad men's faces filled with shock. They instinctively looked at the man in prison robes. The next moment, many couldn't help but take a step back. Under the moonlight, they saw that their boss's body was almost entirely covered in writhing insects, especially in the areas of the sores, where countless insects burrowed in and out, a truly spine-chilling sight.

It seemed that being exposed to the moonlight caused many of the insects to burrow deeper into the prisoner's body, though some traces of their movements could still be seen on his skin.

*Crackling...*

A ball of flame rose from Ji Yuan's left palm, illuminating the surroundings and simultaneously incinerating all the insects above it, producing crackling sounds of bursting fluid.

"While you are still lucid, please tell me everything you know. This matter is not trivial and could potentially cause widespread devastation."

The man in prison robes smelled the burning insects. Though he couldn't see Ji Yuan, he could sense his presence. Weakened, he began to lean to the side, but Ji Yuan reached out to steady him.

"Don't, don't touch me!"

"Don't worry. I am not afraid of these insects. On the contrary, they are afraid of me."

As Ji Yuan spoke, everyone present except the prisoner could see that the traces of insects on the man's skin under the moonlight were rapidly moving away from the shoulder where Ji Yuan's hand rested. Although the man himself couldn't see, he could vaguely sense this.

"Sir, you must be an extraordinary person. Please save our boss!"

"Yes, please save our boss!"

Ji Yuan shook his head.

"It's too late. His body and soul have already been thoroughly corrupted. Even if the insects are removed, he will still die. While you are still conscious, tell me what you know, and I will help you find release."

The man in prison robes didn't hesitate. Thanks to the wisp of spiritual energy, he still had the strength to speak, and he quickly recounted what he had seen and suspected in the army.

The man's name was Xu Niu. He was originally a Rear Army Sima in a division of the Ancestral Yue army. Initially, he thought some people in his camp had contracted a severe illness. Later, he realized it seemed contagious, possibly a plague, but his reports were not taken seriously.

As more and more people fell ill, finally, some "immortal masters" came to investigate. However, Xu Niu, who had been following these masters and awaiting their instructions, felt that the two immortal masters were not preparing to cure anyone. Instead, the places they visited only grew worse...

"Many people got sick after being touched. Once, I saw a severely ill person suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and run out of the camp. I chased after him, only to see that under the moonlight, his body was covered in insects. I was too terrified to continue the chase, and for some reason, I also dared not return to the camp, so I fled. I never thought I'd be listed as a deserter by the army, then captured and imprisoned here. And now, I find myself developing the same symptoms..."

Xu Niu's accusations pointed directly at the so-called "immortal masters" within the Ancestral Yue army. Towards the end, his voice was filled with deep hatred.

"It must be those 'immortal masters' – no, they're evil sorcerers practicing wicked arts! Burn me! Don't let this dreadful plague spread! Burn me! Those jailers, those jailers must also be infected! Burn them all, burn them all!"

Ji Yuan continued his rapid calculations, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. He could confirm that these insects were linked to certain so-called "immortal masters" in the Ancestral Yue army. However, surprisingly, their connection to the human realm's conflicts was not very significant, implying the insects had another source and purpose.