A towering man was running wildly in the streets, bumping into several pedestrians who voiced their displeasure, "What's wrong with you!" "Running so fast in this heat, trying to extinguish a fire or what?" "Never seen someone walk without a face before."
Amid their words and laughter, no one seemed truly enraged. Unexpectedly, the man charged straight into a grand, ornate carriage, and blood spattered on the spot!
He fell backward, hitting the road, and the playful crowd instantly erupted in screams. Even the carriage's owner was startled, peeking out to ask, "Who crashed? Who crashed?"
Xie Lian, having no choice but to set aside the young boy, hurried to the scene and questioned, "What's going on here?"
The man's head had slammed into the solid carriage, seemingly knocking him unconscious. His messy hair hid his face, and many people carefully gathered around. Just as Xie Lian approached, the man suddenly leaped up, wailing loudly, "I can't bear it anymore! Kill, kill! Someone kill me! Now!"
Several able-bodied men among the onlookers couldn't stand it anymore, saying, "Who's let this lunatic escape? Take him back..." They intended to seize him, but upon advancing and seeing the lunatic's face, they yelled in shock and backed away, "What kind of monster is this!!!"
The lunatic charged towards them, screaming madly, "Kill me quickly!!!"
The few men were terrified; thankfully, Xie Lian arrived just then. They saw the Crown Prince and felt as if they had been pardoned, rushing to hide behind him. Without a second thought, Xie Lian kicked the lunatic who flipped through the air before hitting the ground in a heap akin to a dog eating dirt. The few men pointed at him, saying, "Crown Prince! This person... this person... he has... he has!!!"
There was no need for them to finish; Xie Lian saw it too—this person had two faces!
To be precise, a second face was growing on the person's cheek. It was palm-sized, old and wrinkled, looking grotesque on the young man's face!
In utter shock, Xie Lian's mind echoed with only one thought:
What manner of creature is this?
He drew his waist sword, none other than the miraculous Red Mirror sword gifted by the Emperor Jun Wu. Ever since encountering the mysterious white-clothed figure, he carried it for emergencies, hoping one day to unveil such peculiarities. With the sword drawn, its gleam outshone the snow. However, looking down at the blade's reflection showed no change. The monstrous dual-faced vision remained. Meaning this lunatic wasn't some demon or ghost—he was a man!
But can a human truly be born this way? If his looks were congenital, it couldn't possibly have remained undisclosed within the Celestial Music's royal city all these years. As Xie Lian contemplated, perplexed, someone nearby stammered, "How did he turn into this?"
Hearing this, Xie Lian sheathed the Red Mirror and turned, asking, "You know this man? He wasn't like this before?"
Several people replied, "We know him; we worked together. Of course, he wasn't like this. He never had such a thing on his face before!!"
As the gathering crowd swelled, almost blocking the street, Xie Lian's expression grew grave. He filled his voice with authority to command, "Everyone, keep your distance, disperse!" The bandaged young boy assisted in parting the crowd, though Xie Lian didn't notice him. He was busy contacting Feng Xin and Mu Qing telepathically, urging, "Come quickly to the Divine Martial Street in the capital!"
After setting that aside, he saw someone hesitatingly standing by and proactively stepped forward, asking, "Do you have something to say?"
Prompted by the Prince's question, the person finally found the courage to speak, "Crown Prince, there's something I don't know if I should say or not..."
Xie Lian had no time for formalities, insisting, "Speak directly!"
The person started, "A few days ago, I grew several small indentations on my chest, three larger, two smaller. They don't bother me, don't itch or hurt, and pressing them feels quite nice. I didn't think much of it, but seeing this brother now... it makes me a little... a little uneasy, haha." He laughed dryly while unbuttoning his clothes to reveal his chest, asking, "Do you think there’s something to worry about?"
As soon as his chest was exposed, the crowd fell silent. Rather than just "few small indentations," there was a face starting to form, albeit a vague woman's face!
Seeing this, the person was shocked too, "How could this be?! Before, it wasn't so... so..." What adjectives could suffice—realistic or lifelike? It was exceptionally terrifying regardless!
Everyone was aghast, sending chills down their spines. Unable to resist, the man clung to Xie Lian's robe, pleading, "Your Highness, save me!"
At this moment, Feng Xin and Mu Qing arrived after receiving the telepathic message. Both frowned at the scene, and Feng Xin barked, "Back away, what's going on?"
Xie Lian had no time to explain, instead urgently recounting the situation to them, "Report to the palace, sound the alarm throughout the city. Ensure not one person with similar symptoms is missed!"
Due to the horror it represented, the national leader took immediate action, deploying many personnel to carry out the search and investigation with impressive efficiency. By midnight of the same day, it was determined that in the entire Celestial Music capital, five individuals had distinct human-like faces manifesting on them already. Whether unnoticed previously or because such "faces" were concealed or indifferent, they remained improperly acknowledged. Additionally, over a dozen individuals exhibited shallow depressions and bulges, suspected to be nascent "faces."
Among these twenty-some people, there were mostly women and young boys and girls. When gathered before Xie Lian, they were anxious, reassuring one another half-heartedly. Originally engaged elsewhere, Xie Lian noticed something amiss when he observed their interaction, "Do you all know each other?"
A weary official, glancing at a roll book, answered, "Your Highness, many of them live in the outskirts. They might have daily interactions as neighbors."
Living in the same place? Mu Qing marveled, "All residents near the same area growing human faces? Is this contagion?"
Xie Lian had already speculated but hadn't articulated it as swiftly, suggesting, "Separate them! Clear the area, no one lingers nearby. Establish a quarantine, gather everyone here."
"An infectious disease spreading." Those six words triggered more effective dispersion than any troop orders; most of the street vacated, not just the crowd. Equipping themselves thoroughly, Xie Lian commanded officers and soldiers to transport over a hundred identified individuals to the desolate outskirts.
The forested area, known as the Not-So-Peaceful Forest, was behind the suburban dwellings. Officials intended to create a zone here temporarily to accommodate the "patients." However, as Xie Lian walked deeper into the woods, anxiety and apprehension plagued him rather than clarity. Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing shared his unease. Feng Xin ventured, "Your Highness, isn't this the place where that Lang Ying..."
Setting aside personal disbelief, Xie Lian affirmed, "Yes, it is."
The Not-So-Peaceful Forest was precisely where Lang Ying had buried his son's body!
With this awareness, the trio glanced at one another. Although undetermined, instincts suggested exploration, driving them to search for the site of Lang Ying's fateful burial. However, months had passed, and distinguishing one tree from another among countless old timers seemed impossible.
At this moment, an indescribable stench assaulted them.
The odor resembled a rotting corpse but was more suffocating; one whiff could almost render a person unconscious. Noticing the smell, others retreated, fanning their noses to dissipate it, "What's over there?" "Why does it smell worse than ten years in a soy sauce vat?"
Xie Lian quickly hurried towards the source, led by his sense of duty and the offending fragrance. Eventually, he reached a slightly familiar crooked tree, its roots covered by a small mound. Soldiers gathered to protect him, but he stopped them with a raised hand, solemnly advising, "Be careful, ordinary people stay back."
Only non-ordinary Feng Xin, wielding a shovel, moved forward. Just a few spades into the earth, the small mound became a small pit, and the stench intensified. More cautious now, he continued to dig. Soon, black, squirming matter emerged from below the surface.
Halting slightly, the soldiers watched on edge. Suddenly, the earth erupted forth as a bloated, grotesque form emerged, exposed under the torchlight.
The stench ballooned instantly; several people retched on the spot. Xie Lian's pupils contracted involuntarily.
That thing was beyond monstrous, defying any comparison to humans. No one could discern that the colossal corpse, once a frail child, had once lived.
Overwhelmed with nausea, Xie Lian turned away. Both Feng Xin and Mu Qing gaped in shock, exclaiming, "What manner of thing is this?!" "Is this a curse or merely a decaying corpse?"
Regardless of its nature, Xie Lian knew what must be done, commanding, "Back away! As far as you can! Burn this thing thoroughly!"
Raising his hand, a fierce flame seared the skies, dense smoke swirling amidst the inferno. Just then, the sound of mournful horns wailed from the distant towers—an enemies' invasion signal!
The three instinctively glanced toward the sound; it heralded an enemy assault. Curse the ill timing!
Mu Qing's face was stormy under the flames' dance, calculating insidiously. He speculated, "Perhaps they did it purposefully?"
Xie Lian decided swiftly, "Mu Qing will manage things here. Feng Xin, you come with me. Let's repel them fast. We must not let them see any weakness!"
That night, they hurried out of the city, quickly engaging in battle.
Although caught off guard, they still won the battle. But despite clocking another victory, there was no joy among the Celestial Music people, including Xie Lian.
The unnerving "plague" that spread, dubbed the Human Face Plague, rapidly circulated within the Celestial Music capital, driving panic.
The national leader considered sealing off information, but with so many witnesses on the street during the first outbreak, secrecy was never feasible. Moreover, the plague's spread was alarmingly swift. Within merely six days, over fifty newly suspected cases arose.
Simultaneously, Eternal Peace's attacks surged in frequency. Under multiple pressures, Xie Lian was struggling to provide rain to Eternal Peace, exhausting his spiritual power and energy in the capital's quarantine zones instead.
Among the chill of the forest, sprawling tents and camps sheltered many patients. Xie Lian moved among them. The isolation zone, initially a mere twenty individuals, swelled near a hundred in magnitude. Whenever he could spare a moment from battle, he would visit to alleviate their harrowing symptoms with his power. Relief, however, was not a cure; people hoped he held the solution. As Xie Lian walked, a young man lying nearby suddenly reached out, gripping his robe, asking, "Your Highness, I'm not going to die, right?"
About to reply, Xie Lian recognized his face. It was none other than the passerby who had given him an umbrella on the day he learned of Celestial Music's drought!
Recalling that rainy day, umbrella in hand, warmth filled Xie Lian's heart. He knelt, patting the young man's hand, replying earnestly, "I will do my utmost."
Received with hope, the young man heartfeltly thanked him before lying back down. Their fervent gazes betrayed utmost faith that he would succeed. Consequently, every encounter with such hope spurred Xie Lian's inner guilt, urging a hastened discovery of solutions.
After his rounds, Xie Lian found a seat, his mind deep in thought. Mu Qing tended the fires, leaving Xie Lian to his reflections. Nearby, bearers spirited away a dead patient amidst whispers Xie Lian overheard:
"How many is this now?"
"Fourth or fifth, maybe."
On that stretcher lay those claimed by disease within the woods. Truthfully, fatality from the Human Face Plague was rare. Yet not dying was almost worse; rather than facing life with such disfigurement, victims deemed it not worth living—particularly young women, who cherished their visage. When the "face" marred such critical parts as the face itself, they often opted for death.
Someone expressed weariness, "Alas! When will it end?"
Another replied assuredly, "With the Crown Prince, we'll never lose a battle."
Skeptically, the first person questioned, "I'm not worried about losing battles, but what good are wins when life's this hard for us commoners? Ah well...just forget I said anything."
If Feng Xin were present, he'd have scolded them; however, Mu Qing merely shot Xie Lian a glance and added, "Simple folk always blame fate. Do they expect a martial god to handle everything?"
Xie Lian, however, disagreed, noting their valid point. As a martial god, his army consistently triumphed. But in this circumstance, what use was victory? Armies existed to shield the people, yet behind the frontlines, civilians fell prey to pestilence. Once advantage turned irony.
Just then, the fire crackled as someone took a seat beside Xie Lian—it was Feng Xin returning. Xie Lian immediately queried, "What's the news?"
Feng Xin shook his head, "As you saw early on, Lang Ying's location can't be pinpointed in the city or within his haunt. No sign of the white-clothed man, vanished without a trace. Also, Eternal Peace is completely unaffected by this plague."
Mu Qing stoked the fire, remarking, "The palace and their hideout are too close; it's impossible not a single soul was infected. Clearly, this must be their handiwork."
Many privately suspected just that, logically considering Eternal Peace’s culpability. But though everyone had a gut feeling about Lang Ying’s scheming, tangible evidence was elusive.
They believed the curse caused the plague, with Lang Ying's son’s body its focal point. Yet, if truly a curse, it was flawless, leaving no trail to trace back. Could this be nothing but a new naturally-arising plague? Without apprehending a suspect, Xie Lian had no way to determine the plague’s true nature.
He had briefly informed the Heavenly Court of his theories. However, being essentially banned for past infractions, entailing conventional procedures was mandatory now. Typically, that meant nothing more than burning as much as his accumulated merit to transmit a message—to potentially reach a deity. At worst, it involved lengthy negotiations and layers of bureaucracy. Upon completion, it would merely lead to another god’s arrival, who could provide less than Xie Lian himself, with powers only surpassed by Emperor Jun Wu himself, who was bound by overwhelming duties. Hence, his report was more ceremonial than substantive.
However, Xie Lian pondered a different issue now. He posited, "Supposing Eternal Peace sought to destabilize the capital with curse, the military should be the prime target. Toppling defenses would fling gates open, wouldn't it? Yet, the plague hasn't taken hold among troops."
The army had surprisingly few cases—three or four, quarantined promptly with containment. Feng Xin, known for speaking bluntly, deduced, "Perhaps they realized no matter what they did, they'd fail with you, deciding instead to target commoners."
Mocking, Mu Qing chuckled lightly, infuriating Feng Xin who demanded, "What are you smirking at?" Mu Qing replied softly, "None at all. You always present such reasonable insights. No objection."
Feng Xin despised his barbed, disguisedly courteous tone, deciding to ignore him entirely, retorting, "If it’s really them, how contemptible. A fair fight, not underhanded tactics harming innocents."
Xie Lian couldn't disagree, sighing. He reflected, "I've been wracking my brain these days—how is it transmitted? We must pinpoint the transmission method to halt it."
Feng Xin reasoned, "Isn't it obvious? Close contact—eating, drinking, dwelling... leads to spreading."
Xie Lian rubbed his brow, countering, "At face value, yes. But take the military—soldiers eat, drink, sleep in closer quarters yet so few were infected. Why?"
Mu Qing furrowed his brow, "Are you suggesting varied physical constitutions might resist the plague? You ponder who's susceptible to exposure?"
Xie Lian looked up, affirming, "Mu Qing understands. Exactly. If we decipher that, breaking the plague's chain of transmission becomes possible."
Acknowledging, Mu Qing responded, "Fine. Let's see who might be likeliest to contract it. Among those quarantined in the forest, who's in the majority?"
After countless patrols of the isolation zone, Xie Lian could recall this easily, answering, "Women, children, teenagers, elderly, and young men not very robust."
Feng Xin pondered aloud, "Only the weakfall ill? Should the Crown Prince decree compulsory exercise?"
…
Both Xie Lian and Mu Qing glimpsed at him, unwilling to engage in conversation. After a moment, Feng Xin added, "...No, that can't be it."
Thus ended another chapter punctuated with dilemmas, insights, laughter, and some blue-sky thinking.