CHAPTER 292: CHAPTER 281: A METAL BOX

Xiao Lin listened intently, not missing a single keyword, yet a question began to spread deep in his heart. This differed from the annotations in the Dragon Soul database, and based on the old man’s described timeline, it didn’t match with the time the medical experts were dispatched. If these people didn’t come from Yanjing, then who could they be?

"After the medical team visited, none of these people stayed, but the epidemic never occurred again."

"Oh?" Xiao Lin frowned, deep in thought.

"Not long ago, a clansman went to the neighboring village to visit his married daughter and fainted on his way back. Shortly after being carried back, he died. Subsequently, those who had contact with him started to develop fevers and red spots on their bodies, just like the first time, only..."

"Only, they all showed signs of poisoning, right?" Xiao Lin continued for Elder Miao.

"No, they weren’t poisoned." Hearing the old man’s words, Xiao Lin was taken aback. He was quite confident in his medical skills, and from the symptoms seen just now, they indeed appeared to be signs of poisoning. Unable to help himself, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Follow me!" After speaking, Elder Miao walked towards a house with wild game hanging at the door, hands behind his back. He didn’t enter directly but opened a small door next to the main house. A chill wind hit them in the face, accompanied by a damp earthy smell—this was a cellar, and it was dug very deep.

The old man lit a kerosene lamp nearby and bent over to walk inside, with Xiao Lin following behind. In such rural places, almost every household has a cellar for storing food or homemade liquor. However, this cellar was different; it was not only deep but also had air currents as you walked further in, indicating that it had more than one exit and fresh air.

Xiao Lin became more certain that this old man was not ordinary. Although Xiao Lin was not on guard, he didn’t easily trust either. The mystery only added layers of doubt.

"Elder Miao!" Xiao Lin called out to the person walking ahead at an inappropriate moment, not because he was fearful—nothing in this world could scare him—but simply because he had no desire to delve into others’ secrets.

"The medicines are just ahead." The old man didn’t look back, his hands behind him, walking briskly. He seemed to be in a hurry, and Xiao Lin had to follow; the old man’s impatience and agitation were evident.

Upon leaving the cellar, Xiao Lin realized they were very close to the original school playground. In fact, just a few more steps and they would reach the Miao Clan Ancestral Hall. What he couldn’t understand was why Elder Miao had taken him on such a circuitous route.

"To avoid prying eyes!" Apparently seeing through Xiao Lin’s doubt, the old man fumbled with a pile of old furniture while providing an explanation. A simple sentence contained so much meaning, and Xiao Lin, being smart, understood the reasoning. Elder Miao continued, "Though I don’t know who you are, since Tong Tong says to trust you, I will believe you for now."

After fumbling for quite a while, a tin box appeared before them. It was well preserved, only showing signs of repeated opening at the latch, with no rust, and even the corners remained unscratched. This revealed Elder Miao’s protection and the box’s significance.

Just then, Elder Miao spoke, "Those signs of poisoning you saw, I made them."

Xiao Lin unconsciously raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak: "After Xiao Jiu reported this, we didn’t receive any communication. I don’t know when the government will send someone over. This is the only medication that can prolong their lives."

Xiao Lin’s attention remained on the tin box. It wasn’t an ordinary tin box. Judging by its double-layered hollow design, it was crafted very meticulously. The latch, though designed with the simplest clasp, hid a secret lock. To an ordinary person, it was just a regular box, but to someone in the know, it was different. Not many in all of Yanjing could possess such a box. Xiao Lin’s eyes suddenly became sharp.

"Elder Miao, do you still remember the medical team that delivered medicine to you?"

"I’d recognize them even if they were reduced to ashes." Elder Miao’s anger was almost palpable, speaking through gritted teeth as he handed Xiao Lin a box about half the size of an A4 paper: "Since you’re a doctor, you should understand these things."

After placing the box in his trench coat pocket, Xiao Lin was not in a hurry to examine the medicines straight away. His current focus was on these people, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Elder Miao, I hope you can clearly recall the appearance of the medical team at that time."

"You’re merely a school doctor."

Noticing the old man’s vigilance, Xiao Lin felt somewhat helpless, "I’m a military doctor; you just saw the helicopter I arrived in is a military aircraft."

The old man seemed uninterested in what Xiao Lin was saying, squatting on the ground to smoke, with that determined look. He always gazed at a certain spot without saying a word. Unconsciously, Xiao Lin became curious about this old man; although the saying ’curiosity killed the cat’ didn’t apply to Xiao Lin’s principles, the old man’s determination inevitably sparked his imagination.

"A little over two months ago, a dozen people in military uniforms suddenly arrived in the village. Among them were two foreigners who spoke fluent Chinese."

"Elder Miao, you said they were soldiers?" Xiao Lin found this startling. Internally, he felt tumultuous waves as if he sensed a conspiracy associated with the mutated virus, but where was the motive? What was the point of threatening such a small place, or was there something special about this area? Xiao Lin stared at Elder Miao. As a person from Dragon Soul, he had to consider more profound possibilities.

"Whether they’re really soldiers I don’t know, their leader is a woman, a very beautiful woman." Elder Miao exhaled a puff of smoke, coughed a few times, then spat: "When they arrived, they went straight to see the patients. We really thought they were saviors. And truth be told, these people are quite... refined."

"If it’s a typical military medical institution, there would be obvious markings. Did you notice any, Elder?"

"Markings? You mean something like a badge?" Elder Miao glanced at Xiao Lin and then pointed to the box, asking.

Xiao Lin’s gaze returned to the smooth, flawless surface, secretly cursing his own carelessness. The embossing was crafted in a special engraving technique, blending with the iron’s texture. Without looking carefully, one would really miss it.

"Are you really just a doctor?" Elder Miao watched as Xiao Lin used his phone to take pictures of the iron surface, surroundings, inside and out.

"Elder, do I not look like a doctor to you?" Xiao Lin put away his phone and laughed softly at the wary Elder Miao.

The information was sent to a mobile number immediately, all that remained was waiting: "Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to treat them... Elder Miao, I..."

Upon exiting the cellar, Xiao Lin heard someone shouting something in a local dialect, so he didn’t continue.

"Another one has died." The old man locked the door, having become accustomed to such scenes, as had the entire village, traded wailing for a thick sadness. The old man looked deeply at Xiao Lin and said, "If you’re truly a doctor, stop this death."

Doctors aren’t gods! Xiao Lin wanted to say this but couldn’t; his hand gripping the medicine box tightened before following the old man towards the ancestral hall.

From afar, someone ran over, lowered his head after seeing Elder Miao, and stayed by his side until after the deceased’s affairs were handled, then quietly called, "Elder!"

"This is Dr. Xiao, tell him everything you know again." Elder Miao scooped a bowl of water from a wooden bucket on the table for Xiao Jiu.

A single wooden bucket and bowl were on the table. The village didn’t have many wells and at times they had to fetch water from the mountains, making water a precious commodity here. Xiao Lin watched their actions silently, seeming to realize something.

"Dr. Xiao, hello, I’m Miao Jiu, but you can call me Xiao Jiu, feel free to ask anything."

Xiao Jiu was very small, not even a hundred seventy centimeters, quite thin and weak. His long hair was tied at the back, donned in Miao ethnic clothing with a headscarf. He was a minority, returning to the village years ago with his wife and child, helping as a messenger because he was educated.

"Xiao Jiu, how far is it from here to the nearest village?"

"Cross the mountain ahead and you’re there." Xiao Jiu pointed at a mountain in front of the village, responding with uncertainty.

"Alright, continue describing the situation here."

"Six Aunt went to the neighboring village to visit her married daughter, and I happened to be in the city buying some groceries that day. On my way back, I found her collapsed on the ground and went back to the village to call for help." Xiao Jiu glanced at Elder Miao and then continued, "Six Aunt didn’t survive the night, and in the following days, those who helped move her all got infected. Initially, they hid at home afraid to go out due to chills, then they began to feel dizzy and feverish constantly."

"Are there any other symptoms?" These were typical signs, but Xiao Lin wanted to know more about other potential issues.

"Uh... people might convulse and speak irrationally. Most infected don’t survive for more than three days."

"Elder Miao, pardon my straightforwardness."

"Please speak!"

"There’s a habit in the village of sharing one well, one bucket, one bowl to fetch water, which might be the most direct way the virus spreads. I humbly ask, before a cure is found, could Elder please communicate to all households to temporarily change that habit?" Xiao Lin spoke very tactfully, knowing the customs and culture of mountain villages make it difficult for an outsider to change things, but it must be changed; he didn’t have absolute certainty but this was the best method to prevent further spreading.

"There’s only one well in the village!" Xiao Jiu hastily explained; water was their treasure, without it, living would be difficult. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) for recommendation votes and monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)