88: Chapter 85: A Pre-Planned Scheme?

88: Chapter 85: A Pre-Planned Scheme?

“What’s the situation?”

Chen Qing frowned, why wasn’t anyone watching?

A living dead like Old Jiu emerging in the city was definitely not good news!

Murong Yunji burst out without hesitation, her speed exceptionally fast under the divine wind, and in an instant, she was outside in the sky above the courtyard.

But when she looked down, where was there a trace of Ninth Elder Shen?

Chen Qing walked out with a frown and immediately ordered Zhou Haitao, “Take the Mansion Soldiers and start patrolling right away, gather all the living people together, and don’t let them stay alone.”

“Okay, boss!” Zhou Haitao hurriedly scurried out of the mansion, clearly anxious as well.

His own father was still in the big courtyard cuddling his concubine; he had to quickly call him over to stay on this side for safety.

However, Shen Yiyun shook her head: “Old Jiu won’t easily expose his whereabouts.

If my guess is correct, he would prefer to leave Lyuzhou City and return to the fog formation you mentioned just now!”

“That shouldn’t be the case,” Chen Qing frowned.

“Your family’s Old Jiu has not completely transformed yet, and craves flesh and blood even more.

He wouldn’t think of going back so easily.

Generally, they must evolve more than five times before they show signs of being summoned by the insects.”

“Are there no exceptions?” asked Shen Yiyun, her voice ethereal.

“Generally, there aren’t…” Chen Qing shook his head.

“What about special circumstances?”

“What’s so special about your family’s Old Jiu?” Chen Qing frowned.

Shen Yiyun hesitated for a while upon hearing this but eventually spoke, “The technique Old Jiu inherited, publicly claimed to be a poison technique, is actually the most difficult to inherit Insect Sorcery Technique of the Shen Family!”

“Insect Sorcery Technique?” Chen Qing was taken aback, but instantly understood what the other party meant, and his face grew serious.

The things in the fog formation came from an ancient worm, but no matter how ancient…

it was still a worm.

Theoretically, practitioners of insect sorcery have a chance to control it.

He remembered in his previous life, among the three surviving areas, one had an Insect Sorcerer who controlled several high-level living dead and turned the tide.

But what if…

the Insect Sorcerer was bitten?

Chen Qing suddenly inhaled a breath of cold air!

The foggy formation named Nine Heavens Mirror is the crystallization of an ancient Array Master.

The power transferred from the opening of this copy is one of the lost ancient professions of the Human Race: Array Master.

This formation is the crystallization of ancient Array Masters, containing the Dragon Palace Key that could unlock a new inheritance for the Human Race.

Those Array Masters used the worm’s desire to find the Dragon Palace to lure it into the formation and seal it.

After the seal, they used the formation’s features to suppress and disintegrate the worm into thousands of pieces, which is why it has barely been maintained for so many years.

Each of the thousands of disintegrated ancient worms, if any one of them finds a suitable host, can evolve rapidly, surpassing a First Rank Warrior in at most three months and reaching the limit of pre-Earth Spirit revival creatures.

And if a thousand worms were to unite, the ancient worm would be resurrected.

In the world where the Earth Spirit has not yet revived, this ancient worm…

would be a super-dimensional being.

Chen Qing could guarantee that even if ten Golden Crow Emperors came, they would just be delivering themselves!

“You didn’t say your family’s Old Jiu was an Insect Sorcerer earlier?” Chen Qing, so angered, his face turned ashen.

“If Lord Chen had shared the information earlier, would there have been so much trouble?” Shen Yiyun’s face was also ashen.

“Moreover, Old Jiu has now become that ghostly figure, isn’t that your plot?”

Chen Qing: “….”

He was momentarily lost for words, as what the other said was not wrong.

Although he did not orchestrate it, the matter with Old Jiu was indeed due to him…

No, that’s not right!

When Chen Qing thought up to here, he suddenly felt something was amiss!

Did Weichi Feihong bite Old Jiu back then merely to help him keep the Shen Family in check?

Was it just a coincidence?

He just happened to bite an Insect Sorcerer?

Could it be…

————————————

In the midst of the white mist, Weichi Feihong, who was controlling the military ship, steered straight into the thick fog.

When the ship reached a certain area of the water, Weichi Feihong hesitated not a bit before shedding his armor, revealing his now pitch-black upper body, and dived directly into the water.

With his powerful physical abilities, he swam much faster underwater than those living dead, like a fierce shark.

The bottom of the water was teeming with living dead, constantly tearing at and devouring each other, with red and black decomposing flesh and blood everywhere in the river water, a sight that was horrifying to witness.

Weichi seemed accustomed to these sights as he continued to dive deeper, going ten zhang, twenty zhang, fifty zhang down!

His body became taut due to the water pressure.

At this moment, anyone there would feel an eerie sensation because how could the river water be so deep?

As Weichi swam on, the surroundings became pitch dark, and the densely packed living dead vanished without a trace, replaced by the spectacular scene of the underwater world!

Countless luminous corals and seaweeds, incredibly gorgeous, Weichi swam through a complex seaweed forest to a colossal seashell.

The seashell opened to reveal an exquisitely beautiful woman lying naked in the center of the shell, adorned and buried with strange jewels.

Weichi’s eyes flashed with unparalleled enchantment as he stepped forward slowly, “My Lord!”

“Well done!” the beauty inside the shell smiled with immense charm, “But why didn’t you make a move on the boat and bring back that Insect Sorcerer?”

“Not confident enough!” Weichi Feihong shook his head, “That Chen Qing has strange methods, even able to control the internal arrays.

Had I exposed myself then, I would have feared messing up my Lord’s grand plan!”

“Indeed strange…” the beauty said with a smile, “Array Masters are long extinct.

I didn’t expect someone in the world capable of utilizing the Nine Heavens Mirror Valley.

This person must have an extraordinary background.

It’s best to avoid him if possible.”

“Yes.”

“They are closing in on me.

Before the next opening of the Mirror Valley, you must bring the Insect Sorcerer to me.

Otherwise, once those few find it, there will be no hope for your Human Race!”

“Rest assured, my Lord, Weichi…

will not let you down!”

———————————————-

“Boss, everyone’s been gathered!”

Just before the break of dawn, Zhou Haitao reported breathlessly, covered in sweat, evidently exhausted from searching for people all night.

“Good work,” Chen Qing nodded, looking at all the concerned and anxious villagers.

Most of those who had returned to Lyuzhou were the young and strong, half of whom had been on the city walls and seen those terrifying zombies.

Therefore, they were very nervous about the Magistrate’s summoning.

Could it be that the zombies were coming again?

“Any missing?” Chen Qing asked, frowning.

“No!” Zhou Haitao took out a register and said, “I’ve checked them one by one, two thousand seven hundred fifty-three people, not a single one missing!”

“Good!” Chen Qing nodded, stepped forward, and looked at everyone.

It seemed that Ninth Elder Shen had indeed been cautious enough not to harm anyone, which was for the better.

If the infection spread within the city, it would be troublesome.

As for Ninth Elder Shen’s escape?

Chen Qing did not believe it.

With the Gate Deity present, unless Ninth Elder Shen evolved to Weichi’s level, it would be impossible for him to escape the city unnoticed.

“Fellow townsmen…” Chen Qing cleared his throat and said, “You have seen the current situation.

Those zombies bite people on sight and feed on human flesh.

If you are bitten, you will turn into that as well—a man-eating monster!”

“Please save us, Lord!” the crowd suddenly became anxious.

Gu Bei and the others, quick-witted, led the way, and the group of villagers immediately knelt down in unison.

“As the Magistrate of Lyuzhou, I will naturally not abandon the citizens of Lyuzhou.

I will live or die together with you,” Chen Qing declared confidently, his voice now carrying a touch of divinity that was particularly commanding and persuasive.

“Merciful Lord!” Gu Bei and others bowed again, and the crowd hurriedly followed suit.

“Currently, with me and the Gate Deity here, and with the protection of the Mountain God over Lyuzhou City, you all need not worry.

I will not let those demons from outside invade.

But…”

Hearing the first part of his speech, the crowd felt somewhat comforted, but when they heard the ‘but,’ everyone’s heart skipped a beat.

“What about the citizens outside the city?” Chen Qing spoke gravely, “Now you may be safe, but most of you came here to work, right?

What about your wives, children, and parents?

How about them?”

With that said, the people suddenly remembered, yes, their wives and children were still in the countryside!

If these monsters couldn’t get into the city, could they possibly…

The thought alone set everyone into a panic!

“Lord, what should we do?”

“Yes, my Lord…

what should we…

do?”

“What should we do?” Seeing the mood stirred up, Chen Qing spoke sternly, “Of course, we must save people.

Are you going to hide in this city and watch as your parents, wives, and children are devoured alive by those zombies?”

“If they dare, I’ll fight them to the end!” Some spirited men stood up!

It so happened that Maozi and a few others felt extremely fortunate that their families had been brought inside the city a few days earlier.

“Good, all of you are brave men!” Chen Qing nodded in satisfaction, “I know everyone is afraid, but your families in the countryside are even more frightened.

We are men; if we do nothing while our families suffer outside, what kind of men are we?”

“The Lord is right, we’ll fight them!” Gu Bei was the first to stand up, and others followed in droves.

Most of the workers were young and strong, and even if some were unmarried, they couldn’t leave their families to worry about their parents.

Seeing this scene, Chen Qing felt conflicted.

Although the current situation was unfortunate for these people, for him it seemed to be not entirely a bad thing, as it could gather the population faster and unify the people’s hearts more swiftly.

If he provided refuge, gathering faith would become much easier than before!

A few thousand people in the city were definitely not enough; he had to push these people out of the city to rescue more people and bring them back.

It was somewhat cruel, especially since the people of Lyuzhou were essentially his hometown folks, but…

there was no choice.

Without this, no one would survive!