Chapter 85: From the Earth of BuYou Forest, Human Face Disease Emerges 2

Obviously it wasn't right, because the first victim that rampaged the Martial Deity

Avenue was a healthy and strong burly man, so the theory didn't hold up.

Just how were the soldiers infected with the Human Face Disease different than other

soldiers, Xie Lian thought of many possibilities and had tried testing his guesses. But no

matter from which angle, there wasn't anything overly obvious that differentiated them

from the others. Every infected victim, no matter their looks, their body type, their status,

their temperment, everything was all over the place, impossible to draw a conclusion on

the defining criteria. Could it be that whoever got infected really was a matter of

chance?

Xie Lian mumbled to himself, "Just what had those soldiers done in order to stop the

spreading of the Human Face Disease? In other words, just what did they do that was

more often done than civilians..."

When he came to this thought, his eyes suddenly widened, and his face paled. Hearing

that his voice stopped abruptly, Feng Xin asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness? Have

you thought of something?"

Xie Lian had indeed thought of something. He thought of a logical theory, but at the

same time, it was a terrifying one.

He stood up in a flash and blurted, "No way! No, no, it shouldn't be like this. It can't be."

Feng Xing and Mu Qing immediate rose too, "What is it?"

Xie Lian held his forehead and paced back and forth, raising his hand, "Hold on. I...

have an absurd guess. It shouldn't be true, but I need to test this out."

"What guess?" Mu Qing asked, "How will you test it? Do you need me to find you

someone?"

Xie Lian immediately rejected the idea, "No. We can't use a live person for testing. What

if I'm wrong?" It was more like he hoped he was wrong, even better if he was way off

the mark. Mu Qing frowned, "Your Highness, if you need to ascertain whether if you're

right or wrong, you'll need a live person for testing. That's the best way. Just standing

here brooding won't do any good."

Feng Xin frowned too, "Can't you see he's troubled? Stop saying things that annoy

people."

Mu Qing turned to him, "Weird. And what exactly did I say? Didn't I speak the truth? At

this point what's the use in being all indecisive and hesitant?"

Feng Xin was disgusted, "Do you have to judge everything based on how useful

something is? We're talking about a live person here. Not even a bit of hesitation, aren't

you a little too collected?"

"Collected?" Mu Qing countered, "You actually want to say 'cold blooded', right?"

Xie Lian hadn't the patience to ease up the fight between the two like he usually did,

and said, "The two of you can start arguing over a single word, what a disgrace! Stand

here for an incense time. No one's allowed to move within that time. Same old rules."

"..."

"..."

Hearing the words "same old rules", both Feng Xin and Mu Qing's faces changed

colours. Xie Lian waved, "Heaven Official's Blessings. Start."

A moment later, Feng Xin said, gritting his teeth, "...Blessings Shine From Up High."

Mu Qing gritted his teeth too, "...High Imitation No Thought."

Feng Xin was in trouble, "Thought... Thought..."

He was deep in strenuous thought trying to think of a way to continue, and Xie Lian

turned to enter the BuYou Forest to find those three infected soldiers for questioning."

By "Same Old Rules" it was an idea Xie Lian had come up with to distract the other two.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing would snipe at each other at every chance, starting disputes

from nothing. At first Xie Lian would make them stand in silence for an incense time

without speaking to one another until they've calmed down, but it wasn't very effective.

Afterwards, Xie Lian decided to change it to Idiom Trains, and once there was an

established winner and loser, they'd have no time to worry about their original conflict

and would instead do their best to crush the other in training idioms. After discovering

this effective method, Xie Lian felt the world became more peaceful, and was quite

satisfied. Forcing them to train idioms now was also somewhat of a way to have

everyone ease up a little.

Yet this ease didn't last for long. After an incense time, Xie Lian returned. His face was

grim and he instructed, "Bring me all the soldiers who lived in the same quarters as

those infected soldiers, I need to question them."

Those two were already stumped many times, and seized their own proper little

victories, so when they didn't need to train idioms anymore, they both sighed in relief.

"That's fine too. But using such a roundabout way to find proof it might not guarantee

the accuracy of your find." Mu Qing said.

Feng Xin had already turned to heed his orders. Xie Lian called him back, "Wait! It's

already deep into the night. Questioning them now would be too much of a stir, and we

can't call forth too many at a time either, it'd be too conspicuous. The things I want to

ask must not be known or leaked. If you go now we won't be able to hide anything."

Feng Xin turned his head, "Then what should I do? Bring them over to you one by one

to have you interrogate them privately?"

"There's no other way." Xie Lian said, "Tomorrow, bring the soldiers who are close to the

victims to me one by one to my chambers, and don't let them know that others have

been questioned. Remember to order them not to tell anyone, otherwise..."

He breathed in deeply and sighed, "Nevermind, just threaten them. Just say if word got

out they shall be executed without mercy. The more savage the better."

"Questioning them one by one, how long would that even take?" Mu Qing commented.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes," Xie Lian said, "The more I ask the more I can be

sure. I... absolutely need to get to the bottom of this and there mustn't be any

mistakes."

Thus, the next day, Xie Lian sat in the chamber that was temporarily assigned to him

atop the towers, and personally interrogated over three hundred soldiers.

As for the questions he posed, all three hundred of them all gave the same answers.

After questioning each other, Xie Lian's face would grow a shade darker. After it was

done, when Feng Xin and Mu Qing entered the room they saw Xie Lian sat by the table,

a hand holding up his forehead, unspeaking. It was a while before he slowly spoke up,

"You two stay and guard the city gates. I'm going to make a trip to Mount Taicang."

Feng Xin asked hesitantly, "Your Highness, did you find something out from all the

questioning? Is it a curse or...?"

Xie Lian nodded. "It's come to light. It's a curse."

Mu Qing was solemn, "For real?"

"Without a doubt." Xie Lian said, "And I also found out just what type of people would

get infected and what type wouldn't."

Even if those were the words spoken, on his face there was not a trace of joy from

solving a mystery, and so Feng Xin and Mu Qing felt things might not be that simple.

However if Xie Lian didn't take the initiative to tell them, then as his subordinates it

wasn't their place to ask, and so their hearts sank silently.

Mount Taicang, the Royal Holy Pavilion, the highest peak, the Great Martial Hall. Guoshi

was paying his respects within clouds of incense smoke. Xie Lian crossed the threshold

of the hall and immediately went straight to the point, "Guoshi, I need to see the

Heavenly Emperor."

Guoshi finished paying his respects and turned his head, "Your Highness, the gates of

the heavenly realm no longer open to you."

"I know." Xie Lian said, "But right now I've just ascertained that the Kingdom of Xianle is

currently under the attack of a malicious wave of curses never seen before. This isn't a

natural disaster, it's the workings of inhuman creatures. Please give me a hand and

request for the Heavenly Emperor to descend and possess your spirit so I can report

this information to him directly. Maybe he'd know what the source of all this was, and

perhaps find a turning point."

Ever since he'd returned to the mortal realm, he had reported to the Great Martial Hall

thrice. Yet the first two times weren't sincere and were only done out of habitual

courtesy. Only this time, he really wanted to seek help.

Guoshi sat down on a chair and said, "It's not that I don't want to help you, Your

Highness, but there's no longer a need for it. Even if I give you a hand now, and the

Heavenly Emperor descends and possesses my body, the answer you will receive from

him will only disappoint you."

Xie Lian's face dropped slightly, "Do you know something? Do you know just what that

cry smile mask wearing white-clothed being is?"

"Your Highness, do you still remember what I told you?" Guoshi said, "That in this world,

fortune, good or bad, is predetermined."

Xie Lian was startled and didn't speak. The Guoshi added, "Originally, many of those

from Yong'an were destined to die, but you transferred water and created rain, and gave

them a breath of relief. Yet, you cannot save them completely from the drought, settle

their future, and so now, they are in the Yong'an army upon BeiZi Hill fighting for their

futures."

"Originally, the royal capital was destined to be in a state of decline, but you personally

descended, and used your own powers to turn things around, and gave the royal capital

a breath of relief. Yet, you didn't steel your heart to annihilate the Yong'an rebel army

and root them out. Instead you allowed them to survive until now. Like roaches they only

get stronger with each battle."

Guoshi asked him in wonder, "Your Highness, may I ask what you are doing? Are you

perhaps waiting for both sides to realize their mistakes? To repent and renew? To

reunite as one country once more?"

An odd sense of shame budded within Xie Lian's heart, yet, it soon turned into

confusion as he thought to himself, 'That's strange. Whether if I save or protect people,

it was all because they were innocent and didn't deserve death. Everything I've done

were done after serious consideration and every choice was made after much struggle.

Yet, why does it sound so laughable coming from another's mouth? Why does it sound

like I've achieved nothing, that everything is such a... failure?'

That word appeared in his mind and he immediately blocked it out. Guoshi added, "You

used your divinity to interfere in mortal matters. The predetermined fate of the Kingdom

of Xianle has been turned completely upside down by you, a complete and utter mess.

For the sake of balance, nature will breed other things to bring everything you've

deranged back on track. I don't know what that creature was, but, I am certain, it was

born because of you."

"..."

Xie Lian's form faltered. Guoshi continued, "I am also certain that should the Heavenly

Martial Emperor see you, he will also tell you the same thing, because this was the

reason why he didn't want you to descend in the first place. But I felt that even if he told

you then, you would've more than likely come down anyway. Young people are like this,

unheeding of advice. They won't believe they can't walk until they've fallen."

Xie Lian was in disbelief, "So you mean to say that the cause of this Human Face

Disease was me?! So by that so-called predetermined fate logic, everything that

uncrying, unlaughing creature does is my fault? So, the Heavenly Court wouldn't even

bother with this whole thing?"

"You can think of it that way," Guoshi said, "But that's not altogether right either. After all,

if you must read fortune all the way, you can also blame your father and your mother,

because if they didn't give birth to you, then you wouldn't have ascended, and thus you

wouldn't have descended. Reading like this, you can blame your entire Xianle ancestry.

So, discussing who is at fault for the cause is meaningless."

"As for your last question, that's right, they won't. Because the Kingdom of Xianle was

destined to fall. Since you've extended your hand and messed up this game of chess,

then, there will for sure be another hand that returns all the messed up pieces back in

place."

Xie Lian took a deep breath, not wanting to discuss whether if the Kingdom of Xianle

was destined to fall. He closed his eyes for a minute then said, "Then answer me,

Guoshi. If I disappear now, will that creature also disappear?"

"I'm afraid not." Guoshi replied. "Easy come, hard to leave. That's the same for gods,

and ghosts and demons are no different."

Xie Lian knew any more talk would be pointless. The only one who could keep fighting

was only himself. He bowed to Guoshi, bidding farewell, and prepared to leave. Behind

him the Guoshi called, "Your Highness! How do you plan on walking your path from now

on?"

Xie Lian had his head down, "If nothing changes even if I disappear, then I will fight it to

the end. This is my only path."

After a pause, he raised his head high and enunciated every word, "I don't care if it's a

hand or what, but the people I protect will never become its pawn."

Half a month later, Lang Ying lead the Yong'an army and attacked once again.

After months of countless battles big and small, the Yong'an troops could now finally be

called an army. They were no longer those forlorn refugees, but a proper army with

considerable strength!

It was like Lang Ying had evaporated from the mortal realm for a long time, and this

time, when Xie Lian saw this man again on the battlefield, having waited for so long he

didn't waste his breath and dashed straight past the troops, facing him, and struck with

his sword, shouting, "WHERE'S THAT WHITE-CLOTHED MAN?"

Lang Ying blocked his sword and didn't answer, fighting back with vigour. Xie Lian

pressed onto him with each step, "You know who I'm talking about. My patience is

limited!"

Unexpectedly, Lang Ying stared at him and asked, "Your Highness, didn't you say that

Yong'an would continue to rain?"

Xie Lian hadn't expected for him to ask that question. Startled, words got stuck in his

throat, "I..."

He did indeed promise Lang Ying that Yong'an would rain. However, in the past many

days, the number of infected by the Human Face Disease within the royal capital had

been increasing exponentially, and they were reaching almost five hundred at this point.

Those five hundred victims couldn't all be settled in the BuYou Forest, and that

quarantine camp was running out of space. The government officials were debating

over moving to a farther, bigger place. Most of Xie Lian's powers had been used to

relieve the symptoms of those five hundred people, and had none left to create rain in

Yong'an. Since he couldn't make use of the Rain Master Hat, he felt bad keeping

someone else's spiritual device in hand, and so with no other way, he sent Feng Xin to

the Kingdom of Yushi to return the Rain Master Hat to the Rain Master and gave thanks.

Xie Lian struck again, yelling angrily, "I created that rain! Don't you have any clue why

it's stopped?!"

The angrier he became, the more calm Lang Ying was. "That has nothing to do with me,

I only know that even without the Human Face Disease your powers won't last for long;

just like how even with your rain, not many will survive in Yong'an. It's all pointless. Your

Highness, why do you think you can achieve anything you want to do? Rather than

putting my fate in your hands, I choose to put it in my own."

Something from that speech had provoked Xie Lian, and the intent to kill flared.

His blade turned slightly, and his left hand raised. A voice screamed inside his head: Kill

this man, and the remnant Yong'an army will be nothing to be afraid of!

Since the first time they met, this was the very first time Xie Lian had steeled his heart to

kill Lang Ying. However, unexpectedly, when he sent a blow from his palm and blasted

Lang Ying's heart, he spewed blood from the blow but the blast did not penetrate his

heart, and instead was repelled.

Astonished, Xie Lan couldn't believe it, and backed away a few steps, "YOU?!"

Xie Lian knew very well what it was that repelled his attack.

Those who were destined for greatness in the mortal realm, like kings, geniuses, and

vigilantes, whenever they come to a dire situation, their bodies would naturally radiate a

protective aura, shielding them against harm. Most of them have the potential for

ascension. Lang Ying was no more than a boor yet he radiated that very protection

spiritual aura, and it was even one that was exceedingly rare – the aura of a king!

Xie Lian didn't dare to think what it meant, and suddenly he felt his heart go cold. It was

Lang Ying's sword that thrusted and impaled his chest.

In that battle, there was no victory or defeat on either side.

There were still many who perished from Yong'an's side, but this time Xianle wasn't any

better. If it was anyone else, they could say it was a hard-won battle, but to Xie Lian, this

was definitely defeat.

This was the first time he was at a disadvantage, moreover, although Lang Ying was still

no match for Xie Lian and retreated with injuries in the end, many saw the scene where

Lang Ying had stabbed him. Xie Lian could probably guess that there were many

soldiers talking behind his back: His Highness is a martial god, how could he be

stabbed? Aren't we the army of god? How come we didn't achieve an overwhelming

victory like before? However, Xie Lian had absolutely no time for such noise, because

Mu Qing had informed him, today, another hundred some Human Face Disease

patients had been sent to the BuYou Forest.

One short day and over a hundred!

Now, the first group of Human Face Disease victims had worsened severely, not a

single spot on their bodies could be seen and had to be covered in thick covers, lest

they scare people. However, even through the covers those bumps could still be seen

on the body's contours.

Xie Lian walked around to alleviate the symptoms, and when he finally finished a round,

Feng Xin pulled him aside and asked him in a low voice, "Your Highness, what

happened on the battlefield today? How could you get stabbed by that boor? You also

struck him so many times why don't you just kill him?"

Xie Lian didn't want to tell him that there was now a layer of a king's aura on Lang Ying

that not even heavenly officials could touch, and could only grimace. It wasn't that he

didn't want to kill him, it was that he could no longer kill him. All the spiritual powers in

his attacks were dissolved by that king's aura, and nothing worked against Lang Ying.

When he realized this, he instantly changed to fistfighting, but that Lang Ying was thick

skinned and could withstand quite the beating!

Just then, a distance away there was suddenly a loud wail, "YOUR HIGHNESS SAVE

ME!"

Xie Lian was just accepting a bowl of water that Feng Xin passed to him and that wail

came just as he was taking his first sip. Xie Lian choked, and didn't have the time to

stop before he rushed over. The one who wailed was that young man who gave him that

umbrella, and because Xie Lian was extra warm towards him, his screaming for help

was also extra frequent. At first the part of this man that grew a face was his knee, Xie

Lian casted his power to control the disease from spreading, and so only his left leg had

the face and nowhere else. Right then, he was kicking that leg madly, going hysterical.

Xie Lian held him down and comforted, "Don't move. I'm here!"

That young man was frightened to the core and grabbed onto him, "YOUR HIGHNESS!

YOUR HIGHNESS, SAVE ME! I felt an itch on my leg just now like some weed was

scratching me, but when I, when I looked down, I saw those things... their mouths were

opening and closing, moving, they're moving! THEY'RE EATING GRASS!!! THEY'RE

ALIVE!!!"

Hair on Xie Lian's back raised instantly. He looked down and sure enough, on that

young man's left leg, there were over ten faces tightly pressed together, many of their

mouths had grass, some were even chewing like they were starving!

Many of the patients started screaming, the crowd blew up in uproar, and Feng Xin and

the soldiers had to use force to subjugate them to prevent a riot. Xie Lian used a hand

to hold that young man down, and turned to another beside him to ask, "Can this leg still

work?"

All the nursing staff at BuYou Forest had to be in full gear, and were dressed in

bandages and capes, wrapping themselves tight, their faces unrecognizable. One of the

workers on the side answered, his voice sounded like a boy, "No, Your Highness! His

leg is already forfeit. We don't know what else is festering, the leg is heavy like a block

of lead, and we could hardly move it. The infection is also climbing, soon it'll grow

beyond the leg and reach the waist."

Xie Lian had done his utmost to use his powers for healing, yet, that young man's leg

could be said to be beyond saving, having lost almost all normal functions. Just then,

one of the doctors whispered, "Your Highness, in my opinion, the only thing we haven't

tried is cutting off the part with the faces, and see if that'd slow down the fester..."

The only way Xie Lian could think of was also this, "Then cut it off!"

That young man immediately cried, "NO!" He was terrified of having his limbs cut off, but

at the same time he didn't dare to hug his deformed leg, and cried in pain, "MY LEG IS

NOT FORFEIT! Maybe it'll get better... YOUR HIGHNESS! Don't... don't you have any

other way to save me?"

Xie Lian didn't want to answer with "I'll do my best", or "I'll try" anymore. His sight was

going dark, and he replied, "Sorry, I don't."

That His Highness the Crown Prince would say such a thing, it was the first time,

shocking everyone present. There were some who lost it right then and there and

screamed, "NO? YOU'RE HIS HIGHNESS, YOU'RE A GOD, HOW DO YOU HAVE NO

WAYS? WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING FOR

DAYS, HOW CAN YOU HAVE NOTHING?!!"

The one who spoke was immediately held down by someone, yet it wasn't Feng Xin or

Mu Qing. Mu Qing was silent and frowning, seeming to have thought Xie Lian's answer

was too blunt and couldn't comfort the masses. Feng Xin on the other hand was further

away yelling at the particularly rowdy patients. Xie Lian was battered and exhausted

recently, his sword never sheathed and hung on his waist. When the blade came close

to that leg, one of the 'faces' felt the chill of the blade's aura, and suddenly stopped

chewing. It opened its mouth and let out a shrill scream.

That thing actually screamed!!!

Although the sound was soft, but it most definitely came from that leg. That young man

screamed, almost fainting from fright, and he clung onto Xie Lian crying, "YOUR

HIGHNESS SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" At the same time, where on his waist close to his

thigh, three shallow sores appeared. That doctor shouted in alarm, "Your Highness, it's

spreading! It's spreading! The infection is spreading out of the leg!"

No matter how much spiritual power was spent, Xie Lian still could not control that

young man's condition in the end. Seeing that those horrifying things were about to

spread over his entire body, and once that happened there would be no going back.

Could they really do naught but sit back and watch?

Xie Lian gritted his teeth, "Let me ask you one thing. Do you or do you not want this

leg? I can't guarantee what would happen once it's gone. If you don't want it just nod

and we'll operate immediately, if you want it then don't nod, and we'll figure it out!"

That young man was breathing heavily, his eyes blank from terror, his mind lost, and it

was like he was nodding but also shaking his head. Those faces on his left leg started

screaming one by one as if welcoming their new 'companions'. In between all the

"YEEEE"s and "AAAAHHH"s, the delight on their faces was apparent, and their little red

tongues were quivering. It was hard to imagine just what the insides of that young man's

left leg looked like, just what it harboured.

This couldn't be delayed any further. Xie Lian instructed that doctor, "Cut it off."

That doctor, however, waved his hand rapidly, "Your Highness, forgive me! I'm not very

sure either, and I don't dare operate in a place like this. If cutting doesn't do anything,

then we shouldn't take this risk!" He cursed himself for speaking up, the nail that stuck

out got hammered down, what was he doing fighting for such a terrifying job? He

escaped back to the crowd and stopped talking.

That young man was mumbling repeatedly, "Your Highness save me, Your Highness

save me!" Yet Xie Lian's mind was completely blank, a voice full of hopelessness also

rumbling inside him: "—who can come and save me...!"

It was noisy and rowdy all around, screaming and crying everywhere. Those twisted

little human faces squished below were also wailing, and in that moment, Xie Lian

thought he saw hell.

It was like he was peering at this hell but at the same time unseeing, and with cold

sweat rolling, he widened his eyes, raised his arm –

The sword slashed down, and blood splattered