Chapter 39: Bane of the Living

The commotion and the stirring of elements had alerted the chief who made his way here followed by Gao Xuan who was trailed by Cao Guang at a distance.

"Why have you apprehended Fu Da?, was he responsible for the disease spreading"

The chief was no idiot, after looking at the wind trail he realised Fu Da had tried to escape and was ambushed by the soldiers in uniform who were probably Cao Guang's teammates.

"Yes, but it isn't a disease it's a type of poison that grows in the human body"

"In the human body?"

He had heard of poison mages raising insects for poison or in their own body but by spreading a plague and his village's healer had failed to recognise an underlying poison. 

"Is he a member of Hua village?" Song Xia questioned the chief. 

"Yes, he was born here and left for Xi'an to learn magic and came back a year ago"

"And how many times did he leave the village in the last two weeks?"

" A couple of times"

"Chief the poison this used is extremely potent, it just wasn't completed yet, we need to know where he got it from and how many times did use it, Hua village will be in locked until the military says otherwise. Return to the village and tell your people" said Cao Guang finally arriving at the scene.

" Let's bring to the village as well, I'll send the message to the military. How long will the spikes last?"

"Less than ten minutes, his cultivation is better "

The group didn't have a Psychic mage to seal a mage's cultivation or any equipment to seal it. Their only option was to use Giant Shadow spikes to seal it temporarily. But Song Xia cultivation wasn't higher than this guy and it was also an intermediate spell.

They had a military issue sleep powder but, this guy was a poison mage, so it wasn't all that reliable.

"We have to knock him out" Luo Heng suggested.

"No other choice" Gao Xuan chimed in as Luo Heng swinged his arm to Fu Da's neck "let's go back then".

Now they would have to just take turns to watch the guy and knock him out every now then. They took the temporary tent for the patients as they needed some rest.

---

The next morning a little after sunrise Lieutenant Liao's squad arrived at Hua village. 

"Great work you guys and Cao Guang another good discovery eh, you might even get promoted to Lieutenant real soon" Liao Wencheng was a happy man. Fu Da and his poisoning was his mission and Cao Guang had ensured they caught him. He had no reason to be sad.

"It must have been some fluke overhearing the villagers and then posing it as your discovery" Cao Guang heard an annoying voice as soon as Lieutenant had stopped.

"Why you little.. I'll beat you up right now" Gao Xuan didn't back away either.

"Have you interrogated him?"

Both of them went on ignoring their subordinates.

"No Lieutenant, I was planning on the army sending a Psychic mage and we where tired as well so we didn't get around to questioning villagers either. But no one has left the village since last night. I'll hand this over to you. We will leave for the City in half an hour.

Cao Guang and his party was ordered to escort Fang Gu to Sunny Goat Village, their mission was done and they could leave now.

" I read the reply from the city, a Psychic is on the way and you have been asked to meet your combat instructor in the Evening"

Before leaving for the city Cao Guang met up with the friendly Lieutenant once again.

"Any news on the origin of the poison?"

The Psychic had yet to arrive but the Lieutenant would still interoogate the guy, it was a matter of merits. 

"It seems to be not from the villages. Neither Fang Gu or Xie Sang has provided a clue as for Fu Da the only thing he murmured was Bane of the Living" Liao Wencheng sighed.

"Bane of the Living, never heard of it. Something esoteric?"

"Seems to be"