Chapter 301: Who is the Unfortunate Soul?
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Lu Zheng Yue ordered the food to be taken away, leaving a portion for Lu Chao Chao as snacks, prepared separately for her. Then, he had another banquet set up. Though not luxurious, it was still an exquisite meal. As he sipped his soup, a dazed expression flickered across his face.
“Has anything unusual happened in the city?” he asked.
“Could it be that Eastern Ling poisoned the city?” Wen Ning speculated.
Lu Zheng Yue shook his head decisively. “Eastern Ling may be barbaric, but they wouldn’t harm the enemy at the cost of severely injuring themselves. Their situation is even worse than that of Desolate City.”
“With their lack of strict military discipline, the plague is already spreading unchecked among them.”
“In three days at most, it will reach Eastern Ling’s Desolate City.”
“This time, even if they don’t perish, they will be crippled.”
After finishing their simple lunch, no one felt inclined to rest. Instead, they accompanied Lu Zheng Yue on a patrol.
Before setting out, Lu Zheng Yue meticulously checked the isolation veils worn by Lu Chao Chao and Wen Ning, worry evident in his brows. But since they were already inside the city, there was no turning back.
“Let’s go to the burning grounds,” Rong Che suggested.
Lu Zheng Yue led the way. Throughout the city, soldiers were stationed everywhere, greeting them as they passed. When they reached the burning grounds, a group of guards stood vigil. Even from afar, the sight of the towering mountain of corpses was enough to shock them.
The bodies were stacked so high that one had to crane their neck to see the peak.
The exposed flesh of the dead was covered in large red blotches, each spot festering and rotting—a horrifying sight.
“Don’t look!” Lu Zheng Yue quickly covered Lu Chao Chao’s eyes.
Yet, she curiously pried his hand away. Something felt odd.
Why did all these corpses carry a strange aura?
“Has anything significant happened in the city lately?” Lu Chao Chao asked, her curiosity piqued.
Lu Zheng Yue was about to shake his head when he reconsidered. “Nothing particularly major. You know that Desolate City is surrounded by desert. A while ago, an underground palace was discovered just outside the city.”
“It was filled with burial treasures. At that time, I was leading troops against Eastern Ling. By the time we found out, the underground palace had already been looted. But that was half a month ago.”
“We tried to reclaim some of the stolen wealth, but we got nothing back.” He scratched his head.
“Initially, I planned to report it to His Majesty, but then the plague broke out, and the matter was set aside.”
Noticing Lu Chao Chao’s suspicion toward the underground palace, he added, “We’ve already sent doctors to inspect the palace. There were no traces of poison.”
Rong Che nodded. “Still, have the imperial physicians examine it.”
“We cannot overlook any anomalies.”
“Can I go see it later?” Lu Chao Chao asked cautiously.
“There’s not much to see. People say that when the palace was first opened, it was filled with gold and silver, with copper coins littering the ground, and even jade artifacts scattered about. But now, everything has been taken, leaving only two bare walls.” Lu Zheng Yue chuckled.
“Hehe, I want to see which poor soul had their tomb robbed!” Lu Chao Chao giggled behind her hand.
“You’re too cheeky.” Lu Zheng Yue playfully tapped her little nose.
Eager to keep her away from the plague-stricken areas, he agreed to let her visit the underground palace with the imperial physicians the next day.
By the time they returned from their patrol, it was already deep into the night.
The imperial physicians wore grave expressions. The situation was worse than expected. One elderly physician even began questioning his life’s work.
“It’s strange—none of our treatments work! Even golden needles, instead of alleviating symptoms, seem to accelerate the spread of the poison.”
“That’s not all. Even when prescribing the correct medicine, patients vomit foul blood instead of improving.” The gathered physicians sat in a circle, at a complete loss.
Since the founding of Northern Zhao, there had been past plagues. While a cure was not always found, at the very least, they could establish a method to slow its progression.
They debated late into the night. By dawn, utterly exhausted, they took a short rest.
Yet, despite their fatigue, none dared to sleep for long—every extra moment spent resting meant more lives lost.
After breakfast, the physicians, bearing dark circles under their eyes, forced themselves to their feet.
“Half of us will go to the underground palace, while the other half will remain at the medical clinic,” one of them instructed, all donning thick veils to ensure not an inch of their skin was exposed.
The entrance to the underground palace lay just outside the city.
As they stepped out, a sandstorm raged across the barren land. Lu Chao Chao opened her mouth to speak, only to be greeted with a mouthful of sand.
“Pfft! Pfft!” She spat furiously.
“I told you to wear a veil, but you wouldn’t listen.” Lu Zheng Yue chuckled at her misfortune.
“The climate in Desolate City is harsh, making it a place of exile. Those who manage to survive the journey here lose half their lives to the ordeal. And even if they arrive, there’s no guarantee they’ll endure the extreme weather.”
“A few days ago, a massive sandstorm buried half the city’s doors. It took ages just to dig them out.”
“That’s when the underground palace was revealed.”
Their local guide, eyes gleaming, spoke excitedly. “Our ancestors have lived here for generations, yet none ever heard of an underground palace in the desert. The day it emerged, you wouldn’t believe it—”
“A dazzling multicolored light filled the sky, drawing the city’s people in droves to witness the sight.”
“The glow illuminated the palace doors.”
Clicking his tongue, the guide continued, “Before the city guards arrived, the people broke down the palace doors together.”
“The moment they opened it, golden light shone so brightly it nearly blinded us!”
“The floor was covered with copper coins, with glimmering gold ingots scattered among them. The crowd went mad, scrambling inside to seize the wealth.”
“They fought over the treasure, clawing at each other in a frenzy.”
“Some even dashed deeper inside, smashing the Everlasting Lamps to take them.”
“The walls had embedded luminous pearls, which they pried off, tearing down chunks of stone to take with them. It was as if a swarm of locusts had passed through, leaving nothing behind—not even the lamp oil.”
Lu Zheng Yue’s face darkened. “Absolutely disgraceful.”
Standing before the entrance, they saw utter devastation before even stepping inside.
The heavy stone gate bore a warning: Do not disturb the tomb master’s peace.
On the gate’s backside, another inscription was visible—a message for those who ignored the first warning.
“If you insist on entering, take only what you need, bow in gratitude, and do not disturb the spirits within.” Lu Zheng Yue raised an eyebrow.
“This tomb’s master was quite generous—allowing offerings to be taken with just a bow.”
The guide snorted. “Not a single bow was made.”
“They even brawled inside the tomb, leaving it in ruins. Just look at this mess…”
A foul stench lingered in the air.
The guide hesitated before confessing, “Some, furious at missing out on the treasure, even urinated inside the tomb.”
Lu Zheng Yue’s face turned grim. “Fools with no sense of reverence!” But he had been too occupied fighting Eastern Ling to stop them in time.
Inside, the devastation was even worse. The Everlasting Lamps, the luminous pearls, and even chunks of the walls had been stolen.
Lu Chao Chao wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Who’s the poor, unfortunate soul that got their tomb robbed?”