Chapter 89 – Why Don’t We Run Away Now?

Chapter 89 - Why Don't We Run Away Now?

Village Officer Liu pleaded once more.

"Divine Healer, please!"

As he said this, he turned to the villagers who were still unaware of the situation.

He Zhiran reminded them again, "I advise you to keep the plague a secret for now. Causing panic will only make things worse. Furthermore, all of you might be infected, and to prevent it from spreading further, no one is to step out of this cave without my permission. If you can do as I say, I'll try my best to treat everyone."

Upon hearing that He Zhiran would attempt to treat them, Village Officer Liu felt a glimmer of hope.

He nodded repeatedly, assuring her, "Please rest assured, Divine Healer. I promise not to divulge this matter."

With Village Officer Liu's assurance, He Zhiran discreetly retrieved a packet of silver needles from her space using the cover of her sleeves.

At present, she lacked the means to concoct a cure for the plague and could only use acupuncture to temporarily stabilize Li Tiezhu's condition and prevent further deterioration.

Skillfully, she inserted silver needles into several acupoints on Li Tiezhu's body.

Mo Jiuye stood silently by her side, offering support.

After about a quarter of an hour, Li Tiezhu's breathing became much smoother, though he remained unconscious.

He Zhiran removed the needles and informed Li's wife.

"Within two hours, he should regain consciousness."

Li's wife was profusely grateful, believing that Li Tiezhu was now out of danger.

"Thank you, Doctor, for saving his life."

He Zhiran had intended to clarify that Li Tiezhu's condition was only temporarily relieved and that he was still not entirely out of harm's way. However, seeing the immense relief on Li's wife's face, she held back her words.

Moreover, He Zhiran believed that there was no point in isolation now; everyone had already come into contact with one another. To put it bluntly, without timely preventive medication, all those present were at risk of contracting the plague.

He Zhiran stood up and solemnly pulled Mo Jiuye to the cave entrance.

"I need your assistance."

Mo Jiuye understood the urgency of the situation and vowed to cooperate fully.

"Tell me what you need me to do."

In a hushed voice, just audible to the two of them, He Zhiran outlined his plan.

Without hesitation, Mo Jiuye nodded. "Alright, I'll speak with Brother Peng right away."

Peng Wang had returned to the officials' cave. Seeing Mo Jiuye approach, he hastily asked, "Brother, how's the situation over there?"

Like He Zhiran, Mo Jiuye didn't want the plague issue to alarm too many people. He led Peng Wang to a secluded spot.

"Brother Peng, my wife has diagnosed that man with the plague."

At the mention of the plague, Peng Wang felt a chill run down his spine, and he even entertained the possibility that they themselves could fall victim to infection.

His usual composure was lost, replaced by a fierce gaze fixed on Mo Jiuye as if he had made a momentous decision.

"Brother, why don't we escape right now?"

Peng Wang was familiar with the imperial court's handling of the plague - once infected, there was no escape, and all would inevitably perish.

It was this knowledge that fueled Peng Wang's panic and clouded his judgment.

He had no desire to be trapped somewhere, awaiting his inevitable death. If he were to escape now, there would at least be a glimmer of hope for survival.

Mo Jiuye's visit was not to inform Peng Wang to devise a plan, but rather, he carried a mission from He Zhiran.

"Brother Peng, we cannot leave."

Peng Wang was perplexed. "Do you want to stay here and wait for death?"

Indeed, Mo Jiuye was also nervous deep down, for he had many family members present.

Once infected with the plague, no one stood a chance of survival.

Still, Peng Wang chose to trust He Zhiran.

"Brother Peng, my wife mentioned that while she was on the mountain, she spotted some herbs that might be used to prevent or cure the plague."

Peng Wang didn't deny He Zhiran's medical prowess, but the plague was unlike any other illness. Not only did it spread rapidly, it was also untreatable by conventional medicine.

"Brother, I know you're a man of courage, but you have to think about your family too. If the treatment fails, won't we all end up dying here?"

Mo Jiuye placed his faith in He Zhiran, unfazed by Peng Wang's words.

"Brother Peng, give us some time. I'll accompany my wife to gather the herbs. With the flood downstairs, it's impossible for us to escape anyway. Why not let her give it a try?"

Reminded of the flood below the mountain, Peng Wang realized they truly couldn't leave this place.

Therefore, their only hope of survival lay in He Zhiran's hands.

"Alright, go quickly and return safely. Be cautious."

Saying this, Peng Wang casually fetched two straw hats and handed them to Mo Jiuye.

Taking the hat, Mo Jiuye gave Peng Wang a reassuring glance before turning to leave.

When He Zhiran had initially sought Mo Jiuye's assistance, she had already anticipated that her secret would once again be laid bare before the latter.

Putting aside whether or not she trusted Mo Jiuye's integrity, faced with the potential plague affecting so many people, she had no choice but to put her secret on hold.

The two of them, wearing their hats, left the cave and jogged back along the path they had come.

It was dark, and the road was slippery. For He Zhiran's safety, Mo Jiuye held her small hand tightly, never letting go.

He Zhiran reasoned that since her secret was bound to be partially exposed anyway, there was no harm in adding a touch more intrigue.

Thus, she directly retrieved a luminous pearl from her spatial realm, which originated from the imperial treasury.

The moment the night pearl emerged, the surroundings immediately became vividly illuminated.

Mo Jiuye took a quick look at the night pearl, barely managing to restrain himself from asking where exactly she had produced such an item from.

But upon reflection, there wasn't much difference between her suddenly producing the pearl and her earlier display of numerous items.

Perhaps she had some sort of magical pouch or something similar. Otherwise, Mo Jiuye couldn't think of any reasonable explanation for this.

This was He Zhiran's first time retrieving items from her space in front of Mo Jiuye, going far beyond the concept of "plugging one's ears while stealing a bell."

Although she felt a strange sense of guilt, she quickly pointed to an open area nearby to prevent Mo Jiuye from asking questions.

"Let's go there," she suggested.

Mo Jiuye nodded and led the way.

Upon reaching the spot He Zhiran had indicated, a tent suddenly appeared before them out of thin air.

It was a military-grade tent stored in He Zhiran's medical room, renowned for both its appearance and functionality.

While Mo Jiuye was momentarily stunned, He Zhiran had already pulled him inside.

Without the pounding rain on their backs, they felt much more comfortable.

To prevent anyone passing by from noticing anything unusual, after entering the tent, He Zhiran stowed the night pearl away in her spatial dimension.

"I have medicinal herbs stored where I keep the national treasury's supplies. To avoid suspicion, let's stay here for two hours before returning."

Mo Jiuye nodded. "Mm."

Seeing that Mo Jiuye understood the situation, He Zhiran took out two chairs from her spatial dimension.

"Sit here and rest for a while. I'll prepare the herbs."

With that, she entered her space mentally.

Now, Taobao Baby proved to be very useful.

While opening Taobao Baby, she first checked the revenue of her shop over the past two days.