Chapter 134

Chapter 134

"What the hell happened? Why were the casualties so severe? Why didn't they call for backup?" Kane frowned deeply as he looked at the reported death toll.

"According to our investigation, it started with many rotting animal carcasses being dumped into the water source, making people sick—fevers, the runs, you name it. When they realized something was wrong, they sought medical help, and the diagnosis was an epidemic."

"Yes, I know about that. Didn’t we arrange for people to bring herbs and physicians? We got word it was under control... What happened afterward?" Both Kane and Ning Chan took the epidemic very seriously, so when it occurred, they immediately dispatched personnel and supplies to minimize the damage.

"Correct. With Chief Physician Tang’s help, the outbreak was contained. But then someone poisoned the food in the quarantine zone. Since everyone ate in the same place, many died on the spot. At first, only some had eaten the tainted food, and once the issue was discovered, further consumption was stopped. However, someone took advantage of the chaos to spread rumors, claiming we never intended to cure them—that we wanted them all dead."

The messenger’s jaw clenched just thinking about it. Those bastards didn’t give a damn about lives—would do anything, no matter how sick.

"We grabbed the troublemakers right away, but many still believed the lies. They started raising hell, trying to bust out past the guards. Since they weren’t fully recovered, we couldn’t let them go and had to deploy more forces to suppress the unrest."

At this point, the messenger closed his eyes briefly, his mind flooded with images of bloodshed. "Then, pirates came in by boat. Once ashore, they wiped out every damn village in sight—killed, stole, left nothing. The patrol got word out fast, but the nearest reinforcements had just gone to assist in town and couldn’t return in time. By the time they arrived, the raiders had already fled by boat, and all the patrol members were killed."

"And how is Babylonia involved?" Kane tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, each tap weighing heavily on those below.

"We interrogated the troublemakers in the quarantine zone. They spilled their guts—admitted Babylonia was behind it, and what their mission was." The messenger didn’t know what methods the interrogators used to extract the truth, but given that nobody walked out of interrogation in one piece, it couldn’t have been pleasant.

"Again, them. Hah. I haven’t gone after them, yet they come after us." Without realizing it, Ning Chan crushed his thermos, molten metal dripping, sizzling as it hit the stone floor.

Seeing Ning Chan’s fury, Kane lowered his gaze slightly, realizing there was no stopping him this time. "Indeed. Babylonia keeps provoking us, resorting to such despicable tactics against civilians. This means war. Since the last incident, I’ve been gathering intelligence on that country. Take a look."

Kane had originally planned to deal with those ruthless schemers gradually, but reality seemed to deny him that luxury.

Ning Chan rarely involved himself in state affairs, mostly just listening in when reports were made, seldom voicing opinions. His focus was on improving the people’s quality of life.

After all, having endured too much darkness in his past life, he now sought only to witness the beauty of life.

Kane indulged him, knowing he disliked such matters, and usually handled them himself. But this time, the scale of the incident made concealment impossible.

After the Paradise City incident, Ning Chan had already considered retaliating against Babylonia. Now, with this new connection, it was like stepping directly on his landmine. Kane had no choice but to hand over all the intelligence, letting him understand the country better.

"Excellent. Just perfect. I was worried war would drag in too many innocents, but it seems I overthought it." Ning Chan flipped through the documents, his frown deepening until he let out a bitter laugh.

"Yes, that’s the current situation there. Hell, taking them over would just leave us needing a bath." Kane recalled the chaos of his past life’s nation, suspecting these very people might have had a hand in it. The thought disgusted him.

"Indeed. This trip is unavoidable. Those things... they need to be wiped off the map." Ning Chan shook off the last drop of molten metal, his gaze settling on a vase in the corner.

A fresh bouquet wilted on the spot, petals turning to dust.

Kane, watching Ning Chan closely, followed his gaze and understood his resolve. No point arguing now. After a brief pause, he summoned officials from the Treasury and the Military.

If he couldn’t stop him, he would at least ensure they were fully prepared.

Upon hearing Kane’s orders, the Treasury and Military officials didn’t hesitate, swearing on their lives they’d get it done.

Back before Kane took charge, any war—big or small—would have been met with reluctance, with officials downplaying their resources to contribute as little as possible.

But since his ascension, and with the guidance of His Holiness, the nation had grown prosperous. Granaries and treasuries were full, soldiers fed like kings and trained to hell and back, unafraid of any conflict.

Now that some idiots wanna start something, it was time to throw their weight around and show they weren’t to be messed with.

Just because His Holiness encouraged kindness didn’t mean they were doormats who’d just take it. They didn’t seek trouble, but they wouldn’t shy away from it either.

With plans to establish a navy, navy boys had been grinding day and night. Now, with a maritime mission at hand, they jumped at the chance, swearing to fight for their homeland.

For them, getting into the military put your family on the map. Not only were the benefits excellent, but it also had the whole neighborhood looking up to them.

Having come from those days of hunger and cold, they knew how hard-won their current happy, peaceful lives were. They put on these uniforms precisely to repay their nation and protect this way of life from destruction.

When they joined the ranks, they were already prepared to give their lives to the cause. If in the past they might have had many reservations, now, even if they were truly injured or died in battle, their families would still receive subsidies, and the state would take care of them.

So all they needed to do was give their all, charging forward with everything they had, striving for greater glory—for themselves and their families.

Now was that very opportunity. Fired up, they vowed to crush the invaders beneath their feet.

Once all preparations were complete, Ning Chan boarded the warship with the troops. Their first target was the den of those bandits who had slaughtered the coastal villages.

After the atrocities occurred, scouts had immediately gathered intelligence on nearby islands, pinpointing the bandits' hideout. They only awaited orders to wipe out the nest.

Unexpectedly, the one they waited for was none other than His Holiness himself.

From the ship, Ning Chan had already surveyed the island through his telescope. The sight of those vibrant flowers stretching across the land made his lips curl into a cold smile.

It was unclear how long those scoundrels had occupied the island, but traps lay every few steps. A single misstep could easily mean trouble.

Faced with this situation, some suggested just burning the whole place down—without the cover of trees and flowers, the bandits would have nowhere to hide. But others stopped them.

This place wasn’t just home to ruthless criminals; there were also captive women suffering under their cruelty. That approach would inevitably harm the innocent.

Moreover, they had discovered that among the flora were the "cursed blooms" strictly forbidden by His Holiness—those could not be burned directly.

Since they couldn't take the easy way out, they resorted to cautiously clearing their path with long poles. Though slower, it was far safer.

While the troops slowly moved forward, Ning Chan informed the General and went ahead on his own.

Watching as His Holiness effortlessly bypassed every trap and vanished swiftly from sight, the General could only marvel—truly, His Holiness was on another level. Word was he intended to destroy the cursed blooms first. Hopefully, no one would notice.

Then again, given His Holiness’s divine abilities, the General thought, anyone who did spot him would only be inviting misfortune upon themselves.

Were it not for certain restrictions preventing direct interference in mortal conflicts, His Holiness could likely wipe out that whole country with a mere thought.

Unaware that he had nearly become a god of destruction, Ning Chan moved through the plants, emerging near the flower fields.

Pushing back his hood, he gazed at the swaying blossoms and fruits. His dark green eyes appeared to lighten, until they shone like green gems under the sun.

Invisible to the naked eye, specks of green light raced toward him through the air.

At first, it was just a few from the nearest plants. Then, the specks became threads, then rivers, surging toward him in a torrent.

The change in the flower fields was too sudden. The first to notice shouted in panic, "What’s happening? Why are the sacred flowers dying? Who did this?"

The other "bandits" rushed into the fields in panic. "Quick! Gather the sacred flowers—now!"

But no matter how fast they moved, Ning Chan was faster. His superpower had already linked him to every plant. Even plucked and stuffed into bags, their destruction was inevitable.

As the flowers in their hands withered into dust, fear showed on their faces. "Gone... all gone... Did a god curse us?"