Chapter Twenty-One: The Spread of Smiles...

“Sir!!”

All the guards panicked. They had witnessed firsthand the horrifying deaths of those infected in Beihai City. They had been with Mr. Chen all this time, and now that he was infected, they feared for their own lives...

“I'm not dead yet. Why are you all so flustered?” Chen Xiao remained composed. Wiping the blood from his mouth with a handkerchief, he still managed a smile as he looked at Zhang Rui. “Please forgive me for causing you concern, sir.”

“You must take care of your health. I know nothing of the situation over there. Without you, I’m afraid I won’t be of much help,” Zhang Rui said.

“Rest assured, I can hold on for a while longer. It’s just that I’ve burdened you, sir.” Chen Xiao sighed deeply. “The few of us traveled all the way from Beihai to Heishui County. Along the way, we don’t even know if we might have spread the plague. If so, it would be an unforgivable sin…”

He had seen the plague clearly in Beihai City. Throughout history, even in books, he had never encountered such a terrifying disease. The grim scenes in Beihai were like a hellish nightmare. If this were to spread beyond the city, those responsible would be cursed for eternity!

“It probably hasn’t…” Zhang Rui replied calmly.

“Oh?” Chen Xiao’s eyes brightened. “Why do you say that?”

His heart brimmed with hope as he asked.

Their mission had initially relied heavily on Master Tian. The forbidden arts in Beihai had unexpectedly left behind some mysterious and powerful beings. Master Tian’s mediumship was their best hope for finding clues. That was why the Yuchi family had decisively sealed off Beihai—to prevent the plague from spreading and to trap the culprits still lurking inside.

Now that Master Tian was dead, their mission was effectively a failure. Placing their hope on this mysterious county magistrate was a desperate gamble. Though this man had so far proven reliable, Chen Xiao had no certainty he could help with the situation in Beihai.

Yet now, hearing the county magistrate respond intelligently about the plague filled him with anticipation.

Zhang Rui felt unnerved by Chen Xiao’s intense gaze. Clearing his throat, he said, “The plague you carry spreads through smiles.”

“Smiles?” Everyone was stunned. Murong Yunji, curious, glanced over—it was the first time she had heard of a disease transmitted through smiling.

“Back in Beihai, you must have tried various quarantine methods...” Zhang Rui sighed. “Food, water, even using damp scarves to cover mouths and noses to block the air—all to no avail, correct?”

“Yes!” The guards nodded vigorously. The Yuchi family’s troops had strict control before the plague fully erupted; all infected were quarantined separately. No matter what measures they took, the disease still spread, especially the prince caught everyone off guard. Despite perfect protection, he was infected, which baffled them greatly.

“That’s because you didn’t know the source of transmission...” Zhang Rui whispered. “This plague is very peculiar. Those infected display a strange smile. You must have seen it. What did you think when you first saw it?”

They exchanged surprised looks before answering, “It left a deep impression. We couldn’t forget that smile even when we tried to sleep. Several nights, we couldn’t fall asleep because closing our eyes only brought that smile back.”

Their hearts skipped a beat. Could it be...

“You’re not mistaken. That unforgettable smile is the means of transmission.”

“Just by smiling?” Chen Xiao was stunned.

“Sounds bizarre, doesn’t it?” Zhang Rui smiled wryly. “But it’s true. The smile, once seen by someone, cannot be forgotten. Once remembered, the plague cannot be avoided.”

Everyone gasped in shock. Such a bizarre method of transmission truly existed!

“This must be man-made, right?” Chen Xiao stared intently at Zhang Rui. He was terrified of the plague but also thrilled—this mysterious county magistrate had real knowledge!

“It should be considered man-made,” Zhang Rui lowered his voice. “More precisely, it’s an evil spirit.”

“An evil spirit?” Chen Xiao’s face lit up. “You know about that?”

“By chance, I know a little,” Zhang Rui responded cautiously.

“You certainly are learned!” Chen Xiao beamed. Though they had lost Master Tian, meeting this magistrate was a blessing in disguise. He now felt this magistrate might even be more useful.

“Sir, don’t get too excited yet. Let’s first discuss the situation in Beihai. Though I know some information about that thing, I’m not fully confident we can capture it...” Zhang Rui said.

“As long as you have information, the Yuchi family’s elite warriors will assist you!” Chen Xiao affirmed.

Zhang Rui nodded silently, knowing that capturing that thing was not simply a matter of numbers.

That evil spirit in Beihai was one of the failed designs from the discarded plans. Unlike the one used in the Painted Market, this had many flaws. In theory, that thing... could not be caught!

-------------------------

“You damned traitorous daughter-in-law, are you planning a rebellion?”

Inside the Zhang residence, chaos reigned. After closing the main gate, Lady Luo ordered the servants to guard it strictly, and personally stationed a trusted maid at the back gate. She tried to avoid her mother-in-law, but the county office was too small. Soon, the elderly servant her mother-in-law had sent secretly reported everything, and the old woman began demanding to know why the gates were sealed and no one was allowed out.

Lady Luo dared not explain. If her mother-in-law knew she had locked her son inside the Painted Market with no regard for his safety, she might go mad!

But the old woman’s instincts were sharp. Sensing something was wrong, she gathered the youngest son and daughter and began to riot, insisting on going out. She even secretly sent her youngest son to try to break through the back gate. If Lady Luo hadn’t anticipated this, her entire family might already be doomed.

“Mother!” Lady Luo explained patiently as she surrounded the Zhang family members with her attendants. “You really can’t go outside!”

“Why not?” The old woman refused to be placated. “If you don’t explain clearly today, I’ll die right here trying to get out. I want to see whether you’re trying to kill your own mother-in-law! If anyone dares to stop me, I swear my son will tear you apart when he returns!!!”

The servants were instantly cowed by the old woman’s fierce presence, helplessly looking at Lady Luo, the mistress of the house.

Lady Luo had managed to control the situation earlier because everyone knew who held the purse strings. The Zhang family often looked down on her, but she was the one paying the servants with real gold. When it came to choosing sides, the servants knew who to obey.

But if things went too far, it was different. The master was an official. If the old matriarch were harmed, the master would have every right to kill them all!

“Oh, mother, what are you doing?” A skinny old man nervously paced nearby. “If you don’t want to go out, then don’t, but why make such a fuss...”

“You know nothing!” The old woman glared at him. “My son is definitely in trouble. That wicked woman just said she was going to find him but locked him outside. He’s been knocking on the door, but she ignores him. What is she trying to do? Kill my son!”

“That’s impossible...” The old man hurried to calm her. “You’re just paranoid. How would your daughter-in-law benefit from harming Rui’er?”

“You two stop standing there and pull your mother back!” Lady Luo urged.

The two siblings who resembled Zhang Rui finally snapped out of it and stepped forward, but the old woman pushed them away fiercely. “Get away from me!”

“Mother!” Lady Luo shouted, seeing no one could restrain the old woman. “Don’t you want your whole family to live?”

The old woman stiffened and turned fiercely. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Lady Luo sighed. The rest of the Zhang family were easy to manage. Her brother-in-law was dull but honest; her sister-in-law was vain and difficult but timid in crises; her father-in-law was soft-hearted and easily fooled. Only her mother-in-law was shrewd and stubborn. This time, she couldn’t simply brush her off.

“Mother, you must have guessed what’s going on outside. If you have, why make such a scene?” Lady Luo sighed. “You’re also from Jiangnan. Even in the countryside, you must have heard about that incident, right?”

The old woman’s face went pale. She had suspected some of it. The Jiangnan incident was notorious. How could she not have heard of it? Yet she still clung to hope. If it really was that, what about her eldest son who had already left?

“Just now, voices came from both the front and back gates. Mother, did you think those were your husband’s voices? And that so-called prince’s voice? Can’t you see what’s happening? Do you know what will happen if you open the door now?”

She pointed at Zhang Rui’s siblings. “Aren’t they your children? Do you really want the whole family to perish together?”

The old woman collapsed to the ground. The old man nearby seemed to understand and staggered down as well. “How could this happen? How...?”

After all these years of hardship, raising a son who became a county magistrate, their good life had lasted barely two years. Why now this tragedy?

“Lady Luo...” The old woman sat helplessly, eyes cold as she stared at her. “I remember you chased after my son not long after he left. The door was just a short distance away. Even if you didn’t catch him in time, he must have just stepped out. You chose to close the door immediately?”

Lady Luo’s eyes darkened slightly. She knew her mother-in-law’s sharp mind would realize this.

“Yes. I didn’t have the courage to chase him down. I’m guilty. You may say I’m cowardly or that I did it on purpose. After today, if you want to divorce my son, I accept it...” she said quietly.

“You...” The old woman trembled with anger but finally lowered her hand in defeat.

If the eldest son was in trouble, divorcing her was useless.

She had endured so much for years, finally raised her son well. The younger son’s future and daughter’s marriage prospects would be secure. But now...

Heaven, why do this to us?

“Is anyone there?”

Everyone froze, then turned toward the voice outside. The servants who had been on guard all night covered their ears, saying outside were man-eating ghosts and nothing could be trusted!

At first, the servants did not believe it. But when they heard their master Zhang Rui’s voice coming from both the front and back gates, they nearly fainted.

Lady Luo looked unexpectedly toward the door. She remembered that before, no matter who called outside, no one could open the door. This time was different—the knocking was loud, as if someone was trying to break in.

“The imperial court has commissioned an investigation. County Magistrate of Fuchun, open the door immediately!!”