A Shocking Dream

Qin Rongchen took a breath and said, "There are traces of zombies roaming around Linzhou. I just came from the west of the city. A small wave of zombies appeared there. We have already dealt with it, but there is no guarantee that there will be some that slip through the net. The situation is critical. We must notify the court as soon as possible and let the surrounding towns prepare for defense."

Qin Ruoyu frowned, he knew very well that this matter could not be delayed: "I'll arrange it right away, I hope it's not in time." After that, he immediately called a guard, quickly wrote an urgent report, and solemnly instructed: "Ride fast, and make sure to deliver this letter to the court as quickly as possible." After receiving the order, the guard jumped on his horse, galloped away, raising a cloud of dust.

Lin Wunian looked at the receding figure, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes: "We can't just rely on the court. The most urgent task is to stabilize the situation in Linzhou first, strengthen the defense, and not let the zombies have another chance to break through the defense line." Qin Rongchen nodded in agreement. The two looked at each other, turned around and plunged into the tense anti-zombie operation again, and Qin Ruoyu also hurried to organize the forces in the city to prepare for the worse situation that might arise next.

"Zeng Mu must be in danger." Lin Wunian looked towards the south of the city, a trace of worry flashed in her eyes. She frowned and pursed her lips slightly. The situation at the old mill in the south of the city was like a huge rock pressing on her heart.

"I'll send someone to check it out right away." Qin Ruoyu acted decisively and quickly led a group of elite soldiers towards the south of the city. The sound of horse hooves echoed rapidly in the streets, as if beating the drums to cheer for the tense situation.

"Everyone who is taken out must be examined by a doctor upon return for infection. The consequences of infection are unimaginable!" Lin Wunian shouted, her voice carrying undeniable authority on the wind. The doctors nodded in agreement, understanding the stakes. The atmosphere was tense, like a fully drawn bowstring. A single misstep could plunge the entire city into an abyss of irretrievable destruction.

At the old mill south of the city, Zeng Mu and his men were locked in a bitter battle with the zombies. Several of their torches had already gone out, and the surrounding darkness seemed to come alive, constantly squeezing their defenses. The zombies' eerie roars mingled, jarring their eardrums. Zeng Mu brandished his long sword, slashing at the zombies while shouting to boost morale, but a growing unease grew within him.

Lin Wunian and the other doctors sat around a worn wooden table, which was covered with bottles and various herbs. The dim candlelight flickered in the wind, illuminating the solemn faces of the people.

"This mutated plague is too fierce. Our previous medicines have no effect on it." An elderly doctor shook his head and sighed, his brows furrowed into deep furrows.

Lin Wunian pursed his lips and looked at everyone with a determined gaze: "We must start over. I read in ancient books that the edelweiss from the northern glaciers may be able to suppress the heat poison in the plague. We can try to join in."

"Edelweiss? That's an extremely rare thing. Where can we find enough of it?" another doctor questioned.

"Let's not worry about the quantity for now. We can analyze it theoretically first." Lin Wunian said, picking up a herb. "If we combine it with the Red Flame Grass from Yanshan, it will neutralize the coldness of the Edelweiss and perhaps stabilize the medicinal properties."

Everyone fell into deep thought, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. A doctor slowly spoke, "But this is just speculation. If the formula is wrong, it might accelerate the patient's mutation."

"But we're running out of time. If we don't try, Linzhou City will be devastated." Lin Wunian's eyes flashed with determination. "Every step is like walking on thin ice, but we have no choice. This concerns the survival of Linzhou City."

Everyone was silent for a moment, then nodded, a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes, and began to prepare for the preparation of the potion, although everyone knew that this was a life-and-death gamble.

The imperial court in the capital was utterly silent, as if the air had frozen solid. Sunlight filtered through the carved window panes onto the golden brick floor, but it couldn't dispel the oppressive, gloomy atmosphere. Qin Ronghuan stood in the center of the hall, clutching the urgent report from Qin Ruoyu. His face was ashen, and he was shaking with rage.

The contents of the urgent report were like a demonic curse, each word a hammer hammering down upon his heart. Linzhou's situation had deteriorated to such a degree, plagues mutating, zombies roaming, the once prosperous city now a living hell. And all this was spreading unstoppably to the surrounding areas, threatening the very foundations of the entire dynasty.

The ministers knelt on the ground, their heads buried deep in their chests, not daring to utter a single sound. They could sense the emperor's surging rage, like a volcano about to erupt. The court was a powder keg, and any movement could trigger an explosion. Each prayed silently in their hearts, hoping for a turnaround in this disaster, yet they felt deeply powerless in the face of the fear of the unknown.

Qin Ronghuan's knuckles turned white from exertion, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and worry. "Linzhou, my Linzhou..." His voice was low and hoarse, as if squeezed through teeth, echoing in the deadly silence of the court, carrying with it endless majesty and heartache.

The atmosphere in the court was as oppressive as the night before a storm. Qin Rongchen's face was filled with rage, the rage in his eyes threatening to consume everything. He strode forward, clutching the urgent report tightly in his hand.

"This is what you did!" Qin Rongchen roared, throwing the urgent report in front of the ministers. The urgent report was spread out on the ground, and the content described on it seemed like a picture from hell - plague mutation, zombies rampant.

The ministers' eyes fell upon those words, and they all trembled with fear. The Minister of Rites, already old, was now as pale as paper, his lips trembling, his eyes filled with terror, the wrinkles in his face deepened by the contortion of his face. His hands clutched the hem of his court robes tightly, his knuckles white from the strain, as if it were his only support amidst the surging terror.

The once mellow face of the Minister of Revenue seemed drained of all life force. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and clung to the ground. His body trembled violently and uncontrollably, each beat like a death knell. His underwear beneath his court attire was already soaked with sweat, sticking clingily to his back. His eyes were panicked and lifeless, as if he could already see the rotting faces and bloody maws of zombies lunging towards him. His legs gave way, and if it weren't for his colleagues crowding around him, he would have collapsed to the ground.

A young imperial censor, who had just entered the court, had a face full of fear. His eyes were wide open.