I transmigrated to a chaotic world and became the sole player.

Three hundred taels of silver, plus a reward from the prefectural city—this bounty was undoubtedly tempting. But Lu Zhao stopped not simply because of the generous reward. The North, plague, suspected evil spirits… these keywords matched the information he had heard from Manager Wang, and also subtly connected to the previous encounters with the sorcerer and snake demon. This made him sense something unusual.

Is it simply an epidemic, or the work of a new evil spirit? If it's the latter, what does that mean? Is it a coincidence, or some deeper connection?

He stood before the notice board, silently observing the surrounding crowd. Amidst the murmurs, there was fear, curiosity, eagerness, and also sighs and shakes of the head. Anyone daring to accept a bounty involving "plague" and "demons" was either extremely confident in their abilities or blinded by the promise of reward. Lu Zhao noticed that two or three composed martial artists, carrying weapons, were conversing quietly, seemingly quite interested in the bounty. But most others, including some seemingly experienced江湖客 (jianghu ke, a term referring to martial arts practitioners), simply shook their heads, their faces showing apprehension.

"The plague... I heard that those who get infected develop festering sores all over their bodies, have a persistent high fever, and die within a few days... Ugh, it's really strange!"

"That's right! The coroner and doctor sent by the government a few days ago also contracted the disease and had to be brought back. They're still in quarantine!"

"Three hundred taels of silver is good, but you have to be alive to spend it!"

"I heard from people who fled from the north that at night, the village was filled with miasma and strange noises, like a woman crying or the wind blowing through a graveyard..."

Listening to these discussions, Lu Zhao's heart grew even heavier. The plague itself was extremely troublesome, and with the added element of suspected "demonic" influence, the danger level skyrocketed. But danger and opportunity coexist; such events often meant "experience points," the possibility of obtaining special items or information, or even triggering hidden quests. More importantly, he wanted to figure out if this matter was related to the previous evil practices and snake demons.

He didn't immediately accept the challenge. He turned and left, returning to "Wang An Ju," where he carefully stored the silver and storage bag he had received, and then organized the newly drawn talismans. Five [Exorcising Talismans] (three ordinary, two good), three [Tranquilizing Talismans], and one [Protective Talisman]—these were his main reliance at the moment. He also took ten taels from the forty taels of silver given to him by Manager Wang and gave them to Master Zhao as funds for the next stage of development of the refugee camp.

"Master, I need to go to Beiling Village. It may take some time," Lu Zhao said to Master Zhao.

Upon hearing this, Master Zhao's expression changed drastically: "Young friend Lu, you mustn't! Beiling Village is extremely dangerous, ravaged by a plague that no human can withstand! Although you are skilled, the plague is fatal to anyone who touches it, and there are even rumors of demons lurking there..."

"Rest assured, Master," Lu Zhao said calmly. "I know what I'm doing. Firstly, this trip is for investigation, though we may not go very deep. Secondly, the town has offered a reward of three hundred taels of silver, which could solve our immediate problem if we succeed. Thirdly, this matter might be related to that snake demon, and if we don't find out, it could cause endless trouble. You and the villagers can stay here without worry. I've already spoken to Chief Escort Li; if there's any emergency, you can seek help from the escort agency."

Seeing that Lu Zhaoyi was determined, Master Zhao could only sigh, "Young friend, please be very careful. This is a dangerous situation. Your safety is the most important thing!"

After bidding farewell to Master Zhao, Lu Zhao didn't go directly to the garrison headquarters to accept the challenge. Instead, he went to Liu's General Store and bought a large amount of insect-repelling and snake-repelling powder, realgar, strong liquor, clean strips of cloth, dry food, and clean water. He also took out two high-quality Yin Sha Crystals that he had obtained from the snake demon and went to Qingyun Temple to find Master Qingxu to exchange them for three [Qingfeng Talismans] (common) and one [Miasma-Avoiding Talisman] (common).

【Gentle Breeze Talisman】: Can summon a gentle breeze to purify the air in a small area and dispel odors and slightly toxic gases.

[Miasma-Avoiding Talisman]: It can form a weak spiritual energy shield to resist the erosion of miasma and poisonous fog. The effect is relatively weak, but it has the advantage of a long duration.

These are all talismans that might be used to explore plague-stricken areas. Master Qingxu didn't ask any further questions, but simply instructed him that if he discovered anything suspicious about the plague, he should not act rashly and should report it promptly.

Preparations were complete, and it was already the morning of the next day. Lu Zhao, carrying all his belongings, arrived at the garrison headquarters and took down the wanted poster. The clerk in charge of registration, Master Wang, wasn't particularly surprised to see him, but solemnly instructed him, "Brave warrior Lu, this matter is of utmost importance. Many have already perished. The garrison will send two experienced constables familiar with the paths to Beiling Village to guide you, but they will not enter the village. If you uncover the truth or find a way to rescue them, you must report back immediately. Remember, take care!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Master." Lu Zhao nodded in agreement.

Soon, two elderly constables, both around forty years old and looking quite capable, were summoned and led Lu Zhao out of town, heading north.

Beiling Village is located about forty li north of Qingmu Town, in a remote area with difficult mountain roads. Along the way, the old constable recounted to Lu Zhao what he knew about Beiling Village: the village was small, with about a hundred households, who made their living by hunting and gathering herbs. Half a month ago, livestock died mysteriously, followed by people falling ill. The symptoms started with high fever and headaches, then black spots appeared on their bodies, ulcerated and oozing pus, and finally, they died. The deaths were rapid, taking only three or four days from the onset of illness to death. The village called a doctor, but to no avail. After reporting to the authorities, the coroner and doctor sent there also became infected, and the village had to be sealed off, with no one allowed to leave or come out.

"Where are the villagers? Are they all dead?" Lu Zhao asked.

"No, not at all," an old constable said. "According to those who escaped, the sick were all gathered in the ancestral hall in the west of the village, separated from the others. But as more and more people became infected, those who weren't infected dared not stay in the village anymore. Those who could escape had already fled, leaving only the old, weak, sick, and disabled, trapped in the village waiting to die. Later... later we heard that strange things were happening in the village, with miasma and strange noises often appearing at night, so no one dared to go near anymore."

Lu Zhao silently noted it down; the situation was indeed strange.

After walking for most of the day, as the sun began to set, the three arrived at a mountain hollow. The two old constables stopped, pointed to the misty forest ahead, and said with lingering fear, "Brave man Lu, the border of Beiling Village is just ahead. Once you cross this forest, you'll see the village. We... we'll stop here. Take care! If you don't return before dark, we'll go back to town to report."

Lu Zhao nodded, said nothing more, and walked into the forest alone.

The forest was dense, the sunlight blocked by the thick foliage, making it somewhat eerie. The further one went, the heavier the humidity became, and a faint, strange odor, a mixture of sweet, fishy, ​​and rotten smells, began to drift over. It was the stench of the "plague."

[An unusual environment was detected; trace amounts of plague gas and miasma were present in the air.]

The Turtle Breathing Technique operates automatically, slowing breathing and reducing the inhalation of pathogenic air.

The miasma-repelling talisman's effect was slightly activated, forming a thin layer of spiritual light around the body, blocking some of the miasma.

A notification appeared on the panel at the opportune moment. Lu Zhao immediately took out a strip of cloth soaked in realgar liquor from his pocket, covered his mouth and nose, and then carefully put the miasma-repelling talisman close to his body, activating its effect. A layer of almost invisible pale gray spiritual light enveloped his body, isolating most of the foul miasma from the outside.

He focused intently, activating the [Turtle Breathing Technique] to its fullest extent. His steps were extremely light, and his mental energy spread out like a spider web, sensing everything around him. The forest was eerily silent; no birds or beasts were to be seen, not even the chirping of insects could be heard. Only the rustling of the wind through the withered leaves carried an ominous, deathly stillness.

Passing through the woods, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a small mountain village nestled in a valley. Dozens of mud-brick and thatched huts were scattered about, but at this moment, all was deathly silent, without a trace of smoke or human presence. On a crooked wooden sign at the village entrance, the words "Plague Forbidden Zone, Trespassers Will Die" were written in blood-red characters, the handwriting ferocious.

Lu Zhao didn't rush into the village. He circled around to the hillside on the side of the village, observing carefully from his vantage point. The village was shrouded in a thin, grayish-white mist, which looked somewhat eerie in the setting sun. It wasn't water vapor, but rather resembled some kind of living thing, slowly flowing and swirling. Most of the houses in the village had their doors and windows tightly closed, some even boarded up. Only near a larger building at the western end of the village—presumably an ancestral hall—was the mist particularly thick, faintly tinged with an ominous dark red.

He focused his mind, directing his senses toward the ancestral hall. Instantly, a mixture of pain, despair, deathly silence, and an extremely faint yet chilling feeling of hunger, as if from the depths of the underworld, surged through his mind like an icy tide! This feeling was completely different from the chilling, malevolent aura of the Li Family Village cemetery; it was far more filthy, twisted, and filled with the scent of plague and madness.

"It really is a plague, but this plague... is not simple!" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. This aura is similar to that of the evil sorcerer and the snake demon; all are tainted with evil, but their attributes seem different. Is it another kind of evil entity? Or a variant of the same origin?

He decided to explore from the outside first. Descending the hillside, he discovered several abandoned medicinal herb fields, all the herbs withered and blackened. Beside a well lay the skeletons of several animals, their flesh long since rotted away, leaving only stark white bones. He cautiously approached a thatched hut near the village entrance and peered inside through a broken window.

The room was a mess, pots and pans scattered everywhere, covered in a thick layer of dust. In a corner, curled up... something barely recognizable as human. Its skin was a strange bluish-black, covered in festering sores, its body twisted in an unnatural position, clearly dead for some time. Strangely, from the corpse's mouth, nose, and eye sockets, seemed to be some kind of fine, hair-like, slightly wriggling grayish-white fungus...

Lu Zhao's pupils shrank sharply. This was no ordinary plague! It was a corpse transformed from something that had been parasitized and contaminated by some kind of "thing"!

"Squeak—"

Suddenly, a piercing sound, like something scraping against a wooden board, came from deep within the village. Immediately following was the sound of heavy, dragging footsteps, slowly approaching the village entrance.

Alarm bells rang in Lu Zhao's mind. He instantly held his breath and completely concealed himself in the shadows. He took out a protective talisman and held it in his palm, ready to activate the exorcising talisman at any moment. His eyes were fixed on the direction from which the footsteps were coming.

On the misty village road, a hunched, staggering figure gradually came into view.

That seems to be... a "person".

He was dressed in tattered burlap clothes, thin and staggering, his head bowed, his face obscured. But in Lu Zhao's spiritual perception, the figure emanated an intense, almost impenetrable aura of plague and death, along with an extremely faint but cold and viscous malice.

The "person" walked to the village entrance, stopped, and slowly raised his head.

Lu Zhao's heart clenched.

What a face it was! His skin was bluish-black and festering, his eye sockets were hollow, oozing dark yellow pus, and half of his lips were rotten, revealing his stark white gums. Most bizarrely, his pupils were a murky grayish-white, unfocused, as if veiled by a thin film. And beneath his festering flesh, countless tiny things seemed to be wriggling.

[Corrupted Villager (Eroded), Level: 3]

Health Points: 100%/100%

[Status: Plague, Walking Dead, Infected, Under Control]

The information displayed on the panel made Lu Zhao's heart sink to the bottom.

These aren't just ordinary plague victims; they're zombies corrupted and manipulated by something! And they're being "controlled"! There's definitely something fishy going on behind this!

The mutated villager seemed to have sensed something. Its turbid, grayish-white eyes slowly turned toward the direction where Lu Zhao was hiding. It opened its half-rotten mouth and made a "hoarse...hoarse..." sound. Then, in a way completely different from ordinary zombies, with a stiff but purposeful posture, it walked step by step toward the bushes where Lu Zhao was hiding.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath and gripped the wood-chopping knife tightly in his hand.