Volume Two, Travels through the Kingdom of Qi Chapter 98: Collective Frenzy

The only one who could save these people infected by the black aura was Zhang Heng—or rather, only the Super Backer System within Zhang Heng could do it.

But the system was unresponsive now, and Zhang Heng had no way to make it react.

The system had sent Zhang Heng to the burial ground of that Daoist Ghost Sage, where he was to save the countless cultivators who had strayed into the tomb. From this, Zhang Heng judged that the system would never simply watch tens of thousands of people lose their lives.

It should have been testing him. Could it be that it was still dissatisfied with his performance, and that was why it had remained silent for so long?

Since everyone from the Dark Spirit Sect had already been eliminated, the Han family released all the ordinary people who had not been infected, letting them return to their homes and find their own way.

At that moment, Zhang Heng stood in the guest room prepared for him by the Han family and began sorting through his thoughts.

He was not the sort of man who would sit and wait for death. Since the system would not help him, he could only rely on himself.

When he had first begun studying alchemy, the system had given him many medical texts to learn from. Zhang Heng had read them several times, and because his memory was excellent, he had memorized them all.

Now those books seemed to unfold one by one in his mind. Zhang Heng carefully sifted through them, one after another, yet found nothing related to that black aura.

He refused to give up and organized all the disorderly books in his memory, but after recalling them all, he was plunged into despair.

That black aura seemed like a taboo. No book contained anything about it.

Zhang Heng lay on the bed and stared helplessly at the ceiling.

How, exactly, was this situation to be broken?

At that moment, the Han family patriarch knocked urgently outside and shouted from beyond the door, “Senior, something terrible has happened.”

Zhang Heng got up, composed himself, and opened the door.

He might have no solution, but he had to make everyone else feel hope.

“What happened?” Zhang Heng asked calmly after stepping out.

Seeing Han Xuan like this, Zhang Heng suspected that something had happened to the townspeople in the city. But whatever had occurred, he could not afford to panic.

When Zhang Heng came out, Han Xuan hurried over, his face full of anxiety. “Senior, those infected by the black aura have gone mad.”

“Take me to see them.” Zhang Heng was startled. As expected, he had guessed right.

As the two spoke, Ling Tian silently arrived behind them.

“Senior,” Han Xuan explained as they walked, “after the people from the Dark Spirit Sect died, those infected by the black aura became extremely violent.”

When they reached the main gate of the Han residence, they saw tens of thousands of townspeople kneeling there in unison. Some were ordinary folk, while others were covered head to toe in black aura.

“Immortal, please save my father!”

“Brother Immortal, come quick and see my mother. She’s ill.”

“My poor child!”

“Please, holy one, show mercy and save us miserable people!”

The moment Zhang Heng appeared, the ordinary folk surged toward him, their cries and pleas rising one after another without end.

The whole scene was steeped in sorrow.

They were only ordinary people, with no way to save their relatives and friends, so they could only place all their hope in Zhang Heng.

“Everyone, don’t panic. Let me take a look first,” Zhang Heng said, seeing the chaos and trying to calm them.

At his words, the crowd immediately fell silent.

Zhang Heng slowly walked into the midst of the people.

Those infected by the black aura were all in a berserk state. Their minds were clouded, their limbs jerking uncontrollably, and they could not even speak, only letting out pained roars.

What was going on? Could it be that once they stopped listening to the sermons of the Dark Spirit Sect, the black aura would grow violent?

Zhang Heng was powerless. At that moment, he was also suffering and struggling inside. He was only a small cultivator, and he had arrived in this strange world less than a year ago. Though he had read many medical texts, as for alchemy, he had only truly practiced it once. He really, truly had no way to save these people.

But who could he blame? The system for not giving him a hint? No. In the end, he could only blame himself. It was still because his own abilities were too weak.

And yet Zhang Heng was now the hope in the hearts of these ordinary people; he was their god. How could he give up?

After restraining one frenzied man, Zhang Heng began a full examination. Though he could not save them, he could still perform a simple inspection.

With spiritual power covering his hand, Zhang Heng began feeling around the man’s body.

The black aura had absorbed a great deal of his vital essence, which was why it had become so agitated. But after having so much essence drained away, his body was already extremely weak.

Now the restless black aura controlled every movement he made. Helpless, he could only drag his exhausted body along and let the black aura drag him into its wild frenzy.

At this rate, they would literally dance themselves to death.

Although Zhang Heng did not know what this black aura truly was, he did not dare rashly peel it away from these people’s bodies. However, their bodies had become terribly weak after having their vital essence siphoned off by the aura, and that was something Zhang Heng could remedy.

He only needed to send spiritual energy into their bodies. That would preserve their lives. As long as they did not die, he would have time to slowly search for a solution.

Seeing Zhang Heng rise, the ordinary people anxiously asked again and again,

“Has the holy one thought of any way?”

“How can you speak like that? The holy one’s abilities reach the heavens. He surely has a solution.”

Zhang Heng gave them a reassuring smile, then raised his hand and called Han Xuan over.

This time, Zhang Heng directly took out five small vials of spirit liquid and instructed, “Patriarch Han, have your guards handle this and distribute it to those who have been infected.”

Pleasure City had more than a hundred thousand people in total, and only twenty thousand had escaped infection, so this time a larger amount was needed.

Seeing Zhang Heng produce divine elixirs and miraculous medicine once again, those who had not been infected hurried to kneel and thank him. They had personally taken such spiritual medicine before, so they naturally knew how effective it was.

Soon, dozens of large water vats were carried out by the Han family’s guards.

The healthy people were then asked to help distribute the diluted spirit spring water to their relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, Zhang Heng stood there, focusing intently on observing the reactions of those people.

Not long after, all the spirit liquid had been distributed.

As Zhang Heng had expected, those infected who drank it showed no sign of improvement. They remained in a berserk state, their minds still clouded, though their life force had indeed increased somewhat.

“How can it be useless?” The ordinary people were stunned. The immortal’s elixir had been so miraculous—could it still not save their loved ones?

Zhang Heng did not want everyone to be discouraged. Gathering spiritual energy, he said loudly, “Everyone, rest assured. The liquid I just gave them is to strengthen their life force. In the short term, they will no longer be in danger of death, so you may all relax. I am already developing the medicine that will cure them completely. It will not be long before Pleasure City is restored to peace.”

Having said that, Zhang Heng turned and went back into the Han residence, afraid that the disappointed look on his face would be seen by the gathered common folk.

After returning to the guest room, Zhang Heng turned around and looked at Ling Tian, who had followed him the entire way. Helplessly closing his eyes, he let out a pained voice.

“Senior Ling Tian, I cannot save these people. Please go and bring Senior Wu Hong here.”