Plague Spreading

The night passed quickly.

By the next morning, the long-unconscious Liu Yang finally opened his eyes.

After a night of rest, his complexion had returned to normal, though his body was still quite weak.

Margaret had stood guard outside all night. As soon as she heard Liu Yang had awakened, she immediately entered the room.

“Liu Yang, I’m the official in charge of handling this plague situation. I have a few questions for you, and you must answer truthfully. Do you understand?” Margaret cut straight to the point.

“…Yes,” Liu Yang nodded, a bit fearful.

“When did you first contract the plague?” Margaret asked.

“I don’t know how long I was unconscious… but in my memory, it was about three days ago when I suddenly felt dizzy and weak, with chills all over. At first, I thought it was just a regular cold, so I took some random medicine. I didn’t expect it to get worse. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late,” Liu Yang replied weakly.

“Before the symptoms appeared, did you come into contact with any strangers?” Margaret continued.

“I rarely go out. But a few days ago, I met a girl I’d known online. We’d been chatting for two years, but it was our first time meeting. She was really beautiful and even said she wanted to be my girlfriend. I was really happy --- we had a meal together. Afterward, she said she had to leave to meet a friend in Wugang City,” Liu Yang explained.

“After that, your symptoms started to appear?”

“I think so.”

“Do you know who she was going to see in Wugang City?”

“No… Even though we chatted online for two years, we rarely talked about our real identities.”

“But you at least know her name, don’t you?”

“She said her name was Pei Nan. But I don’t know if that’s her real name.”

“Describe her appearance in detail.”

Margaret snapped her fingers, signaling to Su Lan to bring paper and pen.

Then, based on Liu Yang’s description, she began carefully sketching.

After nearly an hour of revisions, she finally completed a rough likeness of Pei Nan.

When Liu Yang saw the sketch, his eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes! That’s her! Looks 80 to 90% like!”

Margaret nodded and handed the portrait to Su Lan. “Find out who this woman is. Quickly!”

“Yes!”

Su Lan accepted the task and swiftly left.

“Besides this Pei Nan, was there anything else unusual around you?” Margaret asked again.

“No,” Liu Yang shook his head. “I spend most of my time at home playing games. I rarely go out. Everyone in the village can confirm that.”

“I have nothing more to ask. Get some rest.” Margaret got up to leave.

She had already reviewed Liu Yang’s background --- nothing out of the ordinary.

A typical recluse. His parents had died in a car accident a few years ago. He made a living by offering video game boosting services and had very little contact with people. Socially awkward and easily deceived.

If Liu Yang was telling the truth, then the source of the plague likely stemmed from this woman named Pei Nan.

And since she went to Wugang City, it meant the plague would soon begin spreading there.

A serious problem indeed.

“Boss! I found her!”

Moments later, Su Lan returned with information based on the name and portrait.

“What’s her background?” Margaret asked.

“The woman Liu Yang mentioned is indeed named Pei Nan. She returned to the country three years ago. She’s a follower of the Western Faith and often spreads its teachings online. She’s a devout believer,” Su Lan reported.

“What about her family and friends?”

“Her parents passed away years ago. We haven’t found much about her overseas identity yet, but she does have a few close relatives in the country.”

“Have you investigated them?”

“Yes. Just like her, they all follow the Western Faith --- and were converted by her. I suspect this Western Faith is actually just a disguise for the White Bone Cult!” Su Lan said seriously.

“If the White Bone Cult has resurfaced and is wreaking havoc again, it’s clearly not by accident. Without a cover identity, how could they have survived this long?” Margaret was not surprised.

“What should we do now, Boss?” Su Lan asked.

“Whether it’s the White Bone Cult or this so-called Western Faith, anyone who harms the people must be eliminated!”

Margaret’s face turned cold. “Immediately investigate everything related to the Western Faith --- especially this Pei Nan. She’s a priority target. Capture her as soon as possible. I’ll request higher authorities to seal off the southern region. We must snuff out the White Bone Cult before it reignites!”

“Understood!”

Su Lan responded and left again.

Pei Nan didn’t know many people in Wugang City. A thorough investigation would soon reveal her whereabouts.

“How’s it going? Got a lead yet?”

At that moment, Dustin walked in yawning.

He hadn’t slept all night and had spent a huge amount of energy, so he was understandably drowsy.

“We’ve found some clues. I believe it won’t be long before we catch the person responsible for spreading the plague,” Margaret said.

“That’s good to hear.”

Dustin let out a breath of relief. “Once we eliminate the source of the plague, the rest will be much easier to handle.”

“Things are going too smoothly… it makes me uneasy.”

Margaret frowned slightly. “The White Bone Cult’s sudden resurgence and the spread of this plague… if it were just for a blood sacrifice, they wouldn’t need to be this flamboyant. I suspect they have a deeper motive.”

“Whatever it is, once we catch them, we’ll find out soon enough,” said Dustin.

“Then we’ll just have to wait for the results.” Margaret nodded.

Just then, a trusted subordinate hurried in with an anxious tone. “Your Highness! Bad news!

We just received word --- the plague has started spreading in Pucheng. Over a hundred people are already infected!” - Ton

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