“That’s right. Zhuxin, the mountain is dangerous. Let Meng Zi and the others accompany you,” Qi Gu said.
“Okay.” Shen Zhuxin nodded.
She could not gather as many herbs on her own. There was strength in numbers, after all!
“Uncle Qi Gu, we’ll go pick some Moon Whisper Grass. You must find a way to obtain the prescription to treat the disease. Otherwise, I won’t be able to save them.”
“Alright, I’ll think of something,” Qi Gu replied.
However, only the older men knew it was not easy to obtain the prescription.
After Shen Zhuxin and the young men left, Qi Gu immediately headed to the meeting hall with the other elders. Everyone wore abnormally solemn expressions on their faces.
“Qi Gu, what’s going on? Why are there cases of the epidemic disease in your village?”
“That’s right, Qi Gu. Our 18 villages along the border have been stockaded for so many years. No one from outside can come in. How did your people get infected?”
The men were Ai Qi from the third village and Shen Yan from the first. They were shocked when they heard the news and could not believe that an epidemic had broken out here.
“Hmph!” Qi Gu’s eyes reddened when he heard their questions.
He smashed both fists on the table, causing the stone tabletop to chip. “There are spies in the village. They brought the disease in.”
They were so stunned by the word “spies” that they could barely speak.
“Spies! It’s caused by them? How dare they!”
Qi Gu spat hatefully, “There’s nothing they’re afraid of doing! They’ll do whatever they want to recruit us into their forces. They don’t care if they kill a few of our people.”
However, he sneered to himself.
It is wishful thinking to expect to recruit the 18 stockaded villages! We only serve one master. Even if there’s a second, it’ll only be our master’s successor!
“Did you find out who?” Ai Qi asked.
“Yes, but he committed suicide by consuming poison when caught. We couldn’t ask him anything.” Qi Gu shook his head.
The chief of the eighteenth stockaded village, Sui Mu, shook his head regretfully. “That’s unfortunate!”
“What’s unfortunate?” Ge Li from the 16th village sneered and rolled his eyes at Sui Mu.
“How would the small fries know who their master is? Since they dare to take action against us, they won’t let us get anything on them.”
Qi Gu’s hatred intensified upon hearing that. “Wretched people!”
However, he still looked up at his old brothers and sighed softly.
“I didn’t expect all of you to come here directly. I just wanted to inform you to be careful of spies who seem weak. My village is affected this time. Next time…”
“Don’t worry about that.” Luo Zhongyin waved his right hand at Qi Gu and sneered.
“We ordered a thorough investigation after receiving your message. Moreover, no one has left the mountain recently. Anyone who dares to go up the mountain will be treated as a spy and killed!”
They had to use harsh methods in this critical situation to deter people with ill intentions.
“But this prescription…” Qi Gu raised his hand and wiped his face.
“It seems like we have to meet him,” Shen Yan said in a low voice with a helpless expression.
“What?” Qi Gu looked up at Shen Yan.