Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 507

Chapter 507: 507

The remaining people hurriedly filled their stomachs and returned to their quarters.

Fearing that the children might cause trouble, Mother Lin took them into her room.

The four children were to sleep in the main room while she and her husband would stay in the adjoining room, keeping a close eye on them.

With Sun Cui heavily pregnant, Chen Qiulan shared a room with her. Concerned for their safety, they didn’t let Hexiu leave either.

The three women stayed in the same room.

Nanzhi and Shen Miaomiao, having not seen each other for a long while, chatted about their lives in the village as though they were still there.

"Sister Nanzhi, you’re amazing."

"Why do you say that?"

Shen Miaomiao admiredly touched Nanzhi’s bulging belly.

"You managed to survive such trying times."

"You can too."

Nanzhi took Shen Miaomiao’s hand, assuring her.

The northern city was originally inhabited by the wealthy, but since their departure from Yan City, their houses were left unattended.

Soon, people with ill intentions began to appear.

One by one, people moved into these empty mansions.

Everything seemed normal until one day, when Xiaomi discovered that a swarm of rats had invaded the He Family’s property. It was then that Nanzhi ordered everyone to evacuate from this area of the city.

Some obeyed, while others harboured discontent.

They confronted her continuously, refusing to leave.

The city lacked manpower, and after a few days, the authorities gave up on dealing with them.

They had only warned the residents to be cautious of the rats, but the rebellious group ridiculed and provoked them in response.

The soldiers were no fools. After working tirelessly for so many days and enduring the disrespectful attitude of the people, their patience was wearing thin.

After two instances of defiance, they decided not to patrol that area anymore.

They left the rebellious group to their fate.

The wealthy merchants in the northern city weren’t fools either. Before they left Yan City, they had taken all their valuables and managed their possessions, leaving nothing of value behind in their spacious, empty mansions deserted except for some useless furniture.

Although the mansions were spacious, they lacked even the most basic bedding. Without coal or any substantial firewood, they eventually had to burn their own furniture for warmth and cooking. As time went on and they ran out of things to burn, returning to their former places became difficult.

Returning would mean living in small decaying houses, but here, despite the conditions, the mansions were spacious and grand!

If it were in the past, where could they have the chance to live in such big houses?

As for firewood and charcoal for heating, they had none. But they could steal it!

And if they couldn’t steal it, they could rob others!

Since there were patrols everywhere else, the only people they could rob were those who had also moved to the northern city.

After a couple of failed attempts, someone suggested targeting the people living across the street. They, too, were citizens of Yan City, yet they were bereft of even a piece of coal for heating.

Jealousy grew in their hearts, and they finally decided to incite a riot that night.

They coveted the other residents’ food and charcoal stocks—possessing these would mean living a good life.

By a cruel irony, the rats they had been warned about had the same idea.

Just as they were about to attack, they heard countless squeaks behind them.

The sound of tiny yet countless footsteps sent chills down their spines. Some people turned around, only to see a wave of rats rushing towards them.

Some reacted too slowly. A rat bit their ankle, and the pain made them bend over. They never stood up again.

The rats swarmed their fallen bodies, and the sea of black figures engulfed them completely. In less than half a quarter of an hour, the living, breathing human was reduced to a bloody skeleton.

"Run!"

Some people were overcome with terror, and they tried to outrun the wave.

But their heavy clothes slowed them down, and the rats, as if still unsated, targeted them again.

The continuous screams in the dark night were especially piercing. The city dwellers closed their doors and windows tightly, scattering the poison powder given by Nanzhi carefully around their rooms again, hoping to escape the catastrophe.

Those with men in the house ordered their wives, children, and elders to hide under the quilt. The men then armed themselves, ready to give the rats a fatal blow the moment they barged in.

Meanwhile, the area known as the northern city was filled with endless wailing. The patrolling guards, having heard the chaos, rushed over.

Those clever people had sent a few of their own to distract the guards two streets away.

Ironically, their cunning plan saved the lives of those few.

The familiar putrid smell intensified, and Shen Wenchen’s eyes reflected his stern resolve.

The rats had started their rampage.

The group rode their horses towards the source of the cries.

When they arrived, they saw countless rats gnawing and tearing at human bodies.

The light from the fires made the scene resemble hell itself.

Lin Ercheng, lacking a strong stomach, nearly vomited.

"Be careful."

Shen Wenchen whispered before pulling out his sword and leaping into the swarming mass of rats.

Wherever he went, he left no survivors. The scent of blood mingled with the faint stench of the rats, making people nauseous.

"Cover your noses and mouths. You can’t breathe in this smell."

Having spent a considerable amount of time with Shen Wenchen in the village, Aze knew more about these rats.

Seeing him rip off a strip of his clothes to cover his nose and mouth, the Lin brothers and Yun Tian followed suit, quickly taking protective measures.

The smell of their fellow rats’ blood drove the rodents into a frenzy. They scurried about, searching for the source of the scent.

Under Yun Tian’s shocked gaze, the rats quickly ran towards the bodies of their fellows, immediately devouring them greedily.

With each bite they took, they grew noticeably larger at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The Lin brothers, having seen such things during their patrols, were not too surprised. But Yun Tian had just returned from Xiejiang and had never witnessed such a scene.

"Use fire! They’re afraid of fire. Burn them all!"

"Okay!"

The group charged into the "battlefield" along with the guards.

The moon was exceptionally bright that night, casting a clear light over the battlefield.

Chi Sheng had the poison powder given to him by the Second Master in his arms. Seeing the growing number of rats, he sprinkled the powder, then opened the bamboo tube strapped to his waist and splashed the potent "Thousand Gold" wine towards the swarm of rats.

Once the fire was lit, the rats doused in liquor were immediately set ablaze.

The searing heat scattered the rats, and the potent poison powder intensified when heated. Within a moment, numerous rats dropped dead frothing at the mouth.