I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1270 - Chapter 1270 Chapter 562 Post-Pandemic

Chapter 1270: Chapter 562: Post-Pandemic Chapter 1270: Chapter 562: Post-Pandemic “`

Longzhou Calendar 1787, April

The plague that had affected Chaochang finally came under control with the help of an educated group and the massive supplies provided by Yulin Pavilion.

The restored calm in Chaochang brought little joy, only countless tears. The cemeteries outside the city had long run out of land for tombstones, bodies could only be piled up in the streets, and the entire city reeked.

If not addressed, a second plague seemed imminent. Several masters from Yulin Pavilion brought together learned individuals from Chaochang to discuss countermeasures. Included in the invitation were notable physicians and monks, especially those from Lower City District’s Heavenly Ladies and Holy Buddha, who were esteemed guests of Yulin Pavilion.

“We’ve gathered here to discuss the issue of the bodies in the streets of Chaochang. The pavilion’s intention is to assign specific individuals to oversee each region, and to excavate mass graves in designated areas. Without distinction of gender, status, or age, all shall be buried uniformly. What are your thoughts on this?”

Lu Shaolin from Yulin Pavilion presided over the meeting. He seemed to be asking for opinions but had, in truth, already determined the approach. In such a situation, none dared to disagree, and all voiced their approval.

They promised to follow Master Shaolin’s instructions and the atmosphere of the meeting was exceptionally harmonious. The Chaochang clans united, indicating that they would look to Yulin Pavilion for future leadership.

“Please do not misunderstand. The plague struck suddenly, and with Chaochang’s families lacking a leader, Yulin Pavilion, a sect from the Southern Boundary, couldn’t ignore the situation, having benefited from Chaochang in the past. However, Yulin Pavilion is after all a sect detached from worldly affairs. Once this matter is settled, we will not involve ourselves in Chaochang’s affairs again. Therefore, let us not speak again of following our lead.”

Lu Shaolin knew well the implications in the people’s words and promptly clarified Yulin Pavilion’s position, allowing the high and mighty clans to finally ease their worries.

The reason these families remained in Chaochang was to benefit from the reconstruction after the chaos. Every natural disaster was an opportunity to reshuffle the social order. While some would descend from their high positions, there were also those who vaulted from the lower ranks to the top.

Take for example the families in the council chamber–before the plague, they were considered secondary, but now, they had become the pillars of Chaochang. How delightful the intricacies, only the parties involved could truly understand.

After Lu Shaolin made Yulin Pavilion’s stance clear, the atmosphere in the council chamber changed once more. Many family heads secretly signalled each other, sending coded messages back and forth across the table. Tang Luo, seated at the lower end, listened to everyone’s promises and could only sneer in disdain.

Yanshan, who came from the same background as Tang Luo, had never experienced such council meetings before. He had thought they were to discuss how to clear the corpses and restore Chaochang’s serenity. But after Lu Shaolin spoke, the discussion turned to clandestine agreements among the families. Although the crisis was unresolved, they had already begun to divvy up the benefits.

In the room, there were few left who cared about the plague problem. All were thinking of where they would stand in the pecking order once Chaochang’s hierarchy was rebuilt, determining which regions they would govern.

The Liu Clan, whose lands were in the Middle City District, pointed to the center of the Inner City District and said, “White Tiger Avenue connects to Vermillion Bird Street, and the plaza at the center has the most bodies. My clan will take responsibility for this area!”

“The Azure Dragon Market leads to the Inner City’s East Gate and Azure Dragon Street, right near my clan’s territory. We will handle the cleanup here.”

Heaven knows how the families living in the eastern part of the Middle City District suddenly appeared so close to the Azure Dragon Market. The families, seemingly in silent agreement, began to stake their claims.

And the map on the table drawn by Yulin Pavilion became the basis for their territorial divisions. Tang Luo couldn’t understand how these people managed to interpret a disaster area division map as a map of influence, but witnessing the families huddled around the table clamouring and duking it out for their piece was truly nauseating.

Everyone was vying for the valuable Inner City areas near the sea or other areas of value. Meanwhile, the seriously affected Lower City District and Middle City District, where corpses littered the streets, were completely neglected.

What is the meaning behind such a division of regions?

What Tang Luo found even more laughable was that, just during the time he sat here, countless secret messages had already been passed to him, with most of the content seeking alliance with the Tang Clan and offering to discuss any conditions.

“So it is said, these aristocratic families, without exception, are not good for anything.”

Tang Luo’s muttered soliloquy seemed extremely out of place in this council meeting. The aristocratic families wished to pretend they hadn’t heard it, but as more and more people fell silent, these clan heads finally couldn’t pretend any longer.

All eyes in the council hall were focused on Tang Luo’s face, filled with awkward anger, embarrassed admiration, and a lot of curiosity.

“Why are you looking at me? Go on talking, go on picking the best parts, each vying for a spot in the best regions of the city center because there are ‘the most bodies’ there!”

Leaning on one hand with his chin propped up and casually sweeping over the map on the table with the other, Tang Luo said, “Don’t worry, even if nobody takes care of the Lower City District, it won’t matter. Soon, once the bodies turn, the snakes, rats, insects, and flies will become infected with the poison of the epidemic. Plague and all sorts of disease will quickly reappear. By then, when Chaochang becomes a city of death, all of this will be yours. What’s the rush?”

The clan heads whose pride was hurt vehemently said, “Why does Tang Tianjiao mock us so coldly? We are merely dividing the central area first; of course, we won’t neglect other regions. There must be an order to these things!”

Ignoring the feeble excuses of the aristocratic families, Tang Luo turned to Lu Shaolin and said, “Master Shaolin, perhaps there are some issues with burying the corpses in a unified manner.”

“Oh? What insight does Tang Tianjiao have?”

“Burying the bodies might block the spread of the epidemic within the city, but this is not a method to eradicate the epidemic’s source. These buried corpses will become food for snakes, insects, and vermin. Once the poison passes through these toxic creatures, the consequences are unimaginable.”

Having communicated with a poison woman, Tang Luo knew that raising poisonous creatures essentially required poison meat, and what better material could there be than the corpses of those who had died of the epidemic? If this method of mass graves was allowed, it would only set the stage for a huge hidden risk for Chaochang’s future.

Seeing someone finally discussing the plague-related issues with him, Lu Shaolin looked quite relieved, “Then does Tang Tianjiao have a better solution?”

“There’s no need for burial. Just burn all of them.”

Tang Luo said indifferently, shrugging his shoulders: “Regardless of gender, status, or age, whether they are the bodies of plague victims or others, as long as they are corpses found in Chaochang, burn all of them without exception. Only then can we most effectively prevent the return of the plague and the regeneration of the source of infection!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the council hall erupted with vehement opposition.

“Turning the ashes of one’s mortal enemy into dust is not even as extreme as what Tang Tianjiao is doing. Isn’t this action condemning all the aristocratic families of Chaochang to injustice?”

“Burning everyone without distinction, leaving no intact bodies for the dead, and with no place for relatives to pay their respects in the future–is this the good solution you’ve come up with?!”

“Death is as final as the snuffing of a lamp. Despite dying of the epidemic, they still have the right to be laid to rest in the earth. Even the ancient mythical beasts that preyed on the Human Race would leave behind bones, yet Tang Tianjiao wants to turn these corpses into ashes. How could one bear it?”

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