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Nodding in a daze, Mo Xier followed the man silently as they walked forward. The journey became much smoother, and by around noon, they had already spotted the Post Station not far ahead.
After resting for a while to regain their strength, the two continued on their way, yet still remained silent, as if under a silence spell. Aside from necessary exchanges, there were no extra words.
It was quite a distance to Gaochang, and it would take some time to arrive. Feeling a bit melancholic as she trailed behind Night Star, she thought it couldn't be that they would remain silent the entire way. Wouldn't that suffocate her?
Struggling to find a topic, she tried talking about the weather and the scenery, but he kept his mouth shut, saying nothing at all. It was driving her to frustration!
After several attempts, she realized there was no need to force conversation. Why should she put her warm face against his cold backside? Not talking wouldn’t kill them!
However, as they got closer to Gaochang, her heart began to sink gradually. The desolate surroundings surprised her; unlike the bustling capital, the nearby towns seemed deserted and eerily quiet.
There were hardly any pedestrians on the road, which made it feel somewhat frightening.
In the inn, what should have been a lively dining area was instead sparsely populated with only a few patrons. There was no sign of the usual hustle and bustle; even the waiter who came to take their order looked dispirited and lacked energy.
"Is it always this empty here? It's mealtime now; why are there so few people?" After placing their order, she called the waiter over to inquire.
The waiter glanced at them and said, "You two look unfamiliar; you must be from out of town."
"How did you know?" Her face was filled with surprise.
With a slight smile, the waiter replied, "This town is quite small; most guests here are known. Seeing that you two look unfamiliar, I took a guess—and it seems I guessed right!"
Afterward, he helped wipe down their table while saying, "If you two are here for leisure, you might have come to the wrong place. This area is close to Gaochang, and everyone knows about the Plague there. I advise you to head back home!"
The young innkeeper's face was filled with concern, and his words reflected a sense of unease.
"Is this also the reason why there are so few people on the street?"
"Miss, to be honest, a few days ago, some people escaped from Gaochang and reportedly brought the Plague with them. The whole town has been on edge these past few days, fearing infection. Who would dare to go out?" The innkeeper shook his head slightly, expressing a sense of helplessness before turning to the kitchen to prepare meals.
Night Star furrowed his brows tightly; the situation here was far worse than he had imagined. He had thought that with the Emperor sending Liu Qiankun, things would surely improve, but it seemed that was not the case. Coming here was indeed the right decision.
With his gaze lowered, Mo Xier felt a heavy weight in her heart. The more severe the situation became, the more lives were lost. She could hardly imagine the sight of countless corpses in Gaochang City.
Since there weren't many people around, the dishes were served quickly. However, she lacked the appetite to eat, staring blankly at the food in front of her without touching her chopsticks for a long time.
Night Star tapped the table lightly, bringing her back to reality. "If you're really this worried, then hurry up and eat. We need to pick up the pace so we can reach Gaochang sooner."
He seemed like a mirror, instantly reflecting her worries. His ordinary words brought her an unexpected warmth. It turned out he could care for others too.
Nodding vigorously, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat quickly.
In the following days, their pace increased significantly. In just two days, they arrived at the gates of Yonghe City. The closed city gates appeared even more desolate than before; it was as if no one lived there at all.
Yonghe City was the closest city to Gaochang, merely a dozen miles apart, and it was their destination!
From the looks of it, it seemed that what the innkeeper had said earlier was not wrong; there were indeed cases of infection in Yonghe City. The two stood at the city gate and exchanged glances; only two guards were stationed there, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
"I am an envoy sent by the Emperor of Kyoto; open the gates and let us in," Night Star stepped forward and produced an imperial edict to prove his identity.
The two guards exchanged glances and saw confusion reflected in each other's eyes.
A high official from Kyoto has already arrived in the city, so why is there another one now? How many has the Emperor of the Heavenly Universe Kingdom sent?
Seeing that the guards were reluctant to open the gate, Night Star realized they did not trust them.
He stepped forward and said in a low voice, "If you don't believe us, you can let Lord Liu, who came before us, come out. He will surely recognize me."
One of the guards immediately replied, "In that case, please wait here for a moment while we notify Lord Liu to confirm your identities before we let you in."
Given that the Plague was rampant in the city, they could not casually allow anyone to enter. They had initially thought one of them would be allowed inside, but it was clear that Mo Xier had guessed wrong.
One of the guards took out an object from his body and fired it into the sky, resembling a modern flare, producing a bright light and loud noise in the daytime sky that drew attention.
"The signal has been sent. Please wait a moment; I believe Lord Liu will arrive shortly."
Mo Xier asked in slight surprise, "Is this how you communicate now?"
She did not expect such a method of communication to exist in ancient times; it seemed quite advanced.
The guard nodded and said, "This was brought by Lord Liu from Kyoto. Neither of us has contracted the Plague. If we were to enter the city, there would be a risk of infection. Using this device allows us to notify Lord Liu if anything happens while avoiding infection ourselves."
Understanding this, she became somewhat interested in Lord Liu, whom she had yet to meet; he seemed quite clever and cared deeply for others' lives.
"What is the situation in the city?" Night Star appeared even more concerned about the Plague, his deep eyes reflecting something different from usual.
It seemed mentioning the guards' sorrowful situation made him lower his gaze in dejection; he did not speak but slowly shook his head, and his expression spoke volumes.
"Have many people died?" Mo Xier's faint voice came through, carrying a hint of desolation.
The guard said in a deep voice, "There are definitely more dead than living in the city now. I advise you both to stay out of Yonghe City if you can. Who knows when you might get infected?"
"That's right! The people inside can't even get out!" another guard chimed in.
Such words might sound heartless, but they were the most accurate reflection of the current situation in Yonghe City.
"Then why are you two still guarding this city gate if you've come out?"
The two guards were momentarily stunned, looking at Mo Xier, opening their mouths but unable to say anything.
After a brief silence, one of them slowly replied, "If this city gate is left unguarded, the Plague will spread even faster. We are luckier than those inside the city; we have reduced our chances of infection. How can we flee at such a critical moment?"
Though their words lacked grandiosity, they were exceptionally moving. It was indeed not easy to say such things under these circumstances. Even Night Star beside her couldn't help but glance at the two men.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Liu Qiankun, having received the signal flare, rushed over. The two guards cautiously opened the city gate and saw a man dressed in coarse linen clothes and sporting a full beard standing ten meters away, his expression serious.
From his appearance, it was impossible to tell that he was a high official from the capital. The guards did not approach but stepped back a few paces to maintain distance, loudly explaining the situation to Liu Qiankun. This was to ensure that the Plague would not spread to those outside and to maintain a safe distance.
Night Star took a few steps forward and called out to Liu Qiankun, "Lord Liu, are you well?" Without saying anything else, his first question was about his health.
In the capital, who didn't know the famous Night General? Liu Qiankun immediately bowed respectfully and replied loudly, "I am well. The emperor told me that Night General had been attacked and went missing. I never expected you would come here."
"With an Imperial Decree, how could I dare not comply?"
Their brief exchange had already confirmed the man's identity, and Lord Liu's gaze gradually fell upon the woman beside him.
After several days of travel, her complexion was not very good. The clothes she borrowed from Aunt Liu did not fit particularly well, making her appear even more delicate.
"This is the doctor brought by this general, and I believe he will be helpful in dealing with this Plague," Night Star explained upon noticing the gaze.
"In that case, please come in," the guard gestured, and the two were immediately allowed entry.
As they entered the city, the woman truly felt the desolate atmosphere within. The shops along the street were all tightly shut, with not a soul in sight. Weak individuals could be seen slumped in corners, barely clinging to life.
"Why is it like this?" she thought, her heart aching. The Plague had always been a terrifying infectious disease throughout history.
The speed at which it spread—one person infecting ten, then a hundred—was truly alarming.
Liu Qiankun shook his head slightly and sighed, saying, "A few days ago, several people escaped from Gaochang City and sneaked in here. They hid in a dilapidated temple for several days. Coincidentally, among these individuals, some had already contracted the Plague before leaving Gaochang. Within just a few days, Yonghe City has become like this."
As they walked through the city, they did not encounter a single healthy person. Yonghe City was in such a state of desolation that she could hardly imagine what Gaochang was like just ten miles away.
Leading them onward, perhaps due to the overwhelming number of dead in the city, even the once warm spring sun seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist, making it hard to see clearly and offering no warmth whatsoever.
As the three walked and discussed the situation in the city, suddenly, around the corner came a woman hurriedly approaching them while holding a three-year-old child.
Night Star was the first to notice this situation and instinctively grabbed Mo Xier, who was still moving forward, with a look of alertness!
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