Chapter 042: Dissolution

Yao Qian had no idea what had transpired after his departure, but he knew that the truth could not be concealed for long.

The thought that these monsters could burrow into human skulls, parasitize the brain, and control bodies at will sent a shiver down his spine. Thankfully, there were still discernible differences between these creatures and ordinary humans; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

His mind churned with unease as his feet carried him swiftly onward.

Now, he had no intention of hiding his strength. In the face of such monsters, concealing one's abilities was tantamount to courting death; trying to play the fool might result in becoming a real victim.

Within the time it takes for half a cup of tea to cool, Yao Qian had already returned to the yamen. After their discussions earlier that day, Old Wang had prepared thoroughly and, after roll call, had not left the government office. After all, when life and death were at stake, no amount of caution was excessive.

Passing from the front courtyard to the rear, Yao Qian headed directly to the back offices, entering the room where Old Wang was resting.

Old Wang, not resting, was sitting in a chair perusing some idle reading. When he saw Yao Qian stride in with a grim, ashen face, he assumed that Yao Qian's grand plan for wealth—more accurately, his scheme involving decapitation—had hit an obstacle. Setting aside his book, Old Wang jested, "What’s wrong? Has your grand fortune-making scheme gone bust?"

Yao Qian was in no mood for jokes. He set the bundle at his waist onto the table and said, "Uncle, see for yourself."

Sensing something amiss, Old Wang opened the bundle. At once, two large, round insect corpses tumbled out, leaving Old Wang utterly speechless.

It took a while before he recovered, reaching out to prod one of the beetles and examining it closely. His own face turned deathly pale as he muttered, "Is this... a cattle louse?"

Old Wang was well-traveled and had encountered many strange things, having dealt with quite a few bizarre criminal cases—even if only to clean up the aftermath. Compared to others, he was far more daring and imaginative.

"A cattle louse?" Yao Qian picked up the other insect corpse for a closer look. In the heat of battle, he’d had no time to scrutinize what kind of creature it was. Now, upon careful inspection, it did indeed resemble a cattle louse—only magnified a hundredfold.

"Where did you come across such a thing? How could a cattle louse grow so enormous?" The more Old Wang studied it, the darker his expression became.

Ordinarily, cattle lice parasitize the surface of cattle, surviving by sucking their blood. Even pinhead-sized lice can cause anemia and malnutrition in a cow, at times leading to death. That was just the harm from tiny lice; he dared not imagine how much blood this enormous specimen would need to drain.

A sudden realization struck him. He looked up at Yao Qian, disbelief flooding his eyes as if he had unraveled the mystery.

"Could it be...?" Old Wang stammered.

Yao Qian nodded. "Indeed. These are likely the very culprits behind the deaths of nearly a thousand people across several counties under Pingyang City’s rule."

After saying this, he swallowed hard and recounted how he had encountered these monsters. When Old Wang heard that these creatures could burrow into human skulls, hiding within and acting in place of their hosts, his face grew so dark it was almost stormy.

"This won’t do," Old Wang said. "Bringing the corpses of these monsters back here might lead them straight to us. We must take the prefect and leave at once."

Yao Qian nodded in agreement. There were simply too many of these monstrous lice for him to handle. Old Wang’s stern manner belied his true priorities—self-preservation came first. If the prefect’s round bulk ever blocked their escape, Yao Qian had no doubt Old Wang would let the man feel the chill of winter.

Watching Old Wang stride out with a grim face, Yao Qian quickly followed to the rear quarters, where he had originally stashed all the martial arts manuals he’d acquired. Gathering up his manuals and silver notes, he hurried inside to see the place alive with activity: torches flared, hurried footsteps echoed, and everyone was busy packing their belongings.

It was time to flee for their lives. Not only did Old Wang know the gravity of the situation, but even the prefect seemed to have sensed it. Before long, the whole group had assembled, ready to move.

Yao Qian stood at the rear, taking in the sizable assembly—nearly several dozen people. With so many moving together, it would be nearly impossible to avoid those monsters entirely. At that thought, his own face grew clouded.

Moreover, most of these people were martial artists, their vital energy and blood at their peak. Gathered all together, they would be like a beacon in the night to these blood-sucking fiends—a sure way to die.

He resolved that, if the group left together, he would find a way to slip away ahead of time; he had no wish to be beset by a swarm of vampiric monsters. He would at most give Old Wang a warning.

Once he had made up his mind, he felt more composed. Soon, the group was organized.

Yao Qian soon spotted Old Wang speaking with the prefect. He didn’t bother to speculate what they were saying and simply walked over.

Upon seeing him approach, Old Wang finished his conversation with the prefect and addressed him, "Yuan Zhen, the situation is dire. For the prefect’s safety, I’ll be splitting everyone into several teams, dispersing the group. You’ll come with our team to protect the prefect. We’ll leave the city through the west gate and head for Lanshan Monastery."

Yao Qian nodded at Old Wang’s words, impressed by his foresight. The west side of the city was the slums, teeming with all sorts and crowded with shantytowns. Once inside, the dense, winding alleys would favor small groups, making it easier to evade the monsters or fight them in close quarters, buying precious time. Moreover, the presence of other teams would help draw attention, greatly increasing their chances of survival.

He had also heard of Lanshan Monastery. When he was training his Iron Shirt technique, he’d learned that the monastery boasted many experts in external martial arts, with a constant stream of warrior monks—though they rarely left the temple and were seldom seen in Pingyang City.

Though not widely renowned, the monastery’s true strength ran deep.

As officials charged with the prefect’s protection, retreating to Lanshan Monastery would mean that, even if the monsters attacked, there would be powerful defenders to hold them off, greatly enhancing their safety.

Contemplating the entire plan, Yao Qian could not help but admire Old Wang’s far-reaching calculations.

He nodded at once. "Very well!"