Chapter 41: Even the Smallest Mosquito is Still Meat

Wang Keyue harbored no fondness whatsoever for this group of self-important scholars.

“Hongyi, take some people and stand guard. Chengyi, lead a team to scout ahead and check for any more Qiang and Hu raiders. Zhou Dashan, organize a group and deal with the bodies as quickly as possible,” Wang Keyue ordered.

The two elderly men who had emerged from among the refugees were quick to understand the situation. Without a word, they gathered some of their own men and began to assist Zhou Dashan in clearing away the corpses.

They stripped the bodies of anything useful, then hauled them to the pit; the severed heads were lifted by their braids and tossed in. Several women and children in the group didn’t remain idle either—they dug away at the earth with shovels or large wooden boards, steadily deepening the pit. Many hands made light work, and in a short while, a pit more than a meter deep opened before them.

Once the men had thrown the twenty-some bodies into the pit, the women and children immediately began to shovel earth over them, burying away all traces of filth.

Perched atop her horse, Wang Keyue watched the proceedings, the corner of her lips curving with satisfaction.

“Gather up, we move out!” Her command rang out, and the group set off at once. They couldn’t remain in this place; they needed to find a new campsite before the sun set.

Wang Keyue raised her gaze to the distance, her hawk-like eyes scanning the horizon. She noticed what appeared to be several tall clusters of rocks ahead and chose to alter their course toward that formation.

The saying goes, “A mountain in the distance can run a horse to death.” After half an hour’s hard travel, the pile of rocks finally loomed before them. The jumble of stones—some tall, some short—provided good cover and hiding places. Standing atop the highest boulder, one could survey the landscape far and wide; it was an excellent vantage point.

After much effort, they found a relatively flat spot and began to set up camp. As usual, a small tent was erected for Wang Keyue alone.

In truth, Wang Keyue didn’t care for this special treatment, but she needed to enter the system at night, and it was more convenient for storing and retrieving supplies. If she were to pull out certain items in plain sight, it would be hard to explain—or rather, hard to bluff her way through. Of course, if a matter was urgent, she could make things appear as needed; “King of Bluffing” Wang was confident she could handle the pressure!

At night, Wang Keyue led the Wang family in lighting a bonfire. The refugees who had joined them formed a small circle nearby, building their own fire.

A pot hung over the flames, filled with boiling leaves that gave off the bitter scent of medicinal herbs. Despite the bitterness, everyone around the fire stared at the pot, eyes fixed and mouths watering.

This was a cast iron pot and a bundle of herbs that Wang Keyue had specifically told Hongyi to deliver. Why the herbs? That was the system’s doing. Just moments ago, it had issued a mandatory task: she was to treat an epidemic within ten days, curing at least five hundred people.

Wang Keyue was convinced she was doomed this time. Since arriving, she had yet to see even three hundred living souls—not counting the corpses strewn across the battlefield. How was she supposed to find so many patients to treat?

The herbs she provided were nothing special—plantain, isatis root, and the like—hardly a cure for a severe epidemic. The real remedy was that Wang Keyue had secretly added some Western medicine from the system to the water. Judging by the people's symptoms—slight fever, cough, small red rashes on the skin, resembling a common cold aggravated by heat and itchiness—she diagnosed it as the early stage of the epidemic. With the right Western medicine, recovery would take only three to five days.

Only Wang Keyue’s System 9538 had the foresight to identify these as the initial symptoms of the plague.

Since there was little risk at this stage, Wang Keyue mused, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt if everyone… caught a little infection. Then—well—she could treat them all. Even the tiniest mosquito is still meat!

Sticking to her principle of leaving no one out, Wang Keyue, utterly ruthless, had the plague-ridden Old Zhang help with the cooking.

Inside the system, 9538’s voice chimed: “Ding! Heart of gratitude automatically obtained. Gained a heart of gratitude from Zhang Guisheng. Gained a heart of gratitude from Li Dadan. Gained…”

While Wang Keyue guiltily went about “poisoning” people, she harvested a bountiful crop of gratitude with a clear conscience.

Damn! If not for her strong nerves, she’d have lost her mind by now! Wang Keyue felt a surge of relief.

Meanwhile, on the far side of a large rock, away from the fire, the group of scholars huddled together for warmth. They looked more wretched than ever.

The tips of their brushes quivered as the scent of food wafted over, making their stomachs rumble uncontrollably. At first, they could bear it, but as the aroma deepened, even their stomachs cramped with hunger, the pain making them want to roll on the ground.

Master Chen, at his wit’s end, called over the two youngest scholars—eight or nine years old—who staggered along beside him.

“Young master! Kind sir!” Master Chen called out loudly from outside the circle. “Might you spare us a little food? My disciples have gone a whole day without a single grain, without a drop of water, sir!”

“Young master, could we buy some food from you? It now costs two hundred coins per person to enter the city, and I hear the price is only going to rise!” piped up a young scholar beside him. His voice was clear and steady, polite yet firm, and carried a wealth of useful information.