When the ground was dug deep enough, when everyone sees the coffin was brought from the residence, and when the people that cared for the dead were there to witness the burial, that was when you know how you affected your surroundings.
It was the same with the patriarch of the Ye family, the people that attended his funeral became the proof of this.
The first one to arrive was Ye Yingyuan. He was surprised that the place where he got his enlightenment about air was the same place that would bury his grandfather. There was a complex emotion in his heart.
Not only that but a thousand of people which moved from every corner of the city was astonishing.
“Am I still ignorant? Just how did Grandfather do this?” Ye Yingyuan never thought about what his grandfather did before but now that he saw the sea of people, he realized that the people there were affected by this.
Slowly, he sat down and saw that there was an undertaker that already dig the ground. His looks that rather average would not make Ye Yingyuan not going to ask him.
This undertaker was already old, even his wrinkles at his forehead were like a wave in the sea. But a sound from behind made them distracted and could not help but take a look.
“I said ‘wait’!” complained Ye Xiaobaai. He was the second to arrive but actually only the younger ones like Ye Yingyuan that went directly to this place.
“Do you want to see where we all going to be buried?” suddenly the undertaker asked. This surprised both of them. The place that had been dug was in the front of the pond. Because the front of the pond was actually a place for viewing the beauty scene at that place.
“I came here to see this place unhindered by anyone else.” Answered Ye Yingyuan.
“Is that so? Now that I think about it, why I have this feeling that every living being is destined to die? Is it just coincidence that we exist in this world or there is more to it?”
Suddenly the man pondered about something. It could be something that he always thought in his life.
“The good example was the patriarch of that Ye family, you see. When I was a kid, the patriarch was already in this Xuan city for more than a century! As I am just an ordinary person, the difference in age was so obvious that I don’t really care anymore.”
The man kept on his explanation.
“But in the end, I have to watch as my relatives left my side one by one. My parents which I loved, my wife that always took care of me and then my son who was not older than me. All of them left me but as for myself, I wonder why I’m still alive though.”
This made Ye Yingyuan lost in thought. He found something in his heart that screamed ‘what is this? I clearly feel something about this!’
‘His loved ones left him but from their ages, some are old and the others are younger than him. Maybe that was what he wants to say....wait!’ Ye Yingyuan then realized something, the thing that scary enough if you think about it.
‘Actually, who can guarantee that I can still alive six years from now on? No, tomorrow? Not again, how about the second after this? The old man only said that everyone around him had left his side.’
‘Even his son that was younger than him was no exception, unable to evade his death. Then what uses is extending the lifespan if we can die by anything and any moment? Who can guarantee my life?’
This made Ye Yingyuan felt a headache with this sudden enlightenment. Today, he found out that there was nothing impossible in this world. And the main topic this time was related to death.
Who could guarantee that he will still alive six years from there on? Or to be exact, could someone guarantee that he will stay alive the second after this?
‘No one! No one can.’ Ye Yingyuan did not realize that there were more people that arrived here, to arrived at his side.
“Young, old, man, woman, poor, rich, is there any criteria for death?” in his heart, Ye Yingyuan almost got what he had just thought but a sudden interruption made him lose that very moment.
“Little Yuan?” seeing that his younger brother had his face turned pale made Ye Qingcheng step forward and checked him.
The Undertaker then finished his business and placed his shovel beside the hole. His clothes were dirty because the soil that he dug was a lot even for himself. Strangely, the old man was strong enough to do this all alone.
“Yingyuan!” this time, even his mother and Li Ling called him. In the end, Ye Yingyuan sighed and then looked at them while smiling.
“Ai, Mother was here already?” Ye Yingyuan knew that his mother had gone to accompany his father but suddenly appeared here was a surprise. Then he also looked at his cousin and his older brother.
“Sorry, I had something that just passed like a lightning.” Said Ye Yingyuan to ease their worry. But that was not really effective because they still looked intently at him.
“Do you have a sudden thought that appeared in your mind?” because the expression when Ye Yingyuan heard those words was really terrible, Yu Feng could not help but wonder what that thing was.
“More or less. But I wonder why this place was called Forgotten Pond, Mother?” Ye Yingyuan never heard the citizen talked about this place even the name of it. They always called the place ‘Abandoned Square’.
“Yes, I also curious why this place was called Forgotten Pond by my father either but the citizens always called it the Abandoned Square.” Said Li Ling.
“Does that mean the pond was abandoned by someone thus was forgotten by the people and only time now that try to eat the remnant?” Ye Xiaobai speculated.
“No, maybe it was used as a part of a large building but the building later on destroyed and replaced by the house and the building that surround it. I heard about this from Father.” Said Ye Qingcheng.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“But before that, you all need to greet that man over there.” Yu Feng said while pointing her finger to the undertaker that just made the hole.
“Old Zhang, do you really don’t want to meet me or what? Come here!” Yu Feng ordered that old man to come to her side. This made all of them shocked as well as a question. Who is this old man?
“Madam, if not for your family that has mercy on me and my tribe I would not even here. It’s also because of the kindness that The Patriarch gave me that I can still live until now. So this is the only thing I can do after hearing the news.”
Old Zhang obviously knew that from their face that the young man and Yu Feng, they already dried their tears enough that there was nothing left. But their cheeks became the proof of their sadness because the remaining traces of the tears were still there to see.
One by one, every person that wanted to enter the place appeared. But Manstein was walking towards the Forgotten Pond while thinking about the Soul Seed that Ye Shui had given to him.
‘What is his intention?’ Manstein still pondered about it when he saw an entourage full of private soldiers, maids, and someone that he recognized along with a girl that was supported by some of the maids.
Their direction was the same with him. Manstein was left behind because he had no power in this world.
“Well, who is this if not for omeone that I met before? Is this a coincidence?” it was the man with brown hair that greeted Manstein.
“It’s you?” seeing the group that looked like escorting someone important made Manstein looked at his back to distract himself. He did not believe that the man was part of this group.
“Hmm, if you think that I came with them then you are mistaken.” Said the man.
“Oh, well. But I never heard about your name. I thought that you coming here was no coincidence.” Manstein then looked at his eyes. The eyes that filled with intelligence and vigor, that was what that kind of eyes the man had shown.
“Sorry for my inappropiate behavior.” The man then continued, “My name is Han Lang.”
Then suddenly, a girl walked towards their direction which surprised both of the men. This girl was really sick even her maids were carrying her. Her skin was darkened in some part and Manstein’s Intelligence Assistance Device caught all of that.
Then Alice’s sound could be heard within his mind.
“Isn’t that Black Plague? From the device’s data that it had gathered, no doubt about it. But why is the patient is still not treated?”
“Actually what is this plague?” Manstein then recalled all the records from his memories. Within those scrolls, there was an old story about the strange phenomenon that happened in the center of the continent.
“The people turned black, either it was ordinary or cultivator. All of them had dark black skin and the most severe of them all was the cultivator. Only when someone helped exterminated the cause that the incident was finally over.”
‘Mm, who is the person that eradicated the plague? And what is the connection between the person and Alice?’
Manstein lacked any concrete evidence for this. But the device showed him that the cause of the plague was a bacillus-type bacteria.
-Black Plague
The cause of it was later found out by the special task forces that User Alice had to send down. From there, they found out about the existence of this microscopic bacteria with a microscope and enhancer.
The bacteria caused light symptoms such as fever, cough, sweating, anemia etc. That is to the ordinary person and note that when the infected ones are cultivators, the disease will increase in both severity and lethality.
For cultivators, their cultivation will decrease if they receive no treatment.
Cause:
A strange beast that recently hunted down excessively caused their predated animals to went overpopulation. This animal carried with them the bacteria and the animals served as the vector. Wutian central continent was the largest habitat for this animals.
Soon after that, the animals were hunted by humans as a substitute for their meat thus started the disaster.
Source by Han Xiusi
Cure:
For ordinary people, their own immune system was enough for this. Add a drinkable vaccine would increase the effectiveness.
But it was harder for the cultivator. Not only their health was at risk but also their cultivation as well. The bacteria had an innate ability to absorb the energy that cultivator stored but not only that but also resistant to any kind of energy attack.
But....
Manstein then looked at the girl, averting his gaze from Han Lang.
“Is she really sick or she was infected?” Manstein asked. But from the condition of the girl, he knew that she was once a cultivator.
“Oh, do you know about the disease that suddenly appeared again all of the sudden in the center of the continent?” Han Lang excitedly asked. He held some expectation that the man in front of him had something in his mind though.
But to his disappointment, Manstein could not come up with anything he wished for.
“Suddenly appear?” Manstein caught the information. “Sorry, I don’t really know much about it. But the sign in her body showed that is the case.” Generally, that was correct.
‘Fortunately that the infectivity of the disease is not high. But to make sure that the city is still sterile from any of this...’ Manstein had to sterilize every single person in the city.
The girl that watched Doctor Han and Manstein who had a good discussion spoke.
“Who is this person?” the girl asked excitedly. This baffled everyone that present except for Manstein himself. The cold air made their gasped breath could be seen without difficulty and then Han Lang looked back at this man that made the interest in him grew.
“Yes, for someone that still stand up even after someone with real power is not ordinary in one of their own. May I ask who are you?”
Manstein was stunned, not only this person wanted to know him but also the girl that had been infected by the plague was still waiting for his reply. But in his mind, the only thing that made him worry was the spreading of the plague.
‘There was no definite cure but if the same effect can be found by mixing several low-grade herbs...’
Maybe after this, all of the experienced person like Alice and Wang Yu had to assist him in finding an alternative cure. The first reason was that the newfound cure was still in the last stage of its development.
Surprisingly, this kind of cure could be found on the girl that Manstein had just seen.
“I know that you all came from a great background and hold your pride so please just call me Manstein.” Seeing the stare from the private soldiers that released their intimidating aura made Manstein answered.
But Han Lang caught something and the girl also saw something that made their judgment to this man increased.
Manstein stood there, his eyes showed no fear and even he calmly answered the question in a flat tone. His expression was tranquil like the surface of the lake that had not been touched by any human.
“This girl here is usually called Yi Xiaodie. But of course, you also know her by her nickname, right?” Han Lang then introduced the girl to Manstein.
‘Wait, why am I bother to do this?’ Han Lang confused regarding this matter. He usually would just ignore someone like this but when he saw this man, he felt safe to tell some things that he could not tell usually.
“Her nickname? I don’t know and I don’t care either. Well, looks like I’m late. I hope that they will forgive me for this delay.” Manstein then looked to the crowd that already made an arranged position.
“But maybe this is my personal mumbling but can you treat her without using Detoxifying Cream.”
That was what Manstein had said to them. Whether they follow the advice or not, was not the matter for Manstein but in his heart, he hoped that they tried it themselves.
“What is that man saying, such a rude treatment.” Said a soldier
“No, but maybe he had something more important when we go here thus he had to decide the weight between the two. For me, it’s obvious that the matter on his mind about the funeral is more important.”
It was one of the maids that had such an opinion. Yi Xiaodie looked to her directly, hinting to her that what she had just said was reasonable.
Han Lang who watched the figure slowly said something that only himself knew. “I have to find the inheritance that the ancestor had left. I’m sure that the hint pointing to this Xuan City, there’s no mistake.”
Manstein who left them knew about the inheritence that Han Lang spoke of.
‘He is the descendant and wants to take it. But that depends on himself.’ Alice noted it down while Manstein reconsidered to speak about this matter with the entire family.
“So that was Han Xiusi descendant?” Manstein could not discern anything at the moment due to his condition. But Alice who had experienced many things in this world was sure about it.
“His movement when he escorts the patient is the unique style that only that person who bears the surname of Han that can know about this.” This was the reason Alice could see through Han Lang’s background quite easy.
But Manstein felt that someone was watching him from close.
‘This feeling of being watched by someone, how annoying.’ But unknown to Manstein, only he that could feel the sensation. He even saw Alice was still acting normal and not paying attention to any strange probe.
Then his instinct was proven when Manstein turned his head to see the better view from his position that currently in the middle of the crowd inside Forgotten Pond.
He saw it clearly, a figure that stood alone unperturbed by any kinds of the affair that happen around him. The only thing Manstein could see from the figure was no one notices its existence and the figure actually stared at him.
‘What’s happening here? Senior, what are you looking at?’ even Alice could not detect its presence! She used her power from her soul but no result was found.
“You, can you really hear me?” the figure then spoke. But sadly only Manstein could catch it while the others were ignoring it.
“Didn’t you already taken? How?” Even when Manstein felt the presence of Ye family and saw their position but they never looked at his direction. Manstein then closed the distance between him and the figure.
“You really can connect to me. So the angel was not lying after all.”
Why Manstein specifically looked to the direction where the members of Ye family gathered? It was because the figure was the exact person that they had cried to, the person that left them but Manstein could see him well.
“How can this be?” seeing something that he had never seen before made Manstein almost went crazy. Then one by one, the Forgotten Pond was filled not only with the people but the same as the figure in front of Manstein.
“But your soul seed...” Manstein wanted to return it because it belonged to this figure, the figure of Ye Shui that suddenly appeared.
“No, this is my parting from the ancestor. They purposely visit this place for me. As for that soul seed, please keep it for my sake. And when I look at my own body that this soul had no control anymore made me feel strange.”
Ye Shui made Manstein felt a headache.
“Even though I appear like when someone in only their soul form but actually, you can’t devour me nor you can harm me. Even the ruler of the world did not dare to do that.”
The funeral that Manstein attended now which was supposedly sad for him now turned into the mix of sadness and madness.