The fifty-fourth year of the Yuanfeng era under the Qi calendar — the State of Yang would remember this year.
It was not merely the State of Yang.
That June, a devastating plague broke out.
The plague began in Jia City and soon spread to Yue City.
The most terrible part was this: for the entire month that the plague raged, Jia City authorities desperately covered it up, and Yue City did the same. The plague simmered quietly for over a month before the outside world learned of it.
It was actually the State of Rong that brought the plague in the State of Yang to light.
In Yinguang City, a border town between the two states, three cases of the plague appeared.
Yinguang City did not operate under a city-lord system. As a border stronghold, the garrison commander held supreme local authority.
The name of Yinguang City's garrison commander would be remembered for a long time to come — and would nail the Yang military and political establishment firmly to the pillar of shame.
His name was Jing Ye. Upon learning that three people under his jurisdiction had died of the same symptoms, he immediately investigated and quickly confirmed it was the plague. He then imposed martial law, sealed off the entire city, and effectively stopped the plague from spreading into Rong territory.
Under Jing Ye's decisive measures, only five people in all of Yinguang City perished from the plague.
After tracing every person who had come into contact with the three deceased in Yinguang City, Jing Ye discovered that the source of the plague was an elderly man who had crossed the border from the State of Yang — a suspected spy.
He concluded this was a covert operation by the Yang side.
Following this lead, he traced the man to Yue City in Rizhao Commandery, State of Yang, where the plague had already grown severe.
Jing Ye reported his findings, and the State of Rong immediately made the information public, announcing a full blockade of the border between the two states.
The world was shaken.
That day was the thirteenth of June.
Meanwhile, Jia City did not announce the true situation until the fourteenth of June, formally declaring martial law across the region and sending an emergency plea to the Yang court.
As late as June thirteenth, the Yang court had still issued a diplomatic note condemning the State of Rong for malicious slander, stating: "Underhanded tactics that harm the dignity of the nation."
Only on June fourteenth did they finally face reality, sending investigators at once.
As for the Jia City lord being publicly executed in the streets — an incident that would normally have caused a massive uproar — by then hardly anyone was paying attention.
Because by that point, the Yang court's investigation revealed a shocking truth: the plague was spreading across all of Rizhao Commandery, had reached Chiwei Commandery, and was now bearing down on Hengyang Commandery, where the capital lay!
All three great commanderies of the State of Yang were besieged by plague.
...
In the grand main hall of the underground palace.
The Holy Sovereign sat upon his high throne, his expression as still as water.
The Bone Mask Messenger stood below the steps, his tone respectful: "Holy Sovereign, the plan is nearly complete. Our people have successfully spread the plague. It was a small kingdom in the Eastern Domain, personally chosen by this subordinate — tens of thousands of miles from here. Zhuang Ting would never suspect us operating over there, and the Eastern Domain people would never connect it to our Bone Path. Even if they guessed, they could never find us."
"Tell. Me. When. The. Plan. Is. Complete. Then. Notify. Me."
The Holy Sovereign spoke one word at a time, flat and uninflected, devoid of emotion — nothing but infinite indifference and coldness.
"Yes. This subordinate acknowledges his fault." The Bone Mask Messenger's voice was humble. "Since this concerns the Holy Sovereign's grand design, this subordinate could not help but be cautious. Many times I dared not decide on my own..."
"If. Matters. Are. Not. Settled. Do. Not. Disturb. Me. Again."
The Holy Sovereign's way of speaking was deeply uncomfortable to listen to. Every syllable hung at exactly the spot that made the listener most uneasy.
Behind the mask, Zhang Luan's expression was unreadable, but he bowed respectfully. "Understood."
Because his head was lowered, the faint smile in his eyes went unnoticed.
After the Bone Mask Messenger withdrew, the great hall fell silent once more.
A long time passed.
Then the Holy Sovereign spoke suddenly: "Glory be to me — and also to you."
This time his tone was much more natural.
But there was no response.
The Holy Sovereign's expression seemed as though it would never change, his gaze never wavered.
Yet if one looked closely, one might discern subtle differences in his emotions.
The two eyes — one was distant, the other was calm.
...
Walking through the long, flickering corridor, his footsteps steady, each step striking a note of solitude.
Zhuang Gaoxian guarded the capital, Xin'an, with the power of the Dongzhen realm. Du Ruhui patrolled the countryside with his divine skill of Crossing Vast Distances — as long as intelligence was known, no one could escape.
The elite disciples of the Dao Academy joined the hunt as well. The State of Zhuang, it seemed, had turned the extermination of the Bone Path into a war drill.
The Bone Path within Zhuang territory had now been all but eradicated.
Only a handful of high-ranking members still clung to life.
But none of them — not the Holy Sovereign, not the Elders, not the Messengers — felt despair.
Even Du Ruhui, who led the hunt, had to admit that these heretical followers possessed an incredibly tenacious will. Even if burned to ash, one had to be careful of the possibility of their resurgence.
Back in his private side chamber.
Zhang Luan extended his left hand, and above his palm appeared a round mirror cradled between two interlocking bone fangs.
The mirror's surface was bone-white. After roughly three breaths, a face of staggering, unearthly beauty appeared upon it.
The scenery behind her was indistinct and hazy.
"Holy Maiden." Zhang Luan smiled. "Where are you?"
Miao Qing smiled too, and that smile seemed to illuminate the entire dark underground palace: "Where would you have me be?"
"As a loyal follower of the Bone Path, of course I hope you will return to aid our supreme and magnificent Holy Sovereign. So that the dream of establishing a divine kingdom in the mortal world and ushering in the Age of Bone may be fulfilled soon."
"And have I not wished for the same?" Miao Qing said, tinged with a hint of grievance. "But if I want to help Him, He must first trust me. Is He willing to let me help?"
"Ha ha ha." Zhang Luan finally laughed aloud. "Perhaps it is not unwillingness — but fear. Wang Yuan is truly formidable, keeping even a god on edge without a moment's respite. I overlooked him before — that Maple City had such a figure."
"Tens of thousands of people died, an entire domain was annihilated. Those few who survived by sheer luck — there are always one or two who rise on the wish of the departed and inherit their fortune." Miao Qing's eyes flickered, as though struck by some thought.
"Yes, and there was Zhu Weiwo too, who genuinely surprised me. I used to think his aura of invincibility was merely the result of wading in shallow waters without encountering great waves — laughable, really. But now..." Zhang Luan clucked his tongue in wonder.
Miao Qing did not continue on this topic. Instead, she turned the conversation: "Back then, Wang Yuan resisted from within, Du Ruhui intervened from without and erased the Bone Seal, Huangfu Duanming watched hungrily from the sidelines, and Zhuang Chengqian held the line despite his injuries in a hidden ambush. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the Divine Lord deliberately allowed Wang Yuan to flee, dragging the entire Maple City domain into a nether rift to draw all attention. In truth, it was to complete His descent into the world without interference, and then to plan the resurrection of the divine kingdom."
"So, from your observations." She asked. "So much time has passed — and the Divine Lord still has not succeeded?"
"It seems the Holy Sovereign has truly broken your heart — there is not a shred of regret in your tone..." Zhang Luan countered. "The Holy Maiden, pure and unblemished, with a clear and clean soul, who saves beings and spreads fairness — what does it feel like to have the ideals you held since childhood erased?"
"Neither you nor I are people who live by ideals."
"No." Zhang Luan sighed. "They spoke of a 'joint reign of Holy Sovereign and Divine Lord — the Holy Sovereign governs the mortal world, the Divine Lord presides over the nether realm.' In the end it was nothing but a lie from beginning to end. The Dao Child was merely a vessel for the Divine Lord's descent — the so-called awakening of the Dao Child was nothing more than the complete erasure of his consciousness by the Divine Lord. The Holy Sovereign is the Divine Lord; the Divine Lord is the Holy Sovereign..."
Miao Qing interrupted him: "I don't think you are someone who cares about such things."
"No — I must care."
Zhang Luan laughed softly.
But he did not intend to explain.