The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: The Protagonist Must Die

After listening, Nie Jia's face turned cold, and he walked around Ji Jiarong without saying a word, heading towards the field hospital with brisk strides. The military commanders hurriedly tried to dissuade him, expressing concerns about the sudden and aggressive epidemic. How could the king go to such a place? What if something unexpected happens? Nie Jia ignored them, his clothes billowing in the wind as he strode forward like a shooting star. Shi Chen didn't stop him and accompanied him into the field hospital. The other military commanders had no choice but to follow suit.

823 soldiers, with varying degrees of illness, were all isolated together. As Nie Jia entered, he saw soldiers lying all over the ground. Some with milder symptoms just sat there with pale faces, while those with more severe symptoms had bloodshot eyes and blood flowing from their noses and mouths. It was indeed not a sign of longevity.

As the king arrived, soldiers who were still conscious struggled to get up and knelt down to pay their respects. Nie Jia didn't stop them, just scanned the area with angry eyes. He noticed that even the Left General under Ji Jiarong had contracted the plague.

"Get up and answer me," Nie Jia pointed at the Left General with his fingertips.

The Left General got up but took two steps back, covering his face and coughing, saying, "Your Majesty, I am unfortunate to be infected. Please do not approach me, leave this place as soon as possible. Your Majesty's health is important, and you must not let us, these insignificant lives, burden you."

Even the soldiers who could still get up felt hopeless, pleading with the king to leave.

"Enough!" Nie Jia's anger persisted as he asked the Left General, "When did you contract the disease?"

"About four or five days ago, Your Majesty. The humble one began coughing incessantly early in the morning, and the military doctor confirmed it." The Left General hid his entire face behind his sleeve, bowing respectfully.

Four or five days ago... that was exactly when Jun Changyue came to the camp!

Nie Jia's breath carried a spark, but upon further thought, he felt something was amiss. General Yunhui had just mentioned that the army was unaware of the epidemic. They only knew that the king had killed over a hundred patients upon entering the triumphant city. So when these soldiers first showed symptoms, they didn't think they were infected; they just didn't want to be killed by the king. Little did they know that the real threat was this fierce epidemic.

If the plague was related to Jun Changyue, from transmission to onset to death in four or five days seemed too quick.

At this moment, two guards entered the field hospital, kneeling and reporting, "Your Majesty, we've traced the source of the epidemic."

Nie Jia responded indifferently, "Speak."

The guards solemnly explained, "Earlier, you ordered the execution of 107 soldiers infected with the plague in Kaisen City. At that time, the Left Vanguard, Du Yuxian, fearing that the epidemic might cause panic, kept the information sealed. Apart from a few generals, no one else knew about the epidemic. Also, burning the bodies is considered taboo in Yan Country, as it is believed to bring eternal unrest to the departed souls. So, when transporting the bodies out of the city for cremation, one soldier's close friend secretly took the corpse, buried it discreetly on a hill downstream of the Qilin River, and, as the weather got warmer, soldiers often went to the Qilin River for relief."

"And the person?" Shi Chen held Nie Jia's tightly clenched fist.

The guards brought forth two pale-faced soldiers. The soldiers knelt on the ground, desperate, "Your Majesty, spare us! We didn't know Kang Zi died because of the plague. If we had known, even if we had eaten the hearts of bears and the gallbladders of leopards, we wouldn't dare to steal the bodies, let alone bury them near water sources!"

A stern-faced general interrupted, "You dare to beg for mercy? Look at these 823 innocent soldiers. Where do you find the courage to plead for mercy?"

The two soldiers immediately fell silent, kneeling on the ground with shoulders trembling, tears streaming down their faces.

Even the soldiers who were ill felt guilty at this moment, not in the mood to investigate the source of the epidemic. In fact, a large group of them kneeled, earnestly asking the king to kill them, eliminating the potential danger.

This scene was truly moving. The commanders had tears welling up in their eyes, turning away unable to witness any longer.

However, Nie Jia remained cold and ruthless, waving his sleeve angrily, "Shut up, don't bother me!"

The soldiers quieted down, still kneeling. Some were crying, some pretended to threaten with suicide but were stopped by their comrades.

Nie Jia felt a headache, impatiently pointing at Ji Jiarong, "Assign someone to watch over them. Don't let them seek death at every turn. I have a way to deal with this."

The crowd was stunned, and Ji Jiarong responded with a confused expression.

A messenger arrived, informing that the Quiet Prince had been brought back by General Yunhui.

Upon hearing this, Nie Jia immediately left the field hospital with Shi Chen. On the way back to the royal tent, he coincidentally met Jun Changyue, who was heading towards the field hospital. Nie Jia cast a sharp glance at Jun Changyue, ignoring him and only telling General Yunhui, "Prepare a large barrel of water in the field hospital, big enough to hold 823 bowls."

After saying that, he walked away without looking back. General Yunhui, bewildered, sent Jun Changyue to the royal tent and went to make the preparations.

"Have you heard how perilous the situation is? Why not let your younger brother take a look?" Jun Changyue's heart was uneasy, but his face remained calm. "My younger brother is confident in dealing with this epidemic."

Nie Jia remained silent, pacing back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back, displaying a composed demeanor. Only Shi Chen knew that he was regulating his emotions. If he got agitated, he might lash out at Jun Changyue.

Seeing Nie Jia's silence, Jun Changyue was about to say something more when Shi Chen looked at him coldly and said, "Shut up."

Jun Changyue blushed with embarrassment and fell silent.

After a while, Nie Jia finally calmed down. He turned to look at Jun Changyue, who still maintained his elegant and refined appearance, and said with a cold smile, "Jun Changyue, did you already know and were waiting for me to beg you? Tell me, did you take a risky move? Did you bring this epidemic in, hoping that I would plead with you? What do you want from me?"

Jun Changyue's face changed, and he knelt straight on the ground. "Brother, I dare not take such a grave accusation. If you insist on defaming me, then I can only prove my innocence with my life."

"You always use your own life to threaten me. Do you really think I cherish your life?" Nie Jia took out a small knife from Shi Chen's waist, tossed it in front of Jun Changyue, and smiled maliciously. "Today, I'll give you a chance. If you want to die, go ahead."

Jun Changyue bit his lip and stubbornly said, "Brother, if you insist on my death, I dare not refuse. But please let me go and see the soldiers infected with the epidemic. Brother, you wouldn't want over eight hundred innocent lives to be lost, right?"

This statement implied that Nie Jia was already certain of the severity of the epidemic, and Jun Changyue was responsible for it. Jun Changyue fanned the faint flame into a wildfire. If he went to the infirmary, he would be shocked. This epidemic was more severe than in Danyang County, and even if there was a cure, it was too late.

Nie Jia coldly smiled, "The lives and deaths of a mere eight hundred people, do you think I care? Let them die. With your death, I can still kill another one hundred and seventy-six to round up the number."

Jun Changyue couldn't believe that his indifferent brother would joke about lives. He was shocked and said anxiously, "But if you really kill them, won't it disturb the hearts of the soldiers? Killing those infected with the epidemic won't help the military situation. If Zhao Wushang attacks the city amid the chaos, won't it be a catastrophe?"

"You don't need to worry about these things." Nie Jia did not follow his words and lifted Jun Changyue by the collar, placing the knife gently on his neck. "You just focus on dying. I still have nine hundred and ninety-nine people to accompany you. I guarantee you'll have a splendid journey in the afterlife."

Jun Changyue's face changed completely. Feeling the coldness of the blade, his eyes became moist.

The cold smile on Nie Jia's lips disappeared. He threw Jun Changyue aside, glared at him, and said, "I know why you did this. You want to use this to blackmail me into giving you the prescription that can save lives, right? You are infatuated with Sikong Han. Despite claiming to be a compassionate healer, you sacrificed over eight hundred lives for Sikong Han's hand. What a foolish move!"

Jun Changyue looked at him in horror, "How do you know about him?"

"Not only do I know that Du Yuxian is Sikong Han, but I also know that Sikong Han has already left the army and fled to Zhuolu City. He conspired with Duke Qingguo to rebel, blocking our retreat. Now, we are left to die in either Kaiwen City or under Zhao Wushang's blade."

His tone was calm, but Jun Changyue was petrified. "You knew all along? That's why you targeted him from the beginning and crippled his hand!"

"That's right. I knew from the beginning." Nie Jia smiled. "I don't kill Sikong Han because such a lowly insect doesn't deserve my personal intervention. As for not killing you, it's because I believe you can cure the epidemic. You don't even know how to cherish the last bit of value you have left with me, fool."

Jun Changyue turned around and realized they had unwittingly stepped into a deep abyss.

"Are you human or ghost?" Jun Changyue was terrified. The hope he had built up earlier was shattered in an instant. He couldn't fathom that even the fall of Zhuolu City was within Nie Jia's calculations. How could he take such a risk? Was he truly human?

At this moment, General Yunhui entered the tent, "My king, the water is ready."

Nie Jia kicked Jun Changyue in the shoulder, causing him to cry out and kneel by General Yunhui's feet.

"Take him away." Nie Jia ordered as he was about to return to the infirmary. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned around, almost colliding with Shi Chen behind him. Hesitating, he said, "Shi Chen, don't go. Wait for me here. I'll be back soon."

Shi Chen frowned but didn't say anything. He nodded and stood in front of the tent, watching Nie Jia's figure move away.

The infirmary still had that desolate atmosphere. The commanders were still there, and the return of the king with the prince raised a glimmer of hope in many hearts.

"Even if you can cure one person, I'll spare your life," Nie Jia instructed Jun Changyue, who was still in a daze.

The sound of coughing continued in the infirmary, but Jun Changyue just stared blankly. In his mind, the situation was impossible. It wasn't supposed to be this severe. There were still four or five days before it would reach this level...

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