Chapter 39:

Tang Shaoyan had never expected to find himself in such a wretched state.

Rising from one star to two stars and from two stars to three stars was relatively easy, involving the accumulation of energy and potential, which could be achieved with some preparation.

However, advancing from three stars to four stars was an entirely different matter. To progress, one needed insight, potential, and the right opportunities.

He had originally planned to divert the attention of the camp’s experts with four-star gray rats while leading hundreds of fearless three-star adult gray rats. He believed they could hold their own wherever they went, no matter who the opponent was.

But he had encountered Yun Shan.

The sight of dozens of creatures upgrading in front of him was something he never thought would happen.

It felt like cheating.

With each howl, the gray rats continued to fall, their momentum waning.

Tang Shaoyan wanted to leave, but the Wolfhounds revealed their sharp teeth, blocking his escape, exuding an aura that seemed to say, “Try to escape, and we’ll bite your legs off.”

How had he ended up in this situation, when he had held the initiative from the beginning?

Tang Shaoyan couldn’t understand.

After a long silence, he decided to negotiate with Yun Shan. “Let me go, or else don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Yun Shan looked at him as if he were joking.

“I’m serious. Have the wolfs move back,” Tang Shaoyan said firmly. “I’ll count to three, and if they don’t move… “

Yun Shan couldn’t be bothered to waste words.

She signaled to Dahei, and the next moment, Dahei bit Tang Shaoyan’s calf, attempting to use pain to bring him to his senses.

The negotiation broke down.

Tang Shaoyan’s eyes flickered with madness and a hint of resentment.

“You forced me to do this,” he said, each word deliberate.

As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining thirty or so rats transformed. Their eyes turned blood-red, their appearance fierce, completely different from before.

A wolf bit a rat’s abdomen, but the rat seemed unaffected, retaliating as if it felt nothing.

Another wolf pounced, biting off the rat’s neck.

It struggled briefly before going still.

Five other rats swiftly brought down a three-star wolf, simultaneously attacking and injuring it. Fortunately, their nearby companions reacted promptly. Eight others rushed to save and counter the attack, rescuing the injured wolf.

“Is this madness?” Yun Shan frowned.

At that moment, a three-star rat fixed its gaze on her, running toward her as if possessed, attempting to bite her.

Yun Shan took a few steps back, not overly concerned.

Indeed, just as the rat was about to bite Yun Shan, a trace of confusion appeared in its eyes, as if it didn’t understand what it was doing.

Tang Shaoyan exclaimed, “How can this be?”

In the blink of an eye, a four-star white tiger cub pounced out and killed the rat.

An adult three-star white falcon circled low in the air, guarding by Yun Shan’s side.

Even several red falcon cubs surrounded Yun Shan, emitting fierce chirps. It was a terrifying sight!

Contrarily, the rats, including Tang Shaoyan, were consumed by madness, and they didn’t even recognize him. In just a few seconds, they bit his wrist, his neck, and within moments, he was dead!

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.

Seeing Tang Shaoyan fall in a pool of blood, Yun Shan uttered, “Kill.”

As the command was given, the rats died even faster. In a matter of seconds, all the three-star rats were eliminated.

You Yi and the others arrived a step too late. “…”

“No wonder the Divine Doctor sent us to help others,” someone whispered. “We’re really not needed here.”

You Yi watched as the two-star/three-star Wolfhounds swiftly cleaned up the battlefield, piling the rats together. For the first time, he felt a sense of security with so many creatures at home…

***

The black wristwatch emitted a series of beeps.

Zuo Xin quickly scrolled through the messages and then looked up. “The person controlling the rat group is dead, and You Yi has dispatched people to clear the rats. It won’t be long before the situation is under control.”

Lu Ming looked into the distance and said calmly, “If the four-star rats aren’t eliminated, the rat disaster won’t be over.”

Zuo Xin urged, “Lu Liu and Zhu Hong are working together. They’ll definitely be able to kill that beast. There’s no need for you to get involved personally.”

“The rats have gone mad, unleashing nearly five-star strength. They can’t beat them,” Lu Ming said in a calm voice.

At this moment, Lu Liu and Zhu Hong had multiple wounds, bleeding profusely, and were at risk of fainting at any moment.

They were both four-star, and sending others would only be more dangerous.

***

“Let them come back,” Lu Ming said. “To fight the enemy, I alone am enough.”

“Sir, if you go, the illness will worsen,” Zuo Xin strongly dissuaded.

Lu Ming strode away, not looking back. “My presence will only worsen the illness. If I don’t go, many people will die.”

Zuo Xin realized his powerlessness to stop him and could only continue to send messages to You Yi.

At the same time, he silently prayed: Hopefully, the Divine Doctor arrives in time, and things won’t get too dire.

***

In the manor, NPCs were brewing medicine, and those helping to clean up the battlefield were doing just that.

You Yi looked at the dozens of clay pots and the medicine packets carefully measured out, a look of realization dawning in his eyes.

He approached Yun Shan and asked softly, “Did you already know that the rodent issue was man-made and that the plague was bound to happen?”

Yun Shan shook her head. “I didn’t know.”

In the previous life, the most widely circulated belief was that an excess of rat carcasses, accumulated over time, would trigger the plague. The rat disaster was considered an accident, not intentional.

As to whether the culprits were never caught or if someone deliberately concealed the truth to avoid shaking the morale of the army, that wasn’t clear.

“How did you know he would come here?” You Yi inquired curiously.

“I guessed,” Yun Shan said. “If he wanted to plunge the camp into chaos, it was very likely that he would destroy the estate, preventing the patients from getting their medicine.”

“Why did you stockpile medicinal herbs earlier?” You Yi asked again.

Yun Shan replied, “It’s always good to be prepared.”

Yes, the reason was just that simple.

After all, the herbs wouldn’t spoil, and she took the opportunity to stock up. Who would have thought that they’d be put to use right away?

She was quite surprised herself.

“I heard that someone found a dungeon, a nest of gray rats in the wild, with hundreds of two-star and three-star rats inside. I suspect someone deliberately raised them, with ill intentions, so I rushed here. I didn’t expect the camp to actually encounter trouble…”

If she hadn’t logged in early this morning, what chaos would the camp have fallen into?

Yun Shan didn’t dare dwell on it, feeling immensely grateful—thank goodness for the group messages last night.

After listening to the explanation, You Yi muttered to himself.

It seemed like an accident, but one thing led to another, and relying solely on coincidences seemed a bit far-fetched.

But who cares!

After all, the Divine Doctor was a friend, not an enemy, and as long as the outcome was good, everything was fine.

Thinking this, You Yi expressed his gratitude sincerely, “Thanks to your help, everything could be resolved smoothly. I will certainly report to the higher-ups and properly commend…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the black wristwatch began buzzing incessantly.

You Yi glanced apologetically at the Divine Doctor.

Yun Shan understood. “You go ahead.”

You Yi then lowered his head to read the messages. However, upon reading, his expression suddenly changed, “Lord’s in trouble!”

***

The camp’s border was in ruins. Not far away in the wilderness, a giant four-star gray rat lay on the ground, already lifeless. Lu Ming had a jade-like complexion and ink-black hair, with droplets of blood staining his face and clothes, yet there were no visible wounds on his body. As he ran his thumb across his cheek, the blood spread, and his eyes gleamed with a fierce determination.

Zhu Hong, witnessing this, coldly remarked, “It would be better to fight the four-star demon beast.”

He, a four-star, his adult Golden Feather Eagle (a battle pet), and four-star, Lu Liu, the vines, four-star. A desperate fight might not result in defeat, with at least a twenty percent chance of victory.

Lu Liu frowned, “Don’t always think of sacrificing yourself and going out in a blaze of glory with the demon beast.”

“My life was saved by the Lord, and I’m willing to return it to him,” Zhu Hong replied nonchalantly.

“Did he ask you to? You’re being presumptuous,” Lu Liu retorted with a snort.

As the tension grew, Zuo Xin interjected, “Before the fight, the Lord was concerned about losing control within the camp, so he dragged the gray rat out into the wilderness. The divine doctor is on her way, and she instructed us to delay, ensuring she arrives in time.”

“What about the chains?” Lu Liu turned to ask.

Zuo Xin produced four reinforced, custom-made iron chains, “They’re already prepared.”

After the previous chains broke, he had people use the best materials to make new ones, working overtime to finish them. However, with Lu Ming’s condition stable, they hadn’t been needed until now.

Lu Liu’s expression was solemn, emphasizing, “Whether attacking or being attacked, it will trigger the Lord’s bloodthirsty desires. Remember, the most important thing is to delay until the divine doctor arrives.”

Zhu Hong remained silent, feeling their gazes. He eventually acknowledged with a subtle nod, “Understood.”

As Lu Ming attempted to move toward the camp, Zuo Xin, Lu Liu, and Zhu Hong bravely stepped forward, chains in hand.

***

Upon her arrival, Yun Shan found Zhu Hong, the Golden Feather Eagle, and Zuo Xin sprawled on the ground, coughing up blood. Lu Liu was in no better condition. However, she had managed to seize the opportunity when the vines bound Lu Ming’s legs to lock his hands with the iron chains, restricting his movements.

“Here comes the savior!” You Yi, who had come with Yun Shan, shouted, stepping forward to assist.

Lu Ming glanced at the chains with displeasure and annoyance. As he tried to break them, Yun Shan hugged him, holding his hands in place to prevent any effort.

Lu Ming demanded, “Let go.”

“I won’t,” Yun Shan not only refused to let go but held on even tighter.

“Let go,” Lu Ming repeated, his voice unusually fierce.

Ignoring him, Yun Shan collapsed to the ground, attempting to pull Lu Ming toward her.

Lu Ming, his face tense, sat down, looking fierce.

“Take this.” Yun Shan handed him a new pack of medicine and then, using all her strength, firmly clung to Lu Ming.

It turned out, she was more effective than the custom-made iron chains.

Lu Ming showed no sign of resistance. As he alternated between inhaling the medicine and breathing in Yun Shan, the icy, dark aura surrounding him gradually dissipated.

“Hey, I knew bringing the divine doctor would be effective!” You Yi exclaimed cheerfully.

Zuo Xin subconsciously averted his gaze.

—The scene was too beautiful, he couldn’t bear to look anymore.

***

As the first light of dawn rose, Lu Ming had already fallen asleep peacefully. The chaos caused by the rats throughout the camp had been eradicated, and the rat disaster was nearing its end.

Yun Shan went to the yard to check on the medicinal soup and coincidentally encountered the Wolfhounds carrying one-star/two-star gray rats, running back in groups.

“What’s this?”

“In order to prevent the rat plague from spreading again, I instructed my men to send the beasts to the manor. The Wolfhounds seemed to understand and went to help,” You Yi explained.

Yun Shan: So, they’re bringing the outside rats back home? Truly her Wolfhounds, incredibly intelligent and amazing!

“Not just the Wolfhounds, even the red falcon cubs are helping with the transportation. The beasts you raise are truly extraordinary,” You Yi sighed in admiration.

Yun Shan patted the wolf’s head, smiling warmly, “After a busy night, let’s have something to eat, shall we?”

There were quite a few people in the yard, making meal preparation quite a task.

You Yi had intended to decline politely, but Chef Meng arrived pushing a food cart first.

The steam rose from the wooden tub of rice porridge, emanating a delightful aroma, promising a warm and comforting meal.

The pickled vegetables looked vibrant and well-seasoned. Someone grabbed two pieces, and upon crunching into them, praised the “fresh and crispy” texture.

There were also preserved tofu, sauced beef, shredded dried pork, and steamed buns, all looking delicious.

You Yi, “…”

“Well, have a little something and then get back to work,” she said with a smile.