Chapter 5: 5. Spread

"Tell me, what happened to you." Says an old man sitting on a golden throne chair. He is wearing a red robe with gold lining and has a goat moustache. 

Zi Mi is chained up and has several talismans pasted to his chest, two guards throw him into the golden room. There are 4 big pillars at each corner of the room, the room is decorated with jewellery and has swords hung up on the wall.

"I-I don't know! A mortal did something to me and I-"

The old man slams his hand on the armrest. "Insolence! How can a mortal do anything to a cultivator? Do you expect me to be a fool?"

The pressure around Zi Mi increases. His entire body slams to the ground.

"Ack! B-But I'm telling the truth! H-How can I lie to you when my life is on the line."

"That's enough! Send him to the isolation room for 1 month and give him 20 thunder whips."

"W-Wait! This isn't fair! Listen-"

And the guards pull Zi Mi out.

...

"I doubt he will lie to that extent." A young man says, revealing himself behind the throne chair. "Would you like me to look more into it?"

The old man sighs. "Sure, but I do not expect results. The sect's reputation has been tarnished as we have been placed in the last for 50 years during the junior martial tournament, I cannot imagine how low we can go to even be defeated by a simple mortal...look into the mortal that humiliated Zi Mi and our sect, if you find anything suspicious, kill without restraint. We cannot allow people to look down on us anymore. How can I face our ancestor when he comes out of his thousand-year seclusion in this state?"

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The moonlight shines on the grass as darkness engulfs the rest. Night falls when I finally reach the next village. Most of them are already asleep. 

The village is surrounded by a wooden fence. There are patrolling guards around the perimeters of the village.

When the guards weren't looking, I sneak into the village. There's a well at the side of the village in between a cabin.

Several empty wooden buckets are laid on the floor beside it, they collect their water here. 

I infect the water and escape quickly. 

I managed to infect every village and get my first death too.

------------------

The first death occurred in an infected elderly.

+4 points

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I look at the number of infected. It has reached 2517 and my points have reached 2422. The speed of infection has accelerated, the more people infected, the more exponentially the rate of infection should be. 

By now, the patient character should have worn off and mild cough symptoms will start to show. If I want to infect as much as possible without getting noticed that I'm the one releasing it, I need to do so before a cure is developed, I will not be able to release another one for a while. That's how I was captured in my previous life: I released different variants of viruses within a short amount of time, making it unusually abnormal. I even released those viruses in Africa, thinking that I can disguise it as a natural mutation of a virus due to the poor environment and lack of healthcare. 

Africa's government is corrupted and the USA exploits that to the fullest, placing a bounty of 50 million on my head. The residence I was supposed to hide in betrayed me and turned me over to the local army. Turns out one of the ministers of Africa is bribed by the terrorist to shelter me but a larger sum made him change his mind and hand me over. 

I quickly go further into the mountains and proceed back to Neilong. On the way, I check the loot I got from Zi Mi. There are 2 rare artifacts I found, the first one being a miniature tower. This artifact can capture and trap people in a wide area, slowly nourishing the user by absorbing the life essence of his victim, a vicious one. The second one is an artifact that...increases one vigour in bed, useless.

I also found a sword that has a particular blue aura on it. The handle of the sword is made using some red scales I have never seen before, the sword is perfectly balanced throughout. I take a swing using the sword and the slash created a small trench in the ground. Amazing.

After about 15 minutes, the horse neighs as it refuses to go further along the road.

?

Is there a creature nearby?

No, it isn't creatures. Humans, more specifically cultivators.

A few went out of the bush in front and behind me.

"Hey, kid. Give us everything you have-" 

I draw my sword and leap at the one talking. 

!!

I pretend to go for the neck, he prepares to deflect my sword but I did a feint and severed his arm.

?!!!

Interesting... There's at least a 5 stage difference but the sword was able to cover the gap. I attacked the one talking because I assume he is the leader.

"Bastard!! I was talking-" I kick him away to get some distance.

The bandit grabs his arm and stops the bleeding with Qi. 

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As if I will wait for you to finish talking.

"Get him!" He shouts.

I take out the tower artifact and activate it in the area around the bandits

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pressure around the bandits increased as their body was forced to the ground.

"T-This cannot be! How can you have that-"

A giant golden tower materializes on top of them and clashes down onto them. The tower glows and some golden yellow energy emits out of the tower and into my body.

?!!!!

An excruciating pain occurs throughout my body. The energy was cultivation base?!

I fall to my knees as I spit out blood. The thing is still going... I can't...

-----------------

The host is detected to be in danger.

Points remaining: 2511

Consuming 500 to absorb external cultivation.

Current Cultivation base: 4th Stage of Qi Condensation.

Infect 5000 more to advance to the next stage.

------------------

Huff huff...

That merchant's knowledge didn't specify what kind of "nourishment" the artifact will extract...

I cough a bit more blood and wipe the remaining one off my lips. The tower lifts off the ground and dissipates into small little golden energy, the bodies of the bandits have all shrunk and dried up, and even the bones can be seen. 

I whistle, but the horse didn't come back.

I sigh, I will have to walk. My stamina has increased due to my advancement and I feel refreshed, I should be able to reach before dawn.

I return to Neilong to find suspicious eyes staring at me. Vendors, guards, or even basic passersby have glanced at me.

Is it because of Zi Mi? I check the pouch. I have enough money to last 2 weeks, I should lay low for a week, I have placed all preparations down and can only wait.

I went to an inn and booked the cheapest room for a week.

During the week, I went around the town, sightseeing whatever I can and enjoying a little treat of food here and there. The hygiene is poor but I do not mind, I've eaten even worse. 

...

I open my eyes as I yawn. Same wooden ceiling, the same cooling temperature. I get up and look out of the window beside the bed to the right. The passersby are staring at the inn.

?? 

Anyways, the infection numbers have gone up to 15092. The start of the exponential infection spurt is finally showing.

A knock was heard on the door to my room.

I open it and it reveals three men dressed in white tidy robes.

"Yes?" I ask.

"We are core disciples from the Heavenly Divine Dragon sect, our sect patriarch would like to talk with you."

...

These bastards...

They are emitting malicious intent.

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