Tracking the Councillor

"The problem is, we still haven't found the source of the plague," Mo Fan said, his brow creasing.

These tainted blood serums didn't really prove much on their own — at most, they implicated Councillor Luo Mian in some kind of fake-medicine scheme. But the plague that had thrown all of Hangzhou into a panic remained unresolved, its true source still murky and untouched.

"Relax. I planted a listening device on one of them." Lingling delivered the line with the practiced composure of a seasoned veteran.

"You clever little thing." Mo Fan couldn't resist reaching out to pinch her cheek, but in the span of a heartbeat she transformed from her usual sweet, adorable self into a tiny hellcat — glaring daggers at him. His hand froze midair, then dropped with a resigned sigh.

The listening device had excellent reception. They could make out the conversation clearly. The man with the gravelly, rough voice was almost certainly Chief Adjudicator Wang Yi.

Wang Yi was leading a group of subordinates toward the Hangzhou quarantine zone, presumably heading back to Councillor Luo Mian's side.

Mo Fan had sensed something off about Luo Mian from the start. Tang Yue, Tang Zhong, and Hei Yu had all placed their complete trust in the Councillor, believing him to be a true guardian of the Totem. Yet without warning, the man had done a complete about-face and thrown his lot in with Zhu Meng.

When something defies all reason, there's always something darker lurking beneath the surface. Luo Mian's behavior had almost certainly raised suspicions in the other Chief Adjudicator, Ah Li Tian. And from what Mo Fan could tell, Ah Li Tian and Leng Qing had already uncovered some damning evidence against the Councillor...

**Hangzhou Quarantine Zone**

Beneath the white canvas tents, row upon row of patients lay on cots, their moans rising like the wails of ten thousand tormented souls from the depths of the underworld.

As time dragged on, the festering sores on the critically ill grew worse. The antibodies extracted from the serpent's blood could not fully suppress the bacteria's relentless advance.

"There have already been deaths. The numbers are going to climb over the next twenty-four hours," a Healing Element Mage murmured to Elder Lu.

"I understand." Elder Lu exhaled slowly. "The bacteria have entered the patients' bloodstreams and been carried through circulation to the heart and brain. Both vital organs are now infected, which means any treatment must proceed with extreme caution."

"Indeed."

"Councillor Luo Mian is in the quarantine zone."

"What's he doing?"

Elder Lu stepped inside and found Councillor Luo Mian exactly as reported — surrounded by a cluster of attendants, making his rounds among the patients. The black-blotched face wore an expression of anxious, heartfelt concern.

Luo Mian walked between the cots without a mask, unlike everyone else around him.

"Councillor — please, I beg you, save us," a middle-aged Mage pleaded from a cot, his arm wrapped around a child of about ten. "My son and I..."

Father and son were covered in festering sores. Their faces were consumed by them, their appearance harrowing beyond words.

When the man stretched out a desperate hand toward the Councillor, the flanking Tribunal Agents immediately moved to shove him back, voices rising in sharp reprimand.

"Stop that — how dare you be so rough!" Luo Mian snapped at his men.

The goateed Councillor's face softened into a warm, magnanimous smile. He reached out and took the sick man's hand himself, his eyes filled with quiet conviction. "Brother, focus on getting your strength back. Once we've dealt with that plague-bearing serpent, you and your son will both be on the mend before long. Unfortunately, our combat forces are stretched thin right now — we can't move against it just yet."

"I've heard that serpent has been worshipped by a clan right here in Hangzhou!" A man who had only recently contracted the disease shouted, his voice raw with fury. "Councillor Luo Mian — is that true? Then every last one of them is plague-tainted! They should all be rounded up and burned alive!"

The outburst ignited the ward. Grief and despair curdled into rage, spreading from bed to bed.

"Everyone, please — calm yourselves, calm yourselves." Luo Mian raised his hands, his tone steady and earnest. "We want nothing more than to end your suffering as quickly as you do. Regarding your treatment costs, I've already filed an application with the government on your behalf — your expenses here will largely be covered. We also now have a firm grasp on the nature of the plague, and a resolution is close. All I ask is for a little patience."

"The Councillor is still someone we can believe in."

"Yes — yes, he is!"

His words swept through the quarantine zone like a calming tide, and the restless tension drained away.

Elder Lu had watched the whole exchange from nearby. He stepped forward with a smile and gave the Councillor a respectful nod. "The Councillor truly has a way with people."

"It's nothing so grand," Luo Mian said, gesturing to his entourage to step back and give them room to speak privately. "I simply try to put myself in their shoes." Once they were alone, his tone shifted. "Elder Lu — do you happen to have any particularly potent toxins on hand? As you know, the plague traces back to that serpent. We've confined it inside a Transcendent Tier Lightning Element array, but with most of the city's Mages deployed to the Western Fortress, we can't execute the beast on schedule. You mentioned earlier that its bile was needed to formulate the antidote — so I was wondering, if you have something capable of bringing it down, we could resolve this far sooner. Every minute we delay may cost another life."

Elder Lu understood at once, but shook his head with a regretful expression. "You may not be aware, Councillor — the Totem Xuan Serpent is the progenitor of all poisons. Even the most lethal toxin is no different to it than clear spring water. Mounting a poison attack against that creature simply isn't possible."

Luo Mian's expression tightened. That was not what he wanted to hear.

"Then what can be done, Elder Lu? Looking at all those people suffering in those beds, teetering on the edge of death — I cannot sit still."

"Well..." Elder Lu paused. "The truth is, our blood analysis and toxin degradation studies have found that the Totem Xuan Serpent's venom and the plague bacteria are not the same substance. In my view, Councillor, you shouldn't be placing all your focus on that serpent."

He offered a polite bow. "I need to continue searching for the antidote. Please excuse me."

Luo Mian watched Elder Lu's retreating figure. The mask of civic concern peeled away from his face slowly, replaced by barely concealed fury and anxiety.

Events were spiraling further out of his control with every passing hour. First, the military had forcibly commandeered that batch of blood serums for use at the fortress. Now Elder Lu had confirmed that the serpent's serum had nothing to do with the plague. If he didn't cut through this knot cleanly and immediately, the entire operation would come apart at the seams.

"Someone come," Luo Mian said, his voice cold and flat.

"Here."

"Proceed as planned."

"Yes, sir."