Lin Xiao paused in his steps upon hearing the word "plague" and turned to Qin Jianghe.
"A plague?"
He frowned, his expression serious as he responded, "We can't afford to ignore something like this. The symptoms you mentioned sound severe. Let's hold a small meeting and send word to the capital. We should bring this to the court's attention."
Qin Jianghe nodded, "I've already informed Li Zhouxuan, and he's sent a letter to the Alliance's headquarters in Huan You Kingdom, but we haven't received a reply yet."
With the potential threat of a contagious disease looming, Lin Xiao immediately set aside his plan to visit the cottage where Xiaoluan and Datou were staying. Instead, he turned back and led Qin Jianghe toward the sect's grand hall. Along the way, he sent a transmission talisman to Liao Pantu, Liu Yunan, Sun Yigao, and Mo Yuanjiao, summoning them to the hall for a meeting.
Lin Xiao had his reasons for calling only this group. Liao Pantu, with his vast knowledge and experience, would provide valuable insight; Liu Yunan, who had been handling all sect affairs, needed to be present to assist with any necessary arrangements. Sun Yigao, as the sect's primary healer, would be essential in dealing with potential illnesses, while Mo Yuanjiao had connections with the court and had expressed his desire to lead the sect's intelligence efforts. Lin Xiao intended to give him a chance to take on that responsibility.
As for others, such as Jiang Youfu, Lin Xiao hadn't summoned them because the sect's daily operations were already running smoothly, and it wasn't feasible to involve everyone in every issue. As the sect grew, more matters would arise, and only those of widespread importance would be shared with all members. Routine updates, however, could be communicated to keep everyone informed.
While walking into the grand hall, Lin Xiao had a thought. Perhaps it was time for the sect to create some form of sect publication—a regular newsletter that would document both internal sect news and relevant external events. This would ensure that everyone had access to important information regularly.
The core members responded quickly. Upon receiving Lin Xiao's transmission, they all dropped what they were doing and rushed to the grand hall. In no time, everyone was gathered, and a small meeting commenced.
Due to the uncertainty of the situation, the group decided that one or two people should investigate the matter first to confirm the situation before making any further decisions.
Sun Yigao was not selected to go, as he had responsibilities with the private school and was still treating Tong Jialiang, a long-term patient. No one knew how long the investigation would take. Liao Pantu also opted out, as he had been busy recently and was preparing for a closed-door meditation session to strengthen his soul body, which had been weakened by his constant activity. His unique cultivation technique, the Soul Refining Art, required regular cultivation to maintain the stability of his soul, which was even more critical given his lack of a physical body.
Instead, Sun Yigao recommended his disciple, the cat demon Fang Tuantuan, to go on the mission. Fang Tuantuan had learned various healing techniques from Sun Yigao and had frequently studied medicinal books with him, making the little cat demon the most suitable candidate after Sun Yigao and Liao Pantu.
Despite being somewhat lazy about cultivation, Fang Tuantuan had reached the ninth stage of the Enlightenment Realm, thanks to Sun Yigao's teachings and the abundant spiritual energy in the sect. Additionally, Fang Tuantuan was street-smart, having spent much time navigating the complexities of human cities, which reassured the group that it could handle itself well.
Lin Xiao also decided to go. During the meeting, Qin Jianghe provided more detailed intelligence about the campaign against Huan You Kingdom, and the group learned that while the royal family and several colluding sect leaders had been defeated, the country's king and state preceptor were still at large. Only the crown prince and one sect leader had been captured. The presence of these dangerous fugitives explained why the allied forces remained stationed in the kingdom, and why even the newly reinstated old royal family had no objections to their presence—they were too weak to fend off a potential resurgence on their own.
Given the potential threat posed by the Jishi remnants, Lin Xiao felt it was necessary to see the situation for himself. The horrific consequences of Jishi were something he had witnessed firsthand, and he didn't want to see another tragedy like Tong Jialiang's condition repeated.
Although his sect wasn't large enough to directly intervene in a massive war, if it came to pursuing and capturing a few dangerous individuals, that was another matter entirely.
Lin Xiao recalled a technique taught to him by Liu Chun—a Tracking Rune Formation. It was a special type of array created by combining rune and formation techniques. Such formations required a deep understanding of both disciplines, as well as the cultivator's personal energy to serve as a conduit, enabling the two systems to work together harmoniously. Only by merging their energies could the formation's full potential be realized.
With this technique in hand, Lin Xiao believed he could be of use in the mission to capture the remaining fugitives.
Fang Tuantuan would accompany him, and together they would investigate the potential plague and report back to the sect.