With the established strategy in mind, Yun Ming quickly located two patrolling guards. After observing the surroundings and confirming no one else was present, he channeled his Soul Power and subdued both men with a single punch each, dragging them into a hidden, vacant corner.
The subsequent steps were a natural sequence: waking them up, intimidation, a fake poisoning, and the extraction of intelligence. Following this entire process, Yun Ming obtained the information he required.
Once he had the information, Yun Ming first headed to the Physician Gathering Point, which was a grand, sprawling residence. According to the two guards, the place had originally belonged to a high-ranking noble. Because the City Lord's Mansion had designated the entire area as a lockdown zone, it was no longer habitable. Furthermore, since the noble's two children had also contracted the Wind Death Disease, he had simply gifted the mansion to the City Lord's Mansion in hopes of giving his children a better chance at recovery.
Watching the physicians bustling in and out, Yun Ming felt more confident about the analysis of the Wind Death Disease inside. Although they had yet to find a cure for the disease, there had to be plenty of recorded data he could reference!
Thinking this, Yun Ming did not hesitate. He swaggered into the crowd of physicians and walked toward the residence. Although his Protective Suit was a different style from those worn by the physicians of Saga City, it was not particularly conspicuous under the cover of night, and Yun Ming slipped inside without a hitch. Mingled in the crowd, Yun Ming heard many physicians discussing the Wind Death Disease and the casualties among the infected.
He saw a young physician asking an older one with some urgency.
"Master, has the Research Group still not identified the cause or a solution for the Wind Death Disease today?"
The middle-aged physician glanced at his apprentice. He knew the boy's parents had also been infected, which was why he was so anxious, but urgency was useless against some things! The middle-aged physician shook his head and spoke.
"No!"
"But don't worry. With Old Ye and several other renowned physicians here, we will eventually find a way."
"Your parents have only just been infected; there is definitely still time!"
Hearing his master's comfort, the apprentice could only pray silently in his heart, hoping his parents would survive this ordeal.
⁂
Another physician was complaining in a low voice nearby.
"Today, the number of new and deceased patients in our ward has increased again. At this rate, apart from those Soul Master lords in the city, everyone else is finished!"
His companion heard the complaint and warned him.
"Watch your tongue!"
"Once you're outside the Assembly Point, you shouldn't be saying things like that. If you cause a panic, be careful—you'll be the one to pay the price!"
"Old Li from yesterday is a prime example of what happens!"
The warned physician muttered in a low voice.
"I know!"
"I'm not that stupid. I only say these things outside the Assembly Point! But if I don't vent a little now, I'm going to suffocate from this damn oppressive atmosphere!"
"Fine, I'm going to the Archives to file these reports. You go ahead!"
⁂
Hearing these physicians' conversations, Yun Ming's awareness of the urgency of time became even clearer. Even the physicians were nearly crushed by the Wind Death Disease; the situation was reaching its limit.
Yun Ming followed the complaining physician to the Archives and found that security was slightly tighter than at the main gate, with someone stationed to register entries. He found a blind spot, summoned his Atlas Spear, and used Teleportation to enter. Then... he bumped face-to-face with the complaining physician.
Yun Ming looked around, quite surprised. Although the Archives weren't huge, there were over a dozen shelves filled with various medical records, so the odds of avoiding Roast Brother should have been quite high. Yet, bumping into him so perfectly—perhaps he had actively led Yun Ming here!
Roast Brother stared at Yun Ming, who had appeared out of thin air holding the Atlas Spear, and felt as if a herd of alpaca beasts were stampeding through his mind. He had only complained once, and now he had been caught red-handed!
However, he quickly realized that this person wasn't here to arrest him, nor did he look like someone who belonged here; otherwise, he wouldn't have snuck in like this. So, was this person here to cause destruction? He couldn't think of any other reasonable motive.
Thinking of this, Roast Brother was about to shout. Although he was a bit of a chatterbox, he was a good physician, and he couldn't let someone destroy the hope of everyone in the city.
But before he could make a sound, Yun Ming's Atlas Spear struck like lightning, piercing his Protective Suit and pressing the tip against his throat.
Feeling the cold, sharp edge against his neck, Roast Brother broke into a cold sweat. He couldn't even make a sound; the feeling of being on the brink of life and death was too intense. Seeing that he no longer intended to raise an alarm, Yun Ming began to state his requirements.
"I need to crack the Wind Death Disease as quickly as possible. Help me understand everything you know about it, and I will let you go."
Hearing Yun Ming say he wanted to crack the Wind Death Disease, Roast Brother regained his senses. Although he thought the person before him was arrogant and ridiculous, judging by his tone, he really did seem to be here for the disease. With a spear at his throat, Roast Brother had no choice but to answer tremblingly.
"Br-brother, helping you is no problem, but can you put this spear down?"
Hearing the other party agree, Yun Ming retracted the Atlas Spear and said to Roast Brother.
"In that case, let's begin!"
"Before I came, I examined the Wind Death Disease patients, checking their physical condition during both the active phase and the temporary recovery phase. Aside from the symptoms of a common cold during the flare-ups, I found no other issues. I didn't detect any plague or toxins."
"So, I want to know other data, such as the age of the infected, the proportion of different age groups, the order of infection in different areas, the infection status of Soul Masters, and whether there are any causes of death other than total exhaustion."
Having been relieved of the life-threatening spear, Roast Brother heard that Yun Ming had already examined the patients and asked a series of professional questions, which confirmed that Yun Ming's goal was indeed to crack the disease. That was fine; it made his guilt over leaking information a little easier to bear.
Roast Brother walked over to the archive shelves, pulled out several file folders, and handed them to Yun Ming.
"Since you asked so sincerely, I will... tell you everything in detail!"
Roast Brother wanted to be cheeky again, but seeing the cold glint in Yun Ming's eyes, he decided to play it safe. He continued.
"Since you've already checked the patients' detailed conditions, you basically have forty percent of the information we know about the Wind Death Disease."
"Of the remaining sixty percent, twenty percent is in these files—the detailed data you wanted."
"The final forty percent is a characteristic we only discovered in the last two days: the Wind Death Disease doesn't just have common cold symptoms; it affects a person's mind, making them become more obsessed with what they love!"
"Because this point is so subtle and masked by the appearance of common cold symptoms, it took us many days to discover it. The last document contains rough records and hypotheses about this. We just found it, so that's all the information there is."
Hearing Roast Brother mention that it affected the mind, Yun Ming immediately thought of Gu Yan. Was she truly that cheerful and infatuated by nature? Or had she been influenced by the Wind Death Disease?
Yun Ming opened the file folder and began to study the patient data bit by bit.
After finishing, Yun Ming asked Roast Brother for several autopsy reports. The results were all the same: total exhaustion, with no other abnormalities.
About a quarter of an hour later, Yun Ming finished reading all the data and began to organize the information.
It affected all age groups, started spreading in the South of the City, no Soul Master had been infected, and the proportion of infected individuals across age groups was roughly equal, but in terms of resistance, adults were worse off... After integrating all the information and eliminating every impossibility, Yun Ming's eyes lit up. Combining this with knowledge from later generations, he actually thought of a possibility.
Yun Ming put down the documents and said something to Roast Brother.
"I'm leaving, thank you for today."
"One last warning: for the sake of your Life, don't tell anyone about what happened today!"
After he finished speaking, a flash of silver light flickered, and Yun Ming vanished.
Seeing the person disappear in the blink of an eye, Roast Brother cursed inwardly.
Bastard, I helped him out, and he still threatens me before leaving!
However, judging by his inner cursing, he was still quite sensible.
ps: Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendations.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader