At the same time, two loud cries rang out, one filled with terror and the other with disbelief.
“What… what is that?!” A person pointed at the distant muddy ground, faintly noticing a significant change in that area, as if something had been laid over it.
Curious groups in the crowd rushed over, and as they got closer, they frantically dropped to the ground, silently picking up round yellow beans and stuffing them into makeshift bundles made from their discarded clothes.
Others, realizing what was happening, quickly gathered around and someone shouted, “Big brother! Come quickly! The ground is covered with food!!”
“What?!”
“Hurry up and take a look!”
“It’s really food! Mother! We’re saved!”
“Heaven has opened its eyes!!”
“Quick, bring something to carry it!! Hurry!”
“This is what we found! Don’t come over and snatch it!”
“Get away!”
“Ah ah ah! My hand!”
Meanwhile, on the other side, those who were on the outer rings of the campfire were groggily waking up, only to find that the inner circle of individuals around the bones had all collapsed to the ground. The scent of blood filled the area from the heart region of the corpses.
Those at the outer edge had the words “cannibal” carved on their faces, yet they had not perished like the others.
Even so, the sight terrified the rest of the group, many falling to their knees, knocking their heads on the ground while mumbling prayers like not to be found.
As half a day passed with no signs of danger, hearing cries for food in the distance made these people scramble to their feet and run.
By the time they thoroughly searched the ground, leaving no bean behind, joyfully reuniting with their loved ones, the Lin family had already distanced themselves significantly, their shadows barely visible.
[Host, the drug in my system shop works well, right? Hehe~] 123 bounced around on his head, relishing the praise, becoming even more smug after receiving a compliment.
Hmph, that damn survival system still wants to compete for the host, despite the effort it took to spend its savings on the drug. It knew the host wanted to eliminate the trash, hmph hmph~
[But, host, why not kill them all? They have all eaten people; how are they different from the dead?]
“Sometimes, killing them all doesn’t solve the problem. Eliminating the uncontrollable offenders and containing danger is the priority. As for the others… let them redeem their lives for sins, the marks on their faces will ensure they suffer.”
Lin Ya didn’t agree that death was the best resolution; living can sometimes be the true torment.
Yet those at the forefront had clearly grown accustomed to slaughter, even cannibalism. Even if they had food, they would likely still target humans, so they could not be allowed to remain; otherwise, they would harm others.
As for those who stayed behind, some were coerced, and some joined by necessity, but as long as there was a shred of humanity left, Lin Ya would let them live to atone.
After several days of relentless travel, upon reaching a county named Liu City under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou Prefecture, both Father Xu and Ms. Zhang fell ill.
Scared by the grisly sight of cannibalism, they had rushed to find a safer county and, unlike before, they rarely stopped to rest. Instead, they often skipped resting time, ignoring their physical fatigue, despite others advising them otherwise.
Thus, when they queued to enter the city, they finally collapsed.
“Father! Mother!” Xu Jin and Xu Yue hurried to help but fell to the ground themselves. Ren Zhao and Ren Lin, sitting nearby, were equally frantic.
Lin Ya quickly loosened the reins and helped them up.
For the other refugees, this was nothing new; they were unfazed.
However, the soldiers guarding the city changed their expressions upon seeing the feverish faces of the couple. They not only barred them from entering the city but also imprisoned the entire family within a nearby farmhouse.
Their mule was confiscated on the spot.
Upon entering, they realized everyone locked here was suffering from illness and fever.
The occupants of the other room, who had arrived earlier, explained that they were detained due to a prior outbreak of typhoid fever in the city that had killed dozens, including an official’s elderly mother. The situation in the city had finally been controlled, so anyone who fell ill now was not permitted entry and had to wait in this house until they recovered before being allowed to leave.
“Sister-in-law… everyone locked up here are those with the fever and their families. If it’s truly typhoid, no wonder they stopped us,” Xu Jin said gravely, unable to stop pacing within the room.
Typhoid fever had a high mortality rate, and in ancient times, it was a terrifying disease—Lin Ya certainly understood that.
Meanwhile, Xu Yue was wiping the faces of Father Xu and Ms. Zhang, who lay on a straw bed. After taking the medicine from Lin Ya, they were sweating profusely, requiring urgent wiping.
“Brother, stop pacing and sit down for a bit,” Xu Yue said, her face dirtied with grime, unable to hide her weariness. Seeing the two exhausted children leaning against Lin Ya, her heart ached. “This room is damp and cold, and the last blanket is being used by Father and Mother. The children can only huddle together if they feel sleepy, but if they get too close, they might catch something…”
Lin Ya took off his thick outer shirt and laid it on the wooden board beside him, placing the bewildered children on it. They settled softly into their slumber, their breathing becoming calm.
“Brother-in-law, wear mine; I’m tough and not cold,” Xu Jin insisted, attempting to remove his own clothing, but Lin Ya’s hand stopped him.
He felt speechless; this guy was already frail, and after the trials of their journey, his face was gaunt. How could he still claim to be tough and warm?
“I’m not cold; you wear it yourself.” Although he felt a little uncomfortable at first after taking it off, his body gradually warmed up after a while.
“Tomorrow, I’ll ask the guard at the entrance to find out when we can leave if they recover from their illness.”