Zhu Yanyi’s immediate priority was to stabilize the crisis and save the soldiers infected with the plague. She had no time to return to the capital. Instead, she ordered her transport directly to Yu Qingyun’s location.
Qu Zhong, Dong Bo’cao, and Luoyang Jun also chose not to return to the capital. They joined Zhu Yanyi, driven by a sense of duty to protect the heroes who defended the nation.
Understanding their resolve, Zhu Yanyi agreed without hesitation.
The group of four arrived at Yu Qingyun’s area under the protection of relevant personnel. As soon as they stepped off the plane, Yu Qingyun came to greet them personally.
"Second Senior Brother, Fifth Junior Brother, Little Junior Sister, you’ve finally arrived." Yu Qingyun did not know Luoyang Jun but still greeted him politely.
Zhu Yanyi spoke directly, "Third Senior Brother, skip the pleasantries. Tell us the situation clearly so we can make arrangements."
"Alright, let’s talk in the car." Yu Qingyun did not hold back with his fellow disciples.
Once inside the vehicle, Yu Qingyun began his report. "Ten days ago, I received an injured soldier. I treated his wounds, but the next day, he developed a persistent low-grade fever. I initially thought it was a complication. However, in the following days, other soldiers in the same tent also began showing similar symptoms. I realized something was wrong and re-examined them. They had contracted a plague."
Yu Qingyun’s expression turned grave. "I used the temporary emergency medicine you gave me, diluted it, and had them take it. They slowly recovered. When I asked how they got sick, the first soldier explained they were on a mission in a tropical rainforest near the border with Country T. They came here because they were injured, but hundreds of soldiers are still holding the line there. I received a distress call stating that two-thirds of the soldiers there had low-grade fevers. I rushed over and confirmed they had the plague. Some cases had worsened into mid-to-late stages. I could not treat them all alone, so I had to ask for your help."
Yu Qingyun sighed bitterly. "There are too many people. If we do not control this carefully, it will be disastrous. I did not know what else to do but ask you for help."
"Have you identified the source of the plague?" Qu Zhong asked before Zhu Yanyi could speak.
"Yes, it is the bubonic plague," Yu Qingyun answered seriously.
"The bubonic plague again?" Zhu Yanyi frowned slightly.
Yu Qingyun looked between Zhu Yanyi and Qu Zhong. "What’s wrong?"
Qu Zhong’s face grew heavy. "We just came from a mountain village. Nearly a hundred people from over twenty households there also contracted the bubonic plague. Fortunately, we arrived and spent ten days and nights rescuing them before they were out of danger."
Yu Qingyun was stunned. "The bubonic plague was common in ancient times, but in modern times, we focus heavily on controlling pests. How could the bubonic plague appear here?"
Zhu Yanyi glanced at her. "Don’t ask me. I want to know too." She truly had no clues and could only rely on the investigators.
Dong Bo’cao said, "We do not need to worry about that right now. The most important thing is to save these soldiers."
"Are the patients isolated?" Zhu Yanyi asked.
Yu Qingyun nodded. "As soon as I discovered the situation, I reported it. The soldiers are now isolated. However, I feel the isolation is not thorough enough. I suspect the local environment is the cause, but I cannot pinpoint the exact problem."
"Save people first, then find the cause," Zhu Yanyi decided immediately.
Saving lives was the urgent priority. Nothing was more important. Zhu Yanyi, Qu Zhong, and Yu Qingyun all understood that saving lives was like fighting a fire. They also knew their responsibility as healers.
Yu Qingyun had moved everyone to a temporary isolation zone near the border.
"This place is likely the source. Because it is the source, we cannot move them away, so we isolated them here," Yu Qingyun sighed. He believed it was the source because the plants nearby were already withering. If it were not the source, the vegetation would not show such signs of decay.
"Have the soldiers outside taken preventive medicine?" Zhu Yanyi asked.
Yu Qingyun nodded. "They took Banlangen."
Zhu Yanyi paused for a moment, then took out a bottle of Spirit Spring water and handed it to Yu Qingyun. "Dilute it and give it to the guards outside. Banlangen only prevents common bacteria." She paused again. "This one bottle can be diluted for a thousand people. Do not dilute it incorrectly."
"Understood. I thank you on behalf of those soldiers, Little Junior Sister." Yu Qingyun did not hesitate. He took the Spirit Spring water and went to dilute it.
Zhu Yanyi ignored her actions and turned to Qu Zhong, Dong Bo’cao, and Luoyang Jun. "We four will follow the arrangement we used in Zhao Family Village. If there are no mid-to-late stage cases, I will handle the early stage. After finishing the early stage, I will handle the latent cases. We will separate and treat the corresponding patients according to the old rules."
"Agreed." The three nodded. The division of labor was clear.
Yu Qingyun’s responsibility remained emergency care, but he also took on the duty of confirming plague patients. If he found any during emergency care, he would send them here. He had run through the entire military camp these past few days to identify the infected and count them.
Zhu Yanyi began emergency treatment. There were many more people in the military camp than in Zhao Family Village. Fortunately, the soldiers had good physical constitutions and strong resistance. Aside from the initial hundreds, few new cases appeared after Yu Qingyun’s preventive measures. Nevertheless, the authorities took this plague outbreak very seriously.
After treating the mid-to-late stage patients, Zhu Yanyi did not rush to help with the early or latent cases. Instead, she began investigating the source of this bubonic plague.
Zhu Yanyi did not believe the bubonic plague appeared by mere coincidence. To her, coincidences did not exist.