Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 15 Corrosion and Mutation
In the 25th year of the Tianli calendar, in the southern region of Da Yao.

After the first rain of early spring comes the Awakening of Insects. But this year is a little different.

The military campaign in the south by Da Yao has ended, and there is no more war or disaster. The people on the southern border are preparing to rest well, but on this day, they were surprised that it was getting light so late. After stepping out of their thatched huts, they were all dumbfounded.

First, a thick, fishy fog blanketed the area in the early morning. Then, it seemed as if mosquitoes and flies bred within the fog. Finally, by noon, swarms of insects danced across the fields, obscuring the sun. From within the swarm of insects, flies and other insects fell continuously, but they did not die immediately upon falling. They flapped their wings and buzzed on the ground, trying to take flight, but because they were facing away from the ground, their wings kept flapping against the ground, causing them to spin upside down.

Before the people could even worry about whether the insects would damage their crops, an epidemic suddenly appeared in the areas where the insect fog had swept through. In the countryside, farmers were experiencing shivering after returning from the fields. In no time, the countryside of many counties in the south was filled with people seeking medical treatment, performing rituals, and invoking spirits.

The peaceful atmosphere in the countryside was disrupted, which was directly reflected in the "yao" hexagrams of the chief astrologers in each prefecture.

After the imperial edict was issued, the Demon Suppression Division, a subordinate unit of the Legalist school, was mobilized. At the same time, sects cooperating with the court began issuing orders to their disciples who were undergoing training in the mortal world. Among them was Wu Hengyu, who had just descended the mountain from the Qinghua Sect.

…Fantasy/Xianxia art style dividing line…

Because of his prestigious lineage, Wu Hengyu easily mingled with other righteous disciples. Based on intelligence gathered by the outer disciples of these cultivation sects in the martial world, Wu Hengyu and his group of sect members finally located the source of the plague in late spring. It was a chubby demon covered in pustules.

This demon hid in a village, and the villagers were turned into vessels for the five poisons.

As the demon struck the rusty, unrecognizable gong and drum, geckos the size of puppies crawled out of all the mud houses in the village, centipedes like snakes emerged from the wells, scorpions broke through the soil, and the branches of the big tree at the village entrance came to life, turning into venomous snakes.

The villagers' mouths were wide open, and on their tongues was a toad, like a fish louse replacing a fish's tongue.

This fiend flung out something resembling a rag, which we'll call a "banner." As the banner swung, the monsters, which coexisted with poisonous creatures, first lined up before launching their attack. When the sword beams unleashed by the righteous cultivators struck them, although pus splattered, the wounds healed rapidly.

The disciples of the Immortal Sect unleashed dozens of fire talismans, but they only temporarily suppressed the toad-men. After the fire talismans burned, more blisters quickly appeared on the toad-men's skin. These blisters abnormally oozed more pus and grew larger, making them look even more like toads.

Finally, with the combined efforts of fifty-four third-generation disciples from multiple sects, who had damaged more than a dozen spiritual artifacts, they managed to slay the demon.

Before the demon collapsed and melted in the stinking pool, it muttered in a hoarse, leaky voice, "My army has been defeated? No, it hasn't been defeated. Golden goblet, Golden goblet, I want to go back."

During the demon-slaying ceremony, Wu Hengyu, having delivered the final blow, sheathed his Star River Spear. For some reason, he sensed the demon staring at him before its demise.

It's as if I want to say something to myself.

…The dividing line between entering and entering the mortal world…

After vanquishing the demons, Wu Hengyu rode his black steed, flying through the thunderous currents, until he arrived at Tianchi City, where the Wu family army was stationed. In the city, Wu Hanluan's winged tiger was the first to sense the threat, crouching low and watching Wu Hengyu's approach. This reaction was akin to a house cat noticing a stray cat in its enclosure.

Wu Hengyu put away his black horse and landed in the courtyard on the wind.

"Father, your son has returned from his studies." Wu Hengyu bowed before Wu Hanluan. Holding the military treatise, Wu Hanluan gazed at his son, suppressing the excitement of seeing his child, and said sternly, "You're back? Have you accomplished anything?"

Wu Hengyu: "Your son has mastered his studies." But his father's face seemed much more haggard than before. The tone that was meant to be boastful ended abruptly.

Wu Hanluan snorted coldly. No one knows a son better than his father. His son had loved fighting since he was a child. He taught him swordsmanship, but after a few days, the son refused to learn and wanted to learn how to defeat ten thousand men. As a result, he was more pleased to teach him military strategy, but after he grasped the basics, he stopped learning it as well.

Wu Hanluan's assessment of Hengyu was: "He has talent but lacks perseverance, therefore—he gave him the courtesy name Hengyuan and sent him to the mountain."

Several years ago, with only two juniors among his close associates, Wu Fei and Wu Hengyu, Wu Hanluan ultimately chose to train Wu Fei because he valued Wu Fei's cautious approach to military matters, while Wu Hengyu's restless personality made him relatively less capable of being molded. Thus, he forced Wu Fei, this "melon," into the lineage of military strategy.

The training of Wu Fei is progressing quite smoothly. According to the information from Yongji Pass in the south, he is capable of taking on the position of the family's future "Master of War".

So, after learning that his son had returned, Wu Hanluan also had an idea: maybe his son's bad habits could be corrected.

Therefore, Wu Hanluan adopted a harsh attitude after seeing Wu Hengyu come down the mountain.

Upon hearing that Wu Hengyu's return was a complete departure from the sect to help the family cope with the impending calamity and to "serve" the family, Wu Hanluan raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder. Sensing Wu Hengyu's powerful inner energy, the old father paused slightly, his previously "critical" gaze softening.

Wu Hanluan: "Now that you're back, stay in the tent. But don't try to lead an army independently; you're not cut out for it. Listen and learn more."

Wu Hengyu nodded in agreement, but his eyes were filled with eager fighting spirit.

Wu Hanluan glanced at his son, a hint of doubt creeping into his mind: "My son has always been competitive. After learning about the inheritance of the Lord of War, and when he meets Wu Fei, will he become even more competitive and assertive?" He wasn't worried about the two brothers fighting, but rather whether Wu Fei would take this opportunity to "step down and relinquish his position."

Great generals rise from the ranks, and prime ministers emerge from the prefectures and counties. Wu Hanluan nurtured Wu Fei little by little, gradually increasing his strength. He had finally managed to train him, and he couldn't let his rebellious son ruin him.

…On Wu Fei's side, he was already like an Indian electrician, facing all sorts of troubles in a tangled mess of wiring…

In Yongji Pass, a terrified scream came from the once-famous Flower Fairy Pavilion, where people used to party every night. The guests inside shouted that it was a monster and then fled in panic.

Half an incense stick later, the patrolling soldiers sealed off the area and brought Wu Fei to the scene. A wooden building had been breached from the inside, and through the dilapidated doors on the second and third floors, a massive snake tail as thick as a water vat was visible. Clearly, a colossal beast had emerged from within.

Just as the patrolmen at Yongji Pass were hesitating about whether to burn the building down with a burst of oil, Wu Fei raised his hand and ordered the soldiers to retreat.

Because Wu Fei could understand the hissing sound of a snake inside the building; it meant, "Don't kill me." If he hadn't spent some time with the owner of that voice, Wu Fei wouldn't have recognized her thick dialect-accented pleas for mercy.

After the soldiers withdrew to the outer perimeter, Wu Fei entered the dilapidated building. The building was filled with a "strong incense" that was intoxicating. One whiff was enough to make him feel dizzy and intoxicated. Then he saw some indescribable props in the building and Wu Fei realized that they were for entertainment.

When the perspective shifts to the hall, Xiaoqing, who was once a delicate human, has now become a half-human body with an upper body that is ten feet long, even larger than the Eight-Foot Lady. Her skin is bluish-white, and there are scales below her navel. Her lower body is as thick as a water vat and has a snake tail that is a full five feet long. She is already a monster. Moreover, her snake tail is not a normal end, but has four snake heads.

Wu Fei immediately understood that this was a "mutation out of control." She had taken an evil path to absorb unknown power and added it to her essence, energy, and spirit. For the orthodox schools within the Great Dao, strengthening the source of "essence, energy, and spirit" is the only way, and the drastic mutation before her was the result of using evil magic in pursuit of this "only way."

Wu Fei is currently using the external objects of his armor to condense evil energy for his own use, which is considered an unorthodox method. The reason behind this is that three years ago, during the entrance examination at Qingyun Mountain, the Taoist priest told Wu Fei that "because of his aptitude, he is not destined for the path of Taoism." Although Wu Fei did not admit it, he implicitly acknowledged that he was not at a disadvantage in cultivating his spiritual energy and accumulating supernatural powers. Therefore, he took the unorthodox path, using exquisite tools to replace his innate spiritual potential.

Inside the Flower Fairy Pavilion, Wu Fei found a chair and sat down, looking at Xiao Qing, who had mutated into a giant snake, and asked, "What exactly did you do to become like this?"

The snake had its tail coiled up, its massive upper body tucked into the snake formation, and its head lowered. Because its tongue had been converted into a tongue, it could no longer speak.

At this time, Xiaoqing herself was very ignorant. After obtaining a "Drinking Dew" technique, she used the "sweet dew" produced in the Flower Pavilion as medicine. As she kept drinking it, she mutated.

At this moment, Xiaoqing began to circulate her internal energy. Wu Fei looked up and saw that her entire scaly skin had become translucent, with purple energy pulsating beneath her blood vessels. Then, drops of sweat seeped from her skin, and these beads of sweat were filled with a strange, incense-like aroma. Feeling that some of the energy within his body was being stirred and becoming light and airy, Wu Fei quickly steadied himself, picked up a small piece of wood from the ground, and flicked it at Xiaoqing's forehead to stop her.

Xiao Qing suddenly shrank back into the snake formation. Of course, if it weren't for the crunching sound of her scales, the action would have been quite cute.

Wu Fei stood up, took a deep breath, and began to consider.

This is the first time since Wu Fei transmigrated that he has decided to let the system cover his losses.

Previously, he spent 0.2 credits to exchange for the "physical fitness analyzer," which was a consumption stimulated by the system. As for the occasional virus detections that the system had sprung up over the past three years, Wu Fei had noticed that he had encountered something unusual, but he didn't know how serious it was, so he didn't take it to heart and kept trying to get things for free. —Narrator: Similar to how ordinary people in the East in the 21st century are well protected by the state, unaware of how much the state has worried about them.

But now, for the first time, Wu Fei felt the terror of the strange things in this world.
As the exchange list appeared, Xuan Chong identified another item he wanted to exchange for: a "Restoration Gem" worth 0.94 credits.

After a brief reading, it becomes clear that the item's mechanism is simple: regardless of the damage or mutation it suffers, it can return to its original state. —Even if it becomes a zombie, it can revert to a living human body, essentially a resurrection. Currently, Wu Fei has accumulated 3.34 credits.

Currently, Wu Fei has completed the scan. The difference between Xiao Qing's "human form" a month ago and her current mutated form is revealed by the system along with a series of dynamic images of organ and tissue mutations. Wu Fei, who felt nauseous looking at the images, felt that knowing the general effect was enough.

System: "Since this is your first time using the 'Restore Gem,' you can enjoy one free opportunity. Simply complete the following questions."

Wu Fei: "Hmm? Okay."

Then, a sharp question popped up in the system.

Question 1: Please analyze your own interests during this exchange process. Hint: Please elaborate on your previous explanation of using the relationship between the "young master and the beautiful maid" to catalyze the military-merchant system!

Question 2: Three years ago, you were indifferent to fame and fortune and longed to cultivate immortality. Now you have a large army under your command. Using your own experience as material, explain how power can corrupt an individual.

Question 3: ...

Wu Fei, no, Xuan Chong, turned off the entire screen and then said firmly, "Activate the Restoration Gem, use credits."

System: "Do you want to give up answering the questions? Hint: If you abandon the question directly, you will lose your free opportunity."

Given the urgency of the situation and the fact that he didn't like what the system was saying, Xuan Chong exemplified the "Six Arts of a Gentleman on the Internet": Classical, Filial, Urgent, Joyful, Tenacious, and Winning/Hemp?
Xuan Chong: Stop talking nonsense. —At the same time, Wu Fei suddenly became furious and kicked away a bench next to him.

The enormous snake-man, seeing Young Master Wu Fei's dark complexion, seemed frightened. He lowered his front half from the snake formation, flicked his tongue, and cleared away any debris that might anger Wu Fei. Then he looked back on the past.

Months ago, after leaving the camp, Xiaoqing found herself with nowhere to go and felt rejected by the world. But then a voice inside her told her not to give up.

So she set up the Flower Fairy Pavilion as a servant of Young Master Wu Fei, and after confirming that the General's Mansion did not deny her actions, she found her place again. But now that she has become a monster, the sad feeling of being "abandoned" surged into her heart once again. This time she wanted to stay, even if it meant being a slave!
Xiaoqing's mind is working very fast now. Her new body can no longer move freely in the market, but it can exist as a "warrior".

The Great Yao Dynasty has such cases. For example, within the Great Yao, there are "Yellow Turban Warriors" tempered by immortal methods. These warriors are ten zhang tall, and they have to bend over to enter the city gate. They enter the battlefield wearing heavy armor, and their large copper hammers can directly break through formations.

Just as the snake woman was contemplating her future, Wu Fei touched her forehead, and in an instant, she, who had been agitated and frantic, became as calm as a baby sleeping in a cradle.

A gem appeared in Wu Fei's hand. From Xuan Chong's (Wu Fei's) perspective, this gem was formed by the condensation of light from the depths of the earth. However, Xuan Chong did not know that the light from the earth was not tens of meters, hundreds of meters, or thousands of meters, but was condensed from the core of the planet, which was projected from the core with a span of thousands of kilometers.

As Wu Fei touched her, the snake woman calmed down, revealing a docile and obedient expression.

However, Wu Fei showed an embarrassed and hesitant expression, but after three breaths, he finally opened his mouth.

Wu Fei, um, Xuan Chong aimed at the moon and began singing a song from a certain anime as a spell to activate the restoration gem.

Suppressing his embarrassment as much as possible, Xuan Chong chanted, "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, please grant the restoration gem's wish! The time for return to the original state has come! In the transformer, we'll see."

The snake woman was stunned for a moment, then she was enveloped in golden light and unable to move. As the golden light contracted, it began to shrink and change, and the process of her sudden mutation several hours ago began to rewind!

During this process, something in the surrounding space seemed to be provoked. The purple power tried to stop it, but the golden light seemed to have been waiting for it. Like thunder, it reversed the flow of purple power into the space and quickly drove it away.

Ten minutes later, Wu Fei walked out of the dilapidated building.

Behind her was the restored Xiaoqing, seemingly untouched by anything. —However, she could now switch between her enormous half-snake, half-human form and her normal human form.

At the same time, the system issued a mission line to launch a special military operation in southern Xinjiang to investigate the root cause of everything.

……

However, six days later, Wu Fei received a secret order from his uncle, instructing him to lead three hundred elite troops northward.

(End of this chapter)