"Mu Bai, what's happening? Why have you gone so pale? I understand that Luo Mian will cause us problems with his stunt, but your antidote will be ready soon! None of the infected people will die, and we'll deal with that power-hungry senator secretly! I'll help you!" Wiping the remnants of tears from her eyes, Tang Yue pulled herself together and tried to calm me down.
She didn't attach much importance to one rampaging White Eagle. Such things happen occasionally; after all, these aren't contract beasts but tamed monsters. Obviously, their obedience isn't absolute. But she doesn't see what I see! This is far from an isolated incident!
"Tang Yue, listen to me carefully right now. I'm going straight to finish the antidote on an emergency basis, and you bring every High-level mage in the city to me at any cost – no arguments. If needed, ask Tan Zhun and Wu Ping Jin to declare martial law and draft both senators and Li Tian as frontline fighters. If they refuse, expel them from the city directly, citing martial law – the law allows it." Looking straight into her eyes, I spoke in a steely tone and pressed her a bit with the aura of my superior cultivation. I had no time for empty talk right now! Especially with her...
"Y-yes." Submitting, Tang Yue lowered her head and ran off to carry out the order, shedding fresh tears along the way.
But I had no time for that now. I returned to the hospital and, forcing my consciousness with the spirit element and my actions with the time element, began finishing the antidote on an emergency basis. I'd avoided such methods before because I might be watched, but now I sealed myself off and surrounded the room with a dense Spatial Barrier to prevent that. The most I'd reveal is a powerful screening artifact or mastery of the space element – nothing compared to saving the whole city.
Without the Serpent, and with the enticing smell of the infected still drawing wild White Eagles here, the city has no chance of holding. Even if I fight at full strength, ignoring concealment of my aces, the best I could do is wound the Silver Sky Sovereign non-fatally. If I don't want to reveal anything hidden, I need to at least temporarily settle our internal squabbles. With Luo Mian drawn into the battle against the Warlord – especially given his elements – things will go much better.
By the time Tang Yue reached the Magical Court's building, convinced her uncle, and they dragged Zhu Men, Li Tian, and Luo Mian to me together with Wu Ping Jin, a full half hour had passed. In that time, I'd just managed to synthesize the antidote formula and was now producing it in large quantities using my poison element via the Beginner-level First Step spell "Poison Cloud Creation". With my control, liquefying the gaseous poison was trivial. Right now, the antidote had already filled five full barrels, with five more on the way. That should more than suffice to cure all the infected.
"Brat, what do you think you're doing?! Who gave you the right to threaten us with martial law?! Despite over a hundred thousand citizens infected, the Serpent doesn't pose that big a threat to warrant putting the city under siege. Your claims and legal references are baseless!" Luo Mian started demanding and pressuring with his authority right from the doorway, but I wasn't in the mood to listen.
"Shut up, you scum! If not for you and your desperate attempts to elevate your position, none of this would have happened! A hundred thousand infected?! That's nothing compared to what you've caused! Don't tell me you three have been cooped up in your offices for years and haven't even noticed what's happening on the streets?!" I unleashed my pressure and directed it at the three opponents of our Tang family faction. It didn't faze them, but at least they'd understand how furious I was. Before negotiating a joint battle, everyone needs to vent their emotions.
"Who are you calling scum, you nobody?! Watch your tongue, or I'll rip it out personally!" Luo Mian flew into a rage immediately, directing his pressure at me, which I also ignored – signaling that if a fight broke out, he couldn't take me down quickly. Also, he completely ignored my obvious hint about the situation in the city right now.
"Mu Bai, no need to escalate. Did a few military White Eagles rebel, intoxicated by the poisonous vapors you reported? With the new influx of infected, plus those not yet brought to the hospital, it's more than likely. Don't get heated; Senator Luo Mian's guilt hasn't been proven. Yet." Zhu Men tried to play the voice of reason in the group, which was rare for him.
Also, he was the only one of the trio who got my hint, albeit in his own way. Even Tan Zhun and Wu Ping Jin, along with Tang Yue standing nearby trying not to draw attention, didn't understand why I'd declared martial law and ordered all the bigwigs dragged to me. But they trusted me and did as asked. Well, at least they're good for that.
"Senator Zhu Men, you're an experienced man – stop the sophistry and wordplay. Ignoring Senator Luo Mian's guilt, let's get to the most important thing right now. First, I've fully completed the antidote and synthesized it. Order your people to distribute it to the sick as soon as possible, prioritizing the most severe cases and those in worst shape." I gestured to the ten fully filled barrels. Bickering aside, I hadn't wasted time.
"That's great news!" Zhu Men's face noticeably brightened, even ignoring my obvious disrespect toward him.
Still, despite his soldierly ways, he's an honest and just man, willing to sacrifice his life to protect the city. In his mind, ordinary people come first, and he was thrilled about the finished antidote – it meant no more suffering from poisoning or gruesome deaths.
"Yeah, agreed on that. But not the other. Second, all the White Eagles in the city have rebelled because the Silver Sky Sovereign is flying in to attack us. And as you all know, this very cautious bird doesn't usually fly without its guard. It's quite possible he brought most of his tribe." I dumped a bucket of cold water on the senator.
"What?! Impossible!" Zhu Men exclaimed in disbelief, while the others were still stunned and Luo Mian darkened sharply. Connecting my reaction when I saw him with my welcoming words, he instantly realized that if I was telling the truth about the Warlord's attack, then some – or a large part – of the blame lay on him.
"I did some research: the infected emit a smell very similar to that of Plague Rats when their life nears its end, when the plague poison concentration in their blood peaks accordingly. And those rats are the White Eagles' favorite treat – as you well know. Before, with a relatively small number of infected, it wasn't an issue, but now, with over a hundred thousand new ones added at once, it's inevitably drawn even the Silver Sky Sovereign's attention. To them, this city looks like a prime, delicious feeding ground they won't pass up. For now, order Li Tian to distribute the antidote emergently – it'll sharply reduce the smell and greatly lower the attackers' aggression and zeal." I described to everyone present what had just happened.
"Will that let us avoid the battle?" After sending his subordinate to carry out the order, Zhu Men asked me his most pressing question, since a massive monster battle always meant casualties that wouldn't help his future achievements or career.
"Of course not. The Silver Sky Sovereign isn't a fool and, not sensing the Serpent's aura that previously protected the city, apparently decided it's either greatly weakened or dead. In short, the Totem Serpent can't protect the city right now, and the fact that it smells like a prime steak to these birds makes rallying volunteers for this campaign even easier for him. After all, it's a rare chance to seize these territories." Frowning, I shook my head.
A heavy silence fell over the table in response to my words.