Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

The wandering samurai, one after another, managed to roughly reconstruct what had happened on the island.

Jiang Bai glanced at them in surprise, "You guys seem to know quite a lot."

"There's nothing we can do. We're just small fry. The war could hit us anytime soon, so we have to pay more attention."

"Besides, what we know isn't exactly a secret. Anyone on the island could see the Shogunate army's withdrawal..."

Ordinary people have their own sorrows; caught in the crossfire of a war between two sides, they can only hide and eke out a living.

Furthermore, we must constantly monitor the actions of both sides to avoid being caught in the crossfire and becoming lost souls in the war.

Regardless of who damages the town's structures, those who are most affected are the people living on the island.

"Hiki Village is located near the giant serpent's remains and was the most affected. Due to the influence of the evil spirit, many people in Hiki Village fell ill, and with the continuous rain, some people went insane, and many died from the disease."

"After learning about the plague in Hisaki Village, we didn't dare go there much. The only time we went was because we were completely out of food and wanted to find something to eat, which is when we witnessed the blood sacrifice..."

The speaker's expression was indescribable; he would forever be haunted by Himukura.

Jiang Bai had a general idea of ​​how things were developing on the island.

Although war is inherently cruel and ruthless, destroying sacred objects and causing the suffering of countless innocent people is still utterly disgusting.

"Were the soldiers stationed on Haizhi Island unaffected?"

"I don't know, but the soldiers on patrol all seem normal to me. I haven't heard of anyone getting the disease or going insane..."

Jiang Bai seemed thoughtful. "Then it seems they must have a way to fight against the evil spirits..."

The evil spirit is a remnant of the demon god after the death of the great serpent Orobas. Since the island of Haigi worships Orobas, it is not surprising that they can fight against this evil spirit.

"Alright, I know most of the information now."

Jiang Bai decided to go to Fei Mu Village. Since the client had appeared there before, going there might help him find out what had happened to him and how he died.

"Since you've told me so much, here you go. You'd better leave this island as soon as possible."

Jiang Bai took out half a bag of rice, placed it on the ground, put on a straw hat and raincoat, and walked out of the cave.

They were all pitiful people living under the shadow of war. Although they did some minor evils, they did nothing that was morally reprehensible, so there is no need to be too harsh on them.

Looking at the bag of rice, the wandering samurai remained silent for a long time, one of them wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye.

Only they themselves know just how difficult life is here.

The rain never stopped, the thunder never ceased, and the evil spirits were everywhere. They hadn't eaten white rice in ages, and the nearby violets, river fish, and all sorts of animals had been almost completely devoured by them.

From Kannazuka to Hachiman Island, it wasn't that they didn't want to leave this dangerous place, but they simply had nowhere else to go.

Jiang Bai crossed the narrow passage between the blades of Wuxiang and soon came to see a village.

From a high vantage point, the village appears small, with scattered and somewhat dilapidated houses. Even though the rain has stopped, very few people venture out.

Taking advantage of a break in the rain, Jiang Bai ate a simple meal of dry rations and headed towards Fei Mu Village.

Although the village looks quite devastated from a distance, once you enter, you can feel an even stronger sense of desolation.

Jiang Bai pushed open a nearby, slightly ajar wooden door. The musty smell of the house filled his nostrils, and the putrid odor made him hold his breath.

The room contained only an empty wooden bed and table, and because the house leaked, there was even a puddle of water on the floor.

It's obvious that no one has lived here for a very long time.

Jiang Bai inspected each room one by one, and most of the rooms were like this: moldy, rotten, and without any trace of human habitation.

Jiang Bai arrived in the southern part of the village, near the better-built houses.

Hearing footsteps, a man with a weak complexion came out of the house.

Looking at Jiang Bai, he seemed puzzled. "It's been a long time since any outsiders have come to Feimu Village. Who are you?"

"Hello, my name is Jiang Bai. I'm here to see a friend of mine named Wen Bing."

"Wen Bing..." Upon hearing this name, the person was momentarily stunned, and it took a long time to remember.

He sighed, opened the door, and invited Jiang Bai inside. "My name is Baoben, and I'm the village doctor. Please come in and sit down."

Jiang Bai looked at him with some concern, "Are you alright?"

The doctor, who was only concerned with saving money, was pale, his lips were bloodless, and he was so thin that a gust of wind could blow him away.

"I know my own body best." Bao Ben shook his head, walked into the house, pulled out a chair, and poured Jiang Bai a glass of water.

"There's a shortage of food in the village, so we have nothing to offer you but water."

Jiang Bai walked into the house. This house was slightly better than the ones he had seen before. Because someone lived there, it didn't have that smell of rotting wood.

He held the cup, but didn't drink it.

"I am the one who should apologize for my unauthorized visit. Mr. Baoben, you don't need to entertain me."

Bao Ben shook his head, poured himself a glass of water and drank it down. "You are Wen Bing's friend, so you are also my friend. We should still treat you with hospitality."

Chapter 443 Kill Everyone

"You know Wen Bing?"

"Hmm." Bao Ben sighed, his expression quite complicated.

"He lived in the village for a period of time..."

He had taken good care of this Liyue native who was far from home and unfamiliar with the place, but now there were hardly any people left in the village.

"And what about him now?"

Jiang Bai did not reveal that he knew Wen Bing was dead.

Blood sacrifices have happened in this village before; perhaps Wenbing died in one.

Before finding the remains and taking them back for burial, we still need to find out exactly how the client died and what exactly happened here.

Bao Ben stared at the teacup in his hand, remaining silent for a long while before finally saying, "He left the village on a rainy day about a month and a half ago. I went out to look for him, but I couldn't find him. At that time, he was very ill and already very weak..."

He didn't say it directly, but anyone could guess Wenbing's fate.

Jiang Bai also fell silent. He lowered his eyes, trying to feign the complex emotions of sadness, doubt, disbelief, and other feelings that came with knowing his friend was in trouble.

“A month and a half, that’s been so long…” he murmured. “How could this be… He was perfectly healthy, how could he have gotten sick…”

He suddenly grabbed Baoben's wrist and squeezed it tightly.

"Tell me what happened! He was originally on vacation on Narukami Island, how did he suddenly come to Hishigaki Village! And why is he sick! Did you do something to him!"

He gasped in shock.

He was in a lot of pain from Jiang Bai's grip, but he didn't blame anyone. He understood the feelings of his family and friends.

He had seen off countless people, but this was the first person to come to Hishimura looking for someone in all this time.

Bao Ben gently patted Jiang Bai's hand, signaling him to relax.

"I don't know why he left Narugami Island. He came here around the time of the Futabasa explosion. Because of the war between Umijima and the Shogunate, the Futabasa factory was shut down due to the explosion, and the Jakotsu mine was also sealed off. The village took in many workers who had nowhere else to go, and he moved into the village around that time..."

Jiang Bai released his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on his face.

How long did he stay?

"I stayed there for over a month..."

"and after?"

"And then..." Bao Ben sighed heavily, looking out the window at the giant snake skeleton not far away.

"Later, the evil spirits broke out, and the villagers gradually contracted the plague. As a doctor, I was helpless against it..."

"I sensed the evil spirits along the way. Aren't these evil spirits supposed to be suppressed by talismans? How did they erupt like this? Doesn't the shogunate care?"

"Hehe..." Baoben revealed a mocking smile when this was mentioned.

"They'll manage it! Of course they'll manage it!"

His voice was hoarse, filled with naked hatred and sarcasm.

"Do you know why we haven't seen many people in the village along the way? That's because of their management!"

Jiang Bai was stunned.

Judging from this tone of guaranteeing profits, the shogunate probably didn't do anything good.

Bao Ben said bitterly, "I don't know which side destroyed the protective charm, but they're definitely involved! The Shogunate army and Haiji Island are no good either!"

Regardless of the cause of the war, those most affected by it are always ordinary people like them.

Perhaps because it was rare for them to see other living people, Bao Ben unusually felt the urge to confide in this stranger who had come looking for him.

"They handed out a lot of flyers trying to get us to join. Haha, the flyers were full of fancy words, but it was all just empty talk!"

Jiang Bai didn't know what to say. He was just a newcomer who didn't know the whole picture and couldn't make an evaluation.

"I saw the military camp on Haizhi Island. Don't they know what's happening here?"

"Of course we know! The shogunate at least did something about what happened in the village, but Umijima completely ignored us! Both sides wish we were all dead!"

Between the two, he disliked Haiji Island more.

Regardless of who destroyed the protective object, the village took immediate action after it was destroyed, building numerous shrines on the island in an attempt to appease the evil spirits.

Although it didn't have much effect, it still gave many people the motivation to keep living, as a form of comfort.

But the guys on Haigi Island, while staying on the island, were completely unaffected by any evil spirits.

They clearly had a way to ward off the evil spirits; if they had just helped, the village wouldn't be in this state now...

But they stood by and watched as the villagers succumbed to the plague, gradually went mad, and so many things happened...

He even had a dark thought: could the town-suppressing object have been destroyed by Haizhi Island in order to kill them and completely occupy Bayun Island?

Haiji Island may have many reasons for not taking action, but whatever the reason, it doesn't matter for preserving capital.

All he knew was that the Haiqi Island army was stationed on Bayun Island, but they had never offered any help to those suffering from the torment of the evil spirits!

Jiang Bai looked at the bloodshot eyes and red light in Bao Ben's eyes and sighed inwardly.

The doctor in front of me was clearly also affected by the evil spirits, and his mental state was worrying.

Bao Ben took a sip of water, paused for a moment, and continued:

"After the protective barrier was destroyed, the weather on the island became abnormal. The crops rotted in the fields, and the trees stopped producing melons. We had no choice but to buy food from pirates to barely sustain the villagers... Although it was difficult, at least we survived..."

"Later, the influence of the evil spirits grew stronger, and an epidemic broke out in the village. Neither my teacher nor I could treat it, so we could only use violet juice as a placebo..."

"Later, the shogunate finally realized the seriousness of the situation and sent a team to handle it..."

Speaking of this, Bao Ben gritted his teeth and clenched his fists unconsciously.

Do you know how they handled it?

"How was it handled?"

Jiang Bai had some guesses in his mind, but he still followed up with the question.

The person in front of me is on the verge of madness. If he can vent his emotions, he might feel a little better.

"They chose to kill all the infected people!! Kill everyone, and the problem will be solved!"

"this......"

Jiang Bai could only say, "As expected."

The shogunate's choice was cruel, yet realistic.

The shogunate is currently at war with Umijima Island; how much energy can it spare to help them?

Should a doctor be sent to treat him?

If treatment is needed, where will the medicine come from? Who will pay for it? Doctors are already a scarce resource; what if the doctor also gets sick?

Move them away?

Where can it be moved to?

Narukami Island?

How can we ensure that Haizhi Island won't launch a sneak attack during the relocation? Where will they stay after the relocation?

What if someone gets infected after the transfer?