“This epidemic has reached such a state today, and you, as the Governor of Rizhao County, claim no responsibility? Then whose mother should be held accountable?!”

Jiang Wang’s hand itched to grip the Chang Xiang Si around the old man’s throat and demand answers thus.

Yet, he could only restrain himself.

For no other reason than insufficient strength, alas!

No matter how one saw it, the Governor of Rizhao County was still a county lord. Regardless of his strength or status, he was not someone Jiang Wang could currently shake.

He could only, while this old fellow had not yet openly turned against him, seize the moment and speak: “Based on the White Bone Dao’s methods, this plague is likely just the beginning. They will undoubtedly have subsequent moves. If you do not make preparations in advance, the consequences will be unimaginable! It could very well endanger the entire county!”

“Tracing the history of the White Bone Dao, it first appeared in Zhuang Country. I grew up there, I understand them!”

Hearing this, the Governor of Rizhao County’s brows furrowed: “You, as the representative of the Chongxuan family coming to Yang Country, are actually a Zhuang Country person?”

Jiang Wang was momentarily stunned, somewhat failing to grasp the man’s focus: “I am indeed from Zhuang Country. That is why I can more clearly understand the terrifying nature of the White Bone Dao. They…”

But the Governor of Rizhao County immediately stood up, silent, and brushed his sleeves before departing.

It wasn’t until the old man had exited the reception hall without even a single backward glance that Jiang Wang, somewhat astonished, realized he had actually… been discriminated against!

Simply because he originated from a remote, insignificant country, the noble Yang Country County Governor actually disdained to speak further with him.

The top family of Qi Country, Chongxuan Sheng, did not discriminate against him for being a Zhuang Country person. Xu Xiangqian of the world’s Four Great Academies did not discriminate against him for being a Zhuang Country person.

He yearned to ask: you, a person from a vassal state that doesn’t even have its own political standing among the world’s nations, what gives you the right?

He, Jiang Wang, opened his meridians at seventeen, and in just one year, successively crossed the Youmai and Zhoutian realms. By eighteen, he was already in the Tongtian Realm, ready to open the Heaven Gate at any moment.

He was pre-destined for a position in the Divine Ability Inner Mansion, qualified to contend for the title of the strongest in the contemporary Tongtian Realm, having defeated Jiang Wuyong, and the Tongtian Realm’s Chongxuan Sheng…

Such a person as him, would he actually still be discriminated against because of his country of origin?

If this Governor of Rizhao County were an ordinary old man, so be it. But precisely because this man was a county lord, his arrogant mindset and shallow vision were truly jaw-dropping. With such a county governor, it was no wonder the Xi family harbored ambitions.

Even a pig, living under such an old fellow, would likely be unwilling!

Originally, he had wanted to wash his hands of the matter, to quietly observe how the White Bone Dao would sow chaos in the world, and then see how this old fellow would meet his end.

But the White Bone Dao was an evil cult he was destined to eliminate. Allowing it to grow was only increasing the difficulty for himself in the future.

A momentary burst of anger was ill-advised.

Furthermore, while this short-sighted old fogy deserved death, those who would be buried alongside him were countless common folk. What crime had they committed?

Returning to the present, from the Rizhao County government, he could not expect support.

Throughout the entire Yang Country, the region with the most severe epidemic was Rizhao County. And within Rizhao County, the place with the most severe epidemic, besides Jiacheng, was Yuecheng.

The outbreak of the plague in Yuecheng, tracing its roots, also spread from Jiacheng.

The earliest person who contracted the plague was surnamed Li, who opened a stuffed pancake shop in Jiacheng. He returned to Yuecheng once, bringing the plague back, and then went out to the countryside once, bringing the plague to Rong Country.

These circumstances had already been clearly investigated and published by Jing Ye of Yin Guang City in Rong Country, and Jiang Wang was also aware of them.

Old Li Tou was also one of Hu Shaomeng’s dark pawns in Qingyang Town. This point, with the successive deaths of Hu Shaomeng and Old Li Tou, was now known to no one. Naturally, no one could fathom why Old Li Tou would travel everywhere, only to attract Jiang Wang’s pursuit.

Even Jiang Wang himself couldn’t grasp this point, but it didn’t prevent him from listing Yuecheng as his next destination.

He understood one thing very clearly: the White Bone Dao undoubtedly still had people active in Yang Country.

And the location of that person should be where the epidemic was most severe.

So, wherever the epidemic was most severe, he would go.

Wu Yinquan was a jailer in Yuecheng, managing four jailers under him.

This job was actually quite easy.

Any dangers were borne by the constables and city guards who executed arrests.

If there were dangers that couldn’t be borne, they simply wouldn’t be brought into the prison in the first place.

Furthermore, within the entire sphere of influence of Qi Country, there were no organized bandit groups of any kind. Yang Country, of course, was included in this.

So things like prison breaks were as distant as legends.

The government forces were the absolute authority. There were no forces that could contend equally. If one was unlucky enough to stumble into trouble, besides admitting defeat, there were no other options.

Of course, the prison had quite a few perks.

Although locked in cells, there were no truly luxurious figures. But in the hardship of the prison, in order to suffer less, many people were still willing to pay.

But everything had exceptions. There were also those with tough hides and stubborn bones.

Just like the new prisoner, that old man.

He looked like a wealthy scholar.

His crime was not very clear, written as spreading rumors and causing trouble, all sorts of messy things. Perhaps his family had spent money, and the city guards who arrested him arranged a single room.

Of course, the prison had its rules. Whether this arrangement could always be implemented ultimately depended on whether these local toughs agreed.

The city guards’ officers took bribes, shouldn’t the prison jailers take some too?

From Wu Yinquan’s experience, such people with tough bones were mostly like that because they hadn’t truly suffered yet.

After several implicit hints yielded no results, Wu Yinquan gave an instruction and then threw him into the large cell holding serious criminals.

This place had a name in the prison, called the “Di Zi Hao Bao Jian,” a place that prisoners shuddered at the mention of.

Here gathered the most ferocious group of prisoners in the entire prison. Even a tiger going in would have to be tamed into a dog.

As for the “Tian Zi Hao Bao Jian” holding death row prisoners, Wu Yinquan still didn’t dare send people there.

Because people often died there, and this wealthy scholar was registered with the city guards. In case they needed to interrogate him later or something, it would be troublesome if he were killed.

He drank too much the night before and slept until noon the next day.

Wu Yinquan slapped his forehead, thinking it was bad. He wasn’t worried about being late for duty or anything; in the prison, who cared about that? As a jail head, being late or early didn’t matter.

He was worried that if he was late to pick up the man, the wealthy scholar wouldn’t be able to endure the torment and would die in the “Di Zi Hao Bao Jian.”

Not to mention the silver he expected would be gone, if that city guard came back to find him, he would be in for it.

Wu Yinquan almost ran the whole way, rushing to the prison, straight to the “Di Zi Hao Bao Jian.”

Beyond his expectation, the cell inside was completely peaceful.

Those usually ferocious prisoners were all honestly sitting or lying down, either lost in thought or catching lice.

Occasionally, there was chatting, but their voices were lowered, as if afraid of disturbing anyone.

Wu Yinquan poked his head in and looked around.

Sleeping on the second bed on the left side – which was the only relatively cool bed in this large cell facing the vent – who else could it be but that wealthy scholar?