"Chen Yang, the patient’s condition has improved somewhat, but how long will it take for a complete recovery?" As he watched the patient gradually recover, the village chief’s worries began to ease.

He approached Chen Yang and asked again about the specific recovery time.

Honestly, Chen Yang himself had no idea how long it would take.

After all, he had never encountered this kind of plague before, so he couldn’t provide a definite timeline for recovery.

"Village chief, this illness is quite strange, I’ve never heard of or seen it before, so I can’t say how long it’ll take for them to recover. I can only say it’ll take a little over a month at most, but if they persist in taking the herbal pouches, they’ll definitely get better." Given the uncertainty, Chen Yang couldn’t speak too definitively and could only provide a rough estimate.

"Alright, I understand." The village chief nodded and went off to resume his duties.

A month is quite long, but in the case of a plague like this, it’s actually quite good.

After all, the fact that the plague can be cured is already quite impressive.

"Chen Yang, isn’t over a month a bit long?" The village chief had left when Wu Kexin suddenly stepped forward and spoke.

She had never seen Chen Yang take over a week to treat someone, this was the first time.

This showed just how troublesome the plague was.

"A month isn’t long, this illness is very complex, causing significant harm to the human body. It must be treated slowly; if we use potent drugs all at once for treatment, big issues will arise." Chen Yang slowly explained.

Wu Kexin didn’t understand much about medicine, but she had absolute trust in Chen Yang, so after hearing what Chen Yang said, she didn’t say much else.

By the time the two finished their tasks, it was already around four or five in the afternoon.

At this point, Wu Kexin left first because she had other matters to attend to in the village.

Chen Yang, however, stayed in Linghe Village.

Now that the patient’s condition had stabilized, it was time to find out where the source of this plague came from.

"Halt, entry is forbidden here."

Given the special situation, the village office of Linghe Village had become the headquarters for the entire operation, with stringent security, even more challenging than entering the village itself.

Even the village chief’s permit was ineffective, and entry was not allowed.

"Not allowed even with a pass? Then you should go report inside and tell Deputy Director Ma that Chen Yang is here." Chen Yang said helplessly.

These people were from the secret bureau. Their presence here indicated that Ma Jiantao and Lisa must be inside.

So if they went in to report, he should be able to enter.

"Hmm? You know our Director Ma?" The guard’s attitude softened noticeably upon hearing Chen Yang’s words.

"Why else?"

"Alright, please wait here briefly, I’ll go and ask inside."

Judging by Chen Yang’s tone, he seemed quite influential, so the guard dared not insist on limiting him and quickly turned around to report at the village office.

After one or two minutes, Ma Jiantao personally came out from the village office.

"Oh, Chen Yang, it’s really you!"

Seeing Chen Yang, Ma Jiantao wore an enthusiastic smile.

"Director Ma, it’s been a while, you seem more vigorous than ever." Chen Yang also smiled.

"When did you start saying such flattering words?" Ma Jiantao laughed heartily and quickly invited Chen Yang to come inside.

Chen Yang was not shy and followed Ma Jiantao into the village office.

After a few simple pleasantries, they got straight to the point and started discussing the plague issue.

For it to be handled by the secret bureau, it was indicative of several serious issues.

However, what Chen Yang hadn’t anticipated was that the situation was even more severe than he imagined.

"This plague is man-made. Based on the current investigation, it’s very likely the work of the Five Poisons Cult." Ma Jiantao spoke with a stern expression.

"Five Poisons Cult?"

Chen Yang was astonished; yet another organization he hadn’t heard of.

"Yes, the Five Poisons Cult. This organization is extremely sinister, always elusive with no definable trajectory, yet every time they act, they resort to despicable means, poisoning innocent civilians. Their methods are extremely cruel." Ma Jiantao gave Chen Yang a brief introduction to the Five Poisons Cult.

"Why would they do this? Poisoning civilians, what benefit does it bring them?" Chen Yang was more puzzled.

Cultivators typically rarely initiate conflicts with ordinary people, as ordinary people pose no obstacles to them.

"We’re not sure, we only know this cult is very mysterious and difficult to grasp." Ma Jiantao replied.

Hearing this, Chen Yang didn’t know what to say for a while.

"What are your plans next?"

After several seconds of silence, Chen Yang asked.

"The next step is naturally to find ways to capture the members of the Five Poisons Cult. They commit such heinous acts, the secret bureau can’t possibly turn a blind eye." Ma Jiantao stated firmly.

"But aren’t you not very familiar with the Five Poisons Cult? Where will you start?" Chen Yang continued to ask.

Ma Jiantao smiled: "Though we don’t know much about the Five Poisons Cult, we do have some archived records of their operating style."

"Judging by their usual ways, they surely won’t stop, and won’t spare the surrounding villages."

"So, you’re planning an ambush?" Chen Yang understood what Ma Jiantao meant.

"Yes, I’ve already arranged for Lisa and Xiao Hu to lead teams to set up in the neighboring villages. If all goes well, we’ll have some results." Ma Jiantao was full of confidence.

No wonder Ma Jiantao was still smiling despite facing such a tricky situation; he had already devised a foolproof plan.