Out of fear of death, Invest Everything into Health-Chapter 286 - 148: Lord Rou

The dawn scatters, the light flows endlessly.

A few sparrows pecked at the earth in the wasteland beside the city gate, seeking some grass roots and insects.

Fan Wubing and the Mountain God passed by, startling the sparrows into flight.

The city gate was not closed.

The two easily entered Sickness City.

Fan Wubing asked, "Has Sickness City always been like this? No defenses."

The Mountain God replied, "There's really no need for defenses. Lord Envoy, you've seen it yourself, Queyu Mountain is full of Great Demons and Demon Cultivators, but as soon as they approach Sickness City, there's nothing at all. Those guys aren't fools. Outside Sickness City, there's a chance of getting sick, but entering Sickness City, it's certain."

"Certain... are you afraid?"

The Mountain God laughed, "This little god has been on Queyu Mountain for three hundred years and fell sick long ago. Besides, following Lord Envoy, it's not too frightening."

"What illness do you have?"

The Mountain God stroked his beard, "Don't laugh at me, Lord Envoy. Before I was sick, I was nearly seven feet tall, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and everyone who saw me would say, 'Like the appearance of an immortal.'" His brow furrowed with melancholy as he sighed, "After my golden body was defiled and I lost incense offerings, I couldn't leave this place, and over time contracted this 'Small Man Disease,' reducing my height to that of a child's, while my appearance remained adult, becoming this shriveled figure."

"I thought you just looked like that."

The Mountain God's face, lit by the dawn, flushed slightly, "Back then, I was no less impressive than Lord Envoy."

Fan Wubing chuckled.

In fact, his current face was fake. It was transformed by the tiger mask.

The tiger mask given by Chengming was truly powerful; when worn, you could change appearance, build, and aura at will, undetectable by anyone below Integration Realm. His current face resembled a youth of eighteen or nineteen, with clear brows and eyes, and rosy lips and cheeks.

Within Sickness City, unlike a city of immortal and mortal union, there was no vitality, resembling an ordinary county town of a small country. But compared to a regular county town, there was an obvious difference: the lack of life's ambience. It was already morning, and in a typical city, breakfast stalls would be set up everywhere, and steam would rise in every street and alley.

But here, there was no such atmosphere.

The area near the city gate had few houses and even fewer people, with only a few scattered passersby. The passersby looked healthy, not appearing sick, and were polite enough to greet them without caring they were outsiders. The Mountain God's 'Small Man Disease' stature surprised them, making them think they saw a monster.

Upon learning that the Mountain God had Small Man Disease, they were quite sympathetic.

After some chatting and indirect probing, Fan Wubing and the Mountain God discovered that these people didn't know anything about so-called "disease"… and in their mouths, this Sickness City even had a proper name called "Rou City."

"Rou City... what a strange name." Fan Wubing looked at the Mountain God, "This doesn't seem like what you said. Didn't you say the people here were all fierce and evil? To me, they look no different from ordinary county people."

The Mountain God was also puzzled, scratching his disproportionately large head, "Something's not right. When I last came, it wasn't like this. Back then, they were indeed fierce and evil, all diseased, with terrifying and nauseating auras."

"When was the last time?"

"Two hundred and nineteen years ago."

Fan Wubing couldn't help but retort, "Two hundred years, and you still dare to claim so. In those small countries, two hundred years are enough to change several dynasties."

The Mountain God gave an embarrassed smile, "Without incense offerings or Divine Power after my golden body was defiled, I dared not come to Sickness City while living in the mountains, constantly fearful."

Fan Wubing understood, "So your biggest use as the Mountain God is to lead the way."

Afraid that Lord Envoy would find him useless and abandon him, the Mountain God quickly said, "I can also keep Lord Envoy company."

Fan Wubing waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it."

After rounding a street corner, they saw four ten-year-old girls playing shuttlecock on the street side. The little ones seemed healthy, well-grown, with cute, spirited faces, wearing new and beautiful clothes, appearing lively and pleasing.

This immediately made Fan Wubing frown.

Logically, Queyu Mountain was already isolated from the world, and Sickness City was even more deeply isolated, with no contact with the outside, resource scarcity should be severe, so how could they have good fabrics to make such colorful and nice clothes?

He glanced at the Mountain God, who shrugged, showing his confusion.

Fan Wubing approached, smiling, "What are you playing?"

The little girls weren't shy at all, all showing energetic smiles, saying in unison, "We're playing hopscotch. Big brother, do you want to play with us? Hopscotch is really fun." They seemed to be meeting an outsider for the first time, their eyes bright and curious, surrounding Fan Wubing with familiarity and affection.

The Mountain God, being too ugly, was predictably ignored. Adults might take pity on him, but children wore their likes and dislikes openly.

"I won't play." Fan Wubing praised, "Your clothes are so pretty. Did your mothers make them?"

"No, Lord Rou gave them to us."

Lord Rou? What on earth is that?

Fan Wubing asked, "What is Lord Rou?"

They laughed, like a group of larks chirping, "Lord Rou is Lord Rou. Lord Rou is the immortal protecting us, whatever we want, Lord Rou can give us."