Chapter 767: The Simplest Cicada Extermination in History

After several rounds of arrangements, Dong Rui opened the lid of the crystal box and exposed the cicada queen to the air.

At first, the surroundings were quiet.

Everyone waited in the forest for a quarter of an hour, then another quarter of an hour.

Even He Lingchuan asked whether this would work, but Dong Rui was perfectly confident. “Be patient!”

No sooner had he spoken than three or four aberrant cicadas leaped into the clearing from all directions and rushed straight toward the cicada queen.

Qiu Hu shook the copper staff in his hand, but Dong Rui reminded him, “Leave them. The more bait, the better.”

The cicadas that followed the scent were just like extroverted humans in that they liked a lively party. The more of their own kind gathered, the more excited they became.

The male insects had never seen such a plump, luscious female before. They were instantly bewitched, unable to spare any attention for the abnormalities around them. The scent they released while mating was even more intense, and before long, it attracted still more cicadas.

The Rongshan Sect had arranged a “ground cage array” in this clearing. Its principle was roughly the same as a crab trap. The insects could get in, but they could not get out.

Over the past two months, they had also figured out several methods for capturing insects, and the ground cage array was one of them. Only now, where the array had originally held food, it held the cicada queen.

Within two hours, several hundred cicadas arrived.

After four hours, that number had risen to seven hundred!

The sight of all those meter-long insects swarming everywhere in a dark mass made even the people of Rongshan’s expressions shift. Elder Dao could not help but sigh. “Our sect has stood in the world for more than two hundred years and has seen all manner of storms. Yet today, we nearly stumbled at the hands of cicadas!”

They had spent all day exterminating insects, yet their opponents had still seemed endless.

Human strength had its limits.

If things continued like this, then either the Rongshan Sect or the insects had to die. If they still could not find a reliable method, which one do you think would perish?

These opponents were not even monsters! Over the past two months, the Rongshan Sect had been filled with frustration.

He Lingchuan pointed forward and smiled. “Isn’t there a method to deal with them now?”

They were staying inside an array arranged in advance. To these strange insects, the humans were invisible, and not even their scent leaked out.

Eight hours later, there were a thousand of them trapped in the array.

Seeing that no new insects had appeared for quite some time, and that the ground cage array could not hold any more, Dong Rui finally said in satisfaction, “That’s enough.”

And so everyone acted at once. Divine techniques, arrays, poisons, and all kinds of magical artifacts and tools took turns entering the field to deal with the cicadas.

These cicadas had mating on the brain and actually showed no interest in resisting or saving their lives. Their main approach was to wait helplessly for death. The occasional few that flew up to attack people were swiftly eliminated as well.

Because preparations had been thorough, the extermination took only an hour.

The Rongshan Sect had never exterminated cicadas so simply, safely, and painlessly. Everyone was greatly surprised and delighted, and their gazes toward Dong Rui and He Lingchuan were filled with gratitude.

In truth, using fire would have been fastest, but the cicadas feared the smell of smoke and char. They would voluntarily keep away from burned land and would not approach it again for at least two months.

Dong Rui carefully put the cicada queen away. “Shall we change places and continue?”

Now that there was hope, everyone was beaming. “Yes!”

They quickly reported this successful experiment to Sect Leader Xue. After hearing Elder Dao’s report, he decided to vigorously promote Dong Rui’s successful method.

Of course, Dong Rui was now meeting people only under an alias, calling himself Wei Yishan.

Over the next three days, Dong Rui bred several more cicada queens in succession and had Rongshan disciples take them everywhere to hunt aberrant cicadas.

The aberrant cicadas’ advantage was their fast growth. Their disadvantage was that their desire for mating and reproduction far exceeded ordinary cicadas.

After seven or eight days of this work, the number of adults plummeted. Those newly hatched also met death. The number of aberrant cicadas within Rongshan territory dropped sharply, and good news arrived one after another from the east and south.

After another seven or eight days, many areas were completely cleared.

The general situation was settled. The Rongshan Sect’s complete eradication of the invasive aberrant cicadas was only a matter of time.

At the same time, they also set fire to the scorched forest in the northeast. After all, the trees there had long since been drained dry by the invading aberrant cicadas. It was no pity to burn them with one fire, and the smoke-charred ground could block the aberrant cicadas for several months.

Only by cutting off the cicadas’ path south could the Rongshan Sect enjoy a few months of peace.

Elder Dao also asked Dong Rui, “What about three months from now?”

Three months from now, spring would bring warmth and flowers would bloom. The mountains and forests burned by fire would grow new grass and trees again. By then, the cicadas would come south once more.

Dong Rui’s answer was also simple. “The State of Jū is the source. If the cicada disaster there isn’t eliminated, Rongshan will have no peaceful days.”

Who told the State of Jū to be a neighbor that could not be moved away? No matter how well Rongshan managed its own little patch of land, it would still be dragged down by the poor student next door.

Elder Dao let out a long sigh, then asked, “Then may we invite Mr. Wei to make a trip to the State of Jū?”

Exterminate insects for the State of Jū? Dong Rui shook his head. “Not going.”

“In truth, the State of Jū heard that we have found an effective way to eliminate the disaster and specially came to request help.” Elder Dao’s smile became even warmer. “The aberrant cicadas have eaten countless people in the State of Jū and caused terrible harm. Now the entire state is suffering from them and has no method of saving itself.”

Wherever the aberrant cicadas passed, not a blade of grass survived. Humans and livestock died, farms and forests were destroyed. Once the situation grew worse and worse, what state could endure it?

The Heavenly Palace had already sent envoys to Wan’ge Swamp, so no matter what, Dong Rui was unwilling to go there. He had only just managed to escape Beijia, and he absolutely refused to get involved with its people and affairs again.

He Lingchuan tested the waters. “Hasn’t the State of Jū invited outside help?”

“How could they not? The State of Jū has offered heavy rewards and invited unusual talents from everywhere.” Elder Dao gave a light cough. “The scouts I sent to the State of Jū also brought back one piece of news. Even the Heavenly Palace was alarmed and sent a cloud envoy.”

He Lingchuan was slightly startled. “The Heavenly Palace sent a cloud envoy? Which one?”

Of course, he knew that the envoy from the Heavenly Palace had not gone to Wan’ge Swamp to investigate some cicada disaster at all, but to search for clues related to the Generous Pot. That was precisely why he had asked Li Qingge to deliver the Dragon Punishment Pillar to Wan’ge Swamp.

However, he had not expected the Heavenly Palace actually to dispatch a cloud envoy.

That rank was very high, enough to show how seriously they took the matter.

“His surname is Hé. One of the four deputy cloud envoys, Hé Jing[1],” Elder Dao said. “But this Envoy Hé led people around Wan’ge Swamp several times and apparently found nothing. After that, he left.”

“Oh!” He Lingchuan nodded with great seriousness. Since it had been his false trail in the first place, if Envoy Hé could find clues about the Generous Pot in Wan’ge Swamp, that would be truly strange.

As for the cicada disaster in the State of Jū, Envoy Hé probably had not cared about it at all. In any case, the one being harmed was not Beijia.

Elder Dao looked at He Lingchuan and gave a light cough. “Mr. Wei also said that the State of Jū is the source. If the problem there is not treated, the insect disaster in Rongshan territory cannot be eradicated.”

He emphasized the word “eradicated.”

He Lingchuan knew that this sentence was meant for him. If Rongshan’s insect disaster could not be eradicated, then Qiu Hu would have no choice but to remain in Rongshan and keep his vow.

Elder Dao’s eyes were experienced and sharp. He had long since seen that the other party followed He Lingchuan’s lead. As long as He Lingchuan nodded, this “Mr. Wei” would not truly refuse.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then said seriously, “It isn’t that I’m kicking someone while they’re down. It’s just that there’s something I would like to ask your honored sect to help with.”

Instead of worrying, Elder Dao was delighted. “Of course, what is it?”

1. Has the same translated name as another character, but they're actually different. The other Hé Jing is the third son of Yuan's Imperial Censor. ☜