Mu Shaoling listened but did not argue, only asking him, "Since you think it's a contagious disease, why don't you leave? Haven't many people already left this place?"
"Leave? I want to leave, too, but now the authorities won't allow it!" The innkeeper huffed, "Didn't you notice people keeping watch outside the town when you entered? Just you wait, you'll encounter guards when you leave as well. Outsiders like you might be fine, but us locals can't go anywhere. We can only stay here, and if we get infected, we're as good as dead."
Hearing what the innkeeper said, Mu Shaoling recalled that at dusk when they entered the town, there indeed had been two groups of people blocking the town entrance. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention and hadn't realized it was due to this situation.
"With such strange occurrences here, hasn't the government sent any doctors to diagnose the illness?"
