Chapter 299 Chapter 297 The Ancient Demon
Jima pushed open the warehouse door, and a wave of the smell of blood and pus rushed at her. Fortunately, she was wearing a raven beak mask and could only catch a faint whiff of the stench.
Jenna was tending to a severely ill patient suffering from the Black Death. She turned her head, saw Jima, and smiled, “You’re here? I’m so glad to see you.”
In the dimly lit warehouse, Jenna’s softly glowing egg-shaped face appeared particularly pale. When she smiled, it contrasted sharply with the blood-oozing patient beside her, adding an unsettling atmosphere.
Jima’s smile stiffened, and she asked, “Jenna, how did you know it was me?”
Jenna set down her blood-stained equipment and approached Jima, saying, “Black hair, exuding feminine charm all over—you know, sometimes I really envy you.”
Jima had wanted to give Jenna a hug, but noticing her white outer robe nearly covered in filthy blood and yellow pus, she glanced around and asked, “Is there anything I can help with?”
“I’m short on hands to care for patients.”
At that moment, a patient with a high fever moaned incoherently, “Thirsty… thirsty.”
Jenna immediately turned around. She cleaned her dirty gloves with holy water, poured a cup of clean, softly-glowing water, propped the patient up, and fed him.
However, Jima wasn’t interested in tending to these mortals. With a snap of her fingers, an “illusion” appeared beside her, infused with the power of deceit, giving it a false life.
“My servant can help you,” Jima lied, “I just arrived and need to perform a divination.”
With that, she sat on a small stool, took out a copper basin, and scattered wheat grains into it, which ignited spontaneously.
Meanwhile, Jenna was busy; each patient was like a battlefield, and Jenna moved from one battlefield to another. Jima watched her busy silhouette while the annoying squeaks of rats echoed in the dark.
Strange winds occasionally blew through the warehouse, and every time the wind stirred, the dark space was filled with the sound of bells ringing.
Following the sound, Jima turned to see a copper bell shaking, tied to a collar from a patient’s neck. One half of the bell was covered in green patina, and it was smeared with yellowish dirt.
The sound of the copper bell always reminded one of patients hastily on the move at night, forced to wear copper bells around their necks, being driven from one place to another.
Suddenly, Jima recalled the dark god among the four gods of darkness who presided over life and decay.
Could Jenna be tempted by the Lord of Filth to fall?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, Jima shook her head, feeling that she was overthinking.
Finally, Jenna finished her tasks and approached Jima.
Jima asked, “How is it?”
Jenna shook her head apologetically, glancing at the bell hanging on the wall, involuntarily reflecting on the suggestions from the corpses of the dead patients.
“This disease is called the Black Death, right?”
“Yeah.”
Jima recalled her knowledge from a past life on Earth, her eyes shifting as she said, “Perhaps I know how to prevent and treat it?”
Jenna’s eyes lit up. “Quick, tell me!”
“Sure. But since I just happen to know, can you agree to a few requests of mine?”
“Of course.”
“Have you cleaned up the rats thoroughly?” Jima asked. “Perhaps the Black Death is transmitted via fleas.”
“I’ve certainly cleaned up the rats,” Jenna responded. “All survivors’ residences must not have any filth around them; they must bathe with clean water, and all public baths are closed…”
Jenna’s words felt like a bucket of cold water, dousing Jima’s enthusiasm. She realized that Jenna’s measures were already quite close to modern epidemic prevention requirements.
Reluctantly, she asked, “Haven’t you realized that these viruses might be tiny insects?”
Jenna looked at Jima in confusion.
Finally, she could show off.
Jima smiled slightly, her chest involuntarily puffing out, though compared to Jenna, it was like a small witch in front of a great sorceress.
“Are you talking about germs?” Jenna said. “Most diseases are indeed caused by germs; the Black Death is no exception.”
Now it was Jima’s turn to be surprised. She blurted out, “How do you know this?”
“It’s written in books, and you can see it under a microscope. Plus, don’t forget that I can manipulate light.”
Jima, who lacked any knowledge, suddenly had a new understanding of the medical realm in this world. It wasn’t surprising that there were extraordinary beings who could discover germs and such.
Jima felt embarrassed and didn’t want to speak.
“Jima?” Jenna called.
“Uh-huh?”
“Do you have any preventive measures? I’m begging you.”
Jima spread her hands and said, “You’ve already done everything; no wonder you’re a professional. I underestimated you. I can’t help with anything.”
“Not at all,” Jenna whispered, “There are some things I want to consult you about; they might involve valuable knowledge.”
“Ask away,” Jima said. “We’re good sisters.”
With that, she opened a “Silent Veil Barrier”.
Jenna’s first sentence startled Jima, causing her to stand up from the stool: “Do you know what deity’s ritual it is to ring the copper bell seven times?”
“Did you ring it?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, I thought you should be very familiar with this dark knowledge.”
“Who told you?”
“The corpses of the patients.”
“What?”
“The corpses of the patients spoke for themselves.” Jenna confessed. “I couldn’t save any of them and was seeking help everywhere. The corpses spoke for themselves.”
“Then it’s likely the Lord of Plague, Nagu,” Jima said. “Fortunately, you didn’t agree immediately; seven is the sacred number of Nagu.”
“So it was His deception,” the saint Jenna said. “He even said he would teach me all knowledge related to diseases and help me heal everyone.”
“That might be true; I’ve heard that Nagu is compassionate,” Jima said. “But the side effects can be severe; you might end up with hundreds of diseases, your belly rotting with holes, and your intestines full of wriggling maggots. Of course, in the eyes of Nagu’s followers, these are all blessings, not side effects.”
“Meaning, if I say I only want knowledge related to the Black Death…” The saint Jenna’s words suddenly made Jima’s blood pressure spike: “Then everyone could be saved.”
“Saved my foot! You idiot!” Jima took off her raven mask and scolded. “Who do you think you are? Thinking you can gain advantages from the dark gods and believing you won’t be affected? Eventually, you’ll be covered in pus-filled sores, with maggots crawling in and out of them, losing your hair, and you’ll still feel very happy and content!”
Jenna covered her head, saying, “Stop scolding me, I was just thinking.”
“Thinking isn’t allowed either! I know you, idiot; you always love to take everything upon yourself.” Jima put her hands on her hips. “Remember, if you get sick again, you’re harming me and everyone else.”
“Sorry.”
“Apologies won’t cut it,” Jima pressed, wanting to use the opportunity to establish her authority. “You must swear.”
“Swear?” Jenna said. “Isn’t that unnecessary?”
Jima’s face turned serious: “If you don’t swear, you must have a gambler’s mindset.”
“I swear,” Jenna said. “I will not independently involve myself with Nagu’s dark knowledge.”
With a dark expression, Jima extended her pinky finger. “Pinky swear.”
Jenna pinky-swore with her. “Alright.”
After the pinky swear, Jima’s expression relaxed a bit, and she said, “Now we’re talking. Once we resolve this little issue, you should help me check on the sick, and then the four of us can gather. What do you think?”
“Sounds good.”
As soon as she said this, Jenna suddenly felt something was off.
Looking at Jima’s proud posture, appearing like the main wife.
When did the initiative fall completely into Jima’s hands? She felt like a docile little wife.
It was obviously her who came first.
Jenna involuntarily puffed out her chest, easily suppressing Jima’s bravado, and asked, “What about George? Can he come? I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
“He? He’s undergoing closed treatment and asked me to inform you not to worry,” Jima said. “He can’t come. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you all; everything will be just fine.”
Was it a delusion that her position as the main wife was being challenged? Perhaps Jima just wanted to show off a little.
Jenna habitually thought positively of others and said, “Just in time, I have a plan. We’re going to carry out a military operation—”
“To take down the Nagu cult’s stronghold, right?” Jima interrupted, “You’ve said it before; I remember it well.”
Jenna felt a bit irritated. “Yes, what do you think?”
“Good idea,” Jima said. “Before I made my appearance, I actually infiltrated the dreams of the people of Oli City, gathering information and discovering many secrets…”
As she spoke, Jima glanced toward the darkness where the sound of scurrying rats came from. She continued, “For example…”
The last word was dragged out long by Jima, piquing Jenna’s curiosity.
“Quick, tell me.”
“I won’t say,” Jima suddenly shut her mouth and smiled at Jenna. “I’ll tell you when the time is right.”
“When will the time be right?”
“Well, that depends on my judgment,” Jima said, shutting off the “Silent Veil Barrier”. “In any case, launching a strike against the plague doctors’ stronghold is extremely important. Now that I’m here, we should prompt the army to take action quickly.”
“You know about the plague doctors?”
“Of course,” Jima said. “He’s quite the celebrity in Oli City; everyone says he can cure diseases, and many want to try his skills. It’s just a pity that the witch hunters declared the plague doctor a quack and a heretic, and no one can go see him. They burned several for that. What do you think?”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t know; I’ve heard he can heal people, but I’ve never seen it. What about you?”
“He’s a mysterious figure; even I dare not enter his dreams.”
“Doctor… doctor,” a patient with a blackened face called, coughing violently.
Jenna hurried over to check and could only shake her head, performing last rites for the patient. Watching the patient slowly die, Jenna murmured, “I hope the plague doctor really can cure the Black Death.”
When dawn broke, eight people made it through the night, and some soldiers came to notify the two that a military operation would commence that afternoon.
With Jima’s help, Jenna took the opportunity to rest for a while. When she woke up at noon, Jima shook her awake.
Jenna sprang up from the bed, asking, “What happened? Are the patients in critical condition?”
“Nothing much.” Jima said. “Just someone kicked the bucket; the others are all doing fine.”
“What? Jima said if someone was in critical condition, she would wake me up.”
“There’s something a hundred times more serious than that!” Jima replied. “The soldiers are about to mutiny.”
Jenna couldn’t believe her ears. “Mutiny?”
“Let’s talk as we walk,” Jima said. “We might need to suppress it.”
Jenna’s hands turned cold. For such a long time, she and the soldiers had been working hard to save this city. She remembered many faces; was she really going to use divine magic to kill those familiar faces?
“The situation is like this: a bunch of rosy-cheeked, healthy patients surged into the city, cheering boisterously, saying that the plague doctor has miraculous powers to cure everyone’s illness, stopping the army from departing to eradicate the Nagu cult’s stronghold.”
“So, the plague doctor is a follower of Nagu?”
“Should be,” Jima said. “Many soldiers are slightly ill; they didn’t take action against those healed patients since many of them are from the same city.”
“If he can genuinely cure diseases,” Jenna said, “what god is involved doesn’t really matter, right?”
“That’s a question for the witch hunters and the Sigma priests,” Jima responded. “They declared that anyone using Nagu’s powers to heal is a heretic and must not let the plague doctor save people. Ultimately, this led to bloodshed.”
“God of Dawn, help us.” Jenna said. “The fanatic witch hunters made things worse.”
“The Sigma Church is seeking your assistance,” Jima said. “The commander also wants to consult your opinion on who to trust.”
