738: 257.
The black-haired, black-eyed Exorcist walking 738: 257.
The black-haired, black-eyed Exorcist walking Lu Li quickly saw the patients infected with the “strange” pandemic as described by the assistant at the Exorcists Association.
They lay on hospital beds receiving treatnt, with plant branches bizarrely growing from their torsos, their flesh seemingly fertile soil that allowed the branches to sprout new green leaves.
The local Exorcist told Lu Li that the infected and the branches were integrated; harming the branches would cause them pain as well.
They had tried to remove the branches, but the wounds would bleed, and the detached branches would wither and die quickly, even if reattached to the stump.
The arrival of Lu Li was noticed by the infected, who simultaneously turned their heads, numbly crawling off the beds, approaching Lu Li like walking corpses.
They felt a soul-comforting aura emanating from Lu Li.
“A voice in my head is telling to stay by his side…” so of the newly infected, whose torsos only bore finger-length budding branches, indicated pointing toward Lu Li said.
“Perhaps there is sothing about you that attracts them,” the Exorcist curiously said.
He didn’t pursue what that was, continuing to educate Lu Li.
“We call this plant disease.
Not only their bodies, their minds beco as dull as plants as well.
The longer the infection, the more severe the issue.”
The Exorcist led Lu Li and Emin deeper in, picking up an oil lamp from a tool cabinet along the way, its dim flickering light leading them to the last bed.
“It might be a bit scary, be ntally prepared,” he reminded Lu Li and Emin before pulling aside the drawn curtain.
“Ah—” Emin exclaid, clinging to Lu Li’s arm, pressing closely against him, her body trembling slightly.
In the glow of the oil lamp, the human form on the bed was almost indistinguishable, with a half-ter-tall banyan tree growing from the chest.
The gnarled and twisted plant roots hung down like tendrils, entwining with other roots erging from beneath the clothes, sprawling horrifically across the entire bed.
“This is the longest-infected patient because we haven’t found a more severe case than this… than her.
As you see, she’s almost completely plantified, incapable of thought and unresponsive to our actions.”
Only the gentle rise and fall of her chest signaled she was still alive.
Lu Li’s humanity also affected her or rather the plant parasitizing her.
The plant roots dangling at the edge of the bed, like an old man’s arms, feebly lifted, reaching toward Lu Li.
Before the extended roots could touch Lu Li, the Exorcist pulled up the curtain, leading them back to the bright, no-longer oppressive window.
Lu Li withdrew his arm from Emin’s embrace, responding to the Exorcist’s expectations: “I’ve never seen such symptoms.”
“But they are drawn to you.”
“For certain reasons, my humanity exceeds that of others.”
“Humanity…” the Exorcist mused over the word; he had heard this term not long ago.
He displayed disappointnt similar to that of the City Lord, but it quickly vanished: “That assistant who ran away said you ca for other matters?
Speaking of which, he didn’t need to run; this pandemic only spreads among locals and requires direct contact.”
Lu Li recounted the events in Luosha Town to the Exorcist.
“Strange believers and missing people…?
That’s a troubleso matter, but among the recently missing, none fit your description.” The Exorcist furrowed his brows deeply.
The Ti of Silence and plant disease were already causing them headaches; another strange believer…
“Perhaps Luo Lei Castle isn’t their target?”
“My assistant followed them here.”
“Where is that assistant now?”
“I don’t know.”
“There you go.” The Exorcist slightly relaxed, hoping things weren’t as dire as Lu Li claid: “Maybe she was just tracking them nearby, not necessarily in the castle.”
That was possible.
But it ant Lu Li temporarily lost track of the lead.
And there were less than two hours until nightfall.
“Do you have paper and pen?” Lu Li asked.
“Of course.”
The Exorcist brought paper and pen.
Lu Li drew Aunt Mary’s symbol with a fountain pen on the paper.
After inquiring about its purpose, the Exorcist told him to hand it directly to the City Lord’s Assistant, who would help Lu Li search.
After leaving the Exorcists Association, the City Lord’s Assistant waiting at the door agreed to help Lu Li search.
“Can we ask around in the tavern?”
Parting ways with the City Lord’s Assistant, Emin suggested, “Perhaps the local Exorcists Association hasn’t discovered the missing person cases.”
After the calamities of night and plant disease descended, the taverns in Luo Lei Castle closed down one after another.
The alcohol had sold out, and the guests could no longer afford the high prices.
But as long as the local residents had needs, taverns wouldn’t disappear completely.
Boreas Tavern was one of the only three remaining taverns in Luo Lei Castle, and the afternoon was the liveliest ti of the day.
“Thinking of the morning incident gives the chills…”
In the corner of the tavern, two drunken patrons were holding cheap malt liquor, conversing.
“Morning?
Didn’t you sleep off a hangover all night?” The other waved dismissively, a disbelieving look.
“All I can think of is that oil lamp almost going out.”
“That was the day before!
Hic… This morning in Tawei Town…
I saw a group of believers…”
“What were you doing there?” The companion remained skeptical.
“I heard they were hiring, excellent pay and not tiring.”
“That kind of job wouldn’t go to us fellas.” The companion shook his head.
“That’s what I thought.
But, you know, I hadn’t sobered up at the ti… hic, just like now—shut up!
Listen to !” His voice rose, drawing the tavern patrons’ and the two newly arrived guests’ attention.
“Okay, I’ll shut up.” The companion said helplessly.
“I went outside to pee, but I couldn’t find the outhouse, so I went to the wall’s base.
Guess what I heard?
I heard two guys in black robes whispering about a major conspiracy!”
“Yes, yes, you don’t have to be so loud.” The companion brushed him off, apologizing for the curious looks cast their way.
If he shouted any more, they might end up on the tavern’s blacklist.
“They’re recruiting believers to draw a Summoning Array on our—hic—our territory.
Luo Lei Castle is just a corner of the array, and those pandemics are part of the summoning process…”
“And then?”
“And then… then I finished peeing and left… Cheers.”
Of course, he was drunk.
The companion lost his last shred of belief, clinking bottle to bottle with him.
“Glug—glug—ahh… But when I went back, I entered the wrong house, found myself in front of a locked room, and I heard many cries from inside.
I thought it must be packed full of cultist sacrifices.”
“And then you went in, rescued them, and destroyed the church?” The companion asked flippantly.
“Of course not… Are you writing a play story?” He scoffed.
“I found the right cabin, but they said I was a brainless drunk, unfit for the job, and kicked out.”
A surprisingly reasonable ending, thought the companion.
But at this mont, a tall man with black hair and eyes, symbolizing reason, and a cloaked girl stood before them.
“I am a Demon Slayer,” the enigmatic man said.
The companion nervously replied, “Uh… my friend was just rambling drunkenly…”
“That’s not important.”
The man placed several hundred Shillings on the round table.
“Tell the story again completely, and the money is yours.”
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