Chapter 414: Epidemic and True Fragrance (Two-in-one)

Although it seemed to have issued a "true fragrance" declaration, as a Great Demon with a bottom line, the black goat really did what it said and played a game of staying silent on the spot.

No matter what price Leon offered, it just held its breath and didn't say a word, even closing its eyes, highlighting an attitude of being impervious to oil and salt.

Because he was worried about the situation at the hospital, and because the bandage woman had changed her mind and was willing to act, seeing that he couldn't persuade this troublesome goat, Leon simply ignored it and took the bandage woman toward the hospital.

However, he didn't know what was happening nearby. Although it was already night, he could always meet people rushing on the road.

Most of these passersby wore strange masks like giant crow beaks, gathered in twos and threes, and used two metal stretchers or sliding poles to carry a person lying face down, walking quickly with their heads buried.

The strange thing was that although these people looked very anxious, when they met Leon and the other person at intersections or narrow alleys, they would hurriedly make way and keep raising their hands to signal them to go first, as if they didn't want to have contact with them.

Because he was anxious to confirm his sister's situation, Leon really didn't have the energy to pay attention to these mysterious passersby. He just focused on their soul state, confirmed that there was nothing unusual, and was about to pass through quickly. He didn't expect to be stopped by the bandage woman.

"Wait a minute."

After looking at those weirdos with a serious expression, the bandage woman opened her suitcase, bent down to rummage for a while, took out a mask with a very similar shape, put it on her face, and then muffledly instructed Leon:

"You stand here and don't move. Before I come back, absolutely do not approach them rashly!"

What? Is there a problem with these people?!

Looking at the bandage woman through the lenses of the bird-beak mask, Leon found that this cautious "senior" seemed to be very wary of those weirdos, so he also became vigilant.

After staying in place according to the bandage woman's instructions, he gripped the sheep head in his arms tightly and observed the souls of those weirdos with full concentration, preparing to warn the bandage woman immediately once he discovered an abnormal situation.

But what Leon didn't expect was that those weirdos with strange clothes and sneaky actions, although their soul state was not very "stable" and full of unease and anxiety, didn't seem to have any hostility.

After talking to the bandage woman quickly, those people even took out a new mask and stuffed it into her hand, and pointed toward their side, as if... they wanted him to wear this kind of strange mask too?

Sure enough, after the bandage woman returned, she stuffed the mask into Leon's hand and urged him seriously:

"Something happened, hurry up and put this on!"

Seeing her expression was quite serious, Leon didn't dare to be slow. He hurriedly followed her instructions and put the mask sewn on the black hood over his head. The already dim world in front of him turned black instantly.

Leon then discovered that this leather bird-beak mask was completely closed. The whole body was dark and didn't see half a miscellaneous color. Even the two small lenses at the eyes were specially painted black. Only in the small pupil-shaped ball mirror in the middle could some light from the outside be faintly transmitted.

If it were daytime, it would be fine, but now it was just like wearing a pair of sunglasses. The vision was greatly hindered, and he couldn't even see the road under his feet clearly.

"I can't see..."

"Don't move!"

Before Leon could say his situation, the bandage woman reached out, slapped the bird-beak part of the mask hard, and the mask, which originally had some space from Leon's face, stuck tightly. That small pupil mirror even touched his eyes directly.

Startled, Leon instinctively wanted to close his eyes, but found that his eyelids were propped open by the lenses. A small amount of light yellow cold oil dripped from the corner of the lenses, and in the blink of an eye, his eyeballs were filled.

The patterns on the bandage woman's suitcase, the joints of the floor tiles under his feet, the texture of the buildings on the street—the whole world was forcibly plated with a layer of strange thin yellow...

Wait! I can see things clearly?!

"This is the Night Crow Mask used by the Epidemic Prevention Bureau to prevent plague. Even if you go to a place without street lights at night, you can see the road clearly. Remember not to use your eyes to look outside. You must keep your pupils close to that pupil mirror and learn to use the pupil mirror to observe.

Also, the mask must be worn tightly. Put your mouth and nose in the bird beak to breathe. There are herbs, spices, and special smelling salts inside, which can avoid being infected by most epidemics."

The bandage woman pointed out the method of using the mask while explaining to Leon at a very fast speed:

"I just asked those people from the Epidemic Prevention Bureau. The heavy rain last week caused the sewage river to rise. The dam built by the Road Administration was washed away that day, causing the tributary of the sewage river to connect with the Capital's water intake river.

If it were just like this, it would be fine, but the water company that contracted it, in order to save expenses, did not purify the water according to the prescribed twelve procedures. After pumping the water from the river, they only filtered out debris and sediment and did a rough disinfection to remove the strange smell, then directly poured it into the municipal water pipes.

Those being carried are all people who drank the contaminated water; the main symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe abdominal cramps, followed by dehydration and coma. People who have come into contact with their vomit have also started to show similar symptoms, and about five hundred people have already developed this condition.

Those people from the Epidemic Prevention Bureau suspect that there may be a plague, so they are sending a large number of patients with symptoms to the Red Brick Road Hospital, hoping to control the situation."

Red Brick Road Hospital? Isn't that the one Anna is staying in?

"Are they crazy?"

Not expecting such an outrageous thing, Leon couldn't help but say angrily:

"What about the Central Hospital? What about the Royal First Hospital? If it really doesn't work, Church Street and the hospital of Meisai University are also fine!

Those hospitals have more than a thousand beds, while the Red Brick Road Hospital has only one or two hundred beds in total, and it has always been full. Sometimes people are lying in the aisles. Why do they still send people here?"

"Because of location."

Seeming to have seen similar things many times, the bandage woman said calmly:

"Around the Central Hospital is the rich area, near the Royal First Hospital is the noble area, Church Street is the residence of the priests, and around Meisai University are the future elites of the Kingdom. The Epidemic Prevention Bureau definitely dare not send patients there. The Red Brick Street Hospital in the Old Town is inevitably the first choice.

And the water pipes that had problems on a large scale this time were originally only in the Old Town. The water intake point of the New District Water Company is further upstream and was not polluted by the tributary of the sewage river. Of course, the Old Town's problems are solved by the Old Town itself."

"By what right?!"

"By the fact that the water fees they pay are five times that of the Old Town."

"..."

Money! Money! Money! In the final analysis! It's still damn money!

"Don't think about these."

Seeing Leon's emotions were clearly not right, the bandage woman hurriedly persuaded:

"Even if those hospitals agreed to receive patients, the people in the Old Town wouldn't go. They can't afford the expenses there."

"What about the Road Administration and the water company?"

Leon gritted his teeth upon hearing this:

"The Road Administration's dam collapsed in one rain, and the water company also operated in violation of regulations. According to the Kingdom's laws, shouldn't they bear this time... Damn!"

This time, without waiting for the bandage woman to answer, Leon took the initiative to stop asking, because this question was really too stupid.

Let alone this kind of "natural disaster" caused by heavy rain, even when the waste gas from the alchemical factory built in the residential area leaked, causing Anna to get lung disease, the Road Administration still found reasons not to compensate.

As for the water company that cut corners, after dividends were issued and equipment was sold, they just declared bankruptcy due to poor management.

Even the little property left, I'm afraid it would have to be taken away by upstream and downstream companies and shareholders first as compensation for breach of contract and losses. In the end, what could be left for these victims is afraid not even one in ten thousand!

Damn!

Feeling like there was a piece of charcoal burning in his chest, Leon gritted his teeth and was just about to say something, but his arm was pulled lightly by the bandage woman.

"Let's go! We have blocked the road for long enough. Don't delay their work anymore."

After pointing to those "crow people" at the corner, the bandage woman said softly:

"Their job is to treat patients and avoid large-scale outbreaks of plague. Our job is to clean up the anomalies that appear and avoid the erosion of the ordinary people's world.

If I didn't guess wrong, the out-of-control infected person you discovered is likely related to this matter, and even if it is not related, if these people continue to move forward, they may also encounter danger. So, if you can't stand this kind of thing and sympathize with their encounter, then we should set off now."

"..."

"Mm..."

Taking a deep breath of the pungent spice smell in the bird beak, Leon lowered his head and responded, then followed behind the bandage woman and ran toward the Red Brick Road Hospital.

However, at this moment, the sheep head, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly moved and rubbed against his chest quietly with its sheep horns.

"Hey!"

"Hmm?"

"Shh! Shh! Don't talk!"

Seeing that Leon seemed to want to ask, the black goat hurriedly instructed:

"Just listen to what I say. You don't need to answer when I ask you questions. As long as I look at your soul, I will know whether you agree or disagree!"

"..."

After glancing at the bandage woman's back in front, Leon immediately understood that this black goat, who called itself a demon, wanted to make a deal with him secretly without being discovered by the Cleanup Bureau.

Does this count as a temptation from a demon?

Thinking of this, Leon's expression tightened. He instinctively wanted to report to the bandage woman and let her and the Cleanup Bureau behind her pay attention to this demon who wanted to make trouble. However...

"Rest assured, I won't make any conditions to you, and you don't need to do anything for me."

After glancing at Li Ang's soul, which was shockingly bright yet suppressed by monstrous black flames underneath, the Hearing Hearing Heishanyang, who had just been acting up, said with a smile:

"After finding a suitable target, I will teach you how to guide human evil thoughts and induce them to kill each other, how about it? Are you interested?"

"..."

???

Didn't you just say that even if you were thrown back into the sheep pen in Wales County, you wouldn't teach me anything again?

"Just now was just now, now is now."

After noticing the doubt in Leon's soul, the black goat grinned and said shamelessly:

"Just tell me if you want to learn!"

Leon couldn't help but frown tightly upon hearing this.

Of course I want to learn. After all, without paying any price, why not agree? But... can a demon be so kind?

Kindness is impossible. It is impossible in this life. When a demon doesn't talk about deals, but instead wants to help you unusually generously...

Hehe, that can only prove that it wants more!

Looking at Leon, who was clearly full of precautions but didn't report himself to Ai Ma (bandage woman), the black goat couldn't help but show a look of satisfaction in its eyes.

Its judgment was indeed accurate!

Although this kid is barely a "good person" and his moral sense is even stronger than ordinary people, perhaps he is too naive, or perhaps this world is too dark, making him accumulate a lot of incredible things in his heart. This kind of person is simply born to fall into the abyss.

Rubbing against Leon's chest while he was running, enduring the moral sense and kindness that the demon hated, and taking a deep breath of the boundless rage hidden in the light, and the extreme madness that wished to destroy everything and then tear it down and restart, the black goat couldn't help but close its eyes with great intoxication.

Holding a sharp blade, the killing intent arises on its own.

Now you can barely endure it, just because you are still weak. After obtaining enough powerful strength, are you still willing to let anger burn your soul wantonly like now?

Come on, kid! I will definitely help you well! Help you deal with those annoying garbage, help you harvest those sinful souls, and even help you realize that absurd vision in your heart.

However, after you think you have completed your ideal and are sinking into happiness with satisfaction, if you find that everything is returning to its original state, and the background color of the world is still the same, or even more unbearable...

The abyss welcomes your joining.

"Cough, cough... can you help me ask?"

Looking through the glass door of the intensive care ward at the aisle where many people were lying, the girl on the hospital bed couldn't help but pull the sleeve of the nurse beside her and asked worriedly:

"Has my brother returned? Also, did something happen outside? Why are there so many people lying in the corridor?"

"This... it would be better not to go out, right?"

Looking at the more and more patients outside, who were almost piling up to the door of the intensive care ward, the young and pretty nurse said with some fear:

"To have so many patients come at once, either there is a large-scale poisoning, or there is some acute infectious disease. If it is the former, it is still fine, but if it is the latter..."

"If it is the latter, then it is already too late."

Looking outside the ward, seeing a pool of vomit that had already surged to the door, another middle-aged nurse sighed, shook her head, and said:

"Being able to place patients at the door of intensive care proves that our hospital should have reached its limit. If it is really some infectious disease, we won't be able to avoid it even if we stay in intensive care, and we may have already been infected."

"In that case... since it can't be avoided anyway, then why not open the door and let them in?"

Looking at those patients lying on the cold floor tiles and twitching constantly, or even covering their stomachs and wailing, Anna bit her bloodless lips, her expression somewhat unbearable:

"Although there is only one hospital bed here, there is also a row of sofas, and the floor is covered with carpets. No matter what, it is more comfortable than lying on stone bricks... can I?"

"Of course you can!"

After looking at Anna with some surprise, a warmth flashed in the older nurse's eyes. She smiled kindly and said softly:

"This is your ward, as long as you are willing, there is no problem."

After saying that, she greeted the young nurse, whose face was a bit ugly, opened the door of the intensive care ward, and bent down to help a patient nearby to come in. However...

"Eh?"

Looking at the little boy who was clearly very thin but felt as if he had been welded to the ground, the two nurses couldn't help but widen their eyes at the same time.

Although they were both female nurses, working in a hospital often meant they couldn't avoid lifting heavy objects, and their strength was not small.

If it were a strong man, it would be fine if they couldn't lift him, but this was clearly just a child in his early teens. How could... God bless!

Accompanied by the boy's crying because of pain, the two nurses discovered with incomparable horror that their "feeling" just now was not an illusion. This thin little boy was actually really "welded" to the ground!

"This... this..."

Looking at the boy's arm that had already sunk into the floor tiles, the young nurse sat down on the ground with a thud, her lips trembling, just wanting to say something, but saw the middle-aged nurse's expression change drastically. She pulled her up from the floor tiles and dragged her back into the ward extremely roughly.

"Riiiip!" "AH!!!"

The sound of clothes being torn and the woman's scream rang out at the same time. The young nurse clutched her blood-dripping right hand and fell back onto the ward's carpet with a scream.

And the spot where she had just sat down, besides a white remnant of the nurse's uniform, actually left a layer of bloody skin. The size was exactly the same as her palm, clearly just torn off from her palm!

Looking at the patients in the corridor who didn't know when they started to sink into the hospital's floor tiles bit by bit, the older nurse, who had saved her colleague with quick eyes and hands, only felt her legs go soft suddenly. She sat down on the carpet with a thud, murmuring to herself with a face full of horror:

"This... what exactly is going on?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 415 =====