Chapter 28: The Fluorescent Curse

Faint light from the outside filtered through the cracks in the door and into the church. Compared to the glowing patches on the bodies of the people inside, this light was dim, like a firefly beneath an incandescent bulb. Yet, the moment the iron door creaked open, the glowing people began to hiss. Those in better condition scrambled to their feet to run, while the weak crawled toward the door with hands and feet, a scene as bizarre as it was terrifying—a swarm of zombies chasing the light.

Ji Huaisu, having just entered the church, quickly slammed the iron door shut. As the light vanished, the zombies’ movements ceased instantly. They swayed, collapsed to the ground, and returned to their previous state of dying breath.

"Light-corpses," Ji Huaisu whispered, cursing. "Damn it!"

Chu Hengkong silently noted this unfamiliar term. He walked toward Grandmother Sangjia, but before he could speak, the old woman raised a hand to stop him.

"It is not yet finished. Wait until the medicine is ready."

Seeing that the old woman was trying to brew medicine to save them, he waited quietly, observing the state of the "light-corpses."

This strange disease seemed to be a hybrid of an otherworldly skin condition and ALS. The mental state of the light-corpses was closely tied to the area covered by the glowing patches. Those with smaller patches still had the energy to speak, while those whose patches had spread to half their bodies were mostly unable to articulate, reduced to babbling and groaning. As for those whose entire bodies were eroded by the light, they seemed to have lost the capacity for thought; they were silent and motionless, their vacant eyes chilling to the bone.

A cold shiver crawled up Chu Hengkong’s spine. The more he looked, the more familiar the glowing patches seemed. He had definitely seen something similar recently...

They were very similar in texture to Ji Huaisu’s light shield!

Could they stem from the same ability? Or was it merely a similar power? Chu Hengkong did not ask; this was not the time for deep investigation. Seeing that the white-robed attendants were overwhelmed, the two of them helped carry the medicinal broth. Grandmother Sangjia remained unresponsive, focused solely on her work.

She ground herbs, mushrooms, and animal organs together, dissolving them into tea to make the medicine. This monotonous task continued for nearly an hour before it finally concluded. The medicinal ingredients were exhausted, and while some light-corpses showed improved spirits after taking the medicine, most remained unchanged. The white-robed attendants pressed their palms together, expressing their gratitude to Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu.

"Children of the Current, please come with me," Grandmother Sangjia said, rising with the help of her cane. "Tell me the purpose of your visit."

***

Grandmother Sangjia was a well-known figure in Huilong City. She was the third Grand Shaman of the Spirit Assembly and the founder of this religious organization. Rumor had it that in her youth, she was a down-and-out prostitute who traded her body for meager earnings. One day, she was knocked unconscious by a cruel customer, stuffed into a sack, and dragged to the very edge of the Bize District. That place was a true dead end; the edge of the swamp was the lowest level of the Huilong Water Curtain. Only unwanted relics ended up there, carried away from the city by the current to unknown destinations.

The cruel customers threw her into the current, betting on how many days it would take for her disappearance to be noticed. But after some time, the woman reappeared in the swamp, claiming she had received an epiphany within the current: that spirits existed in all things, and everything could become a deity. The swamp people worshiped this miracle, and the theory of "Animism" spread and developed through their devotion, becoming the malignant tumor known today as the Spirit Assembly.

Chu Hengkong laughed off the story; after all, every gang leader had a legend of "rising from the dead," and it was likely just a story concocted to bolster their reputation. But the philosophy of Animism was genuine, for everyone in the Spirit Assembly believed in their own "deity," acting according to different ideologies. It was hard to find another organization like it: the leader personally went to the front lines to save patients, while the second-in-command watched from the sidelines with cold indifference.

"Sangjia, you are wasting your effort," Adali said bluntly. "Your medicine cannot save those who are dying."

Grandmother Sangjia’s residence was located in the "Harvest Settlement" in the southern Bize District, a small hut decorated with reeds, stones, and animal hides. She lit a pipe stuffed to the brim with a match and exhaled a puff of smoke. The pale green, insect-like mist brushed against the dense wrinkles on her face and merged into her coat, which was woven from black feathers.

"This is fate," the old woman said. "I follow my destiny; they follow their own."

Adali waved his hand, clearly dismissive. He stood up and walked toward the door. "I have matters to attend to, so I won't keep you company. I must ask you to leave as well. I am, after all, a civilized man; I cannot leave a dangerous individual alone with an old woman."

As he spoke, he stared at Ji Huaisu, who clicked her tongue loudly and, after exchanging a look with Chu Hengkong, walked out. The girl hadn't even retorted, leading Chu Hengkong to wonder what kind of great feats she had actually accomplished in the swamp.

After they left, he got straight to the point: "When did this disease begin to spread?"

"It is not a disease; it is a poison," Grandmother Sangjia shook her head. "Thirteen suns and moons ago, poison was mixed into the light of the swamp... The poison erodes a person's fate, turning them into soulless corpses governed by the light..."

About two weeks ago, light propagation, eventually becoming living dead. Chu Hengkong mentally translated the key points and continued his questioning: "Why not seek aid from the City Lord's Mansion?"

"Lord Dragon God can barely protect himself; there is nothing to be done," Grandmother Sangjia tapped her pipe. "There is too much light in the Atrium... Once the poison spreads, there will be nowhere to hide."

The key was the light intensity. The Atrium was also a place of perpetual gloom, but it had much more light than the swamp at the lowest level. If the light poison spread to the Atrium, it could very well lead to a massive plague... From this perspective, Grandmother Sangjia’s decision was not wrong. But the fact that she hadn't informed the Atrium showed a clear lack of trust in the authorities... Perhaps she didn't know about the reconstruction of the Temple of Healing, or she wouldn't have been so resolute...

Chu Hengkong pondered briefly and set the matter aside. The light poison was not something he could handle alone; the treatment could remain a headache for You You and the others. The most pressing matter was saving Ji Qiufeng. He threw out a third question: "Do you know about the gold of the swamp?"

The old woman smiled at this: "Child of the Current, your heart is full of curiosity, but your desire does not lie here."

Chu Hengkong tried to describe it in detail: "It might be a type of medicinal herb..."

"Gold is... the condensation of desire," the old woman’s voice was ethereal and drifting. "Your desire is not in the swamp, but in the past..."

Chu Hengkong massaged his brow; this incoherent conversation was frustrating. He noticed that her mystical tone was somewhat similar to relic identification texts, and he had a sudden thought, shifting his question: "Then, what about the gold sought by the alchemist?"

"Alchemist? Alchemist..." Grandmother Sangjia closed her eyes in contemplation. After a long moment, she took a deep drag of her pipe: "Ah... is it the Venerable Master Jingcang?"

Chu Hengkong nodded immediately, and the old woman squeezed a nostalgic smile through her wrinkles: "A dashing man, like a Buddha in white... I know of him. He once spoke of it. In the swamp, gold shall be birthed—"

Deep within the thick smoke, a gunshot exploded. The whistle drowned out the whispers, and a copper-rusted bullet tore through the wooden wall, aiming straight for the old woman’s forehead!

The bullet stopped beside the old woman’s temple, striking the back of a fist bulging with veins. In that instant, Chu Hengkong, who had been sitting calmly, erupted. With a single punch, he knocked the bullet away, then crashed through the grass hut and rushed outside.

"Ji Huaisu!" he shouted. A golden light illuminated the broken wall as a spherical light shield protected Grandmother Sangjia. With no concerns for the rear, Chu Hengkong sprinted out to chase the lurking gunman. That faint sense of crisis had flared up, as if every needle were pointed at his pupils.

He knew he had found the right path; the enemy was determined not to let him know anything, even going so far as to kill the old woman to silence her!

The bullet had only grazed his knuckles, leaving a bloody streak; he had blocked the shot with tensed muscles and hardened knuckles. It was no longer a water bullet; the copper-rusted metal projectile was filled with unknown crystals, its impact comparable to a modern large-caliber handgun. Had he not evolved into "Skilled Hands," that shot would have been enough to temporarily paralyze his arm.

The "Harvest Settlement" consisted of low wooden houses, so Chu Hengkong leaped onto the rooftops to track the enemy more easily. With a single glance, he spotted the black shadow running through the muddy path. The gunman wore mottled camouflage and was skilled in stealth, but his speed was nowhere near Chu Hengkong's. Chu Hengkong flicked his fingers, firing a water bullet at the gunman’s back. It hit accurately, but the gunman only staggered without falling.

The gunman's camouflage was also a relic; its excellent defensive properties had saved his life. He rolled to the side, dodging the second water bullet that followed. Just as the intelligence suggested, the target’s habitual technique was a staggered pursuit of two projectiles; once dodged, he had no further ranged means. The boots on the gunman’s feet emitted jets of fire, and he accelerated sharply to gain distance, raising the weapon he carried.

It was a deep green flintlock. Bullets needed to be loaded one by one, and the second was now ready. The sights aligned with Chu Hengkong's forehead, the trigger was pulled, and the pellet fired. If he couldn't kill Sangjia, he would change the plan and kill Chu Hengkong instead!

The gunman’s timing was precise; Chu Hengkong had just finished his attack and had no time to recover for defense. Yet he didn't defend. He pulled his extended right hand into a fist, his left arm's tentacle snapped back, and the silver muscles compressed tightly. He used the momentum of pulling his fist back to turn his body, the bullet grazing his hair. Immediately after, the fully charged tentacle lashed out, transforming into a silver spear that tore through the air!

The sudden, deafening blast made the residents jump. The sound of air being pierced swept through the settlement, as if a pile of gunpowder had exploded at once. No one could see the trajectory of the silver spear; in their vision, only white sonic booms expanded in rings. The strike completely destroyed the flintlock and punched through the gunman’s torso.

The gunman fell to his knees and collapsed like a broken doll. Chu Hengkong landed from the roof and shook his numb tentacle.

This time, he showed no mercy; anyone who would shoot at an old woman did not deserve it. He kicked the fallen gunman to flip him over, feeling a flash of surprise upon seeing the enemy's face.

There was no flesh.