Aftermath

Inside the Library at the Night Watcher Base.

Lu Yuan leaned back in the chair in the corner, feeling a little dizzy. He took advantage of the fact that the outside world didn't need him for the time being, so he could rest for a while.

The Mo Shui was still floating in mid-air, its beady eyes fixed on a pale golden Knowledge Orb, lost in thought.

Just then, the Library door was pushed open.

Hans walked in, his left arm wrapped in bandages, his face somewhat pale.

His gaze swept across the Library, and upon seeing Lu Yuan, he quickly walked over, lowering his voice. "Old Morgan just contacted me via crystal; he has news."

Lu Yuan opened his squinted eyes and sat up straight. "How's things going in the inner city?"

"The Rift has been sealed, the crisis in the inner city has been largely resolved, and the Viscount was indeed problematic but has been brought under control." Hans sat down opposite him. "But there's one more troublesome matter."

"What?"

"All the doctors in the inner city are gone."

Lu Yuan frowned. "What do you mean by 'all gone'?"

"The literal meaning." Hans's expression turned grave. "Old Morgan had someone investigate. Dr. Bulin disappeared three days ago; his Clinic is closed, and his residence is empty. The other doctors registered in the inner city have all vanished as well."

He paused, then added, "The only one still alive died in his own home."

"Contamination?"

"No," Hans shook his head. "He was murdered, swiftly and cleanly. There were only slight signs of resistance at the scene; it was a simple homicide."

Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment.

If those doctors were all members of the Deep Sea Church, the one who was killed probably wouldn't have gone with them.

"So, Dr. Bulin does indeed have a problem," Lu Yuan said calmly.

"Most likely." Hans nodded, frowning. "To be able to withdraw at this critical juncture, and disappear with the other doctors, it would be strange if they weren't from the Deep Sea Church."

Lu Yuan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this, and asked, "Doesn't the church have a vetting mechanism? Weren't these doctors checked?"

"I asked," Hans sighed. "Old Morgan said the church arrived in Grim Port late, and the Archbishop admitted he hadn't expected to investigate those doctors."

"After all, those people have been established in Grim Port for far too long, some even before the church. The nobles and merchants of the inner city all know them; who would have thought..."

Hans didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already quite clear.

The identity of a doctor is indeed too easy to be infiltrated.

They can freely move between different social classes, come into contact with a large number of patients, and even enter noble mansions... As long as they operate for a long enough time, no one will suspect anything.

Moreover, Lu Yuan sighed. If that were really the case, then Grim would probably be truly finished.

"Has anyone investigated the medications prescribed by those doctors and the people they treated?" Lu Yuan voiced his true feelings.

Hans was taken aback, then his expression turned serious. "You mean..."

"If they really are from the Deep Sea Church, the medicines they've handled and the patients they've come into contact with over the years..." Lu Yuan's gaze darkened slightly, "... especially those powerful and influential people, who knows if they've tampered with them?"

Hans's expression changed; he had clearly realized the point he had overlooked.

He didn't answer immediately, but stood up. "I have to tell Old Morgan about this."

"Go ahead," Lu Yuan said somewhat helplessly. "By the way, what else did Old Morgan say?"

"They told me to quickly check on the doctors in the Outer City," Hans continued. "If the ones in the inner city are gone, the ones in the Outer City might not be clean either."

Lu Yuan recalled that he had replaced Laisen, whose death was also related to the Deep Sea Church.

"And one more thing," Hans, walking to the door and then turning back, "Old Morgan said he won't be back tonight; there's too much going on in the inner city."

"What's up?"

"Seal off the city." Hans's tone was somewhat heavy. "During tonight's battle, a large portion of the city's lights were damaged. We need to quickly gather torches to restore the light source."

Lu Yuan understood what he meant.

There is something in the darkness of this world; places without light are eerie territories.

"And those corpses," Hans continued, "The smell of blood will attract some strange things, so we need to burn them as soon as possible. The corpses of the Mutation ones are even more troublesome; if not handled properly, they can cause secondary Contamination..."

He sighed. "It's a complete mess, and Old Morgan says he has to keep an eye on it."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Go quickly, be careful."

Hans responded and left through the door.

After the door closed, the Library fell silent again.

Only Mina's occasional murmurs echoed in the air.

Lu Yuan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the void.

All the doctors have disappeared...

How many spies has the Deep Sea Church planted in Grim Port after operating there for so many years?

Hopefully it will end after tonight...

At the edge of vision, grayish-white text floated silently:

[Grim Port Status: +2,46/50]

Lu Yuan stared at the number, his brows furrowing slightly. Grim Port had truly been infiltrated like a sieve.

But there are still four points missing. What exactly did we forget?

On a hillside more than ten miles north of Grim Port.

The night wind howled, rustling the bushes.

Dr. Bulin stood on a boulder, enveloped in darkness, followed by several figures in gray robes.

His gaze pierced through the night, looking towards the distant Grim Port.

From this angle, the skyline above the inner city can be vaguely seen. The thick Black Qi is slowly dissipating, as if being driven away by some force.

A gray-robed follower approached, his voice tense. "Mr. Bulin... the Black Qi has dissipated, the seal has been successfully sealed."

He paused, then asked cautiously, "We... failed?"

Bulin did not answer immediately.

He gazed quietly into the distance, a slow smile playing on his lips.

"Fail?"

He chuckled softly, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

"No, it worked."

The believers looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

Bulin turned around and took a small bottle from his pocket.

The bottle contained a pale blue liquid that shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

That's a very common medicine in the inner city; almost every doctor prescribes it, and every Pharmacy sells it.

Bulin fiddled with the small bottle in her hand, her gaze fixed on the pale blue liquid.

"Guess what, all these years..."

His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

How many people did we save?

The believers were still puzzled, but they vaguely sensed something from Bulin's tone.

Some people looked on with sudden realization, followed by fervor.

Bulin put the small bottle back into his pocket, his expression calm.

"Our mother will remember the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives tonight."

His voice remained calm, but carried a certain solemnity.

We will make arrangements for their families.

The believers bowed their heads in unison, muttering incantations.

Bulin glanced one last time at Grim Port in the distance, the city silent in the night.

"May Mother..."

He murmured softly, his tone devout and content.

Enjoy your meal.

Turning around, several figures in gray robes disappeared into the depths of the night.

Only the howling wind remained on the hillside.