Chapter 142: Chapter 141: Disorder (12)_1
This one really looks like a charlatan no matter how you look at it!
Fu Qian took the key, only to feel an icy chill at his touch.
But no matter what, this time he had already reaped a full harvest.
Being able to catalyze Corroded Dragon’s Breath effortlessly with Pustule Stone showed that he had a very deep understanding of the powers of this world; the Witch’s words still had some credibility.
About the Pustule Stone, or Pus of Man, although the Witch had spoken obscurely just now, there was no shortage of valuable information.
First off, since this substance was the antithesis of the Discolored Ones, it was basically certain that the increasingly severe Discoloration Curse was related to the appearance of this substance.
She also mentioned that he should be careful of being infected, which indirectly indicated that it was contagious, and that even those who were awoken couldn’t be immune.
In addition, she referred to the Discolored as faded, which was quite an interesting term, though its underlying implication was uncertain for the time being.
[Current task completed, objective has been updated]
[Find and eliminate the Pus of Man]
Just at that moment, Fu Qian heard a new prompt in his ear.
Is it completed just like that?
Fu Qian was somewhat surprised for a moment.
He had simply come up with a few conjectures, things that were still unconfirmed, and the task had already updated?
However, this somehow confirmed all of his previous conjectures—the Pus of Man was indeed the source of the intensifying Discoloration Curse.
And judging by the content of the new task, it was highly likely that someone here was already infected.
That was the very reason why the number of the Discolored Ones was growing.
“Time is of the essence, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
Seeing that Fu Qian did not react, the Witch in the corner spoke leisurely and casually drew a circle in the air.
Dots of starlight quickly gathered into a ring, and rapidly expanded to a size that could fit a person through.
“Through here, you can reach the surface directly.”
As expected, this one could leave at any time, and simply preferred to stay!
Fu Qian silently thought.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. May the starlight guide you to the answer.”
With a cryptic comment, the moment Fu Qian stepped into the Star Circle, the Witch’s figure also slowly vanished into the darkness.
…
“Back already?”
The Baroness looked at Fu Qian standing before her, her face filled with surprise and doubt.
This one really had no confidence in me coming back!
Seeing the expression of the Baroness, Fu Qian confirmed his judgment.
She had sent him down earlier basically to act as a disposable pawn, just to bring the information about the appearance of the Pustule Stone to the Witch.
As to whether he’d live or what fate he would meet at the hands of the Witch, she probably had no sure guess.
His mind racing, Fu Qian’s expression remained entirely unaffected, as he looked around with a smile.
All of the group members were present, and the atmosphere was clearly somewhat tense.
It seemed the investigation had yielded little fruit.
“Yes!”
Fu Qian nodded.
“What did she say?”
The Baroness asked nervously, even subconsciously looking behind Fu Qian.
“She’s resting.”
…
“We had a very pleasant conversation, deeply discussing matters such as aesthetics, the prejudices of carbon-based lifeforms, and after that, she got a bit tired so I came back first.”
…
Fu Qian’s reply clearly exceeded the Baroness’s understanding, throwing her into a state of mental short-circuit.
Truth be told, with the information obtained from the Witch, completing the task now seemed straightforward.
He only needed to tell the Baroness about the relationship between the Pus of Man and the Discoloration Curse, then concentrate all efforts on finding those infected with the Pus of Man.
In the face of this crisis, the Baroness would definitely lend her full support and mobilize everyone.
That would be the normal approach, but sadly, Fu Qian couldn’t be considered a normal person in the conventional sense.
Before he left, the Witch’s words were clearly suggestive, and now he was more interested in the key.
“Oh, she also gave me this.”
Fu Qian directly pulled out the Key of Starlight.
“She told me that with this key, I could find a way to solve the Discoloration Curse.”
A way to solve the Discoloration Curse!
The Baroness’s reaction aside, the eyes of the quartet lit up when they heard this, and they turned their gazes toward the item in Fu Qian’s hand.
Unfortunately, after an observation, they all shook their heads in the end.
“I’ve never seen a key of this shape before.”
“This luster and texture, along with the quaint and natural craftsmanship, give it a profound and mysterious feel.”
“I have a premonition that whatever it opens must be an earth-shattering secret.”
…
So profound and mysterious, you brothers have quite the imagination.
Could it be simply because this is something from an underground prison that you’ve never seen this kind of design before?
Listening to everyone’s comments, Fu Qian silently lamented in his heart.
“I remember now, there’s someone who might know!”
In the midst of their worries, the only girl who hadn’t spoken suddenly jumped up.
“The Priest!”
“Not only is he well-informed, but he also guards many things in the church; he’s the most likely person to recognize this.”
“That does make some sense…”
As soon as she spoke, the Baroness’s complexion seemed to become noticeably unnatural.
Fu Qian knew exactly why her expression changed—she had just stolen something from there!
Plus, with his own power greatly increased, standing right in front of them like this, it would be strange if the Priest didn’t suspect anything.
However, faced with her subordinate’s suggestion, it was clearly difficult for the Baroness to refuse.
“When the time comes, just say that the one underground helped me improve.”
Fu Qian found an opportunity, caught up to the Baroness, and whispered beside her.
This was indeed a plan.
The Baroness seemed to be somewhat tempted.
“If things still go south by then, you can just pin it on me.”
“It’s just to avoid unnecessary disputes.”
After thinking for a while, the Baroness still shook her head.
“If we’re exposed, I’ll just admit it honestly; the Priest should understand.”
…
When the group arrived at the church, the Priest was clearly surprised.
“Have you found the target?”
“We found it, but now there’s a new problem.”
The Baroness didn’t dilly-dally; she went straight up, recounted the whole story about the dead nun, and especially emphasized Fu Qian’s contribution.
“In any case, if it wasn’t for Fu Qian’s discovery, we could have been misled; we can now be fairly certain that the nun’s death has another cause.”
So it’s like that!
After the Baroness finished speaking, the Priest murmured to himself.
After a while, he lifted his head and looked at Fu Qian.
“I have to say, you’ve brought us one surprise after another; I have no doubts now about your working ability!”
“Glad to hear it.”
Fu Qian responded without a hint of modesty.
“Additionally, we came to you this time with another matter.”
The Baroness interjected from the side.
“Oh? What’s the matter?”
The Baroness gave a signal, and Fu Qian took out the key and handed it over.
“We’ve received a revelation that this key can open something that contains the method to solve the Discoloration Curse.”
A revelation…
Realizing something, the Priest’s brow furrowed, and then his face changed drastically.
“You’ve been in contact with her? That’s too dangerous!”
“Indeed dangerous, and it’s also thanks to Fu Qian!”
The Baroness pointed to Fu Qian once more.
“She seemed to get along with him better than the rest of us and even took the opportunity to promote him!”