Plague Doctor
chapter-314

Translator: Lonelytree

Gu Jun turned and saw the scaly erythema turn red as blood. It was spreading at a speed noticeable to the naked eye. Si Kouxian and Uncle Dan frowned. Seeing this, Xie Yiman asked in panic, “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

“It’s good news, the operation has proven to be very effective!” Gu Jun exclaimed confidently. He was not just consoling her. The right side of her face was still swollen but the erythema did not spread. However, on the left side of her face, which had not received the RFL surgery, its infected area had expanded by 1 cm already. This proved that RFL on the trigeminus was effective in controlling the patient’s condition. Ignoring Tian Yi’s purported presence, Gu Jun took in a deep breath and hit the start button, “Yiman, hang in there!”

Instantly Xie Yiman wailed in pain. The agony was more intense than before. Her whole body convulsed involuntarily. Her heart rate and blood pressure rocketed again.

“Surgeon Si, apply the anesthesia when necessary,” Gu Jun told Si Kouxian before turning to shout, “Wu Siyu, come help me!”

“Okay.” Wu Siyu moved to oblige, “You need some mental power support?”

“Yes, I wish to perceive the room in a wider spectrum.” Gu Jun nodded. He did not ask for Deng Ximei’s help because that would throw in an uncountable factor. Ever since Xie Yiman mentioned the existence of the girl in the room, Gu Jun could sense Tian Yi’s flickering existence as well. Perhaps that was because they had once shared a brief conversation. Wu Siyu placed her hand on Gu Jun’s arm to channel her mental power into him. Gu Jun grasped Xie Yiman’s hand to use her as a medium.

There were many people inside the surgical room. Not all of them were from the Spell Department, but all of them had been briefed on the importance of keeping quiet when Gu Jun was in this state. Therefore, the only thing echoing in the room at that moment was Xie Yiman’s horrible shrieks, it sounded like she was being flayed alive. Gu Jun closed her eyes to enter the darkness, to swim into the girl’s mental world.

The images materialized before him. The flaking skin, the scales, and the blurred shadow standing over there. He called out cautiously, “Tian Yi, is it you?” The figure was slightly startled and turned to look at him. The eyes were startlingly human…

“Where are you in person?” Gu Jun asked, he desperately wanted to help this poor girl. “Can you let us help you?” The figure did not speak but turned to attempt to run away.

“Wait a minute!” Gu Jun shouted, “Tian Yi, I know you too are an innocent victim, you’re not responsible for Xie Yiman’s illness, are you?”

“I… I am not…” The figure halted and replied in a barely discernible voice, “I’m just here to observe.”

“Then you…” Gu Jun felt a mental assault. Tian Yi’s voice twisted, it took on a more sinister tone. ‘I’m here to observe Xie Yiman in pain, to see whether she would experience the same pain as I did. I wonder if someone like Xie Yiman would feel pain too. Doctor Gu, there is no fairness in this world, we are born with wildly different gifts, but tragedy is the great leveler… A small fry like myself, someone who is totally dispensable, can have Xie Yiman share the same pain as I do… Isn’t that wonderful? This proves that Xie Yiman is not that special, and neither am I. Our existences are finally equal… The tragedy has validated my existence… Doctor Gu, tragedy is a miracle, it can shatter destiny; death is a truth, it can end all fabrications.’

“Hmm…” Gu Jun’s brain broke. He saw many illusions. He saw Xie Yiman attending the movie premiers; he saw her signing autographs for her adoring fans; he saw her taking pictures for the reporters; then he saw Tian Yi curl up in a rental less than 10 cubic metres, singing on the internet essentially begging for money.

‘Tragedy, tragedy… Have you really understood its virtue? Could you not see the blessing brought upon by this calamity?’ The dark force within Gu Jun roiled. Suddenly something hit him. This ritual, Lydia, and the Son of Misfortune…

Noticing the girl walk away, he calmed himself and then shouted, “Tian Yi! I don’t know what other people are doing but no matter if you are Tian Yi or Xie Yiman, as a doctor, I will do my best to save you. Close your ears to that voice, do not get deluded by it!”

‘Is it really a delusion? Is the blessing of tragedy a delusion…’ That sounded like Tian Yi’s reply. In any case, the girl continued to saunter away until she disappeared into nothingness.

“Ah!” Gu Jun suddenly came to. His body was covered in a layer of cold sweat. The mental exhaustion made his head throb. He turned to look at Deng Ximei. Afterlife Cult’s action, the ritual of the Conqueror Worm, was intended not only to create public havoc, it had a clear target as well. As the reincarnation of Lydia, Deng Ximei was targeted, but Gu Jun realized he was the target as well… Or rather, the Spirit Child within him, the Son of Misfortune was. Could there be a relationship between Lydia and Landon? Did she die of hemoptysis too?

“Ah Jun? Si Yu?” Uncle Dan asked with concern. “Are you alright?” Gu Jun’s face was pale but Wu Siyu did not look any better. She leaned against the wall and sighed, “I’m fine, better check up on him…”

“I’m fine too… How’s the surgery going?” Gu Jun powered on. He returned to aid in the surgery. While he was mentally away, the first session on the left side of her face completed. Xie Yiman survived. Maybe it was the effect of surgery or maybe it was Tian Yi’s departure, the spreading of erythema slowed. When all three sessions were completed, her whole face was swollen like a balloon, her usual beauty gone without a trace. However, the surgery was indeed effective. The spreading of the erythema had slowed down conspicuously.

“It feels like…” Xie Yiman touched her cheeks. Her face should have no sense of touch anymore. “There’s some itchiness left but it’s no longer that obvious…”

Si Kouxian and the other doctors shared a look. Ultimately, it was still Gu Jun who made the decision, “Perform RFL on the nervi facialis.” If they continued to work on the trigeminus, it might lose its motor skills, which would lead to horrible consequences. Hence, they moved onto a different surgical area. The goal of the surgery remained the same, which was to eliminate the sense of itchiness and to stop the spread of the diseased skin.

“Okay…” Tears poured out from Xie Yiman’s eyes. Once the nervi facialis was destroyed, her facial expression muscle would lose its motor skills.

The room bustled with activity. Si Kouxian inserted the electrode from the bottom of her canals auricularis. The electrode passed through the foramen stylomastoidem to reach the nervi facialis. After the depth was confirmed, Gu Jun pressed the start button once more. Xie Yiman screeched like a banshee. Technically she should not feel any pain on her face anymore but there was something exploding in her mind…

The rest could only watch on in silence as a star was brutally wiped out of existence by tragedy.

…