Chapter 105: Chapter 94: Talisman Without Extraordinary Power (2)
"What? Hey, don’t you go making false accusations!" Zhang Hai’s expression changed abruptly as he rushed to deny it. "That talisman has no Extraordinary Power."
"?"
"The water I used for the talisman painting was actually just antibiotics from the hospital," Zhang Hai sighed softly. "Besides, the main ingredient for the talisman water I make after drawing the talisman is just some very thick congee!"
After a slight pause, Zhang Hai looked deeply at Chu Bamboo. "Mr. Zhu, I know you’ve always believed the people in the shantytown live incredibly difficult lives, but this city has never been kind to the poor."
"The people in the shantytown don’t even have houses. Most of them just build a frame with branches and pull a tarp over it to call it a home. That’s why it’s called a shantytown! But even for the lower-class citizens in the city, so what if they have a dilapidated house?"
Zhang Hai seemed to be explaining, yet also mocking. "They get sick all the same, and once they’re sick, they can’t earn money. Without money, they can’t even afford to eat. In the end, they die all the same..."
Chu Bamboo fell into deep thought.
Zhang Hai shook his head. "They actually know! They know why they’re so weak, and they also know I didn’t use any Magic."
"Isn’t it the most obvious thing in the world? I just filled their stomachs and then used antibiotics to see if I could treat any potential illnesses they might have."
"They’re just looking for some spiritual comfort, and that’s why they believe in God! Extraordinary? Is faith won through the Extraordinary real faith?"
Zhang Hai said grimly, "So you see, from start to finish, the healing has been completely normal and scientific... How could that possibly touch upon the taboos of the Captain’s Office?"
Chu Bamboo opened his mouth several times, but ultimately remained silent.
...
Inside the church.
Chu Bamboo quietly watched Zhang Hai kneel before the divine statue in prayer.
’To be honest,’ Chu Bamboo thought, ’if you swapped the statue of God for one of Buddha, this scene wouldn’t feel out of place at all.’
’Wait, do Western Catholics pray by kneeling on the ground like this?’ Chu Bamboo found the whole thing ripe for ridicule.
Suddenly, the main doors burst open, and a group of people rushed inside.
"...Everyone, what is this? Don’t panic! Don’t rush! If you have something to say, please do it one at a time..." Zhang Hai sensed something and immediately turned his head, a brilliant smile on his face.
The group fell to their knees with a THUD, their faces filled with piety.
"We wish only to believe in God!"
"?" Though his face was a mask of confusion, Zhang Hai still replied, "We wish only to believe in God!"
’Huh?’ Chu Bamboo felt that something wasn’t quite right. Then, it hit him. With his vast experience and the intuition he’d forged through countless resets, he knew this feeling of unease meant his subconscious had detected an anomaly. As the realization dawned, his pupils contracted sharply.
"Careful..."
Zhang Hai turned his head, his eyes still filled with confusion.
The next instant, terrifying sparks erupted from the chests of the five or six kneeling worshipers.
’Grenades? Or a bomb?’
Countless thoughts flashed through Chu Bamboo’s mind, but he sensed something was wrong. The flames quickly transformed into light—pure white light!
This was by no means a normal explosion.
Chu Bamboo turned his head in astonishment, only to see Zhang Hai’s face gradually turning cold and numb.
A Light Gauze was gradually spreading, and from his back, pure white wings slowly extended...
This was Chu Bamboo’s last impression.
Because the moment the Light Gauze expanding from Zhang Hai’s body fell upon him, just like in the last ruined timeline—Chu Bamboo completely lost consciousness.
...
「The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains, illuminating the room.」
Chu Bamboo pushed himself up and sat there in a daze for a long time.
’We wish only to believe in God... Was that the All-Powerful again? What kind of method is this...’
’My mind is a mess. Were those people members of the All-Powerful? But as I think about it carefully, I realize I don’t recognize any of them...’
’Because of my past resets, I’ve met All-Powerful believers from several major districts... Since I have no memory of these people whatsoever, the chances of them being actual believers are incredibly slim.’
’Or maybe they were transferred from another city... No, that’s not important! The important thing is the light from that explosion.’
Chu Bamboo got up, walked to his desk, took out a notebook, and began writing with a serious expression. He was drawing:
First came the sparks, which turned into endless light. Then, he drew an expressionless Zhang Hai, with pure white wings sprouting from his back.
’The light from the explosion and the Light Gauze released by Zhang Hai are very similar. It’s even possible they’re fundamentally the same thing! Now, this is very interesting.’
’So, was that light a catalyst? A catalyst to make Zhang Hai lose control?’
’Then, to take the deduction a step further... is this some kind of thing that can affect all members of the God Worship Sect, or is it specifically targeting Zhang Hai? Could it be that some kind of time bomb has been planted inside Zhang Hai, one that can be detonated at any moment?’
One thought after another flashed through Chu Bamboo’s mind, but he had to admit, the problem was now far more serious than he had previously imagined.
Originally, he thought Zhang Hai had been implicated by him for capturing the assassin. But now, Chu Bamboo felt that the mastermind might have been targeting Zhang Hai and the God Worship Sect from the very beginning.
’If the mastermind’s plan had gone smoothly, after the guild’s upper echelons were dead and I was also killed... then the next step would probably have been Zhang Hai...’
’Just imagine, if something happened to Zhang Hai and he went out with a bang right before dying, causing heavy casualties, the God Worship Sect would definitely be completely driven out of Jinghai City... It would even cause waves throughout the Jiangnan Region! Even their main headquarters in the Celestial Capital would feel the heat.’
’The guild, the shantytown, the God Worship Sect, Jinghai City... So, is the mastermind’s goal to disrupt the order of Jinghai City? Are they trying to profit from the chaos? Or...’
Chu Bamboo pondered, then shook his head.
’There’s too little evidence. For now, I should first focus on what that explosive light was... If all members of the God Worship Sect who cultivate the Great Brightness Technique are affected, and even turn into what Zhang Hai became...’
Chu Bamboo shuddered at the thought. That would be a complete and utter disaster!
’No, if it were that serious, it would be impossible... Which means, by deduction, this must be a problem specific to Zhang Hai, right? Or, even if this method can be used against other members of the God Worship Sect besides Zhang Hai, there must be some other fatal limitation that prevents it from being widely used.’
Just think about the scale of the God Worship Sect.
It’s the largest religion in the Dream World!
If something went wrong with them, to put it bluntly, it would shake the very foundations of the nation!
This was far more serious than some guild protest... It could shake the entire nation in minutes.
Chu Bamboo simply couldn’t imagine that if the mastermind really had such a method specifically targeting the God Worship Sect, they would use it in Jinghai City!
Jinghai City was indeed the financial and industrial center of the east, but for a targeted strike like this against the God Worship Sect... shouldn’t the first place they use it be the Celestial Capital, the sect’s main headquarters?
And besides, even if they had to use it in Jinghai City, wouldn’t using it on the Cardinal of the First District be countless times more effective than using it on some guy like Zhang Hai?
This was true in terms of the commotion it would cause, the damage it would inflict upon the God Worship Sect, and the subsequent pressure that could be applied to them!
So, the fact they didn’t use it can only mean one thing: it’s useless against the Cardinal!
