Chapter 054: Three Sentences Fill the World-weary Villain with Hope (19)
The Special Hospital of the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs is located in the old city area near the outskirts of the city. A brand new white building stands among a group of old houses that are in urgent need of demolition. It is particularly conspicuous whether viewed from a distance or up close.
The old city of Ancheng was almost entirely a den of evil gods, with this one being the only exception. The evil gods here had been purged the year the Rebels established their new nation, and their remains still contributed to the peace and tranquility of the city—yes, the raw materials for the five Sealed Artifacts.
However, the evil gods are dead, and the remaining aura they have been entrenched in here for a long time is difficult to eradicate with the current level of human technology. Seeing that the Spiritual Department has no choice but to seal off this urban area from the outside, and build a building similar to the library inside, and let the staff use the existing equipment to forcibly suppress this dangerous aura to prevent it from escaping.
Because this location is centrally located among the five evil god lairs, with easy access and convenient transportation, it gradually became a strategic location for the wounded to recuperate and for reinforcements from the Spiritual Division. It remains known and respected as the Spiritual Division's Specialized Hospital to this day.
The special hospital is busy every day, and today is no exception.
"Doctor! New casualties have arrived! They have the same symptoms as the previous batch!"
"Quick! Send him to the ward for emergency treatment first, and arrange the surgery in order of priority!"
"yes!"
The hospital was filled with hurried footsteps and similar conversations. The lights in the operating room went on and off, the wards were overcrowded, and many wounded were placed in the corridors, receiving emergency treatment in silence and forbearance in the air mixed with the smell of blood and disinfectant.
Soon, even medical staff began to become scarce.
Ma Changqing, director of the special hospital and front-line battlefield commander, had just finished a battle and was fortunately only slightly injured. After bandaging the wound on his arm, he helped to dispatch personnel and, when necessary, personally gave sedatives and bandaged the wounded.
After spinning like a top for most of the day, the hospital finally stopped receiving new casualties. He inspected each ward, confirming that the conditions of those who could be saved were stable, before limping down the stairs.
"Director." A doctor walked out of the operating room with tired steps and took off his mask. "No one was killed this time, but there are several more seriously injured. Our manpower, medicine reserves, and ward number are all in urgent need. When will the battle in Xingfu Community end? When will the supplies and personnel reinforcements arrive?"
Ma Changqing patted his shoulder, and the two walked downstairs side by side. Ma Changqing said as they walked, "Reinforcements will not arrive for two days. Xingfu Community is the most dangerous of the five evil god lairs. The number of evil gods is not as many as in Masheng Alley, but their strength is the strongest. No matter what, we must hold the front until the reinforcements arrive. If the front line cannot hold out-"
He glanced back and said, "The wounded soldiers also have to go to the battlefield."
The doctor's expression was gloomy: "They will die!"
"In the years since Ancheng was founded, haven't a few people died fighting against the evil gods? Our special hospital alone has distributed nearly a thousand pensions," Ma Changqing said coldly. "In the face of the evil gods, human flesh and blood are tiny and fragile. We've been able to fight them to this day only because of our unyielding will and spirit of sacrifice—other than that, we have nothing."
"Not to mention, the evil god has a bunch of helpers on his side in this battle for Happiness Community." Ma Changqing clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth. "The monster hunters... those bastards who only care about profit! To gain power, they willingly became the evil god's followers and betrayed their own kind! If we don't defeat them before they become a threat, I'm afraid we'll be in even more trouble later."
Thinking of the wounds on several of the wounded that were obviously caused by human weapons, the doctor frowned and remained silent.
Ma Changqing knew that he felt sad. As a doctor, asking him to watch his patients die was no different from having his heart cut out with a knife.
He was about to say a few words of comfort when the communicator in his pocket suddenly rang.
Ma Changqing was using the latest model of a talk-enabled communicator. He glanced at the number flashing on the screen and picked up the call.
"This is a special hospital. I'm the director, Ma Changqing."
"Hello, I'm Correspondent No. 1239 from this department. I'm submitting an admission application on behalf of the library administrator and the local express station clerk. The application has been sent to your intercom. Please read it and respond."
"Got it. I'll take a look when I have time."
Ma Changqing replied as a matter of routine, probably thinking it was another newcomer with unnecessary curiosity about the battlefield. He realized something just a second before ending the call.
Wait! Who did he say submitted the application?
Monthly inspections by Ming Shaotu, the library administrator, and the salesperson at the city’s express delivery station?
Ma Changqing suddenly raised his voice and asked, "This is a joint application submitted by Mr. Ming Shaotu and Mr. Yue Xun."
"Yes. They've requested an admission date for tomorrow. Please check and respond as soon as possible."
Ma Changqing asked him not to hang up the call, hurriedly exited the call page, and clicked on the latest text message.
It was indeed a joint application from those two people, with the signatures of Youfa and Youfei at the bottom. As for the content of the application, it turned out that they wanted to bring the new administrator of the library here for a tour.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered. "How can they recruit people in that damn place called the library? Did they recruit a god of war?"
"Dean?" The doctor was puzzled when he saw his expression changing several times.
Ma Changqing waved his hand to signal him to remain silent and immediately approved the request: "Correspondent No. 1239, may I ask who the new library administrator is? What are his abilities? And why did Mr. Ming Shaotu and Mr. Yuexun bring him to the Special Hospital?"
"Dean Ma, you should witness Mr. Chen Yunli's abilities for yourself tomorrow. What I can tell you is that since Mr. Chen joined the company, he has transformed the library and the city's express delivery station into absolutely safe places."
"...Do you know what you are saying?" Ma Changqing's throat was dry and he felt like he was dreaming.
The doctor next to him also heard what Communicator No. 1239 said and stayed where he was.
…
“Crack—”
The meat slices were poured into the boiling pot, making a clear sound. The oil smoke rolled up into the air like a column of cloud, exploding with a rich smell of fireworks.
There was only one person standing in front of the cooking table. Chen Wenjian was wearing an apron and skillfully stir-frying with a spatula, adding some seasonings from time to time, with the demeanor of a chef.
Chen Yunli opened the doors and windows of the balcony and sat by the bed to pick vegetables. These were the ingredients for the last dish of the night.
"You're quite good at cooking. Have you practiced before?"
"Hmm." Chen Wenjian used the corner of the spatula to scoop a pinch of salt onto the meat and spoke calmly about the past: "My parents both know how to cook. I learned from them when I was at home. Unfortunately, I don't have much talent, so I only learned the basics."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunli paused, carefully studying his expression. After confirming that he hadn't exposed any scars, he felt slightly relieved and replied in a natural manner, "You still call that a lack of talent? I think you could easily apply for the head chef position at the largest restaurant in Ancheng."
"As long as you like it." Chen Wenjian smiled, "I only cook for my family."
After saying this, he paused his spatula, nervously pursing his lips. Seeing that Chen Yunli didn't refute or refuse, he was very happy.
Chen Yunli didn't notice his rapidly fluctuating emotions, and instead focused on selecting vegetables. "I'm going to the Spirit Seer Department's special hospital tomorrow. If I can use my abilities... well... improve the environment there, my status within the Spirit Seer Department should improve. Then, I'll petition the department to help you find the demon hunter who murdered your parents."
“…”
Chen Wenjian's arms froze in the air, and his whole body seemed to turn into a stone statue. He didn't move or speak for a long time, and he seemed to be unaware even of the oil droplets that landed on the back of his hand.
"What's wrong?" Not getting a response, Chen Yunli looked up in confusion and saw his dazed expression.
Awakened by his gaze, Chen Wenjian flipped the meat at the bottom of the pot twice. His messy mood was like a ball of wool, with thin threads of joy and bitterness entangled with each other, difficult to distinguish one from the other, making him unable to tell whether he was feeling more happy or sad at the moment.
Memories of the past came to his mind at the right moment. It had clearly not been long, but when he thought back on them, they had become as yellowed and blackened as old photos. The smiling relatives in the photos had their eyebrows and eyes mottled, and no matter how hard he tried to wipe them off, it was in vain.
"you……"
"The hatred for kinslaying is irreconcilable. I know you haven't forgotten it, and I will remember it for you."
Chen Yunli stood up and walked behind him, reaching out to touch the top of his head, all the way to the end of his hair, with a gentle and soft force, with a hint of soothing meaning.
Chen Wenjian closed his eyes patiently and rubbed his palm twice: "Okay. Thank you."
He seemed to be back in the stinking garbage alley, back in the sewer ditch where he could barely make a living, watching the shelter above his head being forcefully lifted up, revealing the bright daylight.
Chen Yunli saved him again.
After dinner, Chen Wenjian took the initiative to turn back into a cat, curled up in a small ball on Chen Yunli's legs. When he reached out his hand, he tilted his head forward, rubbed his chin against his fingertips, and a purring sound came out of his throat.
Chen Yunli rubbed the soft little ball of fur, feeling satisfied.
"When I got home today, I saw something that might interest you." Chen Wenjian let him pinch and round it, his tail lazily circling his wrist, and he suddenly remembered his discovery during the day.
——The evil god’s roots and source of power.
"Well, go ahead."
Chen Yunli had been lying down, but upon hearing this, he immediately sat up, staring at the little black cat in his arms with burning eyes.
Because of the protection of the supreme divine power, the world in Chen Yunli's eyes is different from that of others, and Chen Wenjian's vision is sometimes exactly the same as that of him, Ming Shaotu and others.
Chen Yunli couldn't tell which side saw the real world, but he understood the principle of listening to both sides to gain a clear understanding.
Chen Wen briefly organized his words and told him what he saw and felt, including the thin lines above each person's head and the black fire pouring out of their brains. All the details were described clearly without omission.
As Chen Yunli listened, the calmness on his face gradually turned into surprise, and finally he was stunned with shock. His brain was filled with too much information, and his thinking was blocked. It took him a while to react.
"You, you mean to say that evil gods are actually creatures born from human desires and evil thoughts?"
Chen Wenjian nodded: "Yes, very accurate summary."
As he said that, he jumped off Chen Yunli's thigh, turned into a human form again, sat under the bed, and rested his head on his arm at Chen Yunli's waist.
No wonder Chen Wenjian was so powerful after becoming a resentful demon in the original timeline. He lived by devouring desires and was already an evil god in another sense. Moreover, because he could devour infinitely, the longer he lived, the stronger he would be. In the end, the evil god, whose essence was the aggregation of human evil thoughts, would become his food and be devoured by him completely.
It turns out that human civilization is actually destroyed by its own hands.
Chen Yunli was stunned for a moment, then suddenly touched and scratched his head: "Then I will also..."
Chen Wenjian rolled up a corner of his clothes and said, "Don't touch it. You don't have that kind of thread on your head."
Hearing this, Chen Yunli first breathed a sigh of relief, then looked strange: "I am also an ordinary person, and I occasionally have bad thoughts. Why don't I have that kind of thread?"
"Hmm..." Chen Wenjian looked up at him, his tone drawn out with deep meaning, "Are you sure you are... an ordinary person?"
Chen Yunli: “…”
Oh, I ate too much just now, and my brain was not getting enough blood, so I forgot that I was a civil servant in the divine world.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
