Chapter 64: The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus Unveiled, Phantylia's Growing Panic
The conversation with Bailu left March 7th deeply hurt.
And as if things couldn't get worse, opening the stream chat only added salt to her wounds. Though it felt like kicking someone when they were already down, Stelle—ever the supportive sister from the Astral Express Crew—took a moment to comfort her.
"It's okay, March," she said gently.
"You also came from Six Forms Ice, just like her."
"No parents, similar to Bailu's situation…"
"In that case, maybe it wasn't truly hurtful after all."
"Thank you… you're really good at comforting people," March 7th replied, her voice trembling with unshed tears.
Little Gui hovered nearby thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Bailu was busy tending to patients nearby, making only a brief appearance without further plot developments tied to her for now.
Suddenly, an NPC named Dahao approached them.
"Excuse me, young lady, please stay for a moment," Dahao began. "Your timely intervention earlier saved both the citizens of Exalting Sanctum and the Draconic Lady from grave danger."
"The Draconic Lady from the Alchemy Commission—Lady Bailu," he clarified.
March 7th raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That child sounds quite significant based on how you address her."
Dahao didn't dwell on Bailu but quickly shifted topics. "I heard from my friend at the Sky-Faring Commission that the General has invited several guests specifically to address the troubles brewing above Luofu. It seems you must be those individuals."
"If you don't mind, I hope you can spare some time to visit the Realm-Keeping Commission Chancery for a discussion. There's trouble brewing beneath the Exalting Sanctum sky eye that we need to investigate…"
As soon as Dahao finished speaking, a game notification popped up:
[Adventure Quest: Viperous Birds, Enduring Peril - Accepted]
"A side quest?" Little Gui glanced at it skeptically.
"Why are we suddenly getting sidetracked? How am I supposed to attend Kafka's interrogation while dealing with this new mission at the Realm-Keeping Commission Chancery?"
As he spoke, Little Gui prepared to switch the quest tracker back to the main storyline—the Trailblazing mission. But before he could, dazzling gift animations flooded the live stream chat window!
[[Cat Petter 8190] gifted Streamer Little Gui Zi with 5 Listening Storms! Message: [Stream the side quest first!]]
[[Cat Petter 8190] gifted Streamer Little Gui Zi with 5 Super Star Ferries! Message: [Check out the dangers lurking in the Exalting Sanctum!]]
Guinaifen blinked in surprise.
At first, she instinctively thanked her generous viewers. However, she still hesitated. After all, many of her audience members were eager to see the progress of the main storyline and the outcome of Kafka's interrogation.
But then, another wave of gifts poured in!
[[Pit Nut Hunter] gifted Streamer Little Gui Zi 10 Star Path Tickets! Message: [Listen to my buddy Cat Lover!]]
[[Does Bailu's Foot Smell] gifted Streamer Little Gui Zi 15 Exclusive Star Path Tickets! Message: [Do the side quest first, I'm more concerned about what trouble lurks near my doorstep.]]
Seeing this overwhelming support, Guinaifen clapped excitedly.
"Aiya, dear family, we're on the same page!"
"We absolutely have to tackle this side quest first! Public safety comes first!"
"As they say—'Safety over everything!'"
"I'm heading out right away, Little Gui fans!"
Inside the star ferry, March 7th wasn't pleased when she saw Little Gui preparing to head straight for the Realm-Keeping Commission Chancery.
"No, Little Gui! I've been waiting to see the results of Kafka's interrogation!"
"You need some principles! Don't change your stance just because of a few gifts!"
However, her protests were drowned out by a flood of comments in the chat.
Only two sporadic replies appeared:
"No ticket, yet you still dare to complain?"
"Not from around here? Easy for you to act aloof, huh?"
March 7th fired back immediately. "How am I being aloof?! Isn't this all for your beloved General Jingyuan?!"
But this time, no one responded. Fuming, March 7th opened her wallet, ready to top up and argue with the commenters until the bitter end.
"Forget it, March," Dan Heng interjected calmly beside her. "I'm curious too about what hidden dangers lie within Luofu."
"Kafka is merely an unpredictable external threat. In this incident, there seems to be another force within Luofu that's been plotting for quite some time."
Hearing this, Tingyun—who was piloting the star ferry ahead—glanced back at Dan Heng through the rear-view mirror. Could they finally be closing in on the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus? She sighed inwardly. Damn this game—it doesn't even give me a moment's rest.
Outside the vehicle window, the Tree of Foundation remained eerily dormant, showing no signs of growth.
Phantylia, visibly dissatisfied, muttered under her breath, "Pawn of Abundance, you're moving far too slowly!"
Tingyun revved up the star ferry's engines, speeding toward their destination. Old Yang looked up at Tingyun and keenly sensed the acceleration.
"Perhaps Miss Tingyun heard about the danger looming over Luofu and is feeling anxious," he thought to himself.
Meanwhile, in Little Gui's live stream, they had arrived at the Realm-Keeping Commission Chancery as scheduled. Initially, everyone assumed the threat involved hidden Demonic Yin Bodies within the Exalting Sanctum. However, something unexpected happened:
After handing over the item "[Unsent Letter Home]," which they'd found earlier, Dahao—drenched in sweat—summoned General Jing Yuan's chief strategist, Qing Zhu.
Qing Zhu was a prominent figure in Luofu. He explained gravely, "To outsiders, this letter appears to be a joyful update from someone who has recovered from a long-term illness. But upon closer examination, its contents violate the 'Ten Unforgivable Crimes,' constituting grave heresy."
"The title '[Benevolent Medicine King]' would never be uttered by any law-abiding citizen of our alliance. This refers to Xianzhou's archenemy—the Star God of Abundance, now known as the Plague Author of Longevity, Yaoshi."
"The mannerisms displayed here remind me of an organization eradicated from Xianzhou millennia ago…the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus."
With these words, the chat exploded like a boiling pot!
"The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?!"
"Holy crap! This morning, someone asked me if I wanted eternal life. I thought they were crazy and walked away. Now, could that person have been one of their followers?!"
"I've heard of them! They supposedly poison patients under the guise of treatment, conducting unethical experiments on unsuspecting victims!"
"This is terrifying! Are there such anti-social organizations lurking near my home?"
"I'm too scared to go outside now… seriously…"
Reading these frantic comments, Guinaifen exclaimed, "Friends! So you've experienced similar incidents too?"
"We outsiders in Xianzhou must prioritize our safety!"
In the background, Sushang chimed in reassuringly, "Don't worry, Little Gui. For the next few days, I'll stick with you wherever you go—even to the restroom, I'll keep watch!"
Given the sudden revelation, Guinaifen had no choice but to take this side quest seriously. It now directly concerned the safety of Luofu's populace! If only they could uncover the entire Disciples of Sanctus Medicus organization through this mission!
---
Back in the Grand Divination Commission, Fu Xuan watched the unfolding events on the live stream with a serious expression.
Initially, she had planned to accompany the Astral Express Crew to The Shackling Prison. However, witnessing this development caused her plans to shift.
"Currently, most of Luofu's military strength has been deployed to The Shackling Prison, including the General himself rushing over there. If even I leave, wouldn't Luofu become virtually defenseless?"
"Yes, yes, yes! This mission trigger couldn't have come at a better time!"
"The internal threat—undetectable even by this venerable one—the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus."
"This venerable one must uncover where exactly you're hiding!"
Without delay, Fu Xuan used Jing Yuan's command token to mobilize the remaining Cloud Knights within the city. Once the true nature of the "Disciples of Sanctus Medicus" was fully revealed in the unfolding storyline, she would swiftly dispatch forces to suppress them and eliminate these threats once and for all!