Plague Doctor

Chapter 252: Old Man with Wilted Face

The inside of the lighthouse was dim. Staring at the bloody statement on the wall, Gu Jun’s hands holding the rifle tightened. He could not tell for sure when this message first entered his life... Was it at Longkan Sea Belt or when he was still a child? To his knowledge, the first conscious memory he had of this message was when he triggered an illusion inside his school’s lab, and found it written on the wall of a dilapidated lab. Then during the hypnosis session of his recruitment process to join Phecda, he wrote down the same bloody message again.

Gu Jun walked carefully forward to take a closer look. It was indeed painted there using bloody phlegm. From the paint’s liquid state, it was clear that the message was recent.

“We’ll go up to take a look.” Gu Jun said grimly. ‘Afterlife Cult, Afterlife Cult... What are you up to this time? Why the need to create so many tragedies? You claim that you know about the foreign civilization’s history... so why insist on bringing the pain and tragedy that befall them into this world? For revenge? Or to summon this Great Old Ones? Or simply because you have lost your mind?’

The footfall landed softly on the stone staircase but the sound of the protective gear brushing against each other was particularly loud in the overall quietness. Gu Jun was the leader as they made their way up the spiral staircase. The staircase had a narrow surface and Gu Jun was reminded of the underground staircase that they had taken under the altar when they were trapped inside the abnormal space with the banyan tree trunk. The further they went, the more sensitive he was to a strange feeling in his mind. It sounded like voices were echoing in his ears...

“Do you guys hear any strange voices?” Gu Jun frowned. It sounded like a group of children singing.

“No.” Peacock answered, the others concurred.

‘An illusion?’ Gu Jun became more alert as they made way to the second floor of the lighthouse. It was equally deserted as the first floor. However the singing became louder, it was a song in the foreign language and it appeared to reverberate inside his heart.

“In the morning, mother died.

“In the afternoon, father died.

“I will die at night.

“Big pestilence, big pestilence.

“Everyone will die among the coughs.”

Listening to the song, a splitting headache assaulted Gu Jun’s mind. Illusions danced before his eyes...

He continued to lead the way to the third floor, it was also deserted, the next stop would be the top floor of the lighthouse. “Be careful...” Gu Jun had a feeling there was someone or something waiting for them there even though the heat sensor as well as the Action Department snipers posted outside the lighthouse confirmed that there was no one else inside the lighthouse.

Gu Jun and his team stormed into the top floor. There was no one around, only a single headlight that was blinking weakly in the middle of the room. Gu Jun stared at the light and suddenly his head was so painful that it felt like the world around him was spinning. An illusion was claiming him...

In the blurriness, he made out that he was still inside the lighthouse. The sky was still dark, the sea raging but there was now an extra figure standing before him. It was an old man with a wilted face, he looked to be in his eighties but his white hair was properly combed and he wore a fitted dark olbo. The old gentleman did not give off a dangerous aura, if anything, he reminded Gu Jun of a respected scholar.

“Child, you have come.” The old man held a fine china cup with tea. “Welcome.”

Gu Jun instantly aimed the rifle at him. “Don’t move!”

“Calm down, child, this is just an illusion.” The old man said, “I can’t see you but I know that you can see me.” Gu Jun tried to shoot at the old man’s calf but nothing happened... He was indeed trapped inside an illusion... The man from Afterlife Cult probably had ‘recorded’ this illusion for him to encounter...

“I am sure you have many questions.” The old man turned to face the dark sea under the black sky and took a light sip of the tea. “Is this pneumonia created by human beings? But why would someone do such a thing? I’ve personally pondered questions like that for years as well.”

“Stop feeding me lies.” Gu Jun hissed angrily, not knowing whether the other party could hear him or not. “This is just yet another mad raving of your cultist teaching.”

“Child, I am not attempting to persuade you.” The old man smiled gently like he predicted Gu Jun’s outburst, which was impressive considering this was a ‘recording’. The old man continued, “I merely wish to provide you with another point of view. Humanity often views plague and epidemic as something bad, even some of us from the old world share the same view, but do you know that humanity as well as this world is created and molded by plague and epidemic?” The old man’s voice was soft and educated like a teacher giving a lecture.

“During the prehistoric time, humanity relied on uncooked meat for survival. However, human beings eventually stopped eating uncooked meat, not because the meat was not delicious but because there were too many fatal parasites inside uncooked meat. You’re a medical student, you probably know more than I do how dangerous those parasites can be. Therefore, the consumption of uncooked meat was slowly abandoned, not because it was inconvenient or the meat not delicious but because it was detrimental towards survival. This was just one small example of how pestilence had shaped our history...”

“So what?” Gu Jun’s breathing was getting heavier, “That is the reason behind your doing? Just who do you think you are?”

“The history of humanity is the history of war and pestilence.” The old man took another sip of his tea before continuing, “Why did the Ancient Chinese civilization start at the northern but not the southern edge of the continent? Because the humidity and dampness of the northern lands were warm beds for parasites and illnesses. The Mongolian brought the disease to Europe and the Black Plague had changed the entire Europe; the European brought the plague to the new world and it almost wiped out the Indian natives with smallpox. Pestilence has been there every step of the way accompanying every big change that has ever occurred to humanity.

“Child, you see, for a world to bring about a big change, it has to be accompanied by hunger, war, death and pestilence, especially pestilence. Every pestilence is nature’s population cleansing, only the strongest will remain and they will inevitably lead humanity to a greater height.” As if he could see the anger on Gu Jun’s face, the old man nodded with a serene smile like how a patient senior would when faced with an impudent junior. “We are creating a new world, that is our goal. I am not saying that we are 100 percent correct, but we are only trying our best to do good by humanity. Yes, there will be collateral damage but that is a necessary evil, no one can escape from the river of history. The fate of the majority is always decided by the arrangement of the few. They have their destiny to fulfil, and death will be it for some of them. Death is an enlightenment, their deaths will be remembered by history.” The old man took another sip of his tea. “Child, certain corruption is so strong that only absolute chaos can end it. The new pestilence will create a new order, the new destruction will bring about a new world.

“And you,” The old man looked at Gu Jun, “Will acquire a respected position in the new world for you are born to be among one of the blessed few.”

“Such twisted facts!” Gu Jun said darkly, “No one has the right to be God, to create so many pains!”

“Alright.” The old man smiled. “This is it until next time. Hopefully we’ll be able to talk in person then.”

The illusion ended. Gu Jun found himself staring at the empty top floor. The weak light flickered and the waves raged...

“Send people in here to get samples and to investigate.” He ordered through the walkie talkie as he rushed down the steps. “Finish everything in an hour and then blow this place up with missiles. Get moving now!”