Chapter 553 Disaster
Chapter 553 Disaster
Seeing that Kossie Hoy had started the conversation, Chloe's expression also became slightly more serious. She took a deep breath and looked meaningfully out the window:
"On the way, I saw many dead crows."
Kexi also stopped smiling and said:
"Is it because the aurora borealis will erode the Lanqiao Bridge?"
As expected, intelligence work is a crucial task for ambassadors abroad, and he indeed knew everything. Chloe wasn't too surprised and nodded.
"I think the Aurora Society is about to achieve its goal. Now, six out of ten people truly believe in the real Creator."
Cauchy shook his head:
"It's not that easy—"
He wanted to say something more, but then stopped and swallowed the rest of his words.
"Actually, it's quite easy—" Kesi looked out the window and saw that people were already organizing the cleanup of the dead crows that had fallen to the ground, but few people had taken any precautions. "Especially after this disaster—this time, the theme of the disaster is disease, no longer just a threat, not deadly, and actually dispensable, as before."
,disease--
Chloe then remembered that she had entered his residence through streets teeming with disease. So, she quickly looked up and said something unrelated:
"I will bring medicine to prevent disease in a few days, so don't worry about getting sick because of this disaster."
Kossie Hoy waved his hand:
"Don't worry, the consulate area of Lanqiao has brought together many people who would otherwise never have met. I have a good relationship with a missionary from the Eternal Sun Church, so I can have him cure the disease."
"However, it's difficult for ordinary people in Lanqiao."
"The Grim Reaper they worship, the Nash they worship, has no means to cure diseases. Those few capable bishops may take this opportunity to preach, but they simply cannot cover the millions of people in Lanqiao."
"The norm is that no one can find a healer, so all of this will lead to one result—they may actually be overwhelmed by the fear brought about by the true creator."
"My goal is precisely to resolve all of this," Chloe said firmly.
"You? Do you know who your enemy is?" Kesi looked Chloe up and down, his eyes full of distrust. "Do you know what the first three calamities that the true Creator proclaimed and orchestrated were?"
"I--"
Before Chloe could speak, Kossie Hoy started counting on his fingers:
"The first disaster was categorized as the Blood Flood, which happened two months ago. The city's water supply suddenly took on a putrid smell, accompanied by a large number of dead fish. The rotting flesh and blood that floated down the river were the poison released by the Aurora Society. Nash keenly noticed this and issued a ban, so fresh water became unusable. The city's water supply collapsed, and people even fought each other over the last bit of fresh water. Who could imagine that in a coastal city, an ordinary family could only get enough fresh water for themselves after a day's work?"
Chloe imagined the scene of directly polluting the water source and was not surprised that the Aurora Club would go to such lengths; she only saw the fragility of Lanqiao's urban operations.
It sounds like this "blood flood" lasted for a week or two. Chloe believed that Nash's personal guard would soon find the source of the pollution—the force capable of suppressing a city must be extraordinary. But the fact that such a disaster still lasted for so long could only mean that the rulers of Lanqiao had too much faith in this "baojia system" and left their people to fend for themselves.
Ultimately, it was the Nash family's inaction that caused this. When I take power, I must eliminate this deep-seated problem. Chloe pondered for a while and secretly kept this matter in mind.
However, this level of effort is not enough to dissuade Chloe from leaving.
Seeing that Chloe remained unmoved, Cauchy continued:
"The second calamity proclaimed by the divine messenger was an earthquake—ha, although for the entire city, the destructive power was far less than the first one. It only caused some houses to crack, and some unlucky people to be hit by falling buildings or buried by collapsed buildings. The damage was all one-time."
"But for Extraordinary Individuals who want to resolve the Aurora Society's troubles, they are even more intimidated than ordinary people. Sister Lord, if I'm not mistaken, you are an Extraordinary Individual, aren't you?"
Chloe nodded, tacitly acknowledging his speculation.
Cauchy understood:
"I knew that when I saw the 'Sword of Judgment' you held, I felt as if I were seeing the Clock Tower of Order in Backlund. This must be the result of practicing order over time, and it is definitely not something that nobles who are hypocritical and only treat oaths as a performance can compare to the ornaments in their homes."
"You must be an extremely powerful extraordinary being, so please imagine how much energy it would take to be able to artificially control an earthquake and make an entire city tremble."
"There is clearly divine power behind this. In other words, there is a Level 1 sealed artifact, and it is even possible that a true saint or demigod is hidden behind it."
"So please think carefully before you decide to jump out and confront them."
Chloe nodded.
These were all things she could have guessed.
To truly control a city, such a grand undertaking, might even require the personal attention of the actual creator.
It would be highly unlikely if there were no demigods involved.
She simply nodded:
"What about the third calamity?"
Kossie Hoy sighed, knowing he hadn't been able to dissuade Chloe:
"The third disaster was like an extension of the earthquake, but it was enough to deter—the earth fire, that is, the magma, spewed down from the top of the 'Hill of the Guardians' after the earthquake, flooding several streets, just as the sacred place where the people of Lanqiao in those eras placed their longing was originally an active volcano."
"Lava also emerged from the cracks caused by the earthquake. These are things that would never happen under normal circumstances. Although the damage caused was even smaller than that of the earthquake, it was still classified as the third disaster. The aurora borealis proved to the ordinary people of Lanqiao that miracles can really happen to them."
"Okay—" Chloe nodded. "I understand—but if we're going to do it, let's see it through to the end."
Kossi Hoy is likely an extraordinary individual on the "Judgment" path. He possesses a keen perception of the changes occurring in the "Sword of Judgment," something Chloe cannot do.
But as he said, the sword of first judgment was elevated because Chloe upheld her own order and justice, so she shouldn't stop before the difficulties.
Aurora has a demigod as his backer, but Chloe doesn't?
When you need help, you should seek it out. Going it alone is Chloe's style, not her principle.
Chloe chuckled softly:
"Then please do me a favor—introduce me to Lord Nash? We can easily reach a consensus when facing the same enemy."
Kossie Hoy shrugged:
"This isn't difficult at all; we can even set off right now—"
Chloe gave a thumbs-up, impatiently interrupting Mr. Cauchy's speech:
"That would be wonderful. Before we set off, I'll ask one last question:"
"What do you know about the Nash family, especially the extraordinary abilities of the highest-ranking ruler?"
Cauchy looked at Chloe with a puzzled expression and said:
"According to reliable sources, the Nash family primarily operates through the 'corpse collector' route—"
"That's enough." Chloe stood up and made a move to leave. "Mr. Cauchy, let's go."
Stopped
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Chapter 554 The Dilemma of Lanqiao
Chapter 554 The Dilemma of Lanqiao
Even as an envoy of a nation, it was not easy for Cauchy to meet the ruler of Lanbridge with Chloe.
The sun had long since set below the horizon, and it was nearly nighttime, but pale flames still burned in the castle in the center of the cemetery. Elegantly dressed figures carrying swords and rifles hurried in and out of the various rooms, creating a noisy commotion.
Those were the Nash family's personal guards, the cornerstone of maintaining order in the city—judging from their expressions, they had clearly encountered some serious crisis.
Chloe thought that the effects of the epidemic had probably already begun to spread.
Finally, it was Cauchy's turn to bring Chloe to meet the ruler, Nash.
"Mr. Cauchy, I remember that among these envoys, you were relatively indifferent to fame and fortune, and rarely took the initiative to come to me. I used to attribute this to the coldness and arrogance of the Rune people, but it seems that when there is real trouble, you still do not avoid meeting me."
He was a typical man from the Southern Continent, with bronze skin and dark pupils. He was adorned with numerous gold ornaments, but Chloe noticed a mask at first glance.
In Morola, when Chloe decides to break free from Medici's control by using another source of power from the underground mausoleum, "Godfather" Thierry gives him a mask that resembles a standard one, seemingly of the same origin and strongly connected to the underworld and the "corpse collector" pathway.
Leok Nash propped his head up with the hand holding the pen. His words to Kossie Hoy were utterly sarcastic, but in the dead of night, there was an inexplicable weariness in his eyes, making it seem as if he was just being stubborn.
"It's me looking for you." Chloe calmly took a step forward. "Or perhaps it's not you. To be specific, it's the person in charge of the Nash family."
Leok Nash raised his eyelids:
"At other times I might be interested in you, but not today. I'm too busy—and even if I were interested, you wouldn't be the mistress of Lanqiao."
He slammed his pen on the table in a fit of impatience.
"If there's nothing else, please leave."
As expected of Lanqiao's leader, their xenophobia far surpasses that of other countries in the Southern Continent. Chloe muttered to herself, then chuckled.
"I know what you're worried about right now. Anyone with eyes can see that if you don't resolve the Aurora Society issue soon, you probably won't be able to hold onto your position as the ruler of Lanqiao for much longer."
"—So that's why you have to cooperate with me—at least for now, it's hard to find someone willing to help you solve the Aurora Society's problems."
Leok lifted his eyelids, his hand gripping the pen tightly:
"Putting aside the issue of this cult, it poses no threat to me at all. Even if Lanqiao is helpless against the troubles of the Aurora Society, what can you do? Do you dare to say that you are stronger than Lanqiao or the Nash family?"
"It's a very simple principle. If it's a problem that even Lanqiao himself can't solve, do you think you're qualified to solve it for him? If you could really do anything, you wouldn't be so arrogant in front of me. So get lost, and go solve whatever you want."
"I see absolutely no sign that you can solve this problem," Chloe scoffed, ruthlessly puncturing Leok Nash's stubbornness. "I saw in the Ferry District that the followers of the True Creator have formed a massive organization, and your personal guard is either completely unaware or unable to do anything about it. What have you solved? To save their lives, your citizens, even if they don't mean it, have begun to sing the praises of the True Creator. What have you stopped?"
Chloe stepped forward and placed her hands directly on Leok Nash's desk.
Members of the bodyguard standing nearby tried to step forward to stop this disrespectful behavior, but Leok raised his hand to stop his men.
He looked at Chloe with an icy expression, slowly stood up, his face ashen.
Chloe knew her question had hit Lanqiao where it hurt. So she pressed her advantage and continued:
"I haven't seen your personal guards in action, but I guess they're capable of keeping your city under control. But what about now? With this fourth calamity, the plague, people are filled with fear. The fear of losing lives to your personal guards is nothing compared to the fear of losing lives to the disease. After all, once life is on the scales, everything will be completely equal. What use are your personal guards then?"
"What if the Aurora Society claims that salvation is possible simply through faith? This is poison from the Aurora Society. What if they really have an antidote? Do you really have the resolve to have your personal guard purge all the fallen? Do your personal guards really have the strength to purge them? Do you dare say that once you take action, the people you currently control won't be incited to turn their anger directly against you?"
"The followers of the Aurora Society are like mice on a precious porcelain vase. If you want to fight them, you have to be prepared to suffer losses. Moreover, if you attack them, you will definitely lose their already crumbling support."
After Chloe finished speaking, she stared intently at the leader of Lanbridge, awaiting his response.
These are all real problems. When those in power turn against the masses who have already devoutly believed in the true Creator, they will incur hatred. With the Aurora Society watching them with predatory eyes, losing public support will only hand them the executioner's blade. On the other hand, if they sit idly by and respond passively, the Aurora Society will only slowly erode the faith of the people of Lanqiao.
No matter what we do, we can't solve the problem; we're stuck in a dilemma, unless we can find the culprit who orchestrated everything—
This refers to "Mr. Z," whose identity has been largely confirmed.
"Or you could invite our Ruen fleet. I think the King would be very interested in completing what was left unfinished a hundred years ago."
Kossie Hoy, who had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, suddenly made a sarcastic remark.
"Even today, if the Rune people come here, they will only lose everything!" Leok Nash glared at the Rune envoy before finally catching his breath.
"Fine, since you dare to question the Nash family's power in Lanqiao, then just wait—in a few minutes, you'll see that our control over Lanqiao is absolute—."
"Report!"
Before he could finish speaking, a man dressed in a black suit, looking like a government employee, hurriedly pushed open the door and slammed a document onto Leok Nash's desk:
"Chief, we just received news that the divine messenger has spread a message through their informants in the ferry district! He has announced that on the holy day 20 days from now, there will be a fifth plague, at which time a tsunami will destroy the entire city."
"And the divine messenger himself will personally oversee the worship of the Lanqiao people to the 'true creator' in the altar area—only when he personally confirms everyone's piety will he stop the process of bringing disaster!"
Stopped
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