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Xio sighed, looking at the tear-streaked Old Kohler in front of her, and after a moment of thought, asked, "How did this infectious disease appear? Have many people been infected?"
Old Kohler lowered his head, recalling painfully, "My wife worked at Capim's factory, as a grocery worker. More than two weeks ago, she suddenly fell ill and was dismissed by the factory."
"Many workers at Capim's factory contracted this strange illness. Quite a few went to the police station to report it, but they were all beaten back by those East Borough police."
Capim! Fors's eyes immediately lit up. She exchanged a look with Xio, both a little surprised.
"My wife fell ill, followed by my two children. I was also sent to the hospital. Since then, I've often been unable to find work…" Old Kohler said numbly, with a hint of reminiscence and sadness.
"All my money went to the hospital, hoping they could save my family. To save money while they were hospitalized, I waited for an opportunity to enter the workhouse."
"But every workhouse has a limit on numbers. If I was lucky and queued in time, I could live well for a few days, recover some strength, and then find a temporary job."
"Until the day before yesterday, the hospital sent my two children back." Old Kohler paused, adding, "And my wife's ashes."
"I returned to that dilapidated house to take care of my children. My original job was shoemaking, but they fired me today, just saying my hands were trembling…"
After all, Fors was not a professional reporter, and for a moment, she didn't know what to ask.
She looked around, and through the pale, yellowish mist, she only saw faces with clear signs of hunger.
Some were still relatively clear-headed; these were residents of the East Borough. Others were numb and exhausted, not looking like humans; these were vagrants.
After a few minutes of silence, Xio walked over, forcefully handed him a handful of copper pennies, and pulled him up:
"This is for the interview. Now, take us to see your children."
Old Kohler was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and led the two kind people to his small hut.
They walked along the lower street, constantly seeing residents with torn clothes, numb expressions, and malnutrition.
They even encountered two cases of natural death, both belonging to the type of long-term starvation, poor health, and sudden illness.
As a former doctor and current Author, Fors rarely came to the East Borough, and even if she did, she wouldn't go deep. Despite having some expectations, she still found the scene before her somewhat difficult to accept.
As a Bounty Hunter who had long been active in the East Borough, Xio already understood the true conditions of the lowest strata of the East Borough and was somewhat numb to it. She silently exhaled and whispered to Fors:
"Every month, countless people suffer and pass away here. However, bankrupt farmers and former slaves pouring in from the Southern Continent will quickly fill their places."
"Just like endless stalks, one crop after another."
Both fell silent, following Old Kohler in front through the choking mist.
East Borough, Black Palm Street. Old Kohler led the two to a simple, dilapidated hut. There was almost no furniture inside. Two children lay on a bed made of straw, their bodies emaciated and bloodless.
As a former doctor, Fors immediately frowned. She took out a mask from her pocket, which she had specifically brought to protect herself from the smog. After an examination, she actually discovered several diseases.
This was somewhat unusual. Fors secretly noted it down, planning to use it as a clue. She then quickly wrote a prescription and a note, handing them together to Old Kohler:
"This prescription can at most stabilize your children's condition. Tomorrow, you can take them to this place; only there can they be saved."
Old Kohler's face showed excitement and gratitude. He eagerly took the note and the prescription. The note read: "Backlund, Cherwood Borough, 43 Sifield Street."
-----------------
Wednesday afternoon, Backlund suburbs, East Tucker Manor.
Lord Aaron sat on the sofa outside Michelle Wade's workshop, looking at the necklace in his hand with satisfaction.
The necklace was entirely composed of emerald-green spiritual crystals, with golden patterns running across its surface, making it exquisite and luxurious. The pendant of the necklace was a smooth, dark-green hexagonal stone that had been carved and polished, with a profound and complex rune engraved on its surface.
After placing it in an exquisite gift box, Lord Aaron put it away with satisfaction, then looked at Michelle Wade, who had dark circles under his eyes, and listened to his introduction.
"Lord Aaron, this necklace basically meets the requirements you raised last time."
"Even ordinary people who have not become Beyonders can use it, but relying solely on the necklace's spirituality, it can only transmit short distances and cannot support long-distance transmission."
"It is engraved with symbolic signs and runes from the Sun domain. When worn normally, it can remove a certain degree of negative effects. When performing Spirit World transmission, it can dispel the influence of spiritual bodies, but it is still recommended that ordinary people close their eyes when using transmission to avoid seeing things they shouldn't."
Lord Aaron nodded, looking at the emerald-colored necklace lying quietly in the gift box, and said with a smile, stroking his chin, "Let's call you 'Chain of Emerald'?"
He then looked at Michelle Wade, who was standing opposite him, pointed to the face-down paper on the table, and motioned for him to pick it up.
Michelle Wade, somewhat puzzled, stepped forward and picked up the paper. It read:
"Sequence 8 'Barbarian';
"Main ingredients: One Berserk Grass, one solid horn crystal of an Earth Rhinoceros;"
"Supplementary ingredients: One deep-veined walnut, one lemon balm, 10 ml of pure dew soaked from poplar bark, 100 ml of strong alcohol;"
Barbarian formula! Michelle Wade's tired face, with its dark circles, flashed with a hint of joy. After carefully noting down the formula, he destroyed the paper with the formula on it in front of Lord Aaron.
When Michelle Wade looked up again, Lord Aaron and the gift box containing the "Chain of Emerald" had already disappeared. After sighing inwardly, he quickly found his daughter, Savina Wade.
He told her the Barbarian potion formula and cautioned her not to spread it, then returned to the workshop to continue his creation from a few days ago.
-----------------
Wednesday, 7 PM, Empress Borough, Earl Hall's luxurious villa.
Various luxurious carriages arrived one after another, stopping at the entrance, forming a line. Many nobles, bankers, and merchants, accompanied by their wives or daughters, stepped down from the carriages.
As Earl Hall's eldest son, Hibbert Hall personally stood at the entrance to greet guests. This was also his own request, and Earl Hall agreed, thinking it would give his eldest son more experience.
Hibbert Hall greeted the guests with a warm and polite smile, noticing that many unexpected people were also attending the banquet, which made him sigh.
However, as time passed, the guest he most wanted to see had not yet arrived. A hint of anxiety appeared between his brows. After he inquired about the time with the butler for the third time, an exquisite and luxurious carriage finally slowly arrived, adorned with the emblem symbolizing the East Tucker Family.
Hibbert Hall's eyes immediately lit up, and he walked directly forward, somewhat impolitely. Many of the guests still around, especially the nobles and bankers, exchanged glances, their eyes flickering.
The carriage slowly stopped. The attendant opened the side door. Before anyone could react, a white figure suddenly shot out and disappeared without a trace.
Hibbert Hall was stunned for a moment. He saw a man who looked to be in his early forties step down from the carriage. His blue eyes were deep, his face was thin, and his features were not particularly handsome, yet he somehow gave people a pleasant feeling.
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