Chapter 51

The mortality rate of smallpox is extremely high, and there is no specific treatment once a person is infected. However, if a person who has not been immunized contracts smallpox, the fatality rate is actually only 30%. Treatment is usually supportive and involves vaccination, with the patient being observed for the duration of the illness (15-20 days). If the infection improves, the patient continues with recovery treatment.

However, when infected with the smallpox virus, the human immune system becomes ineffective, making it easy for various bacterial infections to occur, leading to complications such as sepsis, osteomyelitis, encephalitis, meningitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis media, laryngitis, and blindness. These complications are the main cause of death from smallpox. Modern medicine often uses antibiotics to maintain bacterial control during the period of immune suppression, with excellent results. This is still a benign case of smallpox, and there is still hope for recovery.

If it is a fulminant case of smallpox, however, treatment can be abandoned. Within 3-5 days, severe and uncontrollable toxemia or major bleeding will occur, with red or purple spots, bruises, or measles-like rashes appearing on the body. Death will occur within 10 to 14 days.

Therefore, after Chu Ci received the cowpox vaccine, he also had to stay in the hospital for isolation and observation for one to two months until it was determined whether he had recovered or if there was no treatment available, before deciding whether to continue treatment or to abandon it and isolate completely.

This frightened Chu Ci. A one to two month isolation would mean everything was over. He knocked out the nurse on duty that night, used alchemy to escape from the ward, and in a secluded place, summoned a medical officer to accelerate the treatment process, completely eliminating the smallpox virus. Then, he changed his appearance and returned to Izu through other channels.

Lei Xuan and the others had not changed their base, so it was easy for Chu Ci to find them.

"Hello, I'm back!" Chu Ci pushed the door open without hesitation and met a pair of gentle eyes.

"Who is this?" Chu Ci had a guess but still asked.

"I am Asakawa, a special correspondent for the Yokohama Daily." The woman was slightly surprised but introduced herself politely.

It's really you! Chu Ci looked at the expressions of the others in the room and immediately had a rough idea of what was going on.

"I am Chu Ci, and I am friends with them." Chu Ci greeted the others.

"How is it? Have you solved your problem?" Jia Tengying was most concerned about the incomplete curse on Chu Ci. He knew it was incomplete because if it were complete, everyone would have returned to the main god space after Chu Ci solved it.

"It's solved. I'm well-fed, well-rested, and in high spirits." Chu Ci smiled and nodded.

Jia Tengying immediately turned to Asakawa Reiko and advertised, "Look, this is our companion. Two days ago, he also watched the video, and now the curse has been lifted. Miss Asakawa can now believe in our professionalism."

Asakawa Reiko was still somewhat skeptical. After all, this was just Jia Tengying's word, and with her experience of various scams, she could easily doubt that Jia Tengying had just found a passerby to act.

Without a word, Chu Ci took out his half-finished video tape and shook it in front of Asakawa Reiko, placing it in front of Lei Xuan. "This thing is useless now. I heard you found the complete video tape. You can prepare for the first experiment."

Video tape!

This shocked Asakawa Reiko. She turned her head and, having seen the real video tape before, could easily distinguish the authenticity. The bone-chilling despair and resentment could not be imitated by anyone.

"Is this real? Why is there a second one!" Asakawa Reiko trembled and took out another unmarked video tape from her shoulder bag. Chu Ci, who had also been affected by the video tape, could see that this tape was indeed the original, and the resentment on it was much stronger than the half-finished one.

Wait!

Chu Ci's pupils suddenly constricted. His right index finger, which was hanging down, curled, and black and white light suddenly rose from his feet, extending countless intricate and profound array patterns, like snakes, suddenly surrounding Asakawa Reiko.

"Throw the video tape on the ground!" Chu Ci shouted sternly!

Everyone was confused. Even Asakawa Reiko, who was well-informed, was bewildered by Chu Ci's sudden display of ability. She instinctively followed Chu Ci's instructions and dropped the video tape on the ground.

The black and white light rose into the air, tightly wrapping the video tape, and then twisted it forcefully. The ordinary plastic video tape was instantly turned into a tangled mess.

"What are you doing, Chu Ci!" Lei Xuan and the others were immediately alarmed, jumping up from their seats.

They couldn't see it, but Chu Ci, with his Truthful Magic Eye and experience of the curse, could see clearly. The destruction of the video tape did not make Sadako's curse disappear; instead, it sought a new host nearby. The video tape on the table, which Chu Ci had placed, was the best choice.

"Pay attention to that video tape; it has been completed." Chu Ci said cryptically and then focused on the alchemy array, where there was something else!

Asakawa Reiko was dazed. Chu Ci pushed her out of the alchemy array with force. The black and white light grew stronger, and from the destroyed video tape, five vague figures emerged, barely discernible, seemingly three men and two women.

"Tomiko!" Asakawa Reiko, with her keen eyes, immediately recognized one of the figures and exclaimed in surprise.

Tomiko!

Chu Ci understood. It seemed that those killed by Sadako's curse had their souls fall into the video tape, becoming ghost-like entities for Sadako to command.

In the original plot, it seemed that the first victims of Sadako's curse were four high school students, but with the analysis of his two personal secretaries, Zhenhong and Shenhong, Chu Ci did not miss the little boy who initially recorded the video tape. Thus, the number of ghost-like entities matched.

"Speak your last words, and I will send you to the cycle of rebirth." Chu Ci didn't know if there was a cycle of rebirth in this world, but it didn't affect his reversal of the alchemy array to purify the five souls, restoring them to their original state before being controlled by Sadako. Perhaps this could truly free them from her control.

Unfortunately, Chu Ci's good intentions were in vain. The five, who had suffered great fear and torment before their deaths, had terrifying and distorted faces. Even though the ghost-like entities were bound by the alchemy array, they struggled continuously, as if trying to break out and seek revenge.

"Miss Asakawa, do you have anything else to say?" Seeing that communication was impossible, Chu Ci directly changed the subject and asked Asakawa Reiko for her opinion.

"This is..." Asakawa Reiko's materialistic and atheistic views had been repeatedly challenged over the past few days, and she was currently in a state of reduced intelligence, unable to engage in normal conversation.

"Very well, then you have no objections." Chu Ci didn't want to wait for Asakawa Reiko to slowly recover her intelligence. Maintaining the alchemy array was very tiring. He clasped his hands together, reversed the alchemy array, and the black and white light covered the five souls. Each time the black light swallowed, the soul shrank, and each time the white light repaired, the soul expanded. Through this alternating process of destruction and repair, the originally murky souls gradually became clear and pure.

The faces of the five became peaceful and serene, and they all nodded in gratitude to Chu Ci.

"Go!" Chu Ci released the alchemy array, allowing the five souls to dissipate. Perhaps they would go to the cycle of rebirth, or perhaps they would simply disappear from the world, but it was all natural.

"Please! Save Yangyi!"

PS: One good news and one bad news. The good news is that I missed my train today and can only stay for one more day, so I can write for you all. The bad news is that I managed to reschedule in time and will continue to catch the train tomorrow. (T_T)

Another PS: I will speed up my writing and save it in the draft box to avoid delayed updates tomorrow, so please support me with recommendations and donations as you see fit!

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