Chapter 97

As Jiang Junming approached the Temple of the Goddess of Care, the thief who had been following him stopped and left.

Returning to the Temple of the Goddess of Care, he had just walked into the courtyard when an old woman ran over in panic and said, "Junming, it’s not good. Priestess Ilana is sick, and her body is very weak."

Huh? How could she be sick? Jiang Junming's heart tightened. Following the old woman, he quickly walked into the room beside the temple, where Priestess Ilana's room was located.

A faint fragrance of a woman greeted him, like walking through a spring meadow where unknown flowers dotted the landscape with vibrant colors, and the light floral scent could be smelled everywhere, refreshing the mind. Even before seeing Priestess Ilana, Jiang Junming, whose senses had been enhanced, caught the sweet scent. In his previous life, he had not interacted with girls, and in this life, he had not either. The slightly sweet fragrance made his mind waver, and he was momentarily dazed.

But just for a moment, Jiang Junming realized he was distracted and quickly composed himself, following the old woman into Priestess Ilana's room.

Priestess Ilana was lying on the bed, not dressed in a revealing manner as Jiang Junming had imagined. She was wearing the modified black priestess robe he had seen her in the first time, lying on a white sheet with a blanket covering her body. Her attire could only be identified by the collar.

Her face was pale, almost frighteningly so. Her lips had lost their color, turning a ghastly white. The once warm and moist lips now looked dry, weak, and lifeless.

Her large eyes were deeply sunken, open and staring at Jiang Junming. However, Jiang Junming felt that her eyes lacked any vitality, as if Priestess Ilana were already dead. Before this, no matter how cold Priestess Ilana was, her eyes seemed to speak. Some things didn't need to be said; a single glance was enough to convey everything.

Her cheeks were deeply sunken, and she had lost a significant amount of weight in just one day. Jiang Junming was puzzled; just a day ago, Priestess Ilana was full of vitality. How could she have deteriorated to this state in just one day? She looked like a patient in the late stages of cancer or someone who had been bedridden for a long time, on the brink of death, merely enduring the last bit of life force before it was completely drained.

Could it be an external injury? Jiang Junming speculated. But there was no smell of external injury or blood in the room, so it didn't seem like an external injury. What kind of acute illness could it be? Numerous disease names and symptoms flashed through Jiang Junming's mind, but none seemed to match the condition of Priestess Ilana.

Strange. Jiang Junming thought, What exactly is wrong with Priestess Ilana?

Seeing Jiang Junming enter, Priestess Ilana's lifeless eyes moved slightly, as if greeting him.

"Priestess Ilana, what's wrong with you?" Jiang Junming asked. Priestess Ilana moved her lips but made no sound.

Jiang Junming habitually stood by the bed and said softly, "I'll check your body." He then opened the blanket and placed his fingers on Priestess Ilana's pale wrist.

It was indeed not an external injury. Her heart rate was very fast, at least 150 beats per minute, and her pulse was weak and rapid. In front of Jiang Junming, it was as if he could see the heart monitor's curve, which could turn into a straight line at any moment, signaling the end of a vibrant life.

He lifted Priestess Ilana's eyelids, which were pale and devoid of any blood vessels. Her pupils were equal in size and reacted to light, but they seemed weak and sluggish.

A slight warmth came from his fingers. Although Priestess Ilana looked haggard, even the slightest touch made Jiang Junming feel a tingling sensation from her soft skin, as if a weak current was conducting from her body to his fingers. His face turned slightly red, and his heart beat rapidly.

What am I doing? This is a physical examination! Jiang Junming scolded himself. Although Priestess Ilana's body was in a critical state, it still exuded a strong sense of gentleness and smoothness, making it difficult for Jiang Junming to control his emotions.

The old woman standing behind Jiang Junming looked at him curiously, not understanding what he was doing. In her understanding, priestesses treated illnesses through divine magic. Why was this believer of the Goddess of Care, Junming, not using divine magic but instead touching Priestess Ilana's body? Even though he was still a child, it didn't seem right.

Jiang Junming didn't think about the old woman's thoughts and began to carefully examine Priestess Ilana's body. He performed all the possible tests, but her neurological reflexes and organs didn't show any signs of severe illness, or even any illness at all.

This is really strange, Jiang Junming thought, still unable to understand what was wrong with Priestess Ilana.

Should I try a restorative potion? Jiang Junming thought.

Just as he was about to help Priestess Ilana sit up to drink the potion, she suddenly said in a weak voice, "I'm fine. This condition will improve after some time."

Condition? This isn't an illness, but some kind of negative state? Jiang Junming was somewhat taken aback. His perception was sharp, and although Priestess Ilana's voice was weak, he could still hear her clearly.

"How long?" Jiang Junming asked skeptically, but seeing Priestess Ilana's clear consciousness, he was somewhat convinced despite her critical condition.

"A few days should be enough. You can go back and rest," Priestess Ilana said, though she was extremely weak, her voice was firm, making it impossible for Jiang Junming to refuse. He covered her with the blanket and, after considering the results of his examination, which indeed didn't show any signs of illness, he thought, If she can clearly judge that she will recover in a few days, rather than the intense desire to live that a dying person might have, perhaps she is right. He stood up and said softly, "Then you rest well and recover soon."

Seeing Priestess Ilana slowly close her eyes, as if the two sentences had already drained all her strength, Jiang Junming didn't disturb her and turned to leave.

"Has Priestess Ilana experienced this condition before?" Jiang Junming asked the old woman beside him.