Chapter 99

The child who had contracted cholera lay face down, and Jiang Junming could not see the skin or complexion of his face, but he noticed that the skin on the exposed little hands had lost its elasticity and luster, resembling the hands of an old person.

It was indeed cholera, and it was such a severe epidemic disease. In Jiang Junming's memory, the records of several major cholera outbreaks in history showed that thousands of people died, and some villages almost became ghost towns overnight due to cholera.

"Burial the vomit, and don't touch it," Jiang Junming said, then he was at a loss. How should he treat this?

While Jiang Junming was observing the child's symptoms and speaking, more people arrived, seeking help from the priestess of the Goddess of Compassion. They were at their wits' end, and even if this place could only offer them a little comfort, it was better than waiting to die without hope.

The number of patients increased, and the courtyard was filled with the pungent smell of vomit, making people want to vomit just from the smell. Most of the new patients had cholera, and some had other epidemic diseases. Jiang Junming could not immediately identify all the different diseases.

Jiang Junming suddenly understood what the optical brain had said. The so-called pathogenic bacteria were just like this! It wasn't that the optical brain was malfunctioning, but that the pathogenic bacteria had been in the incubation period last night and today, and had not yet shown any signs. The sparse crowds in both the prosperous and impoverished areas of Dusk City suggested that some people had not gone out due to diarrhea. Cholera develops very quickly, and it can lead to a life-threatening condition in just a few hours. Now, the epidemic diseases caused by the pathogenic bacteria were just beginning to break out. Jiang Junming shuddered at the thought of how many more people might die.

What should he do? Bury the vomit? Jiang Junming felt a bit lost. The cholera virus is in the water, and fecal-oral transmission is also an important route. All he could do was prevent the disease from spreading, but how should he treat those who already had cholera? Rehydration? Correcting shock? Improving the disordered internal environment? None of these conditions were available. And when it came to casting divine spells, Jiang Junming felt somewhat ashamed. Although he was already a young student at the Church Academy, the divine spells he cast were extremely unstable, perhaps as the old knight Sir Celu had said, because he believed in the Goddess of Compassion, which led to the instability and weakness of his divine spells.

Suddenly, at this moment, Jiang Junming regretfully thought that if he had believed in other deities, he might have been able to do something.

Do something, do something. While directing the orphans raised by the temple to bury and clean up the patients' vomit, Jiang Junming's mind was racing.

Time passed, and the condition of the patients who came to the Temple of the Goddess of Compassion deteriorated rapidly. Some were already on the brink of death, and others, who had been able to hold on when they arrived, soon began to vomit and have diarrhea, showing obvious signs of dehydration. Even some of the "healthy" people who had supported the patients to the temple began to show symptoms of cholera.

"Where is the priestess of the Goddess of Compassion?" The crowd began to stir, and more and more patients gathered together, spreading a sense of despair throughout the temple courtyard. Under the influence of this atmosphere, the living people began to feel inexplicable panic, especially after a few people who seemed relatively healthy collapsed in the courtyard, causing the crowd to panic.

There was no priestess of the Goddess of Compassion to come forward, only a young man in a white robe directing some orphans and old women to do what people considered useless tasks. This cold and heartless behavior, as seen by the patients and their relatives, only increased the sense of panic and helplessness.

"We want to see the priestess!"

"Please, priestess, save us."

Some people begged, while others began to get angry. These voices were mixed with the sounds of patients vomiting and having diarrhea, creating an indescribable strangeness.

Seeing the crowd beginning to stir, Jiang Junming knew that if he couldn't come up with a solution, the anger and panic of the crowd could lead to a mob effect, and it was unimaginable what an angry crowd might do.

What should he do? What should he do!

Jiang Junming suddenly remembered the potions he had prepared. He didn't know if the invigorating potion could treat cholera, but with the crowd's agitation becoming more obvious, if he hesitated any longer, the consequences would be unimaginable. Jiang Junming immediately shouted loudly, "Be quiet, I have a solution!"

His voice was loud, and he used all his strength to shout. The sound overpowered the chaotic voices in the courtyard of the Temple of the Goddess of Compassion. Although Jiang Junming was still young, he had a certain authority.

"Why should we believe you!" A grown-up said sadly, holding a little girl who seemed to be struggling to survive, "I want to see the priestess, please have the priestess treat her."

"Are there any herbs in the temple?" Jiang Junming asked a nearby old woman in a low voice.

"Only a few common herbs," the old woman said, looking at Jiang Junming with confusion, not knowing what he was going to do.

"Do you have Bajitian and Yinye grass?" Jiang Junming asked, feeling uneasy. If these two herbs were not available, the other potions he could make would likely not be available either, which would be disastrous.

"Yes, yes," the old woman said, seeing Jiang Junming's serious expression.

"High Priestess Elaina is not in the temple. If you break in, are you not afraid of the Goddess of Compassion's punishment?" Jiang Junming shouted, "I will prepare a potion to treat their illness, it will be ready soon, please wait a moment."

After saying this, Jiang Junming saw the agitated crowd begin to hesitate, knowing that his carrot-and-stick approach had worked. These poor people were used to suffering, and as long as there was a way out, or even a little hope, they would continue to endure.

Taking advantage of this time, Jiang Junming quickly had the old woman lead him to the place where the temple stored herbs.

The only Temple of the Goddess of Compassion in Dusk City had only a small amount of herbs. Jiang Junming looked at the herbs piled in a warehouse and smiled bitterly. How many invigorating potions could these herbs make? At most, only a few dozen bottles, and he had no other way to make more.

A series of unknowns appeared before Jiang Junming. Would the invigorating potion be effective against cholera? Could it cure the patients? These were all questions. Even if the invigorating potion had the same miraculous effect as when treating Linx, the quantity would still be a major issue. The potions he could prepare would not be enough to save so many patients.