Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1267: Chapter 1265: Loss of Image (9)

Leaving was certainly not an option—the unexpected change in front of him had successfully turned Miss Winslow into an intriguing case.

In Fu Qian’s view, figuring out the cause was potentially even more meaningful than temporarily setting aside his mission and heading to The Sect to investigate.

After all, coincidentally enough, even amidst these new changes, he still couldn’t sense any trace of curse contamination on Jane.

Though Eternal Clarity Mind was temporarily unusable, this distinct characteristic strongly suggested a connection to the decree.

Therefore, not only was leaving out of the question, but the next step was to confirm in full detail what exactly had happened to her during this time.

However, guidance requires finesse—you must have a clear understanding of what your target needs.

Based on Natalie’s disclosure earlier, the reason the Winslow family invited him this time was quite clear—the changes in their daughter had made them worry about contamination, and before they were forced to face the cold and unfeeling Cult Hunters, they wanted to find a way to address it privately.

So they sought out someone like him, a medical professional operating in a gray area.

To them, the best outcome would be diagnosing a definite, mundane illness, treating Jane accordingly, and curing her.

The next best outcome would be confirming contamination of the Transcendent kind but discovering a way to address it discreetly, without angering the Hunters.

This explained why Winslow reacted so strongly after he diagnosed Jane as being completely fine earlier.

Following the Blood-drinking Bell-ringing, Miss Winslow’s rapid recovery had already ruled out the first possibility.

Then, the anomalies exhibited during the subsequent diagnostic process had shattered the fallback option.

Now, his sudden declaration that there was nothing wrong, paired with his preparations to leave, could only mean one thing in Mr. Winslow’s eyes.

It was Fu Qian indirectly signaling to them that what lay ahead was inevitable—that Jane’s condition was not a simple, mundane ailment, and it was time to consider engaging with The Sect.

Yet faced with such a dire situation, how could they possibly let him leave?

“Don’t be nervous. You seem fine. But since your father insists, let’s proceed with a more thorough examination.”

Under their earnest urging, Fu Qian finally sat back down again, speaking soothingly to Miss Winslow.

Unfortunately for him, she was evidently adept at reading people’s expression and body language, and her rigid smile showed just how uncomfortable she felt.

That was ideal—the higher her self-preservation instinct, the greater her trust in him. It made it feel like any question he posed next would yield answers akin to Clear Dream Ring-level clarity.

Answers that might even exceed the scope of medicine.

…

“You haven’t left here at all?”

Thus began Fu Qian’s next round of inquiries.

“No.”

Jane’s response was quick and resolute.

“Has anyone else been here?”

“No one either. Until my mom returned, I was alone the entire time—about ten minutes or so. The moment she came in, she pointed out my changes.”

Jane shook her head again, her recollection was meticulous and earnest.

Even in just these few sentences, her tone had grown increasingly childlike.

Ten minutes.

Fu Qian glanced at Mrs. Winslow, who had also been absent for quite some time.

“I just… wanted some peace and quiet… so I asked my mom to step out for a while.”

Mrs. Winslow was visibly flustered by that glance, prompting Jane to quickly interject with an explanation.

The explanation was perfectly reasonable. Encountering such circumstances, it was normal to want solitude.

Even during their first visit, Mrs. Winslow had spent time alone sitting outside.

Fu Qian gave a slight nod and refrained from commenting further.

Given the current situation, the conclusion seemed easy to deduce—

Jane’s eyes reverting back meant that the original decree’s influence had faded.

The new changes in her body signified the emergence of another decree’s influence.

All of this had happened within the span of less than ten minutes.

And the only apparent influencing factor seemed to be his earlier use of Eternal Clarity Mind.

The effect—did it disturb something?

Moreover, after being disturbed, did it intentionally remain dormant, only to respond when others had left the room?

Was this too anthropomorphic?

It didn’t quite align with the cold, mechanical logic typically associated with decrees.

“Doctor, so what exactly is wrong with Jane?”

Seeing that Fu Qian had stopped asking questions, Mr. Winslow couldn’t hold back and posed the question directly.

Both the doctor’s earlier techniques and the successive changes in his daughter had clearly exceeded normal bounds; he no longer held out hope for the best-case scenario.

In fact, as he spoke, Winslow had even stopped avoiding direct reference to names, demonstrating his sincerity and resolve regarding the matter.

But the response he received was—

“Didn’t I say earlier that there’s nothing wrong? This is now ‘excessive treatment’ time—we’ll do another check to see what we get.”

Amongst his shameless remarks, Fu Qian truly did pull out two more tools from his medical kit.

…

Unexpectedly, the man adhered to such principles—even now, he still wouldn’t outright hint at the truth, amplifying the risk should something truly go wrong.

Evidently, Mr. Winslow was not a simple-minded individual. After a few seconds of hesitation, he realized the doctor’s considerations and deeply appreciated the wisdom of his decision to seek him out today.

After calming his wife, he didn’t say much further, instead quietly watching as the doctor produced the two tools.

Compared to the previous ones, these two were undoubtedly larger and more sinister—one of them was essentially a spiked mallet.

“Look right here.”

As his worry about how the tools would be used grew, he saw Fu Qian cross the tools and call out to his daughter aloud.

Hmm?

Although skeptical, Jane complied without resistance.

Just as she frowned inwardly at the unusual design of the tools, she saw the doctor lightly tap the two together.

Ding~

A resonant, melodic chime sounded, stirring her heart and instantly bringing her into a peculiar state of relaxation—so much so that her surroundings felt unreal.

Can he hypnotize too?

The Winslow couple clearly noticed their daughter’s dazed expression as well, becoming acutely aware they couldn’t begin to guess at the doctor’s capabilities and holding their breaths in silence.

“Relax. I want you to take your time and think carefully before you answer my next question.”

His voice seemed to carry a subtle rhythm—while, in truth, he had casually activated the Clear Dream Ring, Fu Qian immersed himself fully in the act.

“Why did you want some peace and quiet earlier?”

If there really was an overly anthropomorphic entity at play, then what seemed ordinary might require more questioning than assumed.

As the Master of the Dream Realm, suppressing his own urge to dig deeper was hardly a challenge—and after approximately thirty seconds, Fu Qian lifted the restriction.

“I hadn’t honestly thought about why before… but just now, as I carefully recalled, it seems as though when it was only my mom and me, there was a voice near my ear saying…”

“It told me I needed some peace and quiet.”