It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Hearing this, Ling Qing seemed to have a headache.

"In fact, we thought so at the beginning. However, we paid a heavy price for it."

Her tone gradually became a little depressed, but after a while, she regained her composure. As she recalled, she began to speak.

"Although there aren't particularly uniform symptoms among patients with the disease, a yearning for seawater is an exception. According to our interviews, patients in the early stages of the disease also tend to be drawn to the sea, and in the middle and late stages, they are even more likely to unconsciously go to the sea during the onset of the disease."

"When the problem first arose, we tried exposing the patient to seawater, but all that resulted was tragedy. Our murlocs aren't particularly formidable in combat on land, but in water, the situation is quite different. Both their speed and strength are greatly enhanced."

Ling Qing sighed as she spoke. Bai Lin had also heard a little about this. Even though the few who had just pounced on Bai Lin at the door were instantly killed, the reason the fishmen had caused Bai Lin and the poet to approach with such caution was because of their notoriety. This notoriety naturally came with their record of success.

Legend has it that they can easily tear human flesh apart on land. And based on current intelligence, they tear apart perfectly healthy people, devouring them alive with their bare hands. In other words, while they may appear to be weak women, merfolk are inherently more sinister than demons.

Underwater, their individual combat power increased by more than tenfold. After all, they were aquatic species, so they were somewhat sensitive to water. Therefore, their threat to ordinary creatures underwater was much greater than that of sharks to ordinary humans.

According to a poet's leisurely recollection during his travels, the murlocs once fought a famous battle. At the time, a local native, dissatisfied with the murlocs' treatment, began a dispute, which escalated into war. They then launched a night raid on the murlocs, but they never anticipated that this attack would become their own eternal nightmare.

In the deep darkness, a multitude of drenched, shadowy fishmen slithered through the trees. They chanted incantations as they poured the dark, seemingly deep water over themselves, like a cult ritual. A thick, sticky, oppressive feeling, like the seawater itself, instantly filled everyone's hearts. They simply wanted to flee, making it impossible to harbor any thoughts about them.

By the time the invaders caught sight of their rosy eyes, it was too late. Within three seconds, their cervical vertebrae would be broken, their internal organs ripped out. This race, most of whom studied medicine, was also efficient and brutal in destroying lives.

Therefore, what Ling Qing said next was largely predictable.

"The moment she touched the sea, her emotions immediately became uncontrollable, and she quickly vanished. The ropes we were using to secure her were quickly torn apart. It seems she has gained powers beyond her racial abilities."

"After that, no one knows what happened. She fell into the sea and became a ghost in the deep. Almost all of the people we sent there who hadn't contracted the disease survived, becoming ghosts... Those who returned alive were seriously injured. Currently, based on their descriptions, we only know that she had completely lost consciousness and was only interested in killing."

"After that, some infected people continued to go into the sea. We tried our best to monitor them, but some still ended up in the water."

Having said this, Ling Qing closed her eyes in some pain. Then, she laughed bitterly a few times and shook her head.

"Who would have thought that the people of Qingtan, who depend on water for their livelihood, can't even touch it? It's a huge joke."

Bai Lin was silent for a while. This was obviously a heavy event. At this moment, she could only say,

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Even though Bai Lin's words were not entirely convincing, they were still very convincing. Ling Qing glanced at her, then nodded and said,

"Let's continue talking about the situation."

On his way out of the hospital, Bai Lin saw many things. These included frantic patients and nurses who had been infected. Some of them had been disfigured by the "purification" and wore ornaments that concealed their faces. Others were missing limbs and wore long robes.

According to Lingqing, under normal circumstances, the more confident and cheerful fish people would not bother to cover up even a broken hand with clothing. However, this was different. There were instances where exposing them would worsen their expressions and lead to wider contagion.

Bai Lin couldn't bear to watch such a good group of people being tortured like this.

Outside, they could see the temporary housing complexes again. Gazing out at this beautiful city and ocean, the scene seemed even more depressing. It also made Bai Lin's heart sink.

Chapter 957 Sea Nightmare

Now, Bai Lin knew what all these people on the road were busy doing. The situation here seemed to be a little more serious than the plague they had seen in Yu Ling, and they didn't have the help of that idiot Huang Shen.

"We don't have a huge demand for food, but we still need to produce normally to survive. However, production is currently reaching its limit. Not to mention the production workforce, even the medical staff here are mostly listless and forced to work."

Ling Qing spoke as she walked. The haggardness on everyone's face was indeed visible to the naked eye. Suddenly, a fishman carrying a box bumped into Bai Lin, and the gauze inside the box immediately scattered to the ground. The man also fell to the ground.

"Are you okay?!"

Bai Lin immediately squatted down, wanting to check on the other person's condition, but found that the other person's eyes were dull and dazed, as if he were daydreaming, and he turned a deaf ear to Bai Lin's call. Ling Qing, who was standing beside him, also noticed this and quickly squatted down. She muttered something softly, and a water-like magic circle emerged from her hands.

Then, she slapped the man's cheek seemingly gently, but it made a sound louder than a slap. The man instantly woke up. After noticing the situation, she lowered her head in fear towards Ling Qing and said,

"I'm so sorry! It's my fault for not getting enough rest before going out to work. I'll clean up now..."

Ling Qing sighed at the other person's attitude. Then, she personally helped pick up the things and returned them to the other person. She patted the other person's shoulder and said soothingly,

"There's nothing we can do about it. You don't need to blame yourself too much. But you do need to get some rest."

Seeing Ling Qing being so gentle, the expression on the other person's face changed from surprise to a slightly better look. After answering, he took the things and left.

"It seems like they are afraid of you?"

After the people left, Bai Lin asked. Ling Qing shook her head helplessly.

"Maybe a little. I've always managed the areas I need to manage with a strong hand. Personal relationships are personal relationships, and work is work. That's how I think. Even though we all live together, when it comes to serious matters, we can't give in to personal feelings. We must take our responsibilities seriously."

"However, her nervousness around me isn't due to my past attitude. It's just that two days ago, I was still ordering them to strictly follow the rules and regulations and get enough rest before working. Now that it's all happened so suddenly, maybe she hasn't adjusted to it yet."

"Ah, rest is indeed important. Are you changing the plan because you're really short on manpower?"

Bai Lin followed the other party's speech and asked this question. But Ling Qing refused.

"That's true, but it also increases the risk."

"risk?"

"You saw it just now. That person looked like he was asleep, not quite clear-headed, right? People with this condition usually show this kind of symptoms from the early stages. Between sleep and wakefulness, their consciousness drifts away from reality without them noticing."

"Although no specific correlation has been determined, the phenomenon suggests that fatigue can exacerbate these symptoms. If this happens too frequently, causing symptoms to enter the middle stage early, and people begin to lose the ability to distinguish between reality and dreams, then that's a serious problem."

As she spoke, Ling Qing showed the small magic circle she had just created. She pointed at her hand and explained to Bai Lin,

"See this? This is a quick spell to wake them up. I made it up and taught it to everyone. Everyone knows it. The method of use is very simple. Just slap someone in the face. This can wake patients in the early stages of the dream state, but it won't be very effective after the middle stage."

It was a very concise and crude spell, but it was very effective, and it seemed to be the best they could do. Bai Lin simply nodded in response.

"Because of the yearning for the ocean and the dreamlike characteristics, we temporarily named this disease sea nightmare."

As she continued her introductions, Ling Qing started moving again. Bai Lin also took a step forward and followed closely. They soon arrived in front of the Mediterranean Sea, a place the locals called "Qingtan."

The people of Qingtan live by the water. As fish people, even their very birth originates from this Mediterranean. Outsiders yearn for this place, and the locals live with it their entire lives, until death, like foam, dissolving into the ocean.

The peaceful ocean, which embraces all life, now protects them. It can be used to destroy those filth, but it has also become a deadly poison. If Bai Lin were also a local, he would surely feel extremely heavy.

Standing before the water, Ling Qing stared at her reflection, swept away by the slowly rolling waves, then slowly gathered again. It was unclear what she was thinking. She seemed tired, and also a little muffled. Her voice was like the waves lapping against the beach at dusk, accompanied by bursts of weakness.

"I originally thought that the lives of us, the people of Cheongdam, could continue peacefully. Unfortunately, this time, we couldn't even do what we do best. Time was too short, and the accident happened too suddenly..."

Thinking about it, she clenched her hands into fists. She looked at the sun in the distance, which began to tilt and gradually moved downwards, and sighed.

"We tore apart those invading Perfects, but they didn't fight back with all their might, and it seems they've already caused irreversible damage. Is it really the right thing to do to make peace with them? I don't want to think so, but if that's true, then my decision would only lead my entire clan to destruction."

"Perhaps, we should surrender. We should have done so long ago. Living a miserable life is much better than doing everything and still watching lives slip away before our eyes."

Her downcast eyes held a mixture of resentment and helplessness. Even in the face of major issues, there seemed to be no room for backbone. Sometimes, bending your knees was the only way to survive. That was the truth.

but……

"Do you really think so?"

Bai Lin asked. She walked to Ling Qing's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Ling Qing was slightly startled, raised her head, and met Bai Lin's serious and solemn eyes, which were brighter than the sun.

Chapter 958 You Are Not Wrong

"Because I didn't recognize the reality and lacked the ability, I ended up in a worse situation after resisting? Do you really think so?"

Bai Lin asked again, and Ling Qing immediately calmed down a little, showing her temperament as a leader, and replied to Bai Lin seriously,

"There's no way to not think this way! No matter how much I don't want to, the situation before me is reality. If this continues, our entire race will be destroyed, and we can only watch it happen before our eyes..."

Thinking of this, Ling Qing's eyes gradually shifted to the side, and she muttered,

"Although we enjoy a high reputation on this continent, at this point, no race can help us anymore."

"You know what? We're considered bad by outsiders, not just because of the spread of the Perfect People, but also because we've sought help everywhere. We've sought refuge from those high-ranking races."

"The elves, who are inexperienced with worldly affairs, naturally rejected our request. They simply don't need our abilities, nor will they offer us any protection."

This was the truth. The elves were quite tolerant of Bai Lin, but that was probably only for Bai Lin. Although they were quite idle, their main goal was not to overthrow any faction. Proactively clashing with other factions was not their style.

"And the fortune-tellers far away on the other side turned a deaf ear to all this. It was with their tacit approval that these perfect people could act so arrogantly."

Ling Qing gritted her teeth and said this, almost pointing out the other races present. Then, she said again,

"The major races all have their own reasons, and the smaller groups are only concerned with themselves, hoping to enjoy a day of peace as long as possible. No one has ever thought about gathering together to resist. They only react when disaster strikes..."

"In the final analysis, no one has any reason to help us, and no one can help us. And with our own abilities, we can only end up in such a miserable situation."

Finally, Ling Qing said this, feeling deeply unwilling to accept it, but this was the truth. How could there be so many miracles? If they couldn't defeat them, they simply couldn't. Others had only lost a few people, and for no apparent reason, their entire tribe had been wiped out in an inexplicable place. So, what was the point of struggling?

"...But have you ever thought that if you surrender, you will definitely survive?"

When Bai Lin asked this, she calmly took over the other person's words and then continued talking on her own.

"Your healing abilities and knowledge primarily stem from your various senses. Beyond that, the sanatorium you've built is quite valuable. As for you, if you were captured by a Perfect Person, they wouldn't need to leave your entire tribe alive, sufficing to spare just one person. Perhaps even, if they've analyzed you to a certain level, they might just spare a brain or some other organ?"

"It's not like the humans need so many mouths to feed. At best, they're just impressed by your excellent aquatic combat capabilities, brainwash most of them, and mass-produce them to die, so they can continue to invade other tribes. I guess they'd be quite useful."

After hearing Bai Lin's words, Ling Qing's emotions immediately fluctuated again. She was about to say something, but Bai Lin stopped her words and raised his hands to the other party.

"Okay, let's put aside the question of whether surrender would be worse for now and talk about something else. Miss Lingqing, have you ever considered that this decision you made as a leader was made by you alone?"

This question naturally made Ling Qing stunned, and then she said with a determined look,

"Anyway, this is my final shot—"

"Nonsense! Isn't that what most people think? Why are you taking all the blame? Even if you've fallen into this situation, how many people have cursed you? I see those guards outside are hostile to me, and the people working there are basically cursing those Perfect People."

Bai Lin took another step forward, looking down at the other person, her momentum also increased. She said slowly with full pressure,

"Even the worker who was hit today. When she was panicking and afraid, was she afraid of you? No way. As far as I know, you don't have any laws here that allow you to severely punish your own people."

"She was simply afraid that a momentary mistake on her part would ruin everyone's collective efforts, and that she'd cause trouble for her beloved colleague. I could see it in her eyes."

Bai Lin's words were indeed correct. Although Ling Qing was strict and meticulous in her work, never letting personal feelings get in the way when it came to handling issues, it was rare for the entire merfolk tribe to find lone walkers on the continent. The reason for this was their herd effect.

Our own people, reasonable and strong enough. Look here, what a beautiful beach, what a comfortable building.

The merfolk possess sufficient strength to easily make their way across the continent, even alone. Yet, they choose to remain here, simply because they have no need to leave. Even when such incidents arise, they simply forbid themselves from the seashore, seemingly unheard of, wary of deserters. So, why haven't they fled? The reason is obvious.

Bai Lin took a deep breath, poked his hand directly on the other person's shoulder, and declared in a solemn manner,

"Everyone who can stay here is following their own will and fighting to the end. Although you are a leader, that's all. Don't take yourself too seriously!"

"Thinking of surrendering now? Where do you place everyone's thoughts? While there are other leaders, you're the face of this situation, the one in charge! If you entertain such thoughts, everyone will only perish faster. This is capitulationism, the kind of failure you shouldn't have. Take a good look at the current situation."

It seemed that because Bai Lin's words were too oppressive, Ling Qing's breathing became a little faster. Then, she took two steps back, gasping for breath, and quickly turned away. After a while, she looked at Bai Lin deeply again, then wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and replied,

"...You're right. This isn't just my opinion. Surrendering would be better for everyone, but it was just wishful thinking on my part. I'll reflect on this afterward."

Chapter 959 Death is nothing

"But right now, resolving this problem is the top priority. We will do our best to find a way to get through it. As the Holy Son and the poet, who share the same enemy, I thank you very much for coming this time. If there is another opportunity, I would be honored to stand on the same front with you. However, we have to wait until we get through this first."

"I appreciate your kindness. But if you're just looking for more manpower, please go back. You shouldn't stay here with us, and working isn't your thing. It might be a bit late to get out tonight, so please stay overnight and we'll see tomorrow..."

It was obvious that Ling Qing, who understood Bai Lin's words, calmed down a lot. But from the words she responded, Bai Lin was a little confused. Then, he was stunned for a moment and asked,

"Eh? Are you mistaken? The poet and I are here to help you solve this problem."

Ling Qing's eyes were very clear at this moment. She looked at Bai Lin and replied,

"Well, your guidance is already very good. Besides this, there is nothing else I can do, right? If you have already figured out how to solve the problem or found the cause, you should have mentioned it long ago. The reason you waited until now, even though you have the ability to predict, is to encourage me."

"The situation in Cheongdam City is different from the usual ones. Even if you two possess a full level of martial arts prowess, it seems that there is no room for you to display it. The rest is just ordinary business. So I said... you two are not needed."

"It was a mistake indeed."

Bai Lin replied suddenly. This time, the doubt shifted to Ling Qing's face. She tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled. Bai Lin laughed and said loudly to Ling Qing,

"Who would come all this way just to tell us something? We wouldn't do that. Maybe the rumors weren't clear enough. We've dealt with all sorts of bizarre things before. Thinking we're just good at fighting is underestimating us, isn't it?"

That being said, Bai Lin's point was not entirely wrong. Lately, she'd been in fewer and fewer regular battles, but she still died.

Her confident look made Ling Qing feel somewhat relieved, but she couldn't fully understand the situation. She shook her head.

"A single word or two from a fortuneteller can lead an entire race to recovery...isn't that what they say? Didn't you do the same before, making seemingly impossible things become reality?"

"...Only when fate truly takes the shape it should take can we change everything with a single word or two. The probability of that happening is low, at least not in a continuous series. Our abilities are not strong enough to rewrite reality at will."

The poet interrupted, as if she felt that the other party had some misunderstanding, and she took over the conversation. Bai Lin understood what Ling Qing meant, and she smiled slightly and replied,

"What? If it's just a reminder, can't the poet do it alone? Why would the knights and I be needed? To put it bluntly, those seemingly remarkable things were only accomplished by us, bit by bit."

"Of course, without the poet, there wouldn't be such an effect. But don't overlook the fact that our ability as thugs is also very important. And this power, naturally, must also be used to help you."

As she spoke, Bai Lin's hand fell on Ling Qing's shoulder again. This time, she no longer poked, but replaced it with a firm and reliable palm. She said to Ling Qing seriously,

"You should have guessed it, right? There is indeed something we can contribute to. It's what we call space to display our abilities. Otherwise, the poet would definitely not have let us come with her. There's no need to go through so much trouble to pass on the message."

Ling Qing glanced up at Bai Lin. His words, firm yet gentle, made her feel surprisingly trustworthy. This was truly an unprecedented experience. It wasn't like the long-standing lights of the neighborhood late at night, but a sudden, powerful light.

If a powerful person is extremely friendly, anyone would surely be shaken.

Ling Qing pondered, and a flash of inspiration came to her eyes, and she quickly found the answer. But then she quickly shook her head and refused.

"No, that's not something that can be solved simply by being strong. That place is too dangerous. Even you can't go there. I appreciate your kindness, but I don't agree with this idea."