Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 156: Lan Qi Seems to Be Playing With a Very New Kind of Sealing Art
2024-05-22 · Author: Poor Xixi
Beneath the sunlight, the syringe plunger moved rhythmically, the executioner’s needle transforming into a blood pump. Count Palocas’s world grew steadily darker, until all that remained was his final, hysterical scream.
The stained-glass windows refracted beams of light, which slowly dissipated. Lan Qi raised his hand lightly, withdrawing the card [Radiant Virtue].
The dazzling brilliance was instantly swallowed by endless night.
By now, the executioner’s syringe could barely draw out any blood. The Count’s pained wails had ceased, and the grand cathedral once again carried the warm, bright air of a banquet.
“Looks like he’s cured,”Lan Qi murmured to himself.
“…”
Huperion dared not respond. She sneaked a glance at the shriveled body of Count Palocas on the floor, then quickly averted her gaze, silently chanting forgive me, forgive me.
She prayed Lan Qi would stick to being a headmaster in the future—and never step foot into medicine.Otherwise, if he were ever to establish something like Purgatory Corridor Academy’s First Affiliated Hospital, disaster would be inevitable.
“Ahhh… my blood…”
The Count’s skin was ghastly pale, his body shriveled like a grape drained dry. Any other creature would already be a corpse.
And yet, terrifyingly, this mummified vampire still trembled violently, lifting a hand as if struggling to flee.
At Ikerite Academy
When the blinding white light across the giant outdoor screen finally faded, the image returned.
The vaulted ceiling no longer reflected sunlight through stained glass. Instead, the sky was filled with boundless night, inlaid with stars like gems scattered on black silk.
The ancient cathedral seemed to stand at the boundary of light and darkness—mysterious, merciless.
The air reeked of blood and fear, mingled with the stench of burning wax. The stone floor was soaked crimson, flickering firelight upon it like molten lava.
On that floor, the shriveled Count Palocas twitched in agony.
Several figures surrounded him, their faces twisted and grotesque in the firelight, their shadows stretching long and writhing like mad dancers.
“…”
The plaza fell into utter silence. The very air seemed frozen.
Students sitting on the stone steps before the giant screen were dumbstruck, as if witnessing some ancient ritual from a dark myth. Those who should have stood as champions of light now looked like cultists presiding over resurrection rites.
“Are they fighting the Count… or founding a resurrection church?”
Even across the screen, cold midnight winds seemed to sweep through Jera Memorial Square, chilling spines.
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
Yet amidst the grim atmosphere, one voice stood out utterly at odds.
“Principal Lan Qi is simply demonstrating the dangers of staying up late, warning young people to maintain healthy sleep habits!”
A light-blue-haired student reporter, grinning, snapped photos of the giant screen as though preparing a feature piece to glorify Lan Qi.
“Like a role model descending from heaven! Truly a model citizen—Lan Qi radiates positive energy!”
“…”
The surrounding students didn’t dare speak. Was she a genuine fan? A sarcastic black fan? A satirist? Or just in it for laughs?
The little reporter kept snapping photos, even pulling out a picture of Lan Qi—like a talisman against evil. Or maybe just proof of her loyalty as a “true fan.”
This only made her seem all the more… complicated.
Meanwhile, in the Lichtenstein Castle Cathedral
Another problem had arisen.
“Mr. Lan Qi, what do we do next?”
The paladin and the male bodyguard pinned down Count Palocas like immovable rocks.
Though no longer under the sun’s rays, and drained of nearly all blood, the Count was far weaker than before.
Lan Qi studied him closely, worry flickering on his face.
“In tomorrow’s broadcast, this appearance might terrify ordinary residents—or elderly and children—passing by Ikerite Academy. Our Civilized Role Model Squad has always been family-friendly. We’ll need to… tidy him up, make him more artistic and cultured.”
Everyone nodded. At least Lan Qi realized the Count’s appearance was too horrifying for the public.
So Lan Qi led them back to the banquet hall table, leaving only the paladin and bodyguard to restrain the Count.
“From my reading, I’ve learned vampires like sealing themselves in coffins during the day to sleep. Out of respect for their culture, after giving him a proper makeover, we’ll also prepare a coffin.”
Speaking with passion, Lan Qi pulled a diagram from his pocket and spread it across the table—a lecture note he had prepared earlier.
The parchment detailed a meticulous, illustrated process:
Cleansing & Purification – Wash the body, usually with blood-pressure equipment and alcohol.
Removal of Organs – Cut open the left side, extract heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines.
Salting – Fill the emptied body with alkaline salts for drying and disinfection.
Oiling – Cleanse and anoint the skin with ointments to prevent brittleness.
Stuffing & Reshaping – Stuff with linen, straw, or sand to restore lifelike form. Face can be molded and coated with protective balm.
Wrapping – Bind tightly in resin-soaked linen strips.
Enshrinement & Painting – Place in a decorated coffin inscribed with divine images, hieroglyphs, and sealing spells.
“Let’s give Count Palocas a grand burial with this method! At least for four days, we won’t need to worry about him crawling out of the ground.”
Lan Qi explained eagerly, as if embarking on an exciting cultural exploration of Ancient Egypt.
The mummification process, after all, required anatomy, medicine, and artistry—surely educational and suitable for all ages.
And secretly, Lan Qi rather hoped they’d capture the Count climbing out of the coffin—proof that those sci-fi movies back home were true, that mummies really could resurrect.
“…”
The cathedral fell into dead silence.
The challengers all understood Lan Qi’s instructions. They knew it would work.
But it was overwhelming.
Lan Qi… he really seemed to be experimenting with a brand-new kind of sealing art.
From a humanistic, artistic, and even conceptual standpoint for this era, he was simply too far ahead of his time.