Chapter 831
Chapter 831
Meng Lanan and the others found the situation utterly bizarre.
Why hadn't the Amazon warriors immediately beheaded Shen Lang?
According to their ancestors' will, any man who entered the Amazon tribe's territory was to be decapitated on the spot, without a chance to even speak. They treated even a single word spoken or a breath taken by a man in their lands as a grave insult. For a thousand years, every man who entered these waters had been summarily executed. Why was Shen Lang an exception?
Could it be because of his status as the future emperor?
But soon, Meng Lanan understood why, and the realization was so shocking it felt as if her entire worldview had been shattered.
'This man is the future emperor? I wouldn't believe it even if I died. Shouldn't an emperor be a hero of the stature of Solon the Great? Even a grand hero like Prince Jiang Li ultimately failed to become emperor. For someone as unscrupulous as Shen Lang to become emperor... have the heavens gone blind?'
Why did the Amazon warriors not kill Shen Lang, but instead give him a chance to speak?
Because what they saw was an unparalleled beauty with long, blonde hair and skin as white as snow.
That was it. No further explanation was necessary.
On the way here, Shen Lang had remained cooped up in his cabin, his activities a mystery, though he had spoken normally. But now that he had revealed himself, his appearance was completely transformed.
At the very least, there was no woman present more beautiful than him.
“My name is Rong Nana. I am a physician. I have come to the Amazon Queendom to save you. As the people of the East say, heaven has the virtue of cherishing all life.”
There were no flaws in Shen Lang's words. He didn't even need to completely disguise his voice.
Because many sensual women naturally have husky voices.
Then, ignoring the greatswords aimed at his neck, Shen Lang reached out and examined the body of the warrior in front of him.
He first felt her inguinal region, his hands themselves flawless. Few women could boast hands as slender and long as his.
The Amazon warrior Shen Lang touched was momentarily stunned, standing frozen and unsure of what to do.
Shen Lang said in a gentle voice.
“Your lymph nodes are already severely swollen, which means your joints must be deforming. There are also clear signs of inflammation. The pain during each flare-up must be so excruciating you wish for death, isn't it? Is becoming paralyzed the destiny of all Amazon warriors?”
Next, Shen Lang felt the body of another warrior.
“You are in slightly better condition. Your inguinal lymph nodes aren't swollen yet, and the inflammation isn't severe. But you already have symptoms of gout.”
Eventually, Shen Lang had examined every warrior.
The moment he touched Meng Lanan's… area, she shot him a murderous glare.
'What's the big deal? I'm the future emperor. This is a medical examination, a very solemn affair. Could you please not have such dirty thoughts?'
Having lived away from the Amazon tribe for so long, Meng Lanan's lifestyle had changed, and she no longer showed clear symptoms of gout.
Finally, Shen Lang stood before the leader of the warriors.
Her martial skill was formidable. She was the one who had just split the ship with a single slash.
Shen Lang felt her inguinal region, then behind her ears, her chest, and her joints. Upon examination, he found her gout was extremely severe; many tophi had already formed.
“General, your condition is the most severe. If this continues, you will likely be paralyzed within half a year.”
Shen Lang spoke with the gentle tone of a doctor who regarded his patients with the heart of a parent.
The Amazon general said in a trembling voice.
“This is our destiny. When that time comes, I will end my own life immediately. I would rather die than live as a cripple.”
Gout! It truly was the curse of the Amazon Queendom.
If not all of them, at least over a third of their people suffered from this disease.
On Earth, it was rare for women to suffer from gout, but among the Amazons, the female warriors contracted it more often than men.
The main causes of gout were obesity, high blood pressure, diet, and alcohol consumption.
The Amazon warriors all possessed physiques like top-tier models, and that included their chests—unlike many runway models who are notoriously flat. Theirs was a build that couldn't be sculpted even in a gym. They were slender yet robust, their bodies brimming with explosive energy.
While high blood pressure accounted for some cases, diet and alcohol were likely the main reasons for the widespread gout among the Amazon tribe.
The Amazon warriors all loved to drink.
From fruit wine to hard liquor to beer, they loved it all; most of them drank beer as if it were water.
Furthermore, they ate very few vegetables, consuming mostly meat and fish, all of which were high-purine foods.
Normal people eat these foods too, but they certainly don't eat them for every meal.
However, the Amazon warriors trained intensely and expended a great deal of energy, so they consumed several pounds of fish and meat every day.
With such dietary habits, combined with the incredibly hot weather, it was no wonder that gout was rampant among them.
In this world, a disease like gout was absolutely incurable.
At the very least, there was no medicine to treat it, leaving dietary changes as the only option. But on the Amazon islands, such foods were all they had, making it impossible to change their diet.
It wasn't just the Amazon Queendom; countless southern nobles of the Seilun Dynasty also suffered from gout.
Some of them saw slight improvement after immediately changing their diets, but most ended up paralyzed, confined to wheelchairs for life.
In the Amazon Queendom, at least a third of the population had gout. Unable to alleviate the symptoms, their condition would worsen until their joints deformed and they became paralyzed.
But with their immense pride, once they became paralyzed and lost their combat ability, they would immediately take their own lives, choosing an honorable death rather than becoming a burden to their tribe.
Thus, gout was an incurable disease for the Amazon Queendom, even called a curse upon them.
When these powerful Amazon warriors contracted gout, they would take their own lives around the age of forty.
Yet, their forties were their absolute peak.
Their combat prowess was at its zenith, and even their figures and appearances were in their prime.
But it was at that very age they would become paralyzed by gout and end their own lives.
Each time the gout flared up, unbearable pain tormented them relentlessly.
Of course, these warriors were incredibly strong and could endure the pain.
The greatest agony, however, was being unable to walk after a flare-up.
What meaning was there in life for a strong warrior who could no longer run or fight?
But there was no cure for this disease.
Despite the many southern nobles of the Seilun Dynasty searching for all the famous doctors in the world, it remained incurable.
“The Amazon Queendom carries out a strong and sacred mission, yet you are suffering and dying from gout. After studying medicine, I wandered the world exploring ancient ruins and finally found a cure for gout in an ancient text. That is why I came to the Amazon Queendom first. Please rest assured, I am treating you out of a sense of duty. I will not ask for anything in return, nor will I make any demands.”
The Amazon general felt as if she were looking at a living angel.
In her eyes, this blonde beauty radiated a holy light.
The ancestral will of the Amazon Queendom was clearly written: no man was ever to set foot on their land, and no outside women were to be brought in either.
However, there was a precedent in their history.
Hundreds of years ago, when a great disaster struck the Seilun Dynasty and created many refugees, the Amazon Queendom took in thousands of female refugees.
Furthermore, if invited by the queen, a woman could enter the Amazon Queendom as a guest.
And this woman was a physician, no less. A physician of unparalleled beauty, at that.
The Amazon general spoke to Shen Lang, her voice filled with gratitude.
“Please wait a moment. I must report to my queen. I will take you to a small island where you can wait.”
***
A short while later, the Amazon warriors took Shen Lang, Meng Lanan, and the others to a small island, then returned to their own country to report to Her Majesty the Queen.
From beginning to end, they did not speak a single word to Meng Lanan, nor did they even look her in the eye.
This behavior deeply hurt Meng Lanan.
Meanwhile, Shen Lang had taken off his skirt and was warming himself by a fire.
Meng Lanan was aghast. She realized that even with his skirt off, Shen Lang's disguise was flawless.
What had Shen Lang done about his prominent Adam's apple?
Well, Shen Lang's Adam's apple was not very prominent to begin with, so a little makeup on his neck was enough to conceal it.
And his beard? He had plucked it all out, a thorough hair removal.
As Meng Lanan carefully observed Shen Lang, she realized that the biggest reason he hadn't been discovered was simply that he was beautiful.
When a man was more beautiful than most women, no flaws could be found.
Shen Lang held up a mirror, touched up his makeup, and took a sip of some medicine.
'So this is why he bought so much silk, so many skirts, jewels, and accessories. He even made a lot of cosmetics himself.'
Meng Lanan discovered a despairing fact: Shen Lang's skin was better than that of most women in the world.
“Future Emperor, are you going to kill us later to silence us? Have we not witnessed your most shameful moment?”
Meng Lanan asked. Shen Lang replied with surprise.
“You find this appearance hard to look at?”
Her hair stood on end at his question.
'What does that mean? Don't tell me you have an even more unsightly appearance than this?'
“Your Majesty, what on earth are you doing now?”
“Fixing my eyelashes. They must be kept curled upwards.”
“Your Majesty, what are you doing now?”
“Curling my hair. The style got a bit messy just now.”
After finishing all his grooming, Shen Lang once again looked completely flawless.
If one were to call him Princess Helene, even people from the Western world would believe it.
Then, Shen Lang took a leisurely stroll around the small island.
He discovered that there were statues scattered across the island, engraved with various characters and patterns.
Moreover, the ground of the island was not soil but was paved entirely with stone, which also bore designs and patterns.
Perhaps this wasn't a small island, but originally part of a city.
A short while later, a magnificent ship approached, flying the flag of the Amazon Queendom.
The flag depicted a pyramid with a woman—having the face of a human and the body of a serpent—coiled around its peak.
The Amazon general who had returned looked at Shen Lang and said.
“Honorable Miss Rong Nana, Her Majesty the Queen welcomes your visit. Of course, only you. Your attendants must leave this place.”
Hearing this, Meng Lanan and her group's expressions darkened.
They were of the same people, yet they had been abandoned for being too weak. Did they now not even have the right to return to the Amazon nation?
Shen Lang's gaze fell upon several large chests.
He wasn't going to carry a single one himself, anyway.
The Amazon warriors came forward, each lifting a chest as if it were nothing, and boarded the ship.
When Shen Lang boarded the ship, an unparalleled beauty was waiting for him there.
She had silver hair, wore silver armor, and possessed an explosive figure.
Her long legs, in particular, were captivating.
“This is Princess Dora Liez, the second-in-line successor to the Amazon Queendom.”
Shen Lang performed the noble etiquette of the Seilun Dynasty with impeccable grace.