The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

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Has it been burned completely?

Upon hearing this, Bartley, who was resting nearby, perked up. In his mind, this filthy and profane place should be burned to the ground.

Just as he did after slaughtering his traitorous colleagues in Loretown, his first act was to burn down the filthy Blade Training Ground. Sin and desire breed eternally, and only by turning to ashes can they be purified.

"Let's go to the courtyard in the center of the flower garden. This secluded place is used for banquets... As guests, we can't just stay on the outskirts all the time; we should pay our respects to the host."

Fran checked Bartley's condition and, after confirming that the medication had begun to take effect, set forth the next objective.

"However, it has been too long since the banquet that was originally held in Morion. Not only are there no leftovers, but it is also doubtful whether the 'host' is still alive."

He coughed.

Haida coughed lightly, stopping Fran from continuing his soliloquy.

Jiu's earlier comment about "leftovers" stirred up some unpleasant memories for Haida from her early years. This nun had once participated in a raid on a "feast" held by a group of Red Cup believers, and had witnessed firsthand what kind of food those people were enjoying…

Bartley slowly got up and stretched his sore muscles. Soon, he was slightly surprised to find that his mobility had been largely restored.

Even the wounds that had been cut by the "gardener's" thorny bushes no longer ached, and the hideous cracks that had been barely stitched together were now visibly healing.

3. Such amazing results! Has the medical department developed a new drug? Or is it Dr. Fran's "personal secret"?

Lu's previous injuries were quite severe, involving both physical and spiritual damage. Even with the Medical Court's extremely advanced surgical techniques, he would have to stay in bed for at least half a month.

However, Bartley quickly accepted reality and did not harbor too much doubt about it.

After all, the Medical Court was the most unique institution among the four courts of the Hunters. He remembered that more than twenty years ago, the Medical Court's technology was only comparable to the Medical Division of the White Cup Order, and even showed signs of being overshadowed...

This situation was not completely reversed until the new Surgeon General took office.

She brought groundbreaking medical concepts that transcended time and almost single-handedly propelled the entire academic community to prosperity and innovation. However, this also attracted the hatred and covetousness of the Corrupted Crown Cult, leading to the Great Plague.

Perhaps for this reason, everything about the subsequent Medical Secretary was protected by the highest level of confidentiality within the Hunters, and no one knew his appearance or name anymore...

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soup!

Chapter 126 The True Self of the Past

Fearing potential dangers in the courtyard deeper within the flowerbeds, Bartley chose to renovate the area on the outskirts near that small courtyard.

This place is very close to the central courtyard, appearing to be only two or three hundred meters away. It's probably just a few minutes' walk. However, this view changed after the group walked for nearly ten minutes without reaching the courtyard.

At this moment, the courtyard remains in its original place, like a virtual scene on an oil painting canvas, visible but untouchable.

"Damn it, is this some kind of maze? Why does it feel like it's not moving at all? I could clearly feel myself getting closer to that courtyard before..."

The current situation is making Bartley somewhat irritable.

As an experienced funeral director, he would naturally familiarize himself with the surroundings before any operation, knowing every single tree and blade of grass. But to remain in this unpredictable area, entirely under enemy control… made him feel almost instinctively uneasy.

“Just now, the way the spiritual energy circulates within this secret realm has changed. The aura of desire has changed from disordered natural diffusion to regular overlapping and circulating.”

Xitia narrowed her eyes, her long, transparent tail tassels swirling slowly, as if she were feeling the gentle breeze caressing her.

"If my guess is correct, this is probably the influence of some kind of large-scale third-category ritual."

Her remarks caught Bartley's attention.

In fact, the hunter had previously been curious about the other two companions of Fran besides Heda and Vivian. One of them was dressed in a neat and appropriate maid's dress, with hair as black as molten gold, and she carried a strange sense of familiarity...

Oh, I remember now. I saw her on the Sunforge's wanted poster. She seemed to be the sole survivor of the furnace destruction incident, named... Sigrid? I never expected to see her here.

Bartley didn't think the incident had anything to do with the Hunters, but the fact that this Sunsmith was here now made him wonder if the Order had secretly provided her with protection.

As for the other woman, she was much more mysterious.

Her attire appeared to be a modified version of Dr. Fran's white coat; while it fit perfectly, it felt more like a disguise. A disguise worn to conceal her deeply ingrained aristocratic bearing…

The hunters at the Funeral Parlor possess an almost acute sensitivity to non-human beings. Take, for example, the gardener lady from before. Although she was voluptuous and beautiful, maintaining an unmistakable human form, her essence had long since transcended the realm of "human."

The two ladies before him gave Bartley a similar feeling to the gardener.

However, Sister Heda must also know that he has glimpsed the so-called "clues." Since she has remained acquiescing and has not raised any objections, he should respect her judgment.

After quickly gathering his scattered thoughts, Bartley asked Sydia for a solution to their current predicament.

"Madam, you seem to have some understanding of the layout of this flowerbed. Do you know how to escape this completed 'maze'?"

Wu: "Hmm..."

Upon hearing this, Xitia closed her eyes slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

Lu, a descendant of the Hail clan, was indeed quite knowledgeable about these labyrinthine secret realms, but the methods she used to break them were generally rather simple and brutal. For example, she would directly pour a massive amount of spiritual energy into the secret realm array, causing its core to overload and break down... something that ordinary people could hardly imitate.

Lu Er's [Huayan Flower Garden] array is based on the entire lost city, its size is far beyond ordinary, and it has the living quality of self-repair, so this method obviously cannot work.

"The construction of the secret labyrinth is by no means a random fabrication; it needs to follow a series of strict and demanding underlying logics. In other words, as long as you act according to certain rules or solve a certain puzzle, you can get out of the predicament."

"I have to admit, that makes a lot of sense."

Faced with Xitia's explanation, Bartley narrowed his eyes, his expression visibly showing confusion.

Second, "But... what exactly should we do?"

Please give me some time.

Xidia was not without a clue as to how to unravel the labyrinth of the Huayan Flower Garden. She could pierce her tassels into the ground, allowing them to spread out in a vein-like pattern, thus meticulously observing the flow of spiritual energy and deducing the true path to that courtyard.

However, in front of an apostle who has the ability to steal an entire secret realm the size of the Ridge Palace, isn't it a bit too much to show off such a crude trick?

Xitia narrowed her eyes slightly and glanced at Fran behind her.

At that moment, the doctor was looking to the side with an innocent-looking glance, his hands behind his back, and his lips slightly pursed. A melodious and smooth whistling sound could be heard coming from it.

Hmm... that's probably her way of saying "I won't interfere".

It has to be said that after spending some time with Fran, Shitia's impression of her underwent an almost radical change.

When they first met at the Ridge Palace, the doctor made no attempt to conceal her madness and mania, and easily broke free from the numerous constraints imposed on her by the Star Abyss Society.

But in his normal state, Fran is a remarkably gentle and emotionally stable person, always considerate of others in every way. Besides that, he even possesses a touch of languor and childlike innocence, making him quite enigmatic…

Seeing that she seemed to be deep in thought, Haida spoke after a moment.

"Ms. Shitia, do you need help?"

"No need, I already have a general idea of ​​how to solve this flowerbed 'maze'."

Upon hearing Haida's question, Xitia nodded slightly, quickly gathering her thoughts which seemed to have strayed from the main topic. She refocused her attention on the predicament before her.

"The secret of this flower garden originates from the Flower of Creation, so it must be imbued with its characteristics: 'dreamlike, unseen, untouchable.' Therefore, no matter how long we travel towards that courtyard, we will never reach our destination."

"But this is, after all, a banquet. If one had an 'invitation'... perhaps one could simply attend."

Upon hearing what Shitia said, Professor Utus, who had remained silent, thoughtfully shared his thoughts.

"In that case, the only thing that fits the 'invitation' attribute seems to be the tulip left by the gardener, but it is indeed in our hands. Could it be... that an invitation can only send one person to the depths of the flower garden?"

"possible."

Shitia neither confirmed nor denied this.

"However, there must be a way for us all to reach that courtyard. The reason there has been no progress so far must be because the 'method' is wrong."

As she spoke, her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she closed her deep blue eyes.

"Please close your eyes and follow my direction. And try to clear your mind and not think about anything."

Hearing Xitia's instructions, the others had some doubts, but they still did as she said.

However, preventing distracting thoughts from arising while keeping one's eyes closed is not easy. Xitia pursed her lips and began to softly hum an unknown, ancient lullaby. She then used her tassels to tie them to everyone.

Her voice was light and ethereal, as if it possessed some kind of captivating magic, like the rhythmic ebb and flow of the tide under the gaze of the crescent moon.

Mania, anxiety, confusion. All the unsettling delusions gradually disappear under its wash, and then vanish into nothingness.

The sound of the wind rustling through the flowers and leaves seemed to have vanished, leaving only the simple and soothing lullaby in her ears. Rosalie's mind was immersed in an unprecedented tranquility, almost to the point of being intoxicated.

Even the inchworm was secretly surprised. As a disciple of the Night Moth who worshipped chaos and yearned for it, it was difficult for spiritual rituals of the same rank to disturb his mind. But at this moment, he found himself completely unable to resist its influence, and after a moment of daze, he was already immersed in it.

The group moved forward slowly with their eyes closed until Siodia's humming quietly ceased.

"Everyone, you can open your eyes now...we've arrived."

As she spoke, she subtly tucked the tassel back under the hem of her dress.

Upon hearing Shitia's words, Bartley abruptly opened his eyes, finding himself in a small courtyard at the heart of a flower garden. A white stone pavilion, nestled deep within a sea of ​​flowers, resembled a solitary island suspended in a deep ocean. Seven

"We've really arrived. But what's the underlying principle? Can you arrive just by closing your eyes?"

"No." Nine

Utus shook his head, disagreeing with Barthele's statement.

“If I’m not mistaken, this courtyard should indeed be not far away. But it can never be reached by ‘searching.’ Because that deity’s very nature is to be untouchable and unsearchable.”

"Therefore, keep moving forward with a clear mind and believe that you have already arrived... and you will eventually get here."

Professor White Cup's speculation was nearly accurate, and Sydia nodded in agreement. However, Utus's expression remained unchanged; his brow was still furrowed, as if something else was troubling him. VI

The melody of that lullaby was from the mournful song of the Heyir people, "Returning to the Tide and Moon"... My research in this field is already at the forefront of academia, and I can only barely reproduce its rhythm through fragments of the score.

Yet she could hum the lyrics of long-lost songs so naturally, without the slightest discord.

And then there's that deep-seated sense of familiarity...

A hypothesis surfaced in Utus's mind, but at this moment he could hardly believe it. How could Heir, whom Captain Nifl had searched for countless years in the Abyss without ever catching a glimpse of, suddenly appear beside him without warning?

"Hoo..." He slowly exhaled, suppressing the almost overflowing surprise.

This lady was brought by Dr. Fran.

For some reason, the thought that the matter concerned her seemed to lend a strange sense of rationality to even the most absurd and bizarre situations... as if everything was meant to be this way.

Thinking of this, Utus turned his gaze toward Fran. He then noticed that the doctor had been asleep for a while, propped up against Haida's back, and was now rubbing her eyes, her gaze tender, as if she had just woken up.

Because one needs to "empty one's mind," so why not just take a nap...? In terms of the approach, there's really nothing wrong with it. Even Sister Heda seemed to be used to it all along.

After a short rest, Fran stretched his body slowly, supporting his lower back. Then, he gently lifted the long hem of his doctor's coat and gracefully sat down on a small white stone stool under the pavilion.

One could see that the languid look in her amber eyes was gone. An enigmatic light flickered and flowed within them, like the glow of a candle or lamp.

"Sir, you have guests visiting, and you not only fail to provide the most basic hospitality, but you're also unwilling to even show your face?"

"Do these uninvited guests, who covet the hidden corners of the flower garden, deserve a share of the spoils?"

As a sudden female voice rang out, the wild lilies surrounding the pavilion seemed to come alive, intertwining together. A few breaths later, these flowers formed a complete human figure. She was beautiful, voluptuous, and draped in flowers and leaves as a robe.

The sudden appearance of the woman caused Bartley to frown and his pupils to shrink to pinpoints.

“Gardener? I clearly chopped off your head and tore your body apart with my own hands... a full seven times.”

"It is obvious that that is only a part of me. In fact, the 'me' in this courtyard is still only a part. The real me has died, and what remains are remnants like this."

“From the moment my true self perished and shattered, my demise was already destined. You have already killed my ‘sister,’ so you should know just how weak she had become. I am only slightly better off than her.”

Compared to the previous one, this gardener seemed to have a more complete self-personality, speaking with an effortless familiarity and a subtle hint of playfulness.

She gently raised her hand to support her cheek, then yawned, seemingly uninterested in anything.

Compared to the gardener's indifferent state, Fran was quite interested. She felt a stirring in her psychic senses, and it was this feeling... that confirmed one of her previous assumptions.

“Ms. Gardener, this may be a bit presumptuous, but may I ask... do you recognize this eye?”

As he spoke, Fran extended his slender index finger and flicked his eyelids, turning his amber eyes to the back of his head to reveal his other deep, almost black, crimson pupil.

Sensing an extremely familiar spiritual essence, the gardener's expression suddenly changed drastically. She looked at the doctor in front of her in disbelief, and even her voice trembled slightly when she spoke.

"The spirit on your eyeball, does it come from my 'true self'?"

"But why haven't you been replaced yet? Oh, you've erased his consciousness with your own power. Don't underestimate him... You should know that my old obsession with climbing higher was something that even the gods were moved by."

The gardener kept stroking his neck, his tone filled with heartfelt sighs.

Fran, having received her personal response, was able to definitively confirm his deduction.

The so-called "Gardener Lady" is both the "Glandular Prophet" and the form in which the sorcerer Calmion von Munro, after receiving the favor of the Flower of Creation, was elevated to the status of an apostle.

He, she, or even Him... are actually one.

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