Chapter 352: 352. Closed Door
"You better give me an explanation, Mark!"
Henrik grabbed the clergyman’s shoulder, visibly agitated. But immediately, he was shocked to find that his old acquaintance actually shook off his hand.
That strength... not an ordinary person!
"I have no explanation for you. The spread of the beast plague has worsened, it’s harder to control, and more difficult patients have emerged, that’s it."
Mark retracted his hand immediately after shaking off Henrik, keeping it within his robe, speaking calmly.
By this time, the place they were in had gradually become filled with supplies brought out from the Hunter Workshop.
The notification by the Healing Church regarding the Night of the Hunt was only passed onto the hunters who were to work, not widely told to the public.
However, the people living around the supply points were neither blind nor dumb. When they saw so many things being hurriedly transported and adjusted, a nervous tension spread throughout the area.
The hunters and church personnel responsible for transporting the supplies appeared somewhat fatigued.
They had already performed similar tasks during the day yesterday, and today they had also dealt with corpses and bonfires on the streets, which had not yet been finished.
And now, they had to do it all over again.
Amidst the chaotic flow of people and the anxious atmosphere, Henrik and Mark’s confrontation continued.
"’That’s it’?" Henrik’s tone was filled with suppressed anger.
"Do you remember how we escaped from Old Yan’an back then? At that time, the Healing Church closed the road to Church Town from Old Yan’an, and we slipped through the door gap! They locked both the infected and the uninfected people in a sea of fire!"
"Have you forgotten the scene back then? Have you forgotten how the human fat was heated to a liquid state, and then pooled at our feet?"
Mark ticked a sheet from a checklist again and responded blandly.
"They did it to lock down the severe beast plague, there was no other way. For the lives of many more, choices had to be made."
"I also try to convince myself that it was a necessary decision, or else there’s no way I would have slept peacefully in these decades."
Henrik spoke coldly, but then his tone softened.
"At the very least, you should give me a hint this time, we’re old friends, aren’t we? Just how far has the beast plague developed now? People think hunters are on the forefront of the hunts, that they know the most. But you and I know clearly that it’s only the church, in charge of consolidating data, that understands the whole picture!"
"At the very least, let me know what level of preparation I should make for this Night of the Hunt! Mark! For the sake of our many years of friendship!"
The old hunter’s genuine emotions seemed to cause hesitation in the clergyman. Indeed, they had known each other for decades and had survived the ordeal together.
Thus, Mark’s lips quivered a few times before he turned away, continuing to walk as he arranged for the distribution of supplies.
The old hunter understood the signal, quickly following closer, listening in earnest without uttering a word. Concentrating on processing the faint buzzing words as if carried by the wings of mosquitoes.
The clutter of footsteps around him proved a significant disturbance, but he eventually grasped the gist.
"Red-eyed beasts... especially afraid of fire, first discovered... three Nights of the Hunt ago... last night, seventeen hunters encountered red-eyed beasts, only ten survived."
"The signs indeed resemble that of Old Yan’an, which is why the urgent start of the Night of the Hunt was necessary... Whether it can be controlled is uncertain..."
"You need to make the most comprehensive preparations, the Night of the Hunt moved up so much, tonight will surely not be easy..."
From Mark’s mouth, the phrase ’not easy’ wasn’t even finished...
"Dong~~"
A deep bell sound rang out from within the grand cathedral of Church Town, echoing back and forth amidst the complex Victorian architecture of Yan’an, eventually making its way into every Yan Nan person’s ear!
Walking on the street, Mark and Henrik gaped in shock, staring blankly in the direction of the bell’s sound.
"Moved... up again?!"
It wasn’t even night yet!
A bell signaling the official start of the Night of the Hunt, having survived one just recently, sent the populace into tumult.
The vast mountain city first fell into a bizarre silence in an instant.
People were still questioning if they heard wrong, if the high-pressure environment of the Night of the Hunt had forced them into auditory hallucinations.
But the silence itself provided all the answers needed.
— Everyone heard it!
What followed the silence was a cacophony of shouting, cries, and windows of iron slamming shut, thick wooden doors closing with resounding thuds!
Scattered residents on the street dropped everything they were holding or hugging, running like they were being chased by beasts, heading back to their homes.
Those feeling too far from their residences banged desperately at nearby doors, pleading in the humblest of requests, seeking refuge for the night.
An Yan Nan person, peering out while pulling shut an iron-guarded window, spotted Mark below.
Driven towards a frenzied mental state, he no longer showed any respect or submission towards the clergymen of the Healing Church.
He cursed loudly.
"Bullshit! Liars! Do you have better blood hidden away?! Do you?! You slaughtered the family downstairs yesterday! Are you coming for me today?!"
Henrik and Mark paid no mind to this man, teetering on the brink of collapse.
The old hunter observed his old friend’s expression closely and found that Mark, too, was surprised by the early warning.
This warning wasn’t even informed to the people within the Healing Church!
Always calm and aloof, Mark suddenly looked pale.
"To Church Town, Henrik! Quickly!"
Mark stuffed the stack of supply slips into his robe, tugging Henrik towards a ladder by the roadside.
The connecting route from Church Town to Yan’an was a great stone bridge; on its far end stood a grand, sturdy iron gate, beyond which lay the heart of Yan’an — Church Town.
Mark’s urging instantly recalled Henrik’s unpleasant memories.
Those distant nights, filled with fire, charred beasts, and burnt humans.
His weathered face was almost immediately frozen in shocked stiffness.
"Mark, you mean..."
Would they again, like on the night of Old Yan’an’s ruin... lock people outside of Church Town?!
Mark didn’t reply, only climbing the ladder more swiftly.
As the last ray of sunlight was about to vanish on the horizon, Henrik and Mark finally saw the large bridge leading into Church Town.
The bridge was crowded with people and many four-wheeled carriages, all waiting to enter Church Town for refuge.
This was the benefit for those who lived nearby, as staying in Church Town often allowed survival through the Night of the Hunt compared to outside.
The two older men exchanged glances and sighed in relief.
It seemed letting people into Church Town was still happening, which was better than expected.
"Put away your knife."
Mark tugged at Henrik’s sleeve, fully aware of what his old acquaintance had intended to do with the knife he held.
If he’d seen someone preparing to shut the gate, he’d likely have charged right in.
Henrik heeded the advice and tucked away his cleaver, following Mark as he pushed and weaved through the crowded masses towards the gate.
But just as they were within a few steps from that thick iron gate, and Mark was just able to greet his peers, the bell from Church Town’s direction tolled once more!
"Dong~~"
Henrik’s face grew stiff and pale; he didn’t know why the bell rung twice. He turned to look at Mark, thinking him a clergyman might understand. But he saw his old acquaintance also looked ashen.
The creak of metal resounded from the massive gate, and whether among the civilians squeezed to the front, or hunters maintaining order, or the clergy, all watched in horror as the doors began to close.
Henrik reacted first, rushing forward trying to push the door open.
But it was futile; even with several hunters joining, the mechanical force behind the door’s closure prevailed.
The blood-hued sunset finally vanished behind the door, leaving the entire stone bridge engulfed in silence.