"Yes," Kranos nodded.
After careful thought, the village head clenched his jaw and agreed. They couldn't just sit around and await death in this forsaken village. If they were cured, wouldn't they be just like the people in the city? What was stopping them from going there then? The monsters. But if they didn't kill the monsters, would the beasts just leave on their own? The answer was no. The elder had already considered all of this before giving his reply.
"Alright, Elder. We may begin the cleansing process."
The elder was momentarily taken aback. "Now?" he asked.
"Yes. Is there a reason to wait?" Kranos replied, raising a brow.
"No… I'll sound the bell and gather the other elders immediately," the village head said before hurrying out. He took out a bronze bell and rang it with urgency. A sharp, resonant ding echoed throughout the village. Wherever they were, the elders immediately dropped what they were doing and made their way toward the village head's home.
They knew this bell was only rung in times of great crisis. Once it sounded, no matter what, all elders were duty-bound to answer the call.
When he was done, the village head returned. "The elders are on their way. You just need to wait a bit before we begin the healing."
Kranos gave a silent nod, then drew the Time Sword. Closing his eyes, he centered himself, adjusting to his peak condition. In the three days he had been unconscious, his mana reserves had not only replenished but even increased slightly.
Interesting. I might've just discovered a way to enhance my cultivation, he mused.
The village head's lips twitched slightly at the sight of the wooden sword. He couldn't understand why someone as seemingly wise as Kranos would rely on something so crude. Could there be something special about that sword? he wondered, squinting his eyes in scrutiny.
Nope! It is really just an ordinary sword; he is still just a child after all, the elder sighed, looking at Kranos' childish features.
…
More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye. The elders had gathered. Hearing the commotion, the village head stepped outside to address them. The area was filled with murmurs and curiosity over the sudden call.
"Quiet, everyone," the village head said with authority. "I summoned you all to inform you that a cure has finally been discovered for the corruption."
Inside, Kranos was deep in thought. Will doing this alert the creature responsible? Even though he suspected that it might draw attention, he felt compelled to proceed. If the creature doesn't show itself, how can I earn more points?
Kranos still considered this a normal trial where their lives were accounted for. He wasn't worried about the creature being too strong. I still have my trump card in case anything goes wrong. Kranos knew that the highest cultivation level of anyone in the lower worlds could only be at the 5th rank; after breaking through to rank 6, they would be teleported to the immortal world through the immortal gate. This was also the reason why he could remain so indifferent about this.
The discussion among the elders lasted almost three hours, mostly consisting of concerns and distrust about Kranos. The village head had to continually reassure them that there was no danger in proceeding. Eventually, an agreement was reached, and the village head summoned Kranos to explain the process.
Seeing the young-looking kid, many of the elders harbored doubts inwardly but didn't voice their complaints due to respect for the village head.
Glancing at them, Kranos spoke bluntly, "To be honest, I don't require your permission to treat you all for the corruption. I'm only doing this because I reached an agreement with the village head."
Kranos decided to clarify his stance. From the expression on their faces, he could already guess their thoughts. If it weren't for the fact that he needed the village head to take him to the safe haven, he wouldn't have bothered to deal with these people.
Hearing Kranos's words, everyone's expression changed drastically, but Kranos didn't spare them a glance. He continued, "I will begin treating those whose corruption is in the final phase, and those I have treated have to be isolated from the corrupted villagers so that the corruption won't spread again."
Reaching this point, Kranos turned to the village head. "Village head, please organize them. It should take about a month to completely cleanse the village if everything goes well."
The village head nodded and then proceeded to order the elders. Soon it was just Kranos and the village head. "Come with me; I will show you to the apothecary." The apothecary was where treatments were done in the village previously; unfortunately, since the phase of corruption began, the place had rarely been visited.
Kranos followed him. After a short walk, they arrived at a small building surrounded by medicinal plants and filled with a faint herbal scent. The village head led him inside.
The interior was damp and covered in cobwebs, clearly abandoned for some time. With a wave of his hand, Kranos cast a few basic spells to clean the area thoroughly. The village head watched with mild surprise, but it confirmed what he already suspected: Kranos was indeed a cultivator. After all, he had healed Ray.
"Please wait for a bit while the elders, along with other corrupted come," the village head said.
Kranos looked around, found a seat, and sat down. He closed his eyes and began meditating. A few minutes passed when voices started coming from outside. Kranos opened his eyes. It's time to begin, Kranos sighed as the first person stepped inside.
It was a lady, if she could be considered as such. There were many blackish-purple streaks that lined up on her body from her head all the way down.
Looking at the woman, Kranos gestured towards the bed; understanding his signal, she lay down, and then kranos began the process of cleansing her.