Chapter 124: This Hand Is Done For
Chapter 124: Chapter 124: This Hand Is Done For
Having been abruptly outed as a virgin, the young Mr. Jennings wore an expression of utter despair.
Justin Donovan and the others struggled to stifle their laughter, afraid that one slip-up would not only wound the young man’s pride but also arouse Arabella Donovan’s suspicion.
The Jennings family, on the other hand, subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness their son didn’t lead a messy life; otherwise, he might not have survived long enough to be rescued.
’But even if his constitution could suppress it at first, problems would still arise over time.’
"People who are steeped in Evil Energy for a long time are affected both physically and mentally. Specific symptoms include inexplicable depression and irritability, food tasting bland, and restless sleep. I imagine my second cousin has probably started showing these symptoms recently, right?"
Everyone in the hospital room turned to look at Eugene Jennings again, only to see his face was deathly pale, looking as if he were about to cry.
"So you’re saying I haven’t been sleeping well all this time because of this jade? Then what about the dreams I have every night of someone strangling me..."
GASP—
At this, even the three Jennings family members standing by the hospital bed subconsciously took a step back, putting some distance between themselves and him.
Eugene Jennings: "..." ’Seriously? Do you have any idea how much that single step back hurts me?!’
Arabella Donovan almost burst out laughing at the sight. She cleared her throat and explained, "It’s likely the lingering obsession of the tomb’s owner. When a Blood Jade is placed in a deceased person’s mouth, it usually slides down and gets lodged in their throat."
Instantly, Eugene Jennings clutched his throat with one hand, his face flushing crimson.
Fortunately, once the initial shock and panic subsided, the Jennings family’s main concern was still Eugene’s physical condition.
"Serena, since we’ve confirmed that this jade is the sole reason your second cousin is in this mess, does that mean he’ll be fine if we just throw it away?"
But Arabella Donovan shook her head. "It’s not that simple. This jade has been with my second cousin day and night for more than ten days. It has already left a mark on him. Even if you throw it away, it will find its way back to him."
The moment she said this, both Eugene Jennings and his mother felt their skin crawl, goosebumps breaking out all over.
Eugene was so frightened by the mention of a "mark" that he was rendered speechless, while Mrs. Jennings unconsciously recalled packing her son’s things for the hospital transfer yesterday. At that time, she had seen the jade lying in the cabinet.
Her original plan was to have Brandon Jennings take it home for safekeeping, but in the end, on some strange impulse, she had kept it with them. She brought it all the way to Stroven City and had even casually tossed it into the nightstand here.
Now, hearing Arabella’s explanation, the implications became utterly terrifying the more she considered them!
"Then what should we do? Can we destroy it?"
"I think so...? I’ll give it a try." Arabella glanced at the roiling, bloody aura on the jade. ’It looks intimidating, but it doesn’t really have much destructive power,’ she thought. ’I should be able to handle this.’
With that thought, Arabella Donovan suddenly reached for the piece of jade.
The Donovans hadn’t expected Arabella to be so reckless as to grab it with her bare hands. They cried out in alarm, "Serena!"
Just as their shouts escaped their lips, Arabella Donovan’s hand closed around the Blood Jade.
And then, there was silence. Utter and complete. Nothing happened.
Everyone: "???"
Before they could process it, a scream from Arabella Donovan pierced the air.
’AHHHH... It stinks! It stinks so bad! This hand is a goner! I have to wash it, wash it, wash it...’
The group, who had jumped in fright: "..." ’It just stinks a little. What’s the big deal?’
But on second thought, if they had to knowingly touch something that had been in a dead person’s mouth—and could smell a stench that no one else could—they too would be desperate to find a place and scrub their hands clean immediately.
Mrs. Jennings was the first to react, kindly offering, "There’s a private bathroom attached to the room."
The words had barely left her lips when the others felt a gust of wind rush past. By the time they looked, Arabella Donovan was gone from the room. Meanwhile, the Blood-Soaked Ancient Jade, that source of all evil, was now resting in the palm of Brandon Jennings’s hand.
"This..." Brandon Jennings’s face drained of all color.
A few minutes later, Arabella Donovan reappeared in the hospital room. Her hands were scrubbed so clean they practically shone, and a faint, fresh scent emanated from them, noticeable even from several feet away.
"The Evil Energy on that jade is gone. You can smash it, throw it away, or keep it as a souvenir. It won’t cause any more trouble."
The Jennings family: "..." ’What kind of person keeps something like that as a souvenir?!’
"Wait. That’s it? It’s all taken care of?"
"Yep. All taken care of."
’So what Master said was true. These kinds of evil things are terrified of Merit. A single touch can burn them clean, just like what happened when I touched my eldest cousin at the banquet the other day. If I’d known it was this simple, I would’ve asked a nurse for gloves before touching that thing. What a miscalculation!’
Everyone: "..." ’Is this really a matter of wearing gloves or not?’
’We thought this was an incredibly serious and dangerous situation, but it ended up being something you could solve with a single touch. You’re making our days of worrying and panicking look completely foolish.’
But regardless, the fact that the problem was solved was a good thing.
With the malevolent Blood-Soaked Ancient Jade gone, and with the protection of the Five Emperors Coins courtesy of Arabella Donovan, Eugene Jennings’s condition improved at a visible rate.
So much so that when Director Quillan rushed over after hearing the news, he suspected Mr. Donovan had been intentionally messing with him by describing the situation as so dire and urgent.
"Leave the Five Emperors Coins with my second cousin for now. You can return them to me after he’s fully recovered. Also, Uncle, Auntie, and my eldest cousin—while your cases aren’t as severe as my second cousin’s, you were all exposed to the jade and spent time near it, so it’s inevitable that some of the Evil Energy has rubbed off on you. For the near future, get more sunlight and avoid secluded, gloomy places."
"Of course, of course, we’ll do exactly as you say." Mrs. Jennings walked ahead, holding Arabella Donovan’s arm, the picture of a doting aunt ready to agree to anything. She was smiling from ear to ear.
The two men, however, lagged behind, discussing the incident’s fallout in low voices.
"What really happened? Who gave you that jade? Was this an accident, or was it intentional?"
Warren Jennings’s expression darkened. "It was a gift from an old friend of several decades. Emotionally, I don’t want to believe he’s involved, but my head tells me that even if he wasn’t the mastermind, he’s undeniably connected to this."
The moment he learned there was a problem with the Peaceful Coin, Warren Jennings immediately recalled the words his friend had spoken on the day he was given the jade.
At the time, he’d listened without thinking much of it. Recalling it now, however, he realized every single word had been an attempt to persuade him to wear that thing himself.
If that had happened, the person lying in this hospital bed right now wouldn’t be Eugene Jennings. It would be him.
"I just don’t understand. In all these years, I know for a fact I’ve never wronged him or done anything to let him down. Why would he hate me so much? Hate me enough to want me dead!"