A Chance Encounter on a Snowy Night
Angor spent most of the night reading and finally found a clue about the "Snake Around a Scepter" in a book called "Doctor's Oath". Please search () to see the most complete! The book depicted several scenes of ancient doctors saving people. Perhaps it was because they all carried a scepter with a snake around it when treating patients, and the scepter was glowing all over.
The most mysterious picture was a four-panel comic book, which described something that happened in ancient times. A man with a snake scepter had a glowing cloud in front of him. Thanks to the "cloud", the man saved the city from a plague.
If the author didn't "deify" it, Angor could only think of wizards who could do something like this. And the "cloud" was probably some kind of large-scale healing spell.
At the end of the book, Angor found another picture of a "Snake Around a Scepter".
However, the picture didn't depict a doctor with a snake scepter. Instead, it depicted a statue of a "Snake Around a Scepter" in a square. Countless doctors in white robes clenched their fists and lowered their heads while facing the statue.
The whole picture was filled with solemnity and holiness.
Below it was the name of the picture: "Doctor's Oath".
All doctors had to take an oath when they were hired. This oath included "dedication to patients, demanding of self, and respect for medicine." This picture was a "Doctor's Oath".
After reading the book, Angor was even more confused.
In the previous pictures, the "Snake Around a Scepter" was a tool used by doctors. But in the end, it became a symbol of faith for doctors to take an oath.
Angor considered for a moment. Maybe the pictures in the beginning were referring to a wizard who specialized in healing. His deeds of saving people were told by people, which led to these pictures. Later on, the wizard left, and his deeds were slowly praised. Over time, he became more and more deified. In the end, even his snake staff became the object of the oath when they took the oath.
This was the only logical explanation Angor could come up with.
But … what did this have to do with Akeso? What did this have to do with Pocratee?
Angor couldn't believe that the "Snake Around a Scepter" was only an ancient legend. The book didn't mention the name of the snake at all, nor did it explain its meaning. There was nothing about "Pocratee", which was what he wanted to know the most.
Feeling like he was wasting his time, he had no choice but to restore all the books in the vault and leave.
Going back the way he came, he quietly left the library. When he arrived at the square again, he was surprised to see some white frost drifting down from the sky.
— — Is it snowing? It took him a while to realize that the falling frost was actually snowflakes.
Since he was young, he had been living in a temperate zone near the sea. When he came to the World of Sorcerers, he was still living in the Mirror World where all four seasons were warm. He had seen the frozen land in Parmigi Highlands, but he rarely saw snowflakes. The only time he saw snowflakes was when he visited the capital of Goldspink Empire when he was young. Now that he had suddenly reunited with Piao Xue, his originally depressed mood had suddenly become much better for some reason.
In the fluttering snow, he felt strangely peaceful as he walked toward where he came from.
Every season has its symbolic symbol. Snow was the "gift of winter" in Angor's mind. The windbreaker he was wearing helped him resist the cold and heat, so he never felt the chill of winter. When he saw the falling snowflakes, he realized that winter was really coming.
Maybe it was the soft voice of the snowflakes that stirred Angor's long-lost emotions.
He thought of his family far away from home. He thought of Lyon and Jon.
During the Month of Freezing Earth, he left Grue Town and followed Mara to another mysterious world. Two years went by in the blink of an eye.
Two years wasn't a long time in a wizard's life. But it was still too fast for Angor. He wasn't strong enough to protect his family yet, nor did he find a way to save Jon's life.
He didn't even know where he was right now.
He kept telling himself that he could go back soon, but who knew how long that would take? A month? A year? Ten years?
And the purification garden was about to open. Could he make it in time? He didn't know either.
Angor shook his head and forced himself to calm down. Too many negative emotions would affect his decision.
The night was getting darker, and more snowflakes were falling.
Angor didn't activate his Purification Field. He just let the snowflakes fall on him. He couldn't feel the coldness of the snow, but he felt much calmer when the snow melted on him.
In the downy snow, Angor saw a shop at the end of a dark street that was still lit.
It was a small clinic. Angor noticed it on his way here. He could see what was inside through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Narrow room, bright oil lamp, simple table, and chairs. A young female doctor in a white robe was sitting on a chair with a cup of hot drink in her hand. White steam rose from the cup and covered her glasses with a layer of steam.
This was what Angor saw through the window when he walked past the clinic, which was the only light on in the night.
Angor paused for a second, and the female doctor who was looking at the falling snow noticed him. She took off her glasses and smiled at Angor.
Angor was a little surprised. Out of instinct, he wanted to lower his hat and leave quickly. However, he suddenly remembered the Doctor's Oath that he had seen not long ago. He stopped in his tracks and nodded at the female doctor. Then, he pushed open the door of the clinic and walked in.
The doctor was surprised. She quickly put down her cup and walked to him.
"It's snowing so hard outside. Come in and have some hot tea." The doctor didn't ask. She could tell that this strangely dressed man didn't plan to come in. Also, judging from his straight back and walking steps, he didn't seem to be sick. She assumed that he was here to avoid the snow.
The doctor took out a cup and poured a cup of hot tea to Angor.
He thought she knew how to make fermented tea, so he wanted to refuse. But when the doctor came closer, he smelled something milky.
"I like milk tea, so I only have milk tea here." The doctor was a little embarrassed. "Try it, mister. It's Wimbledon's milk tea. It's very warm in cold weather."
Angor was a little surprised, but he still accepted it.
He didn't drink it. Instead, he put it on the table, took off his top hat, and smiled at the doctor.
The doctor finally realized that the "mister" she was talking about was only a teenager. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and smooth skin. He was even more handsome than the senior she had been thinking about when she was studying. Most importantly, he hadn't grown up yet. He was still so good-looking. Once he matured, how many women would be thinking about him?
The doctor shook her head. She regretted getting married so early.
"I'm Shirley, the doctor in charge of Shirley Clinic." Shirley smiled at Angor. "The snow came too suddenly. Why don't you stay here for a while, mister? Why don't you go back when the snow gets lighter? "
Angor nodded. "Doctor Shirley, did you graduate from Golden Cross Medical School?"
Shirley looked a little embarrassed. "Golden Cross is the best medical school in Zeal Dominion. My grades aren't good enough for them to accept me. I graduated from Phoran Medical School. My alma mater isn't famous, but it has many famous doctors. Miss Caroline, a national healer who lives in Water Grasse, used to be a student there. "
Angor didn't really care about the answer. He just wanted to use this as an excuse to ask more questions.
"I heard that medical schools have an oath when they graduate. Can you tell me more about it, Doctor Shirley? "
Shirley was a little confused. She didn't know why Angor was asking about this. Still, it wasn't a secret anyway. Since she had someone to talk to during her night shift, she didn't try to hide it.
"You know a lot about it? Do you want to get into medical school as well?"
Angor didn't answer. He only smiled.
Shirley cursed in her mind. What a seductive smile.
"You're right. We all take an oath when we graduate. But that's not all. We take the same oath when we first enter the school. Furthermore, the oath I took didn't change at all. I still remember it … "
Shirley recited the oath again.
It was the same as the one Angor read in the Doctor's Oath. However, there was an extra clause under "Do your duty to your patients, be strict with yourself, and respect for medical science".
— "The Rejection of Theology."
Angor squinted his eyes. The extra clause was interesting. Even Earth, which only relied on science and technology, didn't completely reject the idea of "mystery". Some famous scientists even claimed that "the end of science is the Emperor", which was a controversial but philosophical statement.
On the contrary, in the wizarding world, which truly had "metaphysics", there was actually such a phrase of "resolutely rejecting theology", and there were even all kinds of oaths.
"Dr. Shirley, I understand how important it is to my patients, to myself, and to medicine. But why should we abandon theology? "
"Because theology is a trick used by the nobles to fool the common people. There are no gods in this world. Besides, if a patient believes that a god can cure him, how can we, as doctors, save him? My professor once said that theology is a stain on medicine. "
Angor nodded. He mostly agreed with Shirley. All kinds of safety measures were created by the nobles, such as theology, moral standards, and legal standards.
Shirley's words about patients hiding their illnesses because they believed in gods did make sense.
But to say that theology was a stain on medicine was a bit harsh.
What Angor meant by "theology" wasn't religion. It was something unknown to humans. It could be people's guesses or imaginations. It could be as good as an Emperor, or as bad as a demon.
In short, these were all "unknowns".
How could anyone know that "unknowns" would "stain" medicine? Compared to the other parts of the oath, the word "stain" was too harsh.
Angor didn't refute Shirley's words. Instead, he asked, "Do you think there are supernatural things in this world?"
"I don't think so." Shirley hesitated.
Angor nodded and decided not to continue the topic.
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