Chapter 86: Louisiana
William had already researched it; accumulating the proficiency progress required at least five years' worth of holy water.
And the increase in the age of the water would also add more proficiency.
So he went straight to the top, directly using 20-year-old holy water.
This was indeed a bit "extravagant."
Making a portion of 20-year-old holy water required consuming a lot of Holy Power.
But since it was for his own use, William wouldn't skimp on this.
If that group of people from the Exorcism Academy knew William's thoughts, they would definitely scream that it was an abomination!
"Holy Water Eye Washing" was a basic coursework for all students in the academy, and it would become a very important aid for them when exorcising demons in the future.
But high-age holy water was not easy to make, so most people in the academy were still using one or two-year-old holy water.
At the same time, this coursework required long-term practice.
This also made students spend a lot of money buying holy water every year.
It could be called the money-burning pit for Church people.
Many academy students had mocked themselves, saying that what they washed was not their eyes, but ink-scented "Dollars."
Anyway:
Except for the changes in the above two items, the other events only had growth in progress, so they are simply listed here:
[Pious Baptism]
[Current Progress: Rank 2 (406/1000)]
[Study of Holy Meaning]
[Current Progress: Rank 2 (62/1000)]
[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius]
[Current Progress: Rank 1 (79/100)]
That morning, the two arrived at the Louisiana airport.
As soon as they walked out of the terminal, the sultry and humid breath rushed over them. William only felt like he had entered a steamer.
Fellow passengers opened their suitcases one after another, changing into cooler clothes.
Sadie opened her arms, raised her head, and smelled the scent in the air.
"Compared to the wasteland of the West, the moisture here is more comfortable."
She looked like she was enjoying it.
William really couldn't understand this feeling; just standing outside for a while, he already sensed the stickiness on his body.
As a local, Sadie quickly negotiated the price with a driver.
So the two didn't stop and continued to hurry by taxi.
The closer they got to the destination, the more the surrounding environment reflected the local characteristics.
Because Louisiana is located in the subtropics, there are many swampy dense forests here.
And the abundant rainfall also made the house designs steeper to ensure that accumulated water could be discharged in time.
Besides that, the danger on the ground was another major feature.
Alligators and snakes were just appetizers.
Since the appearance of the Plague Zone, tentacle water monsters, leeches, and even magical beasts had once run rampant.
This also made local residents raise the foundations very high when building houses.
They usually inserted multiple wooden piles into rivers, wetlands, and other locations to keep the houses at a certain distance from the ground.
Although those monsters were later restricted within the seal range.
But the people here still followed this habit.
Two hours later.
William and Sadie arrived at their destination—Saint Frian, a remote town located by the Mississippi River.
Decades ago, this was the center of the Plague Zone.
And now the development of the town was also relatively backward.
Mobile phones completely failed here; people relied on letters and telegrams for contact, and the most advanced things on the street were even the streetlights.
Sadie took William to the gate of a small manor.
"My family has always been in the ammunition modification business." She smiled and pointed to the house.
William raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and quickly attached a few labels to this female demon hunter.
"Dark-skinned, rich and beautiful, profiteering business, maybe rebellious once."
Many smelting appliances were built near the entrance of the manor, and there were also several shooting ranges.
"Basel, is Dad at home?"
Sadie stopped an old man who looked like a butler.
"Oh! Miss Sadie, you're back!"
Basel bowed deeply.
"The Master and Miss Ophelia are in the council hall, discussing the matter of entering the 'Plague Zone' this time."
Hearing the name "Ophelia," Sadie frowned.
"Okay, this is a friend who came back with me. Please prepare a comfortable room for him."
She pointed to William.
"No problem, this is my duty."
Basel bowed again.
William nodded slightly in response.
After saying goodbye to the butler, the two soon arrived outside a door.
It happened that loud noises came from inside.
"Ophelia, I think we should wait for Sadie to come back. The Cooper family won't be so careless."
"Why do you never let her wait for me? Besides, I have already made the finished product; I must go and try it!"
Sadie smiled awkwardly at William, then knocked gently on the door.
Knock... knock.
The room was instantly quiet, and the door opened a few seconds later.
"Oh, Sadie, my daughter, you're back."
The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man with a thick handlebar mustache. It was Sadie's father, Skoll Allard.
Through the crack in the door, one could see another lady in the room.
She looked somewhat similar to Sadie, also having the charm of a Latin American.
Especially a pair of well-proportioned long legs, matched with wheat-colored skin, looking particularly pleasing to the eye.
"Who is this?"
Skoll blocked William's line of sight.
"Dad, this is Father William. I commissioned him to assist us in completing the ritual this time."
Sadie spoke at the right time.
"Hello, young man."
Skoll raised an eyebrow slightly; he took the initiative to extend his hand and invited the two into the house.
"Father, I wonder which parish church you are from?"
Ophelia walked up to William; the latter smelled a faint fragrance.
"West District Community Church, Philadelphia." William responded with a smile.
This woman mentioned "Parish Level" as soon as she opened her mouth; obviously, it was intentional.
Combined with the quarrel heard outside the house earlier, William guessed that this woman wanted to use him to humiliate Sadie.
Sure enough, as soon as this remark came out, Ophelia put on a look of "surprise."
"I thought you successfully persuaded the Church, but I didn't expect you just went out for a date."
Ophelia's tone was quite frivolous.
"Could it be that during the ritual, you plan to use some other liquid?"
As she spoke, she turned her head, but met the priest's direct gaze.
Ophelia's body froze instantly, and she turned her head away unnaturally.
Just now, she saw indifference in those eyes, as if he could tear her to pieces in the next second.
Ophelia swallowed, choking back the rest of her words.
It happened that Skoll spoke at this time: "Don't talk nonsense; she is your sister!"
Ophelia took the opportunity to brush her hair and changed the subject:
"So, my sister, did you get the holy oil?"
She walked up to Sadie.
Sadie frowned: "No... but..."
"Did you hear that!"
Ophelia was like a victorious fighter.
"The so-called most promising female demon hunter of the younger generation can't even get a bottle of holy oil."
"And I."
Ophelia patted her towering chest.
"I have successfully obtained the heart of a Cooper family hound and developed special ammunition targeting those beasts."
"Ophelia, we have to discuss this matter again." Skoll said as he came up to pull his younger daughter.
Ophelia shook off her father.
"No need! I will complete the final experiment today, and you will understand who is right!"
She slammed the door and left after finishing speaking.
"Dad, what is going on?"
After Ophelia left, Sadie first whispered an apology to William, and then looked at her father with a frown.
Skoll shook his head helplessly:
"A few days ago, Ophelia instigated a member of the Cooper family to rebel and used him to steal the 'heart' of a Cooper hound."
Through Skoll's description, William learned about some local power situations.
Saint Frian is a gathering place for demon hunters, and four families have the greatest power here.
The Allard family behind Sadie is one of them.
Another is the Cooper family.
The two families have always been in a hostile relationship.
The Cooper family runs a business of breeding hounds, which is very famous in the South.
The hounds tamed by their family are not only tall and loyal to their masters but also have very strong physical fitness.
Even under harsh conditions such as hunger and poisoning, they can still execute the master's orders.
In the monster-infested South, this is the perfect tool, capable of blocking many dangers for the master.
Therefore, the Cooper family's hounds are extremely popular and have always been in short supply.
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