Chapter 98 – The 'Accident' in the Town

“Wow, Dichiduo, you sing so beautifully! Truly worthy of being Nielan Town’s best bard!”

Having finished his recital, Dichiduo walked along the town’s cobblestone path with Bilan, who didn’t hesitate to shower him with praise.

“Not at all… it’s just average…”

Dichiduo shook his head repeatedly in flustered surprise, his face flushing bright red.

“Pfft!”

Seeing Dichiduo’s panicked expression, Bilan couldn’t help but laugh. She felt that being with Dichiduo made her forget all her troubles—the flesh and screams in the White Tower, those cold, piercing eyes…

“Um… Bilan, how is it with the Mage? I heard Lord Mage is a very strict person?”

Remembering that Bilan was now officially Punk the mage’s apprentice, Dichiduo asked with concern, as the townspeople’s descriptions of this young mage were filled with terror and strangeness.

“It’s… it’s alright. The White Tower is a bit eerie, but Lord Punk isn’t so bad.”

Bilan forced a smile as she spoke to Dichiduo. Although she viewed her mentor as an evil pervert, she didn’t want Dichiduo to worry.

Noticing Bilan’s pale complexion, Dichiduo’s heart trembled. He was about to inquire further when Bilan quickly changed the subject.

“Look over there—what’s wrong with that child?”

Unwilling to discuss her experiences in the White Tower, Bilan seized the opportunity before Dichiduo could ask more and shifted their focus elsewhere.

She spotted an eight or nine-year-old child who had fallen in an alley at the end of the street, clutching his knee and crying bitterly.

Kind-hearted Bilan couldn’t just stand by. She hurried over to the fallen child at a light run, and Dichiduo, momentarily forgetting the previous “heavy” topic, quickly followed Bilan to the boy’s side.

“Little one, are you okay? Can you stand up? Can you tell your sister?”

Bilan crouched down, gently comforting the wailing little boy.

“How is he? Is the child hurt?”

Dichiduo stood nearby, somewhat at a loss. Seeing the boy crying so painfully, as if severely injured, he wanted to help him up but feared touching the child’s wounds.

“Little one, can you show your sister your leg?Seeing the boy crying as if his heart would break, Bilan felt both heartbroken and puzzled. It seemed the child had merely tripped—at most, he should have some bruising, so why was he crying so agonizingly?

Noticing the boy was trembling in pain and completely unaware of her words, Dichiduo carefully moved the child’s hands, which were tightly gripping his leg…

“Hiss…”

Both of them gasped sharply upon seeing the boy’s leg injury!

The boy’s leg was visibly twisted and misaligned, with swelling from the hematoma making the knee as thick as his thigh. Dichiduo could clearly see that the child had a fracture.

But Bilan was even more shocked. In her spiritual perception, the boy’s knee was clearly shattered in a comminuted fracture. Yet, he had only stumbled and fallen once—how could such a severe injury have occurred?”What… what do we do? We need to find this child’s family quickly.”

Dichiduo trembled as he picked up the little boy who was already semi-conscious, but he had no experience with such emergencies and completely panicked about what to do.

“We’re in the middle of the road! Quickly move him to the roadside. This child has a fracture, and the broken bone might have damaged an artery. We must stop the internal bleeding immediately, or he’ll go into shock.”

Though bewildered about how the little boy got injured, Bilan quickly realized this wasn’t the time for questions. If not treated promptly, the boy’s leg could become permanently disabled.

“Alright, let’s go to that alley over there. We’d be in trouble if we get pestered by those Tisha Xia’er Church missionaries right now.”

Dichiduo pointed toward an alley near the street.

“Mm!”

Remembering how persistently those creepy missionaries harassed people, Bilan nodded seriously. The two carefully carried the boy and hurried into the alley.

“Dichiduo, you go find this child’s family. I’ll perform emergency treatment on the wound.”

After gently laying the little boy on the ground, Bilan carefully examined his injury while telling Dichiduo to search for the parents.

“Okay!”

With no time for further words, Dichiduo gave Bilan and the little boy one worried look before running toward the alley exit.

“Now then… I need to stop the bleeding…”

Bilan also felt somewhat helpless facing the unconscious boy on the ground. Seeing how the child’s leg had twisted from hematoma, her mind went completely blank.

“Think, think! Don’t you know healing magic?”

Bilan whispered to herself, forcing calmness. She desperately recalled those parchments with recorded spells that Punk had given her. One of them contained an Apprentice Rank healing spell – she clearly remembered practicing it seriously…

Taking several deep breaths, Bilan softly chanted the incantation, constructing the spell model within her soul…

Apprentice Rank Conjuration Spell – Bloodstopping Spell: Constricts blood vessels to halt bleeding.

A pale yellow glow ignited in Bilan’s palm. She carefully placed her hand on the boy’s swollen leg, and the continuously spreading internal bleeding soon stopped. Only then did Bilan wipe the sweat from her forehead and release a relieved sigh.

“What are you doing? Someone’s injured here! I have no time for your preaching!”

Just as Bilan breathed easier about the boy’s condition, Dichiduo’s angry voice suddenly echoed from the alley entrance.

Startled, Bilan quickly stood up to see two or three missionaries in gray-red robes blocking the alleyway. Clutching thick volumes, they mechanically dragged Dichiduo deeper into the alley, completely ignoring his kicks and punches. Even when struck in the abdomen, they showed no sign of pain.

“Thump!”

“Oww…”

Dichiduo was thrown hard onto the ground, his white robe instantly coated with dust. The impact with the hard ground made him cry out in pain.

“What are you doing? There’s an injured child here who needs treatment!”Seeing these missionaries being so unreasonable, Bilan angrily stepped forward, helped the grimacing Dichiduo to his feet, and loudly “reasoned” with one missionary who appeared to be the leader.

But these missionaries acted as if they hadn’t heard anything at all, remaining in a dazed and silent state, like lifelike puppets staring at Bilan and Dichiduo with vacant eyes.

By this point, fear began to grow in Bilan’s heart. Although she was an Apprentice Rank mage, she had never learned any offensive spells. In terms of combat ability, she was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Moreover, her innocent nature made it impossible for her to strike these living people. Facing these eerie missionaries, Bilan’s pupils dilated as she took a step back, leaning into Dichiduo’s embrace.

“What do you people want?”

Dichiduo struggled to stand up, looking up at the missionaries who towered over him. Though his legs trembled with fear, he still shielded Bilan behind him and questioned the dazed missionaries with as much anger as he could muster.

Yet these missionaries showed no reaction to Dichiduo’s questioning. Only the leading missionary used his withered “claw” to tremblingly retrieve a small bottle of murky light green liquid from his robe pocket…

Under the dim sunlight, the spider pattern engraved on the small bottle flickered faintly…

(End of Chapter)