Tom, Do You Ever Watch What You Say?

Wool's Orphanage was not close to the Leaky Cauldron; it could even be called quite far away.

But neither Tom nor Li Weide had much money.

So they had no choice but to walk all the way to the district where the Leaky Cauldron was located.

By then, they had changed out of the orphanage's standard smocks and into worn jackets of their own.

Tom also wore an oversized newsboy cap.

Of course, they were all old clothes donated to the orphanage. They had no money to buy clothes.

"I think we should have asked Mrs. Cole for some money, then taken a cab or something."

After walking for nearly an hour, Tom felt thoroughly exhausted.

Li Weide glared at Tom. "Did you forget that we sneaked out this morning? And the one who suggested sneaking out in secret seemed to be you."

"Hmph... I just couldn't be bothered explaining so much to her." Tom bent over and rubbed his legs. "Besides, didn't you agree too?"

"I had my reasons for not objecting." As Li Weide spoke, he suddenly placed a hand on Tom's shoulder. "Don't turn around. Keep walking."

"What is it?" Tom asked in confusion.

"Didn't you notice that someone's following us?" Li Weide said calmly.

"What? Who?"

"Don't look back, Tom... We're going this way." Li Weide led Tom sharply into a narrow alley beside them.

Tom followed Li Weide in bewilderment and hid with him around a corner in the alley.

"Who exactly is following us?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"My guess is human traffickers," Li Weide said. "After all, a good-looking little boy like you should fetch a fine price."

Tom said angrily, "How do you know they aren't after you? You're so 'pretty' that even that old cat arranged a room for you!"

"Shh..." Li Weide motioned for silence.

Just then, a man and a woman hurried into the mouth of the alley.

The man looked tall and strong, dressed like a laborer. The woman had her face tightly wrapped in a scarf.

"Where did they go?" the man asked in a gruff voice.

"I just saw them turn in here," the woman replied, her voice hoarse.

"This alley is a dead end. If they came in, they must still be in here!" As the man walked deeper into the alley, his vicious eyes searched all around.

The woman followed closely behind him. She took out a filthy handkerchief and a brown glass bottle, sprinkling something from the bottle onto the handkerchief as she walked.

Tom quietly peeked at the man through a crack in the wall and could not help frowning.

"Look, there seemed to be police patrolling not far ahead. Why didn't we go to them? Even if we'd only walked past the police, those two human traffickers wouldn't have dared keep following us! Why did we have to turn into this dead end?"

Li Weide stared at Tom in shock. "God! Tom actually wants to find the police when he's in danger?! Where did the Tom who whacked people on the nose with a rusty poker at the slightest disagreement go?"

Tom glared furiously at Li Weide. "I just wasn't sure whether my magic could control him. He's too strong... You don't think I'm afraid of him, do you?"

"It's all right, I understand, Tom. You're still young, after all..." Li Weide patted Tom on the shoulder consolingly.

"I said it! I'm not afraid of him at all!" The veins in Tom's neck bulged.

"Ah, right, right... Of course, how could the great Mr. Riddle possibly fear an ordinary person? So... you handle the woman, and I'll take the man."

"Bastard! Can't you understand human speech?"

Tom was nearly angered to death by Li Weide. Letting him handle the woman while Li Weide dealt with the man—wasn't that still saying he was afraid of the man?

"Tom, why are you so angry? I agreed with everything you said!"

"You! Bastard!"

Their argument grew louder and louder, quickly drawing the attention of the man and woman.

"Aha! You little brats, so this is where you're hiding!" the man cried excitedly.

This was a secluded dead-end alley. These two little brats had hidden here—they had practically walked into a trap.

"Hehe, come with us. I'll take you somewhere nice to eat."

The woman smiled as she spoke, looking at Li Weide and Tom as if they were two lumps of gold.

Two handsome little boys, and no adults around them! This was practically free money!

The greedy looks in their eyes disgusted and enraged Tom. The anger Li Weide had been provoking in him all this time instantly exploded.

"Get out of my way! You two filthy scum!"

Tom charged out in a rage.

Boom!

The man and woman were as if struck by an invisible carriage, instantly sent flying backward!

Li Weide's eyes lit up from behind.

Emotion really was the key to amplifying magical power! All his effort spent provoking Tom had not been wasted.

Tom also stared at his hands in astonishment, apparently shocked that he had just cast magic with such power.

Then he looked at Li Weide, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.

At that moment, the two had just rolled to a stop. The woman had fainted on the spot, while the man struggled to his feet.

He looked at Tom in terror, then staggered toward the mouth of the alley as if a demon were chasing him.

But the next second, his entire body froze! He stood motionless where he was, like a statue.

Li Weide slowly stepped out from behind Tom.

"You can't lose focus in a fight, Tom."

As Tom watched the man silently turn into something like a statue, his gaze cleared once more.

The confidence that had risen from his extraordinary performance was also crushed by Li Weide.

No... I still can't beat Li Weide... I can't fall out with him yet!

"We should go. We've already wasted too much time," Tom urged.

"Wait a moment, Tom. This isn't over yet." Li Weide walked up to the man.

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers before the man's face. The man's head was instantly released from its petrification.

But his body remained like a statue, utterly unable to move!

"You... demon! Demon! Spare me! Don't eat me! I don't want to die yet!" The man broke down in tears and snot.

Tom had just sent him flying from a distance, and now his body had been turned into a statue...

Such supernatural phenomena would have driven him mad on the spot if he had not been particularly brave.

"Shut up, or I'll make you a statue for the rest of your life," Li Weide said coldly.

The man immediately shut his mouth. While petrified just now, all his senses had actually remained intact.

Being able to feel everything yet unable to move even a little was simply too terrifying!

He did not want to experience it a second time, much less be unable to move for the rest of his life!

Li Weide asked expressionlessly, "Tell me, where is your hideout? Who is your boss? How many children do you still have? And... where have you hidden your money?"

Tom suddenly understood. "So you want to rob the robbers!"

"I'm saving people. This is a good deed that earns virtue!"

"Bullshit! If you wanted to save people, why would you ask where the money is? You clearly want to rob the robbers!"

"Tom... Do you ever watch what you say?"