Tom, Do You Never Watch What You Say?

Woods Orphanage was not close to the Leaky Cauldron. It could even be said to be quite far away.

But neither Tom nor Li Weide had much money.

So they could only 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 and taken a cab or something."

After walking for nearly an hour, Tom was exhausted.

Li Weide shot Tom a glare. "Did you forget that we snuck 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, you didn't object either, did you?"

"I had my reasons for not objecting." As he spoke, Li Weide 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 someone's following us?" Li Weide said calmly.

"What? Who?"

"Don't look back, Tom... This way." Li Weide led Tom into a nearby alley.

Tom followed Li Weide, utterly confused, and hid with him around a corner in the alley.

"Tell me, who exactly is following us?" Tom asked doubtfully.

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

Tom snapped, "How do you know they didn't come for you? You're so 'pretty' that that old cat even arranged a room for you!"

"Shh..." Li Weide gestured 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 wrapped her face tightly 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's a dead end. If they came in, they must still be here!" The man walked deeper into the alley, his vicious eyes scanning the area.

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 secretly peeked at the man through a crack in the wall, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Say, there were policemen patrolling not far ahead just now. Why didn't we go to them? Even if we merely passed by the police, those two traffickers wouldn't have dared follow us! Why did we have to turn into this dead end?"

Li Weide stared at Tom in astonishment. "Good Lord! Tom actually wants to go to the police when he's in danger?! Where did that Tom who smacked people in the nose with a rusty fire poker at the slightest disagreement go?"

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

"It's fine, I understand, Tom. You're still young, after all..." Li Weide patted Tom's shoulder comfortingly.

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

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

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

Tom was about to be driven mad by Li Weide. Giving him the woman while taking on the man himself—wasn't that still saying he was afraid of the man?

"Tom, why are you so angry? I agreed with you the whole time!"

"You! Asshole!"

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 shouted 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 for something delicious to eat."

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

Two cute little boys, with no adults around them! This was money falling into their laps!

The greedy looks in their eyes filled Tom with disgust and fury. The anger Li Weide had been stoking in him exploded all at once.

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

Tom charged out in a rage.

"Boom!"

The man and woman looked as though they had been struck by an invisible carriage, instantly sent flying backward!

Li Weide's eyes lit up as he watched from behind.

Emotions really were the key to amplifying the power of magic! His efforts to provoke Tom had not been in vain.

Tom also stared at his hands in shock, seemingly astonished that he had been able to cast such powerful magic just then.

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

The two had only just tumbled to the ground. The woman fainted on the spot, while the man struggled to his feet.

He looked at Tom in terror, then staggered toward the alley entrance, as though a demon were chasing him.

But the next second, his whole body froze! He stood perfectly still, like a statue.

Li Weide slowly stepped out from behind Tom.

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

Tom looked at the man, who had silently become statue-like, and clarity returned to his eyes.

The confidence that had swelled from his extraordinary performance was crushed by Li Weide once more.

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

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers in front of the man's face. The petrification around the man's head instantly lifted.

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 was so terrified that tears and snot streamed down his face.

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

Such supernatural events would have driven most people insane on the spot. The fact that he had not gone mad already showed that he had some courage.

"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 earlier, all his senses had still been intact.

Being able to feel everything yet unable to move at all had been utterly horrifying!

He had no desire to experience it a second time, much less remain unable to move for the rest of his life!

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

Tom suddenly understood. "So you're planning to rob the robbers!"

"I'm saving people. I'm doing good deeds and building merit!"

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

"Tom... do you never watch what you say?"