Confusion (Please Vote)

Confusion (Please Vote~)

Most of the people who came and went through the clinic cried out in pain. The few who could endure it still groaned a couple of times. The young girl had never met anyone as calm as Shi Lan.

"If it hurts long enough, you get used to it."

People's ability to adapt was truly astonishing. Shi Lan's ability to endure pain had come from being mercilessly put through the wringer in the virtual space.

After cleaning Shi Lan's wound, the young girl hurried into the back room again. A short while later, she came out carrying several porcelain bottles.

She applied the medicine to Shi Lan's wound with practiced ease, then took out a roll of clean gauze and began bandaging it.

"This wound of yours needs rest. You'll need at least a month to recover. Try not to use your left hand during that time," the young girl advised as she bandaged her.

"Thanks for the advice." Shi Lan nodded.

Once she had finished bandaging the wound, the young girl tied off the gauze and said, "The medicine costs half a tael of silver. There's no charge for the bandage. Would you like to pay now, or settle everything later?"

"I'll settle it all later," Shi Lan replied.

The young girl acknowledged her, then said, "Go sit over there and rest for a while. There are still lots of people waiting."

She picked up the basin of water, now stained red with blood, from the wooden table and called loudly toward the door, "Next!" Then she went back into the rear room.

The burly man who had blocked their way earlier pushed the door open and came in. When he saw Shi Lan beside the wooden table, he gave an awkward smile.

Shi Lan paid him no attention. She walked over and sat beside the bed where Shi Feng lay.

The young girl came out with a fresh basin of water and began treating the burly man's wounds. Three nearly inch-deep claw marks ran down his arm, and scabs had already begun to form around them.

"Hiss... Miss Yue'er, could you be a little gentler?"

As soon as the young girl began cleaning the wounds, the burly man's brows knitted in pain, and he hurriedly spoke up.

"Have you no backbone? You're built like a mountain, yet you're still afraid of a little pain." The young girl continued working as she chided him.

In the face of her scolding, the burly man showed not the slightest resentment. Instead, he looked somewhat embarrassed and shut his mouth.

Seeing this, Shi Lan felt a little surprised. The burly man's reaction made it clear that he deeply respected the young girl and wouldn't dare act out of line.

The young girl quickly bandaged the burly man's wounds. Just as she was about to call in the next person, the old man from earlier emerged with two packets of medicine and said to her, "I'll take over here. Go brew the medicine. Reduce two bowls of water to one over a high flame, and do it quickly."

The young girl nodded, took the packets, and hurried into the back room.

The old man sat behind the wooden table and got to work. Injured people came and went through the clinic one after another.

A little over half an hour later, the young girl came out carrying a small bowl about the size of her palm.

After having Shi Lan help Shi Feng sit upright, the young girl took out a thin tube fitted with a small funnel and inserted it into Shi Feng's mouth.

As she worked, she gently stroked Shi Feng's throat, as if feeling for the right spot. Once she had found it, she slowly poured the bowl of medicine into his body.

"His fever should come down soon." After administering the medicine, a thin sheen of sweat had appeared on the young girl's forehead.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The young girl shook her head, went over to the wooden table, and began helping the old man.

The sky gradually darkened. Only after the sunlight had completely vanished did the stream of people outside the clinic begin to thin.

Once he had treated the last injured person, the old man went over to Shi Feng. After examining him, he remarked with some surprise, "This young man has an extraordinary constitution. Despite such severe injuries, his inner breath hasn't weakened. If anything, it seems to be growing steadier."

Hearing that, Shi Lan felt relieved. Shi Feng was, after all, a Xiantian Realm martial artist with a lifespan of two hundred years. His constitution had long since surpassed that of an ordinary person. Injuries that would be fatal to most people didn't necessarily mean death for him.

After marveling for a while, the old man looked at Shi Lan. "It's late now, so you should stay at the clinic for the night. That way, if anything happens to the patient, we can catch it in time. What is your surname, young lady?"

"My surname is Shi. I'm Shi Lan, and the one lying there is Shi Feng," Shi Lan replied.

"I'm Du Baisheng, and that's my granddaughter, Du Yue'er," the old man said, pointing at the young girl tidying up the clinic.

"Miss Yue'er is very skilled," Shi Lan said with a nod.

"Yue'er has studied medicine by my side since she was little. After all these years, she's picked up a thing or two." Du Baisheng stroked his goatee, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Thinking of the many injured people who had come and gone that day, Shi Lan asked, "Do this many people come here for treatment every day?"

Du Baisheng shook his head. "There have only been so many in the past few days. They've all been injured by the claws and fangs of wild beasts. The beasts around here have been growing increasingly violent lately. Even rabbits have started biting people. Injuries like these have become a common sight."

Hearing this, Shi Lan began to suspect that the changes in the wild beasts must have something to do with the demon beasts.

After Du Yue'er finished putting things away, she closed the clinic's front door and carried over two chairs.

Du Baisheng took one of the chairs and sat down. "I've practiced medicine in Shuangyue City for more than ten years, but I've never seen you before. Where are you from?"

"Tenglong City."

Du Yue'er held out the other chair to Shi Lan and asked curiously, "Where is Tenglong City?" Aside from the nearby villages and towns, the farthest she had ever traveled was Baoshan City, more than three hundred li from Shuangyue City. She had never heard of Tenglong City.

Shi Lan took the chair and thanked her. "Tenglong City is very far from here."

"How far?"

Shi Lan was stumped. She estimated the distance and answered uncertainly, "Probably tens of thousands of li."

"That far? Then it must take a long time to get home," Du Yue'er exclaimed.

Du Baisheng looked at Shi Feng lying on the bed, then at Shi Lan, who was clearly still young. He sighed inwardly. A journey of tens of thousands of li—she must have suffered a great deal.

"You're so far from home. Where are you headed?" Du Baisheng asked.

"We were traveling for experience at first. Now we're trying to escape danger."

"Escape danger?" Du Baisheng was taken aback. "What danger?"

"We're fleeing from demon beasts."

"Demon beasts?" Du Baisheng looked confused. "Aren't those things just the stuff of legends? No one in Shuangyue City has heard a word about demon beasts in nearly a hundred years."

Hearing Du Baisheng say that, Shi Lan was struck by disbelief. Questions of all kinds flooded her mind.

It had been several months since the Demon Race launched its full-scale invasion, yet there were still people who hadn't heard about it?

Moreover, this place wasn't very far from where Shi Lan and Shi Feng had encountered that Demon King. That was more than enough to show that demon beasts had already begun invading the area. How could there still be people here who knew nothing about it?

If that was truly the case, why were the Demon-Suppressing Army stationed in Shuangyue City, concealing the news and guarding the city?