Chapter 100: Warm Tea Lake, Pine Forest Moonlit Night, Middle
Rumble rumble rumble—
The lightning from the sky illuminated the gray ancient castle. On the execution ground that had already fallen silent, large patches of blood stains spread down from the platform, washed by the rain into long, bloody streams that wound their way everywhere. In the instant when the bright white lightning illuminated everything, they appeared even more shocking and heart-stopping.
When the last batch of bodies and heads were taken away in carts and buried, the sudden storm that had ravaged the southern region of Silgayana since late March seemed to have slightly subsided.
Outside the castle square and under the countless camp buildings lining the walls, knights and people in long robes were bustling about in the dim light of the fire. Some had taken off their armor and sat in groups on the gray brick camphouses, using the rainwater to clean the bloodstains and mud from their armor. Others silently sharpened their swords with whetstones, while several small squads patrolled the high walls and barriers, searching for any potential enemies still lurking in the darkness.
The night was deep.
Above the sky, dark clouds gathered, and no stars could be seen.
Two crescent moons emerged from behind the clouds, casting faint light onto the ground.
Under the moonlight, disheveled women who had been improperly dressed gradually dispersed from around the execution ground, one, two… five, ten… Their eyes were dull, and most left in silence, walking like zombies, not knowing where they were going. Occasionally, someone would let out a sharp, ear-piercing laugh that echoed through the castle like the ghost of the night.
Several nuns stood in the rain, waving at the women, shouting, “Please try to avoid getting wet, everyone! Go inside the castle! Lady Alastair will arrange places for you to rest—”
“Regardless of whether you originally had accommodations in the castle, please all go to the main hall first—”
The nuns shouted with all their might. Some heard them and slowly walked towards the inner castle’s gate, while others remained standing in place, looking up at the night sky, letting the rain pour over them, drenching their lost and bewildered faces.
In the darkness, someone quietly moved in a direction opposite to the inner castle from a corner unnoticed by anyone.
She broke away from the crowd, walking slowly, her steps unsteady. Her dress fluttered in the wind and rain, and her thin, coarse clothing, oversized and paper-thin, revealed one shoulder. Her brown hair was plastered to her face by the rain.
The woman walked faster, quickly turning into a tower, soon climbing up the wall, stepping onto the crenellation. At this moment, a patrol knight happened to pass below the wall. Someone saw her, paused, and raised his hand to scold, “Hey…”
Not far away, several women who sensed something turned back and saw the slender figure standing atop the wall. Her brown hair was disheveled by the wind, and her skirt flapped loudly. Someone recognized her, their eyes hazy as they muttered, “Amelina…”
“Amelina!”
The woman named Amelina slightly lifted her head, seemingly gazing at the moon. Then, she took another step forward.
A foot slipped.
The slender figure rapidly fell, disappearing behind the crenellation.
Moments later, a shrill scream tore through the night, echoing far and wide.
“Aaaahhhhh—”
…
Inside the castle, second floor.
In a room where the fire burned, another woman screamed in agony.
“Don’t let her move, don’t let her move—”
“Quickly press your hands down!”
The woman lying on the blood-soaked bed had one eye blindfolded and bandages wrapped around her face. She thrashed and struggled, wildly slapping the bed, her face pale as wax, veins bulging in her neck, emitting sounds like those of a wild beast.
A nun nearby remained calm, gently wiping the woman’s chest with a cloth soaked in strong liquor—her chest had two wounds larger than a bowl, symmetrically placed, oozing blood—besides that, there was nothing else.
I threw the blood-stained cloth into the basin, then quickly grabbed the woman’s flailing hands after hearing the nun’s words, pressing them down on the bed.
“Please, bear with it…”
Sweat almost flowed into my eyes, but I didn’t dare wipe it.
Another nun handed her a wooden tube, “Bite down!”
The woman shook her head frantically.
“Her wound has opened again!”
Blood spurted from the woman’s chest wound like a fountain. The nun hurriedly tried to press it with a cloth, but the action was too quick, and a few drops of hot blood splattered onto my face.
“Herb for stopping bleeding!”
“There’s no more herb for stopping bleeding, go get it from the hall! And bring ginseng root! It needs to be crushed—”
“I’ll go, you hold her down!”
The woman seemed exhausted, her struggling strength diminished. Giving her to the nun was fine; I knew where the herbs were kept, and no one could run faster than me here.
“I… it hurts so much…”
“It hurts so much…”
The woman twitched weakly, her faint voice reaching my ears.
“You’ll be okay…”
I leaned down, forcing a smile to comfort her, then said to the nun, “I’ll be right back!”
I turned and ran out of the room, nearly colliding with a nun. Hurriedly, I made my way to the first-floor hall, looking at the tents. The managing nun looked at me, and I was somewhat urgent, “Herb for stopping bleeding, ginseng root!”
I had picked ginseng root in the forest before and was familiar with its appearance. I immediately spotted it and rushed into one of the tents, grabbing a handful from a wooden box.
“Bowl, which room?” the nun asked behind me.
“Thirteen, she’s about to give up.”
“Don’t rush, this is the herb for stopping bleeding…”
The nun grabbed some green leaves and put them in the bowl, adding water, stirring quickly. I added the ginseng root, watching her anxiously, tapping my feet impatiently.
Hurry hurry hurry…
Finally, the medicine was prepared. I took the bowl and ran, feeling as if a flame burned within me, wishing I could use Moon Step to jump directly to the second floor. But afraid of spilling the medicine, I ran back, using my shoulder to push open the door, “Medicine is here…”
The scene before me froze me in place.
The weak woman lay on the bed, large amounts of fresh blood gushed from her mouth, choking her airway. She coughed, her grip on the bed sheets loosening, her eyes gradually losing focus. The nuns nearby covered their mouths, their expressions as if they were about to cry.
“She bit her tongue…”
“What are you waiting for? Go find the bishop!”
The voice of the nun superior was choked with tears. Soon after, someone ran out from beside me.
I still held the medicinal bowl in my hand and slowly walked to the bedside. I stared blankly at the woman who continued to spit blood. She seemed to sense my gaze and turned her head slightly, her beautiful blue eye trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. Her mouth, filled with blood, opened and closed as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
“Cough, cough…”
After a moment, a sad and relieved smile slowly spread across the corners of her mouth.
Her eyes closed.
“Don’t die…”
I felt lost and helpless.
Do something…
Act quickly…
But I couldn’t do anything. My mind was blank.
I watched as her face gradually turned red, then slowly lost its color. The wound on her chest continued to ooze blood, but no longer moved.
In my heart…
It felt like a knife was twisting.
The other two nuns also remained silent, and the room became quiet until the young bishop entered, pushing open the door. A faint green light illuminated the entire room, and the divine light of miracles lit up the room. The nuns started moving again, but the woman would never wake up again.
The middle-aged nun covered her with a white cloth.
“Who has any leftover blood-stopping herbs—”
From outside the room, someone shouted urgently in the corridor.
Blood-stopping herbs…
The shout reached my ears. After about two seconds, I suddenly snapped out of my trance and my mind caught up.
I had crushed blood-stopping medicine in my hand.
“Here!”
There was no time to catch my breath, no time to grieve. The woman had already died, and countless others were still alive. If effective treatment wasn’t provided promptly, they might not last even half a night.
I can’t stop…
Holding the bowl, I ran out of the room to the nun who had called out.
“Madam Sylviega, follow me.”
She led me to another room, where I saw a little girl lying on the bed, her eyes tightly shut. She looked to be only a bit over ten years old, her small body with furrowed brows, her cheeks flushed, as if she had a high fever. She was already unconscious. Next to her, a young monk had just performed a healing miracle; the faint golden aura had not yet fully dissipated. I hurried forward and heard the girl muttering something incoherently.
“How is she?” the nun asked the monk.
He wiped sweat from his brow, smiling wearily. “She should be saved.”
“Thank God…”
The nun patted her chest, sighing deeply.
The young monk leaned against the wall, breathing heavily for a few seconds before waving his hand. “You take care of this. I need to check on someone downstairs.”
“You must be tired.”
The monk quickly left the room. I handed the herbal medicine to the nun, who was about to take it when a call came from outside: “Aisha, Aisha! Come help! The patient here is bleeding again!”
The nun named Aisha changed her expression. “I’m coming!”
She then said to me, “Madam Sylviega, the girl’s condition is basically stable now. She’s sleeping. Please apply the medicine to her wound. There’s only one injured spot, so don’t use too much. Save some for others… I’ll be back soon.”
With that, the nun rushed out. I could faintly hear suppressed moans and cries from next door. The sounds weren’t loud, but they conveyed pain and suffering. My heart quivered, and I stood there stunned for a moment before shaking my head, trying to focus.
Just apply the medicine… It’s simple…
I walked slowly to the girl’s bed, sat down, and looked at her restless face in her sleep—a nightmare perhaps. Her brows were tightly knitted, her mouth opening and closing, murmuring.
“Mama… Mama…”
She was calling for her mother…
Is her mother still alive?
I wiped my hands with an alcohol-soaked cloth, stirred the sticky medicine in the bowl, and gently applied it to the girl’s wound.
This was the most delicate part of her body.
A ten-year-old girl, not fully developed, with a tender and vulnerable area.
A tiny flower, torn apart by life, with a wound nearly half an inch long. Although it was already healing, the scab had formed, but such an injury still made my heart ache, like a heavy hammer hitting my chest, making it hard to breathe.
She’s too young…
Who could be so cruel…
As I applied the medicine, my nose began to tingle.
My hands were trembling violently.
Damn…
Damn it!!!
“I… am scared…”
The little girl continued to mutter in her sleep, her stomach rising and falling, her head moving restlessly. I reached out to touch her hair scattered on the bed, pinching her chubby cheek.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
“You’ll be fine…”
“Your life has a very long road ahead… In the future, you will surely find a man who loves you very much… Before that, you need to get better quickly…”
I didn’t realize that my voice had already choked up.
And the girl’s face blurred in my vision.
Soon, a slight sound of footsteps came from behind.
Nun Aisha had returned to the room, standing behind me, her hand on my shoulder. “Madam Sylviega…”
“I’m fine.”
I quickly wiped away my tears, sniffled, and stood up from the bed, handing the bowl to the nun. “I’ve applied the medicine. The rest…”
Before I could finish speaking, a white figure suddenly fell from above, passing through the corner of my vision, plunging from the window like a snowflake, disappearing in a flash—
Bang.
I heard a muffled thud.
My mouth opened, but what I was going to say… was forgotten.
The nun and I looked at each other, then both turned to look out the window, our minds still processing what had happened.
What was that… just now?
A person?
Yes, a person…
“Ahh—”
