Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Chapter 9 The end of the hero
Joan of Arc led him through several groups of people to an open space filled with torches. There were about twenty stretchers on the ground, on which lay the wounded. They clutched their abdomens or chests, groaning weakly, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

"Commander, please don't worry about us anymore..."

"Yes, you should hurry up and leave, the enemy may catch up soon."

As the wounded man saw Joan of Arc approaching, he gritted his teeth and pleaded with her.

The latter clenched his fists and remained silent.

The situation seems really serious. Chen Xuan decisively said, "Select the seven most serious cases."

The surrounding soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Do as he says,” Joan of Arc commanded.

With the commander's instructions, everyone sprang into action.

During this time, he also finished reading through the biographical records about the Saint Girl.

In less than a quarter of an hour, seven seriously injured people were moved in front of Chen Xuan. Their torsos were either pierced by spears or their heads were smashed by iron hammers. If they did not receive immediate treatment, they would probably not survive the night.

Of course, given the medical standards of that era, even if they could be cured, they wouldn't be able to return to the battlefield; they would now be a burden on the entire army. Most generals would likely abandon them immediately, but Joan of Arc insisted on marching with these seriously wounded soldiers. No wonder she gained immense prestige in the army so quickly after her rise to power.

Chen Xuan took out all the blood oranges, crushed them in half one by one, and handed them to Joan of Arc. "Swallow half of them, and crush the other half and apply it to the wound. If any organs are protruding, put them back in first."

Joan of Arc remained unsuspecting and immediately began treating the soldier as instructed.

At first, the others looked doubtful, but their expressions quickly turned to shock and disbelief.

"Oh my god...this medicine works!"

"God bless!"

There were also many gasps of surprise.

"The wound is closing up, how is that possible!?"

Chen Xuan took two steps forward and bent down to examine it closely—he saw that the wounds where the medicine had been applied were beginning to solidify at a visible speed, as if a layer of white frost had grown on the skin. The bleeding that had been flowing had also stopped, or rather... the overflowing blood was the main cause of the white frost; it faded and solidified rapidly, just like tap water left outdoors in the dead of winter, which would freeze in no time.

This effect is undoubtedly much stronger than ordinary wound medicine!

No wonder it's a formula used by cultivators of immortality.

The soldiers' condition improved significantly in a short time; their contorted expressions of pain subsided, and their groans gradually quieted down.

The way others looked at Chen Xuan changed noticeably.

There was gratitude, admiration, and even awe.

Joan of Arc was also greatly shocked, "What kind of medicine is this? I have never seen a medicine with such amazing effects."

“It’s an elixir of immortality,” Chen Xuan boasted deliberately, “something only celestial beings can use.”

Unexpectedly, the other party immediately understood.

“…Are you referring to God? If it is something blessed by our Lord, then everything makes sense,” Joan murmured. “How many of these pills do you have? I am willing to pay any price to buy them!”

Such a miraculous drug is tantamount to a second life for soldiers; possessing it could be enough to influence the course of the battlefield.

Chen Xuan could naturally guess what the other party was thinking, but for him, pills were just an auxiliary means to improve the customer's goodwill; the real focus was on ability trading.

His transaction with Liu Shuyue taught him one thing: how much ability the other party is willing to display, and how many abilities they are willing to exchange, is entirely up to the transacting party. Therefore, the attitude and goodwill of a stranger before a transaction is extremely important. If the other party harbors reservations, they will certainly offer only their lowest-level abilities. Thus, raising the customer's satisfaction level before sitting down to discuss business is the most effective approach.

This is similar to how the representative of Party B likes to accompany Party A to a dinner party, karaoke, and massage session before signing a contract.

Chen Xuan also noticed a detail.

The troops did not set up camp. It was already late at night, and even with torches illuminating the road, it was still dimly lit, making a horseback march a high-risk undertaking. The surrounding environment was far from open; the path was flanked by trees two to three meters tall. In the era of cold weapons, armies generally did not choose such locations for battle, as it was inconvenient for cavalry to launch a charge.

The fact that they were willing to risk traveling at night to move through the night, coupled with the advice of wounded soldiers, meant that this unit was likely in danger of being pursued.

After reading Joan of Arc's brief biography, Chen Xuan already had a vague guess in his mind.

“That’s all the medicine I have… I can’t gather any more in a short time.” He said, looking at Joan of Arc. Before she could show any disappointment, he immediately added, “But there’s more than one way to defeat those enemies… By the way, have you been to Compiègne? Or did you just escape from there?”

Joan of Arc was genuinely surprised. "How did you know—"

In that instant, her fists clenched, her expression was no longer as calm as before, and a dark flame seemed to have appeared in her green eyes.

Sure enough.

Chen Xuan thought to himself, "According to records, the small battle near Compiègne was the last battle Joan of Arc fought. If the Saintess had not been defeated and captured, it would not have left a trace in history."

This was supposed to be a minor skirmish, but Joan of Arc's attack on the English was thwarted by pro-English Burgundians who outflanked her. She immediately ordered a retreat back to Compiègne, but the Compiègne garrison, fearing the Burgundians would follow, closed the city gates before all troops had returned. Joan of Arc, who was personally covering the rear, was unable to return to the city and was eventually surrounded and captured by the enemy.

There isn't much information about this battle online; it's basically just a brief mention. But seeing Joan of Arc's reaction, Chen Xuan suddenly realized that day was definitely not a short and peaceful one for those involved.

It took her a few seconds to control her anger. "Our route should be classified, but why is it that even you, sir, know everything about our army's movements?"

Even me?

Chen Xuan understood the underlying meaning: even if a shop owner knew military intelligence, it was insignificant. But what if the enemy knew it too?

“I can see far more than you imagine,” he said calmly. “This operation was flawed from the start, wasn’t it? It was as if the enemy had already received word and was waiting for you in the countryside. Despite your valiant fighting, the enemy outnumbered you and attacked from both sides, forcing you to order a retreat. You had already begun to suspect that there was a traitor in the city leaking information about the army… It wasn’t until the city gates were closed prematurely, completely ignoring the fact that the supreme commander was still outside, that you realized this battle was actually a trap…”

“I never said that!” Joan of Arc interrupted loudly.

Her unusual reaction drew the attention of her subordinates.

"Of course you wouldn't say that, because there's no evidence, and it would undermine morale."

Seeing that she wasn't refuting the process but only the conclusion, Chen Xuan already understood that she had escaped from the direction of Compiègne. Even though defeat was inevitable, Joan of Arc didn't give up easily but attempted to break out, only to ultimately fail to escape the enemy's pursuit.

This also means that at this very moment, the Burgundian troops are still closing in second by second.

"What you fear most isn't a traitor, but rather, following this line of thought, who truly wants you to fail, even to disappear completely? You pray amidst doubt and despair, hoping someone can answer your questions, or lend a helping hand… Then, in this desolate wilderness where shops are practically nonexistent, you stumble upon a small shop. The light emanating from it is softer than you've ever seen, making the desperate night less dark. So even in such a dangerous moment, you stop, wanting to go inside and take a look…"

Chen Xuan paused.

"Now you understand who I am, and why I know all this?"

Joan of Arc stared at him, stunned. "This... is impossible..."

"Whether it is or not is not important. What is important is that I can help you defeat the enemy and turn the tide of the battle." Chen Xuan took out a barcode scanner from his pocket—this thing is wireless and can work as long as you don't leave the Wi-Fi range—and pressed the scan button on the bewildered girl.

The remote desktop on my phone responded immediately.

He selected the Spirit Sword Technique and dragged it to the trade window.

At the same time, Joan of Arc's eyes widened as if she had seen a monster!

"God above... what are all these things? Floating words... are they glowing?"

"See this ability? It's what I was talking about... the way to defeat the enemy," Chen Xuan coaxed. "But to gain something, you always have to lose something, even if you're the Holy Maiden. Let me see how much you're willing to pay for victory..."

Before he could finish speaking, all four boxes on the screen lit up instantly.

Please add this to your favorites and recommend it!



(End of this chapter)