It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Looking at Bai Lin's eyes which contained three parts of reluctance but seven parts of encouragement for his teammates, Fei'er shrugged helplessly.

The setting sun was as blood-stained and bleak as a ray of light, and the evening breeze felt like a life-splitting blade. But before the already scarred hero, this chill was likely little more than a whetstone, only hardening his unwavering heart.

After crossing the vast ruins of the streets and arriving at Andel's home, Bai Lin cleaned her wounds briefly and bandaged them. She changed out of her armor and donned a tight vest made of only the necessary fabric. Perhaps feeling that this outfit might be too hot and attract attention on the street, she threw on a windbreaker and walked out onto the street.

While treatment for those who have inhaled Rakutenxiang (楽天香) is not yet complete, some initial steps have been taken. However, there seems to be no complete cure, and the treatment process is extremely long, with a large number of patients. Consequently, both private monasteries and official temples have begun offering treatment.

At least in terms of medical care, the government still had some control, and corruption hadn't spread to every corner of the city along with Le Tianxiang. Of course, Bai Lin had no idea what the level of medical care was.

But at least, in the past few days, she had learned which monasteries offered the best treatments and were the most responsible. It was a simple truth: the monastery these "Le Tian Xiang" vendors criticized the most was the one that was most effective.

Although Bai Lin was uneasy about the connection between medieval medicine and theology, this was not uncomfortably true. However, since healing magic existed in this world, and its strength was determined by faith, this was quite normal. Therefore, Bai Lin, an outsider, was willing to follow the information he had heard and take a look.

At a pace that was neither too slow nor too fast, Bai Lin and Fei'er walked a few blocks further and arrived at the intersection of the upper city and the lower city. This place didn't look very wealthy, but this didn't affect Bai Lin's impression. After all, this was not her first time here.

Chapter 406: Portrait

Standing before a heavy stone door, Bai Lin could clearly sense that this monastery wasn't very large. At best, it was only the size of a larger mansion. Despite this, Bai Lin decided to give it a try. It would be better to see the situation with his own eyes.

Shortly after she knocked on the door, someone opened it. It was a burly man, wearing a tight T-shirt that showed off his muscles. He had a muscular build and looked like a tough guy. But even such a tough guy, upon seeing Bai Lin, revealed an extremely uncalm expression—surprise.

Unexpectedly, Bai Lin was also very surprised. She was the first to speak and asked,

"Why are you here, Grell?"

"Um... I wanted to ask you something, Captain. You came here, so I guess you brought a patient with you. Come in first, and let's talk."

The stone door slammed shut, adding a touch of oppression to the monastery. On the smooth graystone walls, reliefs of gods and goddesses appeared. These reliefs seemed to tell a story, like comic strips, depicting a variety of scenes. Bai Lin even saw a child in the god's arms in one of the reliefs, and her heart trembled.

This can't be a picture of me, right? Bai Lin thought.

Of course, this was just a fleeting thought. In this sacred place, Bai Lin felt a bit depressed. On the one hand, she was eager to get Andel treated, but on the other hand, she was struggling with how to bring this up with Grell.

However, the former is obviously more important.

Following Greer a few steps, I saw a few makeshift tents set up in the courtyard outside the church. People dressed as nuns were moving around the tents, each of them moving hurriedly, occasionally entering and exiting.

"Sister Trija, is there anyone in the church free to perform treatment right now?"

Grell stopped in front of the church's pillared door and asked the taller nun standing in front of the door. The nun didn't look very energetic, with bags under her eyelids, perhaps indicating overwork.

Trija shook her head first, then looked towards Bai Lin. She immediately noticed Andel, who was on Fei'er's back, in a miserable state that almost looked like she had lost her humanity. After a moment of contraction, her mouth and brain reacted quickly.

"Emergency patient...come in quickly!"

The nun named Teresa anxiously opened the slightly mottled wooden door of the church behind her. She ran in first, and Grell looked back at Bai Lin before walking in.

Bai Lin, who followed in the footsteps, heard Terika's loud voice the moment he heard it.

"There's an emergency patient, someone please take over!"

Suddenly, several nuns emerged from several corners of the church. At Bai Lin's signal, Fei'er placed Andel on the stretcher prepared by the nuns, and then they followed the nuns into the church.

This church obviously lacked the grandeur of Camilantran's cathedral. Even with just the nuns and a few of them inside, it felt incredibly crowded. Only a single stained glass window high above the main entrance allowed for ample light, which wasn't too dim. In the dusk, it seemed quite ample.

In this small church, facing the main hall was a large wall. On this wall, a particularly conspicuous oil painting of a saint praying, which looked very sacred, was the place behind which Bai Lin and his companions were heading.

The church has a back door that looks not much different from the front door, but after walking around the portrait and near the back door, Bai Lin felt an aura that was inconsistent with the church.

The "smell of smoke"—the feeling of a human presence—perhaps this backyard was the nuns' primary living quarters. This was a convent, after all, not a typical church. The wooden and bamboo cooking utensils, the modest well, everything seemed a little out of place in this sacred church.

The solemn and sacred feeling, intricately blended into the atmosphere of life, created a strange atmosphere. Bai Lin could clearly understand that the wrinkles on the faces of these nuns and the calluses on their palms were the traces of hard life and the passage of time.

They were not like the nuns in the cathedral, dressed in elaborate attire. Although they lacked the purest sense of "holiness", these nuns made Bai Lin feel more credible.

She herself wasn't a big believer in God, having grown up in a scientific society. Opening the door between life and the church, and not feeling constrained when discussing theology, was perhaps the most appropriate faith.

Of course, Bai Lin didn't think too much about it. The first thing she noticed was the nun leaning against the wall, bending over to treat the patient in front of her. She was wearing a very tight nun's uniform. From the side, Bai Lin could only notice the calluses on her hands and the golden hair that was slightly exposed due to poor care.

It was obvious that there was still a patient in front of her, and even a few patients on stretchers not far away. It looked very hurried. A nun took two steps forward and seemed to say something to her. She suddenly raised her head and looked at Andel next to her.

"Ah, is it that serious? Phillips's condition is considered good now. Reina, you take him down and take care of him for a while. I'll see this patient first."

Although some nuns could be seen healing in the backyard, even Bai Lin could sense that the magical power emanating from this area was the greatest. Perhaps she was the most outstanding nun in this monastery.

As she raised her head to look towards Andel, Bai Lin caught a glimpse of her face and felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. The nun's face was delicate and youthful. Her clear blue eyes seemed a little unfocused, perhaps because, like Bai Lin, she was exhausted from working so long that she didn't bother focusing most of the time.

I have a feeling I've seen her somewhere before. Bai Lin thought so, but she couldn't remember who it was. Given her current situation, she couldn't open her mouth to ask.

"Treatment has begun, family members can go to the backyard..."

As soon as Trija opened her mouth, Grell glanced at her familiarly, patted Bai Lin's shoulder with obvious understanding, and said,

"Let's go to the back and reminisce, Captain."

Chapter 407 Angry

It had been less than a week since Bai Lin last met with Greer, so naturally, reminiscing about the past was just a formality. He, Bai Lin, and Fei'er found a relatively quiet corner outside the backyard and sat down. They started chatting.

"Captain, is this what you've been busy with these days?"

It seemed that Bai Lin was so confused that he didn't even know where to start. Therefore, Grayer was the first to ask. Bai Lin said calmly,

"That's about right. I didn't want to involve you guys, so I said I'd take a short break. I didn't expect that... What's wrong with you?"

Grell, who was familiar with Bai Lin, naturally understood what Bai Lin was asking. He scratched his head and replied,

"Actually... this is the monastery where Norman grew up. All of his Holy Light spells originated here, so a few days ago, he came to me with a serious look on his face and asked me to help out. Do some rough work, like guarding the door."

When Bai Lin heard this, he was a little surprised again.

"Hey, what about the others?"

Grayer waved his hand and pointed inside the church and replied,

"Outside the tent. He's mainly responsible for the work outside. Most of the patients over there are in stable conditions. Although there are more of them, Nowen is quite suitable for this job. Behind us... the nun you just met is mainly in charge. She is better at carefully caring for individual patients."

Bai Lin leaned against the wall, took a breath, and thought while looking at the dim sky.

It seems that even during their vacation, my teammates seem to have a strong sense of human crisis awareness and are working hard. If Aundair hadn't been in trouble... they would probably come here too.

She lived with her father, and judging by the body found on the floor of that room... it seemed Andel's accident was closely related to her father. Bai Lin was quite confident that she wouldn't take the initiative to touch these things.

However, the specific reason is still a mystery. Because of this, Bai Lin felt a little embarrassed to speak, so she decided to follow Greer's words and talk about something else to relax.

"That nun? What's her name? I feel like I've seen her somewhere."

Grayer looked at Bai Lin in surprise and replied,

"Captain, you have had some connection with nuns. Why have I never heard of it? It couldn't be a dream..."

"Stop talking about other things. Am I that kind of person?"

Bai Lin rolled his eyes at Grell and replied. This guy wasn't a talkative person, and generally had a rather reserved personality. Ever since he'd grown closer to the white-haired catgirl, he'd become increasingly talkative, even cracking some rather corny jokes.

Greer smiled and continued,

"That nun's name is Livlin. It seems that besides being very good at healing, she's also quite hardworking. Have you really met her?"

"Not really...I'm sure."

Bai Lin replied, then leaned against the wall and thought about the nun again. She had to admit that Grell's old-fashioned jokes did help her get some attention, but only for a moment.

"By the way, speaking of feeling like I've seen someone before, I feel like I've also seen the patient you brought here, Captain..."

Sure enough, Grayer also naturally noticed that something was wrong. Bai Lin sighed, and finally, she had to say what she had to say. Her face was rather solemn, but her tone was still relaxed.

"That's Aundair."

When Grell heard this, he immediately frowned, stared at Bai Lin and shouted,

"What?! How could Andel touch these things? This kind of joke is not funny-"

Bai Lin took off his windbreaker, revealing the more noticeable wounds all over his body, and replied,

"That's the truth. She was probably murdered. I've already apprehended all the people involved. Now, the most important thing is to get her back to health..."

Grayer's eyes widened. He immediately understood the seriousness of the situation and understood the weariness that occasionally flickered in Bai Lin's eyes. His expression grew serious, and he leaned against the wall somewhat helplessly.

"When I first heard some rumors, I thought the impact of this incident wasn't that serious. It wasn't until I came here that I realized the seriousness of Le Tianxiang. Since then, I've been worried that the important people around me would be affected by this thing."

Unexpectedly, it still happened. This is probably what Grell wanted to say. He was in a very complicated mood at the moment. On the one hand, he felt extremely angry, but since Bai Lin had already said that the relevant personnel had been eliminated, he had no grudges to seek.

On the other hand, he was filled with grief and indignation over the death of his close teammate. But as an ordinary adventurer, he could do nothing. He clenched his fists and was about to stand up when Bai Lin held him down.

"Calm down, Greer. I've already eliminated most of the sellers these days. After a break today, we should be able to put this matter to rest tomorrow."

Bai Lin turned around and looked at Greer seriously, his eyes full of reliability and determination.

"Those who truly hold power... I have ways to dismantle them. Acting rashly will only hurt yourself. Since you've been asked to guard this place, then do it well. If someone with ulterior motives dares to attack this place, we'll have to rely on you. Medical resources are still very important in times like these."

Bai Lin's words of persuasion were not very reassuring, especially for Greer, who was quite straightforward and even a bit hot-tempered. However, these words came from Bai Lin's mouth, and for such a long time, "understanding" and "trust" had also remained within Bai Lin's team.

Looking at Bai Lin's resolute eyes, Grell nodded, loosened his fist, and said in a relaxed manner,

"What are you talking about, Captain? I just want to ask Livlin to take better care of Andel. You are seriously injured, and you need the nuns to treat you."

Bai Lin also smiled knowingly and replied,

"As for Aundair, let's wait until the nun is free before we go and ask for help. As for me, the problem isn't serious. The wound isn't deep, and as a child of God, I'm unlikely to get infected. There are people who need treatment more than me."

After listening to what the captain said, Greer didn't say anything more. Instead, he stood up and walked to the backyard, saying that he was going to help the nuns prepare dinner.

Sometimes, Grell really doubted who his captain really was. His cheerful personality, even when he was pretending to be relaxed, seemed to share a "manly rapport" with him, almost like he could read his mind.

Chapter 408 nosmkg

Little did they know, Bai Lin was indeed a man, so he always knew what to do and when to do it. Of the female members on her team, one needed protection outside of combat, while the other needed Bai Lin's understanding responses to cope with her rather tsundere personality.

For a long time, Andel, despite being a relatively experienced adventurer, struggled to communicate effectively with her teammates due to her personality, often ending up with Bai Lin. It used to be a hassle, but now I think about it... I really miss it.

I miss it so much that I want to hear Andel stand up and angrily say to Bai Lin, "Who are you calling arrogant?"

Fei'er looked at Bai Lin sighing in the corner, and seemed to understand and sat a little closer to Bai Lin. She seemed to want to hold Bai Lin's hand to comfort him, but she didn't dare to do so directly.

Even though Fei'er had opened her heart, she still had trouble understanding the boundaries between herself and others. Like a girl in her first love, she was extremely cautious about everything. But... Bai Lin certainly wouldn't be like that.

Unconsciously, Fei'er's whole body trembled with shock. The reason for the trembling was that Bai Lin directly grasped Fei'er's half-extended hand. The former turned around and looked at Fei'er very reliably and said,

"It's okay. Everything will be fine."

This is exactly what I wanted to say, Fei'er thought, pouting. She could clearly sense the unease emanating from Bai Lin, yet she felt comforted by her.

Even though she felt relieved by Bai Lin's words, Fei'er still felt very unhappy. She immediately replied,

"I told you I'd face the difficulties together. You don't have to go through so much trouble to comfort me when you're clearly very nervous."

Even within her calm tone, there was a tremor in her voice. Even Fei'er, who rarely communicated with her teammates, had some feelings. Especially when it came to the matter of "Le Tianxiang".

Bai Lin's eyes were like the setting sun, short-lived but full of light and beauty. She looked much more energetic than before. She had no intention of admitting her mistake, but smiled again and continued,

"You are the one, right? You are obviously worried too, Fei'er."

A low "idiot" escaped Fei'er's mouth. She shook her head but did not let go of Bai Lin's hand.

Perhaps it was only a fool like this who could open Fei'er's closed heart at that time.

-

At dinnertime, Bai Lin and the others finally met up with Nuo Wen. The tall, handsome, and fair-skinned priest seemed quite beloved by the nuns. Even during these tense times, some curiously approached Nuo Wen to ask about Bai Lin and the others. After all, they were his adventuring companions, so it was a good idea to get to know Nuo Wen's current situation.

Unfortunately, after learning about Andel's situation, Nowen seemed to have a stronger emotional reaction than Greer. He immediately said that he would stay up all night to take care of Andel, but was stopped by Bai Lin.

"To be honest, I'm a very selfish person. I wish there was a priest taking care of Andel 24 hours a day. But if she knew that she had ruined your health and aggravated the condition of other patients, she probably wouldn't be happy either. Every profession has its specializations, Nowen, calm down."

Bai Lin's persuasion was perfectly sound. Since Nouwen wasn't good at meticulous solo treatment, it would be best not to burden him with too much energy. Ultimately, Nouwen relented and decided to stay up a little later. However, he remained somewhat glum. After all, hearing about this kind of thing made no one in the team happy.

Dinner was a short break, and although everyone finished quickly, there was still a joyful atmosphere. After dinner, Bai Lin rested for a while. After feeling a little better, he followed Grayer to the nearby street to carry some distributed supplies to the monastery.

After putting down the last box of supplies, Bai Lin leaned against the box and took a breath, which made Grell laugh.

"Captain, when did you become so weak? How much have you done?"

Bai Lin rolled his eyes at him unhappily, and replied naturally,

"Nonsense, today we're literally fighting from morning till night. If you can do it, why don't you try?"

Of course, Grell would just laugh it off, and Bai Lin wouldn't care.

The nuns seemed to have gone into the center of the church to perform treatments. After all, at night, the cold wind might have chilled the patients. Greer returned to the main gate, while Fei'er, seemingly somewhat interested in the treatment, retreated to the tent in the front yard. Naturally, Bai Lin was alone in the backyard, leaning against a wooden box. She lit a cigarette and began to smoke.

The relief stone walls weren't paved with bricks and tiles, but rather with greenery planted along the inner walls, removing the sense of loneliness often associated with the sheer stone. This courtyard design offered a very expansive view. Simply looking diagonally forward, Bai Lin could glimpse the unobstructed starry sky.

The night wasn't starry, but it was still beautiful. A sense of clarity washed over him, and the mist slowly drifted away from the moon, a seemingly auspicious sign. Bai Lin, feeling somewhat empty inside, stared at the night sky while smoking a cigarette.

Perhaps she'd been thinking too much, so her mind was completely blank. She just wanted to relax and put this bloody and dangerous situation to a quick end. But she knew it wasn't over yet, and she had to hold on.