Chapter 386: Prelude to the Song (3.5k)
“You are the Frost Blade Doctor who temporarily joined our team, right? You’ve missed your chance to leave.”
As Xu Wutong and Su Jiu were communicating, that short doctor began to look at Su Jiu with a frown. It seemed that ever since she arrived in Aers, she had been going to different places mysteriously, and now, looking at her, she indeed seemed not simple.
“It’s fine, I wasn’t planning to leave right now anyway—you can call me Su Jiu. Frost Blade is just a title from the world competition.”
Hearing this, Su Jiu smiled and didn’t seem to care too much. She glanced at the common people who were all looking over. She greeted the band members behind her and asked Catherine to start the song healing work: “You guys go inside and familiarize yourselves with the environment first, and find a good spot to use your healing skills. After all, your singing skills need a spacious place to amplify the sound, otherwise, the effect won’t be as good.”
Catherine was slightly startled when she heard about the world competition and suddenly looked up at Su Jiu, wanting to say something. But when she heard Su Jiu and the others arranging things for them, she fell silent and listened.
“Singing…”
But before she could speak, the short doctor looked at Su Jiu with great surprise. His gaze fell on Catherine and the others, and he asked with some astonishment, “You actually use singing to heal the wounded? This is a very rare skill. Ordinary people can’t access it at all. It is said that it was modified from the singing of demons like Sirens by powerful beings.”
Being watched by many people, the bald driver stepped forward, placed a hand on the shoulder of the short doctor, offered him a cigarette, and said with a smile showing his yellow teeth, “Kid, don’t say this in front of so many people. Just treat it as a normal skill.”
Waving off the cigarette and pondering for a moment, the short doctor said to them, “Since you know the Frost Blade Doctor, follow me. The rooftop is a good place. Our colleagues often play the guitar on the rooftop.”
After speaking, he walked into the hospital, continuously blowing bubbles of chewing gum, as if this was his way of relieving stress.
“Let’s follow them. After using this group healing, it’s time to return home completely.”
Behind the bald driver, her gaze moved back and forth between Su Jiu, Ling Meng, and the short doctor. Catherine nodded slightly, waved to the band members, and headed towards the hospital.
On the way, she kept her head down, thinking about something. She suddenly stopped, looked up at the old musician beside her, swallowed, and asked, “Haimo Bo, I remember your granddaughter also participated in the world competition and got a good ranking, right?”
“Yes, that girl inherited her mother’s bloodline, and her strength is much greater than mine now. She has reached the level of a half-step Battle King. It is said that she represented their school team.”
Hearing Catherine’s words, the old musician paused, scratched his head with a smile, and asked somewhat puzzled why she was asking, “However, why are you asking this, Miss?”
“She also came from the world competition, and it’s very likely that she’s a top genius under 21 years old…”
Hearing the old musician’s words, Catherine turned her head to look at the girl in the black dress again, and a ripple stirred in her heart. Is this the profundity of the ancient Eastern country…
Mainly, she knew too well that there were no seniors at all. Her strength—she could easily kill an Initial Stage Battle King. The way that officer was cut down like a chicken was still vivid in her memory.
“What? You don’t think Miss Su Jiu, who has a title, would be a contestant?”
The old musician chuckled, then shook his head and walked into the hospital. His aged voice carried a hint of teasing, clearly thinking his young lady’s thoughts were not thorough enough. “Miss, this Miss Su Jiu must be a school leader or a referee from the world. Students can’t kill people this ruthlessly. As for her age—the minimum is this.”
Saying this, he used the back of his hand to gesture a ‘five’, then walked towards the stairs, continuing to smoke his old cigarette, saying, “Real contestants can’t reach this level. Moreover, she seems to be cultivating both medicine and alchemy. Even a normal student, from birth, can’t achieve this.”
“Only then can it be explained.”
Seeing the old musician’s gesture, Catherine nodded thoughtfully and followed him. Real contestants indeed couldn’t reach this strength. However, as far as she knew, during every world competition, they would appear near the finals, taking potions similar to the one in her hand.
And if you add the priest’s skills…
Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and the image of blood dripping from Su Jiu’s fingernails flashed in her mind. She still shook her head and sighed softly, “Still not right, that girl is definitely not one of those students.”
With this year’s high-quality matches, she might reach the level of an Intermediate Battle King. For some reason, Su Jiu gave her a feeling that—she was more than just an Intermediate Battle King.
…
“I heard them say that you rushed here to help us. As expected, heroes are always young.”
On the lawn in front of the hospital, Su Jiu and the other two walked with Director Robert and Xu Wutong. Xu Wutong kept glancing at Bairnis in surprise while looking at her phone. Robert, on the other hand, carefully examined Su Jiu and said with a smile at this moment.
“As expected of a young person who can represent Dragon Country in the competition. I assume you are among the top ranks even in those teams?”
This wasn’t just a casual remark. When Su Jiu appeared, he had scrutinized her carefully. Then, to his surprise, he found that even as a Battle King himself, he couldn’t quite see through the young lady in front of him.
Hearing the old director’s words, the refugees and doctors on the lawn outside looked over with great curiosity. Who didn’t know about a place like the world competition?
The world only allowed the top youths under 21 from each country to participate. And those who could become outstanding there were all exceptionally talented individuals. Unexpectedly, this girl in the black dress not only had an extraordinary background but also possessed strength no less than anyone else.
Was such a person representing the will of that place?
Looking at the admiring gazes around, Bairnis, following behind Su Jiu, felt a sense of honor. Perhaps this was the so-called shared glory?
“My performance in the world competition was alright. Our team couldn’t compare to those real strong teams, and we didn’t even have substitutes.” Seeing Robert praising her so highly, Su Jiu chuckled softly and shook her head.
Hearing Su Jiu’s words, Robert was stunned, then fell silent for a while. He looked through the railing at the dilapidated land outside. His gaze wandered over the spiderwebs, and finally landed on Su Jiu’s face. He suddenly said with anticipation, “Miss Su Jiu, can the High-Rank Battle King behind you make a move? If that person is willing to intervene, I can offer two Battle King level medicinal herbs as compensation.”
Su Jiu also stopped moving and shook her head, saying quite seriously, “There is no High-Rank Battle King behind me.”
“No High-Rank Battle King?” Robert was stunned, tapping his cane on the ground beside him, splashing some dirt. He then turned to Su Jiu in confusion, “Then why did Major General Bard bow to you…?”
Su Jiu blinked her eyes and continued to say earnestly, “Perhaps he was afraid of me too.”
“Afraid of you?”
Robert’s mind couldn’t quite catch up. He suddenly thought of Dragon Country’s long-standing principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and assumed that “that person” behind Su Jiu was unwilling to intervene in the battlefield. He then chuckled bitterly and shook his head, “I probably understand what that person means. However, if there is no equally strong person to deter them in tomorrow’s exchange, I’m afraid it will be difficult to protect those refugees.”
“Director, can I also participate in tomorrow’s exchange?”
Knowing that Robert could not believe her strength, Su Jiu did not care. She just smiled, looking at the lights suddenly flickering on the rooftop of the hospital, where an amplification formation appeared, accompanied by the sound of musical instruments.
“Of course, after all, we are all doctors from the International Red Cross.”
Robert nodded and followed Su Jiu’s gaze. The light reflected in his turbid eyes like fireworks, and it seemed like his granddaughter’s smile reappeared…
“Since that senior is unwilling to make a move, I’ll have to find a way to contact some old friends…”
After a long while, he sighed heavily and walked into the hospital. Turning his head, he said to Su Jiu and the others, “But you must be careful. I’ve met Kyoungde. He’s a complete smiling tiger. To achieve his goals, he’ll do anything… This person is different from Dragon Country, and you are both women…”
“En… but I think he wouldn’t dare to mess around.” Looking at his retreating figure, Su Jiu smiled.
After the other person had completely left, Su Jiu turned to Xu Wutong. Xu Wutong was holding Bairnis’s phone, which contained the article “Land of Freedom.” Su Jiu then took Bairnis’s small hand, patted her head, and asked Xu Wutong, “How is it written? Bairnis wrote it.”
Being suddenly asked by Su Jiu, Xu Wutong put down her phone and looked at Bairnis in surprise. Her light blue eyes held a look of admiration, and she exclaimed, “This ‘child’, you only look fourteen, but you must be older than that, right? These words are not something a child could write—they contain not only ‘truth’ but also personal insights.”
“En…”
Bairnis was about to nod in response when she was embraced by a hand around her waist. She looked up in surprise at Su Jiu’s chin, then lowered her head again, a blush spreading across her face, “Miss…”
“She is that age. She was supposed to be my child bride since she was young, so she knows quite a lot.”
Pulling Bairnis into her arms, Su Jiu smiled slyly, hugging her like a large pillow, and said playfully.
“Miss, don’t…”
After Su Jiu spoke, a look of panic appeared on Bairnis’s face. She tried to struggle but found herself held even tighter. Her delicate, elf-like face, as she lowered her head slightly, even showed baby fat, making her inexplicably cute.
Miss, what are you doing!
“Don’t you want me like this?”
Without looking at Bairnis, Su Jiu chuckled and hugged her gently, her gaze fixed on the suddenly radiant lights on the rooftop, where some light music seemed to be playing.
Su Jiu actually understood Bairnis’s feelings, but she didn’t want to be too sentimental. She already had enough people—but these days, after interacting with Bairnis, she suddenly realized that the Blood Clan Duke in front of her loved so humbly.
So humble that if she didn’t speak, she might follow her by her side like a servant forever—of course, even if she did speak, it would be the same.
Bairnis, she—craved love too much.
“I… Miss… is a bad person…”
Hearing her innermost thoughts being exposed by Su Jiu, whom she always thought was clueless, Bairnis buried her head even lower. Her head pressed against something soft, but she didn’t smell the girl’s fragrance, but more rust…
“Miss must be very tired after being injured and killing so many people in this dress.”
This caused the latter’s breathing to catch. After a slight pause, her slender hands gently rested on Su Jiu’s back, and small butterflies flew from her fingertips, circling around them, emitting a faint fragrance.
Retracting her gaze, Xu Wutong also looked up at the rooftop:
Youth is so good…
Feeling the brilliant lights on the rooftop, other ordinary refugees also lifted their heads, a dense mass, evoking blank faces. The children pointed at the rooftop, seemingly expecting something…
“Will they sing Dr. Liu’s song?”
“Probably not… Dr. Liu is from Dragon Country, and that is also a Dragon Country song.”
“Never mind the song, it’s good enough to have something to listen to.”
Hearing these conversations, Su Jiu glanced at the people talking. It seemed that the Dr. Liu they mentioned was the same Liu Gang from before. She had a rather deep impression of him—he was a music teacher at a Dragon Country Dragon Hunter University.
Just as Su Jiu and the others were all thinking about waiting for the song, the lights on the rooftop suddenly dimmed, and the music also disappeared…
Suddenly, the old musician from before rushed out of the corridor. He looked around, then ran towards Su Jiu, saying with a wry smile:
“It seems there are too many patients. My Miss’s strength cannot support so much energy. We might only be able to do a normal performance.”
