The man's hair was tangled with dry grass and mud, messily obscuring most of his face. His tattered coat was torn in multiple places, and his exposed skin was covered in a mix of fresh and old bruises alongside scabbed-over scars.
He unconsciously scratched at the dirt beneath him over and over, his fingernails caked with black grime.
He muttered in a low voice, his words too faint to make out, sounding like the incoherent ramblings of someone half-conscious.
Bai Xuan walked over with slow steps and squatted down in front of him. Sensing the movement, the man didn't look up but instead curled his body even tighter.
Bai Xuan didn't speak to test him, simply reaching out to place a hand gently on his shoulder.
The refugee stiffened instantly, then slowly raised his head, peering up at Bai Xuan through his tangled hair.
His eyes were dull and cloudy, the whites bloodshot and his gaze unfocused, devoid of any discernible emotion.
A moment later, he buried his head back into his knees and resumed scratching mechanically at the dirt.
Bai Xuan's hand on his shoulder paused slightly. Even though the man's face was covered in grime, he still recognized the highly distinctive contour of his brow bone.
He brought up the detection panel, and a pale-blue screen of light hovered in his vision.
【Name: Jesse】
【Current Status: Severe Physical Trauma, Shadow Curse Erosion】
Bai Xuan's knuckles tightened slightly, but his expression betrayed nothing. He didn't reveal Jesse's identity, choosing instead to look down and examine the severe injury on his leg.
Jesse's left leg had a deep, long laceration stretching from his knee to his calf. The flesh was severely torn and flared outward, the wound festering with pus and emitting a faint, putrid odor.
Bai Xuan raised his palm. The moment the golden healing light shone, Jesse's entire body shuddered violently.
The misaligned leg bones automatically snapped back into place, and the decayed, necrotic tissue was purged by mana as fresh flesh rapidly filled the wound.
An excruciating pain surged through his entire body. Jesse bit his lower lip so hard it bled, stifling low, painful groans in his throat without crying out once.
Once the treatment ended, Jesse stared down at his fully healed left leg. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up at Bai Xuan once more.
A faint, subtle flicker of life returned to his previously dead, cloudy eyes.
Yet he still didn't speak, curling back up and lowering his head to resume scratching at the dirt.
Next, Bai Xuan cast Holy Light Catalyst. Another golden light enveloped Jesse, causing his body to tremble slightly.
Wisps of pitch-black mist seeped out from beneath his skin like dirty smoke, twisting and churning in the air for a moment before dissipating completely.
Bai Xuan clearly sensed a lingering resistance within Jesse's body, almost identical to the feeling of purifying the curse inside Peter's body back then, only much weaker.
Perhaps his own strength had increased, or perhaps the curse on Jesse was inherently shallower than the one on Peter.
Regardless of the reason, the result was the same—the curse was lifted.
Jesse's eyelids fluttered. After struggling several times, he finally opened his eyes fully.
His pupils were unfocused at first, but after a few seconds, they slowly adjusted, his gaze finally landing on the face of the person in front of him.
The moment he saw that face clearly, he almost thought he was hallucinating.
His dry lips parted slightly, but he couldn't make a sound. He tried to push himself up from the ground, but his arms were weak and powerless; his body rose halfway before collapsing back down.
Bai Xuan reached out to hold his shoulder, speaking softly to soothe him. “Take it easy. There's no need to rush to get up.”
Jesse stared intently at Bai Xuan, his eyes now completely clear. His lips kept trembling, as if he had a mountain of things to say.
After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a raspy, dry voice: “Y-you... how are you here?”
Before Bai Xuan could respond, Jesse's pupils contracted sharply as he suddenly remembered something.
His breathing turned ragged all of a sudden, and he lunged forward to grab Bai Xuan's sleeve, his tone frantic and panicked. “Run! It's a trap! Zane already...”
Before he could finish, the heavy iron gates of the Inner Town swung open. The hinges groaned with a piercing screech, and through the dim gap of the opening doors, a row of cold, reflective tower shields first came into view.
Shield Guards stepped out first, turning sideways to plant their massive tower shields firmly in front of them.
The second and third Shield Guards followed close behind, their steps synchronized and spacing uniform. Shield after shield locked together tightly, forming a wall of steel that slowly advanced.
Swordsmen quickly fanned out from both flanks of the Shield Guards, their steps light yet steady, their scabbards pressed flush against their thighs without a single wobble as they moved. Archers took their positions behind the Swordsmen, arrows already nocked on their bowstrings, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Three Mages stepped slowly out of the shadows of the gateway, the tips of their staffs scraping against the stone ground and leaving faint white streaks. They finally halted behind the archers, forming a stable triangular combat formation.
A white-robed cleric appeared last, a holy crest hanging over his chest, standing quietly two paces diagonally behind the Mages.
Near the wall in the distance, the man carrying a greatsword slowly stood up straight. With the tip of his greatsword resting on the ground, he didn't advance to join them, but simply stood in place, his gaze locked firmly onto Bai Xuan.
His gaze was cold and obsessive, like someone inspecting a trophy that already belonged to him.
A complete combat formation had formed. Shield Guards defended the front, Swordsmen covered the flanks, Archers stood ready in the center, Mages held the rear, and the cleric provided support from the side.
Metal armor and weapons clinked occasionally, making faint sounds, but no one spoke. The entire squad was like a wound-up war machine, quietly waiting for the command to attack.
Bai Xuan's gaze slowly swept across the opposing combat squad before finally settling back on Jesse.
Jesse's voice trembled with unconcealable fear. “He knew you would come back... This is all a trap he set.”
Bai Xuan placed his hand on Jesse's other shoulder, gently soothing his agitated emotions.
“I know,” he said, his voice calm and gentle, showing no hint of panic.
“Get some rest. I'll take care of everything here.”
Jesse still clutched Bai Xuan's sleeve tightly, refusing to let go as he urgently warned, “It's the Gemstone! Zane's goal is that Gemstone!”
Bai Xuan looked down at Jesse's tense, pale, and trembling fingers. He reached out to gently pat them, calming his nerves.
“The Gemstone is no longer here. It is safe now.”
Jesse wanted to say more, but Bai Xuan had already turned around to face the enemies ahead.
“Leave the rest to me.”
He took a step forward. Across from him, the Shield Guards immediately took half a step forward in unison, assuming a defensive stance. The Mages ground the tips of their staffs firmly against the earth, and the Archers' fingers tensed fully, gripping their bowstrings tightly.
With steady steps, Bai Xuan walked toward the enemy formation. Everyone in the opposing ranks went on high alert, their bodies tensing slightly.
He stopped about fifteen paces away from the shield wall. The Staff of Guidance in his hand tapped lightly against the ground, the sound echoing through the empty entrance of the town.
The air outside the town suddenly grew thick and stagnant, and an invisible force quietly closed in, enveloping the entire area.
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