Lu Yuan took a step forward, his tone calm.
"Captain Eger, I believe this priest owes me an explanation."
He paused, then added: "And compensation."
Eger nodded: "As he should."
He turned to Andrew: "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Andrew looked around, seeing the wary gazes of the three Nightwatchers members, and realized he wouldn't be gaining any advantage today.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to make his voice sound steady.
"This was indeed an oversight on my part."
He forced the words out, each one sounding like it was squeezed through gritted teeth.
"But my intentions were good. The Lord Angel wished to take this child away..."
Ink rolled her eyes. "She is my person. If you want to try and take her, you'd better have your bishop come."
"Lord Priest."
Lu Yuan didn't want to waste time and cut straight to the point.
"We are all reasonable people."
"You trespassed into my clinic, deployed a Silence Barrier, and launched an attack against me."
"Any one of these points is enough for the Nightwatchers to lock you up. Even if they can't execute you, the price would still be more than you can afford."
Lu Yuan's tone was flat, as if he were stating an indisputable fact.
"I don't want to blow this out of proportion."
"Give me reasonable compensation, and we can consider this matter settled."
Andrew fell silent for a moment.
He knew that Lu Yuan was already giving him a way out.
If this actually reached the Nightwatchers' headquarters, his reputation as a priest would be completely ruined.
"What do you want?"
He spoke with difficulty.
Lu Yuan said directly: "The scripture in your hand."
He pointed to the golden fragments on the ground.
Although those fragments had lost their sacred power, the material itself was still precious. If he could collect them for study, he might gain something from it.
Andrew's expression changed drastically.
"Impossible!"
He refused almost instinctively, his voice sharp.
"This is a holy book bestowed upon me by the bishop!"
"Even if it is shattered, it is a sacred object and cannot be given to outsiders!"
Lu Yuan had expected this result and simply shrugged.
"Then you tell me, what will you give as compensation?"
Andrew hesitated for a long time. His eyes darted between Lu Yuan and Ink, and he finally seemed to make a difficult decision.
He pulled a small cup from his robe.
The cup was entirely silver-white, smaller than an adult's fist, and engraved with an exquisite emblem of an Angel. In the dim light, the cup's body emitted a soft glow, looking as if it were made of condensed moonlight.
"This is a Holy Water Cup."
Andrew's voice was somewhat hoarse.
"It can transform ordinary water into low-grade holy water."
"It can be used three times a day, producing one cup each time."
Lu Yuan took the Holy Water Cup, and a line of grayish-white text immediately appeared at the edge of his vision:
【Item Analysis: Holy Water Cup (Tier 2)】
【Source: Church-made, Angel's blessing】
【Properties: Converts plain water into low-grade holy water, 3 times daily, approx. 100ml each】
【Low-grade holy water effects: Purifies mild contamination, relieves mental stress, restores a small amount of Sanity (approx. 2-3 points)】
【Note: Gentle effect, no obvious side effects, suitable for long-term use】
Lu Yuan's eyes brightened slightly, but his facial expression remained calm.
This thing was incredibly useful to him.
It could continuously produce low-grade holy water. Although the effect was average, the fact that it was sustainable and could be used three times a day was key! Furthermore, since the Strange Dreams changed last night, Lu Yuan was planning to start consuming holy water anyway...
But he didn't let any look of joy show on his face.
During a negotiation, you must never let the other party see how much you want something.
"What else?"
He continued to apply pressure.
Andrew's face became even more unsightly.
He gritted his teeth and took out three small vials of golden liquid from his robe. The liquid within the vials shifted slightly, as if it were alive.
"These are purification potions."
There was a hint of heartache in his voice.
"They can disperse mild contamination within the body."
Lu Yuan took the Holy Water Cup and the potions, checking them carefully. After confirming there were no issues, he nodded.
"Fine, I'll let it go this time."
He looked at Andrew, his tone flat but filled with warning.
"But the next time I see you, stay far away from my clinic."
Eger spoke up as well.
"Andrew, for the sake of the church, we won't pursue this further this time."
His voice was deep and powerful, a hint of threat flashing in his eyes.
"But remember, Gelimu Port is not the church's territory."
"If you dare to use a Silence Barrier again, don't even think about remaining a priest."
Andrew's face was grim, but he still nodded.
He gave Lu Yuan a look filled with a complex range of emotions.
"Doctor Lu Yuan."
His voice was hoarse and low.
"I will remember what happened today."
Having said that, he bent down with difficulty and helped the injured deacons up one by one.
Both deacons had been hit in the legs and hands by Lu Yuan. Although it wasn't fatal, they certainly wouldn't be walking anytime soon.
Andrew called over a few church servants who placed the deacons into a carriage, and they left in a sorry state.
Once the church people were far away, Eger turned to Lu Yuan, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"You kid, you really hit the jackpot this time."
He slapped Lu Yuan's shoulder with considerable force, making Lu Yuan's shoulder go numb.
"A Holy Water Cup is a good item; they are hard to find even if you have the money."
Lu Yuan gave a bitter smile: "I almost died, and I've made an enemy."
Eger nodded, his expression turning serious.
"You're quite skilled, and with Ink around, you won't die. However, you really do need to be careful of the church's retaliation."
"They won't just let this go."
Ink let out a snort from her nose, though whether it was out of pride or disdain was unclear.
Lu Yuan nodded: "Thanks for the warning."
"Also, you might be a bit unlucky. Yesterday it was the Ascension Society, today it was the church. This little clinic of yours is really..."
Eger felt a bit helpless before continuing:
"I'll have the boys increase the patrol frequency around here to try and prevent this kind of thing as much as possible."
Eger then left with the three members of the Nightwatchers.
The entrance to the clinic finally fell silent.
Lu Yuan looked at the scorched wooden door and sighed.
He would have to find someone to repair this door.
He turned and walked back into the clinic.
Brent and Mina were hiding behind the counter, peeking out cautiously.
Although the previous battle had been isolated by Ink's barrier, the sheer pressure had still terrified the two children.
Especially Mina; her small face was pale as she clutched the black notebook tightly.
Ink floated back, looking exhausted, and her form seemed to have become somewhat transparent. Clearly, she had consumed too much power just now.
"Phew... I'm exhausted..."
Ink dived back into the notebook, her voice echoing from within with a hint of weariness.
"I'm going to eat something and sleep for a while. Don't call me unless it's important."
Lu Yuan walked over and patted Mina's head.
The girl's hair was a bit messy, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned her head slightly into Lu Yuan's palm.
"It's okay now," Lu Yuan's voice was soft and comforting.
"Ink is very powerful. That priest was no match for her."
Mina nodded, but she still didn't let go of the notebook.
Brent crawled out from behind the counter, a complex expression on his face.
"Big Brother Lu Yuan, are you okay?"
Lu Yuan smiled: "I'm fine. Just a couple of holes burned into my trench coat."
He looked down at his coat; two charred marks were exceptionally prominent.
"This coat was left behind by Doctor Laisen. It's a pity."
Ink poked half of her body out of the notebook, her beady eyes staring at Lu Yuan.
"Hey."
Her voice suddenly became serious.
"I discovered something strange just now."
Lu Yuan's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm.
"What is it?"
Ink frowned, as if thinking about how to describe it.
"There is a very strange fluctuation on you."
"It's not contamination, nor is it transcendent energy, but... something I've never seen before."
She paused, then continued:
"That thing is constantly eroding your Sanity, but the speed is very slow—so slow that it's almost imperceptible."
"If I hadn't gone all out during the battle just now, I probably wouldn't have noticed it at all."
Lu Yuan remained silent.
He knew exactly what Ink was talking about.
The Strange Dreams.
Rate on N.U.
