Chapter Seventy-Two: You Must Not Let Him Roam Free

That was a gaze far too intense for someone so young—a chilling killing intent that vanished the moment he saw who had arrived, replaced by a cold, measured scrutiny, the look of a seasoned, powerful predator weighing the worth of its prey.

At the same time, Xu Nuo was sizing him up—the masked boy. The girl before him stared straight at him, as if she wished to see through his mask and glimpse the face beneath. There was no trace of fear on her face, only curiosity and inquiry shining in her eyes.

“Number Seven, is this what you meant by ‘growth type’?” Xu Nuo looked at the boy’s slender frame. “Or perhaps ‘cultivation type’ would be more accurate?”

“Are you sure you want me to pursue him now?” Xu Nuo felt a twinge of guilt. “This feels like a crime.”

Number Seven could not bear it any longer: [Please, at least finish reading the setting information.]

Xu Nuo: “Too long, didn’t read.”

If Number Seven had a physical form, it would have already suffered a stroke from frustration. Having learned from the last world, it had prepared a comprehensive information packet about this game for the host, so she could check it at any time and complete her tasks.

But the host couldn’t even be bothered to look at it!

The sorrow between human and system was never mutual; Xu Nuo simply found it noisy and ignored it.

The current target was still young, his face hidden behind a pure black mask, revealing only a pair of cold eyes and tightly pressed lips. With her years of experience in reading people, Xu Nuo judged that beneath the mask he had fine features and was likely quite handsome. The mask, however, naturally raised suspicion.

Xu Nuo, a bit startled, hurriedly flipped through the game’s settings. “I don’t recall any mention of facial disfigurement for this target.”

Number Seven could only retort helplessly: [Host, shouldn’t you save him first? He can barely hold on.]

Despite these words, the boy’s aura remained fierce and unapproachable. Xu Nuo slowed her steps as she approached. The boy shot her a wary glance, then, unexpectedly, relaxed his defensive posture.

Xu Nuo observed closely—he wasn’t letting his guard down out of weakness; it was a conscious choice.

“Save me.” The boy’s voice was low and hoarse, with not a hint of pleading. His calm composure drew Xu Nuo’s gaze once more.

“All right.” Xu Nuo replied with a smile.

His external wounds were grave—flesh torn, blood everywhere. Just cleaning his wounds drained most of Xu Nuo’s strength. Yet he endured with remarkable stoicism; not once did he cry out in pain, despite her rough and ready methods of disinfection.

Xu Nuo remarked, “You shouldn’t die from this now, right?”

Lu Ciyuan glanced silently at the bandages wrapped around him—rather hasty work, only a notch better than someone who’d just started learning medicine, and the medicinals she’d applied were no less unorthodox.

Looking at her handiwork, seeing the once fine young man bandaged up like a rice dumpling, Xu Nuo felt a twinge of embarrassment. “Uh, I only learned medicine yesterday. You should be fine now, right?”

Learned it only yesterday…?

Lu Ciyuan once more fell silent.

Xu Nuo was quite confident in her memory. Yesterday, she’d entered the library of the Hundred Flavors Hall to complete a copying task, but since she was not permitted to copy books, she’d hurriedly skimmed through as much as she could, memorizing what she could, and photographing the rest.

“Ahem, little brother, you’re quite frail…” Xu Nuo continued under the weight of Lu Ciyuan’s oppressive gaze. “I’ll prescribe you some medicine to brew and drink on your own to strengthen your body.”

Number Seven piped up again: [Host, you should personally decoct the medicine for him, caring for him tenderly in his time of weakness and injury, using your warmth and love to heal and move him.]

Xu Nuo: “I know, I know.”

Her tone was perfunctory, but Number Seven, though exasperated, had never really managed to persuade her otherwise.

Xu Nuo flipped through her photos, learning as she went, prescribing medicine while tending to his other injuries. Number Seven watched her experiments nervously, thankful at least that she wasn’t trying out concoctions directly on the target.

“There, that should do it.” After toiling for most of the day, Xu Nuo finally cobbled together a reasonably sound prescription, by which point her supply of medicine was nearly depleted.

She handed the prescription to Lu Ciyuan. “Here, keep it safe.”

Lu Ciyuan hesitated before accepting it, then fell silent again.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Nuo asked, thinking herself quite considerate. “Is there something you don’t understand? It’s simple enough—just put all these ingredients together and decoct them.”

“…Thank you.” Lu Ciyuan simply tucked away the prescription, saying nothing more.

Number Seven, weakly: [Dear host, many of the herbs you’ve prescribed are rare and precious. With his current status, the target won’t be able to obtain them.]

Xu Nuo only asked, “But there’s nothing wrong with the prescription, is there? It’s effective, right?”

Number Seven: [There’s nothing wrong, just that the ingredients are hard to find.]

Lu Ciyuan saw Xu Nuo pause for a moment, then she spoke with unusual generosity, “As the saying goes, help others to the very end, accompany the Buddha all the way to the west.”

Lu Ciyuan: “??”

Xu Nuo affectionately ruffled the boy’s hair. “I’ll help you gather the herbs.”

Lu Ciyuan met Xu Nuo’s gaze. “Miss, I do not know your name or identity, nor do you know mine. You don’t know the cause of my injuries—are you not afraid you’ve come across someone dangerous, or that the one you save might be a heartless villain?”

Xu Nuo smiled gently. “And you don’t know who I am, or why I’m here. Are you not afraid I might have ill intentions, that I’d take your life while you’re weak?”

Lu Ciyuan shook his head. “I’m not afraid.”

Xu Nuo was gratified. “The most important thing between doctor and patient is trust. If you’re not afraid, what should I have to fear?”

[Lu Ciyuan, affection +15]

Number Seven: [!!!] [What just happened??] That inexplicably familiar feeling.

How did the affection score suddenly jump by fifteen? Not only was the system in disbelief, Xu Nuo was equally surprised.

Xu Nuo: “Number Seven, is this some sort of newbie bonus? You mean I can just breeze through like this? I love it.”

Number Seven sensed something was off, though it couldn’t put its finger on why. This was an easier setup, yes, but it had never seen a fifteen-point affection bonus at the start before.

“What a sweet child,” Xu Nuo remarked to Number Seven. “So simple, so easy to manage.”

Number Seven, sensing her intentions: [Even if he’s obedient, you can’t just let him fend for himself.]

Xu Nuo: “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Given the state of Lu Ciyuan’s injuries, it was unsuitable for him to remain in the crowded dormitory for labor disciples, so Xu Nuo brought him back to her own small courtyard and prepared a room for him.

Lu Ciyuan followed silently behind her the entire way, doing whatever she said.

Xu Nuo gave him a more thorough examination, and when she produced a set of modern medical equipment, not only did Lu Ciyuan fall silent—so did the system.

Number Seven: […When did you get that?]

“Tips from the audience,” she replied with utmost sincerity. “The viewers are my golden patrons, my salvation, my guiding light in this game.”

Number Seven held back its protest—never mind, it was only medical equipment. Without spiritual energy, it couldn’t cause too much trouble.