Alongside the metal instruments, Bast took out a small green cylinder, a strange rubber bag attached to a transparent mask—a portable Ambu Bag—and a pliable transparent bag full of clear liquid, complete with a long, dangling hose."What else is that?" In Jans's eyes, the clear bag looked like a miracle. Like a bubble that refused to pop. Bast let the man touch it for a brief second as he hung it beside the bed, hooking it onto the window latch."And what is that one for?" Jans felt even more astounded as he watched Bast pierce the needle at the end of the hose straight into the vein in Rae's arm."He lost too much blood. His heart pressure could plummet at any second," Bast said, ensuring the liquid droplets in the hose flowed steadily into Rae's body. "This fluid will temporarily replace his lost blood volume so his heart doesn't stop beating mid-surgery.""What... how..." Jans could no longer tell if Bast's theories were right or wrong. His archaic medical knowledge simply couldn't

A throbbing pain in his temples was the first thing that greeted Bast's consciousness.His body felt incredibly heavy, as if every muscle had just been forcibly stretched and crushed beneath a carriage wheel. He groaned softly, trying to open his sticky eyelids.A shadow immediately approached, blocking the light in front of his eyes."Bast! You're awake!"Bast blinked. Jans's white-bearded face now hovered incredibly close to his."Yes?" Bast instinctively pulled back—startled, of course. He never dreamed Jans would greet him the moment he opened his eyes."I've been waiting for you since yesterday. You slept for a very long time." Jans pulled up a chair and sat with a perfectly straight back beside Bast's bed."Waiting for what?" Bast even patted his head with his hand, forcing his brain to work.He felt like he had forgotten many things because he couldn't explain Jans's friendly demeanor—or why the old man kept staring at him as if he had just seen the winter sun.Not to mention,

"I understand. I also know the dangers of knowing too much." Jans stared at his notebook, then nodded.[Reputation Points: Jans +20]Bast frowned. How could Jans still feel impressed even after Bast rejected his request? But Bast couldn't ask."I get it. I won't ask about it again." Jans smiled, while Bast shivered, struck by a terrible premonition upon seeing that widening grin."Since you refuse to answer about the equipment, you have to keep your promise to answer everything about anatomy and other theories. I still have dozens of questions in those areas."Jans gave up trying to find out about the tools, but he refused to give up on the scientific theories. Moreover, Bast had explicitly stated he would answer any question

Elara hurried down the village path, inhaling the savory aroma wafting from the package in her hands.The delicious, savory scent came from smoked meat. She had just picked up her order from Neah's house. She planned to cook the meat into a warm soup for the workers currently renovating her home."Should I save some for tomorrow?" Elara pondered, unsure if Jarek still had enough money left to feed the workers the next day.She knew Bast gave them a substantial amount of money, but she had absolutely no idea how much Jarek had spent. She only received her daily cooking allowance."I'll...""Bast is a fraud..."Elara stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing someone mention her son's name. She looked around and realized the village's public well sat right behind the trees growing along the path.She crept closer. From behind the thick bushes, she faintly heard several women whispering while washing their clothes."Did you count the days? Bast hasn't come home for almost a week," one woman

The massive burden weighing down Bast's chest finally lifted; this badge served as his key to freedom, allowing him to open a clinic and treat people without the shadow of the gallows looming over him.However, the handover ceremony felt far too excessive. Bast wished Jans had just given him the badge in his office—with only the two of them present. Typically, the city sent such badges directly to the recipient's address—or so the other physicians claimed—but his badge clearly received special treatment, arriving straight into his hands.Yet, nobody protested. All the physicians and nurses present happily joined the applause, swept up in the celebratory emotion Jans radiated.How could they complain? Everyone there had personally witnessed Bast perform various miracles and save more than ten lives. His methods looked unconventional, yet highly effective. Not to mention he saved Rae, whose life everyone knew had teetered on the brink of death.They all accepted it, knowing Bast fully d