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Chapter 143. The Patient Who Killed
The night was thin and wet, the wind slicing through the skeletal alleyways like a sharpened blade. Rain slicked the cobblestones, pooling around the broken remains of barrels and crates. Rick moved the caravan carefully, its wheels creaking with the weight of supplies and the cocooned body of Luna resting within. Every step of the horses sent shivers along the wooden frame, resonating with the hum of the internal Qi systems he had layered across her fragile form. She was safe, for now, but the world outside pulsed with unrest, and Rick’s senses were stretched taut.A muffled groan drew his attention. From the far end of the alley came a shape, hunched and drenched, moving with deliberate caution. Rick slowed the horses, letting the caravan drift closer. The figure raised a trembling hand, as if asking for aid. Its clothing was tattered, soaked through with mud and rain; a dagger was strapped loosely to the thigh. Rick’s eyes narrowed beneath the hood. He knew the posture, the
Chapter 142. The Shadow Apothecary
The wind bit at the wheels of the caravan as it creaked over uneven cobblestones. Dust rose in spirals around the hidden caravan, leaving behind only a faint shimmer in the moonlight. Rick guided the horses himself, each step measured, each command clipped, no word wasted. Luna’s body rested inside the center compartment, cocooned in layers of pulsating healing Qi. The faint hum radiated outward, brushing against the cobblestones and old buildings, a pulse that no one noticed, but that Rick could feel through the soles of his boots.He had rebuilt it himself, a labyrinth of compartments, jars, and vials, every instrument precise, every chemical stored in perfect order. The caravan was not just medicine; it was a mobile laboratory, a sanctuary, a weapon against suffering. Its walls flexed slightly with the flow of internal Qi, glowing faintly as it monitored Luna’s delicate state. Rick’s fingers brushed against the polished wood of the doorway, feeling the subtle thrum. It was al
Chapter 141. The Healer Alone
The desert stretched ahead in jagged waves of heat and dust. The sun had not yet risen, but the horizon glowed pale red, promising another day of relentless light. Rick moved steadily, the weight of Luna’s body cradled in his arms. She was wrapped in a cocoon of pulsing Qi, the energy shimmering faintly, casting rippling shadows across the sand. Each step he took sent vibrations through the Qi field, careful and measured, ensuring she did not shift too abruptly.The wind picked up, sweeping grains of sand across the dunes like whispered warnings. Rick adjusted his grip, letting the rhythm of his stride match the pulsing heartbeat of his healing field. Even in sleep, Luna’s body emitted faint twitches, fingers curling, shoulders lifting, as though her spirit tested the tether he had woven around her. He said nothing. Not a word, not a sound. Only the steady motion of his legs and the quiet hum of his Qi filled the air.Ahead, a small ridge rose like a jagged tooth from the desert f
Chapter 140. The Betrayal of Mercy
Night pressed down on the ridge where Rick and the Veiled Hands had stopped to camp. Torches flickered against the cold stone walls of the abandoned fortress, casting long, jagged shadows across the jagged rocks. The air carried the tang of metal and dust, but beneath it, Rick sensed something else, movement. Patterns shifting. Breath held. Intent, sharpened like blades hidden beneath cloaks.He crouched behind a boulder, fingers brushing the dirt. Luna stood a pace behind him, crystalline arm folded across her chest. Even in the low light, her eyes reflected every flicker of torchlight. She tilted her head, scanning the shadows.“They’re watching,” Rick said, voice low. His hand tapped against the hilt of his concealed blade, though he did not draw it. The System’s interface blinked in his vision:[Warning: Multiple targets flagged. Veiled Hands suspected of treachery. Probability of ambush: 87%.]Rick did not flinch. He had prepared for this moment, rehearsed it in fragments of t
Chapter 139. The Bloodless Kill
The rain began without warning. It struck the slate rooftops in sharp taps, fast and uneven, like fingers drumming a table before a verdict. Rick stood at the edge of the roof and let the drops soak into his white cloak. The cloth darkened but did not cling. It hung loose, hiding the lines of his body, hiding his hands.Below, the city slept badly. Torches burned along the inner walls of the estate. Guards moved in pairs, their steps measured, their spears angled the same way every time they passed the lanterns. The target lived at the center, a square building of stone and steel shutters, surrounded by a shallow garden stripped bare for security.Rick lifted two fingers. Behind him, five shadows shifted. The Veiled Hands waited without sound. Masks covered their faces. Pale silk, stitched with thin silver lines shaped like closed eyes. Their clothing drank in the darkness. Only the faint rise and fall of their chests showed they were alive.“The route is clear,” whispered the woma
Chapter 138. The Assassin’s Pact
The knife stopped one finger-width from Rick’s throat. It hovered there, steady, unmoving, its edge clean and narrow. Rain slid down the blade and dripped from the tip. Rick did not flinch. He kept his hands open at his sides. His coat hung loose. His breathing stayed even.The alley smelled of wet stone and old blood. A second presence stood behind him. Rick heard the soft scrape of a boot shifting weight. He felt Qi brush his back like cold air.A voice spoke close to his ear. “You walk like a healer,” the voice said. “But you listen like a killer.”Rick did not turn. “If you plan to stab me,” he said, “do it clean. That hand is shaking.”The knife did not move. The rain thickened. Somewhere far off, metal rang as a gate closed. Another voice spoke, this one calm and distant. “Enough.”The knife withdrew. Rick turned slowly. Three figures stood in the narrow alley. All wore dark cloaks that broke their outlines. Their faces were half-hidden behind cloth masks, stitched with thin w
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