Chapter 019: Rescue

As they were joking around, a sudden commotion arose at the entrance of the inn. Moments later, a cavalryman with a strange expression came in and whispered something in Carol’s ear. After he left, Carol’s face took on a peculiar look. He looked up at Du Fan, about to say something, but Du Fan waved his hand and said, “It’s fine. You don’t need to explain what happened. Even if you don’t say anything, I can roughly figure out what’s going on. But it would be bad not to go and take a look in person… So, everyone… how about following me to take a look?” With that, Du Fan raised his hand slightly and slowly walked toward the entrance of the inn.
Carol hesitated for a moment before waving his hand as well. He and the cavalrymen who had accompanied Du Fan to gamble followed him outside. Outside the inn, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, blocking off the area completely. Even the cavalrymen from the Northern Legion on duty outside wore strange expressions.
Du Fan and the others slowly reached the entrance of the inn and saw a row of more than a dozen soldiers lying on the narrow road—Harry, Simon, and the soldiers sent to the city lord’s mansion. They were lying on broken wooden planks, with their arms and legs broken and swollen like pig’s feet. Weak moans could be heard from their mouths, and their faces were as pale as paper.
A few guards kept walking back and forth among them, pouring buckets of water on those who were about to faint. Although it was early spring, the weather wasn’t warm, so after being doused with water, the soldiers shivered uncontrollably.
Du Fan stood at the entrance and watched for a while, then sneered inwardly. That city lord really knew how to act—to save those guys’ lives, he broke their limbs and left them here, clearly hoping to earn his forgiveness. But such an act was surely underestimating Du Fan too much.
Standing beside Du Fan, Carol looked puzzled and whispered, “Young Master Du Fan, how… how did you guess this?”

Du Fan chuckled lightly and explained, “Do you still remember the last kick I gave Major Simon? After that kick, the lord of Gabriel City probably underestimated me a bit. I guess he’s already come up with countless ways to keep me happy so I’ll forget what happened today. These people with broken limbs are just an appetizer. Carol, do you believe it or not, there are still several more dramatic events waiting for me tonight?”
Carol smiled awkwardly and said, “Well, of course I believe it.”
Du Fan glanced at him and said, “Alright, the show’s over. Isn’t it time to settle accounts? Did you lose this bet, or did I lose?”
Carol forced a wry smile and said, “Well… of course it’s me who lost…”
Before he could finish speaking, the guards who were pouring water already saw Du Fan and the others. One of them, who seemed to be the leader, hurried over, bowed, and said, “I greet Lord Carol… and all the lords here… This must be Du Fan, the third young master of the Green family, right?”
Du Fan nodded and said, “That’s me.”
The guard quickly knelt down and performed a knightly salute, saying, “My lord said that those foolish guys offended Young Master Du Fan, and it was their fault. But if Young Master Du Fan were to take action himself, it might soil his hands. So my lord took matters into his own hands and broke their limbs, hoping this will satisfy Young Master Du Fan. Also, here is a personal letter from my lord. Please accept it.”
After fumbling in his bosom for a moment, the guard respectfully handed over a letter.
Du Fan glanced at it, then smiled at the guard and said, “Your lord is quite skillful at handling things. Go back and tell him I will definitely attend the banquet on time tonight. As for these guys… take them back with you too. Leaving them here is embarrassing… Tell your lord I’m fairly satisfied.”
The guard’s orders were to ensure Du Fan was satisfied with this situation no matter what. Hearing Du Fan’s tone, it was clear he wasn’t entirely satisfied with what had happened to Simon and the others. He quickly said in a low voice, “Well… Young Master Du Fan… My lord also said that if you’re not satisfied with his actions, please let us know your demands without hesitation.”
Du Fan gave him a faint glance, said “Oh,” and then said, “Very well. Then cut off their heads. I’m annoyed hearing them groaning here.”

The guard was stunned and said, “This… Young Master Du Fan… please show mercy. Though these guys offended you, they surely don’t deserve death, right?”
Du Fan sneered inwardly. Did a mere guard get to decide whether these people lived or died?
However, seeing that more and more onlookers were gathering, Du Fan didn’t say such things. Instead, he smiled gently and said, “It’s okay, no need to be nervous. I was just joking. Although I don’t have much goodwill for these guys, I certainly won’t take their lives. Everyone makes mistakes. I just hope that if I give them a chance, they can reform.”
The guard was again stunned. He suddenly remembered that Young Master Du Fan also seemed to be a White Robed Priest, and he understood immediately. Having been a charlatan for so long, his mind must be a bit messed up. It seemed he’d better avoid that church’s nuns too much—getting stupid would not be worth it.
He quickly thanked Du Fan repeatedly, saying he would make sure those guys reformed properly once he returned.
But unexpectedly, Du Fan waved his hand and said, “No rush… Although these people have committed serious mistakes, it’s not right to leave their injuries untreated. I suppose there are no healers in this small town, right? As a White Robed Priest, I may not know much else, but I do know a bit about healing light magic. If you don’t mind, let me help treat their wounds.”
As he spoke, Du Fan casually glanced at the guard.
At this moment, Du Fan’s words carried an air of authority. The essence of divinity brought about changes not only in his mental space but also in his gaze and smile, both of which exuded an irresistible sense of holiness.
Although the guard still had some skills, as a warrior, his mental strength was already weak. At Du Fan’s glance, he felt a chill run down his spine and didn’t even dare to refuse, only nodding repeatedly.
Du Fan slowly walked up to Harry, bowed slightly, and smiled at him, saying, “Captain Harry, how could your city lord, Gabriel, be so heartless? He even dares to break the limbs of such a loyal subordinate?”
Harry’s teeth were trembling as he could only stammer, “Du Fan… Young Master Du Fan… it… it’s… my fault…”

Du Fan smiled and said, “Ah, what fault do you have? It’s just about making a living. But from now on, you can’t do this anymore. This time, I’m letting you off… From now on… I hope you’ll visit the church more often. Only the God of Light can save your corrupted soul.” As he spoke, Du Fan extended his right hand, with the light combat energy flickering on it. With his movement, Harry’s wounds began to heal little by little, and in no time at all, they were completely gone. Harry stood up, looking strange, shaking his hands and feet, but he couldn’t help crying with joy: “It’s healed… Everything’s healed… Young Master Du Fan…” Before he could finish speaking, Harry knelt down with a thud. A holy smile appeared on Du Fan’s face. He placed his hands in a praying position and gently touched Harry’s forehead with his right index finger, whispering, “May the Lord bless you, may the Lord forgive you, my child…” Seeing this, the onlookers exclaimed it was a miracle. Although this northern region wasn’t greatly influenced by the Holy Church, there were still many believers. A few devout believers had already knelt down praying, with cries of “miracle” and “wonder” echoing around. A few people who seemed to be of high status were jumping around at the periphery. “Young Master Du Fan… Young Master Du Fan… You’re truly the representative of the gods on earth… I have an unmarried daughter at home… I wonder if I’d be honored to have dinner with you…” “What! Are you not satisfied?… I also have a sister-in-law and three nieces…” “If you really don’t want them, I even have a grandson…” But Du Fan pretended not to hear any of this. His smile remained, and he said to Harry again, “Alright… You may go now… I’ll surely save the others myself…” With that, Du Fan walked over to Simon. In no time, most of his combat energy was used up, but all those soldiers were saved, looking as lively as if they had never been injured. They knelt on the ground, repeatedly expressing their gratitude, though no one knew what they were really thinking—whether they thought Du Fan was an idiot or not. Du Fan smiled. He glanced at the guard again and said, “Take these people back. Tell Lord Gabriel that I’m satisfied with everything, and I’ll definitely attend the banquet on time tonight.” With that, he didn’t look at the guard again and turned to walk into the inn.