“Dr. Weiss, is it really as simple as accompanying you to pick a single herb?” Ali asked incredulously. Why would he ask such a trivial request of us?
“Of course. Do you think I’ll deceive you?” Brutus’ face darkened. “No, not at all. I just think this task seems too simple. We agree to your condition. Tomorrow, we will accompany you to get the herb,” Ali said without hesitation.
“Very well. You guys may stay in Quakersville tonight. We shall depart at dawn,” Brutus said. Ali nodded, then left Vibrant Health Clinic with the others. As soon as they were out the door, Emily leaped with joy. “Grandma can finally see again!”
“Who would have thought that Dr. Weiss would propose such a simple condition?” Percy simply found it hard to believe. “Perhaps he was moved by Emily’s filial devotion. Now, she can finally rest easy. She doesn’t have to worry about her grandma’s eyes anymore.” Ali chuckled.
Jared, however, was not as optimistic as the rest of them, He did not believe that Brutus was offering help out of kindness. This trip to gather the medicinal herb would surely be fraught with peril.
Yet, he did not voice his concern, not wanting to dampen the spirits of Emily and the others. With his current strength, he reckoned that none in the nearby villages could match him.
After finding a small inn, they began to rest, silently awaiting the next day. Meanwhile, deep within the mountains, in the territory of the Demon Wolf pack, the leading. wolf lay at the feet of a man covered in fur. The man resembled a wild creature.
The Demon Wolf emitted low, throaty sounds. The man would furrow his brows and relax them as he listened. It was evident that he could understand the Demon Wolf.
The man was half a man having transformed from a Demon Wolf. His cultivation level had led to his partial transformation. “A human with the aura of a celestial beast? Could he be one of our kind?” The man was lost in thought.
The next day, Jared and the others arrived early at Vibrant Health Clinic, only to discover that Brutus had arranged for others to accompany them in gathering the herb..
Outside Vibrant Health Clinic, over a dozen people had gathered, and Jared’s group took their place among the crowd. Soon, Brutus showed up, accompanied by his senior, Francois Wurstel.
“Francois, how do you find the people I’ve gathered here today?” Brutus asked carefully. Francois merely cast a cold glance at the crowd. Suddenly, his gaze landed on Jared, and their eyes met.
Francois looked away, but Jared kept watching. him. Although his strength hadn’t fully recovered and he couldn’t discern how strong Francois actually was, he knew the latter was a force to be reckoned with. Francois’ unexpected appearance in this remote town made Jared feel threatened.
“Let’s go,” Francois said to Brutus after sweeping his gaze over the crowd. Brutus nodded and said aloud, “As long as the lot of you obey my command and get the herb, I will fulfill all promises made. Off we go.”
With Brutus’ command, they headed toward the mountain. “What’s happening? Why do we need so many people to pick an herb?” Emily asked uneasily. finally sensing that something was amiss.
“It seems that this trip is not as simple as we thought. We must all be careful,” Ali said. The complexity of the situation had also dawned upon him.