"Stomach cancer, early-stage symptoms, easy to solve."
[Bailu] withdrew her small hand from taking the pulse, her face still wearing that effortful "mature" expression, and announced in a crisp voice.
"Just drink some of my specially made 'Vidyadhara Dragon Saliva Clearing Decoction', and I guarantee your appetite will open up and the disease will dissipate."
As she spoke, she pulled out that small, exquisite, jade-like medicine pot from somewhere, skillfully tilted the spout, poured out half a small cup of clear liquid that was still slightly steaming, and handed it to the thin, sickly-looking middle-aged woman in front of her.
"Thank you, Divine Doctor! Thank you, little Divine Doctor!"
The woman's hands trembled with excitement as she took the cup, as if she were holding not medicine, but life-saving celestial dew.
Ignoring the heat, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and downed it in one gulp with a "glug-glug" sound.
After finishing, she smacked her lips, a strange expression appearing on her face: "It's a bit... sweet? And there's an indescribable fragrance, it feels warm..."
"Stomach cancer... can it really be cured so easily?"
Inside the clinic, Doctor Natasha, observing through the window, frowned slightly. As a professional, she knew full well how tricky this disease was.
Even if this "little Divine Doctor" might really be of the Vidyadhara, possessing special abilities, the efficacy sounded too immediate.
"The Vidyadhara dragon race, their flesh, scales, and even body fluids, inherently contain powerful vitality and purifying power, and they do have miraculous effects on many ailments of mortal bodies."
[Little Herta], having just broken free from March 7th's "clutches" and was tidying her slightly messy hair and clothes, heard Natasha's whisper and replied in her usual, matter-of-fact tone as if explaining common knowledge.
"Especially their 'Dragon Saliva', which is to say, saliva. After being harmonized by their own spiritual breath, it has a significant effect on dispelling yin-turbid evil energy in the body and repairing damaged tissues. The medicinal soup you see is mainly composed of that."
"Sa... saliva?!"
Natasha was truly shocked this time. She jerked her head to look out the window at [Bailu], who was pouring "medicine" for the next patient, and then looked at the medicinal herbs in her own clinic that required careful preparation and long boiling times, feeling that some of her perceptions had been shattered.
"That's right, that's her saliva."
[Little Herta] nodded affirmatively, glanced at Natasha's somewhat distorted expression, and added.
"Don't feel disgusted. In the Xianzhou Alliance, the 'Dragon Saliva Golden Fluid' of certain Vidyadhara elders is a priceless top-tier healing medicine; many would go bankrupt just trying to get a single drop. She's using her saliva... um, using 'Dragon Saliva' to treat the residents of your Lower District for free, you should be counting your blessings."
Natasha opened her mouth, but it eventually turned into a helpless bitter smile as she shook her head: "I was too ignorant. The universe is vast, and there are all sorts of wonders."
She decided not to dig any deeper into the source of the "medicine"; as long as it could truly cure people and save lives, it was good.
It's just... in the future, when handing a water cup to a patient, perhaps she would need an extra bit of mental preparation?
Outside, [Bailu] waved her small hand: "Next."
A figure immediately approached the small table with a fawning smile, rubbing his hands together, his tone ingratiating: "Heh, little Divine Doctor, I've long admired your name! Look, my chronic cold legs of many years, they ache to the bone on rainy days. Could you also... cure them?"
This voice, this tone...
[Bailu] looked up, and the moment she saw who it was, her ruby-like eyes widened sharply. The "Divine Doctor" expression she was trying so hard to maintain shattered instantly, replaced by pure terror!
"Chronic cold legs... i-it's you!!"
She screamed, as if she had seen some terrifying monster, and scrambled backward on her chair. Because the chair leg was uneven and she was overly startled, she fell backward with a "thump," tumbling off the small chair and landing hard on her bottom!
Stella, standing to the side, had been marveling at the unexpectedly good results of [Bailu]'s "free clinic." Hearing that familiar, oily voice, she turned her head sharply, her gaze locking onto that blue-haired figure like a searchlight—Sampo Koski!
"Sampo! You still dare to appear in front of me?!"
Stella's anger ignited instantly, with old and new grudges rushing to her heart.
Without a word, she drew that baseball bat that looked quite sturdy and charged toward Sampo with murderous intent!
"Whoa! Big sister! Calm down! Impulse is the devil!"
Seeing Stella's posture, Sampo's fawning smile instantly turned to terror. Without a second thought, he turned and ran, his speed comparable to a startled rabbit, weaving flexibly through the crowd.
"If I don't beat you into having real 'chronic cold legs' today, my name isn't Stella!!"
Stella brandished the baseball bat, chasing relentlessly.
The surrounding residents, seeing this, tacitly cleared a path, their faces showing expressions of watching a show—Sampo had a "unique" reputation in the Lower District, and watching him get thwarted was a joy for many.
"Miss Stella! Big sister Stella! I have intelligence! Invaluable intelligence!"
Sampo shouted while fleeing with his head covered, trying to trade information for safety.
"No intelligence can save you! Take a hit from my bat first!"
Stella didn't buy it at all and accelerated.
"It's about the Rift creatures! A large number of Rift creatures!"
Sampo thought quickly in his desperation, his speech rapid.
"Riveting Town! There's a huge group of Rift creatures there. The residents have long since evacuated, and it's become an abandoned monster nest! There might be good stuff inside... uh, I mean, there might be important clues!"
"Riveting Town? Abandoned monster nest?"
Stella's steps faltered slightly, but she quickly caught up again, the bat whistling through the air.
"I could find out this kind of intelligence by asking anyone! You want to fool me with this? No way! You're still going to die!"
Seeing Stella getting closer and closer, the baseball bat almost touching the back of his head, Sampo broke into a sweat.
He knew that if he didn't pay a price, he probably wouldn't escape a beating today.
Just as the baseball bat was about to fall, Sampo slammed on the brakes, turned around, and simultaneously pulled something from nowhere, raising it high above his head!
It was a strangely shaped object, shimmering with a cold metallic light, about an arm's length. One end was a complex and precise energy-gathering structure, and the other was a handle. It looked like some kind of... sci-fi musket? Or perhaps a miniature cannon barrel?
"Don't hit me! Look at this!"
Sampo shouted loudly, and to increase his persuasiveness, he quickly turned the "muzzle" toward a half-person-high piece of abandoned concrete not far away and pulled a trigger!
Hum—Zzzzt!
A laser beam, only as thick as a finger but exceptionally dense and blindingly white-hot, shot out instantly, hitting the target silently!
There was no explosion, no loud noise.
Everyone only saw the part of the concrete block that was hit instantly turn red and soften, then, like butter meeting heat, it silently melted and vaporized, leaving behind a smooth-edged, bottomless hole, with the rocks around the hole showing signs of glazing!
The whole process was silent and deadly, demonstrating terrifying penetrating power and high temperature.
Stella's swinging baseball bat stopped in mid-air.
She widened her eyes, watching the rock that had been melted in an instant, and then looked at the strange device in Sampo's hand that was still emitting wisps of blue smoke.
"Th-this is..."
"High-power portable laser cannon! An experimental product from 'the Company', I had a hard time getting my hands on it!"
Sampo hurriedly pushed his sales pitch, a smile returning to his face, though this time it carried a hint of heartache.
"Aren't you trying to build that 'galatron' thing? Having just a shell is so boring! This! Install it on its arm! Although the power might not match the one in the design drawing, it's definitely the real deal! Melting an Rift creatures or a normal wall is absolutely no problem!"
As he spoke, he cautiously handed the laser cannon toward Stella, his eyes fixed on the baseball bat still held aloft.
Stella looked at the laser cannon, then at Sampo, and then at the miserable concrete block in the distance. The murderous intent on her face melted away quickly like snow under the sun, replaced by an incredibly brilliant, even slightly fawning (?) smile.
She retracted the baseball bat with a "whoosh," her movement so fast it left only an afterimage, then wiped her hands on her clothes and, with great solemnity, almost snatched the still-warm laser cannon.
It was heavy in her hand, the metal felt cold, and the energy core emitted a slight hum, all indicating that this was not a toy.
"Oh my! Brother Sampo! Look at you! Why be so polite!"
Stella's attitude did a 180-degree turn, grinning from ear to ear, and she slapped Sampo's shoulder hard.
"What kind of relationship do we have! It was just a small misunderstanding! Let bygones be bygones! This gift... ah no, this 'intelligence fee' is too valuable! I'm almost embarrassed to accept it!"
She stroked the cannon barrel fondly, stars seeming to twinkle in her eyes, already imagining the cool scene of installing this thing on the "galatron (fake)" arm and melting a large swath of Rift creatures with one shot.
Sampo rubbed his shoulder, which had been slapped in pain, watching Stella's instant change of face, his mouth twitching as he cursed inwardly: "This person is even more realistic than me!"
But on the surface, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled apologetically: "Heh heh, as long as big sister Stella likes it, likes it... about that, the chronic cold legs thing..."
"Cure! Must cure!"
Stella waved her hand generously, then turned to call out to [Bailu], who was still sitting on the ground, shaken.
"[Bailu]! Get up quickly! Give this Mr. Sampo a good look at his chronic cold legs! Use the best 'medicine'! Give him a full dose!"
[Bailu]: "..."
The surrounding residents: "..." (This speed of changing faces is incredible.)
The people inside the clinic: "..."
Natasha covered her forehead, March 7th snickered, Bronya was thoughtful, Dan Heng silently looked away, and [Little Herta] began recording data on "the immediate impact of material bribery on the emotions and behavioral patterns of carbon-based organisms."
A farce of chasing and fighting thus came to a comical end with the exchange of a "hardcore gift."
Only Sampo, looking at Stella's back as she obsessively studied the laser cannon, touched his other pocket where he hid treasures with heartache, calculating in his heart whether this "investment" could be earned back with interest in the future.
And Stella was already completely immersed in the joy of possessing a "big cannon," feeling that Sampo looked much more pleasing to the eye... at least, until the next conflict erupted.