Chapter 321: What People Should Do.

Chapter 321: What People Should Do.

[Author Note]

Sorry for the brief hiatus, I caught COVID and chose to spend the month to recover.

But now I'm back and ready to throw a bunch of chapters at you guys. Look forward to it!

[End Author Note]

I move to the second floor of this hospital and then downward to the first, to get around the people I have recently healed. Luckily, Wei had the foresight to move to a nearby, but quieter, area for her healing.

A very pleasant surprise, as now I can save time that would have been spent going through the newly healed crowds.

As I approach the room from a distance, I can see a quiet member of my group, Nao, move out of it and down the hall in the opposite direction. Luckily, they dont seem to notice me, as I am using my stealth abilities to get through without issues.

Right when I reach the door, I peek in to see her just waiting and taking some notes. Her face looks serious, if a bit sad.

Hey, Wei. Sorry for the wait. What was Nao doing here?

She rockets to her feet and bows abruptly in a fluster.

Master, you dont need to apologize to one such as I!

And I was just checking on people that could be useful for building out our intelligence, as you had requested.

Huh. Shes moving pretty quickly on that. I was planning on setting her up with a few people that could help, but it seems shes already on it.

Maybe this is one of those situations where I trust my people to do something and make a recommendation from time to time.

Excellent job. I didnt expect for you to move so quickly. Keep up the good work.

Her face turns red as she nods.

People don't receive enough open compliments in this world from their leadership, unfortunately.

I continue, waving my hand toward the nearby wards.

I see you also had all the victims moved over into the group wards. Are you doing okay?

Her face returns to that same look she had when I walked in.

Yeah theyre not as bad as others Ive seen, so I managed to move them with little trouble.

Despite her claim, it is clear that she is burdened by it. But not as much as I assumed.

I had her do it, because I already knew from my earlier checks that she is aware of the dark side of cultivator society. Especially, being in the intelligence field. Adding to it, I need someone who can proficiently handle this level of darkness so that we can effectively help those same people.

But to think it had this little effect on her, compared to Sister Nuan, is shocking.

What the heck has Wei seen that is worse than this?

I stare at her for a few more seconds in thought, before I realize I should keep things moving.

Thank you, Master, for this amazing gift! I am undes.

Im never going to get used to this, will I?

I already find myself reaching down to stop her and pull her upwards. She fights the action a bit, but relaxes a bit as I speak.

You dont need to worry about such things with me, Wei. As youll see, I want everyone in our group to have a relationship where helping each other is more normal. Just keep working hard and try to do the right thing where you can.

Her lip quivers a bit, before she whispers something that only my scan catches.

Ill do anything for you, benefactor.

The typical action, if this was a slice of life or rom-com, would be to ignore this potential red flag. Im not going do that.

I give a sigh, before grabbing her shoulders and making sure she looks me in the eye. Using my abilities to say the right things.

Wei. I understand you are appreciative of what Ive done, but dont put me on a pedestal. Okay? Im just doing what I can. I hope that you can help our group grow and do similar things for others.

I dont want you to live your life tethered to mine in a strange way, from just something like this, alright? Were all in this together, as a team. Things like this, I want to be more normal for everyone.

She stays quiet for a moment, as it seems my words have gotten through to her.

I understand. Im sorry to show you such an unsightly part of myself.

No, you misunderstand.

Its not unsightly. Not even slightly. I see your appreciation and felt glad that you are looking out for me. And words like that are touching. But you deserve to see things clearly and not be burdened by gratitude, when its just something that we all should do for each other.

Im looking forward to working with you, Wei, and seeing all that you can become.

After staring at me for a little longer, she finally gives me an understanding smile and a much more confident nod, giving me the confidence that I can move to the other things that need to get done.

The first of which is the flesh slaves.

Originally, I was planning on saving their healing until after everyone outside the contract left. However, I find myself in front of the doors of the ward they are in. Walking through them to hear and see the victims in front of me.

Soft labored breaths come from the person to my immediate right. Despite being healed of the pain that plague them, they are still molded into terrible and unnatural shapes. Including their internal organs.

Such changes make things more difficult.

I thought I could wait, but these people have waited long enough. They dont need optimization. They just need to be seen as people again.

But before I do that, I need to take care of some things.

Luckily, Wei is still in the hospital, so I grab her and have her bring some people over to help manage when they reach consciousness. Simultaneously, a considerable number of my favorite people come over to see me here.

Ai, Lin, Shi, Mei Lin, and the hero troop.

I feel an enormous smile cover my face, as despite the short time weve been away from each other, I still missed them quite a bit.