Chapter 50 Part 1

“Baa——”

The Little Black Goat stared motionlessly at the two people nestled together on the long bench. Its horizontal pupils reflected Zhong Nian’s undisguised anxiety and concern for the Masked Man. It bleated again, bit Zhong Nian’s trouser leg, and tugged, trying to draw his attention.

Zhong Nian had no time for it. He focused solely on checking the Masked Man’s injuries.

After a night, the bleeding had stopped, but the half-dried blood had congealed with his clothes. Rashly pulling it open might tear the wounds again.

He didn’t know the specifics, only that it was serious.

“I won’t die.” The Masked Man’s eyes were closed. He was too weak to move and could barely prop himself up against Zhong Nian, but his peripheral vision stayed fixed on the Priest standing nearby and the seemingly harmless Little Goat.

He never let go of the Silver Spear gripped in his hand.

Zhong Nian grew a bit anxious. “Do you have bandages, scissors, or something like that?”

He instinctively turned to the other person present for help, his watery eyes pleading with the Priest.

He didn’t want medicine; he feared it wasn’t safe.

The Priest stood with his hands behind his back. His indifferent gaze swept over the Masked Man once. “No.”

This posture, showing no intention to help, made Zhong Nian decide quickly. He lowered his head and whispered to the man on his shoulder, “I’ll help you back to the Cabin.”

At least it was safer there, with tools for treatment.

He draped one of the Masked Man’s arms over his own shoulder and was about to stand when the cold-eyed Priest changed his tune. “I can go look. There might be some.”

“No need.” Zhong Nian didn’t pause. He exerted some effort to support the man upright.

It was lighter than expected. The Masked Man didn’t put all his weight on him. He hunched his back, his head leaning against Zhong Nian’s.

In this position, the Masked Man’s face pressed right against his ear. Even through the Face Mask, his slightly heavy breathing reached Zhong Nian’s ear clearly.

They had only taken two steps when he felt a tugging on his foot. The Little Goat had bitten his trouser leg again, its four hooves scrambling backward with all their might.

Zhong Nian glanced at the Priest.

The Priest’s face was taut and cold. With one hand, he grabbed the Little Goat.

The Little Goat bleated and kicked in his grasp but couldn’t break free.

“…”

The scene was somewhat comical. Zhong Nian stared blankly for a moment before snapping back.

To get the Masked Man treated quickly, he didn’t delay. Supporting the man, he left the Church and headed straight for the Cabin.

Under the Church’s portico, the Priest in his ornate black robe stood silently, watching the youth recede into the distance. His brows lowered, his expression cold and lonely.

“Stop looking.” He spoke to the Little Goat at his side, which gazed eagerly into the distance. “He didn’t even look back or say goodbye.”

The Little Goat stamped its hoof and bleated lowly. “Baa.”

As if understanding something, the Priest snorted coldly. “You’re not qualified yet.”

“Baa…”

“Of course I know what you’re scheming.”

A flash of lake blue passed through his black eyes. “Even if I broke the taboo and forced him to stay, he doesn’t belong here.”

“Baa.”

“It?” The Priest frowned. “I can’t control… It’s not that I’m hiding selfish motives. You’re part of me too—don’t you understand that?”

The sky darkened. Something * stirred in the shadows, surging and restless, greedily heading toward somewhere.

The Priest’s eyes deepened. He murmured, “If you want to break away from me like it did, then grow stronger sooner.”

The Little Goat: “Baa——”

The Priest’s tone grew even colder. “Don’t delude yourself. I won’t be foolish enough to indulge in momentary pleasure and let myself walk toward ruin.”

The dim light fell on the man’s profile but couldn’t penetrate those pitch-black eyes.

No trace of human emotion stirred in their depths—calm as stagnant water, unmoved by all things.

Expressionless, he turned and walked into the dim Church, as if merging with it.

–

With the Children’s help, Zhong Nian made it back to the Cabin smoothly, well before the fog arrived.

He had tried to dissuade them along the way, but the enthusiastic kids, though wary of the Masked Man, insisted on escorting them all the way.

“Thank you.” With only the last short stretch left, he took the Flower Basket from the Children’s hands early and said warmly, “Head home now. The sky’s turning bad.”

The Children knew priorities and didn’t linger. They waved their little hands. “Come play with us tomorrow, big brother!”

Zhong Nian nodded with a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

As soon as he entered the Cabin, he met the gazes of several Players.

They had spotted him and the Masked Man from the windows early on, along with the group of Small Town children trailing like little tails.

They crowded forward at once, questions firing one after another.

“What happened? Injured that badly—was it the Devil?”

“Coming back from the Church? We went this morning, but the Priest wouldn’t let us in…”

“What’s with those kids? What did you say to them?”

Zhong Nian didn’t answer a single one. He had no time or obligation to deal with people who only asked about the situation without caring about others’ injuries.

He had planned to lay the man on the first-floor sofa to avoid hassle, but with these people around, he had to exert extra effort.

“Hold on a bit more.” He said to the Masked Man as he headed for the stairs.