Rumors

Lu Yuan thought to himself, then gestured for Thomas to lie down on the small bed near the door, drew the curtain to separate them, and sat on the stool next to the bed to examine the wound.

My vision skipped a beat when I saw Thomas's wound.

[Basic Medical Care: +0.5 (Observe Injury) / 20]

You have discovered an atypical injury, suspected to be a crush injury caused by some kind of marine creature.

Seeing the notification pop up in his field of vision, Lu Yuan smiled. The experience bar really could be used to treat illnesses.

Lu Yuan put on gloves and gently pressed the edges of the wound with his fingers.

The bluish-purple areas were extremely stiff, unlike ordinary human tissue.

It's like frozen meat.

"Does it hurt here?" Lu Yuan asked.

"It doesn't hurt...it's just very numb, like a bunch of things are drilling into my bones." Thomas was covered in cold sweat. "Doctor, do you think my leg can be cured?"

Lu Yuan did not answer immediately.

At this moment, a line of gray data was being rapidly analyzed in his field of vision:

[Experience in handling abnormal muscle textures and basic medical procedures +1]

Analysis results: Mild residual toxins from deep-sea mollusks, accompanied by tissue necrosis. Recommended treatment: bloodletting, detoxification, and hot compresses.

"It can be cured."

Lu Yuan turned around and took down the "Red Grass Ointment" he had made last night from the shelf, and then took out a small knife that had been disinfected.

"Bear with it."

Before he finished speaking, the tip of the knife precisely pierced the center of those suction cup-like marks.

"Zzz—"

A stream of foul-smelling black blood gushed out instantly, landing on the tray and making a sound similar to that of strong acid corroding.

Thomas screamed and nearly jumped off the bed.

"Don't move." Lu Yuan pressed down on his leg with one hand, while quickly filling the wound with reddish-brown ointment with the other.

The moment the ointment touched the flesh, the tooth-grinding corrosive sound stopped, replaced by a faint pine scent.

Thomas's rapid breathing gradually calmed down, and he looked at the black blood on the tray with some horror: "What...what the hell is that?"

"A bruise." Lu Yuan made up a story while bandaging his wound. "Don't you know where your injury came from?"

Lu Yuan spoke casually, but inwardly he became more vigilant.

This toxin is clearly not something that ordinary sea fish possess, and the medicine prescribed by the church can actually suppress the spread of this toxin.

Otherwise, Thomas would have died from poisoning long ago.

"It seems necessary to go and see for myself."

Thomas, upon hearing this, seemed unwilling to explain the source of his wound.

He just smiled helplessly.

Lu Yuan didn't seem to mind and asked another question, seemingly unintentionally.

"Has things been a bit unsettled at the docks lately?"

"A bit, actually." Thomas suddenly became more talkative, probably to change the subject. "Didn't the Iron Whale come back? But the people on board were acting very strangely... I heard that as soon as they docked, the Night Watch took them away overnight, and they didn't even go home."

"And ever since then, strange things have frequently been caught at the dock, and my injury..."

Thomas realized he had let something slip and gave an embarrassed smile.

Lu Yuan paused slightly.

It's the Iron Whale again.

"Alright." Lu Yuan tied a neat knot, straightened his back, and said, "Four silver shields. No credit."

Thomas tried moving his legs and was surprised to find that the throbbing, itchy sensation had really disappeared.

He then readily counted out four silver coins, placed them on the table, and left, expressing his gratitude profusely.

The price Lu Yuan quoted was neither too high nor too low, and it was roughly based on the figures in the notebook.

Of course, this price isn't exactly cheap for an ordinary dockworker, but it's not so bad that his family would starve after just a few days of medication.

As Thomas left, a line of text appeared.

[Initial consultation and basic medical care completed: 2.5/20]

[Unlocked Information, Grim Harbor Status: 6/50]

Lu Yuan held the few silver coins, still warm from his body, and gently rubbed them with his fingertips.

"Were they all taken away by the Night's Watch?... It seems what was written in the diary was indeed true."

After Thomas left, the clinic never had another patient.

Of course, this was within Lu Yuan's expectations.

After all, forgetting to advertise means business won't be much better in the short term.

Unless Thomas heals his leg himself.

"Take your time."

Lu Yuan returned to his chair and continued reading.

Time passed quickly, and Lu Yuan did nothing but read books all morning.

There was not a single patient.

On the contrary, the study of medicinal herbs has improved a bit.

[Basic Medicinal Herbs: 8.5/20]

[Imperial Language - Reading: 6/1000]

At this rate, the basic herbal medicine skill should be upgraded in three days at most. I wonder what kind of effect it will have then.

Lu Yuan wasn't going to wait any longer, because he was hungry.

The clinic had nothing but a few cans of food that looked like they'd been sitting out for ages.

Having no other choice, Lu Yuan could only take a few silver shields to the streets to take a look and, incidentally, to actually observe the prices in this world.

At the same time, Lu Yuan prepared to collect more information about this world in order to confirm some of his speculations.

After putting on a suit and hat, Lu Yuan, with ten silver shields in his pocket, went out onto the street.

Under a gloomy sky, the streets were narrow and damp, lined with towering and oppressive Gothic buildings.

The less-than-ideal weather did not affect the residents here.

Even though Lu Yuan lived in a relatively remote place, he could still see a lot of people coming and going.

After walking a distance along the bluestone street and turning at an intersection,

The streets instantly became lively.

Several children, who looked quite young, were walking around and setting up stalls by the roadside.

She would approach well-dressed men passing by and offer to promote her shoe-shining skills.

Even after being rejected, he could still pull out a newspaper from his pocket and then actively try to sell it.

The newspaper was exactly what Lu Yuan needed.

But before Lu Yuan could step forward, a small, thin child approached him.

"Sir! Do you need your shoes cleaned? I'm not saying now, but if you go to the docks, your shoes will most likely get dirty."

"I'm very good at shining shoes, and the price is very reasonable, only two copper coins. If you make a decision now, I'll only charge you one copper coin when you come back."

Lu Yuan stopped and looked at the overly clever little devil in front of him.

"Very clever." Lu Yuan said, taking out a silver shield from his pocket and twirling it between his fingers. The glittering light instantly drew the boy's attention.

"No need to polish the shoes. But I have a better business opportunity for you." Lu Yuan leaned down, staring into the boy's eyes:

"I need you to keep an eye on what's happening at the docks, and... deliver the latest newspaper to that clinic up there every day. This silver shield is a deposit."

The boy swallowed hard and nodded vigorously. "No problem, sir! My name is Brent, and there's nothing in this neighborhood I don't know!"

"Very good, Brent." Lu Yuan flicked the silver coin to him. "Now tell me, what's the latest news at the docks? I don't want to know what's in the newspapers."