Chapter 65: Nightingale of the Red Cross, A Blood-Soaked Gift p1
Even with Luo Ling’s crafting skills, the Eve puppet wasn’t perfect. She couldn’t replicate the wounds with absolute precision and lifelike detail, but it didn’t seem to matter.
While it was unlikely Company headquarters would dispatch top-tier medical resources for a low-level team like the Twintails, Lu Fangling, as branch director, had considerable connections. Combined with Cen Xiangyun’s background, they managed to invite another branch director for treatment.
“You’re awake?”
A gentle and friendly voice sounded beside her ear. Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was vibrant emerald green hair, followed by the faint fragrance of flowers and herbs. A graceful woman sat by the bedside, looking at Luo Ling with concern.
—Ms. Nightingale, director of the Red Cross branch.
She shared the same name as the famous nurse from history books, but whether they were the same person… was unclear. She had never revealed any information about this.
However, it was certain that among all the Company branches, the Red Cross branch, led by Ms. Nightingale, was the most peaceful, its members mostly Myriad Path Awakened Ones.
This wasn’t because the Red Cross branch only recruited Myriad Path Awakened Ones. Unlike the Speakers, they had no restrictions on Path abilities.
It was simply because the Red Cross branch was so peaceful, their commissions mostly involving healing the injured. Moreover, their director, Ms. Nightingale, was the most renowned Myriad Path ability user.
There was a saying within the Company: “Under the light of Ms. Nightingale’s lamp, there is no injury, pain, or death.”
Although this was an exaggeration, it illustrated Nightingale’s powerful healing abilities, far surpassing Luo Ling’s unorthodox methods.
It was said that Nightingale’s Authority-level Sacred Tool, “The Lamp,” contained a trace of Guixu’s true Sacred Relic. Even in direct combat, her strength wasn’t far below other beings of the same level.
During the treatment, Luo Ling’s consciousness remained within the Eve puppet, not returning to the Kingdom or descending onto Alyssa.
Before a top-tier Myriad Path Awakened One, letting her consciousness wander freely would be easily detected, especially while receiving treatment.
Luo Ling could only forcibly seal her consciousness, remaining unconscious for several days, not receiving any outside information until Ms. Nightingale finally healed the puppet and she could awaken.
“Mmm…”
Luo Ling tried to sit up, but a slender hand gently pressed her back down. Ms. Nightingale, a gentle smile on her lips, said softly, “Be careful, little Eve. You’ve just recovered. Don’t push yourself.”
“Little… Eve?”
Luo Ling was startled by the address, but she quickly calmed down, searching through Eve’s memories.
Out of respect for her teammates, even though Luo Ling could access their memories at any time, she hadn’t done so. Even while impersonating Eve, she had avoided touching Eve’s private thoughts as much as possible.
But now, Ms. Nightingale clearly knew Eve, so Luo Ling silently apologized to Eve in her heart and began to browse her memories without hesitation.
After reviewing them, Luo Ling fell silent.
Eve… had been delivered by Ms. Nightingale.
Although lacking an Awakened world background, Eve came from a prominent family in Victoria, the daughter of a duke, deserving of the title “Lady.”
When she was born, her father, Duke Ste, naturally hired the best doctors and nursing team in Victoria. Ms. Nightingale was one of them.
Moreover, Eve’s mother was frail and sickly. After giving birth to Eve, she was ill for a long time and was cared for by Ms. Nightingale’s nursing team.
As a result, Eve had many childhood memories of this “Auntie,” and Ms. Nightingale’s influence was partly why she joined the Company.
Of course, Eve rarely saw Ms. Nightingale after that. Few people knew about their connection in the ordinary world.
So, in this reunion after so many years, Ms. Nightingale’s gaze towards Eve was filled with tenderness and heartache.
These feelings should have been directed at the real Eve, but now they were directed at Luo Ling.
“Sorry, Eve, I really didn’t mean for this to happen…”
Luo Ling had apologized to her teammates countless times in her heart. Impersonating them felt… strange.
Perhaps she should implant this memory into Eve’s mind later, conveying Ms. Nightingale’s concern.
Just as Luo Ling was thinking this, Ms. Nightingale spoke again,
“Little Eve, someone must have been secretly protecting you. With your injuries, anyone else… even me, would have died.”
Luo Ling’s crafting skills were crude compared to a top-tier Myriad Path Awakened One, but with the Puppet Ballad’s superb camouflage, she had still managed to deceive Ms. Nightingale.
Ms. Nightingale couldn’t understand how such severe injuries could be survived, ultimately concluding that some unknown method must have been used.
“I…”
Luo Ling didn’t know how to answer, only feigning a confused expression.
However, Ms. Nightingale didn’t press further. She had only casually mentioned it. Seeing “Eve’s” expression, she smiled gently and continued,
“Alright, if you can’t remember, don’t think about it. You’ve just recovered from serious injuries. You need to rest.”
Luo Ling breathed a sigh of relief, nodding slightly. After a pause, she asked, “By the way, Sister Nurse, how are Xiangyun and Manqing… doing?”
Sister Nurse was what Eve called Ms. Nightingale as a child, and Luo Ling continued to use it.
Hearing the familiar address, a smile appeared on Ms. Nightingale’s lips. “They’re fine, just minor injuries. They were discharged the next day. They should be… at your apartment now.”
Then, she seemed to remember something, hesitating before saying,
“Little Eve, I know some inside information, but… for your own good, I can’t tell you. In short, don’t dwell on the attack for now. You won’t be in this kind of danger again, I can guarantee that.”
Because it was over.
Luo Ling’s expression darkened slightly.
Cheng Jianming’s primary target was her. Her teammates were merely collateral damage, especially Eve, the most innocent victim.
In any case, Cheng Jianming needed a suitable sacrifice to activate the Incubation Barrier. Whether it was Eve or someone else made no difference.
Now that the Incubation Barrier hadn’t been activated, the Purgatory larva was missing, and even Cheng Jianming, who was in charge of the plan, was dead, the directors’ scheme had hit a dead end.
“I… understand,” Luo Ling said, lowering her head to hide her emotions.
Ms. Nightingale had already said more than she needed to to “Eve,” even though she had delivered Eve and cared for her for a while.
But… Ms. Nightingale had delivered countless children in Victoria. Offering kind advice was in her nature, but that was all.
“Mmm, go home and rest well.”
Ms. Nightingale stood up, gently adjusting Luo Ling’s blanket.
“Your friends will be here to pick you up later. Remember to rest when you get back. There are no Myriad Path Awakened Ones in your team. If your injuries flare up, you can come to the Red Cross branch for help.”
“I understand, Sister Nurse,” Luo Ling replied.
Ms. Nightingale smiled gently and left the ward. As both a nurse and the director of the Red Cross branch, she had many other things to attend to.
Not long after, Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing, having received the notification, hurried into the ward.
Seeing that “Eve” had awakened, their anxiety eased somewhat. Cen Xiangyun even rushed to the bedside, tears involuntarily streaming down her face.
Sometimes, Luo Ling wondered if Cen Xiangyun was made of water. She cried the most in the team, even more than Elsa.
But considering the things poor Miss Cen had experienced in just a few months… and how she was almost always the last to know, it was understandable.
“Thank goodness, Eve, you’re alright… but Miss Luo Ling and little Elsa are…”
Cen Xiangyun’s voice choked with grief. Even Lu Manqing, usually playful, turned her face away, tears welling up in her eyes.
Luo Ling also wanted to cry, but the thought of crying for herself made it difficult. She could only lower her head, hiding her expression.
In reality, she even wanted to laugh… but laughing at this moment would be too cruel, so she had to hold back.
Gazes seemed to linger outside the ward from time to time. Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing knew this wasn’t the place to talk, so they quickly composed themselves.
Ms. Nightingale’s healing abilities were truly remarkable. She had completely healed the wounds created by Luo Ling’s crude crafting skills.
The Eve puppet was only slightly weak, due to not having eaten for so long. Eating something would restore her strength.
Thanks to the replicated Judgment Path physique, Luo Ling could move normally, although she couldn’t use Eve’s abilities.
However, this wasn’t a problem. Luo Ling had connected the puppet to the sleeping Eve in the Kingdom using the Puppet Ballad’s abilities. She could borrow Eve’s abilities from the Kingdom when needed.
Soon, they completed the discharge procedures and returned to the apartment.
On the way, Cen Xiangyun recounted what had happened, from Eve’s attack to the recent events.
These were things “Eve” didn’t know. As they reached the apartment, the scene of the incident, the three embraced and cried.
—Except for Luo Ling.
Luo Ling wanted to laugh, thinking about her two friends mourning her, but she could only cry along with them. The combination of wanting to laugh and cry made her expression somewhat distorted.
Of course, Luo Ling understood the reason for Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing’s grief, but… for whatever reason, she could only apologize silently and conceal the truth from them.
Back in the apartment, everything looked the same, but without two people, the large apartment seemed much emptier.
Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing had decided to move out, as the apartment was filled with memories of Luo Ling and Elsa. Everything they saw reminded them of their lost friends.
To them, this was a place of sorrow.
Their friends were gone, but life had to go on.
“We’ve packed Luo Ling and Elsa’s belongings. After we move out… let’s build a cenotaph for them.”
Cen Xiangyun’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “Although we’ve experienced something similar recently, this time… there will be no miracle.”
The last time, they had mistakenly believed Luo Ling was dead because she was missing. This time… Miss Luo Ling had died right before their eyes, her death so brutal that it was difficult to even collect her remains.
“Even now, it still feels unreal.”
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