Physician Benita

Phelin was stunned by this move and asked blankly, “How did the soil crack open on its own?”

Wu Yao curled her lips into a smug expression. “That's a witch's secret.”

“Are you really a witch?” Phelin couldn't help but press further, turning her entire body toward her, a light brighter than the sun burning in her eyes.

Her godmother had told her many stories about witches, merfolk, and elves, but she had never imagined that these figures actually existed in the real world!

For a moment, she was both thrilled and excited, looking at Wu Yao as if she were someone who had suddenly stepped out of a storybook, filled with wonder.

“Watch closely,” Wu Yao winked at her.

With a gentle flick of her other, empty hand, a tiny ball of fire appeared out of thin air, dancing and spinning on her fingertips.

Phelin gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her hands, a muffled cry escaping through her fingers.

She watched as the ball of fire sprouted two thin wings, a sharp beak at the top, and long tail feathers at the end. She cried out in delight, “A little firebird!”

The bird made of fire fluttered its wings and flew a circle around her before finally dissolving into tiny sparks that faded into the air.

“Wow...” Phelin forgot what she was going to say, staring blankly at the spot where the little firebird had vanished.

“Want to learn?” Wu Yao tapped her nose.

“Yes!” Phelin blurted out. Her voice was so loud that she startled herself, but she immediately lowered her head. “But Mom said witches are dangerous...”

Wu Yao nodded nonchalantly. Even if the NPC wanted to learn, she wouldn't be able to teach her anyway.

So why did she put on such a show?

Because her Affection level had just risen to 45!

In a great mood, Wu Yao loosened the soil with one hand and gathered herbs with the other, her movements lightning-fast.

Phelin's interest, however, had been thoroughly piqued. She lingered around Wu Yao, pretending to help her while constantly stealing glances at the hand Wu Yao used to cast spells.

She didn't think witches were dangerous at all. How could having magic be dangerous? Wasn't it just incredibly convenient?

“Alright, I'm done gathering. Can you take me to see your mother now?”

Wu Yao casually cast Cleaning, instantly making herself spotless again, and held out her hand to Phelin. “Let's go.”

Phelin looked at Wu Yao's suddenly clean hands, then at the dirt and grass stains on her own hands, hesitating to move.

In the next second, that slightly cool, strong hand wrapped around her dirty little hand, prompting her to shout anxiously, “My hands are dirty!”

“They aren't dirty. Open them up and see for yourself,” Wu Yao said, holding back a laugh as she let go.

Phelin opened her small hands, turning them over and over to inspect them. Sure enough, there wasn't a trace of mud or grass stains left.

She excitedly grabbed Wu Yao's hand like a chirping little bird. “What spell did you cast?”

“A witch's secret,” Wu Yao teased on purpose. Sure enough, Phelin pestered her about it all the way back.

Fancao Village was even smaller than Ashes Village. About twenty households were huddled in a low-lying area, most of the houses built of mud bricks and thatch.

There was a small pond at the entrance of the village. A few women were drawing water from it, their clay pots making glugging sounds as they sank into the water.

When they saw Phelin walking back with a strange woman, they stopped what they were doing and eyed Wu Yao warily.

Wu Yao didn't care about their stares at all, but Phelin waved to them happily. The women instinctively smiled back at her and stopped staring at Wu Yao.

“It's Granny!” Phelin suddenly hopped excitedly, dragging Wu Yao with one hand while waving vigorously with the other.

Wu Yao looked in the direction she was heading and saw a thin, frail old woman drying herbs.

Although her back was so hunched she was bent nearly double, her hands sorted the herbs with precision and speed, carefully inspecting every single stalk.

“Oh, it's Phelin. Did you bring a friend back?” the old woman called out without looking up.

“Mm-hmm!”

As Phelin skipped past her, the old woman reached out and patted her shoulder, being careful not to get any of the herb juice from her fingers onto the girl.

Phelin pulled Wu Yao deeper into the village. After passing a few houses, she stopped in front of a mud house that was much smaller than the others. “Here we are.”

The mud house looked worn, but the mud-brick walls had few cracks, and the thatched roof was neatly laid.

It was surrounded by a fence made of twigs that served as a yard, where various herbs were drying. The air was filled with the distinct aroma of medicinal plants.

Before they could even get close, a fit of violent coughing echoed from inside the house.

The cough was agonizing, sounding as if it were scraping the very last bit of air from her lungs. One cough followed another, with almost no pause for breath in between.

Phelin's face paled instantly. Releasing Wu Yao's hand, she dashed inside in a few quick strides, her figure disappearing into the dark doorway.

Wu Yao followed close behind. She squinted to adjust to the dim light inside. Upon entering, there was a small parlor with a table and chairs. To the left hung a woven straw curtain, which was where the coughing was coming from.

Unable to spare any attention to host her, Phelin picked up a pot of decocted medicine, lifted the curtain, and slipped inside.

Her gentle, soothing voice, which she tried hard to keep soft, mingled with the woman's intermittent coughing.

Wu Yao had absolutely zero respect for the NPCs' privacy. Without the slightest hesitation, she thoroughly searched the entire layout of the house, opening every single cabinet she could find.

She swept all the herbs that looked useful into her Inventory, lighting up over a dozen entries in her Compendium.

Having finished searching the outer room but still wanting more, she unceremoniously lifted the straw curtain and made herself right at home, stepping into the bedroom and interrupting the tender moment between mother and daughter.

The bedroom was even darker than the outer room, with only a small window letting in a sliver of daylight.

A thin, gaunt woman lay on the bed, covered by a thin, yellowed quilt. Her face flushed with an unnatural feverish glow, and her eyes, sunken deep in their sockets, stared calmly at the intruding stranger.

But what Wu Yao noticed first was the green tag floating above her head: 【Physician Benita】.

“Hello, I'm Wu Yao, Phelin's friend,” Wu Yao took the initiative to greet her, putting on a gentle and polite demeanor.

Benita's gaze lingered on her for a moment before shifting to Phelin, her eyes full of maternal affection. “Go put the medicine pot away, and then wash the Star-Scar Grass you gathered.”

“Okay!” Phelin answered brightly. Guessing that her mother probably had something to say to Wu Yao, she winked at her and skipped out of the room.

The moment the curtain fell, the tenderness on Benita's face vanished without a trace.

She propped herself up against the edge of the bed, the skin on the back of her hands as thin as translucent paper. This movement strained her lungs, triggering another fit of violent coughing.

Once the coughing finally subsided, she raised her eyes, her gaze slicing toward Wu Yao like a sharp blade.

“Lady Sorceress, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?”