Chapter 33
Oliver’s eyes widened with excitement as he caught sight of it, his heart racing. Without dy, he
scooped up a handful, scanning his surroundings only to find no avable tools for grinding. After a
brief moment of contemtion, he stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously.
After chewing it into a pulpy mess, he spat it into his hand and grabbed another handful, chewing
again.
With each bite, the bitter and unpleasant taste overwhelmed his senses.
After chewing tworge mouthfuls, Oliver finally stopped. He turned around and carefully positioned
Hailey’s right foot on the ground. Taking the crushed leaves, he gently applied them to her inmed,
reddened skin.
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Hailey, who was in agony, dared not move, for even the slightest motion would result in excruciating
pain.
Yet, as Oliver ced the crushed leaves on her foot, a refreshing coolness permeated her skin, offering
instant relief from some of her sufferings. The pain noticeably diminished as Oliver proceeded to apply
the leaves to the surrounding joints.
Inquisitively, Hailey asked Oliver, “What remedy is this? It has significantly alleviated my pain.”
With meticulous care, Oliver continued his task, exining, “This is ground-ivy, a potent medicinal herb.
When applied externally, it possesses remarkable properties such as reducing swelling, soothing
inmmation, and relieving pain.”
“Can you even diagnose illnesses and identify herbs?” Hailey’s curiosity peaked, and she couldn’t help
but wonder, “Is there anything this young store manager doesn’t know?”
Oliver vehemently shook his head and refuted, “No, no, I merely observed my father using it when I
was young. He wasn’t a doctor, either. He possessed basic knowledge of a few herbs to alleviate
stomachaches, reduce inmmation, and othermon ailments, including this ground-ivy. Just some
basic knowledge.”
“Oh…” Hailey dropped the subject, no longer pressing for more information. Once the medicine had
been applied, she seemed to forget about the pain. Her gaze shifted towards Moulmore. Worry was
etched on her face as she spoke, “Who exactly are those people? What should we do?”
Oliver didn’t know either. His eyes could discern myriad things in the world, but couldn’t identify people.
Thoughts of Julian crossed his mind when he contemted those individuals.
After contemting, Oliver spoke, “Ms. Fox, we have no rtives or other acquaintances here. The
only person we can rely on is Fabian. However, he’s most likely inebriated tonight, making it unlikely for
us to reach him. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow when he sobers up before we can contact him.”
He pondered momentarily before adding, “Fabian may be driven by greed, but he gets things done.
With money as an incentive, there’s nothing in Manchernius that can’t be resolved through legal or
illegal means. Let’s await Fabian’s call.”
The mountainside was infested with numerous mosquitoes, and even a short while of sitting there
resulted in bites and swollen bumps.
Oliver scanned the surroundings once again, and to his surprise, he stumbled upon several wormwood
nts known for repelling mosquitoes. He swiftly plucked them, crushing them to extract their juice.
Oliver then applied the juice onto Hailey’s beautiful face, hands, and exposed skin. He then proceeded
to do the same for himself.
Once the wormwood juice was applied, its scent became prominent, and the mosquitoes kept their
distance.
Hailey began to feel a bit sleepy and rested her head on Oliver’s leg to sleep. However, Oliver dared
not sleep. In this unfamiliar and potentially dangerous ce, he feared the thugs might discover them
or that venomous insects and wild beasts might emerge. The entire night passed with him consumed
by worry.
It was only at daybreak, as the sky began to brighten, that exhaustion finally overcame Oliver, and he
drifted into a fitful slumber.
Upon waking up, he sensed thefortable support beneath his head. Without opening his eyes, he
adjusted his position slightly, seeking an even more cozy spot. The cushion beneath him was soft and
emitted a subtle fragrance, providing a pleasant resting ce and soothing aroma.
“Is this in the hotel?” Fabian murmured to himself.
However, the sound of chirping birds above abruptly jolted Oliver out of his tired musings. “No, this is
the mountains, the wilderness!”
Oliver’s realization instantly snapped him into full alertness. Opening his eyes, he discovered that he
had unknowingly rested his head on Hailey’s thigh.
Hailey sat there, gazing at him. Her flushed face resembled a radiant apple in the morning glow, her
eyes sparkling like precious gemstones.
Oliver sighed inwardly. “Sadly, she is Ms. Fox, an untouchable woman far above my reach.”
He recollected that she had rested her head on his leg the previous night, so how had the roles
reversed with him resting on
her leg now?
Oliver didn’t have time to dwell on it. He swiftly sat up and moved to assist Hailey.
Hailey trembled as she attempted to stand, but before she could steady herself, she cried out, “Ouch!”
Her left leg gave way, causing her to fall to the side.
Oliver swiftly supported her and asked in rm, “Ms. Fox, are you… injured in this leg too?”
“No… No, it’s just a little numb…” Hailey blushed and replied.
It suddenly dawned on Oliver. He had rested his head on her left leg for an hour or two, and it was only
natural that her leg had grown numb due to limited blood cirction.
“Then sit down for a while. How about this foot? Is it getting better?” Oliver helped her settle down and
examined her right foot.
Hailey gently moved it a few times and nodded. “It’s much better. The pain is manageable as long as I
don’t exert too much pressure. I’m not sure if it will hurt when I walk.”
Oliver took a closer look. “The crushed ground-ivy leaves I had applied the previous night had mostly
come off. Hailey’s delicate foot was adorned with green grass stains, creating a vibrant array of
patterns,” he remarked inwardly.
“I’ll search for more herbs to apply to it.” Oliver stood up, intending to find more ground-ivy, but his
phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID disyed [Fabian] on the screen, and Oliver hastily answered with relief.
“Mr. Eastwood, I’m really sorry. I gotpletely drunkst night, sleeping like a log, andpletely
unaware of what transpired. I just woke up to use the restroom and noticed several missed calls on my
phone. Did something happenst night?”
“Last night…” Oliver chuckled bitterly as he recounted the situation to Fabian. Then he asked, “Fabian,
we are at a loss here. We have no idea what’s going on. Can you assist us in hiring some bodyguards?
Money is not a concern.”
Fabian readily agreed, “That’s easy. I’ll directly contact the local army and have them dispatch a team
of ten to twenty skilled individuals. With them taking charge, no one would dare to cause trouble.”
Upon hearing that, Oliver breathed a sigh of relief and swiftly responded, “Excellent, Fabian. I
appreciate your help in making the arrangements. Please inquire about the cost, and I will transfer the
money to you immediately!”
Fabian ended the call and made the necessary arrangements. He returned after about ten minutes.
Before Oliver could inquire about the details, Fabian eagerly spoke, “Mr. Eastwood, everything is set.
We have the army working for the Moulmore’s official auction at our disposal. Commander Gregory
himself is leading a team of 30 soldiers. The cost has been finalized at 80 million Manchernius dors,
approximately 80,000 dors…”
“I’ll offer 100 thousand dors daily until we leave Manchernius and return home!” Oliver’s initial shock
at 80 million quickly subsided when Fabian rified that it was in Manchernius dors, equivalent to
80,000 dors. He added another 20,000 dors to round it up to 100 thousand dors for them.
Fabian immediately burst intoughter and engaged in a lively conversation in Manchernius with
someone on the other
end of the line.
Although Oliver couldn’t understand the words, Fabian’s cheerful tone and the response from the
person on the phone indicated a vibrant discussion. Presumably, the individual Fabian referred to as
Commander Gregory was present.
Fabian requested Oliver to share their location and then hung up, heading over with Commander
Gregory and thirty fully armed soldiers to find them.