“What do you mean by ‘losing effectiveness’?”
Li Ang seized the key point.
“You see, as a follower of my Lord, my method of healing is to bind the [Injury] and then pass judgment on it, erasing it conceptually to achieve the healing effect.”
“Little Xi Erfu’s symptoms are very strange. They contain powerful magic. I can only manage to bind it, not completely cure it.”
“But the crucial point is that it has been continuously growing all these years, and now I can no longer suppress it.”
Kaiselina showed an apologetic expression.
“So, the one year is only theoretical time. In reality, if the illness worsens, then my little sister…”
Li Ang’s voice turned a little hoarse.
He raised his head to look at the priestess, who silently nodded.
The cramped room instantly fell into an eerie silence.
“Oh, don’t make the atmosphere so heavy. I think I’ve lived quite long already. But I have to say, even if I die now, you absolutely can’t be with that annoying woman, Vesilia!”
Xi Erfu stood with her hands on her hips.
Despite hearing her own life ticking down, she still had that cheerful demeanor.
Li Ang ignored her and pondered for a moment before asking, “Then, if… there was some way to extend her lifespan…”
“Li Ang!”
Kaiselina’s expression changed drastically.
She loudly interrupted him and then said solemnly, “The Life Authority is controlled by that one. The method you speak of is definitely… Evil Arts!”
“Don’t touch it. I’ll think of other ways.”
Li Ang knew that cults were very detested in the empire, but he hadn’t expected such sensitivity.
Seeing the priestess’s serious face, he did not press the matter further.
Because of this topic, the room’s atmosphere grew even stranger.
Kaiselina briefly checked on Xi Erfu’s condition before leaving.
“All right, my dear brother, don’t be upset. For the sake of your poor little sister, can I have a warm hug?”
“I really need my brother’s comfort~”
Xi Erfu smiled as she approached, her pink hair swaying in the air, leaning eagerly into Li Ang’s arms.
This time, Li Ang didn’t refuse. Instead, he pulled the girl into an embrace.
Even Xi Erfu was a bit surprised, but soon she showed a look of enjoyment and shouted dramatically, “Uwa! Even if I had to die now, I’d be willing!”
Li Ang knocked her on the head with a dark look.
“Don’t say nonsense. I’ll find a way to cure your illness.”
“Then, brother, you promise me you won’t be fooled by bad women outside.”
Xi Erfu’s face was serious.
“Your brother’s not that charming.”
Li Ang was a little helpless.
This girl was always worried about him being stolen away, which was why she hated Vesilia so much—or rather, had hostility toward any woman who got close to him.
“Oh right, brother, what about the Red Cord I gave you?”
Xi Erfu looked at Li Ang’s empty wrist with suspicion.
“You wouldn’t have secretly been seeing bad women behind my back, would you?”
That was a talisman to reduce her brother’s romantic misfortunes.
When they were both wandering, Li Ang had come close to being completely taken advantage of by unscrupulous women more than once.
Li Ang followed her gaze and froze.
Then he realized this was bad.
He remembered that the Red Cord was now… on Vesilia?
At the time, her hair had come loose, so he used it to tie her hair, and afterwards he had forgotten to take it back.
“Ahem, no way. I was just worried about losing it, so I left it at home.”
Li Ang coughed twice, sweating as he looked at his suspicious sister.
“Then let’s go back now!”
Xi Erfu stood up, but Li Ang immediately pressed her down.
“Hm?”
The girl’s suspicious gaze grew heavier.
Li Ang forced himself to lie, “Uh… I just remembered, the house isn’t ready yet. I’ll… no, I’ll come get you in a few days!”
“Rest well here for now!”
After saying this, Li Ang immediately fled in panic.
If Xi Erfu found out that thing was on Vesilia, she’d definitely be furious!
Xi Erfu just watched Li Ang leave the room without stopping him.
Only after his figure disappeared down the corridor did her face turn pale.
“Cough cough cough…”
The next second, the girl’s small body suddenly collapsed onto the bed, curling up in pain.
The once-smooth sheets were now crumpled from her suffering.
“What’s the point?”
Kaiselina entered from the doorway, waving her hand to cast a healing spell on Xi Erfu, easing her condition considerably.
She looked at Xi Erfu with a complicated expression.
The girl no longer looked lively like before.
“Hiding it like this isn’t a solution.”
This wasn’t the first time.
Whenever Li Ang came to visit Xi Erfu, she would ask Kaiselina to forcibly maintain her [Health] state, and the price was that when the effect ended, all the accumulated pain would return at once.
“Cough… I know…”
The girl’s voice was extremely weak as she propped herself up, forcing out a smile.
“But I still don’t want brother to see me like this.”
“Luckily, he’s an idiot. If I can keep it hidden for just one day… well, I don’t have much time left anyway.”
Her pink hair looked dull and withered.
She gazed out the window, watching a few sparrows scatter in the sky.
Xi Erfu whispered with some envy, “I really am a selfish, lying bad child…”
In truth, Vesilia hadn’t said those words.
She only did so to confirm that Li Ang was truly not interested in that young lady.
With that young lady’s tsundere and strong-willed personality, how could she ever take the initiative to hold him back?
However, Vesilia did seem a bit distracted, but from Xi Erfu’s point of view, that was completely self-inflicted.
Her brother had never been anyone’s substitute.
***
Leaving the church, Li Ang felt troubled. He had left so decisively before; how could he now go back and ask Vesilia for the Red Cord?
Would he really say to her, “Sorry, could you please return the Red Cord I lent you? Thanks.”
That would be social suicide!
And with Vesilia’s terrible temper, she definitely wouldn’t comply.
So the only way was to steal it back… no, quietly retrieve it.
How could taking back what’s yours be called stealing?
He looked up at the bright sky above.
This was definitely not a good time to sneak it back.
He’d have to wait until night and see how things went.
If he couldn’t get it back, Xi Erfu would be super angry.
With that thought, Li Ang casually picked a restaurant for lunch, then went back home to resume simulations.
Knowing his sister’s condition, he grew more and more anxious.
His plan had to move forward.
Now he could only pin his hopes on that Life Drain Ritual.
If he had that thing, at least Xi Erfu could live a little longer.
As for the Evil Arts the priestess repeatedly warned about, they were not in his considerations.
Evil Arts, cults—he didn’t care.
As long as it could save her, that was all that mattered.