Small shop attacked
The storm of public opinion, carefully instigated by the court, intensified and eventually culminated in a substantial and violent action.
On a gloomy afternoon, as if foreshadowing misfortune, a group of people, blinded by fear and anger, and incited and led by some clearly malicious individuals, surged like a flood towards the alley that had once been bustling with activity because of the "Eastern Secret Medicine," but was now deserted.
"Eliminate the heretics! Purify the Academy City!"
"Burn down that witch's lair!"
"We cannot allow evil to continue to fester!"
"For our children! For our homes!"
Chaotic, hostile slogans grew louder as they approached, accompanied by hurried footsteps and the clanging of metal, breaking the silence of the alley.
Upon seeing this, the two academy guards responsible for watching over the "Eastern Secret Medicine" shop immediately changed their expressions and rushed forward to try to stop them.
"Stop! What are you doing? This is private property!"
"Disperse immediately! Otherwise, we will take coercive measures!"
However, their rebukes sounded so weak and powerless in the face of the surging crowd. The agitators planted within the crowd immediately began shouting:
"Look! The academy is still protecting that witch!"
"Their wealth? That's ill-gotten gains made through wicked means!"
"Smash it! Burn it! This is an act of justice!"
The out-of-control crowd instantly overwhelmed the flimsy defenses, surging towards the shop like a tidal wave. Bricks, rotten vegetable leaves, and rotten eggs rained down on the thin wooden door and windows!
Bang! Crash!
The wooden door was smashed and was on the verge of collapse, and the window glass shattered with a crash!
"Stop! Stop it!" A guard tried to push away the person at the front, but was instead shoved to the ground and trampled by the crowd, leaving him in a sorry state.
Seeing the situation was dire, another guard immediately pulled out his whistle and blew it frantically, sending a magical signal into the sky to request backup. But distant water cannot quench a nearby fire!
"Charge in! Smash all the evil things inside!" someone roared, and began ramming the weathered wooden door with their body.
Just then, the broken back door of the shop was suddenly pushed open, and Finn Liver rushed out. He had originally returned to retrieve some notes that Ling Yao might need and some medicinal herb samples he had left behind, but he hadn't expected to stumble upon this scene.
Seeing his small shop, which he had worked so hard to build and poured countless efforts into, being so violently vandalized, Finn's eyes instantly turned red!
"Damn it! Stop it, all of you!" Finn roared, spreading his arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks, blocking the shop entrance. "These things aren't evil! They're medicine to save lives! Miss Ling saved so many people! Have you forgotten?!"
His appearance and shouts caused the frenzied crowd to pause slightly.
But soon, the instigators started shouting again: "Look! It's that witch's henchman! He's been completely bewitched!"
"He's the one who helped that witch sell those harmful drugs!"
"Hit him! Make him hand over the witch's evil formula!"
The incited crowd became agitated again, and several stones were thrown at Finn!
Finn instinctively dodged to the side, but a stone still hit his forehead, causing blood to gush out! Warm liquid slid down his cheek, bringing a stinging pain and dizziness.
But the pain only fueled Finn's inherent courage and stubbornness! Every brick, every tile, every bottle in this shop was painstakingly built by him and Miss Ling! It was their hard work! And proof of Miss Ling's miraculous elixirs! He absolutely couldn't let these scumbags destroy it!
"You bunch of ungrateful wretches!" Finn wiped the blood from his face, but instead of backing down, he grabbed a wooden stick that was placed by the door to brace it, and stood guard at the door. "Anyone who dares to take another step forward, I'll fight them to the death!"
His desperate stance temporarily intimidated some people.
But the few instigators in the crowd clearly weren't going to let it go. A tall, fierce-looking man sneered and pulled a short stick from his waist: "Kid, you're asking for it! Fine, I'll grant your wish!"
He charged forward and swung his club at Finn! This guy had clearly practiced some martial arts; his movements were fast and ruthless!
Finn was, after all, just a half-baked mage apprentice, a complete novice in close combat, relying solely on sheer grit and courage to hold on. He swung his wooden stick haphazardly to block, but his opponent easily deflected the blows, followed by a heavy kick that slammed into his stomach!
"Ugh!" Finn groaned in pain, curling up like a shrimp as he flew backward and crashed heavily into the shop door, spitting out a mouthful of sour water, and the wooden stick in his hand flew out of his grasp.
"Pah! You overestimate yourself!" The fierce man spat, took a step forward, and kicked Finn again.
As the surrounding crowd watched this scene, some people felt a pang of pity, but under the fervent atmosphere and incitement, few dared to stand up and stop it.
"Smash it! Smash the shop! Burn it down!" The fierce man stepped on Finn, who was struggling in pain, and waved his hand at the crowd behind him!
The crowd erupted in excitement once more, breaking through the last barrier like locusts and surging into the small shop!
The sounds of smashing, looting, and maniacal laughter instantly filled the small space!
Shelves were overturned, carefully packaged medicine bottles were smashed on the ground, precious medicinal herbs were trampled on, and Finn's ledgers and sales notes were torn up and scattered... The entire shop instantly descended into a frenzied chaos!
Some people took the opportunity to snatch things that looked valuable, such as the exquisite crystal bottle containing "Radiant Skin Dew"; others destroyed things purely for the sake of destruction, hitting everything they could with sticks; still others took out torches and kerosene that they had prepared beforehand, ready to set fires!
"No! No! That's life-saving medicine!" Finn, pinned to the ground, stared at everything before him with bloodshot eyes, his heart aching as if being stabbed. He struggled to get up, but was firmly held down by that big foot, and could only let out helpless and angry roars.
In the chaos, someone kicked him in the ribs, sending a piercing pain that almost suffocated him.
Despair, like an icy tide, overwhelmed his heart.
Just as the torch was about to be thrown at the counter splattered with kerosene, a sharp, urgent shout came from the alleyway entrance:
"Stop! All of you, stop!"
Professor Eleanor Silverstalker arrived hastily with several alchemy workshop apprentices and guards. She had clearly seen the distress signal or heard the commotion; her face was ashen, and her eyes burned with fury.
Seeing the carnage inside the shop and Finn lying on the ground, his head bleeding, Eleanor trembled with rage: "You...you've committed a crime! Stop your violence immediately! Guards! Arrest the ringleaders!"
The college guards finally arrived and began trying to control the situation and capture the most outrageous vandals.
When the crowd saw the professor and the real guards arrive, the frenzied atmosphere cooled slightly, and some of the more timid began to retreat and flee. Seeing this, the burly man who had stepped on Finn snorted coldly, kicked Finn hard, and then tried to slip away into the chaotic crowd.
"Finn!" Eleanor rushed forward and helped the barely breathing Finn to his feet. Looking at the wound on his forehead and the numerous injuries covering his body, especially the obviously unnatural angle of his ribs, her face paled. She immediately took out the first-aid medicine she carried with her and carefully fed it to him.
“Professor…” Finn weakly grabbed Eleanor’s sleeve, his eyes fixed on the wrecked shop, his voice trembling with tears, “Miss Ling’s shop… is gone… all gone…”
Eleanor's heart bled as she looked at the small shop, ravaged by a hurricane. This was more than just a shop; it was a treasure trove that could hold entirely new pharmaceutical theories! The destroyed herbs, notes, and even the dregs might have been of immense research value! And now, these ignorant thugs had destroyed it all!
"Don't worry... we'll find out... we'll make them pay the price..." Eleanor comforted her through gritted teeth, but she also knew that the law doesn't punish everyone, especially in this kind of incited chaos, it's difficult to truly hold all the participants accountable.
Eventually, with the intervention of the guards, the rioting crowd gradually dispersed, leaving behind only a mess and the lingering smell of burning. Several slow-moving agitators were apprehended, but the fierce man managed to escape.
The shop was almost completely destroyed. The goods were looted, the facilities were smashed to pieces, the walls were covered with graffiti and various obscene words, and there were even several charred marks left by attempted arson.
Finn's condition stabilized temporarily thanks to Eleanor's care, but the broken ribs and emotional trauma would not heal quickly. As he was carried away, seeing the devastation of the shop, he finally couldn't hold back his tears.
The news quickly reached Ling Yao, who was under guard.
When the academy staff cautiously informed her that the shop had been destroyed and Finn had been injured, Ling Yao, who was meditating with her eyes closed, slowly opened them.
Her expression remained unchanged, but the aura around her seemed to freeze instantly, like the deathly stillness before a blizzard.
She didn't speak, but simply raised her hand and gently brushed against the seemingly ordinary animal skin bag at her waist.
It was as if invisible icicles were quietly condensing in the air.
Silas...the courthouse...
This time, it seems they've gone a bit too far.
Do you really think she has no temper?
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