School Transmigration: I, Chosen as the Saint by Dragons at the Start-Chapter 178 --Fortifying the City

In the realm of the common folk, the name Crimson Plum Blossom had become synonymous with terror.

His deeds had tarnished the once cherished image of the plum blossom, turning it from a symbol of poetic beauty into a harbinger of death and fear in many places.

Now, with Crimson Plum Blossom’s near successful assassination of Dawson, the lord of Ironblade City, those present could not help but grasp the gravity of the situation.

Dawson, propped up weakly in his wicker chair, managed a strained smile and addressed his officers, "As you can see, though I’ve narrowly escaped death, I’ve been left incapacitated. This cannot be kept secret forever; it will eventually come to light. When it does, it might very well undermine the morale of our troops here in Ironblade City and across the southern frontier of the empire. I fear that the demon army may well be the instigator behind this, counting on such an outcome. I must rely on all of you to stabilize morale and repel the imminent assault from the demon army."

"Rest assured, my lord, we swear to fight against the demons to our dying breath!"

The officers knelt in unison, their resolve clear.

"Kistan," the lord turned to a middle-aged officer kneeling at the center, "the task of strengthening our defenses falls to you."

"Understood, my lord. I will carry out your orders," the officer replied, his face set with determination.

"Additionally, take Owen with you and acquaint him with our defensive zones," the lord suggested, looking towards Owen with a pleading gaze.

Owen understood the lord’s intentions immediately and agreed without hesitation.

Without delay, the two men paid their respects to the lord and left the study with the other officers, leaving only Dawson, Anna, and Visto in the room.

After a moment of silence, Dawson was the first to break the ice, "Do you share a close bond with this black hound?"

"Indeed," Visto responded.

"We’ve spent nearly our entire lives together. In our early years, wherever he went, I would follow; and now, wherever I go, he follows."

"That sounds like a true friend," Dawson couldn’t help but smile.

Visto, petting Gael’s head, also let out a gentle laugh.

It was then that Anna, seizing the moment, slid the Ruthlessness Blade from its concealment in her sleeve and with a clatter, placed it upon the desk.

The jovial atmosphere ceased, as Dawson, adopting a stern expression, inquired of Visto, "You saved me, but how did you do it exactly? You sent everyone away when you were treating the poison, and you didn’t ask for any herbs."

"In just three hours, you neutralized the deadly toxin, and my condition began to improve significantly. Now, on the third day, I am able to move as if I were any ordinary person."

"Anna mentioned that during those three hours, she didn’t sense even the slightest fluctuation of arcanergy in the room. Thus, I can only think of two possible explanations."

Dawson paused for a moment, while Visto simply looked at him, offering no interruption.

"First, you could be carrying a Sacred Healing Potion."

With Visto remaining silent, Dawson continued, "Second, your method of cultivation might be similar to that of Crimson Plum Blossom. You have a deep connection with him, or perhaps, you are Crimson Plum Blossom yourself. Today, you must provide me with a satisfactory explanation."

Having finished, Dawson closed his eyes, seemingly overwhelmed by fatigue.

Anna fixed her gaze on Visto, and outside the room, an unknown number of shadows had also emerged, silently watching Visto.

Visto simply smiled.

"I’ve already told you, I am merely a doctor," Visto said slowly.

"You claim to be just a doctor?" Dawson scrutinized Visto’s hands, "Doctors like you are indeed rare."

"No, you’ve always stated you were a doctor..."

Dawson suddenly stood up, realization dawning upon him, "Could it be that you are..."

"Indeed, I am a doctor from the Divine Farmer Sanctuary, Visto," Visto nodded slightly towards Dawson.

"To have met a doctor from the Divine Farmer Sanctuary is truly a blessing of three lifetimes."

The lord settled back into his wicker chair, his expression complex.

"Many thanks for saving my life," he said.

"The lord is too kind. I merely guided the lord’s arcanergy to neutralize the toxin."

"Regrettably, the lord’s arcanergy was also depleted in the process, making recovery difficult."

"Let it be," Dawson stood, and the shadows outside the room vanished instantly.

"Your grace will forever be unforgettable. Today’s circumstances were truly beyond our control, and I ask for your forgiveness should there have been any offense."

"Not at all," Visto demurred, as the shadows outside the room dissipated completely.

"Should you ever need anything in the future, this token will ensure you receive assistance from officials at all levels within the empire."

With that, Dawson unfastened a token from his waist and handed it to Visto.

Visto accepted it with one hand and bowed slightly before exiting the study.

After Visto had left, Anna, who had remained silent by the side, picked up the Ruthlessness Blade from the table.

Still full of doubts, she asked her father, "Father, there’s an indescribable air of pride in his every move, and both he and his dog strike me as very peculiar. Could he truly be a doctor from the Divine Farmer Sanctuary?"

Dawson pondered for a moment before responding, "Rather than pride, I would say it’s more of an innate dignity. If there truly are descendants of the Divine Farmer Sanctuary, I believe he is one of them."

"The Divine Farmer Sanctuary has existed since the Martial Emperor era. According to the royal secret histories, the sanctuary seems to have some connections with our royal lineage. They are secretive in their operations, extremely selective in taking disciples, often adhering to a tradition of passing their knowledge down to only one successor per generation."

"It’s said that a skilled doctor can cure diseases and neutralize poisons without the use of medicines. Doctor Visto’s method of guiding my arcanergy to detoxify me could indeed be plausible."

"Yet, I still find this man peculiar and cannot help but be wary."

Dawson couldn’t help but smile wryly, "Indeed, Doctor Visto has not provided proof, nor could he likely prove his affiliation with the Divine Farmer Sanctuary. In this era, only our royal family is aware of this medical sect. But my instincts tell me he bears no ill will. If he had any ulterior motives, Ironblade City would probably not survive this crisis. Thus, I choose to believe he is a doctor from the Divine Farmer Sanctuary."

Anna looked at her father, noticing he seemed to have aged a decade overnight, and comforted him.

"Ironblade City has never fallen since its establishment, and it will not fall this time."

"Let’s hope so," the lord sighed.

"Anna, you must be tired as well. Go rest."

"Yes, Father, and please don’t overwork yourself. Take care to rest," Anna said as she too exited the study, leaving the lord alone.

"Am I the only one left?" Dawson murmured to himself, sinking deeply into the wicker chair.

Deprived of his arcanergy, Dawson truly needed rest, yet he could not afford the luxury.

He bore the weight of Ironblade City, perhaps even the fate of the entire empire on his shoulders.

A looming crisis felt ever closer—who could save the empire?

He recalled an imperial secret history book he had stumbled upon in his youth.

A thin booklet that seemed untouched for hundreds of years, crafted from the finest paper.

This booklet dedicated a single page to the Divine Farmer Sanctuary.

Dawson remembered how it described the sanctuary as established post-war, whose disciples identified themselves as doctors.

Their medical skills were unparalleled, curing diseases without medicines, strict in taking disciples, and secretive in their actions.

If such individuals, along with the saint of dragons, were willing to help, perhaps the current crisis could be resolved.

Suddenly, he felt his own vulnerability, pinning hopes on something so elusive.

As the lord of the city, he could not afford to despair, not even in the absence of his arcanergy.

Standing up, his gaze sharpened like that of a hawk; his intuition still signaled an extraordinary crisis ahead, yet his heart was no longer troubled.

Ironblade City would stand firm on his shoulders.

Anna lingered outside Visto’s guest room for a long time, torn between distrust and a desire to believe in him—a common contradiction among women.

Biting her lip, she pushed the door open.

"What do you think she’s doing in there?" Visto, noticing Anna’s entrance into his room, looked at Gael.

Gael looked back at Visto but remained silent.

"Probably snooping around our room, though there’s nothing much to find.

After all, I’m just a doctor now," Visto remarked.

Gael still said nothing.

Gael turned away as the door opened, and Anna, with an expressionless face, watched Visto walk in.

"I know the cause of your illness," Visto sighed.

"I can cure your disease."

Anna’s body shook slightly as she stepped aside to let him in.

As Visto passed by Anna, he softly said, "I will heal you."

Anna’s mind was flooded with questions, her thoughts thrown into disarray.

Visto returned to his guest room, where Gael jumped onto a chair, resting his front legs on the armrest, sitting like a human.

Speaking to his somewhat intelligent dog, Visto mused, "I should save her."

"The battle with the demon army and the various tribes might be even more brutal than it was a thousand years ago. I can only hope that this time it will mark the end of darkness and the beginning of light."

Visto patted Gael’s head, "You think so too, right?"

Gael didn’t respond.

The next day, following the lord’s command, the officer Kistan headed to the south of Ironblade City to evacuate the villagers.

Kistan, being cautious, inspected every evacuee despite the urgency, to prevent demon army spies from infiltrating the city.

A total of 937 people were evacuated, with the majority being residents of Endsville.

The villages and towns to the south of the city were autonomous, and any decisions made by them only needed to be reported to Ironblade City within seven days.

However, upon hearing of the demon army’s approach, the villagers cooperated fully with the evacuation.

Kistan settled the evacuees in a dilapidated military camp in the north, home to a contingent of a thousand riders.

The task was completed just after noon.

When Kistan returned to report to the lord, Dawson was discussing the city’s defenses with Owen.

Kistan had a good impression of Owen.

During their tour of the defense zones the previous day, he found that this young man, worthy of the title saint of dragons, quickly identified the weaker points in the city’s defenses and offered viable suggestions for improvement.