Chapter 168

Hello, Laimu Si.

In the ward, Murphy saw the man who had just woken up not long ago.

Laimu Si Lu Ping's injuries were severe; the virus in Geileiboke's saliva entered his brain, causing him to suffer severe brain inflammation for a time, resulting in a prolonged coma until he recently regained consciousness.

Laimu Si looked extremely emaciated; having relied on injections and liquid food for nutrition, his whole body had become gaunt, paler and weaker than before, with hardly any color left in his face.

"Are you Murphy Darkholm?"

Murphy nodded.

"Those werewolves..."

He woke up a few times in between, but each time quickly fell back asleep; he never left the ward and still didn't know what was happening outside.

"Oh, twelve died. The rest were all rescued." Murphy said, "Your few friends are fortunate; they're still alive."

Most of the dead werewolves were those who had happily followed Greyback; Murphy's ravens had been tracking them for a while, knowing who should die and who could survive—in fact, even before Radwan Perry and his group moved in, they already had it figured out.

"Twelve..." Lu Ping was somewhat shocked, but didn't say much more.

Among his fellow werewolves, it's true that some were not worth pitying.

"Thank you for sparing them." Lu Ping said.

He was referring to those werewolves who were on good terms with him; they mostly had gentle personalities, followed Greyback only out of necessity, had little blood on their hands, and belonged to the group looked down upon by Greyback and his die-hard militant followers.

Lu Ping knew that with those dozen or so werewolves capable of transforming at will while retaining their reason, it would be possible to kill everyone; their survival must have been due to Murphy's intervention.

"Don't thank me; they're still useful." Murphy said.

"What do you plan to do with them?" Lu Ping asked.

"For a time, they will be my prisoners." Murphy said, "I will give them some education and thought reform, turning them into harmless ordinary people; then… it will be up to their own wishes—those who want to stay and work for me can join my forces, and those who want to return to ordinary life I will not force to stay."

Lu Ping looked at him for a moment and said, "What you told them isn't quite the same."

Murphy chuckled, "What others say doesn't matter much; if it gets annoying, just hit them back. Mr. Laimu Si, what about you—what plans do you have for your future?"

"I... I don't know yet." Lu Ping said somewhat dazedly.

When he decided to step forward for his fellow werewolves, he had almost prepared himself for sacrifice.

He himself didn't quite understand how that motive had formed; over so many years of muddling through and drifting aimlessly, he had merely existed numb, but upon hearing the news of Sirius's innocence, his heart was filled with joy, yet it also felt as if he had been deeply stabbed.

My friends have been resisting.

James sacrificed himself for this.

Sirius endured ten years of imprisonment.

But they never bowed to fate.

By contrast, what have I been doing all these years?

What difference is there between me and that timid little mouse, and what face do I have to be their true friend?

Perhaps it was precisely because of this anger at himself that he chose to recklessly challenge Greyback.

"If you haven't made any plans yet, I happen to have a suggestion." Murphy seemed to see his confusion and said, "I want you to teach those werewolves."

"Your fellow werewolves harbor great hostility toward wizards and Muggles; my people find it hard to truly approach them. Only you can earn their trust."

"Of course, you don't need to decide this right away. First recover your health, then think it over."

"When you're better, I'll take you to meet someone."

"Oh, by the way, there's something else I need to ask your opinion on." Murphy said, producing an iron cage.

Inside the cage was a large gray-furred mouse missing a toe, huddled in a corner with its head buried against its chest, listless, and it was unclear whether it was dead or alive.

"Xiao Xing?!" Lu Ping recognized it at first glance.

"Wasn't he kidnapped? How did he end up with you?"

Murphy shrugged, "Because I'm the one who kidnapped him."

Lu Ping was puzzled, "Why save him? Letting him rot in Azkaban is what he deserves."

"Sirius could escape Azkaban even as a big dog, let alone a mouse that's even better at escaping."

"Azkaban might not be able to hold him; rather than let him escape on his own, I'd rather capture him first."

"Now I've brought him out just to ask your opinion." Murphy said, "If you want to kill him, you can do it now; if not, I'll take him away—he's still somewhat useful to me. Of course, I can guarantee his fate won't be any easier than death."

"Does Sirius know?"

"I told him at the outset, but he said he'd already gotten what he wanted and didn't care about Xiao Xing's life or death, so he left it up to you to decide."

Lu Ping thought for a moment, "Can you guarantee he won't continue to do evil?"

Murphy nodded.

"Take it away; do whatever you want with it—this is the punishment he deserves."

……

By mid-June, Laimu Si Lu Ping's injuries had mostly healed; Murphy brought him to White Ferret Mountain and knocked on a door halfway up the slope.

"Sir, someone's at the door." a boy's voice came from inside the room.

"Oh, maybe it's Arthur again; tell him if he says another apology, I won't open the door."

But as he spoke, the door suddenly swung open.

A handsome man in a light purple shirt with curly hair stood in the doorway, his face still bearing a smile, but when he saw the two of them, his expression froze.

"Black," Murphy raised the two bottles of wine he was holding, "Royal Blancola, to celebrate your move-in."

"Ah, thanks." Sirius Black glanced at Murphy, but quickly turned his gaze to Laimu Si beside him.

"You're doing all right, Sirius." Unexpectedly to Murphy, Lu Ping said.

"Oh, you don't look so good, my friend—got another scar?"

No apologies, no tearful embraces; the two merely exchanged a couple of jokes, as if the more than ten years of separation didn't exist, and their last meeting had been just yesterday.

The two men smiled, stretched out their arms, and embraced.

Tsk.

Such friendship.

Murphy actually felt a bit envious.

"Come on in," Black opened the door, inviting Murphy and Lu Ping into the cottage.

Unexpectedly, the room was very clean and tidy, and in the living room stood a thin little boy wearing round glasses, who was curiously looking at his godfather's friend.

"Sirius, this is……"

"Yes," Sirius showed a kind expression that could be called loving, "James and Lily's child, Harry."

"Harry Potter."

Death is actually like finally going to bed after a long day, and for someone with a very clear mind, death is nothing more than another great adventure.

Wishing you a peaceful journey.

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(End of chapter)