Chapter 22: The Surgery Men Fear Most

On the continent of Roland, magic crystals are exceedingly rare.

The authoritative work, *Identification and Grading Standards for Magical Materials—Yemengjade Revised Eighth Edition*, classifies magic crystals into four tiers: common, fine, precious, and divine.

Common magic crystals are treasures that most magicians can only hope to encounter by chance. Those who obtain them cherish them dearly, using them to craft magical items of great personal significance.

Fine magic crystals are typically used for trade, functioning as a high-value currency among magicians.

As for their use, only master and grandmaster-level artisans and archmages qualify to wield them.

Zohan had once seen precious-grade magic crystals on Yelantis Island. Such crystals have virtually vanished from all trading markets; they now only appear in ancient magical artifacts or on altar formations that have withstood the passage of time.

The highest tier, the "Divine," was mentioned vaguely by his teacher.

These seem to exist only in ancient mythological times. No one has seen a physical specimen in over a thousand years, and some speculate they exist solely in the ethereal divine realms or the deepest recesses of the Black Soul World.

Yemengjade believed that dragons and elves might possess divine magic crystals.

In any case, even the most common magic crystals are nowhere near ordinary or easy to find.

Now, this magical bullet gun was embedded with a sizable magic crystal...

Zohan recalled a story his teacher once told him about common magic crystals.

When she was still a naive girl beginning her travels across Roland, she joined a popular adventurer team.

When the group stumbled upon a common magic crystal by chance, the entire team fell apart, turning against each other in greed.

The teacher chose to withdraw from the team and the scramble.

The others assumed that since she showed no interest in the crystal, she must possess more or higher-grade crystals.

Their guess was correct.

This bred envy and malice, which ultimately led to their annihilation, as the teacher used that one magic crystal to repeatedly shatter their stubborn skulls.

This demonstrated just how precious magic crystals are—people are willing to trade their very minds and sanity for them.

Now, Lord Aldos had one, yet Lady Aldos seemed utterly unaware of its value—or perhaps she knew but felt no attachment to it.

Pondering these matters, Zohan, with the mountain breeze at his back, pushed aside the heavy cloak, stepped firmly forward, and entered the forest.

Something seemed amiss.

Dense trees blocked the sunlight, and in the thick snow lay two distinct sets of footprints ahead—one larger, one smaller.

He bent down for a closer look. Using his magical sensing abilities, he confirmed there was a time gap between the two sets; the larger prints followed the smaller ones.

As far as Zohan knew, only Old Dingdang would venture into the mountains in such weather, but neither of these prints matched his—Old Dingdang’s were steadier and more solid.

Moreover, this path led to Zohan’s camp.

He decided to quicken his pace.

“Ice and snow cover Shurima—Talia’s wall curtains transform into an ice dragon!”

Zohan chanted solemnly, then cast a spell unrelated to the incantation:

*Elemental Shaping: Create Acceleration Channel*

*Wind Wings: Balance*

*Swift Eagle Eye*

A surge of magical energy pierced the snow-laden forest floor. The thick snow heaved, revealing a solid, smooth ice pathway—like a low white wall built by the Moroski people, extending deep into the mountains.

Zohan leapt onto it, gliding swiftly and gracefully as if on skis.

“Help—”

A tender female voice echoed faintly through the forest.

“Help—”

Zohan spotted Gwen. Unlike the day she came to seek him out, this time she wore a cloak fashioned from an old bedsheet; her hair was no longer dull but shone with color. Yet her legs still trembled inside worn boots as she staggered backward.

Her cries were laced with despair. In this icy wilderness, even wild beasts dared not emerge.

“What’s your name? In a place like this, who else could you possibly call to?”

Lord Bobur laughed heartily, stepping closer to Gwen, pointing at Zohan’s camp:

“Look here, a perfect spot for me to have some fun with you... Go on, light a fire, boil some water, lay out some mats—hahaha...”

“Madam... Madam won’t spare you, and neither will the magician...” Gwen shouted, cornered with no escape, warning Bobur to consider the consequences.

She had heard rumors of Bobur’s lustful nature but never imagined he’d stalk her out here in the wilderness to strike.

“Madam? In recent months, since my brother’s absence, she relies on me to keep the family guards in line, facilitating troop movements. Do you think she’d come out for you? And as for that magician... hahaha, do you really think you’ll see him again?”

Bobur leisurely loosened his belt.

Gwen’s eyes quivered with hopelessness. As Bobur’s belt slipped, preparing to undress, she turned away in shame, ready to pick up a small stone to throw at him. Suddenly, she caught sight of a familiar figure approaching behind Bobur.

The magician who used to pat her head, have her drink three bowls of meat broth to warm up before speaking to him.

“Mr. Zohan—”

Gwen’s joy overflowed, tears streaming down her face. He was here to save her once again. How could she ever repay him?

“Heh, why call him out? Let me remind you, no matter how powerful the magician is, can he be strong everywhere?” Lord Bobur chuckled. “Once you see just how strong I am, you’ll understand what true power over women really means... hahaha...”

“May I ask, what exactly is your strength?”

Zohan slipped silently before Bobur like a cold mountain wind.

Startled, Bobur stumbled backward just as his pants fell down, tripping him. His large, muscular frame crashed onto the stones, the cold making him howl.

“Turn around and wait until I call you,” Zohan said without a word, patting Gwen’s head. “Good girl?”

“Good,” Gwen nodded repeatedly, wiping her tears and quickly turning around, afraid that if she hesitated, Zohan might think she was disobedient.

“This is a misunderstanding, magician!” Bobur, unlike Lord Aldos, who faced magicians with confidence, felt no such assurance—after all, he didn’t have a magical bullet gun!

What terrified Bobur even more was that his elder brother’s magic bullet gun was now in the hands of the magician before him.

What was going on? And what did he intend to do? Did he also have designs on this little girl, and was taking it out on him in jealousy?

“It’s alright. I’m no judge, not here to decide right or wrong, nor do I care about confessions or evidence, so no need to explain.”

Having said that, Zohan cast the spell *Ice Prison* without further incantation.

Sharp ice pillars erupted from the ground, crystalline and pure, freezing Bobur’s hands and feet firmly.

“Ah—” Bobur screamed in agony. This magician wouldn’t negotiate or even discuss terms. Was he really torturing the second-in-command of the Aldos family all for the sake of a lowly maid?

Zohan glanced at Bobur’s “strength,” then precisely cast *Flame Purification* to burn off his hair.

The air smelled of singed hair but lacked the aroma of roasted flesh—a testament to the magician’s precise control.

Bobur’s legs twitched, his abdomen distended, his protruding navel seeming ready to burst.

Zohan habitually disinfected Bobur’s navel and groin area. Without alcohol, he used a spider venom that served as a cleanser and also numbed sensation.

“What... what are you doing?” Bobur panicked. For a man, having someone work on him in such a vulnerable place was more terrifying than a knife to the throat.

Muscle spasms wracked his body, causing him to lose control in both directions.

He never imagined that his lustful intentions towards the girl today would provoke this magician’s wrath—there was no way Zohan would let him off easily.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” Bobur wailed, his face pale as he helplessly endured his own mess and stench. “Please let me go, I won’t do it again—”

“It’s alright.”

Zohan’s tone softened with genuine comfort. As a healer, he had seen countless patients lose control; this was nothing.

Any hint of disgust would be unprofessional.

Zohan calmly cleaned Bobur and applied medicine to eliminate the odor—he did not rely on magic for everything; that would be wasteful.

After all, magical energy is limited.

Bobur found this even more terrifying. This man was like an old butcher who paid no heed to the livestock’s cries and struggles, methodically performing his task and turning the animal into steaming cuts.

Zohan patted Bobur’s belly, then swiftly and skillfully excised the entire reproductive organ, including the genetic production tissues.

The process was smooth, avoiding damage to surrounding areas, even major blood vessels.

Thanks to the spider venom’s anesthesia, Bobur felt only a slight sting but understood what had been done.I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.