Ah Yan asked, "Teacher, will he die?"
The old man placed his hand over the man's danfu, trying to stimulate his literary energy with his own, but the man's injuries were severe, his literary energy weak, and his pulse feeble. He sighed, "Let fate decide, for I cannot say."
Anxiety tinged Ah Yan's expression.
The old man comforted, "However, since he is the first person Ah Yan saved, perhaps the heavens will show mercy."
Ah Yan's eyes brightened, "Really?"
"Indeed," the old man assured.
He stripped the man down to his undergarments, retrieved a plethora of bottles and jars from a medicine chest, each labeled with specific uses. Ah Yan needed these for her martial training; hence, the assortment was complete.
Watching the swollen, festering wounds, the old man retrieved a knife from the bottom of the medicine chest, cut away the necrotic flesh, applied medicine, administered potions, set bones, and bandaged the injuries, then moved the man onto the carriage.
After a flurry of activity, dusk descended. Ah Yan, unable to help much, repeatedly retrieved bodies from the river, just like the man, they all suffered multiple fractures and injuries.
Some had half their heads chopped off, others had their throats slit or hearts pierced, likely encountering the same group of criminals.
"All I can do has been done. What remains—whether the Lord of Death will spare your life—depends on you." Muttering to himself, the old man heard Ah Yan calling him for dinner outside the carriage. He promptly responded, "Coming."
Master and disciple enjoyed a meal together.
———
Initially, Lin Feng's crying was restrained.
She suppressed her overwhelming grief, forcing all bitterness down her throat, with only sporadic sobs escaping her lips. Initially able to contain herself, Shen Tang's words triggered a loss of control, and she wailed uncontrollably, as if all her negative emotions had found an outlet.
A torrent of emotions surged forth, unstoppable.
She lay on her mother's remains, heartrending to behold.
Shen Tang moved her lips, but ultimately swallowed her comforting words, choosing to be a quiet background instead. As Lin Feng cried herself out, nearly fainting from exhaustion, Shen Tang glanced at the darkening sky and softly said, "It's getting late. Let's head home."
Home?
At the mention of the word, hot tears rolled down her cheeks again. Hoarsely, she replied, "Okay," as Shen Tang continued, "Let's go back and see if there are any chicken or duck eggs in the kitchen. Boil two and use them as eye compresses; otherwise, you might not be able to open your eyes tomorrow."
After crying for so long, her throat was not only hoarse and weak, but her once bright, lively eyes were now red and swollen, her eyelids resembling those of a rabbit, both pitiful and disheveled.
Seeing Lin Feng's swollen eyelids and her unsteady gait when she stood up, Shen Tang grabbed her wrist. "Tired?"
Pale lips trembling, Lin Feng shook her head defiantly. "Not tired..."
Shen Tang: "..."
Unable to stand steadily, yet walking unsteadily, and she claimed she wasn't tired?
She mentally commanded Lingling to fetch the motorcycle.
"Get on."
The bodies were loaded onto the wooden cart and transported back by the laborers sent by Gong Shuwu... Oh, sorry, by the newly minted "Together Towards Prosperity" Village. With Lin Feng, exhausted and weary, Shen Tang drove the motorcycle back.
In the distance, wisps of smoke rose.
Beneath the smoke, a figure stood.
Shen Tang waved as she approached. "Wu Hui, I'm back."
Seeing her return, Chu Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Though Qi Shan repeatedly pointed out Shen Tang's slow reactions and audacious nature, Chu Yao couldn't help but worry—
Worry about what?
Worry that their household's plans would scare them off.
After all, organizing the young and strong to train in martial arts and robbing taxes didn't seem like something peaceful citizens would do. If they reacted a bit faster, they would realize something was amiss and prepare to flee.
\(￣︶￣*\)) But Wu Lang was obviously an exception.
Seeing Shen Tang return cheerfully, as if this bandits' lair was just an ordinary resting place, Chu Yao completely believed in Qi Shan's conclusion about the good-for-nothing Qi Shan.
"Wu Hui, has the kitchen started cooking? I'm starving."
Chu Yao said, "There's a big bowl of hot noodles waiting for Wu Lang."
He moved to take the sleeping Lin Feng, but Shen Tang acted faster, cradling her horizontally and refusing to hand her over. Chu Yao halted, saying, "Wu Lang."
"Yeah?"
Chu Yao emphasized, "Lin Miss wants to attend to Wu Lang's daily needs, including washing and dressing. Although you two don't need to adhere strictly to the 'boys and girls shouldn't sit together after seven,' since you've decided to treat her as a 'brother' in the future, it's best to refrain from overly intimate actions..."
Shen Tang: "..."
Chu Yao gestured with an "eight," "And she's already eight."
Given their small age gap, it wasn't appropriate for them to be too close.
Shen Tang's expression was subtle. "...Wu Hui."
Chu Yao replied, "I'm here."
Shen Tang promised earnestly, "I believe in the power of words. If I can master techniques like grinding glasses against light or matching eyes with mirrors, if I ever get my hands on some good stuff like glass jade or crystal stones, I'll make you a monocle."
At his age, with presbyopia, she could understand.
This face of hers, like it could conjure up something?
Actually, he's only thirty-four. "??"
Xiaocheng, a civilian residence.
When Qi Shan returned, the sun had not yet set, but strangely, the door latch of the civilian residence was already locked, and it wouldn't budge despite his efforts to push it open.
He had to knock.
Thunk, thunk thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.
This was the secret code he had agreed upon with the old couple.
If there was danger inside, they would reply, "Who's there? Why are you knocking so much?" If there was no danger, they would say, "Wait a moment, coming."
Before long, the voice of the old woman came from inside the door.
"Wait a moment, coming." Her footsteps drew closer, followed by the sound of the latch moving, then a creak as the wooden door was opened. The old woman, upon seeing the unfamiliar clothed young man, showed no surprise and said softly, "Husband, come in quickly, please."
As Qi Shan entered the courtyard, she looked around before closing the door.
"Has anyone come today?"
Seeing the old woman's cautious demeanor, Qi Shan knew something was wrong.
"Yes, it seems someone was looking for you."
At his frown, the old woman led him inside, worriedly saying, "I don't know who, but judging by their attire, they seemed to be servants from some household. They used the excuse of borrowing
water to sit in the courtyard and kept asking about your identity. Sir, what do you think..."
Qi Shan interrupted, "It's fine."
The old woman added, "Someone entered your room."
Ever since the benefactor moved in, whenever they left the house, the old woman would sprinkle rice flour on the windowsills and door frames of the guest room. If an outsider entered, they would leave traces. Qi Shan and his party had left yesterday and had not returned all night. After the strangers came, there were unfamiliar marks on the windowsill and door frame, making the old woman's heart pound with fear.
They weren't afraid of implicating themselves but feared for their benefactor's safety.
Qi Shan remained composed. "Don't worry, it's nothing."
The old woman's tense heart relaxed. "That's good then."