Chapter 93: Chapter 92: Wanted
Under imnse pressure, the governnt officials worked quickly.
In the ti it takes an incense stick to burn, soone had already swiftly uncovered the general situation.
At the Governnt Office, beside the latrine in the back courtyard.
Chang Younian’s face was ashen as he looked at the trampled flowers and plants by the wall, the tracks on the ground, and the muddy prints on the wall itself.
Clearly, soone had used tools to get Cheng Guangshan out during the night.
Using tools to take him away ant the culprits were likely not Martial Artists. A Martial Artist could have simply used a Body Technique to leap over the wall with him, leaving far fewer traces.
’A heavily guarded Governnt Office, infiltrated so easily by commoners! It’s a joke!’
He looked coldly at Chief Wang and said,
"I will not pursue the matter of your negligence for now. I want you to imdiately find all information on Cheng Guangshan and deliver it to . Also, issue a wanted notice for his arrest. Round up everyone related to the Cheng Family and interrogate them one by one."
Chief Wang felt a wave of relief and quickly cupped his hands. "Yes, sir!"
With that, he took his n and left the Governnt Office.
「South City, at Li Lu’s ho.」
Several bodies of refugees lay at the entrance. Inside the main hall, Li Lu stared with a grief-stricken face at his dead son and eldest grandson on the floor. Beside them were his weeping, tear-streaked daughter-in-law and his two young grandchildren.
He had rushed to notify the South City Martial Arts Hall and hurried back ho, but in the end, he was a step too late.
Refugees surging in from South City had broken down his door.
In the ensuing struggle, his wife was injured and knocked unconscious, while his son and eldest grandson were beaten to death. His daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, both under the age of ten, were almost violated and killed.
He was just glad he had returned when he did.
In that mont, he deeply hated himself for not returning sooner. An even deeper resentnt for the refugees burned in his eyes.
Yesterday had been his wife’s birthday. His son had brought his family ho to celebrate and stay the night. Who could have known such a tragedy would strike?
Just then, Mrs. Wang of the Li Family, who had been knocked unconscious, stirred and woke up in her chair. She glanced at her husband, then saw the two bodies on the floor. A mournful wail escaped her lips, and she nearly passed out again, but Li Lu quickly rushed to comfort her.
A mont later, Mrs. Wang of the Li Family was kneeling beside her son’s body, sobbing quietly. In the end, she was overco by grief and fainted.
His daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lin of the Li Family, suppressed her own sorrow and rushed to support her mother-in-law. But as she touched her, she was suddenly startled.
"She’s burning up! Father! Mother is burning up!"
Hearing this, Li Lu’s expression changed in alarm, and he hurried over to check.
Feeling the heat radiating from his wife’s forehead and body, his face instantly turned grim. He quickly said to his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lin of the Li Family,
"Quick, take the children into the room and don’t co out!"
With that, he picked up his wife and carried her toward his room.
As he did, a crumpled letter fell from Mrs. Wang of the Li Family’s clothes.
Li Lu didn’t have ti to bother with it and rushed inside.
His next thought was to go find Mrs. Chen of the Cheng Family. But as he reached the doorway, he saw the letter again.
He quickly picked it up and continued on his way out.
But as he glanced at the words written on the envelope, he stopped in his tracks.
"For Uncle Li, to be opened personally — Cheng."
Seeing this, he quickly tore it open and began to read.
The letter was brief, but its contents left Li Lu aghast.
Although it was just Cheng Zongyang’s speculation, he felt it explained a great many things.
The end of the letter ntioned two packets of dicine left at the clinic that could alleviate the plague, along with their location. It also detailed asures to reduce the risk of infection in his ho.
Li Lu was shocked at how well-prepared the Cheng Family was. ’They actually prepared the dicinal materials so far in advance.’
’It seems Doctor Cheng knew long ago that this plague was coming, which is why they left early to take precautions.’
He didn’t linger any longer and imdiately rushed toward the clinic.
However, as he neared the clinic, he was stunned to find that Chief Wang and his n were sealing it off, and a wanted poster had been pasted on the door!
On it was the unmistakable likeness of Cheng Guangshan.
Li Lu’s heart leaped in shock.
’Could it be that the kid really managed to escape the County Town with his uncle’s family?’
Li Lu mulled it over and ford a guess.
’If that wasn’t the case, the County Magistrate would never have done this!’
’The one person who can treat the plague has vanished. It’s only natural for the County Magistrate to be furious.’
He could only wait for them to leave before climbing over the wall into the back courtyard.
A mont later, a look of joy crossed Li Lu’s face as he found the two packets of prepared dicinal materials in a hidden spot inside the clinic.
’The Cheng Family truly keeps their word!’ Li Lu sighed inwardly, grateful that his previous actions had been the right ones.
He stealthily left the clinic and hurried back ho.
He didn’t let his daughter-in-law or grandchildren co out, pushing aside the grief of his son’s death. He personally brewed the dicine, then instructed his daughter-in-law through the door to watch over it. After that, he left ho again, heading for the restaurants and taverns in the city.
The city streets were now littered with bodies. Restaurants and taverns were either shuttered or had their doors broken down, their interiors looted. As far as the eye could see, nearly every ho was a scene of chaos and destruction.
The surrounding rice shops were also nearly empty, though large amounts of spilled grain and uncleaned bloodstains remained on the ground.
There were even fires burning, sending smoke into the city air.
Signs of chaos were everywhere.
Li Lu hurriedly found a tavern that hadn’t been completely emptied and discovered an unbroken jar of sorghum wine in a corner.
In these tis of food scarcity, finding wine ant it was either brought in from elsewhere or was old stock from years past.
Li Lu paid this no mind. He found a tavern worker groaning on the floor, ignored him, and simply tossed a few large coins onto his body before leaving.
Next, he went to a few other clinics to find an herb called mugwort.
Returning ho, he lit a brazier in the main hall and began to smolder the mugwort.
Then he sprayed the sorghum wine everywhere.
He didn’t know if any of this would work, but since they were the asures Cheng Zongyang had suggested to reduce the risk of infection, he did them without question.
He then took all the bedding out into the courtyard to be sunned and fumigated with mugwort smoke.
Only then did Li Lu feel a little more at ease.
Once the dicine was ready and had cooled slightly, he imdiately helped his wife drink it.
Sitting by his wife’s bedside and holding her hand, his face was filled with guilt.
He was just an ordinary man, one with practically nothing to his na. But his wife had ignored her parents’ objections and insisted on marrying him.
She had endured hardship her whole life with him, never enjoying a mont of comfort, and now this had happened. He was filled with regret and remorse.
’A Martial Artist! If I were a Martial Artist, my family would never have ended up like this.’
Li Lu cursed himself for his own weakness.
Then he thought of Cheng Zongyang.
’From beginning to end, Cheng Zongyang’s only goal was to get his uncle out. Now he’s succeeded. I don’t know how he did it, but at least their family is safe now.’
’From the guidance he gave
before, his understanding of Martial Arts Cultivation is incredibly deep. So many of his pointers were spot-on. He could even clearly explain things that so chief constables struggle with, and it helped my Blood Tempering progress significantly. If I could get more of his guidance, I could definitely reach Entry Grade in less than a month!’
’That kid is no ordinary Martial Artist from a farm family! He knows I made an effort to get on his good side, and if we ever et again, I must not take him lightly.’
’Perhaps my entire future on the path of the Martial Arts rests with him. Once I’ve dealt with matters at ho, I have to find out where their family has gone.’
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