Chapter 78: The Unhealable One
Chapter 76 of "The Great Ming in the Box" introduces new challenges: Just past noon, Bai Yuan, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and others returned.Accompanying them were the... Keep following!
Just past noon, Bai Yuan, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and others returned.Accompanying them were the injured Wang Er, nearly a hundred wounded Wangjia Villagers, and fifty followers of Zhuang Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu.
Li Daoxuan picked up his magnifying glass and meticulously examined each figureâstarting with his own villagers, for this deity was fiercely protective of his own.
Thankfully, none were injured, though they looked exhausted and hungry. Their midnight mountain trek and subsequent battle had stretched from last night till noonâexhaustion was inevitable.
As for the othersâŚ
Wang Er seemed gravely wounded, covered in blood and unconscious on a stretcher. Wangjia Villagers bore various injuries, spirits visibly broken. Curiously, Zhuang Guangdao and Zheng Yanfuâs men remained unscathed.
Li Daoxuan understood instantly: no battle had occurred last night. The rebels must have surrendered immediately when Bai Yuanâs group arrived.
The reason was obviousâsimply revealing Zhuang Guangdao and Zheng Yanfuâs deaths would have shattered their will to fight.
Upon seeing the returning group, Gaojia Villagers rushed forward, with Thirty-Two leading the charge.
After a brief discussion, the fifty captives were herded toward the labor offenders, joining over one hundred prisoners seized the previous night.
Wang Er and the wounded Wangjia Villagers were ushered into Gaojia Fortress, temporarily sheltered in a large courtyard.
Thirty-Two, remembering Wang Erâs earlier escorting kindness, crouched anxiously beside his stretcher. âHow is Brother Wang?â
âThis man is severely injured,â Bai Yuan spread his hands helplessly. âHealing is regrettably not among the Six Arts of Gentlemen.â
Thirty-Two pressed, âAre his internal organs damaged? Canât you at least tell that?â
Bai Yuan clasped his hands behind his back and turned away. âI remain but an unaccomplished gentleman, flawed in many ways.â
Thirty-Two snapped, âJust say you donât know!â
Silently, Bai Yuan gazed skyward at a forty-five-degree angle, eyes distant.
Thus, no one could assess Wang Erâs wounds.
Even Li Daoxuanâs magnifying glass proved useless, leaving all helpless with worry.
Finally, Wang Er himself opened his eyes. Gratefully scanning the faces around him, he rasped, âIâm⌠fine. Tough as nails⌠wonât die⌠Got any incense ashes? Rub it on⌠my wounds⌠If I canât pull through⌠just let me dieâŚâ
âWeâve no incense ashes, but soot from the bottom of aâŚâ Gao Chuwu began.
Gao Yiye abruptly cut him off. âHush! The Deity speaks.â
Tilting her head attentively, she suddenly raised her hands skyward. âWe give thanks for the Deityâs medicine!â
Li Daoxuan had already opened his home first-aid kit. Retrieving a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao Wound Powder, he scraped a minuscule dusting onto his fingertip, then reached down into the box, depositing it before Gao Yiye.
To others, only a cluster of white orbs seemed to flutter down from the sky.
With reverent hands, Gao Yiye collected the powder from the deityâs fingertip.
Her tiny fingers brushed against the colossal hand.
Inside, a thrill surged: I touched the Deityâs hand!
Pulling back her trembling hands, she placed the white pellets on a table. âThe Deity decrees: crush these into powder. Apply it to all wounds. Fate will decide its efficacyâif oneâs time hasnât come, it shall staunch blood and renew flesh; if destiny demands⌠even this divine medicine wonât save them.â
Bai Yuan and Thirty-Two clasped fists. âWe obey the Decree of the Deity.â
Drowsy and disoriented, Wang Er missed the commotion. But his fellow Wangjia Villagers, bearing minor wounds themselves, stared awe-struck as Gao Yiye lifted her handsâand white medicine descended from the heavens.
White Cat was the first to move, crushing the medicinal pills into fine white powder. Together, they scattered the powder over Wang Erâs and the injured villagersâ wounds.
Yunnan Baiyao is no jokeâthis healing ointment has been our dynastyâs top-ranked panacea since ancient times. The moment it touched their wounds, the bleeding ceased immediately.
The Wangjia Villagers murmured among themselves, âWhat kind of medicine is this? So powerful!â
âI heard Miss Gao say it seems like divine medicine.â
âIt fell from the sky just now.â
âThey say itâs medicine bestowed by the Deity⌠what Deity?â
âSeems like the Dao Xuan Deity.â
âNever heard of that immortal. Iâve heard of Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Primordial DeityâŚâ
As whispers rippled through the crowd, Wang Er suddenly stirred. âEh? Am I⌠in Gaojia Village?â
Thirty-Two replied, âYes, Brother Wang. We brought you to Gaojia Village. Rest and heal here now.â
âNo⌠No, I canât heal hereâŚâ
Wang Er frantically struggled to sit up, but his injuries were far too severe. With a thud, he fell back onto the stretcher. He turned urgently to the nearby villagers. âYour injuries arenât bad, right? Carry me. Letâs go. Quickly.â
The Wangjia Villagers startled in alarm, âBrother, in your condition⌠you canât move recklessly.â
Thirty-Two added, âBrother Wang, please donât push yourself.â
Wang Er shook his head. âIâm the great rebel who killed officials. If anyone knows Gaojia Village sheltered me, youâll face trouble. Once the imperial army arrives, weâll all die without graves.â
The group stiffened.
Gao Chuwu scratched his head blankly. âLord Bai said the court doesnât care anymore! Said to let rebels âloot starting next springâŚâ What was that line? Anywayâhe just said they donât care! By next spring, youâll be a law-abiding citizen again!â
The group collectively rolled their eyes at Gao Chuwu, cursing inwardly: What a fool, spouting nonsense again.
Wang Er shook his head. âOthers can become citizens again next spring. Not me.â
Gao Chuwu asked with great curiosity, âWhy not you? Weâre all born from parentsâtwo eyes, one mouth, two arms, two legs.â
Wang Er explained, âIâm the leader. I incited the villagers to kill the county magistrate, threw all Chengcheng County into chaos. Every rebel running wild out there now learned from me. The court wonât spare me.â
Gao Chuwu scratched his head sluggishly for the longest time before understanding finally dawned. âAh! Why, being the leader has this bad side too?â
He grinned foolishly. âThen⌠if our privately crafted steel armor is discovered later, wonât everyone else get pardoned except Third Lady?â
Everyone: âPfft!â
Thirty-Twoâs face flushed red instantly. âYou idiot! Shut up!â