Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 85: The Old House and Old Friends Are My Hometown

A corvée stepped forward and said, "General, you don't know that our general has been sleeping in there for more than a day and has not woken up yet. Without orders, we dare not wake them up, so we can only stay here and guard them. We dare not leave without permission."

"How can they be so absurd? How dare they be lazy here? I think they don't want to live anymore. Take me to see them."

Several corvées hurriedly led the three Qin soldiers to the door. When the fair-skinned Qin soldier walked in front of Wuzhan, his eyes turned and he showed a smug smile. The other two Qin soldiers also looked at the silent Wuzhan at the same time, muttering, "Little..."

The fair-skinned Qin soldier shouted, "Watch your step!"

As soon as he entered the house, he saw two Qin soldiers lying at the door, unconscious, and the other eight Qin soldiers lying on the plank bed, sound asleep. The fair-skinned Qin soldier said to the corvée, "Go and fetch some more water to wake them up!"

"Wow! Wow!" Several large basins of cold water were poured onto the face of the sleeping Qin Bing. Qin Bing suddenly woke up and screamed. He was almost choked to death. He was soaked like a drowned chicken. He turned his head and shouted, "It's raining so hard, and no one has closed the window!"

The sergeant was the first to react and shouted angrily: "Who is so bold as to throw water at me..." Before he could finish his words, he was grabbed up by the red-faced Qin soldier and hung in the air.

The fair-skinned Qin soldier smiled and said, "I told them to splash it. What do you want?"

The sergeant didn't understand what was going on at all, and was grabbed by the arrogant Qin Bing, "You, why did you splash me!"

"You are lazy here. If I don't splash you, will I let you continue to sleep?"

"Who said we were lazy?"

"Look at the time outside. You are still sleeping in this room. I heard that you have been sleeping for more than a day."

"Ah!" The sergeant exclaimed as he looked at the abundant sunlight outside the house.

The fair-skinned Qin soldier smiled proudly and said, "Intentionally delaying the construction period, neglecting one's duties, and being lazy in battle, according to Qin law, how should one be punished?"

After being thrown to the ground, the sergeant immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy, "Master, spare my life and don't report me. I will give you all the money I have. As long as you don't report me, everything will be fine."

"Really? Do you want to bribe this general?"

"No, this silver was dropped by you, and I picked it up and returned it to you. They all saw it. Please spare me. I have an old and lonely mother at home with no one to take care of her. In three months, I can go home. Please don't make me do labor service again!" As he said this, he burst into tears. The other Qin soldiers also knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

The fair-skinned Qin soldier was naturally Wanjiao in disguise. The other two Qin soldiers were Jin Xingzi and Ling Kongzi, whom she had found. After Wanjiao sent Wuzhan back, she charmed all the ten Qin soldiers and rode fast horses to Jiujiang, where she found the two of them in a tavern. The two were blaming each other, but after hearing about Wuzhan's whereabouts, they followed Wanjiao without hesitation and stole three sets of armor from the military camp to wear.

Wan Jiao pushed her hat up and said with an evil smile, "For your filial piety, I will forgive you. However, in order to prevent you from committing the same crime again in the future, it would be best if you leave a copy of your confession with me as a constant warning to you."

When the sergeant heard that he was going to leave evidence behind, he was unwilling to do it. If he used it to threaten others in the future, he would have to bear the consequences. He thought, "These three Qin soldiers came from nowhere and suddenly appeared here. They look weird. Maybe they are thieves who came out of the wilderness to rob people. So many of us were fooled by them. We will never be able to face people again in the future. Let's find out where they came from first. If that doesn't work, just kill all three of them." He smiled and said, "I don't know where you work. If we want to redeem you and confess, where can we find you?"

Ling Kongzi kicked the sergeant in the chest and knocked him to the ground, cursing, "Damn it, why are you talking so much nonsense? What nonsense are you talking about!"

The sergeant was kicked so hard that he almost lost his breath. He didn't expect that this red-nosed man had such great strength and such a bad temper. He started beating him without saying a word. After confirming that it was Qin Bing, he immediately became angry and said, "Sir, please spare my life, please spare my life, we will write it."

The ten Qin soldiers wrote their names on the confession and pressed their fingerprints dejectedly.

Wanjiao took the confession in her hand and said with a smile, "We are going to Shangjun as well, let's go together!" After that, she walked out of the house, glanced at Wuzhe, turned around and said, "In order to get to the Great Wall as soon as possible in time, we will give the horses to the weak corvées. You will get off and walk. This is also a punishment for you. Just treat it as corvée service. What do you think?"

The Qin soldiers collectively cried out in amazement: "Ah...!"

Jin Xingzi said, "What are you talking about? Go away quickly, otherwise I will skin you alive and roast you to eat!" As he said that, he kicked down a Qin soldier.

The Qin soldiers were unable to defeat them, and they had the upper hand in their hands, so how could they dare to disobey? They nodded and said, "Okay! Okay! Let's walk!"

……

The closer they got to Shangjun, the more corvées they saw heading to the Great Wall. There were teams of at least a dozen and at most hundreds of people, driven in groups by the Qin soldiers like skinny sheep. Nine out of ten villages they encountered along the way were empty, the fields were barren and no one was farming them, and the strong stench of corpses could often be smelled on the roadside. Those were the corvées who had died on the way.

After years of war, the people either took up arms to fight for territory or laid down their arms to do hard labor. This is all about survival. They have become numb and habitual, ingrained in their bones. It is really not easy to survive.

The journey lasted more than ten days, and it was very hard for these ten Qin soldiers. They could only ride for a short while when they passed a checkpoint. They had never walked such a long distance before. If they walked slowly, they were afraid of wasting time, and if they walked fast, they could not keep up. Someone was watching them all the time, and the food they ate was the same as that of corvée laborers. Every Qin soldier lost a lot of weight.

These corvées had an easier time along the way. No one was rushing them, so they were less whipped. When they were tired they could sit on their horses and rest. They were extremely grateful to the three 'Qin soldiers'.

What puzzled them was that these three "Qin soldiers" were particularly concerned about the weak Wuzhan. They surrounded him and asked about his health, fearing that he might be tired. They even gave up the best room in the inn for him to rest at night.

Jin Xingzi and Ling Kongzi were still taught by Wu Zhan. They followed Wu Zhan wherever he went, but they were always bickering and arguing. Every time Wan Jiao got impatient and asked them to shut up, they would be quiet for a while. No matter how dumb they were, they could see some meaning from Wan Jiao. They were obedient and called her "Little Master's Wife" behind her back.

After Wuzhan was attacked by the elixir, his body was still weak. Every midnight, he felt severe pain all over his body, almost making him faint. However, he had gotten used to it, as long as he was still alive, it would be fine.

But this made Wanjiao very worried, and she secretly made up her mind that after she arrived at the Great Wall and settled down, she would go find medicine for Wuzhang and make sure to cure Wuzhang's body. ...

Green mountains and clear waters, gentle spring breeze. Nearly ten years have passed. Wuzhan returned to the place where he was born, Handan City. The city is sparsely populated and is no longer the same as it used to be. The buildings are still there, but many places are deserted.

The four large characters "Wu'an Junfu" can still be vaguely recognized. The courtyard is overgrown with weeds, the doors and windows of the house have rotted, the roof has fallen off, and there are spider webs underneath.

It is too difficult to find the shadow of the past. In the backyard, I found a cemetery. On the tombstone was engraved "Tomb of General Li Mu". There were traces of people worshipping in front of the tomb, but it has been a long time, and the grass on it is taller than the grave.

Wuzhan fell to his knees with a thump, pushed aside the dry weeds, and said tremblingly: "Dad! Mom! The unfilial son Wuzhan is here to see you!"

The past events came to his mind vividly, with their voices, faces and smiles still fresh in his memory. He really hoped that this was a dream and that when he woke up, they would all be there. However, this desolate tombstone told him that they were all dead, really dead.

"The child is alive now, but you can't see him."

After a long time, Wan Jiao sighed behind him: "You are stronger than me. I have lived for so long, but I still don't know who my parents are. Don't be sad, your body won't be able to bear it."

Wuzhan was helped up by Wanjiao and sighed, "They knew I wouldn't live long, but they chose to sacrifice their own lives to keep me alive. I've lived for so long, but have accomplished nothing. I really feel ashamed of them. Let's go. We've been out for too long."

Wanjiao supported Wuzhan and slowly walked out of the gate, mounted the horse, and after a moment, disappeared outside the desolate gate and was drowned in the desolate streets.

……

After leaving Handan city, they saw an old house with its gate open. Occasionally, people came in and out. Wuzhan stopped his horse, let the corvée and Qin soldiers pass, then got off the horse and entered the old house with Wanjiao. This was the house of Xia Wuqi, a famous doctor in Handan. When Wuzhan was young, Na Lanxue often came here to get medicine. She knew Wuzhan's illness very well and the medicine she prescribed was quite effective, keeping Wuzhan alive for many years. Wuzhan had also come here several times. I wonder if he is still alive after so many years.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard an old man sighing from inside the house, "If this continues, I won't be able to pay the taxes, and I'll have no choice but to do corvée labor."

Wuzhan knew the old man was Xia Wuqi just by the sound of his voice, and he shouted, "I'm here to visit you and would like to ask Divine Doctor Xia to treat me. I wonder if you have time."

Xia Wuqi shouted from inside the house: "Come in!"

Wuzhan and Wanjiao walked into the house together and saw Xia Wuqi, a white-haired and skinny man, sitting on a chair with a sad face. His wife beside him retreated when she saw that the patient had come to see him.

Xia Wuqi was nervous when he saw Wanjiao wearing a military uniform. He quickly stood up and offered her his seat, saying, "Military officer, please take a seat!"

After the two sat down, Xia Wuqi knew at a glance that Wuzhan was weak. He walked over to Wuzhan and felt his pulse. After observing him for a long time, he asked in doubt, "Are you Li Mu's son? You are still alive!"

Wuzhan bowed and said, "Divine Doctor Xia really recognized me. It's me."

"Your pulse is unique in the world. I have been treating you for so many years, how could I not recognize it? But your pulse is much different now than before. Do you feel that your symptoms have worsened?"

Wuzhan said: "That's right, I wonder if the miracle doctor can cure it now?"

Xia Wuqi shook his head and said, "Your illness is too strange. The medicine I prescribed can only relieve the pain, but it can't cure the root cause."

Wan Jiao said, "As long as you can cure his illness, I will find you whatever you want."

Xia Wu sighed sadly: "If I can cure it, I will do it for free. I really don't have the medical skills."

Wuzhan also knew that Xia Wuqi could not cure him. The reason he came here was because the pain at night really made him unable to rest. "Then please, doctor, prescribe some medicine to relieve the pain for me!" As he said that, he put a gold bar in his hand into Xia Wuqi's hand.

Xia Wuqi said quickly: "This is absolutely not allowed!"

Wuzhan said: "We all heard it outside just now, please accept it, Divine Doctor!"

Xia Wuqi's eyes filled with tears as he said, "To be honest, the people are now sick but have no money to treat them. Fewer people come to see the doctor, and the government imposes heavy taxes. All the money that my family has saved over the years has been paid out, and now all that's left are these unrotten herbs. Master Li, I can't cure you, but I charged you so much money, I..."

Wuzhan said: "Senior, you don't have to be polite. I still need to hurry on my way. Please ask the doctor to get me some medicine quickly."

Xia Wuqi said, "I'll go right away!" Then he went to the pharmacy. After a while, he came out with a big bag of medicine in his hand, sweating profusely. He handed it to Wuzhan and said, "These are all we have at home. Take this medicine before going to bed every day. It is enough for three months. The prescription is above. You can also go to other pharmacies to get medicine. This medicine is like a drop in the bucket for your condition. It can only relieve your pain. You should find an expert to treat you as soon as possible. Young master must live and leave a bloodline for General Li!" He cried.

Wuzhan said: "Thank you for your concern, Doctor. I will take my leave now!"

Xia Wuqi took out a leather book and a silk book and said, "This book was handed down from our ancestors. It is a fragment. There should be another part. My medical skills come from this book, so I can control your condition a little. If I can find the other part, maybe I can cure your disease. This book is what I have learned from practicing medicine for most of my life. I will give it to you as well. I hope it can help you."

Wuzhan was grateful in his heart, as this was undoubtedly the medical skills that were passed on to him without reservation, and he knelt down and said, "Thank you for saving me with all your heart, senior!"

Wuzhan took the two heavy books, said goodbye to Xia Wuqi, and hurriedly caught up with the corvée team ahead.

(End of this chapter)