The carriage traveled west, leaving Medicine King Valley and heading back to Xiling Commandery.
"Going back?"
Ever since Luan Wencheng and his group left Medicine King Valley, the Ghost Fiend Gate had received the news. Upon hearing they weren't taking a detour but were instead heading towards Xiling Commandery, Hong Gu's brow furrowed into a deep crease.
"Yes!"
The scout nodded.
Hong Gu pressed her throbbing temples. That scourge had actually returned, so brazenly, so openly, as if ready to beat gongs and drums to announce that Luan Wencheng and his companions were with her, shouting for an ambush.
"Let them go!"
Hong Gu took a deep breath. The Sect Master had already ordered them not to provoke Feng Luan. Feng Luan had now officially joined Medicine King Valley, and their pursuit of Luan Wencheng and his group had almost landed them on Medicine King Valley's blacklist. There was a widely circulated saying in the martial world: it is better to offend officials than to offend physicians.
Yet, the mere thought of Feng Luan, of the Cao family lost and her painstaking efforts ruined, sent a surge of hatred through Hong Gu's chest and lungs. Five words, almost seeping through clenched teeth.
Luan Wencheng and his companions were already on a wanted poster. Even if they returned to the capital, they would be thrown into prison. No matter who the imperial court sent, they could not overturn the case.
They were insignificant. It was unbearable for Hong Gu that Feng Luan could simply get away with it.
"Go, kill the innkeeper of the inn where Feng Luan previously stayed, along with his family, and then dump their bodies on the road leading into the city."
"Yes!"
...
"Whoa!"
The horse's sharp whinny echoed in the air. Luan Wencheng pulled tight on the reins, and the horse reared, its front hooves lifting high before taking several steps back. Finally, it landed on all fours and stopped steadily.
The wind carried a heavy scent of blood, filling their nostrils with each gust. In the woods not far from the official road, several piled-up corpses were faintly visible.
Nan Shiying lifted the carriage curtain and only then noticed the smell of blood.
"Go and take a look!"
She instructed Xuan Yi to investigate.
Xuan Yi accepted the order and jumped down from the carriage. Luan Wencheng also dismounted and walked towards the woods together.
"Five bodies, they look like a family."
Luan Wencheng carefully laid out the piled corpses one by one on the ground. He then crouched down to examine them. Three women and two men. The oldest was an elderly woman.
Xuan Yi's expression faltered slightly as he recognized the faces of the deceased.
He turned and walked back.
Luan Wencheng was still assessing the cause of death. Catching sight of the departing figure in his peripheral vision, he didn't get up immediately. After a rough assessment of the cause of death, he stood up, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his hands as he walked back.
"Master, it's the innkeeper of that inn in Xiling Commandery and his family."
Xuan Yi was somewhat hesitant to look at the Empress's expression. The deaths of this family were merely the Ghost Fiend Gate's method of disgusting the Empress. Since she had disgraced the Ghost Fiend Gate, they were retaliating by bothering her. They had calculated that the Empress was not a saintly figure who would overflow with compassion for ordinary citizens and seek revenge for them. Hence, they used this disgusting tactic to provoke her.
In reality, their assumptions were correct. The Empress could be both a living Buddha and a Yama. She might rescue a badly injured stray cat, or she might watch impassively as a living creature perished before her eyes. But no matter what, whether Buddha or Yama, she held the lives of others in her hands, not allowing others to hold her hostage.
Luan Wencheng walked back to the carriage, instinctively shrinking his neck. The cold wind swirled and bit into his neck. It should have been warmer here than in the woods, yet he couldn't help but shiver.
Feng Luan's guards stood before the carriage, bowing slightly. Feng Luan, leaning forward slightly, had her head bowed. She wore a dark cyan robe today, without a fur coat. With her eyebrows drawn together, she exuded a chilling, oppressive aura. Luan Wencheng glanced at his subordinates who remained behind and gave them a questioning look.
His subordinate returned a look that signaled, 'Feng Luan knows the deceased,' and then glanced back towards Xiling Commandery.
Luan Wencheng's heart sank, and his face immediately turned grim.
So, the five people in the woods died because of them?
Returning to the capital from Medicine King Valley, Xiling Commandery was a necessary stop. For Physician Feng to act this way was merely to protect their lives, ensuring their safe return to the capital.
This would undoubtedly cause the Ghost Fiend Gate to lose significant face.
So, just to disgust them, to disgust Divine Physician Feng, they killed innocent civilians?
Luan Wencheng wished he could charge straight into the Ghost Fiend Gate and chop those conscienceless wretches into mincemeat.
How could such a martial arts force be allowed to exist within his Lin Yuan territory?
"Mm!"
The soft hum from his nose dissipated into the air, along with the oppressive aura that filled the atmosphere. Nan Shiying retreated into the carriage, signaling Xuan Yi to set off again.
A large stone seemed to block Luan Wencheng's chest. He watched Xuan Yi, who had boarded the carriage without a word, as the hooves lifted, kicking up dust. The wheels rolled over the swirling dust and drove past before his eyes. Luan Wencheng stood there, watching the departing carriage, motionless for a long time.