"Alas, young master... young lady..." The jailer quickly blocked their path. He had intended to speak to Xia Yunting, but as soon as he looked up, he felt the lingering murderous intent in Xia Yunting's eyes, which frightened him. He then turned to Rong Zhi.
"Young lady, both of these are important prisoners. Now that they are both dead here, how can I explain it to the prefect? We need you to stay and be a witness. Otherwise, the prefect will surely think we were negligent in our guard duties."
"That's true."
Rong Zhi looked at Xia Yunting. "Then we'll stay and explain."
"No need." Xia Yunting said to the jailer, "Just answer truthfully. The prefect will believe you."
The jailer hesitated and tried to stop them, but Xia Yunting had already left with Rong Zhi.
The jailer looked at the dead bodies on the ground, wiped his forehead. It was too terrifying. That man just now was like a demon.
"Is it okay not to explain?" On the way, Rong Zhi looked at Xia Yunting's blood-stained hands and took out a handkerchief from her怀 and threw it to him.
Xia Yunting wiped his hands with the handkerchief and explained, "They were originally escaping prisoners who injured people. If I hadn't killed them, they would have killed others. Moreover, they were all guilty people who were to be beheaded sooner or later."
Rong Zhi was curious. "What did the blind man confess? Who is the mastermind behind them?"
A murderous glint flashed in Xia Yunting's eyes.
"It's inconvenient to say, so I won't ask," Rong Zhi quickly added.
"It's someone we cannot touch for the moment."
Xia Yunting spoke softly, his gaze distant, and his expression darkened.
The jailer cleaned up the bodies. Lu An also arrived after hearing the news. He was quite shocked to see two major criminals dead in the prison, especially the blind man whose cervical spine had been crushed to powder, with his head hanging from his shoulder by a layer of skin and flesh, swaying precariously with any movement, making people shudder.
The jailer came to report, "Sir, that short man escaped and tried to rescue the blind man. We couldn't defeat them. Then that young master surnamed Xia came to help and subdued them. However... he was a bit too heavy-handed, and they are both dead."
He was a little frightened, fearing that he would be held responsible for the prisoners dying in the prison.
Lu An did not delve into the matter and only asked, "Did the blind man confess?"
"He confessed, but..." The jailer looked troubled, unsure whether to speak.
"What is it? Could it be that the person behind them is someone we cannot afford to offend?" Lu An was displeased with his hesitant manner.
"Sir, we really cannot afford to offend him." The jailer leaned in and whispered, "The blind man said that it was a physician from the Imperial Academy of Medicine in the imperial city. They set up a den here to capture people for drug trials, as they were researching an antidote for the Seven-Day Fiend Poison. Fearing that the matter would be exposed and they would be questioned by their superiors, they shifted the blame to Xia Yunting. That's why the people here have some grievances against Xia Yunting."
These were all grudges from the imperial city, not something that local officials like them could manage. It was likely that this matter would end inconclusively.
Lu An fell silent. People from the imperial city... they really couldn't afford to offend them. As the saying goes, "An official in front of the prime minister's gate ranks seventh grade." Those who served in the imperial city, even the servants who swept the emperor's latrines, were nobler than them.
"Sir... should we still get involved in this matter?"
"Of course, we should! Why not?" Lu An's gaze sharpened, and he pointed at the two bodies on the ground. "Hang these two bodies on the city gate for three days as a warning. Write their crimes next to them. I will personally write the official document."
"...Yes."
A hint of surprise flickered across the jailer's face, and he went to carry out the task with a trace of admiration.
As Xia Yunting and Rong Zhi entered the village, they were blocked by a dense crowd.
The villagers, led by Yu Rong, cheered and knelt down as soon as they saw the two return.
"Savior! Savior!"
Expressions of gratitude echoed throughout the village.
Rong Zhi was surprised and truly awestruck by the scene.
Xia Yunting personally helped the village chief up.
"Village chief, everyone, there's no need to thank us. We didn't do much. It was the government that saved everyone."
"Ah, you mustn't refuse. I heard from those who returned that it was you and the girl who apprehended those people at Swallow Mountain last time, and then the prefect went up the mountain. If you hadn't gone to rescue them this time, they would have been crushed to death at the bottom of the mine. How could we all be reunited?"
"That's right, that's right. This young master is our savior, our second parents!" A stranger behind the village chief shouted loudly. He was one of the victims rescued from the mine this time and had personally witnessed Xia Yunting descending like a divine soldier, blocking the falling rocks from the mountain for them.
"If it weren't for this young master, we don't know if we would ever see our families again in this lifetime..."
Another voice choked with emotion, making the atmosphere melancholic again.
"Everyone must thank you properly this time." Yu Rong said with joy, then asked with a hint of gossip, "Young man, you are so capable, you must not be an ordinary person. Tell me, are you also an official, investigating this matter in secret?"
His voice was not low, attracting the attention of many people behind him, who looked at them with curious and admiring eyes.
"Uncle, we are just ordinary people. Since we encountered this matter, we helped out along the way. Everyone, please don't dwell on it."
Even in the face of such a scene, Xia Yunting was incredibly calm.
A hint of understanding flashed in Yu Rong's eyes. "I see, we all understand."
He must be hiding his identity, which is why he claimed to be an ordinary person.
He turned and shouted to everyone, "Today, it is all thanks to Young Master Xia and Miss Lin that we have the opportunity to reunite with our loved ones. We will remember this great kindness for a lifetime!"
"Yes!"
The crowd responded in unison, and tacitly did not inquire further about Xia Yunting's identity.
"Alright, everyone, quickly take the injured back. Everyone was frightened by the mine collapse last time. Go back and rest well!" Rong Zhi saw that everyone was too emotional. If they continued to thank them one by one, they would never finish.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she spoke, someone immediately replied, "That's right, Miss Lin cured our poison and restored our faces. We haven't thanked you yet. Everyone, kowtow to Miss Lin!"
In response to this, a dense crowd knelt down again.
Rong Zhi was extremely flustered. Among them were several old men with white hair on their temples. How could she let them kneel to her? That would shorten her lifespan by so much, enough to use up two lifetimes. She nudged Xia Yunting and quickly helped everyone up with him.
"Everyone, please don't be so polite. You flatter me. Village chief, quickly take everyone back."
Rong Zhi cast a pleading look at Yu Rong.
Yu Rong smiled. The village hadn't been so lively for a long time. He wished it could be livelier for a while longer. Just as he was about to persuade Rong Zhi that this was everyone's good intentions, his gaze fell on a lonely figure not far away.
It was Yu Cheng. Neither in the rescue at Swallow Mountain nor in the mine incident this time was his son among those who returned. Seeing the lively crowd, he must have been even sadder!
Yu Cheng immediately calmed down and then turned to the crowd and said, "Everyone, go home. Don't delay Miss Lin and the others from eating."
The crowd reluctantly left, expressing their thanks.
Yu Rong did not leave, and Rong Zhi also noticed Yu Rong's gaze just now, seeing Yu Cheng standing not far away.
Yu Rong walked up to Yu Cheng. "Alas, you don't need to be sad. Although there's no news from these two times, there's also no news of death. The person must be alive. Perhaps they really went to the battlefield."
Yu Cheng nodded, his lips trembling, but in the end, he did not speak.
Rong Zhi looked at Xia Yunting. "Do you think Uncle Yu's son is really fighting in some place?"
Xia Yunting said, "I can investigate."
"Mm."
Uncle Yu was their benefactor, after all. They should do their best to help.
Over there, Yu Rong was still persuading Yu Cheng, "Your face has almost healed now. You should move back to the village to live. It's boring to live alone here."
Yu Cheng's voice was a little hoarse, and he forced a smile. "I'm used to quietness. It's good to live here. It's not far from everyone." As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and muttered to himself, "Fortunately, my face is healed now, so my son won't be scared when he comes back to see me."
"Chengzi, you... alas." Yu Rong didn't know what to say and finally sighed.
"Come to the village more often when you have time. You have the best skills in raising livestock and weaving baskets in the entire village. Everyone wants to learn a trick or two from you, but they are afraid of disturbing your quietness."
"Alright." Yu Cheng responded, and Yu Rong waved his hand. "Go back."
Yu Cheng then reluctantly returned. As soon as he entered the earthen house, he heard the sound of horse hooves rubbing against the ground. Little Black in the backyard was leisurely eating grass. Yu Cheng walked up and stroked the horse's glossy back. The gloom in his eyes receded somewhat.
"It's good to have you here. The house can still breathe. It's a pity you can't stay long. When this is over, that young couple will be leaving, won't they?"
Little Black seemed to understand and nudged Yu Cheng's chest with its large horse head.
"General, are you alright?"
Chen Xing rushed forward to ask when he saw Xia Yunting return. He sniffed and detected a scent of blood on Xia Yunting.
"General, did you fight with them?"
"Mm." Xia Yunting said, "These few people are no longer useful."
"Did they confess?"
Xia Yunting nodded.
"It's that person again?"
"Mm."
"I knew it!" A fierce glint flashed in Chen Xing's eyes, and he clenched his fist indignantly. "They really use any dirty trick. They are annoying like flies, but we can't just swat them to death."
Rong Zhi listened to their conversation and felt completely bewildered. What riddle were they playing? She didn't understand a single word. Who was that person?
However, she could probably guess that it was someone who had a past grievance with Xia Yunting. It was rumored in the imperial city that the Great General and Prime Minister Xing Jie had disagreements. Could it be Xing Jie's people?
Yes, very likely.
This time, Xia Yunting had brought back so many abducted people, becoming a highly admired benefactor for the entire village. The entire village was filled with a joyous atmosphere. The next day, the yamen brought more good news: the criminals who had been testing drugs on living people in Swallow Mountain were all executed in the street, their bodies hung on the city walls for three days and three nights, with official documents by their side, denouncing their crimes.
However, there was one detail that was worth pondering: the official document specifically mentioned that they were acting under the orders of a certain doctor and had no relation to Xia Yunting. This caused a heated discussion among the people of Changping County, as in their eyes, Xia Yunting had always been a villain.