'What a shame I couldn't be there myself, but since the Dark Water Centipede retreated, the mission must have been accomplished.'
Su Yan and Zheng Penggang were taking Xie Yuzhu to the Mountain Market Town. Su Yan suddenly felt a connection shift, knowing the Dark Water Centipede had acted. Since its refinement, he had a unique psychic link with the centipede, allowing him to know its status. However, this was not a form of possession or remote control; otherwise, he wouldn't have needed such a plan to deal with Niu Han's gang.
'Perhaps when the Bug Master rank increases, the connection will change.'
The two pushed Xie Yuzhu into the Mountain Market Town and headed straight for the east side of the market. The so-called Doctor Du was actually a local country physician. Hundred Herb Hall's main business was refining medicine, and their medical skills were certainly superb. However, their services were primarily aimed at the wealthy or at least affluent families. Poor people rarely dared to step inside the Hundred Herb Hall's door unless they had no other choice. Furthermore, the Mountain Market Town only had shops that bought herbs, not ones that sold medicine. Thus, people from the surrounding villages relied on Doctor Du—the country physician—for their ailments.
Knock, knock, knock.
They had arrived early. Zheng Penggang stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Coming, coming."
After a long while, a voice came from inside the room. The door was unlatched and removed from its hinges, and a thin, white-bearded old man peered out. "Why the rush?" He wasn't annoyed but frowned, looking at Xie Yuzhu on the cart. He urged them, "Help him in. What happened?"
Su Yan and Zheng Penggang helped Xie Yuzhu inside. Zheng Penggang explained, "Some thugs came to cause trouble and kicked him hard. Please take a look, old man. Brother Zhu's family relies entirely on him."
"Sigh," Doctor Du sighed. "Let me see." He lifted Xie Yuzhu's shirt, revealing the purplish-blue footprint on his chest.
"Swollen this badly?" He frowned tightly, pressing on the bruise. The pain made Xie Yuzhu wince.
"No broken bones, I hope?" Suddenly, Doctor Du caught a whiff of a faint scent on his hand. "Wooden Red Flower?" Doctor Du looked at Xie Yuzhu, clearly amused: "You, a mountain-man, using the Wooden Red Flower so carelessly! No wonder the bruise is spreading so badly. Of course, it hurts!"
Xie Yuzhu looked embarrassed: "Doesn't the Wooden Red Flower reduce swelling and relieve pain?"
"You have to use it correctly! Small, frequent doses, with intermittent warm water rubbing. You can't just slap it all on at once." Doctor Du didn't know if the man was truly foolish or pretending: "I'll clean it for you and use medicated wine and massage techniques to dissolve it. Rest for a day or two, and you'll be fine."
"Good, good. Thank you, Elder Du."
Xie Yuzhu had no serious injuries. Doctor Du immediately cleaned the area with medicated water, then used massage techniques to stimulate the medicine and disperse the bruising. The process took about half an hour. Su Yan took the opportunity to buy a few sesame cakes and shared them with Zheng Penggang.
Just as Xie Yuzhu's treatment was finished, the street outside erupted.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"
"Clear the path!"
Chaos broke out on the street. Six or seven men were carrying a makeshift stretcher with a person lying motionless on it. They shoved people aside, rushing straight for Doctor Du's medical shop. They arrived in a panic. Zheng Penggang and Xie Yuzhu quickly moved the cart to make way.
The men put down the stretcher, and Doctor Du rushed forward.
"Doctor Du, save my big brother! He was injured by a poisonous bug from the mountains!" Niu Dang cried desperately.
Su Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled inwardly. What a coincidence! The man on the stretcher was none other than Niu Han.
Niu Han's right hand was completely severed and wrapped in cloth. One of his eyes was a bloody mess, covered in burn marks. He was barely breathing, his face a sickly blue.
'That was a decisive move.' The severed hand was certainly not the work of the Dark Water Centipede; the cut was too clean. He must have been poisoned, and his subordinates frantically chopped off his hand as an emergency measure.
Su Yan took one look and knew he was beyond saving.
Sure enough, after checking him, Doctor Du's face darkened. He shook his head: "It's too late. The poison has reached his heart. No one can save him."
"Serves him right!" Zheng Penggang watched from a distance, cursing softly: "Evil people are punished by Heaven. Niu Han deserves to die. Brother Zhu's revenge has been served."
The few people stood in the crowd, their voices low. Zheng Penggang wasn't worried about Niu Dang and his men overhearing them.
But Xie Yuzhu had no mind to answer, utterly horrified, secretly trying to gauge Su Yan's expression. He saw that Su Yan's expression was normal, but he couldn't be sure if Su Yan was the one who did it.
What method was this?
"Brother Zhu?"
Zheng Penggang sensed something was wrong. Xie Yuzhu quickly snapped back to reality: "Ah, don't gawk at the commotion."
Su Yan smiled: "Brother Gang, let's head back to the village."
Niu Han was dead, and there wasn't even time to send his body back to Niu Xin Village. The entire Mountain Market Town was abuzz with the news. Many poor families in the surrounding ten li owed Niu Han money. His death was a cause for celebration. Even the tea houses were filled with cheerful chatter.
Such a major incident in Niu Xin Village meant the yamen runners stationed at the market couldn't ignore it. They immediately began their inquiries, first pulling in Niu Dang and the others for questioning. Niu Dang and his men were present last night, but they weren't in the inner room. They had no idea what the Dark Water Centipede looked like when it attacked. They only heard Niu Han shout that it was an exotic bug, so they naturally assumed the same. They told the yamen runners that an exotic bug from the mountains had come down, killed people, and injured several brothers. They confessed everything, including their plan to gather and collect the debt and seek revenge the next morning.
However, the yamen runners paid no attention to that part because they had already seen Su Yan bring Xie Yuzhu to the market earlier that morning. In the end, the incident was officially ruled as an exotic bug descending from the mountains and harming people.
No one suspected that Su Yan was responsible.
Only Xie Yuzhu had guessed the truth, but he would sooner die than say anything.
"He's grown up. Brother Dahe's revenge is finally served."
"Husband, what are you muttering about?"
In Xie Yuzhu's house, he looked at the one tael of silver and the food Su Yan had left behind, mumbling to himself. Li Lian didn't hear clearly. Xie Yuzhu brushed her off: "Nothing. Ah Yan has grown up. Brother Dahe doesn't have to worry anymore. He's capable." He smiled genuinely. Niu Han's death and his nephew's success were all good things.
Li Lian nodded: "Brother Yan is capable and remembers kindness. He's a good child. I see he's the right age. Perhaps I should arrange a marriage for him, find a girl to help him with his household..."
"Go, go, go! Don't worry about nonsense! He will surely become a top martial arts figure in the future. What mountain girl could be worthy of him? Don't make decisions for him blindly. Ah Yan is a man of his own ability." Xie Yuzhu interrupted his wife: "Put the silver away. After I rest for a few days, I'll go trekking with Guo Peng and the others. We'll pay the summer tax and the mountain fee, and then we'll save some silver to teach A'Bao a skill. He can't keep mountain-trekking like this; there's no future in it."
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