Is he an enemy or a friend? Brother is here.

A torrent of chaos surged in instantly, and people rushed in quickly. Ye Qian and Shen Zhiqing had never seen anything like this before. He pulled Shen Zhiqing to a corner as fast as he could, and he tried to spread his arms wide to keep the death and fear away from the girl behind him.

There's someone here!

"Kill them!"

Shen Zhiqing was afraid.

He was there too.

But Ye Qian remained steadfast and did not shy away from the situation.

"Qingqing, I...I can only hold them off once. You must take this opportunity to escape." His voice trembled, but his grip on the long sword tightened.

Finally, he abruptly stood up, his long sword held before him, and charged forward with a desperate, death-defying air. But at that moment, someone behind him suddenly grabbed his clothes. Ye Qian's body stiffened abruptly, and then a warm hand slid into his waist and wrapped around him. Shen Zhiqing stepped in front of him, ignoring Ye Qian's shocked expression, and angrily cursed without backing down, "You bunch of idiots! Short-sighted cowards!"

"You've robbed this granary today and survived, but what then? Will you continue like this every day? A bunch of fools! You only know today, not tomorrow. Today the granary has been looted, but tomorrow the government will never send grain again. What will you do then? Rob everything in Jinan?"

Beneath her sleeves, Shen Zhiqing's hands trembled slightly, but she concealed it, forcing herself to remain calm as she continued, "I am Shen Zhiqing, daughter of the merchant Shen Suhe. I am not an official; we are all ordinary people. May I ask—"

"Ugh!" Ye Qian suddenly groaned.

He held Shen Zhiqing in his arms and forcefully blocked the wooden stick that someone had just thrown at him.

"Ye Qian!"

"Don't believe her! The man next to her is an official! They are husband and wife, so don't listen to her!"

Immediately afterwards, two more sharp arrows were fired.

One bullet struck Ye Qian in the shoulder, embedding itself deeply, while the other narrowly grazed the back of his neck, leaving a long trail of blood before finally embedding itself in the ground beside him.

A sharp pain instantly swept through his body, and warm liquid quickly soaked through his clothes, sticking stickily to his skin.

"Ye Qian!" Shen Zhiqing's heart skipped a beat when she saw his deathly pale face and the blood on his back. Overwhelmed by fear, Shen Zhiqing finally couldn't help but cry out.

She was tumbled to the ground by Ye Qian, facing a chaotic crowd.

Their feet were heavy, landing on his arms, shoulders, and back, each time causing excruciating pain. Ye Qian dared not move, much less dodge. He could only bury his head deeply. Shen Zhiqing, protected by him, could not see anything, and the only thing she could feel was Ye Qian's agonizing cries.

She looked up, and all she could see past Ye Qian's shoulder was a chaotic mass of moving legs; they seemed to be stuck in the deepest quagmire, unable to extricate themselves.

"Too late...too late!" Her voice was drowned out by the clamor of the crowd, trembling uncontrollably.

"Qingqing, don't be afraid." Ye Qian's voice was hoarse, and he managed to force a smile through his clenched teeth.

"You'll be alright."

I won't let anything happen to you.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Qian suddenly felt a sharp tearing sensation on the outside of the arm protecting Shen Zhiqing. The cleaver was about to fall, and Shen Zhiqing's face was filled with terror, her eyes almost filled with despair.

"No! Ye Quchi!"

At this critical moment, several powerful crossbow bolts accurately struck the feet of the leading rioters, the force and sudden attack bringing the surging crowd to a halt.

Immediately afterwards, a loud voice rang out inside the warehouse:

"Kill the troublemakers! Anyone who resists again will be executed along with the traitors!"

Like a savior, Cheng Junshi's imposing figure appeared at the ventilation opening high up in the granary. Holding a long sword, he leaped down without hesitation, his nimble figure landing suddenly in front of the crowd.

"They're soldiers!"

"There's an ambush!"

The crowd erupted in screams of terror.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of shattering tiles came from the roof on the other side, and two swift figures swooped down, their targets clear: Ye Qian and Shen Zhiqing, who were trapped in a corner. Zhui Feng's short blade flashed, accurately and ruthlessly knocking down several rioters blocking his way, his movements so fast that they left only afterimages in the dim light.

"Young Master Ye! Miss Shen! Come with me!" Zhui Feng's voice was low and urgent. He grabbed Ye Qian's arm and held Cheng Junshi's token high above his head, shouting sternly, "By order of Lord Cheng! Anyone who obstructs the rescue will be killed without mercy! Garrison troops, obey my command! Disperse the crowd! Protect the people, and do not kill indiscriminately!"

The guards outside the warehouse, who had been scattered and thrown into chaos, quickly regrouped upon hearing Zhui Feng's words. With spears like a forest and shields held together, they began to advance rhythmically, using the intimidating power of their shields and spears to push the chaotic and crowded masses away into the distance.

"Back off! Back off!"

"Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy!"

The people who had gathered together were, after all, people who wanted to live. At first, they dared to charge forward because the government soldiers dared not kill them. Now that Cheng Junshi had given a death order, they valued their lives and naturally dared not continue to charge. The spies who had been planted in the camp were also powerless to incite them when they saw this situation.

The shouts of the defenders mingled with the clamor of the mob, and the scene remained chaotic, but the out-of-control momentum was finally forcibly contained.

Hu Xingche stood firmly in front of Ye Qian and Shen Zhiqing, his long sword held high. Any mob that tried to approach were deterred by his ruthless aura and imposing blade. Zhui Feng, protecting the two, used the gaps created by the guards to quickly move towards the relatively safer side door.

"The grain over there—" Shen Zhiqing said urgently as they moved, pointing to the pile of straw and stone sacks.

Zhui Feng's gaze swept over them quickly, his eyes sharpening as he said in a deep voice, "Get out of danger first! The others will be taken care of!"

He and Hu Xingche finally managed to escort Ye Qian and Shen Zhiqing out of the side gate and rendezvous with the waiting guards. Both were in a sorry state; Ye Qian had an injured arm, and Shen Zhiqing's hair was disheveled, but thankfully, they were out of danger. Still shaken, they looked back at the still noisy and chaotic barn area, and at the starving people who were being held back by the guards, their eyes filled with despair and madness.

Shen Zhiqing was terrified.

Ye Qian held her hand tightly; it was very cold. Shen Zhiqing's face turned pale, and she didn't recover for a long time. Only when Ye Qian's warmth returned did she slowly thaw. Then, she suddenly looked at Ye Qian's injured area with alarm and said anxiously, "Quick, we're too late! Quick, we have to go find Elder Yao!"

"Qingqing, Qingqing, it's alright." Ye Qian didn't follow her immediately, but stopped, held her shoulders and looked steadily into Shen Zhiqing's eyes: "Calm down, Qingqing, it's alright now, don't be afraid, we're safe."

Shen Zhiqing still seemed a little dazed, as if she hadn't recovered from the fear she had just experienced. Ye Qian kept watching her, guiding her to breathe steadily. His voice was calm and powerful, making her feel very safe.

Shen Zhiqing actually calmed down gradually under Ye Qian's gentle voice. Zhui Feng glanced at Hu Xingche beside him and said, "You escort Young Master Ye and Miss Shen, I'll go help the master."

Hu Xingche nodded, and soon the group split up to carry out their mission.

*

Deep within Centipede Mountain, Gui Luo wiped the blood from his knife. At his feet lay the corpse of a woman. His gaze lingered on it for only a brief moment before he turned and left without looking back.

Behind him, the man held the only girl tightly, both of them trembling with fear.

"I cannot spare her life because of the crimes she committed. As for you," Gui Luo didn't turn around, but simply waved his hand dismissively, "Good luck to you~"

Gui Luo didn't know why he only killed A Wu in the end. Perhaps the other two didn't deserve to die, perhaps the man was still protecting them tightly until the very end, or perhaps it was because A Wu chose to give her own life to save them.

Or perhaps, he encountered a kind of emotion he had never seen before.

family.

That was a long time ago.

"I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!!" Jiao Niang cried blood as the man held her tightly in his arms.

Gui Luo paused briefly, then chuckled softly and turned his head away, his tone indifferent:

"Fine, I'll wait for you to come and take your revenge."

*

Four guards of the thatched hut.

"Medicine! The best medicine for wounds! Madder! Quickly!" the old medicine doctor shouted to Lu Juezhen beside him.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Lu Juezhen hurriedly pulled out several medicine jars and a packet of madder from the pile of things on the table and handed them over.

The old herbalist grabbed the medicine, pried open Tang Qi's mouth, stuffed madder root under his tongue, and then picked out the strongest hemostatic powder, telling Lu Juezhen to press it onto the wound like crazy.

Just then, a cold, languid voice rang out from the side, with a hint of amusement in its scrutiny: "Oh, so much blood, it seems the wound has really hit the root."

Gui Luo had somehow crept into the thatched hut without anyone noticing. His gaze, hidden behind his mask, swept over Lu Juezhen's blood-stained, trembling hands, then landed on Tang Qi's lifeless face: "If you keep pressing like that, you might crush his bones before the bleeding stops."

Lu Juezhen suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with icy anger and undisguised hostility as he looked at Gui Luo: "Don't just stand there and talk like you know nothing!"

This person is really dangerous. Lu Juezhen still remembers what he promised Cheng Junshi. He must be careful to prevent him from hurting Brother Zhengye in the slightest!

Gui Luo seemed oblivious to the anger in Lu Juezhen's eyes. Instead, he leisurely produced a small jade bottle from somewhere and tossed it between his fingers: "Jade Powder, a trump card from Centipede Mountain. It's incredibly effective for both external and internal injuries, and it's top-notch for prolonging life. Want to give it a try?"

The old apothecary suddenly stopped, his eyes scrutinizing Gui Luo.

Jade Powder—this is something that the people of Centipede Mountain can't possibly possess. Normally, it's priceless, and only royalty and nobility have the opportunity to use it.

This kid...

Lu Juezhen stared intently at the jade bottle in Gui Luo's hand, his eyes wary, as if trying to determine its authenticity and whether it was a trap.

"What? Afraid I'll poison him?" Gui Luo sneered. "Don't worry, my mission doesn't include poisoning someone who's nobody—" He glanced at Wu Shunyi, who was lying quietly over there, "Poisoning this is more like it."

"Besides, if I wanted to kill him, I could do it myself; there's no need for the trouble of poisoning him." His tone was so frank it was almost arrogant.

Lu Juezhen's eyes were filled with intense struggle; the person on the bed was in such poor condition that ordinary medications were simply ineffective in stopping the bleeding.

"Take it!" the old apothecary finally shouted.

Lu Juezhen suddenly reached out and snatched the jade bottle from Gui Luo's hand. Without hesitation, he uncorked it, and a pungent yet strangely fragrant medicinal aroma wafted out. Yao Lao carefully smelled the powder and, based on his experience, quickly determined that it was non-toxic and had a potent medicinal effect.

It really is Jade Powder.

He immediately and carefully poured out some powder, mixed it with water, pried open Tang Qi's jaw, and poured it in little by little.

After doing all this, he pressed the wound tightly again, his eyes fixed on Tang Qi's face, feeling his faint breath.

Inside the tent, almost everyone's eyes were focused on the unconscious Tang Qi.

Perhaps the Jade Powder really worked, Tang Qi's breathing finally stabilized a little.

The tension in everyone's hearts suddenly eased, and a huge wave of fear and relief at surviving the ordeal washed over them. Lu Juezhen took a deep breath, so tired that he almost sat down on the ground with his tongue sticking out.

Gui Luo stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching their appearance with a flickering gaze behind his mask, which eventually turned into a very soft, ambiguous chuckle.

Lu Juezhen looked up at him upon hearing the sound, perhaps thinking that Gui Luo was mocking him, so he turned his head and snorted back in resentment.

"Jade Powder is no ordinary substance. Who are you?" The old apothecary slowly turned his head and asked him.

“It’s no ordinary thing, and it’s not mine anyway, so why bother asking me?” Gui Luo said with a smile.

Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, the old doctor had no choice but to shut up.

Tang Qi's condition gradually improved, and Gui Luo finally crossed his arms and prepared to leave. Before he had taken more than a few steps, Lu Juezhen suddenly spoke up behind him: "Hey! That—"

Gui Luo stopped and looked back at him.

"Although you are from the Southern Continent, thank you anyway." He spoke awkwardly, quickly wiping his nose, as if saying these words to Gui Luo was something particularly embarrassing.

Gui Luo raised his eyebrows in confusion for a moment, but then, seeing the tips of his ears slowly turn red, he suddenly smiled frankly: "No need to thank me, I was just doing this for someone else."

"Besides—he's more useful alive than dead."

After Gui Luo walked out of the house, he thought for a moment and then suddenly stopped. Lu Juezhen stared at his back and then heard him slowly say, "Next time we meet, we are enemies, not friends. There is no need to show mercy."