Chapter 113 Lingering Resentment
Just as Hu Bao and his men arrived at the door of the small house, before he could even enter, they suddenly heard a loud bang.
In that instant, the entire earth seemed to tremble, and everyone's first reaction was:
"What's going on? Has the earth dragon turned over?"
The accompanying guards were greatly alarmed.
But Hu Bao quickly denied this guess. Because a house not far away suddenly burst into flames, accompanied by billowing smoke.
How could an earth dragon turn over and catch fire? This is definitely not ordinary; someone must be behind it!
"Quick, come in with me!" Hu Bao rushed into the small house first.
The two-courtyard house was tiny to Hu Bao, who was used to walking around mansions and large buildings. In addition, he had brought a lot of people with him this time, so he quickly discovered the downward passage.
"Everyone, come here!" Hu Bao called out, summoning his men.
After he said this, not only the soldiers who came with him responded, but also the people in the passage.
"Hu Bao! Is that Hu Bao?"
Hu Bao was both surprised and delighted. "Third Young Master, are you injured?"
Qin Qinian below said, "Rongrong and I are both fine, but Qin Yanzhou has fainted. I don't know if he was hit by a rock or bumped into. We are trapped in a small corner, surrounded by rocks of different sizes. Please bring people to rescue us quickly."
His voice was strong and clear, and judging from the volume, he was not far from the exit.
But Qin Qinian's words made Hu Bao's vision go black for a moment.
Is Qin Xiaolangjun injured?
How is this any different from the Third Young Master's injury...? No, it might even be worse.
Who in the household doesn't know that Madam Dai cherishes her son like a precious jewel? Now that this pearl has been shattered, Madam Dai will surely weep uncontrollably.
The sky above our heads will probably be covered with dark clouds as well.
Hu Bao shouted sternly, "Quickly, save them!"
The passageway was over eight feet wide, and the guards entered side by side. Using people as anchor points, they first moved the small stones out by hand.
Seeing that there were many mounds of earth that had been shaken down, Hu Bao ordered, "Quickly, go find a bucket."
In the darkness.
As Shi Rongyue listened to the sounds outside getting closer, she estimated the distance and said, "Little cousin, we should be less than ten feet away from Captain Levi and the others."
Qin Qinian was still trying to explore his surroundings. "It should be. Qin Yanzhou dragged us for quite a distance earlier, so we've probably already returned to the vicinity of the entrance."
Speaking of this, Qin Qinian said with lingering fear, "Luckily I ran fast, otherwise I would have been in serious trouble. By the way, what exactly happened? Why did there suddenly explode with such a loud bang? I even saw a fire dragon rushing straight up, it was terrifying."
Shi Rongyue didn't understand either, "There must be some mystery involved. Little cousin, has that girl already..."
Qin Qinian remained silent for a moment.
Qin Yanzhou was in second place, followed by Rongrong, and then he was at the very back. Qin Yanzhou was holding one person in each hand, so he didn't have a spare hand to manage the person in front.
Without a doubt, Lady Fan was a scapegoat. Judging from her previous words, she was most likely deceived by the Green Lotus Sect.
"We can't worry about her now. We'll have someone dig deeper after we get out. If she's still breathing, we'll save her then. This woman knows a lot about the Green Lotus Sect. It would be good if she could survive." Qin Qinian sighed.
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Qinian clearly felt a movement coming from the stone beside his hand.
"Third Young Master!"
Qin Qinian immediately perked up, "You're here! Quickly dig it open."
In less than fifteen minutes, a small hole appeared on the side, and at the same time, the faint glow of a tinderbox could be seen.
After digging, Hu Bao discovered that the three of them were huddled in the first corner of the downward passage.
A stone slab tilted downwards, forming a small triangle with the wall that trapped them inside. The slab was already very low, with its highest point only five feet above the ground.
Hu Bao broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself that it was a good thing the stone slab hadn't collapsed, otherwise he would have broken at least a few bones.
"You all hold up the top, make sure it doesn't fall. Where's that long stick from before? Bring it over and use it to support the bottom." After making the arrangements, Hu Bao said to the people inside, "Third Young Master, you come out first."
Qin Qinian saw the light coming from the hole, and while turning Qin Yanzhou towards it, he said to Shi Rongyue, "Rongrong, you look after Qin Yanzhou for now, I'll take him out later."
Shi Rongyue responded softly.
After Qin Qinian left, Qin Yanzhou, having lost half his support, slid in that direction.
Sensing something amiss, Shi Rongyue reached out and pulled the person back, continuing to use herself as a cushion.
When Qin Qinian came out, he was startled to see the stone slab tilted like that, and quickly said, "Rongrong, move Qin Yanzhou over here."
A few embers shone in, and whether it was the color of the fire or something else, the young girl's cheeks and neck were flushed. Shi Rongyue lay on the ground, using all her strength to laboriously move the young man on top of her toward the cave entrance.
Unexpectedly, despite his tall and thin appearance, he was so heavy that Shi Rongyue felt as if she were moving a hard rock.
Hu Bao and Qin Qinian worked together outside to pick up the person.
The soldiers outside lit tinderboxes, and the firelight illuminated the young man's pale face. There was blood at the corner of his mouth and bloodstains on his white robe, but not much.
Hu Bao's heart skipped a beat. "Third Young Master, I'll escort Young Master Qin back to his residence first, and then return later. You'll be in charge of this area. Is that alright?"
Qin Qinian readily agreed, "Alright, hurry back and don't delay the treatment! There's a young woman inside, I'll lead the men to see if we can dig her out as well."
Hu Bao was shocked. "There are people inside? Who are they? Are they Miss Shi's maids?"
But after asking the next question, he realized something was wrong.
He clearly encountered Shi Xiaoniangzi's personal maid on the way. Who was that person?
Qin Qinian replied, "She is Fan Yanzhou's daughter. Don't worry about that. Quickly send Qin Yanzhou back. By the way, today is not his acupuncture treatment day. Old Master Ding is not at home. You need to send someone else to invite him to the mansion."
Hu Bao accepted the order and took the unconscious Qin Yanzhou away first.
Qin Qinian helped Shi Rongyue out of the small hole. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked at her anxiously, "Rongrong, there's blood on your face. Where did you bump or hurt yourself?"
Shi Rongyue belatedly wiped her face, looking down at the bright red in her palm. Her light brown eyes reflected the firelight and blood, like a piece of blood-stained amber.
The young woman slowly shook her head, "It's not my blood, it's Qin's."
*
The main house of the Qin residence.
Dai Li has always had the habit of taking a nap. In autumn, the sky is high and the air is crisp, and the temperature is just right, making it a very pleasant time to take a nap.
Dai Li was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud bang. She opened her eyes abruptly, sat up, clutching the blanket, and focused her attention. Everything around her was quiet; it seemed the sound had been a hallucination.
Footsteps could be heard outside, and Dai Li saw Qin Shaozong.
Seeing that she was indeed awake, the man took the initiative to bring up what had just happened, "It wasn't an earthquake, but rather a house somewhere in the county that had collapsed due to years of disrepair. Madam, please continue to rest."
Dai Li lowered her eyes to look at the plain brocade quilt and murmured, "I don't know why, but my heart is suddenly beating very fast."
"How about having Ding Congjian come over later to take Madam's pulse?" Qin Shaozong poured her a cup of warm water and sat down beside the couch. After Dai Li took the cup, he casually touched her forehead.
Dai Li turned her head away from his hand. "It's nothing. I was probably just startled when I woke up suddenly."
After taking a casual sip of tea, Dai Li shoved the teacup back at him and dismissed him without hesitation, saying, "Go on with your work, I'm going back to sleep."
Qin Shaozong took the teacup and went out.
Dai Li hugged the blanket and lay down to sleep again, but she was startled awake once and it wasn't easy for her to fall back asleep. Just as sleepiness was getting stronger and almost pulling her into dreamland, Dai Li heard a series of hurried footsteps.
It seems that Hu Bao has arrived and is outside reporting something to Qin Shaozong.
Dai Li turned over, clutching her blanket, intending to continue sleeping, when she heard footsteps coming in.
For some reason, Dai Li felt a sudden unease, a strange sense of unease creeping into her heart. This unease reached its peak when Qin Shaozong lifted her from the bed.
"Madam, Hu Bao just reported that Qin Yanzhou was injured while chasing the remnants of the Green Lotus Sect and is now unconscious. Hu Bao has sent someone to fetch Mr. Ding to the mansion, and he will arrive soon."
It was clearly a pleasant autumn day, but Dai Li felt that even the sunlight streaming through the window couldn't melt away the chill in the air. The cold wind filled her lungs, and even her fingertips were icy.
“Zhouzhou…where is Zhouzhou now? Has he gone back to his courtyard?” Dai Li struggled to get down from Qin Shaozong’s arms.
Qin Shaozong knew that she would lose her composure whenever her son was involved. The last time she first heard the news about Qin Yanzhou, she even twisted her ankle on the foot pedal.
The man held her waist tightly, keeping her pinned to the couch. "Madam, please get dressed first, then I'll take you to see him."
During her afternoon nap, Dai Li had taken off her outer garment, and was now only wearing an apricot-colored undergarment. The garment was casually draped over the clothes rack beside her, and Qin Shaozong reached out his long arm, picked it up, and helped her put it on.
After finally getting dressed, Dai Li waved Qin Shaozong's hand away and hurriedly walked out.
Before returning to Yuyang, Qin Yanzhou lived in the main courtyard with Dai Li and Qin Shaozong. He lived in a side room of the main courtyard, while they lived in the main room.
Later, with the arrival of Qin Qinian and Qin Yunce, Qin Shaozong found the three boys to be in the way, and since the main courtyard only had two side rooms on the left and right, it wouldn't be suitable for all three of them to live in. Moving any one of them out individually wouldn't be good, so he simply kicked all three out together.
Thus, Qin Yanzhou also had his own pavilion in this mansion.
When Dai Li arrived, Ding Lianxi, who happened to be on duty at the mansion that day, had already arrived and was taking Qin Yanzhou's pulse.
When Dai Li saw her son lying motionless on the couch, his face pale and bloodless, with a smear of bright red on his clothes, and then saw that Ding Lianxi, who was taking her pulse, had a furrowed brow, she suddenly felt dizzy.
A large, dark hand reached out and supported Dai Li's lower back, pulling her half-into his arms. Qin Shaozong asked, "Cong Jian, how is the situation?"
Previously, Ding Lianxi had tried to diagnose Qin Yanzhou's condition many times, but he was unable to come up with a diagnosis. However, after his grandfather gave him guidance day and night, he had gained some understanding of the process.
After taking his pulse for a short while, Ding Lianxi said, "My lord, I am but a humble scholar, and I only vaguely sense that Chi Dan is becoming more and more violent. If this continues, I am afraid that the deadline predicted by my grandfather will be greatly shortened."
Dai Li was shocked and even stammered when she spoke, "Then, how much is left now?"
Today marks eight days until the deadline set by Ding Luying for collecting medicinal herbs. Five days ago, all the herbs had been collected, and the collection phase had transitioned into the preparation phase.
In other words, they gained thirteen days. But if the final deadline is cut in half, or even less, there still won't be enough time left for Ding Luying Pharmaceutical and subsequent treatment.
Ding Lianxi looked ashamed. "We'll have to wait for Grandfather to find out exactly how much is left."
Dai Li asked anxiously, "Besides Chi Dan being affected, has my son sustained any other injuries?"
“Young master was hit on the back by a heavy object and suffered some bruises, but his heart and lungs were not damaged, so it’s not a big problem.” Ding Lianxi explained when he saw Dai Li staring at the red on the young man’s clothes: “The reason he vomited blood was because of the evil spirit.”
Just then, the rumbling of carriage wheels reached the courtyard. It was the guards who had brought Ding Luying over, and the carriage went straight into Qin Yanzhou's courtyard.
Dai Li quickly welcomed him inside, and after taking his pulse, the latter stroked his gray beard, his expression surprisingly strange.
"Fortunately, the medicinal herbs had already been collected in advance. Now, the Chidan (a type of parasite) is frightened by the immense force and has gone completely berserk, but it has moved from the abdominal cavity to the surface, attempting to move towards the heart. Removing the parasite now is actually more convenient than planned. As for the young master, his health will be better than expected in the future," Ding Luying said.
Dai Li was stunned. Overwhelmed by grief and joy, her legs went weak, and she had to hold onto the arm of the man beside her to keep her balance.
She said "okay" several times, "There's no time to lose, please trouble Mr. Ding to remove the Gu worm from my son."
Indeed, there was no time to lose. As soon as Ding Luying spoke, the entire pavilion immediately sprang into action.
Some people gather medicinal herbs, while others prepare tools.
As Dai Li watched the busy servants, her heart gradually calmed down, and her chaotic thoughts gradually cleared.
Just now, Hu Bao said that Zhouzhou was injured while chasing after the remnants of the Qinglian Sect.
Remnants of the Qinglian Sect?
The governor discovered members of the Green Lotus Sect in the county.
After discovering several suspected strongholds last time, Zhouzhou was planning to be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. What made him suddenly change his mind?
Did he make a new discovery at that time?
Listen attentively.
It's possible that Zhouzhou has discovered traces of the Di Ting!
If that were the case, Dai Li could completely understand why her son changed his mind halfway through. Because if it succeeded, the rewards would be too great.
As a "prince" of the Qinglian Sect, Di Ting's influence is not to be underestimated. It can be said that capturing him would be equivalent to having the power to negotiate with the "emperor" of the Qinglian Sect.
What kind of place is Yuyang?
That's Qin Shaozong's stronghold!
Once Di Ting's trail is discovered and Zhou Zhou has it pinned down, reinforcements will arrive from all directions, making it impossible for Di Ting to escape.
From the moment her son proposed serving Qin Shaozong and becoming his pawn, Dai Li realized with absolute clarity:
Her governor had grown up and was now a man. He no longer wanted to hide behind her like he had when they were children; he wanted to shield her from the wind and rain.
He silently witnessed the Qinglian Sect's abduction of her, the debt of gratitude Qin Shaozong could not repay, and even the threats the Qinglian Sect sent her after arriving in Yuyang.
Her son was not good with words, and Dai Li had no way of knowing whether he was so consumed by hatred that he couldn't sleep at night, or whether he repeatedly imagined how to take revenge.
There must be some degree of it, otherwise why would he still resolutely pursue Di Ting's trail when he could have stood by and watched?
Nineteen-year-olds, their passion still burning bright, may have had their concerns, but they dare to fight for it.
Dai Li understood his eagerness, but she was also heartbroken. However, she also knew that she couldn't change her son's mind.
As long as the Qinglian Sect is not eradicated, the lingering hatred will never dissipate.
Author's note: Here it comes.
srds, Zhou Zhou is only 19 years old [emoji]
Please, please provide nutrient solution. [Hands clasped in prayer]
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