Chapter 138 Searching for the People on a Rainy Night: People's Livelihoods Are My Responsibility
Wang Wu muttered to himself as he struck the flint, but as soon as he looked up, his face turned deathly pale.
"Boss!"
The black bear stood upright, its massive jaws menacingly lunging at Zhang Ting; its fangs were just half an inch away from embedding themselves in her arm.
Li Ruilian stared intently, her pupils trembling. Without thinking, she raised her knife and swung it, but clearly she didn't have time to rush out and block the attack for Zhang Ting.
It was clear that the master's arm was about to be swallowed by the giant maw of the ferocious bear.
Her heart was in her throat with anxiety. No!!!
Liu Dawang, Zheng Er, Li Ruilian, and Tang Dahua, all five of them, watched this scene with fear.
The next instant, the black bear paused subtly, letting out a deep growl before its furious arm swept across. In a flash, Zhang Ting delivered a powerful kick, sending the black bear sprawling to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Ruilian swiftly swung her knife and beheaded the black bear when it was off guard. The bear's head fell to the ground, and its limbs, lying on the ground, were still twitching.
The crowd, frozen in place, gathered around and saw that a sharp blade was stuck straight into the black bear's chest, blood glistening on the blade and reflecting a cold light.
Zhang Ting released Zong Suyi's hand, slowly walked over and removed the blade. She took out a handkerchief to wipe away the bloodstains, which were filled with the stench of livestock. She frowned in disgust and quickened her pace.
Zong Suyi, still shaken, clutched his chest; that moment had truly frightened him so much his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
The others breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help feeling amazed.
The boss reacted so quickly, she truly lives up to her reputation!
Li Ruilian sheathed her broadsword and felt as if she had been in another world. Her master had been learning martial arts from her for more than three years. His moves were swift and powerful. Even if she didn't make a move, he would be safe and sound. Moreover, his speed and power in the moment were far superior to her own.
He is truly a genius of unparalleled talent.
Wang Wu felt somewhat guilty, "Master, if it weren't for me... you wouldn't have been in this dangerous situation."
Zhang Ting sheathed his blade and calmly replied, "No one knows what the situation is ahead. If any livestock cause trouble again, just kill them."
He turned his head to look at the others, "Set the fire, pack your things, and deal with this beast."
Tonight was truly a dangerous night. Liu Dawang carried the black bear to the outer room to deal with it, while Li Ruilian and Zheng Er stayed inside to start a fire, boil water, clean up the scene, and tidy up the mess.
Zong Suyi went to make the bed and tidy up the clothes.
Zhang Ting squatted alone on the ground, writing and drawing on the ground with a wooden stick, seemingly fiddling with something.
She suddenly stood up and called over Li Ruilian, who was sweeping the floor.
"Master Li, take your knife and come with me."
Li Ruilian was stunned, and without asking why, she hurriedly followed her.
Zhang Ting, carrying an oilcloth torch, walked ahead. She explained to Li Ruilian in her haste, "Master Li, the night rains have been fierce these past few days. If we stay in lower-lying areas, we might be in mortal danger. We need to hurry and find the people."
Li Ruilian nodded, "How about I go to the east and you go to the west, and then we can meet here at the end?"
"Very good. Take care, Master Li!" After saying that, he turned and headed west.
The torches flickered, and the rain above intensified, gathering into a curtain of rain that fell in strings.
The ground was muddy and murky, so Zhang Ting walked very carefully, following the main road, occasionally calling out, but no one answered.
The night was dark, and the rain had washed away the people's clues. Zhang Ting had barely rested for several days and was exhausted, but she pinched herself hard to cheer herself up.
I don't know how long I walked, but my shoes were covered in mud and were completely unrecognizable from what they used to be.
As they walked, they unexpectedly reunited with Li Ruilian.
This time, the two decided not to separate and went to search together, shouting out their names every now and then.
Finally, as dawn broke, they found a group of Guizhou people huddled together for warmth under a tree halfway up the mountain. Looking around, all they could see was a dense mass of dark heads.
Upon seeing the visitors, they showed neither excitement nor joy; their eyes were vacant, their faces blank, and they saw no hope for survival.
Several others huddled on the periphery of the crowd, shivering from the cold, already delirious from illness.
Zhang Ting stepped forward and asked, "Is the County Magistrate here?"
No one answered.
She frowned. "Are the county officials or village chiefs here?"
The two women stood up shakily, shivering. They had been suffering from cold and hunger during their refuge for the past few days, and they were almost on the verge of falling ill.
"Your Majesty, I am the county clerk, and she is the county lieutenant. What business do you have with us?" said the young woman in dark blue clothes. Seeing the woman's imposing and dignified aura, he dared not underestimate her.
Zhang Ting revealed his identity, "I am the magistrate of Fengxian County, here to assume my post. I arrived just tonight. May I ask how many people are here?"
The county clerk and the county constable exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
They ran out from the crowd, braved the rain, and bowed before Zhang Ting. "Your Excellency, there are about three thousand people in this county. It is truly wonderful that you have come to rescue the people of Fengxian from their suffering, despite the danger."
The county clerk rubbed his hands, embarrassed to ask, "May I ask, Your Excellency, is the imperial court aware of the disaster in our county? How many people have they sent, and how much money and grain are they planning to allocate?"
Zhang Ting looked at her and said, "When I came here, the road behind me was flooded, so letters couldn't get out and money and food couldn't get in."
The county constable was shocked, and then his face fell.
How will the people of the county survive?
She slumped her head helplessly, her gaze falling on the muddy ground, worried that she might end up eating dirt to stave off hunger.
There's not much food left on the mountain, what should we do?
Diseases are more prevalent on rainy nights, and keeping people outdoors for extended periods could lead to large-scale outbreaks of disease.
Zhang Ting then asked, "Do you know if there are any large caves on the mountain? It's not good for the people to live outdoors for so long." Some of these people are ill, and Zong Suyi is pregnant, so it's not convenient for her to move in with them.
The county constable thought for a while and said to her, "I do know a place," pointing to the top of the mountain, "that's called Pingdingshan. There's a huge cave inside, with several interconnected halls. It's flat and spacious, more than enough to accommodate the county's 20,000 people."
"However, that is where Grandma Black Bear and her family live. Grandma Black Bear is cruel, vicious, clever and cunning. She will pretend to be an ordinary person to lure people over to eat them, or she will ambush them from a hidden place and pierce their shoulders with one bite, leaving them with no chance to fight back. Here, she eats living people one bite at a time."
“Many of the common people in this county have been attacked by it when they went up the mountain to cut firewood. It would occasionally come down the mountain to hunt for food. Once, it even ate a baby who couldn’t escape in time.” The county magistrate choked up. “It tore the baby’s limbs apart and ate it alive. Our county organized soldiers to fight against it, but we suffered heavy casualties. No one was a match for it.”
Zhang Ting sighed deeply, finding the description familiar, and described the black bear's appearance to the county magistrate.
The county constable nodded repeatedly. "That is Granny Black Bear, cunning and dangerous. You've encountered her, sir?"
Zhang Ting did not answer her question, but continued to ask, "Who else is in the Black Bear family?"
"I saw three bear cubs the year before last; they must have grown into big black bears by now."
The year before last? That cub is almost three years old now. Zhang Ting thought it was unlikely. Bears are solitary wild animals, and cubs will separate and live alone when they grow up. Three years old is exactly a point in time.
However, even with the three sub-adult black bears present, they were no match for them.
Zhang Ting turned her head and exchanged a glance with Li Ruilian, who nodded firmly upon receiving the signal.
She turned to the county constable and the county clerk and said, "It's dangerous to stay outdoors for long on a rainy night. You two take the people and come with me up the mountain."
The county constable panicked and hurriedly waved his hands, "Oh, sir, this is unacceptable! We are just mortals, how can we be a match for those ferocious beasts? One blow from them could knock us over."
Zhang Ting brandished his precious sword. "You don't need to panic. Just bring your men and come with me." His tone was firm and powerful, carrying an inexplicable force that commanded respect.
The county magistrate and registrar knew they were likely to suffer a crushing defeat this time, possibly even resulting in casualties. But they hesitated, a small voice in their hearts whispering, 'What if? What if we succeed, then we'll have a place to live, free from the constant fear of death?'
The two men gritted their teeth, turned around, and directed the people to get up and follow Zhang Ting.
The three thousand people did not question or refute, but stood up one after another, their expressions numb and pale, as if they had completely lost their spirit.
The crowd surged forward, startling the crickets into leaping.
After walking for only a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the outside of a cave.
It was pitch black inside, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Zhang Ting grabbed a torch and called Li Ruilian to go in together. If they encountered the three black bears, they should kill them all in one fell swoop.
After settling the people in, the county clerk and the county constable gritted their teeth, picked up stones or sticks from the ground, and followed them inside. They figured that waiting to die was no different than waiting to die sooner or later; it was better to go in with the officials and rid the people of the evil bear—that would be a more honorable death.
Unfortunately, after carrying torches and circling around, the group couldn't find the other three black bears or any other predators.
Zhang Ting pondered, it seemed that after the black bear grandmother drove away the cubs that were about to come of age, she moved to live in a nearby cave.
This place is truly a blessed land, for it has formed such a vast and open natural cave; it is truly wondrous.
Once it was confirmed that there was no further danger inside the cave, Zhang Ting called the two men in and settled the villagers in.
Some people tentatively took a step forward, then quickly withdrew. Although they knew they were going to die, facing death like lambs to the slaughter still terrified them.
"Sir, are we... just going to deliver food to Granny Black Bear like this?"
Just as the county constable was about to explain, Zhang Ting came out from inside, exuding an imposing aura and an air of authority. As soon as she appeared, everyone's eyes automatically focused on her.
She removed her straw hat and stood with the people under the rain. Her words were powerful and reassuring: “Gentlemen, I am the magistrate of Fengxian County. I have already killed Granny Black Bear and cleared the cave of danger. Please come with me to take refuge.”
The people couldn't help but tear up; having seen no hope for so long, the sense of despair was suffocating them.
Now, finally, is there a place to stay?
Sobbing, they knelt down one after another, saying, "We are so humble as to have troubled you, sir."
"We are so humble and have troubled you, sir." They seemed to be born as jinxes and jinxes, and even Fengxian suffered this great calamity. First came the drought, then the flood, and the people's livelihood was devastated and they were suffering unspeakably.
Who would call themselves a lowly person? Zhang Ting frowned and helped them up. “Ladies and gentlemen, please come inside quickly. The night is cold and rainy. It’s important to avoid the rain and recuperate.”
"As for money, food, or other things, I will find a way to make sure that you all suffer from hunger and cold."
"Now that I have come to Fengxian, it is my responsibility to protect people's livelihoods and control floods. I will never let the people of Fengxian suffer again."
The women and villagers couldn't help but shed tears again. They went into the cave one by one, and each person spontaneously expressed their gratitude to Zhang Ting as they passed by.
They, Fengxian, are saved, right?
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