Not long after noon had passed, Bai Yuan, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and the others finally returned, their figures appearing at the edge of Gao Village Family after a long and exhausting journey through the mountains, and trailing behind them was a much larger group than when they had left.
They did not come back alone.
With them came Wang Er, badly injured and unconscious on a stretcher, along with nearly a hundred wounded villagers from Wang Family Village, and fifty surrendered men who had once served under Zhebu and Zheng Yanfu.
Li Dao Xuan immediately picked up his magnifying lens and leaned closer, carefully inspecting each tiny figure one by one with the attentiveness of someone who clearly had his priorities in order, because the first ones he checked were, without question, his own people.
He was, after all, a very protective Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Fortunately, his own villagers were unharmed.
They looked exhausted and hungry, which was hardly surprising considering they had set out in the middle of the night, crossed mountains, fought, and only returned by midday, and such a journey would have drained anyone.
As for the others, the situation was far less reassuring.
Wang Er appeared to be in serious condition, his body covered in blood, lying motionless as if he might not wake again at any moment, while the villagers from Wang Family Village all bore injuries to varying degrees, their spirits low and their movements sluggish.
Strangely enough, the fifty surrendered men were completely uninjured.
Li Dao Xuan quickly pieced together what had happened.
There had likely been no real battle.
Once Bai Yuan arrived and announced the deaths of Zhebu and Zheng Yanfu, the enemy's will to fight must have collapsed instantly, leaving surrender as their only option.
As the returning group entered the village, the people of Gao Village Family rushed forward to greet them, with Shan Shier leading the way, practically running ahead of everyone else, his expression full of urgency.
After a brief exchange of words, the fifty captured men were escorted away and merged with the labor reform group, joining the more than one hundred prisoners captured the previous night, their fate now sealed as workers.
Meanwhile, Wang Er and the villagers from Wang Family Village were brought into Gao Fortress and arranged in a large courtyard where they could rest.
Shan Shier, remembering the favor Wang Er had once done for him, now crouched beside the stretcher, unable to hide his concern.
"How is he?" he asked repeatedly, his voice tight with worry.
Bai Yuan spread his hands helplessly.
"He is badly injured, but among the Six Arts of a gentleman, medicine is unfortunately not one of them, so I must admit my limitations."
Shan Shier frowned.
"At least tell me whether his internal organs are damaged."
Bai Yuan clasped his hands behind his back, turned slightly away, and spoke with an air of philosophical detachment.
"I am but a humble gentleman, still far from perfection."
Shan Shier nearly lost his temper.
"Can you not just say you do not know?"
Bai Yuan fell silent, lifting his gaze at a perfect forty-five-degree angle toward the sky, as if contemplating the meaning of life itself.
And just like that, the problem remained unsolved.
No one could properly assess Wang Er's condition.
Even Li Dao Xuan, despite holding a magnifying lens, found himself unable to do anything meaningful in terms of medical diagnosis, leaving everyone stuck in helpless worry.
At that moment, Wang Er slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze swept weakly across the people around him, filled with gratitude despite his condition, and then he spoke in a faint voice.
"It is fine… I have a tough life… I will not die so easily… if there is incense ash or something like that, just smear it on the wound… if I cannot endure it… then I will just die…"
"There is no incense ash… but stove ash we might have…" Gao Chuwu began.
Before he could finish, Gao Yiye suddenly raised her hand.
"Quiet. Dao Xuan Tianzun has spoken."
She tilted her head slightly, as if listening to a voice no one else could hear, then raised both hands high with reverence.
"Many thanks to Dao Xuan Tianzun for granting medicine."
At that moment, Li Dao Xuan had already opened his medical kit and taken out a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao wound powder, dipping his little finger inside to scoop up a tiny amount before extending his hand into the box space, placing it in front of Gao Yiye.
To the others, however, they saw only small white pellets descending from the sky.
Gao Yiye carefully reached out with both hands and received them with utmost respect, her tiny fingers brushing lightly against Li Dao Xuan's enormous hand, and in that fleeting contact, a subtle thrill passed through her heart.
She had touched the hand of Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Suppressing the strange excitement, she placed the small white pellets on the table.
"The Tianzun has decreed that these should be crushed into powder and applied to all wounds. If one's fate is not yet exhausted, the bleeding will stop and the flesh will heal. If fate has already run its course, then even divine medicine cannot save them."
Bai Yuan and Shan Shier immediately clasped their fists.
"We obey the decree."
Wang Er, still groggy, did not fully understand what was happening, but the lightly injured villagers watched in shock as the medicine descended from the sky.
Bai Mao was the first to act, crushing the pellets into fine powder, and soon everyone joined in, carefully applying the powder to wounds.
The effect was immediate.
The bleeding stopped almost at once.
The villagers from Wang Family Village began whispering among themselves.
"What kind of medicine is this?"
"I heard Miss Gao say it is divine medicine."
"It fell from the sky just now."
"They said it was granted by Dao Xuan Tianzun… who is that?"
"I have never heard of such a deity… I only know Guanyin and Yuanshi Tianzun…"
Their murmurs filled the courtyard.
At that moment, Wang Er suddenly became more alert.
"Wait… this is… Gao Village Family?"
Shan Shier nodded.
"Yes. We brought you here. You should rest and recover."
"No… no… I cannot stay here…"
Wang Er suddenly struggled to sit up, but his injuries were too severe, and he collapsed back onto the stretcher with a heavy thud.
Gritting his teeth, he turned to the villagers beside him.
"You are not badly injured, right? Carry me. We must leave. Quickly."
The villagers were startled.
"Brother, in your condition, you cannot move like this."
Shan Shier also stepped forward.
"Do not force yourself."
Wang Er shook his head, his voice firm despite his weakness.
"I am a rebel who has killed officials. If it becomes known that Gao Village Family shelters me, it will bring disaster upon you. When the imperial army comes, everyone will die."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
Gao Chuwu scratched his head in confusion.
"But Master Bai said the court does not care anymore, something about letting rebels… take until next spring… I forgot the rest, but it means you will become a normal citizen again next year."
Everyone shot him a look full of exasperation.
This fool really knew how to pick the worst moment to speak nonsense.
Wang Er shook his head again.
"Others may be pardoned next spring. I cannot."
Gao Chuwu blinked.
"Why not? We are all born the same, two eyes, one mouth, two arms, two legs."
Wang Er gave a bitter smile.
"I am the leader. It was I who incited the villagers to kill the county magistrate, causing chaos throughout Chengcheng County. The rebels roaming outside are all following my example. The court will never let me go."
Gao Chuwu scratched his head for a long time, thinking hard, until realization finally dawned on him.
"Ah, so being the boss has this kind of downside."
He suddenly grinned foolishly.
"Then if they investigate our illegal armor-making later, we will all be forgiven, but only Third Master will be in trouble, right?"
The crowd burst into laughter.
Shan Shier's face instantly turned red.
"You idiot, shut your mouth!"