Chapter 78 Only I Can't
Just after noon, Bai Yuan, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and the others returned.
Accompanying them were the injured Wang Er, nearly a hundred wounded villagers from Wangjia Village, and fifty of Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu's men.
Li Daoxuan picked up his magnifying glass and examined them closely, one by one. Naturally, he looked at his own tiny figures first; he was a rather protective Heavenly Lord, after all.
Good, his own figures weren't hurt, just seemed a bit tired and hungry. After all, they had gone mountain climbing in the middle of the night and only returned at noon today. Such a trek, combined with combat, made exhaustion inevitable.
As for the "wild" figures...
Wang Er appeared gravely injured, covered in blood and unconscious on a stretcher. The Wangjia Village residents also had various wounds and looked utterly dejected. Yet, not a single one of Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu's men was harmed.
Li Daoxuan immediately understood. No fighting had taken place last night. It seemed the moment Bai Yuan arrived with the Gao Family Village militia, Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu's men surrendered.
The reason wasn't hard to guess: Bai Yuan only needed to announce the deaths of Zheng Yanfu and Zhong Guangdao, and that would be enough to break their will to fight.
Seeing Bai Yuan's party return, the Gao Family Village residents immediately rushed to greet them, San Shier leading the way.
As for Wang Er and the Wangjia Village residents, they were brought into Gao Family Fortress and temporarily settled in a large courtyard.
San Shier, having once been escorted by Wang Er, now worried about his injuries. He knelt by the stretcher, repeatedly asking, "How is the brave Wang doing?"
"The fellow is gravely wounded," Bai Yuan said, spreading his hands. "However, among a gentleman's six arts, medicine is not one of them, so I am powerless to help."
San Shier pressed, "Are his internal organs injured? Surely, you can discern that?"
Bai Yuan clasped his hands behind his back, turning away from San Shier. He spoke languidly, "I am but a humble gentleman, with many shortcomings."
San Shier threw his hands up in exasperation. "Can't you just say you don't know?"
Bai Yuan remained silent, gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, his eyes distant.
After all that, it turned out no one could assess Wang Er's injuries.
Li Daoxuan, even with his magnifying glass, couldn't examine him either. Everyone could only fret helplessly.
It was Wang Er himself who opened his eyes. He cast a grateful glance at those around him, his voice weak. "It's fine, I'm tough, I won't die... Is there any incense ash or anything similar? Just sprinkle some on my wounds. If I can't... if I can't make it, then I'll just die, no big deal..."
"No incense ash... but we have soot from the cooking pot..." Gao Chuwu began, just opening his mouth.
Gao Yiye cut him off. "Don't talk nonsense, be quiet. The Heavenly Lord is speaking."
She tilted her head, listening to Li Daoxuan's words, then raised her hands high. "Thank you, Heavenly Lord, for bestowing this medicine."
At that moment, Li Daoxuan had already opened his home first-aid kit, pulled out a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao wound powder, and lightly scraped his pinky finger inside the bottle, picking up a tiny bit of powder on the fingertip. He then reached his hand into the diorama box, presenting it before Gao Yiye.
But others couldn't see his hand; they only saw a pile of small, white spheres descending.
Gao Yiye extended her hands, reverently taking the white medicine spheres from Li Daoxuan's fingertip.
Her small hands gently touched Li Daoxuan's colossal hand.
A faint thrill ran through her: *I touched the Heavenly Lord's hand!*
With trembling hands, she withdrew, placing the pile of white spheres on a table. "The Heavenly Lord commands: crush these medicine spheres into a powder and apply it to everyone's wounds. If their fate is not to die, their bleeding will soon stop and their flesh will regenerate. But if their time has come, then even these divine medicines cannot save them."
Bai Yuan and San Shier immediately clasped their fists. "We shall dutifully obey the Heavenly Lord's decree."
Wang Er, in his dazed state, didn't quite grasp what they were doing. But the Wangjia Village residents, those with only minor injuries, watched Gao Yiye raise her hands and the white medicine spheres descend from the sky, and they were thoroughly terrified.
Bai Mao was the first to act, crushing the medicine spheres into a fine white powder. Then, everyone worked together, sprinkling the powder onto Wang Er and the injured villagers' wounds.
The effects of Yunnan Baiyao were no exaggeration. This was the era's undisputed finest wound medicine, and the moment it was sprinkled on the wounds, the bleeding immediately ceased.
The Wangjia Village residents began to murmur amongst themselves. "What kind of medicine is this? It's so potent!"
"Miss Gao said it seems to be divine medicine."
"It just fell from the sky!"
"They say it's medicine bestowed by the Heavenly Lord... What is a Heavenly Lord?"
"It's called Dao Xuan Tian Zun, I think."
"Never heard of that deity. I've heard of Guanyin Bodhisattva and Primordial Heavenly Lord, though..."
As the tiny figures conversed, Wang Er suddenly regained consciousness. "Huh? Am I... in Gao Family Village?"
San Shier replied, "Yes, brave Wang, we've brought you to Gao Family Village. You can rest and recover here."
"No... no, I can't... I can't recover here..."
Wang Er urgently struggled, trying to sit up, but his injuries were too severe. He couldn't lift himself, falling back onto the stretcher with a thud.
He could only turn to the nearby Wangjia Village residents. "You're not badly hurt, are you? Carry me, let's go, quickly!"
The Wangjia Village residents were startled. "Brother, with your injuries... you can't just move around!"
San Shier also advised, "Brave Wang, do not push yourself."
Wang Er shook his head. "I am a great rebel who killed an official. If Gao Family Village is known to shelter me, it will bring you trouble. Once the imperial army arrives, everyone will perish without a burial place."
Everyone froze slightly.
Gao Chuwu, in his simple-minded way, scratched his head. "Master Bai said the court isn't bothering anymore. They're letting the rebels 'pillage until next spring...' What was the rest? Anyway, it means they're not bothering, and by next spring, you'll be good citizens again."
Everyone collectively rolled their eyes at Gao Chuwu, silently cursing him: *This blockhead, spouting nonsense again.*
Wang Er shook his head. "Others may regain their status as good citizens next spring, but not I."
Gao Chuwu was greatly puzzled. "Why can't you? We're all born of parents, two eyes, one mouth, two arms, two legs."
Wang Er explained, "I am the leader. I incited the villagers to kill the magistrate, causing chaos throughout Chengcheng County. All the rebels roaming outside are following my example. The imperial court will not spare me."
Gao Chuwu foolishly scratched his head for a long moment before finally grasping it. "Oh! So being a leader has this drawback?"
He grinned, a foolish smile spreading across his face. "So, about our village secretly making iron armor... if they investigate later, all of us will be absolved, but only Master San Shier won't be able to escape, right?"
Everyone burst out laughing.
San Shier's face instantly flushed crimson. "You idiot! Shut your mouth!"
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