None of the villagers were a stranger to this condition. This was a sign that the Wushang's ailment was breaking out, and this was a symptom of the most serious form of the condition. Any Wushang villager who was about to die showed these signs.
If this continued, He Wanshi… His chances of survival were slim.
Chapter 709: Danger! Wushang Village Chief!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Stand aside and let me through!" A voice suddenly came from the back of the crowd.
"Elder Wu!!"
The villagers turned around and realized to their consternation that the determined Wu Jiumei was slowly getting out of bed.
"Elder! Don't move around!"
"You're still not recovered. You should lay down and rest."
"That's right! If you were to encounter some mishap, none of us would be able to bear the consequences."
……
The villagers began to advise him to sit back down.
"Bastards! At a time like this, all of you are still in the mood to talk about things like this?"
Wu Jiumei's expression was stern as he pushed aside the crowd. Though tottering and swaying, he got out of the bed with abnormal resolve. He walked through the crowd, picked the pill off the ground, pried upon He Wanshi's mouth, and stuffed the pill inside.
"Bring some water over!"
A villager quickly brought over a cup of water, and Wu Jiumei used it to help He Wanshi swallow the pill. A few moments later, He Wanshi gave a long groan and began to cough, his complexion quickly turning ruddy.
"Elder!"
He Wanshi opened his eyes and looked perplexedly at Wu Jiumei.
Smack!
A hand gave He Wanshi a hefty slap, leaving He Wanshi dumbstruck, as well as the other villagers. No one had expected that the first thing Wu Jiumei would do upon He Wanshi's awakening was to give him a slap.
"Elder!"
He Wanshi's face was flabbergasted, his entire body frozen in shock.
But Wu Jiumei and his somber face ignored him, instead turning to Wang Chong.
"Lord Marquis, we've offended you! I represent the village in apologizing to Lord Marquis. I hope that Lord Marquis will not take offense."
Wu Jiumei gave a deep bow.
Although he was old and had been dizzy from the breakout of his illness, he had not taken complete leave of his senses. Although he had not been able to speak, he had been able to clearly sense everything that was going on around him.
And besides, he was an extremely senior elder of Wushang Village, a powerful expert in his own right. How could he not be able to sense what was going on around him?
But Wu Jiumei had not expected that the person who had rushed in to save him had been one of those outsiders he had so utterly rejected.
"Haha, just a few minor trifles. There's no need for Elder to be so polite."
Wang Chong waved his hand, knowing that his efforts had finally proved useful.
Wang Chong had wanted to help out in this emergency, but he was helpless against the extremely conservative and exclusionary attitude of the Wushang. Fortunately, the Wushang had a few people who understood what was going on. Although there had been a few twists and turns, his plan had finally succeeded.
"For Lord Marquis's great kindness, Wu Jiumei will thank Lord Marquis on behalf of the entire village!"
As Wu Jiumei spoke, he straightened his body and then gave another deep bow.
"Elder is speaking too seriously!" Wang Chong said with a faint smile. Although there had been a few unpleasantries during the day, Elder Wu was still someone who could be worked with. Although he was rather conservative, he wasn't so far gone that he would doggedly cling to old traditions.
"But Wu Jiumei has a presumptuous request. That pill… how much of it does Lord Marquis have? Can some of them be given to us? This is extremely important for Wushang Village. I hope that Lord Marquis can forgive our past misdeeds and assist us!"
Wu Jiumei was doing his best to remain composed, but his twitching eyes revealed his true emotions.
The screams heard from outside the house were of a different character from the previous incidents. In all Wu Jiumei's life, he had never encountered such a grim situation. Moreover, as one who had personally lived through the experience, Wu Jiumei was deeply aware that this would not end in something as simple as aches and injuries.
But no matter how anxious he was, Wu Jiumei had to restrain himself. During the day, he had treated these outsiders too harshly, refused too curtly, and he had even injured some of their comrades. To seek help at a time like this, even Wu Jiumei found it difficult to form the words.
Purely based on Wushang Village's attitude toward them, the outsiders had no reason to help them!
Wu Jiumei wouldn't find it strange at all if Wang Chong refused.
But Wang Chong's answer took Wu Jiumei by surprise.
"Of course I can!"
Wang Chong's answer was clear and straightforward, and he grinned as he spoke.
……
The entirety of Wushang Village instantly became a hive of activity. Anyone that could still stand, even the women and children, joined in the effort. In Wang Chong's initial prediction, two or three thousand Wushang should have had their disease flare up in this lunar eclipse, resulting in injury or death.
But now that he was in the thick of it, he realized that he had deeply underestimated the effects of this incident.
The flapping of a butterfly's wings tens of thousands of li away could cause a hurricane on the other side of the ocean, and Wang Chong was this butterfly. The disaster being visited upon Wushang Village seemed far more serious than the one he remembered.
Based on the number of screams, the deaths could reach seven or eight thousand, perhaps more.
This sort of loss was not something Wushang Village could handle.
By the time he walked out of the house, he could see that everyone had pale and panicked expressions.
"Gao Feng, Nie Yan, did you bring it?"
"Lord Marquis, we've all brought it!"
"Li Siye, I leave this matter to you. Bring Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the pills, and go with Elder He Yunwen. Dissolve the pills in water and give it to the villagers to drink."
"Yes, Lord Marquis!"
"Elder Wu, let's leave the village to them. Please take me to the Chief's house. We have an even more urgent matter to attend to."
……
As they walked through the plaza, Wang Chong gave out a string of orders. When the people were panicked and in disarray, the rationality and composure that Wang Chong had refined through the battlefield was of great use to him.
The Wushang villagers subconsciously accepted Wang Chong's order and began to organize.
Meanwhile, Wang Chong followed Elder Wu to the Wushang Chief's residence.
Although he had already obtained the trust of an important elder like Wu Jiumei, and Li Siye and the others were helping out with dealing with the effects of the lunar eclipse, Wang Chong was still deeply concerned about the Wushang Village Chief, Fang Xiaoyan's grandfather.
Wang Chong had never imagined that Fang Xiaoyan's grandfather would be a hidden 'Imperial Great General', comparable to Zhangchou Jianqiong.
Each warrior of this level was a strategic asset!
For this kind of expert, the smallest injury, the most minute drop in power, would have massive ramifications, let alone more serious injuries. In clashes of experts, the tiniest differences could decide the match. For experts of the 'Imperial Great General' level, a minor drop in strength would lead to a fall from this tier and no longer being a match for their former peers.
If everything followed the original course, Fang Xiaoyan's grandfather would be severely wounded by this lunar eclipse, his strength dropping severely.
To simply look on as a mighty 'Imperial Great General' was on the verge of being lost was simply unacceptable to Wang Chong, a completely wasted treasure.
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Moreover, the construction of his 'city of steel' for his fief was about to begin. A master of the Imperial Great General level standing sentinel in the city would be of great assistance for the operation of the fief.
"Who goes there!"
"Stop!"
"No outsiders are allowed to approach!"
……
As Wang Chong ran with Wu Jiumei to the Wushang Chief's house, he could already smell the tension in the air. The chief's house was surrounded by experts, far more than those standing guard around Wu Jiumei's house.
While they were still fifty-some zhang away, they were already being called to stop.
This array of forces left even Wang Chong feeling a headache. At a moment like this, Wang Chong counted himself fortunate that he had come with Wu Jiumei!
"Stop. It's me."
Wu Jiumei did not stop as he spoke, continuing to rush forward.
"It's Granduncle Jiu. Quickly stand aside!"
Seeing that it was Elder Wu Jiumei leading the group, the guards quickly dispersed.
"Lord Marquis, please follow me."
Wu Jiumei had a grim expression as he crossed the threshold and entered the house. Wang Chong closely followed, and with Wu Jiumei leading the way, no one attempted to stop him.
The stone house was packed and fraught with an air of sorrow. The moment Wang Chong stepped in, he could hear the weeping of a girl.
Fang Xiaoyan was seated on the ground, her eyes red and staring in a single direction as tears streamed down her cheeks. Wang Chong immediately followed her gaze.
He saw a white-haired elder lying on a bed, unmoving: the Wushang Village Chief who Wang Chong had met just this morning. His entire body was black, cold, and stiff. Each of his breaths was weaker than the last, and it seemed like he wouldn't be able to last for long.
"Stand aside and let me through!"
Wang Chong immediately began to push through the crowd and make his way to the bed!
"Bastard! What are you planning! Stand aside."
"The elders are in the middle of treatment. Do you think that this is your territory? Back off!"
……
The people in the room turned on him with furious looks.
"What are you standing around for! Stand aside! I requested his help!"
A harsh rebuke rang out in their ears. Wang Chong did not need to say anything, as Wu Jiumei immediately set about berating the villagers, his expression stern and anger coming out of every pore.
This sudden rebuke left many people dumbfounded. No one had expected Granduncle Jiu to suddenly speak up for an outsider.
"Granduncle Jiu…"
"What are you waiting around for? Didn't you hear? Stand aside and let him through!" Wu Jiumei said with a dour expression.
Still dazed and confused, the villagers subconsciously made way.
Granduncle Jiu's status in the village was only second to the chief's. With the chief unconscious, no one dared to defy Granduncle Jiu.
With the access provided to him by Wu Jiumei, Wang Chong encountered much less resistance. Squeezing up to the bed, Wang Chong pried open the Wushang Chief's mouth with his right hand and inserted the black and brown pill. He then used a cup of water to help get the pill down.
Like ice and snow thawing, the black and brown pill quickly began to take effect. At the very start, the villagers had still been indescribably furious, hatefully staring at Wang Chong's back.
But as the pill dissolved and permeated through the Wushang Chief's belly, the black hue around his lips began to melt away like snow being struck by sunlight.
A patch of red appeared on the chief's thin cheeks. "Ah!" The Wushang Chief's chest shuddered as he took a long breath, and his eyes suddenly opened.
This astonishing sight instantly struck the crowd dumb.
Chapter 710: Recruitment Successful I
Chapter 710: Recruitment Successful (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The villagers who had just been berating Wang Chong were now staring in disbelief. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have never believed that Wang Chong had this sort of ability.
After all, they had already tried all sorts of methods, including wujian grass.
"Chief! Chief! Chief!…"
The villagers quickly stirred from their daze and began rushing up in elation, gathering around the chief's bed with excited expressions.
The Wushang were conservative and xenophobic, but they had also maintained their unadorned affections. The person most revered and of greatest status in Wushang Village was its chief, and he had watched many people grow up.
To many people of the village, he was their spiritual leader.
When their chief fell over, all of them had been helpless and dazed, unable to do anything. Many people even thought that the chief was about to 'leave'.
Now that their chief had finally recovered and awakened, one could easily imagine their excitement.
While everyone else was rushing to the Wushang Chief's side, only Wu Jiumei stood in the back, sighing as he looked at Wang Chong. His expression was a mixture of gratitude and shame.
Given the attitude of the Wushang during the day, a normal person would have thrown them aside and left. But this young man had forgiven old enmities and helped Wushang Village. This was the reason for Wu Jiumei's complicated expression.
Wu Jiumei stepped forward and sincerely said, "Lord Marquis, my deepest gratitude!"
Before today, no one would have expected that this year would experience a rare lunar eclipse, when the Yin energy was at its thickest.
To the Wushang, this occasion was lethal. If not for the prompt arrival of this young man and his pills, the consequences would have been unbearable to imagine.
Wang Chong only smiled in reply.
"Grandpa!"
The weeping girl, seeing the old man wake up, excitedly rushed forward. Wang Chong stood in the back, silently taking in everything with a knowing smile.
No matter what happened next, he had helped the future Fang Xiaoyan, filled in one of her regrets. Now that everything was done with, he wasn't necessary for what came next.
Without alarming anyone, Wang Chong quickly left the room.
……
"Has everything been taken care of?"
It was pitch-black outside the room, and that giant figure stood in the darkness like a looming mountain.
"I already had Gao Feng and Nie Yan take care of it. The one hundred pills we brought were dissolved into water and given to all the villagers to drink. Their conditions have already been stabilized."
Li Siye's vigorous voice came out of the gloom, suffused with an unusual texture that allowed one to sense his strength.
"Mm."
Wang Chong said nothing more.
Carefully listening, he could no longer hear the screams and howls. The chaotic Wushang Village had gradually begun to settle down.
Peace was returning to the village.
Wang Chong almost imperceptibly nodded. It was clear that his pills had worked. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so quiet.
"Tell the others to return as soon as they're finished, to the place the Wushang arranged for us to stay!"
"Yes, Lord Marquis," came Li Siye's voice from the darkness.
Turning around, Wang Chong quickly began to make his way to the aforementioned place. But he had barely walked two steps when a voice rang out in his mind.
"Congratulations to user for completing the mission 'Grand Marshal's Summons'. All rewards will be dispensed after daybreak."
The flat and emotionless voice of the Stone of Destiny sounded like heavenly music to Wang Chong's ears.
Success!
Wang Chong stopped and slightly clenched his fists. 'The heavens would not let down the perseverant.' The Wushang were xenophobic and conservative, clinging to their traditions, refusing to bow to any power before the great calamity.
Even though h
e was the Young Marquis, a disciple of the Son of Heaven, and had the backing of the court, they had still not cared. This alone was testament to their resolve.
But Wushang Village's 'Night of the Lunar Eclipse' had still presented him a superb opportunity.
The Night of the Lunar Eclipse was the most influential event in all of Wushang Village's history. If he had not appeared here, Wushang Village would have suffered two or three thousand deaths, perhaps even more.
If he wanted to obtain the good will of the xenophobic Wushang before the great calamity, this was his only chance. And there was no doubt that his plan had worked.
In successfully averting this tragedy, he had won the favor of the Wushang.
The Stone of Destiny's voice was the greatest affirmation of his success!
The only thing that surprised Wang Chong was that the Stone of Destiny would previously only make an announcement when the mission was completely finished.
Whether it was the 'Regional Commanders incident' or 'The Empire's Dirge' in the southwest, this had always been the case. But things were clearly different this time.
He had only just finished giving the Wushang the water mixed with the pills and the event was still not completely over, yet the Stone of Destiny was already notifying him of his success.
Is it because Wushang Village is only a small village that isn't on the main track of history, so its current influence still isn't that great? Or is it because I first saved Wu Jiumei and the Wushang Chief? Took the higher route?
Wang Chong's eyes turned as his mind whirred. After thinking it over, he concluded that it probably had to do with the fact that Wushang Village was an obscure mountain village.
Although I don't know how you calculated it, if that's what you're really thinking, then you've made a big mistake.
An almost undetectable smile appeared on Wang Chong's face as he thought this.
Wushang Village truly was very small. A population of fifty or sixty thousand in this world was truly a very small number, and they were also very conservative, xenophobic, and traditional.
They truly did have very little influence, but if he were given one chance, their influence would become immeasurable!
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 475
