ebookland Chapter 71 The situation is serious
Chapter 71 The situation is serious
At this heartbreaking moment, two more men rushed in like a whirlwind.
"Lord Hua Lingxing, after a painstaking investigation, I have discovered that the villagers died in strikingly similar ways."
The subordinates also went to the battlefield in the village to investigate, where there were adult footprints and traces left by several children from that fierce battle.
"According to my estimation, there are at least thirty enemies, and twenty-eight of the men in black at the scene were killed," the subordinate reported respectfully.
Upon hearing this, Yang Hualing's eyes widened, her anger seemingly about to erupt. She sternly declared, "You must immediately go and report to the Empress."
"Yes," the subordinates replied in unison.
"Also, make sure the villagers are properly buried. Cut off the heads of all those men in black and bring them back to the Illusionary Spirit Palace."
Yang Hualing's voice was as cold as ice, as if it could freeze the air.
"Yes, I obey."
"After everything is settled, we will then search with all our might for the survivors of Sujia Village, as some of them are still alive."
"I will hand over their portraits to you." Yang Hualing's eyes were sharp as she stared intently at her subordinates.
"Yes, I understand."
Yang Hualing stood alone in the center of Sujia Village, looking around at the mess. Anger and grief intertwined in her heart, churning like a surging wave in her chest.
Her face was as pale as paper, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she were silently enduring immense pain.
Watching her subordinates busily working, scurrying among the ruins like ants, Yang Hualing felt a surge of complex emotions that were hard to describe.
She recalled the once prosperous and peaceful Sujia Village, which had now become such a miserable place. In just three short months, everything had been completely changed.
"Da Ya, Xiao Yue, where are you now?" Yang Hualing cried out silently in her heart, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
……
In the remote town of Fengyuan, a quiet little courtyard is brimming with life.
"Sister Xiaoyue, you're finally awake! Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Xiaohe and several aunts anxiously surrounded Xiaoyue, like ants on a hot pan.
At this moment, Xiaoyue tried hard to open her exhausted eyes, feeling as if her eyelids were weighed down by a thousand pounds, so heavy that she could hardly lift them.
"It's Xiaohe. Xiaoyue is alright. How are the villagers? Where are we now?" Xiaoyue asked weakly, her voice as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.
Xiaohe quickly replied, "Sister Xiaoyue, we are safe now. You have been unconscious for four days."
Do you remember asking Shanzi to find Master Lü in the county town before you fell unconscious? We're in the courtyard Master Lü specially arranged for us right now.
"Hmm, it seems that's true. As long as everyone is safe." After saying that, Xiaoyue slowly closed her eyes again, but did not fall asleep again.
Opening her eyes had become a luxury for her; she was just too tired.
Seeing this, Xiaohe said softly, "Sister Xiaoyue, wait a moment, I'll go tell everyone you're awake, and then I'll get you some food."
"Okay, I'm fine now. I just need to rest for a while," Xiaoyue said, managing a weak smile.
Xiao He tiptoed out of the room to tell everyone the good news that Xiao Yue had woken up. Upon hearing that Xiao Yue had woken up, everyone rushed into Xiao Yue's room like a tidal wave.
Shanzi was overjoyed and asked eagerly, "Xiaoyue, it's me, Shanzi. You're awake, right?"
Xiao Lie then added with concern, "Xiao Yue, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? If you do, please tell me."
Everyone rushed in, bombarding Xiaoyue with all sorts of questions. Xiaoyue felt a buzzing in her ears, as if countless bees were flying around, making her head throb with pain.
"Alright, I'm fine. I'll be fine after a rest. Brother Shanzi, how did everyone escape in the end? I remember they all retreated. Were you chased by them?"
Xiaoyue frowned, trying her best to recall everything that had happened that night. Her memory seemed to be stuck in that incredibly fierce battle.
Shanzi quickly explained, "No, before you fell into a coma, you told me to go find Master Lü, so I went as you instructed."
In the end, it was Master Lü who arranged this courtyard, which allowed us to settle here.
Xiaoyue nodded slightly: "Yes, is Master Lü here? Please thank him for me."
"He hasn't arrived yet, but he should be here this afternoon."
"Okay, let's talk when he gets here. You all can go out now, I'm a little too tired."
"Alright, just let me know if you need anything."
Seeing how exhausted Xiaoyue was, everyone left the room except for Daya, who sat quietly beside Xiaoyue, her eyes full of concern and heartache.
When I saw that Xiaoyue had already woken up, I noticed that the bangs hanging down on both sides of her forehead were now covered in silver frost.
Witnessing this scene, Daya felt as if a huge boulder was blocking her heart, making it heavy and uncomfortable, and every breath became extremely difficult.
The silver frost, like the merciless marks of time, or the cruel witness of fate, filled Daya's heart with endless sorrow.
"Xiaoyue, why did you become like this? And why did your internal energy suddenly become so strong back then? Is it related to this?" Daya asked nervously, her voice trembling slightly.
Xiaoyue slowly spoke: "Sister Daya, it's alright. I had already thought it through when I used this forbidden technique. The villagers can't be harmed; I have to protect everyone."
Hearing Xiaoyue say this, Daya could no longer hold back her tears, which welled up in her eyes. She choked out, "I'm sorry, Xiaoyue, it's all my fault, I couldn't protect you, I couldn't protect the villagers. Waaah..."
Daya kept blaming herself, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls.
"Sister Daya, you don't need to blame yourself so much. Their martial arts skills are so high. We are already very lucky to have survived." Xiaoyue gently comforted Daya.
“Xiaoyue, I will avenge this sooner or later. That Wolf Lord, his men, and the two hundred people in the village.” Daya’s eyes were firm, and her tone was full of determination.
Just then, Xiaohe walked in carrying a steaming bowl of porridge and said, "Sister Xiaoyue, the porridge is here."
"Xiaoyue, let me help you up. I'll feed you some porridge." Daya quickly got up and carefully helped Xiaoyue up, letting her lean against her warm embrace.
Xiaoyue, however, kept her eyes closed and said softly, "Sister Daya, no need, I can do it myself."
The two remained deadlocked, with Xiaohe gently feeding Xiaoyue the bowl of porridge.
The room was filled with a warm yet sorrowful atmosphere, as if time had stood still at that moment.
In the quiet afternoon, sunlight shone through the clouds and onto the earth, as if draping the whole world in a golden veil.
Just then, Master Lü arrived in the village with steady steps.
"Master Lü, please come in. Xiaoyue just woke up at noon and asked about you." Shanzi and his group warmly welcomed Lü Tianba into the courtyard.
"Oh... really? Miss Xiaoyue is awake. It's good that she's awake. It's good that she's awake."
Upon hearing the news, Lü Tianba smiled sincerely, a smile as warm as the spring sunshine, clearly showing his genuine happiness at Xiaoyue's awakening.
"Then may we go find Miss Xiaoyue first?" Lu Tianba's tone was filled with concern and expectation.
"Of course, please, Master Lü." Shanzi replied with a smile, then led Lü Tianba toward Xiaoyue's room.
Following the winding path and passing through several neatly arranged houses, they arrived at Xiaoyue's door.
Shanzi gently pushed open the door and saw Xiaoyue lying quietly on the bed. Although her face was still a little pale, her eyes had regained some of their sparkle.
"Miss Xiaoyue, I, Lü, have come to visit. I apologize for disturbing your rest." Lü Tianba stood at the door, bowing slightly, his tone full of humility and concern.
When Xiaoyue heard Lü Tianba's voice, she slowly turned her head. The moment she saw him, a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes, and she quickly replied, "Thank you for your help, Master Lü, in getting us through this difficult time."
"Miss Xiaoyue, there's no need for such polite words. Since it has already happened, let's not dwell on it."
"Right now, the most important thing is to heal my injuries first." Lu Tianba walked to the bedside, looked at Xiaoyue, and his eyes were full of concern.
"Thank you for your concern, Master Lü. I'm fine." Xiaoyue nodded gently, forcing a smile.
"Then you can settle down here for now. Don't be afraid of causing me trouble. No one will find you here."
"If you need anything, just say so. Don't be shy with me." Lü Tianba glanced around, then looked at Xiaoyue, his tone sincere and firm.
Lu Tianba paused for a moment, as if he remembered something, and then continued to ask.
"Miss Xiaoyue, I heard from Brother Shanzi that Miss Lin has been missing for almost a year, and there's still no news of her. Could something have happened to her?"
“Master Lü, we don’t know either. About a year ago, someone was peeping at us practicing martial arts, and Xiao Ya chased after them.”
They haven't come back yet. We've been searching for almost a year, but every time we get to that place, the trail goes cold.
Xiaoyue's eyes dimmed, and her voice carried a hint of helplessness and sadness as she explained the events to Lü Tianba.
"Alas... I believe Miss Lin is destined for good fortune." Lu Tianba sighed upon hearing Xiaoyue's words, a sorrowful expression on his face.
He recalled the scene when he met Miss Lin back then, "When I met Miss Lin back then, I was amazed to think that she had such skills at such a young age."
It's heartbreaking that something like this happened in less than four years!
As Lü Tianba spoke, he shook his head and sighed, his heart filled with worry and regret for Miss Lin.
Upon hearing Lü Tianba's words, Xiaoyue felt a surge of gratitude.
She knew that Lü Tianba had always cared about them, especially after this disaster, when he gave them meticulous care and help.
"Miss Xiaoyue, now that you're awake and there's nothing wrong with you, I'm relieved."
Lu Tianba looked at Xiaoyue with undiminished concern in his eyes.
Lu Tianba genuinely cared about them. In his heart, the villagers were not just ordinary villagers; they were also the blood relatives of Miss Lin and Miss Xiaoyue.
Xiaoyue said gratefully, "Master Lü, thank you very much. I will come to thank you again after I am fully recovered."
Lu Tianba quickly waved his hand and said, "There's no rush. You two should focus on recovering first. I'll come see you again tomorrow. I just brought some tonics with me. Remember to cook them and eat them; they'll be good for your injuries."
Xiaoyue nodded gratefully, her eyes revealing her appreciation. "Thank you, Master Lü."
Lu Tianba smiled and said, "You should rest well. There's no need for this. We're all family."
"Then you should rest well. I'll take my leave now." After saying that, Lü Tianba turned and slowly left, and Shanzi hurriedly followed to see him off.
Xiaoyue watched their departing figures, her heart filled with warmth and emotion.
The figure gradually disappeared into the distance, as if transforming into a warm light that illuminated the hope in Xiaoyue's heart.
In this ever-changing world, Lü Tianba's care is like a lighthouse in the darkness, guiding them in the right direction and giving them endless warmth and strength.