Just past noon, Bai Yuan, Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu and the others finally returned.
Trailing behind them were the wounded — Wang Er, nearly a hundred battered villagers from Wangjia Village, and fifty men who used to serve Zong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu.
Li Daoxuan lifted his magnifying glass and inspected them one by one. Naturally, he checked on his own little people first. Dao Xuan Tianzun might be aloof and cosmic, but he was fiercely protective of his tiny villagers.
Good. None of his own people were hurt — just exhausted and starving. Understandable. They'd snuck out in the middle of the night, climbed mountains, marched until noon, and then fought a battle on top of that. If they weren't tired, that would've been suspicious.
As for the wild, un-domesticated little folks…
Wang Er looked half-dead, blood everywhere, unconscious on a stretcher. The Wangjia villagers were all injured to some degree, their spirits drained. Meanwhile, Zong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu's men… not a scratch on any of them.
Li Daoxuan instantly understood: there had been no real fight last night. The moment Bai Yuan showed up with the Gao Family villagers, the enemy surrendered on the spot.
And the reason was obvious — all Bai Yuan had to do was announce that Zheng Yanfu and Zong Guangdao were dead. That alone would crush whatever fighting will those men had left.
When the Gao Family villagers saw their group returning, they rushed forward in a wave, with Shansier sprinting at the front.
After some whispered discussion among the tiny warriors, they herded the fifty captives over to join yesterday's batch of labor prisoners. Together, they would now form a gloriously expanding work crew of hardened criminals.
As for Wang Er and the wounded villagers, they were carried into Gaojia Fort and settled temporarily in a large courtyard.
Shansier, who still owed Wang Er a debt from earlier, hovered anxiously beside the stretcher.
"Wang Hero, how is he?" he asked for the tenth time, practically vibrating.
"This fellow is badly hurt," Bai Yuan said, palms spread in helplessness. "But in the Six Arts of the Gentleman, medicine… is unfortunately not one of them. I am, as they say, powerless."
Shansier clicked his tongue. "Are his organs damaged? That much you can at least guess, right?"
Bai Yuan clasped his hands behind him and turned dramatically away.
"I am but a humble gentleman," he intoned, gazing mournfully into the distance, "with many inadequacies."
Shansier nearly tore out his hair. "Can you just say 'I don't know'? Is that so hard?"
Bai Yuan said nothing — only lifted his chin forty-five degrees, staring toward the heavens with tragic nobility.
Which meant: no one had any idea what Wang Er's condition actually was.
Li Daoxuan tried using his magnifying glass, but he couldn't diagnose anything either. So everyone just stood around worrying.
Then Wang Er himself opened his eyes. He glanced weakly at the people around him, gratitude flickering across his face.
"I'm fine… tough life, strong fate… I won't die that easy," he muttered. "Anyone got incense ash or something? Smear some on me, I'll manage… and if I don't, well, then I die. Whatever…"
"No incense ash, but… we do have soot from the stove…" Gao Chuwu began helpfully.
Gao Yiye immediately cut him off. "Don't talk nonsense! Quiet — Dao Xuan Tianzun is speaking."
She tilted her head, listening to the giant voice no one else could hear, then raised her hands reverently.
"Thank you, Tianzun, for the sacred medicine!"
Li Daoxuan had already opened his home first-aid kit and taken out a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao wound powder. He dipped his pinky into the bottle, got the tiniest pinch, and reached through the box toward Gao Yiye.
But since no one could see the heavenly hand, all they saw was a stream of white pellets falling from the sky.
Gao Yiye extended both hands and respectfully caught the white spheres from the fingertip of the unseen Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Her tiny palms brushed the massive divine hand.
A thrill ran through her.
I touched Tianzun's hand…!
She carefully placed the white pellets onto a table.
"Tianzun commands: grind these sacred spheres into powder and apply them to every wound. If your fate is not yet over, the bleeding will stop and the flesh will knit soon. If fate has decided otherwise… then even divine medicine cannot save you."
Bai Yuan and Shansier immediately cupped their fists.
"As Tianzun commands!"
Wang Er, still dazed, didn't quite grasp what was happening. But the lightly wounded Wangjia villagers had witnessed the little girl raise her hands and call down falling white medicine balls from the heavens — and they were terrified out of their wits.
White Cat was the first to move. He crushed a pellet into fine powder. Everyone else followed suit, sprinkling the medicine over the wounds of Wang Er and the injured villagers.
Yunnan Baiyao worked fast. In this world or any other, it was the undisputed king of wound medicine. The moment it touched the injuries, the bleeding stopped instantly.
The villagers murmured among themselves.
"What kind of medicine is this? It's incredible!"
"I heard the young lady say it's immortal medicine."
"It fell from the sky just now."
"They say it was bestowed by Tianzun… what Tianzun?"
"Something like Dao Xuan Tianzun."
"Never heard of that god. I only know Guanyin and Yuanshi Tianzun…"
While they whispered, Wang Er suddenly regained clarity.
"Wait… this is… Gaojia Village?"
Shansier nodded. "Yes, Wang Hero. We brought you here. Rest and recover properly."
"No— no, I can't…" Wang Er struggled, trying to sit up. With his severe injuries, his body immediately collapsed backward with a thud.
He turned desperately to the villagers around him.
"You're not badly hurt, right? Carry me. We have to leave. Now."
The Wangjia villagers startled.
"Big brother, you can't move in this condition!"
Shansier chimed in. "Wang Hero, don't push yourself."
Wang Er shook his head firmly.
"I… I killed an official. I'm a wanted rebel. If anyone finds out Gaojia Village sheltered me, it'll bring disaster on all of you. When the imperial army comes, every last one of you will die without a burial spot."
The courtyard fell silent.
Gao Chuwu scratched his head. "But Old Master Bai said the court doesn't care anymore. Something like… 'let the rebels plunder themselves until next spring'? Something like that. Basically they aren't pursuing it. By next spring, you're all good citizens again."
Everyone gave Chuwu the same look.
A collective Why are you like this?
Wang Er only shook his head.
"Others may regain citizenship next spring. But not me."
Gao Chuwu blinked. "Why not? You're born of parents, got two eyes, one mouth, two arms, two legs — same as everyone else."
Wang Er sighed.
"I was the leader. I stirred the village to kill the magistrate. I caused the chaos in Chengcheng County. All those rebels wandering the countryside? They're copying me. The court will never spare me."
Chuwu scratched his head harder and harder until the gears finally clicked.
"Ah! So being the leader has side effects!"
He suddenly brightened, grinning like a fool.
"Then if they investigate our village for making illegal armor, everyone gets pardoned next spring… except Third Master, right? He'd be the only one doomed!"
Everyone: "Pft!"
Shansier turned scarlet.
"You idiot! Don't say that out loud!"