Chapter 235: Chapter 235: It’s Me

Xia Wenjin hesitated, “Huang Zheng?”

Huangfu Jingchen turned his head back, his voice carrying a gentle affection, saying, “It’s me!”

Monk Jingwang quickly spurred his horse towards Wangshan Town, where Shang Jingwang’s mansion was naturally the Town Mayor’s Mansion. Worried about Xia Wenjin, Huangfu Jingchen immediately headed to Auntie Kang’s home in Shuifeng Village, only to learn from Auntie Kang that Xia Wenjin no longer lived there. Perhaps at the quarantine point, Huangfu Jingchen rushed there again, but the news was that Xia Wenjin had gone to Shichuan Village’s quarantine point yesterday at dusk, where some patients were falling ill.

Huangfu Jingchen then hurried to Shichuan Village, where the quarantine point patients told him that Doctor Xia had left early that morning, supposedly heading to Zhao Shi Village…

Following this trail, he heard she had arrived at Daleng Village, so Huangfu Jingchen rushed to Daleng Village again.

Upon arrival, he saw some villagers gathering and heading towards Daleng Village, unsure of their intent. But from a distance, he saw Xia Wenjin running, chased by Song Heizi and others, who were about to harm her. He quickly used Qinggong to leap forward.

Xia Wenjin sighed, “Didn’t I tell you not to come back?” A place afflicted by an epidemic is not meant for amusement!

Huangfu Jingchen replied, “With you here, how could I not return?” This short sentence, composed of just a few words, seemed full of endless affection and tenderness, yet also seemed devoid of anything.

Looking at Xia Wenjin’s current appearance, Huangfu Jingchen’s heart truly felt extreme pity.

The Xia Wenjin he knew, whether disguised as a dark and thin youth to lure him into a trap, or later appearing fresh and dashing, was always brimming with joy, with unmatched grace, full of confidence, and free-spirited.

So elegant, so carefree, so composed, so unparalleled in talent!

Even when captured by him, imprisoned by the Haotian Village, or chased while escaping, she always had a sparkle in her eyes, a smile on her lips, her whole being radiating energy, vitality, and brilliance.

He had never seen Xia Wenjin like this, with wrinkled clothes, a haggard face, and eyes bloodshot from sleepless nights. In just four days, she seemed to have lost significant weight. Moreover, her gaze lacked luster, replaced by a cold desolation.

It was a kind of disappointment, disheartened, somber desolation. It was also a kind of exhaustion, powerlessness, and surrender.

He almost wanted to hold her, to comfort her, to ask what had happened during these days. But he simply shielded her behind him.

There was no need to ask; he already knew. The Town Mayor’s attitude, the County Magistrate’s attitude, had explained everything. Even those uninvolved adopted such attitudes; the villagers involved inevitably viewed her as a scourge.

In these days, she had been here alone, bearing everything alone!

Almost single-handedly, navigating, running, and rescuing, yet often, good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes. Compassion might only be repaid with others’ malice.

Thinking of the scene he witnessed earlier, his anger nearly overwhelmed him.

He saw Xia Wenjin’s fatigue, her helplessness, her struggles, but the villagers couldn’t see it; not only did they fail to see, but they didn’t appreciate it and instead resorted to violence.

He couldn’t help but kick those people aside.

He rarely used force on those unskilled in martial arts, but these people were truly obnoxious.

Seeing Xia Wenjin like this made his heart ache deeply. With a fiery rage, he said, “Let’s stop treating them, leave here, let them fend for themselves!”

Xia Wenjin nodded, “Alright!”

She had done everything she could, but if goodwill only invited malice, then it’s better to retract such goodwill!

However, Xia Wenjin recalled that the earlier command to stop wasn’t Huang Zheng’s voice and was about to ask when she heard the sound of footsteps, followed by an urgent angry shout: “Song Heizi, you indistinguishable fool, you repay kindness with enmity, with a heart as wicked as a wolf’s and a dog’s! I’ll beat you up!”

Next, someone charged forward, throwing punches and kicks at the leading burly man. While hitting, he shouted angrily, “And you, Chou The Third, Qian Bao, Liu Gou Dan…”

With each name he shouted, he squared off and landed a few punches.

The leader, the burly Song Heizi, already kicked to the ground by Huangfu Jingchen, hadn’t been able to get up before being punched and kicked again. Enraged, he dodged and shouted, “Zhou Datian, what are you doing? We are hitting a con artist, why attack us?”

Zhou Datian hadn’t come alone. He bolted ahead, followed by a group of people, varying from the young to the old, men and women, not all from the same village. The group consisted of about thirty or forty people.

Running slower, upon reaching here, they joined in the communal beating.

In terms of endurance, most of these people were no match for Song Heizi’s group of ten or so strong men. But they came with righteous indignation, carrying unbridled rage, displaying an unstoppable momentum.

Initially, Song Heizi’s crowd tried to retaliate, but soon they were left cradling their heads.

Everyone joined forces to beat Song Heizi’s crowd, the dozen sturdy men gasping for air, screaming in pain while fleeing.

Zhou Datian pointed at Song Heizi and cursed, “We’re hitting you, you shameless scoundrel, not only are you ungrateful, but you also want to harm Brother Xia. I think you’re deluded with pig’s fat. You usually have no ability, but when engaging in mischief, you suddenly become cunning, organizing and plotting ambushes, why don’t you ascend to the heavens?”

Another person said, “It’s lucky we got the news, otherwise we’d not know how you planned to bully Little Brother Xia!”

“We came after hearing the news, worried that you scoundrels might hurt Brother Xia!”

A woman also cursed, “You blade-wielding scoundrels, what did Little Brother Xia want from you? In good faith treating patients, yet you want to beat them, is that how you behave? You better burn incense and pray you don’t fall ill yourself!”

“Yes, with a heart as wicked as a wolf’s and a dog’s, unwilling to see others doing well. You take others’ goodwill as donkey’s lungs and liver! Beat these scoundrels to death!”

“These good-for-nothings, idle on regular days, but dared to target Little Brother Xia after getting Doctor Zhang’s money, aren’t you afraid your ancestors’ coffins can’t hold you? How did you become such unworthy descendants?”

“Are your eyes blind? Little Brother Xia never asked anything from you, always providing medical care daily, paying from his own pocket and exerting himself. Can’t your dog eyes see, only seeing Zhang Jiantang’s few money? Are you buying medicine or coffins with it?”

…

Among them were some women skilled at cursing, pointing at their noses as they did.

Song Heizi still attempted to argue, “Carefully think, our town has been peaceful for years, where did the epidemic come from? Where is the mysterious illness? This person arrived, then came the epidemic! Clearly, he is the cause, he poisoned us! He definitely has an agenda, he’s a con artist; don’t be fooled!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep