Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Don’t Speak Recklessly

One of them said, “Young master, we don’t understand a word you’re saying! We just don’t want to wait here to die, how can that be a crime?”

“Is it right to just stay in the village and wait to die? What is wrong with not wanting to die?”

“The villagers are watching, do you intend to falsely accuse us?”

“Everyone, please judge this fairly. We just don’t want to wait to die. No one wants to wait to die. What have we done wrong?”

…

These words unexpectedly resonated with many villagers, who were fearful after hearing about the quarantine situation and believed leaving might be their only way to survive. Who doesn’t want to live?

Huangfu Jingchen’s gaze was slightly cold as he looked at those trying to incite the villagers to create chaos. His voice was icy, “This is your last chance. No matter who it is, just speak the truth, and your previous actions can be forgiven. If you don’t, you will bear the consequences!”

“We’ve said all there is to say. We don’t want to wait here to die. We want a way to survive. That is the truth!”

“Yes, we haven’t done anything. We just want to leave! We haven’t harmed anyone.”

…

Their mouths were quite stubborn.

Huangfu Jingchen whispered a few words to Shang Jingwang, who nodded.

He gestured, and the guard by his side came over to take Zhang Jiantang away.

Shang Jingwang spoke plainly, “This person has harbored ill intentions before, bribing local thugs to kill Doctor Xia. I imprisoned him, preparing to execute him after the autumn. He begged for a chance to redeem himself, so I gave him this chance. But he tried to escape, showing that I’ve been too lenient. There’s no need to wait until autumn. Take him away and execute him now!”

Zhang Jiantang was shocked and wanted to plead for his life, but when he opened his mouth, he realized he couldn’t speak. Huangfu Jingchen had hit his mute point with a flick of his finger.

The voice of Shang Jingwang was loud enough for many villagers to hear.

Not many people knew about Zhang Jiantang’s bribery to kill Xia Wenjin. Those unaware were surprised and exclaimed, “So this Doctor Zhang was a man to be executed after autumn; no wonder he would wish to escape.”

“I didn’t expect him to be so vicious, wanting to kill Doctor Xia!”

Someone sighed, “Although he didn’t succeed, Doctor Xia is also on the brink of death!”

“Does heaven really not give us a way out? Even such a good person as Doctor Xia is going to die, where is the hope against this epidemic?”

“No one can cure it. If we stay, aren’t we just waiting to die? They’re right. We’re not sick, leaving is the way to survival!”

…

Ignoring the villagers’ questions, Huangfu Jingchen touched each of the captured individuals twice, coldly saying, “I’ve given you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it!”

At first, those people didn’t understand what Huangfu Jingchen meant, but in an instant, something felt wrong as if ants were crawling inside their bodies.

Soon, it felt like ten, a hundred ants?

Initially, they felt extremely itchy, and then both itchy and painful.

The itchiness reached their bones, the pain pierced their hearts.

These people, although trying to act innocent and righteous, were mere commoners. Huangfu Jingchen refrained, yet they couldn’t withstand it.

With Zhang Jiantang already taken away, and hearing the Prefecture Master’s intent to execute directly, they were terrified. Under the unbearable pain and itchiness, their pretended calmness and innocence crumbled.

They wanted to roll to ease the pain and itch, but their pressure points were struck. They couldn’t move even a finger and had to bear it. They let out wailing sounds like crying or laughing, tears and snot flowing.

Huangfu Jingchen did not let them suffer long. With a few more touches, he relieved their itching and pain, then coldly asked, “Now, is anyone willing to speak?”

Before Huangfu Jingchen could say more, someone quickly said, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk…”

Huangfu Jingchen glanced sideways. It was the smallest person on the right, with shifty eyes.

Huangfu Jingchen commanded, “Speak!”

Just as that person was about to speak, a person on the left shouted, “Jin Bao, don’t talk nonsense!”

Unexpectedly, the small person exploded, “Cai Hu, shut up. You want to marry Zhang Jiantang’s daughter, of course, you’re siding with him. Now he’s dead, our money is gone, and we have nothing. Are we fools to continue shielding for him?”

As soon as Jin Bao said this, another person immediately added, “Yes, Zhang Jiantang is dead, what else do we have to gain?”

Cai Hu warned in a low voice, “You’ve already taken the Silver; now you take back your words. Don’t forget the oath you swore!”

“To hell with the oath!” another person said from the side, “We only got half now. With Zhang Jiantang dead, will you pay the rest? Even if you do, we’re not doing it. I still want to live!”

With this statement, out of the seven people originally caught, with Zhang Jiantang taken away and Cai Hu still obstructing, the other five rushed to explain the situation.

It turned out Zhang Jiantang, who offered the vaccine formula, was indeed told by Shang Jingwang upon his release that his crime was punishable by death after autumn. Given the current need for manpower, Zhang Jiantang was urged to work hard; if the epidemic ended, maybe he would only need to spend a couple of years in prison later.

Hearing this, Zhang Jiantang had outwardly expressed utmost gratitude and vowed to redeem himself, but seeing more and more being diagnosed and no cure in sight, he was terrified of what he witnessed in Severe Epidemic Areas and made every excuse not to go there, only operating within Light Epidemic Areas.

His life was otherwise good, but now he was trapped in the quarantine zone, made to toil. Even after the epidemic, he faced at least two years in prison?

He was helpless in the quarantine zone, only given one day off every five days, never allowed to leave.

These days, he kept devising plans.

He thought of Cai Hu, who once wished to marry his daughter.

Cai Hu was an orphan, impoverished, whom Zhang Jiantang disdained. Before the epidemic, whenever they met, Cai Hu was either beaten away or scolded harshly.

Yet Cai Hu deeply loved his daughter, enduring all humiliation, never giving up.

Visitation in Light Epidemic Areas was much more frequent; Zhang Jiantang sent word through someone for Cai Hu to see him.

Cai Hu was overjoyed and came immediately.

Zhang Jiantang assigned him a task, promising his daughter’s hand in marriage and a generous dowry if completed.

His task was to incite the healthy villagers to escape.

Zhang Jiantang had no concern for the villagers’ well-being; he intended to flee amidst the chaos himself.

Only by escaping could he avoid redemption, imprisonment, and the fear of contracting the disease within the quarantine zone.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep