818: Chapter 65 Wounds all over, broken and withered 818: Chapter 65 Wounds all over, broken and withered “Why do you always assume I’ll resort to violence to solve problems?”
“That’s prejudice and discrimination against the Garrison Soldiers Dharma Gate!”
“You can’t just think we’re all about violence just because we cultivate the Garrison Soldiers Dharma Gate.”
“Isn’t it because our superiors always assign us tasks that require violence to get done quickly?”
“When I was working honestly on the construction site moving bricks, you all pretended not to see me, didn’t you?”
Wang Yunxiao felt deeply aggrieved, his heart filled with indignation.
“Do you think I don’t know what Tianmen was like in the early nineteenth century?
It’s not like I didn’t study it in history class.”
The sky began to brighten, and the streets remained empty and desolate.
After escorting Li Mingshen and his books back to his residence, the sun was already high in the sky when Wang Yunxiao came out.
Yet the streets were still devoid of people.
Not even a single dog.
It wasn’t until he reached the riverbank that Wang Yunxiao spotted a few tattered fishing boats scattered on the water, along with workers loading and unloading goods at the dock.
They hardly resembled humans at all.
Thin, blackened, emaciated figures, with long braids hanging behind their heads and barely a stitch of clothing on their bodies aside from tattered underpants.
Rather than people, they seemed more like tools vaguely shaped like humans.
Returning to the Nanshi side, the streets finally showed a hint of life.
Delicate curls of smoke rose from the chimneys of the intricately decorated opium dens, as groggy patrons stumbled out after spending the night there, yawning while clumsily tidying their clothing.
A frail young man, almost unrecognizable as a human, staggered past Wang Yunxiao with a melon-shaped cap tilted on his head.
He accidentally bumped into Wang Yunxiao.
Before Wang Yunxiao could react, the man fell to the ground with a thud, instantly silent.
Where he collapsed, near the corner of a wall, there was something resembling a frozen lump of ice.
At first glance, you wouldn’t even notice it was in human form.
Only closer inspection revealed it was a child, no older than seven or eight, curled up and naked, having frozen to death right there on the street.
There weren’t many living souls on the street, and most of those alive looked no better than the dead.
This city had just endured the ravages of war, and unlike the outcomes of wars with the Otherworld, it had not only suffered the trampling of the Allied Forces of the Great Powers but had also recently signed a disgraceful, unequal treaty.
Standing on the street and looking around, the slightly decent shops were all foreign-owned.
The cleaner, tidier streets?
Those were invariably parts of various national concessions.
The view was nothing but desolation and devastation.
This ancient city, after futile resistance, had suffered brutal retaliation and only clung to life, licking its wounds on the ground in silence.
If she came back with the child, the only path awaiting her was death.
A few days earlier, Yan Yu’an had rented a house in the area to shelter transmigrators found here.
The condition of those who transmigrated to this world was grim.
Some were bewildered after arriving, only to get an inexplicable beating.
Others couldn’t stand seeing the Foreigners flaunting themselves on the streets or clashed with the Imperial Court’s government officers.
In short, the injuries were severe, and some were even unlucky enough to die.
Among them were a few bold warriors who caused quite a stir.
Three soldiers of the Qilin Army transmigrated here and, without a word, charged barehanded into the Governmental Office, stole firearms, and fought their way out.
When Yan Yu’an eventually found them, the three brothers were in the middle of robbing a Foreigners’ bank, having even cracked the vault.
Outside of the glorious exploits of those three, the biggest commotion belonged to the female Flying Thief of the Swallow Sect, who had appeared on the front page of the local newspaper.
Her actions weren’t trivial; she claimed eighteen lives in one swoop.
According to a roadside tabloid, the Flying Thief not only took the Xue Family’s gold and silver jewelry but even stole eggs from their kitchen, shaking them until the yolks broke.
Such ruthless methods were absolutely heinous.
“Is this still the same Little Lanzi I knew?”
“Can the environment change a person that much?”
Due to a lack of information channels, Wang Yunxiao didn’t have the full picture of the entire incident.
But he had to find He Lan quickly; otherwise… once the rest of the individuals were accounted for here, they’d need to return.
The whole operation couldn’t be delayed because of her.
Yet He Lan’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Using the address provided by another He Lan, Wang Yunxiao tried to locate her home, only to find it sealed off by the Governmental Office.
These guests from the Otherworld, despite masking their identities through clothing, inevitably stood out on the streets with their lack of braids and their overall demeanor that differed from the locals.
The “good” news—or what could barely pass as good—was that many mistook them for Fusang soldiers.
As a result, no one actively reported them to the authorities.
Finding traces of He Lan in such a sprawling city had become Wang Yunxiao’s biggest challenge.
Time was running out.
Fortunately, He Lan hadn’t completely vanished.
At noon while gathering intel at a tavern, he overheard patrons chatting nearby.
Something happened at the Xue family’s residence near Erli Bridge!”
By that female Flying Thief from the papers!”
“How do you know it’s a female Flying Thief?
Were you peeking over the wall?”
“Do I look like I peek over walls?
Didn’t you hear what the Yamen folks said?
That female Flying Thief uses rat poison to kill people.
Rat poison mixed with sugar, tossed into the pot, and the whole family dies at the dining table!”
“Damn, that’s savage.
Where did such a ruthless person come from?
I’ve never heard of this method before.
First, the Zhu family, now the Xue family… I’m starting to think she’s targeting traitors specifically.”
“If you ask me, she’s probably some martial arts master who returned.”
“They’re all dead; who’s left?
And the name Swallow Sect doesn’t ring any bells.
Have you heard of it?”
“No, never heard of it…”
Wang Yunxiao lifted his wine cup, turned around, and cupped his hands with a smile.
“Pardon me, gentlemen, could I trouble you to tell me more about this female Flying Thief you’re discussing?”
Several diners stared at his closely cropped hair, momentarily dumbstruck.
One cautiously asked, “Are you an Easterner?”
Wang Yunxiao maintained his composure and said, “I studied in the East Ocean.
Just returned recently.
Yesterday, I read in the paper about this female Flying Thief.
Heard she’s a great beauty?”
Seeing he claimed to be a student and spoke fluent local dialect, the men finally lowered their guard and joked, “Of course she’s a beauty.
Otherwise, how could she catch the eye of Zhu Laosi, that pervert?”
You mean the Zhu family mentioned in the paper?”
It’s that bastard Zhu Siyu!
Used to do business with the Foreigners, then converted to their religion and got all arrogant.
Wielding authority like it’s an imperial decree.
He sees any pretty girl in the neighborhood and calls her a Boxer Bandit, then captures her to defile her.
He even forces her parents to pay a ransom afterward… If you ask me, he got exactly what he deserved!”