Chapter 935: Exploitative Life
Editor: Henyee Translations

Chu Tang looked towards the designated spot, where indeed, there were silver needles. “You remember so clearly?”

Tao Qingxiang said, “I have a good memory, and I personally placed these items here. Moreover, I check on them every day.”

Chu Tang took the silver needles and said, “Go lie down on the bed. I’ll start acupuncture soon.”

Tao Qingxiang glanced at Chu Tang, maneuvered his wheelchair to the window, and then pressed a mechanism on the wheelchair, transforming it into a reclining chair.

“This chair is quite something,” Chu Tang muttered to himself, appreciating the mechanical craftsmanship he hadn’t considered before.

Tao Qingxiang, despite his skepticism about the young man’s ability to heal his leg, couldn’t help but feel hopeful, “If you cure my leg, I can give you as many of these chairs as you want, along with other things.”

Chu Tang smiled, “Deal.”

He lifted the hem of Tao Qingxiang’s robe to his knee, lit a candle, and heated the needles before starting the acupuncture.

Suddenly, Tao Qingxiang asked, “I’ve had acupuncture before and I usually feel nothing, but why does it hurt a bit with your needles?”

Chu Tang explained, “Pain is a sign that it can be cured. Aren’t you happy about that?”

Tao Qingxiang realized, “There’s pain, my leg can be treated! They all said it was hopeless, those quacks.”

Chu Tang didn’t respond, focusing on the acupuncture.

Left Emissary, unable to stay away any longer, came in and asked, “What are you doing?”

Chu Tang, without looking up, replied, “Acupuncture. Isn’t it obvious?”

Left Emissary, seeing his son’s legs covered with densely packed needles, felt distressed, “Will this make his legs better?”

Chu Tang explained, “No, this is to stimulate the growth of the sinews to facilitate reconnecting them.”

Left Emissary paused, “You can reconnect sinews?”

Chu Tang affirmed, “Yes, if I didn’t have such medical skills, your Hall Master wouldn’t have invited me. Don’t worry.”

Left Emissary, with mixed emotions, said, “I have a question for you, young master.”

Chu Tang prompted, “Please ask.”

Left Emissary offered a tempting proposition, “Can you stay with the Yun Organization? We are willing to offer you a position as an elder.”

Chu Tang naturally couldn’t agree at this point; it was too early and cheap, and he wasn’t planning to join the Yun Organization, lest Zeng Huo would go mad, “Left Emissary, let’s not rush. Let’s talk about this after I heal your son’s legs.”

Left Emissary nodded, the chill in his demeanor dissipating, “What can I do for you?”

Chu Tang looked up, “Do you have a pharmacy here?”

Left Emissary, puzzled, responded, “No.”

“Then send someone to fetch the medicine. Get plenty, I’ll need more tomorrow.” Chu Tang wrote down a prescription, adding some items for his personal use.

Left Emissary glanced at the prescription, “I’ll send someone right away.”

Chu Tang continued with the acupuncture.

After two hours, the session ended, and Chu Tang felt tired, “Is there a room for me?”

“Yes, please follow me.” Left Emissary, delighted that Tao Qingxiang felt pain, personally led him to a neighboring bamboo house, which was elegantly furnished, making it a very comfortable and relaxing place to stay.

Besides a nice place to stay, a series of exquisite dishes were brought in for Chu Tang to enjoy.

Chu Tang looked at the full table of dishes and thought to himself, just feeling a little pain had brought such good treatment; if he cured the man completely, Left Emissary would be overjoyed.

He invited Hong Feiyun to join him for the meal, this fellow who was disguised as a woman and had been shocked to see himself in the mirror; he probably hadn’t recovered from the shock yet.

Hong Feiyun glanced at Chu Tang and sat down to eat heartily.

Chu Tang couldn’t help but say, “Sometimes when you can’t resist, it’s better to go with the flow and show your best side.”

Hong Feiyun glared at him, “Can we not talk while eating?”

Chu Tang raised his hands in surrender, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

A maid came in to report, “Young master, the medicine has been bought.”

Chu Tang instructed, “Boil it in a large iron pot for half an hour. Add water if it runs low. Later, let your young master soak in it for the duration of burning an incense stick. Make sure you time it carefully.”

The maid bowed, “Yes, young master.”

Hong Feiyun asked, “What do we do next?”

Understanding what he meant, Chu Tang replied with a suppressed laugh, “I’ll stay here; you continue playing the role of Hong Feiyun.”

Hong Feiyun was on the verge of a breakdown, despairingly saying, “Just kill me.”

Chu Tang responded, “Hang in there; it will be over in a few days.”

Hong Feiyun replied expressionlessly, “I can’t stand it for a moment longer, and you’re asking me to endure for several days? Are you serious?”

After taking a few bites of his meal, Chu Tang finally responded to his complaint, “I’m not joking with you.”

Hong Feiyun, feeling utterly trapped, thought, “Damned cross-dressing!”

…

Under the bright moonlight.

“I’m so hungry,” Yi Chuanchuan complained, sitting cross-legged on the ground, unwilling to move.

Jiang Zhanglin stood up and pulled Yi Chuanchuan to his feet, “Come on, let’s go to the village chief’s house to see if he has any food we can buy.”

Yi Chuanchuan saw a glimmer of hope, “Good idea.”

Cloaked by the night, the two made their way to the village chief’s house. Hearing footsteps, the village chief looked around before opening the door and letting them in, “Keep your voices down, speak softly.”

The village chief, being hospitable, offered them food after learning they hadn’t had dinner yet, “There’s not much at home, but I can make you a bowl of noodles?”

Jiang Zhanglin thanked him politely, “Thank you, elder, but let’s talk about the village first.”

The village chief turned serious, “I’m telling you, knowing about these things could bring you danger. Aren’t you afraid?”

Jiang Zhanglin shook his head, “We’re not afraid, elder, please tell us.”

Admiring their bravery, the village chief said, “Alright, I’ll tell you.”

He recalled, “It started about a year and a half to two years ago when a group of people in black suddenly stormed into our village and took a bunch of people away. Everyone was terrified, and we reported it to the authorities in the county.”

“A few days later, those who were taken were returned, and we withdrew the complaint.”

“Since then, we’ve been living a life of exploitation.”

“You see those people, we don’t know where they come from, but they take the entire village to do one thing – clear the land.”

Jiang Zhanglin was puzzled, “Clear the land?”

The village chief nodded, “Yes, those places are remote but the land is fertile. If not for being so isolated, it would have been cultivated long ago.”

Yi Chuanchuan asked, “Is that all? Just clearing the land?”

The village chief explained, “Just clearing. We go in the morning, come back at noon for lunch, and then go back out in the afternoon. It’s very tough; we’ve been at it for so long, and it’s still not finished.”

Jiang Zhanglin asked, “Do you remember the location?”

The village chief nodded, “Yes, it’s not far from here. If you go northwest, past three small hills, there’s a large valley. That area is very secluded, but the soil is rich – it would have been cultivated long ago if it weren’t so out of the way.”

Yi Chuanchuan inquired further, “Is it just clearing?”

The village chief said, “Just clearing. We go in the morning, come back at noon, eat, and go back out in the afternoon. It’s very difficult. We’ve been clearing for so long, and it’s still not done.”

Jiang Zhanglin asked, “Do you remember the location?”