Chapter 00271: Treat Everyone to a Hearty Meal
# Treat Everyone to a Hearty Meal
Chapter 271
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 271: Treat Everyone to a Hearty Meal
The child hesitated for a moment before saying, "I know Mr. Hong; he told us not to be afraid."
"Is it Hong Chenglue?"
"Yes, he lives inside Yushu Alley, and only his door hasn't been posted with a blessing."
This news surprised He Lingchuan: "You mean, he originally lived in Bailu Town?"
The child nodded.
"What does he do?"
"He teaches at the school."
The child received his second piece of candy and started eating.
"My father said we have no money, so we can't find Mr. Hong."
A general known for his brutality was living in this small town and only working as a teacher?
The child reached out for more candy from Lingguang, too eager and ended up burping twice.
Suddenly, Lingguang tilted his head.
At that moment, a man turned the corner.
Seeing the child conversing with He Lingchuan, he was taken aback and rushed over, grabbing the boy.
"What are you doing!"
"The supply convoy was attacked, and we're here to find some clues," He Lingchuan said, spreading his hand to show a piece of broken silver lying in his palm.
"This is a reward."
The reflection of that silver glimmered in the man’s eyes, sparking greed.
But it was just a flash; he quickly shook his head.
"I heard the shouts and hid at home. I don't know anything!"
"Oh?" He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Hong Chenglue hasn’t said anything to you?"
At the mention of that name, the man’s mouth twitched.
"No!"
He Lingchuan let out a breath and suddenly snatched the child from the man's grip!
The man shouted, "What are you doing—"
Before he could finish his words, a glimmer passed before his eyes, and the piece of silver was stuffed into his mouth, interrupting him.
The child realized what was happening and was about to cause a commotion when He Lingchuan flicked his fingers against the child's temple, making him lose consciousness.
As the man coughed up the silver he had just swallowed, He Lingchuan had already dropped the child to the ground, seizing the man by the throat and pushing him against the wall.
"Are you going to be honest?"
He Lingchuan was taller, and with that grip, the man’s legs left the ground.
"If you answer honestly, you'll be fine and can even claim some money. If you dare to lie, both of you will walk straight to your deaths. Do you understand?"
The man gasped for air, unable to struggle free, and nodded repeatedly.
He Lingchuan loosened his grip and asked, "Your son said Hong Chenglue lives in Bailu Town. When did he move here? What does he usually do? What happened a few days ago? Speak!"
The man coughed and rubbed his throat several times.
"They moved to Bailu Town three years ago. They seemed like nice people. I don't know what they originally did for a living, but Mr. Hong started a school in town. You know how poor we are; we barely have enough to eat, so who would send their kids to school? There weren’t even two children in his school, so he didn’t earn much money. Mr. Hong also worked at the rice shop at the end of the street, able to carry seven bags of rice at a time. He's very strong! Sometimes he took odd jobs to support his family. Recently, the war from the north has spread south; two big families in our town fled, and Mr. Hong doesn’t have any students now."
"A couple?" He Lingchuan focused sharply on that detail.
"What about his wife?"
"His wife's name is A Jin; she's paralyzed. The first year she came here, she could use the walls to walk a few steps, but after that, she was completely bedridden. Mr. Hong always bought her medicine; his house always smells of medicine!"
"What caused her paralysis?"
"I heard it was because she had a difficult childbirth. The baby didn’t survive, and she was left like that."
"So, he's a teacher, but how did he become a robber?"
"I don’t know! Suddenly, a few officials were killed in his house. By the time the authorities found out, the couple had vanished. The officials searched everywhere and asked everyone, but no one knew anything."
He Lingchuan handed another piece of broken silver over.
After the man fished the first piece from his throat, he had quietly hidden it away.
One piece was for receipt, and two pieces were no doubt worth more—this townsperson wouldn’t be so tight-lipped now.
"But I remembered something: just before Mr. Hong disappeared, the patrol captured Liu Yalin and others for the crime of stealing military rations. That child was once Mr. Hong’s student; he studied with him for nearly half a year."
"Stealing military rations?" He Lingchuan's expression shifted.
It was true; a supply convoy had passed through Bailu Town a few days ago.
"What was the penalty for that?"
"Immediate execution; no need for official approval."
The townsman shivered.
"I heard they were beheaded, but first, the executioner cut off Liu Yalin’s limbs before beheading him."
He Lingchuan’s eyes gleamed.
"Where is this patrol officer?"
"I-I don’t know."
The man didn’t care; it was better if he didn’t show up.
He didn’t finish, but from his eyes, He Lingchuan understood.
"Did Hong Chenglue return to the town with people, killing soldiers and seizing military rations? He didn’t mention anything to you?"
"No…" The townsman instinctively wanted to deny it, but seeing He Lingchuan's gaze turn sharp, causing a chill to run down his spine, he altered his tone.
"He, they didn’t let us do anything when they killed the soldiers. We could only hide. Later, everything quieted down; the Xunzhou people gathered us together and searched every household. We were surprised to see Mr. Hong. But he told us not to panic; they would leave soon and wouldn’t harm us."
"Just like that?" He Lingchuan smiled, sensing something was off; this truncated version didn’t sound right.
"Why gather you if they were leaving?"
"He, they actually did kill two families in town to let off some steam! The two families were both surnamed Liu, one engaged in the grain and oil business, while the other ran a pawnshop. Mr. Hong said these two families colluded with the authorities to bully our townsfolk, so he dealt with them to give us some relief."
"So nice to you?" This fellow probably didn't realize that speaking the truth flowed easily, but lying caused him to stutter?
"Mr. Hong said it was for the sake of our shared hometown."
At that moment, someone flashed at the alley entrance.
It was Maotao and Shan Youjun returning.
Maotao reported to He Lingchuan, "I went to the flatbread shop to ask around. The dough maker was clueless, but when I saw no one was looking, I taught him a lesson, and he finally said that after Mr. Hong chased the soldiers away last night, he distributed some grain to them. I thought, how could someone in tatters like him have two bulging bags of good grain under the chopping board?"
Shan Youjun chimed in, "Last night, the Xunzhou residents gathered all the townsfolk in the open space at the town entrance. I took a peek, and there were traces of stones stacked up, and the ground was littered with unburned branches and charcoal."
"The pot?" He Lingchuan turned to the townsman.
"Did Hong Chenglue treat you to a meal?"
"N-no!" The townsman shook his head vigorously.
"What they ate has nothing to do with us!"
The medicine-saint Lingguang, who had been resting on He Lingchuan's shoulder, spoke up: "Just now, the child burped, and it had a sour, pungent smell. I see his belly is slightly swollen; he must have eaten too much food suddenly after a long period without meat, causing bloating."
"Eating a lot of meat?" He Lingchuan glanced at the unconscious child, a strange thought crossing his mind.
Could it be?
"You just said that Hong Chenglue and the Xunzhou people took the two Liu families to an open area and killed them. What happened next?" He Lingchuan stared at the townsman, asking, "Where are those people's corpses?"
The townsman's face turned pale, and he stammered, unable to speak.
Shan Youjun seized the man by his collar.
A short knife appeared from nowhere, its tip aimed at his eye: "What did you eat last night for supper? Speak!"
"We were forced; they said the Liu family had bullied the townsfolk for years and should become our meat! So, so they forced each of us to eat!"
"I dared not!" The man surprisingly started to cry, "I only had a small bite; afterwards, I vomited."
His child didn't understand and devoured the meat at once, while those Xunzhou people were cruel, catering to the child's cravings.
He Lingchuan looked at him: "Did those two Liu families have any enmities with Hong Chenglue?"
"They should…I think so."
The townsman considered, "The Liu family runs a pawnshop, and the prices are incredibly low; sometimes I can gather enough money to redeem something back but can’t get it returned. There are many dirty dealings… they aren’t good people."
"It seems Hong Chenglue had suffered a lot from them as well."
He Lingchuan frowned.
"Such a person, why would he endure humiliation in town?"
That bizarre feeling was as if he had humbled himself to work as a servant at the home of a merchant in Heishui City for years—how could that even be?
"I don’t know."
Shan Youjun released him, and He Lingchuan tossed another piece of broken silver his way: "Keep your mouth shut until we leave the town."
The four of them then headed towards Hong Chenglue's residence.
What they saw along the way was a scene of devastation; most townsfolk were sallow and emaciated, their gazes cold and indifferent, showing unmistakable wariness and disgust even toward officials like He Lingchuan from Xiazhou.
Even without the Xunzhou people rampaging, this place was already impoverished.
When He Lingchuan passed the town entrance, he discovered the signs of stone being piled up for cooking, as Shan Youjun had described, along with an elevated wooden platform.
There were remnants of darkened blood on the wooden slats, but with He Lingchuan's keen sense of smell, he could still detect the lingering scent of blood.
Places like this, and platforms like that, were typically used for public executions, to uphold justice in the eyes of the people.
He Lingchuan suddenly recalled that a student of Hong Chenglue had been beheaded here for the crime of stealing military rations.
And now, only a few days later, his teacher had also targeted military rations—not theft, but outright robbery.
Why did Hong Chenglue distribute grain to the townsfolk?
Aside from winning their favor, did he also feel a bit of compassion? After all, he had once lived here and had suffered much.
So, when he forced the townsfolk to eat meat, which came from the two wealthy families in town, was it a way to vent his frustrations, or to bear the brunt of their anger?
He Lingchuan pondered these questions and soon located Hong Chenglue’s home.
This alley was uneven, with moldy walls and patches of moss.
It was not long but accommodated at least a dozen households.
"I think this is the one."
With a creak, He Lingchuan pushed the door open.
Inside was just a small courtyard and two low flat-roofed rooms.
The area was slightly larger than the wooden house he lived in at Panlong City, with at least eleven or twelve square meters for the courtyard.
In the yard, a few wooden frames were crooked, two empty jars stood, and there were blackened blood stains on the ground.
The inside wasn't big; after just a turn, the four of them bumped into each other.
Maotao sighed:
"Mr. Hong is truly poor."
A general of the Beijia Kingdom lived in hiding here, and it could only be described as living in utter destitution.
The bedroom contained only a bed and a low cabinet.
Shan Youjun remarked, "The kitchen is empty as if it had been cleaned out, without pots, bowls, or dishes, but there are signs of fire being burned year-round, which is abnormal."
Today took a little longer than usual due to some matters, and I apologize for the delay.
(End of Chapter)