Vol. 2 - Chapter 47 - Arrival at Jiangling! Bad News!

February 25th.

Jingzhou, East of Jiangling City.

The sky cleared, stretching blue and cloudless for miles.

After days of continuous heavy rain, the downpour had finally stopped.

The air carried the fresh scent of rain and the earthy smell of soil.

Xiong Shan and Da Ming walked along the rugged, muddy mountain path, already able to see the slate-gray city walls of Jiangling’s east side.

Besides the walls, they noticed a group of ragged, shivering refugees huddled beneath the city ramparts.

The refugees were unkempt, faces blank and eyes vacant.

Da Ming and Xiong Shan descended the mountain path, following the muddy official road eastward.

Along the way, the refugees watched Da Ming and Xiong Shan with dull, lifeless eyes, their faces expressionless.

Feeling their gazes, Da Ming stopped walking, a strange feeling stirring in his heart.

It was his first time seeing refugees like this.

They sat by the roadside and against the walls, staring blankly at the passing men.

Their eyes were dim, void of any spirit.

Xiong Shan didn’t hear footsteps behind him.

He turned back and saw Da Ming stopped at the side of the road.

Xiong Shan approached and lightly patted Da Ming’s shoulder.

“Keep moving.”

Da Ming snapped back to reality.

He looked at the refugees, a wave of inexplicable sadness swelling inside him.

Around them were old and young, men and women; the youngest were even held in people’s arms.

Da Ming followed behind Xiong Shan, walking and thinking.

So this was the damage caused by the Peach Blossom Flood…

Da Ming touched the silver note in his chest pocket.

He needed to quickly tell Xiuxiu’s father about the disaster relief funds.

With money, they could buy grain, clothes, and help the refugees.

Thinking of this, Da Ming quickened his pace.

Xiong Shan smiled at him quietly.

Still a young heart.

The two arrived together at the city gate.

Only one soldier remained guarding Jiangling’s east gate.

An old soldier at that.

The two were let into the city without hindrance.

Once inside, Xiong Shan and Da Ming were stunned.

The city scene was much like the outside.

Along the streets sat refugees equally ragged and dirty.

Xiong Shan was puzzled. Jiangling City was the main city of Jingzhou Prefecture — why was there disaster inside the city walls?

He led Da Ming into an inn.

The waiter came forward.

Xiong Shan took out some copper coins and tossed them to the waiter, asking gruffly, “Waiter, I want to ask you something.”

“How come there are so many refugees?”

The waiter took the coins quickly and slipped them into his pocket with a forced smile.

“Sir, you don’t know the full story.”

“Yesterday, the Peach Blossom Flood broke through the riverbanks and rushed into the west of the city, flooding all the way to the south.”

“The people living in the west and south parts of the city were all devastated.”

“The prefectural deputy summoned the young laborers and guards in the city; now they’re all helping in the west and south.”

Hearing this, Xiong Shan nodded.

A worried look crossed his face.

Jingzhou was upstream — this year’s Peach Blossom Flood broke through the banks, submerging half the city.

When the floodwaters converge downstream, what would happen to the people there?

“Oh, waiter, tell me — where is the Governor Zheng’s government office located?”

Xiong Shan remembered Da Ming’s matter and pressed.

The waiter shook his head, his face heavy with sighs.

Da Ming, standing to the side, noticed the waiter’s expression and felt a sudden unease.

Xiong Shan also sensed something was wrong.

“What is it?” he asked roughly.

The waiter sighed, “Yesterday, Governor Zheng was killed by bandits in Wuchang Prefecture!”

“What!”

Xiong Shan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

A prefect was a fourth-rank official, high in authority.

Even ordinary fighters wouldn’t dare provoke him.

How could he be killed just like that?

Da Ming’s face also showed shock.

Governor Zheng was Xiuxiu’s father…

Killed?

The waiter shook his head and sighed again.

“Not just Governor Zheng — his family, servants, the steward, even the guard dogs were all slaughtered.”

“In one night, the entire Zheng household was wiped out.”

After the waiter finished, Xiong Shan’s heart sank.

Da Ming had been thinking about Miss Xiuxiu — the daughter of Governor Zheng.

Now that the entire Zheng household was wiped out, wouldn’t that mean…

A chill ran down Xiong Shan’s spine.

In his mind, the image of Da Ming yesterday on the mountain ridge appeared, eyes red as blood.

Xiong Shan instinctively looked at Da Ming.

Da Ming stood frozen, eyes wide and blank, his face full of confusion and shock.

He looked as if he hadn’t heard clearly.

The waiter noticed Da Ming’s strange expression and did not dare say more.

Lowering his voice, he quietly asked Xiong Shan, “Sir, are you two here to rest or…”

Before he could finish, a sharp scream came from his mouth.

“Ah!”

Da Ming gripped the waiter’s arm tightly, his thick palm squeezing with all his might.

“You… what did you just say?”

“You…”

“Say it again!”

Da Ming’s eyes were bloodshot, face twisted in fury, shouting at the waiter.

The waiter broke out in cold sweat, feeling as if his arm was caught in iron tongs.

The pain was unbearable!

Xiong Shan hurriedly grabbed Da Ming.

“Da Ming, let go now!”

Xiong Shan shouted.

Da Ming said nothing, gritting his teeth, his right hand still clutching the waiter’s arm, eyes reddening more.

The waiter’s eyes rolled back, cold sweat pouring, screams of pain escaping nonstop.

It seemed he was about to faint.

Xiong Shan’s heart sank.

He raised his right fist and struck Da Ming’s abdomen directly.

Thud…

As soon as his fist hit Da Ming’s stomach, it felt as though hitting an iron plate.

A shockwave pushed back.

Xiong Shan gritted his teeth, shocked.

He hadn’t expected Da Ming to be so solidly built.

Da Ming was hit but came to his senses and quickly released the waiter’s arm.

The waiter fell backward, sitting hard on the ground.

His left hand held his right arm, face twitching in pain.

It was easy to imagine how hard Da Ming had squeezed.

Tears welled at the corner of the waiter’s eyes as he choked out, “I… I didn’t offend you, right…”

Da Ming clenched his fists tightly, staring at the waiter without a word.

Xiong Shan hurried to ask, “What exactly happened? Tell us now!”

“My brother here has an old connection with Governor Zheng. Hearing the news just now, he was just too anxious.”

The waiter sobbed, glancing fearfully at Da Ming.

He was afraid Da Ming would grab his arm again.

He had almost thought his arm was broken just now.

“After the Zheng family was wiped out last night, a night watchman found out.”

“He passed by the Zheng mansion and smelled a strong stench of blood, then found the gate ajar.”

Xiong Shan and Da Ming listened quietly.

“That watchman pushed open the Zheng mansion’s door and saw bodies piled all over the courtyard.”

“On the wall was written in blood…”

‘Refuse to change name or lineage — The murderer: Zhang Shun, The White Streak in the Wave!’