Chapter 89 - 90: Analysis
"You’re saying Dao City is in chaos now?" Gu Sanbu wondered if his hearing was failing him. "You’re not kidding, are you?"
"This is no joke," Village Chief Shi said. "It’s the absolute truth."
"But that’s the city gate," Gu Sanbu said. "A vital fortress for Shangjing. Getting in last time was a fluke. How could something like this happen again?"
"We saw it so clearly because we were living right by the city gate," Village Chief Shi explained.
"They said refugees weren’t allowed in, but as long as you could produce a money ticket, those Lords had ways to sneak people inside."
"Somehow, others found out. They took advantage of the moment people were being brought in and stormed the city gate during the night."
"Was it that simple?" Gu Wenheng asked.
Village Chief Shi took a few more large gulps of water. "It wasn’t simple at all. We refugees have axes and hoes at best. How could we possibly fight the soldiers guarding the city?"
"I remember seeing an incredibly fast figure flitting among the soldiers at the gate. Wherever he went, the soldiers would just stand there, frozen like wooden posts."
’Acupoint.’ The word immediately flashed through Jin Qianqian’s mind.
"That means someone from the martial world is involved," Gu Sanbu said, secretly sighing in relief. ’Thank goodness Gu Yuan Yu found this way out for us. If we had been caught up in that, who knows what our fate would have been.’
"Probably," Shi Wenshan, who had also been there, chimed in. "That person was incredible. After dealing with the soldiers at the gate, he protected the other refugees as they rushed onto the main road."
"You rascal, you actually went in?" Village Chief Li raised an eyebrow at him. "So why did you come back?"
"I was just curious, so I ran in with the crowd to see what was happening," Shi Wenshan said. "But my parents are here. I couldn’t just abandon them."
"Did many people get inside?" Gu Wenheng asked.
"A whole lot," Shi Wenshan replied. "I don’t know the exact number, but it had to be in the tens of thousands, wouldn’t you say?"
"So, can people get in or out of Dao City now?" Gu Mingchun asked curiously.
Shi Wenshan shot him a look. ’What a stupid question.’ "It’s been sealed tight for a while now. That expert only gave them a hand; he didn’t stick around to guard the gate. More soldiers rushed over and took control again. But now, more and more people are gathering outside the city. If they can’t get in, they’ll probably all head this way."
Gu Sanbu looked at the masses of people crowded by the lake, and his heart sank. ’So many people crammed together, eating, drinking, and relieving themselves all in the same area... this is not a good sign.’
He turned to look at Gu Wenheng, whose skin prickled under the intensity of the stare. ’The old man’s gaze is strange. What is he trying to say?’
Village Chief Shi curiously surveyed their surroundings. "It looks like every spot is taken. I wonder where we’ll be able to squeeze in?"
Gu Sanbu was troubled as well. They were all from the same region, so it was naturally safer to stick together. If not for their numbers, who knows how many villains they would have attracted by now.
Every inch of the surrounding area was occupied. In the end, their only option was to ask everyone to shrink their own campsites to make room for Village Chief Shi and his people.
Gu Wenheng and Jin Qianqian cleared out half of their own space, allowing Li Cuicui and her family to settle in next to them. It was far better to be near people you knew than to be paired with strangers.
"Wenheng, my father wants to see you." Gu Shulin came over to call for him just as he finished tidying up his sleeping area.
"You should go," Li Cuicui said as she deftly laid out their bedding. Jin Qianqian and Hong Daya were helping her rig up a tarp for shelter.
Gu Wenheng glanced at Jin Qianqian. Only after she gave him a slight nod did he get up to follow.
"I didn’t realize you were afraid of your wife, too. Do you have to report your every move?" Gu Shulin said, teasing him in an attempt to get on his good side.
"A wife is a companion for life, so of course, we must respect each other," Gu Wenheng said, not wanting to dwell on the topic. He changed the subject, "Why is Third Grandpa looking for me now? Is it for something good?"
"You brat, does it have to be good news for me to look for you?" Gu Shulin looked at Gu Wenheng searchingly. "Just what did you learn from that old scholar all those years? You even know about things like medical texts?"
"My late teacher happened to have some miscellaneous books," Gu Wenheng explained. "I read them to pass the time when I was bored. I never thought they would one day be useful."
’I can’t let my secrets be exposed so easily. I’ll need him to provide cover for me in the future.’
"When the old scholar first came to our village, nobody thought much of it," Gu Shulin said. "Now, a lot of people are kicking themselves. They’re all so envious and jealous of you!"
Gu Wenheng was speechless. ’It’s a good thing you didn’t get the chance. Otherwise, where would I have found such an incredible advantage?’
"You’re here," Gu Sanbu said, patting the spot beside him and motioning for Gu Wenheng to sit.
"You and your wife spent a long time crossing the mountains. Did you happen to come across any other places with a water source like this one?" Without beating around the bush, Gu Sanbu got straight to the point.
The name ’Hunter Village’ flashed through Gu Wenheng’s mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought. "No. We’ve already been walking this route for days. The path ahead is just more of the same mountain trail, even more rugged than the one we’re on now."
"In the middle section, there’s a long ravine. We had to muster all our strength and courage just to carefully cross it on a single log."
’Even though I could lead these people into Dao City using the back trails, a group of several hundred people would be discovered in minutes.’
"Sigh... look at us now," Gu Sanbu said. "More and more people are gathering here, and the camp is getting filthier and more chaotic. With so many people, conflicts break out easily. Just look at what’s been happening lately—families fighting with each other over trivial matters. This can’t go on for long."
Gu Wenheng noticed the old man’s eyes were fixed on him. ’He really overestimates me.’
"For now, all we can do is wait," Gu Wenheng said, understanding the old man’s anxiety. He could only offer his own analysis. "Since so many refugees have already forced their way into the city, Shangjing must have been affected by now. As long as the Holy Emperor isn’t... well, as long as he’s not a complete fool, he won’t just ignore this."
"You’re saying the authorities will intervene?" So much time had passed that everyone had already lost hope. But now, hearing Gu Wenheng’s reasoning, Gu Sanbu couldn’t help but sit up straighter.
"The current emperor only ascended the throne a few years ago. Faced with a disaster not seen in a century, he probably just hasn’t figured out a solution yet. But as long as he wants to be seen as a benevolent ruler, he won’t abandon his people."
Gu Wenheng had secretly discussed this with Jin Qianqian over the past few days. The actions of a young and hot-blooded ruler were always the most unpredictable.
What worried him and Jin Qianqian the most were the aftereffects of the drought—namely, a plague.
Fortunately, the people here were still being considerate. They all went to the distant woods to take care of their private business.
Even when using water from the lake, everyone made sure to watch one another and carry the water away from the shore to do their washing.
With the weather growing colder by the day, the likelihood of a plague breaking out was also lower, which allowed them to breathe a small sigh of relief.