Chapter 147

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Chapter 147: Those Who Carry Firewood for Others Will Be Criticized and Condemned to Death

In the blink of an eye.

Qiao Mu had already been surrounded by the crowd, embraced within it.

Countless hands pulled at his trousers and sleeves, not allowing him to leave like that, while the surrounding area was filled with chaotic cries for help.

"Kind-hearted person, you cannot simply turn a blind eye to us, can you?"

"Fifty taels of silver may be a casual donation for you, but for us, it is life-saving money."

Qiao Mu generously gave fifty pieces of silver to help the thin and struggling scholar who couldn’t afford to pay for his child’s medical treatment.

You should know that at that time, the doctor had already discounted the consultation fee from fifty pieces to five pieces, but Qiao Mu generously gave fifty pieces.

This scene caught the attention of the other patients at the clinic, who saw Qiao Mu’s generous act as that of a rare and kind-hearted person.

And now, half a day later, there was a crowd of people at the entrance of the clinic. Countless people who had heard the news rushed over to catch a glimpse of this generous man named Qiao Mu.

"Is it really come to this point…"

Behind Qiao Mu, the middle-aged doctor who had reminded him earlier sighed quietly in his heart.

Dong Xinglin’s clinic had also done charitable medical services in the past.

However, they were forced to stop later, and they had experienced situations similar to the one happening now.

The middle-aged doctor just didn’t expect that these people would come so fast and in such great numbers.

After a while, so many people unexpectedly came to the clinic, making it as lively as a bustling market.

"Mr. Qiao Shuanglin is in a difficult situation now, isn’t he?" he sighed softly.

Being kind-hearted may lead to bad consequences.

He had reminded Qiao Mu when he generously offered money before.

Of course, he also didn’t anticipate that there would be so many people coming.

"Are all of you disaster victims in urgent need of life-saving money?" Qiao Mu’s face showed no expression, just calmly looking at the crowd.

He was pulled by the hem of his pants and sleeves, surrounded by the crowd, but only furrowed his brows slightly without any obvious anger.

"Yes, Mr. Qiao," a thin, yellow-faced man with sores on his head shouted loudly.

"I am from Dan City. One day, the sky flashed with lightning and thunder, and half of the city was destroyed in an instant. My home collapsed too… and since then, I have been wandering away from my hometown."

"I don’t expect Mr. Qiao to save my life, I just hope Mr. Qiao can help with some money for medical treatment. I came to the Imperial Capital and have suffered from illness along the way…"

"I am also from Dan City…" Another person, a skinny old man with a missing arm, pushed through the crowd and approached Qiao Mu.

"On that day, there was thunder like rain, and half of the city collapsed. Unfortunately, I, the old man, was trapped under the collapsed city wall. Although I luckily survived, my arm was crushed…"

"I am also…"

The crowd chattered incessantly, surrounding Qiao Mu and sharing their own stories of sorrow and hardship.

Qiao Mu didn’t interrupt, but listened attentively. As a 4th rank martial artist, his senses were sharp. Even though the surrounding noise was loud, he patiently and carefully listened to these cries.

From their words, it didn’t seem like they were lying.

However, Qiao Mu was not a doctor after all, and with so many people talking, he couldn’t be sure if someone was trying to deceive him.

So he pondered for a moment, took out a note worth one thousand silver coins from his pocket, and handed it to the physician behind the counter at the Apricot Grove Clinic.

"This thousand-silver ticket is only for medical treatment," he reminded.

"The medical expenses for these few victims of the disaster will be on me. But if the money runs out…"

"You want more?!" The doctor widened his eyes, getting a bit excited as well.

"If it runs out, then it’s gone." Qiao Mu shrugged his shoulders.

The money Qiao Mu had on hand was actually just the two hundred silver coins Fang Yuan had given him before, and the thousand-silver ticket he had gotten from Sword Ghost.

As someone who frequently met his end, Qiao Mu didn’t really place much importance on wealth, as there was a possibility that his coins would vanish completely upon his next death.

Adding the fifty silver coins he had previously given to the skinny scholar, Qiao Mu now only had one hundred and fifty silver coins left on him.

Over the years, Qiao Mu naturally used the money for his own daily expenses in the Imperial Capital, both for himself and for his future self after death, without giving it all away.

"Oh, kind and venerable Mr. Qiao Shuanglin, your great kindness will never be forgotten."

"Tears of gratitude, if we meet again in the future, there will be rewards."

Several of the front row victims spoke words of gratitude, then quickly left and headed towards the Apricot Forest Pavilion.

After all, the donation provided by Qiao Mu was only one thousand taels, but it was also limited.

With so many patients here, if we don’t hurry, we might be robbed by others.

In the blink of an eye, about half of the crowd surrounding Qiao Mu dispersed.

However, the remaining crowd swarmed over again, once again surrounding Qiao Mu tightly, not letting him leave.

This group of people seemed to be healthier than the victims just now. They didn’t have missing limbs and their complexion looked decent. It seemed that they were not seriously ill patients.

"Hmm? What’s going on with you again?" Qiao Mu’s expression turned slightly cold.

Normally, people in urgent need of medical treatment money should have gone to seek treatment. What about the group of people in front of them?

Mr. Qiao, you are kind-hearted. We are also victims of the disaster in Tan County. Although we are not seriously ill, we are now reduced to being beggars, living in uncertainty. We hope Mr. Qiao can give us some money…

"Sir, it’s not only those who are seriously ill that suffer in this world. I am also in a difficult situation, with a broken family and no wealth…"

"Mr. Qiao, just look at me. I was abandoned by a rich man after becoming pregnant, and then my parents kicked me out of the house…"

Listening to the noisy voices, Qiao Mu finally understood.

The group of people a while ago were lower-class civilians who couldn’t afford medical expenses. The current group of people has a more complex composition.

The doctors in the Apricot Grove can naturally tell if someone is seriously ill.

However, it is not something that can be seen with the eyes whether these people have less severe symptoms or no illness at all, but still talk about their unfortunate background.

"I have no money left, so there’s no use looking for me," Qiao Mu shrugged his shoulders.

He casually shrugged and wanted to leave after speaking.

But right after, his pant legs and sleeves were grabbed by seven or eight pairs of hands, making it impossible for him to take a step.

"Please, Mr. Qiao, have mercy."

"I can’t make a living anymore…"

"Mr. Qiao must be incredibly wealthy to give away a thousand ounces of silver without blinking an eye. I’m not asking for much, just a hundred or eighty ounces from Mr. Qiao…"

"Oh, pity my newly born, hungry child…"

It seemed like people around Qiao Mu got excited, fearing that he was going to leave. Some held onto him, others started crying, and some even hit their heads on the ground, kneeling down.

"The child is not mine, why bother looking for me? Go find the playboy who abandoned you," Qiao Mu bluntly said, brushing his sleeves and wanting to leave.

With just one sentence, the young woman’s face froze, and then she burst into loud cries on the ground.

The surrounding noise and discussions briefly paused, and then grew louder, becoming even more chaotic.

"I’m not saying, Mr. Qiao is very rich. What’s wrong with helping this poor woman? It’s just a small effort for him, right?"

"I do know this woman, she is really suffering. Mr. Qiao is being too cruel."

"Just a moment ago, he was willing to give a thousand silver coins, but now he won’t give a single one. What’s the matter, did he go over budget?"

"In the end, this so-called morally righteous Qiao’s family and this Mr. Qiao Shuanglin are just hypocrites. They only give when they feel like it, and leave when they’re in a bad mood."

"Saving a person’s life is more valuable than a seven-tiered pagoda. Isn’t Mr. Qiao Shuanglin, being so old, supposed to understand this?"

"How can you say that? At least Mr. Qiao really did give a thousand silver coins…"

"That’s all for his reputation, he just wants a good name… He wants fame, we want money, it’s beneficial for both sides, isn’t it?"

"Do you really think he’s kind-hearted? We are just tools for him to gain fame. Now that things have escalated, he’s unwilling to part with his money. That thousand silver coins earlier was just for show."

"Just a moment ago, he was able to offer a thousand silver coins. His family has at least ten thousand or even tens of thousands of them. The amount of money needed to treat the sick is just a drop in the bucket. But now that things have become complicated, he’s hesitant to let go of that money."

Among the crowd, whispering became more and more frequent.

At first, it was just a few people, but these comments gradually ignited a sense of disappointment in the hearts of the people. Gradually, their eyes towards Qiao Mu changed too. From the previous humility and respect, it turned into disappointment and anger.

But in a moment, the wind direction suddenly changed.

The once highly respected man, Qiao Shuanglin, seemed to have transformed into a representative of greed.

……………

On a small attic in the distance.

The wealthy Wan Ronghua from Imperial Capital hugged his mistress Fang Fang, looking through the window at the commotion at the entrance of the clinic, laughing without saying a word.

Qiao Mu’s actions didn’t catch their attention.

Half of the crowd gathered at the clinic were secretly instigating the chaos, including several actors among the masses. Otherwise, the clinic wouldn’t have suddenly become so crowded.

"Qiao Shuanglin is very strong, we can’t confront him directly… unfortunately, this is the Imperial Capital, and the Imperial Capital has its own rules."

"Even if Qiao’s family is successful, they have to be careful here."

"Horses are good for riding, and kind people are often taken advantage of. In this world, having a kind heart is a big weakness." Wan Ronghua smiled.

"People with a good reputation will always be burdened by it."

He won’t directly confront Qiao Mu, he can’t bear the losses or risks that come with it.

But he can make Qiao Mu’s reputation crumble, step by step, falling into his trap.

"Crushing his reputation isn’t enough?" Fang Fang worriedly asked.

"After all, he is a powerful martial artist. If he gets angry and comes looking for us on behalf of Fang Yuan, our Wan family’s remaining members may not always be able to protect us completely."

"Hehe, there’s no need for us to handle the killing." Wan Ronghua casually said while hugging his mistress’ slender waist.

"This Qiao Shuanglin is so arrogant, there must be more than just me trying to deal with him."

"When he falls from grace and becomes a street rat in this Imperial Capital, the people who want to kill him will probably line up from the city gate to the palace gate."

……

Around the corner of the street.

A middle-aged man with a beard shifted his gaze from the attic, his mouth twisted unnaturally and he sat down on the ground, side by side with a little beggar, disregarding his appearance.

"Hahaha…. it’s so funny, it’s killing me."

The middle-aged man with a beard burst into laughter, his laughter seemed a bit wild, causing others to frown and pay attention, thinking the beggar had gone crazy.

"There." He lightly kicked the little beggar next to him with his foot:

"Do you think those people have lost their minds?"

The middle-aged man with a long beard laughed loudly and said, "In the past, this Martial Saint claimed to be a saint and killed many people in the martial arts world, causing a lot of bloodshed."

"As a result, many martial artists saw him as their last hope and idolized him as a symbol of the human martial arts world."

"People were only afraid of the Martial Saint, very few dared to speak ill of him. Even though he is dead now, the Wuji Association still exists."

"But this kind act by the Qiao’s family, helping the sick and donating money, now they are being criticized and accused of being hypocrites."

"Good people are expected to meet the standards of a perfect saint, being generous to the point of giving away all their wealth and even sacrificing themselves. Otherwise, they are called hypocrites."

"Although the Martial Saint claimed to be a saint, no one dared to demand such things from him. Instead, they held him in awe and even had followers who admired and accepted him."

"If the Martial Saint were to kill just one or two people less, they would immediately build a shrine and worship him as a god."

The little beggar next to them listened calmly and contentedly.

This little beggar was quite strange. He laid lazily in the sun without moving, with a broken bowl in front of him. Even when he heard that a kind person had arrived at the clinic, he didn’t budge. It was as if his bottom was rooted to the ground.

The man with a long beard beside him said these words, but the little beggar didn’t respond. He seemed calm and relaxed.

"This confirms an old saying," the man with a long beard grinned.

"Those who carry firewood for others will eventually be beaten by everyone and smell bad!"

"Don’t make so much noise," the little beggar said with a piece of grass in his mouth, lying down on the ground with his hands behind his head. He seemed impatient.

"Why do you care? Why should I care?"

The middle-aged man with a long beard was taken aback, but then he burst into laughter.

He seemed to have a special patience for the little beggar. Even when the beggar challenged him, he didn’t get angry but instead grinned widely.

"That’s clever, you’re right," he looked towards the noisy crowd.

"Why should you care, and why should I?" the middle-aged man with a long beard smiled to himself.

"If Qiao’s family didn’t interfere, they wouldn’t have caused so many problems by giving the fifty taels of medical fees."

………

At the entrance of the medical clinic.

Qiao Mu listened to many accusations around him, and found it amusing.

Before entering the main hall of the clinic, he was still known as a kind-hearted person, Mr. Qiao.

Once inside the clinic, he engaged in deep discussions with Hai Wuya about the essence of martial arts, saving the nation, and the future prosperity of humanity.

However, as soon as he stepped out, he became the target of finger-pointing and criticism from the Great Yan public.

Those who didn’t know might have thought that he had not only provided medical fees, but also desecrated the ancestral graves of these people right in front of their eyes.