Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Once that scoundrel was gone, the once pleasant Jiang Wu could slowly return.

Good people pondered carefully, while wicked ones acted without hesitation… Sometimes, things in the world were just that unreasonable.

Take Liu Yaozu, for example—such a trashy man. With many people near the temple, he shamelessly relieved himself at the entrance, saying there was safety in numbers.

A coward like him, clinging to life, made it hard for Du Yinsui to find a chance to secretly hit him from evening until night.

Of course, Liu Yaozu’s shameless self-preservation was part of the problem, but another was that Zheng Yi paid more attention to Jiang Wu—a lot more than usual.

After all, the night before, when Sun Xinang shared her secrets, it wasn’t just Tan Wang who heard them.

Because of all this mess, Liu Yaozu stayed free until now.

Luckily, while Zheng Yi had some influence among the guards, he was no match for Tan Wang’s rightful authority.

The main prisoner had escaped, but in the dark night, no one knew how many rebels or refugees were hiding. Zheng Yi didn’t dare risk taking his men; he had to wait for Tan Wang to return to decide.

With no leader, it was a good chance for Du Yinsui to act.

Before dawn, the third wave of attacks, either from rebels or refugees, hit the broken temple.

Fiery arrows flew from the woods, landing firmly on the donkey cart and carriage at the temple entrance.

Soon, the frightened cries of donkeys and horses mixed with the guards’ shouts.

In the dark woods, patient attackers shot another wave of fiery arrows, making the scared animals kick out at the guards trying to put out the fires.

While the guards worked together—some pulling the animals, others fighting the flames, and a few with torches and swords going to check where the arrows came from—two figures sneaked back into the temple.

That night, with the attacks and the escape, neither the guards nor the prisoners slept.

Du Yinsui and her group returned just in time; the guards had finished searching inside and outside the temple and were about to gather all prisoners by the big fire, chaining them foot to foot like before. But before they could do it, she came back with branches picked on the way.

In the Liu family, three children couldn’t stay awake and slept again. Liu Yaozu and his wife and concubine were wide awake, staring outside the temple.

Wang Yuerong thought Liu Yaozu was very annoying. He kept muttering beside her about how Jiang Wu shouldn’t have run away, wouldn’t succeed, and would bring trouble back…

Wasn’t it better for him to escape? Otherwise, if she couldn’t take it and smashed his head with a rock, would that be better?

Though Wang Yuerong didn’t know what Jiang Wu and the others were up to, she was really scared at dusk! She thought hard about it. Eighteen years ago, Sun Xinang must have been the one who told them. But… when did they ask her, and why hadn’t Sun Xinang said anything before? Was she really killed by beasts?

These questions almost drove Wang Yuerong crazy.

But more than going crazy, Wang Yuerong feared Jiang Wu might hurt her son.

Now that they were gone, it felt right, it was good!

Just as Wang Yuerong wanted Liu Yaozu to shut up so the children could rest, the muttering suddenly stopped, followed by a thud.

A chill ran up Wang Yuerong’s back, and she felt something bad.

She didn’t want to turn, but her neck moved on its own.

And she saw.

Liu Yaozu lay on the ground, Aunt Xia gently setting his head down.

And there was Du Yinsui, grinning like an evil ghost at her.

Wang Yuerong held her son tightly, shaking as she pretended not to see Du Yinsui’s wicked smile.

The person was too close. Even if she called the guards, he could easily harm her son…

Wang Yuerong forced herself to recall how Du Yinsui had gently cradled Aunt Xia’s head earlier, preventing it from hitting the ground. She clung to the idea that this was Du’s kindness, not fear of making noise.

*Knock me out too*, she thought. *I saw nothing. I just want to reach Linzhou safely with my son and wait for my brother-in-law to fetch us.*

Eyes shut tight, Wang Yuerong lost track of time, the unbearable suspense stretching endlessly.

Outside the temple, guards wrestled frenzied donkeys, extinguished small fires on carts, and furiously tossed aside bundled weeds and twigs masquerading as arrows.

Their curses filled the temple as they stormed in. The chaotic noise gave Wang Yuerong the courage to open her eyes—only for her to snap them shut again instantly.

*It must be my imagination!*

*Where is he?!*

*Where is Liu Yaozu?!*

She blinked hard, reopening her eyes. The spot where Liu Yaozu had been tied to the pillar stood empty, save for…

A smear of green plant juice on the ground. It felt like a slap across her mouth.

*Understood. I’ll say nothing.*

Wang Yuerong now fully believed in Du Yinsui’s ghostly abilities and her threat: *If you breathe a word, your son dies the moment I draw breath.*

She’d stay silent. Absolutely silent.

Glancing at the unconscious Aunt Xia, Wang Yuerong shut her eyes and collapsed to the ground.

Unlike Jiang Wu’s conspicuous group escape, Liu Yaozu’s disappearance went unnoticed.

Meanwhile, the forgotten Liu Yaozu was already far from the temple, embarking on his "free" journey.

"Let me carry—" Jiang Wu caught up to Du Yinsui, who was sprinting with Liu Yaozu slung over her shoulder.

"No need. I’m strong." Du Yinsui dodged Jiang Wu’s outstretched hands and sped up. "Save your breath. Teacher and the others are waiting."

Jiang Wu quickened his pace, reaching again.

Du Yinsui met his eyes sharply. "Jiang Wu, this filth has already soiled me. Must we both be tainted?"

Jiang Wu fell silent.

The bittersweet scent cutting through his pain and rage sharpened Du Yinsui’s focus.

*Good. Once this scum is gone, the pleasant Jiang Wu will return.*

With Du Yinsui’s senses guiding them and their combined strength, they soon reached the donkey cart.

Qin Chongli and Chu Xiulan, each holding a child, watched them efficiently shackle Liu Yaozu, gag him with weeds, and haul him aboard.

"He’ll cover what we failed to consume," Du Yinsui explained, grabbing the reins.

Qin Chongli and Chu Xiulan exchanged nauseated glances. *Shouldn’t have eaten so much meat tonight.*

With Liu Yaozu secured, the donkey cart raced through the night. At dawn, a small village emerged.

As the cart halted, Chu Xiulan rubbed her goosebumped arms. "Here?"

"Yes. Stay quiet and hidden. They’re at the far end." Du Yinsui muzzled the donkey with cloth and chopped Liu Yaozu’s neck twice before driving into the village’s first courtyard.

Qin Chongli winced. *That’s a dozen neck chops now. He’s barely breathing.*

"I’m coming," Jiang Wu leapt down.

"This is killing," Du Yinsui warned. "They look human, but they’re cannibals. Can you do it?"

"…I can," Jiang Wu replied after a pause.

Du Yinsui handed him a sharp stone shard. "If not, just protect yourself."

Qin Chongli and Chu Xiulan watched them disappear toward the village’s far end. They didn’t know how Du Yinsui understood this place, but they trusted her.

"Father," Chu Xiulan eyed the unconscious Liu Yaozu, "hit him if he stirs."

Qin Chongli snorted. "*You* ask *me*? The daughter who slams her father into walls?"

Chu Xiulan had no retort.

Du Yinsui led Jiang Wu not toward the corruption’s source, but into two yards where she scavenged rusted kitchen knives.

"Rust can kill if it cuts you," she cautioned Jiang Wu. "Three houses hold them. We clear each one fast. No survivors, no escapees."

Jiang Wu gripped his knife, nodding under Du Yinsui’s intense gaze.

She patted his shoulder, resolved to handle most kills herself. *Let him face just one or two. Daizhou’s cruelty must be learned.*

Suddenly, she remembered her teacher during the apocalypse’s early days—slaughtering zombies while sparing only crippled, slow, and not very brainy ones for students to practice on.

*Life loops.*

The faint sweetness in the air filled her nostrils. *May Jiang Wu survive this, just as I did.*