RWNEFE -Chapter 70 Repeat Offenders Will Be Expelled!

After setting off, Shen Lanxi immediately called together Liu Yanhui, Liu Laohu, and Wei Dongzhu for a discussion.

Liu Yanhui asked, “The women from Liu Zhao Village—do we have to keep bringing them along?”

Shen Lanxi glanced at Liu Laohu. He had been fired up at the word “discussion,” but hearing it now, he immediately deflated.

Wei Dongzhu said, “If we leave them here, their fate won’t be good either.”

Liu Yanhui countered, “But bringing them along will be a huge drain on our resources!”

Liu Laohu silently curled up, realizing he had been summoned not for a discussion, but to be scolded.

Wei Dongzhu thought for a moment: “I suggest we keep heading southeast. When we reach a place rich in water and grass, we can leave them there.”

Liu Yanhui agreed internally: “Using Yicheng as a dividing line, the closer we get to Jinmen, the less severe the drought should be.”

Shen Lanxi pulled a map from her chest and handed it to Liu Yanhui. He carefully took it and fixed it in place.

Shen Lanxi pointed with her bamboo stick: “This is where we are now.”

Neither Liu Laohu nor Wei Dongzhu had ever seen a map like this and stared at it in shock.

“This is Jinmen,” she said, tracing the location with the stick.

“The closer we get to the coastal area, the more water there will be. We need to ration our current supply, but once we reach the next location, water shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”

Wei Dongzhu gazed blankly at the map. Every village, every stream was marked in detail—more comprehensive than any military map he had ever seen.

Shen Lanxi called them together for an important reminder.

“Beyond Yicheng lies the Third Princess’s fief. Her mother came from humble origins and was taken in by the Empress Dowager as a child. Later, at the instigation of her attendants, she attempted to harm the Gentle Princess Minrou, but the Empress Dowager discovered it in time. Since then, the Third Princess has been confined to her fief and has never set foot in the capital.”

The three men were shocked by this secret.

Liu Yanhui said firmly: “We must never reveal the identity of the Shen family!”

Liu Laohu nodded: “Agreed.”

Shen Lanxi, satisfied that they understood, then began planning the route with them.

By noon, they reached a shaded area. Liu Laohu assigned the prisoners to boil water and cook meals.

Taking advantage of the shade, they boiled all their remaining water.

During the meal, someone noticed that one of the women from Liu Zhao Village wasn’t right and reported it to Liu Laohu.

The woman kept shivering, her face pale, coughing and nauseated. A bad premonition surged in Liu Laohu’s heart.

“Everyone, spread out! The women from Liu Zhao Village stay here and do not move!”

He personally went to fetch Zhang Niu.

Upon hearing Liu Laohu’s description, Zhang Niu’s expression immediately darkened.

“Sir, I’ll go with him to take a look!”

Wei Dongzhu nodded.

Zhang Niu took a face cloth from his medicine kit to cover his face—a gesture that made Liu Laohu’s heart sink.

“Everyone else, go about your business!” Liu Laohu cracked his whip in the air to make the prisoners work again.

Zhang Niu said, “You stay here. I’ll go alone.”

Liu Laohu nodded with concern.

Liu Yanhui had already relayed the news to Shen Lanxi.

“As the saying goes, after a great disaster comes a great epidemic. Sir, do you think it could be?” His face turned pale with worry.

Shen Lanxi said calmly, “Water and fire are ruthless, disasters are merciless.” Hopefully, it wasn’t an epidemic. Otherwise, under current conditions, they might as well dig a pit and stay put.

Actually, she leaned toward it being a mild illness. They had been traveling under dry, sunny conditions, which was not conducive to bacterial growth or transmission.

“I have a few bottles of medicine. Go get them for Zhang Niu.”

Liu Yanhui recognized one as the expensive antidote pill she had bought from the Medicine King Valley.

“Yes, sir!”

Shen Lanxi followed Liu Yanhui as they went.

Zhang Niu examined the patient, then removed his face cloth and exhaled in relief.

“It’s likely a case of upset stomach and digestive imbalance from water and possibly unclean food. I’ll give some medicine to regulate the intestines. For the next few days, only drink plain porridge and avoid solid food. You’ll recover soon.”

Everyone else relaxed at this news.

One woman from Liu Zhao Village suddenly said, “Could it be from drinking the unboiled water from Moon Lake?”

Shen Lanxi’s gaze sharpened.

Qi Shuang shouted, “When we collected water, didn’t our master say not to drink it directly, only after boiling?”

The sick woman from Liu Zhao Village knelt down, crying and apologizing: “I’m sorry, sir. I let everyone down. I was too thirsty… I was really too thirsty…”

Many empathized—everyone was parched. And the villagers of Liu Zhao Village had long been treated like animals.

“Sir, please forgive her this time. Look how thin and weak she is—she’s pitiful.”

“She must have been desperate with thirst and couldn’t control herself when she saw so much water.”

“Sir, just let her off this once!”

Shen Lanxi remained expressionless, silent.

Liu Yanhui stepped in to smooth things over: “See? If she hadn’t listened to Master, this is what would happen. Master told you not to drink Moon Lake water because it’s unsafe. Think about it—every water source we’ve encountered, after boiling, hasn’t Master allowed us to drink it?”

“We’re on the run with no doctors or medicine. If we got sick, there’s a high chance we wouldn’t survive. Master is looking out for us. Think about it—have you ever had stomach problems after drinking boiled water along the way?”

Those who had previously joked about boiling water being pointless now hung their heads in shame.

Liu Yanhui finished speaking and looked eagerly at Shen Lanxi.

“This is the only warning. Repeat offenders will be expelled!”

Liu Yanhui breathed a sigh of relief and loudly announced: “Everyone must remember this!”

Nearby, Wei Dongzhu looked at the water skins being handed over and instinctively asked:

“Has this water been boiled?”

A Wei soldier froze: “No! We’ve been on the move the whole way, no time to boil it.”

Wei Dongzhu frowned at the water skins: “Boil it first before drinking. From now on, only drink boiled water!”

The soldiers hurried to gather firewood.

Even with Zhang Niu’s assurance, the prisoners were still wary and unwilling to stay close to the villagers of Liu Zhao Village.

“Who knows if what the doctor said is true? If it really is a plague, won’t we all be doomed?”

“We have to get rid of them. Keeping them is dangerous and wastes food and water!”

“We can’t let them endanger us.”

The speakers didn’t even try to hide their words from the Liu Zhao villagers—they said them deliberately loudly.

The sick young woman felt both miserable and regretful. If she had known a few sips of unboiled water would cause this, she wouldn’t have touched it, even if she were dying of thirst.

“I’m sorry. I caused all of you trouble. If I hadn’t drunk the water, none of this would have happened!” she kept apologizing to the nearby villagers.