TSWPF -Chapter 120 Searching

When the villagers heard about what had happened to Li Qingling’s family, those with kind hearts all put on their straw raincoats, picked up oil lamps, and came out to help search for people.

Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou took note of every villager who was willing to help, planning to repay their kindness in the future.

“Grandpa…” When Li Qingling saw Old Li among the crowd, she felt a trace of surprise. She had thought he wouldn’t come.

Old Li glanced at Li Qingling and gave a light nod.

Ever since fleeing as refugees, he hadn’t seen Li Qingling again. He hadn’t expected their reunion to happen under such circumstances.

In his heart, he was somewhat dissatisfied with this granddaughter. After he returned from fleeing, she hadn’t once come to visit him. It was obvious—she didn’t really have him, her grandfather, in her heart.

Li Qingling had no idea what Old Li was thinking. At this moment, her entire mind was focused on finding Li Qingfeng and the others as quickly as possible. Until she saw them safe and sound, she wouldn’t be able to feel at ease.

“My heavens… this… this… has the Mountain God become angry?” When the villagers reached the foot of the mountain and saw the scene before them, they were all terrified.

Niutou Mountain had collapsed by half, completely burying Liu Zhimou’s house.

Earlier, when it was too dark, Liu Zhimou hadn’t realized how serious the situation was. Now that he could see clearly, he was deeply shaken as well.

If it hadn’t been for Xiaoling insisting that everyone get up and run out, their entire family would probably have been buried underneath.

“Maybe the Mountain God really is angry. Otherwise, how could the mountain collapse?”

The villagers began discussing noisily. After talking for a while, they all knelt down, praying to the Mountain God not to be angry again and saying similar pleas.

Seeing this, Li Qingling’s mouth twitched hard. She helplessly rubbed her temples and spoke loudly, “Uncles and elders, this isn’t the Mountain God being angry. It’s because it’s been raining nonstop, loosening the soil on the mountain until it couldn’t hold anymore, so it collapsed.”

“Xiaoling, don’t talk nonsense here. If you anger the Mountain God again, it’ll bring disaster to the whole village.” A villager scolded her upon hearing her words. “Could it be that your family offended the Mountain God, so he got angry and wanted to punish you?”

As soon as those words fell, the other villagers felt it made sense.

Seeing the hesitation in their expressions, Li Qingling frowned unconsciously. People of this era deeply respected gods and spirits. If she continued to argue, it would likely backfire.

But she was unwilling to let her family shoulder such a blame.

Just as she was wondering what to do, the village chief’s voice rang out. “What nonsense are you all talking about? Even if the Mountain God were to punish someone, he wouldn’t punish them.” His gaze swept over the villagers kneeling on the ground. “I’m sure you don’t know who gave you the medicine you drank to prevent the plague. Today, I’ll tell you right here—it was Zhimou and his family. If it weren’t for them giving you that medicine, you’d have caught the plague long ago. Would you still be standing here saying these things?”

Such a kind-hearted family—how could they possibly deserve punishment?

When the villagers heard the village chief’s words, they all turned to look at him, repeatedly asking if it was true.

“Why would I lie to you? What would I gain from deceiving you?”

Seeing that the village chief didn’t seem to be lying, the villagers felt a bit ashamed.

After all, they had benefited from Liu Zhimou’s family.

“Why are you still kneeling here? Hurry up and get up and help look for people!”

Scolded again by the village chief, the villagers awkwardly stood up, smiled apologetically at Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou, and then earnestly went to search.

After everyone dispersed, Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou thanked the village chief. If it hadn’t been for him stepping in, the situation wouldn’t have been resolved so easily.

The village chief waved his hand dismissively and said there was no need to be so polite with him. They should hurry and find Xiaofeng and the others.

Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou responded and turned to continue searching.

They had barely taken two steps when they heard villagers shouting in terror about a “big beast.”

Hearing this, Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou immediately rushed over.

When they arrived, they saw Ah Huang lying on the ground, its lower body pinned by mud, unable to move, only able to stare wide-eyed at the people in front of it.

“Ah Huang…” Li Qingling cried out and ran over, using her hands to dig at the mud, trying to free Ah Huang.

Her actions startled the villagers badly. “Th-this… what is Xiaoling doing? She… she’s saving a big beast? This is terrible—the big beast eats people!”

Liu Zhimou knew that if he didn’t explain clearly, the villagers wouldn’t let this go.

“Uncles and elders, don’t be afraid. This big beast was raised by our family since it was young. It won’t hurt anyone,” Liu Zhimou said calmly. “Look, it’s lived with us for so long—have you ever seen it hurt anyone?”

“But… but it’s still a beast! What if one day it gets unhappy and hurts someone? What then?”

“I swear to heaven that my family’s big beast will absolutely never harm anyone.” After saying this, Liu Zhimou ignored the villagers’ reactions, strode forward, and helped dig Ah Huang out.

Li Qingling’s eyes were filled with tears, but she didn’t dare let them fall. She pressed her lips together, forcing the tears back. “Ah Huang, don’t be afraid. I’ll get you out right away. Don’t be afraid.”

She comforted Ah Huang while speeding up her digging.

When she and Liu Zhimou finally cleared away the mud from Ah Huang’s lower body, Ah Huang cautiously stood up.

As soon as its huge body moved away, Li Qingling saw Li Qingfeng lying on the ground.

“Xiaofeng…” Seeing him, Li Qingling choked as she called out. She reached out to touch him but was afraid of hurting him further and didn’t dare move him casually. “Xiaofeng, wake up…”

After calling several times with no response, Li Qingling began to panic. With trembling hands, she placed her fingers under Li Qingfeng’s nose.

When she felt his steady breathing, the tension in her body finally eased.

He was still breathing—that meant he wasn’t dead.

“Ah Huang, thank you.” Li Qingling gently stroked Ah Huang’s large head, tears finally falling. Ah Huang had risked its life for them again and again, and she felt deeply apologetic toward it.

Seeing Li Qingling cry, Ah Huang stretched out its tongue and licked away her tears, letting out a couple of soft whimpers.

“Stop crying. Wake Xiaofeng first and see if he’s injured,” Liu Zhimou said softly, placing a hand on Li Qingling’s shoulder to comfort her. “I checked Ah Huang—it’s not hurt. Xiaofeng probably isn’t injured either.”

Hearing this, Li Qingling touched Ah Huang’s large body once more before calling Li Qingfeng again.

After a long while, Li Qingfeng finally groggily opened his eyes. What… what had happened?

“Xiaofeng, you’re awake? Do you feel pain anywhere?” Seeing him open his eyes, Li Qingling asked joyfully.

Li Qingfeng stared at Li Qingling for quite some time before remembering what had happened earlier.

He looked back in fear. When he saw the house completely flattened, his body trembled.

He remembered running at the back, hearing a rumbling sound, turning around, and seeing the mud rushing toward him. Frightened, he fell—and then he remembered nothing.

Li Qingling rubbed his head. “It’s okay now. Everything’s fine. Don’t be afraid.” Seeing his trembling body, she soothed him gently. “Quickly feel if anything hurts. Do your legs hurt?” She was afraid his legs might have been crushed.

At her words, Li Qingfeng moved his arms and legs. Feeling nothing wrong, he grinned at her with a smile that looked like he was about to cry and said he was fine.

Only then did Li Qingling completely relax. She helped Li Qingfeng up, carefully looked him over, and seeing that he truly wasn’t seriously hurt, let out a soft sigh of relief.

“This time, you really need to thank Ah Huang. If it hadn’t protected you, you think you’d still be alive?”

Hearing this, Li Qingfeng immediately turned to Ah Huang, hugged its big head, and thanked it.

Ah Huang had saved his life again. From now on, he would treat Ah Huang even better.

Ah Huang gently rubbed its big head against Li Qingfeng’s cheek in response.

Seeing that Li Qingfeng was fine, it was very happy too.

“Ah Huang, quickly help look for Xiaoyan, Dahe, and Ah Bai,” Li Qingling called out.

Hearing this, Li Qingfeng’s heart grew anxious, muttering that they must be safe.

Ah Huang let out a soft sound, lowered its big head, and began sniffing as if searching for a scent.

But after being washed by heavy rain for so long and mixed with the smell of mud, it was difficult to find their scent quickly.

Ah Huang refused to give up, continuing to sniff forward.

“Wh-what is it doing?” The villagers all made way as they watched Ah Huang, stammering as they asked Liu Zhimou.

They had just witnessed what happened and knew that Ah Huang had saved Li Qingfeng, leaving them full of amazement.

Liu Zhimou glanced at the curious villagers and smiled. “It’s helping look for people.”

“Huh? It… it’s not a dog? It can find people too?”

As soon as someone said that, Ah Huang turned its head and glanced at him, instantly frightening him into silence.

Ignoring him, Ah Huang continued sniffing.

The man patted his chest—this big beast could even understand human words. It was truly terrifying.

“Uncle, don’t be afraid. Ah Huang won’t bite you,” Liu Zhimou said, patting the man’s shoulder to reassure him.

Just then, Ah Huang suddenly turned back and roared once at Li Qingling and the others, then spun around and dashed off like an arrow.

Seeing this, Li Qingling hurried after it—Ah Huang must have discovered something.