TNIBFT -Chapter 262 Junior Uncle’s Family is Really in Difficulty

He couldn’t believe it and continued to circulate his energy.

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of fresh blood shot from Master Geng’s mouth. His head fell weakly onto the snow, eyes filled with fury as he glared at Xiao Jiang. “You little bastard… was it you?”

“Was it you? I’ll kill you!”

Before any treatment, although exhausted, he could still run two miles if he rested a little.

But this kid’s single needle had completely paralyzed him!

His limbs wouldn’t move at all. If that woman caught up, he would have no way out but death!

How could he not hate him?

Xiao Jiang’s face showed guilt and fear, keeping a careful distance from Master Geng. “You asked me to try it. I told you, this is a new needling technique my master just taught me. I’ve never used it before.”

“Pfft!”

Hearing that, Master Geng spat another mouthful of old blood.

He wanted nothing more than to tear this kid apart.

“Or… or… should I try again?”

“Maybe it’ll work this time!”

Xiao Jiang’s face was innocent, hopeful. Master Geng couldn’t believe it anymore.

“Shishu!”

“Little Shishu?”

From behind came the shouts of many people. Master Geng’s eyes flickered—at this point, he had no choice but to blend in with the Medicine King Valley group, maybe he could still escape death!

Xiao Jiang waved at the students running over.

They arrived, gasping for breath. One of them said, “F-fi-finally found Little Shishu! Mai Dong went chasing rabbits and just came back… only then did we realize Little Shishu came here.”

“Yes, it nearly exhausted us!”

“Why are there still people here?”

“Is he hurt?”

A few young disciples saw Master Geng on the ground and immediately gathered around.

Out of instinct, some checked his pulse, others tried to stop the bleeding. Master Geng, weak and feeble, looked at Xiao Jiang, then hoarsely said, “I… he… he gave me a needle…”

He had originally intended to use this as leverage against the disciples of Medicine King Valley.

“No need to thank me. If anyone deserves thanks, thank my master!”

Xiao Jiang quickly interjected, shutting Master Geng up. “If not for my master’s benevolent heart, someone like you who poisons old horses would never have been saved by me.”

Poisoned him?

Everyone was shocked.

Master Geng’s eyes darted in panic as he tried to explain, but the young disciples surrounding him all stood up and positioned themselves behind Xiao Jiang.

Only then did they notice the old horse lying on the ground, glaring at Master Geng with hatred.

Xiao Jiang said, “He’s already been punished. I temporarily sealed his acupoints with silver needles; otherwise, I’m afraid he might cause us trouble.”

Everyone nodded. “Little Shishu is both brave and clever; we can’t compare.”

“Yes, Little Shishu is truly thoughtful. People like him are utterly detestable!”

“We were almost tricked by him!”

The group was full of indignation; some even stomped on Master Geng’s face, making him grit his teeth and pound the ground.

“I see his eyes are fierce, and his body bears many wounds. He’s probably a criminal who escaped from the city. Why not strip him of his cultivation and make him a dung sweeper in the valley?” Xiao Jiang suggested. Everyone nodded, thinking it a good idea.

If it came to killing him, the disciples of Medicine King Valley wouldn’t necessarily do it.

The people of Medicine King Valley practiced medicine and healed others—they were compassionate. They dealt with herbs and medicinal plants for years, with simple, pure minds.

“You little brat! How dare you harm me? I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

Master Geng lay on the ground, his face twisted in agony, howling. A disciple from the Medicine King Valley kicked him in the face. “Shut up!”

“My junior uncle is kind and benevolent—how dare you curse him?”

Several disciples then pummeled Master Geng with fists and kicks before roughly dragging him away, stripping him of his cultivation and tossing him into a horse pen.

Xiao Jiang watched Master Geng’s retreating figure, feeling uneasy. Someone who had once tried to kill him definitely wasn’t safe to keep nearby. But it didn’t matter; he needed subjects for practicing acupuncture. If he made a mistake someday, it would be understandable.

Inside the tent, disciples had already lit a stove, and warmth steamed through the space, making it very comfortable.

“Please sit, Junior Uncle!”

“Junior Uncle, here’s your favorite pepper fish soup. Would you like a bowl?”

“Thank you,” Xiao Jiang replied politely, then sat down at his seat.

A disciple asked, “Junior Uncle, was your family really that poor? Did you often go hungry as a child?”

“Yes, Junior Uncle, is your father’s hotpot restaurant good?”

“Did your family of four really live just on that hotpot shop?”

“We’ll soon be arriving at Sifang City, and when we do, we’ll all support your family!”

The group’s faces were full of sympathy.

Xiao Jiang was polite, pleasant, and spoke nicely, so the disciples of Medicine King Valley were especially fond of him.

Hearing everyone talk about supporting his family, Xiao Jiang’s mind immediately rang with the sound of coins clinking. His heart surged with excitement, but he couldn’t show it.

He could only furrow his brow, looking reflective. “Yes… my family had three children, and my father didn’t have any other skills. For a long time before he met my master, he was barely sane. In winter, we didn’t even have shoes to wear.”

“At home, there was only a crumbling house and a single battered copper pot…”

“When we were hungry, we’d even eat rats!”

As Xiao Jiang spoke about his family’s hardships, the atmosphere in the tent instantly grew heavy.

None of them had expected that such an adorable Junior Uncle had once lived such a difficult life. His family had truly struggled.

The group exchanged glances, and someone tried to change the topic: “I’ve been wanting to eat hotpot for ages. When we get to Sifang City, I’ll eat it every day. I’ve brought enough silver to do so!”

“I brought silver too, and plenty of good things for Junior Uncle’s family,” another said.

“I did too!”

Everyone chattered excitedly.

Looking at Xiao Jiang, their expressions were cheerful but tinged with pity and sympathy. Fearing that he might notice, they averted their eyes, imagining in their minds just how poor his family must be and vowing to help in any way they could.

…

Meanwhile, Qin Fengyi’s forces had reached the plains.

Qin Fengyi hadn’t initially intended to pursue them but worried that Master Geng might secretly send a warning. She also feared that if she didn’t strike him now, he could pose a threat to the children.

Riding a black horse through the snow and wind, her phoenix-like eyes narrowed. The surrounding aura was grave, and her subordinates behind her didn’t dare speak.

“The surrounding plains… Master Geng is seriously injured. Most likely, he has infiltrated the group ahead,” Qin Fengyi said.

Sun Yang behind her said, “I can lead a team to encircle them. I don’t believe they’ll hand him over willingly. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we’ll find Master Geng!”

Qin Fengyi’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked forward.

Sun Yang didn’t dare speak further and waited silently for orders.

The “medicine” character on the banners flickered in and out of view. Qin Fengyi tightened her grip on the reins, then gave a hand signal. Sun Yang acknowledged and obeyed.

“Charge!” Sun Yang shouted, turning to his unit. “Surround them completely. Not even a fly gets out!”

“Yes!”

The cavalry surged forward, hooves scattering snow in every direction.

Qin Fengyi instructed, “Do not harm a single person!”

“Yes!”