Chapter 297: Jianghua’s Old Acquaintance

Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Jianghua’s Old Acquaintance

The hotel’s security, along with the guards stationed nearby, all rushed to the entrance, yelling at the people causing the disturbance.

Qin Tianxuan stood at the second-floor window, frowning as he looked down. "Who are these people?"

The people at the entrance weren’t rich or powerful; instead, they were plainly dressed villagers.

The man leading them was gaunt and frail, a grimy towel tied around his neck. Behind him were a dozen or so people—old, weak, sick, and disabled.

Their eyes were vacant, crushed by the hardships of life.

Just then, they all dropped to their knees in unison before the door.

The old man suddenly held up a white cloth. On it, a single word was written in blood-red: "Injustice!"

The white cloth was covered in scrawled signatures and bloody thumbprints.

This was...

Qin Tianxuan shuddered. "Everyone, hold your positions! Find out what this is about!"

’These villagers aren’t troublemakers,’ he thought. ’They’ve endured all of life’s hardships, only to suffer an injustice they don’t deserve!’

The sight of the people kneeling at the hotel entrance sent a shockwave through the crowd.

A local security guard hurried upstairs; he seemed to know something about the situation.

"Sir, they walked here from over six miles away! They’ve spent years filing lawsuits and pulling connections to get justice for one of their own. In the end, they couldn’t even scrape together enough money for bus fare."

Qin Tianxuan was stunned. "Why didn’t they go to the proper authorities?"

The guard lowered his voice. "Actually, they stopped protesting a few years ago. They came specifically for you this time, saying you’re the only one who can handle this! When they heard you’d arrived in Jianghua, they moved heaven and earth to get here!"

Just then, the old man kneeling at the front pulled a spotlessly clean flag from inside his coat with trembling hands.

"My Lord, can you see this? I’m not an educated man... When that boy, Shaohua, died, he was clutching this flag. He forbade us from looking for you! He said the war in the Northern Domain was at a critical stage, and that we mustn’t disturb you!"

SWOOSH!

The flag unfurled in the wind.

The Flag of the Night Emperor!

The flag bore a single name: Chen Shaohua!

Chen Shaohua, Captain of the Second Battalion of the Night Emperor’s Personal Guard!

With a resounding CRASH, Qin Tianxuan shattered the window, leaped from the second story, and landed on the ground below.

He strode over in a few steps, touching the flag in disbelief.

"Chen Shaohua! My First Personal Guard! Who... who was he to you?"

"My Lord, Shaohua was my nephew. He was murdered! He died unjustly, unable to rest in peace!"

Qin Tianxuan’s fingers trembled.

Shaohua!

It had been eight years ago, at the height of the war. The Celestial Demons held a major advantage. To cover the retreat of Qin Tianxuan’s main force, Chen Shaohua had led the Second Battalion of the Personal Guard into a fight to the death in the desert.

Surrounded by an enemy ten times their number, they fought on without yielding.

Finally, Qin Tianxuan, Wutian, and the others returned with the main force and slaughtered every last Celestial Demon in a crazed frenzy.

But amidst the endless yellow sands, Shaohua’s body was never found.

In the end, all they could do was bury his uniform in a warrior’s grave, honoring him as a hero of the Northern Domain.

’But... he survived? And he’s been hiding here in his hometown, Jianghua, all this time?’

’I have to find out what happened!’

"Everyone, please rise. Arrange rooms for them immediately! Prepare the finest food, and get a doctor!"

Qin Tianxuan roared.

Finally, he personally helped Shaohua’s uncle to a private room.

Li Qingcheng hurried over with a tray of food and had the old man eat something first.

"Sir, you’re completely safe here. What happened to Shaohua? Please, you can speak freely!"

The old man sighed deeply. "I’m afraid I’m the only one who knows the full story. Back then, Shaohua was gravely injured on the Northern Domain battlefield. While he was unconscious, a group of scavengers found him and rescued him."

"Sigh... The boy was unconscious the whole time, and with no identification on him, he was treated as a common wounded soldier and sent to the rear. By the time he woke up, he’d already been transferred to a hospital here in Jianghua. I think he was disabled... no longer able to fight."

Qin Tianxuan clenched his fists. "Why? Why didn’t he contact us?"

The old man shook his head again. "I don’t understand it either. From what Shaohua said, since he couldn’t fight anymore and the war was at a critical point, he decided to just quietly take a discharge. He planned to go back after the war was won... but before he could hear the good news of your victory, My Lord, he..."

The old man began to wipe away his tears again.

Qin Tianxuan’s heart ached with endless grief and sorrow.

’Chen Shaohua... The Personal Guard who had followed me since the day he joined the Battle Department. This was just his character!’

’Utterly selfless, with no regrets or complaints!’

’He must have felt that since he was injured and could no longer fight, he didn’t want to be a burden to his brothers during such a critical time. So he quietly took his discharge and came home!’

Back then, the Daqin Royal Family in the Imperial Capital and the Ye Family were doing everything in their power to suppress Qin Tianxuan, completely ignoring the welfare of his men!

A hero like Chen Shaohua didn’t even receive a single discharge benefit!

SMACK! Qin Tianxuan slapped himself hard across the face.

At his side, Li Qingcheng’s heart ached for him. "It’s not your fault..."

"It is my fault! He saved all of our lives! And I only searched for him for three days! If I’d just sent out one more search party back then, maybe the outcome would have been different!"

Qin Tianxuan raised his hand and slapped himself again, even harder this time.

This time, he used his full strength, drawing blood at the corner of his lip.

The old man rushed to stop him. "My Lord, I know you care deeply, but it’s a shame Shaohua can’t see it. Not long after he came back, his entire family was wiped out... murdered by wicked men."

Qin Tianxuan gripped the old man’s hand, his voice hoarse. "What exactly happened? He... he shouldn’t have... shouldn’t have gone like this! How... how can I face our other brothers in the Northern Domain?"

The old man trembled. "I’m just a simple man, I don’t know much. But the chief of the Jianghua Police Department... he knows everything. If... if you ask him, you’ll find out!"

Qin Tianxuan immediately turned. "Make proper arrangements for the entire Chen Family! I’ll cover all the costs! Money is no object! No, the more the better!"

At that moment, Qin Tianxuan wanted nothing more than to give every last cent he had to help the poor members of the Chen Family.

But Li Qingcheng slowly approached him. "I’ve already made the arrangements. The Chen Family has been settled. I’m preparing to erect a monument and build an ancestral hall for the hero, Chen Shaohua, according to the highest honors of the Northern Domain Battle Department. I will also find the best plot of land in Jianghua, build a neighborhood of villas, and move the entire Chen Family in..."

Li Qingcheng was as thoughtful and efficient as a true adjutant, handling all matters perfectly and even planning the next steps.

His mind in turmoil, Qin Tianxuan gently squeezed her hand. "Well done! You truly are the best adjutant I could ask for."

’The best adjutant he could ask for!’

Li Qingcheng’s heart bloomed with joy at receiving such high praise for what she considered a small task.

’From now on, I have to perform my duties as his adjutant even more perfectly.’

Qin Tianxuan had already stormed out of the hotel, making a beeline for the Police Department.