Chapter 395 - 393: Not a Single One Can Be Lost (First Update)

Chapter 395: Chapter 393: Not a Single One Can Be Lost (First Update)

By the city gates in the distance, there were two large tents set up. Inside the tents were several large pots, and in front of the pots were two long tables. On the tables were many roughly stacked pottery bowls.

At this moment, however, no one was attending to these things. A large crowd had gathered in front of the tents, and from afar, it seemed they were huddled together. A few people in the middle appeared to be crouching on the ground, and many lay on the ground. The sound of chaotic voices and painful groans faintly emanated from there, casting a peculiar and unsettling atmosphere.

The carriage Xu Jing was riding drew nearer and nearer until she could finally see clearly. Among those crouching in the middle were none other than Cheng Xianbai and Wei Muqing! This was clearly the place where they had been distributing medicinal broth these past few days.

Now, anyone with eyes could tell there was trouble. Xu Jing quickly called for the carriage to stop, stepped off, and ran over rapidly.

As she approached, the painful groans became more distinct. Xu Jing was shocked to find that the people lying on the ground were all ragged refugees. Their faces were terrifyingly pale, their skin an abnormal dark yellow, and most of them lay there in distress as if on the verge of death.

Apart from the refugees lying on the ground, most of those around also appeared in poor condition. Many leaned painfully against the city walls or stood so unstably that they could barely remain on their feet. The ground was littered with the vomit they had expelled, much of it alarmingly red, and several were frantically shouting, "I... I can’t see! I can’t see!"

"Doctor, please save me, my eyes suddenly went blind!"

"Mom, I feel terrible, I feel so terrible, wah!"

Xu Jing’s heart tightened severely. Just as she was about to seek out Cheng Xianbai in the center of the crowd to ask about the situation, she heard a voice filled with teeth-gnashing fury ring out —

"What kind of doctors are they?! We’re like this all because of them! It’s because of that so-called disease-preventing medicinal broth they distributed that we’ve ended up like this!"

"Yes! They, they are murderers! My mom was perfectly fine, but after drinking their medicinal broth, she’s now breathing more out than in! They’re trying to kill us!"

The atmosphere, originally tense as a taut string, was instantly snapped by the anguished and resentful cries. Many of the better-looking refugees stood up in outrage and hatred, glaring at Cheng Xianbai and the others treating the most critical refugees as if ready to rush up and kill them in fury.

Cheng Xianbai, slightly startled, quickly stood up and shouted, "Everyone, calm down! We’ve been distributing the medicinal broth here for two days already, today is the third day. Did anything similar happen in the first two days? If we really intended to harm you, why not act sooner? Moreover, we opened a medical hall in the city, distributing the broth because of our compassionate hearts and to spread some joy for our new business. We have no ill intentions..."

"We don’t care what your intentions are! All I know is that it’s because we and our loved ones drank your medicinal broth that we’ve become like this!"

"Your, your medical hall is called Xinglin Hall, right? I’m from Anping County, I know your hall. You... you’re disgracing Anping County! What kind of medical hall harms people like this?!"

"Indeed! You don’t deserve to be doctors! To run a medical hall!"

However, the scene was too grim, the refugees’ emotions too agitated. Clearly, few were in a state to listen to Cheng Xianbai.

Cheng Xianbai’s face turned pale as he looked over the disordered patients and their severely lacking personnel, feeling completely at a loss for what to do.

If a conflict truly broke out with the refugees, they wouldn’t be able to treat them, let alone guarantee their own safety.

Furthermore, those gathered weren’t just refugees; many citizens of the Western Capital had come to watch. As soon as someone who drank the broth showed adverse reactions, someone rushed into the city, likely to report to the authorities, if Cheng Xianbai guessed right.

These past days, with Xinglin Hall’s opening, they were critically short on staff. If not to divert some traffic from their storefront, they wouldn’t have distributed the broth outside the city so early.

Due to the staff shortage, only eight people were assigned to distribute the broth, with only him and Doctor Wei capable of making diagnoses.

Continuing like this was incredibly disadvantageous.

Even if the refugees held back their agitation, not causing a conflict, if even one person who drank the broth faced a serious issue, the reputation of Xinglin Hall would be ruined!

For the first time, Cheng Xianbai panicked as if falling into a bottomless abyss, looking at the chaotic scene around him, opening his mouth repeatedly without knowing what to do.

Just as he was about to despair, a heavenly voice suddenly came from the side—

"No matter why they ended up like this, not one of them can face an issue!"

Under everyone’s astonished gaze, Xu Jing strided to Cheng Xianbai and Wei Muqing’s side, her eyes firm, her voice resolute and unwavering: "We’ll discuss other matters after saving everyone!"

Cheng Xianbai and Wei Muqing were stunned for just a moment, then became so emotional tears almost flowed—

"Miss Xu!"

"Jing, you’re back!"

Xu Jing, however, merely gave them a brief glance before once more directing her gaze toward the crowd, whether hateful or merely curious, and suddenly said coldly, "Xiao Erlang, Cheng Xiao, maintaining order is up to you! All of you—listen well. I will save everyone! If, during this time, anyone obstructs us from treating patients..."

Xu Jing paused, glancing coldly at everyone, and said word by word: "If anything happens to them, you’ll be partly responsible! No one will escape accountability!"

Xu Jing’s unequivocal statement left everyone momentarily stunned. As they regained senses and some began to fume, realizing she was clearly with those distributing the broth and questioning her right to command them, they were suddenly faced by a group of soldiers in armor who coldly blocked them aside.

Simultaneously, a man in a white robe with embroidered gold trim, his appearance handsome and dignified, walked over leisurely, casting a half-smile at them and said, "You are all citizens of Great Chu. Unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to act against you. This matter is beyond your concern, rest assured, the authorities will provide answers."

Despite saying this, Xiao He couldn’t hide a trace of worry as he glanced towards Xu Jing in the distance.

He hadn’t expected that just after returning to the Western Capital, they would encounter such an incident.

As Jing said, saving everyone was the utmost priority now.

Nonetheless, even someone like him, who knew little about medicine, could see the severity of the patients’ condition.

Can she really save them all without exception?