The chase had extended into the afternoon, leaving only an hour until sunset.
As the moon began to rise and a bonfire was lit within the cave, Xiao Wangye exchanged a glance with his guards.
The two guards moved in unison, boldly approaching the cave entrance and deliberately hacking at the thorny bushes with their swords and sabers.
Hearing the commotion, the people inside the cave immediately shouted, "Who's there?"
Following their shouts, about ten people emerged, weapons in hand, rushing towards the entrance.
At this moment, the two guards deliberately retreated, leaving their backs exposed to the pursuing group.
The bandits were greatly surprised by this, one after another giving chase, leaving only two individuals to guard the cave entrance.
Just then, guards who had been hidden at the cave entrance stealthily moved behind these two and struck them down with palm blows, causing them to collapse unconscious.
Seeing this, Xiao Wangye led his men into the cave for a thorough inspection.
Carrying torches, his party illuminated the entire cave, allowing Xiao Wangye to finally see its interior clearly.
Inside, sacks upon sacks of grain were piled high, far exceeding the small amount he had seen earlier. The piles extended deeper into the cave.
In fact, the cave was quite deep, but the tightly stacked grain bags had obstructed his view, leading him to believe the bandits had merely stored the stolen provisions here.
After meticulously counting them all, they discovered the sheer abundance of grain within the cave!
Upon witnessing this scene, Xiao Wangye was overjoyed, his delight evident.
If all this grain could be transported back to Fengdu City, every citizen would have enough to eat and stay warm, ending the food shortage.
In the blink of an eye, four days had passed since Xiao Wangye and his party left Fengdu City to procure grain.
During this time, Ye Qingcheng had remained primarily in the infirmary, occasionally visiting the large mansion to check on the patients there and discuss treatment strategies with the city's physicians.
As for the Luo residence, she had not returned there even once.
It wasn't out of concern for any actions the Luo family might take against her, but rather because she felt it held no significant importance.
However, as the days passed and Xiao Wangye had still not returned, Ye Qingcheng couldn't help but grow anxious.
Before Xiao Wangye's departure, he had left several guards with her to ensure her safety while she was alone in the city.
She had already dispatched people to gather news. All they had learned was that a convoy of soldiers was escorting provisions back, but there was no word of Xiao Wangye.
When Xiao Wangye had arranged for this group to return, he hadn't informed them of his specific activities. Therefore, even the few royal guards among them were clueless about their master's whereabouts when asked.
Ye Qingcheng understood that Xiao Wangye was not a reckless person and must have had his reasons for suddenly leaving the main group.
Yet, she couldn't help but feel a degree of worry, fearing that something might have happened to him.
One day, after Ye Qingcheng and the physicians had finished examining all the patients at the mansion and discussing the next steps in treatment,
Suddenly, a boisterous noise erupted from the entrance, growing steadily louder.
The ongoing discussions were interrupted as everyone moved towards the entrance, craning their necks to see.
There stood Luo Qinquan, his face stern, followed by dozens of soldiers, their expressions menacing.
"You quacks! It's been over a month since this strange illness appeared, and you still haven't cured it!"
As he stepped into the room, Luo Qinquan sternly berated all the physicians present, clearly arriving with ill intentions.
The faces of the physicians changed, a surge of anger rising within them, but out of deference to Luo Qinquan, the Prefect of Fengdu City, they suppressed their indignation.
Before anyone could respond, Luo Qinquan took a few more steps forward, his target now fixed on Ye Qingcheng, who stood to the side.
"Especially you! How long have you been in the city, and already you're wearing veils, burning clothes, and herding people together. You've caused quite a stir, yet the illness remains uncured."
Luo Qinquan glared fiercely at Ye Qingcheng and, with a wave of his right hand, two soldiers stepped forward.
"Arrest him! He's failed to cure the illness and has abused his authority. I will bring him to justice."
As he spoke, the two soldiers lunged forward, a sinister grin on their faces as they attempted to seize Ye Qingcheng.
While everyone else was bewildered by his words, Ye Qingcheng immediately understood.
Luo Qinquan wasn't genuinely punishing them for failing to cure the illness; he was merely using it as a pretext to target her.
Considering how long Xiao Wangye had been gone, and whether he was alive or dead, Ye Qingcheng's anger flared.
As the outstretched hands of the two soldiers closed in, Ye Qingcheng deftly sidestepped, narrowly evading their grasp.
Seeing this, the two soldiers were undeterred and rushed forward again to apprehend her.
Before the hidden guards could intervene, the physicians, who had initially been confused, now realized what was happening. They surged forward to shield Ye Qingcheng from the two soldiers.
With about ten physicians in the room determined to protect Ye Qingcheng, the two soldiers found themselves helpless and could only look to Luo Qinquan for assistance.
Witnessing their united front, Luo Qinquan became enraged, stomping his foot and pointing at the physicians, shouting furiously:
"Are you all intending to disobey orders?"
Within Fengdu City, Luo Qinquan, as the highest-ranking official, acted like a local emperor, ruling over the entire city, and no one dared to oppose him.
Under normal circumstances, the physicians would not have dared to cross him or incur his wrath.
However, the current situation was different. The city was plagued by a mysterious illness, and if no solution was found soon, all its citizens would likely perish.
Even if not all the physicians possessed a benevolent heart for saving lives, they had to consider their own well-being and that of their families, wouldn't they?
They had witnessed the changes in the illness since Ye Qingcheng's arrival, and they remembered it. Now, everyone was counting on her to cure the strange disease!
What would happen to the city's patients if Luo Qinquan arrested her? And what about them?
Therefore, the physicians unanimously chose to protect Ye Qingcheng, even if it meant confronting Luo Qinquan.
Seeing their unwavering stance, Luo Qinquan, despite holding absolute power in the city, could only fume with anger, his mustache twitching. He dared not order their arrest as well.
He also had his own concerns. All the city's physicians were currently gathered here.
If he were to arrest them all, and news of it spread, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Not to mention the powerful families who had brought their ailing relatives here; they would undoubtedly be enraged and cause him trouble. Furthermore, the ordinary citizens of the city, upon hearing that their sick had no one to treat them, would inevitably riot.
Just as he was growing increasingly agitated, a weak and aged voice called out from within the crowd of physicians:
"Lord Luo, in my humble opinion, let's forgo any punishment. Everyone is working together diligently in diagnosis, and Doctor Ye's methods are indeed effective. You may have misunderstood."
The speaker emerged slowly from the crowd, supported by someone beside him. It was none other than Doctor Qi, who had previously opposed Ye Qingcheng.
Doctor Qi remained hunched over, but his complexion had deteriorated significantly. Perhaps due to illness, his face was pale.