"If Young Mistress Jiu is willing to treat them, I will certainly respect you as a strong woman. However, I promise that once my brothers are cured, I will send you back without harming a single hair on your head."
Ah Jiu remained silent. Her words were pleasing to hear, but she was now out of options.
"Young Mistress Jiu, please," the chieftain said.
Ah Jiu numbly followed the chieftain up half the slope, onto the cracked stone steps, and into the temple courtyard. Her first impression was one of utter dilapidation.
The plaque above the main hall lay on the ground, trampled by everyone. The characters, covered in cobwebs, read: Zi Xiao Hall.
It turned out to be a Taoist temple. Ah Jiu was led into a dilapidated eastern meditation room. Upon entering, she saw over twenty emaciated patients lying haphazardly on the crumbling floor.
Statues of Huang Chou and Cai Yin were scattered about, and the roof was open to the sky.
Ah Jiu squatted down and felt the pulse of one of the patients. Behind her, a hundred people blocked the doorway, while inside, most of the standing figures were those who held sway in the bandit stronghold.
Chu Lin handed the saber he had found on Ah Jiu's waist to the chieftain, a precaution to prevent her from suddenly resisting.
Ah Jiu paid no attention to any of this. She retrieved a geodrilus from her bird's-nest-like hair. Lacking tools, she used a handkerchief.
She brought a bowl of water and soaked the handkerchief in it.
A few men, unable to help themselves, stepped forward: "Water?"
Upon hearing the word "water," the crowd behind craned their necks, eager to push their way to the front.
"This water cannot be drunk," the chieftain said. He had personally witnessed this girl raise venomous snakes in a waterskin. The previous chieftain had died from a bite to his tongue because of it.
"The chieftain is wise. This water is only for the patients to drink," Ah Jiu added calmly. As soon as she finished speaking, she skillfully moved to the next patient.
She knew without even observing which were severe cases requiring induced vomiting and which were mild.
Ah Jiu administered treatment to ten people, and the first patient began to convulse.
Swish, swish, swish. The sound of swords being drawn echoed through the bandit stronghold.
It was a lie to say Ah Jiu wasn't afraid, but she had to remain calm. "Since you know I can treat them, you must have investigated thoroughly. This is a reaction to the medicine. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to the Yi Zhuang to inquire."
As her words fell, though not spoken loudly, all eyes turned to the chieftain, waiting for his decision.
Chu Lin, clenching his fists, truly wanted to kill this girl. She carried venomous snakes. Why hadn't she used this trick on the road? Instead, she waited until they were in their stronghold to release the snakes and scare them.
She was either very cunning or very resourceful. She appeared remarkably calm, showing no fear or pleas for mercy, except for when she had vomited from the horse's gait.
Unexpectedly, the chieftain stopped him. "Chu Lin, look."
The substance being expelled was clearly something. Chu Lin's gaze fell upon it, and the sight immediately made his six-foot-tall, robust frame tremble, weakening his legs.
It was truly chilling.
"Prepare some of the food we still have in the寨zi for the young lady," the chieftain instructed in a low voice.
"Ding dong, Merit points increased by twenty..."
"Congratulations, Your Excellency, Merit points increased by twenty..."
A series of sharp, crisp sounds echoed in Ah Jiu's mind.
The lowest increase was ten points. With over twenty people, that was nearly four hundred points.
This was strange. They were all bandits, so why did they have such high point values? Ah Jiu had assumed they wouldn't have any.
Her momentary pause in her work was noticed by the chieftain. "Young lady, if you have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to speak."
Ah Jiu had no difficulties, but she still had to conjure one from her mind. She turned back to the chieftain with his full beard:
"There is indeed one matter. When you brought me here, my family did not know. Please trouble yourselves to send a message back home..."
Before Ah Jiu could finish, a commotion erupted throughout the hall: "Send a message?"
Sending a message meant asking for help, didn't it?
If they attracted the attention of the authorities, their newly established hideout would become a mass grave.
Ah Jiu, of course, had a contingency plan. "Chieftain, you need not worry. Just send word that the situation is urgent and I have been brought to the military camp by the authorities. I am perfectly fine."
Upon hearing this, the leaders exchanged glances.
Would this girl willingly stay here to treat their brothers?
It didn't seem entirely logical, yet they couldn't find a reason not to believe her, especially since she had already treated over twenty people in such a short time.
Ah Jiu was now treating the last patient. This person had milder symptoms, with only dry skin and not yet emaciated, just a change in complexion.
Ah Jiu tucked the geodrilus into her embrace. The residual poison from the handkerchief would be enough.
Looking back now, the patient with mild symptoms was already convulsing due to the poison, barely able to stand, leaning against the wall and vomiting profusely.