Chapter 575: What a massive pool of blood!

Lu Qi was a little puzzled: "Why are there so many swindlers here, yet the caravan still wants to stay?"

Xiao Er also asked, "Yeah, aren't you afraid of being duped?"

Sa Dike turned around and pointed, "Look, there's only one road into Wensu City."

"But once you pass through, there are four great avenues leading in different directions."

Xiao Er understood, "I see. This city sits on a strategic choke point, naturally advantageous. No wonder the swindlers target it."

Sa Dike nodded, "Merchants either carry goods or have silver to sell; the swindlers naturally won't let them go."

Xiao Ningyuan, listening from the carriage, said, "Third Brother, we really must be careful."

Xiao Ningxun nodded.

The carriage moved forward slowly, the gates of Wensu City drawing nearer.

From outside the carriage came a hoarse cry for help, "Help! Help!" The voice was loud yet extremely raspy, broken and intermittent.

Sa Dike pulled the reins, and the carriage slowed.

Tuan Tuan's ears twitched, and she stuck her little head out the window, "Uncle, what's wrong?"

Xiao Er urged his horse forward to the front and saw a person leaning against the outer wall of the city gate.

He was slumped against the wall, his robe splattered with blood, his right hand tightly covering his left arm, his face pale to a frightening degree.

Yet a few feet away, two gate guards, each holding a spear, lounged in the shade of the gate, chatting idly.

They completely ignored the wounded man, deaf to his cries.

Xiao Er frowned, dismounted, and stepped before the two guards, cupping his fists, "Gentlemen, there's an injured man over there; won't you attend to him?"

The older, short guard didn't even lift his eyelids, lazily glancing at Xiao Er, "If he can get into the city, of course we'll deal with him."

"But he's outside the city now," the tall, thin guard grinned, "what does that have to do with us?"

What kind of talk is that? Xiao Er's brows tightened even more.

Sa Dike shouted, "Let's go. If the officials won't intervene, we should hurry into the city."

The man struggled to lift his head, his face smeared with blood, his eyes full of pleading, "Gentlemen, I truly have no strength left… please be kind and save me."

"My caravan was robbed, my brothers all died; I—I barely escaped with my life."

He gasped heavily, each word seeming to drain his entire strength.

"Please, take me, just get me into the city."

"I—I don't need you to treat my wound."

"The innkeeper of the Peaceful Inn is me, my brother. Hand me over to him, that's all."

His voice gradually faded, and after speaking he was barely breathing.

Xiao Ningyuan lifted the carriage curtain, glanced, then turned and asked, "Third Brother?"

Xiao Ningxun recalled Sa Dike's words and hesitated.

Tuan Tuan climbed onto her big brother's shoulder, stuck out her head to glance at the man, then turned back, "Third Brother, rescuing someone can't be wrong, right? Isn't it said you mustn't stand by while someone dies?"

Kang An nodded, "Tuan Tuan, right!"

"Wait a moment." Xue Tong patted his disciple, "Saving a life is certainly right. But don't go down; let your master check first to see if the injury is real or fake."

Xiao Ningyuan hurried aside, Xue Tong dismounted, walked straight to the man, squatted, and without a word pried open the hand covering his arm.

The wound was gruesome, flesh torn outward, truly severe.

Xue Tong flipped the man's eyelids again, felt his pulse, stood and returned to the carriage, "The arm wound is quite deep, not a fake. If we don't help, dragging him down would be dangerous."

Xiao Ningxun sighed, "Then let's save him."

The two guards dismounted, and together with Xiao Er lifted the man onto the horse's back.

Xiao Er approached the two guards, took out two taels of broken silver from his pouch and handed it over, "Gentlemen, thank you for your effort; please accept this for a drink."

The short guard weighed the silver, frowned, tossed it onto the ground, and gave Xiao Er a sideways glance, "That's all?"

"Your cargo looks valuable; this little silver can't match what you're carrying."

The tall, thin guard replied, "Exactly, your carriage, the white camel, looks far from poor."

Xiao Er stared at their faces, anger rising, "If you were under our Prince, we'd just award you fifty military sticks, and you still want silver?"

Lu Qi, seeing the situation, quickly dismounted, pulled Xiao Er aside, took out ten taels of silver, shoved it into the short guard's hand, and smiled, "Gentlemen, thank you for your effort."

Only then did the two guards grin, pocket the silver, and step aside, "Just by looking we know you're a legitimate caravan; no need to inspect, go ahead."

The two men remounted, and Xiao Er asked, "Why give them ten taels, that much?"

Lu Qi smiled, "Aren't the swindlers here demanding at least ten taels?"

Everyone: "……"

Lu Qi turned his head and asked the man, "Where is the Peaceful Inn you mentioned?"

"Enter the city gate, go straight… the biggest one is it."

Xiao Ningyuan laughed, "That's on the way; at this hour we also need a place to stay."

The carriage passed through the gate and proceeded along the main street.

Not far ahead, a fairly nice inn appeared.

Its doorway was broad, the building two stories tall, occupying a sizable plot; the sign at the entrance shone brightly: Peaceful Inn.

"Phew—" Sa Dike eased the reins, "Gentlemen, we've arrived."

Xiao Er dismounted, led the two guards to help the man down, and entered the inn.

The main hall was fairly spacious, with seven or eight tables, yet no guests were visible.

Behind the counter stood a lean man, his head bent as he fiddled with abacus beads.

Xiao Er asked, "Who is the innkeeper?"

The lean man looked up, his gaze landing on the man Xiao Er was supporting; he was startled at first, then his face changed dramatically, "Abdu?"

He burst out from behind the counter, took a few steps forward, grabbed the person, his voice urgent and changed tone: "How did you get injured like this? What happened?"

That person's lips trembled, and he could no longer speak.

Xiao Erdao: "We met him at the city gate; he said his caravan was robbed, and he barely escaped back."

The person weakly nodded.

The shopkeeper turned his head and shouted: "Help! Someone, quickly!"

Two workers ran out from behind; the three of them, together, carefully took the person from Xiao Er's hands, half supporting, half carrying, and walked toward the back courtyard.

Xiao Ningyuan and Xiao Ningxun led their younger sister inside, with Xue Tong and Kang An following behind.

Xiao Ningyuan looked around: "Hmm, it looks okay, not like a shady shop."

Xiao Ningxun gave his big brother a punch: "Speak quietly! Don't let the shopkeeper hear!"

Xiao Ningyuan grinned and said: "There's nobody here, after all."

Tuan Tuan looked around: "It's so clean here, I like it. Xiao An'an, how about you?"

Kang An, also curious, looked around and, hearing that, nodded, "Hmm‑hmm."

Xiao Ningxun smiled: "If you like it, that's good. Rest well for the night, and tomorrow morning we'll leave again."

While speaking, the shopkeeper returned from the back courtyard, his eyes still a bit red, and upon seeing everyone immediately knelt and bowed: "Thank you, benefactors!"

"If it weren't for your righteous help, my brother's life would have been lost out there!"

Xiao Ningxun hurriedly reached out to help him up: "Shopkeeper, no need for formalities; as long as the person is okay."

The shopkeeper straightened up, smiling broadly: "Would you like to stay at the inn?"

Tuan Tuan looked up at him, crisply said: "Yes! We want to stay!"

The shopkeeper scanned the group, realizing they were honored guests, his smile deepened, and he stepped aside: "Please, come in! Quickly!"

He personally led them inside: "In this Warmstay City, in terms of cleanliness and comfort, my Peaceful Inn dares to claim second place; no one dares to claim first!"

The shopkeeper took them to the back courtyard, opened the doors of several upstairs rooms: "Ordinary guests who want a private room can only stay upstairs."

"But since you saved my brother, you cannot stay with those coarse people."

"My back courtyard is usually for my own family; see, my brother lives next door. Take a look, are you satisfied?"

The group nodded one after another, and Xiao Ningyuan said: "Much obliged, very good."

After the group settled, the shopkeeper personally arranged a table of dishes, continuously offering wine in thanks, full of sincerity.

After a hearty meal, the group each rested.

The next morning, just after getting up, outside was a clamor: "Abdu?"

Where did the person go?

What a huge pool of blood!