Chapter 225: Encountered the Chicken‑Stealing Boy Again

In a ruined temple outside the city.

The boy who steals roasted chickens is sharing roasted chicken with another boy of similar age.

The other boy is as thin as a bamboo pole, his face as pale as vegetables, his whole body dirty, hardly better than a beggar.

"Big brother… you have some too," the bamboo‑pole boy says, handing a chicken leg to the chicken‑stealing boy.

The chicken‑stealing boy swallows a mouthful of saliva, puffs out his belly, pats his stomach and says, "I've already eaten! I only came out after stuffing myself at the One‑Eyed Dragon's shop. You've gotten very thin lately; you should quickly replenish your body."

"Big brother…" the bamboo‑pole boy's eyes redden, tears welling up.

The chicken‑stealing boy laughed, "Stop crying, you hear? Don't worry, with me here I guarantee you won't starve. When we grow up, we'll definitely be able to kill that damn thing and avenge your family!"

"Okay!" the bamboo‑pole boy wipes his tears and bites hard into the chicken leg meat.

Seeing him wolfishly devour the food with relish, the chicken‑stealing boy turns his head and suppresses his saliva.

"Cough cough… cough cough cough!" the bamboo‑pole boy suddenly starts coughing violently.

The chicken‑stealing boy hurriedly turns back, patting his back while laughing, "I'll keep stealing roasted chickens tomorrow; you'll have food every day, no need to be so frantic."

But the bamboo‑pole boy's cough worsens, blood spitting from his mouth, his already abnormal complexion turning markedly pale.

The chicken‑stealing boy touches his forehead and finds that he has suddenly developed a fever.

Since the incident at his home, his health has been poor; now an acute illness strikes, and he looks rapidly wilting, drowsy.

"Lie down quickly!" the chicken‑stealing boy wipes his mouth, helps him lie down in a pile of grass, "I'll go fetch some medicine for you, hold on!"

The bamboo‑pole boy, weak and breathless, says, "Big brother… I… I think I'm fine, a nap will cure me. Now… it's already dark, and the rain is still pouring… where are you going to get medicine? Let's talk tomorrow…"

The chicken‑stealing boy puts on his Raincoat, "Save your energy, stop the chatter; I'll be back as soon as possible."

Then he uses the surrounding debris to block the area, lest wolves, jackals, stray dogs seeking shelter enter the ruined temple; otherwise his brother would lose his life.

The chicken‑stealing boy hurriedly leaves the ruined temple, heading toward the city.

Because floods have been frequent lately, the County Officer in the county seat is overwhelmed; there are no officials guarding the city gates, which makes the chicken‑stealing boy's comings and goings much easier.

Boom—

Lightning streaks across the sky, thunder rumbling.

The surrounding dilapidated scenery briefly reveals in the lightning, and amid the night's torrential rain exudes a desolate, terrifying atmosphere that frightens at a glance.

The chicken‑stealing boy steps unevenly, deep then shallow, trudging painfully through muddy pits, yet he wipes rain from his face and laughs to himself, "It's perfect I have no lantern; this lightning comes just in time, the heavens really give me a break!"

At that moment, he vaguely sees two blurry figures in the distance rapidly approaching.

The chicken‑stealing boy immediately darts into roadside grass, crouching low.

"Strange, who would leave the city at this hour?"

"Could it be agents of the One‑Eyed Dragon after me? That shouldn't be… just a roasted chicken."

"At worst they'd go to my home to ask my father for money; why would they come after me?"

While pondering, the silhouettes appear before him in the flickering lightning.

Only then does he see clearly that they are the young man and woman who earlier mocked people at the roasted chicken shop entrance.

The chicken‑stealing boy smirks.

These two outsiders are probably a runaway pair of lovebirds, foolishly stripped of their money by little beggars, left without lodging, and unfamiliar with the area, they blundered out of the city.

Nevertheless, the two are kind‑hearted.

Seeing them pass, the chicken‑stealing boy leaps out, shouting, "Stop!"

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli are startled.

The chicken‑stealing boy, seeing this, bursts into laughter, "Hahaha! You two are really amusing!"

"Get out of the way," Xiao Qidi says, seeing the kid, scolding angrily.

The chicken‑stealing boy laughs, "You really are something, I just watched your little joke, why so angry? Too petty."

Xiao Qidi's face turns dark.

If it weren't for this kid's involvement, he and Jinli wouldn't have gotten into trouble.

"Forget it, don't argue with him, let's go quickly," Ning Jinli whispers, pulling Xiao Qidi's hand to continue on.

The two had just been running while discussing.

Find a relatively hidden spot, open a Spacetime Portal, and lay low for a while.

Although this drew unnecessary attention, it at least leaves a Time‑Space Gate within Ze Country, making subsequent actions much easier.

"Hey hey hey! Don't go that way!" the chicken‑stealing boy shouts urgently, "You're courting death, you two!"

Hearing this, Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli stop, asking what he means.

"It seems you both entered the city through the North Gate, unaware that the only road out of the county via the South Gate has been washed away by the river."

"Really?" Xiao Qidi frowns, looking skeptical.

The chicken‑stealing boy hums, "Anyway, I've warned you; if you insist on courting death, I won't stop you."

"I think this kid, though a bit reckless, doesn't seem bad," Ning Jinli whispers to Xiao Qidi, then asks the chicken‑stealing boy, "Do you know any nearby place we can shelter from the rain? Preferably something hidden."

The chicken‑stealing boy thinks briefly, noting the pair seem to have no wandering experience and are a kind‑hearted, ill‑fated runaway couple, sighs, "Sigh, it's lucky you met me. Follow me; I'll take you somewhere. Hurry up, I still have business to attend to."

Having said that, he walks toward the ruined temple.

Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli quickly follow.

In no time, the three arrive at the ruined temple.

The ruined temple is more than half collapsed, many spots leak rain, but it's still far better than outside.

At a glance, it looks abandoned for years, yet in a corner there are clear signs of human construction.

A few rotten planks support the walls, branches and leaves hang haphazardly, and a layer of dry straw lies beneath.

A short distance away, a small burning fire provides meager illumination.

"You skipped school and didn't dare go home, so you hide here?" Ning Jinli asks casually.

The chicken‑stealing youth said, "No, that's the shelter I set up for my friend. He's homeless and ill, and I'm about to go get medicine for him. You find a place here for yourselves, and keep an eye on my brother for me. I'll go first."

Ning Jingli called him back, "Wait. At a time like this, where will you get medicine? Even if there are clinics or pharmacies in the city, they're probably closed by now."

The chicken‑stealing youth scratched his head, chuckled, "Just steal some from a pharmacy."

Xiao Qidi narrowed his eyes, "Just as I thought, you only know how to steal."

Ning Jingli asked again, "What illness does your friend have?"

The chicken‑stealing youth shook his head, "I'm no doctor, how would I know? Anyway, just get some medicine and give it to him; it can't be wrong."

Ning Jingli said helplessly, "If you give the wrong medicine, it won't cure him and could even be fatal! Let me take a look, okay?"

The chicken‑stealing youth's face showed surprise, "Could it be that you actually know medicine?"

Xiao Qidi said coldly, "Do you want to save your friend or not?"

"Ah, of course I do! Quickly, help me take a look!" the chicken‑stealing youth hurriedly grabbed Ning Jingli's arm.

Xiao Qidi slapped his hand forward, "Don't touch her."

"Yes, yes, I won't touch her." The chicken‑stealing youth withdrew his hand, teasing, "Hey, you guy, you're pretty fierce."

The chicken‑stealing youth carefully moved aside some obstructions.

The skinny bamboo‑pole youth appeared before Ning Jingli and Xiao Qidi.

Seeing the thirteen‑ or fourteen‑year‑old boy with a pale face, closed eyes, and a frail body curled up, and recalling his homelessness, both felt a pang of sorrow.

Ning Jingli immediately examined his condition.

Xiao Qidi glanced at a half‑eaten roasted chicken nearby and understood; the wretched lad had stolen the chicken to feed his friend.

Stealing is wrong, but it's understandable.

He couldn't help but slightly revise his impression of the kid.

Ning Jingli discovered that the bamboo‑pole youth's outward symptoms resembled a high fever from inflammation; after pulling his clothes aside, she indeed found a wound on his leg.

It was already inflamed and suppurating.

When the pant leg was rolled up, a foul odor burst out.

"Don't you know he's injured?" Ning Jingli turned and asked.

The chicken‑stealing youth was stunned, "I didn't know. No wonder he's been walking with difficulty lately… I asked him and he said he was fine."

He saw the condition of the bamboo‑pole youth's leg and felt a chill run from head to toe.

"It's a carbuncle!"

Even a wealthy family, if infected, would have to spare no expense to find a doctor and medicine, and it would still be a matter of life and death.

For the poor… they can only wait for death!

The bamboo‑pole youth could barely open his eyes and said hoarsely, "Brother… you've taken too much burden for me… I… I don't want to make you… worry any more. I think, if I die, you'll… you'll be relieved."

The chicken‑stealing youth's nose twitched, his eyes reddened, and he scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting! You… you should have told me earlier!"

"I know… this disease can't be cured," the bamboo‑pole youth's voice grew weaker, "but I also know, even if you, brother, understand there's no cure, you'd still… would try everything for me… I… I don't want to keep you suffering… Brother, I just ate the roasted chicken, felt satisfied… to be a well‑fed dead man… that's enough, but I can't repay you in this life; in the next life… I'll be a beast of burden for you…"

The chicken‑stealing youth burst into tears, knelt, and grasped his hand, "I don't want you to make me a beast of burden! I just want you alive! You haven't taken revenge yet! How can you die!"

The bamboo‑pole youth was too weak to speak.

Seeing this, the chicken‑stealing youth despaired and, through tears, said, "Brother… you go ahead without worry; I'll avenge you for you!"

The bamboo‑pole youth immediately fell into a coma.

The chicken‑stealing youth instantly turned into a crying mess.

The two have no blood relation, yet their bond is moving.

Ning Jingli said softly, "Don't worry, he won't die."

"What?" the chicken‑stealing youth widened his eyes, a flash of joy crossing his face before dimming again, and he gave a wry smile, "Don't try to comfort me. I don't know medicine, but I've seen many people with carbuncles die; this is a terminal disease."

"I'm not a doctor either, but this kind of illness can be handled," Ning Jingli said while pulling a small box of emergency antibiotic tablets from her bosom.

The bundle that had held silver, clothing, and dried food was already divided among the little beggars, but the small amount of emergency medicine she kept on her person remained.

Now it comes in handy.

She took out a tablet, placed it in the bamboo‑pole youth's mouth, and pressed his lower jaw and throat to help him swallow.

The chicken‑stealing youth looked shocked, "What did you give him? And what's that weird box you just took out?"

Ning Jingli didn't have time to explain; she still needed to treat the wound, so she asked the chicken‑stealing youth, "Is there anything here that can boil water?"

The chicken‑stealing youth nodded, "There are a few cracked bowls that can be used to boil water."

"Alright, go fetch some clean rainwater and boil it; we'll need it later."

The chicken‑stealing youth, seeing Ning Jingli wasn't joking, added some firewood to the fire, took a cracked bowl, and went to the temple entrance to collect rainwater.

Ning Jingli sent him to do that simply to keep him occupied.

Then she had Xiao Qidi stand aside to watch the surroundings and also block the chicken‑stealing youth's view.

Next, Ning Jingli opened a Time‑Space Gate on the spot, linking its other end to the Time‑Space Gate inside a Yaowang Gu cave.

The next second, she and the comatose bamboo‑pole youth vanished from where they stood.

After bringing the patient to Yaowang Gu, she had Lian Qingbai treat the infected, suppurating wound on his leg.

Lian Qingbai, a divine physician of the Lian clan in Yaowang Gu, was already proficient with the modern medical tools Ning Jingli gave him, and quickly cleaned the ulcer completely.

When Ning Jingli returned to the ruined temple with the bamboo‑pole youth, the chicken‑stealing youth still hadn't boiled the water.

Ning Jingli shouted toward the figure by the fire, "Your friend's fine; come take a look."

The chicken‑stealing youth hurried over, saw his friend's face regain color and his breathing become strong—clear signs of improvement.

"Divine physician… so you really are a divine physician!" the chicken‑stealing youth knelt before Ning Jingli, "Divine physician sister, I bow to you; thank you for saving my brother's life!"

Ning Jingli held his arm, "Get up quickly; no need for that. You just mentioned revenge—what's that about?"

The chicken‑stealing youth's face showed resentment as he explained the details.

My brother's family originally lived beside a forest outside the city; ten years ago, a few chickens they kept ran into the woods, and his father went looking, only to run into the local bully Du Yan Long—oh, Du Yan Long is the same roasted‑chicken‑stall shopkeeper we met earlier.

Du Yan Long seized his family's chickens, claiming they were wild chickens he had caught, and refused to return them to his father; his father argued with reason, but was violently beaten by Du Yan Long, breaking a leg.

My brother's mother went to demand an explanation, but was beaten on the street by Du Yan Long's wife; she reported it to the authorities, but the County Officer said she was causing trouble, gave her twenty lashes and threw her into a cell, where she was locked up for half a month.

When she was released by the County Office, my brother's father had already died from his severe injuries… My brother's mother, in a fit of rage and lingering hatred, hanged herself to death…