Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 144: Chapter 80 Yue Ye Returns Home

Atop the city tower, the leading guard spotted a lone rider galloping towards them from afar.

On the desolate street, only the sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance.

“Open the city gate, quick, open the city gate!” the leader shouted, banging on his spear, calling loudly to his subordinates below.

It was Lady Changsheng, in her striking red attire that was too eye-catching to mistake.

Gu Changsheng rode past the widely opened city gate, looked up at the leader, nodded slightly, and galloped away.

The leader sighed relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and shouted down again, “What are you dazing at, close the city gate! Be sharp, this gate hasn’t been opened like this before…”

Telling blatant lies without blushing, the leader felt it was untouchable, as everyone involved was a significant figure. He had to play the fool to keep his post…

On the main road outside the city, Gu Changsheng whipped his horse into a fast gallop, passing rows of green willows on either side, quickly leaving them behind…

The pain burning at her back constantly reminded her of everything she had endured that night.

She urgently needed to return home under Baili Mountain, to see if her son and family were safe…

“Why hasn’t my wife returned yet?” Uncle Song rubbed his hands while standing at the courtyard’s entrance, eyeing the row of guards lined up outside.

“Could something have gone wrong? My wife still carries injuries,” Xiao Cui worriedly added more oil to a lantern, nervously peering down the road leading to the entrance…

“Mother won’t be hurt, she’ll be back to put me to sleep shortly…” Little Meat Bun leaned against the door frame, his eyelids starting to fight each other, yet he still struggled to stay awake.

“I’ll go and reheat the supper, my wife must be hungry when she returns…” Dong Lei lifted his skirt hem and ran back into the courtyard.

Mounted on his horse, Gu Changsheng saw from afar the brightly hanging lantern at the small courtyard’s gate and below it, vague figures…

Warmth filled his heart, Gu Changsheng’s expression softened, with a swing of his riding crop, he headed towards the entrance.

“Wife! The wife is back!” Xiao Cui, with sharp eyes, called out loudly and rushed to meet her.

“Wife!”

“Mother!”

Everyone rushed forward anxiously, looking worriedly at the blood stains on Gu Changsheng…

“Wife, what happened to you? Are you injured again?” Xiao Cui frantically searched her mistress’s body whilst asking.

This night had been overwhelmingly terrifying; her heart was still pounding…

“It’s alright, it’s someone else’s blood.” Gu Changsheng’s footsteps faltered as she dismounted, looked towards the small figure among them, her gaze darkened, and she walked over, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

Her son was only four years old, yet he had witnessed such violence alongside her. She was truly worried that it would frighten him, causing him to fear her, who was forced to kill relentlessly…

“Mother hasn’t come back yet, I am waiting for you to put me to sleep…” Little Meat Bun looked up, grabbing the blood-stained skirt of Gu Changsheng, his chubby hands instantly tainted with a dark red hue.

Gu Changsheng, enduring the pain on her back, slowly bent down, raised her hand to touch her son’s head gently, her face showing a trace of uncertainty, “Aren’t you afraid? Your mother’s hands are stained with countless blood, bearing the lives of numerous people…”

Aren’t you afraid? Even she herself was a bit scared… She didn’t want to kill people, nor wanted to see people die before her eyes. However, if she didn’t kill, others would kill her. How was she expected to sit idle and let others slaughter her family?

Aren’t you all afraid?

Gu Changsheng looked around silently adding in her mind…

The winding trail of blood on the halfway road was still before her eyes. Aren’t you really afraid of me?

“Mother, didn’t you say, ‘If someone respects me a foot, I respect them a yard’, similarly, ‘If someone hurts me a bit, I retaliate tenfold’?” Little Meat Bun lifted his head, his little fingers twisted as his large eyes gleamed up at his mother, “They hurt you, they hurt Auntie Qiu, they are bad people, and you retaliated tenfold against them, which was mighty impressive…”

“Exactly, wife, what are you pondering? They are all assassins, burdened with countless lives. What you did was an act of justice, eliminating threats on behalf of the government!” Xiao Cui ineffectively tried to wipe the blood off Gu Changsheng, speaking indignantly, “They nearly took the life of the Young Master! If not for Sister Qiu, the Young Master wouldn’t be this lively and jumping around…”

A fierce look crossed Gu Changsheng’s face, she brought Little Meat Bun into her embrace, speaking coldly, “Indeed, they nearly took my son’s life; it’s one thing to hurt me, but they almost harmed Gu Ze! They all deserve death!”

“Mother…” Little Meat Bun wriggled in Gu Changsheng’s embrace, pouting his lips in protest, “Mother, you are so dirty, rubbing all over me, I have to wash clothes again tomorrow, it’s so tiring…”

Mother must be doing this on purpose, wuwu… he really hates washing clothes!

“Hehe…” Gu Changsheng, upon hearing this, laughed out loud.

They are all here, just like before. How wonderful! It truly is marvelous!

“Lady Changsheng, stop staring in front of the door. Xiao Leizi has already warmed the food. You’ve been injured and frightened; eating something and resting well is the main thing right now,” Uncle Song spoke as he led the way inside.

“Yes, Lady Changsheng, red dates with job’s tears porridge, longan and lotus seed soup, and donkey-hide gelatin cake. Xiao Leizi has made them not only delicious but nutritious. Let’s hurry inside.” Xiao Cui took Little Meat Bun from his mother’s arms, holding him in her own. Lady Changsheng’s body still bore injuries, so she mustn’t hold the Young Master anymore!

“Alright!” Gu Changsheng hooked a smile and slowly stood up to follow them into the courtyard.

Just as he was about to join his family, the sight of the sternly vigilant guards outside the courtyard made Gu Changsheng pause and turn to them, “You all may stand down now.”

“But what about the safety of the lady?” A guard stepped forward, his eyes showing concern…

With Lady Changsheng’s incident, they could hardly be excused. When the Commandery Prince returned, they faced unknown punishments, and if they left now and Lady Changsheng encountered more trouble, they feared even ten heads wouldn’t suffice for the Commandery Prince to kick around like polo balls…

“In that case… the guards from the guesthouse are enough to stay. With so many of you here, you might frighten the villagers again!” Gu Changsheng thought briefly and made a decision.

The crowd exchanged looks and finally nodded in agreement.

“As such, the rest fall back to the guesthouse at the foot of the mountain. If there’s any disturbance, you can rush here at a moment’s notice!” the lead guard bowed resolutely.

Gu Changsheng nodded and dropped a sentence, “Such is better,” before heading into the courtyard.

The leader of the Dark Camp guards, having pulled aside the head of the guesthouse guards, sternly reiterated his instructions, rather concerned about their capabilities.

“How dare they look down on me. The Dark Camp thinks they’re so great—well, I’ve killed people too!” The remaining head of the guesthouse guards, named Lau Mang, watched as the Dark Camp men disappeared from sight and then grumbled, “Really looking down on people. Men, guard this courtyard well. Make sure not even a fly crosses. Don’t let there be any slip-ups; we can’t let them belittle us!”

“Yes!” Dozens of guards, still surging with adrenaline from recent combat, responded in unison.

“People need face, like trees need bark. For our pride’s sake, let’s do this job well. If we gain Lady Changsheng’s favor, perhaps we won’t be considered worse than those Elite Guards…” Lau Mang stared admiringly through the door.

Lady Changsheng, single-handedly withstanding over a hundred men and claiming the lives of more than seventy—truly a match for a thousand. If they could receive her guidance, they would not have to die old in the guesthouse as mere head guards!

A true man sheds his blood on the battlefield, dying with honor—that is the mark of a hero. They really no longer wanted to be just foot soldiers!

Gu Changsheng was unaware of these plans, for she was currently holding a bowl of blood-nourishing donkey-hide gelatin porridge, feeding it bit by bit to Han Qiu.

Seeing Han Qiu’s pale face and closed eyes, Gu Changsheng felt her heart clench!

Though master and servant by name, she had merely spent fifty Silver to purchase their siblings. Originally orphans from a general’s family, bearing the burden of family continuity, yet in a moment of desperation, she had thrown herself in front of her son to block a lethal arrow!

This kindness, Gu Changsheng had noted!

“Han Qiu, you must recover quickly, otherwise, I’ll ruthlessly torment your brother, using him like a mule…”

“Lady Changsheng, Sister Qiu is already in this state, and you’re still scaring her…” Xiao Cui muttered discontentedly from the side.

Lady Changsheng, just always picking on them…

“Alright, let’s also go have something to eat,” Gu Changsheng said slowly after glancing at the few worried people outside the door.

After gazing at Han Qiu twice and making sure she was alright, Gu Changsheng then led everyone into the neighboring room.

The dining room had been blown up leaving a large hole and hadn’t been repaired yet, so they had to switch to another room for the meal.

At the dining table, everyone took their seats in turn.

Xiao Cui and Xiao Leizi set up the bowls and chopsticks, and then sat down to start eating.

“Lady Changsheng, why did you lead so many people into the city?” Xiao Cui, thinking of the bloodied clothes her lady had changed out of, held back but couldn’t suppress her curiosity and finally voiced her question.

“Revenge,” Gu Changsheng grabbed a bite of green vegetables, chewed for a moment, and replied succinctly.

“Revenge?” Xiao Cui, holding a spoonful of porridge, looked puzzled towards Gu Changsheng. Weren’t all the assassins left without a single survivor, all dead?

“Yes, every debt has its debtor. How could I let go of the person who sent those assassins?”

“So?” Dong Lei stuffed a meat roll into Little Meat Bun’s mouth and looked at his wife.

“So, I very unfriendly greeted his entire family.” She would’ve slaughtered his entire household, Gu Changsheng added silently in her mind.

“Oh…” Little Meat Bun nodded sympathetically, “The person must have suffered terribly, mom, did you beat him so his parents couldn’t recognize him?”

“No…” Gu Changsheng looked up at her son and raised her eyebrows, “I made it so that no one in the world could recognize them.”

How could she be so generous as to let it go with just a beating?