Chapter 273: Worse Than Beasts

Chapter 273 Worse Than Dogs and Pigs

Meanwhile, Cheng Ge, holed up in a secluded farmhouse on the border of Wei County, was completely unaware of the close call that had just taken place in the Censorate.

He was leisurely sitting on a stone stool in the yard, crossing his legs, holding a frosted persimmon cake, munching away happily.

This persimmon cake was sun-dried by the farmer himself; the flesh was soft and honey-sweet, and the thick sugar coating sparkled in the sun, perfectly sweet.

Cheng Ge wolfed them down with pure joy, polishing off three in a row, and still craving more, he reached for a fourth.

But a big hand got there first, slamming down on the basket holding the persimmon cakes.

Wufeng looked at him expressionlessly, his voice flat: "Sir, you've already eaten three.

Before he left, the Emperor specifically told me to keep an eye on your diet and not let you overindulge, so you don't get phlegm and dampness inside."

Cheng Ge paused, looked up at Wufeng, his face screaming "I don't want to."

He licked his lips and tried to negotiate: "Wufeng, look, out here in the middle of nowhere, a little sugar boosts the mood..."

As he spoke, he quietly used his fingers to tug the basket toward himself.

Wufeng's hand didn't move an inch; instead, he yanked the basket closer, looking at him calmly, clearly not about to give in.

Seeing that negotiation was futile, Cheng Ge's eyes narrowed. Without a word, he suddenly opened his mouth wide.

In a flash, he used both hands to cram the last half of the persimmon cake into his mouth!

It was so fast and determined, like he was performing some sacred ritual.

Wufeng: "..."

Wufeng's hand, which had been halfway to confiscate the half persimmon cake, froze in mid-air.

Then, slowly, with a barely noticeable look of speechlessness, he withdrew it.

Cheng Ge's cheeks were bulging. He tilted his head back, craned his neck, and stared at Wufeng with wide eyes.

Then he began to chew frantically, his jaws moving, as if in silent protest against Wufeng's "tyranny."

Right in the middle of this "tense" standoff, the cloth curtain over the doorway was pushed aside, and Jiyue hurried out.

He immediately spotted Cheng Ge furiously chewing, then looked at Wufeng's hand covering the basket.

Jiyue's eye twitched, but he said nothing, reporting in a deep voice: "Boss, the man's awake."

Cheng Ge stopped chewing abruptly, and his bulging cheeks visibly deflated.

He struggled to swallow that huge mouthful of sweet persimmon cake, and because he swallowed too quickly, he had to thump his chest.

Then his face turned serious, and all his playfulness instantly vanished.

"Let's go! Let's check it out." He stood up, brushed off his robe, and led the way inside, with Wufeng and Jiyue immediately following.

The room was just as dim, filled with the strong smell of herbs and a faint hint of blood.

The man rescued from the mass grave lay on a wooden bed, his body wrapped in thick white bandages, with dark red blood seeping through in spots.

His face was gaunt, his cheeks sunken deep, and his eye sockets were dark and hollow.

He stared vacantly at the ceiling, as if his soul had already left, leaving just a body that barely breathed.

Beside him, the old doctor they'd called in was packing his medicine box, shaking his head at the sight.

The external injuries could be treated, but if his spirit was drained and his heart meridian damaged, medicine wouldn't help.

Cheng Ge frowned, walked to the bedside, and called softly: "Hey, brother? Can you hear me?"

The man on the bed showed no reaction, not even a movement of his eyes; only the faint rise and fall of his chest showed he was still alive.

Wufeng and Jiyue exchanged a glance. Cheng Ge was silent for a moment, then turned and walked to the table to pour a bowl of coarse tea.

He slowly sat on a low stool by the bed, white steam rising in the air.

The room was silent, except for the soft breathing of the few people and the faint sounds of the old doctor tidying his medicine box.

Suddenly, Cheng Ge spoke in a low voice: "Qingshi Town, Liuxi Village, Li Xiu'e."

These ordinary words were like a faint electric current, suddenly piercing the seemingly dead body on the bed!

The man's vacant pupils contracted sharply, and his eyes, which had been fixed, slowly turned toward Cheng Ge.

His dry, cracked lips began to tremble uncontrollably, and from his throat came a raspy sound like a broken bellows: "Heh... heh..."

He opened his mouth several times, trying, and finally squeezed out a hoarse, almost inaudible syllable from deep in his throat: "...You...?"

Just that one word seemed to use all his strength, followed by another bout of heavy panting.

A flash of understanding and gravity passed through Cheng Ge's eyes. He had guessed correctly!

He had previously asked Ling Feng to secretly review the files of missing persons in Wei County and surrounding areas in recent years.

Especially records of young and middle-aged men, and had drawn portraits based on family descriptions as much as possible.

After carefully cleaning the face of the man rescued from the mass grave, they compared it with those portraits one by one, spending considerable effort, and finally narrowed down the range.

They finally identified this young man from Liuxi Village named Li Tiezhu, and Li Xiu'e was his wife's name.

Cheng Ge did not directly answer his question; instead, he brought the water bowl to his lips.

He carefully fed him a small sip of water, watching him swallow greedily but weakly.

Then, Cheng Ge leaned down, his voice extremely low but with an undeniable force, saying word by word:

"Li Tiezhu, do you want to go back alive and see your wife?"

"Go home..." The man's unfocused gaze seemed to be burned by these two words, and he struggled to focus on Cheng Ge's face.

His thin Adam's apple moved up and down, and he forced out a voice from his dry throat: "You... who are you?"

Cheng Ge looked at the almost tangible wariness in his eyes, paused, and did not hide anything.

"I am an Imperial Inspector sent by the court, specifically to investigate corruption in Yuanzhou."

"Inspector... court... inspector..." Li Tiezhu repeated these words in a low voice, his eyes initially blank.

Then, as if recalling some extremely terrifying experience, the blankness was quickly replaced by a strong, unshakable hatred and despair.

He stared fixedly at Cheng Ge, his body trembling slightly, but still squeezed out a furious curse with blood-tinged spittle from between his teeth.

"You... you officials... are all... worse than... dogs and pigs! Cough, cough, cough..."

Cheng Ge: "..."