Urban Martial Saint

Ye Qing followed Zou Huanglong and the others back to the city. Zou Huanglong immediately arranged to buy Ye Qing a plane ticket to Changshui City, but Ye Qing stopped him.

Ye Qing had learned about five other places cultivating living corpses from the female sorceress. He wanted to rush to these places first to save the children. As for the mercenary issue, it could be put off for a bit; the most crucial thing was to stop these sorcerers first.

Zou Huanglong directly bought tickets for Ye Qing to these five places. By noon, Ye Qing, along with Ding Lianshun Yin Xianzi, had boarded a plane departing Shangang City, heading straight to the first place cultivating living corpses.

According to the female sorceress, this place was in a small mountain village nearby. Ye Qing and the others reached the nearby town without directly entering the village.

Having previously dealt with the Blood Dragon Couple in Shangang City, Ye Qing had gained some experience. Dealing with these sorcerers isn’t easy; there’re bound to be casualties. Ye Qing working here must have military assistance to handle the aftermath; otherwise, even if the sorcerers are taken care of, he might get arrested by the police afterward, which would be troublesome.

Fortunately, Ye Qing had credentials from the State Security Department. Moreover, having handled two batches of mercenaries before, the State Security Department now fully trusted him and granted him more authority.

Ye Qing naturally didn’t involve the Camp Commander in this affair; he merely asked the military to inform the police not to interfere in matters concerning the sorcerer. Then, he and Yin Xianzi, along with Ding Lianshun, headed straight to the small village.

In the town, Ye Qing learned that indeed a child in the small village had contracted a strange illness, identical to the one Little Xie Couple’s child had. So, upon reaching the village, they easily located the household.

Compared to Xiao Xie’s family, this one was worse off, living in an old, rundown house. Besides having no money for treatment, the child’s huge appetite was an unbearable burden for the family.

When Ye Qing and the others arrived, the woman of the house was steaming buns in the kitchen, while a gaunt man sat in the doorway smoking a pipe. Judging from his furrowed brows, the issue was weighing heavily on him.

”What you’re saying isn’t right. A child is still a child; so what if they eat a bit more? If they eat more, we’ll work harder, but at all costs, we can’t starve them!” The man puffed his pipe, rebuking the woman steaming buns, ”Even if we eat up everything at home, so what? I’ll sell my blood if I have to, but I’ll raise the child. What kind of parents would abandon their child?”

”I... I care about the child too, but look at how things are at home...” The woman cried as she kneaded the dough. ”The remaining flour barely lasts three days, and it’s not just one child; there’s the Eldest Brother and Third Brother. Can you watch Third Brother starve?”

Ye Qing, listening at the door, felt a tug at his heart. The situation for Xiao Xie’s family was better; they had money and could afford hospital visits and food for the child. But for this family, even meals were an issue. The child’s large appetite was overwhelming, let alone affording treatment.

”That sorcerer has a thick skull, picking such a family for cultivating a living corpse! It’s self-defeating!” Ding Lianshun muttered under his breath, ”They can’t even afford food, let alone a living corpse. The child might starve first!”

Since their collaborative effort against the Blood Dragon Couple in Shangang City, the three had slightly eased their tensions. Though past grievances lingered, Ye Qing no longer had to guard against the other two, as they sincerely intended to aid him, planning to deplete all of Ye Qing’s good fortune per Heavenly Master Lin Xuan Yue’s orders.

Yin Xianzi sighed, ”Poverty steals a person’s dignity and cheapens life.”

”Life is priceless!” Ye Qing retorted. ”Be you rich, powerful, or have nothing—life holds no hierarchy!”

Yin Xianzi glanced at Ye Qing, smiling. ”You are stubborn, but I admire that trait.”

Ding Lianshun eyed Yin Xianzi, ”Come on, show some restraint, you’re in your sixties.”

Yin Xianzi shot him a glare, ”Out of a dog’s mouth, no ivory!”

Ding Lianshun chuckled without retort. As the Left and Right Protectors of the Twelve Green Halls, their camaraderie ran deep.

Ye Qing grinned; spending days with these two had softened their rivalry. Despite clashing allegiances, their personalities suited him. They might’ve been friends, had their allegiances aligned.

”All right, let’s head inside.” Ye Qing led the way, nearing the kitchen when the couple noticed them.

”Who...?” The man looked at them in surprise. He had never met Ye Qing nor understood why they were here.

”Hello, we’re doctors from the city.” Ye Qing approached them, ”We heard your son is ill, and these are city experts. We’re here specifically to treat your son!”

”What?” The man looked bewildered, glancing at Yin Xianzi and Ding Lianshun, ”But... we didn’t call any doctors?”

”We’re volunteering,” Ye Qing assured, inquiring about their son’s whereabouts next.

”Oh, he’s... inside...” The man began, but his wife anxiously cut him off, ”Niu San, how can we afford doctors?”

The man was rendered speechless, his wife’s words a stark reminder of their reality.

”Sister-in-law, there’s a misunderstanding!” Ye Qing reassured, ”We’re offering free medical care.”

Both were momentarily stunned before joy overwhelmed them, eagerly ushering Ye Qing and the others inside.

The house was dilapidated, conditions poor. Inside, a faint stench similar to that at Xiao Xie’s lingered, confirming their findings.

Inside, they saw a four- or five-year-old boy gnawing a large bunch of radishes. Beside him were two crates full of radishes and three empty ones, showing he had eaten them.

During the brief entry, the child had devoured a large one and was onto the next—his speed and appetite prodigious. Despite eating so much, his appearance was still emaciated, nutritional deficiency evident.

Observing this, Ye Qing and the two others exchanged a knowing nod; the child suffered just like Xiao Xie’s son, no doubt a cultivated living corpse.

Niu San, edging near Ye Qing, unable to hold back, cautiously asked, ”Doctor, what is this illness? For half a month, he’s unbearably hungry... Our stock’s depleted; a village doctor said it’s incurable. Is he truly beyond help?”

”Rest assured, brother!” Ye Qing nodded, ”We understand his condition. It isn’t incurable, but we’ll need a night to treat him. We’ll stay tonight, and by morning, your son will be well.”

”Really!?” Niu San, beaming, glanced at his wife, asking nervously, ”Doctor, will you need any medication?”

Trembling, knowing they couldn’t afford costly drugs, his voice trembled.

”No, that’s unnecessary.” Ye Qing assured, ”This condition resolves through physical therapy, no medication necessary.”

The couple was ecstatic, bodies trembling with emotion. They’d feared losing their son until the unexpected arrival of three benevolent souls offered free treatment without medication, making them believe their luck must’ve changed.