NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1592: Regrets (4)
Yang Ruban was the least concerned about Yang Baihe running away from home. He held some contempt for her, thinking she was foolish to abandon her comfortable life as the niece of a scholar to endure hardships outside.
"Whoever wants to search for her can go ahead—I won't bother. If she doesn't want to come back, then don't come back. It'd be even better if she died out there; that way the good food at home wouldn't all end up in her mouth."
Three days later, Gu Yuan returned in the evening to report that the two herbalists had regained consciousness.
When Yang Ruxin arrived, the two men were drinking porridge. After sleeping for three days, the black aura around them had significantly diminished. However, they both looked alarmingly thin, almost like skeletons—if not for their breathing, they could be mistaken for corpses.
Upon seeing Yang Ruxin, the two men hurriedly knelt before her. Aside from expressing gratitude for her rescue, they also revealed lingering wishes yet unfulfilled.
Both men hailed from Shoushan Town and had originally been cousins. While traveling together for work, they'd been captured, and from then on, everything became muddled. Both had parents, wives, and children back home, and they fervently wished to return and see their families. If they could confirm their loved ones were well, they could accept death without regrets.
Shoushan Town was situated in Jizhou, which corresponded to the northeastern region in modern times. Though connected to Changhuai State, the journey would be anything but short.
"For now, focus on recuperating. I'll send people to locate your families." Yang Ruxin nodded. "However, you must recount everything you've been through. Whatever you can remember, no matter how minor—tell me."
Delighted by her offer, the two men began sharing all the fragments of their memories. Initially, it seemed like there wasn't anything valuable among their recollections, but one detail caught Yang Ruxin's attention—it was the symbol they had seen on those people: a flame-shaped emblem.
The Flame Sect's emblem was indeed a flame.
However, Yang Ruxin had noticed that the Sun Cult's symbol from Wa Country also resembled a flame. She had compared the two before. Although similar, they had distinct features. Both were mountain-like shapes with three lobes—higher in the middle and lower on the sides—but the hollow space in the middle differed. One was heart-shaped, while the other was crescent-shaped.
Unfortunately, neither of the men had noticed the exact hollow shape of the symbol they encountered.
Either way, it didn't matter much—both sects were undoubtedly shady.
The Sun Cult's headquarters were located in Wa Country, making it inaccessible for now. However, the Flame Sect was local, so Yang Ruxin quickly sent word to Du Man, asking him to investigate the Flame Sect. Meanwhile, she instructed Gu Yuan to head to Shoushan Town.
During her first couple of days away from home, Yang Baihe lived quite comfortably. With Silver in hand, she bought whatever food she wanted without a second thought. But by the third day, her mood soured, realizing that Silver had somehow vanished without her noticing.
No money meant no food—she had to endure hunger.
She barely managed to survive one day locked inside her room. On the fourth day, unable to endure any longer, she pawned the silver bracelet she had been wearing and bought herself a roasted chicken.
Yang Ruxin and Yang Peili arrived to find Yang Baihe gnawing voraciously, holding the roasted chicken in one hand and a drumstick in the other.
Yang Peili's anger flared at the sight of his youngest daughter with her mouth greasy from overeating. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and struck her with a resounding slap.
Yang Ruxin smirked coldly, her lips curling in mockery.
Yang Baihe was stunned by the blow, not to mention the roasted chicken in her hand, which fell to the ground. Furious, she shouted, "Father, what are you doing? You owe me a roasted chicken!"