238: Fifth Incarnation: Heavenly Physician (30)

"It was the 'Taiping Medical Team' that saved us!"

"Young Brother Su was sent by the heavens to save us from suffering!"

"The government doesn't care if we live or die; only Young Brother Su led everyone to save ourselves!"

"He's right—if Heaven won't help us, we must help ourselves! Only by following the 'Taiping Medical Team' can we survive!"

"..."

Gratitude, worship, and the excitement of surviving a desperate situation surged in the survivors' chests, mixed with resentment and complete disappointment toward the government.

It was unknown who was the first, but a voice trembling with awe cried out the title born from despair:

"Grand Teacher of Great Peace!"

"Young Brother Su is the Grand Teacher of Great Peace!"

"Grand Teacher of Great Peace, save our lives!"

The shout was weak at first, but it soon gathered into a wave, echoing through the surviving streets and alleys, penetrating the haze of the plague and the government's blockade, soaring straight into the clouds.

Xu Yuan stood in 'Rat Alley,' which was filled with the scent of medicine and mugwort smoke. Listening to the increasingly loud shouts saturated with complex emotions, his face showed neither joy nor sorrow.

He knew that once this title was put on, it could never be taken off.

It meant deeper responsibility, a more prominent target, and... greater danger.

But this was also one of the opportunities he had been waiting for.

The 'Taiping Medical Team' had moved from the underground to being semi-public; the 'Grand Teacher of Great Peace' had shifted from a neighborhood nickname to a symbol of faith. The grassroots he had sown were finally breaking through the soil, revealing a resilient strength sufficient to make anyone take notice.

The cries of 'Grand Teacher of Great Peace' spread like a prairie fire from 'Rat Alley' to the East City and South City, passed and fermented in the mouths of countless poor survivors.

The gratitude and reverence contained in these voices were hope for the struggling commoners, but for the rulers perched high in the temples, it was no less than a loud slap in the face, a sharp thorn.

The dark clouds of the plague had not yet fully dispersed, but another chill was already quietly approaching.

The government's blockades and body burnings had failed to extinguish the plague; instead, they had driven panic and resentment deep into the bones of the people. The effective self-rescue of 'Rat Alley' and several surrounding areas under the organization of the 'Taiping Medical Team'—especially the astonishingly low mortality rate—formed the most stinging irony of the imperial court's incompetence.

Countless poor survivors and displaced people regarded Xu Yuan as the only light in the darkness, the hope for survival, and a vague symbol of 'Heaven's Will.'

This rising prestige and influence finally touched the most sensitive nerve of the ruling class.

In the back hall of the county yamen, candlelight flickered. County Magistrate Wang Youdao's face was so dark it could drip ink. Sitting below him were Clerk Zhou, whose expression was equally unsightly, and several low-ranking officers from the local garrison.

"Deluding the public with evil words! Gathering crowds to cause trouble!"

Magistrate Wang slammed a rough intelligence report onto the table. "What 'Taiping Medical Team'? What 'Grand Teacher of Great Peace'? This is clearly using the plague as an excuse to stir up trouble and plot mischief! What are those ignorant fools doing shouting 'Heaven won't help us, people must help themselves'? What do they want to do?! Huh?!"

Clerk Zhou already held a grudge against that Su Yuan from 'Rat Alley' because of the previous incident with 'Young Master Wang.' At this moment, he added fuel to the fire: "Your Honor is wise! I have long noticed that this boy is problematic."

"Not only does he incite the unruly commoners to resist the law, but he also privately established a medical team to win over the people's hearts. Now he even dares to overstep his bounds by calling himself a 'Teacher.' His intentions are damnable!"

"If he is allowed to grow stronger, I fear he will become a major threat!"

A bearded squad leader said gruffly, "It's just a bunch of peasants shouting. Dispatch a squad of soldiers, charge straight into 'Rat Alley,' lock that kid up, and chop his head off in public. Let's see who dares to make noise then!"

"No!"

Another slightly older patrol leader shook his head. "The people's hearts are currently unstable, and the plague has slowed but not disappeared. If we use force to suppress them and incite a riot, there are hundreds of thousands of refugees inside and outside the city. Once they revolt, how will we handle it? Besides... this boy's prestige is quite high now. If we kill him without a definite major crime, we risk losing the people's support. If this is exploited by someone with ulterior motives and reaches the Emperor's ears..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Magistrate Wang paced irritably.

How could he not want to cut the Gordian knot?

But as the patrol leader said, the situation was delicate.

The court's mishandling of the plague had already sparked dissatisfaction among the upper echelons. If a large-scale peasant uprising broke out, his official position would certainly be lost.

But if left alone, the title of 'Grand Teacher of Great Peace' would grow louder and louder, and it would be a disaster sooner or later.

"Politeness before force!"

Magistrate Wang finally made up his mind, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. "Clerk Zhou, take my official order and a team of runners to 'invite' that Young Brother Su to the county yamen for a talk. Say that I appreciate his medical skills and benevolent heart, and wish to hire him as a 'Medical Official' to serve the government's epidemic prevention efforts. If he is sensible, we will stabilize him first and deal with him gradually."

"If he doesn't appreciate the gesture..."

Magistrate Wang snorted coldly. "Then he's refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit! Charges of inciting civil unrest and deluding the public can be applied at any time! When that happens, we will send troops to suppress him with full justification!"

"Your Honor's insight is profound!" Clerk Zhou's spirits lifted as he accepted the order and left.

Clerk Zhou's movements were captured by the eyes and ears planted by Xiao Qi almost at the same time, and the news was sent back to 'Rat Alley' at the fastest speed.

Xu Yuan was guiding A Niu and the others in organizing the few remaining medicinal materials. Hearing this, his expression remained unchanged, only a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes. "Finally, they've come."

"Young Brother Su, what should we do? That corrupt official definitely has no good intentions!" A Niu clenched his fists, and Aunt Zhang, Blacksmith Li, and the others nearby also showed grief and indignation.

"Hiding is not the way, and resisting head-on is not the best strategy," Xu Yuan said calmly. "Since they want to 'invite' us, we will make it so they cannot 'invite' us."

"Young Brother Su, you mean...?"

"It is time to let the 'grass' grow taller and the 'fire' burn brighter." Xu Yuan looked toward the direction outside the city. "Notify all the brothers we can contact, as well as those trustworthy neighbors who have received our kindness. Tomorrow at the Hour of Si, at Wild Wind Slope west of the city."

"What are we going there for?"

"To hear the 'Grand Teacher of Great Peace' preach the Dao."

Wild Wind Slope, west of the city, was a desolate area of earthen mounds far from the official roads. Usually, only cowherds and scavengers visited.

However, before the Hour of Si the next day, the slope was already packed with a dense crowd of people.

There were poor people from 'Rat Alley' and other places, craftsmen and refugees who had traveled from East City and South City after hearing the news, and even some low-level military families, night watchmen, and laborers who stood watching from a distance with complex expressions.

There were no fewer than several thousand people. It was silent, with only the whistling of the wind through the wild grass and the suppressed breathing within the crowd.

Clerk Zhou led twenty or thirty yamen runners and aggressively descended upon 'Rat Alley,' only to find it empty.

By the time they received word and rushed to Wild Wind Slope, they saw this silent and heavy sea of people. The runners were intimidated by the silent stares and the sheer number of people, and for a moment, they did not dare to step forward.

Xu Yuan stood on a slightly elevated earthen platform. He was still wearing the same washed-out coarse cloth clothes; his figure was thin, but his back was as straight as a pine tree.

His voice was not loud, but it strangely used the wind to carry clearly into the ears of many in the front rows, and then spread further back through word of mouth.

"Fellow villagers and elders," he began, without pleasantries, going straight to the core. "I have called everyone to this desolate place today for no other reason than that in this bright world and glorious capital, there is no longer a single inch of land where we humble commoners can peacefully hear a word of truth!"

With one sentence, he stirred up the pent-up frustration in the hearts of the thousands of people present.