Chapter 4

Yiliang County Magistrate Jiang Yuji was at a loss. He couldn't afford to offend the Yang family. Since the matter had already come to light, he decided to take this Lord Ding to see the outcome.

Jiang Yuji led the way, with Ding Baojun following behind. They quickly made their way to Jiang Yuji's residence in the back of the county office. Upon entering the house, they saw Yang Meng, who was lying on the bed, wailing. Ding Baojun's face instantly turned as cold as iron.

"Who did this?"

Yang Meng, the third son of the Yang family, was the apple of his eldest brother Yang Shiqin's eye. If Yiliang County didn't give an explanation, it would be impossible to get away with it.

"A few ruffians from Tuchiao Village are already in prison. These ruffians mistook Third Master for a human trafficker."

Covering up for the imperial court was common, but covering up for the Yang family was asking for death. Not to mention, with the Yang family's influence, they could easily get rid of a county magistrate or a provincial governor, as long as the methods were discreet and some silver was spent. Moreover, the head of the Yang family also held the title of Commander of the Yunnan Militia.

"Where are they? Bring them out, I want to question them."

Jiang Yuji's words couldn't be entirely trusted, but they couldn't be completely dismissed either. Although Yang Meng often got injured, it was usually from hunting in the mountains. Being beaten up like this was unprecedented. If he couldn't protect this Third Master, he wouldn't know how to explain it to his elder brother.

"Lord Ding, should we go to the prison, or..."

"Bring them here, I don't trust Third Master's safety there!"

Ding Baojun said coldly. If Yang Meng was fine, it would be one thing, but if not, Jiang Yuji would be the first to lose his life.

Jiang Yuji, drenched in cold sweat, personally went to the county prison. Since he took office, he had never been there. This time, he considered it a stroke of bad luck.

More than twenty poor men, shackled with handcuffs and leg irons, stumbled their way to the back of the county office. Ding Baojun had already set up a table and chairs outside Yang Meng's room, and a dozen men armed with broadswords stood in the courtyard. Once the culprit was found, they would be executed.

"Who did this?"

Ding Baojun's question stunned the poor men. Who would have thought that a human trafficker could have such great influence? They had originally intended to help the county magistrate find the people who had been taken from their village, but instead, they ended up in prison.

"I did it. He took my sister, and I couldn't get justice."

Seeing the situation, Ma Qinghu was also taken aback. He never imagined that the human trafficker would have connections with the government. To protect the villagers, he stepped forward.

"He took your sister? Do you know who you hit?"

Ding Baojun was amused by this. Yang Meng, the third son, kidnapping people? If he did, his elder brother would be burning incense at home to thank the gods.

Ding Baojun's question left the men from Tuchiao Village speechless. They had come together because their family members had been taken in recent months. They had intended to find their loved ones, but instead, they ended up in trouble.

"Have you heard of Yang Sanlang from Kunming County? If he kidnaps people, go tell the whole of Yunnan and see who will believe you."

Yang Meng was born with a mental disability. He only knew how to practice martial arts and hunt, and he couldn't even speak clearly. The idea of him kidnapping people was laughable.

"Yang family of Kunming!"

Ma Qinghu was now terrified. There was only one Yang family in Kunming, in Yunnan, and in the entire province. He had beaten the famous but mentally challenged Yang Meng? This would not only bring disaster to himself but also to the entire Tuchiao Village.

Outside the room, the atmosphere was tense. Inside, Mo San was gradually regaining consciousness. He realized he had possessed this body, and the person he possessed was likely not very intelligent. He didn't even know his own name, but he could tell that he was the third son in the family.

Liu Yitie, seeing Yang Sanlang improving, slowly approached with a bottle of old wine, still cautious after the kick he had received.

"What kind of wine is this?"

Mo San didn't know where he was. It was the 25th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. He felt like he was living in reverse, but from the way these people treated him, his status seemed to be quite high. He knew little about the Qing Dynasty, mostly from TV and movies, and some hearsay. He needed to be cautious.

"Village-brewed old wine."

Yang Sanlang wasn't a smart person, and Liu Yitie, a doctor, knew that less talk meant fewer mistakes.

"Bring it here, let me taste it."

Mo San was cautious about treating his injuries. Yunnan and the Golden Triangle were similar, hot and humid places. He didn't want to be treated by an incompetent doctor and risk infection. He had once been careless and ended up with an infected wound, which led him to use drugs for pain relief.

He took a sip of the old wine. Although the taste wasn't great, the alcohol content was high, which should be sufficient for treating wounds.

"Come on, be careful!"

The doctor's hands were yellow and dirty, which made Mo San nervous. Wounds should not be treated carelessly.

"Third Master, please bear with it!"

Liu Yitie didn't hesitate, using the old wine to clean the wound. He was also scared, knowing that if anything happened to this man, he would be in trouble.

The old wine stung the wound, making Mo San shiver. His scalp was also itchy, so he decided to have it washed as well.

"Bring more wine, and wash my head too."

"Enough, Third Master, please bear with it!"

Blood and mud mixed with his oily hair and fell into the copper basin. Mo San began to ask about his background. He lived in Kunming, had a high status, and a mental disability. Others didn't dare to provoke him, so he was likely a bully or a second-generation rich kid.

"Where is my home, and what is my name?"

"Third Master's name is Yang Meng, and he is the third son of the Yang family in Yunnan."

Liu Yitie cleaned Mo San's wound while explaining. Yang Meng was known to be mentally challenged, but his speech was somewhat coherent, not like a fool.

After treating the wound, Liu Yitie used the old wine and medicine. The wound was significant, and he needed to use his best skills.

"What are those in your hands?"

Seeing the yellow and dirty substances, Mo San was nervous. He didn't want to risk infection. With his current condition, it would be better to let the wound heal naturally.

"Golden wound medicine. This is my secret bao dan. After applying it, Third Master's wound will heal in ten to eight days."

Bao dan was a good medicine for treating wounds. Liu Yitie had learned it from a wandering Taoist, and it was effective for stopping bleeding and healing wounds.

"Let me see it."

Secret medicine? Mo San was skeptical and wanted to see it first.

Liu Yitie sprinkled a bit of the medicine on Mo San's nose. Mo San was relieved. It was just Yunnan Baiyao, a good medicine.

"Yunnan Baiyao?"

"Not white medicine, but red medicine, specifically for sword and knife wounds."

Liu Yitie was dismissive, as he couldn't explain it to a mentally challenged person. His reputation largely came from this bao dan. If not for Yang Sanlang's high status, he wouldn't use it casually. He hoped to turn the formula into a family secret.

After applying the medicine to the back of Mo San's head, Liu Yitie dissolved a bao dan in warm water and gave it to Mo San to drink.

"Third Master, the wound on your head is not serious. I will check for any other external injuries."

Yang Meng's body was covered in mud, making it hard to see any injuries. But Liu Yitie, an experienced doctor, could tell that Mo San's main injury was on his head. Any other injuries were minor.

"Alright! Those bastards beat me up all the way. When I recover, I'll find them and have a talk. What did I do to them?"

Yang Meng remembered the incident. He had encountered a pair of black bears in the mountains and was chased for half a day. As soon as he left the forest, he was knocked down. It was a wrongful beating.

Mo San was gradually adapting to the role of Yang Meng. Possession was hard to explain, so he decided to act tough.

Yang Meng's clothes were high-quality, with a silk jacket and iron-studded boots. The mud had ruined them. This outfit was not suitable for hunting, except for the boots.

Yang Meng took off his clothes, revealing a well-built body. His physical condition was excellent, but his mental state was poor.

Liu Yitie, while muttering to himself, carefully examined Yang Meng. He likely practiced external martial arts, but not to a high level. His clothes were covered in footprints, but his body had no bruises.

"Third Master, you have no other injuries. Eat light food for a few days and avoid alcohol and meat."

After finishing his work, Liu Yitie prepared to leave. Yang Meng was a troublemaker, and being close to him meant trouble.

"Give me some of your bao dan."

Yunnan Baiyao was a good medicine for treating wounds. Mo San, being new, wanted to have some on hand.

"This..."

Liu Yitie hesitated. The bao dan was his secret weapon, used only in emergencies. But Yang Meng was someone he couldn't afford to offend. If he didn't give it, he would have a hard time.

"Buy it from me. Check your clothes for money and take what you need."

Liu Yitie didn't dare to take money. Reluctantly, he took out a porcelain bottle containing about a dozen small pills, his bao dan.

"No need for money. This is all the bao dan I have."

Money? He needed to leave quickly. The longer he stayed, the more trouble he would have. Lord Ding from Kunming was here, and who knew what trouble this mentally challenged bully would cause.

"Is this the only one you have?"

Mo San was cautious. This medicine seemed to be a secret formula, and it might be useful in the future.

"If Third Master wants more, come to Yiliang County. Your injuries are not serious, just rest. I will take my leave."

Liu Yitie didn't want to linger. He packed his things, apologized to the county clerk, and hurriedly left.

---

End of the chapter.