Chapter 376: Chapter 204: Reactions from All Sides
Translator: 549690339
Dayu County, a graveyard outside the city.
“Father, Ping’er, I have avenged you, now you can rest in peace.”
Zhou Qing knelt in front of the graves, looking at the two tombstones, and couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Lu Yuan, who was watching from the side, also felt a wave of sadness.
After he and Zhou Qing had fled from Dayu County back then, things did not go as planned, and the bloody incident at Zhou’s Medical Clinic was exposed.
The Iron Sword Sect did not trace the incident to Zhou’s Clinic, nor was their killing of Iron Sword Sect disciple Guan Yunfei exposed.
Instead, the disappearance of the Zhou family caused much concern in the city.
However, when Zhou Qing left back then, he used the excuse that he had gone for treatment, thus many eyewitnesses in the city only thought that there was some delay in his treatment and therefore he could not return.
It was Zhou Qing’s father-in-law, a scholar and Ping’er’s father, who made several inquiries about Zhou Qing’s whereabouts but to no avail.
After waiting for a few years, Lu Yuan sought Zhou Qing’s consent before returning to transfer Doctor Zhou and Ping’er’s remains to a grave outside the city.
As for Zhou’s Clinic, it was taken over by some distant relatives of the Zhou family who reopened it a few years later, but their medical skills were far inferior to Doctor Zhou’s, and they tarnished the reputation of the century-old Zhou’s Clinic. Nowadays, the clinic barely makes ends meet.
The Zhou family gradually faded from the memory of the citizens of Dayu County over the years.
Now, looking back at everything that happened, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but sigh. Time, indeed, is the best tool to wear everything away.
“Sigh, Qing’er, get up.”
Seeing Zhou Qing crying in front of the grave for more than an hour, Lu Yuan finally couldn’t help but step forward and pat his shoulder, pulling his disciple up.
He comforted, “Now that your family feud has been avenged, and Doctor Zhou and Ping’er’s grievances have been redressed, they should be able to rest in peace. As for you, if you continue to be depressed, it would only sadden them. Now you should pull yourself together and move on with your life.”
“That is the best way to comfort the deceased.”
Hearing his master’s words, Zhou Qing wiped his tears, but as he wiped, he couldn’t help crying again. He hugged Lu Yuan tightly, embracing the person he respected and loved most in the world, “Master… ”
Bearing his apprentice’s tearful embrace, Lu Yuan showed a helpless expression on his face. He patted Zhou Qing’s shoulder like he would a child, “Alright, alright, don’t cry anymore.”
“Doctor Zhou and Ping’er may be gone, but you still have your master. I’ll be with you from now on.”
Lu Yuan treated Zhou Qing almost like his own son.
As for Zhou Qing, he repaid his master’s love with filial piety and devotion.
Over the years, he not only offered his master the Chi Yang Divine Skill but also helped him lead the army, accumulating numerous military achievements.
So, seeing his apprentice in such a distraught state, Lu Yuan felt distressed and could only keep comforting him.
Fortunately, Zhou Qing had grown up.
Now a 27-year-old young man, after years of trials and battles in the Jianghu, he had gained a lot of experience and steely determination.
After crying for a while, he managed to calm down and, realizing that he was holding his master, he quickly stepped back, a blush on his face, “I’m sorry for losing my composure earlier and making you uncomfortable, Master.”
Lu Yuan shook his head, “It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re feeling better, I’m happy.”
Zhou Qing wiped the remaining tear stains from his face and said with determination, “I’m fine now.”
Lu Yuan nodded, “That’s good. The Iron Sword Sect and its remnants have been eliminated, and news of it has spread. It won’t be long before the Liuyang Sect arrives. It’s no longer safe to stay in Luling for long, we should return.”
Zhou Qing bowed, “Yes.”
Then, the master and disciple left the mountain and returned to the main road, where they met up with Lan Cai’er and the others who were waiting and rode away together.
In these days, Luling was in complete chaos.
The chaos was mainly reflected in people’s hearts.
With the consecutive collapses of the Iron Sword Sect and its affiliates, resulting in over two thousand deaths, the impact directly caused panic among the people in Luling.
When the common folks went out, they would walk hastily, not daring to linger.
Even the officials patrolling the streets seemed shaky and nervous, as if the next step would be their doom.
Even the hoodlums who used to make trouble in the streets were frightened by the series of tragic events, and they dared not cause any more ruckus.
This was mainly because many of the Iron Sword Sect’s affiliates were local gangs.
These gangs controlled various underworld businesses in the area, making a fortune every day.
Lu Yuan had suffered greatly at their hands when he was a hunter.
Now that he wanted to strike at the Iron Sword Sect’s affiliates, he naturally wouldn’t let them go, and they were all on the cleanup list.
This was especially true in Dayu County, where many rogues like Scarface once bullied Lu Yuan. He and Zhou Qing personally took care of them one by one, eliminating them completely.
Back then, Lu Yuan promised to seek payback from those who had bullied him, and it wasn’t just an empty promise.