Chapter 35: A Mere Effort

As soon as Wu Shimiao reached the doorway of the main hall, she felt her strength drain away and her consciousness blur. Jiang Yi quickly caught her, scooped her up, and carried her into the inner room. He decided he would convince her to leave the Fire Lotus Cult once she woke up the next day.

The following morning, Wu Shimiao awoke feeling groggy. Seeing that she was conscious, Shen Rong poured hot water from the kettle on the stove into a wooden basin.

"I had noodles last night, and before I left, I offered incense at my sister's spirit tablet. I was supposed to leave after that," Wu Shimiao said, noticing she was lying in bed and that her clothes had been changed.

"Are you feeling unwell somewhere? I can have my husband take you to Hanyang City to see a doctor," Shen Rong asked with concern.

"I am not unwell, and I am not going to Hanyang City."

Jiang Yi walked to the bedside. "Aunt is awake. I have something to tell you."

"You want to persuade me to leave the Fire Lotus Cult."

Jiang Yi nodded. Regardless of whether she agreed, he was determined to secure a clean identity for her. "I intend to go to the authorities to register your household, so you can settle down in Funiu Village."

While it was somewhat difficult for outsiders to register locally, it was not impossible if one was willing to spend money. The Great Liang Dynasty was no longer a peaceful era; the imperial court's control over the provinces was steadily weakening.

"Does anyone know your real name? Have they seen your true face?"

"No one knows my real name. They only know me as Blood Lotus. I wear a mask in the Fire Lotus Cult."

"That is good. You are my mother's own sister, and my kin. If you fall into the hands of the authorities, you will face various tortures and ultimately death." Jiang Yi genuinely wanted to help his aunt live a stable life by his side. Remaining in the Fire Lotus Cult meant that one day, she might be betrayed by her fellow members. As long as the authorities offered them benefits, the cultists would stop at nothing. "You are safe for now, but for their own interests, the cultists will eventually sell you out."

"My husband is right. Stay with us. You will be an ordinary citizen and won't have to live in constant fear," Shen Rong added.

Wu Shimiao had indeed considered the possibility of betrayal and knew the fate awaiting her at the hands of the authorities would be grim.

"My mother's spirit in heaven would not want you to meet with an accident," Jiang Yi continued. Even though the Fire Lotus Cult was currently rampant in Hanzhou with over a hundred thousand members, he knew that in a few months, the imperial court would send elite troops to thoroughly suppress them. "There are at least twenty thousand government troops in Hanzhou, and the court will mobilize reinforcements from other prefectures to crush the cult within the province."

The Fire Lotus Cult was merely a rabble; perhaps only one-tenth of them possessed true combat capability. The imperial army was well-trained, and if troops were summoned from the capital of Haojing, they could easily suppress the cult.

"The leadership of the Fire Lotus Cult lacks foresight and will never achieve anything great." Jiang Yi estimated that by next March at the latest, the Fire Lotus Cult in Hanzhou would be completely wiped out. The local officials of Hanzhou would also face punishment for their mismanagement, which had caused such losses to the court.

"Aunt, please listen to my husband. He truly has your best interests at heart."

Wu Shimiao was moved by the couple’s words, but she hesitated, wondering how she would then take revenge for her sister.

"I will take care of Mother's revenge in the future. If you agree to leave the cult, I will take you to Hanyang City today to register your household."

"Very well. I have decided to stay with you both. From now on, I will have no further contact with the Fire Lotus Cult."

Hearing her agreement, the couple smiled with relief. Even if it cost a fortune, they were determined to get her registered.

"Aunt, I will step out so you can get dressed and wash up."

Outside, Jiang Yi felt a weight lift from his heart. He had been worried about her safety for days. Now that she had agreed to leave, he could focus on organizing the villagers to defend against any potential incursions by the cult.

After Wu Shimiao finished getting ready, the three ate together. Afterward, Jiang Yi took Wu Shimiao and a servant to Hanyang City, planning to handle village affairs upon his return. Wu Shimiao chose to trust that Jiang Yi would not betray her; otherwise, he would not have gone to such lengths to persuade her.

Jiang Yi paid ten taels of silver to the official in charge of household registration, successfully securing a Funiu Village registration for Wu Shimiao. On their way, they checked on Chang Youliang's new home, and by the afternoon, they arrived in front of a medical clinic in the West City. A crowd had gathered, and Jiang and Wu went to investigate.

"My sister is very ill, please, see her first. I will work for your clinic to pay off the debt," a young man begged.

"If you don't leave, I'll have the authorities take you away and lock you up!"

"Please! She is very sick; if she isn't treated, she won't survive!" Pang Xiong pleaded desperately.

The doctor and apprentices at the Jihe Hall remained unmoved. If they treated Pang Yuting for free, countless other poor patients would demand the same, and the clinic might go bankrupt.

"Take your sister and leave at once! Don't disrupt the treatment of other patients," an apprentice urged, threatening to call the Hanyang government guards.

"Your sister is quite ill. Come with me," Jiang Yi said. He noticed that while Pang Xiong was young, he was quite sturdy. He then looked at his sister, who was pale and frail.

"You're from the Hanyang government office? My sister and I have done nothing wrong. She is very ill, and several clinics have already refused to treat her."

"I can see she is gravely ill. Come with me to another clinic; I will pay for her treatment."

Jiang Yi led the siblings to Yongren Hall, the best medical clinic in Hanyang City. Upon entering, they saw Qian Muyun having her pulse read by a doctor, with Qin Lu standing by her side.

"Go and have the doctor examine you. I will cover all the costs," Jiang Yi said. The siblings initially thought he was mocking them, but they soon realized his sincerity.

"Thank you for paying for my sister's treatment. I, Pang Xiong, am willing to serve you as a loyal servant," Pang Xiong said, bowing deeply.

"It is just a small favor. Once your sister recovers, if you are willing to work for me, I will pay you wages." Jiang Yi saw potential in Pang Xiong; with proper training, he could become a capable warrior. If he were to control Hanzhou in the future, he would need reliable assistants.

"You seem quite strong. Why haven't you found work?"

"I have tried manual labor, but because I am so strong, I either break things or get pushed out by others for doing too much," Pang Xiong explained. People often called him clumsy, and eventually, no one would hire him.

"Work for me from now on. Depending on your performance, I will provide you with extra pay on top of your base wages."

Pang Xiong was deeply moved. He was a stranger, yet he had received such kindness. As long as Jiang Yi was not a bad person, he was determined to serve him.

"I live in Funiu Village. If you and your sister have nowhere to stay, you can stay at my home for the time being." With his current financial standing, supporting one or two more people was not a problem.

"My sister and I have been living in a dilapidated temple in the West City," Pang Xiong said. They had lost their parents to natural disasters and border conflicts, and had survived by begging. They were incredibly lucky to have met a benefactor like Jiang Yi, who would change their destiny forever.