The disciples inside the Hall of a Thousand Treasures, who had been bracing themselves for a beating, looked up.

The woman stepping across the threshold was petite, carrying a stick that looked utterly incongruous in her hands, yet none of the disciples felt amusement; instead, their eyes burned with a sudden hope: Was there salvation?

But surely the young mistress of a powerful Marquis’s estate wouldn't disregard her status to protect them?

These people were utterly unreasonable...

Meanwhile, the injured man's family also spotted Qi Yue, then noticed the retinue of guards following her inside.

"Who are you people?" one of them demanded loudly.

They could easily discern from the attire of Qi Yue and her entourage that they were wealthy and well-connected. Were they here as patients?

"This place is run by quacks..." someone immediately shouted to expose them.

Qi Yue paid them no mind. Stepping inside, her eyes immediately fell upon the hall, smashed into disarray, and then she saw Liu Pucheng lying on the ground, being shielded by Zhang Tong.

Because several disciples were blocking the view, she could only see Liu Pucheng's exposed legs and feet; she couldn't tell the extent of his injuries...

The thought of death flashed through Qi Yue's mind, but she instantly crushed it. She absolutely forbade herself from entertaining such a notion regarding Liu Pucheng.

"Why are you hitting people..."

The toughs, finally shaking off their surprise attack, shouted loudly.

That statement was unwise. The moment the words left his mouth, Qi Yue slammed the stick she held onto the floor.

"Hitting people, are we? Hitting people, is it?" she roared. "Who doesn't know how to hit people! Did you enjoy the thrashing? I’ll have some fun too!"

As she finished speaking, she slammed the stick down again.

"Shut the doors, beat them!" Qi Yue commanded.

Revenge, too? It seemed this quack doctor had caused immense harm... The hunters thought blankly, and before they could even voice their shared indignation, the guards were already advancing, brandishing their clubs.

"...We hit the wrong people..."

"...Why are you hitting us..."

"...Help!"

"...They’re killing people..."

Simultaneously, all four doors slammed shut with resounding thuds, trapping the sight of the flying clubs and sticks inside, away from the onlookers.

The crowd gathered on the street heard the sickening sounds of blows and screams erupting from within. Everyone turned pale, biting their lips in shock.

"This is serious. The Hall of a Thousand Treasures has provoked the Marquis of Dingxi’s estate..."

"They are done for..."

"...Could Doctor Liu really be a quack after all..."

The murmurs outside grew loud.

"No. Wait," Wu Shan shouted loudly, "It's the Marquis of Dingxi’s people beating those hunters..."

The crowd gasped collectively.

"This... this Hall of a Thousand Treasures belongs to the Marquis of Dingxi's household?"

The onlookers’ expressions became complicated.

"...So even if someone dies, they can act with such impunity?" Wu Shan muttered under his breath in the crowd. "What can we common folk do... Just accept it..."

"There is no justice in this world..."

A wave of pessimism spread rapidly, coalescing until someone—no one knew who started it—hurled a stone that struck the door panel. Immediately, a cascade of stones followed.

"We’ll go help the hunters report this to the magistrate!"

"We'll be witnesses!"

"Even with the Marquis of Dingxi’s backing, that quack doctor must answer for his crimes..."

Seeing the public sentiment stirring, Wu Shan discreetly tried to melt back into the shadows, preparing to slip away. Before he could take a step, someone blocked him.

"The show isn't over yet, and you’re already leaving?" the person said with a slight smile.

Wu Shan jumped, finding himself facing a man in his mid-forties. Clad in a plain cyan cotton robe and wearing ear coverings, the man watched him with a serene expression. The fact that this stranger had voiced his exact inner thought made Wu Shan's heart pound wildly.

"Mind your own business, outsider!" he hissed defensively.

The newcomer had a thick accent that clearly marked him as not local. The man smiled and grasped the arm of Wu Shan, who was trying to squeeze past him.

"Did you examine the hunter’s injuries?" he asked softly.

Wu Shan struggled, desperate to pull free.

"Are you certain his death was unavoidable?" the man continued, unhurried, his gaze fixed on Wu Shan. "If that is truly the case, then reporting it to the magistrate is the right course of action."

"What concern is it of mine? You report it if you wish," Wu Shan retorted angrily.

"Reporting it requires a witness. Since you treated this patient, you are naturally the most suitable witness," the man maintained his easy smile. "If no one can prove the man could have been cured, but Liu Pucheng failed to do so, how can we prove he is a quack guilty of intentional homicide?"

Wu Shan froze, stopping his struggle and staring at the man.

"Who... who are you?" he asked.

The man merely smiled.

"A passerby who dislikes injustice," he replied.

Pah! Wu Shan thought privately. What kind of overly concerned busybody exists in this world? He must be one of Liu Pucheng’s enemies...

"Then you'll have to get used to seeing things you dislike," Wu Shan wrenched his arm free from the man’s grasp but did not leave. He glanced toward the Hall of a Thousand Treasures. "They have powerful backing..."

The stranger followed his gaze to the hall. The main door remained tightly shut. Though scattered stones struck the wood, no one dared try to force entry. The crest hanging from the carriage parked by the entrance—the symbol of the Marquis’s estate—was enough to intimidate the commoners.

"The Marquis of Dingxi’s estate?" the man said calmly. "The Marquis’s estate enjoys the Emperor's benevolence; how could they engage in such overbearing acts? As long as it is established that the doctor was indeed a quack who caused a death, I am certain the Marquis of Dingxi’s estate will uphold what is right and fair."

Wu Shan looked at the newcomer again, astonishment etched on his face.

"Furthermore, the populace is enraged, and the facts seem clear. I doubt the Marquis of Dingxi’s estate would be foolish enough to lose the people's support over a mere bone-setting physician," the man continued with a smile. "If they did, I imagine the Censors and officials in the capital would be delighted."

Wu Shan stammered, staring at the man in utter shock.

"You... just what kind of person are you?"

The man only smiled faintly, offering no answer.

"Never mind who I am. I have a proposition for you," He reached out and clapped Wu Shan on the shoulder, leaning in conspiratorially, his voice dropping low. "Tell me, young man, are you interested?"

"How do I know you..." Wu Shan began to stammer, but before he finished, something was pressed into his hand. He looked down to see a small cloth pouch, the size of his palm. Money?

"It’s not for..." He swallowed hard.

The man quickly retracted the pouch, revealing a small waist token. What is this? Wu Shan leaned closer to see.

Imperial Medical Academy Clerk of Great Xia.

"This should be enough to give you courage, shouldn't it?" the man said coolly, taking the token back.

The fury of the crowd outside, which had peaked with their stone-throwing, began to subside.

"Go report it to the magistrate, go report it!"

"A quack killing people is intolerable to Heaven’s law!"

These loud shouts suddenly rang out, reigniting the fervor among the gathered people. Following Wu Shan, who took the lead toward the government office, the masses surged after him like a tide.

Along the way, anyone who stopped to ask what was happening was told the story again. Gradually, more people joined the procession—some genuinely indignant, others merely seeking spectacle, and still others hoping to stir up trouble. By the time the throng reached the county yamen, their sheer numbers were enough to make the low-ranking constables turn tail and flee inside.

Hearing the report from his officers, the County Magistrate was startled. He had heard tales of popular uprisings but never imagined facing one himself. If this incident reached the capital, regardless of his innocence, he was doomed. The Imperial Court would certainly seek to placate public anger by holding him accountable for mismanagement in his jurisdiction.

Although Yongqing Fu was a prefectural capital, the city was divided, and the area where the Hall of a Thousand Treasures stood belonged to Yongqing County. Therefore, the agitated masses gathered there went directly to the Yongqing County Yamen to file their complaint.

"Quack doctor killed a man..."

"The quack doctor is abusing his power..."

Trembling with fear, they arrived at the main hall. Only upon hearing the charge did the Magistrate finally breathe a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't a full-scale riot... It was just a case of a quack doctor killing someone—a minor matter, the Magistrate thought, relaxing.

"Do you have proof?" he inquired.

"Your Honor, I am from the Hall of Returning Spring. This hunter was treated by us previously. I can testify that the injury was not fatal. Had the hunter not insisted on seeing Liu Pucheng at the Hall of a Thousand Treasures, he would likely be well by now," Wu Shan declared, kneeling in the hall, his face a mask of righteous grief. "Initially, the patient chose his own physician; his life or death was no concern of the Hall of Returning Spring. But as a healer with compassion, I truly couldn't stand by. I tried to persuade the hunter's family to move the injured man to us for continued treatment, but the Hall of a Thousand Treasures refused to release him, even driving the family out and forbidding visits! Now, they claim the man is dead under suspicious circumstances, offer no explanation, and are beating the family behind closed doors...."

The Magistrate’s eyes widened. Such an establishment existed? What was the difference between them and bandits!

The Magistrate was about to issue an order to seize them, but the Advisor coughed subtly. The Magistrate paused, having grasped the hint.

"Your Honor, the Hall of a Thousand Treasures is no ordinary clinic," the Advisor whispered from behind.

Backing? The Magistrate’s face showed alarm. No wonder they were so brazen.

"The Prefect’s young master suffered a near-fatal injury recently, and it is rumored the Hall of a Thousand Treasures healed him," the Advisor murmured.

The Magistrate chuckled softly.

"You misheard. It wasn't the Hall of a Thousand Treasures; it was the Marquis of Dingxi’s estate. Their young mistress possesses a divine medicine capable of reviving the dead," the County Master whispered back.

The Advisor fanned himself gently.

"But it seems the Hall of a Thousand Treasures was involved as well... Regardless, the Hall has some connection to both of them, doesn't it?" he said quietly.

Watching the two men confer in low voices on the dais, Wu Shan understood the situation instantly.

"Your Honor, this Hall of a Thousand Treasures bullies the people, their doctor commits murder, and they harm the populace! Your Honor, this is intolerable to Heaven’s law! A just and wise official, judge for the people!" he cried out loudly, striking his head repeatedly on the floor.

His proclamation, coupled with his kowtowing, reignited the fury of the surrounding crowd.

"Intolerable to Heaven!"

"Judge for the people!"

The hall erupted into chaos.

"What should we do?" the Magistrate panicked, looking at the Advisor.

"The public anger has been provoked; refusing to act will ruin your reputation, Your Honor," the Advisor whispered. "As for who steps in later—whether it’s the Marquis of Dingxi’s estate or the Prefect seeking clemency—that will be their problem, not ours."

The Magistrate nodded. At this point, there was no other choice. If the Hall of a Thousand Treasures was indeed guilty of murder through negligence, it would be their powerful backing who would deal with the headache. If they truly had no backing, the solution would be even simpler.

"Bring in all personnel from the Hall of a Thousand Treasures," the County Master ordered.

And at that very moment, inside the Hall of a Thousand Treasures, the chaotic melee had just concluded. RQ