THE RETURN 1

It took weeks for them to return to Ming.

It must be. Since they had to cross several countries. Including the Shan States. They also passed through Gao Qing's hut in Mogaung which had now been destroyed and only left debris there.

"How cruel they are, it is just a hut and they have the heart to destroy it," Zhu Youdun murmured gravely.

"We have walked this area for a few moments, but we can't find anyone lives here." Zhu Su looked at an area, he was clearly sure that it was the spot where Man and others lived. "How come... have they been killed?..."

Zhu Su thought of all Mogaung residents. Man and other residents who were so friendly and kind... as well as the soldiers, who although was being injured, but still exerted their best to protect him.

"... Sir! It has been our duties to fight and die here! But you don't! Your duty is to heal and help others! Thereby, you must live! Don't care about us! Run away!..."

The wind blew, carrying a large amount of dirty sand dust, it was seemingly mixed with a gloomy feeling that suddenly swept through his mind.

"Don't be sad and waste time here, let's continue our journey. Don't reminisce a lot if it will only hurt yourself." Spurring his horse, Gao Qing said shortly.

They thus continued the journey.

***

Zhu Su observed his former medical center in Yunnan, which was now in very poor condition. Of course he did not dare look at it directly. He could only watch it from afar, since there were many soldiers patrolling around it.

It was such a miserable sight. The results of the damage were clearly viewed here and there. The windows were almost knocked off, it was obvious that it had been opened by force. They only connected the door offhand by using a rope since the hinge had been broken. The plants which were once maintained neatly, now fell apart; being trampled, burned, and destroyed.

"This medical center is so awful..." Zhu Su said matter-of-factly. Zhu Youdun sighed furiously, while Hu Nayin covered her mouth in shock. "I don't expect them to ruin it such badly."

"It is even worse inside, Your Highness." Liu Ku reported.

"But now, it's different. Three hundred soldiers are more than enough to beat them all up," Wu Qi said triumphantly.

"I have to coordinate friends first." Thus, Liu Ku went away, calling the other Team of Wellbeing members he could get.

Now they had arrived in Yunnan. The cold Dali wind blew, as if it was welcoming their return. Gao Qing showed a very strange reaction when he arrived in Dali for the first time. He observed everything with widened eyes, and stared at every view one by one in front of him very thoroughly.

Zhu Su soon understood with the oddity emitted from Gao Qing's eyes. "How long have you left Ming, Sir?"

"For years," answered Gao Qing. "But it feels like it's been decades to me. Speak honestly... I never think I'll be able to return here again... I don't even dare to dream about it..."

"But now you have come back, Sir."

"Yes..." Gao Qing went blank as he was gazing at the morning sky above.

"Rest assured, Sir. I won't involve directly in the campaign. Jingnan Campaign is fought by Brother Di, and I only gather the support of Yunnan people while helping the suffering people at the same time. And what we will do right now is just to free imprisoned members." Assuming that Gao Qing was still not one hundred percent supportive of his desire to fight, Zhu Su then deliberately said so. Oh yes, and to punish that apostate son, He added to himself.

Gao Qing himself, neither disagreed with him, nor nodded in agreement. He did not gave opinions and suggestions as he often did, either. His behavior right now was really strange. He just kept on staring at everything in Yunnan with such peculiar expression.

Or maybe, actually, Sir Gao is longing to come back to Ming, it's just that the bad past he'd suffered made him stubbornly refuse to return to Ming.

He turned to Wu Qi. "Let's follow Liu Ku."

Wu Qi nodded, took them all towards Zhu Su's resident. That Xie Wang's former headquarters was apparently still hidden safely in the dense mountain forest.

Once they arrived, several people had been standing in the front, welcoming them in warmth.

"Greetings to Your Highness Zhou Wang! Greetings to Your Highness Zhou Shi Zi!" All of them greeted enthusiastically.

Zhu Su observed them one by one. The Team of Wellbeing who were standing here only consisted of Qing, Xue Mei, Di Na, Lin, Qu You and two other former Kaifeng officials.

Zhu Su smiled, his face was filled with delight. "I'm so glad to meet you again! Really... I never thought I'll get this chance... I really have to thank Heaven for His kindness!"

"We are also very pleased to see you again, Your Highness!" His men replied.

"I heard you've once got imprisoned?"

"Yes, Your Highness. That's so horrific..." Thus they told the same story Liu Ku had told before.

"And you totally have no idea about who has saved you?" Right now they were in the gazebo inside the back garden, sitting while having conversation.

They shook their heads. "That person is very mysterious. They made no sound, and they even didn't talk with us, all they do was only giving messages by codes."

"And they never appears again?"

"Never."

Zhu Su was so grateful for his sudden idea by asking for three hundred Ava soldiers and did not act blindly as what Liu Ku and Wu Qi suggested since they always believed that someone really supported them.

"Alright. Let's devise a strategy to release them from prison."

And they started the discussion.

***

"Water... water..."

"I... am thirsty... my stomach... aches..."

Li Heng looked at Guo Songmi and his other colleagues who were busy complaining. "Don't complain anymore. It's useless, what they hope for is indeed our deaths."

Guo Songmi snorted. "They even have the heart to prison the aged Master... they are all evils!"

"And you too, don't complain anymore." Li Heng looked sharply at Guo Songmi. "Instead of complaining, it's far better to meditate and calm your mind."

"How can I make no complaint? They tortured people in front of my eyes... and even tortured Master... how can't I be angry?!"

"They just want to know His Highness' whereabouts. After they know that we have no clue about that, they didn't torture us anymore..."

"But still imprison us! Even for months until now! They want us to die! Goddamnit!... Auch!..."

"Don't you say you are getting stomachache?" A former official stared pitifully at Guo Songmi, who moaned for his stomachache as the result of staying too long in this terrible prison. "Don't be so infuriated when talking, it will make your stomach more hurtful."

The water leaked out and fell in drip from the ceiling, making the moist soil moister. Consisting of ten people and lack of fresh air, the prison was musty and suffocating. And since this terrible place could only accommodate five people, the situation they were facing then became worse. Totally not the right place to recover any wounds.

"Yes, I know. I am just so desperate, if we've really no way out and must die here, okay then, let me die here, right now!" Guo Songmi continued his curse.

Next, Guo Songmi threw a gaze out of the iron bars. His face went blank. He was so bored to see this prison which was always unchangeable and only showed endless darkness.

Suddenly, he saw a group of soldiers.