章 29: Return

"Zhu City, how long has it been since I last stepped into this place? It was probably the day Jing Ling was born. I left a few days after she was born yet now I'm back under such circumstances...Sigh."

General Jing gets off his horse and slowly enters the gates of Zhu City. It was midday, the time when traffic is at its peak, so he got shoved around in the crowd as he made his way through.

"Finally, I made it."

General Jing stood in front of the gates of the Jing Estate and hesitated to enter. From the outside, nothing seemed out of the ordinary but he knew that time, his family won't be there to welcome him home like usual.

With a pensive expression on his face, he raised his hands and opened the door before stepping into the main courtyard.

~Silence~

Although everything inside is just as he remembers, there is no noise and no movement inside the house. There were no servants sweeping the courtyard or running around as they rush to finish their chores. Master Jun Jing's voice that always resounded as he yelled at his sons cannot be heard. The previously lively home has now become desolate.

General Jing's eyes couldn't help but become misty as he slowly made his way into towards his son's bedroom. He reminisced about the days when he still lived here. The day Jing Jun was born and all those years he watched as his eldest son grew up into a man he is proud of. He thought about the day his son introduced is daughter-in-law to him, their wedding, and the loving family he has created. The day his grandsons were born and the day his granddaughter was born.

"I should have spent more time with them..." thought the General as he pushed open the door and walked towards the bed. However, he realized that his son's body wasn't there.

"?! What the..."

The General immediately ran out and searched every room in the house but no matter how much he searched, he couldn't find the body of a single person.

"WHO? WHO DARES TO KIDNAP THIS GENERAL'S FAMILY?! COME OUT NOW."

His voice resonated and everyone near the Jing Estate could him shout but no one appeared. Rage clouded all of his reasoning as he pulled out a sword. He walked towards the gate, ready to interrogate anyone unlucky enough to bump into him on the street. However, a figure rushed over to him before he could run wild.

"General, please calm down!" said a man in black. He was one of Chun Rong's subordinates that were ordered to monitor and protect the property.

"Who are you? ARE YOU THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR KIDNAPING MY FAMILY?!"

General Jing immediately pointed his sword towards him and released a bloodthirsty aura.

"No, no, no, please put away the sword General. Your family is safe."

"Safe? I don't even know who you are, and you expect me to trust you just because you say so?"

"I am one of the Emperor's men, your family is under his protection and have been relocated to the palace! Please believe me."

General Jing though for a second before lowering his sword.

"Hmph. I shall trust you for now."

The subordinate let out the breath he was holding in. If the General went on a rampage, he could potentially destroy Zhu City.

"However... You're coming with me!"

"?!"

General Jing grabs the man by the collar of his shirt and headed for the palace.

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"Your Majesty! General Jing has arrived."

"Quickly bring him in."

"There's no need I'm here."

General Jing appeared with something slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked towards the Emperor who is currently sitting on his throne.

"General Jing! Welcome back. It has been a long time since we have seen each other. It is unfortunate that we have to meet again under such circumstances."

"This subject greets your Majesty."

"Please rise, there is no need for you to be so formal with me."

"Then please excuse me for my forwardness but where is my family?" asked the General as he threw the sack of potatoes onto the floor. "This man claimed to be one of your men and told me you've taken my family into the palace."

"Yes, I apologize for relocating when without letting you know beforehand but I have everyone from the estate resting in the medical wards so the palace physicians can monitor and treat them. How much has Grandmaster Tian told you?"

"I only know what happened that night and why."

"I see..."

The Emperor waved his hands and excused everyone in the room so that he and the General were left alone in the throne room.

"I have some bad news about your family."

"...What is it?"

"That night, the Zuzhou poisoned everyone in the Jing Estate with this small pouch of incense. Doctor Su examined its contents and had concluded that he doesn't know how to cure the poison nor does he have the ability to make a cure. I have requested a poison master from the Apothecary Association but they have yet to respond."

"How much longer do they have?"

"I...We don't know."

"...I see. Please excuse me but I would like to see them now."

The Emperor looked at the General's blank face and couldn't help but sigh. This is the first time he has seen the man before him so down in all the years he has known him.

"Of course. Someone!"

"Yes, your Majesty?"

Bring General Jing to the medical wards.

"Yes. General Jing, this way please."

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"We have arrived General Jing."

"Thank you. You may leave now."

The servant bowed and left.

General Jing made sure he was absolutely alone before entering the bedchambers. Inside the room, he saw that are two beds on either side of the room and large windows to let in lots of sunlight. The room smells like medical herbs but none of this mattered as General Jing saw who was lying in those beds.

"Jun'er... Ying'er... Cheng'er... Zheng'er..." General Jing sobbed. "I'm home...I'm back now..."

But no matter how many times he repeated himself, General Jing never got the response he wanted to hear.