A Time to Slaughter

In capturing this final leader, both of his deputies had been wounded, and more than thirty Feather Guards had perished. Since taking charge of the Feather Guards, he had never suffered such catastrophic casualties in half a day. He casually pulled the gag from the mouth of one of the Shadow Tooth Guards, who immediately burst into curses: "You butchered foreign envoys without cause! Our country will raze you to the ground—" Nangong Yan asked him, "How many of you came? Do you have accomplices outside?" The Shadow Tooth Guard paid him no heed and cursed even more violently, spittle nearly splashing across his face. Nangong Yan slit his throat with a single stroke of his blade. The cursing ceased instantly. Nangong Yan let out a heavy breath, then pointed at the remaining Shadow Tooth Guards. "Kill them. Leave none alive." Whether he killed six of the Mou Kingdom's guards or eleven made no difference. Now that blood had been shed, leave no future troubles behind! He turned around and dragged the Rulin Inn waiter over, pointing at the corpses on the ground. "How many of these rebels were there? Are they all here?" The waiter trembled like a leaf, his tongue tied in knots: "N-no..." "Not here, or you don't know?" "Not here!" With the blade pressed close, the waiter barely found his voice. "There are two more... not here, not here!" "Thirteen in all, and two are missing from this pile?" "Yes, yes!" "Where did they go?" The waiter could only say he didn't know. Nangong Yan paced back and forth in the courtyard, even more irritable than a pseudotiger. Who was secretly framing him? The one framing him not only understood the Feather Guards' methods intimately, but also knew Nangong Yan's itinerary today—knew he was very likely to lead the team in person. The major problem confronting Nangong Yan was: what should he do now? With the Shadow Tooth Guards all dead, he would have to account to the King of Bo sooner or later. His personal guards dared not breathe too loudly. At a time like this, crossing the Chief Supervisor was asking for trouble. "Who placed Mai Liansheng's belongings in the Shadow Tooth Guards' room?" he asked the waiter again. "Did you see any suspicious individuals enter those rebels' rooms?" The waiter thought hard, then shook his head. "N-no, none!" "Useless!" After a long while, Nangong Yan pointed at the corpses and told his subordinates, "Gather them all. Remember, every last one of them was a rebel!" "Yes, Sir!" Nangong Yan casually changed out of his bloodstained clothes and immediately entered the palace. *** An hour later. The Feather Guards had long since been led away by Nangong Yan, leaving the bailiffs to load the corpses of the Mou men onto ox carts and haul them toward the common graveyard. Along the road, many craned their necks, watching intently yet expressionlessly, some with their mouths half-open. "More dead." "Rebels?" "Of course they're rebels. Must be rebels." Passing a small grove of trees, the two bailiffs watching the carts looked around to ensure no one was watching, then climbed up to search the corpses one by one. These dead men had been well-dressed in life and stayed at the finest inn, clearly lacking no wealth. What a pity the Feather Guards had already stripped their valuables, leaving not so much as a silver ring. Bah! The two could only untie the dead men's boots and belts. Fine oxhide boots like these were rare; buying a pair outside would surely cost several taels, wouldn't it? The belts, too, were of fine material. Since their final destination was the graveyard—and perhaps the bellies of wild dogs—the dead might as well donate them. One of them pulled off a pair of boots and tried them on—a perfect fit. He even dug a few pieces of broken silver from the boot shaft, grinning from ear to ear. "Oho, a fish that slipped through the net! Lucky bastard," the other bailiff remarked with no small amount of envy. He was currently unfastening a corpse's garments. The fabric of the inner robe seemed to be silk, feeling smooth and soft, free of bloodstains. But as he felt around further, he touched a dusting of powder—like soil, yet like powder, smelling faintly of ginger. What was this? Before his mind could make sense of it, the corpse sat bolt upright in the very next second, seized his neck, and twisted hard! With a sharp crack, the bailiff's neck snapped. A walking corpse! His companion let out a terrified shriek and turned to jump off the ox cart. Yet even as he turned, the living dead grabbed a long saber and hurled it. It impaled his shoulder! The bailiff cried out and collapsed to the ground. Only then did the living dead wipe his face—it was Jin Bai! His gaze was still somewhat vacant, the killings having been mere reflex. It took a few breaths for his senses to fully return, and he rushed to inspect the other ox carts. All ten Shadow Tooth Guards were here. His eyes instantly bloodshot, he strode toward the bailiff on the ground. The man was scrambling to his feet, trying to flee toward the edge of the woods, but Jin Bai kicked him down and planted a foot on his chest: "Why did the Feather Guards ambush and slaughter us? Speak!" His eyes gleamed with murderous fury. Trembling in terror, the bailiff stammered, "Chief Supervisor Nangong... said you, you were rebels." "Where is he?" "This humble one doesn't... doesn't know..." Without waiting for him to finish, Jin Bai pressed down with his toes, caving in the man's chest. The bailiff died on the spot. Jin Bai reached into his breast pocket and found his hand covered in the same powder. The Mou Emperor had once bestowed upon him a soul-anchoring treasure shaped like a chunk of yellow ginger. So long as he was not decapitated after death, his soul would return to his original body an hour later, erasing his fatal injuries. The ginger had turned to dust, and he had returned to life. Yet a person could only use it once in a lifetime. Jin Bai had never imagined he would waste it here in the Bo Kingdom. He had grown careless, underestimating the vicious savagery of such a petty place. At that moment, footsteps sounded outside—someone was approaching. Jin Bai picked up the long saber, darted into the woods, and headed northwest. *** The King of Bo was dining. Ever since ascending the throne, he had developed a habit of never having concubines accompany his meals. Thus he was now alone, without even Consort Mei at his side. When Nangong Yan entered to report, the king was eating lamb chops—crisp on the outside, tender and juicy within. Before Nangong Yan could finish speaking, however, the King of Bo's eyes bulged. He hurled the lamb bone in his hand at Nangong Yan, striking him squarely on the forehead with a dull thud. "What did you say? Whom did you mistakenly kill?!" Nangong Yan braced himself. "The Mou Kingdom's Shadow Tooth Guards. Your subject found evidence of the Mai faction in their rooms." "Then are they Shadow Tooth Guards, or are they the Mai faction?!" "I fear... I fear someone framed them!" Nangong Yan said in a low voice. "They are Shadow Tooth Guards. We recovered official identification plaques and documents proving their identities from the corpses." The Shadow Tooth Guards had displayed their official badges right from the start, but his idiot subordinates hadn't recognized them! By the time he arrived, both sides had suffered casualties. What other choice did he have? The offense was already committed, so he might as well take it to the extreme and figure out a solution afterward. "Framed you?" The King of Bo sneered, knowing it was very likely. "A few slips of paper fluttered in, and you went off to arrest people?" Nangong Yan murmured, "Common folk often report rebels in this manner as well." The King of Bo knew how casually Nangong Yan arrested people and could not be bothered to harp on it. "Who did it? Can it be investigated?" "This..." Where could he even begin to investigate right now? His list of potential suspects had at least three hundred names. He had far too many old enemies. "A fine mess you've made!" The King of Bo was still beside himself with rage. "No sooner did I refuse the Mou envoys' request than my Chief Supervisor turned around and slaughtered their entire escort! Are you afraid I haven't offended the Mou Kingdom thoroughly enough?" Even the King of Bo felt this was indefensible. He certainly knew his Chief Supervisor had always been reckless, but the hornet's nest stirred up this time was simply too massive! Could the Mou Emperor swallow this insult? Nangong Yan froze. "The Mou envoys were just here?" So the two people missing from the inn were the Mou envoys? "Yes! They only left the palace shortly before you arrived," the King of Bo scoffed. "They wanted to reclaim the Bright Lantern Cup. When I refused, they said they would pay a visit to the Xiaoyao Sect." "You tell me: how is this king supposed to answer to the Mou Emperor now?" He glared at Nangong Yan. "When he demands the killer from me, how about I hand you over to him?" Nangong Yan replied immediately, "Your subject has a plan that can resolve both dilemmas." The King of Bo looked skeptical. What plan could resolve both dilemmas? "The Shadow Tooth Guards are dead, and the grudge is already formed. If we let those two Mou envoys cross the border, they will surely report this to the Mou Emperor upon their return. Why not—" Nangong Yan's expression turned ruthless, and he made a chopping motion with his hand. "Why not wait until they leave the border, then cut them down! If the Mou Emperor presses the matter, Your Majesty can say that the Bright Lantern Cup was already handed over to the Mou envoys and Shadow Tooth Guards to carry back, but they were murdered in the territory of the Xiaoyao Sect, and the whereabouts of the Bright Lantern Cup are unknown!" He emphasized each word: "Dead men tell no tales!" As long as those two Mou envoys were silenced, there would be no need to return the Bright Lantern Cup either. Far away as he was, how could the Mou Emperor possibly know what had really transpired here? If everyone died on the territory of the Xiaoyao Sect, what could it have to do with the Bo Kingdom? Even if the Mou Emperor suspected something, he would still need proof, wouldn't he? The more the King of Bo considered it, the more reasonable it seemed. His anger gradually cooled, and he grunted in agreement. "That is indeed an approach. Go see to it. Do not let any mishaps occur this time!" "Understood!" After agreeing, Nangong Yan added, "However, your subject does not know their appearances..." The King of Bo immediately summoned a court guard. "He was in the hall at the time. Take him along to identify them." Nangong Yan took his leave at once. This court guard was in fact one of his subordinates, on duty in the palace hall today. Once they walked out into the courtyard, the court guard said to Nangong Yan, "Milord, those two Mou envoys are the very people who chipped your weapon a few days ago." That day, he had been standing behind Nangong Yan as well. Nangong Yan stopped in his tracks. "What? Are you certain?" "The two of them were in the hall for several hours. In particular, the tall one with the fake smile plastered across his face—subordinate could never mistake him." "The two Consort Mei testified for?" "Yes!" "Consort Mei and the Mou envoys? Hmm..." Nangong Yan's eyes flickered. He turned to another personal guard. "Go. Report this to His Majesty, exactly as it is." *** Wind and sand whipped across the road. He Lingchuan and Dong Rui had finally departed the Bo Kingdom. Once across the border, Dong Rui let out a long sigh. "It felt suffocating in the Bo Kingdom." The ghost ape chattered twice, and Dong Rui translated for it: "It says that place reeks of unpleasant smells everywhere, far worse than the Yuan Kingdom." "The scent of despair and decay," He Lingchuan said with some emotion. "No—the scent of slowly rotting away in a mire of despair." The Yuan Kingdom's weakness and turmoil had only lasted twenty years, but what about here? From what He Lingchuan had seen, the light in the eyes of the Bo people had died long ago. He knew all too well that once longing and hope were gone, human nature knew no bottom line. The King of Bo's rise to power over a decade ago had done nothing to improve this country. His personal success was by no means the country's success. Sitting atop his horse, Dong Rui stretched lazily. "That old codger, the King of Bo, his health is running a bit deficient." When the King of Bo spoke, his breath lacked stamina and rattled with phlegm, and the whites of his eyes were slightly yellowed. Though his frame still looked sturdy, his cheekbones were high and his cheeks had a feverish flush. He Lingchuan asked offhandedly, "Can't it be tonified?" "He's well into his sixties, and that pampered little consort of his is only in her teens. Does plucking flowers take no vigor? It'd be stranger if he weren't depleted!" Dong Rui possessed exceptional medical skills and could easily discern how the King of Bo was drained. "Besides, women aren't his only trouble. As the saying goes, human strength has its limits, and the fortunes of a state will backlash." In the current state of the world, living beings could not escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. Even with the resources of an entire nation at his command, the King of Bo could not patch his own deficiencies; truly, life and death were up to fate. Moreover, the more a country's fortunes declined, the shorter its rulers lived, and the more turbulent the dynasty became—a chain reaction that no human power could alter. The rise and fall of kingdoms across the Shanjin Plains occurred as frequently as sunrise and sunset; how many rulers here could ever live to a ripe old age? "No wonder he's in such a rush to awaken his son's mind." If something happened to the old monarch, how could a seven-year-old child hold onto the throne? Didn't he know full well how he had seized his own throne back then? The cycles of history were always strikingly similar. Dong Rui asked, "Now that the King of Bo has made his stance clear that he won't return the Bright Lantern Cup, how do you think the Mou Emperor will react?" "That depends on how important the Bright Lantern Cup is to the Mou Kingdom," He Lingchuan said slowly. "From the looks of it, so long as there are other options, the Mou Kingdom doesn't want to dispatch troops directly to the Shanjin Plains." First, it would cause too much commotion and inevitably alarm other nations, such as the Ya Kingdom. Just as Beijia had previously been unwilling to send troops circling around behind Mou to attack the Yangshan Archipelago, the Mou Kingdom currently had no desire to press a massive army against the border to strike into the Shanjin Plains behind the Ya Kingdom. It was too easy to trigger regional tensions and miscalculations of intent. Second, marching heavy forces across a ten-plus-day journey just to discipline such a tiny, insignificant country simply wasn't cost-effective. Every ruler held an account ledger in his hands, constantly tallying the balance day in and day out. Dong Rui covered his mouth as he yawned to keep out the sand and wind. "If there really is a mastermind behind the stolen tribute like you suspect, having schemed so much without achieving the desired result, they must be quite dissatisfied, right?" "Perhaps they simply took it for granted that if the King of Bo offended the Mou Kingdom, this great empire would wipe them out in a fit of rage—the so-called 'punished no matter how far.' But they don't understand that being large brings its own difficulties, and great powers have their own decorum," He Lingchuan said slowly. "This person definitely has never lived in a major nation." "And after they realize that?" "Once they realize it, they ought to add fuel to the fire rather than just let it go." He Lingchuan pondered. "Pulling something like this is tying your head to your waistband. Having willingly taken such grave risks, there's no reason to stop halfway." Just then, he suddenly felt the divine bone necklace hidden inside his lapel quiver twice, growing faintly warm. Was there something nearby that it wanted to consume? Something was off. He Lingchuan frowned. They had only just departed the border of the Bo Kingdom. Ordinarily, travelers came and went along this main road; what kind of miraculous item could linger here? Could it be on someone else? He glanced left and right. There were only three or four people walking along the road, all dressed as ordinary commoners. Then, two muffled metallic clangs rang out from behind. Dong Rui looked back. "Huh, the city gates are closing!" The border crossing was located right at the city gate. They had only walked out of it dozens of breaths ago, yet the gates were already swinging shut? They were barred outside. This was broad daylight; what kind of major crisis could cause the border to close so abruptly? He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. With his sharp hearing, he could already pick up the chaotic thrum of hoofbeats racing toward them at great speed. Bandits? No, bandits didn't usually rob people right under the city gates. "Follow me," he told Dong Rui decisively. "A large force is approaching." Both slapped their mounts' flanks, and their steeds galloped into a full sprint. Before long, rapid hoofbeats surged as over a hundred riders burst through the wild forest. Running at the very front was a massive pseudotiger! Seeing this giant beast, He Lingchuan knew immediately who was coming: Nangong Yan. Sure enough, he picked out Nangong Yan's figure among the ranks in a single glance. At a fork ahead, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui chose the left path, and Nangong Yan and his men followed without hesitation, hot on their heels. As they rode, Dong Rui asked, "Looks like there's a valley up ahead. Should we activate the snail-toad?" He was asking whether they should make an escape. "Head into the valley, but don't summon the snail-toad!" He Lingchuan rejected the idea flatly. "I'm going to slaughter them all!" Dong Rui thought he was joking, but turning his head, he saw He Lingchuan's expression was calm and his gaze chillingly sharp. There was not a trace of humor about him. "The city gates closed the moment we crossed the border just to prevent us from going back. Why do you think Nangong Yan is chasing after us right now?" He Lingchuan cracked his knuckles, popping them loudly. Dong Rui clicked his tongue. "No way... they'd dare strike at the Mou Kingdom's foreign envoys?" "Doesn't matter. We'll know once we fight." He Lingchuan chuckled softly. "Find good terrain so none of them can escape in a moment!" "All right!" Dong Rui laughed loudly. "You're finally willing to kill with wild abandon!" Whatever his motives, since Nangong Yan had chosen to move against them, he couldn't blame them for returning the favor with no mercy. No sooner had the words left his mouth than an arrow flew toward his back, only to be slapped away by the ghost ape perched on his shoulder. Ever since arriving in the Shanjin Plains, the poverty, hopelessness, chaos, and misery here—along with how accustomed everyone had become to it all—had stirred a faint, persistent irritability in the depths of He Lingchuan's heart. At this moment, he didn't mind in the least venting his pent-up fury on the pursuers behind them. He Lingchuan was no longer the green youth who had first arrived in Beijia, forced to tread cautiously to survive under the watchful eyes of nobles and celestial gods. He was the Master of Yangshan, a figure whom both Lingshan and Beijia actively sought to win over. A strong man required the mindset of the strong. There was no need for him to yield before Nangong Yan and his lackeys chasing behind. Slaughter them, and be done with it! In the blink of an eye, the two led the pursuers into the small valley Dong Rui had pointed out. The terrain dipped lower the further they went, and the ridges converged, leaving no other way out. Both sides were exceedingly satisfied with this terrain. He Lingchuan and Dong Rui slowed their horses, and the pursuers closed in instantly. Counting more carefully, He Lingchuan found there were actually some one hundred thirty to one hundred forty riders. The dozen or so riders galloping at the forefront wore armor distinctly different in color. The pseudotiger was gunning straight for He Lingchuan. Crouching low against the ground one last time, it exploded into a leap, moving so fast it trailed an afterimage. Its forelimbs were thicker and more muscular than a tiger's; this pounce radiated far more raw power than even Jiao Yu. He Lingchuan naturally had no fear, but his mount was merely an ordinary steed. Terrified weak at the knees by the pseudotiger's roar and lunge, the horse tripped over itself just as it tried to wheel around. Before the pseudotiger could land on the horse, it snapped its head aside with astonishing agility—because the rider had already leapt clear into the air.