However, because of this delay, they couldn’t run up the mountain right away and were blocked by the Snow Sea Pass soldiers who attacked from the mountain paths on the east and west sides.
These mountain bandits were no match for these elite troops who had experienced battlefields.
Moreover, they were at an absolute disadvantage in numbers and were soon cut down in a swath. If Jin Shuke hadn’t shouted to leave so alive, none might have survived.
The village chief, after barely escaping Siniang’s attack, hadn’t taken a few steps before two soldiers had blades to his throat. Two more fellow soldiers followed up, one kicking him down and the other pressing his head, pinning him completely to the ground no matter how much he struggled.
From then on,
aside from three or four being captured alive, the rest of the assassins were all killed.
Siniang walked up to the village chief, her eyes filled with a murderous intent.
In the past two years,
Siniang had rarely appeared on the front lines in battles, spending most of her ti managing money and supplies in the rear. However, this didn’t an her fierceness had been worn away.
A demon king is always a demon king; that domineering intent in the heart cannot simply be erased just like that.
Jin Shuke was clearly a bit afraid of Siniang at this mont. After all, even if you don’t consider Siniang’s strength, simply considering her position as the lord’s bedfellow and as the mistress of all, Jin Shuke dared not disrespect her;
but at this mont, he still mustered the courage to remind:
"Mr. Feng, shall we leave it for the lord to interrogate?"
Upon hearing this,
Siniang’s sharpness in her eyes gradually softened,
and she slowly nodded.
Beside Siniang, two guardians from the Tianji Pavilion looked up; they were also wearing the armor of the Snow Sea Pass, usually indistinguishable from regular soldiers, but at this mont, they crouched like spiders, looking up, their faces covered in blood yet still smiling ingratiatingly at Siniang.
...
"So, it was a group of mountain bandits that attacked ?"
Zheng Fan was a bit surprised by this outco.
Siniang, who had just finished interrogating the mountain bandit, reported back:
"Yes, my lord, after using torture, he said it should be true."
The demon king’s thods of torturing people were known to Zheng Fan.
Siniang added, "They have no collusion with other forces; they were purely acting on knowing you are from Yan State and wanting to assassinate you."
"So pure?"
"Barring any surprises, it is indeed that pure. They are bandits from Whirlwind Village, based in Mong Mountain; they must have seen our team a few days ago."
"Hmm, interesting."
Zheng Fan shook his head. He initially thought so power was acting against him, possibly from Chu State or Qian State, or even, in a more cynical guess, possibly from Yan State itself.
But suddenly, things got so clean, which truly felt a bit unsettling.
Sitting beside Zheng Fan, A Ming spoke, "Hey, Siniang, could you help treat my back wound? I’m controlling it from healing, and it’s really painful."
Since the wound was not cleaned, A Ming had to control it from healing, which ant the injury remained and he constantly endured the pain.
And if it healed, reopening it later for cleaning would be more painful, so A Ming preferred to endure it now.
"Siniang, help A Ming with his wound. I will go check on the assassin."
"Yes, my lord."
When Zheng Fan walked out of the tent, the sky was actually already bright.
Fan Yongxin had sought a eting several tis, but Zheng Fan refused, even catching so sleep while Siniang was interrogating the prisoner.
Maybe,
he truly was seasoned by the battlefield,
and matured through experience.
After all, he didn’t die,
and the one injured was A Ming,
so his heart was at peace, allowing him to quickly sleep soundly.
Thus, by that ti, it was already noon.
Due to the assassination incident last night, the alert level around the camp was very high, prohibiting anyone from the Fan Family from approaching, violators would be killed instantly.
Zheng Fan walked into the tent where the mountain bandit leader was held,
noticing the bloodstains on the tent from outside.
Once inside, he found the bandit leader lying there, a bloody ss.
In fact, the leader was quite pitiful.
During Siniang’s initial interrogation,
he had already stated "if there’s an act, let the responsible party take it like a man" - this was his doing, without anyone else’s instigation.
Then,
Siniang didn’t believe and kept torturing, torturing, torturing, torturing, torturing...
Until finally,
when there really was no second answer,
this leader was tortured to the point he couldn’t bear it and started calling Siniang grandmother,
only then did Siniang confirm his initial answer was the truth.
At this mont,
seeing Zheng Fan enter,
the leader opened his eyes feebly, glanced at Zheng Fan, seemingly guessing Zheng Fan’s identity. Since Siniang wasn’t around, he mustered so toughness, barely pulling his lips into a "disdainful" expression.
"Why did you want to kill ?"
"Kill... Yan bastard."
"Insolent!" Jin Shuke scolded, having followed Zheng Fan in.
Zheng Fan raised a hand to stop Jin Shuke, nodded, and said,
"You do have so guts."
Having been in Chu for so ti, he hadn’t expected his first crisis would be brought on by a bandit.
"Alright then." Zheng Fan chuckled and said, "Shall I give you a quick death?"
Apparently, this leader was so frightened by Siniang’s thods that upon hearing Zheng Fan’s words, a relieved expression appeared,
and
he even expressed so gratitude:
"Thank... you."
"You’re welco."
Zheng Fan told Jin Shuke, "Ask the stable for so wine to give him, and then send him off neatly."
"Yes, my lord."
After giving these instructions,
Zheng Fan walked out of the tent, where the sll of blood no longer lingered, and couldn’t help but stretch.
At this mont, Fan Yongxin called out from outside: "My lord, my lord..."
Zheng Fan gestured for the soldiers in front to allow passage.
Fan Yongxin ca over with two from the Fan Family, imdiately saying,
"My lord, I deserve death, I deserve death, allowing my lord to be startled last night, I am guilty unto death."
"It’s fine, it’s fine."
Since this matter had nothing to do with the Fan Family, Zheng Fan did not bother to pursue it further, given the Fan Family’s comndable conduct along the journey.
"But rest assured, my lord, this morning, the commanders of several forts ahead have already mobilized troops to wipe out Whirlwind Village, and just received news that, from top to bottom, not sparing even the old, weak, won, and children, there’s not a soul left in Whirlwind Village. Please calm down, my lord, calm down."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fan reached out and patted Fan Yongxin on the shoulder,
causing Fan Yongxin, overawed by the favor, to crouch down slightly more.
Zheng Fan then turned back,
glancing at the blood-stained tent;
"Heh."
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