Chapter 1132: To Slash Open a Bloodbath

Chapter 1121: A Massacre Begins

During the capture of the last leader, both of his lieutenants were injured, and over thirty Feather Guards died.

Since he took command of the Feather Guard, they had never suffered such heavy casualties within half a day.

He casually removed a gag from one of the Shadowfang Guards' mouths. The guard immediately cursed, "You've wantonly slain foreign envoys! Our nation will surely raze you to the ground..."

Nangong Yan asked him, "How many of you came? Are there still accomplices outside?"

The Shadowfang Guard refused to answer, cursing even more fiercely, spittle nearly splattering onto Nangong Yan's face.

Nangong Yan slit his throat with a single stroke of his blade.

The curses ceased instantly.

Nangong Yan exhaled heavily, then pointed at the remaining Shadowfang Guards: "Kill them. Leave no one alive."

As for the Mu Kingdom's guards, killing six of them was an act of murder, and killing eleven was no different.

Since they had already acted, there was no point in leaving loose ends!

He then turned and dragged over a staff member from Rulin Inn, pointing at the corpses on the ground. "How many of these rebels are there? Are they all here?"

The staff member trembled uncontrollably, his tongue tripping over his words. "N-no, not all..."

"Not here, or you don't know?"

"Not here!" The blade was close to his neck, and the staff member finally found his voice. "There are two more, they're not here, not here!"

"So, there were thirteen in total, and two are missing from here?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Where did they go?"

The staff member claimed not to know.

Nangong Yan paced back and forth in the courtyard, more agitated than a tiger.

Who was setting him up in the shadows?

Whoever framed him not only understood the working style of the Imperial Guard but also knew Nangong Yan's schedule for the day, realizing he would likely lead the team himself.

The big problem facing Nangong Yan now was: What should he do?

All the Shadowfang Guards were dead; sooner or later, he would have to explain to King Bo.

His personal guards dared not breathe. At a time like this, no one wanted to incur the Commander's wrath.

"Who placed Mai Liansheng's belongings in the Shadowfang Guards' rooms?" he asked the staff member again. "Have you seen any unauthorized people enter those rebels' rooms?"

The staff member thought carefully, then shook his head. "N-no, I haven't!"

"Useless!"

After a while, Nangong Yan finally pointed at the corpses and told his subordinates, "Collect them all. Remember, these are all traitors!"

"Yes, sir!"

He casually changed out of his blood-stained clothes and immediately entered the palace.

Half an hour later.

The Feather Guard had long since been led away by Nangong Yan. Local officials were responsible for loading the bodies of the Mu Kingdom citizens onto oxcarts and transporting them to the public burial ground.

Along the road, many people craned their necks, watching intently, yet remaining expressionless, some with their mouths slightly agape.

"More deaths."

"Are they rebels?"

"Of course they're rebels, they must be."

Passing a small grove of trees, the two officials guarding the cart checked that no one was around, then climbed onto the cart to search the bodies.

These deceased had been well-dressed in life and stayed in the best inn, clearly people of means. What a pity, all their money and valuables had been taken by the Feather Guards; not even a silver ring was left behind. Bah!

The two could only resort to untying the deceased's boots and belts.

Such good cowhide boots were rare; wouldn't they cost several taels a pair outside? And the belts were also made of fine material.

Anyway, their ultimate fate was to end up in the grave, or perhaps even in a wild dog's belly; it was better to bestow them upon themselves.

One of them pulled off a pair of boots, tried them on, and found they fit. He even pried out a few pieces of broken silver from inside the boot shaft, grinning widely.

"Oh, a slip-through! Lucky you," the other official said, not without envy.

He was untying the deceased's clothes. The inner garment's fabric seemed to be silk, soft and smooth to the touch, and unstained by blood. But as he touched it a couple more times, he felt a bit of powder, like dirt or dust, with a faint ginger scent.

What was this?

Before he could process it, the corpse suddenly sat upright, grabbed his neck, and twisted hard!

With a *crack*, the official's neck broke.

A reanimated corpse!

His companion screamed in terror and turned to jump off the oxcart.

But as he turned, the reanimated corpse grabbed a long saber and flung it.

The saber pierced his shoulder!

The official cried out and fell to the ground.

The reanimated corpse wiped its face—it was Jin Bai!

His eyes were still somewhat dazed; killing was merely an unconscious reaction. It took him a few breaths to regain his senses, then he quickly checked the other oxcarts.

All ten Shadowfang Guards were here.

His eyes instantly reddened, and he strode towards the official on the ground. The latter stumbled to his feet, trying to flee towards the edge of the grove. Jin Bai kicked him down and stepped on his chest:

"Why did the Feather Guards ambush and kill us? Speak!"

His eyes glowed menacingly. The official stammered in fear, "Commander Nangong said, you... you are rebels."

"Where is he?"

"This humble one... doesn't know..."

Before he could finish, Jin Bai pressed down with the tip of his foot, caving in the official's chest.

The official died instantly.

Jin Bai reached into his clothes and felt a handful of powder. The Mu Emperor had once bestowed upon him a secret soul-attaching treasure, which resembled a piece of ginger. As long as he wasn't decapitated after death, he could reanimate his original body after half an hour, and his fatal wounds would be erased.

The ginger had turned to powder, and he had come back to life.

However, it could only be used once in a lifetime per person, and Jin Bai hadn't expected to use it in the Bo Kingdom. He had been careless, underestimating the ruthlessness of such a small place.

At that moment, footsteps were heard from outside; someone was approaching.

Jin Bai picked up the long saber and, with a swift movement, slipped into the woods, heading northwest.

King Bo was dining.

Since his ascension to the throne, he had formed a habit of never having concubines accompany him during meals.

So he was alone now, with even Concubine Mei not by his side.

When Nangong Yan came in to report, the King was eating small lamb chops, crispy on the outside, fragrant, tender, and juicy on the inside.

However, before Nangong Yan could finish, King Bo's eyes widened. He suddenly threw the lamb bone in his hand at Nangong Yan, hitting him accurately on the forehead with a *thud*:

"What did you say? Who did you mistakenly kill?"

Nangong Yan braced himself. "The Mu Kingdom's Shadowfang Guards. Your humble servant found evidence of the Mai faction in their rooms."

"So are they Shadowfang Guards or members of the Mai faction?!"

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid someone framed them!" Nangong Yan whispered. "They are Shadowfang Guards; we found official badges and documents proving their identity on the deceased."

The Shadowfang Guards had displayed their official badges at the start, but his idiotic subordinates hadn't recognized them!

By the time he arrived, both sides had suffered casualties.

What else could be done? The offense had already been committed; they might as well offend them thoroughly and then figure out a solution later.

"Framing you?" King Bo scoffed twice, knowing it was highly possible. "A few notes come in, and you just go and arrest people?"

Nangong Yan murmured, "Common folk often report rebels this way too."

King Bo knew he arrested people casually and didn't bother to dwell on it. "Who did it? Can you find out?"

"That..." For a moment, where was he supposed to investigate?

The list of suspects he could compile would have at least three hundred names.

Too many old enemies.

"What a mess you've made!" King Bo was still furious. "I just refused the Mu envoys' request, and then my Commander goes and slaughters their entire guard contingent! Are you trying to make sure I completely alienate the Mu Kingdom?"

Even King Bo felt this matter was inexcusable.

He knew, of course, that his Commander was always reckless, but this time the blunder was too great!

Could the Mu Emperor swallow this insult?

Nangong Yan paused. "Mu Kingdom's foreign envoys just visited?"

So the two people who disappeared from the inn were the Mu Kingdom's foreign envoys?

"Yes, they had just left the palace not long before you arrived," King Bo snorted. "They wanted to retrieve the Bright Lantern, and after I refused, they said they would visit the Carefree Sect."

"Tell me, how am I supposed to explain this to the Mu Emperor now?" he glared at Nangong Yan. "He will demand the murderer from me; how about I hand you over?"

Nangong Yan immediately said, "Your humble servant has a plan that can resolve both dilemmas."

King Bo was skeptical. What plan could he possibly have to resolve this double dilemma?

"The Shadowfang Guards are dead, and a grudge has been formed. If we let those two Mu envoys leave the country, they will surely report back to the Mu Emperor. Instead—" Nangong Yan's face hardened, and he made a downward slicing motion with his hand—"Instead, once they are outside our borders, we kill them! If the Mu Emperor pursues the matter, you can explain that the Bright Lantern was handed over to the Mu envoys and Shadowfang Guards to be returned, but they were murdered in the territory of the Carefree Sect, and the Bright Lantern's whereabouts are unknown!"

He said, word by word, "Then there will be no witnesses!"

By killing the two Mu envoys to silence them, they wouldn't have to return the Bright Lantern either.

How could the Mu Emperor, far away, know exactly what happened here?

If the people died in the Carefree Sect's territory, what connection would it have to the Bo Kingdom?

Even if the Mu Emperor suspected, he would need to provide evidence, wouldn't he?

The more King Bo thought about it, the more sense it made. His anger gradually subsided, and he grunted, "That is indeed a way. Go and handle it, but this time, don't make any more mistakes!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Nangong Yan replied, then added, "But your humble servant doesn't know what those two look like..."

King Bo immediately summoned a court guard: "He was in the hall at the time; take him to identify them."

Nangong Yan immediately bowed and left.

This court guard was one of his own subordinates, on duty in the hall that day.

Walking outside the garden, the court guard immediately told Nangong Yan, "Sir, those two Mu envoys are the ones who chipped your weapon a few days ago."

He had been behind Nangong Yan that day as well.

Nangong Yan stopped short. "What? Are you sure?"

"They stayed in the hall for several hours, especially the tall one with his fake smile. Your subordinate couldn't be mistaken."

"Are they the two for whom Concubine Mei vouched?"

"Yes!"

"Concubine Mei and the Mu envoys? Hmm—" Nangong Yan's eyes gleamed. He told another personal guard, "Go, report this matter exactly as it happened to His Majesty."

The wind and sand were heavy on the road, and He Lingchuan and his companion finally left the Bo Kingdom.

After crossing the border, Dong Rui let out a long sigh. "It felt so oppressive in the Bo Kingdom."

The ghost ape chirped twice, and Dong Rui translated for it: "It says that place is full of annoying smells, worse than in the Kite Kingdom."

"It's the smell of despair and decay," He Lingchuan mused. "No, it's the smell of slowly rotting in a mire of despair."

The Kite Kingdom had only been in a state of weakness and turmoil for twenty years. What about here?

From what He Lingchuan observed, the people of the Bo Kingdom had long lost the light in their eyes.

He knew very well that once aspiration and hope were gone, there was no bottom limit to human nature.

King Bo's ascension over ten years ago had not managed to improve the country.

His personal success by no means equated to the nation's success.

Dong Rui stretched on horseback:

"That old fellow, King Bo, seems to be a bit frail."

King Bo's voice had been weak, with a phlegmy sound, and the whites of his eyes were yellowish. Though his build still appeared sturdy, his cheekbones were high, and his cheeks were flushed.

He Lingchuan casually asked, "Can't he recover?"

"He's already over sixty, and his young concubines are only in their teens. Doesn't plucking need energy? It'd be strange if he weren't frail!" Dong Rui's medical skills were excellent, and he could discern the nature of King Bo's debility. "Furthermore, his troubles aren't just women. As the saying goes, human strength has its limits, and the fate of a nation can backfire."

In the current world, living beings cannot escape birth, aging, illness, and death. Even with all the nation's resources at his disposal, King Bo still couldn't overcome his physical decline; that truly meant fate determined life and death.

Moreover, the more a nation declined, the shorter-lived its emperors became, and the more turbulent its dynasties grew—these were a series of chain reactions, immovable by human effort.

Kingdoms on the Glimmering Gold Plain changed hands as frequently as sunrises and sunsets. How many emperors here could truly live to a hundred years?

"No wonder he's so eager to awaken his son's consciousness." If something were to happen to the old ruler, how could a seven-year-old child hold onto the throne?

Didn't he remember how he himself had ascended to the throne back then? The cycles of history were always strikingly similar.

Dong Rui asked him, "Now that King Bo has made his stance clear that the Bright Lantern will not be returned, what do you think the Mu Emperor's reaction will be?"

"That depends on how important the Bright Lantern is to the Mu Kingdom," He Lingchuan said slowly. "As it stands, as long as there are other options, the Mu Kingdom doesn't want to deploy troops directly to the Glimmering Gold Plain."

Firstly, it would create too much commotion, inevitably alarming other nations, such as the Ya Kingdom.

Just as Beiga had initially not wanted to send troops and had instead gone around Mu Kingdom to attack the Yangshan Archipelago, Mu Kingdom now also did not want to send a large army to pressure and attack the Glimmering Gold Plain behind the Ya Kingdom.

It could easily lead to regional tensions and misjudgment of intentions.

Secondly, sending a large army across a ten-day journey just to chastise such a tiny nation was not cost-effective.

Every ruler held a ledger in their hand, constantly calculating and recalculating.

Dong Rui stifled a yawn, to prevent wind and sand from entering his mouth. "If it's truly as you suspect, and there's a mastermind behind the stolen tribute case who planned all this without achieving the desired effect, they must be quite unwilling to give up, right?"

"Perhaps they simply assumed that if King Bo offended the Mu Kingdom, this great nation would destroy him in anger, the so-called 'even if far, they will be punished.' But they don't know that great nations have their own difficulties and their own demeanor," He Lingchuan slowly said. "This person has certainly never lived in a great nation."

"What then, when they find out?"

"Once they realize this, they should pour more fuel on the fire, not just give up," He Lingchuan pondered. "Doing something like this means putting your head on the line. Since they're willing to take such extraordinary risks, there's no reason to stop halfway."

Just then, he suddenly felt the divine bone necklace hidden in his collar tremble twice and grow slightly warm.

Was there something nearby that it desired to consume?

Something was off, He Lingchuan frowned.

They had just left the Bo Kingdom border. What kind of rare object could be left on this busy main road, usually bustling with people?

Could it be on someone else?

He glanced left and right. There were only three or four people walking on the road, all appearing to be ordinary commoners based on their attire.

But then, two dull thuds came from behind them. Dong Rui looked back. "Huh, the city gate is closing!"

The border was precisely at the city gate. They had only walked out a few dozen breaths ago, and the gate was already closing?

They were blocked outside the gate.

It was broad daylight. What major event could have happened to cause such a sudden border closure?

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. With his keen hearing, he could already hear the scattered sounds of hooves approaching rapidly.

Bandits?

No, that wasn't right. Bandits usually didn't rob people directly below city gates.

"Follow me," he decisively told Dong Rui. "A large group of people is approaching."

The two slapped their horses' flanks, and their mounts galloped off.

Soon, the rapid sound of hooves grew louder, and over a hundred riders burst forth from beyond the desolate woods. Leading the charge was an enormous Mimic Tiger!

Seeing this giant creature, He Lingchuan knew who the pursuers were:

Nangong Yan.

Indeed, he immediately spotted Nangong Yan's figure within the group.

At a fork in the road ahead, He Lingchuan and his companion took the left path. Nangong Yan and his group also unhesitatingly took the left path, following closely behind.

Dong Rui asked as they rode, "There seems to be a valley ahead. Should we activate the Snail Toad?"

He was asking if they should make an escape.

"Into the valley, but no Snail Toad!" He Lingchuan flatly refused. "I'm going to have a killing spree!"

Dong Rui thought he was joking, but when he turned his head, he saw He Lingchuan's calm expression and sharp eyes, showing no hint of a jest.

"We just crossed the border, and the city gate closed, clearly to prevent us from returning. What do you think Nangong Yan wants by pursuing us now?" He Lingchuan clenched his fists, knuckles cracking.

Dong Rui gasped. "No way, they'd even dare to attack the Mu Kingdom's foreign envoys?"

"No matter, we'll know after the fight," He Lingchuan let out a low chuckle. "Find a good spot; don't let them escape later!"

"Alright!" Dong Rui laughed loudly. "You're finally willing to kill without reservation!"

Regardless of his motives, since Nangong Yan had made a move against them, they would return the favor without hesitation.

No sooner had he spoken than a feathered arrow shot towards his back, but the ghost ape perched on his shoulder swatted it away.

Since arriving at the Glimmering Gold Plain, the poverty, the hopelessness, the chaos and suffering, and everyone's casual acceptance of it all, had stirred a faint restlessness within He Lingchuan's heart.

At this moment, he didn't mind at all unleashing his fury on the pursuers behind him.

He Lingchuan was no longer the greenhorn who first entered Beiga, cautiously striving for survival under the watchful eyes of nobles and gods.

He was the Lord of Yangshan, a person both Spirit Mountain and Beiga would earnestly seek to win over.

A strong person needed a strong mindset.

He had no need to avoid Nangong Yan and his lackeys pursuing him from behind.

Just kill them, and it would be done!

In the blink of an eye, the two led the pursuers into the small valley Dong Rui had indicated. The further they went, the lower the terrain became, and the mountains here converged, leaving no other exit.

Both sides were satisfied with this terrain.

He Lingchuan and his companion slowed their horses, and the pursuers quickly closed in. He Lingchuan counted more carefully; there were actually one hundred thirty to forty riders.

The first dozen or so riders, leading the charge, had armor of a distinctly different color from the rest.

The Mimic Tiger was coming directly for He Lingchuan. It crouched low one last time, then exploded into a leap, moving so fast it left a blur in its wake.

Its forelegs were thicker than those of a fierce tiger, and its pounce displayed even greater power than Jiao Yu's.

He Lingchuan, of course, was not afraid, but his mount was just an ordinary steed. Startled by the Mimic Tiger's roar and pounce, its legs turned to jelly, and it tripped itself just as it tried to turn.

The Mimic Tiger turned its head before even pouncing on the horse, its movements agile, because the rider had already leaped off.