Chapter 1313: Numbness and Guidance

Wan Qifeng gently shushed him, signaling for silence.

Constantly being rounded up and called out, killed instantly for resisting, dying faster the more you fought back… No matter who it was, after enduring such a life for a long time, the only thought left would likely be to pray they wouldn't be eaten the next day.

Revenge? It was not for the weak.

After several more moments of silence, Dong Rui was about to speak again when He Lingchuan cut him off, pointing his spear at Zhao Guangzhi: "Whoever strikes him first will get food."

Someone's mouth watered at the mention of "food."

But then, nothing happened.

Silence descended again, thick with awkwardness, but some villagers began to eye Zhao Guangzhi. After all, the man was bound; surely he couldn't pull any more tricks?

He Lingchuan showed ample patience.

It was alright; even revenge needed guidance.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of everyone, a boy, about eleven or twelve years old, suddenly stepped forward. His family tried to pull him back, but he shook them off with a strong pull.

He forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart, looked up at the black-armored leader, and asked, "If I hit him, will I truly get something to eat?"

The leader nodded gently.

Dong Rui, playing his part, produced a large flatbread adorned with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

The boy pulled a stone from behind his back and threw it at Zhao Guangzhi.

He had been hungry for days and lacked strength; the stone merely bounced off Zhao Guangzhi's forehead. Zhao was a martial artist, his skin thick and tough; such a small stone could not harm him in the slightest.

But the boy had indeed struck him.

Dong Rui motioned to him, holding the flatbread out, inviting him to take it himself.

The boy was afraid, hesitating for a few moments, but ultimately, hunger prevailed, urging him to slowly walk over.

The next second, he snatched the flatbread and sprinted back into the crowd.

The knights all chuckled. Never turn your back on the enemy; the boy was still too young.

Thankfully, their masks concealed their smiles.

Before the boy had even fully settled back into the crowd, he was already devouring the flatbread, tearing off two pieces to hand to his family.

Others, hearing their chewing and as if smelling the aroma of the wheat flatbread, felt their mouths water.

Dong Rui then took out several more flatbreads and held them up for everyone to see.

Without another word from him, three or four villagers spontaneously began picking up objects and throwing them at Zhao Guangzhi.

Each of them received a flatbread.

One man, having found a long wooden stick from who knew where, struck Zhao Guangzhi forcefully across the face.

There was a loud, sharp crack, and wood splinters flew.

The stick was rough, its splinters digging into Zhao Guangzhi's face, nearly blinding him.

His face immediately swelled, not just swollen but also seeping blood.

Dong Rui praised, "Well struck!" and tossed two large flatbreads to that villager.

The mood among the crowd lightened, a stark contrast to earlier.

Beating the cannibal Zhao Guangzhi not only brought no punishment but also food!

So that meant—

Zhao Guangzhi had truly fallen?

He could no longer raise his butcher's knife against them!

The days in Liuping were truly about to change.

The villagers exchanged glances, the realization dawning on them, their eyes widening with each passing moment.

It couldn't be, could it?

They weren't dreaming, were they? This was too… too incredible.

The black-armored leader asked again, his resonant voice echoing in every heart like the solemn toll of evening drums and morning bells:

"Who else is there!"

He was asking who wanted revenge.

Several people immediately stepped forward from the crowd, shouting:

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

Regardless of the black-armored army's true intentions, they were, after all, offering a chance.

Whatever Zhao Guangzhi had done to them in the past, they could now do to him!

The villagers' gazes began to transform.

Among them, surprisingly, was a woman, withered and gaunt, her hair and complexion as sallow as parchment.

Yet she was the first to speak, and her steps were the most resolute.

"You have this day coming to you!" she spat forcefully at Zhao Guangzhi's face. "Set him upright!"

The log used to bind him was heavy, and with the added weight of a grown man, it took several people working together to lift it and stand it upright. Then they placed Zhao Guangzhi's legs into the pot—

The pot was deep, yet the water level only reached Zhao Guangzhi's knees.

At this point, everyone understood what they intended to do:

To cook this cannibal!

An eye for an eye, blood for blood!

Everyone watched, holding their breath, terrified of missing a single moment of the unfolding spectacle.

Wan Qifeng stepped forward and removed the hemp gag from Zhao Guangzhi's mouth.

The man made a few sputtering sounds, then immediately pleaded with He Lingchuan for mercy.

He had witnessed Liu Shuheng's stoning at Stone Helm just moments ago. But compared to the torture he was about to endure, stoning seemed almost merciful.

He pleaded until his voice cracked; only then did the black-armored leader unhurriedly raise three fingers:

"Your crimes are heinous; you are sure to die. However, if three people speak up for you, you will be spared the torture of the cauldron."

Seeing the Liuping villagers' eyes, a chill ran through Zhao Guangzhi's heart.

But with the heat beneath his legs intensifying, he could only desperately plead with the surrounding Liuping villagers:

"My fellow villagers, my sins are grave, I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I beg you, grant me a swift end!"

The crowd watched him, their faces expressionless.

Some even wore expressions of anticipation, like the sallow-haired woman.

"I killed your loved ones, I confess my sin!" Zhao Guangzhi cried out. "But the dead cannot be brought back. I am willing to compensate, I am willing to compensate! I have a hundred thousand taels of silver I can distribute among you all!"

He knew in his heart he wouldn't escape death tonight; he only prayed for a swift end.

"A hundred thousand taels of silver! Each of you could get dozens of taels! You wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for years!"

"The living must plan for themselves. Don't you want to eat white rice? Don't you want meat?"

Hearing him, several onlookers instinctively swallowed.

This was an instinctive reaction; their gnawing hunger was real, as was the fact that they hadn't had rice or flour for over ten days.

A chance! Hope! Zhao Guangzhi was overjoyed and tried to continue his persuasion, but the woman said coldly:

"Meat? Are you referring to human flesh?"

She stepped forward, one deliberate step at a time, the flickering firelight mirrored in her eyes:

"Was it cut from my brother's body, or from their family members' bodies?"

That single sentence made everyone else's eyes redden.

Immediately, several men on the side began to shout, "I don't want money, I want your flesh!"

"Exactly! The way you ate my son, that's how I'll eat you now!"

"Eat him! Eat him!"

"Wasn't your favorite game making us choose who would die and who would be eaten? And you'd stand there laughing!" The woman's gaze, fixed on Zhao Guangzhi, sent a chill through him. "Now it's my turn to choose! I want the flesh from your chest!"

The heat below his thighs intensified. Zhao Guangzhi focused his mind and roared, "Shut up, all of you! What business is it of yours? I only need three people to raise their hands, just three!"

The people of Liuping stared at him, their faces devoid of expression.

"Three people can split a hundred thousand taels equally, over thirty thousand taels each!" The reward had just increased a hundredfold; Zhao Guangzhi refused to believe no one would be tempted. "These wretches would do anything for money! This is thirty thousand taels! You common laborers wouldn't earn that much in ten lifetimes!"