Yu Weiwei let out a muffled sob from her throat. She wanted to scream, to shout, but her voice felt strangled. Slapping herself hard across the face, she desperately hoped this was a nightmare. Yet the swelling on her cheek and the hellish scene that remained when she reopened her eyes confirmed the grim reality.
There were more of her Yu family members than this, far more!
Crawling on all fours, Yu Weiwei scrambled sideways and pushed open the door of another wing room with all her strength. The overwhelming stench of blood left her mind blank. Room after room—seven wing rooms in total—each a living hell on earth.
Leaning against the wall to stand, Yu Weiwei stared vacantly at Zeng Xianglin, her voice hoarse as she spoke, "When I was just old enough to remember, my mother told me it didn’t matter that I was a girl. My aunt had a very capable cousin who would never let anyone bully me. But she never told me what to do if that capable cousin was the one bullying me. Cousin, tell me, what should I do?"
Zeng Xianglin coldly lifted his chin. "If you had obediently waited for death, none of them would have died."
"Why should my life be in your control? If you want me dead, I must die? If you want the Yu family, I should just hand it over willingly?" Supporting herself on the corridor pillar, Yu Weiwei descended the steps, completely unafraid of the arrows aimed at her. Hua Zhi signaled Bao Xia to stay and watch over the Yu couple, then led the others forward.
"No matter how much wealth you have, you can only eat so much. One body can only sleep in one bed, wear so many clothes. Even if your coffin is inlaid with gold and jade after death, it’s still just a coffin, eventually buried under a mound of earth. Wealth won’t spare you from illness or pain, and time won’t stop for you. Why sacrifice over a hundred lives of my Yu family for these superfluous things?"
"What does a petty woman know of a man’s ambitions? Those who achieve great things cannot afford to fuss over trivialities. Blame your father for his ill-fated luck in discovering the silver mine. Possessing a treasure becomes a crime."
"My father found the silver mine and came to you for cooperation, offering you the benefits outright. Was that wrong?"
"Why waste words? Right or wrong, all of you will remain here today."
Another volley of arrows rained down, each one struck aside by a long whip. With a wave of his hand, Zeng Xianglin’s men closed in while he retreated.
Suddenly, Shaoyao leaped into action, her whip lashing out to ensnare Zeng Xianglin and fling him at Yu Weiwei’s feet. Without a word, Yu Weiwei pulled a hairpin from her head and stabbed toward the softest part of his neck.
Zeng Xianglin, horrified, rolled aside to evade, but Shaoyao was waiting and kicked him back into place.
Yu Weiwei had been poised for this moment. As he rolled toward her, she raised the hairpin and drove it fiercely into his neck.
Just then, the Chao Li Tribe arrived. Ignoring Zeng Xianglin, they lunged at Hua Zhi with massive fists. Shaoyao and the others rushed to her aid. Seizing the opportunity, the enemy dragged Zeng Xianglin away, Yu Weiwei’s golden hairpin still embedded in his neck.
Though Zeng Xianglin was cunning, his combat skills were pitiful. Having enjoyed smooth sailing in recent years without enduring hardship, he was nonetheless resilient—his face contorted in pain, yet he uttered not a sound.
Close combat ensued.
Shaoyao coiled her whip around Yu Weiwei and deftly tossed her back under the corridor. Bao Xia immediately helped her retreat. But being exposed was unsafe. Glancing around, Bao Xia ignored the gruesome scenes inside the rooms, tore off a door, and used it as a shield in front of them. Over a year of persistent fist practice had, if nothing else, significantly increased her strength.Zeng Xianglin retreated into the main hall, while Hua Zhi and the others found themselves completely surrounded.
Shaoyao threw a packet of powder into the air and lashed it with her whip, sending the powder scattering everywhere.
Not far away, Bao Xia immediately covered Madam Yu’s mouth and nose. Seeing this, Yu Weiwei wasted no time—she covered her own mouth with one hand and her father’s with the other.
Now was the moment!
Hua Zhi’s dagger shot toward the nearest person, who, despite already swaying unsteadily, managed to dodge the attack.
Shaoyao pursed her lips. This was her newly reconcocted powder, with potency three times stronger than before, yet the Chao Li tribesmen still hadn’t collapsed. This was the physical disparity between the Daqing people and the Chao Li Tribe.
Still, it wasn’t entirely useless. The Chao Li tribesmen were noticeably slower. Hua Zhi landed one hit out of every three attacks, and her dagger was coated with poison. The combination of the two allowed her to be the first to take down an enemy.
The enemies on the courtyard wall, sensing something amiss, intensified their barrage of arrows. Several people swung their whips in a seamless, impenetrable defense, keeping Hua Zhi safe. However, once they focused on whirling their whips, they could no longer fend off the enemies in the courtyard. Even the Seven Constellation Bureau struggled against the Chao Li Tribe, and the swordsmen were already feeling the pressure.
Although Hua Zhi’s health had declined, her long-term martial arts training had somewhat improved her lack of strength. Coupled with her razor-sharp weapon, the Chao Li tribesmen feared her more than the others. It was precisely because of her poison-coated weapon that they hesitated, barely managing to hold them off.
But this was no long-term solution!
Yet, it didn’t need to be!
The enemies on the courtyard wall were dragged down by whips from outside the courtyard. The gate was kicked open with force, and Gu Yanxi’s whip shot like a snake toward the face of the man attacking A Zhi, forcing him to retreat and dodge.
Hua Zhi caught her breath and pointed toward the main hall. “Zeng Xianglin!”
Gu Yanxi understood and gestured behind him. Immediately, someone sprinted in that direction. Gu Yanxi shielded A Zhi behind him and glanced at Shaoyao.
Shaoyao returned with her whip to Hua Hua’s side, while Yu Mu and Jia Yang also retreated. Only then, free from worry, did Gu Yanxi launch an attack on the enemies who were still stubbornly holding on.
“No need for so many people to guard me. Go check if there are any hidden enemies elsewhere.”
Yu Mu led four others away.
Hua Zhi looked up, about to speak, when she saw Zeng Xianglin being dragged over. Remembering the horrific scene in the side rooms, her expression turned cold as she stared at the man who could no longer maintain his smile.
“Young Master Zeng, did you feel any remorse when you killed those people?”
Zeng Xianglin raised his head. “It’s merely a matter of victors and vanquished. Why waste words?”
“When you raised your blade against these fellow countrymen who trusted you, did you feel even a hint of remorse? Among them were those who served you, guided you, served you tea, and congratulated you in your moments of triumph. They saw you as one of their own, yet you pushed them into hell.”"No need for me to push—sooner or later, everyone will end up in hell. An early death is an early release." Zeng Xianglin's features twisted grotesquely. "The Chao Li Tribe has infiltrated Daqing for forty-four years. Forty-four years—not four, not ten, but forty-four years! What have the court officials been doing? They've been scrambling for power and profit, completely unaware of this matter. When the Chao Li Tribe found me, I naively thought this was a monumental achievement and couldn't wait to report it to Yuan Shifang. And what happened? I suffered life and death in their hands for two months—two months! You people, blind and incompetent, wallow in wealth and luxury in the capital—why should I endure this torment? Don't talk to me about preserving my integrity through death—who is worth that sacrifice?"
Hua Zhi was momentarily stunned. So this man wasn't inherently wicked from the start. He had once held goodwill toward Daqing, which was why he went to Yuan Shifang. It was just that he had never been treated kindly.
PS: Balding Kongkong begs for monthly votes—it's the middle of the month.
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