“Father, why must you be so heartless?” The eldest young master looked at his father, his heart wracked with anguish and grief.
“My mother devoted more than half her life to you, and yet you cannot do even the smallest thing for her? Now that she is dead, you feel not even a twinge of sorrow?”
“Zhuo’er, I believe everyone else may fail to understand me — but you should.” Nanmen Yan looked at the young master who had spoken, his brow furrowing slightly as he said, “How could the lives of Yamu City’s people be allowed to fall into the hands of others? Could I face the people of this city if I acted as they demand?”
Feng Jiu’er looked at the high-sounding man before her and smiled coldly.
“I believe City Master Nanmen’s concern is for himself, is it not? Did you not hear me say I would not massacre the city?”
“You should understand — Yamu City is something I am absolutely determined to take. Coming to offer terms of surrender was only done to reduce the harm to Yamu City.”
“Nanmen Yan, you ought to be well aware that every moment of your hesitation costs not only one more wife — but also the lives of those guards still fighting desperately out there.”
Feng Jiu’er had no patience to say more. Her gaze shifted, and she looked at the brother holding the eldest young master of the Nanmen family captive.
“Since not even the deaths of all the madams can make City Master Nanmen blink an eye — begin with the eldest young master.”
“Yes.” The two brothers restraining the eldest young master of the Nanmen family answered in unison.
“Gate Master Nanmen, I ask you now — will you…”
“No!” The eldest young master of the Nanmen family, his face a mask of terror, cut off Feng Jiu’er’s words.
He looked at Nanmen Yan and drew a deep breath. “Father — spare me. Let us surrender.”
“The heroine said she would not massacre the city. Perhaps in a few years, we might become as powerful as Phoenix City.”
“Father, your control has already failed. Submitting to someone with greater capability is also a good thing for the people.”
“We are now besieged on three sides. If we do not surrender, it will not only be Yamu City’s soldiers who suffer — even the common people will…”
“Proceed.” Nanmen Yan gave a cold smile. “Son — there will always be more sons.”
Feng Jiu’er inwardly cursed his depravity, a biting chill radiating from her entire being.
“No!” The eldest young master of the Nanmen family collapsed to his knees on the ground, even his voice trembling. “I agree to surrender — don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
“Don’t kill me! I also agree to surrender!”
“I am also willing to surrender — I wish to follow the heroine.”
“I also agree to surrender — don’t kill me!”
“Please spare my son — he is still so young, he is innocent.”
“No more war! My son has not yet had the chance to call anyone Father — don’t kill us! My lord, please, I beg you to surrender!”
“My lord, surrender! The heroine said she would not massacre the city — my lord, please, sob…”
After the eldest young master let out a great cry, all the others followed suit.
Nanmen Yan looked at Feng Jiu’er, the faint curve at the corner of his mouth still in place.
“I will not sign a letter of surrender. Kill me or flay me — do as you see fit.”
The moment Nanmen Yan’s words fell, Feng Jiu’er, short blade in hand, drove it forcefully into his heart.
Nanmen Yan stared wide-eyed at the masked woman before him, unable to process what had happened.
Had Jian Yi not moved to support him, he would have collapsed long ago.
“You… why…?”
“I told you — this battle, I am absolutely determined to win.” Feng Jiu’er held his gaze with cold eyes fixed on the merciless man before her.
“Asking for your letter of surrender was only to save some of Yamu City’s soldiers’ lives.”
“Yet look at what you chose — not only did you show no care whatsoever for your own soldiers’ survival, you did not even spare a thought for the lives of your own family.”
“Your life is a life — but a soldier’s life is not? The lives of the women who served you for years, who even bore you children — those lives are not lives?”
“Even a tiger will not eat its own cubs, yet you cast away even your own son. A man like you has absolutely no right to exist in this world.”
Feng Jiu’er narrowed her eyes slightly and pushed the short blade forward by half an inch more.
With the blade buried in his heart, Nanmen Yan did not even manage a single groan before his breath stopped and he crumpled to the ground.
“Take the two madams inside and attend to their wounds.” Without another glance at the fallen man, Feng Jiu’er gave the order in a low, steady voice.
“Yes.” Her brothers responded.
Everyone watched helplessly as four figures in black carried away the two madams — the ones who had supposedly had their throats slashed — and no one could make sense of what was happening.
One of the figures in black stepped forward in front of Feng Jiu’er, then turned to face everyone.
“The two madams have only fallen into unconsciousness. This was our young lady’s stratagem — the purpose was to let everyone see Nanmen Yan’s true character clearly.”
“In truth, the forces we have positioned outside are more than sufficient to raze the entire Nanmen Manor to the ground. There was absolutely no need to go through all of this.”
“Our young lady devised this method — and in doing so, it was also a means of protecting the people of the Nanmen household. Our young lady said: we are here to reclaim, not to harm.”
The eldest young master stared at Feng Jiu’er with an expression of utter disbelief, and it was a long moment before he recovered himself.
“Does the heroine mean… my mother is not dead? But she was…”
Everyone had seen the woman collapse to the ground, her throat cut, bleeding heavily.
Now, to be told all of a sudden that they were being carried inside to be treated — and that it had all been some stratagem — there was no one who could make heads or tails of it.
“Even the most divine physician could not bring her back from that,” the eldest young master said after a pause, continuing on.
Even if he dared not himself believe there was any chance of his mother surviving, one could still see in the depths of his eyes just how desperately he hoped what the figure in black had said might be true.
“That was not the blood of either madam. Do not worry — after they are treated with our young lady’s medicine, they will regain consciousness very shortly,” the figure in black said.
“Are you the eldest young master of the Nanmen family?” Feng Jiu’er looked at the eldest young master and asked quietly.
“Yes.” The eldest young master of the Nanmen family gave a vigorous nod. “If my mother truly can be revived, I am willing to do anything — young lady, you have only to give the word.”
“Your mother’s life will not be in danger. However, every moment we delay, more and more of Yamu City’s guards will lose their lives.” Feng Jiu’er waved a hand.
“Go and draft several letters of surrender, and have your men deliver them. I give you my word — we are here only to reclaim, not to massacre.”
“If you truly wish to preserve as many of your brothers’ lives as possible, this cannot wait any longer.”
“Yes.” The eldest young master of the Nanmen family immediately rose to his feet.
Feng Jiu’er looked at the remaining servants and guards and waved her hand once more.
“Go — as long as the rest of the Nanmen household does not resist, my people will not make a move. Spread the word quickly!”
The eldest young master of the Nanmen family swept his gaze around those present and gave a slight nod.
“Go — tell the guards to surrender. Staying here will not protect the madams, the young misses, or the young masters. I trust that the heroine will do as she has promised.”
“Yes, Eldest Young Master.”
“Yes, Eldest Young Master.”
With Nanmen Yan dead, the master of the Nanmen Manor was now the eldest young master.
Everyone quickly grasped the situation and hurried away.
The eldest young master of the Nanmen family gave Feng Jiu’er a bow with clasped hands, then turned and departed with somewhat hurried steps.
The figures in black released the remaining members of the Nanmen household; the servants and maids rushed over to support the shaken young misses and madams as they withdrew.
After issuing a few final instructions, Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi vanished in the blink of an eye.
Very shortly afterward, the brothers who had received the letters of surrender, accompanied by members of the Nanmen Manor, set off in the direction of the three city gates.