Constable Wang shouted, “Stop! Come no closer! We’ll shoot if you advance!”
The constables at his side had their bows drawn, but their hands trembled slightly.
The crowd below hurled even fiercer insults: “This Wang is the county constable. The ones who killed the villagers of Ma Family Village were likely his men. How could he possibly hand them over?”
Incited by these provocative words, the rebel farmers’ anger grew hotter, and their glares at Constable Wang became more hostile.
As Constable Wang was at his wit’s end, a commotion arose behind him. Fan Changyu, wearing ill-fitting maid’s clothes, was holding someone at knifepoint, a boning knife pressed against the captive’s throat. Her sleeves were too short, exposing half of her frost-white wrist.
The person she held had several shallow cuts on their neck, clearly having been uncooperative along the way. Fan Changyu had been entirely focused on her captive, who had been incredibly cunning. On the way here, he had tried to distract her with conversation, nearly tripping her once to seize her knife.
After that, Fan Changyu had become more vigilant, ignoring his attempts at conversation. When he provoked her, she’d make a small cut on him as a warning.
Now on the city wall, Fan Changyu only had time for a glance at the situation, not immediately recognizing Xie Zheng in his blue demon mask.
Constable Wang, seeing them bringing a group of bound prisoners, was bewildered and asked the County Magistrate, “Sir, what’s this about?”
The Magistrate, seeing the hostile crowd below, felt fear but also saw an opportunity. Thinking that Qingping County could now be defended and that he had someone to offer up to appease the people’s anger, he realized he might even be promoted for quelling the Qingping County rebellion. His portly frame stopped trembling.
He adopted an inscrutable official demeanor: “The generals from Jizhou Prefecture were responsible for overseeing the grain collection. Now that the people are complaining, they deserve an explanation. That’s why I’ve taken the liberty of… having these military officials bound.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Fan Changyu, making sure she wouldn’t reveal that he had been the one imprisoned. His confidence grew.
The County Magistrate’s servants had varying expressions, but they were used to following his lead. If he said black was white, they’d agree without question. They wouldn’t contradict him now.
Fan Changyu’s face remained perfectly neutral, leading the Magistrate’s people to view her as a simple, compliant girl who knew her place.
Those like Constable Wang, who was completely in the dark, treated Fan Changyu as mere background, focusing all their attention on the Magistrate. Though still somewhat doubtful, the evidence was before their eyes. The Magistrate’s willingness to bind these soldiers showed some courage. He praised, “Your Honor is most righteous.”
The Magistrate thought to himself that since Constable Wang had guarded the city gate and the general had been captured by his people when this matter was settled, Jizhou Prefecture would reward Wang with the highest honors. If he wanted to claim Wang’s merit for himself, he’d have to flatter him first. He immediately said, “The rebels haven’t entered the city yet, thanks largely to Constable Wang’s foresight in guarding this place. To lull these Jizhou officials into a false sense of security, I pretended to dismiss Constable Wang. He truly hasn’t disappointed me.”
Constable Wang, feeling deeply uneasy, hurriedly replied, “Wang Chuanxian is unworthy of such praise…”
He was about to say it was Fan Changyu’s idea when he looked up and saw her frantically winking at him.
Fan Changyu was more than happy for the Magistrate to take all the credit.
She wasn’t stupid. The leader she had captured was an official from Jizhou Prefecture. If he died, his superior, some general named Wei Xuan, would surely hold a grudge against her if he heard her name.
As a common girl, being thrust into the spotlight might earn her some gold and silver, and make her famous in Qingping County, but at the cost of being hated by an official higher than the County Magistrate. Someone who could crush her with a finger. She might not live long enough to enjoy any rewards!
Moreover, if the man she held captive survived being offered up to appease the crowd, he’d hold a grudge against her. Although she had already hinted that she was acting for the Magistrate, the Magistrate’s cowardly demeanor made it hard to believe he had orchestrated all this.
Now that the Magistrate was taking credit to claim merit, spinning a convincing tale, he had successfully drawn away the hatred. Fan Changyu was secretly delighted.
Constable Wang was confused, but seeing Fan Changyu’s signal not to speak, he swallowed the rest of his words.
Just then, the people below the city wall, seeing the Magistrate arrive and resume his official airs, became increasingly angry. They immediately began hurling insults: “Dog official! How will you compensate for the dozen lives lost in Ma Family Village? With the lives of your entire family?”
The Magistrate had never heard such vulgar language in his life. He was already dreaming of his future promotions and meteoric rise. Hearing these insults suddenly, he trembled with rage, his mustache quivering: “Insolent rabble! How dare you curse an imperial official!”
The crowd that Constable Wang and Xie Zheng had painstakingly calmed with a mix of threats and concessions erupted once more because of the Magistrate’s words.
Troublemakers in the crowd seized the opportunity to fan the flames: “Everyone sees that? This dog official still doesn’t see us as human beings and has no intention of giving us an explanation!”
“If we let them deceive us into going home now, tomorrow it’ll be the yamen runners at our doors, beating us to death with their clubs!”
“Kill the Magistrate! Demand justice!”
The farmers below the wall surged with renewed anger, raising their farm tools and shouting. The small gatehouse on the city wall seemed like a tiny boat in a stormy sea, ready to be smashed to pieces by the next wave.
Seeing this turn of events, the Magistrate panicked. He hurriedly ordered his servants to bring forward Sui Yuanqing and his group: “I’m just a small county magistrate, how could I decide on grain collection? The Jizhou Prefecture officials supervised everything. I knew nothing about the Ma Family Village incident. If you want justice, I can only defy heaven’s will and bind these men to give you your justice!”
As he spoke, he ordered his men, “Open the gate, send these people out!”
Xie Zheng had been discreetly watching Sui Yuanqing and noticed his cold smirk at these words. Several of the troublemakers mixed among the farmers kept glancing towards Sui Yuanqing. Xie Zheng said coldly, “This man cannot be allowed out of the city.”
Constable Wang also hurriedly said, “Your Honor, we can’t open the gate! If we do, those rebels outside will flood in, and the city’s residents will suffer!”
Fan Changyu, hearing Xie Zheng’s voice, finally realized the masked man was him and looked at him in surprise.
Sui Yuanqing, recognizing his voice, frowned and scrutinized the man standing nearby.
As the Magistrate and Constable Wang argued, several sleeve arrows suddenly whistled through the air towards the city wall, aimed at the Magistrate and Fan Changyu.
Along with the arrows came a group of men disguised as farmers, who had thrown grappling hooks onto the wall and were swiftly climbing up the ropes, trampling over people’s heads as they ascended.
Constable Wang was shocked. Drawing his sword, he shouted, “Protect His Honor!”
Fan Changyu saw the sleeve arrow flying toward her face and instinctively dodged it. The man she was holding suddenly lunged towards her boning knife, avoiding his neck but letting the blade slice a deep gash in his shoulder, cutting through the ropes and binding him.
By the time Fan Changyu realized what had happened, she saw the man with a fresh, bleeding shoulder wound grinning at her with a vicious, perverse smile.
Sensing danger, she reflexively leaped backward, but Sui Yuanqing was faster. Having freed himself from the ropes, he immediately snatched a sword from a nearby yamen runner and swung it at Fan Changyu.
His killing technique, honed on the battlefield with human heads, was brutal and lightning-fast.
Fan Changyu’s boning knife was too short to effectively counter his long sword. When she tried to block, the powerful force numbed her hand to the wrist.
Xie Zheng had just intercepted the sleeve arrow aimed at Fan Changyu when he saw Sui Yuanqing break free and attack her. His expression changed, and he moved to help, but the assassins who had climbed the wall seemed to anticipate his intention. While continuing to shoot arrows at Fan Changyu, they split their forces to engage him.
Caught between protecting Fan Changyu from the arrows and dealing with these relentless attackers, Xie Zheng found himself stretched thin.
The yamen runners were no match for these assassins. Constable Wang’s men fell one after another. The Magistrate’s servants, who had never seen such violence, were terrified. They only thought of fleeing down the city wall, leaving themselves completely exposed and easily cut down.
For a moment, Sui Yuanqing’s men seemed to have the upper hand on the city wall.
Fan Changyu was forced to retreat continuously under Sui Yuanqing’s fierce swordplay. Hampered by her shorter weapon, she couldn’t effectively counter his force. The impact of their clashing weapons had split the skin of her palm, drawing blood.
She gritted her teeth against the pain, realizing that her earlier success in binding him at the Magistrate’s house was due to catching him completely off guard.
Now, in direct combat, every move he made targeted vital points with lethal intent. Although she knew martial arts, Fan Changyu had little real combat experience. She wasn’t as ruthless as her opponent, and with an inferior weapon, she found herself thoroughly suppressed.
She wanted to grab a longer sword, but Sui Yuanqing’s relentless attacks gave her no chance to do so. She could only barely defend herself with the boning knife.
Finally seeing an opportunity, Fan Changyu threw the boning knife like a dart. Sui Yuanqing had to dodge, and Fan Changyu quickly crouched to grab a fallen yamen runner’s sword.
However, Sui Yuanqing’s blade seemed to have a mind of its own, slicing past her fingers in the next instant. To save her hands, Fan Changyu had to abandon the attempt to grab the sword, rolling on the ground to avoid his second strike aimed at her head.
Sui Yuanqing’s lips curled into a high sneer, his eyes showing the interest of a cat toying with a mouse. “You stabbed me so many times, I ought to return the favor. Then I’ll skin you and hang you on the city gate. That would be fair, wouldn’t it?”
Fan Changyu spat fiercely, “If I’d brought my pig-sticking knife today, granny would show you how we bleed New Year’s pigs!”
Hearing her insult, Sui Yuanqing’s expression darkened further. The playful look in his eyes vanished instantly. He advanced with his sword, “You’re asking for death!”
Fan Changyu was also reckless. Mimicking his earlier move, she charged towards the blade instead of dodging it.
Seeing this from afar, Xie Zheng’s phoenix eyes turned cold. He snatched a sword from one of the assassins and hurled it forcefully at Sui Yuanqing.
The assassin screamed in pain; Xie Zheng had broken his hand while taking the sword.
As the cold blade approached, Sui Yuanqing’s pupils contracted. For self-preservation, he had to change his stance to block this incoming sword.
The two blades collided with a sharp metallic clash, and Sui Yuanqing’s ring-pommel sword broke into two pieces.
Surprised by such formidable strength, he looked up curiously at the man wearing the blue demon mask.
Earlier, when he heard this man speak, the voice had seemed familiar. On the battlefield, he had only encountered such strength when crossing swords with one particular person. Could this be…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, his momentary distraction cost him. An elbow slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling backward. For a long moment, his entire jaw was numb. His teeth felt loose, and his mouth filled with the taste of blood. The impact must have affected his cheekbone, as his ears were ringing, temporarily deafening him to the surrounding sounds.
He suddenly wasn’t so sure that the masked man was the Marquis of Wu’an. Even this unremarkable girl in Qingping County possessed such strength; there could be other hidden dragons and crouching tigers…
Fan Changyu, still holding a grudge, remembered how this man had bullied her earlier when she only had a short boning knife against his sword. After elbowing his jaw, she immediately picked up a fallen ring-pommel sword and swung at him again.
Sui Yuanqing, left with only a broken sword, glared hatefully but chose to evade her attack.
Now it was Fan Changyu’s turn to relentlessly swing her sword. Sui Yuanqing dodged and retreated, leaving inch-deep sword marks on the walls to either side.
Mu Shi and several assassins turned to see their young master being chased and attacked. They quickly disengaged to help him.
Suddenly, the sound of chaotic hoofbeats came from the distant road. Looking up, they saw the Jizhou banner fluttering in the cold wind.
The civilians gathered below the city gate had lost track of the situation when fighting broke out on the wall. Moreover, those short-jacketed peasants were all highly skilled in martial arts, and none of the locals recognized them. Seeing the chaos and without the lead troublemakers, the remaining people dared not act rashly.
Now, seeing the Jizhou army approach, far from confronting them, they worried the troops might mistake them for being allied with those martial artists on the wall. They quickly cleared a path.
Mu Shi took advantage of the moment when several assassins surrounded Fan Changyu to help Sui Yuanqing up. Glancing at the approaching Jizhou troops, he advised, “Young Master, it’s better to retreat and fight another day!”
Sui Yuanqing stared intently at Fan Changyu. Seeing that the dozen or so assassins couldn’t hold back the man in the blue demon mask much longer, he suddenly snatched Mu Shi’s sword and charged toward the County Magistrate.
The Magistrate screamed in terror. Constable Wang, already covered in wounds, hurriedly threw himself forward to save the Magistrate.
Fan Changyu couldn’t bear to see Constable Wang die before her eyes, and Xie Zheng was still entangled with a mass of assassins. She swung her large sword to block Sui Yuanqing’s strike.
Unexpectedly, Sui Yuanqing’s attack was a feint. He abandoned his sword and grabbed Fan Changyu’s sword hand like a vine. With some unknown technique, Fan Changyu felt her entire arm go numb instantly, and her sword clattered to the ground.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Sui Yuanqing said. “It would be a waste to skin you and hang you on the city wall. You’ll come back with me and be my concubine.”
With one hand gripping the rope of a grappling hook and the other tightly holding Fan Changyu, Sui Yuanqing laughed loudly as he leaped from a crumbled section of the battlement.
Fan Changyu stumbled, unable to regain her balance before being pulled down with him. Instinctively, she called out, “Yan Zheng!”
At the critical moment, another strong, sinewy hand from the city wall firmly grasped Fan Changyu’s arm.
Even masked, Xie Zheng’s aura at this moment was terrifyingly cold. His long-handled sword swung directly at Sui Yuanqing’s hand holding Fan Changyu, with such ferocious force that there was no doubt the arm would be severed in the next instant.
Sui Yuanqing had no choice but to grit his teeth and release his grip on Fan Changyu. The fierce wind from the blade still cut off a lock of hair at his temple and left a shallow cut on his face.
Sui Yuanqing looked up, meeting the fierce eyes behind the blue demon mask, and felt a secret shock.
Fan Changyu, now with one hand held by Xie Zheng, didn’t hesitate to kick at Sui Yuanqing’s face, while urging Xie Zheng, “Quick! Cut the rope and let this bastard fall to his death!”
The eagle-claw hooks connected to the battlements snapped with a crack, but as Yuan Qing fell, he managed to cushion his landing by stepping against the wall a few times. A group of bodyguards quickly pulled on the ropes to help him, and he hit the ground unharmed, though a dark footprint marred one side of his handsome face.
Seeing this, Fan Changyu couldn’t help but feel disappointed. As Xie Zheng lifted her, she grumbled, “Why couldn’t that guy just break his neck…”
In the next moment, she found herself enveloped in a broad, solid chest. The force was so great that it felt as if she were pinned by an iron plate, silencing her complaints immediately.