“No matter what, Duan Liuyang must be rescued,” Feng Jiu’er said in a low voice.

Just then, another one of their people came running in.

“Miss Jiu’er.” The man entered the hall and cupped his hands in salute.

“What is it?” Feng Jiu’er looked at the man in the hall.

“Miss Jiu’er, a letter has arrived from the front line.” The man stepped forward and respectfully handed over the letter in his hand.

Feng Jiu’er took it, waved a hand, opened the envelope, and drew out the letter.

The man cupped his hands and left.

As he went out, Qiaomu walked in.

“Is that a letter from Little Jiang?” Qiaomu asked.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er wouldn’t mistake Feng Jiang’s handwriting for anyone else’s.

“The western city gate has fallen. Third Brother is requesting reinforcements.”

“Then give the order — I’ll take people over right away.” Qiaomu’s brow furrowed and would not smooth out again.

“Going to fight is necessary, but our manpower is thin right now, and there’s still the matter of Miss Duan…” Xing Zizhou was somewhat more level-headed than Qiaomu.

“Miss Duan? What Miss Duan?” Qiaomu asked in a low voice.

“Duan Liuyang,” Zhao Yusheng answered. “Lei Ming led men to kill Duan Wucheng, his two wives, and the young master of the Duan family.”

“Right now, Duan Liuyang is in his hands, and he wants to trade her for Lei Shenbao.”

“Lei Ming!” Qiaomu clenched his fist. “I never expected he’d fled to Yongshan City — no wonder we couldn’t find him.”

“Jiu’er, what do you plan to do?”

“I’ll handle rescuing Miss Duan,” Zhao Yusheng said, looking up at Feng Jiu’er.

“I only need thirty brothers.”

Feng Jiu’er met his gaze and nodded. “I’ll give you a hundred men. Take Yinan with you. I’ll arrange more support to follow later.”

“Zhao Yusheng, Liuyang is in your hands now.”

“Mm.” Zhao Yusheng nodded. “I’ll choose the men myself — my own people from Zhao Family Stronghold know the terrain here better.”

“Very well.” Feng Jiu’er waved a hand. “Go arrange it now — we’re about to set off ourselves as well.”

“Understood.” Zhao Yusheng cupped his hands and turned to leave.

An hour later, the group, which had only just stopped, set out again.

Feng Jiu’er was now the lord of Yongshan City, and with the lord returning in triumph, the people were overjoyed.

Unfortunately, with the western gate fallen, though the people wanted to hold some kind of welcome for the new lord’s triumphant return, they had neither the means nor the heart for it.

Soon, news of Duan Wucheng’s death spread, and Yongshan City fell into mourning.

With the west under siege and enemies still active within the city, the people hid wherever they could, not daring to go out.

Every household shut its doors and windows tight, the city as empty as if abandoned.

Deep in a mountain range, two men returned from outside.

Dressed like ordinary commoners, their clothes patched here and there, they looked no different from the average villager.

“Boss, I don’t know what’s going on today, not a soul on the street, couldn’t buy a thing,” one man complained.

The other immediately agreed. “I didn’t get anything either — couldn’t even find any grain.”

“Boss, that Long woman doesn’t even take us seriously — why should we be polite with her?” said the man coming out from inside, his voice low and heavy.

“We’ve sent word out days ago, and there’s been no reply at all — maybe they don’t even think of the Duan girl as worth anything.”

“Then why should we hold back?” one man said fiercely, turning to glare at the bound woman.

“No, I can’t stand it anymore — today we’re going to teach her a lesson.”

“Let her know just what kind of people her father trusted, hmph!”

No sooner had he spoken than he turned and strode toward the pile of straw inside.

“Mmph… mmph…” The bound woman, hands and feet tied, shuffled backward with tears in her eyes.

“Mmph…”

The man came up to her and roughly yanked the cloth gag from her mouth.

“Go on and scream! Out here in the deep mountains, screaming won’t do you any good!”

“We’ve been feeding you well all these days — you’ve been serving us nicely — do you think we’re the ones losing out here?”

“No! Let go of me!” Duan Liuyang begged pitifully.

Over these past days she had grown thin, her face pale, even her voice hoarse.

“No! Please, don’t do this!”

Even with no hope in sight, Duan Liuyang kept weakly shaking her head.

“No?” The man crouched down, reaching for the ties of her robe. “You don’t even know what kind of days we’ve had these last few days?”

“Serve us well and maybe we’ll leave you a way to live — otherwise…”

“Heh…”

“No! Ah! No!” Duan Liuyang thrashed desperately.

“Blame your dead father for having no eye for people, trusting that white-eyed wolf.” With a ripping sound, the man tore off a corner of the woman’s robe.

“We sent word ages ago, and that Long woman clearly has no intention of coming to save you!”

“Give up hope — unless your dead parents crawl back to life, no one is coming to save you!”

With another ripping sound, another corner of Duan Liuyang’s robe tore.

“No!” She had only just gotten to her feet when she collapsed again.

“Get up!” The man hauled her up forcefully, and even untied her hands and feet.

Duan Liuyang was free now, but a glance around at the men surrounding her only deepened her despair.

She hugged her own body, shrinking into a corner, and rasped, “No! Please, let me go!”

“Please, I’m begging you!”

“Scream all you want — you could scream your throat raw and no one would hear!” The man stared at Duan Liuyang’s disheveled clothes, his eyes reddening.

“Go on, scream, scream!”

“No! No!” Duan Liuyang could only shake her head, her eyes glazed and empty.

Just as the man stepped forward, Lei Ming, who had been silent all along, gave a cold snort.

“I said — she’s not to be touched!” Lei Ming said in a low voice.

The man frowned and turned to look at Lei Ming. “Boss, don’t tell me you still think that Long woman is going to come?”

“She’s not coming. This is just someone with no value left to exploit for her!”

“Exactly, boss,” another man chimed in. “And besides, if we rough her up a little, maybe she’ll agree to release our lord.”

The men all shared the same thought — they’d been holed up here for so many days, and with such a stunning, untouched young woman around, who wouldn’t want a taste?

If not for Lei Ming stopping them, they’d have already had their fun more than once.

Now, if the precedent were set once, they’d all get their turn, wouldn’t they?

“Boss, you’ve stopped us this long — it’s just for fun, no one’s talking about taking a life,” another man added.

“Boss, everyone’s right, let’s really give that Long woman a taste of what’s coming,” said yet another man, quite earnestly.

“This kind of thing is beneath a real man!” Lei Ming still refused. “Either let her go, or kill her!”

“Boss, we can’t kill this woman right now,” said the man closest to Lei Ming, growing anxious.

“Even if we can’t save the lord, we still need her to get out of Yongshan City.”

“Boss, let them have their fun — she’s not even your woman, it’s no big deal.”

“Don’t you agree, boss? It doesn’t matter either way.”

—