Chapter 267

Sinowen Wendingsang's skull was carefully placed into a box by Huode; Meiyi watched him press the box shut with his hand, then tied it with a silk ribbon, placed it in a fur bag, and handed it to the woman crying beneath her.

She is the eldest daughter of Viscount Sinowen Wendingsang of Frostwind Hall, Pi Ya Wendingsang; her brothers went with Budun to Huowude Fortress, their fate unknown; her father died in battle beneath the Frostwind Hall city.

Anyway, if Meiyi were to mourn him, she could never describe him as "brave"—he was trampled to death by Gibujiji's warhorse while fleeing, and then his whole body was crushed by the horses behind. When the lord's head was picked up as a trophy, his skull was engorged like a purple ball; Shasha complained that it took great effort to push his eyeballs back into their sockets.

Pi Ya Wendingsang took the wooden box sorrowfully, her body trembling with grief, her eyes already red from crying.

If his older brother also died in battle, then this young lady likely has no other relatives left.

She originally should have had two younger brothers, but when Meiyi entered the city, both children lay fallen in pools of blood. She does not know whether Weier deliberately killed the two male heirs of Frostwind Hall, but clarifying matters amid the chaos is extremely difficult, and she also has no desire to support justice for herself.

With no male heirs, awarding this castle and fief to one's own warriors would be most convenient; the woman before them would also serve as the warriors' most important reward—she is extremely young, and from a certain perspective still somewhat brave, which Meiyi greatly appreciates.

"Viscount Wendingsang and his heirs participated in Budun's undertaking; his title, lands, and your inheritance rights are all to be reclaimed. As his sole surviving daughter—I sympathize with your ordeal, but I am powerless to help; I can only hope you can emerge from the multitude of sorrows..."

"I don't need your hypocritical comfort!" Pi Ya gripped the wooden box and harshly rebuked her.

"Frostwind Hall controls the western road leading to Terror Fortress and Budun Port, which is very important to me; I intend to grant it to my loyal subordinates. But frankly, a petty viscounty—now the commanders inside all qualify for ennoblement, some of whom may later be made earls; well, if it were a duchy, everyone would need to strive." Meiyi ignored her disrespect, saying, "You have the opportunity to choose a husband within the room; if the chosen one also consents, he shall become the new Viscount of Frostwind Hall."

"Don't even think of humiliating me—I won't choose anyone!"

"If I wanted to humiliate you, I have countless ways; you must trust my goodwill, and this is your sole remaining right—I advise you to take it seriously." Meiyi rose from her seat.

"You're all swindlers, all bandits!" She glared at Meiyi, at the smiling Weier and Bolong, then suddenly burst into tears, "You're all demons!"

"They are indeed swindlers, but not bandits, nor demons." Meiyi felt she had lost patience; she was never good at coaxing people, especially girls, "I'm doing this not to humiliate you, but for the peace of the new fief. Ah, for the sake of the civilians you've harmed, hurry up!"

After Meiyi finished speaking, she covered her sleeves and cried even louder.

She had reason to regret and lament.

If it weren't for her, her two brothers would likely not have died. According to the news Meiyi heard, when they arrived, the lord of Frostwind Hall refused to let the "Budun" soldiers enter the city, but she firmly believed in the identities of those she claimed to have "rescued," such as Eric and company, and thus, with fervent words, she compelled the lord to open the gate.

Moreover, Weier worried that his southern accent would make Pi Ya suspicious, so the "rescue" task was delegated to the more handsome local, Eric Xuenuo.

"Your Highness, let me say first, I don't want her," Weier stepped forward, stared at Meiyi, gave a foolish grin, "I detest crybabies."

Pi Ya's face flushed crimson, both embarrassed and indignant, but her tears were too many for Meiyi to tell which was greater.

Meiyi had no choice but to look at Bolong. He was their second-highest contributor in taking Frostwind Hall.

After taking Frostwind Hall, the Budun army had no choice but to retreat via the nearby mountain route to Terror Fortress, yet the mountain path was far from easy; Budeng Kouji, who had lightly taken the tail, was utterly defeated at the mountain's base. Some say Budun's undertaking collapsed when they burned Haelferinte at Huowude Fortress, but Meiyi believes its true collapse originated at Frostwind Hall.

"Weier and I are both southerners; in this cold, a woman can't warm my quilt." He also refused.

Meiyi then turned to Budeng Kouji, their third-highest contributor.

"I..." the young Budeng Kouji scratched his head. "I already..."

Meiyi quickly nodded, then turned to Eric. As the leader of the team that deceived the castle, his performance was merely average; if the person on this mission had been Weier, Meiyi believed she could have taken the castle alone without loss, yet he succeeded in sowing chaos within the city, causing many innocents to die horribly. Nevertheless, having secured the castle, he can barely be ranked after Pi Ya as the fifth-highest contributor.

"I..."

"The founder of the Balaxien family, Aolisi Balaxien, married his captive—the last Storm King's daughter, Yaerjila—as wife, and inherited her family's words, lands, and sigil. Aolisi, like you, is a bastard; he kept his own surname, which has since become a royal surname, and this is also an opportunity for you."

"I..." his face also turned red.

"If you are magnanimous, willing to cloak this pitiful woman with a cloak, then I agree you may choose a surname you like as your family name."

Eric finally knelt on one knee before Meiyi, then took off his thick cloak and draped it over the tear-streaked Pi Ya. After gazing deeply at the girl, he rose at once: "My mother had no surname, my father is believed to be a bastard as well, and I do not know what surname my paternal grandfather bore—so I will not use their surnames; I am not a Balaxien, nor do I need to choose a surname I like. Your Highness, from today onward I choose the surname of the woman I vow to protect." He turned to look at his girl: "I deceived you before entering the city, but I swear by the gods that I will never do so again."

Meiyi could not discern Pi Ya Wendingsang's attitude, only hearing her sorrowful wails grow louder, but since she had not thrown off the cloak, Meiyi took it as consent and gladly considered she had solved another problem.

"Viscount Wendingsang, please take your lady away!" Meiyi, having lost all patience, finally pushed the troublesome matter aside.

Not long after, the guards pushed in another fully bound man clad in shining plate armor. His breast bore embroidered roses and a golden tree, symbolizing the families of both his parents. By now Meiyi knew the golden tree was the crest of the Luowan family.

"Sir Gailuete," Meiyi signaled Huode to undo his bonds, "we meet again."

"She-wolf." Formerly his beard was meticulously groomed; now it is a mess, his whole face perfectly expressing misery.

"According to southern knightly etiquette, the least you should call me is 'Sir Meiyi'?"

"It's only because you've changed so much. When I first met you, you were just a mongrel, bearing the name Xuenuo, with a red wolf painted on your chest—hmph, not calling you 'Bloodwolf Woman' is already polite."

"I have indeed changed a lot, but you, Sir, haven't changed at all—both times you've been a defeated general with dirt on your face." Meiyi rose and stepped slightly closer, discovering he was several inches shorter than her, "But you can also be proud, after all the first time you lost to an underage mongrel, this time you lost to a notable Sir of the Stark family—quite an improvement."

The hall rang with the officers' unrestrained laughter, and Sir Gailuete's face flushed crimson instantly.