Chapter 273

Whether this woman fabricated a story to curry favor with Chen Wuji or she truly thought that way, at least Chen Wuji saw another version of Yeniao Shan Zhuang.

Under this impression, Yeniao Shan Zhuang was clearly a den of thieves.

The woman continued, 'Although they resort to any means outside, inside the Zhuangzi everyone is like brothers and sisters, truly close. But such brothers and sisters, in my view, are only disgusting.'

'Those men and women hand over the money they earn each day to the overseer, then share food together, and at night they freely pair up to sleep, sometimes dozens of couples in one room, doing whatever they please.'

'Right, whether it's morning martial practice, eating, or even doing those things at night, they must give thanks for the lord's gift, their posture as if worshipping a deity.'

Chen Wuji's mouth twitched slightly.

He now was more inclined to believe that the woman truly loathed them.

Yeniao Shan Zhuang gave him a feeling of déjà vu, very familiar.

"They won't stop anyone from leaving, but they require a payment of ninety taels of silver, which they call sin silver. Meaning those who leave have failed the lord's grace, abandoned becoming a free person, willing to remain dogs, and need to atone." The woman's eyes held a thick hatred that could not be melted, she glanced at Ji Qinghuan.

'Actually, I have hidden some silver; I can afford the sin silver, but I suspect my parents and uncles were killed by them. I want to find the murderer, or… kill them all.'

'I have secretly hidden more than a dozen doses of poison in the Zhuangzi, but I worry it won't kill everyone, so I have hesitated to act. Moreover, what's most hateful is that they don't spare even eight- or nine-year-old children, teaching them to kill, and even saying that killing them helps them break their shackles and gain liberation.'

'Enough!!' Ji Qinghuan suddenly roared.

'How can you think that? How can you think that? Nothing we do is wrong. Those we kill deserve it, they are utterly heinous. We sleep together, freely do those things, precisely because we are free—people in ancient times were like that.'

The woman scoffed, 'People in ancient times were not like that. Study more in your next life; you may not become a top scholar, but at least you won't be fooled into becoming a stupid dog that doesn't even know what it is.'

Having said that, the woman burst into unrestrained laughter.

Her laughter was manic, tears rolling wildly in her eyes, 'My family has a tradition of farming and scholarship, moreover a lineage of accumulating goodness, praised throughout ten miles and eight villages, yet in your mouth we become utterly heinous people, heh heh… heh heh… a pack of damned wild dogs!'

'That doesn't necessarily mean we killed them; you have no proof!' Ji Qinghuan shouted unwillingly.

'Enough!' Chen Wuji cut them off, 'How many fighters does Yegou Shan Zhuang have?'

The petite woman wiped away a tear forcefully and said, 'Those wild dogs, regardless of gender, dare to kill; even the children on the Zhuangzi can draw a knife and stab without hesitation, but once on the battlefield they are nothing but a rabble.'

Chen Wuji had a clear idea.

But he suspected that the person who built Yegou Shan Zhuang had other means behind the scenes.

Someone capable of devising such a scheme to manipulate hearts would not be so foolish as to dream of occupying Yunan with just these six hundred people.

'Jiu Shu, send her on her way; no need to waste more time.' Chen Wuji said.

'Yes!'

Chen Luozi swung his knife without hesitation.

Ji Qinghuan didn't even have time to utter a plea for mercy before being beheaded.

The petite woman said nothing, merely closed her eyes and lifted her neck.

But she waited half a day and still felt no pain from the knife falling.

She lifted her head, eyes full of tension, only to see the tall, fierce-looking men gathering up the surrounding weapons; her voice trembling, she asked, 'You… aren't going to kill me?'

'You want to die that badly?' Chen Wuji took another bite of grilled fish.

The woman quickly shook her head and weakly said, 'Actually I'm not afraid of death; I just… want to avenge my family, who committed no heinous crime and broke no law.'

Chen Wuji gave a noncommittal hum, 'Remember what you just said; I can give you this chance, but it would be best if what you said were true.'

The woman pressed her lips and nodded firmly.

'What's your name?' Chen Wuji asked.

'Yin Shu.'

'Where did those bows come from?'

Yin Shu shook his head, 'I really don't know; these items were sent by the lord's people, along with crossbows and knives. I heard that previously the Zhuangzi had no weapons at all; it was the wild dogs who looted them from outside, after which they gradually increased.'

Chen Wuji's expression shifted slightly, 'And crossbows?'

'Yes, but not many—apparently only a few dozen were brought.'

That was not good news.

Crossbows are weapons explicitly banned by the court; normally only those with official status or deep ties to the government can obtain them, involving great vested interests.

The lord of Yegou Shan Zhuang is probably no ordinary person.

'Family Head, we've checked the surroundings; there's nothing else, the most usable are just these few bows and knives.' Chen Luozi came over and said quietly.

'Let's withdraw.' Chen Wuji rose, walking while eating his grilled fish.

Yin Shu looked around, somewhat bewildered, then hurriedly stepped to follow.

The bodies of Ji Qinghuan and the others were buried on the spot, the sheds were torn down, and everything that should be burned was burned clean.

Traces of habitation here were basically cleaned up.

The remaining traces that are hard to restore, even if discovered by the Qiang people's scouts, would likely not be overinterpreted.

Although this deep mountain sees few people, it is not completely untrodden.

On the way back, Chen Wuji chose another route.

Just as on the way there, he closely observed traces along the route.

They found nothing, and the party returned smoothly to Elephant Trunk Ridge.

The temporary Lìng site has been tidied up; although its occupied area isn't large, it is completely sufficient.

As Family Head, Chen Wuji also received special treatment, having a tent of his own.

The soldiers even thoughtfully installed a simple door and window for Chen Wuji.

After staring blankly at the scene for a few moments, Yin Shu, obedient yet a bit hesitant, asked, 'General elder brother, what… should I do?'

'Whatever you like.'

'Ah? I…'

Yin Shu became even more bewildered by that.

She felt she ought to do something, but in such a military camp she really didn't know what she could do.

Thinking and thinking, she lowered her head to look at herself, and her train of thought suddenly went a bit off track.

Because of Yeniao Shan Zhuang's rules, she had long since helplessly abandoned her body, or rather she had long since stopped treating herself as a person; now only hatred keeps her alive.

But Yin Shu doesn't know whether bringing this up in the army Lìng is... good or not.