Chapter 489: Settlement

"Brother Li~ Brother Li~"

Wu Mingxiao walked carefully to the outside of the Huang Mansion gate, listening intently for a while, but he couldn't hear any human voices, let alone the sounds of fighting he had imagined.

Only then did he push the door open slowly, probing his gaze inside.

His mouth slowly widened.

Just by looking at the flying eaves, upturned corners, and exotic plants within his line of sight, one could imagine the former brilliance of this Huang Mansion.

But now, whoever was here would not care about the scenery elsewhere, but would unanimously focus their gaze on the center of the courtyard inside the gate.

There was a trench there.

A trench one person wide and several feet deep.

The starting point was in the center of the courtyard, as if a meteorite had crashed there, and it extended straight toward the depths of the Huang Mansion, cutting through the main house, the hall, the rockery, and the pond, forming a clear path.

And on the left and right of this path were several corpses lying on the ground, either severed at the waist or at the shoulder, the cuts all smooth as a mirror, the shapes all uniformly oval, pouring blood into the trench.

The pond water poured into the trench, diluting the blood.

Wu Mingxiao remained silent for a long while before walking into the Huang Mansion and closing the door.

The scene before him had already exceeded his understanding of Wu Gong. It was as if a sharp long sword as huge as a mountain peak had swept across the Huang Mansion.

Logically speaking, the loud noise caused by such a scene should have been heard by the entire Kangfu County, yet he hadn't heard a single sound since Li Miao left the County Yamen.

Wu Mingxiao hesitated for a while, drew his blade, and walked forward.

And as he walked deeper, he saw more details.

For instance, the corpses lying on the ground all held Japanese swords identical to his.

For instance, the pond water that had been carved open flowed out, and after the water level dropped, it revealed the silt at the bottom of the pond, in which several white skeletons were exposed, as well as several knives and swords of Central Plains style.

And for instance, when he approached the last courtyard of the Huang Mansion, he vaguely heard some crying sounds.

The crying of women and infants.

"Could it be that Brother Li hasn't wiped out the enemy yet?"

Wu Mingxiao's eyes narrowed, he gripped his sword hilt tightly, and rushed over violently.

As he rushed into the last courtyard, a figure suddenly appeared before him, cold light flashing in the figure's hand as they stabbed toward his waist.

Wu Mingxiao had been on full alert; although the figure's speed was swift, their moves were surprisingly loose, so how could he not react?

"Die!"

The Japanese sword clattered out of its sheath, and a "Kirioshi" was slashed out violently!

Swish—Clatter.

The head rolled onto the ground, blood splashing out, spraying Wu Mingxiao all over his head and face.

But he had no time to wipe it off, only thinking that since the other party had an ambush early on, there must be more than just this many people, so he kicked the headless corpse away and shouted angrily.

"Wu Mingxiao of the Dengzhou Guard is here, die, you thieves!!!"

The response he got was not the angry shouts of enemies.

But the screams of countless startled women.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Wu Mingxiao was stunned.

He hurriedly wiped his face, clearing away the blood, and looked carefully.

Where were there any enemies or ambushes?

In the center of this courtyard were countless gathered women, some holding children, some visibly pregnant, and some thin, yet still holding weapons in their hands, all sitting facing inward, forming a circle.

And in the center of the circle, his "Brother Li" was sipping a cup of wine, raising his eyebrows as he looked at him.

Just as he was stunned there, several women holding weapons in the crowd stood up and shouted delicately at him.

"Who are you!"

"Drop your weapon!"