Chapter 100: Died in a Worthy Cause

Tu Tu Kesiluo's eyes narrowed slightly, a gloomy smile emerging from his slitted gaze; his thin lips curled upward as he sneered, "Is that all you can do? The Great Leader Yang of Black Wind Ridge truly lives up to no reputation, leaving me quite disappointed."

He deliberately emphasized the word "Leader," dragging out the tone, his words brimming with mockery and sarcasm.

Yang Yang Dazhuang frowned deeply, sweat streaming down his face in rivulets; he twisted his neck desperately to avoid the sword's edge, his whole body trembling like a terrified quail about to be roasted for wine.

He pleaded, "Hero—no, my lord, I beg you, show mercy and spare my life!"

Tu Tu Kesiluo snorted disdainfully through his nose, sneering, "Someone like you trying to make a living in this trade is no wonder the shanzhai bandits are in decline."

Before his words had fully faded, his smile vanished and his tone turned cold and harsh, "Why haven't you ordered your men to stop yet? Delay any longer and I will take your small life!"

Having spoken, he pressed the sword's edge lightly against Yang Yang Dazhuang's neck, instantly drawing a thin red line of blood.

Yang Yang Dazhuang's face turned ashen; sweat from his crown streamed down his cheeks. His eyes widened, yet he seemed to have lost his senses, kneeling dully on the ground.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu struggled to rise from the ground, his legs still trembling uncontrollably. He forced his steps forward, stumbling as he mounted his horse. Jiang Jiang Mingyu raised his throat and shouted with all his might, "Everyone, stop at once!" His voice echoed through the valley, startling everyone present.

"Yang Yang Dazhuang has been captured. Everyone, lay down your weapons immediately; perhaps you may yet preserve your lives. If you continue to resist, you will only perish together!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu's shout directly stunned the bandits still fighting desperately.

Amidst the chaotic clatter of weapons hitting the ground, the remaining hundred-plus bandits obediently knelt. Li Goudan raised his hand and waved; the sharp blades of dozens of soldiers instantly pressed against the vulnerable backs of these captives' necks.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu swept a cold gaze over the kneeling captives and said in a cold voice, "Who among you just now shot that cold arrow at this official? Step forward immediately!" He spoke lightly, "This official is still in a decent mood; if you confess honestly, perhaps your life may yet be spared. If I discover it myself, death will be unavoidable."

Old Li, kneeling among the crowd, froze completely, bowing his head and pretending nothing had happened, though his heart was in extreme panic, terrified of being recognized by Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Except for Yang Yang Dazhuang and a few who knew the truth, the remaining bandits looked at one another in confusion, completely unaware of what had occurred.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu walked slowly to a bandit, bent down, his lips stretching into a sinister smile, and asked softly, "Tell me, who did it?"

That bandit, terrified, turned pale, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, and stammered, "I... I don't know."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu maintained a gentle smile on his face, his tone even carrying a hint of praise, "Very good. Truly a man of the green forests, with backbone and loyalty."

Hearing this praise, the bandit's face immediately lit up with a happy smile, but before he could even feel joy, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's next words arrived: "Push him down and behead him." Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone was casual, as if discussing an unimportant triviality.

The smile on the bandit's face froze instantly. Seeing Li Goudan striding forward with a sharp blade, he cried out in terror, "Wait, I'll speak, I'll speak!" With his life hanging by a thread, he cared nothing for the chivalry of the Jianghu.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's smile did not fade; he said slowly, "Now wanting to speak is too late. Be a clear-minded person in your next life." Having spoken, he waved lightly at Li Goudan. Before the bandit could continue begging for mercy, Li Goudan dragged him aside.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice floated lightly, as if discussing an ordinary matter. The terrified smile on the bandit's face had long since stiffened.

Li Goudan was seen striding forward with a treasure blade flashing with cold light. The bandit's forehead dripped with cold sweat, and he shouted anxiously, "Wait, I'll speak, I'll speak!" With his life flickering like a candle, he cared nothing for the rules of the Jianghu.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu maintained a gentle smile on his face and spoke slowly, "Now wanting to speak is too late. Be a clear-minded person in your next life." Before his words had fully faded, he waved lightly at Li Goudan. The bandit was still begging for mercy when Li Goudan dragged him aside.

A flash of cold light, blood splattered; after struggling violently, the bandit collapsed headless, the blood melting the white snow on the ground.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu walked to another bandit. Before he could speak, that man kowtowed like pounding garlic, trembling and saying, "It was him! My lord, it was him!" As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Old Li in the crowd.

That man, his face terrified, spoke at extreme speed, "His name is Old Li, the most skilled archer in the shanzhai. Just last night, Great Leader Yang personally ordered him to shoot that fatal arrow, saying that if he hit my lord, Old Yu would capture my lord alive. They believed that as long as my lord fell into the Leader's hands, even if my lord had thousands of troops, it would pose no threat. My lord, I stood guard at the door that night; I heard every word of their conspiracy clearly, without any concealment or embellishment. My lord, I have now revealed everything I know; I earnestly beg my lord to raise your hand in mercy and grant me a path to life!"

To seize a sliver of hope, he laid out all the intelligence he knew, holding nothing back.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pretended not to hear, walking slowly to Old Li, whose face had already turned as pale as snow. He looked Old Li up and down, narrowed his eyes, clicked his tongue, and said, "An archer of divine skill, indeed remarkable. Had Tu Tu Kesiluo not been quick-witted, I would likely have already met my end in the Yellow Springs. Tell me, how should I repay your great kindness?"

Old Li trembled all over, his teeth chattering, cold sweat seeping from his forehead, his face white as the snowy ground.

Old Li knelt on the ground, his forehead pressing tightly against the earth. His voice carried an obvious sobbing tone, filled with pleading, "My lord, my lord, listen to me." He raised his head, tears blurring his eyes, his face twisted by fear. He wiped away his tears with a trembling hand, his voice choked with sobs, "This secret firing of a cold arrow was all Great Leader Yang's idea, my lord. Truly, it was all his idea."

As he spoke, Old Li's speed increased, as if eager to finish his words, "I am merely a small underling who follows orders; had I not obeyed him, I would likely have died last night." He kowtowed violently again, producing a loud thudding sound, as if begging for Jiang Jiang Mingyu's forgiveness.

"My lord, every word this small man speaks is the truth. The brothers present last night can all testify for me." Old Li raised his head, his eyes full of pleading, "This small man, even if he speaks until the sky breaks, is merely an accessory. I beg my lord to show leniency and spare this small man's life."

Unlike Old Li, Yang Yang Dazhuang knelt nearby, his eyes filled with anger. Hearing Old Li's accusation, he shouted harshly, "Old Li, you..." but was cut off by Old Li, unable to continue.

Old Li's words made rebuttal difficult; Yang Yang Dazhuang could only glare fiercely, his fists clenched tightly, yet he knew not how to refute Old Li's words.

Old Li's lips trembled slightly from agitation. He widened his already small eyes, his eyeballs bulging, his whites covered in red capillaries, like an enraged bull. His voice was high-pitched and sharp, echoing in the vast hall, spoken at extreme speed, as if every sentence was exploding, "You, what you? Which single word I spoke is not the truth? How long do you intend to quibble?"

Hearing this relentless questioning, Yang Yang Dazhuang's face shifted from red to white, then to green, twisting like dough kneaded several times. His mouth opened and closed like a dying fish, yet could only emit the meaningless monosyllables, "You, you..."

His pupils, shrunk to needle points from terror, stared fixedly at Old Li, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets. His fingers twisted into claws, digging deep into his own palms, his nails embedding into the flesh, dripping with fresh blood.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu watched coldly from the sidelines, his thin lips curling slightly upward, his eyes betraying no concealment of his excitement at watching the show.

Seeing Yang Yang Dazhuang speechless, Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled lightly again, "It seems you were right; everything was Great Leader Yang's idea."

Hearing this, Old Li's face lit up with wild joy; his thin body shuddered violently, a glimmer of hope shining in his gaze.

Just as he opened his mouth to continue flattering Jiang Jiang Mingyu, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had already coldly cut him off, "This official can see that what you say is all true."

As he spoke these words, the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward, a hint of weariness and mockery flashing in his eyes.

"But you must also understand, no matter how foolish this official is, I will never let go of someone who shot a cold arrow at me, for no reason whatsoever."

When Jiang Jiang Mingyu spoke these words, his voice was low; the moment his words ended, a flash of cold light passed through his eyes, his sword-like brows furrowed slightly, and his entire person radiated a chilling aura.

He sighed coldly, his tone carrying an arrogant indifference, "In consideration of your skill in archery, this official will grant you a death that is at least decent."

Having spoken, he raised his hand and made a gesture. Archers on all sides immediately raised their bows, aiming their arrows at Old Li.

"Archers, prepare. Pierce the heart of this archer of divine skill from Black Wind Ridge with ten thousand arrows; it may be said he died in a worthy cause."

Every word of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's sentence rang clear and resonant, his tone calm, yet Old Li instantly turned pale, collapsing to the ground, despair seizing his entire body.