Chapter 1028: First Volume, Chapter 1028: The Fall of the Night Owl

First Volume, Chapter 1028: The Fall of the Night Owl

The Night Owl had originally believed he had reached an agreement with Liu Ming, so he had lowered his guard—yet he never anticipated that Liu Ming would break his word and strike without mercy.

The Night Owl leader gasped in horror and roared: "Lord Liu, is this the reputation of Marquis Qin?"

Liu Ming sneered: "Once you're all dead, no one will know what happened today."

If these were loyal Imperial Party members of the Night Owl, though on the opposing side, they still held some "recruitment" value—but these traitors before him, driven by personal greed, could not only betray their master for profit, but also "torture and kill" former comrades-in-arms.

Such scum, if left alive, would only increase instability; only by killing them all could one ensure they would never commit evil again.

The Night Owls on the scene frantically drew their bows and shot arrows at the Tianji Camp Guards charging toward them.

Ding ding dang dang…

Amid a flurry of clattering sounds, many arrows struck the Tianji Camp Guards—but due to the close distance, the hasty drawing of bows, and the guards' sturdy armor,

although several Tianji Camp Guards were pierced like hedgehogs, the arrows clearly failed to fully penetrate the armor.

As a result, the Tianji Camp Guards, covered in arrows, remained fully combat-effective, lunging forward and slashing through the Night Owls with their spears and short blades, killing seven or eight in moments.

Meanwhile, the brocade-clad guards behind had already drawn their bows; since the Night Owls needed to conceal their figures, they could not wear heavy armor, and faced with the Tianji Camp Guards' special-shaped arrowheads, they offered no resistance—within moments, six or seven more fell.

The Night Owl leader dodged to the rear at once, narrowly avoiding being cut down on the spot.

He knew well the ferocity of the Tianji Camp Guards and dared not engage them head-on; he immediately ordered everyone to retreat.

But the moment the Night Owl leader scrambled onto the wall, a solid arrow struck his back.

The arrow pierced his heart; with a cry of agony, he tumbled off the wall and was instantly cut down by the surging Tianji Camp Guards.

This pinpoint shot came from Liu Ming's hand—he returned the shortbow to the Tianji Camp Guard beside him, glanced at the fleeing Night Owls, and waved his hand dismissively, coldly declaring: "Even if they grew wings, they won't escape Wang Du!"

"One thousand liang of silver per person? Thirty-six thousand liang? Heheh, so that means there were thirty-six of them?"

"Count the bodies on the scene, then sweep the city slowly—kill all thirty-six Night Owls!"

Liu Ming turned and scanned the courtyard, sneering: "As for this place, clear away the corpses, strip everything of value, and ship it back to Beixi County later."

Having given his orders, Liu Ming did not delay—he walked away.

When he reached Qin Feng, he recounted everything that had happened, in full detail.

Qin Feng merely nodded lightly, tacitly approving Liu Ming's decision—the Night Owls could not be left alive; the notion of "living a quiet, honest life" was nothing but a lie. With their skills, they could rebuild a small Night Owl organization at any moment and turn the entire Shedynasty upside down.

Qin Feng took the military dispatch from Liu Ming and examined it carefully; his mood improved greatly—this evidence was sufficient to legally topple the Di King and pave the way for Jing Qianying's succession to the Imperial Throne.

Qin Feng's gaze fell again on Wu Fangxu, now utterly softened.

"Lord Wu, once your nation welcomes its new sovereign, no one will take away your position as Vice Minister of Rites."

"Rest easy—your future, and that of your clan behind you, is boundless."

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Wu Fangxu felt as if he had swallowed a calming pill—he finally exhaled in relief. What he cared about was not his future, but his life.

In this turbulent period of transition, merely preserving one's life and fortune was already a blessing—how could one dare dream of "future prospects"?

The other officials present could not help but smile broadly, their eyes filled with gratitude toward Wu Fangxu.

One could say Wu Fangxu had saved them all.

Without these letters, Qin Feng, to install Jing Qianying, would have spared no means—then everyone would have been stripped bare.

This outcome was now pleasing to all.

Installing Jing Qianying as heir was Qin Feng's core interest; with these letters now in hand, the most critical matter was settled—Qin Feng's heavy burden had finally lifted.

Now, attention must turn to restoring order in Wang Du—relying solely on military pressure to maintain order was clearly not what Qin Feng desired.

He immediately began consulting with the officials present on how to swiftly restore Wang Du's former order.

Wu Fangxu had fully defected to Qin Feng, so he had no reservations—he spoke freely.

"Marquis Qin, before restoring order, should we not first seize the Imperial Palace?"

"Otherwise, with heavy troops guarding it, they could surge out at any moment, forcing your army to constantly watch the palace—how can the people feel secure, let alone resume production?"

Hearing this, Qin Feng silently approved.

Wu Fangxu, though he had sold the Di King clean, proved only that he was self-serving—not a fool.

His words hit the nail on the head; at least this man was usable.

Qin Feng nodded: "As long as the Imperial Palace remains, the people will never feel secure. What ideas do you all have?"

The officials present were all old foxes of the court—they understood perfectly that Qin Feng's "security" meant "resignation."

So long as the palace stood, the people would cling to hope that the Di King might return—thus, even knowing the war was lost, they dared not pledge loyalty to Qin Feng.

After all, the people were not decisive; their only criterion for choice was whether the decision would kill them—if there was even a sliver of risk, they refused to take it.

Wu Fangxu was the first to speak: "Since the matter is settled, and Marquis Qin fears that storming the palace will cause heavy casualties, perhaps, in my humble opinion, we should abandon the idea of attacking altogether."

Qin Feng's interest stirred: "Oh? What is your suggestion, Lord Wu?"

Wu Fangxu hurried to explain: "Attacking the palace has two drawbacks: first, it causes casualties; second, it exposes the people of Wang Du to war, filling them with unprecedented fear—this harms our efforts to win their hearts."

"Even if we take the palace, the people will believe Marquis Qin delights in slaughter."