Chapter 1203: First Volume, Chapter 1203: One Hammer Seals the Fate of the Rebels

First Volume, Chapter 1203: One Hammer Seals the Fate of the Rebels

Facing Chen Yanzong's desperate assault, Qin Feng did not dodge or retreat; he let Chen Yanzong strike him, sparks flying from his body.

As frontline main general, Qin Feng wore not just black armor, but the finest of black armors: the General's Armor.

Aside from blunt weapons and spears leveraging momentum, no weapon could easily harm Qin Feng.

Even powerful crossbows with exceptional armor-piercing capability, though capable of penetrating the armor plates, might still fail to injure Qin Feng, for beneath the plates lay a thick layer of woven cloth.

Seeing his hand knife inflict not a single wound on Qin Feng, Chen Yanzong was consumed by rage and shame.

Just then…

Qin Feng reached behind his waist and drew out a Small Golden Mace…

On this mission to Maguan Village, Qin Feng and Chen Yanzong held utterly different mindsets.

Chen Yanzong came to slaughter civilians; facing unarmed Commoners, he naturally had no need for specialized armor-piercing weapons.

Qin Feng, however, came to quell the rebellion and execute traitors, fully equipped with armor and weapons, and as Frontline Commander, he had prepared more thoroughly than any other soldier.

At this moment, three Tianji Camp Guards and six brocade-clad Anwu Guards stood nearby, watching Qin Feng.

Should Qin Feng show even the slightest sign of being overmatched, they would rush forward immediately to rescue him.

The instant Chen Yanzong saw the Small Golden Mace, his eyes grew dull, for he knew the difference between a blade slashing armor and a Gold Mace striking it.

As Chen Yanzong tried to seize the Gold Mace, Qin Feng punched him square in the face, sending him reeling backward to the ground.

Qin Feng raised his foot and pressed it down on Chen Yanzong's chest, expressionless, as if killing Chen Yanzong was no cause for pride.

Even if the man beneath his foot were Wu Heli, Qin Feng would show no reaction.

"You escaped from Ming County before—that was my failure."

"Because of my momentary negligence, a series of tragedies unfolded in Gusu City. Since this matter began with me, it must end with me."

"Boy, remember my words."

"In Heaven and Earth, no one achieves greatness through the slaughter of Commoners."

"The Commoners are the foundation. Without a foundation, how can one speak of greatness?"

Amid Chen Yanzong's hysterical screams, Qin Feng raised the mace and brought it down hard upon Chen Yanzong's face.

A single blow shattered Chen Yanzong's skull, brains splattering across the ground.

Qin Feng tossed the Gold Mace onto Chen Yanzong's body without another glance, then turned to face the stunned Xiao Mazi.

"To be honest, tonight I owe you thanks."

"Had you not fought so bravely, by the time I arrived, the ground would have been littered with corpses."

"What is your name?"

Xiao Mazi felt the overwhelming aura radiating from Qin Feng and, whether from fear or awe, his body trembled uncontrollably.

"I… I'm Xiao Mazi…"

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow: "Do you have a real name?"

Xiao Mazi shook his head: "My grandfather was going to give me a name this year, but…"

Xiao Mazi fell silent, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at his family lying in pools of blood.

Qin Feng turned and looked at the Ancestral Hall, packed with women and children, then at the three fallen men before him—he immediately understood: these three had fought to the death to hold off Chen Yanzong, saving the village's women and children.

"Who were these three men to you?"

Xiao Mazi wiped his tears and pointed to the strongest of the three.

"He's Ma Dahai—my uncle."

He then pointed to the man beside him: "This is my father, Ma Hu."

Xiao Mazi broke into sobs, knelt on the ground, and bowed three times toward Ma Hu before turning to the corpse nearby.

"That's our Village Chief—my uncle Ma Hong. My grandfather, Ma Changqian, was speared to death by that rebel soldier at the village entrance."

Qin Feng had fought on countless battlefields and seen countless heroes, yet he never imagined he would be moved by the fate of a few Commoners.

The Ma Family may not be a Loyal and Martyrly Family, but calling them a family of heroes is absolutely justified.

They had, with nothing but their bare flesh, forcibly held back an experienced Armored Warrior—this alone bordered on miracle.

You know...

Even against unarmored Light Infantry, a valiant Armored Warrior could slaughter without mercy, and against Commoners, he would likely keep killing until he collapsed from exhaustion.

Qin Feng stepped forward to Xiao Mazi, placed a hand on his shoulder, and spoke with solemn comfort.

"Rest assured—I will see your family buried with honor."

Xiao Mazi looked up at Qin Feng, clad in black General's Armor, majestic and awe-inspiring, his tear-filled eyes shimmering with admiration.

As a resident of Maguan Village, his greatest childhood dream had always been to take up arms, become a general, and bring glory to his ancestors.

Now, the Prince standing before him was unquestionably the very ideal he had spent his life chasing.

At that moment, the Door of the Ancestral Hall opened, and the women and children of Maguan Village poured out, rushing to Qin Feng's side, weeping with relief.

"Old Heaven must have heard our prayers—sent His Majesty to save us."

"Your Majesty, you are our great benefactor—let these Commoners bow to you."

The survivors knelt en masse, bowing their heads to the ground like pounding garlic, their eyes filled with reverence—as if worshipping not a man, but a spirit.

Qin Feng did not refuse the kneeling women and children; after all, he was now the legitimate Prince, worthy of this homage.

Yet Chen Yanzong's remaining remnants had not yet been cleared, the surroundings were pitch dark—what if hidden dangers lurked in the shadows, and these women and children were harmed?

For their safety, Qin Feng immediately raised his hand, signaling them to rise.

"Fellow villagers, this is not yet a time for celebration. Wait until I have exterminated every last remnant of the rebels—then you may rejoice."

Watching Qin Feng mount his horse and vanish down the village path, the women and children's eyes gleamed with light.

They did not return to the Ancestral Hall; instead, they gathered on the open ground before it, speaking excitedly among themselves.

"Good heavens, is this the Prince?!"

"I never expected the legendary Prince to be so approachable, and to go to such lengths to rescue us."

"It seems the rumors circulating lately that the court is massacring the innocent are all malicious fabrications by bandits."

"You're right—these bastards pretended to be the Prince of Qin's men and committed atrocities. How detestable."

"Thank heaven the Prince arrived; otherwise, what would we have done?"

Meanwhile, the battles across the village had largely ended; although Qin Feng's Light Cavalry Corps was ill-suited for street fighting, the Tianji Camp Guards embedded among the Cavalry demonstrated their formidable Special Operations capabilities.

Though only twelve Tianji Camp Guards remained, they were more than enough to exterminate the remaining enemy bandits.