Chapter 1205

First Volume_Chapter 1205: The Men of Yuezhao Kingdom

It seemed exactly as Qin Feng had suspected: Wu Heli had abandoned Chen Yanzong—not out of betrayal, but because a brute like Chen Yanzong, who slaughtered innocents indiscriminately, would inevitably bring disaster if kept close.

Added to that, Chen Yanzong had a military advisor backing him, so making this timely exit decision was no surprise.

"You just said… Wu Heli opposed wiping out the village?"

The bandit nodded vigorously: "That's right. When they massacred Datian Village, Wu Heli publicly punished the soldiers who raped village girls, nearly sparking a mutiny."

"If the Deputy General hadn't quelled the incident in time, Wu Heli would already be dead, killed by the furious soldiers."

Earlier, Qin Feng had found it strange: in every village that had been slaughtered during this period, only the men had died; the elderly, weak, women, and children had suffered minimal casualties.

He had assumed it was coincidence, but now that he understood the full story, he finally realized Wu Heli still had some humanity.

According to intelligence provided by the Brocade Guard, Wu Heli was from Yuezhao Kingdom.

Yuezhao Kingdom was a foreign land, vastly different in culture and tradition from Liang.

In Yuezhao Kingdom, life centered on communal tribes, and large-scale brawls frequently erupted between tribes—but most often, only men were slaughtered, while women and children were spared.

It wasn't because Yuezhao Kingdom was especially merciful toward women and children; it was simply because they viewed them as property, assets, and loot.

Wu Heli brought this custom to Liang—and it was more than just tradition.

After all, Wu Heli couldn't even take Liang's women and children with him, yet he still refused to touch them—clearly, this man was a man of blood and honor.

At that moment, the bandit revealed another piece of information Qin Feng didn't know.

"Of Wu Heli's Sworn Brothers, only Chen Yanzong was a murderer. I heard Lei Meng, who died in Ming County, was also a man of loyalty."

"If Lei Meng had been alive, he would never have agreed to Wu Heli serving the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing, let alone allowed them to massacre Common People."

"And… in the Battle of Ming County, if Chen Yanzong hadn't charged recklessly, Lei Meng wouldn't have died."

"By the way, Lei Meng was also from Yuezhao Kingdom—he and Wu Heli once served together in the army."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, indicating he had gathered enough personal information on Wu Heli.

Even knowing Wu Heli was somewhat a man of honor, Qin Feng's attitude remained unchanged: on Liang's soil, there was no distinction between men and women or children.

Anyone who dared kill Liang's Common People—Qin Feng would chase them to the ends of the earth and cut off their head.

Now, Qin Feng was only interested in Wu Heli's exact hiding place and the location of his Materials and Supplies.

But this time, the bandit looked utterly bewildered.

"Your Highness, even if you lent me a hundred courage, I would never dare conceal anything—but… I truly don't know these two things."

"Wu Heli is a meticulous man, and Wu Cheng is extremely cautious and suspicious."

"The men responsible for transporting Materials and Supplies are all Wu Heli's old troops from Ming County—they won't let us interfere at all."

"And their garrison location isn't fixed."

"Since joining Wu Heli, we've always slept on the ground—we first thought all Yuezhao Kingdom people were like this, accustomed to sleeping under the open sky."

"Later we realized: this bastard Wu Heli was watching us—he'd already begun sending men to build camps in the mountains, but forbade us from going."

"That's why the Comrades resent Wu Heli—we still can't fully pledge loyalty to him."

Qin Feng silently sighed: earlier in Ming County, Wu Heli had escaped right under Qin Feng's nose—enough to prove the man was capable.

Now it seemed, catching Wu Heli offered only one chance.

Once he was alarmed and fled into the deep mountains, finding him again might take years.

And if he took refuge in the hills, he'd inevitably have to plunder Common People—even if Qin Feng seized Nan Jing, Wu Heli would remain a persistent threat.

Absolutely no letting the tiger return to the mountains!

Qin Feng waved his hand, signaling the bandit could be dragged away and beheaded.

The bandit, who had still clung to a sliver of hope, froze in shock, then turned deathly pale, screaming desperately at Qin Feng.

"Your Highness, I've told you everything I know—please spare my life!"

"Didn't you just say you'd let me go? Why renege on your word?"

"Please… I beg you…"

Qin Feng rose, brushed the dust off his backside, and stared coldly at the paralyzed bandit.

"I only said I might spare you—I never promised I would."

The bandit wailed in desperation, utterly heartbroken: "Since joining Wu Heli, I've never harmed a single Common Person—Your Highness, don't kill an innocent man!"

An innocent man?!

Qin Feng laughed bitterly: "If you count as innocent, then who in this world is guilty?"

"Even if you never lifted a blade against Common People, aiding Zhu Zhou Wei E still makes you complicit."

Qin Feng's stance was firm—he would spare no bandit.

He believed the man's claim that he hadn't participated in massacres—but that didn't make him good.

This time guarding the horses outside the village doesn't mean he'll be a stable boy forever—next time? The time after that?

As long as he stayed by Wu Heli's side, he'd eventually raise his blade against Common People.

With the bandit's head falling, Maguan Village finally fell silent.

Dawn was nearly breaking; Qin Feng had no urgency to return to the Front Line—he ordered his troops to rest within Maguan Village.

First, to let the soldiers recover their strength; second, to stay and assist the villagers, preventing any remaining bandits from exploiting the chaos.

Simultaneously, Qin Feng issued two direct orders.

First, dispatch the Brocade Guard to thoroughly investigate En Mountain—by any means necessary, uncover every detail about Wu Heli.

Second, send a messenger back to Beixi County to inform Lin Quqi: immediately send agents to Yuezhao Kingdom to investigate Wu Heli's true identity.

Although the butcher Chen Yanzong was dead, that didn't make Wu Heli good—in fact, without Chen Yanzong as a burden, Wu Heli would become even more elusive and dangerous.

Especially with that dog of a Military Advisor aiding him with strategy.

If Wu Heli isn't properly dealt with, not only Qin Feng, but all the Common People of Nan Jing would be unable to sleep or eat in peace.

After finishing his chores, Qin Feng simply lay down on the stone roller and fell asleep. The weather was still cold; though he woke up several times from the chill, this exposure to wind and dew felt remarkably fresh to him.

After all, whenever he marched into battle, he always prepared thoroughly—even in the harshest environments, he had ample materials and supplies and comfortable Ying Zhang.

He slept straight through until noon the next day.

The more he slept, the warmer he felt? When Qin Feng got up, he realized a thick blanket covered him—the villagers of Maguan Village had nearly surrounded the stone roller, packed tight.