Chapter 1208: First Volume, Chapter 1208: The Spoiler of the Herd

First Volume, Chapter 1208: The Spoiler of the Herd

The entire Maguan Village was instantly drowned in the villagers' cheers.

The two taels of silver Qin Feng granted each household had literally saved their lives.

Maguan Village was attacked by Chen Yanzong, losing over twenty able-bodied men—all prime laborers—and now that spring had arrived, the time for Spring Plowing was drawing ever closer.

Losing so many men, it was nearly impossible to farm as usual.

And for households that hadn't lost men, they would inevitably have to help their neighbors, leaving every family with insufficient grain.

These two taels of silver were enough for the villagers of Maguan Village to pass the year in peace.

Even after Autumn Harvest, the leftover money would suffice as travel expenses for the village men heading to the Northern Border.

The villagers had finally seen through it: this prince never played false with the people—if he promised aid, it was real, tangible aid.

The villagers surrounded Qin Feng, cheering and jumping with joy.

"Your Highness, may you live ten thousand years!"

"When the old man lost his horse, who knew it wasn't a blessing? Though the village suffered a raid, we met the Prince—this is Maguan Village's fortune."

"You're right. Ever since the Prince arrived, our whole village feels different."

"Don't stop me—after Autumn Harvest, I'm definitely joining the army in Beixi County."

"Count me in too!"

"Serving Beixi County is the fortune of generations we've earned."

Just as the dark clouds over Maguan Village began to lift, Wu Heli stood at Mountain Foot, gazing upward in anticipation.

According to timing, Chen Yanzong should have returned with his men one Envoy ago.

Yet he still hadn't appeared—eight out of ten, something had gone wrong.

Although…

From the start, Wu Heli knew Maguan Village was a tough bone to chew; those desperate villagers would fight to the death, no matter the cost.

But with Chen Yanzong's martial prowess and armor, it was still nearly impossible for a band of rustic peasants to kill him.

Wu Heli sincerely didn't want Chen Yanzong to die out there—he was a sworn brother he'd brought along.

But…

As Wu Cheng had said, Chen Yanzong acted recklessly, was brutal and fond of slaughtering innocents; most critically, he had repeatedly declared his intent to challenge Qin Feng.

Who, after all, is Qin Feng?

He is a figure second only to the Liang Emperor across the entire Shedynasty, the King of the Northern Border, with countless elite soldiers and capable generals under his command.

Even in Nan Jing, if given a choice, no one would dare fight Qin Feng.

Wu Heli and his group, in the end, were nothing but a rabble; to achieve great ambitions, they must remain as low-profile as possible—not even a random warlord commander could they afford to offend, let alone a figure like Qin Feng.

Biding time, accumulating strength in silence beneath the eyes of these great men—that was the true path.

Associating with Chen Yanzong would one day drag them all to ruin.

At that moment, Wu Cheng arrived beside Wu Heli and sighed softly.

"Big brother, stop watching—Elder Fourth won't be coming back."

"Xiaoshangang lies within Qin Feng's operational range; that place must be swarming with hidden sentries and scout horses."

"Elder Fourth led a hundred men through Xiaoshangang—they would inevitably have been spotted by Qin Feng's scouts."

"If he'd moved fast enough—attacked the men of Maguan Village and immediately turned his horses around to flee—he might still have had time to retreat."

"But if he stubbornly insisted on slaughtering the elderly, weak, women, and children, the villagers' resistance would only grow fiercer."

"Then he'd be trapped in Maguan Village, while Qin Feng would lead a light cavalry force to reinforce them."

Wu Cheng had foreseen everything—and Chen Yanzong's failure to return on time proved the events had unfolded exactly as Wu Cheng predicted.

At this moment, Chen Yanzong was likely already beheaded and displayed.

Wu Cheng didn't wish to see his sworn brother die a violent death—but to achieve great ambitions, one must act decisively and ruthlessly.

"Elder Fourth was a good brother. Had we not sought to build greatness, but instead found some wasteland, tilled it, risen with the sun and rested with the moon, things would have turned out differently."

"But since we aim for greatness, we must expel Elder Fourth—the spoiler of the herd."

"Besides, back in Ming County, if Elder Fourth hadn't rushed ahead, Elder Third wouldn't have died…"

"This kid never understood his place in the world."

Wu Heli closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He had fled Yuezhao Kingdom with Lei Meng, wandered within Shedynasty, and met Wu Cheng and Chen Yanzong in turn; the four had sworn brotherhood, vowing to build greatness together.

Along the way, they had supported and inspired each other, gritting their teeth through one crisis after another.

But now, to achieve greatness, they must turn against their own brother—is it truly worth it?

Wu Heli couldn't say for sure—but the bowstring had been drawn; he had no choice but to walk this path to its bitter end.

Wu Heli no longer dwelled on Chen Yanzong's fate, and let out a heavy sigh.

"We've been lucky—we gained the support of powerful clans in Nan Jing—but we've also been cursed—we've enraged Qin Feng beyond repair."

"When we met in Ming County, I already saw that when others spoke of hating evil, they were just talking—but Qin Feng treats hatred of evil as a creed."

"His overnight march to reinforce Maguan Village proves it."

"There's been no fighting in Gusu lately—I'm certain Qin Feng will soon turn his attention to hunting us down."

Wu Cheng nodded vigorously: "No wonder you're the big brother—what insight!"

"Qin Feng's strategy against Nan Jing is to win the hearts of the people; as a righteous army, he naturally sees protecting Nan Jing's civilians as his duty."

"The attack on Maguan Village is the spark that has convinced Qin Feng to launch a campaign against us."

"But it doesn't matter…"

"We've already stockpiled vast amounts of materials and supplies within the Qilian Mountains; when Qin Feng comes, we simply retreat deep into the mountains."

I refuse to believe Qin Feng would abandon the battle at Gusu City and venture deep into the Qilian Mountains.

Wu Heli largely agreed with Wu Cheng's judgment.

Even if Qin Feng is as willful as they say, he is still the Frontline Supervisory Commander; it makes no sense that he would neglect the battle for the sake of these bandits.

Wu Heli's gaze gradually hardened.

"Let's observe for a while longer. Don't launch any more raids on villages—don't play right into Qin Feng's hands."

"The materials and supplies we've already brought into the mountains aren't enough. Keep transporting more in—besides food and Medicinal Herbs, add some building materials."

"Once summer comes, the humidity in the Qilian Mountains will be extreme; without proper storage, the food and Medicinal Herbs will rot quickly."