Chapter 870

First Volume, Chapter 870: Granting Favor on the Spot

What… what's going on?

We've got so many people here, and yet they just took our boss right in front of us?

Just as the group of Protectors prepared to rush forward and rescue their leader, two arrows shot through the air, instantly killing the two leading Protectors on the spot.

The crowd was stunned again, turning to follow the direction the arrows had come from, and saw two men in black Light Armor standing on the rooftop across the street.

They didn't know these were Tianji Camp Guards, but they understood these two men were elite soldiers.

After all, both held bows in hand, had quivers strapped to their waists, single sabers tucked behind their lower backs, and spear shafts bound to their backs.

Every movement exuded lethal authority.

Their appearance made it clear they were seasoned veterans who had roamed the Front Line for years—nothing like Yamen Runners or Yamen soldiers.

The slightly older Tianji Camp Guard crouched on the tiles, left hand gripping his bow, right hand pulling an arrow from his waist quiver and tapping it twice against the tile.

The crisp sound struck deep into every heart; all Wu Residence Protectors froze in place, not daring to move an inch.

Zhou Bantou, standing at the entrance of the County Yamen, wiped sweat from his forehead.

"This… this must be the legendary Tianji Camp Guards, right?"

The young Yamen Runner beside him looked bewildered: "Boss, what are Tianji Camp Guards? Are they that powerful?"

Zhou Bantou couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Powerful? Let me ask you—do you know Chen Si is One-Armed?"

The young Yamen Runner didn't hesitate, nodding vigorously: "Who doesn't know that?"

Zhou Bantou stared at the Tianji Camp Guards on the roof, speaking with reverence: "Chen Si, the Grand General, was once attacked by Tianji Camp Guards. That single Guard infiltrated right beside the Grand General—had he been closer, the Grand General would already be dead."

"And yet, the Guard who accomplished this feat was merely an ordinary Tianji Camp Guard."

"All these Guards possess the valor of ten thousand men!"

"They are Qin Feng's trusted men!"

Upon learning the identity of the Tianji Camp Guards, the young Yamen Runner's legs turned to water; when he looked at Qin Feng again, his eyes were filled with terror.

At that moment, Wu Heng was thrown down before Qin Feng.

Where was his earlier arrogance? He knelt helplessly on the ground, not daring to utter a single word.

Qin Feng had no patience for words; he simply tossed a handful of Sui Yin before Wu Heng: "It's freezing cold—even if you want to buy grain, there's nowhere to get it. Since the Wu Family is the only power in Changshui County, they must have hoarded plenty of grain."

"At Liang Kingdom's grain price, this silver should buy ten Shi of grain. Bring the grain within one incense stick time—or every Wu in the Wu Residence will be killed."

This casual remark struck like thunder; Wu Heng's head rang with a whirring sound.

Only now did he realize the magnitude of the disaster the Wu Family had brought upon itself.

Wu Heng picked up the Sui Yin, face twisted in despair: "Lord Qin, grain prices in Di have skyrocketed, silver has depreciated severely—now it takes one hundred fifty wen to buy one Shi of grain. Your Sui Yin demands ten Shi at once—it's beyond my ability."

At these words, Ning Hu kicked out, landing a brutal blow to Wu Heng's face, nearly killing him on the spot.

"Filthy worm, dare to speak another word, and I'll kick you to death!"

Wu Heng saw stars, not daring to utter another syllable.

Qin Feng waved his hand, signaling Ning Hu to calm down; since they were in Changshui County, they had all the time in the world—there was no need to rush.

"This silver won't buy ten Shi of grain—bring as much as you can, and make up the difference. As a hawk of the Wu Family, you've surely been Hengxing Badou in Changshui for years, amassing plenty of wealth, haven't you?"

"Now pay a little blood, so you don't pay a lot later."

Hearing this, Wu Heng wished he were dead; inside, he cursed himself—surely his head had been kicked by a donkey, why else would he come here to invite misfortune?

Too bad there was no regret pill; Wu Heng could only grit his teeth, clutch the silver, and slink away.

Watching Wu Heng's defeated figure, Ning Hu fumed: "Brother Qin, this scum should've been killed outright—why bother with all this?"

"As for that damn Wu Family, I'll just take the Guards and massacre them all!"

Ning Hu's lethal aura left everyone present too terrified to even breathe.

Qin Feng, however, shook his head with a smile: "We're outsiders, newcomers—we don't understand the situation. What's the Wu Family really like? How many villains are inside? How many are just ordinary people trying to survive? Can you tell the difference?"

"Killing innocents is unacceptable."

"If you kill the wrong people, won't the accusation of being a bloodthirsty monster become true?"

Hearing Qin Feng's explanation, Ning Hu fell silent.

Less than one incense stick time later, Wu Heng returned with a group of men, pushing a full cart of grain right before Qin Feng.

"Lord… Lord Qin, the grain's here—all ten Shi, not a single grain short."

Qin Feng ignored him, ordering the Yamen Runners to unload the grain, then took one sack and tossed it to Zhang Erniu.

"You two were unjustly seized—I, Qin Feng, apologize. This sack of grain is my apology; it'll be enough to feed your five-person family until next month."

Zhang Erniu stared at the grain, then at Qin Feng, utterly stunned, his mind unable to process it.

Zhang Jia Xifu burst into tears on the spot: "Lord Qin, you've saved our lives!"

"Our family had run out of grain long ago—we borrowed what we could, but everyone was struggling, and no one had any left to lend. We never expected to survive this winter—now, meeting Lord Qin, our whole family has hope."

As she spoke, Zhang Jia Xifu collapsed to her knees, banging her head against the ground wildly.

Qin Feng waved his hand; Ning Hu pulled Zhang Jia Xifu to her feet.

"This is my fault for poor judgment—no need for further words. Take the grain and go home quickly; without adults, those three children must be in despair."

As he spoke, Qin Feng called Zhou Bantou forward: "Send a Yamen Runner to escort these two home. If anything happens on the way, you know the consequences."

Zhou Bantou bowed deeply: "Rest assured, Lord, I'll see this done properly."

He ran back to the County Yamen, summoned a Yamen Runner, and warned him fiercely: "You take them home—I know your character. Don't you dare rob them on the way!"

"Listen well: Qin Lord's Brocade Guard is everywhere. Since Qin Lord has spoken, the Brocade Guard will investigate afterward. If you do anything dirty, the Lord will know—and your life won't be worth a penny. Understood?"

The Yamen Runner nodded vigorously, crushing his petty thoughts instantly, and escorted the Zhang couple back to the village.

Only after the couple had vanished into the distance did the remaining crowd of civilians finally snap out of their shock.