Chapter 664: Revenge in Progress: Part Three

Pan Yun and the others spent only a little extra time at the first village; the rest were crushed with overwhelming speed.

Because the Yamana clan's policy of waiving taxes had spread, resistance from the villages was low—several villages, upon Pan Yun's entry, even secretly pointed out where the village heads were hiding.

They reclaimed territory at minimal cost.

The minimal cost was the sprained foot of Yamana Xiuqi, who charged too far ahead.

Ideita Shin'ita felt the shock of the tax exemption policy for the first time.

Yamana Mototo also hadn't expected such a strong effect.

He murmured: "If I'd known this method could reclaim territory so easily, why wait until now? We wouldn't even have needed Pan Yun and the others…"

Yamana Mototo was immature, but the house of Tai'i was wise; he said: "No wonder they're from the Celestial Kingdom—their value lies not merely in martial strength, but in their wisdom."

He solemnly added: "Lord, the Celestial Kingdom has thousands of years of heritage. Young Lady Pan and her companions have studied the wisdom of its ancient sages since childhood; their wisdom far surpasses ours. To cooperate with them, to use their wisdom to build the Yamana clan and resist the Uchida clan, is more worthy of praise than merely using their martial power."

Yamana Mototo could not feel this, but he was skilled at listening to the elderly.

An elder of his age would not deceive him.

Tai'i, seeing his hesitation, said: "Lord, the most crucial thing in seizing territory is not merely reclaiming it, but holding it so no one takes it back again. You think it's easy to reclaim now, and that Young Lady Pan and her group are of little use—but soon, you'll see just how vital they are."

Pan Yun was also speaking to the heroes: "The Uchida clan will surely send forces here. We crossed oceans and traveled thousands of miles for this very day!"

Pan Yun said solemnly: "Wakoku is but a vassal state—how dare it raid villages on Great Ming soil to steal fortune? Is Great Ming merely a title of supremacy, without the might to match?"

Their faces grew grim; anger stirred in their hearts, their eyes filled with fury.

Pan Yun roared: "If we do not strike back, will not every Wakoku household, when short on wealth, come to Great Ming to take it? When short on fortune, come to borrow it? Will our glorious Great Ming become the back garden of bandits?"

"We must make them understand that Great Ming is not a place they can come, kill, and leave at will—only blood will make them remember this lesson!" Pan Yun demanded: "Why are we here?"

"Revenge! Revenge!"

"Revenge! Revenge!"

"Revenge! Revenge!"

Pan Yun said solemnly: "Tomorrow, all who bear blades—kill them all!"

The crowd roared in unison: "Yes!"

Pan Yun dismissed them, and they went to rest.

Yet the crowd remained fiercely agitated, full of energy, with not a trace of sleepiness.

But they knew tomorrow would be a hard battle, so they clutched their swords and forced their eyes shut—yet their ears remained alert, snapping open at the faintest rustle.

Ideita Shin'ita quietly closed the door and whispered: "Lord, they've all fallen asleep."

Yamana Xiuqi exhaled softly and murmured: "They were terrifying just now—I've never seen them so stirred."

Ideita Shin'ita felt uneasy, murmuring: "These Han people are too united. For revenge, they've come all this way to kill the Uchida clan—I can't shake this unease."

Yamana Xiuqi dismissed it: "You didn't kill their people—why be uneasy?"

Ideita Shin'ita: "If they're this vengeful, who will dare to kill in Great Ming in the future?"

Yamana Xiuqi looked confused: "Why would you even go to Great Ming to kill? Just don't kill, then."

Ideita Shin'ita: "... Lord, I certainly wouldn't go kill in Great Ming—I was just saying..."

He didn't even know what he was saying, and finally sighed: "I'm just a little afraid."

Yamana Xiuqi had calmed down and waved it off: "I'm a little afraid too. They shouted so fiercely just now—the killing intent was overwhelming—who wouldn't be afraid?"

Ideita Shin'ita snapped out of it and urged: "Lord, you should return tomorrow—this place is too dangerous."

Yamana Xiuqi, though his foot was sprained from days of fighting, had regained his confidence: "No. This is my clan's war—I cannot be absent."

He insisted on joining.

Ideita Shin'ita, helpless, decided to keep a close watch on him from now on.

In truth, there was no need to wait until tomorrow—or rather, "tomorrow" had already arrived, though dawn had not yet broken.

The darkest moment before dawn, when people are most relaxed—total silence, broken only by the rising and falling croaks of frogs and the chirping of insects, making the surroundings feel even quieter.

Pan Yun slowly opened her eyes; Pan Xiaohei, sleeping snugly in her arms, stirred and opened a pair of dazed, wide cat eyes.

Pan Yun stroked its head and smiled softly: "You're a terrible cat—real cats stay awake at night, yet you make me, a human, keep watch for you."

Pan Xiaohei mewed: "You didn't let me sleep during the day either."

Pan Yun smiled, closed her eyes, and listened intently—almost silent, but not quite.

A sword appeared soundlessly at her right hand; she gripped it, tossed Pan Xiaohei casually onto the grass, rose, let out a long howl, and shot forward.

At the very moment she rose, Hu Jing snapped open his eyes, rolled on the ground with his blade, and slashed in one swift motion toward the tree behind him.

Pan Yun moved like lightning, vanishing into the tree—two crimson lines sprayed out, and two bodies clad in nightclothes thudded to the ground.

Gao Zhiming and Song Xuan also leapt up, drawing their swords; the master and disciple struck together—darkness swarmed with countless black shadows...

Xue Shao, Wang Cong, Zhang Weiyi, and others awoke from sleep, drew their weapons, and charged into the black-clad assailants.

By the time Ideita Shin'ita rushed out with his sword, dawn had broken, the air thick with blood, the ground littered with corpses.

Pan Yun stood among the heroes in the morning light, drenched in blood; hearing the commotion, she turned, a faint smile on her lips: "Master Ideita is awake? Did we disturb you?"

The aura of slaughter struck his face; Ideita Shin'ita shuddered and stammered: "N-no..."

His gaze swept the ground—every corpse was clad in black. All the Celestial Kingdom heroes stood unharmed.

Pan Yun turned back, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon—the direction of the rising sun, where golden light bathed the green fields, obscuring any hidden figures.

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly: "What a fine place, Master Ideita. You'll probably miss breakfast—wake everyone and prepare for battle."

Ideita Shin'ita hurriedly replied: "Shall I ask Lord Yamana to send troops?"

"If Lord Yamana is willing, that would be ideal."

(End of Chapter)