CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 36: LADY LIU’S NORTHERN ENTHRONEMENT!_1

After arriving in this world, Zheng Fan lay in bed tossing and turning on countless nights. Many people experience a similar sense of disorientation on their first journey abroad to a country with a different culture. Now, Zheng Fan confronted a new world that overturned all pre-existing rules and familiarities.

Towards this world, he felt no sense of belonging and had very few memories.

Therefore, he would agree to join in the madness with these demon-like underlings.

More precisely, here, in this world, for Zheng Fan, it was more like watching a film from a seat in a movie theater.

Even the most realistic effects couldn’t make him feel fully immersed.

Would you cry and grieve over deleting an ordinary document on your computer?

"My lord’s proposal is surprisingly good," A Ming said.

Fanli nodded earnestly and said, "They, too, will appreciate My lord for relieving them of the burden of their kinsmen."

The tone of the conversation began to veer towards an extreme.

Just then, Xue Three appeared below the slope.

Xue Three, who was in charge of tailing the escort convoy, returning earlier than expected indicated something must have happened. Blind Bei and Siniang immediately stopped what they were doing and returned to the slope.

"This job seems to be taking an unexpected turn," Xue Three reported. "When I was trailing the convoy, I came across another group of people also watching them. It’s clear that another faction is interested in that bandit leader, Ding Hao."

After hearing this, Blind Bei remarked, "Getting a tutor these days certainly involves stiff competition."

)

"That man is already reserved by us," Siniang said, as if it were obvious. "Whatever happens, we should observe the ’first come, first served’ rule."

She had completely forgotten that they had only learned this news from a maid in the Captain’s Mansion the night before.

Blind Bei turned to Zheng Fan and said sincerely, "We still need My lord to make the decision."

Zheng Fan glanced at the knife he had been sharpening for a long time, then said, "What’s wrong with someone paving the way for us? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to be the oriole?"

Blind Bei, A Ming, Liang Cheng, Xue Three, Siniang, and Fanli collectively took a step back, clasped their hands, bowed, and chorused, "My lord is wise!"

「...」

"Wang Li, Little Li, Captain Wang, Master Wang? Heh heh heh... HA HA HA HA..."

Captain Wang—not the ’Old Wang next door’ of sordid tales, yet cuckolded all the same—was a man of striking appearance. His black, standard-issue Yan Army armor highlighted his extraordinary martial bearing.

"Brother Hao, have a drink," Captain Wang said, throwing his wineskin into the prison carriage.

Ding Hao caught the wineskin between his wrists, then bit the cork open with his mouth. Pressing the wineskin to his lips, he arched his body and began to gulp down the wine.

Because this posture was extremely difficult, and he was drinking too hastily:

"COUGH, COUGH... COUGH, COUGH..."

Ding Hao knelt in the carriage, coughing violently.

Wang Li averted his gaze, unable to bear watching any longer.

The man in the prison carriage had once been his superior, his elder brother, his mentor, and even the one who had introduced him to his wife. His wife was gentle, beautiful, and well-read; therefore, he had always been grateful to Ding Hao.

Perhaps this was fate’s cruel joke. Wang Li had never imagined that one day he would be riding on horseback outside while Ding Hao, with his hand and foot tendons severed, knelt inside.

"Thanks, Lizi," Ding Hao said after his coughing fit, leaning against a corner of the carriage, a smile tugging at his lips.

"We’re not far from Hutou City," Wang Li told him. "We’ll rest in the city tonight. I’ll have someone bring you a bowl of Hutou City’s minced meat noodles."

"Heh heh... heh heh... HA HA HA HA..." Ding Hao burst into laughter, which then pulled at his wounds, causing him to cough violently again. He coughed like a dog.

Wang Li remained on horseback. The convoy consisted mostly of cavalry, but the prisoner carriage moved slowly, so everyone had reined in their horses.

"Lizi, listen to your brother," Ding Hao said. "Take your men and leave. Just leave me here."

Wang Li looked at Ding Hao in the carriage, puzzled. Though they hadn’t seen each other for many years, he didn’t believe his former elder brother could have become a fool.

"They won’t let me live," Ding Hao stated.

"Who?" Wang Li asked.

"Are you sure you want to hear?"

Wang Li shook his head, looking bewildered. "I don’t know."

"The Liu clan of Beifeng will not let me off," Ding Hao explained. "It’s better for me to die out here. They can’t possibly allow me to return to Hutou City alive for trial, especially now that the current Emperor has resolved to curtail the power of the nobility."

At the words "Liu clan of Beifeng," Wang Li’s eyelids twitched involuntarily.

When people, including the Yan people themselves, spoke of the great families of Beifeng Prefecture, their first thought would invariably be the Li family of the Earl of North Border. However, those truly in the know, and those within the circles of powerful clans and the imperial court, understood that Beifeng Prefecture had another family on par with the House of the Earl of North Border: the Liu clan of Beifeng.

In fact, a century ago, during the long and exceedingly brutal years of war between Yan and the Desert Barbarians, it was the Liu clan of Beifeng that had accumulated the most merit and contributed the most. The Li family ancestors had made their greatest contributions on the southern battlefield against Qian State. However, they were granted the title of Earl of North Border due to the balancing strategy of that era’s Yan ruler. Otherwise, once the war ended, the Liu clan of Beifeng, leveraging their status as a major local clan, would likely have devoured the entirety of Beifeng Prefecture in short order. The establishment of the Earl of North Border’s residence effectively hammered a nail into Beifeng Prefecture, serving to counterbalance the local Liu clan of Beifeng.

However, things change. A hundred years later, the iron chain that had once restrained the evil dragon had itself gradually morphed into a new evil dragon. The current Yan Emperor, in his bid to consolidate power, had to target the Earl of North Border first, as the Earl controlled Yan’s most elite frontier combat force—the North Border Army!

Regardless, the Liu clan of Beifeng and the House of the Earl of North Border, one operating in the shadows and the other in the light, were the two greatest powers in Beifeng Prefecture. Perhaps the Liu clan of Beifeng couldn’t touch the North Border Army, Beifeng Prefecture’s greatest weapon, but their numerous descendants and the influence structured by their clan-based society were enough to cast a shadow over most of Beifeng Prefecture.

"Years ago," Ding Hao continued, his eyes glinting with deep hatred, "I led a squad to apprehend some smugglers. By sheer chance, we intercepted the wrong caravan and discovered a massive cache of military-grade weapons and armor. It was ordnance the Liu clan of Beifeng was supplying to the Desert Royal Court—extremely fine quality, identical to what the North Border Army used!"

Wang Li felt his mouth go dry, but he asked out of habit, "So, Elder Brother, did you report it to your superiors?"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Ding Hao chuckled, then broke into another fit of heart-wrenching coughs. When he recovered, he said through gritted teeth, "That’s the Liu clan of Beifeng! The Liu clan of Beifeng! How could I dare provoke them?"

"Then why..." Wang Li began.

"Heh heh heh... As it turned out, my superior—I don’t know if he wanted to ingratiate himself with the Liu clan of Beifeng or was acting under their instruction—had my family captured to force me to submit and join them.

"But the result... the result was that your sister-in-law suffered a terrible shock. She was already pregnant at the time, but due to the fright, she miscarried.

"I submitted! I was willing to join them; I was even willing to make a pledge of allegiance!

"But my wife lost the child in her womb. When I learned the news and rushed home, I found that my wife, devastated by the loss of our baby, had hanged herself!"

As Ding Hao said this, his elbows slammed violently into the base of the prison cart, showing his current frenzy.

"I hated them! I had already resolved to be their running dog! I had even agreed to personally lead troops to help them transport goods and trade with the Desert Royal Court next time! I agreed to everything! All I wanted was to protect my family!

"But what did I get in return?"

"So..." Wang Li murmured.

"Yes," Ding Hao affirmed. "That night, I went to my superior’s house alone and slaughtered his entire family!

"Lizi, that night, for the first time, I truly felt how good it was to be a ranked martial artist. At least I could rely on my own strength to take revenge!

"But at the same time, I also realized, what good was a Ninth Rank martial artist? I couldn’t even protect my own wife and child!"

Only then did Wang Li finally understand the truth of what had happened back then. He recalled the utter shock he had felt that summer years ago upon receiving news from Tuman City: Elder Brother Ding Hao, his longtime patron, had massacred his superior’s entire family after being transferred to Tuman City and had then fled. Half a year later, word came that Ding Hao had become a bandit in the desert.

But at that moment, Wang Li’s palms suddenly started to sweat!

"You understand now, don’t you, Lizi?" Ding Hao asked.

Wang Li didn’t answer, biting his lip so hard it nearly bled.

"Beikang City, Hutou City, Tuman City," Ding Hao mused. "We’re almost at Hutou City now. Near Tuman City, there’s a North Border Army patrol loyal to the Li family. Making a move there would be too risky for them.

"So, they can only act within Hutou City’s jurisdiction. They won’t let me reach Tuman City alive.

"In the past, they wouldn’t have been afraid. I was a rebel with blood on my hands, a traitor who had betrayed Yan.

"But now? Our Emperor’s intention to curb the power of the feudal lords is clear. Having already moved against the Earl of North Border, how could he possibly spare the Liu clan of Beifeng?

"And I... I am the best excuse, the perfect justification!"

At this, Ding Hao lifted his head and looked at Wang Li, who rode his horse alongside.

"Leave me and go, now. At most, you’ll be charged with releasing a major criminal. With some connections, you might only be demoted to a city gate guard. At least you won’t have to die here with me."

One of Wang Li’s hands was gripping the reins tightly, his face deathly pale.

"There’s another way," Ding Hao said.

"What way..." Wang Li asked, his voice hoarse.

"Kill me now. It’s still a serious crime, still demotion, but you might be able to connect with the Liu clan of Beifeng. They’d be grateful to you. Even if the Emperor tries to curb their power, who’s to say if he’ll succeed?

"Even if their power is curbed, a powerful family like theirs doesn’t just disappear. As the saying goes, ’a centipede dies hard.’ Who knows, perhaps by doing this, you could align yourself with a prominent family and, in the future, even secure an imperial mandate for your wife."

Wang Li’s breathing became rapid, his eyes filled with an agonizing struggle.

"Brother, I don’t mind giving my life to you, to pave your way," Ding Hao said softly. "Consider it a fulfillment of our bond. But you’d better decide quickly. Don’t delay, otherwise..."

"BANG!"

A dull thud shattered the calm, and dust filled the air!

"WHIZ! WHIZ! WHIZ! WHIZ! WHIZ! WHIZ! WHIZ!"

A series of ear-piercing whistles tore through the air! The armor of the surrounding Hutou City cavalrymen was pierced as if it were paper, and many of them fell.

"They’ve made their move!" Ding Hao roared at Wang Li outside the cage. "Kill me now, or you’ll die too!"

「...」

"The power of this military crossbow is incredible," Zheng Fan marveled at the scene before him.

Blind Bei turned to Siniang beside him and said, "Note it down. Buy it."

"Those assassins’ knives aren’t ordinary, are they?" Zheng Fan observed. "They shattered the swords of the Hutou City soldiers."

Blind Bei again solemnly instructed Siniang, "Note it down. Buy it!"

"That dust cloud that just rose—was that from some kind of talisman scroll?" Zheng Fan wondered aloud. "It looked very effective."

"Note it down. Buy it!" Blind Bei repeated.

Zheng Fan took a deep breath and looked up at the setting sun. Before him lay a scene of bloody slaughter, a veritable living hell, which seemed to complement the evening glow perfectly. He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "The sunset... it’s so beautiful."

"Note it down— Er..." Blind Bei faltered.