Xi Qingyue was very confident in her supernatural ability. She was no longer the same person who had just left Willow Tree Village and had no need to keep a low profile or hide her strength.
The martial prowess of this world was not particularly terrifying. At most, someone might be able to fly like Mu Jin, which was no match for her ability at all.
Besides, the firearms in her hands gave her an overwhelming advantage against these people. No matter how many came, they would only be throwing their lives away.
A hundred li outside the city, Prince Kang’s army was advancing rapidly.
Riding on horseback, Deputy General Cao Fang wore a smug expression. The journey had gone smoothly. The officials of every city had taken the initiative to open their gates and surrender. They had even presented gold, silver, treasures, and other valuables, all because they feared his men would slaughter everyone in the city.
To some people, it did not matter which prince became emperor. They were all citizens of Jing, after all—not foreign invaders.
As a result, Cao Fang had gained quite a lot along the way, enough to squander for the rest of his life.
His forces continued to grow. Once they reached Xin’an City and captured the Xi sisters, his accomplishments would be even greater.
As he rode, Cao Fang was already imagining the days ahead when he would be promoted and showered with honors.
He raised a hand and ordered coldly, “Pass down the order. Everyone is to pick up the pace. We must reach Xin’an by noon tomorrow.”
“Yes, General Cao.” His subordinate immediately went to relay the order.
In the middle of the army, more than a dozen carriages followed at a leisurely pace. Inside were martial artists from various powerful factions whom Prince Kang had hired with money.
After hearing Cao Fang’s order to hurry, a blue-robed man sitting in the first carriage frowned unhappily. “It’s only a hundred li away. Is there really any need to rush?”
This was Young Master Murong Zhou, a well-known figure in the Jiangnan region and the heir of Feixue Tower. Several elders from the tower sat beside him, while more than a dozen highly skilled guards rode alongside the carriage.
An old man in gray stroked his beard and said with a smile, “Young Master, Cao Fang wants to seize Xin’an City’s two little girls as soon as possible so he can claim the credit. If everything goes smoothly, Prince Kang’s army will have an easier time entering the capital, and Feixue Tower will be able to establish itself within the capital’s territory.”
Murong Zhou let out a mocking laugh. “They’re only two little girls. Feixue Tower alone is more than enough. I really don’t know what Prince Kang was thinking by inviting so many miscellaneous people.”
The old man in gray quickly urged him, “Young Master, please be careful with your words. We’re working with Prince Kang now. We’ll help him deal with those guards who know martial arts, and in return, he’ll allow us to enter the capital openly in the future. This is beneficial to us. As for the other sects, it’s good to have them along. If anything unexpected happens, they can serve as a way out for us.”
Although they were highly skilled, accidents could always happen. It was better to be prepared for every possibility.
Hearing this, Murong Zhou smiled approvingly. “Excellent. Let them test those people’s abilities for us.”
In the carriages behind them, the others were also discussing what they should do once they reached Xin’an City.
Some wanted to expand and strengthen their factions, while others were there solely for the money. All of them valued their lives, however, and none were willing to risk everything for Prince Kang.
They assumed that following the army was merely a formality and that there would not be much danger.
After all, an army of twenty thousand soldiers was no mere decoration. The cities along the way had all surrendered voluntarily. The local officials and powerful clans had no desire to risk their lives in a fight and only wanted to settle the matter peacefully.
Xin’an City was different, though. Xi Qingyue had hidden weapons, as well as guards who knew martial arts. The people accompanying the army had specifically come to deal with them. However, no one wanted to make the first move. Everyone hoped someone else would go first.
Xi Qingyue did not know how many martial artists had come. After leaving the city wall, she went to the county government office.
Scholar Han had acted quickly. The training grounds of the county office were already packed with people, all of whom were following Fang He and the others as they practiced the movements step by step.
Although their movements were uneven and some could barely hold their weapons steady, merely standing there and taking up arms already required considerable courage.
Xi Qingyue nodded in satisfaction. She even spotted a few familiar faces among them, which surprised her.
She stayed at the training grounds only briefly before leaving. These people were still far too inexperienced. She had never expected them to accomplish anything this time; she was merely testing their perseverance and courage. They would be useful in the future.
After returning to her residence, she had Aunt Wang summoned.
“Aunt Wang, would you be willing to come work for me? You won’t have to do anything else. Just help me manage the household affairs, including the cooks and embroiderers. They’ll all be under your supervision. Lan’er and I may not live here all the time, so when we’re away, you’ll just need to take care of the residence.”
Aunt Wang was utterly stunned. She stammered in surprise, “I... I can do it? I don’t know anything.”
She waved her hands repeatedly, afraid that she would fail and cause trouble for Xi Qingyue.
Xi Qingyue shook her head with a smile. “It’s fine. It isn’t complicated. I’ll have Nan Yun and the others teach you. Your work will be quite easy. I’ll find other people for anything more troublesome. In a couple of days, I’ll arrange new household registrations for the people of Willow Tree Village and allocate some farmland to them. You’ll receive your share as well, so nothing will be affected. I’ll also pay you five taels of silver each month. You won’t need to sign a deed of servitude. Just help me look after the household.”
At those words, Aunt Wang’s eyes reddened. Xi Qingyue was deliberately giving her money.
She immediately dropped to her knees with a thump. “Yue’er, thank you so much. I’ll never forget your kindness.”
Xi Qingyue hurriedly helped her up. “Aunt Wang, what are you doing? Get up quickly. You’re doing me a great favor by coming here.”
Aunt Wang wiped away her tears and smiled happily, nodding again and again. “All right. I’ll work hard, and I won’t let you down.”
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded. Aunt Wang had been a good friend of her mother’s, so giving her special consideration was only right. Besides, Xi Qingyue was not short of money.
More importantly, she truly needed someone she could trust to look after the household.
As for the other people from Willow Tree Village, she would make arrangements for their basic needs. The rest would depend on how they conducted themselves.
Early the next morning, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan rode leisurely toward the city gate on Ta Feng.
Mu Jin, Nan Yun, and the others followed behind them. In addition, more than a thousand men, women, and elderly people carrying all kinds of weapons accompanied them.
They were heading toward the southern gate—the direction from which Prince Kang’s army was approaching.
“Elder Sister, will those people come today?” Xi Weilan asked softly from the front of the horse.
Xi Qingyue stroked her head and replied with a smile, “Even if they don’t come today, they’ll be here soon. We’ll wait for them on the city wall. I’ll teach you how to use the rocket launcher later. It’s lots of fun, just like setting off fireworks.”
Xi Weilan’s eyes lit up at once. If it was like fireworks, then it must be beautiful.
As the sisters chatted happily, the people along both sides of the street wore various expressions.
Some looked worried, some excited, and others frightened. Everyone was watching the situation closely, because their lives depended on it.
Many shopkeepers had placed a handy weapon behind their doors, just in case. That way, they could grab it immediately if they needed to use it.
Ouyang Jin stood among the crowd, his face filled with emotion. Of the several great families, some had perished and others had left; only the Ouyang family remained in Xin’an City. And his daughter had insisted on carrying a sword and following Xi Qingyue’s group to the South Gate. It was impossible for him not to worry.
When they reached the city gate, Xi Qingyue looked up at the several black-clad men hanging from it and let out a cold laugh.
“Mu Jin, take them down and put them outside. Otherwise, the people beyond the city gate won’t be able to see them. Make sure they get a good look.”
