Chapter 266: At Other People’s Mercy
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Jin turned around and saw a Nan State’s soldier charging at him.
Xiao Jin lifted his leg and kicked the soldier to the ground. Before the soldier could get up, he stepped on his chest. “You know me?”
The soldier’s eyes were filled with hatred. “You… you killed my younger brother. I’ll recognize you even if you turn into ashes!”
Xiao Jin’s black eyes narrowed. The Nan State people he killed were all soldiers of the Nan State.
Xiao Jin lifted him up with one arm. “You’re from the Nan State’s army.”
The man glared at him viciously without saying a word.
“We… we have already seen through your Chu State’s conspiracy. You will definitely not succeed! Go to hell, Xiao Jin!” The soldier suddenly struggled to stand up and raised the saber in his hand to stab Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin blocked with his long saber and chopped off his arm.
“Argh!” The soldier fell to the ground in pain.
“Capture all these soldiers from the Nan State.”
“Yes, Master.”
On Xiao Jin’s order, the black-robed men surrounded the soldiers.
Xiao Jin glanced at the soldier who had just lost an arm trying to escape quietly, but he signaled to the black-robed men not to stop him and to let him escape.
After taking down everyone outside, Xiao Jin returned to the city with the gold.
“Your Highness, your identity will soon be exposed,” Jiang Yang said somewhat worriedly after witnessing the scene just now.
They had yet to kill their way back but Xiao Jin’s whereabouts were already known to the Nan State. If the Nan State’s army came to encircle their city, wouldn’t it be a disaster?
Xiao Jin’s eyes were deep and profound. “I have my own plans.”
Inside the city, Su Ying ordered the gray-robed men and the others to take down this group of people. It so happened that she needed a large group of people to cut and pare wood.
“Capture the rest and lock them up first. We’ll decide what to do with them after starving them for two days.”
“Yes, City Lord.”
Su Ying had just returned to the palace when Xiao Jin arrived. He placed the gold that Second Master Li had brought on the table.
Su Ying looked at the gold and frowned. “That’s all?”
“Do you really think he’s here to deliver gold?”
Su Ying raised an eyebrow. Couldn’t she assume that he would put on a full act with real props?
“He dragged the soldiers of the Nan State into this, and they recognized me.”
“I told you. Even if the army comes, 1 will still beat them up.”
“City Lord, we’ve caught the guy from the Li Clan.” While the two of them were talking, the Green Guardian walked into the hall.
“Bring him in.”
Second Master Li was thrown into the main hall, all trussed up.
Second Master Li had lived in the Nan State his entire life, and his family was influential in the Imperial Court. He had never suffered such a humiliation.
He lay prone on the ground and gritted his teeth as he raised his head. His venomous eyes glared menacingly at Su Ying. “Who… who are you?”
Su Ying stood up and walked over to him. She pointed at the gold on the table. “Did you prepare that gold?”
Second Master Li looked at the gold and suddenly laughed. “You want gold? As long as you guys let me go, I’ll give you as much as you want!”
“Any amount?”
Second Master Li saw that Su Ying was greedy for more and felt that this matter could be discussed. “That’s right. I’m the next head of the Li Clan in the Nan State. My family has no lack of gold. As long as you guys let me go, I’ll give you gold.”
“That’s easy then.”
Su Ying walked to the table and wrote out a long list. After she finished writing, she let Xiao Jin take a look to see if there was anything he needed to add. After Xiao Jin added some more things, Su Ying slapped the list on the ground. “Read carefully. These are all the stuff I want.”
Second Master Li’s eyes kept moving down the list. He was rich, but he should not be treated like a fool!
“Including the time for the journey back and forth, I’ll give you fifteen days to get your people to prepare these things. After fifteen days, when you bring the things back, I’ll spare your wretched life.”
Now that Second Master Li was at other people’s mercy like a fish on the chopping board, he could only agree to Su Ying’s demands.
Su Ying instructed the Green Guardian to take that list and look for someone to send back to pass the message and prepare the things.
“Take him away.”
“Yes, City Lord.”
“City Lord, we captured 300 people alive.” When the Green Guardian returned, all the people who had barged into the city had all been dealt with.
“Lock them together with the people captured earlier.”
“Yes, City Lord.”
A few days later, the Nan State’s soldier with one arm fled back to the border of the Nan State.
The soldiers guarding the border recognized him at a glance. When they saw that he was also seriously injured, they quickly brought him to the General’s residence.
“General, something happened.”
General Wei Wu, who was looking at the military sand table, stood up. Immediately after that, the injured soldier was brought in.
“General, Xiao Jin… Xiao Jin is really hiding in the northern wilderness. They even built a city and captured the people we brought.”
General Wei Wu narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you saw Xiao Jin?”
“Yes! I can confirm that it’s him!”
General Wei Wu clenched his fists in anger. “What a cunning, devious Chu State. They actually schemed against us. Go. Immediately send a message back and inform the Emperor about the ambitions of the Chu State. There is no avoiding this war!”
General Wei Wu’s urgent report was immediately sent to the Nan State’s Emperor.
After reading the military report, the face of the Emperor of the Nan State turned purple with rage. “They are too much! Pass down my order. Instruct General Wei Wu to gather his troops immediately to attack the Chu State. Then send a team of soldiers to surround Xiao Jin. He must not be allowed to appear on the battlefield.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
On the night General Wei Wu received the Emperor’s order, he immediately dispatched a troop of 5,000 men to the northern wilderness before personally leading the army to attack the border of the Chu State.
Back then when Xiao Jin led his troops to the Nan State, half of his troops were mobilized from his fiefdom, Jin City. After the victory, that half returned to Jin City. The general guarding the border now was General Yong Wu.
The sudden large-scale attack launched by the Nan State caught the Chu State off guard.
General Yong Wu immediately counterattacked, but because he had lost the initiative, the first battle ended in defeat. He could only immediately lead his troops back to the border pass to defend that place securely.
On the other side, the 5,000 cavalrymen also quickly entered the northern wilderness.
Su Ying sat in front of the dining table and watched as the spoon in her bowl vibrated, making tinkling sounds. She slowly raised her eyes to look at Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes were as deep as the netherworld.
The two of them put down their chopsticks at the same time. They each picked up one little fellow who was still gnawing on a chicken drumstick and handed the children to Aunt Zhao and the others.
“Aunt Zhao, stay in the hall. Do not step outside at all before we return.” Su Ying’s expression was grim.
Aunt Zhao and the others didn’t understand. The family was clearly enjoying their dinner a moment ago. Why did it seem like something big was about to happen in the next second?
Su Ying didn’t explain much, and Aunt Zhao was smart enough not to ask any unnecessary questions. She simply hugged the children tightly.
“City Lord, don’t worry. We’ll definitely protect Young Master and Young Miss.”
Su Ying and Xiao Jin turned around and left the hall without another word.
The moment the hall doors closed, the black-robed men, the green-robed men, and the pack of wolves encircled the hall’s entrance tightly.
“It’s cavalrymen,” Xiao Jin said indifferently.
“It’s very unlikely the cavalrymen could cause such a big commotion when they are treading on the snow. The other party must have brought something big over.”
The couple exchanged glances. Then they turned around and disappeared into the darkness..
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