Meanwhile, the two raiding armies from Zhao and Wei were rapidly approaching Shuangyue City. They arrived at the villages and towns near Shuangyue City. Though not the capital, these places were still densely populated and every household lived in peace and contentment. After all, under the Empress's rule, no one dared to act recklessly. As for officials who wished to exploit the common people, they had always focused on the merchants in the capital, seemingly giving these villagers a pass. These villages had always been peaceful and orderly, with no issues.
However, on this day, a group of unwelcome guests arrived in the village. In the boudoir of an ordinary family, a girl of sixteen was adorning herself in front of her dressing table. Although she usually stayed indoors and never ventured out, she still cared greatly about her appearance. Moreover, she was about to be married. If she didn't dress beautifully, how would her in-laws treat her after she married into their family?
Suddenly, with a thud, the window made a loud noise, and a figure fell to the ground. Immediately, the figure lunged towards the girl. Although it happened in an instant, the figure had already grabbed the girl's arm and pinned her to the ground. The girl was stunned, not understanding what was happening. Then, she heard a ripping sound as her clothes were torn. Even if the girl was foolish, she understood what was happening now and immediately screamed.
Her screams attracted the maid from the next room. The maid had already heard the sound of the window breaking and came to check. Upon seeing her young lady pinned to the ground by a strange man, the maid immediately became enraged and charged at the stranger. Before she could even get halfway, her neck was grabbed. She was then violently thrown to the ground, her clothes torn just like her young lady's. The maid was so terrified that she completely forgot about her young lady, her heart filled with fear.
"Don't hurt me, don't hurt me." She saw another strange man appear behind her, his eyes filled with lust. The man showed a hint of mockery and said with a cold laugh, "Don't worry, the soldier won't hurt you. He just wants to play with you."
At the same time, the eldest young lady let out a wail. All the men in this household had gone out to work, leaving only these two women, which allowed the two scoundrels to seize the opportunity. After satisfying their lust, the two men cruelly murdered the two girls, even cutting off their heads and placing them at the door. The two men used the girls' bedding to wipe the blood from their bodies, washed themselves, and then continued on their way.
These two men were members of the Zhao Kingdom's Dare-to-Die Army. They were sent here to sow chaos in the Yunyue Kingdom. In less than a day, they had already killed three households. Killing was no longer a big deal to them; they had truly become bloodthirsty demons. At the same time, hundreds of other Dare-to-Die soldiers were engaged in similar acts of slaughter. These men were survivors of the cruel suppression by the King of Zhao. Due to their loyalty to the king and country, no matter how cruel the actions of their own king were, they would not hold any resentment but would direct their anger towards the enemy. Coming to the Yunyue Kingdom was like arriving in paradise, where they could unleash their endless urge to kill and commit all sorts of evil deeds.
Each of the hundreds of Dare-to-Die soldiers who came with them was incredibly brave. The previous massacre had left a deep imprint on their hearts. They had only one thought: continuous slaughter. They were willing to die themselves. In fact, their own lives were no longer that important to them. After experiencing the previous massacre, they felt as if they had died once, and every day they lived now was a rebirth.
Meanwhile, a man drinking in the only small inn in the village sensed something was wrong. He listened carefully and heard shouts of killing coming from several directions. He couldn't help but frown. Such things never happened in this village. What was going on today? Acting on instinct, he hid in a corner. This was a spot he had discovered after staying in the village for three months, the most convenient place for reconnaissance: the third floor of the small inn, the attic. From the attic, he could see and hear distant sounds. Most importantly, people rarely went up to the attic, and the entrance was hidden. This was specifically designed by the innkeeper when he first built the inn, originally for convenience and to hide during times of war without being discovered.
This man was actually a member of the Brocade-Clad Guard. His reason for being here was solely to gather intelligence from the village. Although he was drinking, he could remain sober through countless cups. For a small village, all it took was finding a talkative villager and asking a few questions to get a complete picture of the village's affairs. Moreover, under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be any major issues in a village, not even requiring two Brocade-Clad Guards.
After the Brocade-Clad Guard hid himself, several figures in tattered clothes, seemingly smeared with soot, appeared in the distance. "Those two little girls just now were really good, one more beautiful than the other." "Which one do you think was more beautiful, the maid or the young lady?" "Of course, the young lady was more beautiful. Does that even need to be asked?" "That's true. The maid eats rough grain, what good could she be?" "I didn't realize it when I was a soldier, but now that I'm in the Dare-to-Die Army, this feeling of being so unrestrained and able to do anything is truly exhilarating." "Exhilarating, right? This is just the beginning. Next, we're going to wreak havoc on every village and town around Shuangyue City." Another soldier said with a cold laugh.
Upon hearing this, the Brocade-Clad Guard was shocked. What did they mean by saying this? Did they have a purpose in doing this? "Brother, I always feel like what we're doing is too detestable. Although they are people of the Yunyue Kingdom, they are just ordinary civilians." "Put yourself in their shoes. If your family or friends were treated like this, your heart would be twisted with pain." The young soldier seemed to have some lingering compassion. The Brocade-Clad Guard hiding in the attic was even more shocked. Listening to these men, they didn't seem to be from the Yunyue Kingdom. Could they be the enemy?
He then heard the man who seemed to be the leader, a dark figure, say, "So you shouldn't put yourself in their shoes. You should be the killer, not the one being killed."