“Is this the second strongest of the Xi Ren family? She doesn’t look that old, like a little girl with yellow hair…”
“Keep your voice down, she’s right outside, she can hear you. If you want to die, go die yourself, don’t drag us down with you.”
“My apologies, my apologies. So, does that mean her strength is second only to the family head, Xi Ren Liu?”
“Of course, this is the true young mistress of the Xi Ren family. The one who died a few days ago, Xi Ren Duanxiang, was nothing compared to her. They are both his biological children. One is a纨绔废物 (fú kwà fài wù -纨绔废物), and the other is the family’s second strongest. Tell me, which one is more important to the Xi Ren family head?”
“She’s still a woman, she’ll get married sooner or later. A married daughter is like spilled water, can she really inherit the position of family head?”
“Tch, do you think they’re like your farming family, where they have to sell their daughters? Can’t they just find a son-in-law? The children born would still have the surname Xi Ren, and she would still inherit the position of family head. Tsk, you don’t understand anything, you just spout nonsense all day.”
“Speaking of which, why is this woman called Yuan Jun? Her name sounds like a man’s, and it’s only one character different from her uncle Xi Ren Jun’s name. It’s so awkward to say.”
“Forget it, her name is Xi Ren Yuan Jun, not Yuan Jun. 'Once you’ve seen the vast sea, other waters are mere streams; divorced from the Wu Peaks, no other clouds are clouds. Passing through flowers, I’m too lazy to look back; half for cultivation, half for you.' Do you understand?”
A group of lecherous men in the tavern chatted amongst themselves. Outside, the cavalry commander had already galloped to Xi Ren Yuan Jun’s side, then knelt down with a thud, his knees scraping the ground for a long distance.
“Your subordinate pays his respects to the Young Mistress.”
“Did you allow your soldiers to loot and massacre?”
Xi Ren Yuan Jun’s tone carried no trace of emotion, but the general was not a fool and naturally knew that she was angry.
“Your subordinate deserves death. Please forgive me, Young Mistress…”
“Idiot!”
Xi Ren Yuan Jun coldly interrupted the general’s plea.
“Our campaign against the Buzhihuo family this time is not just to loot and return after the fight. It’s to completely turn this place into our territory. The people here will be our people from now on. By massacring and looting like this, you are alienating the populace from our Xi Ren family, making them displaced. What use will I have for a depopulated wasteland then?!”
Xi Ren Yuan Jun no longer looked at the trembling general kneeling at her feet.
“Execute him. Hang his head up for all the soldiers to see.”
“Yes, sir!”
The personal guards behind Xi Ren Yuan Jun immediately drew their swords and stepped forward.
“Young Mistress, spare me! The soldiers have been holding back for too long. If they are not allowed to vent, they might mutiny, Young Mistress…”
*Crack!*
The words were cut short, and a head fell to the ground. It was a swift decapitation, but sadly, it wasn’t the foolish soldier the patrons imagined being killed by the troops; it was the soldier’s general who was killed by the Young Mistress.
“Hmph, you can’t even control your own troops and you have the nerve to make excuses.”
Seeing their general beheaded, those scattered cavalrymen immediately rushed over, kneeling on the street, not daring to breathe.
“This cavalry unit of yours is the worst-disciplined I’ve seen in all my travels. You are supposed to be the main cavalry of my Xi Ren family. With such discipline, do you expect to win battles?”
Xi Ren Yuan Jun dismounted from her mythical beast, walked up to a kneeling cavalryman, and kicked him, sending him flying a good distance. Some loose silver and copper coins scattered on the ground.
“Didn’t the government give you your military pay? Why are you robbing these things? These belong to the common people, not you! Or perhaps, you think carrying this junk will make you run faster, or you expect these things to block a blow for you?”
“And you, what are you doing with that chicken? Do you expect to throw it at the enemy to bite them during battle?”
Another kick sent him to the ground.
“And you, you dare to appear before me with your pants not even properly fastened?”
The kneeling cavalryman’s pants were still around his knees. His dangling little bird, which had been held high and full of fighting spirit when violating women, was now lowered, trembling like its owner. Then, a puddle of liquid flowed from the little bird. He had wet himself in fear. So, ‘wet himself in fear’ wasn’t just an idiom.
“Disgusting. Someone, castrate him and send him to the palace to become a eunuch.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Young Mistress, spare me, Young Mistress… Ah!!!”
The bloody and mangled scene was even more shocking to the soldiers than the beheading of their general. After all, death was death; a severed head would leave a scar as big as a bowl. But that thing was their true lifeline. Without it, they wouldn’t even be men, and their remaining lives would be filled with pain.
“This cavalry unit is now under my command. Anyone who disobeys my orders to loot the people or rape women will be killed without mercy. If the unit as a whole errs, the entire army will be held accountable!”
Having said that, Xi Ren Yuan Jun gave a cold laugh, her tone softening slightly.
“Alternatively, you can rebel, you can mutiny. You can try to see if I, alone, can annihilate your entire army in one move.”
“We dare not.”
Their response was uniform, as if they had been trained.
“All of you, return to your units, gather your horses and supplies, and follow me to attack the city ahead. I truly don’t know what use it is to attack a small town. You are all useless.”
The soldiers, as if granted a great pardon, immediately dispersed to find their warhorses, which they had thrown who-knows-where in their earlier excitement. Xi Ren Yuan Jun did not say anything about returning the looted supplies to the common people, nor did she mention killing those who massacred the populace and raped women. After all, this place was not yet their territory, and she couldn’t slaughter her own army to vent anger and seek revenge for some outsiders. Killing one or two as a warning to deter others, letting them understand the deterrence of military discipline and obey her orders, was enough. If she were to kill her own people indiscriminately for outsiders, then she, Xi Ren Yuan Jun, would likely offend all the soldiers of the Xi Ren family, and perhaps no one would be willing to fight for her anymore. At this moment, two astute cavalrymen approached Xi Ren Yuan Jun, bowed and flattered, and said a few words, pointing towards the tavern. That’s right, these two astute cavalrymen were the ones who had been repelled by Wan Lei’s oppressive aura earlier. Xi Ren Yuan Jun nodded indifferently, then approached the tavern door. Before she could even kick the door open, it was pushed open, revealing the obsequious face of the innkeeper.
“Young Mistress, please come in.”
Young Master Lei was dumbfounded. “Holy crap, so they’re so accommodating? As expected of business owners.”
Xi Ren Yuan Jun glanced indifferently around everyone, then spoke.
“Previously, who obstructed my army’s soldiers from carrying out their duties?”
Without Wan Lei needing to speak, the patrons immediately turned their gazes towards Wan Lei, completely forgetting that they had survived because of Wan Lei’s protection just moments ago. A perfect betrayal of a teammate.
“Was it you who obstructed them?”
Xi Ren Yuan Jun appraised Wan Lei with a gaze that was indifferent, yet dangerous. The great expert Lei, however, possessed the demeanor of a great expert. He did not blush, nor did his heart skip a beat. With a calm and collected smile, he said, as a true man who dares to act and dare to take responsibility,
“No.”