Chapter 47

In the cracked street, the old white-haired woman, Xue Gu, said beside, "Young Master Ji Ning, Jiang He has offended you and deserves to die, but considering his youth, could you spare his life?"

Ji Ning gave her a cold glance without a word.

Xue Gu's brows furrowed deeply. She knew that Young Master Ji Ning's resolve to kill Jiang He was unchangeable.

"What's going on?"

"Why did the city gate collapse?"

"What happened to the riverside tribe?"

"Look, that young man is surrounded by a group of black-armored guards. He must be a significant figure of the Ji family." People from other tribes who came to the riverside city to trade and the members of the riverside tribe quickly gathered.

Seeing this, Xue Gu immediately shouted, "Make the uninvolved people move away."

"Yes."

The group of armored guards from the riverside tribe obeyed, driving away the people from other tribes and the members of their own tribe, prohibiting them from getting too close.

"Move aside!"

"Move aside!"

One by one, the armored guard teams rushed from the distant streets, each holding heavy weapons like bows and crossbows, led by the core figures of the riverside tribe. Clearly, they had heard the sounds and feared it might be an enemy force, so they quickly brought their troops.

"Grandma Xue." A white-haired old man led his team and approached, showing respect to Xue Gu.

Xue Gu just glanced at him.

One by one, the armored guard teams approached, and the core members of the riverside tribe came over.

"Whoosh!" A black shadow quickly approached and stopped near the armored guard teams. The guards wanted to stop the shadow, but when it stopped, they were startled, "Clan Leader!"

Jiang Sansi, with a cold face, carried a handsome young man and walked through the crowd. The core members of the clan looked at Jiang He with confusion. Jiang He was one of the grandsons of 'Jiang Sansi' and was highly regarded by him. He held a position in the top ten in the tribe. Why was he brought by the clan leader?

"Thud!" Jiang Sansi threw him.

Jiang He fell face-first onto the cracked rock ground, his face scraping and bleeding, and his body covered in dust. He quickly raised his head and looked around, soon locking onto the young man in animal skin surrounded by black-armored guards.

"Young Master Ji Ning, the person is here." Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu stood together.

"Is he Jiang He?" Ji Ning scrutinized Jiang He, thinking of the pitiful Chuncao, and a wave of murderous intent surged in his heart!

Jiang He could feel the authority that Young Master Ji Ning carried. Even the clan leader and Grandma Xue had to bow before him.

"Jiang He greets Young Master." Jiang He said respectfully.

"Jiang He... Jiang He..." Ji Ning softly repeated, his eyes like sharp knives piercing the young man, "Do you know why I came for you?"

Ji Ning's voice was soft.

But Jiang He felt a chill in his heart, sensing the overwhelming murderous intent in Ji Ning's voice!

"I don't know." Jiang He stared at Ji Ning, "Is Young Master Ji Ning going to kill me?"

"Yes." Ji Ning nodded.

Silence fell around.

Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu just watched, and the other core members of the riverside tribe also watched from the side. They could see that Young Master Ji Ning possessed overwhelming authority, and even the clan leader had to submit. His resolve to kill Jiang He was evident, and they silently sighed... the once glorious Jiang He would die today!

"If Young Master Ji Ning wants me to die, I must die." Jiang He's handsome face showed no fear, "But I don't know why Young Master wants to kill me?"

"Why kill you?" Ji Ning looked at him.

Swish.

A sword appeared in Ji Ning's hand, and with a flash, it struck Jiang He. This caused a suppressed gasp, but Jiang He did not dodge. Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu just watched calmly, and even if Ji Ning killed Jiang He with one strike, they would not say more.

Squish! Squish! Squish! Six bloody holes appeared on Jiang He's body, blood flowing out, but only in non-critical areas like his shoulders and legs.

"This!" Jiang He's eyes widened, "She, she is your..."

"Do you understand now?" Ji Ning looked at him.

The sword technique he used to create the six bloody holes was the same one Chuncao knew. When Jiang He ordered his servants to capture Chuncao, she used this sword technique to beat them up and leave.

"A woman, Young Master Ji Ning, you want to kill me for a woman? Women are just goods." Jiang He shouted, "I am willing to offer you ten, a hundred women, and she is just a slave. I am willing to do anything, just spare my life."

"In my eyes, you are not even worth a strand of her hair." Ji Ning said coldly.

Jiang He's face turned pale, and he took out a short knife from his pocket, saying in a low voice, "Young Master Ji Ning, Jiang He has offended you and deserves to die. I will do it myself to avoid dirtying your hands." He then stabbed towards his heart.

Clang!

A sword beam struck the short knife, sending it flying.

"Do you think you can die so easily?" Ji Ning stared at Jiang He, "She died in such pain and humiliation! How can I let you die so easily?"

Jiang He gritted his teeth and looked at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning shouted, "Mo Wu."

"Master." Mo Wu stepped forward.

"Public execution." Ji Ning said coldly, "Hang him on the city wall of the riverside tribe."

Jiang He's face turned white.

Public execution usually involved binding the person and hanging them, without food or water, under the scorching sun. Previously, Ji Ning had already created six bloody holes on Jiang He's body. With his vitality, he would not die from blood loss, but the blood would attract birds. The ordinary birds that dared to approach the city wall would occasionally peck at his flesh.

Dying in hunger, pain, and fear...

And being watched by countless clan members, the humiliation would make a proud person like Jiang He suffer even more.

"Yes." Mo Wu quickly found a chain and began to bind Jiang He, who knelt and bowed his head, not daring to make a sound.

"Father!" A shrill voice rang out, and a child rushed through the crowd.

"Go away." Jiang He saw the child running over and shouted, "Go away, go back."

"Father." The child cried, though his father forced him to practice swordsmanship, he was very doting on him.

Not far away, Jiang Sansi frowned, "Take the child away!"

"Yes."

Two armored guards immediately rushed out and grabbed the child, who struggled fiercely and stared at Ji Ning with eyes full of hatred.

Ji Ning just watched the child calmly. When he was young, his father Ji Yichuan made him kill death row inmates to build his courage, and he had seen even more terrifying eyes. In Xifu City, when he saw the slaves being sold... whether numb, desperate, crazy, hateful, or begging, he had seen every kind of look.

"Hang him on the city wall." Mo Wu also asked two black-armored guards for help.

Jiang He, completely bound in chains, with disheveled hair, was watched by some clan members. Some looked at him with pity, others with schadenfreude. This made Jiang He's body tremble with humiliation.

"Master." Mo Wu whispered to Ji Ning, "Jiang He's son... should we cut the roots?"

Ji Ning gave Mo Wu a cold glance.

Mo Wu bowed his head, not daring to say more.

"I will stay in the riverside city for a few days." Ji Ning looked at Jiang Sansi and Xue Gu, "No need to trouble you. I will stay in the black-armored guards' camp. I will watch Jiang He die slowly, and when he is dead, I will leave."

The core members of the tribe around them trembled, feeling the hatred in Ji Ning's voice.

...

At first, Jiang He was still fine under the scorching sun, but later, birds began to peck at his flesh, and the sun burned his skin until it cracked, revealing red flesh. The pain was like hell.

Because of the internal strength in his body, Jiang He's vitality was strong, but this only added to his suffering.

His skin was torn and burned, and he moaned and groaned in pain for three days and two nights before finally dying.

Ji Ning stayed in the riverside city.

When the black-armored guards reported that Jiang He had died in pain and groaning, Ji Ning gave a cold glance at Jiang He's mangled body and then left with Mo Wu and Qiuye, riding three black sly beasts.

******

The day Ji Ning left the riverside city, in the evening.

Jiang Sansi was sitting at a table, calmly holding a beast-head wine cup and drinking.

A child was kneeling in the hall.

"Cai'er." Jiang Sansi held the beast-head wine cup, "I will ask you again, do you want to kill Young Master Ji Ning?"

"I dare not, Cai'er dares not." The child knelt and said.

"Ah."

Jiang Sansi shook his head and softly said, "Your hatred is a disaster for our riverside tribe!"

"Come in." Jiang Sansi shouted.

"Master." A servant came in and knelt down.

"Um."

Jiang Sansi said coldly, "All the servants under Jiang He must be executed, not one left! Jiang He's women should be sold as slaves!"

"Clan Leader." The child was alarmed, his mother was among them.

"And him." Jiang Sansi looked coldly at the child, "Jiang He's only son... sell him as a slave!"

"No."

"No!" The child knelt down urgently, "Clan Leader, spare me, spare me."

"Yes!" The servant respectfully obeyed, grabbed the child, and left.

The child still struggled, cried, and shed tears.

Slave?

Why!

Why is this happening!

Watching the child cry and struggle, Jiang Sansi remained silent.

"Master, should Jiang He's women and child be sold as slaves?" A shadow appeared in the dark hall.

Jiang Sansi nodded slightly. When Jiang He was being exposed to the sun, Jiang Sansi had already sent people to secretly ask him... and learned that the source was Miwa from the Black Tooth tribe. Jiang Sansi also sent people to the Black Tooth tribe to ask 'Black Tooth' and learned everything. Thus, all the servants who knew about this were executed.

"Ji Ning doesn't want the story of Chuncao to spread." Jiang Sansi said indifferently, "Chuncao once said she was a servant of the Ji family. Anyone who heard this must be executed."

"Jiang He's women are useless."

"Jiang He's only son, Cai'er, has too much hatred for Ji Ning. I asked him several times, and though he didn't speak of revenge, a child can't deceive me. I saw through his heart; he already hates Ji Ning to the bone." Jiang Sansi shook his head, "At such a young age, he already knows how to hide his thoughts. Once he gains power in the tribe, his hatred for Ji Ning could bring disaster to our riverside tribe!"

"I do this to show the Ji family our loyalty!"

The shadow in the dark remained silent.

"Zhe San." Jiang Sansi spoke.

"Master." The shadow responded.

"Send Zhe Jiu." Jiang Sansi said, "Secretly take Cai'er away, send him to the territory of the Tumu tribe, and let him join a small tribe. Teach him well! If Cai'er has talent and works hard, teach him well. If he forgets his hatred and doesn't work hard, kill him and bring him back."

"Yes." The shadow nodded.

"Hatred... is also a kind of power." Jiang Sansi whispered, "Compared to the Ji family, our riverside tribe is too weak, too weak."

**

{Piaotian Literature}